Athenex, Inc. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020  

or

For the transition period from          to          

Commission file number 001-38112

ATHENEX, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(716) 427-2950

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically 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 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.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant calculated based on the closing price of $13.76 of the registrant’s common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market on June 30, 2020, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $702 million.

As of February 19, 2021, 93,454,700 shares of common stock of the registrant were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders currently scheduled to be held on June 4, 2021 are incorporated by reference into Part III Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of this Form 10-K.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of this Annual Report. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, market size, potential growth opportunities, clinical development activities, the timing and results of clinical trials and potential regulatory approval and commercialization of product candidates. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “predict,” “goal,” “strategy,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “indicate,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “expect,” “seek,” “strategy,” “mission” and similar expressions and variations thereof. These words are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all 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 we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this report to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as required by law.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, as used in this Annual Report, the terms “Athenex,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Athenex, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, unless otherwise noted.  

Risk Factors Summary

Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

Risk Related to Clinical Development of Our Proprietary Drug Candidates

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Risks Related to Development, Regulatory Approval and Commercialization

Risks Related to Commercialization of Klisyri® and Our Drug Candidates

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

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Risks Related to Our Industry, Business and Operation

Risks Related to Government Regulation

Risks Related to Our Doing Business in China

Risks Related to Common Stock

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PART I

Overview

Athenex, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“Athenex,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of next generation drugs for the treatment of cancer. Our mission is to improve the lives of cancer patients by creating more effective, safer and tolerable treatments. We are organized around three platforms, an Oncology Innovation Platform, a Commercial Platform and a Global Supply Chain Platform. Our current clinical pipeline in the Oncology Innovation Platform is derived from four different proprietary technologies: (1) Orascovery, based on a P-glycoprotein (“P-gp”) pump inhibitor, (2) Src Kinase inhibition, (3) T-cell Receptor-engineered T-cells (“TCR-T”), and (4) arginine deprivation therapy. We have assembled a strong and experienced leadership team and have established global operations across the pharmaceutical value chain to execute our goal of becoming a global leader in bringing innovative cancer treatments to the market and improving health outcomes.

Significant Developments in the Oncology Innovation Platform

Orascovery Platform

Our Orascovery technology is based on the novel P-gp pump inhibitor molecule, encequidar, formerly known as HM30181A. Oral administration of encequidar in combination with established chemotherapy agents such as paclitaxel, irinotecan, docetaxel, topotecan and eribulin has been shown in our clinical studies to date to improve the absorption of these agents by blocking the P-gp pump in the intestinal wall. Oral paclitaxel and encequidar, formerly known as Oraxol (“Oral Paclitaxel”), is our lead asset in our Orascovery platform. We are also advancing the following clinical candidates for the treatment of solid tumors on this platform: oral irinotecan and encequidar, formerly known as Oratecan (“Oral Irinotecan”); oral docetaxel and encequidar, formerly known as Oradoxel (“Oral Docetaxel”); oral topotecan and encequidar, formerly known as Oratopo (“Oral Topotecan”); and oral eribulin and encequidar, formerly known as Eribulin ORA (“Oral Eribulin”).

Significant developments in our Orascovery platform in 2020 include the following:

On February 26, 2021, we received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regarding our New Drug Application (“NDA”) for Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The FDA issues a CRL to indicate that the review cycle for an application is complete and that the application is not ready for approval in its present form. In the CRL, the FDA indicated its concern of safety risk to patients in terms of an increase in neutropenia-related sequelae on the Oral Paclitaxel arm compared with the IV paclitaxel arm in the Phase III study. The FDA also expressed concerns regarding the uncertainty over the results of the primary endpoint of objective response rate (ORR) at week 19 conducted by blinded independent central review (BICR). The agency stated that the BICR reconciliation and re-read process may have introduced unmeasured bias and influence on the BICR. Additionally, the FDA recommended that we conduct a new adequate and well-conducted clinical trial in a patient population with metastatic breast cancer (“MBC”) representative of the population in the U.S. The agency determined that additional risk mitigation strategies to improve toxicity, which may involve dose optimization and / or exclusion of patients deemed to be at higher risk of toxicity, are required to support potential approval of the NDA.

We are working to consider the appropriate next steps in the development of Oral Paclitaxel. We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the FDA’s response, engage in a dialogue on the design and scope of a clinical trial to address the agency’s requirements and align on the next steps required to obtain approval.

On September 1, 2020, we announced the FDA accepted for filing our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of MBC and granted the application Priority Review. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”), the FDA set a target action date of February 28, 2021.

On December 9, 2020, we presented updated Phase 3 data on survival and tolerability associated with Oral Paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer patients at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (“SABCS”). Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) data presented indicates benefits of Oral Paclitaxel versus IV paclitaxel and supports the superiority of increased overall response rate observed with Oral Paclitaxel. In the intent-to-treat (ITT) population, Oral Paclitaxel showed a benefit on PFS versus IV paclitaxel and showed a trend favoring Oral Paclitaxel on OS versus IV paclitaxel. Oral Paclitaxel demonstrated a median PFS of 8.4 months vs. 7.4 months, hazard ratio (HR) 0.768 (95% CI: 0.584, 1.01), p=0.046. Oral Paclitaxel demonstrated a median OS of 22.7 months vs. 16.5 months, HR 0.794 (95% CI: 0.607, 1.037), p=0.082.

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On September 8, 2020, we and Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative (“Quantum Leap”) jointly announced the launch of two new study arms of the I-SPY 2 TRIAL to evaluate Oral Paclitaxel in combination with GlaxoSmithKline’s (“GSK”) dostarlimab, an investigational antibody binding PD-1, in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy setting, targeting stage 2/3 HER2+ and HER2- breast cancers. The I-SPY 2 TRIAL, sponsored by Quantum Leap, is a standing Phase 2 randomized, controlled, multicenter platform with a Bayesian adaptive randomization design aimed to rapidly screen and identify promising new treatments in specific subgroups of adults with newly-diagnosed, high-risk (high likelihood of recurrence), locally-advanced breast cancer that is either Stage II or Stage III. GSK will provide dostarlimab. We will provide Oral Paclitaxel. Quantum Leap will be responsible for running the trial.

On May 29, 2020, we presented interim data from an ongoing Phase II clinical trial in which Oral Paclitaxel monotherapy showed encouraging efficacy and tolerability in elderly patients with unresectable cutaneous angiosarcoma, an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. The interim results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2020 Virtual Scientific Program and reflected data from 22 evaluable patients out of 26 enrolled patients. The interim data showed a clinical benefit rate (CR+PR+SD) of 100% in 22 evaluable patients who reached their first post treatment efficacy evaluation. All 22 patients experienced a reduction in tumor size. Complete responses (CR) were observed in 27.3% of patients (6/22), partial responses (PR) were observed in 22.7% of patients (5/22), and stable disease was observed in 50% of patients (11/22). Oral Paclitaxel has been generally well tolerated in this predominantly elderly population.

We are also evaluating Oral Paclitaxel in combination with other therapies, including anti-VEGF and anti-PD-1 therapies. We are studying Oral Paclitaxel with ramucirumab in a Phase 1b study in patients with advanced gastric cancer who failed previous chemotherapy and the expansion phase of the study has completed enrollment. Our Phase 1/2 study of Oral Paclitaxel in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid malignancies is ongoing.

In addition to our lead product candidate, development of our other Orascovery product candidates is ongoing. We are planning Phase 2 studies for both Oral Irinotecan and Oral Docetaxel. A Phase 1 study of Oral Eribulin in patients with solid tumors is ongoing.

Src Kinase Inhibition Platform

Our Src Kinase inhibition platform technology is based on novel small molecule compounds that have multiple mechanisms of action, including the inhibition of the activity of Src Kinase and the inhibition of tubulin polymerization, which may limit the growth or proliferation of cancerous cells. We believe the combination of these mechanisms of action provides a broader range of anti-cancer activity compared to either mechanism of action alone. Our lead product candidate on our Src Kinase inhibition platform is tirbanibulin (formerly known as KX2-391 and KX-01) ointment, which we are advancing for the treatment of actinic keratosis (“AK”) as well as psoriasis and skin cancer. Our other clinical candidates and their indications in this platform include tirbanibulin oral for solid and liquid tumors, and KX2-361, formerly known as KX-02, for brain cancers, such as glioblastoma multiforme (“GBM”).

Significant developments in our Src Kinase inhibition platform in 2020 include the following:

On December 15, 2020, we announced that the FDA has approved Klisyri® (tirbanibulin) for the topical treatment of AK on the face or scalp. Klisyri is the first FDA approved branded proprietary product for Athenex and was launched in the U.S., led by our partner Almirall S.A (“Almirall”) on February 18, 2021. Klisyri will be manufactured by Athenex, highlighting the vertically integrated capabilities of the company ranging from a preclinical lead to a developed product for market launch. The FDA approved Klisyri based on the data from two pivotal, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled Phase 3 studies (KX01-AK-003 and KX01-AK-004) that evaluated the efficacy and safety of Klisyri (tirbanibulin) ointment 1% in 702 adults with AK of the face or scalp. Tirbanibulin demonstrated complete clearance of AK lesions at day 57 in treated face or scalp areas in a significantly higher number of patients compared to vehicle. The most common adverse events were application site pruritus and pain reported by 9% and 10% of treated patients, respectively.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the pivotal Phase 3 trial results on Klisyri® for the topical treatment of AK of the face or scalp in the February 11, 2021 issue.

In March 2020, our partner Almirall announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted the filing of a European marketing authorization for tirbanibulin ointment for the treatment of AK.

On February 15, 2021, we entered into the Second Amendment to the 2011 license agreement with PharmaEssentia Corp. (“PharmaEssentia”) for tirbanibulin ointment. The Second Amendment expands the territory to include Japan and South Korea and includes a license to use the intellectual property for additional dermatology indications and skin cancer in the existing territories.

The development of our other Src Kinase programs/product candidates is ongoing.

Other Platforms

The other technologies in our Oncology Innovation Platform are our TCR-T immunotherapy technology under which we are advancing TCR affinity-enhancing specific T-cell (TAEST) therapy with our first drug candidate, TCRT-ESO-A2, and our arginine deprivation therapy technology under which we are advancing PT01, also known as Pegtomarginase.

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In September 2020, we announced that the FDA allowed our Investigational New Drug (IND) application for TCRT-ESO-A2, an autologous T cell receptor (TCR)-T cell therapy targeting solid tumors that are NY-ESO-1 positive in HLA-A*02:01 positive patients. TCRT-ESO-A2 is being developed by Axis Therapeutics Limited, a joint venture between Athenex and Xiangxue Life Sciences Limited (“XLifeSc”). TCRT-ESO-A2 is similar to TAEST16001, an autologous cell-based therapy being developed simultaneously by XLifeSc for clinical application in China in that both therapies express the same affinity-enhanced TCR.

PT01 targets cancer growth and survival by removing the supply of arginine to cancers that have a disrupted urea cycle. The FDA allowed our IND application for the clinical investigation of PT01 for the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies in 2019. We plan to initiate first human exposure in 2021.

Other Business Developments

Other significant business developments for the Company in 2020 include:

Overview of Our Business Organization Commercial Platform U.S. Sales & Marketing Chicago, IL Global Partnering Chicago, IL Oncology Innovation Platform Research Labs Buffalo, NY Clinical  Development Buffalo, NY Hong Kong, HK Cranford, NJ Chongqing, China Taipei, Taiwan Buffalo, NY Cranford, NJ Chongqing, China Taipei, Taiwan Regulatory Global Supply Chain Platform cGMP High  Potency API  Facilities Chongqing, China Under Development cGMP  Manufacturing Clarence, NY Formulation Labs Buffalo

Mission and Strategy

We have a comprehensive and experienced leadership team who have come together under one organization to achieve our mission of improving the lives of cancer patients by creating more effective, safer and tolerable treatments. We have the goal of becoming a global leader in bringing innovative cancer treatments to the market and improving health outcomes. To achieve our goal, we have established the following strategic priorities, which, after receipt of a CRL for our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel, are currently under review by management:

Obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates and prepare to commercialize Klisyri and our other approved products in the U.S. and abroad - On February 26, 2021, we received a CRL from the FDA regarding our NDA for our lead product candidate, Oral Paclitaxel, for metastatic breast cancer. We are working to consider the appropriate next steps in the development of Oral Paclitaxel. We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the FDA’s response, engage in a dialogue on the design and scope of a clinical trial to address the agency’s requirements and align on the next steps required to obtain approval.

Our goal with Oral Paclitaxel, in the event we decide to continue development after our meeting with the FDA, is to establish it, if approved, as the chemotherapy of choice for patients with MBC and to commercialize Oral Paclitaxel in the U.S. by leveraging our commercialization capabilities in the U.S. We also plan to evaluate marketing options outside of the U.S., including using our internal resources, partnering with others, or out-licensing the product. The FDA has approved Klisyri® (tirbanibulin) for the topical treatment of AK on the face or scalp. Our strategic partner Almirall launched Klisyri in the U.S. on February 18, 2021 and will employ its expertise to support the development of tirbanibulin in Europe. Almirall will also commercialize the product in European countries, including Russia, if approved in those jurisdictions.

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Rapidly and concurrently advance our other clinical programs and product candidates - We intend to pursue the fastest feasible pathways to approval of our existing clinical product pipeline. We plan to continue to advance our studies evaluating Oral Paclitaxel in other indications. As part of our label expansion strategy, we intend to pursue those indications where paclitaxel is already indicated by FDA approval or is on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (“NCCN”) guidelines, and we also intend to explore combinations with new modalities, such as immunotherapies and targeted therapies. We will continue to advance the development of our other Orascovery product candidates to maximize the value of the Orascovery platform. In addition, we continue to make progress with the development of the clinical program for tirbanibulin. We will also evaluate options to enter into partnerships and collaborations where appropriate.

Enhance and expand our other new technology platforms -  We intend to continue expanding and broadening our oncology pipeline. In 2020, the FDA allowed the IND application for TCRT-ESO-A2, which represents Athenex’s first T cell therapy product cleared to advance to the first stage of clinical development in the U.S. The FDA also allowed the IND application for the clinical investigation of PT01, an arginine deprivation therapy, for the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies and we plan to initiate first human exposure in 2021. In addition to our existing portfolio of clinical candidates, our research and development teams are evaluating additional applications of our novel technology platforms. For example, our novel Cytochrome P450 (“CYP”) and P-gp dual inhibitor technology could expand the breadth of application for our oral enabling platform.

Leverage our global research and development operations to continue development of an oncology-focused product pipeline - We have research and development operations in the U.S., U.K., China, Taiwan and Latin America that are focused on advancing our existing product pipeline and on developing additional novel clinical drug product candidates in order to replenish our development pipeline as other candidates mature. We have developed a core competency in oral absorption technology and apply that skill to develop new methods of drug discovery and to identify new pipeline candidates. In addition, we may leverage our research and development capabilities to partner with others for the development of new pipeline candidates. We believe that we can create substantial long-term value by pursuing a robust, ongoing research and development program.

Continue to build an integrated business model that leverages our proprietary commercial platform, supply chain and cGMP manufacturing capabilities - We built our U.S. commercial operation in preparation for future FDA approvals of our proprietary product candidates. We believe that our experienced product commercialization team can build an infrastructure that leverages both our global facilities and collaborative relationships to achieve global distribution of any products approved by the FDA and regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions, as applicable, in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our strategic partner Almirall will employ its expertise to support the development in Europe and also to commercialize tirbanibulin in the U.S. and, if approved, European countries, including Russia. In addition, we currently expect to continue to invest in our CMC development for our product candidates and manufacturing infrastructure, which may involve significant capital expenditures, utilizing current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) manufacturing facilities from our public/private partnerships in both the China and U.S. markets as a mechanism to build-out our supply chain around the world. We plan to manufacture 503B compounding products at our Dunkirk facility when it is operational later this year, and to also utilize the facility for specialty products and our proprietary drugs in the future.

Selectively pursue strategic M&A, licensing or partnership opportunities to complement our existing operations - We continue to pursue strategic acquisitions, licensing and partnership opportunities. We will continue to target opportunities that will complement our existing portfolio and operations to create value for stockholders and support our business strategy and mission.

Operating Segments

We have organized our business model into three platforms: (1) our Oncology Innovation Platform, dedicated to the research and development of our proprietary drugs; (2) our Commercial Platform, focused on the sales and marketing of our specialty drugs and the market development of our proprietary drugs; and (3) our Global Supply Chain Platform, dedicated to providing a stable and efficient supply of APIs for our clinical and commercial efforts. Athenex has global operations with offices and facilities in Buffalo and Clarence, New York; Cranford, New Jersey; Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Hong Kong; Taipei, Taiwan; multiple locations in Chongqing, China; Manchester, United Kingdom; Guatemala City, Guatemala and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Our Oncology Innovation Platform

Within our Oncology Innovation Platform, we have four different technologies: (1) Orascovery, based on a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) pump inhibitor, (2) Src Kinase inhibition, (3) TCR-T immunotherapy, and (4) arginine deprivation therapy. The following table summarizes the development status of our current pipeline of product candidates in our Oncology Innovation Platform as of December 31, 2020:

May 2019  Program Drug Candidate Indication Pre-clinical Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Orascovery  (P-gp inhibitor [ encequidar ] +  chemoRx agents )  Oral paclitaxel + encequidar Metastatic breast cancer Angiosarcoma Oral paclitaxel + encequidar w/  pembrolizumab Solid tumors Oral paclitaxel + encequidar w/  ramucirumab Gastric cancer Oral irinotecan + encequidar Solid tumors Oral docetaxel + encequidar Solid tumors  Oral topotecan + encequidar Solid tumors Oral  eribulin + encequidar Solid tumors  Dual Inhibition ATNX - 04 (CYP / P - gp) Multiple tumors Src Kinase Inhibition Tirbanibulin ointment Actinic keratosis Psoriasis Skin Cancers Tirbanibulin  oral Liquid tumors Ovarian cancer KX2 - 361 Glioblastoma TCR - T Immunotherapy TAEST16001 Multiple tumors Arginine Deprivation Therapy PT01 ( Pegtomarginase) Multiple tumors

In addition to our existing portfolio of clinical candidates, our research and development teams are evaluating additional applications of our novel technology platforms. For example, our novel CYP and P-gp dual inhibitor technology could expand the breadth of application for our oral enabling platform.

