UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
☒ |
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED September 30, 2019
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 001‑38501
______________________________________________
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
82‑3750435 |
||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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|
|
||
620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor Cambridge, Massachusetts (Address of principal executive offices) |
02139 (Zip Code) |
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|
|
||
(857) 259‑3860 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: |
|||
Title of each class |
Trading symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
|
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
SRRK |
The Nasdaq Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer |
☐ |
Accelerated filer |
☐ |
|
|
|
|
Non-accelerated filer |
☒ |
Smaller reporting company |
☒ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Emerging growth company |
☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock as of November 1, 2019 was 29,678,422.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q (“Quarterly Report”), including the documents incorporated by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:
· |
the success, cost and timing of clinical trials for SRK-015, including the progress and completion of our Phase 2 clinical trial and any future clinical trials for SRK-015, and the results, and the timing of results, from these trials; |
· |
the success, cost and timing of our other product development activities, preclinical studies and clinical trials, including for SRK-181 for the treatment of cancers resistant to checkpoint blockade therapies (“CBTs”) and the results, and timing of results, from these studies and trials; |
· |
our success in identifying and executing a development program for additional indications for SRK-015, SRK-181 and in identifying product candidates from our other programs; |
· |
the clinical utility of our product candidates and their potential advantages over other therapeutic options; |
· |
our ability to obtain, generally or on terms acceptable to us, funding for our operations, including funding necessary to complete further development and, upon successful development, if approved, commercialization of SRK-015, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates; |
· |
the potential for our identified research priorities to advance our proprietary platform, development programs or product candidates; |
· |
the timing, scope, or likelihood of our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authorities for SRK-015, SRK-181 and any future product candidates, and any related restrictions, limitations or warnings in the label of any approved product candidate; |
· |
our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates and the duration of such protection; |
· |
our ability and the potential to successfully manufacture our product candidates for clinical trials and for commercial use, if approved; |
· |
our ability to establish or maintain collaborations or strategic relationships, including our collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc.; |
· |
our ability to obtain additional funding when necessary; |
· |
the size and growth potential of the markets for our product candidates, and our ability to serve those markets, either alone or in combination with others; |
· |
our expectations related to the use of our cash reserves; |
2
· |
the impact of new laws and regulations or amendments to existing laws and regulations; |
· |
developments and projections relating to our competitors and our industry; |
· |
our estimates and expectations regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing, including our expected use of proceeds from our public offerings; |
· |
cash and expense levels, future revenues and liquidity sources; |
· |
our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act; and |
· |
other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under Part II, Item 1A, Risk Factors. |
The risks set forth above are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Investors should also refer to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for future periods and Current Reports on Form 8-K as we file them with the SEC, and to other materials we may furnish to the public from time to time through Current Reports on Form 8-K or otherwise, for a discussion of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events, or otherwise, and you should not rely upon these forward-looking statements after the date of this report.
We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information reflected in this Quarterly Report. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.
3
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
4
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|
September 30, |
|
December 31, |
||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
32,641 |
|
$ |
115,069 |
Marketable securities |
|
|
143,441 |
|
|
60,576 |
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
3,157 |
|
|
2,296 |
Total current assets |
|
|
179,239 |
|
|
177,941 |
Property and equipment, net |
|
|
4,311 |
|
|
3,190 |
Operating lease right-of-use asset |
|
|
4,702 |
|
|
— |
Restricted cash |
|
|
205 |
|
|
205 |
Other long-term assets |
|
|
85 |
|
|
— |
Total assets |
|
$ |
188,542 |
|
$ |
181,336 |
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable |
|
$ |
3,032 |
|
$ |
3,303 |
Accrued expenses |
|
|
8,141 |
|
|
7,157 |
Deferred rent |
|
|
— |
|
|
16 |
Operating lease liability |
|
|
1,082 |
|
|
— |
Loan payable |
|
|
— |
|
|
424 |
Deferred revenue |
|
|
20,252 |
|
|
20,209 |
Other current liabilities |
|
|
15 |
|
|
14 |
Total current liabilities |
|
|
32,522 |
|
|
31,123 |
Long-term portion of deferred rent |
|
|
— |
|
|
871 |
Long-term portion of operating lease liability |
|
|
4,484 |
|
|
— |
Other long-term liabilities |
|
|
13 |
|
|
24 |
Long-term portion of deferred revenue |
|
|
29,733 |
|
|
42,695 |
Total liabilities |
|
|
66,752 |
|
|
74,713 |
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders’ equity: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018; no shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized and 29,678,422 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2019; 150,000,000 shares authorized and 26,217,701 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2018 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
26 |
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
268,009 |
|
|
213,453 |
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |
|
|
26 |
|
|
(8) |
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(146,275) |
|
|
(106,848) |
Total stockholders’ equity |
|
|
121,790 |
|
|
106,623 |
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
$ |
188,542 |
|
$ |
181,336 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
5
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
||||||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||||
Revenue |
|
$ |
4,774 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
12,919 |
|
$ |
— |
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
|
15,699 |
|
|
8,061 |
|
|
40,153 |
|
|
26,185 |
General and administrative |
|
|
6,181 |
|
|
3,173 |
|
|
14,961 |
|
|
8,947 |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
21,880 |
|
|
11,234 |
|
|
55,114 |
|
|
35,132 |
Loss from operations |
|
|
(17,106) |
|
|
(11,234) |
|
|
(42,195) |
|
|
(35,132) |
Other income (expense), net |
|
|
959 |
|
|
472 |
|
|
2,768 |
|
|
772 |
Net loss |
|
$ |
(16,147) |
|
$ |
(10,762) |
|
$ |
(39,427) |
|
$ |
(34,360) |
Net loss per share, basic and diluted |
|
$ |
(0.55) |
|
$ |
(0.44) |
|
$ |
(1.46) |
|
$ |
(2.72) |
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
|
|
29,232,158 |
|
|
24,310,681 |
|
|
26,929,215 |
|
|
12,647,032 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(16,147) |
|
$ |
(10,762) |
|
$ |
(39,427) |
|
$ |
(34,360) |
Other comprehensive income (loss): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities |
|
|
(32) |
|
|
— |
|
|
34 |
|
|
2 |
Total other comprehensive income (loss) |
|
|
(32) |
|
|
— |
|
|
34 |
|
|
2 |
Comprehensive loss |
|
$ |
(16,179) |
|
$ |
(10,762) |
|
$ |
(39,393) |
|
$ |
(34,358) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
6
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Convertible Preferred |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional |
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
Total |
||||||
|
|
Stock |
|
|
Common Stock |
|
Paid‑in |
|
Comprehensive |
|
Accumulated |
|
Stockholders’ |
||||||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
Amount |
|
|
Shares |
|
Amount |
|
Capital |
|
Income (Loss) |
|
Deficit |
|
Equity |
||||||
Balance at December 31, 2018 |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
26,217,701 |
|
$ |
26 |
|
$ |
213,453 |
|
$ |
(8) |
|
$ |
(106,848) |
|
$ |
106,623 |
Unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
24 |
|
|
— |
|
|
24 |
Restricted shares forfeited during the period |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(2,237) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Exercise of stock options |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,983 |
|
|
— |
|
|
13 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
13 |
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,618 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,618 |
Net Loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(10,755) |
|
|
(10,755) |
Balance at March 31, 2019 |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
26,217,447 |
|
$ |
26 |
|
$ |
215,084 |
|
$ |
16 |
|
$ |
(117,603) |
|
$ |
97,523 |
Unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
42 |
|
|
— |
|
|
42 |
Sale of common shares, net of issuance costs |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
3,000,000 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
42,019 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
42,022 |
Exercise of stock options |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
12,883 |
|
|
— |
|
|
79 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
79 |
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,814 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,814 |
Net Loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(12,525) |
|
|
(12,525) |
Balance at June 30, 2019 |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
29,230,330 |
|
$ |
29 |
|
$ |
258,996 |
|
$ |
58 |
|
$ |
(130,128) |
|
$ |
128,955 |
Unrealized loss on marketable securities |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(32) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(32) |
Restricted shares forfeited during the period |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(1,973) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Sale of common shares, net of issuance costs |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
450,000 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
6,325 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
6,326 |
Exercise of stock options |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
65 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
2,688 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
2,688 |
Net Loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(16,147) |
|
|
(16,147) |
Balance at September 30, 2019 |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
29,678,422 |
|
$ |
30 |
|
$ |
268,009 |
|
$ |
26 |
|
$ |
(146,275) |
|
$ |
121,790 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
7
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Convertible Preferred |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional |
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
Total |
||||||
|
|
Stock |
|
|
Common Stock |
|
Paid‑in |
|
Comprehensive |
|
Accumulated |
|
Stockholders’ |
||||||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
Amount |
|
|
Shares |
|
Amount |
|
Capital |
|
Loss |
|
Deficit |
|
Equity (Deficit) |
||||||
Balance at December 31, 2017 |
|
43,135,911 |
|
$ |
109,232 |
|
|
3,970,586 |
|
$ |
4 |
|
$ |
4,001 |
|
$ |
(2) |
|
$ |
(57,525) |
|
$ |
(53,522) |
Unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1 |
|
|
— |
|
|
1 |
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
482 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
482 |
Net loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(8,892) |
|
|
(8,892) |
Balance at March 31, 2018 |
|
43,135,911 |
|
$ |
109,232 |
|
|
3,970,586 |
|
$ |
4 |
|
$ |
4,483 |
|
$ |
(1) |
|
$ |
(66,417) |
|
$ |
(61,931) |
Unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1 |
|
|
— |
|
|
1 |
Reclassification of warrant to stockholders' equity |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
93 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
93 |
Conversion of convertible preferred stock into common stock |
|
(43,135,911) |
|
|
(109,232) |
|
|
15,109,950 |
|
|
15 |
|
|
109,217 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
109,232 |
Sale of common shares sold in IPO, net of issuance costs |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
6,164,000 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
77,829 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
77,835 |
Restricted shares forfeited during the period |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(852) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,089 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,089 |
Net loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(14,707) |
|
|
(14,707) |
Balance at June 30, 2018 |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
25,243,684 |
|
$ |
25 |
|
$ |
192,711 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
(81,124) |
|
$ |
111,612 |
Sale of common shares sold in IPO, net of issuance costs |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
4 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
4 |
Restricted shares forfeited during the period |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(2,367) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Exercise of stock options |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
449 |
|
|
— |
|
|
3 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
3 |
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,486 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,486 |
Net loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(10,762) |
|
|
(10,762) |
Balance at September 30, 2018 |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
25,241,766 |
|
$ |
25 |
|
$ |
194,204 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
(91,886) |
|
$ |
102,343 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
8
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||
|
|
September 30, |
||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(39,427) |
|
$ |
(34,360) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
917 |
|
|
567 |
Gain or loss on sale of property and equipment |
|
|
(8) |
|
|
— |
Equity-based compensation |
|
|
6,120 |
|
|
3,057 |
Amortization/accretion of investment securities |
|
|
(1,023) |
|
|
— |
Non-cash operating lease expense |
|
|
742 |
|
|
— |
Deferred payroll tax credit |
|
|
— |
|
|
199 |
Change in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
(1,001) |
|
|
(1,108) |
Other assets |
|
|
(85) |
|
|
— |
Accounts payable |
|
|
(664) |
|
|
294 |
Accrued expenses |
|
|
984 |
|
|
543 |
Deferred rent |
|
|
— |
|
|
190 |
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
(625) |
|
|
— |
Deferred revenue |
|
|
(12,919) |
|
|
— |
Other liabilities |
|
|
(59) |
|
|
95 |
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
(47,048) |
|
|
(30,523) |
Cash flows from investing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of property and equipment |
|
|
(1,645) |
|
|
(791) |
Purchase of marketable securities |
|
|
(194,608) |
|
|
— |
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment |
|
|
8 |
|
|
— |
Sales and maturities of marketable securities |
|
|
112,800 |
|
|
1,499 |
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities |
|
|
(83,445) |
|
|
708 |
Cash flows from financing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal payments on loan payable |
|
|
(365) |
|
|
(500) |
Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of issuance costs |
|
|
48,348 |
|
|
77,839 |
Proceeds from stock option exercises |
|
|
92 |
|
|
3 |
Other |
|
|
(10) |
|
|
(2) |
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
48,065 |
|
|
77,340 |
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash |
|
|
(82,428) |
|
|
47,525 |
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period |
|
|
115,274 |
|
|
56,666 |
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period |
|
$ |
32,846 |
|
$ |
104,191 |
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash items: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property and equipment purchases in accounts payable and accrued expenses |
|
$ |
832 |
|
$ |
177 |
Operating lease right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for operating lease obligation |
|
$ |
5,444 |
|
$ |
— |
Supplemental cash flow information: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash paid for interest |
|
$ |
7 |
|
$ |
27 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
9
SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
1. Nature of the Business
Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (the “Company”) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. The Company’s novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled the development of a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. The Company’s lead product candidate, SRK-015, is a highly selective fully human, monoclonal antibody, with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. SRK-015 is being developed as a potential first muscle-directed therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (“SMA”). The Company is currently dosing patients with Type 2 and Type 3 SMA in its SRK-015 TOPAZ Phase 2 clinical trial. The Company’s second product candidate, SRK-181, is being developed for the treatment of cancers resistant to checkpoint blockade therapies (“CBTs”), such as anti-PD1 or anti-PDL 1 antibodies. SRK-181 is a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of transforming growth factor beta-1 (“TGFβ1”). Subject to regulatory feedback, the Company intends to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-181 in the first quarter of 2020 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors that exhibit primary resistance to anti-PD(L)1 antibodies. Additionally, the Company continues to create a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and anemia. The Company was originally formed in May 2012. Its principal offices are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Since its inception, the Company’s operations have focused on research and development of monoclonal antibodies that selectively inhibit activation of growth factors for therapeutic effect, as well as establishing the Company’s intellectual property portfolio and performing research and development activities. The Company has primarily financed its operations through various equity financings, including the initial public offering of its common stock (the “IPO”) in May 2018 and a secondary offering in June 2019 (Note 6), as well as research and development collaboration agreements.
Revenue generation activities have been limited to two collaborations, both containing research services and the issuance of a license. The first agreement, executed in 2013, was with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (“Janssen”), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The second agreement, executed in December 2018, was with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”). The Company began recognizing revenue on the Gilead Collaboration Agreement in 2019. No revenues have been recorded from the sale of any commercial product.
The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other life science companies, including, but not limited to, successful discovery and development of its drug candidates, raising additional capital, development by its competitors of new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology and regulatory approval and market acceptance of the Company’s products. The Company anticipates that it will continue to incur significant operating losses for the next several years as it continues to develop its product candidates. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents, and marketable securities at September 30, 2019 will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operations through at least a period of one year after the date the financial statements are issued.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The significant accounting policies used in preparation of the unaudited consolidated financial statements are described in the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018, and the notes thereto, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. Material changes to the significant accounting policies previously disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 are reflected below.
10
Leases
Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”), Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), using the modified retrospective approach and utilizing the effective date as its date of initial application, for which prior periods are presented in accordance with the previous guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases.
At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines whether the arrangement is or contains a lease based on the unique facts and circumstances present. Leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the balance sheet as right-of-use assets, lease liabilities and, if applicable, long-term lease liabilities. Operating lease liabilities and their corresponding right-of-use assets are recorded based on the present value of lease payments over the expected remaining lease term. However, certain adjustments to the right-of-use asset may be required for items such as incentives received. The interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable. As a result, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rates, which are the rates incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.
In accordance with the guidance in ASC 842, components of a lease should be split into three categories: lease components (e.g. land, building, etc.), non-lease components (e.g. common area maintenance, consumables, etc.), and non-components (e.g. property taxes, insurance, etc.) Then the fixed and in-substance fixed contract consideration (including any related to non-components) must be allocated based on the respective relative fair values to the lease components and non-lease components.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to classifications used in the current year.
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
The consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein have been prepared, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the information furnished reflects all adjustments, all of which are of a normal and recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the reported interim periods. The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year or any other interim period.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the related reporting of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
ASU 2016-02, Leases and ASU 2018-11, Leases, Targeted Improvements
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, (“ASU 2016-02”), which superseded the lease accounting requirements in ASC 840, Leases and created a new Topic 842, Leases.
In adopting the new standard, the Company elected to utilize the available package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which removed the requirement to reassess previous accounting
11
conclusions around whether arrangements are or contain leases, the classification of leases, and the treatment of initial direct costs. The adoption of this standard resulted in the recognition of operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets of $6.2 million and $5.4 million, respectively, as of January 1, 2019. There was no cumulative transition adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption of the standard and there was no material effect on the Company’s statements of operations or statement of cash flows as the difference relates to previously recorded deferred rent which was eliminated upon adoption of this standard.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The new standard will align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs for hosting arrangements (services) with costs for internal-use software (assets). As a result, certain implementation costs incurred in hosting arrangements will be deferred and amortized. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company does not anticipate a material impact to its net financial position or disclosures as a result of the adoption of ASU 2018-15.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard requires that a financial asset or a group of financial assets measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. Under current GAAP, a company only considered past events and current conditions in measuring an incurred loss. Under ASU 2016-13, the information that a company must consider is broadened in developing an expected credit loss estimate for assets measured either collectively or individually. The use of forecasted information incorporates more timely information in the estimate of expected credit loss. The new guidance will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The guidance is applied using a modified retrospective, or prospective approach, depending on a specific amendment. The Company does not anticipate a material impact to its net financial position or disclosures as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13.
3. Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities
The following tables summarize the assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (in thousands):
|
|
Fair Value Measurements at September 30, 2019 |
||||||||||
|
|
Total |
|
Level 1 |
|
Level 2 |
|
Level 3 |
||||
Assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Money market funds, included in cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
30,868 |
|
$ |
30,868 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
Marketable securities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Treasury obligations |
|
|
143,441 |
|
|
143,441 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Total assets |
|
$ |
174,309 |
|
$ |
174,309 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2018 |
||||||||||
|
|
Total |
|
Level 1 |
|
Level 2 |
|
Level 3 |
||||
Assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Money market funds, included in cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
114,593 |
|
$ |
114,593 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
Marketable securities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Treasury obligations |
|
|
60,576 |
|
|
60,576 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Total assets |
|
$ |
175,169 |
|
$ |
175,169 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities include investments in money market funds and U.S. government securities that are valued using quoted market prices. Accordingly, money market funds and government funds are categorized as Level 1 as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018. There were no transfers between fair value measurements levels during the three or nine months ended September 30, 2019 or 2018.
12
The carrying amounts reflected in the balance sheets for prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate their fair values at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, due to their short-term nature.
Upon the completion of the IPO, the Company’s outstanding warrant to purchase preferred stock converted into a warrant to purchase common stock and the Company reclassified the fair value of the warrant to additional paid-in capital. As of September 30, 2019, the warrant is currently exercisable for 7,614 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.94 per share.
4. Marketable Securities
The following table summarizes the Company’s investments as of September 30, 2019 (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
Gross |
|
|
|
||||
|
|
Amortized |
|
Unrealized |
|
Estimated |
||||||
|
|
Cost |
|
Gains |
|
Losses |
|
Fair Value |
||||
Marketable securities available-for-sale: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Treasury obligations |
|
$ |
143,415 |
|
$ |
35 |
|
$ |
(9) |
|
$ |
143,441 |
Total available-for-sale securities |
|
$ |
143,415 |
|
$ |
35 |
|
$ |
(9) |
|
$ |
143,441 |
The following table summarizes the Company’s investments as of December 31, 2018 (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
Gross |
|
|
|
||||
|
|
Amortized |
|
Unrealized |
|
Estimated |
||||||
|
|
Cost |
|
Gains |
|
Losses |
|
Fair Value |
||||
Marketable securities available-for-sale: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Treasury obligations |
|
$ |
60,584 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
(8) |
|
$ |
60,576 |
Total available-for-sale securities |
|
$ |
60,584 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
(8) |
|
$ |
60,576 |
5. Accrued Expenses
As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, accrued expenses consist of the following (in thousands):
|
|
As of |
||||
|
|
September 30, |
|
December 31, |
||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||
Accrued external research and development expense |
|
$ |
3,860 |
|
$ |
3,284 |
Accrued payroll and related expenses |
|
|
2,781 |
|
|
2,826 |
Accrued professional and consulting expense |
|
|
1,309 |
|
|
890 |
Accrued other |
|
|
191 |
|
|
157 |
|
|
$ |
8,141 |
|
$ |
7,157 |
6. Common Stock and Preferred Stock
Upon the closing of the IPO during the second quarter of 2018, all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock converted into 15,109,950 shares of common stock.
In connection with the consummation of the IPO, on May 29, 2018 the Company filed an amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which increased the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance thereunder by 90,000,000 shares to 150,000,000 shares and also authorized for issuance 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001. As of September 30, 2019, no shares of the Preferred Stock were issued or outstanding.
In June 2019, the Company sold 3,000,000 shares of its common stock through an underwritten public offering at a price of $15.00 per share. The offering was made pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form
13
S‑3. In July 2019, the exercise of the overallotment was settled, resulting in the sale of an additional 450,000 shares at a price of $15.00 per share. As a result of the offering, including the exercise of the overallotment option, the Company received aggregate net proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, of approximately $48.3 million.
7. Equity-Based Compensation
The Company recorded equity-based compensation expense related to all equity-based awards for employees and nonemployees, which was allocated as follows in the consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||
|
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||||
Research and development expense |
|
$ |
577 |
|
$ |
453 |
|
$ |
1,794 |
|
$ |
1,240 |
General and administrative expense |
|
|
2,111 |
|
|
1,033 |
|
|
4,326 |
|
|
1,817 |
|
|
$ |
2,688 |
|
$ |
1,486 |
|
$ |
6,120 |
|
$ |
3,057 |
Equity-based compensation during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 includes $0.6 million and $0.1 million related to the acceleration and modification, respectively, of certain equity awards. Equity-based compensation during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 includes $0.3 million related to the modification of certain other equity awards.
Restricted Stock
The following table summarizes restricted common stock activity as of September 30, 2019:
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
|
|
|
Average Fair |
|
|
|
|
|
Value per Share |
|
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
at Issuance |
|
Restricted common stock as of December 31, 2018 |
|
664,174 |
|
$ |
5.77 |
Granted |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
Vested |
|
(271,062) |
|
$ |
5.77 |
Forfeited |
|
(4,210) |
|
$ |
5.77 |
Restricted common stock as of September 30, 2019 |
|
388,902 |
|
$ |
5.77 |
As of September 30, 2019, the Company had unrecognized equity-based compensation expense of $1.7 million related to restricted stock issued to employees and directors, which is expected to be recognized over a period of 1.4 years.
Stock Options
The following table summarizes stock option activity as of September 30, 2019:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
Average |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Average |
|
Remaining |
|
Aggregate |
||
|
|
Shares |
|
Exercise Price |
|
Contractual Term |
|
Intrinsic Value |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in years) |
|
(in thousands) |
|
Outstanding as of December 31, 2018 |
|
1,627,947 |
|
$ |
10.86 |
|
9.26 |
|
$ |
19,831 |
Granted |
|
976,835 |
|
|
15.35 |
|
|
|
|
|
Exercised |
|
(14,931) |
|
|
6.23 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cancelled |
|
(119,381) |
|
|
15.08 |
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding as of September 30, 2019 |
|
2,470,470 |
|
|
12.46 |
|
8.17 |
|
$ |
2,577 |
Options exercisable as of September 30, 2019 |
|
761,359 |
|
$ |
10.09 |
|
6.26 |
|
$ |
1,189 |
Using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, the weighted average fair value of options granted to employees and directors during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $10.75.
14
The following assumptions were used in determining the fair value of options granted in the nine months ended September 30, 2019:
Risk-free interest rate |
2.34 |
% |
Expected dividend yield |
0.0 |
% |
Expected term (years to liquidity) |
6.20 |
|
Expected volatility |
79.74 |
% |
As of September 30, 2019, the Company has unrecognized equity-based compensation expense related to its employee stock options of $14.9 million which the Company expects to recognize over the remaining weighted average vesting period of 2.8 years.
8. Commitments and Contingencies
Operating Leases
Facility Lease
In March 2015, the Company entered into a 5‑year lease for its corporate headquarters (the ‘‘lease’’). The lease was further amended in February 2018, to add an additional space (the ‘‘expansion space’’) at the current location and to extend the lease term (the ‘‘amended lease’’). The amended lease expires in September 2023. Rent for the facility lease, including the expansion space, increases from $1.4 million per year to $1.7 million per year over the term of the lease. Variable lease payments include the Company’s allocated share of costs incurred and expenditures made by the landlord in the operation and management of the building. The Company has the option to extend the term of the amended lease for one additional term of 5 years commencing after the amended lease expires.
Other information related to the Company’s lease was as follows (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate):
|
For Three Months Ended |
|
|
For Nine Months Ended |
|
||
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
||
|
2019 |
|
|
2019 |
|
||
Lease Cost: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating lease cost |
$ |
344 |
|
|
$ |
1,031 |
|
Variable lease cost |
|
149 |
|
|
|
506 |
|
Total lease cost |
$ |
493 |
|
|
$ |
1,537 |
|
|
For Nine Months Ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2019 |
|
|
Other information: |
|
|
|
Operating cash flows used for operating leases |
$ |
914 |
|
Weighted average remaining lease term |
|
4.00 years |
|
Weighted average discount rate |
|
6.47 |
% |
15
The following is a maturity analysis of the annual undiscounted cash flows reconciled to the carrying value of the operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2019 (in thousands):
Year Ending December 31, |
|
|
|
2019 (excluding the nine months ended September 30, 2019) |
|
$ |
351 |
2020 |
|
|
1,446 |
2021 |
|
|
1,619 |
2022 |
|
|
1,668 |
2023 |
|
|
1,279 |
Thereafter |
|
|
— |
Total lease payments |
|
|
6,363 |
Less imputed interest |
|
|
(797) |
Total operating lease liabilities |
|
$ |
5,566 |
Legal Proceedings
The Company is not currently a party to any material legal proceedings.
9. Loan Payable
In August 2015, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank (‘‘SVB’’), which provided the Company an equipment line of credit of up to $2.0 million to finance the purchase of eligible equipment. The Company made the final payments on the loan in June 2019.
10. Agreements
Collaboration with Gilead
Agreement Summary
On December 19, 2018 (the “Effective Date”), the Company entered into a Master Collaboration Agreement (the “Gilead Collaboration Agreement”) with Gilead to discover and develop specific inhibitors of TGFβ activation focused on the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Under the collaboration, Gilead has exclusive options to license worldwide rights to product candidates that emerge from three of the Company’s TGFβ programs (each a “Gilead Program”). Pursuant to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, the Company is responsible for antibody discovery and preclinical research through product candidate nomination, after which, upon exercising the option for a Gilead Program, Gilead will be responsible for the program’s preclinical and clinical development and commercialization. Such option may be exercised by Gilead at any time from the Effective Date through a date that is 90 days following the expiration of the Research Collaboration Term (as defined below) for a given Gilead Program, or until termination of the Gilead Program, whichever is earlier (the “Option Exercise Period”).
The Company received a non-refundable upfront payment of $50 million under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement. If Gilead exercises its option to exclusively license a Gilead Program, the Company may earn a total potential aggregate option exercise fee, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments with respect to each Gilead Program of $475 million, or a total of $1,425 million across all three Gilead Programs. Additionally, in partial consideration of the rights granted to Gilead pursuant to the License Agreement, Gilead shall pay to the Company certain tiered royalties at a rate ranging from the high single-digits to the low double-digits (depending on the amount of net sales) on each Licensed Product in a given calendar year, on a country-by-country basis. In addition, Gilead will pay the Company a one-time milestone payment in the amount of $25 million following achievement of successful demonstration of in vivo proof of concept consistent with certain criteria detailed in the Gilead Collaboration Agreement. None of the payments under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement are refundable.
Simultaneously with the entry into the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Gilead (the “Gilead Equity Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the Gilead Equity Agreement, Gilead
16
purchased 980,392 shares of common stock of the Company (the “Shares”) at a purchase price of $30.60 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $30 million. The Company did not incur any material costs in connection with the issuance of the Shares.
The Company and Gilead have established a joint steering committee (the “JSC”). The JSC, among other powers and responsibilities, reviews, oversees and has decision-making responsibilities for certain strategic activities performed under the Gilead Programs, including reviewing and amending the research plans, reviewing any development candidate nominations, selecting a development candidate, and overseeing the strategic direction of the Gilead Programs. The Company conducts its activities for each Gilead Program under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, on a program-by-program basis, during the period beginning on the Effective Date and ending on the earliest to occur of (a) the date that the JSC first approves a selected development candidate for such program, (b) the third anniversary of the Effective Date, or (c) the effective date of termination of the Gilead Collaboration Agreement (the “Research Collaboration Term”). During the Research Collaboration Term, for each Gilead Program, the Company will notify Gilead, through the JSC, of up to two Gilead Program antibodies (in the case that Gilead rejects one, in accordance with the terms of the Gilead Collaboration Agreement) that satisfy the development criteria for such program (the “Development Candidate Nomination”).
This Gilead Collaboration Agreement remains in effect, unless otherwise earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, on a program-by-program basis, until Gilead exercises its option with respect to a given Gilead Program or until expiration of the applicable Option Exercise Period, whichever is earlier (the “Term”). Unless earlier terminated, the Term shall expire in its entirety upon the expiration of the last to expire Option Exercise Period under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement. Gilead may terminate the Gilead Collaboration Agreement in its entirety or on a program-by-program basis in its sole discretion upon prior written notice to the Company pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Gilead Collaboration Agreement may also be terminated on a program-by-program basis by either party in the event of an uncured material breach of the Gilead Collaboration Agreement by the other party.
Prior to Gilead’s exercise of an option, the Company has the lead responsibility for drug discovery and pre-clinical development of all Gilead Programs through to Development Candidate Nomination. Within a certain period of time after receiving a data package for a Development Candidate Nomination, Gilead may exercise its option to enter into a Form of License Agreement for exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the licensed antibodies and licensed products of such Gilead Program.
Accounting Treatment
The Company assessed this arrangement in accordance with ASC 606 and concluded that the contract counterparty, Gilead, is a customer. The Company identified the following material promises under the arrangement: (1) the non-exclusive, royalty-free research and development license; (2) the research and development services for the Gilead Programs; and (3) the options to license each of the three Gilead Programs to develop, manufacture and commercialize licensed candidates and resulting products, which were determined to be material rights for each program. The research and development services for each of the three Gilead Programs were determined to not be distinct from the research and development license and have been combined into a single performance obligation for each Gilead Program. Additionally, the option and associated material right for each Gilead Program represent separate performance obligations. The promises under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement relate primarily to the research and development required by the Company for each of the Gilead Programs nominated by Gilead. The Company does not have significant responsibilities subsequent to Gilead’s exercise of each option.
At the commencement of the arrangement, two units of accounting were identified: the issuance of 980,392 of the Company’s common shares and the joint research activities during the three-year research collaboration term. The Company determined the total transaction price to be $80 million, consisting of $17.1 million attributed to the equity sold to Gilead and $62.9 million attributed to the joint research activities. In determining the fair value of the common stock at closing, the Company considered the closing price of the common stock at the time of the transaction and included a lack of marketability discount because the shares were subject to certain restrictions. Of the $30 million equity investment, $12.9 million was determined to be a premium and therefore was included as part of the transaction price to be allocated over the performance obligations. The potential incremental payment of $25 million is due following achievement of successful demonstration of in vivo proof of concept consistent with certain criteria detailed in
17
the Gilead Collaboration Agreement and will be included in the transaction price when it becomes probable that a future material reversal will not occur. The Company will reevaluate the transaction price at the end of each reporting period and as uncertain events are resolved or other changes in circumstances occur, and, if necessary, will adjust its estimate of the transaction price. The $62.9 million attributed to the joint research activities was allocated to the performance obligations based on their standalone selling prices (the “SSP”) when the Gilead Collaboration Agreement was executed. The Company made certain estimates when determining the SSP. For the research licenses and related research and development services, the estimated SSP is primarily based on the nature of the services to be performed and estimates of the associated effort and costs of the services. The Company developed the estimated SSP for the material rights based on the intrinsic value of the license upon exercise of the underlying option, industry standards for product development and estimates for the likelihood of option exercise.
The consideration related to the underlying options will not be included in the transaction price until the options are exercised. Additionally, the subsequent potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones are excluded from the transaction price, until after Gilead exercises its respective options.
Revenue associated with the research and development and license performance obligations relating to the Gilead Programs is recognized as revenue as the research and development services are provided using an input method, according to the costs incurred on each Gilead Program and the costs expected to be incurred in the future to satisfy the performance obligation. The transfer of control occurs over time. In management’s judgment, this input method is the best measure of progress towards satisfying the performance obligation. The amounts allocated to the three material rights will be recognized when Gilead exercises each respective option and delivers the underlying license and transfer of know-how, or immediately as each option expires unexercised. The amounts received that have not yet been recognized as revenue are recorded in deferred revenue on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.
None of the performance obligations have been fully satisfied as of September 30, 2019. As a result of the joint research activities conducted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recognized $4.8 million and $12.9 million, respectively, in revenue in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement. The aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the Company’s unsatisfied performance obligations and recorded in deferred revenue at September 30, 2019 is $50.0 million. The Company will recognize the deferred revenue related to the research and development services based on a cost input method, over the remaining research term for each respective Gilead Program, which is a maximum of 2.25 years as of September 30, 2019; each research term is dependent on the timing of Gilead either exercising its options for the Gilead Programs or terminating further development on the Gilead Programs prior to the expiration date of the research term.
11. Net Loss per Share
The Company calculates basic net loss per share by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding restricted common stock. The Company has generated a net loss in all periods presented, so the basic and diluted net loss per share are the same, as the inclusion of the potentially dilutive securities would be anti-dilutive.
The following table sets forth the outstanding common stock equivalents, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, that have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
|
|
Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
Restricted common stock |
|
388,902 |
|
863,317 |
|
Warrant |
|
7,614 |
|
7,614 |
|
Stock options |
|
2,470,470 |
|
1,500,731 |
|
|
|
2,866,986 |
|
2,371,662 |
|
18
12. Subsequent Events
In November 2019, the Company entered into a facility lease at 301 Binney Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts to be used as its new corporate headquarters. The Company is involved in the construction and design of the space and anticipates that it will incur construction costs, subject to an allowance for tenant improvements of up to $14.1 million. No construction costs have been incurred as of September 30, 2019. The estimated expiration date is in July 2025. The Company has the option to extend the term by two years. The base rent is $6.9 million per year, subject to an annual upward adjustment of 3.5%, and the Company is subject to a free-rent period. Variable lease payments include the Company’s allocated share of costs incurred and expenditures made by the landlord in the operation and management of the building. In connection with the facility lease, the Company has secured a letter of credit for $2.3 million which renews automatically each year.
19
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q (the “Quarterly Report”), and the audited financial information and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.
Our actual results and timing of certain events may differ materially from the results discussed, projected, anticipated, or indicated in any forward-looking statements. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.
The following information and any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of factors discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, including those risks identified under Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors.
We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made by us, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the SEC, to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. Our novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. We believe this approach, acting in the disease microenvironment, avoids the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path.
Our lead product candidate, SRK-015, is a highly selective, fully human, monoclonal antibody, with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. SRK-015 is being developed as a potential first muscle-directed therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (“SMA”). We are currently dosing patients with Type 2 and Type 3 SMA in our SRK-015 TOPAZ Phase 2 clinical trial and anticipate announcing preliminary pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic data by the end of 2019, interim efficacy and safety analysis at six months in the first half of 2020 and top-line results of twelve-month treatment between the fourth quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021.
Our second product candidate, SRK-181, is being developed for the treatment of cancers resistant to checkpoint blockade therapies (“CBTs”), such as anti-PD1 or anti-PDL 1 antibodies. SRK-181 is a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of transforming growth factor beta-1 (“TGFβ1”). Subject to regulatory feedback, we intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-181 in the first quarter of 2020 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors that exhibit primary resistance to anti-PD(L)1 antibodies. This two-part trial will consist of dose escalation (single-agent and SRK-181 in combination with an approved anti-PD(L)1 antibody and dose expansion (multiple tumor-specific cohorts evaluating SRK-181 in combination with an approved anti-PD(L)1 antibody).
In addition, we intend to nominate a product candidate in 2020 that targets RGMc, a co-receptor of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (“BMP6”), another member of the TGFβ superfamily, to pursue in iron-restricted anemias. Utilizing our proprietary platform, we continue to create a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and anemia.
20
In June and July 2019, we sold 3,450,000 shares of our common stock, including the exercise of the overtallotment option, through an underwritten public offering at a price of $15.00 per share. The offering was made pursuant to our effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3. As a result of the offering, we received aggregate net proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, of approximately $48.3 million.
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses were $39.4 million and $34.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. As of September 30, 2019, we had an accumulated deficit of $146.3 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we anticipate that our expenses will increase in connection with our ongoing activities, as we:
· |
continue development activities for SRK-015, our lead product candidate, including the conduct of our Phase 2 clinical trial; |
· |
continue research and development activities for SRK-181 and advance SRK-181 into a Phase 1 clinical trial; |
· |
continue research and development activities to allow us to nominate a product candidate that targets RGMc, a co-receptor of BMP6, to pursue in iron-restricted anemias; |
· |
continue to discover, validate and develop additional product candidates through the use of our proprietary platform; |
· |
maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; |
· |
hire additional research, development and business personnel; and |
· |
continue to build the infrastructure to support our operations as a public company. |
To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future. If we successfully complete clinical development and obtain regulatory approval for SRK-015, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we may generate revenue in the future from product sales. In addition, if we obtain regulatory approval for SRK-015, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we expect to incur significant expenses related to developing our commercialization capability to support product sales, marketing and distribution activities.
Financial Operations Overview
Revenue
No revenues have been recorded from the sale of any commercial product. Revenue generation activities have been limited to collaborations, containing research services and the issuance of a license. Currently, revenue is being recognized related to the Master Collaboration Agreement (the “Gilead Collaboration Agreement”) with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”) which was executed in December 2018, and we began recognizing associated revenue in 2019. Under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, Gilead has exclusive options to license worldwide rights to product candidates that emerge from three of the Company’s TGFβ programs (each a “Gilead Program”).
Revenue associated with the research and development and license performance obligations relating to the Gilead Programs is recognized as revenue as the research and development services are provided using an input method, according to the costs incurred on each Gilead Program and the costs expected to be incurred in the future to satisfy the performance obligation. The transfer of control occurs over time. In management’s judgment, this input method is the best measure of progress towards satisfying the performance obligations. We evaluate the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjust the measure of performance and related revenue recognition. The amounts received that have not yet been recognized as revenue are recorded in deferred revenue on our consolidated balance sheet. We expect to recognize the deferred revenue according to costs incurred, over the remaining research term for each respective Gilead Program, which is up to three years from the execution of the agreement; each research term is dependent on the timing of Gilead either exercising its options for the Gilead Programs or terminating further development on the Gilead Programs prior to the expiration date of the research term.
21
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for our research and development activities, including our product candidate discovery efforts, preclinical studies, manufacturing, and clinical trials under our research programs, which include:
· |
employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and equity-based compensation expense for our research and development personnel; |
· |
expenses incurred under agreements with third parties that conduct research and development and preclinical activities on our behalf; |
· |
expenses incurred under agreements related to our clinical trials, including the costs for investigative sites and clinical research organizations (“CROs”), that conduct our clinical trials; |
· |
manufacturing process-development, clinical supplies and technology-transfer expenses; |
· |
consulting and professional fees related to research and development activities; |
· |
costs of purchasing laboratory supplies and non-capital equipment used in our internal research and development activities; |
· |
costs related to compliance with clinical regulatory requirements; and |
· |
facility costs and other allocated expenses, which include expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, insurance, depreciation and other supplies. |
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Costs for certain activities are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks. Nonrefundable advance payments for research and development goods and services to be received in the future from third parties are deferred and capitalized. The capitalized amounts are expensed as the related services are performed.
A significant portion of our research and development costs have been external costs, which we track on a program-by-program basis after a clinical product candidate has been identified. However, we do not allocate our internal research and development expenses, consisting primarily of employee related costs, depreciation and other indirect costs, on a program-by-program basis as they are deployed across multiple projects.
Research and development activities are central to our business model. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials. We expect research and development costs to increase for the foreseeable future as our product candidate development programs progress, and we expect to incur additional costs in connection with our research and development activities under our collaboration with Gilead. However, we do not believe that it is possible at this time to accurately project total program-specific expenses through commercialization. There are numerous factors associated with the successful commercialization of any of our product candidates, including future trial design and various regulatory requirements, many of which cannot be determined with accuracy at this time based on our stage of development. Additionally, future commercial and regulatory factors beyond our control will impact our clinical development programs and plans.
The successful development of SRK-015, SRK-181 and any future product candidates is uncertain. Accordingly, at this time, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing and estimated costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the remainder of the development of SRK-015, SRK-181 and any future product candidates. We are also unable to predict when, if ever, material net cash inflows will commence from the sale of our product candidates, if approved. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing product candidates, including the uncertainty of:
· |
the scope, progress, outcome and costs of our preclinical development activities, clinical trials and other research and development activities; |
· |
establishing an appropriate safety profile; |
· |
successful enrollment in and completion of clinical trials; |
22
· |
whether our product candidates show safety and efficacy in our clinical trials; |
· |
receipt of marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities, if any; |
· |
establishing commercial manufacturing capabilities or making arrangements with third-party manufacturers; |
· |
obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates; |
· |
significant and changing government regulation; |
· |
commercializing the product candidates, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; and |
· |
continued acceptable safety profile of the products following any regulatory approval. |
A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of SRK-015, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates would significantly change the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and equity-based compensation expenses for personnel in executive, finance, business development, investor relations, legal, information technology and human resources functions. Other significant general and administrative expenses include facility costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses, legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters and fees for accounting, consulting services, and corporate expenses.
We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as our business expands to support expected growth in research and development activities, including the continued development of our product candidates. These increases will likely include increased costs related to the hiring of additional personnel, as well as fees to outside consultants, among other expenses. We also anticipate increased expenses associated with being a public company, including costs for audit, legal, regulatory and tax-related services, director and officer insurance premiums and investor relations costs.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, interest expense incurred on our credit facility, including amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs, gains and losses on foreign currency invoices and non-cash changes in the fair value of the warrant issued in connection with our credit facility.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except percentages):
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Change |
|
|||||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
|||
Revenue |
|
$ |
4,774 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
4,774 |
|
100.0 |
% |
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
|
15,699 |
|
|
8,061 |
|
|
7,638 |
|
94.8 |
% |
General and administrative |
|
|
6,181 |
|
|
3,173 |
|
|
3,008 |
|
94.8 |
% |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
21,880 |
|
|
11,234 |
|
|
10,646 |
|
94.8 |
% |
Loss from operations |
|
|
(17,106) |
|
|
(11,234) |
|
|
(5,872) |
|
52.3 |
% |
Other income (expense), net |
|
|
959 |
|
|
472 |
|
|
487 |
|
*NM |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(16,147) |
|
$ |
(10,762) |
|
$ |
(5,385) |
|
50.0 |
% |
* NM means not meaningful.