We collaborate with a number of biotechnology pharmaceutical companies, including Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Hanmi”), Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”), Almirall, Xiangxue, ZenRx Limited (“ZenRx”) and PharmaEssentia, to support the development of our clinical pipeline globally and explore additional indications. For additional information, please see “Business—License and Collaboration Agreements”.

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Our Orascovery Platform

Our Orascovery platform technology is based on the novel oral P-gp pump inhibitor molecule, encequidar. The P-gp pump is a plasma membrane efflux protein on the cells which forms a localized drug transport system. In the intestine it limits the oral absorption of a large number of drugs, including widely used P-gp substrate cancer chemotherapeutic drugs such as paclitaxel, irinotecan, docetaxel and eribulin, thus restricting their current dosing to IV administration. We are developing a series of orally administered chemotherapeutic agents using our proprietary P-gp pump inhibitor delivery system. For our lead Orascovery product candidate, Oral Paclitaxel, sequential co-administration of encequidar and oral paclitaxel is designed to facilitate oral absorption of paclitaxel and achieve therapeutic blood levels. Studies conducted to date have indicated that oral administration of paclitaxel in combination with encequidar has lower peak concentrations of paclitaxel in the blood which we believe will result in lower rates of peripheral neuropathy. In addition, oral administration eliminates infusion-related reactions related to IV administration of paclitaxel, which could improve patient tolerability and allow for longer dosing durations to improve efficacy. The technology is designed to enable the oral administration of many cancer agents, which currently are only given by IV due to poor oral absorption. Oral administration of certain cytotoxic chemotherapies can potentially overcome several key challenges in IV administration of those drugs. In addition to Oral Paclitaxel, we are advancing Oral Irinotecan, Oral Docetaxel, Oral Topotecan and Oral Eribulin as other clinical candidates on this platform.

Chemotherapeutic agents such as paclitaxel, irinotecan, docetaxel and eribulin are clinically proven and widely used. However, these agents have historically been limited to IV administration, which can result in adverse events which are due, in part, to high peak blood concentration levels of the chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, for some agents, there are infusion-related reactions caused, in part, by solubilizing dilution agents used to facilitate IV administration. A cancer patient’s inability to tolerate IV chemotherapies may limit the long-term efficacy of IV anti-cancer therapies. We believe our pipeline products, which leverages our proprietary delivery system will expand the use of these chemotherapeutic agents. We believe that our Orascovery platform overcomes the current challenges of chemotherapeutic agents by allowing more frequent dosing over longer periods of time, which we believe will lead to better tolerability and allow for higher total dosage and longer exposure to the chemotherapeutic agent.

We have historically observed that a novel technology applied to a traditional chemotherapy agent may achieve pricing premiums if data demonstrates superior efficacy and tolerability as compared to current standards of care. We believe our pipeline products will be able to capture a large untapped market and achieve significantly larger market potential than the revenue generated by existing formulations, due to (1) increasing adoption of oral therapy due to patient preference, (2) the potential for improved response rates through greater exposure (based on our predictive model), (3) the potential for improved tolerability (based on our predictive model) and (4) the possibility to expand the market through combination therapies with immuno-oncology therapy and oral targeted treatments.

Encequidar—Our Novel P-gp Pump Inhibitor

The novel P-gp inhibition molecule, encequidar (formerly known as HM30181A), belongs to a new class of P-gp inhibitor that has high potency, specificity and local action at the intestine cells, and forms the cornerstone of our Orascovery platform. Encequidar is designed to enable the administration of oral dosing formats of paclitaxel, irinotecan, docetaxel, topotecan, and eribulin, each of which is currently under clinical development. The feature that distinguishes encequidar from other small molecule P-gp inhibitors is that this novel compound is specific to P-gp, does not interfere significantly with the activity of other related transporters and does not significantly inhibit cytochrome 3A4, an enzyme that is important in the metabolism of commonly used drugs. Encequidar is minimally absorbed following oral administration. This localizes P-gp inhibitory activity in the gastrointestinal tract, limiting the potential for interaction at additional systemic sites where P-gp is expressed. Based on the results of our encequidar clinical development programs to date, inhibition of gastrointestinal P-gp has been shown to improve the absorption of chemotherapy agents to achieve systemic exposure profiles which enhance the efficacy and may reduce toxicity of these established chemotherapeutic agents. Based on its pharmacological profile and low systemic absorption, encequidar is not expected to cause drug-to-drug interactions other than enhancement of oral absorption of medications which are P-gp substrates.

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Mechanism of Action - P-gp Inhibition

Encequidar is a P-gp pump inhibitor and an oral absorption enhancer that prevents the P-gp pump-mediated efflux of chemotherapy agents back into the gastrointestinal tract. P-gp plays an important physiologic role as a transporter protein at multiple barrier sites, including the gastrointestinal tract and the blood brain barrier (“BBB”). The demonstrated role of P-gp in limiting intestinal absorption of multiple cancer chemotherapies highlighted the potential utility of a small molecule P-gp inhibitor for enabling oral administration of P-gp substrate drugs otherwise restricted to IV dosing. Encequidar was originally identified by Hanmi as a highly selective and potent P-gp inhibitor, capable of elevating the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel from less than 5% (in the absence of encequidar) to 41% in rats. As shown in the below chart, encequidar is distinct from previously developed small molecule P-gp inhibitors because it is designed to not be systemically absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract following oral administration with only small amounts detectable in the plasma even after relatively high doses. This unique property makes encequidar a good candidate for co-administration with P-gp substrate drugs, such as paclitaxel, which normally exhibit poor oral bioavailability and are therefore limited to IV routes of dosing.

Clinical Development

In three separate pharmacokinetics (“PK”) studies of encequidar conducted in healthy subjects, a total of 81 individuals received single oral doses of encequidar tablets in single doses of up to 900 mg, and 30 individuals were enrolled in multiple dose cohorts with treatment groups receiving encequidar tablets ranging from 60 to 360 mg per day for five days. Encequidar was well-tolerated, with mostly mild gastrointestinal adverse effects. No serious adverse events (“SAEs”) were reported. At the current clinical dose of 15 mg given once daily for up to five days, the Cmax in systemic circulation is low. Drug-drug interaction studies of encequidar with digoxin and dabigatran have been conducted, and the metabolism and routes of excretion in humans has been determined.

Our Orascovery Product Candidates

Oral Paclitaxel and Encequidar

Overview

IV paclitaxel is used widely for the treatment of breast, ovarian, and lung cancer. Due to its poor solubility, paclitaxel is usually dissolved in ethanol and polyethoxylated castor oil, which is a major cause of IV hypersensitivity reactions. As a result, premedication with high dose steroids and antihistamines is required to minimize these adverse reactions. Additional common toxicities associated with IV administration of paclitaxel include neuropathy, neutropenia and alopecia. These side effects limit dose intensification and often require reduction in dosing.

As a single agent or in combination, IV paclitaxel is administered at a variety of doses and regimens that are approved for therapeutic use for various paclitaxel indications, including 175 and 135 mg/m² administered as both three and twenty-four hour infusions, respectively, once every three weeks. Over the past number of years, there has been great interest in dose dense therapy with paclitaxel, switching from the conventional every three-week regimen to administering the drug once weekly. Dose dense treatment with paclitaxel has various advantages that can lead to an increase in the overall exposure, as measured by area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), over a treatment cycle, while balancing the adverse event profile normally observed, such as neutropenia. This concept is consistent with the hypothesis of maintaining sufficient drug concentrations above a threshold target value for an extended duration.

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Oral Paclitaxel is our lead drug candidate in our Orascovery Platform and is initially being developed for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer. We conducted a pivotal, randomized Phase 3 study of Oral Paclitaxel monotherapy versus IV paclitaxel monotherapy which met its primary endpoint of confirmed response rate in patients receiving Oral Paclitaxel. On February 26, 2021, we received a CRL from the FDA regarding our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel. We are working to consider the appropriate next steps in the development of Oral Paclitaxel. We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the FDA’s response, engage in a dialogue on the design and scope of a clinical trial to address the agency’s requirements and align on the next steps required to obtain approval. Although our plans may change based on our discussions with the FDA, we are also evaluating Oral Paclitaxel (1) as a monotherapy treatment for patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma, (2) in combination with ramucirumab for patients with advanced gastric cancers, (3) in combination with pembrolizumab for advanced solid malignancies including urothelial, gastric or gastroesophageal or non-small cell lung cancer, and (4) in combination with GSK’s dostarlimab in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy setting for breast cancer. We have also been working to develop Oral Paclitaxel for additional indications and are exploring potential combinations with immuno-oncology agents.

Overview of Clinical Findings

As of December 31, 2020, five Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical studies of Oral Paclitaxel have been completed. However, the FDA, in its CRL dated February 26, 2021 has indicated an additional trial and additional risk mitigation strategies to improve toxicity, which may involve dose optimization and / or exclusion of the patients deemed to be at a higher risk of toxicity, are required to support potential approval of the NDA. Oral Paclitaxel (encequidar plus oral paclitaxel) administration has shown to result in overall exposure in the blood approximately equivalent to that achieved with 80 mg/m² of IV paclitaxel. We believe oral dosing of paclitaxel can provide a longer drug exposure over a target drug concentration than IV paclitaxel, which may translate to better clinical response. We also observed in a Phase 3 clinical study of 402 metastatic breast cancer patients that Oral Paclitaxel had statistically significantly higher confirmed tumor response rate with lower incidence and severity of neuropathy compared to IV paclitaxel. See “Our Orascovery Product Candidates— Oral Paclitaxel and Encequidar—Clinical Development by Indication—Metastatic Breast Cancer—Phase 3 Study” for a further discussion of the results of the Phase 3 study.

We have also completed a randomized two-way crossover study comparing the exposure of paclitaxel after administration of IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m² and Oral Paclitaxel 205mg/m² daily over three consecutive days. Intensive PK sampling was conducted over each treatment period. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the exposure to paclitaxel, based on the AUC was similar between the two treatments. For Oral Paclitaxel, the AUC was 5033 ng.hr/mL and Cmax was 397 ng/mL. For IV paclitaxel, the AUC was 5595 ng.hr/mL with a Cmax of 2732 ng/mL. The geometric ratio and 90% confidence intervals for AUC was 89.5% (83.9-95.5) falling within the guidelines for equivalence.  

Clinical Development by Indication

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Phase 2 Study

We conducted a PK and Phase 2 study of Oral Paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer who failed previous chemotherapies in Taiwan. The study was a multicenter, single-arm, open-label, PK study of Oral Paclitaxel administered orally for 3 consecutive days weekly for up to 16 weeks. We presented encouraging data on the efficacy of Oral Paclitaxel in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients obtained from this Phase 2 study at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting. Study results on tumor response showed that there were 6 (27.3%) complete response, 5 (22.7%) partial response, and 11 (50%) stable disease in 22 evaluable patients. Three patients had treatment-related SAEs (grade ≥3 neutropenia) and all patients recovered completely. PK results showed that the AUC of Oral Paclitaxel at week-1 was reproducible at week-4 (3050 to 3594 ng-hr/mL). The results indicated that weekly Oral Paclitaxel can achieve paclitaxel exposure similar to that of weekly IV paclitaxel (80mg/m²) reported previously and that Oral Paclitaxel appears effective in the treatment of advanced breast cancer patients.

Phase 3 Study

Our Phase 3 pivotal study of Oral Paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer was a randomized, active-controlled clinical trial comparing Oral Paclitaxel monotherapy against IV paclitaxel monotherapy. The trial randomized subjects in a 2:1 ratio to Oral Paclitaxel, and was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of Oral Paclitaxel with IV paclitaxel. The primary endpoint was ORR (confirmed by scans at two consecutive timepoints) as assessed by RECIST v1.1 criteria, a generally accepted method for assessing tumor response. Blinded assessments of tumor response were made by independent radiologists.

A total of 402 metastatic breast cancer patients were enrolled (Oral Paclitaxel=265 vs. IV paclitaxel=137), which represented the ITT population. Patient demographics were balanced. The prespecified modified ITT (“mITT”) population comprised 360 patients (Oral Paclitaxel =235 vs. IV paclitaxel=125), which includes patients who received at least 7 doses of Oral Paclitaxel (the majority of one cycle of treatment) or one dose of IV paclitaxel and excludes patients that did not have tumors that could be evaluated by the central radiologist at baseline.  The study was designed with 360 evaluable patients (prespecified mITT population) and was statistically powered to detect a difference of 15% in confirmed ORR at p=0.045 with 80% power at the final analysis.  

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In the final analysis of the primary endpoint of the study, Oral Paclitaxel (205 mg/m² per day 3 days/week) showed a statistically significant improvement in ORR at 40.4% compared to IV paclitaxel (175 mg/m² once every 3 weeks) at 25.6%, a difference of 14.8% (p=0.005) favoring Oral Paclitaxel, based on prespecified mITT analysis. Based on ITT analysis, Oral Paclitaxel showed a statistically significant improvement in ORR over IV paclitaxel, with 35.8% ORR, compared to 23.4% for IV paclitaxel, a difference of 12.4% (p=0.011).

Secondary endpoints in the study include PFS and OS. In December 2020, we presented updated PFS and OS data from our Phase 3 study of Oral Paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer at the 2020 SABCS. In the ITT population, the median PFS showed a benefit for Oral Paclitaxel versus IV paclitaxel (8.4 months vs. 7.4 months, respectively; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.768; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.584, 1.01; p = 0.046). The median OS data demonstrated a trend favoring Oral Paclitaxel versus IV paclitaxel (22.7 months vs. 16.5 months, respectively; HR = 0.794; 95% CI: 0.607, 1.037; p = 0.082). In the mITT population, the median PFS data showed a benefit for Oral Paclitaxel versus IVP (8.4 vs. 7.4 months, respectively; HR = 0.739; 95% CI: 0.561, 0.974; p = 0.023). Median OS data also showed a benefit for Oral Paclitaxel versus IV paclitaxel (23.3 months vs. 16.3 months, respectively; HR = 0.735; 95% CI: 0.556, 0.972; p = 0.026).

Based on data presented at the 2019 SABCS: 31.1% of IV paclitaxel patients experienced grade 2 or above neuropathy versus 7.6% of Oral Paclitaxel patients.  The results also showed lower incidence of alopecia compared to IV paclitaxel, with 28.8% of the Oral Paclitaxel group experiencing alopecia versus 48.2% of the IV paclitaxel group in treatment-emergent adverse events of interest. For other treatment-emergent adverse events of interest, there was a higher incidence of neutropenia with CTCAE grade ≥ 3 (29.9% vs. 28.1%; with Grade 4 14.8% vs 8.9%) and gastro-intestinal side effects, such as diarrhea with CTCAE grade ≥ 3 (5.3% vs. 1.5%) and vomiting or nausea with CTCAE grade ≥ 3 (6.8% vs. 0.7%), in the Oral Paclitaxel group as compared to the IV paclitaxel group.

Based on data presented at the 2020 SABCS: all grades of neuropathy were observed in 22% of Oral Paclitaxel patients versus 64% of IV paclitaxel patients, and grade 3 neuropathy was observed in 2% of Oral Paclitaxel patients versus 15% of IV paclitaxel patients. Also presented were data on the effect of prophylactic treatments on the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal-related adverse events. After approximately 30% of patients were enrolled, the Phase 3 trial protocol was amended to allow patients randomized to the Oral Paclitaxel arm to receive prophylactic pre-medications for gastrointestinal side effects. Overall gastrointestinal (GI)-related adverse events (AEs) were less frequent in the IV paclitaxel arm. GI-related AEs improved in the Oral Paclitaxel arm following the amendment, as measured by lower incidences of grade 2 vomiting before and after amendment (24% vs. 7%) and grade 2 diarrhea before and after amendment (27% vs. 16%).

On February 26, 2021, we received a CRL from the FDA regarding our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The FDA issues a CRL to indicate that the review cycle for an application is complete and that the application is not ready for approval in its present form. In the CRL, the FDA indicated its concern of safety risk to patients in terms of an increase in neutropenia-related sequelae on the Oral Paclitaxel arm compared with the IV paclitaxel arm in the Phase III study. The FDA also expressed concerns regarding the uncertainty over the results of the primary endpoint of objective response rate (ORR) at week 19 conducted by BICR. The agency stated that the BICR reconciliation and re-read process may have introduced unmeasured bias and influence on the BICR. Additionally, the FDA recommended that we conduct a new adequate and well-conducted clinical trial in a patient population with MBC representative of the population in the U.S. The agency determined that additional risk mitigation strategies to improve toxicity, which may involve dose optimization and / or exclusion of patients deemed to be at higher risk of toxicity, are required to support potential approval of the NDA. We are working to consider the appropriate next steps in the development of Oral Paclitaxel. We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the FDA’s response, engage in a dialogue on the design and scope of a clinical trial to address the agency’s requirements and align on the next steps required to obtain approval.

In the event we continue to pursue Oral Paclitaxel after our meeting with the FDA and ultimately receive regulatory approval from the FDA for MBC, we plan to pursue additional oncology indications where we believe taxanes will remain a foundational treatment and to continue exploring combination therapies.

Angiosarcoma

We have also been developing Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of angiosarcoma. Angiosarcomas are rare, aggressive and heterogeneous tumors accounting for approximately 2% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Only limited treatment options for advanced disease exist with poor outcomes and low 5-year survival rates.

In the angiosarcoma xenograft model in preclinical studies, oral dosing of Oral Paclitaxel resulted in dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and subsequent increased survival. Tumor histology revealed that Oral Paclitaxel greatly reduced the formation of cavernous blood-filled neoplastic vessels characteristic of angiosarcoma.

We commenced a study of Oral Paclitaxel monotherapy in the treatment of angiosarcoma in December 2018. At the ASCO 2020 Virtual Scientific Program, we announced interim data from an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial in which Oral Paclitaxel monotherapy showed encouraging efficacy and tolerability in elderly patients with unresectable cutaneous angiosarcoma, an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. The interim results reflect data from 22 evaluable patients out of 26 enrolled patients. The interim data showed a clinical benefit rate (CR+PR+SD) of 100% in 22 evaluable patients who reached their first post treatment efficacy evaluation. All 22 patients experienced reduction in tumor size. Complete responses (CR) were observed in 27.3% of patients (6/22), partial responses (PR) were observed in 22.7% of patients (5/22), and stable disease was observed in 50% of patients (11/22). Oral Paclitaxel has been generally well tolerated in this predominantly elderly population. The study is ongoing.

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Other Indications

We are conducting an MTD (maximum tolerated dose) study of Oral Paclitaxel in combination with ramucirumab in patients with advanced gastric cancer in the U.S. and Asia through a clinical trial collaboration with Lilly. We commenced a study of up to 32 patients in a dose escalation part of the trial with a dose expansion of Oral Paclitaxel in combination with a fixed dose of ramucirumab in July 2017.

The objective of our ongoing Phase 1 study is to define the MTD of daily Oral Paclitaxel dosing, starting at 200 mg/m² for three days in a week, in combination with ramucirumab, which will be dosed every other week. In the first part of the study, 17 subjects were enrolled at doses ranging from 200-300 mg/m². We defined the MTD dose of Oral Paclitaxel as 200 mg/m² daily for three consecutive days weekly in combination with ramucirumab. Dose limiting toxicities (“DLTs”) included febrile neutropenia, grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 gastric hemorrhage. The most frequently reported adverse events were vomiting (70%), neutropenia (59%), decreased appetite (53%), nausea (24%) and mucositis (24%). The second part of the study is ongoing.

We have an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study to assess the safety, tolerability and activity of Oral Paclitaxel in combination with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) antibody (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced solid malignancies. Pembrolizumab is a checkpoint inhibitor approved by the FDA. The study is being conducted in patients with urothelial, gastric or gastroesophageal or non-small cell lung cancer that have previously failed treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor. Dose escalation of paclitaxel administered as a flat dose of 270 mg per day for 3 to 5 days per week for 2 of 3 weeks is ongoing.

In September 2020, we and Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative announced the launch of two new study arms of the I-SPY 2 TRIAL to evaluate Oral Paclitaxel with GSK’s dostarlimab, an investigational antibody binding PD-1, in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy setting. The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral paclitaxel plus encequidar with dostarlimab +/- carboplatin in Stage 2/3 HER2- breast cancer patients and plus trastuzumab in HER2+ patients, followed, if needed, by doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide chemotherapy and surgical resection of breast tissue. The primary objective is to determine whether this regimen increases the probability of pathologic complete response (pCR) over standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone for any of the tumor subtypes established at trial entry, and to determine the predictive probability of success in a subsequent Phase 3 trial. The study is ongoing.

Overview of Safety Observations in Oral Paclitaxel Studies

Studies to date have indicated that Oral Paclitaxel does not result in hypersensitivity reactions when given without premedication for hypersensitivity type reactions, in contrast to the premedication requirement for IV paclitaxel, namely steroids and antihistamines. No new toxicity, apart from those typically observed with paclitaxel, was observed. Infusion related reactions, including hypersensitivity type reactions, have not been observed in patients administered Oral Paclitaxel. Additionally, severe toxicities associated with IV administration of paclitaxel, including neuropathy and alopecia, are at a lower incidence and severity for Oral Paclitaxel.

As of December 31, 2020, approximately 14% of patients treated in clinical studies with Oral Paclitaxel experienced SAEs that were considered to be related to the study treatment. The most common were neutropenia in approximately 3.4% of patients and febrile neutropenia in approximately 4.05% of patients; pneumonia in approximately 2.9% of patients; septic shock in approximately 1.6% of patients and sepsis, dehydration in approximately 1% of patients; gastroenteritis, anemia, diarrhea, mucositis, gastrointestinal bleeding, vomiting, nausea and hypokalaemia each in less than one percent of patients. Other serious treatment-related infections were reported in approximately 1.9% of patients. Approximately 2.5% of patients had other treatment-related SAEs (one patient each including rectal bleeding, altered state of consciousness, cardiac arrest, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, cardiogenic shock, hypotension, pancytopenia, multiorgan failure, renal failure, atrial fibrillation, pleural effusion, supraventricular tachycardia, respiratory failure, hypokalaemia, malnutrition, dyspnoea, cardiac failure, and peripheral sensory neuropathy).

Oral Irinotecan and Encequidar

Overview

Irinotecan is a potent anticancer drug that is marketed under the trade name Camptosar. Irinotecan is mainly administered to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but also in glioblastoma, lung, ovarian, cervical, upper gastrointestinal cancer and pancreatic cancer. The active metabolite of Irinotecan, SN38, is a type 1 DNA topoisomerase inhibitor with potent antitumor activity and wide antitumor spectrum. We believe that oral administration of irinotecan will more efficiently generate SN38, resulting in the potential for better clinical response with reduced toxicity. Oral Irinotecan is intended for oral administration for the treatment of irinotecan-responsive cancers.

Early Clinical Studies

Hanmi conducted three Oral Irinotecan Phase 1 studies, two as monotherapy, and one in combination with capecitabine, in a total of fifty-four Korean patients with advanced solid tumors. The tumor types in these clinical trials were mostly gastric and colorectal cancers. MTD for Oral Irinotecan as monotherapy was defined as 100 mg/m² per 3-week cycle, either given as once daily for five consecutive days for one week (20 mg/day), or two weeks (10 mg/day), of a 3-week cycle. Anti-cancer activity was observed in these studies.

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Completed Clinical Studies

In a Phase 1 MTD study (HM-OTE-101), Oral Irinotecan was administered to twenty patients with advanced solid tumors on Days 1 to 5 during a 21-day cycle. Irinotecan daily doses ranged from 5 to 30 mg/m², and encequidar doses were 60 mg. MTD was identified at 20 mg/m² per day for five days of a 3-week cycle. Adverse events were typical of events seen with IV irinotecan. Common adverse events included nausea (90%), diarrhea (65%), and vomiting (55%). Four subjects had dose-limiting toxicity (“DLT”) events (diarrhea, neutropenia, nausea/vomiting and AST elevation). At the MTD, the SN-38 C_max on Days 1 and 5 were 9 and 12 ng/mL. Estimated SN-38 cycle exposure (AUC) was 373 ng*hr/mL. In this study Oral Irinotecan monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors resulted in a disease control rate of 44%.

In a Phase 1 MTD study (HM-OTE-102), Oral Irinotecan was given once daily for five consecutive days each week for two weeks during a 21-day cycle to thirteen patients with advanced solid tumors. Irinotecan doses ranged from 5 to 20 mg/m². MTD was identified at 10 mg/m² per day. Adverse events were similar to those observed following IV irinotecan and included diarrhea, nausea, and anorexia. Five subjects had a DLT in Cycle 1. The disease control rate was 50% or above at each of the dose levels tested.

In a Phase 1 MTD study (HM-OTE-103), Oral Irinotecan in combination with capecitabine. Oral Irinotecan was administered to twenty-one patients on Days 1 to 5 during a 21-day cycle. Irinotecan doses ranged from 10 to 20 mg/m² per day, with encequidar in combination with capecitabine at 800-1000 mg/m² for fourteen days. The MTD of Oral Irinotecan, in combination with capecitabine at the 1000 mg/m² dose was identified at 15 mg/m² per day of Oral Irinotecan. In this study of combination of Oral Irinotecan with capecitabine in patients with a variety of solid tumors (mostly GI cancers), 10 out of 18 (56%) patients had either stable disease or a partial response.

Current and Planned Clinical Development

A Phase 1 MTD study is being conducted and is currently ongoing. This study is to determine the MTD of Oral Irinotecan, when given once every three weeks, in subjects with advanced malignancies. We have identified a dosing regimen suitable for Phase 2, and Phase 2 studies are being planned.

Overview of Safety Observations in Oral Irinotecan Studies

In our Oral Irinotecan clinical studies to date, the SAEs observed that were deemed to be at least possibly related to Oral Irinotecan include diarrhea, rash, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, anorexia, vomiting, nausea, enteritis, asthenia, neutropenia, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and C diff infection. As the clinical development program is still in its early stages, we do not yet have meaningful statistics on safety, including adverse events, to report.

Oral Docetaxel and Encequidar

Overview

Docetaxel is a potent anticancer drug within the class of antimicrotubule agents that is marketed under the trade name Taxotere. Docetaxel is mainly administered to patients with breast, lung, prostate, gastric and head and neck cancers. Docetaxel has potent activity with a wide antitumor spectrum. As a single-agent therapy, docetaxel is administered by IV infusion over one hour at a dose of 60-100 mg/m² for breast cancer and 75 mg/m² for non-small cell lung cancer given once every three weeks. Docetaxel is also used in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (adjuvant treatment of breast cancer), cisplatin (lung), topical fluorouracil (head and neck and gastric) and prednisone (prostate). Docetaxel causes dose-limiting toxicities that are more common at higher doses. One significant dose-limiting toxicity is fluid retention that we believe is associated (at least in part) with the IV formulation that contains polysorbate 80, a nonionic and emulsifier frequently used in food and cosmetics. Hypersensitivity reactions may also be attributable to IV administration of polysorbate 80. We believe that Oral Docetaxel will provide therapeutic exposures of the drug and result in the potential for better clinical response with reduced toxicity.

Preclinical Activity and Evaluation

The potential effectiveness of encequidar to inhibit the P-gp pump’s ability to transport docetaxel out of cells was first observed in vitro by an increase in the potency of docetaxel by 1,788-fold in a uterine sarcoma cell line. In rat oral PK studies, the plasma concentrations of docetaxel versus time showed a significant increase upon co-administration of encequidar with docetaxel. In this experiment, docetaxel was formulated in the currently proposed clinical formulation. Oral Docetaxel was also tested in preclinical human prostate cancer murine model and overall, Oral Docetaxel was more active than docetaxel given orally without a P-gp inhibitor and was similar to the efficacy of IV docetaxel administration. At a dose of 25 mg/kg docetaxel with encequidar a percent of tumor control of 4.8% was achieved which is comparable to the standard 10 mg/kg IV dosing regimen of docetaxel (2.9%). Without P-gp pump inhibition by encequidar, oral administration of docetaxel demonstrated less inhibition of tumor growth, with a percent of control of 50.5%, consistent with reduced absorption of Oral Docetaxel when dosed without encequidar.

Current and Planned Clinical Studies

A Phase 1 dose escalation U.S. based trial for Oral Docetaxel in patients with various solid tumors with a starting dose of 35 mg/m2 given once every three weeks is ongoing. Another Phase 1 study to identify the absolute bioavailability of Oral Docetaxel in prostate cancer patients is ongoing in New Zealand. Based on Phase 1 results so far, we believe that we can achieve similar exposure to IV docetaxel with one to three days of dosing every three weeks. Alternative schedules such as weekly or 2 of 3 weeks are also being explored. Phase 2 studies are being planned.

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Overview of Safety Observations in Oral Docetaxel Studies

We expect that the overall safety profile of Oral Docetaxel will be similar to that of IV docetaxel, with differences related to the route of administration. As with Oral Paclitaxel, premedication has not been required and hypersensitivity type reactions have not been observed. As of December 31, 2020, in our Oral Docetaxel clinical studies, the SAEs observed that were deemed to at least possibly related to Oral Docetaxel include gastrointestinal toxicity; vomiting, nausea and diarrhea in 1 subject.  

Oral Topotecan and Encequidar

Topotecan is a potent anticancer drug under the class of camptothecins that is marketed under the trade name Hycamtin. Topotecan is mainly administered to patients with lung, ovarian and cervical cancer. Clinical activity has been shown in combination with the taxanes, docetaxel and paclitaxel, for the treatment of a variety of tumors, including lung cancer. Topotecan causes dose-limiting toxicities. These side effects mainly include neutropenia, late onset diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

In rat oral PK studies, the plasma concentrations of topotecan versus time demonstrated a significant increase upon co-administration with encequidar. This effect is evident when topotecan is formulated in saline or the marketed product, Hycamtin. In preclinical murine models with human tumor transplants, including ovarian cancer, Oral Topotecan in combination with encequidar was more active than Oral Topotecan alone following administration at a dose of topotecan 1 mg/kg once daily for five days per week.

A Phase 1 clinical trial in advanced malignancies for Oral Topotecan is ongoing.

We expect that the overall safety profile of Oral Topotecan will be similar to that of IV topotecan, with differences related to the route of administration. As the clinical development program is still in its early stages, we do not yet have meaningful statistics on safety, including adverse events, to report.

Oral Eribulin and Encequidar

Eribulin is an anticancer intravenous drug marketed by Eisai Company under the trade name Halaven. It is used to treat certain patients with breast cancer and liposarcoma. Eribulin is a synthetic derivative of the natural product Halichondrin B. The potent anticancer effects of this agent come primarily from its unique means of targeting microtubule dynamics, a process critical to cell proliferation. 

The nonclinical demonstration of a favorable PK profile, with lowered peak plasma concentration and longer duration of the drug within the desired plasma concentration range, suggests the potential for an efficacy and safety profile for Oral Eribulin, similar to what we have observed with Oral Paclitaxel and other Orascovery products. In addition, we have developed a novel and efficient synthetic route for the synthesis of eribulin API which we believe will support our development of this candidate. In October 2018, the FDA allowed our IND application for Oral Eribulin. A Phase 1 study commenced in 2019 to assess the safety, MTD, DLT and absolute bioavailability of Oral Eribulin in subjects with solid tumors. As the clinical development program is still in its early stages, we do not yet have meaningful statistics on safety, including adverse events, to report.

Our Src Kinase Inhibition Platform

Our Src Kinase inhibition platform technology is based on novel small molecule compounds that have multiple mechanisms of action, including the inhibition of the activity of Src Kinase and the inhibition of tubulin polymerization, which may limit the growth or proliferation of cancerous cells. We believe the combination of these mechanisms of action provides a broader range of anti-cancer activity compared to either mechanism of action alone. Our lead product candidate on our Src Kinase inhibition platform is tirbanibulin ointment. Our other clinical candidates in this platform include tirbanibulin oral and KX2-361.

Tirbanibulin

Mechanism of Action

Tirbanibulin, formerly known as KX2-391 or KX-01, is a novel small molecule that we discovered and developed, which demonstrates at least two mechanisms of action (“MOAs”) relevant to the potential control of cancer and hyper-proliferative disorders: (1) Src tyrosine kinase inhibition (non-ATP competitive) and (2) tubulin polymerization inhibition. Src Kinase, a tyrosine kinase protein involved in regulating cell growth, is strongly implicated in metastasis. Inhibiting Src Kinase may limit the growth or proliferation of cancerous cell types. Src plays a role in regulating multiple aspects of tumor development, growth and metastases, and its inhibition limits such tumor activity. Interfering with tubulin polymerization activity is a clinically validated mechanism for treating cancer. For both targets tirbanibulin binds at a novel binding site. Taken together, these two MOAs may provide for a potent means of treating cancer and other hyper-proliferative disorders.

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 Tirbanibulin Ointment

Tirbanibulin is a compound developed under our Src Kinase inhibition platform that, as a free base, has advantageous physical properties for topical ointment formulations.

In December 2020, we announced that the FDA has approved Klisyri® (tirbanibulin), a microtubule inhibitor, for the topical treatment of AK on the face or scalp. We completed two Phase 3 pivotal studies of tirbanibulin ointment for the treatment of AK, in which both Phase 3 studies achieved their primary endpoint of 100% clearance AK lesions at Day 57 within the face or scalp treatment areas. AK or solar keratosis is a chronic and precancerous skin disease that occurs primarily in areas that have been exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation for a long period of time. It is usually found on the face, ears, lips, bald scalp, forearms, the posterior part of the hands, and lower legs. AK is the most common pre-cancerous dermatological condition and is the second most common diagnosis made by dermatologists in the U.S.

An additional indication for psoriasis is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial led by our out-licensing partner PharmaEssentia. We are also evaluating other indications, which could provide additional potential therapeutic utilities for tirbanibulin ointment and could represent significant potential market expansions beyond AK.

Actinic Keratosis

In December 2020, the FDA has approved Klisyri® (tirbanibulin), a microtubule inhibitor, for the topical treatment of AK on the face or scalp. The FDA approved Klisyri based on data from two pivotal, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled Phase 3 trials (KX01-AK-003 and KX01-AK-004) that evaluated the efficacy and safety of tirbanibulin ointment 1% (10mg/g) in adults with AK of the face or scalp. The studies enrolled a total of 702 patients across 62 sites in the U.S. Enrollment of patients was controlled to achieve a 2:1 ratio of facial: scalp treatment areas. Tirbanibulin ointment 1% (10 mg/g) or vehicle (randomized 1:1) was self-administered to 25 cm2 of the face or scalp encompassing 4-8 typical AK lesions, once daily for 5 consecutive days.