23
Revenue
Revenue was $4.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, which was executed in December 2018. Revenue associated with the research and development and license performance obligations relating to the Gilead Programs is recognized as the research and development services are provided using a cost input method. No revenue was recognized for the three months ended September 30, 2018.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expense was $15.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $8.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $7.6 million or 94.8%. The following table summarizes our research and development expense for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except percentages):
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Change |
|
|||||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
|||
External costs by program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SRK-015 |
|
$ |
2,979 |
|
$ |
1,971 |
|
$ |
1,008 |
|
51.1 |
% |
SRK-181 |
|
|
5,547 |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,547 |
|
100.0 |
% |
Other early development candidates and unallocated costs |
|
|
1,194 |
|
|
1,550 |
|
|
(356) |
|
(23.0) |
% |
Total external costs |
|
|
9,720 |
|
|
3,521 |
|
|
6,199 |
|
176.1 |
% |
Internal costs: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee compensation and benefits |
|
|
4,034 |
|
|
3,122 |
|
|
912 |
|
29.2 |
% |
Facility and other |
|
|
1,945 |
|
|
1,418 |
|
|
527 |
|
37.2 |
% |
Total internal costs |
|
|
5,979 |
|
|
4,540 |
|
|
1,439 |
|
31.7 |
% |
Total research and development expense |
|
$ |
15,699 |
|
$ |
8,061 |
|
$ |
7,638 |
|
94.8 |
% |
The increase in research and development expense was primarily attributable to the following:
· |
An increase in our external research and development costs of $6.2 million: |
o |
Consistent with our previously stated plans to advance our immuno-oncology pipeline, we are investing in SRK-181 as it was declared to be our next product candidate earlier this year. The $5.5 million increase in costs associated with SRK-181 includes manufacturing costs in preparation for our planned Phase 1 clinical trial; |
o |
$1 million increase in our costs associated with SRK-015; and |
o |
$0.4 million decrease in other early development candidates and unallocated costs. |
· |
An increase of $1.4 million in internal research and development costs. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in employee compensation and benefits costs, associated with increased headcount and related overhead, as we continued to build out our research and development functions. |
We expect our research and development expenses to increase as we continue to advance the development of our product candidates, including SRK-015 through our Phase 2 clinical trial, and continue development of SRK-181. Additionally, we expect to continue to conduct research under the Gilead collaboration.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expense was $6.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $3.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $3.0 million or 94.8%. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily attributable to an increase of $2.4 million in employee compensation and benefits, related to increased headcount and separation related expenses, and $0.6 million in professional services.
24
We expect our general and administrative expenses to increase, as we continue to invest in our internal infrastructure to support our overall company growth, and as we comply with the requirements of being a public company.
Other Income (Expense), Net
The increase in other income (expense), net was attributable to increased income earned on our investment portfolio, associated with higher cash balances and higher interest rates during the three months ended September 30, 2019, as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2018.
Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except percentages):
|
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
Change |
|
|||||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
|||
Revenue |
|
$ |
12,919 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
12,919 |
|
100.0 |
% |
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
|
40,153 |
|
|
26,185 |
|
|
13,968 |
|
53.3 |
% |
General and administrative |
|
|
14,961 |
|
|
8,947 |
|
|
6,014 |
|
67.2 |
% |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
55,114 |
|
|
35,132 |
|
|
19,982 |
|
56.9 |
% |
Loss from operations |
|
|
(42,195) |
|
|
(35,132) |
|
|
(7,063) |
|
20.1 |
% |
Other income (expense), net |
|
|
2,768 |
|
|
772 |
|
|
1,996 |
|
*NM |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(39,427) |
|
$ |
(34,360) |
|
$ |
(5,067) |
|
14.7 |
% |
* NM means not meaningful.
Revenue
Revenue was $12.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, which was executed in December 2018. Revenue associated with the research and development and license performance obligations relating to the Gilead Programs is recognized as the research and development services are provided using a cost input method. No revenue was recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expense was $40.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $26.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $14.0 million or 53.3%. The following table
25
summarizes our research and development expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except percentages):
|
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
Change |
|
|||||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
|||
External costs by program: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SRK-015 |
|
$ |
7,940 |
|
$ |
9,502 |
|
$ |
(1,562) |
|
(16.4) |
% |
SRK-181 |
|
|
10,940 |
|
|
— |
|
|
10,940 |
|
100.0 |
% |
Other early programs and unallocated costs |
|
|
4,571 |
|
|
5,138 |
|
|
(567) |
|
(11.0) |
% |
Total external costs |
|
|
23,451 |
|
|
14,640 |
|
|
8,811 |
|
60.2 |
% |
Internal costs: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee compensation and benefits |
|
|
11,117 |
|
|
7,900 |
|
|
3,217 |
|
40.7 |
% |
Facility and other |
|
|
5,585 |
|
|
3,645 |
|
|
1,940 |
|
53.2 |
% |
Total internal costs |
|
|
16,702 |
|
|
11,545 |
|
|
5,157 |
|
44.7 |
% |
Total research and development expense |
|
$ |
40,153 |
|
$ |
26,185 |
|
$ |
13,968 |
|
53.3 |
% |
The increase in research and development expense was primarily attributable to the following:
· |
An increase of $8.8 million in external research and development costs: |
o |
Consistent with our previously stated plans to advance our immuno-oncology pipeline, we are investing in SRK-181 as it was declared to be our next product candidate earlier this year. The $10.9 million increase in costs associated with SRK-181 includes manufacturing costs in preparation for our planned Phase 1 clinical trial as well as a one time option fee owed upon its product candidate declaration; |
o |
$1.6 million decrease in costs associated with SRK-015, due to timing of manufacturing development in 2018; and |
o |
$0.6 million decrease in other early development candidates and unallocated costs. |
· |
The $5.2 million increase in internal research and development costs was primarily driven by an increase in employee compensation and benefits costs, associated with increased headcount and related overhead, as we continued to build out our research and development functions, in addition to an increase in facility costs as we added the expansion space to our current location in July 2018. |
We expect our research and development expenses to increase as we continue to advance the development of our product candidates, including SRK-015 through our Phase 2 clinical trial, and continue development of SRK-181. Additionally, we expect to continue to conduct research under the Gilead collaboration.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expense was $15.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $8.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $6.1 million or 67.2%. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily attributable to an increase of $4.7 million in employee compensation and benefits, related to increased headcount and separation related expenses, $0.8 million in costs related to operating as a public company, and $0.6 million in professional services.
We expect our general and administrative expenses to increase, as we continue to invest in our internal infrastructure to support our overall company growth, and as we comply with the requirements of being a public company.
Other Income (Expense), Net
The increase in other income (expense), net was attributable to increased income earned on our investment portfolio, associated with higher cash balances and higher interest rates during the nine months ended September 30, 2019, as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2018, partially offset with the change in fair value of the warrant during the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Previously, the warrant was classified as a liability, the liability was
26
re-measured at its fair value at each balance sheet date and recorded in other expense. Subsequent to our initial public offering (“IPO”), the warrant is classified as equity and no longer valued at fair value.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
Since our inception, we have not generated any product revenue and have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from our operations. We have funded our operations to date primarily with proceeds from the sale of our convertible preferred stock and units in private placements before our IPO, and sale of our common stock through our IPO, to Gilead in an exempt private placement, and through a secondary public offering, as well as payments from our research collaborations.
The following table provides information regarding our total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (in thousands):
|
|
September 30, |
|
December 31, |
||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
32,641 |
|
$ |
115,069 |
Marketable securities |
|
|
143,441 |
|
|
60,576 |
Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities |
|
$ |
176,082 |
|
$ |
175,645 |
During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance increased by approximately $0.4 million. The increase was primarily due to $48.3 million in net proceeds from the sale of our common stock in a secondary offering in June 2019, including the exercise of the overallotment option in July 2019, partially offset by cash used to operate our business, including payments related to, among other things, research and development and general and administrative expenses as we continue to invest in our primary product candidates and support our internal research and development efforts. We also made capital purchases and final payments on our debt.
In June and July 2019, we sold 3,450,000 shares of our common stock through an underwritten public offering, including an overallotment option. As a result of the offering, we received aggregate net proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, of approximately $48.3 million.
In December 2018, we entered into the Gilead Collaboration Agreement with Gilead pursuant to which we will conduct research and pre-clinical development activities relating to the diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation or prevention of diseases, disorders or conditions, other than in the field of oncology in accordance with a pre-determined research plan. Pursuant to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, Gilead made non-refundable payments of $80.0 million, including an upfront payment and an equity investment.
In May 2018, we completed our IPO, in which we issued and sold 6,164,000 shares of common stock, including all additional shares available to cover overallotments, resulting in net proceeds of $77.8 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering costs payable by us.
From inception and prior to the IPO, we primarily funded our operations with the net proceeds of $109.2 million from sales of our convertible preferred stock and units.
27
Cash Flows
The following table provides information regarding our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands):
|
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
||||
|
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
(47,048) |
|
$ |
(30,523) |
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities |
|
|
(83,445) |
|
|
708 |
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
48,065 |
|
|
77,340 |
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash |
|
$ |
(82,428) |
|
$ |
47,525 |
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $47.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and consisted of our net loss of $39.4 million and changes in our assets and liabilities of $14.4 million, of which $12.9 million is a change in deferred revenue related to the Gilead collaboration. The uses of cash were partially offset by non-cash adjustments of $6.8 million, primarily from equity-based compensation. Net cash used in operating activities was $30.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and consisted of our net loss of $34.4 million, partially offset by $3.9 million in non-cash adjustments, primarily from equity-based compensation.
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $83.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to net cash provided by investing activities of $0.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Net cash used in investing activities for both periods was primarily associated with transactions involving our marketable securities, including purchases and maturities.
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $48.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $77.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 consisted primarily of proceeds from a secondary public offering of common stock in June 2019, and the exercise of the overallotment option in July 2019. Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 consisted primarily of proceeds from our initial public offering of common stock. These amounts were partially offset by principal payments made on debt in both periods.
Funding Requirements
We expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we continue the research and development for, continue and initiate later stage clinical trials for, continue to develop and optimize our manufacturing processes for, and seek marketing approval for, our product candidates, including SRK-015 and SRK-181, and any of our future product candidates. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for SRK-015, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Furthermore, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
We expect that our existing cash and cash equivalents will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the fourth quarter of 2021.
We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
· |
the costs and timing of developing our lead product candidate, SRK-015, including enrollment in the Phase 2 clinical trial, and the costs and timing of conducting future clinical trials, including for SRK-181; |
28
· |
the costs of future manufacturing of SRK-015, SRK-181 and any other product candidates; |
· |
the scope, progress, results and costs of discovery, preclinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for other potential product candidates we may develop, if any; |
· |
the costs of identifying and developing, or in-licensing or acquiring, additional product candidates and technologies; |
· |
the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates; |
· |
our ability to establish and maintain collaborations on favorable terms, if at all; |
· |
the achievement of milestones or occurrence of other developments that trigger payments under any collaboration agreements, license agreements, or other agreements we might have at such time; |
· |
the costs of seeking marketing approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, if any; |
· |
the costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution, for any of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval; |
· |
the amount of revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of our product candidates, should any of our product candidates receive marketing approval; |
· |
the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, obtaining, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims; |
· |
our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our business operations and research and development activities; |
· |
the costs of expanding our infrastructure and facilities to accommodate our growing employee base, including adding equipment and physical infrastructure to support our research and development; and |
· |
the costs of operating as a public company. |
Identifying potential product candidates and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our commercial revenues, if any, will be derived from sales of products that we do not expect to be commercially available for many years, if at all. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, common stockholder ownership interests may be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of a common stockholder. Additional debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.
If we raise funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to 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 product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
This management’s discussion and analysis is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgements about the carrying values of assets
29
and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our judgments and estimates in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. The effects of material revisions in estimates, if any, will be reflected in the consolidated financial statements prospectively from the date of change in estimates. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies from those described in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, except for the following.
Revenue Recognition
No revenues have been recorded from the sale of any commercial product. Revenue generation activities have been limited to collaborations, containing research services and the issuance of a license. Currently, revenue is being recognized related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement which was executed in December 2018. We began recognizing associated revenue in 2019 over the period that research is performed under the collaboration. We account for revenue under ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”).
Under ASC 606, we recognize revenue when our customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized for arrangements determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, we perform the following five steps: (i) identification of the contract(s) with the customer, (ii) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract and determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations, (iii) measurement of the transaction price, (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations, and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) we satisfy each performance obligation. We only apply the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that we will collect the consideration we are entitled to in exchange for the goods or services we transfer to our customer.
Identification of the Contract(s) with the Customer
We account for a contract with a customer that is within the scope of ASC 606 when all of the following criteria are met: (i) the arrangement has been approved by the parties and the parties are committed to perform their respective obligations, (ii) each party's rights regarding the goods or services to be transferred can be identified, (iii) the payment terms for the goods or services to be transferred can be identified, (iv) the arrangement has commercial substance and (v) collection of substantially all of the consideration to which we will be entitled in exchange for the goods or services that will be transferred to the customer is probable.
Identification of the Performance Obligations
Performance obligations are promised goods or services in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. Promised goods or services are considered distinct when: (i) the customer can benefit from the good or service on its own or together with other readily available resources and (ii) the promised good or service is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. In assessing whether promised goods or services are distinct, we consider factors such as the stage of development of the underlying intellectual property, the capabilities of our customer to develop the intellectual property on their own and whether the required expertise is readily available. Arrangements that include rights to additional goods or services that are exercisable at a customer’s discretion are generally considered options. We assess if these options provide a material right to the customer and if so, they are considered performance obligations. The identification of material rights requires judgments related to the determination of the value of the underlying license relative to the option exercise price, including assumptions about technical feasibility and the probability of developing a candidate that would be subject to the option rights.
Determination of the Transaction Price
We estimate the transaction price based on the amount of consideration we expect to receive for transferring the promised goods or services in the contract. The consideration may include both fixed consideration and variable consideration. At the inception of each arrangement that includes variable consideration, we evaluate the amount of the
30
potential payments and the likelihood that the payments will be received. We utilize either the most likely amount method or expected value method to estimate the transaction price based on which method better predicts the amount of consideration expected to be received. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, the variable consideration is included in the transaction price.
We evaluate whether development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments are considered probable of being reached and estimate the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, the associated milestone value is included in the transaction price. Milestone payments that are not within our control or the licensee's control, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received. At the end of each reporting period, we re-evaluate the probability of achievement of such milestones and any related constraint, and if necessary, adjust our estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect collaboration revenue and earnings in the period of adjustment. To date, no milestones have been achieved under our arrangements with customers.
For sales-based royalties, including milestone payments based on the level of sales, we determine whether the sole or predominant item to which the royalties relate is a license. When the license is the sole or predominant item to which the sales-based royalty relates, we recognize revenue at the later of: (i) when the related sales occur, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). To date, we have not recognized any sales-based royalty revenue resulting from our arrangement.
Allocation of Transaction Price
We allocate the transaction price based on the estimated standalone selling price. We must develop assumptions that require judgment to determine the standalone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract. We utilize key assumptions to determine the standalone selling price, which may include other comparable transactions, pricing considered in negotiating the transaction and the estimated costs. Estimating costs for research and development programs is subjective as we estimate the costs anticipated to successfully complete the research performance obligations. As the research is novel, efforts to be successful may be significantly different than the estimated costs at the beginning of the contract. Certain variable consideration is allocated specifically to one or more performance obligations in a contract when the terms of the variable consideration relate to the satisfaction of the performance obligation and the resulting amounts allocated to each performance obligation are consistent with the amounts we would expect to receive for satisfying each performance obligation.
Recognition of Revenue
We utilize judgment to determine whether the performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time. We determine the appropriate method of measuring progress performance obligations satisfied over time for purposes of recognizing revenue, such as by using an input method based on costs incurred compared to the costs expected to be incurred in the future to satisfy the performance obligation. We evaluate the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjust the measure of performance and related revenue recognition. The estimated remaining costs is highly subjective, as the research is novel, therefore efforts to be successful may be significantly different than the estimated costs made at the balance sheet date. If the license to our intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, we will recognize revenue from non-refundable, up-front fees allocated to the license when the license is transferred to the customer and the customer is able to use and benefit from the license.
We receive payments from customers based on billing schedules established in each contract. Up-front payments and fees are recorded as deferred revenue upon receipt or when due until we perform our obligations under these arrangements. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when our right to consideration is unconditional.
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 under applicable SEC rules.
31
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
We have reviewed all recently issued standards and have determined that, other than as disclosed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, such standards will not have a material impact on our financial statements or do not otherwise apply to our operations.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and are not required to provide the information required under this item.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Management’s Evaluation of our Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a‑15(e) and 15d‑15(e) under the Exchange Act, that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (1) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal accounting officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives.
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (principal executive officer) and senior vice president, finance (principal accounting officer) has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2019, the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report. Based upon such evaluation, our chief executive officer and senior vice president, finance have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of such date. We continue to review and document our disclosure controls and procedures, including our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting, and may from time to time make changes aimed at enhancing their effectiveness and to ensure that our systems evolve with our business.
Changes in Internal Controls 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 three months ended September 30, 2019 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
32
From time to time, we are subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business activities. Although the results of litigation and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, as of the date of this Quarterly Report, we do not believe we are party to any claim or litigation the outcome of which, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
33
Careful consideration should be given to the following risk factors, in addition to the other information set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q (“Quarterly Report”) and in other documents that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in evaluating Scholar Rock Holding Corporation and our subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) and our business, before investing in our common stock. Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. If any of the following risks and uncertainties actually occurs, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The market price of our common stock could decline if one or more of these risks or uncertainties were to occur, which may cause you to lose all or part of the money you paid to buy our common stock. The risks described below are not intended to be exhaustive and are not the only risks facing the Company. New risk factors can emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict the impact that any factor or combination of factors may have on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Certain statements below are forward-looking statements. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this report.
Risks Related to Our Business and Operations
We have limited operating history, incurred net losses in every year since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses in the future.
We are a biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history. We were formed in 2012 and our operations to date have been focused on organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, establishing our intellectual property portfolio and performing research and development of monoclonal antibodies that selectively inhibit activation of growth factors for therapeutic effect. Consequently, we have no meaningful operations upon which to evaluate our business and predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history or a history of successfully developing and commercializing drug products. Investment in biopharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate effect or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval and become commercially viable. We have not yet demonstrated the ability to progress any product candidate through clinical trials, we have no products approved for commercial sale and we have not generated any revenue from product sales to date. We continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. As a result, we are not profitable and have incurred losses in each period since our inception. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, we reported a net loss of $39.4 million and $34.4 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of $146.3 million and $106.8 million, respectively. We expect to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future, and we expect these losses to increase as we continue our research and development of, and seek regulatory approvals for, our product candidates, SRK‑015, and SRK-181 and any future product candidates.
We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if, and as, we:
· |
advance the development of our lead product candidate, SRK‑015, through Phase 2 clinical development, and, if successful, later‑stage clinical trials; |
· |
advance our other preclinical development programs into clinical development, including our product candidate SRK-181, in cancer immunotherapy, and identify additional product candidates; |
· |
seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials; |
· |
increase the amount of research and development activities to identify and develop product candidates using our proprietary platform technology; |
· |
hire additional clinical development, manufacturing and scientific personnel as we continue to develop our product candidates; |
34
· |
expand our operational, financial and management systems and increase personnel, including personnel to support our clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization efforts and our operations as a public company; |
· |
maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; |
· |
establish a sales, marketing, medical affairs and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any products for which we may obtain marketing approval and intend to commercialize on our own or jointly with third parties; and |
· |
invest in or in‑license other technologies. |
To become and remain profitable, we or any current or potential future collaborators must develop and eventually commercialize products with significant market potential and favorable pricing. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing preclinical studies and clinical trials, obtaining marketing approval for product candidates, manufacturing, marketing and selling products for which we may obtain marketing approval and satisfying any post‑marketing requirements. We may never succeed in any or all of these activities and, even if we do, we may never generate revenue that is significant or large enough to achieve profitability. If we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable could decrease the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our research and development efforts, expand our business or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.
Even if we succeed in commercializing one or more of our product candidates, we will continue to incur substantial research and development and other expenditures to develop and market additional product candidates. We may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our business. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenue. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity and working capital.
We will require additional capital to fund our operations and if we fail to obtain necessary capital, we will not be able to complete the development and commercialization of SRK‑015, SRK-181 and any future product candidates.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts of cash to conduct further research and development and preclinical studies and clinical trials of SRK‑015, SRK-181 and any future product candidates, to seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates and to launch and commercialize any products for which we receive regulatory approval. As of September 30, 2019, we had approximately $176.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. Based on our current operating plan, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2019 will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the fourth quarter of 2021. However, our future capital requirements and the period for which our existing resources will support our operations may vary significantly from what we expect, and we will in any event require additional capital in order to complete clinical development of any of our current programs. Our monthly spending levels will vary based on new and ongoing development and corporate activities. Because the length of time and activities associated with development of our product candidates is highly uncertain, we are unable to estimate the actual funds we will require for development and any approved marketing and commercialization activities. Our future funding requirements, both near and long‑term, will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
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the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials for SRK‑015, SRK-181 and any potential future product candidates; |
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the clinical development plans we establish for these product candidates; |
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the number and characteristics of product candidates that we identify and develop; |
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the terms of any collaboration, strategic alliance, or licensing agreements we are currently party to or may choose to enter into in the future; |
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the outcome, timing and cost of meeting regulatory requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the European Medicines Agency (the “EMA”), and other comparable foreign regulatory authorities; |
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the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing our patent claims and other intellectual property rights; |
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the cost of defending intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement actions brought by third parties against us or our product candidates; |
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the effect of competing technological and market developments; |
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the cost and timing of developing research cell lines and development and completion of commercial‑scale outsourced manufacturing activities; and |
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the cost of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any product candidates for which we may receive regulatory approval in regions where we choose to commercialize our products on our own. |
We do not have any committed external source of funds or other support for our development efforts other than pursuant to our collaboration agreement with Gilead and our license agreement with Janssen, which payments we may not receive in full or at all, and we cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Even if we receive the maximum payments under the collaboration agreement with Gilead or license agreement with Janssen, the payments may not meet our current or future funding requirements. Until we can generate sufficient product or royalty revenue to finance our cash requirements, which we may never do, we expect to finance our future cash needs through a combination of public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and other marketing or distribution arrangements. If we raise additional funds through public or private equity offerings, the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our stockholders’ rights. Further, to the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of common stock or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, your ownership interest will be diluted. In addition, any debt financing may subject us to fixed payment obligations and covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish certain valuable rights to our product candidates, technologies, future revenue streams or research programs or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. We also could be required to seek collaborators for SRK‑015, SRK-181 or any future product candidate at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or relinquish our rights to product candidates or technologies that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of SRK-015, SRK-181 or one or more of our future product candidates or other research and development initiatives. Any of the above events could significantly harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Our business is highly dependent on the success of our lead product candidate, SRK‑015, as well as SRK-181 and any future product candidates that are generated from our other preclinical programs. All of our product candidates will require significant additional preclinical and clinical development before we may be able to seek regulatory approval for and launch a product commercially.
We are very early in our development efforts. We recently completed a Phase 1 trial of SRK-015 and initiated dosing patients Phase 2 clinical trial of SRK-015 in the second quarter of 2019. Because SRK‑015, our lead product candidate, is our only clinical stage product candidate, if SRK‑015 encounters safety or efficacy problems, development delays, or regulatory issues or other problems, our development plans and business would be negatively affected. Our second product candidate, SRK-181, is in preclinical development and we intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in cancer
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immunotherapy in the first quarter of 2020. All of our other programs are in preclinical development, and we may nominate additional product candidates from these programs.
SRK‑015, SRK-181 and any future product candidates will require additional preclinical and clinical development, regulatory review and approval in one or more jurisdictions, substantial investment, and access to sufficient commercial manufacturing capacity and significant marketing efforts before we can generate any revenue from product sales. We may not have the financial resources to continue development of, or to modify existing or enter into new collaborations for, a product candidate if we experience any issues that delay or prevent preclinical studies, clinical trials, regulatory review or approval of, or that adversely affect our ability to commercialize our product candidates, including:
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negative or inconclusive results from our preclinical studies or clinical trials or the clinical trials of others for product candidates similar to ours, leading to a decision or requirement to conduct additional preclinical testing or clinical trials or abandon a program; |
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product‑related side effects experienced by subjects in our clinical trials or by individuals using drugs or therapeutic biologics similar to our product candidates; |
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delays in submitting Investigational New Drug applications (“INDs”) or comparable foreign applications or delays or failure in obtaining the necessary approvals from regulators to commence a clinical trial, or a suspension or termination of a clinical trial once commenced; |
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conditions imposed by the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign authorities regarding the scope or design of our clinical trials; |
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challenges in identifying or recruiting sufficient study sites or investigators for clinical trials; |
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delays in enrolling subjects in clinical trials; |
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high drop‑out rates of subjects from clinical trials; |
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inadequate supply of or quality issues related to product candidates or other materials necessary for the conduct of our clinical trials; |
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greater than anticipated clinical trial costs; |
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poor effectiveness or safety profile of our product candidates during clinical trials; |
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unfavorable FDA, EMA or other regulatory agency inspection and review of clinical trial sites; |
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failure of our third‑party contractors or investigators to comply with regulatory requirements or otherwise meet their contractual obligations in a timely manner, or at all; |
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delays and changes in regulatory requirements, policy and guidelines, including the imposition of additional regulatory oversight around clinical testing generally or with respect to our technology in particular; or |
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varying interpretations of data by the FDA, EMA and similar foreign regulatory agencies. |
Our approach to the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role is based on our proprietary platform, which is unproven and may not result in marketable products.
Our proprietary platform is designed to discover and develop monoclonal antibodies that have a high degree of specificity to achieve selective modulation of growth factor signaling. Our approach is rooted in our structural biology
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insights into the mechanism by which certain growth factors are activated in close proximity to the cell surface. We integrate these insights with sophisticated protein expression, assay development and monoclonal antibody discovery capabilities. However, the scientific research that forms the basis of our efforts to develop product candidates utilizing our proprietary platform is ongoing. We may ultimately discover that our proprietary platform and any product candidates resulting therefrom do not possess properties required for therapeutic effectiveness. As a result, we may never succeed in developing a marketable product. If our product candidates discovered utilizing our proprietary platform prove to be ineffective, unsafe or commercially unviable, our entire proprietary platform and pipeline would have little, if any, value, which would have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We will need to grow the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.
As our clinical development plans and strategies develop, we expect we will need to hire additional managerial, clinical development, scientific, regulatory, and administrative personnel. If our product candidates approach commercialization, we will also need to hire sales, marketing and other commercial personnel. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:
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identifying, recruiting, integrating, maintaining and motivating additional employees; |
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managing our development efforts effectively, including the clinical and regulatory review process for SRK‑015, SRK-181, and any future product candidates, while complying with our contractual obligations to contractors and other third parties; and |
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improving our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures. |
Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our product candidates, if approved, will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth, and our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day‑to‑day activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities.
We currently rely, and for the foreseeable future will continue to rely, in substantial part on certain independent organizations, advisors and consultants to provide certain services, including contract manufacturers and companies focused on antibody development and discovery activities. There can be no assurance that the services of independent organizations, advisors and consultants will continue to be available to us on a timely basis when needed, or that we can find qualified replacements. In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality, accuracy or quantity of the services provided is compromised for any reason, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain, or may be substantially delayed in obtaining, regulatory approval of our product candidates or otherwise advance our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage our existing consultants or find other competent outside contractors and consultants on economically reasonable terms, or at all.
If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and expanding our groups of consultants and contractors, we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize SRK‑015, SRK-181 or any future product candidates and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.
If we lose key management personnel, or if we fail to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to identify and develop new or next generation product candidates will be impaired, could result in loss of markets or market share and could make us less competitive.
Our ability to compete in the highly competitive biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries depends upon our ability to attract and retain highly qualified managerial, scientific and medical personnel. We are highly dependent on our management, scientific and medical personnel. The loss of the services of any of our executive officers, other key employees, and other scientific and medical advisors, and our inability to find suitable replacements could result in delays in product development and harm our business.
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We conduct our operations at our facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This region is headquarters to many other biopharmaceutical companies and many academic and research institutions. Competition for skilled personnel in our market is intense and may hinder the timing and limit our ability to hire and retain highly qualified personnel on acceptable terms or at all.
To induce valuable employees to remain at our company, in addition to salary and cash incentives, we have provided restricted stock awards and stock options that vest over time. The value to employees of restricted stock awards and stock options that vest over time may be significantly affected by movements in our stock price that are beyond our control, and may at any time be insufficient to counteract more lucrative offers from other companies. Despite our efforts to retain valuable employees, members of our management, scientific and development teams may terminate their employment with us on short notice. Although we have employment agreements with our key employees, these employment agreements provide for at‑will employment, which means that any of our employees could leave our employment at any time, with or without notice. We do not maintain “key man” insurance policies on the lives of these individuals or the lives of any of our other employees. Our success also depends on our ability to continue to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled junior, mid‑level and senior scientific and medical personnel.
Our internal computer systems, or those used by our contract research organizations, or other contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security breaches.
Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our existing and future contract research organizations (“CROs”), and other contractors and consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses and unauthorized access. While we have not experienced any such material system failure or security breach to date, if such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our development programs and our business operations. For example, the loss of preclinical or clinical data could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. Likewise, we may rely on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates and to conduct clinical trials, and similar events relating to their computer systems could also have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of, or damage to, our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability and the further development and commercialization of our product candidates could be delayed.
Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.
We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other illegal activity by our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners and vendors. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct that fails to comply with the laws of the FDA, EMA and other similar foreign regulatory bodies; provide true, complete and accurate information to the FDA, EMA and other similar foreign regulatory bodies; comply with manufacturing standards we have established; comply with healthcare fraud and abuse laws in the United States and similar foreign fraudulent misconduct laws; or report financial information or data accurately or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. If we obtain FDA approval of any of our product candidates and begin commercializing those products in the United States, our potential exposure under such laws will increase significantly, and our costs associated with compliance with such laws are also likely to increase. These laws may impact, among other things, our current activities with principal investigators and research patients, as well as proposed and future sales, marketing and education programs. We have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners and vendors, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any actions are instituted against us and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could result in the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, individual imprisonment, disgorgement, possible exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non‑compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment of our operations.
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Inadequate funding for the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies, including from government shut downs, could prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of other agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities, is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical FDA and other government employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Future shutdowns could also affect other government agencies such as the SEC, which may also impact our business by delaying review of our public filings, to the extent such review is necessary, and our ability to access the public markets.
Risks Related to Research and Development and the Biopharmaceutical Industry
Preclinical development is uncertain. Our preclinical programs may experience delays or may never advance to clinical trials, which would adversely affect our ability to obtain regulatory approvals or commercialize these programs on a timely basis or at all, which would have an adverse effect on our business.
We have yet to nominate a product candidate for any of our programs, other than SRK‑015 and SRK-181. Before we can commence clinical trials for any product candidate, we must complete extensive preclinical studies that support our planned INDs in the United States, or similar applications in other jurisdictions. We cannot be certain of the timely completion or outcome of our preclinical studies and cannot predict if the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities will accept our proposed clinical programs or if the outcome of our preclinical studies will ultimately support the further development of our programs. As a result, we cannot be sure that we will be able to submit INDs or similar applications for our preclinical programs on the timelines we expect, if at all, and we cannot be sure that submission of INDs or similar applications will result in the FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authorities allowing clinical trials to begin.
Conducting preclinical testing can be a lengthy, time-consuming and expensive process. The time required for such testing may vary substantially according to the type, complexity and novelty of the program, and can be several years or more per program. Delays associated with programs for which we are conducting preclinical testing and studies may cause us to incur additional operating expenses. We also may be affected by delays associated with the preclinical testing and studies of certain programs that are the responsibility of our collaborators or our potential future collaborators over which we have limited or no control. The commencement and rate of completion of preclinical studies for a product candidate may be delayed by many factors, including, for example, challenges in reaching consensus with regulatory agencies regarding the scope of the necessary preclinical study program and/or appropriate preclinical study designs.
Due to our limited resources and access to capital, we must prioritize development of certain programs and product candidates; these decisions may prove to be wrong and may adversely affect our business.
We may fail to identify viable new product candidates for clinical development from our current or future research programs for a number of reasons. If we fail to identify additional potential product candidates, our business could be materially harmed.
Research programs to pursue the development of our existing and any planned product candidates, including for additional indications, and to identify new product candidates and disease targets require substantial technical, financial and human resources whether or not they are ultimately successful. Our research programs may initially show promise in
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identifying potential indications and/or product candidates, yet fail to yield results for clinical development for a number of reasons, including:
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the research methodology used may not be successful in identifying potential indications and/or product candidates; |
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potential product candidates may, after further study, be shown to have harmful adverse effects or other characteristics that indicate they are unlikely to be safe or effective products; or |
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it may take greater human and financial resources than we will possess to identify additional therapeutic opportunities for our product candidates or to develop suitable potential product candidates through internal research programs, thereby limiting our ability to develop, diversify and expand our product portfolio. |
Because we have limited financial and human resources, we intend to initially focus on research programs and product candidates for a limited set of indications. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with certain potential product candidates or for other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential or a greater likelihood of success. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities.
Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will ever be able to identify additional therapeutic opportunities for our existing product candidate or to develop suitable potential product candidates through internal research programs, which could materially adversely affect our future growth and prospects. We may focus our efforts and resources on potential product candidates or other potential programs that ultimately prove to be unsuccessful.
The successful development of biopharmaceuticals is highly uncertain.
Successful development of biopharmaceuticals is highly uncertain and is dependent on numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control. Product candidates that appear promising in the early phases of development may fail to reach the market for several reasons including:
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preclinical study results may show the product candidate to be less effective than desired or to have harmful or problematic side effects; |
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clinical trial results may show the product candidates to be less effective than expected (e.g., a clinical trial could fail to meet its primary endpoint(s)) or to have unacceptable side effects or toxicities; |
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delay or failure to receive the necessary regulatory approvals. Among other things, such delays may be caused by slow enrollment in clinical trials, patients dropping out of trials, length of time to achieve trial endpoints, additional time requirements for data analysis or biologics license application (“BLA”) preparation, discussions with the FDA, an FDA request for additional preclinical or clinical data, or unexpected safety or manufacturing issues; |
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manufacturing costs, formulation issues, pricing or reimbursement issues, or other factors that make a product candidate uneconomical; and |
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the proprietary rights of others and their competing products and technologies that may prevent one of our product candidates from being commercialized. |
The length of time necessary to complete clinical trials and to submit an application for marketing approval for a final decision by a regulatory authority varies significantly from one product candidate to the next, and may be difficult to predict.
Even if we are successful in getting market approval, commercial success of any approved products will also depend in large part on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third‑party payors, including government
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payors such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs and managed care organizations, which may be affected by existing and future health care reform measures designed to reduce the cost of health care. Third‑party payors could require us to conduct additional studies, including post‑marketing studies related to the cost effectiveness of a product, to qualify for reimbursement, which could be costly and divert our resources. If government and other health care payors were not to provide coverage and adequate reimbursement levels for one any of our products once approved, market acceptance and commercial success would be reduced.
In addition, if any of our product candidates is approved for marketing, we will be subject to significant ongoing regulatory obligations, including the submission of safety and other post-marketing information and reports and registration, compliance (or assuring our third party providers’ compliance) with current good manufacturing practices (“cGMPs”), and compliance with good clinical practices (“GCPs”) for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, we or a regulatory authority may identify previously unknown problems with a product post-approval, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency. Compliance with these post-approval requirements is costly, and any failure to comply or other issues with our product candidates post-approval could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Preclinical and clinical development involve a lengthy and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. We may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of SRK‑015, SRK-181, or any future product candidates.
To obtain the requisite regulatory approvals to commercialize any product candidates, we must demonstrate through extensive preclinical studies and clinical trials that our product candidates are safe and effective in humans. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. We may be unable to establish clinical endpoints that applicable regulatory authorities would consider clinically meaningful, and a clinical trial can fail at any stage of testing. Differences in trial design between early‑stage clinical trials and later‑stage clinical trials make it difficult to extrapolate the results of earlier clinical trials to later clinical trials. Moreover, clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their products.
Successful completion of clinical trials is a prerequisite to submitting a BLA to the FDA, a Marketing Authorization Application (“MAA”) to the EMA, and similar marketing applications to comparable foreign regulatory authorities, for each product candidate and, consequently, the ultimate approval and commercial marketing of any product candidates. We do not know whether any of our clinical trials will begin or be completed on schedule, if at all.
We may experience delays in initiating or completing clinical trials. We also may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, any future clinical trials that we could conduct that could delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialize SRK‑015, SRK-181 or any future product candidates, including:
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delay or inability to reach agreement with the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities on acceptable clinical trial design; |
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regulators or institutional review boards (“IRBs”) or ethics committees may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site; |
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we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with prospective trial sites and prospective CROs, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites; |
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clinical trials of any product candidates may fail to show safety and effectiveness, or produce negative or inconclusive results and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or we may decide to abandon product development programs; |
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the number of subjects required for clinical trials of any product candidates may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical trials may be slower or more challenging than we anticipate or subjects may drop out of these clinical trials or fail to return for post‑treatment follow‑up at a higher rate than we anticipate; |
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challenges in identifying or recruiting sufficient study sites or investigators for clinical trials; |
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our third‑party contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all, |
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clinical study sites or clinical investigators may deviate from the clinical trial protocol or drop out of the trial, which may require that we add new clinical trial sites or investigators; |
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we may elect to, or regulators, IRBs or ethics committees may require that we or our investigators, suspend or terminate clinical research or trials for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks; |
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the cost of clinical trials of a product candidate may be greater than we anticipate; |
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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 to initiate or complete a given clinical trial; |
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our product candidates may have undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics, causing us or our investigators, regulators, IRBs or ethics committees to suspend or terminate the trials, or reports from clinical testing of other therapies may raise safety or efficacy concerns about our product candidates; |
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our failure to establish an appropriate safety profile for a product candidate based on clinical or preclinical data for such product candidate and/or data emerging from other molecules in the same class as our product candidate; |
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the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities may require us to submit additional data such as long‑term toxicology studies, or impose other requirements before permitting us to initiate a clinical trial |
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evolution in the standard of care or changes in applicable governmental regulations or policies during the development of a product candidate that require amendments to ongoing clinical trials and/or the conduct of additional preclinical studies or clinical trials; and |
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lack of adequate funding to complete a clinical trial. |
We could also encounter delays if a clinical trial is placed on clinical hold, suspended or terminated by us, the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, or the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities, or if a clinical trial is recommended for suspension or termination by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (“DSMB”) for such trial. A suspension or termination may be imposed due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product or treatment, failure to establish or achieve clinically meaningful trial endpoints, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.
Many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates. Further, the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities may disagree with our clinical trial design and our interpretation of data from clinical trials, or may change the requirements for approval even after they have reviewed and commented on the design for our clinical trials. For example, we anticipate some of our future trials to, in part, utilize an “open-label” trial design, and our ongoing
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Phase 2 clinical trial for SRK-015 in Type 2 and Type 3 SMA, in part, utilizes an open-label trial design. An open-label trial is one where both the patient and investigator know whether the patient is receiving the test article or either an existing approved drug or placebo. Open-label trials are subject to various limitations that may exaggerate any therapeutic effect as patients in open-label studies are aware that they are receiving treatment. Open-label trials may be subject to a “patient bias,” for example if patients perceive their symptoms to have improved merely due to their awareness of receiving an experimental treatment. In addition, patients selected for early clinical trials often have more severe forms of a disease or condition and their symptoms may have been bound to improve notwithstanding the product candidate under investigation. Open-label trials also may be subject to an “investigator bias” where those assessing and reviewing the physiological outcomes of the clinical trials are aware of which patients have received treatment and may interpret the information of the treated group more favorably given this knowledge. The potential sources of bias in clinical trials as a result of open-label design may not be adequately mitigated and may cause any of our trials that utilize such design to fail and additional trials may be necessary to support future marketing applications. Further, the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities or may change the requirements for approval even after they have reviewed and commented on the design for our clinical trials.
Our product development costs will increase if we experience delays in clinical testing or marketing approvals. We do not know whether any of our clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Significant clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates and may allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, potentially impairing our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and harming our business and results of operations. Any delays in our clinical development programs may harm our business, financial condition and results of operations significantly.
The results of preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may not be predictive of future results. Success of a product candidate in an early-stage clinical trial may not be replicated in later stage trials.
The results of preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may not be predictive of the results of future clinical trials. Preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials are primarily designed to study pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, understand the side effects of product candidates, and evaluate various doses and dosing schedules. Our current or future product candidates may demonstrate different chemical, biological and pharmacological properties in patients than they do in laboratory studies or may interact with human biological systems in unforeseen or harmful ways. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show desired pharmacological properties or produce the necessary safety and efficacy results despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. We recently completed a Phase 1 trial for SRK-015 in healthy adult volunteers and have advanced SRK-015 to a Phase 2 trial in Type 2 and Type 3 SMA. We cannot assure you that this Phase 2 trial, or any other future clinical trials of SRK-015, will show positive results. There can be no assurance that any of our current or future clinical trials will ultimately be successful or support further clinical development of any of our product candidates. There is a high failure rate for drugs and biologics proceeding through clinical trials. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical development even after achieving promising results in earlier studies, and any such setbacks in our clinical development could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.
Interim and preliminary results from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit, validation and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
From time to time, we may publish interim data, including interim top-line results or preliminary results from our clinical trials. Interim data and results from our clinical trials may materially change as more patient data become available. Preliminary or top-line results also remain subject to audit, validation and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the interim and preliminary data we previously published. As a result, interim and preliminary data may not be predictive of final results and should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. Differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could adversely affect our business.
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Our future clinical trials or those of our future collaborators may reveal significant adverse events not seen in our preclinical studies or earlier clinical trials and may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval or market acceptance of any of our product candidates.
If significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our clinical trials, we may have difficulty recruiting patients to our clinical trials, patients may drop out of our trials, or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of one or more product candidates altogether. We, the FDA, EMA or other applicable regulatory authorities, or an IRB may suspend clinical trials of a product candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects or patients in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects. Some potential therapeutics developed in the biotechnology industry that initially showed therapeutic promise in early‑stage trials have later been found to cause side effects that prevented their further development. The side effects could result in a number of potentially significant negative consequences, including:
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we may suspend marketing of such product; |
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regulatory authorities may refuse to grant market approval to a product candidate or withdraw approvals of such product; |
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regulatory authorities may require additional warnings on the label for such product; |
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we may be required to develop a REMS for such a product, or if a REMS is already in place, to incorporate additional requirements under the REMS, or to develop a similar strategy as required by a comparable foreign regulatory authority; |
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we may be required to conduct additional post-market studies; |
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we could be sued and held liable for harm caused subjects or patients; or |
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our reputation may suffer. |
Any of these developments could adversely affect our prospects for obtaining or maintaining approval for our product candidates and/or inhibit market acceptance of any approved product and could materially harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
If we encounter difficulties enrolling patients in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.
We may experience difficulties in patient enrollment in our clinical trials for a variety of reasons. The timely completion of clinical trials in accordance with their protocols depends, among other things, on our ability to enroll a sufficient number of patients who remain in the trial until its conclusion. The enrollment of patients depends on many factors, including:
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the patient eligibility and exclusion criteria defined in the protocol; |
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the size of the patient population required for analysis of the trial’s primary endpoints; |
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the number and location of participating trial sites; |
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the proximity of patients to trial sites; |
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the design of the trial; |
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our ability to recruit clinical trial investigators with the appropriate competencies and experience; |
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clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages and risks of the product candidate being studied in relation to other available therapies; |
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our ability to obtain and maintain patient consents; and |
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the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will drop out of the trials before completion. |
For example, we are initially developing SRK‑015 for the treatment of SMA, a rare disease, affecting an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 patients in the United States and Europe. As a result, we may encounter difficulties enrolling patients in our clinical trials for SRK‑015 due, in part, to the small size of this patient population. In addition, our clinical trials will compete with other clinical trials for product candidates that are in the same therapeutic areas as our product candidates, and this competition will reduce the number and types of patients available to us, because some patients who might have opted to enroll in our trials may instead opt to enroll in a trial being conducted by one of our competitors. Since the number of qualified clinical investigators is limited, we expect to conduct some of our clinical trials at the same clinical trial sites that some of our competitors use, which will reduce the number of patients who are available for our clinical trials in such clinical trial site. Additionally, patients may opt out of participation in clinical trials in favor of treatment with FDA-approved therapies.