Both Phase 3 trials, KX01-AK-003 and KX01-AK-004, achieved their primary endpoint, which was defined as 100% clearance of the AK lesions at day 57 within the face or scalp treatment areas, each study achieving statistical significance (p<0.0001) on this endpoint. In the KX01-AK-003 study, complete clearance was observed in 44% of the patients treated with tirbanibulin versus 5% for the vehicle treated groups. In the KX01-AK-004 study, complete clearance was observed in 54% of the patients treated with tirbanibulin and 13% for vehicle treated groups. Furthermore, tirbanibulin also achieved the secondary endpoint of partial (≥75%) clearance of lesions in each trial (68% of patients receiving tirbanibulin versus 16% receiving vehicle in KX01-AK-003, and 76% versus 20% respectively in KX01-AK-004). Both results were again highly statistically significant (p<0.0001).

In both trials, patient-reported adverse events were mostly transient mild application-site pruritus and application-site pain. No patients experienced a serious adverse event or discontinuation due to tirbanibulin or vehicle in either clinical trial. Signs of local skin reactions assessed by investigators were mostly mild to moderate erythema, flaking or scaling that peaked at day 8 (maximum mean composite local skin reaction score ≤4.3 out of 18 across both trials) and resolved spontaneously in about 2 weeks.

In March 2020, our partner Almirall announced that the EMA accepted the filing of a European marketing authorization for tirbanibulin ointment for the treatment of AK.

Psoriasis

To date, tirbanibulin ointment has shown encouraging preclinical results in treating psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disease that speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis causes localized or generalized patches of red papules and plaques, covered with white or silver scales and itching. A Phase 1 clinical trial of tirbanibulin ointment 1% in psoriasis, performed by our partner PharmaEssentia, is ongoing.

We licensed the rights to tirbanibulin to PharmaEssentia for psoriasis and non-malignant skin conditions (excluding AK) in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, as well as the rights for AK in Taiwan. PharmaEssentia is sponsoring this Phase I clinical trial in psoriasis. For additional information, please see “Business—License and Collaboration Agreements—PharmaEssentia License Agreements.”

Tirbanibulin Oral

We are also developing tirbanibulin in an oral formulation. Tirbanibulin oral has been evaluated in several early dose finding studies against both solid and liquid tumors. Initial clinical results indicate activity against both solid and liquid tumors in patients in clinical studies. We are planning further probe studies to focus our evaluation in certain of those indications where activity was observed in early studies and to investigate alternative dosing regimens.

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A Phase 1 clinical trial in solid tumor patients identified the MTD for continuous twice daily oral dosing at 40 mg/dose, with a favorable PK profile, and indications of activity. In this trial, 44 patients were enrolled in nine dose cohorts. The drug was well-tolerated and the DLTs were mainly elevated levels of AST and ALT, which were readily reversible. Eleven patients had stable disease for at least four months, including patients with ovarian, carcinoid, papillary thyroid, prostate, pancreas and head and neck cancer. An ovarian cancer patient, who failed 9 prior therapies, had stable disease for 16 months and a tirbanibulin oral induced a large decrease in the ovarian cancer CA-125 biomarker, which correlates well with clinical response.

A subsequent Phase 2a clinical study in men with bone-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer using the twice daily 40 mg/dose was conducted. Thirty-one patients were dosed with tirbanibulin oral at 40 mg/dose twice daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was 24-week progression-free survival. The designated clinical endpoints were not met with tirbanibulin oral at this dose.

A Phase 1b clinical study in elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients was conducted using once daily dosing. The doses tested were 40, 80, 120, 140 and 160 mg of tirbanibulin. Twenty-four patients were recruited with a median age of 76 years (range 63 to 86 years). Most had been previously treated for their disease, generally with decitabine or azacitidine. The MTD is estimated to be 105 mg of tirbanibulin oral daily.

We are planning further studies to evaluate targeted cancer indications. Hanmi, who we partnered with on tirbanibulin oral up until August 2018, completed a Phase 1b clinical trial in South Korea, combining escalating continuous once daily doses of tirbanibulin with a standard IV paclitaxel treatment of 80 mg/m². The study enrolled 23 subjects who received doses of tirbanibulin ranging from 20 through 80 mg/day. The five most frequently reported treatment-related adverse events were neutrophil count decreased (83%), myalgia (61%), decreased appetite (57%), anemia (53%) and peripheral sensory neuropathy (48%).  Six subjects experienced serious adverse events: febrile neutropenia (n=3), and pneumonia, sepsis, fever, and neutrophil count decreased (n=1 each).  There were no CR or PR in this heavily treated Phase 1 population, but 12 subjects had a best response of stable disease.  Dose expansion in part 2 of the study was not conducted.

In our tirbanibulin oral clinical studies to date, the SAEs observed that were deemed to be possibly, likely or definitely related to tirbanibulin oral include allergic reaction, bacteremia, rash, syncope, tremor, dermatitis, neutropenic fever, hyponatremia, hypersensitivity, failure to thrive, lower extremity edema, mucositis, neutropenia, pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia, seizure and motor vehicle accident, embolic stroke, pneumonitis, fever, acute kidney injury, increased bilirubin and albumin levels, decreased blood platelet count, abdominal pain, arm pain, pyrexia, rigors, tachypenea, oxygen desaturation, pneumonia, anemia, elevated ALT and AST, dehydration and leukopenia. As the clinical development program is still in its early stages, we do not yet have meaningful statistics on safety, including adverse events, to report.

KX2-361

KX2-361, formerly known as KX-02, is the second compound we developed using our Src Kinase inhibition platform technology. KX2-361 is a closely related structural analog of tirbanibulin and has been observed to have a similar dual MOA of inhibition of Src activity and microtubule polymerization. Although KX2-361 is an analog of tirbanibulin, it has significantly different physical properties. These properties are designed to allow KX2-361 freely cross the BBB such that the concentration in the brain is equal to, or somewhat greater than, that in the plasma. This trait is uncommon for oncology drugs and highlights the potential for KX2-361 as a novel therapy for unmet medical needs such as brain cancers, including GBM and brain metastases. KX2-361’s multiple MOAs along with its ability to cross the BBB, make it a novel molecule for the treatment of brain tumors. The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to KX2-361 for the treatment of gliomas.

Studies of KX2-361 in preclinical syngeneic mouse GBM models resulted in the complete eradication, without recurrence, of the tumors in an average of approximately 30% of treated mice. KX2-361 produced long-term survival mice, as compared to temozolomide, which extended survival but did not result in any long-term survivors.

In vivo studies in mice have found that the KX2-361 levels in the mouse brain meet or exceed the levels in the plasma at the same time points after oral dosing, indicating that KX2-361 readily crosses the BBB. We believe that this ability to cross the BBB provides a rationale for investigating brain cancers and metastases in the brain as potential therapeutic applications, which are traditionally considered to be an unmet medical need.

KX2-361 is currently in the early stages of clinical development. In our KX2-361 clinical studies to date, the SAEs observed were thromboembolic events, hyperuricemia and pulmonary embolism. As the clinical development program is still in its early stages, we do not yet have meaningful statistics on safety, including adverse events, to report.

We out-licensed the development and marketing of KX2-361 in Greater China to our partner, Xiangxue. The NMPA allowed the start of a Phase 1 trial of KX2-361 in China, which commenced at the end of 2019 for the treatment of advanced malignant solid tumors. The Phase 1 clinical study in China is a single-center, open-label dose escalation trial that will enroll approximately 36-72 patients with advanced malignant solid tumors who have no standard treatment or standard treatment failed.

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Our Other Technology Platforms

TCR-T Immunotherapy

TCR-T immunotherapy technology harnesses and enhances the patient’s own immune cells to target and eliminate cancer. It is a cell-based therapy that takes advantage of unique attributes of TCR mediated target recognition and provides a potent and selective TCR-T directed response against cancer cells. Central to this platform is the ability to first identify endogenous TCRs with specificity for a defined tumor antigen and to then enhance the affinity of the TCR to optimize tumor recognition and killing. These high affinity TCRs can be incorporated into a patient’s own T cells, converting the cells into a potent anti-cancer therapy. Using this technology, we believe the platform has generated engineered T-cells with higher binding affinity, specificity for intended target cells, expression level of the TCR and persistence in patients’ circulation during therapy. Preliminary studies have shown positive clinical signals.

Arginine Deprivation Therapy

PT01, the arginine deprivation therapy product, is based on our pegylated genetically engineered human arginase. It targets cancer growth and survival by interrupting the supply of arginine to cancers with disrupted urea cycles such as melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and prostate cancer. Our proprietary arginase biologic product is well suited to deplete arginine from the tumors, while healthy cells, capable of producing their own arginine, are largely unaffected.

Other Research Programs

Proprietary Dual (CYP/P-gp) Inhibitor

We are developing a proprietary class of “dual” absorption enhancers that are intended to inhibit both the P-gp transporter and the CYP enzymes within the gastrointestinal tract. There are many barriers that limit the oral absorption of drugs in humans. The P-gp transporter is a major barrier to absorption of active chemotherapy drugs. However, certain other drugs with P-gp liabilities may also have liabilities for other barriers such as metabolizing enzymes, such as the cytochrome P450, or CYP, class of enzymes. This intestinal CYP mediated metabolism can be a contributing factor in limiting oral absorption of certain drugs. This class of dual absorption enhancers has shown potential to significantly improve the oral bioavailability of certain other drugs in laboratory tests and may expand the application of our oral absorption platform to drugs where the CYP barrier to oral absorption is also important. These dual absorption enhancers may lead to better performing next-generation oral medicines in our pipeline of clinical products.

The development of these dual absorption enhancers is at the preclinical stage. Proof of concept, providing increased oral bioavailability in preclinical species, has been obtained with several absorption enhancers and candidate drugs. Currently additional filters such as patentability/freedom to operate, physical-chemical characterization, pre-formulation studies, manufacturing analysis and preliminary toxicity testing are being applied to our first group of lead candidates to facilitate election of an IND candidate.

Research and Development

We have drug discovery, drug formulation, clinical and regulatory development and API/drug product manufacturing facilities and capabilities around the world. The U.S. drug discovery, clinical and regulatory development and formulation research facilities are largely concentrated in Buffalo, New York and Cranford, New Jersey. The range of capabilities at these facilities includes medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, formulation, chemical manufacturing and control, quality control, pharmacokinetics/ pharmacodynamics (“PK/PD”) and data management, as well as pharmacovigilance, clinical development and regulatory expertise functions. Animal efficacy, PK/PD and toxicology studies are carried out at various contract research organizations, or CROs, around the world in order to facilitate the drug research and development process. We also have research, clinical development and regulatory capabilities in China, the U.K. and Latin America, as well as in Taiwan, where we also have built up data management facility. Our research and development center in Hong Kong concentrates on drug formulation development and evaluation. Our global research and development capabilities and facilities are well integrated with our research and development center in the U.S.

To date, we and our partners have conducted, or are conducting, clinical trials across sites in the U.S., South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, U.K, Australia, and various countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.

Commercialization

For Oral Paclitaxel, our strategy has been to develop and, if we receive approval from the FDA, commercialize Oral Paclitaxel in the U.S. by leveraging our Commercial Platform and sales and marketing capabilities established in the U.S. In terms of commercialization planning efforts, we are further developing and executing strategies around marketing, market access, sales, medical affairs, and policy and patient advocacy. Due to the receipt of the CRL for our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, we are working to consider the appropriate next steps in the development of Oral Paclitaxel. Athenex plans to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the FDA’s response, engage in a dialogue on the design and scope of a clinical trial to address the agency’s requirements and align on the next steps required to obtain approval.

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If Oral Paclitaxel is ultimately approved by the FDA, we intend to establish Oral Paclitaxel as the chemotherapy of choice for patients receiving chemotherapy for MBC. We also intend to explore establishing Oral Paclitaxel in other oncology indications where we believe taxanes will continue to be a foundational treatment and continue to explore combination therapies.

We plan to evaluate marketing options outside of the U.S., including using our internal resources, partnering with others, or out-licensing the product.

For Klisyri® (tirbanibulin) in the treatment of AK, in December 2017, we entered into a license agreement with Almirall, pursuant to which we granted to Almirall an exclusive, sublicensable license of certain of our intellectual property for the development and commercialization of topical products containing tirbanibulin in the U.S. and substantially all European countries. We believe this partnership validates the potential of this candidate and that this partnership is an important step in the development and commercialization of tirbanibulin. On December 15, 2020, we announced that the FDA has approved Klisyri for the topical treatment of AK on the face or scalp. Klisyri is the first FDA approved branded proprietary product for Athenex and was launched in the U.S., led by our partner Almirall on February 18, 2021. Klisyri will be manufactured by Athenex, highlighting the vertically integrated capabilities of the company ranging from a preclinical lead to a developed product for market launch. For additional information, please see “Business—License and Collaboration Agreements—Almirall License Agreement.” We may also partner with third parties or consider using our internal resources to reach other geographic markets.

Our Commercial Platform

We believe the value creation potential is higher for biopharmaceutical companies able to commercialize their proprietary products as compared to companies who have a partner to commercialize. The infrastructure investment and build-out of a commercial team prior to regulatory approval is typically costly and requires years of investment. In 2016, we launched a commercial platform in the U.S. to begin building out this infrastructure in advance of our launch of proprietary products.

Our Commercial Platform includes our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business and our manufacture and marketing of products subject to Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). Our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business markets specialty pharmaceuticals, including multi-source oncology and other pharmaceutical products which are therapeutically related to our proprietary portfolio. Our 503B product offerings, which include sterile to sterile products and products from sterilized bulk API, support our offerings in the U.S. oncology market.

Using our resources to commercialize products in oncology may create more value for investors than marketing product rights pre-commercialization. We believe commercialization risks can be offset by establishing oncology manufacturing operations (API, Manufacturing, etc.) and commercial operations (Multi-source Oncology, Pharmacy, Hospitals, etc.).

Specialty Pharmaceuticals

Our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business develops and sources products through licensing agreements with various partners, whom we collectively refer to as our Global Partner network. Our team has unique commercial expertise in multisource oncology and injectable products and has developed a number of Global Partners that develop and manufacture multisource products for the U.S. market. This Global Partner network supplies the products we market in the Specialty Pharmaceutical business. We primarily market the products to the acute hospital and oncology clinics in the U.S. oncology market. As of December 31, 2020, Athenex Pharmaceutical Division (“APD”) markets thirty-two products with fifty-eight SKUs. In addition, Athenex Pharma Solutions (“APS”) markets six products with nineteen SKUs as of December 31, 2020.

The U.S. Oncology market is highly complex with gatekeepers, influencers and prescribers influencing sales of oncology products. Gatekeepers include hospitals (including pharmacies and therapeutics committees), buying groups, oncology managed care organizations, specialty distributors and pharmacists. Influencers in the oncology market include key opinion leader (KOL) physicians, regional cancer centers (as defined by the National Cancer Institute) and the U.S. government. Prescribers include oncologists and dermatologists. Launching a commercial operation in preparation for a proprietary drug approval is risky, difficult and expensive. Any commercial oncology organization must be able to market to these gatekeepers, influencers and prescribers in the oncology market at launch. Through our Commercial Platform, which has established a comprehensive sales and marketing organization, we are able to target and build relationships with gatekeepers, influencers and prescribers in the U.S. Oncology market, enabling us to manage the risks and capture post commercial oncology economics.

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Agreements with Suppliers and Marketing Partners

Gland Term Sheets

From August 2016 to May 2017, we entered into four binding term sheets with Gland Pharma Ltd (“Gland”) to market twenty-seven of Gland’s products. Gland has obtained FDA approval for twenty-two of such products and has filed an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, in the U.S. for the remaining five products. For each of the licensed products, we will pay a license fee to Gland. Additionally, during the terms of the term sheets we have a profit-sharing arrangement pursuant to which we will pay to Gland between 0% and 60% of the net profits from sales of each of the licensed products, depending on the product. The initial term of each of the Gland term sheets is five years from the launch of each product licensed pursuant to the term sheet, subject to automatic renewal for additional two-year terms, unless terminated by either party upon provision to the other party at least 90 days’ notice in advance of a renewal date.

MAIA Agreement

In December 2018, we entered into a distribution and supply agreement with MAIA Pharmaceuticals (“MAIA”) effective as of October 3, 2018 whereby we acquired the exclusive license to a generic version of an approved product, which we began selling in January 2019. In connection with the execution of this agreement, we agreed to pay an upfront milestone payment in addition to profit sharing of 50% of the net profits from the sales of the licensed product. We also agreed to pay an additional milestone payment to MAIA in the event the FDA approves the ANDA for the licensed product. The initial term of the agreement is for seven years from the launch of the product and is subject to an automatic two-year renewal term unless terminated by either party upon at least 180 days’ notice in advance of the renewal date.

In December 2019, the agreement with MAIA was amended to grant us the license to a branded product which MAIA holds the approved NDA. In connection with this amendment, we agreed to an upfront milestone payment and 56% of the net profits from sales of the licensed product. Additionally, we agreed to increase MAIA’s share of the net profits to 70% for both products until certain financial metrics are achieved and shall revert to the initial rates after those metrics are satisfied.