Delays in patient enrollment may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or outcome of our future clinical trials, which could prevent completion of these trials and adversely affect our ability to advance the development of our product candidates.
If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit commercialization of our product candidates.
We face an inherent risk of product liability as a result of testing SRK‑015 and any of our future product candidates, including the anticipated testing of SRK-181, in clinical trials and will face an even greater risk if we commercialize any products, if approved. For example, we may be sued if our product candidates cause or are perceived to cause injury or are found to be otherwise unsuitable during clinical trials, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability or a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection acts. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to limit commercialization of our product candidates. Even successful defense would require significant financial and management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
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inability to bring a product candidate to the market; |
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decreased demand for our products; |
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injury to our reputation; |
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withdrawal of clinical trial participants and inability to continue clinical trials; |
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initiation of investigations by regulators; |
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costs to defend the related litigation; |
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diversion of management’s time and our resources; |
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substantial monetary awards to trial participants; |
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product recalls, withdrawals or labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions; |
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loss of revenue; |
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exhaustion of any available insurance and our capital resources; |
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the inability to commercialize any product candidate, if approved; and |
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decline in our share price. |
Our inability to obtain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products we develop, alone or with collaborators. We may be unable to obtain, or may obtain on unfavorable terms, additional clinical trial insurance in amounts adequate to cover any liabilities from any of our clinical trials. Our insurance policies may also have various exclusions, and we may be subject to a product liability claim for which we have no coverage. We may have to pay any amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts. Even if our agreements with any future corporate collaborators entitle us to indemnification against losses, such indemnification may not be available or adequate should any claim arise.
We face significant competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and our operating results will suffer if we fail to compete effectively.
The biopharmaceutical industry is characterized by intense competition and rapid innovation. Our competitors may be able to develop other drugs that are able to achieve similar or better results. Our potential competitors include major multinational pharmaceutical companies, established biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and universities and other research institutions. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and other resources, such as larger research and development staff and experienced marketing and manufacturing organizations and well‑established sales forces. Smaller or early‑stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly as they develop novel approaches to treating disease indications that our product candidates are also focused on treating. Established pharmaceutical companies may also invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel therapeutics or to in‑license novel therapeutics that could make the product candidates that we develop obsolete. Mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated in our competitors. Competition may increase further as a result of advances in the commercial applicability of technologies and greater availability of capital for investment in these industries. Our competitors, either alone or with collaborative partners, may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing on an exclusive basis drug or biologic products that are more effective, safer, more easily commercialized or less costly than our product candidates or may develop proprietary technologies or secure patent protection that we may need for the development of our technologies and products. We believe the key competitive factors that will affect the development and commercial success of our product candidates are efficacy, safety, tolerability, reliability, convenience of use, price and reimbursement.
We anticipate competing with other companies that are focused on treating disease indications that our product candidates are also focused on treating. A competitor may develop technologies focused on the same disease pathway as our technology or may focus on treating the targeted disease in a completely different manner. To the extent a new drug is developed that is more efficacious than any product candidate developed by us, this could reduce or negate the need for our product candidate. In addition, while we believe our product candidates may be used in conjunction with existing or emerging standard of care in certain disease indications, including SMA and cancer, as companies continue to improve upon existing standard of care, more efficacious drug therapies could become available, reducing or completely negating the benefit of our product candidates. Our competitors may also include companies that are or will be developing therapies for the same therapeutic areas that we are targeting within our early pipeline, including neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and anemia.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates, the availability and price of our competitors’ products could limit the demand and the price we are able to charge for our product candidates. We may not be able to implement our business plan if the acceptance of our product candidates is inhibited by price competition or the reluctance of
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physicians to switch from existing methods of treatment to our product candidates, or if physicians switch to other new drug or biologic products or choose to reserve our product candidates for use in limited circumstances.
Even if a product candidate we develop receives marketing approval, it 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.
If SRK‑015, SRK-181 or any future product candidate we develop receives marketing approval, whether as a single agent or in combination with other therapies, it may nonetheless fail to gain sufficient market acceptance by physicians, patients, third‑party payors, and others in the medical community. For example, doctors may deem it sufficient to treat patients with SMA with an SMN upregulator such as nusinersen, and therefore will not be willing to utilize SRK‑015 in conjunction with such SMN upregulator. If the product candidates we develop do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate significant product revenues and we may not become profitable. The degree of market acceptance of any product candidate, if approved for commercial sale, will depend on a number of factors, including:
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efficacy and potential advantages compared to alternative treatments; |
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the ability to offer our products, if approved, for sale at competitive prices; |
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convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative treatments; |
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the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies; |
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the strength of marketing and distribution support; |
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the ability to obtain sufficient third‑party coverage and adequate reimbursement; and |
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the prevalence and severity of any side effects. |
If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.
We are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our research and development activities involve the use of biological and hazardous 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, which could cause an interruption of our commercialization efforts, research and development efforts and business operations, environmental damage resulting in costly clean‑up and liabilities under applicable laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. Although we believe that the safety procedures utilized by our third‑party manufacturers for handling and disposing of these materials generally comply with the standards prescribed by these laws and regulations, we cannot guarantee that this is the case or eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In such an event, we may be held liable for any resulting damages and such liability could exceed our resources and state or federal or other applicable authorities may curtail our use of certain materials and/or interrupt our business operations. Furthermore, environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent. We cannot predict the impact of such changes and cannot be certain of our future compliance. In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials or other work‑related injuries, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not carry specific biological waste or hazardous waste
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insurance coverage, workers compensation or property and casualty and general liability insurance policies that include coverage for damages and fines arising from biological or hazardous waste exposure or contamination.
Comprehensive Tax Reform Legislation Could Adversely Affect Our Business And Financial Condition.
On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” or the TCJA, which significantly reforms the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The TCJA, among other things, contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including reduction of the corporate tax rate, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense, limitation of the deduction for net operating losses and elimination of net operating loss carrybacks and modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits (including reducing the business tax credit for certain clinical testing expenses incurred in the testing of certain drugs for rare diseases or conditions generally referred to as “orphan drugs”).
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain tax credit carryforwards may be subject to limitation.
As of December 31, 2018, we had net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $93.0 million and $92.4 million, respectively, which begin to expire in 2034, except for our 2018 federal net operating loss carryforwards of $42.6 million which do not expire. As of December 31, 2018, we also had available tax credit carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $4.0 million and $1.1 million, respectively, which begin to expire in 2034 and 2020, respectively. Under Section 382 of the Code, changes in our ownership may limit the amount of our net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards that could be utilized annually to offset our future taxable income, if any. This limitation would generally apply in the event of a cumulative change in ownership of our company of more than 50% within a three‑year period. Any such limitation may significantly reduce our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards before they expire. Private placements and other transactions that have occurred since our inception, as well as our initial public offering, may trigger such an ownership change pursuant to Section 382. Any such limitation, whether as the result of our initial public offering, prior private placements, sales of our common stock by our existing stockholders or additional sales of our common stock by us, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in future years. The reduction of the corporate tax rate under TCJA may cause a reduction in the economic benefit of our net operating loss carryforwards and other deferred tax assets available to us. Under the TCJA, net operating losses generated after December 31, 2017 will not be subject to expiration.
Our current operations are concentrated in one location, and we or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by earthquakes or other natural disasters and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.
Our current operations are located in our facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Any unplanned event, such as flood, fire, explosion, earthquake, extreme weather condition, medical epidemics, power shortage, telecommunication failure or other natural or manmade accidents or incidents that result in us being unable to fully utilize our facilities, the facilities at any clinical trial site, or the manufacturing facilities of our third‑party contract manufacturers, may have a material and adverse effect on our ability to operate our business, particularly on a daily basis, and have significant negative consequences on our financial and operating conditions. Loss of access to these facilities may result in increased costs, delays in the development of our product candidates or interruption of our business operations. Earthquakes or other natural disasters could further disrupt our operations, and have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. If a natural disaster, power outage or other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our headquarters, that damaged critical infrastructure, such as our research facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third‑party contract manufacturers, or that otherwise disrupted operations, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. The disaster recovery and business continuity plans we have in place may prove inadequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which, could have a material adverse effect on our business. As part of our risk management policy, we maintain insurance coverage at levels that we believe are appropriate for our business. However, in the event of an accident or incident at these facilities, we cannot assure you that the amounts of insurance will be sufficient to satisfy any damages and losses. If our facilities, or the manufacturing facilities of our
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third‑party contract manufacturers, are unable to operate because of an accident or incident or for any other reason, even for a short period of time, any or all of our research and development programs may be harmed. Any business interruption may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks Related to Government Regulation
The regulatory approval process for our product candidates in the United States, European Union (“EU”) and other jurisdictions is currently uncertain and will be lengthy, time‑consuming and inherently unpredictable and we may experience significant delays in the clinical development and regulatory approval, if any, of our product candidates.
The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, import, export, marketing, promotion and distribution of drug products, including biologics, are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA in the United States and other regulatory authorities outside the United States. We are not permitted to market any biological product in the United States until we receive a biologics license from the FDA. We have not previously submitted a BLA to the FDA or similar marketing application to comparable foreign authorities. A BLA must include extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to establish that the product candidate is safe, pure and potent for each desired indication. A BLA must also include significant information regarding the chemistry, manufacturing and controls for the product, and the manufacturing facilities must complete a successful pre‑license inspection.
The FDA may seek independent advice from a panel of experts, referred to as an Advisory Committee, on complex or novel issues that may be presented in an application, including issues related to the adequacy of the safety and efficacy data to support approval. The opinion of the Advisory Committee, although not binding, may have a significant impact on our ability to obtain approval of any product candidates that we develop based on the completed clinical trials.
In addition, clinical trials can be delayed or terminated for a variety of reasons, including issues, delays or failures related to:
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obtaining regulatory authorization to begin a clinical trial, if applicable; |
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the availability of financial resources to begin and complete the planned trials; |
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reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites; |
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identifying and maintaining a sufficient number of trial sites, some of which may already be engaged in other clinical trial programs, including some that may be for the same or similar indication; |
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obtaining approval at each clinical trial site by an independent IRB or ethics committee; |
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recruiting a sufficient number of suitable patients to participate in and complete a trial in a timely manner; |
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having patients complete a trial or return for post‑treatment follow‑up; |
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clinical trial sites and investigators adhering to the trial protocol, complying with GCP requirements and completing a trial; |
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our third-party CROs and clinical sites satisfying their contractual duties and meeting expected deadlines; |
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addressing any patient safety concerns that arise during the course of a clinical trial; |
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addressing any conflicts with new or existing laws or regulations; |
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adding new clinical trial sites; or |
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manufacturing qualified materials under cGMP regulations for use in clinical trials. |
Further, a clinical trial may be suspended or terminated by us, the IRBs for the institutions at which such trials are being conducted, or the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities, or recommended for suspension or termination by the DSMB for such trial, due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product candidate, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial. If we experience termination of, or delays in the completion of, any clinical trial of our product candidates, the prospects for regulatory approval and commercial prospects for our product candidates will be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenue will be delayed. In addition, any delays in completing any clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down our product development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenue.
The FDA may disagree with our development plan and we may fail to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates.
FDA approval of a new biologic or drug generally requires dispositive data from two (and in some cases, one) adequate and well‑controlled pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of the biologic or drug in the relevant patient population. Phase 3 clinical trials typically involve hundreds of patients, have significant costs and take years to complete.
The results of our clinical trials may not support approval. Our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:
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the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design or implementation of our clinical trials; |
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we may be unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that our product candidates are safe and effective for any of their proposed indications; |
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the results of clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical significance required by the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities for approval; |
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we may be unable to demonstrate that our product candidates’ clinical and other benefits outweigh their safety risks; |
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the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials; |
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the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates may not be sufficient to the satisfaction of the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities to support the submission of a BLA or other comparable submission in foreign jurisdictions or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere; |
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the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may fail to approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third‑party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and |
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the approval policies or regulations of the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval. |
We have received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for SRK‑015 for the treatment of SMA and the EMA granted Orphan Medicinal Product Designation to SRK-015 for the treatment of SMA. We may seek Orphan Drug Designation from regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions for SRK‑015 and Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA, EMA or regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions for our future product candidates. In any of these
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instances, we may not receive the requested designation or we may be unable to realize the benefits associated with Orphan Drug Designation, including the potential for market exclusivity.
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a product as an orphan drug if, among other things, it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the European Union, after a recommendation from the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (“COMP”) the European Commission grants orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that are (a) intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition affecting not more than five in 10,000 persons in the European Union, or (b) for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening, seriously debilitating or serious and chronic condition when, without incentives, it is unlikely that sales of the drug in the European Union would generate sufficient return to justify the necessary investment in developing the drug or biological product. Additionally, the designation of orphan drug requires, that there is no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of the condition, or, if such a method exists, the medicine must be of significant benefit to those affected by the condition. Any orphan drug designation that we are granted for our product candidates in the United States or Europe would not assure orphan drug designation of those product candidates in any other jurisdiction. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a product candidate, nor gives the product candidate any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process (other than as discussed below).
In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers. In addition, if a product candidate receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has orphan designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity for that indication. Orphan drug exclusivity means the FDA may not approve another application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity. In the European Union, orphan drug designation entitles a party to scientific assistance regarding necessary tests and trials, financial incentives such as reduction of fees or fee waivers and ten years of market exclusivity following drug or biological product approval. This period may be reduced to six years if the orphan drug designation criteria are no longer met, including where it is shown that the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity.
We have received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for SRK-015 for the treatment of SMA, and the EMA’s COMP has adopted a positive opinion designating SRK-015 as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of SMA. Even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity, the benefit of that exclusivity may be limited if we seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan-designated indication or could be revoked under certain circumstances, for example if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or that we are unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. Further, even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition during the exclusivity period because different drugs with different active moieties can be approved for the same condition, and the same product can be approved for different uses. Also, in the United States, even after an orphan drug is approved and obtains orphan drug exclusivity, the FDA may subsequently approve another drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the latter drug is not the same drug, including because it has been shown to be clinically superior to the drug with exclusivity because it is safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care. In the European Union, marketing authorization may be granted to a similar medicinal product for the same orphan indication if:
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the second applicant can establish in its application that its medicinal product, although similar to the orphan medicinal product already authorized, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior; or |
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the holder of the marketing authorization for the original orphan medicinal product consents to a second orphan medicinal product application; or |
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the holder of the marketing authorization for the original orphan medicinal product cannot supply sufficient quantities of orphan medicinal product. |
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We may seek Breakthrough Therapy Designation or Fast Track Designation from the FDA for certain of our product candidates, and we may not be successful in obtaining such designation, or if received, such designation may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process.
We may seek Breakthrough Therapy Designation or Fast Track Designation for certain of our product candidates.
A breakthrough therapy is defined as a product that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other products, to treat a serious or life‑threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Products that have been designated as breakthrough therapies are eligible for more frequent interaction and communication between the FDA and the sponsor, which can help to identify the most efficient path for clinical development, as well as rolling review. Products designated as breakthrough therapies by the FDA may also be eligible for (but are not assured) accelerated approval.
Designation as a breakthrough therapy is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if we believe one of our product candidates meets the criteria for designation as a breakthrough therapy, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make such designation. In any event, the receipt of a Breakthrough Therapy Designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to products considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, even if one or more of our product candidates qualify as breakthrough therapies, the FDA may later decide that the products no longer meet the conditions for qualification and rescind the breakthrough designation.
If a product is intended for the treatment of a serious or life‑threatening condition and the product demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition, the product sponsor may apply for Fast Track Designation. Products receiving a Fast Track Designation are eligible for more frequent interaction and communication with FDA and rolling review. The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant this designation, so even if we believe a particular product candidate is eligible for this designation, we cannot assure you that the FDA would decide to grant it. Even if we do receive Fast Track Designation, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. The FDA may withdraw Fast Track Designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program.
Our relationships with healthcare providers and physicians and third‑party payors will be subject to applicable anti‑kickback, fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.
Healthcare providers, physicians and third‑party payors in the United States and elsewhere play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of pharmaceutical products. Arrangements with third‑party payors and customers can expose pharmaceutical manufacturers to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute and the federal False Claims Act, which may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which such companies sell, market and distribute pharmaceutical products. In particular, the research of our product candidates, as well as the promotion, sales and marketing of healthcare items and services, as well as certain business arrangements in the healthcare industry, are subject to extensive laws designed to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self‑dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and commission(s), certain customer incentive programs and other business arrangements generally. Activities subject to these laws also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of patient recruitment for clinical trials. The applicable federal, state and foreign healthcare laws and regulations laws that may affect our ability to operate include, but are not limited to:
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the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order or recommendation of any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. |
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A person or entity can be found guilty of violating the statute without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. In addition, a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal False Claims Act (“FCA”). The Anti‑Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution; |
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the federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, including the FCA, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false or fraudulent claims for payment to, or approval by Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs, knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim or an obligation to pay or transmit money to the federal government, or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The government may deem manufacturers to have “caused” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery; |
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the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), which created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private) and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false statements in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute, a person or entity can be found guilty of violating HIPAA without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it; |
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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”), and their respective implementing regulations, which impose, among other things, requirements on certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, known as covered entities, as well as their respective business associates, independent contractors that perform services for covered entities that involve the use, or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information, relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information without appropriate authorization. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions; |
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the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and its implementing regulations, which require some manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologicals and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS) information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members; |
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federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers; and |
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analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti‑kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non‑governmental third‑party payors, including private insurers, and may be broader in scope than their federal equivalents; state and foreign laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers; state and foreign laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; 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. |
On January 31, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) proposed an amendment to one of the existing Anti-Kickback safe harbors (42 C.F.R. 1001.952(h)) which would prohibit certain pharmaceutical manufacturers from offering rebates to pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) in the Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care programs. The proposed amendment would remove protection for "discounts" from Anti-Kickback enforcement action, and would include criminal and civil penalties for knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce or reward the referral of business reimbursable under federal health care programs. At the same time, HHS also proposed to create a new safe harbor to protect point-of-sale discounts that drug manufacturers provide directly to patients, and adds another safe harbor to protect certain administrative fees paid by manufacturers to PBMs. If this proposal is adopted, in whole or in part, it could affect the pricing and reimbursement for any products for which we receive approval in the future.
The distribution of pharmaceutical products is subject to additional requirements and regulations, including extensive record‑keeping, licensing, storage and security requirements intended to prevent the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical products.
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform, especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. Ensuring business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws, as well as responding to possible investigations by government authorities, can be time‑ and resource‑consuming and can divert a company’s attention from the business.
In addition, there has been a trend of increased state regulation of payments made to physicians for marketing. Some states, such as California, Massachusetts and Vermont, mandate implementation of corporate compliance programs, along with the tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation, and other remuneration to physicians.
It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in federal and state funded healthcare programs, contractual damages and the curtailment or restricting of our operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non‑compliance with these laws. Any action for violation of these laws, even if successfully defended, could cause a pharmaceutical manufacturer to incur significant legal expenses and divert management’s attention from the operation of the business. Prohibitions or restrictions on sales or withdrawal of future marketed products could materially affect business in an adverse way.
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Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining or maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in other jurisdictions.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in other jurisdictions. Even if the FDA grants marketing approval of a product candidate, the EMA or comparable regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions may not approve the manufacturing, marketing and promotion of the product candidate in other countries. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from, and greater than, those in the United States, including additional preclinical studies or clinical trials as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a product candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend to charge for our products is also subject to approval.
We may also submit marketing applications in other countries. Regulatory authorities in jurisdictions outside of the United States have requirements for approval of product candidates with which we must comply prior to marketing in those jurisdictions. Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our products in certain countries. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets and/or receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed.
Even if we receive regulatory approval of any product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our product candidates.
If any of our product candidates are approved, they will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements, including requirements related to manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sampling, record‑keeping, import, export, conduct of post‑marketing studies and submission of safety, efficacy and other post‑market information. In addition, we will be subject to continued compliance with cGMP and GCP requirements for any clinical trials that we conduct post‑approval.
Manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA, EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authority requirements, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP regulations. As such, we and our contract manufacturers will be subject to periodic review and inspections to assess compliance with cGMP and adherence to commitments made in any BLA or other marketing application and previous responses to inspection observations. Accordingly, we and others with whom we work must continue to expend time, money, and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production and quality control.
Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved uses for which the product may be marketed or contain requirements for potentially costly post‑market testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. The FDA may also require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) program as a condition of approval of our product candidates, which could entail requirements for long‑term patient follow‑up, a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools.
Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our product candidates, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third‑party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of
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post‑market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
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restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of our products, withdrawal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory product recalls; |
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fines, warning letters, untitled letters or holds on clinical trials; |
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refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or suspension or revocation of license approvals; |
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product seizure or detention or refusal to permit the import or export of our product candidates; and |
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permanent injunctions and consent decrees, including the imposition of civil or criminal penalties. |
The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising, and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Products may be promoted only for their approved indications and in a manner consistent with their FDA-approved labeling. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of unapproved uses and a company that is found to have improperly promoted unapproved off‑label uses may be subject to significant liability.
We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may face enforcement action and our business may be harmed.
Coverage and reimbursement may be limited or unavailable in certain market segments for our product candidates, if approved, which could make it difficult for us to sell any product candidates profitably.
The success of our product candidates, if approved, depends on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third‑party payors. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for, or accurately estimate the potential revenue from, our product candidates or assure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we may develop.
Patients who are provided medical treatment for their conditions generally rely on third‑party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors is critical to new product acceptance.
Government authorities and third‑party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs and treatments they will cover and the amount of reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement by a third‑party payor may depend upon a number of factors, including the third‑party payor’s determination that use of a product is:
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a covered benefit under its health plan; |
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safe, effective and medically necessary; |
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appropriate for the specific patient; |
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cost‑effective; and |
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neither experimental nor investigational. |
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In the United States, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for products exists among third‑party payors. As a result, obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval of a product from a government or other third‑party payor is a time‑consuming and costly process that could require us to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost‑effectiveness data for the use of our products on a payor‑by‑payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained. Even if we obtain coverage for a given product, the resulting reimbursement payment rates might not be adequate for us to achieve or sustain profitability or may require co‑payments that patients find unacceptably high. Additionally, third‑party payors may not cover, or provide adequate reimbursement for, long‑term follow‑up evaluations required following the use of product candidates. Patients are unlikely to use our product candidates unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of the cost of our product candidates. There is significant uncertainty related to insurance coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. It is difficult to predict at this time what third‑party payors will decide with respect to the coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates.
Payment methodologies may be subject to changes in healthcare legislation and regulatory initiatives. For example, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 required that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), the agency responsible for administering the Medicare program, reduce the Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule by 2% in 2013, which served as a base for 2014 and subsequent years. In addition, effective January 1, 2014, CMS also began bundling the Medicare payments for certain laboratory tests ordered while a patient received services in a hospital outpatient setting. Additional state and federal healthcare reform measures are expected to be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in reduced demand for certain pharmaceutical products or additional pricing pressures.
Moreover, increasing efforts by governmental and third‑party payors in the United States and abroad to cap or reduce healthcare costs may cause such organizations to limit both coverage and the level of reimbursement for newly approved products and, as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for our product candidates. There has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. We expect to experience pricing pressures in connection with the sale of any of our product candidates due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of health maintenance organizations, cost containment initiatives and additional legislative changes. At the federal level, the Trump administration’s budget for fiscal year 2019 contains further drug price control measures that could be enacted during the 2019 legislative session or in other future legislation, including, for example, measures to permit Medicare Part D plans to negotiate the price of certain drugs under Medicare Part B, to allow some states to negotiate drug prices under Medicaid, and to eliminate cost sharing for generic drugs for low‑income patients. While any proposed measures will require authorization through additional legislation to become effective, Congress and the Trump administration have each indicated that it will continue to seek new legislative and/or administrative measures to control drug costs. At the state level, legislatures are increasingly passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.
Ongoing healthcare legislative and regulatory reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Changes in regulations, statutes or the interpretation of existing statutes or regulations could impact our business in the future by requiring, for example: (i) changes to our manufacturing arrangements; (ii) additions or modifications to product labeling; (iii) the recall or discontinuation of our products; (iv) additional record keeping requirements; or (v) changes to our pricing arrangements. If any such changes were to be imposed, they could adversely affect the operation of our business.
In the United States, there have been and continue to be a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes to contain healthcare costs. For example, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, collectively, the ACA, was passed, which has
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substantially changed the way health care is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and has significantly impacted the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The ACA, among other things, subjects biological products to potential competition by lower cost biosimilars, addresses a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected, increases the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and extends the rebate program to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations, establishes annual fees and taxes on manufacturers of certain branded prescription drugs, and creates a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 70% (as of January 1, 2019, pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018) point of sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D.
Certain provisions of the ACA have been subject to judicial challenges, as well as to efforts to repeal or replace them or to alter their interpretation or implementation. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”), included a provision that repealed effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” Moreover, under the Trump Administration, CMS has issued regulations that give states great flexibility in the identification of the essential health benefits benchmarks for non-grandfathered individual and small group market health insurance coverage, including plans sold through the health insurance exchanges established under the ACA.
On December 14, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, ruled the ACA is invalid as a result of the tax penalty associated with the “individual mandate “being repealed by Congress as part of the Tax Act. This ruling is stayed pending appeal. It is unclear how the ultimate decision in this case, or other efforts to repeal, replace, or invalidate the ACA or its implementing regulations, or portions thereof, will impact our business. We will continue to evaluate the effect that the ACA and its possible repeal, replacement, or invalidation, in whole or in part, has on our business.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. For example, on August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to recommend to Congress proposals for spending reductions. The Joint Selection Committee on Deficit Reduction did not achieve a targeted deficit reduction, which triggered the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. In concert with subsequent legislation, this includes aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of, on average, 2% per fiscal year through 2027 unless Congress takes additional action. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 also reduced Medicare payments to several types of health care providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.
These laws, and state and federal healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in additional reductions in Medicare or other healthcare funding or otherwise affect the prices we may obtain for any of our product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the frequency with which any such product candidate is prescribed or used.
EU drug marketing and reimbursement regulations may materially affect our ability to market and receive coverage for our products in the European member states.
We intend to seek approval to market our product candidates in both the United States and in selected foreign jurisdictions. If we obtain approval in one or more foreign jurisdictions for our product candidates, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions. In some foreign countries, particularly those in the EU, the pricing of biologics is subject to governmental control and other market regulations which could put pressure on the pricing and usage of our product candidates. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after obtaining marketing approval of a product candidate. In addition, market acceptance and sales of our product candidates will depend significantly on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement from third‑party payors for our product candidates and may be affected by existing and future health care reform measures.
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Much like the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibition in the United States, the provision of benefits or advantages to physicians to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products is also prohibited in the EU. The provision of benefits or advantages to physicians is governed by the national anti‑bribery laws of EU Member States, such as the UK Bribery Act 2010. Infringement of these laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment.
Payments made to physicians in certain EU Member States must be disclosed publicly. Moreover, agreements with physicians often must be the subject of prior notification and approval by the physician’s employer, his or her competent professional organization and/or the regulatory authorities of the individual EU Member States. These requirements are provided in the national laws, industry codes or professional codes of conduct, applicable in the EU Member States. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
In addition, in most foreign countries, including the European Economic Area, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. For example, the EU provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. Reference pricing used by various EU member states and parallel distribution, or arbitrage between low‑priced and high‑priced member states, can further reduce prices. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. In some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical study or other studies that compare the cost‑effectiveness of any of our product candidates to other available therapies in order to obtain or maintain reimbursement or pricing approval. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our products. Historically, products launched in the EU do not follow price structures of the United States and generally prices tend to be significantly lower. Publication of discounts by third‑party payors or authorities may lead to further pressure on the prices or reimbursement levels within the country of publication and other countries. If pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels or if reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, our revenues from sales by us or our strategic partners and the potential profitability of any of our product candidates in those countries would be negatively affected.
Failure to comply with health and data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions (which could include civil or criminal penalties), private litigation, and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business.
We and any potential collaborators may be subject to federal, state, and foreign data protection laws and regulations (i.e., laws and regulations that address privacy and data security). In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including federal health information privacy laws, state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), that govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information could apply to our operations or the operations of our collaborators. In addition, we may obtain health information from third parties (including research institutions from which we obtain clinical trial data) that are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA, as amended by HITECH. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we could be subject to civil, criminal, and administrative penalties if we knowingly obtain, use, or disclose individually identifiable health information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA.
Compliance with U.S. and international data protection laws and regulations could require us to take on more onerous obligations in our contracts, restrict our ability to collect, use and disclose data, or in some cases, impact our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions (which could include civil, criminal and administrative penalties), private litigation, and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business. Moreover, clinical trial subjects, employees and other individuals about whom we or our potential collaborators obtain personal information, as well as the providers who share this information with us, may limit our ability to collect, use and disclose the information. Claims that we have violated individuals’ privacy rights, failed to comply with data protection laws, or breached our contractual obligations,
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even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our business.
In the event we conduct clinical trial in the European Economic Area (“EEA”), we may be subject to additional privacy laws. The General Data Protection Regulation, (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) became effective on May 25, 2018, and deals with the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. The GDPR imposes a broad range of strict requirements on companies subject to the GDPR, including requirements relating to having legal bases for processing personal information relating to identifiable individuals and transferring such information outside the EEA, including to the United States, providing details to those individuals regarding the processing of their personal information, keeping personal information secure, having data processing agreements with third parties who process personal information, responding to individuals’ requests to exercise their rights in respect of their personal information, reporting security breaches involving personal data to the competent national data protection authority and affected individuals, appointing data protection officers, conducting data protection impact assessments, and record-keeping. The GDPR increases substantially the penalties to which we could be subject in the event of any non-compliance, including fines of up to 10,000,000 Euros or up to 2% of our total worldwide annual turnover for certain comparatively minor offenses, or up to 20,000,000 Euros or up to 4% of our total worldwide annual turnover for more serious offenses. Given the new law, we face uncertainty as to the exact interpretation of the new requirements and we may be unsuccessful in implementing all measures required by data protection authorities or courts in interpretation of the new law.
In particular, national laws of member states of the EU are in the process of being adapted to the requirements under the GDPR, thereby implementing national laws which may partially deviate from the GDPR and impose different obligations from country to country, so that we do not expect to operate in a uniform legal landscape in the EU. Also, as it relates to processing and transfer of genetic data, the GDPR specifically allows national laws to impose additional and more specific requirements or restrictions, and European laws have historically differed quite substantially in this field, leading to additional uncertainty.
In the event we conduct clinical trials in the EEA, we must also ensure that we maintain adequate safeguards to enable the transfer of personal data outside of the EEA, in particular to the United States, in compliance with European data protection laws. We expect that we will continue to face uncertainty as to whether our efforts to comply with our obligations under European privacy laws will be sufficient. If we are investigated by a European data protection authority, we may face fines and other penalties. Any such investigation or charges by European data protection authorities could have a negative effect on our existing business and on our ability to attract and retain new clients or pharmaceutical partners. We may also experience hesitancy, reluctance, or refusal by European or multi-national clients or pharmaceutical partners to continue to use our products and solutions due to the potential risk exposure as a result of the current (and, in particular, future) data protection obligations imposed on them by certain data protection authorities in interpretation of current law, including the GDPR. Such clients or pharmaceutical partners may also view any alternative approaches to compliance as being too costly, too burdensome, too legally uncertain, or otherwise objectionable and therefore decide not to do business with us. Any of the foregoing could materially harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Additional laws and regulations governing international operations could negatively impact or restrict our operations.
If we further expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. The FCPA prohibits any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering, authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with certain accounting provisions requiring the company to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.
Compliance with the FCPA is expensive and difficult, particularly in countries in which corruption is a recognized problem. In addition, the FCPA presents particular challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, because, in many countries, hospitals are operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees are considered foreign
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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 (“SEC”) also may suspend or bar issuers from trading securities on U.S. exchanges for violations of the FCPA’s accounting provisions.
We are subject to certain U.S. and foreign anti‑corruption, anti‑money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws and regulations. We can face serious consequences for violations.
Among other matters, U.S. and foreign anti‑corruption, anti‑money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws and regulations, which are collectively referred to as Trade Laws, prohibit companies and their employees, agents, clinical research organizations, legal counsel, accountants, consultants, contractors, and other partners from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting, or receiving directly or indirectly, corrupt or improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector. Violations of Trade Laws can result in substantial criminal fines and civil penalties, imprisonment, the loss of trade privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other consequences. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or government‑affiliated hospitals, universities, and other organizations. We also expect our non‑U.S. activities to increase in time. We plan to engage third parties for clinical trials and/or to obtain necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations, and other regulatory approvals and we can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our personnel, agents, or partners, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have prior knowledge of such activities.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
Our success depends in part on our ability to protect our intellectual property. It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights and technology, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.
Our commercial success will depend in large part on obtaining and maintaining patent, trademark and trade secret protection of our proprietary technologies and our product candidates, their respective components, formulations, combination therapies, methods used to manufacture them and methods of treatment, as well as successfully defending these patents against third‑party challenges. Our ability to stop unauthorized third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing our product candidates is dependent upon the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents that cover these activities. If we are unable to secure and maintain patent protection for any product or technology we develop, or if the scope of the patent protection secured is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products and technology similar or identical to ours, and our ability to commercialize any product candidates we may develop may be adversely affected.
The patenting process is expensive and time‑consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. In addition, we may not pursue or obtain patent protection in all relevant markets. 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. Moreover, in some circumstances, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology that we license from or license to third parties and are reliant on our licensors or licensees.
The strength of patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical field involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. The patent applications that we own or in‑license may fail to result in issued patents with claims
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that cover our product candidates or uses thereof in the United States and/or in other foreign countries. Even if the patents do successfully issue, third parties may challenge the validity, enforceability or scope thereof, which may result in such patents being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property or prevent others from designing around our claims. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patent applications we hold with respect to our product candidates is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop, and threaten our ability to commercialize, our product candidates. Further, if we encounter delays in our clinical trials, the period of time during which we could market our product candidates under patent protection would be reduced.
Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to our product candidates. Furthermore, for United States applications in which all claims are entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013, an interference proceeding can be provoked by a third‑party or instituted by the United States patent office, the “USPTO”, to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by the patent claims of our applications.
We cannot be certain that we are the first to invent the inventions covered by pending patent applications and, if we are not, we may be subject to priority disputes. We may be required to disclaim part or all of the term of certain patents or all of the term of certain patent applications. There may be prior art of which we are not aware that may affect the validity or enforceability of a patent claim. There also may be prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe affects the validity or enforceability of a claim, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to affect the validity or enforceability of a claim. No assurance can be given that if challenged, our patents would be declared by a court to be valid or enforceable or that even if found valid and enforceable, a competitor’s technology or product would be found by a court to infringe our patents. We may analyze patents or patent applications of our competitors that we believe are relevant to our activities, and consider that we are free to operate in relation to our product candidates, but our competitors may achieve issued claims, including in patents we consider to be unrelated, which block our efforts or may potentially result in our product candidates or our activities infringing such claims. The possibility exists that others will develop products which have the same effect as our products on an independent basis which do not infringe our patents or other intellectual property rights, or will design around the claims of patents that we have had issued that cover our products.
Recent or future 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. Under the enacted Leahy‑Smith America Invents Act (the “America Invents Act”), enacted in 2013, the United States moved from a “first to invent” to a “first‑to‑file” system. Under a “first‑to‑file” system, assuming the other requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application generally will be entitled to a patent on the invention regardless of whether another inventor had made the invention earlier. The America Invents Act includes a number of other significant changes to U.S. patent law, including provisions that affect the way patent applications are prosecuted, redefine prior art and establish a new post‑grant review system. The effects of these changes are currently unclear as the USPTO only recently developed new regulations and procedures in connection with the America Invents Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law, including the “first‑to‑file” provisions, only became effective in March 2013. In addition, the courts have yet to address many of these provisions and the applicability of the act and new regulations on specific patents discussed herein have not been determined and would need to be reviewed. However, the America Invents 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, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example:
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others may be able to make or use compounds or cells that are similar to the biological compositions of our product candidates but that are not covered by the claims of our patents; |
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the active biological ingredients in our current product candidates will eventually become commercially available in biosimilar drug products, and no patent protection may be available with regard to formulation or method of use; |
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we or our licensors, as the case may be, may fail to meet our obligations to the U.S. government in regards to any in‑licensed patents and patent applications funded by U.S. government grants, leading to the loss of patent rights; |
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we or our licensors, as the case may be, might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions; |
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others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies; |
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it is possible that our pending patent applications will not result in issued patents; |
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it is possible that there are prior public disclosures that could invalidate our or our licensors’ patents, as the case may be, or parts of our or their patents; |
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it is possible that others may circumvent our owned or in‑licensed patents; |
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it is possible that there are unpublished applications or patent applications maintained in secrecy that may later issue with claims covering our products or technology similar to ours; |
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the laws of foreign countries may not protect our or our licensors’, as the case may be, proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States; |
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the claims of our owned or in‑licensed issued patents or patent applications, if and when issued, may not cover our product candidates; |
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our owned or in‑licensed issued patents may not provide us with any competitive advantages, may be narrowed in scope, or be held invalid or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges by third parties; |
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the inventors of our owned or in‑licensed patents or patent applications may become involved with competitors, develop products or processes which design around our patents, or become hostile to us or the patents or patent applications on which they are named as inventors; |
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it is possible that our owned or in‑licensed patents or patent applications omit individual(s) that should be listed as inventor(s) or include individual(s) that should not be listed as inventor(s), which may cause these patents or patents issuing from these patent applications to be held invalid or unenforceable; |
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we have engaged in scientific collaborations in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. Such collaborators may develop adjacent or competing products to ours that are outside the scope of our patents; |
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we may not develop additional proprietary technologies for which we can obtain patent protection; |
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it is possible that product candidates or diagnostic tests we develop may be covered by third parties’ patents or other exclusive rights; and/or |
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the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business. |
We may depend on intellectual property licensed from third parties and termination of any of these licenses could result in the loss of significant rights, which would harm our business.
We are dependent on patents, know‑how and proprietary technology, both our own and licensed from others. Any termination of these licenses could result in the loss of significant rights and could harm our ability to commercialize our product candidates.
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Disputes may also arise between us and our licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:
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the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation‑related issues; |
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whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement; |
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our right to sublicense patent and other rights to third parties under collaborative development relationships; |
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our diligence obligations with respect to the use of the licensed technology in relation to our development and commercialization of our product candidates, and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations; and |
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the ownership of inventions and know‑how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors and us and our partners. |
If disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates.
We are generally also subject to all of the same risks with respect to protection of intellectual property that we license, as we are for intellectual property that we own, which are described below. If we or our licensors fail to adequately protect this intellectual property, our ability to commercialize products could suffer.
If we fail to comply with our obligations under our patent licenses with third parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
We may be a party to license agreements pursuant to which we in‑license key patents and patent applications for our product candidates. These existing licenses impose various diligence, milestone payment, royalty, insurance and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with these obligations, our licensors may have the right to terminate the license, in which event we would not be able to develop or market the products covered by such licensed intellectual property.
We may have limited control over the maintenance and prosecution of these in‑licensed patents and patent applications, activities or any other intellectual property that may be related to our in‑licensed intellectual property. For example, we cannot be certain that such activities by these licensors have been or will be conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or will result in valid and enforceable patents and other intellectual property rights. We have limited control over the manner in which our licensors initiate an infringement proceeding against a third‑party infringer of the intellectual property rights, or defend certain of the intellectual property that is licensed to us. It is possible that the licensors’ infringement proceeding or defense activities may be less vigorous than had we conducted them ourselves.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to patent protection, we rely heavily upon know‑how and trade secret protection, as well as non‑disclosure agreements and invention assignment agreements with our employees, consultants and third‑parties, to protect our confidential and proprietary information, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. In addition to contractual measures, we try to protect the confidential nature of our proprietary information using physical and technological security measures. Such measures may not, for example, in the case of misappropriation of a trade secret by an employee or third‑party with authorized access, provide adequate protection for our proprietary information. Our security measures may not prevent an employee or consultant from misappropriating our trade secrets and providing them to a competitor, and recourse we take against such misconduct may not provide an adequate remedy to protect our interests fully. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret can be difficult, expensive, and time‑consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, trade secrets may be independently developed by others in a manner that could prevent legal recourse by us. If any of our confidential
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or proprietary information, such as our trade secrets, were to be disclosed or misappropriated, or if any such information was independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position could be harmed.
In addition, courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets. If we choose to go to court to stop a third‑party from using any of our trade secrets, we may incur substantial costs. These lawsuits may consume our time and other resources even if we are successful. Although we take steps to protect our proprietary information and trade secrets, including through contractual means with our employees and consultants, third parties may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose our technology.
Thus, we may not be able to meaningfully protect our trade secrets. It is our policy to require our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements provide that all confidential information concerning our business or financial affairs developed or made known to the individual or entity during the course of the party’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. In the case of employees, the agreements provide that all inventions conceived by the individual, and which are related to our current or planned business or research and development or made during normal working hours, on our premises or using our equipment or proprietary information, are our exclusive property. In addition, we take other appropriate precautions, such as physical and technological security measures, to guard against misappropriation of our proprietary technology by third parties. We have also adopted policies and conduct training that provides guidance on our expectations, and our advice for best practices, in protecting our trade secrets.
Third‑party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay our product discovery and development efforts.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. There is a substantial amount of litigation involving patents and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as administrative proceedings for challenging patents, including interference, derivation, inter partes review, post-grant review, and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. We may be exposed to, or threatened with, future litigation by third parties having patent or other intellectual property rights alleging that our product candidates and/or proprietary technologies infringe their intellectual property rights. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing our product candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our product candidates may give rise to claims of infringement of the patent rights of others. Moreover, it is not always clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of drugs, products or their methods of use or manufacture. Thus, because of the large number of patents issued and patent applications filed in our fields, there may be a risk that third parties may allege they have patent rights encompassing our product candidates, technologies or methods.
If a third‑party claims that we infringe its intellectual property rights, we may face a number of issues, including, but not limited to:
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infringement and other intellectual property claims which, regardless of merit, may be expensive and time‑consuming to litigate and may divert our management’s attention from our core business; |
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substantial damages for infringement, which we may have to pay if a court decides that the product candidate or technology at issue infringes on or violates the third‑party’s rights, and, if the court finds that the infringement was willful, we could be ordered to pay treble damages and the patent owner’s attorneys’ fees; |
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a court prohibiting us from developing, manufacturing, marketing or selling our product candidates, or from using our proprietary technologies, unless the third‑party licenses its product rights to us, which it is not required to do; |
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if a license is available from a third‑party, we may have to pay substantial royalties, upfront fees and other amounts, and/or grant cross‑licenses to intellectual property rights for our products; and |
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redesigning our product candidates or processes so they do not infringe, which may not be possible or may require substantial monetary expenditures and time. |
Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations or could otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. Generally, conducting clinical trials and other development activities in the United States is protected under the Safe Harbor exemption as set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 271. If and when SRK‑015, SRK-181 or another one of our product candidates is approved by the FDA, that certain third‑party may then seek to enforce its patent by filing a patent infringement lawsuit against us. While we do not believe that any claims of such patent that could otherwise materially adversely affect commercialization of our antibody candidates, if approved, are valid and enforceable, we may be incorrect in this belief, or we may not be able to prove it in a litigation. In this regard, patents issued in the U.S. by law enjoy a presumption of validity that can be rebutted only with evidence that is “clear and convincing,” a heightened standard of proof. There may be third‑party patents of which we are currently unaware with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of our product candidates. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in issued patents that our product candidates may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. If any third‑party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of our product candidates, constructs or molecules used in or formed during the manufacturing process, or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize the product candidate unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or they are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Similarly, if any third‑party patent were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover aspects of our formulations, processes for manufacture or methods of use, the holders of any such patent may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the product candidate unless we obtained a license or until such patent expires or is finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. In either case, such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain a necessary license to a third‑party patent on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, our ability to commercialize our product candidates may be impaired or delayed, which could in turn significantly harm our business. Even if we obtain a license, it may be non‑exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. 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 product candidates.
Parties making claims against us may seek and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, obtain one or more licenses from third parties, and/or pay royalties or redesign our infringing products, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. We cannot predict whether any such license would be available at all or whether it would be available on commercially reasonable terms. Furthermore, even in the absence of litigation, we may need to obtain licenses from third parties to advance our research or allow commercialization of our product candidates. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize our product candidates, which could harm our business significantly.
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Third parties may assert that our employees or consultants have wrongfully used, disclosed, or misappropriated their confidential information or trade secrets.
As is common in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, we employ individuals who were previously employed at universities or other biopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, and although we try to ensure that our employees and consultants do not use the proprietary information or know‑how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of a former employer or other third parties. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation 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. This type of litigation or proceeding could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce our resources available for development activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to adequately conduct such litigation or proceedings. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other intellectual property related proceedings could adversely affect our ability to compete in the marketplace.
We may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights to develop any future product candidates on acceptable terms.
Because our programs may involve additional product candidates that may require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business may depend in part on our ability to acquire, in‑license or use these proprietary rights.
Our product candidates may also require specific formulations to work effectively and efficiently, and these rights may be held by others. We may develop products containing our compounds and pre‑existing pharmaceutical compounds. We may be required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities to provide a companion diagnostic test or tests with our product candidates. These diagnostic test or tests may be covered by intellectual property rights held by others. We may be unable to acquire or in‑license any compositions, methods of use, processes or other third‑party intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary or important to our business operations. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all, which would harm our business. We may need to cease use of the compositions or methods covered by such third‑party intellectual property rights, and may need to seek to develop alternative approaches that do not infringe on such intellectual property rights which may entail additional costs and development delays, even if we were able to develop such alternatives, which may not be feasible. Even if we are able to obtain a license, it may be non‑exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to develop or license replacement technology.
Additionally, we sometimes collaborate with academic institutions to accelerate our preclinical research or development under written agreements with these institutions. In certain cases, these institutions provide us with an option to negotiate a license to any of the institution’s rights in technology resulting from the collaboration. Regardless of such option, we may be unable to negotiate a license within the specified timeframe or under terms that are acceptable to us. If we are unable to do so, the institution may offer the intellectual property rights to others, potentially blocking our ability to pursue our program. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third‑party intellectual property or to maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of such program and our business and financial condition could suffer.
The licensing or acquisition of third‑party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and companies, which may be more established, or have greater resources than we do, may also be pursuing strategies to license or acquire
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third‑party intellectual property rights that we may consider necessary or attractive in order to commercialize our product candidates. More established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, cash resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully complete such negotiations and ultimately acquire the rights to the intellectual property surrounding the additional product candidates that we may seek to acquire.
We may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive, time‑consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of our licensors. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time‑consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that one or more of our patents is not valid or is unenforceable, or may 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 or defense proceedings could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated, held unenforceable, or interpreted narrowly and could put our patent applications at risk of not issuing. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business.
We may choose to challenge the patentability of claims in a third‑party’s U.S. patent by requesting that the USPTO review the patent claims in an ex‑parte re‑exam, inter partes review or post‑grant review proceedings. These proceedings are expensive and may consume our time or other resources. We may choose to challenge the grant of a third‑party’s patent in opposition proceedings in the European Patent Office (“EPO”) or other foreign patent office. The costs of these opposition proceedings could be substantial, and may consume our time or other resources. If we fail to obtain a favorable result at the USPTO, EPO or other patent office then we may be exposed to litigation by a third‑party alleging that the patent may be infringed by our product candidates or proprietary technologies.
In addition, because some patent applications in the United States may be maintained in secrecy until the patents are issued, because patent applications in PCT member jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after the earliest filing, and because publications in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that others have not filed patent applications for technology covered by our owned and in‑licensed issued patents or our pending applications, or that we or, if applicable, a licensor were the first to invent the technology. Our competitors may have filed, and may in the future file, patent applications covering our products or technology similar to ours. Any such patent application may have priority over our owned and in‑licensed patent applications or patents, which could require us to obtain rights to issued patents covering such technologies. If another party has filed a U.S. patent application on inventions similar to those owned by or in‑licensed to us, we or, in the case of in‑licensed technology, the licensor may have to participate in an interference proceeding declared by the USPTO to determine priority of invention in the United States. If we or one of our licensors is a party to an interference proceeding involving a U.S. patent application on inventions owned by or in‑licensed to us, we may incur substantial costs, divert management’s time and expend other resources, even if we are successful.
For applications filed under pre-AIA, interference proceedings declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications or those of our licensors. An unfavorable outcome could result in a loss of our current patent rights and could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Litigation or interference proceedings may result in a decision adverse to our interests and, even if we are successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. We may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our trade secrets or confidential information, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States.
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. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments. 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.
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Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non‑compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of the patent. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other provisions during the patent application process and following the issuance of a patent. While an inadvertent lapse can, in many cases, be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Noncompliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non‑payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.
Issued patents covering our product candidates could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court or the USPTO.
If we or one of our licensing partners initiate legal proceedings against a third‑party to enforce a patent covering one of our product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate, as applicable, is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace, and there are numerous grounds upon which a third‑party can assert invalidity or unenforceability of a patent. Third parties may also raise similar claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re‑examination, post-grant review, and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings). Such proceedings could result in revocation or amendment to our patents in such a way that they no longer cover our product candidates. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we, our patent counsel and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, or if we are otherwise unable to adequately protect our rights, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to commercialize or license our technology and product candidates.
Likewise, our current owned patents covering our proprietary technologies and our product candidates are expected to expire in 2034, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustments or extensions. Our earliest patents may expire before, or soon after, our first product achieves marketing approval in the United States or foreign jurisdictions. Upon the expiration of our current patents, we may lose the right to exclude others from practicing these inventions. The expiration of these patents could also have a similar material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. We own pending patent applications covering our proprietary technologies or our product candidates that if issued as patents are expected to expire from 2034 through 2040, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustments or extensions. However, we cannot be assured that the USPTO or relevant foreign patent offices will grant any of these patent applications.
Changes in patent law in the U.S. and in ex‑U.S. jurisdictions could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.
As is the case with other biopharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biopharmaceutical industry involve both technological and legal complexity, and is therefore costly, time‑consuming and inherently uncertain. In addition, the United States has recently enacted and is currently implementing wide‑ranging patent reform legislation. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and
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patents that we might obtain in the future. For example, in the case Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, the Federal Circuit held that a well characterized antigen is insufficient to satisfy the written description requirement of certain claims directed to a genus of antibodies that are solely defined by function. While the validity of a subset of patents at issue was subsequently upheld by a district court jury, uncertainty remains as to the legal question pertaining to the written description requirement under 35 USC §112 as it relates to functional antibodies. In the case of Assoc. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court held that certain claims to DNA molecules are not patentable. We cannot predict how these decisions or any future decisions by the courts, the U.S. Congress or the USPTO may impact the value of our patents. Similarly, any adverse changes in the patent laws of other jurisdictions could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We have limited foreign intellectual property rights and may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
We have limited intellectual property rights outside the United States. Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection but where enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products in jurisdictions where we do not have any issued patents and our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceutical products and/or methods of medical treatment, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products against third parties in violation of our proprietary rights generally. The initiation of proceedings by third parties to challenge the scope or validity of our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial cost and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patents, and we may be unable to protect our rights to our products and technology.
If we or our licensors choose to go to court to stop a third‑party from using the inventions claimed in our owned or in‑licensed patents, that third‑party may ask the court to rule that the patents are invalid and/or should not be enforced against that third‑party. These lawsuits are expensive and would consume time and other resources even if we or they, as the case may be, were successful in stopping the infringement of these patents. In addition, there is a risk that the court will decide that these patents are not valid and that we or they, as the case may be, do not have the right to stop others from using the inventions.
There is also the risk that, even if the validity of these patents is upheld, the court will refuse to stop the third‑party on the ground that such third‑party’s activities do not infringe our owned or in‑licensed patents. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently changed some legal principles that affect patent applications, granted patents and assessment of the eligibility or validity of these patents. As a consequence, issued patents may be found to contain invalid claims according to the newly revised eligibility and validity standards. Some of our owned or in‑licensed patents may be
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subject to challenge and subsequent invalidation or significant narrowing of claim scope in proceedings before the USPTO, or during litigation, under the revised criteria which could also make it more difficult to obtain patents.
We, or our licensors, may not be able to detect infringement against our owned or in‑licensed patents, as the case may be, which may be especially difficult for manufacturing processes or formulation patents. Even if we or our licensors detect infringement by a third‑party of our owned or in‑licensed patents, we or our licensors, as the case may be, may choose not to pursue litigation against or settlement with the third‑party. If we, or our licensors, later sue such third‑party for patent infringement, the third‑party may have certain legal defenses available to it, which otherwise would not be available except for the delay between when the infringement was first detected and when the suit was brought. Such legal defenses may make it impossible for us or our licensors to enforce our owned or in‑licensed patents, as the case may be, against such third‑party.
If another party questions the patentability of any of our claims in our owned or in‑licensed U.S. patents, the third‑party can request that the USPTO review the patent claims such as in an inter partes review, ex parte re‑exam or post‑grant review proceedings. These proceedings are expensive and may result in a loss of scope of some claims or a loss of the entire patent. In addition to potential USPTO review proceedings, we may become a party to patent opposition proceedings at the EPO or similar proceedings in other foreign patent offices, where either our owned or in‑licensed foreign patents are challenged. This may prevent us from asserting this patent against our competitors marketing otherwise infringing products in relevant European or foreign countries where this patent has been granted.
In the future, we may be involved in similar proceedings challenging the patent rights of others, and the outcome of such proceedings is highly uncertain. An adverse determination in any such proceeding 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. The costs of these opposition or similar proceedings could be substantial, and may result in a loss of scope of some claims or a loss of the entire patent. An unfavorable result at the USPTO, EPO or other patent office may result in the loss of our right to exclude others from practicing one or more of our inventions in the relevant country or jurisdiction, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on our product candidates for an adequate amount of time.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, if all maintenance fees are timely paid, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years from its earliest U.S. non‑provisional filing date. Various extensions such as patent term adjustments and/or extensions, may be available, but the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Even if patents covering our product candidates are obtained, once the patent life has expired, we may be open to competition from competitive products, including biosimilars. 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 owned and licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
If we do not obtain patent term extension and data exclusivity for any product candidates we may develop, our business may be materially harmed.
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of any FDA marketing approval of any product candidates we may develop, one or more of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Action of 1984, also known as the Hatch‑Waxman Amendments. The Hatch‑Waxman Amendments permit a patent extension term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half of the time between the effective date of the IND or the date of patent grant (whichever is later) and the date of submission of the BLA, plus the time between the date of submission of the BLA and the date of FDA approval of the product. The patent holder must apply for restoration within 60 days of approval. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. We may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or
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regulatory review process, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents, or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or term of any such extension is less than we request, our competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration, and our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially harmed.
If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be adversely affected.
Our trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names or may be forced to stop using these names, which we need for name recognition by potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. If we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Reliance On Third Parties
We rely on third parties to conduct certain aspects of our preclinical studies and to conduct our clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines or comply with legal and regulatory requirements, we may be delayed or unable to obtain regulatory approval of or commercialize any potential product candidates, and our business could be materially harmed.
We depend upon third parties to conduct certain aspects of our preclinical studies and to conduct our clinical trials, under agreements with universities, medical institutions, CROs, strategic partners and others. We often have to negotiate budgets and contracts with such third parties, and if we are unsuccessful or if the negotiations take longer than anticipated, this could result in delays to our development timelines and increased costs.
We rely especially heavily on third parties over the course of our clinical trials, and, as a result, have limited control over the clinical investigators and limited visibility into their day‑to‑day activities, including with respect to their compliance with the approved clinical protocol. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal and regulatory requirements and scientific standards, and our reliance on third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and these third parties are required to comply with GCP requirements, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for product candidates in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCP requirements through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, clinical investigators and trial sites. If we or any of these third parties fail to comply with applicable GCP requirements, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to suspend or terminate these trials or perform additional preclinical studies or clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot be certain that, upon inspection, such regulatory authorities will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with the GCP requirements.
Our failure or any failure by these third parties to comply with these regulations or to recruit a sufficient number of patients may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process. Moreover, our business may be implicated if any of these third parties violate federal or state fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations or healthcare privacy and security laws.
Any third parties conducting aspects of our preclinical studies or clinical trials will not be our employees and, except for remedies that may be available to us under our agreements with such third parties, we cannot control whether they devote sufficient time and resources to our preclinical studies and clinical trials. These third parties may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials or other product development activities, which could affect their performance on our behalf. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the preclinical or clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our development timelines, including clinical development timelines, may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to complete development of,
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obtain regulatory approval of or successfully commercialize our product candidates. As a result, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our product candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.
If any of our relationships with these third‑party CROs or others terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or other third parties or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO begins work. As a result, delays may occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired development timelines. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter similar challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.
Because we rely on third‑party manufacturing and supply partners, our supply of research and development, preclinical and clinical development materials may become limited or interrupted or may not be of satisfactory quantity or quality.
We rely on third‑party contract manufacturers to manufacture some of our preclinical product candidate supplies and rely on third‑party contract manufacturers to manufacture all of our clinical trial product supplies. We do not own manufacturing facilities for producing any clinical trial product supplies. There can be no assurance that our preclinical and clinical development product supplies will not be limited or interrupted, or that our product supplies will be of satisfactory quality or continue to be available at acceptable prices. In particular, any replacement of our manufacturer could require significant effort and expertise because there may be a limited number of qualified replacements; this could be particularly problematic where we rely on a single‑source supplier, as is currently the case for the manufacture of SRK‑015 and SRK-181.
The manufacturing process for a product candidate is subject to FDA and foreign regulatory authority review. Suppliers and manufacturers must meet applicable manufacturing requirements and undergo rigorous facility and process validation tests required by regulatory authorities in order to comply with regulatory standards, such as cGMPs. In the event that any of our manufacturers fails to comply with such requirements or to perform its obligations to us in relation to quality, timing or otherwise, or if our supply of components or other materials becomes limited or interrupted for other reasons, we may be forced to manufacture the materials ourselves, for which we currently do not have the capabilities or resources, or enter into an agreement with another third‑party, which we may not be able to do on reasonable terms, if at all. In some cases, the technical skills or technology required to manufacture our product candidates may be unique or proprietary to the original manufacturer and we may have difficulty transferring such skills or technology to another third‑party and a feasible alternative may not exist. These factors would increase our reliance on the original manufacturer or require us to obtain a license from such manufacturer in order to have another third‑party manufacture our product candidates. If we must change manufacturers for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations and guidelines. The delays associated with the verification of a new manufacturer could negatively affect our ability to develop product candidates in a timely manner or within budget.
We expect to continue to rely on third‑party manufacturers if we receive regulatory approval for SRK‑015, SRK-181 or any future product candidate. To the extent that we have existing, or in the future enter into, manufacturing arrangements with third parties, we will depend on these third parties to perform their obligations in a timely manner consistent with contractual and regulatory requirements, including those related to quality control and assurance. If we are unable to obtain or maintain third‑party manufacturing for product candidates, or to do so on commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to develop and commercialize our product candidates successfully. Our or a third‑party’s failure to execute on our manufacturing requirements and comply with cGMP could adversely affect our business in a number of ways, including:
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an inability to initiate or continue clinical trials of product candidates under development; |
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delay in submitting regulatory applications, or receiving regulatory approvals, for product candidates; |
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loss of the cooperation of an existing or future collaborator; |
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subjecting third‑party manufacturing facilities or our manufacturing facilities to additional inspections by regulatory authorities; |
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requirements to cease distribution or to recall batches of our product candidates; and |
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in the event of approval to market and commercialize a product candidate, an inability to meet commercial demands for our products. |
In addition, we contract with fill and finishing providers which we believe have the appropriate expertise, facilities and scale to meet our needs. Failure to maintain compliance with cGMP can result in a contractor receiving FDA sanctions, which can impact our ability to operate or lead to delays in any clinical development programs. We believe that our current fill and finish contractor is operating in accordance with cGMP, but we can give no assurance that the FDA, EMA or other regulatory agencies will not conclude that a lack of compliance exists. In addition, any delay in contracting for fill and finish services, or failure of the contract manufacturer to perform the services as needed, may delay any clinical trials, registration and launches, which could negatively affect our business.
Our reliance on third parties, such as manufacturers and antibody discovery vendors, may subject us to risks relating to manufacturing scale‑up and may cause us to undertake substantial obligations, including financial obligations.
In order to continue to conduct later-stage clinical trials with SRK‑015, or conduct clinical trials of SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we will need to manufacture such product candidate in large quantities. We, or any manufacturing partners, may be unable to successfully increase the manufacturing capacity for any of our product candidates in a timely or cost effective manner, or at all. In addition, quality issues may arise during scale‑up activities. If we, or any manufacturing partners, are unable to successfully scale up the manufacture of our product candidates in sufficient quality and quantity, the development, testing, and clinical trials of that product candidate may be delayed or infeasible, and regulatory approval or commercial launch of any resulting product may be delayed or not obtained, which could significantly harm our business.
In addition, we rely, and intend to continue to rely, on third party entities to conduct antibody discovery based on criteria and specifications provided by us. Certain of our antibody discovery vendors may require us to enter into a license agreement with them or exercise an option in an existing agreement with them for the right to use antibodies discovered by them in humans or for commercial purposes. Such license or other agreements could include substantial milestone payments and royalties to the extent we choose to use an antibody discovered by such vendors. For example, under our amended and restated collaboration agreement with Adimab, LLC (“Adimab”) (the “Adimab Agreement”), upon exercise of the development and option for the research program from which SRK-181 was generated, we paid to Adimab a non-creditable, nonrefundable option exercise fee; and on a Product (as defined in the Adimab Agreement)-by-Product basis, we will pay Adimab upon the achievement of various clinical and regulatory milestone events with total milestone payments not to exceed mid-teen millions in the aggregate for a given Product; for any Product that is commercialized, on a country-by-country and Product-by-Product basis, we are obligated to pay to Adimab a low-to-mid single-digit percentage of annual worldwide net sales of such Product during the applicable royalty period in each country. In addition, if we do not meet our obligations under such license or other agreements, the counterparties may have the ability to terminate the license or other agreements and we could lose the right to use the discovered antibodies, which could significantly and adversely impact our business.
The failure to maintain the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, or the failure of Gilead to perform its obligations under or our failure to achieve certain milestones under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
On December 19, 2018, we entered into a Master Collaboration Agreement, the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”), to discover and develop specific inhibitors of TGFβ activation focused on the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Under the collaboration, Gilead has exclusive options to license worldwide rights to product candidates that emerge from three of our TGFβ programs. Pursuant to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, we are responsible for antibody discovery and preclinical research through product candidate nomination, after which, upon exercising the option for a Gilead Program, Gilead will be responsible for the Gilead Program’s preclinical and clinical development and commercialization. In consideration of the foregoing, we received $80 million in upfront payments,
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comprised of $50 million in cash and a $30 million equity investment in us. In addition, we will receive a one-time milestone payment of $25 million if we successfully complete specific preclinical studies and will be eligible to receive up to an additional $1,425 million in potential payments aggregated across all three Gilead Programs, based on the successful achievement of certain research, development, regulatory and commercialization milestones. We would also receive high single-digit to low double-digit tiered royalties on sales of potential future products originating from the collaboration. We cannot guarantee the outcome of our efforts to achieve such milestones, and, even if we achieve such milestones, we cannot directly control Gilead’s performance of its obligations under the agreement or the amount and timing of resources that Gilead will dedicate to these efforts, and accordingly, we may not receive any of the milestone or royalty payments that are contingent upon our or Gilead’s achievements.
We are subject to a number of other risks associated with our collaboration with Gilead, including:
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If we are able to identify program antibodies and present Gilead with development candidate nominations, Gilead may not exercise its option to such program or we and Gilead could disagree as to future development plans, and Gilead may delay, fail to commence, or stop future preclinical and clinical development and commercialization. |
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If Gilead exercised one or more options, following such exercise, Gilead will have sole responsibility for the development and commercialization of the product candidates from such program in the applicable field. Gilead will have the sole discretion to determine and direct its efforts and resources, including the ability to discontinue all efforts and resources it applies to the development and, if approval is obtained, commercialization and marketing of the product candidates covered by the applicable program. Gilead may not be effective in obtaining approvals for the product candidates developed from the programs or in marketing, or arranging for necessary supply, manufacturing or distribution relationships for, any approved products. Furthermore, Gilead may change its strategic focus or pursue alternative technologies in a manner that results in reduced, delayed or no revenue to us. Gilead has a variety of marketed products and product candidates under collaboration with other companies, including some of our competitors, and its own corporate objectives may not be consistent with our best interests. If Gilead fails to develop, obtain regulatory approval for or ultimately commercialize any product candidate from the programs covered by the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, or if Gilead terminates our collaboration, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects would be harmed. |
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There may be disputes between Gilead and us, including disagreements regarding the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, that may result in the delay of development programs, creation of uncertainty as to ownership of, control of, or access to intellectual property rights, litigation or arbitration proceedings, distraction of our management from other business activities, and our incurrence of substantial expenses. Any disagreements could result in failure to achieve developmental, regulatory and sales objectives that would have otherwise resulted in milestone or royalty payments to us or the delay or termination of any future development or commercialization of a Gilead Program. |
The Gilead Collaboration Agreement is also subject to early termination, including through Gilead’s right under certain circumstances to terminate upon advance notice to us. If the Gilead Collaboration Agreement is terminated early, we may not be able to find another collaborator for the further development and commercialization of the three Gilead Programs covered by the Gilead Collaboration Agreement on acceptable terms, or at all, and we may be unable to pursue continued development and commercialization of such programs on our own.
We may not be successful in our efforts to discover antibodies or identify potential product candidates under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement.
A key element of our strategy under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement is to use our proprietary technology to identify program antibodies that meet the development criteria for such Gilead Program. Our antibody discovery process may not be successful in identifying antibodies that meet the development criteria for a Gilead Program under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement or that we believe qualify as product candidates. Even if we identify and nominate a product candidate for any Gilead Program, Gilead may not choose to exercise its option for the Gilead Program or may not be successful in developing or commercializing such product candidate. If Gilead elected not to exercise an option, we
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would have incurred significant discovery and research expenses but may not be eligible to receive future milestone or royalty payments related to such program. Further development of a product candidate may also be discontinued by Gilead if the product candidate is shown to have harmful side effects or if other characteristics are observed that indicate the product candidate may be unlikely to receive marking approval or achieve market acceptance. If Gilead decides not to move forward with a product candidate, that could negatively affect our business, including our reputation, and could hinder our ability to enter into future collaborations.
We may seek to enter into collaborations in the future with other third parties, including for SRK-015, SRK-181 or potential product candidates. If we are unable to enter into such collaborations, or if these collaborations are not successful, our business could be adversely affected.
A part of our strategy is to evaluate and, as deemed appropriate, enter into additional collaborations or partnerships in the future when strategically attractive, including potentially with major biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies. We have limited capabilities for product development and do not yet have any capability for commercialization. Accordingly, we may enter into collaborations with other companies to provide us with important technologies, capabilities and funding for our programs and underlying technology.
Any future collaborations we enter into may pose a number of risks, including the following:
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collaborators may have significant discretion or decision making authority in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to the collaboration or that we are required to apply to the collaboration; |
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collaborators may not perform their obligations as expected or in a manner satisfactory to us; |
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we may commit to certain preclinical or clinical development or commercialization efforts as part of the collaboration that we are unable to meet or our collaborators may not be satisfied with our preclinical or clinical development or commercialization efforts; |
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collaborators may not pursue development and commercialization of any product candidates that achieve regulatory approval or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization programs or license arrangements based on clinical trial results, changes in the collaborators’ strategic focus or available funding, or external factors, such as a strategic transaction that may divert resources or create competing priorities; |
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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; |
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collaborators could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our products and product candidates if the collaborators believe that the competitive products are more likely to be successfully developed or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours; |
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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; |
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collaborators may fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the development, manufacture, distribution or marketing of a product candidate or product; |
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collaborators with marketing and distribution rights to one or more of our product candidates that achieve regulatory approval may not commit sufficient resources to the marketing and distribution of such product or products; |
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disagreements with collaborators, including disagreements over proprietary rights, contract interpretation or the preferred course of development, might cause delays or terminations of the research, development or commercialization of product candidates, might lead to additional responsibilities for us with respect to product candidates, or might result in litigation or arbitration, any of which would be time‑consuming and expensive; |
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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; |
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collaborators may infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability; |
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if a collaborator of ours is involved in a business combination, the collaborator might deemphasize or terminate the development or commercialization of any product candidate licensed to it by us; and |
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collaborations may be terminated by the collaborator, and, if terminated, we could be required to raise additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates. |
If our collaborations do not result in the successful discovery, development and commercialization of product candidates 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 such collaboration. All of the risks relating to product development, regulatory approval and commercialization described in this Quarterly Report also apply to the activities of our therapeutic collaborators.
Additionally, 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 biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, including within the business and financial communities, could be adversely affected.
We face significant competition in seeking appropriate partners for our product candidates, and the negotiation process is time‑consuming and complex. In order for us to successfully partner our product candidates, potential partners must view these product candidates as economically valuable in markets they determine to be attractive in light of the terms that we are seeking and other available products for licensing by other companies. 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. Our ability to reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. If we are unable to reach agreements with suitable 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 increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we fail to enter into collaborations or do not have sufficient funds or expertise to undertake the necessary development and commercialization activities, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates, bring them to market and generate revenue from sales of drugs or continue to develop our technology, and our business may be materially and adversely affected. Even if we are successful in our efforts to establish new strategic collaborations, the terms that we agree upon may not be favorable to us, and we may not be able to maintain such strategic collaborations if, for example, development or approval of a product candidate is delayed or sales of an approved product are disappointing. Any delay in entering into new strategic collaboration agreements related to our product candidates could delay the development and commercialization of our product candidates and reduce their competitiveness even if they reach the market.
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Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The price of our stock is volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Similar to the trading prices of the common stock of other biopharmaceutical companies, the trading price of our common stock is subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, these factors include:
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any delay in identifying potential product candidates for our other development programs; |
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any delay in our regulatory filings for SRK‑015 and any adverse development or perceived adverse development with respect to the applicable regulatory authority’s review of such filings, including without limitation the FDA’s issuance of a “refusal to file” letter or a request for additional information; |
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adverse results or delays in any preclinical studies or clinical trials for SRK-015 or SRK-181, including the results of our Phase 2 clinical trial for SRK-015; |
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our decision to initiate a clinical trial, not to initiate a clinical trial or to terminate an existing clinical trial; |
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adverse regulatory decisions, including failure to receive regulatory approval of SRK‑015 or any future product candidate; |
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changes in laws or regulations applicable to SRK‑015 or any future product candidate, including but not limited to clinical trial requirements for approvals; |
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adverse developments concerning our manufacturers; |
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our inability to obtain adequate product supply for any approved product or inability to do so at acceptable prices; |
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our inability to establish collaborations, if needed; |
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our failure to commercialize our product candidates, if approved; |
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additions or departures of key scientific or management personnel; |
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unanticipated serious safety concerns related to the use of SRK‑015, SRK-181 or any future product candidate; |
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introduction of new products or services offered by us or our competitors; |
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announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic collaborations or partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by us or our competitors; |
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our ability to effectively manage our growth; |
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actual or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results; |
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our cash position; |
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our failure to meet the estimates and projections of the investment community or that we may otherwise provide to the public; |
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publication of research reports about us or our industry, or product candidates in particular, or positive or negative recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage by securities analysts; |
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changes in the market valuations of similar companies; |
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overall performance of the equity markets; |
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sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders in the future; |
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trading volume of our common stock; |
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changes in accounting practices; |
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ineffectiveness or inadequacy of our internal controls and procedures; |
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disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection for our technologies; |
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significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation; |
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general political and economic conditions; and |
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other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control. |
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for biopharmaceutical companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. This type of litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which would harm our business, operating results or financial condition.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any returns will be limited to the value of our stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently restricted by the terms of our credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank, and future debt or other financing arrangements may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation of their stock.
Our Board members, management, and their affiliates, own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
As of September 30, 2019, our executive officers, directors and their affiliates beneficially hold, in the aggregate, approximately 23.1% of our outstanding voting stock. These stockholders, acting together, are able to significantly influence all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders are able to significantly influence elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders.
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We are an emerging growth company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”), enacted in April 2012. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:
· |
not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“Sarbanes‑Oxley Act”); |
· |
reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; |
· |
exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved; |
· |
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 auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements; and |
· |
being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure. |
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) December 31, 2023 (2) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion or (3) the last day of the fiscal year in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which requires the market value of our common stock that is held by non‑affiliates to exceed $700 million as of the last business date of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and (4) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non‑convertible debt during the prior three‑year period. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of delayed adoption of new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same requirements to adopt new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we may still qualify as a “smaller reporting company” if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is below $250 million (or $700 million if our annual revenue is less than $100 million) as of the last business day of our second fiscal quarter in any given year, which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including exemption from the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements.
We expect to continue to incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management is required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq have imposed 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. These rules and regulations have significantly increased our legal and financial compliance costs and we anticipate that these activities will become more time-consuming and costly over time.
81
Pursuant to Section 404, we are required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, and, once we are no longer an EGC or a “smaller reporting company”, we will be required to furnish 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 are 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, 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 neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to conclude within the prescribed timeframe that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. This could result in an adverse reaction to the trading price of our common stock in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, stockholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock.
Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404, or any subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.
We are required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis and our management will be required to assess the effectiveness of these controls annually. However, for as long as we are an EGC or a “smaller reporting company”, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. We could be an EGC for up to five years following the completion of our IPO and will qualify as a “smaller reporting company” if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is below $250 million (or $700 million if our annual revenue is less than $100 million) as of June 30 in any given year. An independent assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting could detect problems that our management’s assessment might not. Undetected material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting could lead to financial statement restatements and require us to incur the expense of remediation.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock by our existing stockholders in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
If any of our existing major stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline. In addition, as of September 30, 2019, over 21% of our common stock was held by members of our Board and shareholders affiliated with our Board of Directors and if any of them were to sell a portion of their holdings of our common stock, our stock price could be negatively affected.
We issued 980,392 shares to Gilead in December 2018. The shares are subject to a lock-up period, but following the expiration of such lock-up period, such shares of our common stock may be freely sold in the open market, subject to compliance with applicable securities laws. The sale of these shares in the open market could cause the market price of our common stock to decline or become highly volatile.
In addition, shares of common stock that are either subject to outstanding options or reserved for future issuance under our existing equity compensation plans will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of various vesting schedules, the lock-up agreements and Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act. If
82
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.
We have broad discretion in the use of our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and may not use them effectively.
Our management has broad discretion in the application of our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of our existing cash and cash equivalents, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. Our management might not apply our existing cash and cash equivalents in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business.
Anti‑takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law could delay or prevent a change of control which could limit the market price of our common stock and may prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our board of directors that our stockholders might consider favorable. Some of these provisions include:
· |
a board of directors divided into three classes serving staggered three‑year terms, such that not all members of the board will be elected at one time; |
· |
a prohibition on stockholder action through written consent, which requires that all stockholder actions be taken at a meeting of our stockholders; |
· |
a requirement that special meetings of stockholders be called only by the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, or by a majority of the total number of authorized directors; |
· |
advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations for election to our board of directors; |
· |
a requirement that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of not less than two‑thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock then entitled to vote in the election of directors; |
· |
a requirement of approval of not less than two‑thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock to amend any bylaws by stockholder action or to amend specific provisions of our certificate of incorporation; and |
· |
the authority of the board of directors to issue convertible preferred stock on terms determined by the board of directors without stockholder approval and which convertible preferred stock may include rights superior to the rights of the holders of common stock. |
In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may prohibit certain business combinations with stockholders owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. These anti‑takeover provisions and other provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then‑current board of directors and could also delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing or cause us to take other corporate actions you desire. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our board of directors could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
83
If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our stock or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price may decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.
Our amended and restated bylaws contain certain exclusive forum provisions requiring that substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders be resolved in certain judicial forums, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty, any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, any action to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws contain a provision by virtue of which, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts will be the exclusive forum for any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. We have chosen the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts as the exclusive forum for such causes of action because our principal executive offices are located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some companies that have adopted similar federal district court forum selection provisions are currently subject to a suit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware brought by stockholders who assert that the federal district court forum selection provision is not enforceable. On December 19, 2018, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware issued a decision declaring that federal forum selection provisions purporting to require claims under the Securities Act be brought in federal court are ineffective and invalid under Delaware law. On January 17, 2019, the decision was appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court. While the Delaware Supreme Court recently dismissed the appeal on jurisdictional grounds, we expect that the appeal will be re-filed after the Court of Chancery issues a final judgment. Unless and until the Court of Chancery’s decision is reversed by the Delaware Supreme Court or otherwise abrogated, we do not intend to enforce our federal forum selection provision designating the District of Massachusetts as the exclusive forum for Securities Act claims. In the event that the Delaware Supreme Court affirms the Court of Chancery’s decision or otherwise determines that federal forum selection provisions are invalid, our board of directors intends to amend promptly our amended and restated by-laws to remove our federal forum selection bylaw provision. As a result of the Court of Chancery’s decision or a decision by the Delaware Supreme Court affirming the Court of Chancery’s decision, or if the federal forum selection provision is otherwise found inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We recognize that the federal district court forum selection clause may impose additional litigation costs on stockholders who assert the provision is not enforceable and may impose more general additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claims, particularly if the stockholders do not reside in or near the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additionally, the choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
84
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
Not applicable.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
Use of Proceeds from Initial Public Offering of Common Stock
On May 29, 2018, we completed the sale of 5,360,000 shares of our common stock in our initial public offering at a price to the public of $14.00 per share. The underwriters fully exercised their overallotment option on June 1, 2018, and purchased an additional 804,000 shares of our common stock. The offer and sale of the shares in our IPO was registered under the Securities Act pursuant to registration statements on Form S‑1 (File No. 333‑224493), which was filed with the SEC on April 27, 2018 and amended subsequently and declared effective by the SEC on May 23, 2018. Following the sale of the shares in connection with the closing of our IPO, the offering terminated. The offering did not terminate before all the securities registered in the registration statements were sold. Jefferies LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. acted as lead book-running managers for the offering. Wedbush PacGrow acted as the co-manager for the offering. We raised approximately $77.8 million in net proceeds after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by us. None of these expenses consisted of direct or indirect payments made by us to directors, officers or persons owning 10% or more of our common stock or to their associates, or to our affiliates. As of September 30, 2019, we had used approximately $69.4 million of the net offering proceeds, primarily to fund research and development activities for SRK-015, to fund TGFβ1 and other preclinical research and development activities and for working capital and general corporate purposes. There has been no material change in the planned use of proceeds from our IPO as described in our final prospectus filed with the SEC on May 24, 2018. We invested the funds received in accordance with our investment policy. As of September 30, 2019, the remaining amount of the net proceeds is included as cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
85
In November 2019, Scholar Rock, Inc. (“Scholar Rock”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and BMR-Rogers Street LLC (the “Landlord”) entered into a Lease (the “Lease Agreement”) for the Company's new corporate headquarters. The lease is for 51,408 square feet of laboratory and office space located at 301 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 and shall commence, subject to certain conditions, on November 15, 2019 (the “Term Commencement Date”). The estimated expiration date of the Lease Agreement is July 15, 2025, and Scholar Rock has one option to extend the term of the Lease Agreement by two years. The base rent is $6.9 million per year, which is payable commencing on the earlier of (i) eight months after the Term Commencement Date (estimated to be July 15, 2020) and (ii) the date Scholar Rock occupies more than 60% of the rentable area of the premises that Scholar Rock is leasing pursuant to the Lease Agreement (the “Rent Commencement Date”). The base rent is subject to an annual upward adjustment of 3.5% of the then-current base rent, with the first upward adjustment commencing on the one-year anniversary of the Rent Commencement Date and subsequent adjustments becoming effective on every successive annual anniversary for the duration of the Lease Agreement. Scholar Rock is not required to pay rent for the period prior to the Rent Commencement Date. Under the terms of the Lease Agreement, Scholar Rock is required to provide a security deposit of $2.3 million, and will also be required, after the Rent Commencement Date, to pay for its share of utilities, certain building operating expenses and other expenses payable under the Lease Agreement.
Pursuant to the Lease Agreement, Scholar Rock will oversee certain construction and renovation work (the “Tenant Improvements”) to the premises at a cost to the Landlord not to exceed $14.1 million (based upon a tenant improvement allowance of $275 per square foot) (the “Tenant Improvement Allowance”). The Tenant Improvement Allowance may be applied, among certain other enumerated uses, to (i) construction, (ii) a project review fee by the Landlord, (iii) fees related to architect, engineering and related services, and (iv) the purchase of Scholar Rock’s furniture, fixtures and equipment (including lab equipment) to be used in the premises, up to a maximum of 10% of the Tenant Improvement Allowance (or $1.4 million). Scholar Rock must submit any fund requests to use the Tenant Improvement Allowance within 18 months of the Term Commencement Date.
The foregoing description of the terms of the Lease Agreement does not purport to be a complete description of the rights and obligations of the parties thereunder, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Lease Agreement that is filed as Exhibit 10.2 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and incorporated by reference herein.
86
EXHIBIT INDEX
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|
|
Incorporated by Reference to: |
|||
Exhibit Number |
|
Description |
Form |
File No. |
Exhibit No. |
Filing Date |
3.1 |
|
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant |
S-1/A |
333-224493 |
3.2 |
May 8, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2 |
|
Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant |
S-1/A |
333-224493 |
3.1.1 |
May 14, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3 |
|
S-1/A |
333-224493 |
3.4 |
May 8, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.1 |
|
S-1 |
333-224493 |
4.1 |
April 27, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.2 |
|
Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing shares of common stock |
S-1/A |
333-224493 |
4.2 |
May 14, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.3 |
|
S-1 |
333-224493 |
4.3 |
April 27, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1 |
|
8-K |
001-38501 |
10.1 |
September 23, 2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.2* |
|
Lease Agreement by and between BMR-Rogers Street LLC and Scholar Rock, Inc., dated November 5, 2019. Schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedules will be furnished supplementally to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
31.1* |
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|
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|
31.2* |
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|
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|
32.1** |
|
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|
87
101* |
|
The following materials from the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (iv) related notes to these financial statements |
|
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|
|
* Filed herewith
** Furnished herewith
88
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.
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||
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SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION |
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Date: November 12, 2019 |
By: |
/s/ Nagesh K. Mahanthappa |
|
|
Nagesh K. Mahanthappa, Ph.D. (Principal Executive Officer) |
Date: November 12, 2019 |
By: |
/s/ Erin Moore |
|
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Erin Moore (Principal Accounting Officer) |
89
LEASE
by and between
BMR-ROGERS STREET LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company
and
SCHOLAR ROCK, INC.,
a Delaware corporation
Table of Contents
1. |
Lease of Premises |
1 |
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|
|
2. |
Basic Lease Provisions |
2 |
|
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|
3. |
Term |
4 |
|
|
|
4. |
Possession and Commencement Date. |
5 |
|
|
|
5. |
Condition of Premises |
6 |
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|
|
6. |
Rentable Area |
6 |
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|
7. |
Rent |
7 |
|
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|
8. |
Rent Adjustments; Free Rent Period |
8 |
|
|
|
9. |
Operating Expenses |
8 |
|
|
|
10. |
Taxes on Tenant’s Property |
13 |
|
|
|
11. |
Security Deposit |
14 |
|
|
|
12. |
Use |
16 |
|
|
|
13. |
Rules and Regulations, CC&Rs, Parking Facilities and Common Area |
19 |
|
|
|
14. |
Project Control by Landlord |
21 |
|
|
|
15. |
Quiet Enjoyment |
22 |
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|
16. |
Utilities and Services |
22 |
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|
17. |
Alterations |
27 |
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18. |
Repairs and Maintenance |
30 |
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19. |
Liens |
31 |
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|
20. |
Estoppel Certificate |
32 |
|
|
|
21. |
Hazardous Materials |
32 |
|
|
|
22. |
Odors and Exhaust |
35 |
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|
|
23. |
Insurance |
36 |
|
|
|
24. |
Damage or Destruction |
40 |
|
|
|
25. |
Eminent Domain |
42 |
|
|
|
26. |
Surrender |
43 |
|
|
|
27. |
Holding Over |
44 |
|
|
|
28. |
Indemnification and Exculpation |
45 |
|
|
|
29. |
Assignment or Subletting |
46 |
|
|
|
30. |
Subordination and Attornment |
50 |
i
|
|
|
31. |
Defaults and Remedies |
51 |
|
|
|
32. |
Bankruptcy |
55 |
|
|
|
33. |
Brokers |
56 |
|
|
|
34. |
Definition of Landlord |
56 |
|
|
|
35. |
Limitation of Landlord’s Liability |
57 |
|
|
|
36. |
Joint and Several Obligations |
57 |
|
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37. |
Representations |
58 |
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38. |
Confidentiality |
58 |
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|
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39. |
Notices |
58 |
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|
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40. |
Miscellaneous |
59 |
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41. |
Rooftop Installation Area |
62 |
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|
42. |
Options to Extend Term |
63 |
ii
LEASE
THIS LEASE (this “Lease”) is entered into as of this 5th day of November, 2019 (the “Execution Date”), by and between BMR-ROGERS STREET LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Landlord”), and SCHOLAR ROCK, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Tenant”).