Ingenus Agreements

In September 2020, we entered into an asset purchase and sale agreement with Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Ingenus”) whereby we purchased from Ingenus all of their right, title and interest in and to Glycopyrrolate Injection (“Glycopyrrolate”) in the U.S. for $2 million and pursuant to which Ingenus transferred to us the ANDA for Glycopyrrolate.

In November 2020, we entered into a co-marketing, manufacturing and supply agreement with Ingenus Cyclophosphamide Injection pursuant to which Ingenus will be our exclusive supplier of the product and granted us a license to market and sell the product to acute care group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and their entire memberships as provided by said GPOs, integrated delivery networks (IDNs) and to hospitals within the U.S. for a purchase price of $1 million. Under the agreement, Athenex is entitled to 25% of the net profits from our sales of the product and we are entitled to a marketing allowance. The agreement has a 3-year term, which may be extended if we mutually agree.

In January 2021, we entered into a manufacture and supply agreement with Ingenus for Arsenic Trioxide Injection pursuant to which Ingenus will be our exclusive supplier of the product and granted us a license to market and sell the product to acute care GPOs and their entire memberships as provided by said GPOs, IDNs and to hospitals within the U.S. Under the agreement, we are entitled to 45% of the net profits from our sales of the product and we are entitled to a marketing allowance. The agreement has a 5-year term, which may be extended if we mutually agree.

Customers and Product Distribution

We distribute our products primarily through pharmaceutical wholesalers and, to a lesser extent, specialty distributors that focus on particular therapeutic product categories, for use by a wide variety of end-users, including hospitals, integrated delivery networks and alternative site facilities. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the products we sold through our three largest wholesalers in the U.S., which, accounted for 45%, of our total revenue.

We utilize an outside third-party logistics contractor to distribute our U.S. products. Since the inception of the launch of our specialty products, the third-party logistics provider has been handling all aspects of our product logistics efforts and related services for us, including warehousing and shipment services, order-to-cash services, contract administration services and chargeback processing. Our products are warehoused and distributed through a third-party logistics provider located in Memphis, Tennessee. Under our agreement with the third-party logistics provider, we maintain ownership of our finished products until sale to our customers. The initial term of the agreement is three years following the initial delivery date and will automatically renew for successive 12-month periods, unless either we or the other party give notice of intent to terminate at least 90 days in advance of such automatic renewal. We may also have the opportunity to terminate the agreement within 30 days of receiving notice of certain price increases by the third-party logistics provider. The agreement also contains customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement.

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Global Supply Chain Platform

We believe it is important to minimize potential disruptions associated with a high potency oncology pharmaceutical supply chain. Therefore, we have begun the process of internalizing key components of the supply chain that we believe are integral to minimizing these risks and retaining value for stockholders. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) lists paclitaxel as an essential medicine. Paclitaxel is derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree and harvestable trees for the starting biomass are globally limited in supply. While current supply of the starting biomass for paclitaxel may be sufficient to meet global paclitaxel API demand, we believe future shortages are possible if we are successful in the commercialization of one of our lead drug candidates, Oral Paclitaxel. We believe this increased demand could lead to shortages of paclitaxel API potentially leading to market and supply disruptions.

Our research group evaluated the purity and potency of some of the largest global suppliers of paclitaxel API. In 2015, we acquired one of these suppliers, Polymed Therapeutics Inc. (“Polymed”) and Chongqing Taihao Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., or Taihao. Taihao operates a cGMP high potency oncology API plant based in Chongqing, China (“CQ API Facility”) and Polymed is the U.S. marketing entity for Taihao’s API in North America and Europe. Historical production and sales of API by this subsidiary were to third parties. We anticipate a greater share of the manufacturing capacity at the CQ API Facility will be used for the Company’s needs in the future, and, therefore, sales to third parties may decrease. Historically, Polymed sold certain of these API products internationally to mostly large multi-national pharmaceutical companies. However, we have experienced a slowdown of commercial operations at our CQ API Facility. We suspended production in May 2019 based on concerns raised by the DEMC related to the location of our plant. We resumed producing API primarily for the Company’s use in March 2020 in accordance with local regulatory guidance. We continue to produce API at the CQ API Facility for our ongoing clinical studies and commercial launches of our proprietary drugs. However, we can make no assurances that such production at the CQ API Facility will be able to continue to provide sufficient quantities for clinical studies as well as potential commercial launches of our proprietary drugs.

A new API manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China (“New API Facility”) was constructed and commenced operations in January 2021. We expect the facility to expand our API production capabilities to further support our global clinical development needs and ensure the supply of API for commercial launches. We will continue to build out the facility and invest in equipment and expect to incur additional engineering costs. We expect to start producing commercial batches at the New API Facility in the second half of 2021.

In 2014, we sought to obtain better control over our manufacturing of high potency oncology drugs used in global clinical studies, and, in the third quarter of 2014 acquired APS (formerly known as QuaDPharma, LLC), one of our suppliers based in Clarence, New York. The number of our clinical studies has grown since the close of the acquisition. We are standardizing and leveraging the acquired cGMP systems and operating procedures in anticipation of developing multi-cGMP large scale manufacturing plants in both the U.S. and China.

Strategic Public-Private Partnerships

New York State Partnership

In May 2015, we entered into an agreement with Fort Schuyler Management Corporation (FSMC) a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with the State of New York, for a medical technology research, development, innovation and commercialization alliance (the “Alliance Agreement”). Under the agreement, FSMC agreed to pay up to $25.0 million for the construction of our North American headquarters and formulation lab and equipment in Buffalo, New York. We moved into the North American Headquarters in October 2015 and are sub-leasing the space from FSMC for a 10-year term, with an option to extend the term for an additional 10 years. Under the agreement, we are obligated to spend $100.0 million in the Buffalo area over the initial 10-year term of the lease and an additional $100.0 million during the second 10-year term if we elect to extend the lease. We also committed to hiring 250 permanent employees in the Buffalo area within the first 5 years of completion of the project. As of December 31, 2020, we had hired 192 permanent employees in the Buffalo area. In the event we are unable to hire enough employees in the Buffalo area or meet our other obligations under this agreement, FSMC may terminate the agreement and we may have to renegotiate our lease or relocate our North American headquarters.

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Under the Alliance Agreement, FSMC also agreed to fund the costs of construction of a new manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, New York that we intend to use for injectable and 503B products and, eventually, our proprietary oncology products for commercial production at this facility. Under the current arrangement, we have selected a general contractor for the project, and we will oversee the development of the facility. Empire State Development (“ESD”), the parent entity of FSMC, is responsible for the costs of construction and all equipment for the facility, up to an aggregate of $200.0 million, plus any additional funds available from the previous $25.0 million grant, and FSMC, not us, will own the facility and equipment. We are entitled to lease the facility and all equipment at a rate of $1.00 per year for an initial 10-year term and for the same rate if we elect to extend the lease for an additional 10-year term. We are responsible for all operating costs and expenses for the facility. In exchange, we have committed to spending $1.52 billion on operational expenses in our first 10-year term in the facility, and an additional $1.5 billion on operational expenses if we elect to extend the lease for a second 10-year term. We also committed to hiring 450 employees at our Dunkirk facility within the first 5 years of operations, including hiring at least 300 new employees within 2.5 years of the Dunkirk facility becoming operational. In September 2017, we entered into a grant disbursement agreement with ESD, whereby the State of New York will grant up to $200.0 million, plus about $8.0 million available from the previous $25.0 million ESD grant, to us in order to fund the construction of the Dunkirk facility. The funds will be deposited in four installments of up to $50.0 million each into an ESD held account. The $50.0 million installment was deposited in the third quarter of 2017 and the remaining $50.0 million installments were made in the first, third, and fourth quarter of 2019. Actual disbursement of such funds occurred as we submitted appropriate documentation verifying that expenditures on the project have been incurred. As of December 31, 2020, the construction was not complete, nor was the lease effective. In addition, in July 2017, we entered into a 20-year payment in-lieu of tax agreement for the construction of the Dunkirk facility with the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (“CCIDA”), under which we anticipate incurring sales tax exemption savings of approximately $9.1 million during the development of the facility and property tax savings of approximately $78.0 million over 20 years.

In November 2017, we entered into a project agreement with the CCIDA which sets forth the obligations of the parties in relation to the CCIDA’s grant to us of certain sales and use tax exemptions and real property tax exemptions in consideration for our agreement to complete the Dunkirk facility. The project agreement estimates the cost of the Dunkirk project at around $200.0 million. We are obligated to invest no less than $187.2 million in the facility prior to the completion of the project, which sum includes funds committed by the State of New York. The agreement includes commitments to comply with state and local laws in connection with the project.

In December 2017, we entered into an agreement with M+W, U.S., Inc. (now renamed Exyte U.S., Inc.). The agreement, as amended to date, provides that M+W will be responsible for the design and construction of the Dunkirk facility at a cost estimated about $208.0 million. Payments under the December 2017 agreement will be made to M+W over time based upon completion of certain milestones under the agreement, and ESD must approve any payment from the grant funds.

Under the same September 2017 agreement with ESD, we must complete the construction of the facility in Dunkirk, New York in accordance with the final plans and specifications approved in writing by ESD and must maintain our business operations at the facility for a minimum of ten years after its completion. In 2018, we began constructing the facility and began ordering equipment for the operation and maintenance of the facility. This manufacturing facility, which was originally planned to be 320,000 square feet, has been expanded to approximately 409,000 square feet to meet our needs and within the terms of the September 2017 agreement. The September 2017 agreement may be subject to termination if ESD and FSMC perform their obligations under the agreement, and we do not attain and or maintain certain levels of employment or spending for specified periods of time. In such event and in accordance with the May 2015 agreement, any potential liability of us would be capped at the amount of actual ESD spending on the facility in Dunkirk, New York times the percentage of required spending by us which we have not yet incurred.

China Partnership

In October 2015, we entered into an agreement with CQ, which is wholly owned by the Finance Bureau of Banan district of Chongqing, and is authorized to be responsible for investments, financing, infrastructure construction, operations and management in the Chongqing Maliu Riverside Development Zone. Our agreement with CQ provides for the construction of an API plant and a formulation plant in China. After entering into the agreement, and pursuant to its terms, we established a China-based subsidiary that is responsible for the operations of both facilities in July 2016 and committed to a registration capital requirement of no less than $30.0 million. CQ is responsible for the construction of both facilities according to the U.S. cGMP standards. The land and buildings will be owned by CQ, and we will lease the facilities rent-free, for the first 10-year term, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 10-year term, during which, if we are profitable, we will pay a monthly rent of 5 Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) per square meter of space occupied. We are responsible for the costs of all equipment and technology for the facilities. As of December 31, 2020, the construction of the New API Facility was in the final stage of completion. In January 2021, we accepted the building and the lease became effective. Within six months of our acceptance of the building, we are required to finish equipment installation and testing, and within twelve months, we are required to commence production. We have also committed to achieving certain operational, revenue and tax generation milestones within certain time periods once we commence operations. If we are unable to achieve these milestones, CQ will have the opportunity to terminate the agreement and dispose of the plants in its discretion.

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The New API Facility commenced operations in January 2021 and is part of our strategy for vertical integration in order to capture value across the supply chain. We expect the facility will expand our API production capabilities to further support our global clinical development needs and ensure the supply of API for commercial launches.

Our goal is to use our public-private partnerships as a capital efficient method for large scale cGMP manufacturing within our supply chain and to facilitate market access in China. We believe those facilities will be adequate and suitable for our operations for the foreseeable future.

To date, we have utilized a combination of acquisitions and public-private partnerships to internalize certain key components of our manufacturing and supply chain. We expect to continue to use a combination of collaborations and acquisitions to continue to build out elements of our supply chain where needed as a mechanism to minimize execution risk and retain value for our stockholders.

In May 2019, we suspended operations at our existing API plant in Chongqing, or CQ API Facility, based on the concerns raised by the DEMC related to the location of our plant. As a result of the suspension, we were unable to produce commercial batches of API, which has impacted our revenue. We resumed producing API primarily for the Company’s use since March 2020 in accordance with local regulatory guidance. We continue to produce API at the CQ API Facility for our ongoing clinical studies and commercial launches of our proprietary drugs. However, we can make no assurances that such production at the CQ API Facility will be able to continue to provide sufficient quantities for clinical studies as well as commercial launches of our proprietary drugs. We plan to start producing commercial batches at the New API Facility in the second half of 2021.

License and Collaboration Agreements

In-Licenses

Arginase License Agreement

In June 2018, we entered into a license agreement with Polytom, an entity affiliated with Avalon Global Holdings Limited and a related party of the Company, which we refer to as the Arginase License, pursuant to which Polytom granted us an exclusive, sublicensable right and license to develop and commercialize products containing pegylated and cobalt-replaced arginase for the treatment of cancer in humans, apart from ophthalmic uses and use as eye drops, worldwide. Dr. Johnson Lau, our chief executive officer and chairman, and Dr. Manson Fok, one of our directors, collectively have a controlling interest in, and serve on the board of directors of, Avalon.

We made an upfront payment of cash of $3.0 million and common stock of $2.0 million to Polytom upon effectiveness of the Arginase License in June 2018. In September 2019, we made a cash payment of $1.0 million to Polytom upon meeting the first regulatory milestone under the agreement. We may be required to make additional payments to Polytom worth up to $44.0 million of our common stock or of cash upon the occurrence of additional regulatory milestones. Pursuant to the agreement, we have also agreed to pay royalties based on certain percentage of net sales of any products utilizing the intellectual property that is the subject of the Arginase License. Such royalties will be reduced by 40% when competing generic products have 25% of the market share in the applicable country and will be eliminated entirely when competing generic products have 50% of the market share in the applicable country.

HepaPOC License and Supply Agreement

In June 2018, we entered into a license and supply agreement with Avalon HepaPOC Limited (“HepaPOC”), an entity affiliated with Avalon and a related party of the Company, which we refer to as the HepaPOC License, pursuant to which HepaPOC agreed to exclusively sell to us the meter and consumable strips that can be used to detect galactose concentrations in human blood and granted us an exclusive, sublicensable right and license to use and commercialize the meter and strips for conduct of liver function tests in humans taking our oncology drugs. Dr. Johnson Lau, our chief executive officer and chairman, and Dr. Manson Fok, one of our directors, has a controlling interest in, and serve on the board of directors of, Avalon.

We made an upfront payment of cash of $0.5 million to HepaPOC upon effectiveness of the HepaPOC License Agreement, and we may be required to make payments to HepaPOC worth up to $4.8 million in our common stock or in cash upon the occurrence of certain regulatory and sales milestones. Pursuant to the agreement, we have also agreed to pay royalties based on certain percentage of aggregate net sales of any products utilizing the intellectual property that is the subject of the HepaPOC License.

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The terms of the HepaPOC License shall extend until the date on which the last of the patent rights licensed under the agreement expires or is invalidated. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the terms of the HepaPOC license shall automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods subject to the same terms and conditions set forth herein (unless agreed otherwise) unless either party gives written notice of its intention not to extend the agreement term: (1) at least ninety days prior to the expiration date of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or (2) as soon as practically possible in the case of an invalidation claim or (3) at least ninety days prior to the then current expiration date of the agreement thereafter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after the occurrence of (1) or (2) above, the terms of the HepaPOC License shall automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods subject to the same terms and conditions set forth in the agreement unless either HepaPOC or we give written notice of its intention not to extend the agreement terms: (i) at least ninety days prior to the expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or (ii) as soon as practically possible in the case of an invalidation claim and (iii) at least ninety days prior to the then current expiration date of the agreement. Prior to the expiration of the term of the agreement, both parties may terminate the agreement in whole or in part upon mutual written agreement. We may also terminate in whole or in part the agreement in our sole discretion upon not less than six months prior written notice of termination at any time. The agreement also contains customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party.

TCR-T License Agreement

In June 2018, we entered into a Share Subscription Agreement with XLifeSc, a subsidiary of Xiangxue, to establish, operate and manage a joint venture named Axis Therapeutics Limited (Axis) to offer certain goods and services worldwide except in China. Axis is owned 45% by XLifeSc and 55% by us.

In June 2018, Axis entered into a license agreement with XLifeSc, which we refer to as the TCR-T License, pursuant to which XLifeSc granted Axis an exclusive, sublicensable right and license to use XLifeSc’s proprietary TCR-T to develop and commercialize therapeutic products for oncology indications worldwide except in China. Axis is responsible for all development, manufacturing and commercialization, and the related costs and expenses, of any product candidates resulting from the agreement.

In September 2018, we completed the closing process under the Share Subscription Agreement which included an exchange of a 45% ownership interest in Axis to XLifeSc for a license of in-process research and development. Upon effectiveness of the TCR-T License and satisfaction of certain conditions in the license agreement, Axis made an upfront payment of the Company’s common stock of $5.0 million to XLifeSc. In April 2019, Axis made a cash payment of $2.0 million to XLifeSc upon meeting the first regulatory milestone under the agreement. Axis may be required to make additional cash payments to XLifeSc worth up to $108.0 million in aggregate upon the occurrence of certain additional regulatory milestones to be achieved in the U.S., the EU, China and Japan. In addition, XLifeSc is required to pay Axis royalty payments based on certain percentage of aggregate net income generated by sales of any products using the licensed intellectual property in China.

The term of the TCR-T License will remain in effect until the expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement. The agreement will terminate automatically if the shareholders agreement between XLifeSc and us is terminated. The TCR-T License also contains customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party.