RECITALS
A. WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain ground lease dated as of March 30, 1999, by and among MBA-Rogers Street, LLC (“Ground Lessor,” as successor-in-interest to O&T Realty, LLC, and MBA-Cambridge, LLC (collectively, “Initial Ground Lessor”)), as landlord, and Rogers Street, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Initial Ground Lessee”), as tenant; as such ground lease has been amended by that certain letter agreement dated as of July 29, 1999, between Initial Ground Lessor and Initial Ground Lessee, and that certain Agreement Regarding Arbitration and Lease Amendments dated as of December 15, 1999, by and between Initial Ground Lessor and Initial Ground Lessee; and as such ground lease has been assigned pursuant to that certain Assignment and Assumption of Ground Lease dated as of April 4, 2007, by and between Initial Ground Lessee and Landlord (such ground lease, as so amended and assigned, and as the same may be further amended, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Ground Lease”), Landlord leases certain real property described on Exhibit A-1 attached hereto (the “Property”) and the improvements located thereon, including the buildings at 301 Binney Street (the “Building”), 320 Bent Street and 157 Sixth Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and |
B. WHEREAS, Landlord wishes to lease to Tenant, and Tenant desires to lease from Landlord, certain premises as shown on Exhibit A hereof (the “Premises”), including, without limitation, located on the first (1st) and third (3rd) floors of the Building, with access from the west side entrance, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Lease, as detailed below. |
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, Landlord and Tenant, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:
1. Lease of Premises |
1.1. Effective on the Term Commencement Date (as defined below), Landlord hereby leases to Tenant, and Tenant hereby leases from Landlord, the Premises, including exclusive shafts, cable runs, mechanical spaces and rooftop areas, for completion by Tenant of the Tenant Improvements and for use by Tenant in accordance with the Permitted Use (as defined below) and no other uses. The Property and all landscaping, parking facilities, private drives and other improvements and appurtenances related thereto, including the Building and the other buildings located at 320 Bent Street and 157 Sixth Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Project.” All portions of the Building that are for the non-exclusive use of the tenants of the Building only, and not the tenants of the Project generally, such as service corridors, stairways, elevators, public restrooms and public lobbies (all to the extent located in the Building), are hereinafter referred to as “Building Common Area.” All portions of the Project that |
are for the non-exclusive use of tenants of the Project generally, including driveways, sidewalks, parking areas and landscaped areas, are hereinafter referred to as “Project Common Area.” The Building Common Area and Project Common Area are collectively referred to herein as “Common Area.” |
2. Basic Lease Provisions. For convenience of the parties, certain basic provisions of this Lease are set forth herein. The provisions set forth herein are subject to the remaining terms and conditions of this Lease and are to be interpreted in light of such remaining terms and conditions. |
2.1. This Lease shall take effect upon the Execution Date and, except as specifically otherwise provided within this Lease, each of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Landlord and Tenant from the date of execution and delivery hereof by all parties hereto. |
2.2. In the definitions below, each current Rentable Area (as defined below) is expressed in rentable square feet. Rentable Area and “Tenant’s Pro Rata Share” are subject to adjustment as provided in this Lease. |
Definition or Provision |
Means the Following |
Approximate Rentable Area of Premises |
51,408 square feet |
Approximate Rentable Area of Building |
417,290 square feet |
Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Building |
12.32% |
2.3. Initial monthly and annual installments of Base Rent for the Premises (“Base Rent”) as of the Rent Commencement Date (as defined below), subject to adjustment under this Lease: |
Dates |
Square Feet of Rentable Area |
Base Rent per Square Foot of Rentable Area |
Monthly Base Rent |
Annual Base Rent |
Rent Commencement Date - The day immediately prior to the first (1st) annual anniversary of the Rent Commencement Date |
51,408 |
$135.00 annually |
$578,340.00 |
$6,940,080.00 |
2
2.4. Estimated Term Commencement Date: November 15, 2019 |
2.5. Estimated Term Expiration Date: July 15, 2025 |
2.6. Security Deposit: Two Million Two Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty and 00/100 Dollars ($2,292,750.00), subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms hereof. |
2.7. Permitted Use: General office and laboratory use in conformity with all federal, state, municipal and local laws, codes, ordinances, rules and regulations of Governmental Authorities (as defined below) having jurisdiction over the Premises, the Building, the Property, the Project, Landlord or Tenant, including both statutory and common law and hazardous waste rules and regulations (“Applicable Laws”). |
2.8. Address for Rent Payment: |
BMR-Rogers Street LLC
Attention Entity 635
P.O. Box 511415
Los Angeles, California 90051-7970
2.9. Address for Notices to Landlord: |
BMR-Rogers Street LLC
17190 Bernardo Center Drive
San Diego, California 92128
Attn: Legal Department
2.10. Address for Notices to Tenant: |
Prior to the Rent Commencement Date:
Scholar Rock, Inc.
620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Attention: Robert Vassallo, Erin Moore
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Scholar Rock, Inc.
620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Attention: Legal
Following the Rent Commencement Date:
Scholar Rock, Inc.
301 Binney Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
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Attention: Robert Vassallo, Erin Moore
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Scholar Rock, Inc.
301 Binney Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
Attention: Legal
2.11. Address for Invoices to Tenant: |
Prior to the Rent Commencement Date:
Scholar Rock, Inc.
620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Attention: Robert Vassallo, Erin Moore
Following the Rent Commencement Date:
Scholar Rock, Inc.
301 Binney Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
Attention: Robert Vassallo, Erin Moore
2.12. The following Exhibits are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference: |
Exhibit APremises
Exhibit A-1Property
Exhibit BWork Letter
Exhibit B-1Tenant Work Insurance Schedule
Exhibit CAcknowledgement of Term Commencement Date and Term Expiration Date
Exhibit D[Intentionally omitted]
Exhibit EForm of Letter of Credit
Exhibit FRules and Regulations
Exhibit GPTDM
Exhibit HTenant’s Personal Property
Exhibit IForm of Estoppel Certificate
Exhibit JForm of Ground Lessor Non-Disturbance and Attornment Agreement
3. Term. The actual term of this Lease (as the same may be extended pursuant to Article 42 hereof, and as the same may be earlier terminated in accordance with this Lease, the “Term”) shall commence on the actual Term Commencement Date (as defined in Article 4) and end on the date |
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(the “Term Expiration Date”) that is sixty (60) months after the Rent Commencement Date (as hereinafter defined), subject to extension as provided herein. |
4. Possession and Commencement Date. |
4.1. The “Term Commencement Date” shall be the date Landlord tenders possession of the Premises to Tenant with a demising wall installed to separate the Premises from Common Areas or other tenant areas on the floor. The demising wall shall consist of metal studs with fiberglass insulation and one layer of unfinished drywall. Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to tender possession of the Premises to Tenant on or before the Estimated Term Commencement Date. Tenant agrees that in the event Landlord does not tender possession of the Premises on or before the Estimated Term Commencement Date, then (a) this Lease shall not be void or voidable, (b) Landlord shall not be liable to Tenant for any loss or damage resulting therefrom, (c) the Term Expiration Date shall be extended accordingly and (d) Tenant shall not be responsible for the payment of any Base Rent until the actual Rent Commencement Date occurs. Tenant shall execute and deliver to Landlord written acknowledgment of the actual Term Commencement Date and the Term Expiration Date within ten (10) days after Landlord tenders possession of the Premises, in the form attached as Exhibit C hereto. Failure to execute and deliver such acknowledgment, however, shall not affect the Term Commencement Date or Landlord’s or Tenant’s liability hereunder. Failure by Tenant to obtain validation by any medical review board or other similar governmental licensing of the Premises required for the Permitted Use by Tenant shall not serve to extend the Term Commencement Date. Nothwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, following the Term Commencement Date and prior to the Rent Commencement Date, Tenant shall have the right to occupy up to 60% of the Premises for the Permitted Use provided that Tenant has obtained a certificate of occupancy (either temporary or permanent) from the City of Cambridge permitting Tenant to occupy such portion of the Premises for the Permitted Use and such early occupancy shall not trigger the Rent Commencement Date. In the event Tenant occupies more than 60% of the Premises prior to the eight (8) month anniversary of the Term Commencement Date, Tenant shall promptly notify Landlord in writing of the date such occupancy occurred, and pursuant to Section 7.1, such occupancy date shall be deemed the Rent Commencement Date. |
4.2. Tenant shall cause the work described in the Work Letter attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Tenant Improvements”) to be constructed in the Premises at a cost to Landlord not to exceed Fourteen Million One Hundred Thirty-Seven Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($14,137,200) (based upon Two Hundred Seventy-Five Dollars ($275.00) per square foot of Rentable Area (as defined below)) (the “TI Allowance”). The TI Allowance may be applied to the costs of (m) construction, (n) project review by Landlord (which fee shall equal 0.75% of the actual hard cost of the Tenant Improvements, including the TI Allowance), (o) commissioning of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems by a licensed, qualified commissioning agent hired by Tenant, and review of such party’s commissioning report by a licensed, qualified commissioning agent hired by Landlord, (p) space planning, architect, engineering and other related services performed by third parties unaffiliated with Tenant, (q) building permits and other taxes, fees, charges and levies by Governmental Authorities (as defined below) for permits or for inspections of the Tenant Improvements, (r) costs and expenses for labor, material, equipment and fixtures, and (s) the purchase of Tenant’s furniture, fixtures and equipment (including, without limitation, lab equipment) to be used in the Premises up to a maximum of ten percent (10%) of |
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the TI Allowance, in each case inclusive of costs incurred by Tenant prior to the date hereof. In no event shall the TI Allowance be used for (v) the cost of work that is not authorized by the Approved Plans (as defined in the Work Letter) or otherwise approved in writing by Landlord, (w) payments to Tenant or any affiliates of Tenant, (x) the purchase of any furniture, personal property or other non-building system equipment, except and to the extent expressly provided in the immediately foregoing sentence, (y) costs arising from any default by Tenant of its obligations under this Lease or (z) costs that are recoverable by Tenant from a third party (e.g., insurers, warrantors, or tortfeasors). |
4.3. Tenant shall have until eighteen (18) months after the Term Commencement Date (the “TI Deadline”), to submit Fund Requests (as defined in the Work Letter) to Landlord for disbursement of the unused portion of the TI Allowance, after which date Landlord’s obligation to fund any such costs for which Tenant has not submitted a Fund Request to Landlord shall expire. |
4.4. In no event shall any unused TI Allowance entitle Tenant to a credit against Rent payable under this Lease. Tenant shall deliver to Landlord (a) a certificate of occupancy (or its substantial equivalent) for the Premises suitable for the Permitted Use and (b) a Certificate of Substantial Completion in the form of the American Institute of Architects document G704, executed by the project architect and the general contractor. |
4.5. Prior to entering upon the Premises, Tenant shall furnish to Landlord evidence satisfactory to Landlord that insurance coverages required of Tenant under the provisions of Article 23 are in effect, and such entry shall be subject to all the terms and conditions of this Lease other than the payment of Base Rent or Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses (as defined below). |
5. Condition of Premises. Tenant acknowledges that neither Landlord nor any agent of Landlord has made any representation or warranty with respect to the condition of the Premises, the Building or the Project, or with respect to the suitability of the Premises, the Building or the Project for the conduct of Tenant’s business. Tenant acknowledges that (a) it is fully familiar with the condition of the Premises and agrees to take the same in its condition “as is” as of the Execution Date and (b) Landlord shall have no obligation to alter, repair or otherwise prepare the Premises for Tenant’s occupancy or to pay for or construct any improvements to the Premises, except with respect to payment of the TI Allowance. Tenant’s taking of possession of the Premises shall, except as otherwise agreed to in writing by Landlord and Tenant, conclusively establish that the Premises, the Building and the Project were at such time in good, sanitary and satisfactory condition and repair. |
6. Rentable Area. |
6.1. The term “Rentable Area” shall reflect such areas as reasonably calculated by Landlord’s architect in a manner consistent with Landlord’s determination of Rentable Area for the remainder of the Building and Project, as the same may be reasonably adjusted from time to time by Landlord in consultation with Landlord’s architect only to reflect a physical change to the outer walls, roof or basement of the Building, a physical change to those areas of the Building not utilized as usable area, including that portion of the Building devoted to corridors, equipment |
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rooms, restrooms, elevator lobby, atrium and mailroom, or a physical change to the demising walls of the Premises. |
6.2. The Rentable Area of the Building is generally determined by making separate calculations of Rentable Area applicable to each floor within the Building and totaling the Rentable Area of all floors within the Building. The Rentable Area of a floor is computed by measuring to the outside finished surface of the permanent outer Building walls. The full area calculated as previously set forth is included as Rentable Area, without deduction for columns and projections or vertical penetrations, including stairs, elevator shafts, flues, pipe shafts, vertical ducts and the like, as well as such items’ enclosing walls. |
7. Rent. |
7.1. Tenant shall pay to Landlord as Base Rent for the Premises, commencing on the earlier of (i) the eight (8) month anniversary following the Term Commencement Date, and (ii) the date Tenant occupies more than sixty percent (60%) of the Rentable Area of the Premises for the Permitted Use (the “Rent Commencement Date”), the sums set forth in Section 2.3, subject to the rental adjustments provided in Article 8 hereof. Base Rent shall be paid in equal monthly installments as set forth in Section 2.3, subject to the rental adjustments provided in Article 8 hereof, each in advance on the first day of each and every calendar month during the Term. |
7.2. In addition to Base Rent, Tenant shall pay to Landlord as additional rent (“Additional Rent”) at times hereinafter specified in this Lease (a) Tenant’s Adjusted Share (as defined below) of Operating Expenses (as defined below), (b) the Property Management Fee (as defined below), and (c) any other amounts that Tenant assumes or agrees to pay under the provisions of this Lease that are owed to Landlord, including any and all other sums that may become due by reason of any default of Tenant or failure on Tenant’s part to comply with the agreements, terms, covenants and conditions of this Lease to be performed by Tenant, after notice and the lapse of any applicable cure periods. |
7.3. Base Rent and Additional Rent shall together be denominated “Rent.” Rent shall be paid to Landlord, without abatement, deduction or offset, in lawful money of the United States of America to the address set forth in Section 2.8 or to such other person or at such other place as Landlord may from time designate in writing. In the event the Term commences or ends on a day other than the first day of a calendar month, then the Rent for such fraction of a month shall be prorated for such period on the basis of the number of days in the month and shall be paid at the then-current rate for such fractional month. |
7.4. Tenant’s obligation to pay Rent shall not be discharged or otherwise affected by (a) any Applicable Laws now or hereafter applicable to the Premises, (b) any other restriction on Tenant’s use, (c) except as expressly provided herein, any casualty or taking or (d) except in the event of a Material Services Failure (as defined in Section 16.3, below), any other occurrence; and Tenant waives all rights now or hereafter existing to terminate or cancel this Lease or quit or surrender the Premises or any part thereof, or to assert any defense in the nature of constructive eviction to any action seeking to recover rent. Tenant’s obligation to pay Rent with respect to any period or obligations arising, existing or pertaining to the period prior to the date of the expiration or earlier termination of the Term or this Lease shall survive any such expiration or earlier |
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termination; provided, however, that nothing in this sentence shall in any way affect Tenant’s obligations with respect to any other period. |
8. Rent Adjustments; Free Rent Period. |
8.1. Base Rent shall be subject to an annual upward adjustment of three and one-half percent (3.5%) of the then-current Base Rent. The first such adjustment shall become effective commencing on the first (1st) annual anniversary of the Rent Commencement Date, and subsequent adjustments shall become effective on every successive annual anniversary for so long as this Lease continues in effect. |
8.2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Lease, Tenant shall not be required to pay Base Rent for the period prior to the Rent Commencement Date (such period, the “Free Rent Period”). Except for (a) the project review fee described in Section 4.2 above, and (b) the Parking Fees described in Section 13.5 below, Tenant shall not be responsible for the payment of Tenant’s other Rent obligations under this Lease, including Operating Expenses, the Property Management Fee, or costs of utilities for the Premises during the Free Rent Period. |
9. Operating Expenses. |
9.1. As used herein, the term “Operating Expenses” shall include: |
(a) Government impositions, including property tax costs consisting of real and personal property taxes (including amounts due under any improvement bond upon the Building or the Project (including the parcel or parcels of real property upon which the Building, the other buildings in the Project and areas serving the Building and the Project are located)) or assessments in lieu thereof imposed by any federal, state, regional, local or municipal governmental authority, agency or subdivision (each, a “Governmental Authority”); taxes on or measured by gross rentals received from the rental of space in the Project; taxes based on the square footage of the Premises, the Building or the Project, as well as any parking charges, utilities surcharges or any other costs levied, assessed or imposed by, or at the direction of, or arising from Applicable Laws or interpretations thereof, promulgated by any Governmental Authority in connection with the use or occupancy of the Project or the parking facilities serving the Project; taxes on this transaction or any document to which Tenant is a party creating or transferring an interest in the Premises; any fee for a business license to operate an office building; and any expenses, including the reasonable cost of attorneys or experts, reasonably incurred by Landlord in seeking reduction by the taxing authority of the applicable taxes, less tax refunds obtained as a result of an application for review thereof; and |
(b) All other costs of any kind paid or incurred by Landlord in connection with the operation or maintenance of the Building and the Project, which shall include costs of repairs and replacements (provided, however, capital replacements shall only be included in Operating Expenses as provided below in this Section) to improvements within the Project as appropriate to maintain the Project as required hereunder; costs of utilities furnished to the Common Area; sewer fees; cable television; trash collection; cleaning, including windows; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (“HVAC”); maintenance of landscaping and grounds; snow removal; maintenance of drives and parking areas; maintenance of the roof; security services and devices; building supplies; |
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maintenance or replacement of equipment utilized for operation and maintenance of the Project; license, permit and inspection fees; sales, use and excise taxes on goods and services purchased by Landlord in connection with the operation, maintenance or repair of the Building or Project systems and equipment; telephone, postage, stationery supplies and other expenses incurred in connection with the operation, maintenance or repair of the Project; accounting, legal and other professional fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Project; costs of furniture, draperies, carpeting, landscaping supplies, snow removal and other customary and ordinary items of personal property provided by Landlord for use in the Common Area or the Project office; capital expenditures incurred (i) for replacing obsolete equipment, (ii) for the primary purpose of reducing Operating Expenses, or (iii) required by any Governmental Authority to comply with changes in Applicable Laws that take effect after the Execution Date or to ensure continued compliance with Applicable Laws in effect as of the Execution Date, in each case amortized over the useful life thereof, as reasonably determined by Landlord, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, not to exceed ten (10) years; costs of complying with Applicable Laws (except to the extent such costs are incurred to remedy non-compliance as of the Execution Date with Applicable Laws); costs to keep the Project in compliance with, or costs or fees otherwise required under or incurred pursuant to any Property Operations Documents (as defined below), including condominium fees; insurance premiums, including premiums for commercial general liability, property casualty, earthquake, terrorism and environmental coverages; portions of insured losses paid by Landlord as part of the deductible portion of a loss pursuant to the terms of insurance policies; service contracts; costs of services of independent contractors retained to do work of a nature referenced above; and costs of compensation (including employment taxes and fringe benefits) of all persons who perform regular and recurring duties connected with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the Project, its equipment, the adjacent walks, landscaped areas, drives and parking areas, including janitors, floor waxers, window washers, watchmen, gardeners, sweepers, plow truck drivers, handymen, and engineering/maintenance/facilities personnel. |
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, Operating Expenses shall not include any net income, franchise, capital stock, estate or inheritance taxes, or taxes that are the personal obligation of Tenant or of another tenant of the Project; any leasing commissions; expenses that relate to preparation of rental space for a tenant; expenses of initial development and construction, including grading, paving, landscaping and decorating (as distinguished from maintenance, repair and replacement of the foregoing); capital expenditures other than those expressly described and amortized in Section 9.1(b); legal expenses relating to other tenants including expenses incurred in connection with (i) negotiations or disputes with tenants of the Property or other occupants or prospective tenants or other occupants, (ii) enforcement of any leases, or (iii) defense of Landlord’s title to, or interest in, the Building or any part thereof; costs of repairs to the extent reimbursed by (e) payment of insurance proceeds, (f) warranties, (g) guarantees or (h) any other sources, received by Landlord; the correcting of defects in the design, construction, equipment or latent defects in the Building or the Project, but only to the extent such costs are covered by and actually reimbursed to Landlord under any applicable warranty or service contract held by Landlord; principal and interest upon loans to Landlord or secured by a loan agreement, mortgage, deed of trust, security instrument or other loan document covering the Project or a portion thereof (collectively, “Loan Documents”) (provided that interest upon a government assessment or improvement bond payable in installments shall constitute an Operating Expense under Subsection 9.1(a)); rent on ground leases or underlying leases; reserve funds; costs incurred directly and solely as a result of |
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Landlord’s negligence or willful misconduct; costs of mitigation or impact fees or subsidies, imposed or incurred prior to the date of the Lease or imposed solely as a result of another tenant’s use of the Building or its premises; salaries of executive officers of Landlord; depreciation claimed by Landlord for tax purposes (provided that this exclusion of depreciation is not intended to delete from Operating Expenses actual costs of repairs and replacements and reasonable reserves in regard thereto that are provided for in Subsection 9.1(b)); the cost of cleaning or janitorial services provided for space leased or intended to be leased to other tenants in the Building; the cost of any work or service performed for any tenant in the Building (other than Tenant) to a materially greater extent or in a materially more favorable manner than that furnished generally to other tenants (including Tenant) in the Building; the cost of any work or services performed for any facility other than the Building or Project, subject to the provisions of Section 9.3; the general corporate overhead costs and expenses of the Landlord entity (except to the extent of the Property Management Fee (as defined below)); any costs (other than the Property Management Fee) representing an amount paid to an entity related to Landlord that is materially in excess of the amount that would have been paid absent such relationship; costs, liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with the removal, enclosure, encapsulation or other handling of and the cost of defending against claims in regard to Hazardous Materials (x) in existence at the Building or the Project prior to the Term Commencement Date, (y) due to the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Landlord, or (z) for which the person or entity that is responsible for causing such Hazardous Materials to be on the Project is identified by Landlord; cost of acquiring and maintaining sculptures, paintings and other works of art, to the extent such items are materially more expensive than typical office décor in buildings similar to the Building; late fees or charges incurred by Landlord due to late payment of expenses, except to the extent attributable to Tenant’s actions or inactions; charges for electricity, water or other utilities, services or goods for which Tenant or any other tenant, occupant, person or other party reimburses Landlord or pays to third parties (except as part of Operating Expenses); costs or expenses incurred in connection with the financing or sale of the Project or any portion thereof (other than property taxes); costs expressly excluded from Operating Expenses elsewhere in this Lease or that are charged to or paid by Tenant under other provisions of this Lease; professional fees and disbursements and other costs and expenses related to the ownership (as opposed to the use, occupancy, operation, maintenance or repair) of the Project; political and charitable contributions; expenses related to the on-site parking garage serving the Building and the Project; and any item that, if included in Operating Expenses, would involve a double collection for such item by Landlord. To the extent that Tenant uses more than Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of any item of Operating Expenses, Tenant shall pay Landlord for such excess in addition to Tenant’s obligation to pay Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses (such excess, together with Tenant’s Pro Rata Share, “Tenant’s Adjusted Share”). |
9.2. From and after the Rent Commencement Date, Tenant shall pay to Landlord on the first day of each calendar month of the Term, as Additional Rent, (a) the Property Management Fee (as defined below) and (b) Landlord’s estimate of Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Building and the Project, as applicable, for such month. |
(x) The “Property Management Fee” shall equal three percent (3%) of Base Rent due from Tenant. Tenant shall pay the Property Management Fee in accordance with Section 9.2 with respect to the entire Term, including any extensions of the Term or any holdover periods, regardless of whether Tenant is obligated to pay Base Rent, Operating Expenses or any other Rent with respect to any such period or portion thereof. |
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(y) Within ninety (90) days after the conclusion of each calendar year (or such longer period as may be reasonably required by Landlord), Landlord shall furnish to Tenant a statement showing in reasonable detail the actual Operating Expenses, Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses, and the cost of providing utilities to the Premises for the previous calendar year (“Landlord’s Statement”). Any additional sum due from Tenant to Landlord shall be due and payable within thirty (30) days after receipt of an invoice therefor. If the amounts paid by Tenant pursuant to this Section exceed Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses for the previous calendar year, then Landlord shall credit the difference against the Rent next due and owing from Tenant; provided that, if the Lease term has expired, Landlord shall accompany Landlord’s Statement with payment for the amount of such difference. |
(z) Any amount due under this Section for any period that is less than a full month shall be prorated for such fractional month on the basis of the number of days in the month. |
9.3. Landlord may, from time to time, modify Landlord’s calculation and allocation procedures for Operating Expenses, so long as such modifications produce calculation results substantially consistent with Landlord’s then-current practice at the Project. Landlord or an affiliate(s) of Landlord currently own other property(ies) adjacent to the Project or its neighboring properties (collectively, “Neighboring Properties”). In connection with Landlord performing services for the Project pursuant to this Lease, similar services may be performed by the same vendor(s) for Neighboring Properties. In such a case, Landlord shall reasonably allocate to the Building and the Project the costs for such services based upon the ratio that the square footage of the Building or the Project (as applicable) bears to the total square footage of all of the Neighboring Properties or buildings within the Neighboring Properties for which the services are performed, unless the scope of the services performed for any building or property (including the Building and the Project) is disproportionately more or less than for others, in which case Landlord shall equitably allocate the costs based on the scope of the services being performed for each building or property (including the Building and the Project). Since the Project consists of multiple buildings, certain Operating Expenses may pertain to a particular building(s) and other Operating Expenses to the Project as a whole. Landlord reserves the right in its sole discretion to allocate any such costs applicable to any particular building within the Project to such building, and other such costs applicable to the Project to each building in the Project (including the Building), with the tenants in each building being responsible for paying their respective proportionate shares of their buildings to the extent required under their leases. Landlord shall allocate such costs to the buildings (including the Building) in a reasonable, non-discriminatory manner, and such allocation shall be binding on Tenant. |
9.4. Landlord’s Statement shall be final and binding upon Tenant unless Tenant, within sixty (60) days after Tenant’s receipt thereof, shall contest any item therein by giving written notice to Landlord, specifying each item contested and the reasons therefor; provided that Tenant shall in all events pay the amount specified in Landlord’s Statement, pending the results of the Independent Review and determination of the Accountant(s), as applicable and as each such term is defined below. If, during such sixty (60)-day period, Tenant reasonably and in good faith questions or contests the correctness of Landlord’s statement of Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses, Landlord shall provide Tenant with reasonable access to Landlord’s books and records to the extent relevant to determination of Operating Expenses (including, if and to the extent applicable, the books and records of any affiliates of Landlord owning Neighboring Properties in |
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connection with the allocation of shared costs pursuant to Section 9.3, above), and such information as Landlord reasonably determines to be responsive to Tenant’s written inquiries. In the event that, after Tenant’s review of such information, Landlord and Tenant cannot agree upon the amount of Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses, then Tenant shall have the right to have an independent public accounting firm hired by Tenant on an hourly basis and not on a contingent-fee basis (at Tenant’s sole cost and expense) and approved by Landlord (which approval Landlord shall not unreasonably withhold or delay) audit and review such of Landlord’s books and records for the year in question as directly relate to the determination of Operating Expenses for such year (the “Independent Review”), but not books and records of entities other than Landlord, except as provided above. Landlord shall make such books and records available at the location where Landlord maintains them in the ordinary course of its business. Landlord need not provide copies of any books or records. Tenant shall commence the Independent Review within thirty (30) days after the date Landlord has given Tenant access to Landlord’s books and records for the Independent Review. Tenant shall complete the Independent Review and notify Landlord in writing of Tenant’s specific objections to Landlord’s calculation of Operating Expenses (including Tenant’s accounting firm’s written statement of the basis, nature and amount of each proposed adjustment) no later than sixty (60) days after Landlord has first given Tenant access to Landlord’s books and records for the Independent Review. Landlord shall review the results of any such Independent Review. The parties shall endeavor to agree promptly and reasonably upon Operating Expenses taking into account the results of such Independent Review. If, as of the date that is sixty (60) days after Tenant has submitted the Independent Review to Landlord, the parties have not agreed on the appropriate adjustments to Operating Expenses, then the parties shall engage a mutually agreeable independent third party accountant with at least ten (10) years’ experience in commercial real estate accounting in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area (the “Accountant”). If the parties cannot agree on the Accountant, each shall within ten (10) days after such impasse appoint an Accountant (different from the accountant and accounting firm that conducted the Independent Review) and, within ten (10) days after the appointment of both such Accountants, those two Accountants shall select a third (which cannot be the accountant and accounting firm that conducted the Independent Review). If either party fails to timely appoint an Accountant, then the Accountant the other party appoints shall be the sole Accountant. Within ten (10) days after appointment of the Accountant(s), Landlord and Tenant shall each simultaneously give the Accountants (with a copy to the other party) its determination of Operating Expenses, with such supporting data or information as each submitting party determines appropriate. Within ten (10) days after such submissions, the Accountants shall by majority vote select either Landlord’s or Tenant’s determination of Operating Expenses. The Accountants may not select or designate any other determination of Operating Expenses. The determination of the Accountant(s) shall bind the parties. If the parties agree or the Accountant(s) determine that the Operating Expenses actually paid by Tenant for the calendar year in question exceeded Tenant’s obligations for such calendar year, then Landlord shall, at Tenant’s option, either (a) credit the excess to the next succeeding installments of estimated Additional Rent or (b) pay the excess to Tenant within thirty (30) days after delivery of such results. If the parties agree or the Accountant(s) determine that Tenant’s payments of Operating Expenses for such calendar year were less than Tenant’s obligation for the calendar year, then Tenant shall pay the deficiency to Landlord within thirty (30) days after delivery of such results. If the Independent Review reveals or the Accountant(s) determine that the Operating Expenses billed to Tenant by Landlord and paid by Tenant to Landlord for the applicable calendar year in question exceeded by more than five percent (5%) |
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what Tenant should have been billed during such calendar year, then Landlord shall pay the reasonable cost of the Independent Review. In all other cases Tenant shall pay the cost of the Independent Review and the Accountant(s). |
9.5. Landlord may annualize certain Operating Expenses incurred prior to the Rent Commencement Date over the course of the budgeted year during which the Rent Commencement Date occurs, and Tenant shall be responsible for the annualized portion of such Operating Expenses corresponding to the number of days during such year, commencing with the Rent Commencement Date, for which Tenant is otherwise liable for Operating Expenses pursuant to this Lease. Tenant’s responsibility for Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses shall continue to the latest of (a) the date of termination of the Lease, (b) the date Tenant has fully vacated the Premises and (c) if termination of the Lease is due to a default by Tenant, the date of rental commencement of a replacement tenant. |
9.6. Operating Expenses for the calendar year in which Tenant’s obligation to share therein commences and for the calendar year in which such obligation ceases shall be prorated on a basis reasonably determined by Landlord. Expenses such as taxes, assessments and insurance premiums that are incurred for an extended time period shall be prorated based upon the time periods to which they apply so that the amounts attributed to the Premises relate in a reasonable manner to the time period wherein Tenant has an obligation to share in Operating Expenses. |
9.7. Within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar year quarter (i.e. by April 30, July 30, October 30 and January 30) in which Tenant believes it is entitled to reimbursement from Landlord pursuant to the terms of this Lease, Tenant shall submit to Landlord an invoice, or, in the event an invoice is not available, an itemized list, of all costs and expenses that (a) Tenant has incurred (either internally or by employing third parties) during the prior month and (b) for which Tenant reasonably believes it is entitled to reimbursements from Landlord pursuant to the terms of this Lease or the Work Letter. |
9.8. In the event that the Building or Project is less than fully occupied during a calendar year, Tenant acknowledges that Landlord may extrapolate Operating Expenses that vary depending on the occupancy of the Building or Project, as applicable, to equal Landlord’s reasonable estimate of what such Operating Expenses would have been had the Building or Project, as applicable, been ninety-five percent (95%) occupied during such calendar year; provided, however, that Landlord shall not recover more than one hundred percent (100%) of Operating Expenses. |
10. Taxes on Tenant’s Property. |
10.1. Tenant shall pay prior to delinquency any and all taxes levied against (a) personal property and trade fixtures located at the Premises and (b) any gross or net receipts of or sales by Tenant. |
10.2. If any such taxes on Tenant’s personal property or trade fixtures are levied against Landlord or Landlord’s property or, if the assessed valuation of the Building, the Property or the Project is increased by inclusion therein of a value attributable to Tenant’s personal property or trade fixtures, and if Landlord, after written notice to Tenant, pays the taxes based upon any such |
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increase in the assessed value of the Building, the Property or the Project, then Tenant shall, upon demand, repay to Landlord the taxes so paid by Landlord. |
10.3. If any improvements in or alterations to the Premises, made or requested by Tenant, whether owned by Landlord or Tenant and whether or not affixed to the real property so as to become a part thereof, are assessed for real property tax purposes at a valuation higher than the valuation at which improvements conforming to Landlord’s building standards (the “Building Standard”) in other spaces in the Building are assessed, then the real property taxes and assessments levied against Landlord or the Building, the Property or the Project by reason of such excess assessed valuation shall be deemed to be taxes levied against personal property of Tenant and shall be governed by the provisions of Section 10.2. Any such excess assessed valuation due to improvements in or alterations to space in the Project leased by other tenants at the Project shall not be included in Operating Expenses. If the records of the applicable governmental assessor’s office are available and sufficiently detailed to serve as a basis for determining whether such Tenant improvements or alterations are assessed at a higher valuation than the Building Standard, then such records shall be binding on both Landlord and Tenant. |
11. Security Deposit. |
11.1. Tenant shall deposit with Landlord on or before the date that is five (5) business days after the Execution Date the sum set forth in Section 2.6 (the “Security Deposit”) in the form of a letter of credit, which sum shall be held by Landlord as security for the faithful performance by Tenant of all of the terms, covenants and conditions of this Lease to be kept and performed by Tenant during the Term and ending upon the expiration or termination of Tenant’s obligations under this Lease. If Tenant Defaults (as defined below) with respect to any provision of this Lease, including any provision relating to the payment of Rent, then Landlord may (but shall not be required to) use, apply or retain all or any part of the Security Deposit for the payment of any Rent or any other sum in default, or to compensate Landlord for any other loss or damage that Landlord may suffer by reason of Tenant’s default. If any portion of the Security Deposit is so used or applied, then Tenant shall, within ten (10) business days following demand therefor, deposit cash with Landlord in an amount sufficient to restore the Security Deposit to its original amount, and Tenant’s failure to do so shall be a material breach of this Lease. The provisions of this Article shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
11.2. In the event of bankruptcy or other debtor-creditor proceedings against Tenant, the Security Deposit shall be deemed to be applied first to the payment of Rent and other charges due Landlord for all periods prior to the filing of such proceedings. |
11.3. Landlord may deliver to any purchaser or successor of Landlord’s interest in the Premises the funds deposited hereunder by Tenant. Landlord shall be discharged from any further liability with respect to such deposit if Landlord has executed an assignment and assumption agreement with respect to this Lease with such purchaser or successor-in-interest, whereby such purchaser or successor-in-interest has assumed Landlord’s obligations hereunder from and after such transfer. This provision shall also apply to any subsequent transfers. |
11.4. Provided that Tenant is not then in default under the Lease, and no condition exists or event has occurred which after the expiration of any applicable notice or cure period would |
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constitute such a default, within sixty (60) days after the expiration or earlier termination of the Term the Security Deposit, to the extent not applied, shall be returned to the Tenant, without interest. |
11.5. If the Security Deposit shall be in cash, Landlord shall hold the Security Deposit in an account at a banking organization selected by Landlord; provided, however, that Landlord shall not be required to maintain a separate account for the Security Deposit, but may intermingle it with other funds of Landlord. Landlord shall be entitled to all interest and/or dividends, if any, accruing on the Security Deposit. Landlord shall not be required to credit Tenant with any interest for any period during which Landlord does not receive interest on the Security Deposit. |
11.6. The Security Deposit may be in the form of cash, a letter of credit or any other security instrument acceptable to Landlord in its sole discretion. Tenant hereby notifies Landlord that it intends to deliver a letter of credit as the Security Deposit and Landlord hereby acknowledges and agrees that a letter of credit is acceptable. Tenant may at any time, except when Tenant is in Default (as defined below), deliver a letter of credit (the “L/C Security”) as the entire Security Deposit, as follows: |
(a) If Tenant elects to deliver L/C Security, then Tenant shall provide Landlord, and maintain in full force and effect throughout the Term and until the date that is six (6) months after the then-current Term Expiration Date, a letter of credit substantially in the form of Exhibit E issued by an issuer reasonably satisfactory to Landlord, in the amount of the Security Deposit, with an initial term of at least one year. Landlord may require the L/C Security to be re-issued by a different issuer at any time during the Term if Landlord reasonably believes that the issuing bank of the L/C Security is or may soon become insolvent; provided, however, Landlord shall return the existing L/C Security to the existing issuer immediately upon receipt of the substitute L/C Security. If any issuer of the L/C Security shall become insolvent or placed into FDIC receivership, then Tenant shall immediately deliver to Landlord (without the requirement of notice from Landlord) substitute L/C Security issued by an issuer reasonably satisfactory to Landlord, and otherwise conforming to the requirements set forth in this Article. As used herein with respect to the issuer of the L/C Security, “insolvent” shall mean the determination of insolvency as made by such issuer’s primary bank regulator (i.e., the state bank supervisor for state chartered banks; the OCC or OTS, respectively, for federally chartered banks or thrifts; or the Federal Reserve for its member banks). If, at the Term Expiration Date, any Rent remains uncalculated or unpaid, then (i) Landlord shall with reasonable diligence complete any necessary calculations, (ii) Tenant shall extend the expiry date of such L/C Security from time to time as Landlord reasonably requires and (iii) in such extended period, Landlord shall not unreasonably refuse to consent to an appropriate reduction of the L/C Security. Tenant shall reimburse Landlord’s legal costs (as estimated by Landlord’s counsel) in handling Landlord’s acceptance of L/C Security or its replacement or extension. |
(b) If Tenant delivers to Landlord satisfactory L/C Security in place of the entire Security Deposit, Landlord shall remit to Tenant any cash Security Deposit Landlord previously held. |
(c) Landlord may draw upon the L/C Security, and hold and apply the proceeds in the same manner and for the same purposes as the Security Deposit, if (i) an uncured Default |
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(as defined below) exists, (ii) as of the date that is forty-five (45) days before any L/C Security expires (even if such scheduled expiry date is after the Term Expiration Date), Tenant has not delivered to Landlord an amendment or replacement for such L/C Security, reasonably satisfactory to Landlord, extending the expiry date to the earlier of (1) six (6) months after the then-current Term Expiration Date or (2) the date that is one year after the then-current expiry date of the L/C Security, (iii) the L/C Security provides for automatic renewals, Landlord asks the issuer to confirm the current L/C Security expiry date, and the issuer fails to do so within ten (10) business days, (iv) Tenant fails to pay (when and as Landlord reasonably requires) any bank charges for Landlord’s transfer of the L/C Security or (v) the issuer of the L/C Security ceases, or announces that it will cease, to maintain an office in the city where Landlord may present drafts under the L/C Security (and fails to permit drawing upon the L/C Security by overnight courier or facsimile). This Section does not limit any other provisions of this Lease allowing Landlord to draw the L/C Security under specified circumstances. |
(d) Tenant shall not seek to enjoin, prevent, or otherwise interfere with Landlord’s draw under L/C Security. Landlord shall hold the proceeds of any draw in the same manner and for the same purposes as a cash Security Deposit. In the event of an improper draw (i.e. a draw for any reason other than as permitted under this Lease), (a) the parties shall cooperate to allow Tenant to post replacement L/C Security simultaneously with the return to Tenant of the improperly drawn sums, (b) Landlord shall upon request confirm in writing to the issuer of the L/C Security that Landlord’s draw was erroneous, and (c) if Tenant receives a final determination from a court of competent jurisdiction that is not subject to appeal that Landlord has made a “wrongful” draw, (i) Landlord shall pay Tenant interest upon the amount of such wrongful draw at the rate of six percent (6%) and (ii) Tenant shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney’s fees in accordance with Section 40.7. For purposes of the immediately foregoing sentence, the term “wrongful” shall mean that Landlord has no reasonable basis to believe that it had the right to make the draw. The parties acknowledge and agree that in the event of an erroneous draw under the L/C Security, Tenant’s remedies shall be solely as provided in this Section 11.6(d). |
(e) If Landlord transfers its interest in the Premises, then Tenant shall at Tenant’s expense, within five (5) business days after receiving a request from Landlord, deliver (and, if the issuer requires, Landlord shall consent to) an amendment to the L/C Security naming Landlord’s grantee as substitute beneficiary. If the required Security Deposit changes while L/C Security is in force, then Tenant shall deliver (and, if the issuer requires, Landlord shall consent to) a corresponding amendment to the L/C Security. |
12. Use. |
12.1. Tenant shall use the Premises for the Permitted Use, and shall not use the Premises, or permit or suffer the Premises to be used, for any other purpose without Landlord’s prior written consent, which consent Landlord may withhold in its sole and absolute discretion. Landlord hereby represents and warrants to Tenant that the Permitted Use is permitted pursuant to the Ground Lease. |
12.2. Tenant shall not use or occupy the Premises in violation of Applicable Laws; zoning ordinances; or the certificate of occupancy (or its substantial equivalent) issued for the Building or the Project, and shall, upon five (5) days’ written notice from Landlord, discontinue any use of the |
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Premises that is declared or claimed by any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction to be a violation of any of the above, or that in Landlord’s reasonable opinion violates any of the above. Tenant shall comply with any direction of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction that shall, by reason of the nature of Tenant’s use or occupancy of the Premises, impose any duty upon Tenant or Landlord with respect to the Premises or with respect to the use or occupation thereof, and shall indemnify, defend (at Landlord’s option and with counsel reasonably acceptable to Landlord) and save, reimburse and hold harmless (collectively, “Indemnify,” “Indemnity” or “Indemnification,” as the case may require) Landlord and its affiliates, employees, agents and contractors; and any lender, mortgagee, ground lessor or beneficiary (each, a “Lender” and, collectively with Landlord and its affiliates, employees, agents and contractors, the “Landlord Indemnitees”) harmless from and against any and all demands, claims, liabilities, losses, costs, expenses, actions, causes of action, damages, suits or judgments, and all reasonable expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, charges and disbursements, regardless of whether the applicable demand, claim, action, cause of action or suit is voluntarily withdrawn or dismissed) incurred in investigating or resisting the same (collectively, “Claims”) of any kind or nature that arise before, during or after the Term as a result of Tenant’s breach of this Section. |
12.3. Tenant shall not do or permit to be done anything that will invalidate or increase the cost of any fire, environmental, extended coverage or any other insurance policy covering the Building or the Project, and shall comply with all rules, orders, regulations and requirements of the insurers of the Building and the Project of which Tenant has actual knowledge, and Tenant shall promptly, upon demand, reimburse Landlord for any additional premium charged for such policy by reason of Tenant’s failure to comply with the provisions of this Article. |
12.4. Tenant shall keep all doors opening onto public corridors closed, except when in use for ingress and egress. |
12.5. No additional locks or bolts of any kind shall be placed upon any of the doors or windows by Tenant, nor shall any changes be made to existing locks or the mechanisms thereof without Landlord’s prior written consent. Tenant shall, upon termination of this Lease, return to Landlord all keys to offices and restrooms either furnished to or otherwise procured by Tenant. In the event any key so furnished to Tenant is lost, Tenant shall pay to Landlord the cost of replacing the same or of changing the lock or locks opened by such lost key if Landlord shall deem it necessary to make such change. |
12.6. Neither Tenant nor any Tenant Party shall attach any awnings or other projections to any outside wall of the Building. No curtains, blinds, shades or screens shall be attached to or hung in, or used in connection with, any window or door of the Premises other than Landlord’s standard window coverings; provided, however, that Landlord acknowledges and agrees that Tenant may install sun light filtering meco shades on the interior of the Premises, subject to Landlord’s right to approve the same under the Work Letter. Neither the interior nor exterior of any windows in the Premises shall be coated or otherwise sunscreened without Landlord’s prior written consent, nor shall any bottles, parcels or other articles be placed on the windowsills or items attached to windows that are visible from outside the Premises. No equipment, furniture or other items of personal property shall be placed on any exterior balcony by Tenant or a Tenant Party without Landlord’s prior written consent. |
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12.7. No sign, advertisement or notice (“Signage”) shall be exhibited, painted or affixed by Tenant on any part of the Premises or the Building without Landlord’s prior written consent. Signage shall conform to Landlord’s design criteria. For any Signage, Tenant shall, at Tenant’s own cost and expense, (a) acquire all permits for such Signage in compliance with Applicable Laws and (b) design, fabricate, install and maintain such Signage in a first-class condition. Tenant shall be responsible for reimbursing Landlord for costs incurred by Landlord in removing any of Tenant’s Signage upon the expiration or earlier termination of the Lease. Interior signs in the Building lobby and the directory tablet shall be inscribed, painted or affixed for Tenant by Landlord at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, and shall be of a size, color and type and be located in a place acceptable to Landlord. The directory tablet shall be provided exclusively for the display of the name and location of tenants only. Tenant shall not place anything on the exterior of the corridor walls or corridor doors other than Landlord’s standard lettering. Tenant, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, shall have Signage rights for the primary entrance to the Premises substantially consistent with the Signage permitted for comparable Tenants in the Project, as Landlord reasonably determines. At Landlord’s option, Landlord may install any Tenant Signage, and Tenant shall pay all costs associated with such installation within thirty (30) days after demand therefor. |
12.8. Tenant may only place equipment within the Premises with floor loading consistent with the Building’s structural design unless Tenant obtains Landlord’s prior written approval. Tenant may place such equipment only in a location designed to carry the weight of such equipment. |
12.9. Tenant shall cause any equipment or machinery to be installed in the Premises so as to reasonably prevent sounds or vibrations therefrom from extending into the Common Area or other offices in the Project. |
12.10. Tenant shall not (a) do or permit anything to be done in or about the Premises that shall in any way obstruct or interfere with the rights of other tenants or occupants of the Project, or injure or annoy them, (b) use or allow the Premises to be used for immoral, unlawful or objectionable purposes, (c) cause, maintain or permit any nuisance or waste in, on or about the Project or (d) take any other action that would in Landlord’s reasonable determination in any manner adversely affect other tenants’ quiet use and enjoyment of their space or adversely impact their ability to conduct business in a professional and suitable work environment. |
12.11. Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, Tenant shall be responsible for all liabilities, costs and expenses arising from or in connection with the compliance of the Premises with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq., and any state and local accessibility laws, codes, ordinances and rules (collectively, and together with regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, the “ADA”), and Tenant shall Indemnify the Landlord Indemnitees from and against Claims arising from any such failure of the Premises to comply with the ADA. This Section (as well as any other provisions of this Lease dealing with Indemnification of the Landlord Indemnitees by Tenant) shall be deemed to be modified in each case by the insertion in the appropriate place of the following: “except as otherwise provided in Mass. G.L. Ter. Ed., C. 186, Section 15.” For the avoidance of doubt, “Lenders” shall also include historic tax credit investors and new market tax credit investors. The provisions of this Section shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
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12.12. Tenant shall establish and maintain a chemical safety program administered by a licensed, qualified individual in accordance with the requirements of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (“MWRA”) and any other applicable Governmental Authority. Tenant shall be solely responsible for all costs incurred in connection with such chemical safety program, and Tenant shall provide Landlord with such documentation as Landlord may reasonably require evidencing Tenant’s compliance with the requirements of (a) the MWRA and any other applicable Governmental Authority with respect to such chemical safety program and (b) this Section. Tenant shall be required to obtain and maintain during the Term (m) any permit required by the MWRA (“MWRA Permit”) and (n) a wastewater treatment operator license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with respect to Tenant’s Acid Neutralization Tank (as defined below) in the Building. Tenant shall not introduce anything into the Acid Neutralization Tank (x) in violation of the terms of the MWRA Permit, (y) in violation of Applicable Laws or (z) that would interfere with the proper functioning of the Acid Neutralization Tank. Landlord agrees to reasonably cooperate with Tenant in order for Tenant to obtain the MWRA Permit and the wastewater treatment operator license, without any obligation for Landlord to incur any costs in connection therewith. Tenant shall reimburse Landlord within ten (10) business days after demand for any costs incurred by Landlord pursuant to this Section. |
13. Rules and Regulations, CC&Rs, Parking Facilities and Common Area. |
13.1. Tenant shall have the non-exclusive right, in common with others, to use the Common Area in conjunction with Tenant’s use of the Premises for the Permitted Use, and such use of the Common Area and Tenant’s use of the Premises shall be subject to the rules and regulations adopted by Landlord and attached hereto as Exhibit F, together with such other reasonable and nondiscriminatory rules and regulations as are hereafter reasonably promulgated by Landlord in its sole and absolute discretion (the “Rules and Regulations”); provided, however, that Landlord shall enforce such Rules and Regulations on a non-discriminatory basis with respect to Tenant and other tenants and occupants of the Building and the Project. Tenant shall ensure that its contractors, subcontractors, employees, subtenants and invitees faithfully observe and comply with the Rules and Regulations. Landlord shall not be responsible to Tenant for the violation or non-performance by any other tenant or any agent, employee or invitee thereof of any of the Rules and Regulations. |
13.2. This Lease is subject to any recorded covenants, conditions or restrictions on the Project or Property (including the Parking and Transportation Demand Management Plan Ordinance- Final Amendment Decision, issued on May 24, 2002, by the City of Cambridge (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “PTDM”), as the same may be amended, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (the “CC&Rs”) and Tenant shall, at its sole cost and expense, comply with and cause the Project to comply with the CC&Rs and the documents listed on Exhibit G attached hereto (together with the PTDM, the “Property Operations Documents”). Tenant acknowledges that Tenant, at its sole cost and expense, shall comply with the tenant requirements in the PTDM, including the requirements set forth in the “Alternative Work Programs,” “Public Transportation Incentives,” “Ridesharing Programs” and “Provisions of Bicycle and Pedestrian Amenities” sections thereof. Tenant, at its sole cost and expense, shall also comply with the reporting requirements set forth in the PTDM at Landlord’s request. Any costs incurred by Landlord in connection with the PTDM shall constitute an Operating Expense. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 13.2 to the contrary, Tenant shall |
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not be liable under this Section 13.2 for any non-compliance of the Project under the PTDM arising from the acts or omissions of any tenant or occupant of the Building. |
13.3. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary, Tenant may not install any security systems (including cameras) outside the Premises or that record sounds or images outside the Premises without Landlord’s prior written consent, which Landlord may withhold in its sole and absolute discretion. |
13.4. The Charles River Transportation Management Association (of which Landlord or an affiliate of Landlord is currently a member) provides certain programs to help improve transportation in the Cambridge area. Their website is www.charlesrivertma.org. |
13.5. Tenant shall have a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to use thirty-three (33) parking spaces in the facilities serving the Building and the Project in common on an unreserved basis with other tenants of the Building and the Project during the Term at a cost of Three Hundred Sixty and 00/100 Dollars ($360.00) per parking space per month (subject to market rate adjustment by Landlord from time to time throughout the Term) (the “Parking Fee”), which Tenant shall pay (a) prior to the Rent Commencement Fee, within thirty (30) days of Landlord’s written notice therefor, and (b) from and after the Rent Commencement Date, simultaneously with payments of Base Rent as Additional Rent. Tenant, at any time and from time to time during the Term, may elect to waive its right to use some or all or its parking spaces upon written notice to Landlord. If Tenant so elects, then it shall forfeit for the then-remainder of the Term (including any extension thereof) any and all rights to such waived parking spaces. Tenant shall have the right to rent additional parking spaces on a monthly basis, subject to availability. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the Free Rent Period only, Tenant shall have the right to elect to use fewer parking spaces upon written notice to Landlord without waiving its right to the maximum number of parking spaces for the remainder of the Term. For the avoidance of doubt, Tenant shall pay the Parking Fee for the number of spaces used by Tenant or its contractors and agents during the Free Rent Period. Tenant hereby notifies Landlord of its intent to use six (6) parking spaces during the Free Rent Period and reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of parking spaces it uses, but in no event greater than the thirty-three (33) parking spaces provided under this Section 13.5, during the Free Rent Period upon written notice to Landlord. |
13.6. Tenant agrees not to unreasonably overburden the parking facilities and agrees to cooperate with Landlord and other tenants in the use of the parking facilities, and Landlord hereby agrees that Tenant shall not be deemed to be overburdening the parking facilities if Tenant is using the number of spaces (or fewer) then allocated to Tenant and Tenant is otherwise complying with any rules and regulations concerning the parking facilities. Landlord may reasonably allocate parking spaces among Tenant and other tenants of the Building or the Project; provided, however, that Landlord shall not reduce the number of parking spaces to which Tenant is then entitled to use under this Lease. Nothing in this Section, however, is intended to create an affirmative duty on Landlord’s part to monitor parking. |
13.7. Subject to the terms of this Lease including the Rules and Regulations and the rights of other tenants of the Project, Tenant shall have the non-exclusive right to access the freight loading dock, at no additional cost. |
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14. Project Control by Landlord. |
14.1. Landlord reserves full control over the Building and the Project to the extent not inconsistent with Tenant’s enjoyment of the Premises as provided by this Lease. This reservation includes Landlord’s right to subdivide the Project; convert the Building and the other buildings within the Project to condominium units; change the size of the Project by selling all or a portion of the Project or adding real property and any improvements thereon to the Project; grant easements and licenses to third parties; maintain or establish ownership of the Building separate from fee title to the Property; make additions to or reconstruct portions of the Building and the Project; install, use, maintain, repair, replace and relocate for service to the Premises and other parts of the Building or the Project pipes, ducts, conduits, wires and appurtenant fixtures, wherever located in the Premises, the Building or elsewhere at the Project; and alter or relocate any other Common Area or facility, including private drives, lobbies, entrances and landscaping; provided, however, that such rights shall be exercised in a way that does not materially adversely affect Tenant’s beneficial use and occupancy of the Premises, including the Permitted Use and Tenant’s access to the Premises. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord specifically reserves the right to allow the exclusive use of corridors and restroom facilities located on specific floors to one or more tenants occupying such floors; provided, however, that Tenant shall not be deprived of the use of the corridors reasonably required to serve the Premises or of restroom facilities serving the floor upon which the Premises are located. |
14.2. Possession of areas of the Premises necessary for utilities, services, safety and operation of the Building is reserved to Landlord. |
14.3. Tenant shall, at Landlord’s request, promptly execute such further documents as may be reasonably appropriate to assist Landlord in the performance of its obligations hereunder; provided that Tenant need not execute any document that creates additional liability or material obligations for Tenant or that deprives Tenant of the quiet enjoyment and use of the Premises as provided for in this Lease. |
14.4. Landlord may at any and all reasonable times during non-business hours (or during business hours, if (a) with respect to Subsections 14.4(u) through 14.4(y), Tenant so requests, and (b) with respect to Subsection 14.4(z), if Landlord so requests), and upon twenty-four (24) hours’ prior notice (which may be oral or by email to the office manager or other Tenant-designated individual at the Premises; but provided that no time restrictions shall apply or advance notice be required if an emergency necessitates immediate entry), enter the Premises to (u) inspect the same and to determine whether Tenant is in compliance with its obligations hereunder, (v) supply any service Landlord is required to provide hereunder, (w) alter, improve or repair any portion of the Building other than the Premises for which access to the Premises is reasonably necessary, (x) post notices of nonresponsibility, (y) access the telephone equipment, electrical substation and fire risers and (z) show the Premises to prospective tenants during the final year of the Term and current and prospective purchasers and lenders at any time. Except in the event of an emergency, Tenant shall have the right to have a representative accompany Landlord at any time that Landlord enters the Premises if such representative is available and present at the time of Landlord’s entry onto the Premises Landlord agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to notify Tenant prior to any access by Landlord to the Premises under emergency conditions and in any event will notify Tenant promptly thereafter. In connection with any such alteration, improvement or repair as |
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described in Subsection 14.4(w), Landlord may erect in the Premises or elsewhere in the Project scaffolding and other structures reasonably required for the alteration, improvement or repair work to be performed. In no event shall Tenant’s Rent abate as a result of Landlord’s activities pursuant to this Section; provided, however, that all such activities shall be conducted in such a manner so as to cause as little interference to Tenant as is reasonably possible. Landlord shall at all times retain an access card with which to unlock all of the doors in the Premises. If an emergency necessitates immediate access to the Premises, Landlord may use whatever force is necessary to enter the Premises, and any such entry to the Premises shall not constitute a forcible or unlawful entry to the Premises, a detainer of the Premises, or an eviction of Tenant from the Premises or any portion thereof, provided, however, the Landlord promptly repairs any damage caused by such forcible entry at Landlord’s sole cost and expense. |
15. Quiet Enjoyment. Landlord covenants that Tenant, upon paying the Rent and performing its obligations contained in this Lease, may peacefully and quietly have, hold and enjoy the Premises, free from any claim by Landlord or persons claiming under Landlord, but subject to all of the terms and provisions hereof, provisions of Applicable Laws and rights of record to which this Lease is or may become subordinate. This covenant is in lieu of any other quiet enjoyment covenant, either express or implied. |
16. Utilities and Services. |
16.1. Commencing on the Rent Commencement Date, Tenant shall pay for all water (including the cost to service, repair and replace reverse osmosis, de-ionized and other treated water), gas, heat, light, power, telephone, internet service, cable television, other telecommunications and other utilities supplied to the Premises, together with any fees, surcharges and taxes thereon. If any such utility is not separately metered or sub-metered to Tenant, Tenant shall pay Tenant’s Adjusted Share of all charges of such utility jointly metered with other premises as part of Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses or, in the alternative, Landlord may, at its option, monitor the usage of such utilities by Tenant and charge Tenant with the cost of purchasing, installing and monitoring such metering equipment, which cost shall be paid by Tenant as Additional Rent. Tenant shall maintain temperature and humidity in the Premises in accordance with ASHRAE standards at all times. |
16.2. Landlord may base its bills for utilities on reasonable estimates; provided that Landlord adjusts such billings as part of the next Landlord’s Statement (or more frequently, as determined by Landlord) to reflect the actual cost of providing utilities to the Premises. To the extent that Tenant uses more than Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of any utilities, then Tenant shall pay Landlord for Tenant’s Adjusted Share of such utilities to reflect such excess. In the event that the Building or Project is less than fully occupied during a calendar year, Tenant acknowledges that Landlord may extrapolate utility usage that varies depending on the occupancy of the Building or Project (as applicable) to equal Landlord’s reasonable estimate of what such utility usage would have been had the Building or Project, as applicable, been ninety-five percent (95%) occupied during such calendar year; provided, however, that Landlord shall not recover more than one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of such utilities. Except as expressly stated in this Lease, Tenant shall not be liable for the cost of utilities supplied to the Premises attributable to the time period prior to the Rent Commencement Date. |
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16.3. Landlord shall not be liable for, nor shall any eviction of Tenant result from, the failure to furnish any utility or service, whether or not such failure is caused by accidents; breakage; casualties (to the extent not caused by the party claiming Force Majeure); Severe Weather Conditions (as defined below); physical natural disasters (but excluding weather conditions that are not Severe Weather Conditions); strikes, lockouts or other labor disturbances or labor disputes (other than labor disturbances and labor disputes resulting solely from the acts or omissions of the party claiming Force Majeure); acts of terrorism; riots or civil disturbances; wars or insurrections; shortages of materials (which shortages are not unique to the party claiming Force Majeure); government regulations, moratoria or other governmental actions, inactions or delays; failures to grant consent or delays in granting consent by any Lender whose consent is required under any applicable Loan Document; failures by third parties to deliver gas, oil or another suitable fuel supply, or inability of the party claiming Force Majeure, by exercise of reasonable diligence, to obtain gas, oil or another suitable fuel; or other causes beyond the reasonable control of the party claiming that Force Majeure has occurred (collectively, “Force Majeure”); or, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, Landlord’s negligence. In the event of such failure, Tenant shall not be entitled to termination of this Lease or any abatement or reduction of Rent, nor shall Tenant be relieved from the operation of any covenant or agreement of this Lease. “Severe Weather Conditions” means weather conditions that are materially worse than those that reasonably would be anticipated for the Property at the applicable time based on historic meteorological records. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, if, for more than five (5) consecutive business days following written notice to Landlord and as a direct result of Landlord’s gross negligence or willful misconduct (and except to the extent that such failure arises from any other factor, including any action or inaction of a Tenant Party (as defined below)), the provision of HVAC or other utilities to all or a material portion of the Premises that Landlord must provide pursuant to this Lease is interrupted (a “Material Services Failure”), then Base Rent and Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses (or, to the extent that less than all of the Premises are affected, a proportionate amount, based on the Rentable Area of the Premises that is rendered unusable, of Base Rent and Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses) shall thereafter be abated until the Premises are again usable by Tenant for the Permitted Use; provided, however, that, if Landlord is diligently pursuing the restoration of such HVAC and other utilities and Landlord provides substitute HVAC and other utilities reasonably suitable for Tenant’s continued use and occupancy of the Premises for the Permitted Use (e.g., supplying potable water or portable air conditioning equipment), then neither Base Rent nor Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses shall be abated. During any Material Services Failure, Tenant will cooperate with Landlord to arrange for the provision of any interrupted utility services on an interim basis via temporary measures until final corrective measures can be accomplished, and Tenant will permit Landlord the necessary access to the Premises to remedy such Material Service Failure. In the event of any interruption of HVAC or other utilities that Landlord must provide pursuant to this Lease, regardless of the cause, Landlord shall diligently pursue the restoration of such HVAC and other utilities. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary, but subject to Article 24 (which shall govern in the event of a casualty), the provisions of this Section shall be Tenant’s sole recourse and remedy in the event of an interruption of HVAC or other utilities to the Premises, including related to Section 16.8. |
16.4. Tenant shall pay for, prior to delinquency of payment therefor, any utilities and services that may be furnished to the Premises during or, if Tenant occupies the Premises after the expiration or earlier termination of the Term, after the Term, beyond those utilities provided by |
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Landlord, including telephone, internet service, cable television and other telecommunications, together with any fees, surcharges and taxes thereon. Upon Landlord’s demand, utilities and services provided to the Premises that are separately metered shall be paid by Tenant directly to the supplier of such utilities or services. |
16.5. Tenant shall not, without Landlord’s prior written consent, use any device in the Premises (including data processing machines) that will in any way (a) increase the amount of ventilation, gas, steam, electricity or water required or consumed in the Premises based upon Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of the Building or Project (as applicable) beyond the existing capacity of the Building or the Project usually furnished or supplied for the Permitted Use or (b) exceed Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of the Building’s or Project’s (as applicable) capacity to provide such utilities or services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Tenant’s supply air allocation shall not exceed the original design requirement of such system. |
16.6. If Tenant shall require utilities or services in excess of those usually furnished or supplied for tenants in similar spaces in the Building or the Project by reason of Tenant’s equipment or extended hours of business operations, then Tenant shall first procure Landlord’s consent for the use thereof, which consent Landlord may condition upon the availability of such excess utilities or services, and Tenant shall pay as Additional Rent an amount equal to the cost of providing such excess utilities and services. |
16.7. Landlord shall provide hot and cold water in the Common Area for lavatory and landscaping purposes only, which water shall be from the local municipal or similar source; provided, however, that if Landlord determines that Tenant requires, uses or consumes water provided to the Common Area for any purpose other than ordinary lavatory purposes, Landlord may install a water meter (“Tenant Water Meter”) and thereby measure Tenant’s water consumption for all purposes. Tenant shall pay Landlord for the costs of any Tenant Water Meter and the installation and maintenance thereof during the Term. If Landlord installs a Tenant Water Meter, Tenant shall pay for water consumed by Tenant, as shown on such meter, as and when bills are rendered. If Tenant fails to timely make such payments, Landlord may pay such charges and collect the same from Tenant. Any such costs or expenses incurred or payments made by Landlord for any of the reasons or purposes stated in this Section shall be deemed to be Additional Rent payable by Tenant and collectible by Landlord as such. |
16.8. Landlord reserves the right to stop service of the elevator, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning and utility systems, when Landlord deems necessary or desirable, due to accident, emergency or the need to make repairs, alterations or improvements, until such repairs, alterations or improvements shall have been completed, and, except as provided in Section 16.2, Landlord shall further have no responsibility or liability for failure to supply elevator facilities, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning or utility service when prevented from doing so by Force Majeure or, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, Landlord’s negligence. Without limiting the foregoing, it is expressly understood and agreed that any covenants on Landlord’s part to furnish any service pursuant to any of the terms, covenants, conditions, provisions or agreements of this Lease, or to perform any act or thing for the benefit of Tenant, shall not be deemed breached if Landlord is unable to furnish or perform the same by virtue of Force Majeure or, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, Landlord’s negligence. |
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16.9. For the Premises, Landlord shall (a) maintain and operate the base building HVAC systems (not including supplemental units exclusively serving the Premises) used for the Permitted Use only (“Base HVAC”) and (b) furnish HVAC as reasonably required (except as this Lease otherwise provides or as to any special requirements that arise from Tenant’s particular use of the Premises) for reasonably comfortable occupancy of the Premises twenty-four (24) hours a day, every day during the Term, subject to casualty, eminent domain or as otherwise specified in this Article. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, Landlord shall have no liability, and Tenant shall have no right or remedy, on account of any interruption or impairment in HVAC services except as provided in Section 16.2. |
16.10. For any utilities serving the Premises for which Tenant is billed directly by such utility provider, Tenant agrees to furnish to Landlord (a) any invoices or statements for such utilities within thirty (30) days after Tenant’s receipt thereof, (b) within thirty (30) days after Landlord’s request, any other utility usage information reasonably requested by Landlord, and (c) within thirty (30) days after each calendar year during the Term, authorization to allow Landlord to access Tenant’s usage information necessary for Landlord to complete an ENERGY STAR® Statement of Performance (or similar comprehensive utility usage report (e.g., related to Labs 21), if requested by Landlord) and any other information in Tenant’s possession reasonably requested by Landlord for the immediately preceding year if required by Applicable Laws; and Tenant shall comply with any other energy usage or consumption requirements required by Applicable Laws. Tenant shall retain records of its utility usage at the Premises, including invoices and statements from the utility provider, for at least thirty-six (36) months, or such other period of time as may be reasonably requested by Landlord and related to Tenant’s utility usage at the Premises. Tenant acknowledges that any utility information for the Premises, the Building and the Project may be shared with third parties, including Landlord’s consultants and Governmental Authorities. In the event that Tenant fails to comply with this Section, Tenant hereby authorizes Landlord to collect utility usage information directly from the applicable utility providers, and Tenant shall pay Landlord a fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500) per month to collect such utility usage information. In addition to the foregoing, Tenant shall comply with all Applicable Laws related to the disclosure and tracking of energy consumption at the Premises. The provisions of this Section shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
16.11. As part of the Tenant Improvements, Tenant shall install a separate acid neutralization tank (the “Acid Neutralization Tank”) in the portion of the Premises located on the first floor of the Building, as shown on Exhibit A. In connection with the installation of the Acid Neutralization Tank, Tenant may connect to the Building’s common laboratory waste sanitary sewer connection and to the municipal sewer line in the street adjacent to the Building. Tenant, at its sole cost and expense, shall be responsible for obtaining, and complying with at all times, the MWRA Permit and any other permits and approvals from Governmental Authorities necessary to use or operate the Acid Neutralization Tank, and Tenant may not operate the Acid Neutralization Tank without first having provided to Landlord, for Landlord’s approval, copies of all such permits and approvals. Tenant shall be responsible for all costs, charges and expenses in connection with or arising out of the operation, use, maintenance, repair or refurbishment of the Acid Neutralization Tank, including all clean-up costs relating to the Acid Neutralization Tank. Tenant shall Indemnify the Landlord Indemnitees from and against any and all Claims, including (a) diminution in value of the Project or any portion thereof, (b) damages for the loss or restriction on use of rentable or usable space or of any amenity of the Project, (c) damages arising from any adverse impact on |
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marketing of space in the Project or any portion thereof, and (d) sums paid in settlement of Claims that arise during or after the Term as a result of Tenant’s improper use of the Acid Neutralization Tank. This Indemnification by Tenant includes costs incurred in connection with any investigation of site conditions or any clean-up, remediation, removal or restoration required by any Governmental Authority arising from Tenant’s use of the Acid Neutralization Tank. |
16.12. Subject to each and every term and provision of this Lease (including reasonable closures for repairs or maintenance pursuant to the terms of this Lease), and subject to reasonable closures as the result of casualty, condemnation, emergencies or other circumstances beyond Landlord’s control, Tenant shall have the right to access the Premises twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week. |
16.13. Upon the mutual agreement of Landlord (not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), Tenant, and the other tenant on the third (3rd) floor of the Building as of the date of the installation of the Generator (the “Adjacent Tenant”), Landlord will permit and install a back-up generator and connect the Generator to the Premises’ emergency electrical panel (the “Generator”) at the sole cost and expense of Tenant and the Adjacent Tenant to be allocated as set forth below. The capacity of the Generator shall be based upon the reasonable stand-by requirements of Tenant and the Adjacent Tenant (which stand-by requirements shall be identified within 15 business days of each respective lease execution date (the “Stand-By Requirements”)) and the needs of any third floor Common Area. Tenant shall be entitled to use up to its Stand-By Requirement of power from the Generator on a non-exclusive basis with the Adjacent Tenant, any other future tenants on the third floor, and any third floor Common Area. The cost to install the Generator shall be allocated based upon the Stand-By Requirements of Tenant and the Adjacent Tenant. By way of example only, if Tenant has a Stand-By Requirement of 150 kW and the Adjacent Tenant has a Stand-By Requirement of 100 kW, Tenant shall be responsible for 60% of the cost of installing the Generator and the Adjacent Tenant shall be responsible for 40% of the cost of installing the Generator. The cost of maintaining, repairing and replacing the Generator shall constitute Operating Expenses, which shall be calculated based on rentable square footage of Tenant and Adjacent Tenant (or any future tenant(s) on the third floor). Landlord expressly disclaims any warranties with regard to the Generator or the installation thereof, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose; provided, however, that Landlord agrees to pursue claims under any third party warranty of the Generator or the installation thereof. Landlord shall maintain the Generator and any equipment connecting the Generator to Tenant’s automatic transfer switch in good working condition, provided, however, that Tenant shall be solely responsible, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense (and Landlord shall not be liable) for maintaining and operating Tenant’s automatic transfer switch and the distribution of power from Tenant’s automatic transfer switch throughout the Premises, and provided further that Landlord shall not be liable for any failure to make any repairs or to perform any maintenance of the Generator that is an obligation of Landlord unless and except to the extent that Landlord willfully fails to make such repairs or perform such maintenance after Tenant provides Landlord with written notice of the need for such repairs or maintenance, and upon receipt of such written notice, Landlord shall promptly commence to cure such failure and shall diligently prosecute the same to completion in accordance with Section 31.13. The provisions of Section 16.3 shall apply to the Generator. |
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17. Alterations. |
17.1. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, Tenant shall make no alterations, additions or improvements in or to the Premises or engage in any construction, demolition, reconstruction, renovation or other work (whether major or minor) of any kind in, at or serving the Premises (“Alterations”) without Landlord’s prior written approval, which approval may be subject to the consent of one or more Lenders, if required under any applicable Loan Document, but which approval Landlord shall not otherwise unreasonably withhold, condition or delay; provided, however, that, in the event any proposed Alteration affects (a) any structural portions of the Building, including exterior walls, the roof, the foundation or slab, foundation or slab systems (including barriers and subslab systems) or the core of the Building, (b) the exterior of the Building or (c) any Building systems, including elevator, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, security, life safety and power, then Landlord may withhold its approval in its sole and absolute discretion. Tenant shall, in making any Alterations, use only those architects, contractors, suppliers and mechanics of which Landlord has given prior written approval, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. In seeking Landlord’s approval, Tenant shall provide Landlord, at least thirty (30) days in advance of the desired commencement date of any proposed construction, with plans, specifications, bid proposals, certified stamped engineering drawings and calculations by Tenant’s engineer of record or architect of record (including connections to the Building’s structural system, modifications to the Building’s envelope, non-structural penetrations in slabs or walls, and modifications or tie-ins to life safety systems), work contracts, requests for laydown areas and such other information concerning the nature and cost of the Alterations as Landlord may reasonably request, provided that Tenant shall not commence any such Alterations that require Landlord’s consent unless and until Tenant has received the written approval of Landlord and any and all Lenders whose consent is required under any applicable Loan Document. In no event shall Tenant use or Landlord be required to approve any architects, consultants, contractors, subcontractors or material suppliers that Landlord reasonably believes could cause labor disharmony or may not have sufficient experience, in Landlord’s reasonable opinion, to perform work in an occupied Class “A” laboratory research building and in tenant-occupied lab areas. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Tenant may make strictly cosmetic changes to the Premises that do not require any permits or more than three (3) total contractors and subcontractors (“Cosmetic Alterations”) without Landlord’s consent; provided that (y) the cost of any Cosmetic Alterations does not exceed Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) in any one instance or Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) annually, (z) such Cosmetic Alterations are not reasonably expected to have any material adverse effect on the Project and do not (i) require any structural or other substantial modifications to the Premises, (ii) require any changes to or adversely affect the Building systems, (iii) affect any portion of the Building or Project that is exterior to the Premises, or (iv) trigger any requirement under Applicable Laws that would require Landlord to make any alteration or improvement to the Premises, the Building or the Project. Tenant shall give Landlord at least ten (10) business days’ prior written notice of any Cosmetic Alterations. Notwithstanding anything in this Article 17 to the contrary, the installation of the Acid Neutralization Tank shall not be deemed a Cosmetic Alteration, irrespective of cost. |
17.2. Tenant shall not construct or permit to be constructed partitions or other obstructions that might interfere with free access to mechanical installation or service facilities of the Building or with other tenants’ components located within the Building, or interfere with the |
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moving of Landlord’s equipment to or from the enclosures containing such installations or facilities. |
17.3. Tenant shall accomplish any work performed on the Premises or the Building in such a manner as to permit any life safety systems to remain fully operable at all times. |
17.4. Any work performed on the Premises, the Building or the Project by Tenant or Tenant’s contractors shall be done at such times and in such manner as Landlord may from time to time designate. Tenant covenants and agrees that all work done by Tenant or Tenant’s contractors shall be performed in full compliance with Applicable Laws. Within thirty (30) days after completion of any Alterations, Tenant shall provide Landlord with complete “as built” drawing print sets and electronic CADD files on disc (or files in such other current format in common use as Landlord reasonably approves or requires) showing any changes in the Premises, as well as a commissioning report prepared by a licensed, qualified commissioning agent hired by Tenant and approved by Landlord for all new or affected mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Any such “as built” plans shall show the applicable Alterations as an overlay on the Building as-built plans; provided that Landlord provides the Building “as built” plans to Tenant. |
17.5. Before commencing any Alterations, other than Cosmetic Alterations, Tenant shall (a) give Landlord at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of the proposed commencement of such work and the names and addresses of the persons supplying labor or materials therefor so that Landlord may enter the Premises to post and keep posted thereon and therein notices or to take any further action that Landlord may reasonably deem proper for the protection of Landlord’s interest in the Project and (b) shall, if required by Landlord, secure, at Tenant’s own cost and expense, a completion and lien indemnity bond satisfactory to Landlord for such work. |
17.6. Tenant shall repair any damage to the Premises arising from Tenant’s removal of any property from the Premises. During any such restoration period, Tenant shall pay Rent to Landlord as provided herein as if such space were otherwise occupied by Tenant. The provisions of this Section shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
17.7. The Premises plus any Alterations; Signage; Tenant Improvements; attached equipment, decorations, fixtures and trade fixtures; movable laboratory casework and related appliances; and other additions and improvements attached to or built into the Premises made by either of the parties (including all floor and wall coverings; paneling; sinks and related plumbing fixtures; laboratory benches; exterior venting fume hoods; walk-in freezers and refrigerators; ductwork; conduits; electrical panels and circuits; attached machinery and equipment; and built-in furniture and cabinets, in each case, together with all additions and accessories thereto), shall (unless, prior to such construction or installation, or in connection with Landlord’s consent thereto, Landlord elects otherwise in writing) at all times remain the property of Landlord, shall remain in the Premises and shall (unless, prior to construction or installation thereof, Landlord elects otherwise in writing) be surrendered to Landlord upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. For the avoidance of doubt, the items listed on Exhibit H attached hereto (which Exhibit H may be updated by Tenant from and after the Term Commencement Date, subject to Landlord’s written consent) constitute Tenant’s property and shall be removed by Tenant upon the expiration or earlier termination of the Lease. |
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17.8. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article to the contrary, in no event shall Tenant remove any improvement from the Premises in which any Lender has a security interest or as to which Landlord contributed payment, including the Tenant Improvements, without Landlord’s prior written consent, which consent Landlord may withhold in its sole and absolute discretion. |
17.9. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease if Tenant shall fail to remove any of its property from the Premises, then Landlord may, at its option, remove the same in any manner that Landlord shall choose and store such effects without liability to Tenant for loss thereof or damage thereto, and Tenant shall pay Landlord, upon demand, any costs and expenses incurred due to such removal and storage or Landlord may, at its sole option and without notice to Tenant, sell such property or any portion thereof at private sale and without legal process for such price as Landlord may obtain and apply the proceeds of such sale against any (a) amounts due by Tenant to Landlord under this Lease and (b) any expenses incident to the removal, storage and sale of such personal property. |
17.10. Tenant shall pay to Landlord (upon demand) any out-of-pocket third party costs incurred by Landlord for professional review of any plans or specifications for Alterations that require Landlord’s consent. Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for any extra expenses incurred by Landlord by reason of faulty work done by Tenant or its contractors, or by reason of delays arising from such faulty work, or by reason of inadequate clean-up. |
17.11. Within seventy-five (75) days after final completion of the Tenant Improvements or any Alterations performed by Tenant with respect to the Premises, Tenant shall submit to Landlord documentation showing the amounts expended by Tenant with respect to such Tenant Improvements and Alterations, together with supporting documentation reasonably acceptable to Landlord. |
17.12. Tenant shall take, and shall cause its contractors to take, commercially reasonable steps to protect the Premises during the performance of any Alterations, including covering or temporarily removing any window coverings so as to guard against dust, debris or damage. |
17.13. Tenant shall require its contractors and subcontractors performing work on the Premises to name Landlord and their respective officers, employees, directors, representatives, agents, general partners, members, subsidiaries, affiliates and Lenders (collectively with Landlord, the “Landlord Parties”) as additional insureds on their respective insurance policies. |
17.14. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, Landlord and Tenant agree that Landlord shall be permitted to withhold its approval (in its sole and absolute discretion) of any Alteration that changes the location of the lab/office zones as shown on the Approved Plans (as defined in the Work Letter attached hereto as Exhibit B). |
17.15. With respect to any Alterations related to building management systems (“BMS”), Tenant shall integrate tenant BMS for the Premises into the base building management system and utilize the same system for all of Tenant’s HVAC control requirements. The base building management system is currently operated by Johnson Controls. No alternatives or BACnet |
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protocol will be allowed. Tenant’s BMS controls contractor shall be subject to Landlord’s approval. |
18. Repairs and Maintenance. |
18.1. Landlord shall repair and maintain the structural and exterior portions and Common Area of the Building and the Project, including roofing and covering materials; foundations (excluding any architectural slabs, but including any structural slabs); exterior walls; plumbing; fire sprinkler systems (if any); base Building HVAC systems; the HVAC system located within the Premises up to the first damper or isolation valve that serves the Premises (for purposes of clarity, the portion of the HVAC system that includes such first damper or isolation valve and extends into and through the Premises, including any distribution systems and any supplemental HVAC serving the Premises shall not be part of the base building HVAC and shall be Tenant’s obligation to maintain and repair pursuant to Section 18.2 below); elevators; the Generator; and base Building electrical systems installed or furnished by Landlord. |
18.2. Except for services of Landlord, if any, required by Section 18.1, Tenant shall at Tenant’s sole cost and expense maintain and keep the Premises (including but not limited to the portion of the HVAC system that includes the first damper or isolation valve and extends into and through the Premises, any supplemental HVAC serving the Premises, and any other systems or equipment exclusively serving the Premises) and every part thereof in good condition and repair, damage thereto from ordinary wear and tear and casualty excepted, and shall, within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from Landlord, provide to Landlord any maintenance records that Landlord reasonably requests. Tenant shall, upon the expiration or sooner termination of the Term, surrender the Premises to Landlord in as good a condition as existed when received, ordinary wear and tear and casualty excepted; and shall at Landlord’s request, remove all telephone and data systems, wiring and equipment from the Premises, and repair any damage to the Premises caused thereby. Landlord shall have no obligation to alter, remodel, improve, repair, decorate or paint the Premises or any part thereof, other than pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Work Letter. |
18.3. Throughout the Term of the Lease, Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, maintain copies of all service contracts, service, repair and maintenance records, and inspection reports on all equipment installed by or maintained by Tenant. Tenant shall, within ten (10) days after receipt of written notice from Landlord, provide to Landlord any maintenance records, service or inspection reports that Landlord reasonably requests. Upon surrender of the Premises upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease, Tenant shall provide Landlord with all original equipment manufacturer (OEM) manuals for any equipment installed and not removed by Tenant. Landlord shall also have the right to perform an audit of the equipment serving the Premises in the form of a facilities condition assessment or similar report at Landlord’s cost within the last two (2) years of the initial Term and any subsequent extension terms. To the extent such audit recommends corrective action, Tenant shall promptly perform such corrective action as part of its repair and maintenance obligations. |
18.4. Landlord shall not be liable for any failure to make any repairs or to perform any maintenance that is Landlord’s obligation pursuant to this Lease unless such failure shall persist for an unreasonable time after Tenant provides Landlord with written notice of the need of such |
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repairs or maintenance. Tenant waives its rights under Applicable Laws now or hereafter in effect to make repairs at Landlord’s expense. |
18.5. If any excavation shall be made upon land adjacent to or under the Building, or shall be authorized to be made, Tenant shall afford to the person causing or authorized to cause such excavation, license to enter the Premises for the purpose of performing such work as such person shall deem necessary or desirable to preserve and protect the Building from injury or damage and to support the same by proper foundations, without any claim for damages or liability against Landlord and without reducing or otherwise affecting Tenant’s obligations under this Lease; provided, however, that in any such event, Landlord shall use reasonable efforts to minimize disruption of Tenant’s business operations. |
18.6. This Article relates to repairs and maintenance arising in the ordinary course of operation of the Building and the Project. In the event of a casualty described in Article 24, Article 24 shall apply in lieu of this Article. In the event of eminent domain, Article 25 shall apply in lieu of this Article. |
18.7. Costs incurred by Landlord pursuant to this Article shall constitute Operating Expenses, subject to the limitations on inclusion of certain costs associated with capital expenditures, as set forth in Section 9.1(c). |
19. Liens. |
19.1. Subject to the immediately succeeding sentence, Tenant shall keep the Premises, the Building and the Project free from any liens arising from work or services performed, materials furnished to or obligations incurred by Tenant. Tenant further covenants and agrees that any mechanic’s or materialman’s lien filed against the Premises, the Building or the Project for work or services claimed to have been done for, or materials claimed to have been furnished to, or obligations incurred by Tenant shall be discharged or bonded by Tenant within ten (10) days after the filing thereof, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense. |
19.2. Should Tenant fail to discharge or bond against any lien of the nature described in Section 19.1, Landlord may, at Landlord’s election and after notice to Tenant, pay such claim or post a statutory lien bond or otherwise provide security to eliminate the lien as a claim against title, and Tenant shall immediately reimburse Landlord for the costs thereof as Additional Rent. Tenant shall Indemnify the Landlord Indemnitees from and against any Claims arising from any such liens, including any administrative, court or other legal proceedings related to such liens. |
19.3. In the event that Tenant leases or finances the acquisition of office equipment, furnishings or other personal property of a removable nature utilized by Tenant in the operation of Tenant’s business, Tenant warrants that any Uniform Commercial Code financing statement shall, upon its face or by exhibit thereto, indicate that such financing statement is applicable only to removable personal property of Tenant located within the Premises. In no event shall the address of the Premises, the Building or the Project be furnished on a financing statement without qualifying language as to applicability of the lien only to removable personal property located in an identified suite leased by Tenant. Should any holder of a financing statement record or place of record a financing statement that appears to constitute a lien against any interest of Landlord or |
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against equipment that may be located other than within an identified suite leased by Tenant, Tenant shall, within ten (10) days after filing such financing statement, cause (a) a copy of the lender security agreement or other documents to which the financing statement pertains to be furnished to Landlord to facilitate Landlord’s ability to demonstrate that the lien of such financing statement is not applicable to Landlord’s interest and (b) Tenant’s lender to amend such financing statement and any other documents of record to clarify that any liens imposed thereby are not applicable to any interest of Landlord in the Premises, the Building or the Project. If requested by Tenant or its lender, Landlord will agree to deliver a written statement to such lender providing that this Lease does not grant to Landlord a security interest in Tenant’s personal property. |
20. Estoppel Certificate. |
20.1. Tenant shall, within ten (10) business days after receipt of written notice from Landlord, execute, acknowledge and deliver a statement in writing substantially in the (i) form attached to this Lease as Exhibit I, or (ii) on any other form reasonably requested by a current or proposed Lender or encumbrancer or proposed purchaser, in each case (a) certifying that this Lease is unmodified and in full force and effect (or, if modified, stating the nature of such modification and certifying that this Lease as so modified is in full force and effect) and the dates to which rental and other charges are paid in advance, if any, (b) acknowledging that there are not, to Tenant’s knowledge, any uncured defaults on the part of Landlord hereunder, or specifying such defaults if any are claimed, and (c) setting forth such further information with respect to this Lease or the Premises as may be reasonably requested thereon. Any such statements may be relied upon by any prospective purchaser or encumbrancer of all or any portion of the Property. Tenant’s failure to deliver any such statement within the prescribed time if such failure continues for more than five (5) business days after Landlord gives Tenant written notice thereof shall, at Landlord’s option, constitute a Default (as defined below) under this Lease. |
20.2. Landlord shall, within ten (10) business days of receipt of written notice from Tenant, execute, acknowledge and deliver a statement in writing (a) certifying that this Lease is unmodified and in full force and effect (or, if modified, stating the nature of such modification and certifying that this Lease as so modified is in full force and effect) and the dates to which rental and other charges are paid in advance, if any, (b) acknowledging that there are not, to Landlord’s knowledge, any uncured defaults on the part of Tenant hereunder, or specifying such defaults if any are claimed, and (c) setting forth such further information with respect to this Lease or the Premises as may be reasonably requested thereon. Any such statement may be relied upon by any current or prospective lender of Tenant or by any prospective assignee of all or any portion of the real property of which the Premises are a part. |
21. Hazardous Materials. |
21.1. Tenant shall not cause or permit any Hazardous Materials (as defined below) to be brought upon, kept or used in or about the Premises, the Building or the Project in violation of Applicable Laws by Tenant or any of its employees, agents, contractors or invitees (collectively with Tenant, each a “Tenant Party”). If (a) Tenant breaches such obligation, (b) the presence of Hazardous Materials as a result of such a breach results in contamination of the Project, any portion thereof, or any adjacent property, (c) contamination of the Premises otherwise occurs during the |
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Term or any extension or renewal hereof or holding over hereunder (other than if such contamination results from (i) migration of Hazardous Materials from outside the Premises not arising from the acts or omissions of a Tenant Party or coming from property owned or leased by a Tenant Party, or (ii) to the extent such contamination arises directly from Landlord’s negligence or willful misconduct) or (d) contamination of the Project occurs as a result of Hazardous Materials that are placed on or under or are released into the Project by a Tenant Party, then Tenant shall Indemnify the Landlord Indemnitees from and against any and all Claims of any kind or nature, including (w) diminution in value of the Project or any portion thereof, (x) damages for the loss or restriction on use of rentable or usable space or of any amenity of the Project, (y) damages arising from any adverse impact on marketing of space in the Project or any portion thereof and (z) sums paid in settlement of Claims that arise before, during or after the Term as a result of such breach or contamination. This Indemnification by Tenant includes costs incurred in connection with any investigation of site conditions or any clean-up, remedial, removal or restoration work required by any Governmental Authority because of Hazardous Materials present in the air, soil or groundwater above, on, under or about the Project. Without limiting the foregoing, if the presence of any Hazardous Materials in, on, under or about the Project, any portion thereof or any adjacent property caused or permitted by any Tenant Party results in any contamination of the Project, any portion thereof or any adjacent property, then Tenant shall promptly take all actions at its sole cost and expense as are necessary to return the Project, any portion thereof or any adjacent property to its respective condition existing prior to the time of such contamination; provided that Landlord’s written approval of such action shall first be obtained, which approval Landlord shall not unreasonably withhold; and provided, further, that it shall be reasonable for Landlord to withhold its consent if such actions could have a material adverse long-term or short-term effect on the Project, any portion thereof or any adjacent property. Tenant’s obligations under this Section shall not be affected, reduced or limited by any limitation on the amount or type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for Tenant under workers’ compensation acts, disability benefit acts, employee benefit acts or similar legislation. |
21.2. Landlord acknowledges that it is not the intent of this Article to prohibit Tenant from operating its business for the Permitted Use. Tenant may operate its business according to the custom of Tenant’s industry so long as the use or presence of Hazardous Materials is strictly and properly monitored in accordance with Applicable Laws. As a material inducement to Landlord to allow Tenant to use Hazardous Materials in connection with its business, Tenant agrees to deliver to Landlord (a) a list identifying each type of Hazardous Material to be present at the Premises that is subject to regulation under any environmental Applicable Laws in the form of a Tier II form pursuant to Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (or any successor statute) or any other form reasonably requested by Landlord, (b) a list of any and all approvals or permits from Governmental Authorities required in connection with the presence of such Hazardous Material at the Premises and (c) correct and complete copies of (i) notices of violations of Applicable Laws related to Hazardous Materials and (ii) plans relating to the installation of any storage tanks to be installed in, on, under or about the Project (provided that installation of storage tanks shall only be permitted after Landlord has given Tenant its written consent to do so, which consent Landlord may withhold in its sole and absolute discretion) and closure plans or any other documents required by any and all Governmental Authorities for any storage tanks installed in, on, under or about the Project for the closure of any such storage tanks (collectively, “Hazardous Materials Documents”). Tenant shall deliver to Landlord updated Hazardous Materials Documents, within fourteen (14) days after receipt of a written request |
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therefor from Landlord, not more often than once per year, unless (m) there are any changes to the Hazardous Materials Documents or (n) Tenant initiates any Alterations or changes its business, in either case in a way that involves any material increase in the types or amounts of Hazardous Materials, in which case Tenant shall deliver updated Hazardous Materials Documents (without Landlord having to request them) before or, if not practicable to do so before, as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence of the events in Subsection 21.2(m) or (n). For each type of Hazardous Material listed, the Hazardous Materials Documents shall include (t) the chemical name, (u) the material state (e.g., solid, liquid, gas or cryogen), (v) the concentration, (w) the storage amount and storage condition (e.g., in cabinets or not in cabinets), (x) the use amount and use condition (e.g., open use or closed use), (y) the location (e.g., room number or other identification) and (z) if known, the chemical abstract service number. Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, Tenant shall not be required to provide Landlord with any documents containing information of a proprietary nature, unless such documents contain a reference to Hazardous Materials or activities related to Hazardous Materials in which case Landlord shall keep such proprietary information confidential provided that Tenant has clearly marked such proprietary information as “proprietary” in such Hazardous Materials Documents. Landlord may, at Landlord’s expense, cause the Hazardous Materials Documents to be reviewed by a person or firm qualified to analyze Hazardous Materials to confirm compliance with the provisions of this Lease and with Applicable Laws. In the event that a review of the Hazardous Materials Documents indicates non-compliance with this Lease or Applicable Laws, Tenant shall, at its expense, diligently take steps to bring its storage and use of Hazardous Materials into compliance. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary or Landlord’s review of Tenant’s Hazardous Materials Documents or use or disposal of Hazardous Materials, Landlord shall not have and expressly disclaims any liability related to Tenant’s or other tenants’ use or disposal of Hazardous Materials, it being acknowledged by Tenant that Tenant is best suited to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its Hazardous Materials usage and procedures. |
21.3. Tenant represents and warrants to Landlord that it is not nor has it been, in connection with the use, disposal or storage of Hazardous Materials, (a) subject to a material enforcement order issued by any Governmental Authority or (b) required to take any remedial action. |
21.4. At any time, and from time to time, prior to the expiration of the Term, Landlord shall have the right to conduct appropriate tests of the Project or any portion thereof to demonstrate that Hazardous Materials are present or that contamination has occurred due to the acts or omissions of a Tenant Party. Tenant shall pay all reasonable costs of such tests if such tests reveal that Hazardous Materials exist at the Project in violation of this Lease. |
21.5. If underground or other storage tanks storing Hazardous Materials installed or utilized by Tenant are located on the Premises, or are hereafter placed on the Premises by Tenant (or by any other party, if such storage tanks are utilized by Tenant), then Tenant shall monitor the storage tanks, maintain appropriate records, implement reporting procedures, properly close any underground storage tanks, and take or cause to be taken all other steps necessary or required under the Applicable Laws. Tenant shall have no responsibility or liability for underground or other storage tanks installed by anyone other than Tenant unless Tenant utilizes such tanks, in which case Tenant’s responsibility for such tanks shall be as set forth in this Section. |
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21.6. Tenant shall promptly report to Landlord any actual or suspected presence of mold or water intrusion at the Premises. |
21.7. Tenant’s obligations under this Article shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Lease. During any period of time needed by Tenant or Landlord after the termination of this Lease to complete the removal from the Premises of any such Hazardous Materials for which Tenant is responsible under this Lease, Tenant shall be deemed a holdover tenant and subject to the provisions of Article 27. |
21.8. As used herein, the term “Hazardous Material” means any toxic, explosive, corrosive, flammable, infectious, radioactive, carcinogenic, mutagenic or otherwise hazardous substance, material or waste that is or becomes regulated by Applicable Laws or any Governmental Authority. |
21.9. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, Landlord shall have sole control over the allocation of fire control areas (as defined in the Uniform Building Code as adopted by the city or municipality(ies) in which the Project is located (the “UBC”)) within the Project for the storage of Hazardous Materials. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, the quantity of Hazardous Materials allowed by this Section is specific to Tenant and shall not run with the Lease in the event of a Transfer (as defined in Article 29). In the event of a Transfer, if the use of Hazardous Materials by such new tenant (“New Tenant”) is such that New Tenant utilizes fire control areas in the Project in excess of the area allocated by Landlord, then New Tenant shall, at its sole cost and expense and upon Landlord’s written request, establish and maintain a separate area of the Premises classified by the UBC as an “H” occupancy area for the use and storage of Hazardous Materials, or take such other action as is necessary to ensure that its share of the fire control areas of the Building and the Project is not greater than the area allocated by Landlord. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary, Landlord shall not have and expressly disclaims any liability related to Tenant’s or other tenants’ use or disposal of fire control areas, it being acknowledged by Tenant that Tenant and other tenants are best suited to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its Hazardous Materials usage and procedures. |