Hanmi Licensing Agreements

In December 2011 and June 2013, we entered into two separate in-licensing agreements with Hanmi pursuant to which Hanmi granted us licenses to certain patents and know-how with respect to Hanmi’s Orascovery Program to research, discover and develop compounds that enhance or increase the oral absorption of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The December 2011 agreement, which we refer to as the 2011 Hanmi Agreement, granted us an exclusive, sublicensable license for development and commercialization activities utilizing Hanmi’s patents and know-how related to the Orascovery Program in a certain territory including North America, South America, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Eastern Europe, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and a non-exclusive license to utilize the same intellectual property in manufacturing worldwide for sales inside those territories. The June 2013 agreement, which we refer to as the 2013 Hanmi Agreement, granted us an exclusive, sublicensable license comparable to the 2011 Hanmi Agreement solely for China. The 2011 Hanmi Agreement was amended in November 2012 to add Macau and Singapore to the territory licensed under the agreement; in October 2013 to add Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia; in March 2015 to add India; in March 2017 to add Japan; and again in September 2018 to all territories in the world apart from the Republic of Korea.

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Upon effectiveness of the 2011 Hanmi Agreement we made an upfront payment of $0.25 million to Hanmi, and we will pay Hanmi tiered royalty payments in the teens based on aggregate net sales of any products using the licensed intellectual property in the territory. Such royalties will be reduced if competing generic products gain market share in the applicable country. Depending on when we receive regulatory approval of a product using the intellectual property licensed from Hanmi in the U.S. or Europe, we may be obligated to pay Hanmi a regulatory bonus of $24.0 million to be paid (1) upon the occurrence of a liquidity event, if the regulatory approval has already been received, or (2) upon receipt of the regulatory approval, if such approval is received after a liquidity event. We were also required to pay Hanmi an exit bonus, in shares of our common stock at a 20% discount to the initial public offering price, of $6.25 million upon the completion of our initial public offering in June 2017 based on a nominal value of $5.0 million. In connection with the March 2017 amendment to the 2011 Hanmi Agreement, we issued a $7.0 million convertible bond to Hanmi in lieu of an upfront payment. Hanmi elected to convert the $7.0 million principal amount of the convertible bond into 795,455 shares of our common stock, based on the agreed 20% discount to our initial public offering price, in September 2017.

Upon effectiveness of the 2013 Hanmi Agreement we made an upfront payment of $0.1 million to Hanmi, and we will pay Hanmi tiered royalty payments in the teens based on net sales of any products using the licensed intellectual property in China. The royalties shall be reduced if competing generic products gain market share in China. We also granted to Hanmi a one-time right of first negotiation to purchase all of our rights in Oral Paclitaxel or Oral Irinotecan under the agreement during development and prior that, at Hanmi’s discretion, requires us to negotiate in good faith the sale of our rights under such agreement to Hanmi at a purchase price determined by an internationally-recognized investment banking firm with an office in Hong Kong at any time prior to the earlier of (1) our first commercial sale of products using such technology or (2) receipt by Hanmi of written notice from our company of the sublicense of the rights in an applicable product to a third party.

Under each agreement, we are responsible for all clinical studies and development and commercialization activities, and the related expenses, resulting from the agreements. Each of the 2011 Hanmi Agreement and the 2013 Hanmi Agreement expires on the earlier of (1) expiration of the last of Hanmi’s patent rights licensed under the agreement or (2) invalidation of Hanmi’s patent rights which are the subject of the agreement, provided that the term will automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods unless either party gives notice to the other at least 90 days prior to expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or before the then-current annual expiration date of the agreement. The patent rights licensed to us under the 2011 and 2013 Hanmi Agreements have expiry dates ranging from in 2023 to 2033, unless the terms of such licensed patents are extended in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Hanmi may also terminate the 2011 Hanmi Agreement if (1) we fail to file an IND application with the FDA for Oral Paclitaxel within six months of the latest of (x) our receipt from Hanmi of all English translations necessary for the filing of an IND application with the FDA, (y) the date we and Hanmi agree that all studies necessary for the filing of an IND application with the FDA have been completed or (z) the date of the final study report for the last of any additional studies that are necessary for the filing of an IND application with the FDA or (2) we fail to commence clinical studies for Oral Paclitaxel within twelve months after the date of approval of an IND application by the FDA.

The 2013 Hanmi Agreement may be terminated by Hanmi if (1) we fail to file an IND application for Oral Paclitaxel with the NMPA within six months after the latest of (w) completion of all Chinese translations necessary for the filing of an IND application with the NMPA, (x) completion of all manufacturing and toxicology studies necessary for the filing of an IND application with the NMPA (y) the date we and Hanmi agree that all studies necessary for the filing of an IND application with the NMPA have been completed or (z) the date of the final study report for the last of any additional studies that are necessary for the filing of an IND application with the NMPA or (2) we fail to commence clinical studies for Oral Paclitaxel within twelve months after the date of approval of an IND application by the NMPA.

Such clinical development milestones in respect of the termination right in both the 2011 Hanmi Agreement, and the 2013 Hanmi Agreement may be extended for twelve months if we reasonably request.

Prior to the expiration of the term of each agreement, we may terminate the agreement in our sole discretion, by providing six months’ notice to Hanmi. Subject to certain conditions. The agreements also contain customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party or by mutual agreement.

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Out-Licenses

ZenRx License Agreement

In April 2013, we entered into a license agreement with ZenRx, which we refer to as the ZenRx License, pursuant to which we granted to ZenRx an exclusive, sublicensable license to use certain of our intellectual property to develop and commercialize Oral Irinotecan and Oral Paclitaxel in Australia and New Zealand, and a non-exclusive license to manufacture a certain compound but only for use in Oral Irinotecan and Oral Paclitaxel. ZenRx is responsible for all development, manufacturing and commercialization, and the related costs and expenses, of any product candidates resulting from the agreement.

We may be entitled to receive up to an aggregate of $1.4 million in additional development, regulatory and sales milestone payments. We will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties in the teens on net sales of each product commercialized by ZenRx utilizing the intellectual property that is the subject of the ZenRx License. Such royalties will be reduced by 40% when competing generic products have 30% of the market share in the applicable country and will be eliminated entirely when competing generic products have 60% of the market share in the applicable country.

As an incentive to ZenRx to further development and commercialization of Oral Irinotecan and Oral Paclitaxel in the territory, if ZenRx obtains certain regulatory approvals in the territory prior to regulatory approval of those products in either the U.S. or South Korea, we may be required to make payments to ZenRx, at ZenRx’s option, either up to $0.6 million in cash or $0.35 million in cash plus $0.25 million worth of our common stock.

The term of the ZenRx License expires on the earlier of (1) expiration of the last of our patent rights licensed under the agreement or (2) invalidation of our patent rights which are the subject of the agreement, provided that the term will automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods unless either party gives notice to the other at least 90 days prior to expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or before the then current annual expiration date of the agreement. Prior to the expiration of the term of the agreement, ZenRx may terminate the agreement in its sole discretion, by providing three months’ notice to us. Subject to certain conditions, we may also terminate the agreement if ZenRx fails to comply with certain development timelines set forth in the ZenRx License. The agreement also contains customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party.

PharmaEssentia License Agreements

In December 2011 and December 2013, we entered into two separate out-licensing agreements with PharmaEssentia, pursuant to which we granted to PharmaEssentia certain licenses to our intellectual property for use in development and commercialization of certain products in specific territories.

The December 2011 agreement, which we refer to as the 2011 PharmaEssentia Agreement, granted an exclusive, sublicensable license to use any pharmaceutical preparation containing tirbanibulin or KX-361 for use in treating psoriasis or other non-malignant skin conditions in a territory that includes China, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. In December 2016, we agreed to amend the 2011 PharmaEssentia Agreement such that the field under the license agreement does not include AK for any country in the territory except Taiwan.

We may be entitled to an aggregate of up to $1.6 million in additional development and regulatory milestone payments, $0.25 million of which may be paid in the form of PharmaEssentia stock. PharmaEssentia has discretion to offer to make such payment in the form of its stock, and we have discretion as to whether to accept such payment in the form of its stock. We will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties ranging from the high single-digits to teens on net sales of each product commercialized by PharmaEssentia utilizing the intellectual property that is the subject of the 2011 PharmaEssentia Agreement. Such royalties will be reduced by 40% when competing generic products have 30% of the market share in the applicable country and will be eliminated entirely when competing generic products have 60% of the market share in the applicable country.

On February 15, 2021, we entered into the Second Amendment to the 2011 PharmaEssentia Agreement for tirbanibulin ointment. The Second Amendment expands the territory to include Japan and South Korea and includes a license to use the intellectual property for additional dermatology indications and skin cancer in the existing territories. Pursuant to this Second Amendment, we will receive an upfront payment of $0.5 million, milestone payments up to $13.0 million associated with the achievement of certain development and sales milestone, as well as royalties on the sale of tirbanibulin ointment in Japan and South Korea. We will supply PharmaEssentia with the licensed products under a supply arrangement for a separate fee.

The December 2013 agreement, which we refer to as the 2013 PharmaEssentia Agreement, granted an exclusive, sublicensable license for development and commercialization of Oral Paclitaxel and Oral Irinotecan in Taiwan and Singapore. In December 2016, we agreed to amend the 2013 PharmaEssentia Agreement to also include Vietnam in the territories covered by the license, provided that, if PharmaEssentia has not completed a submission for regulatory approval in Vietnam by 2021, the rights under the license in Vietnam will be returned to us. In November 2018, we agreed to amend the 2013 PharmaEssentia Agreement to also include a license for development and commercialization of Oral Docetaxel in Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. We received $2.0 million from PharmaEssentia upon effectiveness of the amended agreement.

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We may be entitled to an aggregate of up to $1.5 million in additional development, regulatory and sales milestone payments. We may be obligated to pay PharmaEssentia an aggregate of $1.0 million in incentives if PharmaEssentia achieves certain milestones within designated timeframes. We will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties in the mid-teens on net sales of each product commercialized by PharmaEssentia utilizing the intellectual property that is the subject of the 2013 PharmaEssentia Agreement. Such royalties will be reduced by 40% when competing generic products have 30% of the market share in the applicable country and will be eliminated entirely when competing generic products have 60% of the market share in the applicable country. Under the November 2018 amendment to the 2013 PharmaEssentia Agreement, we also received an upfront payment of $2.0 million. During 2020, we recognized and received revenue of $1.0 million upon meeting regulatory milestones. We may be entitled to an aggregate of up to $6.5 million in additional development and regulatory milestone payments related to Oral Docetaxel.

Under each agreement, PharmaEssentia is responsible for all clinical studies and development and commercialization activities, and the related expenses, resulting from the agreements. Each of the 2011 PharmaEssentia Agreement and the 2013 PharmaEssentia Agreement expire on the earlier of (1) expiration of the last of our patent rights licensed under the agreement or (2) invalidation of our patent rights which are the subject of the agreement, provided that the term will automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods unless either party gives notice to the other at least 90 days prior to expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or before the then current annual expiration date of the agreement.

Prior to the expiration of the term of each agreement, PharmaEssentia may terminate the agreement in its sole discretion, by providing six months’ notice to us. Subject to certain conditions, we may also terminate the agreement if PharmaEssentia fails to comply with certain development timelines set out in each of the agreements. The agreements also contain customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party.

Xiangxue License Agreements

2012 License Agreement

In May 2012, we entered into a license agreement with Xiangxue, which we refer to as the Xiangxue 2012 License, pursuant to which we granted to Xiangxue an exclusive, sublicensable license to use certain of our intellectual property to develop and commercialize products containing KX-361 in all indications for brain tumors in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Xiangxue is responsible for all development, manufacturing and commercialization, and the related costs and expenses, of any product candidates resulting from the agreement.

We received a $0.75 million payment from Xiangxue upon effectiveness of the Xiangxue 2012 License and in 2013 received a further $0.75 million payment upon meeting the first regulatory milestone under the agreement. We may be entitled to receive an aggregate of up to $4.5 million in additional development and regulatory milestone payments. We will also be eligible to receive royalties in the teens on net sales of each product commercialized by Xiangxue utilizing the intellectual property that is the subject of the. Such royalties will be reduced by 40% when competing generic products have 30% of the market share in the applicable country and will be eliminated entirely when competing generic products have 60% of the market share in the applicable country.

The term of the Xiangxue 2012 License expires on the earlier of (1) expiration of the last of our patent rights licensed under the agreement or (2) invalidation of our patent rights which are the subject of the agreement, provided that the term will automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods unless either party gives notice to the other at least 90 days prior to expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or before the then current annual expiration date of the agreement. Prior to the expiration of the term of the Xiangxue 2012 License, Xiangxue may terminate the agreement in its sole discretion, by providing six months’ notice to us. Subject to certain conditions, we may also terminate the agreement if Xiangxue fails to comply with certain development timelines set forth in the Xiangxue 2012 License. The Xiangxue 2012 License also contains customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party.

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2019 License Agreement

In December 2019, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with Xiangxue, which we refer to as the 2019 Xiangxue License, in which we granted Xiangxue exclusive rights to develop and commercialize certain licensed products for China, Hong Kong and Macau, including Oral Paclitaxel, Oral Irinotecan, and tirbanibulin ointment for certain indications, including oncological and AK indications, as well as other indications that we and Xiangxue mutually agree to pursue under the 2019 Xiangxue License. The 2019 Xiangxue License contains an option, exercisable by Xiangxue, to license two additional product candidates on terms and conditions to be negotiated separately from the 2019 Xiangxue License. Under the terms and conditions of the 2019 Xiangxue License, we and Xiangxue will be jointly responsible for licensed products in the territory covered by the 2019 Xiangxue License in their permitted fields of use and Xiangxue will be responsible for the commercialization of the licensed products in the territory in their permitted fields of use. Xiangxue agreed to pay us an initial payment of $30.0 million (the “Upfront Payment”), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the delivery of required regulatory data, which occurred in the first quarter of 2020. The parties further acknowledged certain difficulties Xiangxue has experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in making the Upfront Payment. Therefore, in order to facilitate Xiangxue’s payment of the Upfront Payment to us, the parties entered into two letter agreements on March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, respectively, to amend certain provisions of the 2019 Xiangxue License. In particular, the parties have agreed that, notwithstanding the provisions of the 2019 Xiangxue License Agreement to the contrary,  Xiangxue shall be entitled to make the Upfront Payment in Chinese Renminbi to Taihao, our wholly owned subsidiary in China, and that Xiangxue shall remit the gross amount of the Upfront Payment to Taihao with Athenex bearing the responsibility for indirect taxes in connection with license payments made under the 2019 Xiangxue License Agreement rather than Xiangxue. We received the final balance due on the upfront payment of $30.0 million in the third quarter of 2020. In the third quarter of 2020, we recognized revenue for a $10.0 million milestone fee from Xiangxue upon meeting the first regulatory milestone under the 2019 Xiangxue License, and as of February 28, 2021 we received $1.5 million. Consequently, the Company decided to record a provision for the outstanding balance of $8.5 million and $0.4 million related to currency conversion in our financial statements for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020, respectively. We have not yet taken legal action against Xiangxue to enforce the provisions of the 2019 Xiangxue License, but we may exercise all rights and remedies available to us under the terms of the 2019 Xiangxue License and applicable law at any time. We may be eligible to receive future additional payments up to $140.0 million in the event defined regulatory and sales milestones are achieved, a payment of $20.0 million in the event of a change of control or assignment of rights involving Xiangxue (as further defined and subject to the conditions set forth in the 2019 Xiangxue License), and to receive tiered royalties at rates ranging from the low teens to low twenties based on annual net sales of the licensed products in the territory covered by the 2019 Xiangxue License and a percentage of sublicensing revenue. The 2019 Xiangxue License will continue until Xiangxue has no payment obligations under the 2019 Xiangxue License, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the 2019 Xiangxue License. The 2019 Xiangxue License may be terminated in its entirety upon the mutual agreement of the parties, by Xiangxue for convenience upon requisite notice, or by either party for material breach as set forth in the 2019 Xiangxue License. The 2019 Xiangxue License also will be terminated with respect to any licensed product for Xiangxue’s failure to meet agreed upon regulatory milestones with respect to such 2019 Licensed Product.

Almirall License Agreement

In December 2017, we entered into a license agreement with Almirall, which we refer to as Almirall License, pursuant to which we granted to Almirall an exclusive, sublicensable license of certain of our intellectual property for the development and commercialization of topical products containing tirbanibulin to treat and prevent skin disorders and diseases in humans (including AK), or the Field, in the licensed territory, which includes the U.S. and substantially all European countries (including Russia and Turkey). We also granted Almirall a right of first negotiation to license from us in the territory covered by the Almirall license any compound (other than tirbanibulin) that we may develop in the future with the same mechanism of action as tirbanibulin for topical treatment of skin disorders and diseases if we decide to collaborate with a third party regarding that newly developed compound. Under the Almirall License, Almirall also grants us an exclusive, sublicensable license to use certain of its intellectual property related to the products containing our licensed tirbanibulin for use in the field in order to commercialize such products outside of the licensed territory and outside of the field in the licensed territory and to commercialize other products containing tirbanibulin for indications outside the field. If we decide to sublicense that license from Almirall for certain additional products or indications, we will negotiate with Almirall to allow them to reasonably participate in the commercial benefit of such sublicense.

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In March 2018, we received an upfront payment of $30.0 million from Almirall under this agreement. In June 2019, we received milestone payment of $20.0 million, and we expect to receive other near-term payments of up to $5.0 million. We may also be entitled to receive an aggregate of $65.0 million in additional milestone payments, as well as sales milestone payments we estimate will likely total $155.0 million. Almirall will reward Athenex with additional sales milestones should the sales exceed the currently projected amounts. In addition, we are eligible to receive tiered royalty payments for a certain period starting at 15% based on annual net sales of the topical products commercialized by Almirall, utilizing the intellectual property subject to the license agreement, with incremental increases in royalty rates commensurate with increased sales. Additionally, under certain circumstances starting after one year following regulatory approval of certain licensed products in the U.S., we would have the option to co-promote such licensed products under pre-negotiated terms and conditions with Almirall.