22. Odors and Exhaust. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord would not enter into this Lease with Tenant unless Tenant assured Landlord that under no circumstances will any other occupants of the Building or the Project (including persons legally present in any outdoor areas of the Project) be subjected to odors or fumes (whether or not noxious), and that the Building and the Project will not be damaged by any exhaust, in each case from Tenant’s operations. Landlord and Tenant therefore agree as follows: |
22.1. Tenant shall not cause or permit (or conduct any activities that would cause) any release of any odors or fumes of any kind from the Premises. |
22.2. If the Building has a ventilation system that, in Landlord’s judgment, is adequate, suitable, and appropriate to vent the Premises in a manner that does not release odors affecting any indoor or outdoor part of the Project, Tenant shall vent the Premises through such system. If Landlord at any time determines that any existing ventilation system is inadequate, or if no ventilation system exists, Tenant shall in compliance with Applicable Laws vent all fumes and odors from the Premises (and remove odors from Tenant’s exhaust stream) as Landlord requires. |
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The placement and configuration of all ventilation exhaust pipes, louvers and other equipment shall be subject to Landlord’s approval. Tenant acknowledges Landlord’s legitimate desire to maintain the Project (indoor and outdoor areas) in an odor-free manner, and Landlord may require Tenant, consistent with Landlord’s non-discriminatory requirements for the Building, to abate and remove all odors in a manner that goes beyond the requirements of Applicable Laws. |
22.3. Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, provide odor eliminators and other devices (such as filters, air cleaners, scrubbers and whatever other equipment may in Landlord’s judgment be necessary or appropriate from time to time) to completely remove, eliminate and abate any odors, fumes or other substances in Tenant’s exhaust stream that, in Landlord’s judgment, emanate from Tenant’s Premises. Any work Tenant performs under this Section shall constitute Alterations. |
22.4. Tenant’s responsibility to remove, eliminate and abate odors, fumes and exhaust shall continue throughout the Term. Landlord’s construction of the Tenant Improvements shall not preclude Landlord from requiring additional measures to eliminate odors, fumes and other adverse impacts of Tenant’s exhaust stream (as Landlord may reasonably designate in Landlord’s discretion). Tenant shall install additional equipment as Landlord requires from time to time under the preceding sentence. Such installations shall constitute Alterations. |
22.5. If Tenant fails to install satisfactory odor control equipment within ten (10) business days after Landlord’s demand made at any time, then Landlord may, without limiting Landlord’s other rights and remedies, require Tenant to cease and suspend any operations in the Premises that, in Landlord’s reasonable determination, cause odors, fumes or exhaust. For the purpose of the immediately foregoing sentence, Landlord’s determination shall be “reasonable” if Landlord has received a complaint regarding such odors, fumes or exhaust. For example, if Landlord determines that Tenant’s production of a certain type of product causes odors, fumes or exhaust, and Tenant does not install satisfactory odor control equipment within ten (10) business days after Landlord’s request, then Landlord may require Tenant to stop producing such type of product in the Premises unless and until Tenant has installed odor control equipment satisfactory to Landlord. |
23. Insurance. |
23.1. Landlord shall maintain insurance for the Building and the Project in amounts equal to full replacement cost (exclusive of the costs of excavation, foundations and footings, engineering costs or such other costs to the extent the same are not incurred in the event of a rebuild and without reference to depreciation taken by Landlord upon its books or tax returns) or such lesser coverage as Landlord may elect, provided that such coverage shall not be less than the amount of such insurance Landlord’s Lender, if any, requires Landlord to maintain, providing protection against any peril generally included within the classification “Fire and Extended Coverage,” together with insurance against sprinkler damage (if applicable), vandalism and malicious mischief. Landlord, subject to availability thereof, may further insure against flood, environmental hazard, earthquake, loss or failure of building equipment, rental loss during the period of repairs or rebuilding, Workers’ Compensation insurance and fidelity bonds for employees employed to perform services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Landlord may, but shall not be deemed required to, provide insurance for any improvements installed by Tenant or that are |
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in addition to the standard improvements customarily furnished by Landlord, without regard to whether or not such are made a part of or are affixed to the Building. |
23.2. In addition, Landlord shall carry Commercial General Liability insurance with limits of not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence/general aggregate for bodily injury (including death), or property damage with respect to the Project. |
23.3. Tenant shall, at its own cost and expense, procure and maintain during the Term the following insurance for the benefit of Tenant and Landlord (as their interests may appear) with insurers financially acceptable and lawfully authorized to do business in the state where the Premises are located: |
(a) Commercial General Liability insurance on a broad-based occurrence coverage form, with coverages including but not limited to bodily injury (including death), property damage (including loss of use resulting therefrom), premises/operations, personal & advertising injury, and contractual liability with limits of liability of not less than $2,000,000 for bodily injury and property damage per occurrence, $4,000,000 general aggregate, which limits may be met by use of excess and/or umbrella liability insurance provided that such coverage is at least as broad as the primary coverages required herein. |
(b) Commercial Automobile Liability insurance covering liability arising from the use or operation of any auto, on behalf of Tenant or invited by Tenant (including those owned, hired, rented, leased, borrowed, scheduled or non-owned). Coverage shall be on a broad-based occurrence form in an amount not less than $2,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. Such coverage shall apply to all vehicles and persons, whether accessing the property with active or passive consent. |
(c) Commercial Property insurance covering property damage to the full replacement cost value and business interruption. Covered property shall include all Tenant Improvements and any other Alterations in the Premises (to the extent not insured by Landlord pursuant to Section 23.1) and Tenant’s Property including personal property, furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, stock, inventory and improvements and betterments, which may be owned by Tenant or Landlord and required to be insured hereunder, or which may be leased, rented, borrowed or in the care custody or control of Tenant, or Tenant’s agents, employees or subcontractors. Such insurance, with respect only to all Tenant Improvements, Alterations or other work performed on the Premises by Tenant (collectively, “Tenant Work”), shall name Landlord and Landlord’s current and future mortgagees as loss payees as their interests may appear. Such insurance shall be written on an “all risk” of physical loss or damage basis including the perils of fire, extended coverage, electrical injury, mechanical breakdown, windstorm, vandalism, malicious mischief, sprinkler leakage, back-up of sewers or drains, terrorism and such other risks Landlord may from time to time designate, for the full replacement cost value of the covered items with an agreed amount endorsement with no co-insurance. Business interruption coverage shall have limits sufficient to cover Tenant’s lost profits and necessary continuing expenses, including rents due Landlord under the Lease. The minimum period of indemnity for business interruption coverage shall be twenty-four (24) months. |
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(d) Workers’ Compensation in compliance with all Applicable Laws or as may be available on a voluntary basis. Employer’s Liability must be at least in the amount of $1,000,000 for bodily injury by accident for each employee, $1,000,000 for bodily injury by disease for each employee, and $1,000,000 bodily injury by disease for policy limit. |
(e) Medical malpractice insurance at limits of not less than $1,000,000 each claim during such periods, if any, that Tenant engages in the practice of medicine or clinical trials involving human beings at the Premises. |
(f) Pollution Legal Liability insurance is required if Tenant stores, handles, generates or treats Hazardous Materials, as determined solely by Landlord, on or about the Premises. Such coverage shall include bodily injury, sickness, disease, death or mental anguish or shock sustained by any person; property damage including physical injury to or destruction of tangible property including the resulting loss of use thereof, clean-up costs, and the loss of use of tangible property that has not been physically injured or destroyed; and defense costs, charges and expenses incurred in the investigation, adjustment or defense of claims for such compensatory damages. Coverage shall apply to both sudden and non-sudden pollution conditions including the discharge, dispersal, release or escape of smoke, vapors, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, toxic chemicals, liquids or gases, waste materials or other irritants, contaminants or pollutants into or upon land, the atmosphere or any watercourse or body of water. Claims-made coverage is permitted, provided the policy retroactive date is continuously maintained prior to the commencement date of this agreement, and coverage is continuously maintained during all periods in which Tenant occupies the Premises. Coverage shall be maintained with limits of not less than $2,000,000 per incident with a $4,000,000 policy aggregate and for a period of two (2) years thereafter. Tenant may request that Landlord waive such Pollution Legal Liability insurance requirement. Such request shall be submitted to Landlord in writing for its approval, in Landlord’s reasonable discretion, and shall identify the types and quantities of chemicals stored, handled, generated, or treated by Tenant in connection with its use of the Premises. Landlord reserves the right to revoke any waiver granted under this Section 23.3(f) in the event the types or quantities of such chemicals change. |
(g) During all construction by Tenant at the Premises, with respect to tenant improvements being constructed (including the Tenant Improvements and any Alterations), insurance required in Exhibit B-1 must be in place. |
23.4. The insurance required of Tenant by this Article shall be with companies at all times having a current rating of not less than A- and financial category rating of at least Class VII in “A.M. Best’s Insurance Guide” current edition. Tenant shall obtain for Landlord from the insurance companies/broker or cause the insurance companies/broker to furnish certificates of insurance evidencing all coverages required herein to Landlord. Landlord reserves the right to require Tenant to deliver complete, certified copies of all required insurance policies including any endorsements. No such policy shall be cancelable or subject to reduction of coverage or other modification or cancellation except after thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to Landlord from Tenant or its insurers (except in the event of non-payment of premium, in which case ten (10) days’ written notice shall be given). All such policies shall be written as primary policies, not contributing with and not in excess of the coverage that Landlord may carry. Tenant’s required policies shall contain severability of interests clauses stating that, except with respect to limits of |
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insurance, coverage shall apply separately to each insured or additional insured. Tenant shall, on the date of expiration of such policies, furnish Landlord with renewal certificates of insurance or binders. Tenant agrees that if Tenant does not take out and maintain such insurance, Landlord may (but shall not be required to) procure such insurance on Tenant’s behalf and at its cost to be paid by Tenant as Additional Rent. Commercial General Liability, Commercial Automobile Liability, Umbrella Liability and Pollution Legal Liability insurance as required above shall name the Landlord Parties as additional insureds as respects liability arising from work or operations performed by or on behalf of Tenant, Tenant’s use or occupancy of Premises, and ownership, maintenance or use of vehicles by or on behalf of Tenant. |
23.5. In each instance where insurance is to name the Landlord Parties as additional insureds, Tenant shall, upon Landlord’s written request, also designate and furnish certificates evidencing such Landlord Parties as additional insureds to (a) any Lender of Landlord holding a security interest in the Building or the Project, (b) the landlord under any lease whereunder Landlord is a tenant of the real property upon which the Building is located if the interest of Landlord is or shall become that of a tenant under a ground lease rather than that of a fee owner and (c) any management company retained by Landlord to manage the Project. |
23.6. Tenant assumes the risk of damage to any of its fixtures, goods, inventory, merchandise, equipment and leasehold improvements, and Landlord shall not be liable for injury to Tenant’s business or any loss of income therefrom, relative to such damage, all as more particularly set forth within this Lease. Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, carry such insurance as Tenant desires for Tenant’s protection with respect to personal property of Tenant or business interruption. |
23.7. Tenant, on behalf of itself and its insurers, hereby waives any and all rights of recovery against the Landlord Parties with respect to any loss, damage, claims, suits or demands, howsoever caused, that are covered, or should have been covered, by valid and collectible workers’ compensation, employer’s liability insurance and other liability insurance required to obtained and carried by Tenant pursuant to this Article, including any deductibles or self-insurance maintained thereunder. Tenant agrees to endorse the required workers’ compensation, employer’s liability and other liability insurance policies to permit waivers of subrogation as required hereunder and hold harmless and indemnify the Landlord Parties for any loss or expense incurred as a result of a failure to obtain such waivers of subrogation from insurers. Such waivers shall continue so long as Tenant’s insurers so permit. Any termination of such a waiver shall be by written notice to Landlord, containing a description of the circumstances hereinafter set forth in this Section. Tenant, upon obtaining the policies of workers’ compensation, employer’s liability and other liability insurance required or permitted under this Lease, shall give notice to its insurance carriers that the foregoing waiver of subrogation is contained in this Lease. If such policies shall not be obtainable with such waiver or shall be so obtainable only at a premium over that chargeable without such waiver, then Tenant shall notify Landlord of such conditions. |
23.8. Landlord may require insurance policy limits required under this Lease to be raised to conform with requirements of Landlord’s Lender or to bring coverage limits to levels then being required of new tenants within the Project. |
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23.9. Any costs incurred by Landlord pursuant to this Article shall constitute a portion of Operating Expenses. |
23.10. The provisions of this Article 23 shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
24. Damage or Destruction. |
24.1. In the event of a partial destruction of ((a) the Premises, (b) the Building, (c) the Common Area or (d) the Project ((a)-(d) collectively, the “Affected Areas”) by fire or other perils covered by extended coverage insurance not exceeding twenty-five percent (25%) of the full insurable value thereof, and provided that (w) the damage thereto is such that the Affected Areas may be repaired, reconstructed or restored within a period of twelve (12) months from the date of the happening of such casualty, (x) Landlord shall receive insurance proceeds from its insurer or Lender sufficient to cover the cost of such repairs, reconstruction and restoration (except for any deductible amount provided by Landlord’s policy, which deductible amount, if paid by Landlord, shall constitute an Operating Expense), (y) the repair, reconstruction or restoration of the Affected Areas is permitted by all applicable Loan Documents or otherwise consented to by any and all Lenders whose consent is required thereunder, and (z) such casualty was not intentionally caused by a Tenant Party, then Landlord shall commence and proceed diligently with the work of repair, reconstruction and restoration of the Affected Areas and this Lease shall continue in full force and effect. |
24.2. In the event of any damage to or destruction of the Building or the Project other than as described in Section 24.1, Landlord may elect to repair, reconstruct and restore the Building or the Project, as applicable, in which case this Lease shall continue in full force and effect. If Landlord elects not to repair, reconstruct and restore the Building or the Project, as applicable, then this Lease shall terminate as of the date of such damage or destruction. In the event of any damage or destruction (regardless of whether such damage is governed by Section 24.1 or this Section), if (a) in Landlord’s determination as set forth in the Damage Repair Estimate (as defined below), the Affected Areas cannot be repaired, reconstructed or restored within twelve (12) months after the date of the Damage Repair Estimate, (b) subject to Section 24.6, the Affected Areas are not actually repaired, reconstructed and restored within eighteen (18) months after the date of the Damage Repair Estimate, or (c) the damage and destruction occurs within the last twelve (12) months of the then-current Term, then Tenant shall have the right to terminate this Lease, effective as of the date of such damage or destruction, by delivering to Landlord its written notice of termination (a “Termination Notice”) (y) with respect to Subsections 24.2(a) and (c), no later than fifteen (15) days after Landlord delivers to Tenant Landlord’s Damage Repair Estimate and (z) with respect to Subsection 24.2(b), no later than fifteen (15) days after such twelve (12) month period (as the same may be extended pursuant to Section 24.6) expires. If Tenant provides Landlord with a Termination Notice pursuant to Subsection 24.2(z), Landlord shall have an additional thirty (30) days after receipt of such Termination Notice to complete the repair, reconstruction and restoration. If Landlord does not complete such repair, reconstruction and restoration within such thirty (30) day period, then Tenant may terminate this Lease by giving Landlord written notice within two (2) business days after the expiration of such thirty (30) day period. If Landlord does complete such repair, reconstruction and restoration within such thirty (30) day period, then this Lease shall continue in full force and effect. |
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24.3. As soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event within sixty (60) days following the date of damage or destruction, Landlord shall notify Tenant of Landlord’s good faith estimate of the period of time in which the repairs, reconstruction and restoration will be completed (the “Damage Repair Estimate”), which estimate shall be based upon the opinion of a contractor reasonably selected by Landlord and experienced in comparable repair, reconstruction and restoration of similar buildings. Additionally, Landlord shall give written notice to Tenant within sixty (60) days following the date of damage or destruction of its election not to repair, reconstruct or restore the Building or the Project, as applicable. |
24.4. Upon any termination of this Lease under any of the provisions of this Article, the parties shall be released thereby without further obligation to the other from the date possession of the Premises is surrendered to Landlord, except with regard to (a) items occurring prior to the damage or destruction and (b) provisions of this Lease that, by their express terms, survive the expiration or earlier termination hereof. |
24.5. In the event of repair, reconstruction and restoration as provided in this Article, all Rent to be paid by Tenant under this Lease shall be abated proportionately based on the extent to which Tenant’s use of the Premises is impaired during the period of such repair, reconstruction or restoration, unless Landlord provides Tenant with other space during the period of repair, reconstruction and restoration that, in Tenant’s reasonable opinion, is suitable for the temporary conduct of Tenant’s business; provided, however, that the amount of such abatement shall be reduced by the amount of Rent that is received by Tenant as part of the business interruption or loss of rental income with respect to the Premises from the proceeds of business interruption or loss of rental income insurance. |
24.6. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article, (a) Landlord shall not be required to repair, reconstruct or restore any damage or destruction to the extent that Landlord is prohibited from doing so by any applicable Loan Document or any Lender whose consent is required thereunder withholds its consent, and (b) should Landlord be delayed or prevented from completing the repair, reconstruction or restoration of the damage or destruction to the Premises after the occurrence of such damage or destruction by Force Majeure or delays caused by a Lender or Tenant Party, then the time for Landlord to commence or complete repairs, reconstruction and restoration shall be extended on a day-for-day basis; provided, however, that, at Landlord’s election, Landlord shall be relieved of its obligation to make such repairs, reconstruction and restoration. |
24.7. If Landlord is obligated to or elects to repair, reconstruct or restore as herein provided, then Landlord shall be obligated to make such repairs, reconstruction or restoration only with regard to (a) those portions of the Premises that were originally provided at Landlord’s expense and (b) the Common Area portion of the Affected Areas. The repairs, reconstruction or restoration of improvements not originally provided by Landlord or at Landlord’s expense shall be the obligation of Tenant. In the event Tenant has elected to upgrade certain improvements from Landlord’s building standards (the “Building Standard”), Landlord shall, upon the need for replacement due to an insured loss, provide only the Building Standard, unless Tenant again elects to upgrade such improvements and pay any incremental costs related thereto, except to the extent that excess insurance proceeds, if received, are adequate to provide such upgrades, in addition to |
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providing for basic repairs, reconstruction and restoration of the Premises, the Building and the Project. |
24.8. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article, Landlord shall not have any obligation whatsoever to repair, reconstruct or restore the Premises if the damage resulting from any casualty covered under this Article occurs (a) during the thirteenth (13th) through the twenty-fourth (24th) months prior to the expiration of the Term and the Damage Repair Estimate indicates that more than six (6) months will be required for such repair, reconstruction or restoration, (b) during the seventh (7th) through twelfth (12th) months prior to the expiration of the Term and the Damage Repair Estimate indicates that more than thirty (30) days will be required for such repair, reconstruction or restoration, (c) during the last six (6) months of the Term or (d) to the extent that insurance proceeds are not available therefor. |
24.9. Landlord’s obligation, should it elect or be obligated to repair, reconstruct or restore, shall be limited to the Affected Areas, and shall be conditioned upon Landlord receiving any permits or authorizations required by Applicable Laws. Tenant shall, at its expense, replace or fully repair all of Tenant’s personal property and any Alterations installed by Tenant existing at the time of such damage or destruction. If Affected Areas are to be repaired, reconstructed or restored in accordance with the foregoing, Landlord shall make available to Tenant any portion of insurance proceeds it receives that are allocable to the Alterations constructed by Tenant pursuant to this Lease; provided that Landlord shall not be required to do so while Tenant is in default under this Lease, and subject to the requirements of any Lender of Landlord. |
24.10. This Article sets forth the terms and conditions upon which this Lease may terminate in the event of any damage or destruction. Accordingly, the parties hereby waive the provisions of any Applicable Laws (and any successor statutes) permitting the parties to terminate this Lease as a result of any damage or destruction. |
25. Eminent Domain. |
25.1. In the event (a) the whole of all Affected Areas or (b) such part thereof or access thereto as shall substantially interfere with Tenant’s use and occupancy of the Premises for the Permitted Use shall be taken for any public or quasi-public purpose by any lawful power or authority by exercise of the right of appropriation, condemnation or eminent domain, or sold to prevent such taking, Tenant or Landlord may terminate this Lease effective as of the date possession is required to be surrendered to such authority, except with regard to (y) obligations occurring prior to the taking and (z) provisions of this Lease that, by their express terms, survive the expiration or earlier termination hereof. |
25.2. In the event of a partial taking of (a) the Building or the Project or (b) drives, walkways or parking areas serving the Building or the Project for any public or quasi-public purpose by any lawful power or authority by exercise of right of appropriation, condemnation, or eminent domain, or sold to prevent such taking, then, without regard to whether any portion of the Premises occupied by Tenant was so taken, Landlord may elect to terminate this Lease (except with regard to (y) items occurring prior to the taking and (z) provisions of this Lease that, by their express terms, survive the expiration or earlier termination hereof) as of such taking if such taking |
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is, in Landlord’s sole opinion, of a material nature such as to make it uneconomical to continue use of the unappropriated portion for purposes of renting office or laboratory space. |
25.3. To the extent permitted under all applicable Loan Documents or otherwise consented to by any and all Lenders whose consent is required thereunder, Tenant shall be entitled to any award that is specifically awarded as compensation for (a) the taking of Tenant’s personal property that was installed at Tenant’s expense and (b) the costs of Tenant moving to a new location. Except as set forth in the previous sentence, any award for such taking shall be the property of Landlord. |
25.4. If, upon any taking of the nature described in this Article, this Lease continues in effect, then Landlord shall promptly proceed to restore the Affected Areas to substantially their same condition prior to such partial taking. To the extent such restoration is infeasible, as determined by Landlord in its sole and absolute discretion, the Rent shall be decreased proportionately to reflect the loss of any portion of the Premises no longer available to Tenant. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article, Landlord shall not be required to restore the Affected Areas to the extent that Landlord is prohibited from doing so by any applicable Loan Document or any Lender whose consent is required thereunder withholds its consent. |
25.5. This Article sets forth the terms and conditions upon which this Lease may terminate in the event of any taking. Accordingly, the parties hereby waive the provisions of any Applicable Laws (and any successor statutes) permitting the parties to terminate this Lease as a result of any damage or destruction. |
26. Surrender. |
26.1. At least thirty (30) days prior to Tenant’s surrender of possession of any part of the Premises at the end of the Term, or such shorter time period is necessitated by an early surrender in accordance with the express provisions of this Lease, Tenant shall provide Landlord with a facility decommissioning and Hazardous Materials closure plan for the Premises (“Exit Survey”) prepared by an independent third party certified Industrial Hygienist, CIH, which Exit Survey must be reasonably acceptable to Landlord. The Exit Survey shall comply with the American National Standards Institute’s Laboratory Decommissioning guidelines (ANSI/AIHA Z9.11-2008) or any successor standards published by ANSI or any successor organization (or, if ANSI and its successors no longer exist, a similar entity publishing similar standards). In addition, at least ten (10) days prior to Tenant’s surrender of possession of any part of the Premises, Tenant shall (a) provide Landlord with written evidence of all appropriate governmental releases obtained by Tenant in accordance with Applicable Laws, including laws pertaining to the surrender of the Premises, (b) place Laboratory Equipment Decontamination Forms on all decommissioned equipment to assure safe occupancy by future users and (c) conduct a site inspection with Landlord. In addition, Tenant agrees to remain responsible after the surrender of the Premises for the remediation of any recognized environmental conditions set forth in the Exit Survey and comply with any recommendations set forth in the Exit Survey. Tenant’s obligations under this Section shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Lease. |
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26.2. No surrender of possession of any part of the Premises shall release Tenant from any of its obligations hereunder, unless such surrender is accepted in writing by Landlord. |
26.3. The voluntary or other surrender of this Lease by Tenant shall not effect a merger with Landlord’s fee title or leasehold interest in the Premises, the Building, the Property or the Project, unless Landlord consents in writing, and shall, at Landlord’s option, operate as an assignment to Landlord of any or all subleases. |
26.4. The voluntary or other surrender of any ground or other underlying lease that now exists or may hereafter be executed affecting the Building or the Project, or a mutual cancellation thereof or of Landlord’s interest therein by Landlord and its lessor shall not effect a merger with Landlord’s fee title or leasehold interest in the Premises, the Building or the Property and shall, at the option of the successor to Landlord’s interest in the Building or the Project, as applicable, operate as an assignment of this Lease. |
27. Holding Over. |
27.1. If, with Landlord’s prior written consent, Tenant holds possession of all or any part of the Premises after the Term, Tenant shall become a tenant from month to month after the expiration or earlier termination of the Term, and in such case Tenant shall continue to pay (a) Base Rent in accordance with Article 7, as adjusted in accordance with Article 8, and (b) any amounts for which Tenant would otherwise be liable under this Lease if the Lease were still in effect, including payments for Tenant’s Adjusted Share of Operating Expenses. Any such month-to-month tenancy shall be subject to every other term, covenant and agreement contained herein. |
27.2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Tenant remains in possession of the Premises after the expiration or earlier termination of the Term without Landlord’s prior written consent, (a) Tenant shall become a tenant at sufferance subject to the terms and conditions of this Lease, except that the monthly rent shall be equal to one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the Rent in effect during the last thirty (30) days of the Term, and (b) if such holdover continues for more than thirty (30) days after the earlier of (i) the expiration or earlier termination of the Term and (ii) the date Landlord notifies Tenant that Landlord has procured tenant that is ready, willing, and able to sign a lease for the Premises (or portion thereof), Tenant shall be liable to Landlord for any and all damages suffered by Landlord as a result of such holdover, including any lost rent or consequential, special and indirect damages. |
27.3. Acceptance by Landlord of Rent after the expiration or earlier termination of the Term shall not result in an extension, renewal or reinstatement of this Lease. |
27.4. The foregoing provisions of this Article are in addition to and do not affect Landlord’s right of reentry or any other rights of Landlord hereunder or as otherwise provided by Applicable Laws. |
27.5. The provisions of this Article shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
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28. Indemnification and Exculpation. |
28.1. Tenant agrees to Indemnify the Landlord Indemnitees from and against any and all Claims of any kind or nature, real or alleged, arising from (a) injury to or death of any person or damage to any property occurring within or about the Premises, the Building, the Property or the Project, arising directly or indirectly from (i) the presence at or use or occupancy of the Premises or Project by a Tenant Party, (ii) an act or omission on the part of any Tenant Party, (b) a breach or default by Tenant in the performance of any of its obligations hereunder (including any Claim asserted by any Lender against any Landlord Indemnitees under any Loan Document as a direct result of such breach or default by Tenant) or (c) injury to or death of persons or damage to or loss of any property, real or alleged, arising from the serving of alcoholic beverages at the Premises or Project, including liability under any dram shop law, host liquor law or similar Applicable Law, except to the extent directly caused by Landlord’s negligence or willful misconduct. Tenant’s obligations under this Section shall not be affected, reduced or limited by any limitation on the amount or type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for Tenant under workers’ compensation acts, disability benefit acts, employee benefit acts or similar legislation. Tenant’s obligations under this Section shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. Subject to Sections 23.6, 28.2 and 31.12 and any subrogation provisions contained in the Work Letter, Landlord agrees to Indemnify the Tenant Parties from and against any and all Claims arising from injury to or death of any person or damage to or loss of any physical property occurring within or about the Premises, the Building, the Property or the Project to the extent directly arising from Landlord’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. |
28.2. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary, Landlord shall not be liable to Tenant for and Tenant assumes all risk of (a) damage or losses arising from fire, electrical malfunction, gas explosion or water damage of any type (including broken water lines, malfunctioning fire sprinkler systems, roof leaks or stoppages of lines), unless any such loss is due to Landlord’s willful disregard of written notice by Tenant of need for a repair that Landlord is responsible to make for an unreasonable period of time, and (b) damage to personal property or scientific research, including loss of records kept by Tenant within the Premises (in each case, regardless of whether such damages are foreseeable). Tenant further waives any claim for injury to Tenant’s business or loss of income relating to any such damage or destruction of personal property as described in this Section. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing or this Lease to the contrary, except (x) as otherwise provided herein (including Section 27.2), (y) as may be provided by Applicable Laws or (z) in the event of Tenant’s breach of Article 21 or Section 26.1, in no event shall Landlord or Tenant be liable to the other for any consequential, special or indirect damages arising out of this Lease, including lost profits (provided that this Subsection 28.2(z) shall not limit Tenant’s liability for Base Rent or Additional Rent pursuant to this Lease). |
28.3. Landlord shall not be liable for any damages arising from any act, omission or neglect of any other tenant in the Building or the Project, or of any other third party. |
28.4. Tenant acknowledges that security devices and services, if any, while intended to deter crime, may not in given instances prevent theft or other criminal acts. Landlord shall not be liable for injuries or losses arising from criminal acts of third parties, and Tenant assumes the risk that any security device or service may malfunction or otherwise be circumvented by a criminal. If Tenant desires protection against such criminal acts, then Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost and |
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expense, obtain appropriate insurance coverage. Tenant’s security programs and equipment for the Premises shall be coordinated with Landlord and subject to Landlord’s reasonable approval. |
28.5. The provisions of this Article shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
29. Assignment or Subletting. |
29.1. Except as hereinafter expressly permitted, none of the following (each, a “Transfer”), either voluntarily or by operation of Applicable Laws, shall be directly or indirectly performed without Landlord’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed: (a) Tenant selling, hypothecating, assigning, pledging, encumbering or otherwise transferring this Lease or subletting the Premises or (b) unless Tenant or Tenant’s direct or indirect parent company (which as of the Execution Date, is Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation) is a corporation whose shares are traded on any nationally recognized stock exchange, a controlling interest in Tenant being sold, assigned or otherwise transferred. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “control” means (a) owning (directly or indirectly) more than fifty percent (50%) of the stock or other equity interests of another person or (b) possessing, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person. Tenant shall have the right to Transfer, without Landlord’s prior written consent, Tenant’s interest in this Lease or the Premises or any part thereof to (i) any person that as of the date of determination and at all times thereafter directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with Tenant (“Tenant’s Affiliate”) or (ii) any person or any entity that is a successor-in-interest to Tenant, by way of merger, consolidation or corporate reorganization, or to which all or substantially all of Tenant’s assets or all or substantially all of the ownership interests in Tenant are sold; provided that (in each instance under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii)) Tenant shall notify Landlord in writing at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the effectiveness of such Transfer (an “Exempt Transfer”) and otherwise comply with the requirements of this Lease regarding such Transfer; and provided, further, (excepting only the case of a sublease to a Tenant’s Affiliate) the person that will be the tenant under this Lease after the Exempt Transfer has a net worth (as of both the day immediately prior to and the day immediately after the Exempt Transfer) that is equal to or greater than the combined net worth (as of the Term Commencement Date) of the transferring Tenant and Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation. For purposes of the immediately preceding sentence, “control” requires both (a) owning (directly or indirectly) more than fifty percent (50%) of the stock or other equity interests of another person and (b) possessing, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person. Provided Landlord has comparable space to the Premises at the Building then available, Tenant shall not perform a Transfer (other than an Exempt Transfer or a Permitted Sublease (as defined in Section 29.3)) to or with an entity that is a tenant at the Project or that is then in active discussions or negotiations with Landlord or an affiliate of Landlord to lease premises at the Project. |
29.2. In the event Tenant desires to effect a Transfer, other than an Exempt Transfer, then, at least thirty (30) but not more than ninety (90) days prior to the date when Tenant desires the Transfer to be effective (the “Transfer Date”), Tenant shall provide written notice to Landlord (the “Transfer Notice”) containing information (including references) concerning the character of |
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the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee; the Transfer Date; the most recent unconsolidated financial statements of Tenant and of the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee satisfying the requirements of Section 40.2 (“Required Financials”); any ownership or commercial relationship between Tenant and the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee; copies of Hazardous Materials Documents for the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee; and the consideration and all other material terms and conditions of the proposed Transfer, all in such detail as Landlord shall reasonably require. |
29.3. Landlord, in determining whether consent should be given to a proposed Transfer, may give consideration to (a) the financial strength of Tenant and of such transferee, assignee or sublessee (notwithstanding Tenant remaining liable for Tenant’s performance and provided such financial strength is measured with respect to the extent of the obligations of the Transferee), (b) any change in use that such transferee, assignee or sublessee proposes to make in the use of the Premises and (c) Landlord’s desire to exercise its rights under Section 29.7 to cancel this Lease. In no event shall Landlord be deemed to be unreasonable for declining to consent to a Transfer if any applicable Loan Document prohibits such assignment or any Lender whose consent is required thereunder withholds its consent, or if the Transfer is to a transferee, assignee or sublessee of poor reputation, lacking financial qualifications or seeking a change in the Permitted Use, or jeopardizing directly or indirectly the status of Landlord or any of Landlord’s affiliates as a Real Estate Investment Trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Revenue Code”). Nowithstanding the immediately foregoing sentence, with respect to a proposed sublease for up to 10,000 rentable square feet, and provided that at the time such request is made there is not any other sublease of any portion of the Premises, the terms and provisions of clauses (a) and (c) in the immediately foregoing sentence shall not apply to Landlord’s determination of whether consent should be given to such proposed Transfer (each such sublease a “Permitted Sublease”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Lease to the contrary, (w) no Transfer shall be consummated on any basis such that the rental or other amounts to be paid by the occupant, assignee, manager or other transferee thereunder would be based, in whole or in part, on the income or profits derived by the business activities of such occupant, assignee, manager or other transferee; (x) Tenant shall not furnish or render any services to an occupant, assignee, manager or other transferee with respect to whom transfer consideration is required to be paid, or manage or operate the Premises or any capital additions so transferred, with respect to which transfer consideration is being paid; (y) Tenant shall not consummate a Transfer with any person in which Landlord owns an interest, directly or indirectly (by applying constructive ownership rules set forth in Section 856(d)(5) of the Revenue Code); and (z) Tenant shall not consummate a Transfer with any person or in any manner that could cause any portion of the amounts received by Landlord pursuant to this Lease or any sublease, license or other arrangement for the right to use, occupy or possess any portion of the Premises to fail to qualify as “rents from real property” within the meaning of Section 856(d) of the Revenue Code, or any similar or successor provision thereto or which could cause any other income of Landlord to fail to qualify as income described in Section 856(c)(2) of the Revenue Code. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary, if (a) Tenant or any proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee of Tenant has been required by any prior landlord, Lender or Governmental Authority to take material remedial action in connection with Hazardous Materials contaminating a property if the contamination resulted from such party’s action or omission or use of the property in question or (b) Tenant or any proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee is subject to a material enforcement order issued by any Governmental Authority in connection with the use, disposal or storage of |
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Hazardous Materials, then Landlord shall have the right to terminate this Lease in Landlord’s sole and absolute discretion (with respect to any such matter involving Tenant), and it shall not be unreasonable for Landlord to withhold its consent to any proposed transfer, assignment or subletting (with respect to any such matter involving a proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee). |
29.4. The following are conditions precedent to a Transfer or to Landlord considering a request by Tenant to a Transfer: |
(a) Tenant shall remain fully liable under this Lease. Tenant agrees that it shall not be (and shall not be deemed to be) a guarantor or surety of this Lease, however, and waives its right to claim that it is a guarantor or surety or to raise in any legal proceeding any guarantor or surety defenses permitted by this Lease or by Applicable Laws; |
(b) If Tenant or the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee does not or cannot deliver the Required Financials (if applicable), then Landlord may elect to have either Tenant’s ultimate parent company or the proposed transferee’s, assignee’s or sublessee’s ultimate parent company provide a guaranty of the applicable entity’s obligations under this Lease, in a form acceptable to Landlord, which guaranty shall be executed and delivered to Landlord by the applicable guarantor prior to the Transfer Date; |
(c) In the case of an Exempt Transfer, Tenant shall provide Landlord with evidence reasonably satisfactory to Landlord that the Transfer qualifies as an Exempt Transfer; |
(d) Except with respect to an Exempt Transfer, Tenant shall provide Landlord with information regarding the relevant business experience and financial responsibility and status of the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee; |
(e) Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for Landlord’s actual reasonable third party costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, charges and disbursements incurred in connection with the review, processing and documentation of such request up to $5,000; |
(f) Except with respect to an Exempt Transfer, if Tenant’s transfer of rights or sharing of the Premises provides for the receipt by, on behalf of or on account of Tenant of any consideration of any kind whatsoever (including a premium rental for a sublease or lump sum payment for an assignment, but excluding Tenant’s reasonable costs in marketing and subleasing the Premises) in excess of the rental and other charges due to Landlord under this Lease, Tenant shall pay fifty percent (50%) of all of such excess to Landlord, after making deductions for all reasonable and customary transaction costs including, but not limited to, any reasonable marketing expenses, tenant improvement funds expended by Tenant, alterations, cash concessions, brokerage commissions, attorneys’ fees and free rent actually paid by Tenant. If such consideration consists of cash paid to Tenant, payment to Landlord shall be made upon receipt by Tenant of such cash payment; |
(g) The proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee shall agree that, in the event Landlord gives such proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee notice that Tenant is in default beyond applicable notice and cure periods under this Lease, such proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee shall thereafter make all payments otherwise due Tenant directly to Landlord, which payments shall be received by Landlord without any liability being incurred by Landlord, except |
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to credit such payment against those due by Tenant under this Lease, and any such proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee shall agree to attorn to Landlord or its successors and assigns should this Lease be terminated for any reason; provided, however, that in no event shall Landlord or its Lenders, successors or assigns be obligated to accept such attornment; |
(h) Landlord’s consent (if applicable) to any such Transfer shall be effected on Landlord’s forms; |
(i) Tenant shall not then be in default beyond applicable notice and cure periods hereunder in any respect; |
(j) Such proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee’s use of the Premises shall be the same as the Permitted Use; |
(k) Landlord shall not be bound by any provision of any agreement pertaining to the Transfer, except for Landlord’s written consent to the same (if applicable); |
(l) Tenant shall pay all transfer and other taxes (including interest and penalties) assessed or payable for any Transfer; |
(m) Landlord’s consent (or waiver of its rights) for any Transfer (if applicable) shall not waive Landlord’s right to consent or refuse consent to any later Transfer; |
(n) Tenant shall deliver to Landlord one executed copy of any and all written instruments evidencing or relating to the Transfer; and |
(o) Tenant shall deliver to Landlord a list of Hazardous Materials (as defined below), certified by the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee to be true and correct, that the proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee intends to use or store in the Premises. Additionally, Tenant shall deliver to Landlord, on or before the date any proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee takes occupancy of the Premises, all of the items relating to Hazardous Materials of such proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee as described in Section 21.2. |
29.5. Any Transfer that is not in compliance with the provisions of this Article or with respect to which Tenant does not fulfill its obligations pursuant to this Article shall be void and shall, at the option of Landlord, terminate this Lease. |
29.6. Notwithstanding any Transfer, Tenant shall remain fully and primarily liable for the payment of all Rent and other sums due or to become due hereunder, and for the full performance of all other terms, conditions and covenants to be kept and performed by Tenant. The acceptance of Rent or any other sum due hereunder, or the acceptance of performance of any other term, covenant or condition thereof, from any person or entity other than Tenant shall not be deemed a waiver of any of the provisions of this Lease or a consent to any Transfer. |
29.7. If Tenant delivers to Landlord a Transfer Notice indicating a desire to transfer fifty percent (50%) or more of the Premises demised under this Lease to a proposed transferee, assignee or sublessee other than pursuant to an Exempt Transfer, then Landlord shall have the option, exercisable by giving notice to Tenant at any time within fifteen (15) business days after |
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Landlord’s receipt of such Transfer Notice, to terminate this Lease as of the date specified in the Transfer Notice as the Transfer Date, except for those provisions that, by their express terms, survive the expiration or earlier termination hereof. If Landlord exercises such option, then Tenant shall have the right to withdraw such Transfer Notice by delivering to Landlord written notice of such election within five (5) days after Landlord’s delivery of notice electing to exercise Landlord’s option to terminate this Lease. In the event Tenant withdraws the Transfer Notice as provided in this Section, this Lease shall continue in full force and effect. No failure of Landlord to exercise its option to terminate this Lease shall be deemed to be Landlord’s consent to a proposed Transfer. |
29.8. If Tenant sublets the Premises or any portion thereof, Tenant hereby immediately and irrevocably assigns to Landlord, as security for Tenant’s obligations under this Lease, all rent from any such subletting, and Landlord (or a receiver for Tenant appointed on Landlord’s application) may collect such rent and apply it toward Tenant’s obligations under this Lease; provided that, until the occurrence of a Default (as defined below) by Tenant, Tenant shall have the right to collect such rent. |
29.9. In the event that Tenant enters into a sublease for the entire Premises in accordance with this Article that expires within two (2) days of the Term Expiration Date, the term expiration date of such sublease shall, notwithstanding anything in this Lease, the sublease or any consent to the sublease to the contrary, be deemed to be the date that is two (2) days prior to the Term Expiration Date. |
30. Subordination and Attornment. |
30.1. This Lease shall be subject and subordinate to the lien of any mortgage, deed of trust, or lease in which Landlord is tenant now or hereafter in force against the Building or the Project and to all advances made or hereafter to be made upon the security thereof without the necessity of the execution and delivery of any further instruments on the part of Tenant to effectuate such subordination. Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to Tenant a subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreement (“SNDA”) from Landlord’s existing Lender on its then-customary form within sixty (60) days following the Term Commencement Date, and from any future Lender within sixty (60) days of the date that Landlord obtains from such Lender additional financing secured by the Building during the Term. Simultaneously with its execution and delivery of this Lease, Landlord shall deliver to Tenant a Non-Disturbance Agreement from the Ground Lessor in the form attached hereto as Exhibit J. |
30.2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Tenant shall execute and deliver upon demand such further instrument or instruments evidencing such subordination of this Lease to the lien of any such mortgage or mortgages or deeds of trust or lease in which Landlord is tenant as may be required by Landlord. If any Lender so elects, however, this Lease shall be deemed prior in lien to any such lease, mortgage, or deed of trust upon or including the Premises regardless of date and Tenant shall execute a statement in writing to such effect at Landlord’s request. For the avoidance of doubt, “Lenders” shall also include historic tax credit investors and new market tax credit investors. |
30.3. Intentionally omitted. |
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30.4. If Landlord’s interest in the Property is acquired by Lender or purchaser at a foreclosure sale, Tenant shall, at the election of such Lender or purchaser (except as may be required pursuant to any applicable SNDA then in effect as required under Section 30.2 above) and subject to the provisions of Section 30.2, attorn to the transferee of or successor to Landlord’s interest in the Property and recognize it as Landlord under this Lease. |
31. Defaults and Remedies. |
31.1. Late payment by Tenant to Landlord of Rent and other sums due shall cause Landlord to incur costs not contemplated by this Lease, the exact amount of which shall be extremely difficult and impracticable to ascertain. Such costs include processing and accounting charges and late charges that may be imposed on Landlord by the terms of any mortgage or trust deed covering the Premises. Therefore, if any installment of Rent due from Tenant is not received by Landlord within three (3) business days after the date such payment is due, Tenant shall pay to Landlord (a) an additional sum of five percent (5%) of the overdue Rent as a late charge plus (b) until such time as Tenant causes such sums to be paid, interest at an annual rate (the “Default Rate”) equal to the lesser of (a) twelve percent (12%) and (b) the highest rate permitted by Applicable Laws. The parties agree that this late charge represents a fair and reasonable estimate of the costs that Landlord shall incur by reason of late payment by Tenant and shall be payable as Additional Rent to Landlord due with the next installment of Rent or within five (5) business days after Landlord’s demand, whichever is earlier. Landlord’s acceptance of any Additional Rent (including a late charge or any other amount hereunder) shall not be deemed an extension of the date that Rent is due or prevent Landlord from pursuing any other rights or remedies under this Lease, at law or in equity. |
31.2. No payment by Tenant or receipt by Landlord of a lesser amount than the Rent payment herein stipulated shall be deemed to be other than on account of the Rent, nor shall any endorsement or statement on any check or any letter accompanying any check or payment as Rent be deemed an accord and satisfaction, and Landlord may accept such check or payment without prejudice to Landlord’s right to recover the balance of such Rent or pursue any other remedy provided in this Lease or in equity or at law. If a dispute shall arise as to any amount or sum of money to be paid by Tenant to Landlord hereunder, Tenant shall have the right to make payment “under protest,” such payment shall not be regarded as a voluntary payment, and there shall survive the right on the part of Tenant to institute suit for recovery of the payment paid under protest. |
31.3. If Tenant fails to pay any sum of money required to be paid by it hereunder or perform any other act on its part to be performed hereunder, in each case within the applicable cure period (if any) described in Section 31.4, then Landlord may (but shall not be obligated to), without waiving or releasing Tenant from any obligations of Tenant, make such payment or perform such act; provided that such failure by Tenant unreasonably interfered with the use of the Building or the Project by any other tenant or with the efficient operation of the Building or the Project, or resulted or could have resulted in a violation of Applicable Laws or the cancellation of an insurance policy maintained by Landlord. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of an emergency, Landlord shall have the right to enter the Premises and act in accordance with its rights as provided elsewhere in this Lease. In addition to the late charge described in Section 31.1, Tenant shall pay to Landlord as Additional Rent all sums so paid or incurred by Landlord, together with interest at the Default Rate, computed from the date such sums were paid or incurred. |
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31.4. The occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall constitute a “Default” hereunder by Tenant: |
(a) If Tenant abandons the Premises; |
(b) Tenant fails to make any payment of Rent, as and when due, or to satisfy its obligations under Article 19, where such failure shall continue for a period of three (3) business days after written notice thereof from Landlord to Tenant; |
(c) Tenant fails to observe or perform any obligation or covenant contained herein (other than described in Section 31.4(b)) to be performed by Tenant, where such failure continues for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice thereof from Landlord to Tenant; provided that, if the nature of Tenant’s default is such that it reasonably requires more than thirty (30) days to cure, Tenant shall not be deemed to be in Default if Tenant commences such cure within such thirty (30) day period and thereafter diligently prosecutes the same to completion; and provided, further, that such cure is completed no later than sixty (60) days after Tenant’s receipt of written notice from Landlord; |
(d) Tenant makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; |
(e) A receiver, trustee or custodian is appointed to or does take title, possession or control of all or substantially all of Tenant’s assets; |
(f) Tenant files a voluntary petition under the United States Bankruptcy Code or any successor statute (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Bankruptcy Code”) or an order for relief is entered against Tenant pursuant to a voluntary or involuntary proceeding commenced under any chapter of the Bankruptcy Code; |
(g) Any involuntary petition is filed against Tenant under any chapter of the Bankruptcy Code and is not dismissed within one hundred twenty (120) days; |
(h) Tenant fails to deliver an estoppel certificate in accordance with Article 20; or |
(i) Tenant’s interest in this Lease is attached, executed upon or otherwise judicially seized and such action is not released within one hundred twenty (120) days of the action. |
Notices given under this Section shall specify the alleged default and shall demand that Tenant perform the provisions of this Lease or pay the Rent that is in arrears, as the case may be, within the applicable period of time, or quit the Premises. No such notice shall be deemed a forfeiture or a termination of this Lease unless Landlord elects otherwise in such notice.
31.5. In the event of a Chronic Delinquency (as defined below), Landlord may, in addition to all other remedies under this Lease, at law or in equity, require that Tenant thereafter pay Rent quarterly in advance. This provision shall not limit in any way nor be construed as a waiver of Landlord’s rights and remedies contained in this Lease, at law or in equity in the event of a default. “Chronic Delinquency” means that Tenant commits a Default pursuant to Section 31.4(b) three (3) times in any twelve (12) month period. |
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31.6. In the event of a Default by Tenant, and at any time thereafter, with or without notice or demand and without limiting Landlord in the exercise of any right or remedy that Landlord may have, Landlord has the right to do any or all of the following: |
(a) Halt any Tenant Improvements or Alterations and order Tenant’s contractors, subcontractors, consultants, designers and material suppliers to stop work; |
(b) Terminate Tenant’s right to possession of the Premises by written notice to Tenant or by any lawful means, in which case Tenant shall immediately surrender possession of the Premises to Landlord. In such event, Landlord shall have the immediate right to re-enter and remove all persons and property, and such property may be removed and stored in a public warehouse or elsewhere at the cost and for the account of Tenant, all without service of notice or resort to legal process and without being deemed guilty of trespass or becoming liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned thereby; and |
(c) Terminate this Lease, in which event Tenant shall immediately surrender possession of the Premises to Landlord. In such event, Landlord shall have the immediate right to re-enter and remove all persons and property, and such property may be removed and stored in a public warehouse or elsewhere at the cost and for the account of Tenant, all without service of notice or resort to legal process and without being deemed guilty of trespass or becoming liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned thereby. In the event that Landlord shall elect to so terminate this Lease, then Landlord shall be entitled to recover from Tenant all damages incurred by Landlord by reason of Tenant’s default, including the sum of: |
(i) The worth at the time of award of any unpaid Rent that had accrued at the time of such termination; plus |
(ii) The costs of restoring the Premises to the condition required under the terms of this Lease; plus |
(iii) An amount (the “Election Amount”) equal to either (A) the positive difference (if any, and measured at the time of such termination) between (1) the then-present value of the total Rent that would have accrued to Landlord under this Lease for the remainder of the Term if Tenant had fully complied with the Lease minus (2) the then-present cash rental value of the Premises as reasonably determined by Landlord for what would be the then-unexpired Term if the Lease remained in effect, computed using the discount rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco at the time of the award plus one (1) percentage point (the “Discount Rate”) or (B) twelve (12) months (or such lesser number of months as may then be remaining in the Term) of Base Rent and Additional Rent at the rate last payable by Tenant pursuant to this Lease, in either case as Landlord specifies in such election. Landlord and Tenant agree that the Election Amount represents a reasonable forecast of the minimum damages expected to occur in the event of a breach, taking into account the uncertainty, time and cost of determining elements relevant to actual damages, such as fair market rent, time and costs that may be required to re-lease the Premises, and other factors; and that the Election Amount is not a penalty. |
As used in Section 31.6(c)(i), “worth at the time of award” shall be computed by allowing interest at the Default Rate.
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31.7. In addition to any other remedies available to Landlord at law or in equity and under this Lease, Landlord may continue this Lease in effect after Tenant’s Default and recover Rent as it becomes due. In addition, Landlord shall not be liable in any way whatsoever for its failure or refusal to relet the Premises. For purposes of this Section, the following acts by Landlord will not constitute the termination of Tenant’s right to possession of the Premises: |
(a) Acts of maintenance or preservation or efforts to relet the Premises, including alterations, remodeling, redecorating, repairs, replacements or painting as Landlord shall consider advisable for the purpose of reletting the Premises or any part thereof; or |
(b) The appointment of a receiver upon the initiative of Landlord to protect Landlord’s interest under this Lease or in the Premises. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Default by Tenant, Landlord may elect at any time to terminate this Lease and to recover damages to which Landlord is entitled.
31.8. If Landlord does not elect to terminate this Lease as provided in Section 31.5, then Landlord may, from time to time, recover all Rent as it becomes due under this Lease. At any time thereafter, Landlord may elect to terminate this Lease and to recover damages to which Landlord is entitled. |
31.9. In the event Landlord elects to terminate this Lease and relet the Premises, Landlord may execute any new lease in its own name. Tenant hereunder shall have no right or authority whatsoever to collect any Rent from such tenant. The proceeds of any such reletting shall be applied as follows: |
(a) First, to the payment of any indebtedness other than Rent due hereunder from Tenant to Landlord, including storage charges or brokerage commissions owing from Tenant to Landlord as the result of such reletting; |
(b) Second, to the payment of the costs and expenses of reletting the Premises, including (i) alterations and repairs that Landlord deems reasonably necessary and advisable and (ii) reasonable attorneys’ fees, charges and disbursements incurred by Landlord in connection with the retaking of the Premises and such reletting; |
(c) Third, to the payment of Rent and other charges due and unpaid hereunder; and |
(d) Fourth, to the payment of future Rent and other damages payable by Tenant under this Lease. |
31.10. All of Landlord’s rights, options and remedies hereunder shall be construed and held to be nonexclusive and cumulative. Landlord shall have the right to pursue any one or all of such remedies, or any other remedy or relief that may be provided by Applicable Laws, whether or not stated in this Lease. No waiver of any default of Tenant hereunder shall be implied from any acceptance by Landlord of any Rent or other payments due hereunder or any omission by Landlord to take any action on account of such default if such default persists or is repeated, and no express waiver shall affect defaults other than as specified in such waiver. Notwithstanding |
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any provision of this Lease to the contrary, in no event shall Landlord be required to mitigate its damages with respect to any default by Tenant, except as required by Applicable Laws. Any such obligation imposed by Applicable Laws upon Landlord to relet the Premises after any termination of this Lease shall be subject to the reasonable requirements of Landlord to (a) lease to high quality tenants on such terms as Landlord may from time to time deem appropriate in its discretion and (b) develop the Project in a harmonious manner with a mix of uses, tenants, floor areas, terms of tenancies, etc., as determined by Landlord. Landlord shall not be obligated to relet the Premises to (y) any Tenant’s Affiliate or (z) any party (i) unacceptable to a Lender, (ii) that requires Landlord to make improvements to or re-demise the Premises, (iii) that desires to change the Permitted Use, (iv) that desires to lease the Premises for more or less than the remaining Term or (v) to whom Landlord or an affiliate of Landlord may desire to lease other available space in the Project or at another property owned by Landlord or an affiliate of Landlord. |
31.11. Landlord’s termination of (a) this Lease or (b) Tenant’s right to possession of the Premises shall not relieve Tenant of any liability to Landlord that has previously accrued or that shall arise based upon events that occurred prior to the later to occur of (y) the date of Lease termination and (z) the date Tenant surrenders possession of the Premises. |
31.12. To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, Tenant waives any and all rights of redemption granted by or under any present or future Applicable Laws if Tenant is evicted or dispossessed for any cause, or if Landlord obtains possession of the Premises due to Tenant’s default hereunder or otherwise. |
31.13. Landlord shall not be in default or liable for damages under this Lease unless Landlord fails to perform obligations required of Landlord within a reasonable time, but in no event shall such failure continue for more than thirty (30) days after written notice from Tenant specifying the nature of Landlord’s failure; provided, however, that if the nature of Landlord’s obligation is such that more than thirty (30) days are required for its performance, then Landlord shall not be in default if Landlord commences performance within such thirty (30) day period and thereafter diligently prosecutes the same to completion. In no event shall Tenant have the right to terminate or cancel this Lease or to withhold or abate rent or to set off any Claims against Rent as a result of any default or breach by Landlord of any of its covenants, obligations, representations, warranties or promises hereunder, except as may otherwise be expressly set forth in this Lease. |
31.14. In the event of any default by Landlord, Tenant shall give notice by registered or certified mail to any (a) beneficiary of a deed of trust or (b) mortgagee under a mortgage covering the Premises, the Building or the Project and to any landlord of any lease of land upon or within which the Premises, the Building or the Project is located, and shall offer such beneficiary, mortgagee or landlord a reasonable opportunity to cure the default, including time to obtain possession of the Building or the Project by power of sale or a judicial action if such should prove necessary to effect a cure; provided that Landlord shall furnish to Tenant in writing, upon written request by Tenant, the names and addresses of all such persons who are to receive such notices. |
32. Bankruptcy. In the event a debtor, trustee or debtor in possession under the Bankruptcy Code, or another person with similar rights, duties and powers under any other Applicable Laws, proposes to cure any default under this Lease or to assume or assign this Lease and is obliged to provide adequate assurance to Landlord that (a) a default shall be cured, (b) Landlord shall be |
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compensated for its damages arising from any breach of this Lease and (c) future performance of Tenant’s obligations under this Lease shall occur, then such adequate assurances shall include any or all of the following, as designated by Landlord in its sole and absolute discretion: |
32.1. Those acts specified in the Bankruptcy Code or other Applicable Laws as included within the meaning of “adequate assurance,” even if this Lease does not concern a shopping center or other facility described in such Applicable Laws; |
32.2. A prompt cash payment to compensate Landlord for any monetary defaults or actual damages arising directly from a breach of this Lease; |
32.3. A cash deposit in an amount at least equal to the then-current amount of the Security Deposit; or |
32.4. The assumption or assignment of all of Tenant’s interest and obligations under this Lease. |
33. Brokers. |
33.1. Landlord and Tenant each represents and warrants to the other that it has had no dealings with any real estate broker or agent in connection with the negotiation of this Lease other than Cushman & Wakefield (“Broker”), and that it knows of no other real estate broker or agent that is or might be entitled to a commission in connection with this Lease. Landlord shall compensate Broker in relation to this Lease pursuant to a separate agreement between Landlord and Broker. |
33.2. Tenant represents and warrants that no broker or agent has made any representation or warranty relied upon by Tenant in Tenant’s decision to enter into this Lease, other than as contained in this Lease. |
33.3. Tenant acknowledges and agrees that the employment of brokers by Landlord is for the purpose of solicitation of offers of leases from prospective tenants and that no authority is granted to any broker to furnish any representation (written or oral) or warranty from Landlord unless expressly contained within this Lease. Landlord is executing this Lease in reliance upon Tenant’s representations, warranties and agreements contained within Sections 33.1 and 33.2. |
33.4. Tenant agrees to Indemnify the Landlord Indemnitees for any and all cost or liability for compensation claimed by any broker or agent, other than Broker, employed or engaged by Tenant or claiming to have been employed or engaged by Tenant. |
34. Definition of Landlord. With regard to obligations imposed upon Landlord pursuant to this Lease, the term “Landlord,” as used in this Lease, shall refer only to Landlord or Landlord’s then-current successor-in-interest. In the event of any transfer, assignment or conveyance of Landlord’s interest in this Lease or in Landlord’s fee title to or leasehold interest in the Property, as applicable, Landlord herein named (and in case of any subsequent transfers or conveyances, the subsequent Landlord) shall be automatically freed and relieved, from and after the date of such transfer, assignment or conveyance, from all liability for the performance of any covenants or obligations contained in this Lease thereafter to be performed by Landlord and, without further |
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agreement, the transferee, assignee or conveyee of Landlord’s in this Lease or in Landlord’s fee title to or leasehold interest in the Property, as applicable, shall be deemed to have assumed and agreed to observe and perform any and all covenants and obligations of Landlord hereunder during the tenure of its interest in the Lease or the Property. Landlord or any subsequent Landlord may transfer its interest in the Premises or this Lease without Tenant’s consent. |
35. Limitation of Landlord’s Liability. |
35.1. If Landlord is in default under this Lease and, as a consequence, Tenant recovers a monetary judgment against Landlord, the judgment shall be satisfied only out of (a) the proceeds of sale received on execution of the judgment and levy against the right, title and interest of Landlord in the Building and the Project, (b) rent or other income from such real property receivable by Landlord or (c) the consideration received by Landlord from the sale, financing, refinancing or other disposition of all or any part of Landlord’s right, title or interest in the Building or the Project. |
35.2. Neither Landlord nor any of its affiliates, nor any of their respective partners, shareholders, directors, officers, employees, members or agents shall be personally liable for Landlord’s obligations or any deficiency under this Lease, and service of process shall not be made against any shareholder, director, officer, employee or agent of Landlord or any of Landlord’s affiliates. No partner, shareholder, director, officer, employee, member or agent of Landlord or any of its affiliates shall be sued or named as a party in any suit or action, and service of process shall not be made against any partner or member of Landlord except as may be necessary to secure jurisdiction of the partnership, joint venture or limited liability company, as applicable. No partner, shareholder, director, officer, employee, member or agent of Landlord or any of its affiliates shall be required to answer or otherwise plead to any service of process, and no judgment shall be taken or writ of execution levied against any partner, shareholder, director, officer, employee, member or agent of Landlord or any of its affiliates. |
35.3. Each of the covenants and agreements of this Article shall be applicable to any covenant or agreement either expressly contained in this Lease or imposed by Applicable Laws and shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease. |
36. Joint and Several Obligations. If more than one person or entity executes this Lease as Tenant, then: |
36.1. Each of them is jointly and severally liable for the keeping, observing and performing of all of the terms, covenants, conditions, provisions and agreements of this Lease to be kept, observed or performed by Tenant, and such terms, covenants, conditions, provisions and agreements shall be binding with the same force and effect upon each and all of the persons executing this Agreement as Tenant; and |
36.2. The term “Tenant,” as used in this Lease, shall mean and include each of them, jointly and severally. The act of, notice from, notice to, refund to, or signature of any one or more of them with respect to the tenancy under this Lease, including any renewal, extension, expiration, termination or modification of this Lease, shall be binding upon each and all of the persons executing this Lease as Tenant with the same force and effect as if each and all of them had so |
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acted, so given or received such notice or refund, or so signed. |
37. Representations. Tenant warrants and represents that (a) Tenant is duly incorporated or otherwise established or formed and validly existing under the laws of its state of incorporation, establishment or formation, (b) Tenant has and is duly qualified to do business in the state in which the Property is located, (c) Tenant has full corporate, partnership, trust, association or other appropriate power and authority to enter into this Lease and to perform all Tenant’s obligations hereunder, (d) each person (and all of the persons if more than one signs) signing this Lease on behalf of Tenant is duly and validly authorized to do so and (e) neither (i) the execution, delivery or performance of this Lease nor (ii) the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will violate or conflict with any provision of documents or instruments under which Tenant is constituted or to which Tenant is a party. In addition, Tenant warrants and represents that none of (x) it, (y) its affiliates or partners nor (z) to the best of its knowledge, having made no independent inquiry, its employees, officers, directors, representatives or agents is a person or entity with whom U.S. persons or entities are restricted from doing business under regulations of the Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) of the Department of the Treasury (including those named on OFAC’s Specially Designated and Blocked Persons List) or under any statute, executive order (including the September 24, 2001, Executive Order Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism) or other similar governmental action. |
38. Confidentiality. Except as expressly set forth in this Section 38, Tenant shall keep the terms and conditions of this Lease and any information provided to Tenant or its employees, agents or contractors pursuant to Article 9 confidential and shall not (a) disclose to any third party any terms or conditions of this Lease or any other Lease-related document (including subleases, assignments, work letters, construction contracts, letters of credit, subordination agreements, non-disturbance agreements, brokerage agreements or estoppels) or the contents of any documents, reports, surveys or evaluations related to the Project or any portion thereof or (b) provide to any third party an original or copy of this Lease (or any Lease-related document or other document referenced in Subsection 38(a)). Landlord shall not release to any third party any non-public financial information or non-public information about Tenant’s ownership structure or business that Tenant gives Landlord or that Landlord otherwise obtains. Notwithstanding the foregoing, confidential information under this Section may be released by Landlord or Tenant under the following circumstances: (x) if required by Applicable Laws or in any judicial proceeding, including, without limitation, the required filing by Tenant of this Lease with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), provided that the releasing party has given the other party reasonable notice of such requirement, if feasible; (y) to a party’s attorneys, accountants, brokers, lenders, potential lenders, investors, potential investors and other bona fide consultants or advisers (with respect to this Lease only), provided such third parties agree to be bound by this Section; or (z) to bona fide prospective assignees or subtenants of this Lease, provided such prospective assignees or subtenants agree in writing to be bound by this Section. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the terms and provisions of this Section 38 shall not apply to the copy of the Lease that is filed with the SEC. |
39. Notices . Except as otherwise stated in this Lease, any notice, consent, demand, invoice, statement or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by (a) personal delivery, (b) overnight delivery with a reputable international |
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overnight delivery service, such as FedEx, or (c) facsimile or email transmission, so long as such transmission is followed within one (1) business day by delivery utilizing one of the methods described in Subsection 39(a) or (b). Any such notice, consent, demand, invoice, statement or other communication shall be deemed delivered (x) upon receipt, if given in accordance with Subsection 39(a); (y) one (1) business day after deposit with a reputable international overnight delivery service, if given in accordance with Subsection 39(b); or (z) upon transmission, if given in accordance with Subsection 39(c). Except as otherwise stated in this Lease, any notice, consent, demand, invoice, statement or other communication required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Lease shall be addressed to Tenant at the Premises, or to Landlord or Tenant at the addresses shown in Sections 2.9 and 2.10 or 2.11, respectively. Either party may, by notice to the other given pursuant to this Section, specify additional or different addresses for notice purposes. |
40. Miscellaneous. |
40.1. Landlord reserves the right to change the name of the Building or the Project in its sole discretion. |
40.2. The provisions of this Section 40.2 shall not apply at any time (i) Tenant is a corporation whose shares are traded on any nationally recognized stock exchange, or (ii) Tenant’s direct or indirect parent company (which as of the Execution Date, is Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation) is a corporation whose shares are traded on any nationally recognized stock exchange, and Tenant’s financial statements are fully consolidated with such parent company. To induce Landlord to enter into this Lease, Tenant agrees that it shall furnish to Landlord, from time to time, within ten (10) business days after receipt of Landlord’s written request, the most recent year-end unconsolidated financial statements reflecting Tenant’s current financial condition audited by a nationally recognized accounting firm. Tenant shall, within ninety (90) days after the end of Tenant’s financial year, furnish Landlord with a certified copy of Tenant’s year-end unconsolidated financial statements for the previous year audited by a nationally recognized accounting firm. Tenant represents and warrants that all financial statements, records and information furnished by Tenant to Landlord in connection with this Lease are true, correct and complete in all respects. If audited financials are not otherwise prepared, unaudited financials complying with generally accepted accounting principles and certified by the chief financial officer of Tenant as true, correct and complete in all respects shall suffice for purposes of this Section. If Tenant fails to deliver to Landlord any financial statement within the time period required under this Section, then Tenant shall be required to pay to Landlord an administrative fee equal to Five Hundred Dollars ($500) within five (5) business days after receiving written notice from Landlord advising Tenant of such failure (provided, however, that Landlord’s acceptance of such fee shall not prevent Landlord from pursuing any other rights or remedies under this Lease, at law or in equity). After a Default under Section 31.4(b), within five (5) business days following receipt of written notice of such Default from Landlord, Tenant will provide a written certification from Tenant’s Chief Financial Officer (or equivalent) identifying (a) the Tenant’s cash balance and (b) an estimate of how long the cash balance is expected to sustain Tenant’s operations, for each of clauses (a) and (b), as of the most recent calendar quarter that concluded at least forty (40) days prior to the date of such notice. |
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40.3. Submission of this instrument for examination or signature by Tenant does not constitute a reservation of or option for a lease, and shall not be effective as a lease or otherwise until execution by and delivery to both Landlord and Tenant. |
40.4. The terms of this Lease are intended by the parties as a final, complete and exclusive expression of their agreement with respect to the terms that are included herein, and may not be contradicted or supplemented by evidence of any other prior or contemporaneous agreement. |
40.5. Upon the request of either Landlord or Tenant, the parties shall execute a document in recordable form containing only such information as is necessary to constitute a Notice of Lease under Massachusetts law. All costs of preparing and recording such notice shall be borne by the requesting party. Within ten (10) days after receipt of written request from Landlord after the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease, Tenant shall execute a termination of any Notice of Lease recorded with respect hereto. Neither party shall record this Lease. |
40.6. Where applicable in this Lease, the singular includes the plural and the masculine or neuter includes the masculine, feminine and neuter. The words “include,” “includes,” “included” and “including” mean “‘include,’ etc., without limitation.” The word “shall” is mandatory and the word “may” is permissive. The word “business day” means a calendar day other than any national or local holiday on which federal government agencies in the County of Middlesex are closed for business, or any weekend. The section headings of this Lease are not a part of this Lease and shall have no effect upon the construction or interpretation of any part of this Lease. Landlord and Tenant have each participated in the drafting and negotiation of this Lease, and the language in all parts of this Lease shall be in all cases construed as a whole according to its fair meaning and not strictly for or against either Landlord or Tenant. |
40.7. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Lease, each party shall pay its own costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Lease and such party’s performance under this Lease; provided that, if either party commences an action, proceeding, demand, claim, action, cause of action or suit against the other party arising from or in connection with this Lease, then the substantially prevailing party shall be reimbursed by the other party for all reasonable costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, incurred by the substantially prevailing party in such action, proceeding, demand, claim, action, cause of action or suit, and in any appeal in connection therewith (regardless of whether the applicable action, proceeding, demand, claim, action, cause of action, suit or appeal is voluntarily withdrawn or dismissed). In addition, Landlord shall, upon demand, be entitled to all reasonable attorneys’ fees and all other reasonable costs incurred in the preparation and service of any notice or demand hereunder, regardless of whether a legal action is subsequently commenced, or incurred in connection with any contested matter or other proceeding in bankruptcy court concerning this Lease. |
40.8. Time is of the essence with respect to the performance of every provision of this Lease. |
40.9. Each provision of this Lease performable by Tenant shall be deemed both a covenant and a condition. |
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40.10. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Lease, Tenant’s obligations under this Lease are independent and shall not be conditioned upon performance by Landlord. |
40.11. Whenever consent or approval of either party is required, that party shall not unreasonably withhold, condition or delay such consent or approval, except as may be expressly set forth to the contrary. |
40.12. Any provision of this Lease that shall prove to be invalid, void or illegal shall in no way affect, impair or invalidate any other provision hereof, and all other provisions of this Lease shall remain in full force and effect and shall be interpreted as if the invalid, void or illegal provision did not exist. |
40.13. Each of the covenants, conditions and agreements herein contained shall inure to the benefit of and shall apply to and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective heirs; legatees; devisees; executors; administrators; and permitted successors and assigns. This Lease is for the sole benefit of the parties and their respective heirs, legatees, devisees, executors, administrators and permitted successors and assigns, and nothing in this Lease shall give or be construed to give any other person or entity any legal or equitable rights. Nothing in this Section shall in any way alter the provisions of this Lease restricting assignment or subletting. |
40.14. This Lease shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the state in which the Premises are located, without regard to such state’s conflict of law principles. |
40.15. Intentionally deleted. |
40.16. This Lease may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same document. The parties acknowledge and agree that this Lease may be executed via .pdf format (including computer-scanned or other electronic reproduction of the actual signatures) and that delivery of a signature by electronic or physical means shall be effective to the same extent as delivery of an original signature. Notwithstanding the foregoing, originally signed documents shall be provided upon either party’s request. |
40.17. No provision of this Lease may be modified, amended or supplemented except by an agreement in writing signed by Landlord and Tenant. |
40.18. No waiver of any term, covenant or condition of this Lease shall be binding upon Landlord unless executed in writing by Landlord. The waiver by Landlord of any breach or default of any term, covenant or condition contained in this Lease shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach or default of such term, covenant or condition or any other term, covenant or condition of this Lease. |
40.19. To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the parties waive trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim brought by the other party hereto related to matters arising from or in any way connected with this Lease; the relationship between Landlord and Tenant; Tenant’s use or occupancy of the Premises; or any claim of injury or damage related to this Lease or the Premises. |
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41. Rooftop Installation Area. |
41.1. Tenant may use a portion of the Building allocated by Landlord (the “Rooftop Installation Area”) solely to operate, maintain, repair and replace rooftop antennae, mechanical equipment, communications antennas, a generator, and other equipment installed by Tenant in the Rooftop Installation Area in accordance with this Article (“Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment”). Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment shall be only for Tenant’s use of the Premises for the Permitted Use. |
41.2. Tenant shall install Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment at its sole cost and expense, at such times and in such manner as Landlord may reasonably designate, and in accordance with this Article and the applicable provisions of this Lease regarding Alterations. Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment and the installation thereof shall be subject to Landlord’s prior written approval, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Among other reasons, Landlord may withhold approval if the installation or operation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment could reasonably be expected to damage the structural integrity of the Building or to transmit vibrations or noise or cause other adverse effects beyond the Premises to an extent not customary in first class laboratory buildings, unless Tenant implements measures that are acceptable to Landlord in its reasonable discretion to avoid any such damage or transmission. |
41.3. Tenant shall comply with any roof or roof-related warranties. Tenant shall obtain a letter from Landlord’s roofing contractor within thirty (30) days after completion of any Tenant work on the rooftop stating that such work did not affect any such warranties. Tenant, at its sole cost and expense, shall inspect the Rooftop Installation Area at least annually, and correct any loose bolts, fittings or other appurtenances and repair any damage to the roof arising from the installation or operation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment. Tenant shall not permit the installation, maintenance or operation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment to violate any Applicable Laws or constitute a nuisance. Tenant shall pay Landlord within thirty (30) days after demand (a) all applicable taxes, charges, fees or impositions imposed on Landlord by Governmental Authorities as the result of Tenant’s use of the Rooftop Installation Areas in excess of those for which Landlord would otherwise be responsible for the use or installation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment and (b) the amount of any increase in Landlord’s insurance premiums as a result of the installation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment. Upon Tenant’s written request to Landlord, Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause other tenants to remedy any interference in the operation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment arising from any such tenants’ equipment installed after the applicable piece of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment; provided, however, that Landlord shall not be required to request that such tenants waive their rights under their respective leases. |
41.4. If Tenant’s Equipment (a) causes physical damage to the structural integrity of the Building, (b) interferes with any telecommunications, mechanical or other systems located at or near or servicing the Building or the Project that were installed prior to the installation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment, (c) interferes with any other service provided to other tenants in the Building or the Project by rooftop or penthouse installations that were installed prior to the installation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment or (d) interferes with any other tenants’ business, in each case in excess of that permissible under Federal Communications Commission regulations, then Tenant shall cooperate with Landlord to determine the source of the damage or interference and promptly repair such damage and eliminate such interference, in each case at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, within ten (10) days after receipt of notice of such damage or interference (which notice may be |
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oral; provided that Landlord also delivers to Tenant written notice of such damage or interference within twenty-four (24) hours after providing oral notice). |
41.5. Landlord reserves the right to cause Tenant to relocate Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment to comparably functional space on the roof or in the penthouse of the Building by giving Tenant prior written notice thereof. Landlord agrees to pay the reasonable costs thereof. Tenant shall arrange for the relocation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment within sixty (60) days after receipt of Landlord’s notification of such relocation. In the event Tenant fails to arrange for relocation within such sixty (60)-day period, Landlord shall have the right to arrange for the relocation of Tenant’s Rooftop Equipment in a manner that does not unnecessarily interrupt or interfere with Tenant’s use of the Premises for the Permitted Use. |
42. Option to Extend Term. Tenant shall have one (1) option (the “Option”) to extend the Term by two (2) years as to the entire Premises (and no less than the entire Premises) upon the following terms and conditions. Any extension of the Term pursuant to the Option shall be on all the same terms and conditions as this Lease, except as follows: |
42.1. Base Rent at the commencement of the Option term shall equal the greater of (a) one hundred three percent (103%) of the then-current Base Rent, and (b) the then-current fair market value for comparable office and laboratory space in the East Cambridge submarket of comparable age, quality, level of finish and proximity to amenities and public transit, and containing the systems and improvements present in the Premises as of the date that Tenant gives Landlord written notice of Tenant’s election to exercise the Option (“FMV”), and in each case shall be further increased on each annual anniversary of the Option term commencement date by the greater of: (i) three percent (3%) or (ii) the FMV escalations of Base Rent. Tenant may, no more than eighteen (18) months prior to the date the Term is then scheduled to expire, request Landlord’s estimate of the FMV for the Option term. Landlord shall, within fifteen (15) days after receipt of such request, give Tenant a written proposal of such FMV. If Tenant gives written notice to exercise the Option, such notice shall specify whether Tenant accepts Landlord’s proposed estimate of FMV. If Tenant does not accept the FMV, then the parties shall endeavor to agree upon the FMV, taking into account all relevant factors, including but not limited to (v) the size of the Premises, (w) the length of the Option term, (x) rent in comparable buildings in the relevant submarket, including concessions offered to new tenants, such as free rent, tenant improvement allowances and moving allowances, (y) Tenant’s creditworthiness, and (z) the quality and location of the Building and the Project. In the event that the parties are unable to agree upon the FMV within thirty (30) days after Tenant notifies Landlord that Tenant is exercising the Option, then either party may request that the same be determined as follows: a senior officer of a nationally recognized leasing brokerage firm with local knowledge of the East Cambridge laboratory/research and development leasing submarket (the “Baseball Arbitrator”) shall be selected and paid for jointly by Landlord and Tenant. If Landlord and Tenant are unable to agree upon the Baseball Arbitrator, then the same shall be designated by the local chapter of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services or any successor organization thereto (the “JAMS”). The Baseball Arbitrator selected by the parties or designated by JAMS shall (y) have at least ten (10) years’ experience in the leasing of laboratory/research and development space in the East Cambridge submarket and (z) not have been employed or retained by either Landlord or Tenant or any affiliate of either for a period of at least ten (10) years prior to appointment pursuant hereto. Each of Landlord and Tenant shall submit to the Baseball Arbitrator and to the other party its |
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determination of the FMV. The Baseball Arbitrator shall grant to Landlord and Tenant a hearing and the right to submit evidence. The Baseball Arbitrator shall determine which of the two (2) FMV determinations more closely represents the actual FMV. The arbitrator may not select any other FMV for the Premises other than one submitted by Landlord or Tenant. The FMV selected by the Baseball Arbitrator shall be binding upon Landlord and Tenant and shall serve as the basis for determination of Base Rent payable for the Option term. If, as of the commencement date of the Option term, the amount of Base Rent payable during the Option term shall not have been determined, then, pending such determination, Tenant shall pay Base Rent equal to the Base Rent payable with respect to the last year of the then-current Term. After the final determination of Base Rent payable for the Option term, the parties shall promptly execute a written amendment to this Lease specifying the amount of Base Rent to be paid during the Option term. Any failure of the parties to execute such amendment shall not affect the validity of the FMV determined pursuant to this Section. |
42.2. The Option is not assignable separate and apart from this Lease. |
42.3. The Option is conditional upon Tenant giving Landlord written notice of its election to exercise the Option at least fifteen (15) months prior to the end of the expiration of the then-current Term. Time shall be of the essence as to Tenant’s exercise of the Option. Tenant assumes full responsibility for maintaining a record of the deadlines to exercise the Option. Tenant acknowledges that it would be inequitable to require Landlord to accept any exercise of the Option after the date provided for in this Section. |
42.4. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article to the contrary, Tenant shall not have the right to exercise the Option: |
(a) During the time commencing from the date Landlord delivers to Tenant a written notice that Tenant is in default under any provisions of this Lease and continuing until Tenant has cured the specified default to Landlord’s reasonable satisfaction; |
(b) At any time after any Default as described in Article 31 of the Lease (provided, however, that, for purposes of this Section 42.4(b), Landlord shall not be required to provide Tenant with notice of such Default other than any notice from Landlord that may be required under Article 31 of this Lease) and continuing until Tenant cures any such Default, if such Default is susceptible to being cured; |
(c) In the event that Tenant has defaulted in the performance of its obligation to pay Rent under this Lease two (2) or more times during the twelve (12)-month period immediately prior to the date that Tenant intends to exercise the Option, whether or not Tenant has cured such default; and |
(d) At the time Tenant exercises the Option and as of the last day of the then-current Term, Tenant has not (i) subleased more than 50% of the Rentable Area of the Premises, and (ii) assigned this Lease, except in connection with an Exempt Transfer. |
42.5. The period of time within which Tenant may exercise the Option shall not be extended or enlarged by reason of Tenant’s inability to exercise the Option because of the provisions of Section 42.4. |
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42.6. All of Tenant’s rights under the provisions of the Option shall terminate and be of no further force or effect even after Tenant’s due and timely exercise of the Option if, after such exercise, but prior to the commencement date of the new term, (a) Tenant fails to pay to Landlord a monetary obligation of Tenant for a period of twenty (20) days after written notice from Landlord to Tenant, or (b) Tenant fails to commence to cure a default (other than a monetary default) within thirty (30) days after the date Landlord gives notice to Tenant of such default. |
[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Lease as a sealed Massachusetts instrument as of the date first above written.
LANDLORD:
BMR-ROGERS STREET LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company
By:/s/ Kevin M. Simonsen
Name:Kevin M. Simonsen
Title:Sr. VP, General Counsel & Secretary
TENANT:
SCHOLAR ROCK, INC.,
a Delaware corporation
By:/s/ Nagesh K. Mahanthappa
Name:Nagesh K. Mahanthappa
Title:President & CEO
EXHIBIT A
PREMISES
[Intentionally omitted]
A-1
EXHIBIT A-1
PROPERTY
[Intentionally omitted]
A-1-1
EXHIBIT B
WORK LETTER
[Intentionally omitted]
B-1
EXHIBIT B-1
TENANT WORK INSURANCE SCHEDULE
[Intentionally omitted]
B-1-1
EXHIBIT C
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TERM COMMENCEMENT DATE
AND TERM EXPIRATION DATE
[Intentionally omitted]
B-1-2
EXHIBIT D
[Intentionally omitted]
D-1
EXHIBIT E
FORM OF LETTER OF CREDIT
[Intentionally omitted]
E-1-1
EXHIBIT F
RULES AND REGULATIONS
[Intentionally omitted]
F-1
EXHIBIT G
PTDM
[Intentionally omitted]
G-1-1
EXHIBIT H
TENANT’S PROPERTY
[Intentionally omitted]
H-1
EXHIBIT I
FORM OF ESTOPPEL CERTIFICATE
[Intentionally omitted]
I-1
EXHIBIT J
FORM OF Ground Lessor Nondisturbance Agreement
[Intentionally omitted]
J-1
Exhibit 31.1
Certifications
I, Nagesh K. Mahanthappa, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: November 12, 2019 |
/s/ Nagesh K. Mahanthappa |
|
Nagesh K. Mahanthappa |
|
President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
Certifications
I, Erin Moore, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: November 12, 2019 |
/s/ Erin Moore |
|
Erin Moore |
|
Senior Vice President, Finance (Principal 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 Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (the “Company”) for the period ended September 30, 2019 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), each of the undersigned officers of the Company certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to his or her knowledge, that:
(1)the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2)the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
This certification is being provided pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350 and is not to be deemed a part of the Report, nor is it to be deemed to be “filed” for any purpose whatsoever.
Date: November 12, 2019 |
/s/ Nagesh K. Mahanthappa |
|
Nagesh K. Mahanthappa |
|
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
Date: November 12, 2019 |
/s/ Erin Moore |
|
Erin Moore |
|
Senior Vice President, Finance |