The term of the Almirall License began in February 2018 when antitrust approval was obtained and continues for the entire life of the licensed topical products on a country-by-country basis. Prior to the expiration of the term of the Almirall License, Almirall may terminate the agreement in its entirety or with regard to a certain territory in its sole discretion by providing six months’ notice to us. We may also be required to reimburse Almirall in the event Almirall provides notice that certain clinical endpoints under the agreement are not met. In addition, Almirall may terminate the agreement effective immediately if the licensed topical products cannot be marketed in the territory due to significant safety concerns, if regulatory approval is finally and irrevocably denied in a territory or if an approved product label is less favorable than the product label submitted to the regulatory authorities in a way that would materially affect the commercial value of the product.

The agreement also contains customary termination rights for both parties, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or if the other party defaults in performance of its obligations under the agreement.

Collaboration Agreement

Eli Lilly and Company Agreement

In October 2016, we entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Lilly, which we refer to as the Lilly Agreement, under which we and Lilly will conduct a Phase 1b trial of Oral Paclitaxel in combination with Lilly’s ramucirumab in patients with gastric, gastro-esophageal and esophageal cancers. Under the terms of the Lilly Agreement we will act as the sponsor of the study and will hold the IND/clinical trial application (“CTA”) relating to the study, while all clinical data generated under the study will be jointly owned by us and Lilly. Other than Lilly’s obligation to supply ramucirumab to us, we will be responsible for all other costs associated with the conduct of the study.

The Lilly Agreement will remain in effect until the study contemplated by the agreement has been completed. The agreement also contains customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement by the other party, or in the event a regulatory authority takes any action against or raises any objection to the study.

Competition

The biopharmaceutical industry and the oncology subsector are characterized by rapid evolution of technologies, fierce competition and strong defense of intellectual property. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will have to compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. While we believe that our product candidates, platforms and scientific expertise in the field of biotechnology and oncology provide us with competitive advantages, a wide variety of institutions, including large biopharmaceutical companies, specialty biotechnology companies, academic research departments and public and private research institutions, are actively developing potentially competitive products and technologies. We face substantial competition from biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies developing oncology products. These competitors generally fall within the following categories:

Oral administration: Taxol, Abraxane, Cynviloq, Camptosar, Onivyde, Taxotere and Hycamtin;

Src Kinase inhibitors: Picato and Temodar.

From the inception of Athenex, we have recognized the value of oral chemotherapies, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increasing interest and demand in both the medical and patient communities for oral therapy options. In 2020, the NCCN issued guidance to support cancer patients and healthcare provider safety. This guidance encouraged switching patients from infusion-based therapies to oral oncolytics, where an oral formulation is available for the same active compound. In addition, we believe there is a significant commercial opportunity in the oral chemotherapy market that allows for several competitors. Based on where paclitaxel is currently being used or is the standard of care, there are opportunities beyond the initial label in MBC that we are pursuing with Oral Paclitaxel, such as in early stage breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer and gastric cancer. There are also emerging opportunities with important modalities like immunotherapies or targeted therapies. There are other companies working to develop oral therapies in the field of oncology, targeting various tumor types, and these companies include divisions of large pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies of various sizes.

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Many of the companies, either alone or with strategic partners, against which we are competing or against which we may compete in the future have significantly greater financial, technical and human resources, and clinical, regulatory, commercialization and manufacturing capabilities than we do. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than us in obtaining approval for treatments and achieving widespread market acceptance, rendering our treatments obsolete or non-competitive. Accelerated merger and acquisition activity in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. These companies also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical study sites and patient registration for clinical studies, acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs and for sales in the API business. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Our commercial opportunity could be substantially limited in the event that our competitors develop and commercialize products that are more effective, safer, less toxic, more convenient or less expensive than our comparable products. In geographies that are critical to our commercial success, competitors may also obtain regulatory approvals before us, resulting in our competitors building a strong market position in advance of our products’ entry. We believe the factors determining the success of our programs will be the efficacy, safety and convenience of our product candidates and our access to supply of API.

Intellectual Property

We strive to protect and enhance the proprietary technologies, inventions, products and product candidates, methods of manufacture, methods of using our products and product candidates, and improvements thereof that are commercially important to our business. We protect our proprietary intellectual property position by, among others, filing patent applications in the U.S. and in jurisdictions outside of the U.S. covering our proprietary technologies, inventions, products and product candidates, methods, and improvements that are important to the development and implementation of our business. We also rely on trade secrets, know-how, continuing innovation, and licensing opportunities to develop, strengthen and maintain our proprietary intellectual property position. As of January 25, 2021, we owned approximately 200 granted patents and over 80 pending patent applications, including six allowed patent applications worldwide. In addition, we have in-licensed patents and patent applications relating to our Orascovery platform technology from Hanmi. In our Orascovery platform, the lead compound is covered as composition-of-matter in granted patents in the U.S. and other territories, such as China and Europe. These patents will expire in October 2023 or 2024, excluding any potential patent term adjustments and/or patent term extensions that may be available. The lead compounds in our Src Kinase inhibition platform are covered as composition-of-matter in granted patents in the US and other territories, including China and Europe. These patents will begin to expire in December 2025, excluding any potential patent term adjustments and/or patent term extensions that may be available. As of January 25, 2021, we have in-licensed patents and technologies in relation to our TCR T-cell therapy.  Some of these patents will expire in 2034, excluding any potential patent term adjustments and/or patent term extensions that may be available. We have in-licensed a patent relating to the site-directed PEGylation of arginases and their use as anti-cancer and anti-viral therapies granted in the U.S. and other territories, such as China and Europe. This patent will expire in March 2030, excluding any potential patent term adjustments and/or patent term extensions that may be available. A PCT application has entered national phases in the U.S. and other territories, such as China and Europe covering the compositions and methods for amino acid depletion therapy.

The term of individual patents depends upon the laws of the countries in which they are obtained. In most countries in which we file, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest date of filing of a non-provisional patent application. In the U.S., the term of a patent may be lengthened by patent term adjustment to compensate the patentee for administrative delays by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) in examining and granting the patent or may be shortened if the patent is terminally disclaimed over an earlier-filed patent. In addition, a patent term may be extended to restore a portion of the term effectively lost as a result of FDA regulatory review. However, the restoration period cannot be longer than five years and cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of fourteen years from the date of FDA approval, and only one patent applicable to an approved drug may be extended. Similar extensions as compensation for regulatory delays are available in Europe and other jurisdictions. We intend to seek patent term extensions where these are available. However, there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the U.S., will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and we cannot predict the length of the extensions even if they are granted. The actual protection afforded by a patent varies on a claim-by-claim basis, from country-to-country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, the availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country and the validity and enforceability of the patent. For a granted patent to remain in force most countries require the payment of annuities or maintenance fees, either yearly or at certain intervals during the term of a patent. If an annuity or maintenance fee is not paid, the patent may lapse irrevocably.

Granted patents and pending patent applications related to the Src Kinase inhibition platform cover such aspects as composition-of-matter claims to our lead product candidates and their analogs, claims to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such candidates and claims to methods of making and method of treatment using such candidates. Not accounting for any patent term adjustment, patent term extension or terminal disclaimer, and, assuming that all annuity and/or maintenance fees are paid, the patents and, if granted, patent applications, will expire from 2025 to 2040.

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Government Regulation and Product Approval

Governmental authorities in the U.S., at the federal, state and local level, and in other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, approval, quality control, labeling, packaging, promotion, storage, advertising, distribution, post-approval monitoring, marketing and export and import of products such as those we are developing. In order to be lawfully marketed in the U.S., our therapeutic drug candidates and compounded products must comply with either Section 503B (outsourcing facility) or Section 505 (new drug approval) of the FDCA as applicable, and they will be subject to similar premarket requirements in other countries. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.

U.S. Government Regulation

In the U.S., the FDA regulates drugs under the FDCA and its implementing regulations. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development or approval process, or after approval, may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us. These sanctions could include:

NDA approval processes

The process required by the FDA before a therapeutic drug product may be marketed in the U.S. generally involves the following:

Once a pharmaceutical candidate is identified for development, it enters the preclinical or nonclinical testing stage. Nonclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, toxicity and formulation, as well as animal studies. Such studies must generally be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s GLPs. An IND sponsor must submit the results of the nonclinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, to the FDA as part of the IND application. Some nonclinical testing may continue even after the IND application is submitted. In addition to including the results of the nonclinical studies, the IND application will also include a protocol detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated if the first phase lends itself to an efficacy determination. The IND application automatically becomes effective thirty days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, places the IND on clinical hold. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before clinical trials can begin. A clinical hold may occur at any time during the life of an IND and may affect one or more specific studies or all studies conducted under the IND application.

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The manufacture of investigational drugs for the conduct of human clinical trials is subject to cGMP requirements. Investigational drugs and API imported into the U.S. are also subject to regulation by the FDA relating to their labeling and distribution. Further, the export of investigational drug products outside of the U.S. may be subject to regulatory requirements of the receiving country as well as U.S. export requirements under the FDCA.

All clinical trials must be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators in accordance with GCP requirements, which include, among other things, the requirements that all research subjects provide their informed consent in writing for their participation in any clinical trial. Investigators must also provide certain information to the clinical trial sponsors to allow the sponsors to make certain financial disclosures to the FDA. Clinical trials must be conducted under protocols detailing the objectives of the trial, dosing procedures, research subject selection and exclusion criteria and the safety and effectiveness endpoints to be evaluated. Each protocol, and any subsequent material amendment to the protocol, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND application, and progress reports detailing the status of the clinical trials must be submitted to the FDA annually. Sponsors also must report to the FDA serious and unexpected adverse reactions in a timely manner. Reporting requirements also apply to, among other things, any clinically important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator’s brochure and any findings from other studies or animal or in vitro testing that suggest a significant risk in humans exposed to the product candidate. An institutional review board, or IRB, with jurisdiction at each institution participating in the clinical trial must review and approve the protocol before a clinical trial commences at that institution and must also approve the information regarding the trial and the consent form that must be provided to each research subject or the subject’s legal representative, monitor the study until completed and otherwise comply with IRB regulations.

Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined.

A pivotal study is a clinical study that adequately meets regulatory agency requirements for the evaluation of a product candidate’s efficacy and safety such that it can be used to justify the approval of the product. Generally, pivotal studies are also Phase 3 studies but may be Phase 2 studies, with the agreement of FDA, if the trial design provides a reliable assessment of clinical benefit, particularly in situations where there is an unmet medical need.

In the case of a 505(b)(2) NDA, which is a marketing application in which the sponsor may rely on investigations that were not conducted by or for the applicant and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference or use from the person by or for whom the investigations were conducted, some of the above-described studies and nonclinical studies may not be required or may be abbreviated. The applicant may rely upon the FDA’s prior findings of safety and efficacy for a previously approved product or on published scientific literature in support of its application. Bridging studies, including clinical studies, may be needed, however, to demonstrate that it is scientifically appropriate to rely on the findings of the studies that were previously conducted by other sponsors to the drug that is the subject of the marketing application.

In addition, the manufacturer of an investigational drug in a Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial for a serious or life-threatening disease is required to make available, such as by posting on its website, its policy on evaluating and responding to requests for expanded access to such investigational drug.

The outcome of human clinical trials is inherently uncertain and Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 testing may not be successfully completed or may not be completed at all. The FDA or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time for a variety of reasons, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the product candidate has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients.

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During the development of a new product candidate, sponsors are given opportunities to meet with the FDA at certain points; specifically, prior to the submission of an IND, at the end of Phase 2 and before an NDA application is submitted. Meetings at other times may be requested. These meetings can provide an opportunity for the sponsor to share information about the data gathered to date and for the FDA to provide advice on the next phase of development. Sponsors typically use the meeting at the end of Phase 2 to discuss their Phase 2 clinical results and present their plans for the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials that they believe will support the approval of the new therapeutic. A sponsor may request a Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, the purpose of which is to reach agreement with the FDA on the Phase 3 clinical trial protocol design and analysis that will form the primary basis of an efficacy claim. The agreement will be binding on the FDA and may not be changed by the sponsor or the FDA after the trial begins except with the written agreement of the sponsor and the FDA or if the FDA determines that a substantial scientific issue essential to determining the safety or efficacy of the product candidate was identified after the testing began.

Post-approval trials, sometimes referred to as “Phase 4” clinical trials, may be required after initial marketing approval. These trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication.

Concurrent with clinical trials, sponsors usually complete additional animal safety studies, develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the product candidate and finalize a process for manufacturing commercial quantities of the product candidate in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the quality, purity and potency of the product candidate. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its proposed shelf-life.

The results of product development, nonclinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests and other control mechanisms, proposed labeling and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the product. An NDA must also contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the product for the claimed indication in all relevant pediatric populations. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of pediatric data or full or partial waivers. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, as amended, each NDA must be accompanied by a significant user fee. The FDA adjusts the PDUFA user fees on an annual basis. PDUFA also imposes an annual program fee for each prescription drug. Fee waivers or reductions are available in certain circumstances, such as where a waiver is necessary to protect the public health, where the fee would present a significant barrier to innovation or where the applicant is a small business submitting its first human therapeutic application for review. Product candidates that are designated as orphan drugs are also not subject to user fees unless the application contains an indication other than an orphan indication.

Within sixty days following submission of an NDA, FDA reviews the application to determine if it is substantially complete before the agency accepts it for filing. The FDA may refuse to accept any NDA that it deems incomplete or not properly reviewable at the time of submission and may request additional information. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review of the NDA. The FDA has agreed to certain performance goals in the review of NDAs. FDA seeks to review NDAs for standard review products that are not new molecular entities, or NMEs, within ten months of the date the NDA is submitted, while FDA seeks to review NDAs for standard review NMEs within ten months of the date FDA files the NDA.  FDA seeks to review NDAs for priority review products that are not NMEs within six months of the date the NDA is submitted, while FDA seeks to review NDAs for priority review NMEs within six months of the date FDA files the NDA. The review process for both standard and priority review may be extended by the FDA for three additional months to consider certain late-submitted information, or information intended to clarify information already provided in the submission. The FDA may refer applications for novel drug products or drug products that present difficult questions of safety or efficacy to an advisory committee, typically a panel that includes clinicians and other experts, for review, evaluation and a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and, if so, under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.

During the product approval process, the FDA also will determine whether a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, plan is necessary to assure the safe use of the product. If the FDA concludes that a REMS plan is needed, the sponsor of the NDA must submit a proposed REMS plan prior to approval. The FDA has authority to require a REMS plan when necessary to ensure that the benefits of a drug outweigh the risks. In determining whether a REMS plan is necessary, the FDA must consider the size of the population likely to use the drug, the seriousness of the disease or condition to be treated, the expected benefit of the drug, the duration of treatment, the seriousness of known or potential adverse events, and whether the drug is a new molecular entity. A REMS plan may be required to include various elements, such as a medication guide or patient package insert, a communication plan to educate health care providers of the risks, limitations on who may prescribe or dispense the drug or other measures that the FDA deems necessary to assure the safe use of the drug. In addition, the REMS plan must include a timetable to assess the strategy at eighteen months, three years and seven years after the strategy’s approval.

The FDA may also require a REMS plan for a drug that is already on the market if it determines, based on new safety information, that a REMS plan is necessary to ensure that the product’s benefits outweigh its risks.

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Before approving an NDA, the FDA will inspect the facilities at which the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve the product unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are compliant with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure that the clinical trials were conducted in compliance with IND trial requirements and GCP requirements. To assure cGMP and GCP compliance, an applicant must incur significant expenditure of time, money and effort in the areas of training, record keeping, production and quality control.

Notwithstanding the submission of relevant data and information, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA does not satisfy its regulatory criteria for approval. Data obtained from clinical trials are not always conclusive, and the FDA may interpret data differently than the applicant. If the agency decides not to approve the NDA in its then present form, the FDA will issue a complete response letter that describes all of the specific deficiencies in the NDA identified by the FDA, with no implication regarding the ultimate approvability of the application or the timing of any such approval, if ever. The deficiencies identified may be minor, for example, requiring labeling changes, or major, for example, requiring additional clinical trials. Additionally, the complete response letter may include recommended actions that the applicant might take to place the application in a condition for approval. If a complete response letter is issued, the applicant must either resubmit the NDA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, withdraw the application, or appeal the decision.

Even if a product receives regulatory approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific indications and dosages or the indications for use may otherwise be limited, which could restrict the commercial value of the product. Further, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling. The FDA may impose restrictions and conditions on product distribution, prescribing or dispensing in the form of a risk management plan, or otherwise limit the scope of any approval. In addition, the FDA may require post marketing clinical trials, sometimes referred to as “Phase 4” clinical trials, designed to further assess a drug’s safety and effectiveness, and testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of approved products that have been commercialized.

Expedited Review and Approval

The FDA has various programs, including Fast Track, priority review, accelerated approval and breakthrough therapy designation, which are intended to expedite or simplify the process for reviewing therapeutic candidates, or provide for the approval of a product candidate on the basis of a surrogate endpoint. Even if a product candidate qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product candidate no longer meets the conditions for qualification or that the time period for FDA review or approval will be lengthened. Generally, therapeutic candidates that are eligible for these programs are those for serious or life-threatening conditions, those with the potential to address unmet medical needs and those that offer meaningful benefits over existing treatments. For example, Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of therapeutic candidates to treat serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions and fill unmet medical needs. Priority review is designed to give therapeutic candidates that offer major advances in treatment or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists an initial review within six months of the date that FDA files the NDA as compared to a standard review time of ten months of the date that FDA files the NDA.

Although Fast Track and priority review do not affect the standards for approval, the FDA will attempt to facilitate early and frequent meetings with a sponsor of a Fast Track designated product candidate and expedite review of the application for a product candidate designated for priority review. Accelerated approval, which is described in Subpart H of 21 CFR Part 314, provides for an earlier approval for a new product candidate that is (1) intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition; (2) generally provides a meaningful advantage over available therapies and (3) demonstrates an effect on either a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, or IMM, and is reasonably likely to predict an effect on IMM or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. A surrogate endpoint is a laboratory measurement or physical sign used as an indirect or substitute measurement representing a clinically meaningful outcome. As a condition of approval, the FDA will require that a sponsor of a product candidate receiving accelerated approval perform post-marketing studies to verify and describe the predicted effect on IMM or other clinical endpoint. The product may be subject to accelerated withdrawal procedures under certain circumstances.

In addition to the Fast Track, accelerated approval and priority review programs discussed above, a sponsor may seek a breakthrough therapy designation. A breakthrough therapy is defined as a drug that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or conditions, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints. Drugs designated as breakthrough therapies are eligible for, among other things, the Fast Track designation, intensive guidance on an efficient drug development program and a commitment from FDA to involve senior managers and experienced review staff in a proactive collaborative, cross-disciplinary review.

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Abbreviated New Drug Applications for Generic Drugs and 505(b)(2)NDAs

NDA applicants are required to list with the FDA each patent with claims covering the applicant’s product or method of using the product. Upon approval of a drug, each of the patents listed in the application for the drug is then published in the FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly known as the Orange Book. Drugs listed in the Orange Book can, in turn, be cited by potential generic or 505(b)(2) applicants in support of approval of an ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) application. An ANDA provides for marketing of a drug product that has the same active ingredients in the same strengths and dosage form as the listed drug and has been shown to be bioequivalent to the listed drug. Other than the requirement for bioequivalence testing, ANDA applicants are not required to conduct, or submit results of, pre-clinical or clinical tests to prove the safety or effectiveness of their drug product. Drugs approved in this way can often be substituted by pharmacists under prescriptions written for the original listed drug. A 505(b)(2) NDA is an application that contains full reports of investigations of safety and effectiveness but where some of the information required for approval comes from studies not conducted by or for the applicant and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. A 505(b)(2) applicant may be able to rely on published literature or on FDA’s previous findings of safety and effectiveness for an approved drug. A 505(b)(2) NDA may be submitted for changes to a previously approved drug, including, for example, in the dosage form, route of administration, or indication.  

The ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant is required to make a certification to the FDA concerning any patents listed for the approved NDA product in the FDA’s Orange Book. Specifically, the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant must certify that: (1) the required patent information has not been filed; (2) the listed patent has expired (3) the listed patent has not expired, but will expire on a particular date and approval is sought after patent expiration; or (4) the listed patent is invalid or will not be infringed by the new product. The ANDA applicant may also elect to submit a section viii statement certifying that its proposed ANDA labeling does not contain (or carves out) any language regarding the patented method-of-use rather than certify to a listed method-of-use patent. If the applicant does not challenge the listed patents, the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application will not be approved until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired.

A certification that the ANDA or 505(b)(2) product will not infringe the already approved product’s listed patents, or that such patents are invalid, is called a Paragraph IV certification. If the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant has provided a Paragraph IV certification to the FDA, the applicant must also send notice of the Paragraph IV certification to the NDA and patent holders once the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application has been received by the FDA. The NDA and patent holders may then initiate a patent infringement lawsuit in response to the notice of the Paragraph IV certification. The filing of a patent infringement lawsuit within forty-five days of the receipt of a Paragraph IV certification automatically prevents the FDA from approving the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application until the earlier of thirty months, expiration of the patent, settlement of the lawsuit or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the ANDA applicant.

The ANDA or 505(b)(2) application will not be approved until any applicable non-patent exclusivity listed in the Orange Book for the referenced product has expired.

Patent Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of our drug candidates, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Hatch-Waxman Act permits a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of fourteen years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND application and the submission date of an NDA plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application, except that this review period is reduced by any time during which the applicant failed to exercise due diligence. Only one patent applicable to an approved product is eligible for the extension, and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration. In the future, if available, we intend to apply for restorations of patent term for some of our currently owned patents beyond their current expiration dates, depending on the expected length of the clinical trials and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA; however, there can be no assurance that any such extension will be granted to us.

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Market exclusivity provisions under the FDCA can also delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the U.S. to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA, submitted by another company for another version of such drug where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement. The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example, new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the conditions of use associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs for drugs containing the original active agent. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the preclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. Five- and three-year exclusivity do not affect the submission of a full 505(b)(1) NDA.

Orphan Drug Designation

Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant Orphan Drug Designation to therapeutic candidates intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects either (1) fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., or (2) more than 200,000 individuals in the U.S. and for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the U.S. a product candidate for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the U.S. for that product candidate. Orphan Drug Designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. We have received Orphan Drug Designation for KX-361 for the treatment of gliomas and Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of angiosarcomas. After the FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Orphan Drug Designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process.

If a product candidate that has Orphan Drug Designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product candidate is entitled to orphan product exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication, except under limited circumstances, for seven years. Orphan drug exclusivity, however, could also block the approval of one of our therapeutic candidates for seven years if a competitor obtains approval of the same drug for the same disease or condition as defined by the FDA or if our product candidate is determined to be contained within the competitor’s product candidate for the same indication or disease. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent FDA from approving the same drug for a different disease or a different drug for the same disease.

Pediatric Exclusivity and Pediatric Use

Under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA), certain therapeutic candidates may obtain an additional six months of exclusivity if the sponsor submits information requested in writing by the FDA, referred to as a Written Request, relating to the use of the active moiety of the product candidate in children. Although the FDA may issue a Written Request for studies on either approved or unapproved indications, it may only do so where it determines that information relating to that use of a product candidate in a pediatric population, or part of the pediatric population, may produce health benefits in that population.

In addition, the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, requires a sponsor to conduct pediatric studies for most therapeutic candidates, for a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration. Under PREA, original NDAs and supplements thereto must contain a pediatric assessment unless the sponsor has received a deferral or waiver. The required assessment must assess the safety and effectiveness of the product candidate for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product candidate is safe and effective. The sponsor or FDA may request a deferral of pediatric studies for some or all of the pediatric subpopulations. A deferral may be granted for several reasons, including a finding that the product candidate is ready for approval for use in adults before pediatric studies are complete or that additional safety or effectiveness data needs to be collected before the pediatric studies begin. The law requires the FDA to send a PREA Non-Compliance letter to sponsors who have failed to submit their pediatric assessments required under PREA, have failed to seek or obtain a deferral or deferral extension or have failed to request approval for a required pediatric formulation. It further requires the FDA to post the PREA Non-Compliance letter and sponsor’s response.

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Post-Approval Requirements

Once an approval is granted, the FDA may withdraw the approval if compliance with regulatory requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product candidate reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product candidate may result in restrictions on the product candidate or even complete withdrawal of the product candidate from the market. After approval, some types of changes to the approved product candidate, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes and additional labeling claims, are subject to further FDA review and approval. In addition, the FDA may under some circumstances require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the effect of approved therapeutic candidates that have been commercialized, and the FDA under some circumstances has the power to prevent or limit further marketing of a product candidate based on the results of these post-marketing programs.

Any therapeutic candidates manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals for prescription drugs are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things:

Therapeutic manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacturing of approved therapeutic products are required to register their establishments with the FDA and obtain licenses in certain states and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and some state agencies for compliance with cGMP and other laws. The FDA periodically inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with cGMP, which imposes extensive procedural, substantive and record-keeping requirements. In addition, changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations would also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting and documentation requirements upon us and any third-party manufacturers used. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance.

Disclosure of Clinical Trial Information

Sponsors of clinical trials of FDA-regulated products, including drugs, are required to register and disclose certain clinical trial information, which is publicly available at www.clinicaltrials.gov. Information related to the product, patient population, phase of investigation, study sites and investigators and other aspects of the clinical trial is then made public as part of the registration. Sponsors are also obligated to disclose the results of their clinical trials after completion. Disclosure of the results of these trials can be delayed under certain limited circumstances for up to two years after the date of completion of the trial. Competitors may use this publicly available information to gain knowledge regarding the progress of development programs. The government recently released a regulation and policy to expand and enhance the requirements related to registering and reporting the results of which may result in greater enforcement of these requirements in the future.

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Regulation of Outsourcing Facilities

Pharmaceutical drug compounding is a practice in which a licensed pharmacist, a licensed physician, or in the case of an outsourcing facility, a person under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, combines, mixes, or alters ingredients of a drug to create a medication. We are engaged in the compounding of sterile drugs as an outsourcing facility registered with FDA under FDCA Section 503B. Title I of the Drug Quality and Security Act, the Compounding Quality Act, or CQA, allows a facility that compounds sterile drugs to register with FDA as an outsourcing facility. Once registered (which includes payment of an annual fee, among other requirements), an outsourcing facility must meet certain conditions in order to be statutorily exempt from the FDCA’s new drug approval requirements, the requirement to label products with adequate directions for use, and certain product tracing and serialization requirements. Under the CQA, a drug must be lawfully compounded in compliance with the provisions set forth in Section 503B including FDA’s cGMP regulations and related cGMP guidance for outsourcing facilities in order to remain eligible for the statutory exemptions. The outsourcing facility must also bi-annually report specific information about the products that it compounds, including a list of all of the products it compounded during the previous six months pursuant to Section 503B(b)(2). The source of any bulk substance active ingredient used in compounding must be a Section 510-registered manufacturer, and the substances must be accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis. If the outsourcing facility compounds using bulk drug substances, the bulk drug substances must either appear on FDA’s “interim” Category 1 list of bulk substances that may be used in compounding under Section 503B, which are bulk drug substances for which FDA has determined there is a clinical need for use in compounding. Drugs may also be compounded if an FDA-approved drug product appears on FDA’s published drug shortage list.  

FDA has not yet finalized its list of bulk drug substances for which there is a clinical need.  Provided certain conditions are met, FDA will exercise enforcement discretion concerning interim Category 1 substances pending evaluation of the substances for inclusion on FDA’s final list of bulk drug substances for which there is a clinical need.

In addition, an outsourcing facility must meet other conditions described in the CQA, including reporting adverse events pursuant to Section 503B(b)(5) of the FDCA, and labeling its compounded products with certain information pursuant to Section 503B(a)(10). Outsourcing facilities are prohibited from transferring or otherwise selling compounded drugs through a wholesale distributor, or from compounding drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available, FDA-approved drugs. Outsourcing facilities are subject to FDA inspection, and FDA conducts inspections on a risk-based frequency under Section 503B(b)(4).

Pharmaceutical Coverage, Reimbursement and Pricing

Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval or compound. In the U.S., sales of any products for which we may compound or receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations as well as government payors such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a product is typically separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list or formulary which might not include all of the FDA-approved products for a particular indication. Also, third-party payors may refuse to include a particular branded drug on their formularies or otherwise restrict patient access to a branded drug when a less costly generic equivalent or other alternative is available. However, under Medicare Part D—Medicare’s outpatient prescription drug benefit—there are protections in place to ensure coverage and reimbursement for oncology products and all Part D prescription drug plans are required to cover substantially all anti-cancer agents. However, a payor’s decision to provide coverage for a product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be available. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development.

Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of medical products and services, in addition to their safety and efficacy. In order to obtain coverage and reimbursement for any product that might be approved for sale, we may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of any products, in addition to the costs required to obtain regulatory approvals. Our drug candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective. If third-party payors do not consider a product to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover an approved product as a benefit under their plans or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow a company to sell its products at a profit.

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Government Programs

Medicaid, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and Medicare

Federal law requires that a pharmaceutical manufacturer, as a condition of having its products receive federal reimbursement under Medicaid and Medicare Part B, must pay rebates to state Medicaid programs for all units of its covered outpatient drugs dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries and paid for by a state Medicaid program under either a fee-for-service arrangement or through a managed care organization. This federal requirement is effectuated through a Medicaid drug rebate agreement between the manufacturer and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) administers the Medicaid drug rebate agreements, which provide, among other things, that the drug manufacturer will pay rebates to each state Medicaid agency on a quarterly basis and report certain price information on a monthly and quarterly basis. The rebates are based on prices reported to CMS by manufacturers for their covered outpatient drugs. For innovator products, that is, drugs that are marketed under approved NDAs, the basic rebate amount is the greater of 23.1% of the average manufacturer price (“AMP”) for the quarter or the difference between such AMP and the best price for that same quarter. The AMP is the weighted average of prices paid to the manufacturer (1) directly by retail community pharmacies and (2) by wholesalers for drugs distributed to retail community pharmacies. The best price is essentially the lowest price available to non-governmental entities. Innovator products are also subject to an additional rebate that is based on the amount, if any, by which the product’s current AMP has increased over the baseline AMP, which is the AMP for the first full quarter after launch, adjusted for inflation. For non-innovator products, generally generic drugs marketed under approved abbreviated new drug applications, the basic rebate amount is 13% of the AMP for the quarter. Non-innovator products are also subject to an additional rebate. The additional rebate is similar to that discussed above for innovator products, except that the baseline AMP quarter is the fifth full quarter after launch (for non-innovator multiple source drugs launched on April 1, 2013 or later) or the third quarter of 2014 (for those launched before April 1, 2013).

The terms of participation in the Medicaid drug rebate program impose an obligation to correct the prices reported in previous quarters, as may be necessary. Any such corrections could result in additional or lesser rebate liability, depending on the direction of the correction. In addition to retroactive rebates, if a manufacturer were found to have knowingly submitted false information to the government, federal law provides for civil monetary penalties for failing to provide required information, late submission of required information, and false information.

A manufacturer must also participate in a federal program known as the 340B drug pricing program in order for federal funds to be available to pay for the manufacturer’s drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. Under this program, the participating manufacturer agrees to charge certain safety net healthcare providers no more than an established discounted price for its covered outpatient drugs. The formula for determining the discounted price is defined by statute and is based on the AMP and the unit rebate amount as calculated under the Medicaid drug rebate program, discussed above. Manufacturers are required to report pricing information to the Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) on a quarterly basis. HRSA has also issued regulations relating to the calculation of the ceiling price as well as imposition of civil monetary penalties for each instance of knowingly and intentionally overcharging a 340B covered entity.

Federal law also requires that manufacturers report data on a quarterly basis to CMS regarding the pricing of drugs that are separately reimbursable under Medicare Part B. These are generally drugs, such as injectable products, that are administered “incident to” a physician service and are not generally self-administered. The pricing information submitted by manufacturers is the basis for reimbursement to physicians and suppliers for drugs covered under Medicare Part B. As with the Medicaid drug rebate program, federal law provides for civil monetary penalties for failing to provide required information, late submission of required information, and false information.

Medicare Part D provides prescription drug benefits for seniors and people with disabilities. Medicare Part D beneficiaries have a gap in their coverage (between the initial coverage limit and the point at which catastrophic coverage begins) where Medicare does not cover their prescription drug costs, known as the coverage gap. However, by 2020, Medicare Part D beneficiaries will pay 25% of drug costs after they reach the initial coverage limit - the same percentage they were responsible for before they reached that limit - thereby closing the coverage gap. The cost of closing the coverage gap is being borne by innovator companies and the government through subsidies. Each manufacturer of a drug approved under an NDA is required to enter into a Medicare Part D coverage gap discount agreement and provide a 70% discount on those drugs dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries in the coverage gap, in order for its drugs to be reimbursed by Medicare Part D.

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Federal Contracting/Pricing Requirements

Manufacturers are also required to make their covered drugs, which are generally drugs approved under NDAs, available to authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule (“FSS”) of the General Services Administration. The law also requires manufacturers to offer deeply discounted FSS contract pricing for purchases of their covered drugs by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense (“DoD”), the Coast Guard, and the Public Health Service (including the Indian Health Service) in order for federal funding to be available for reimbursement or purchase of the manufacturer’s drugs under certain federal programs. FSS pricing to those four federal agencies for covered drugs must be no more than the Federal Ceiling Price (“FCP”), which is at least 24% below the Non-Federal Average Manufacturer Price (“Non-FAMP”) for the prior year. The Non-FAMP is the average price for covered drugs sold to wholesalers or other middlemen, net of any price reductions.

The accuracy of a manufacturer’s reported Non-FAMPs, FCPs, or FSS contract prices may be audited by the government. Among the remedies available to the government for inaccuracies is recoupment of any overcharges to the four specified federal agencies based on those inaccuracies. If a manufacturer were found to have knowingly reported false prices, in addition to other penalties available to the government, the law provides for civil monetary penalties of $100,000 per incorrect item. Finally, manufacturers are required to disclose in FSS contract proposals all commercial pricing that is equal to or less than the proposed FSS pricing, and subsequent to award of an FSS contract, manufacturers are required to monitor certain commercial price reductions and extend commensurate price reductions to the government, under the terms of the FSS contract Price Reductions Clause. Among the remedies available to the government for any failure to properly disclose commercial pricing and/or to extend FSS contract price reductions is recoupment of any FSS overcharges that may result from such omissions.

Tricare Retail Pharmacy Network Program

The DoD provides pharmacy benefits to current and retired military service members and their families through the Tricare healthcare program. When a Tricare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug through a retail pharmacy, the DoD reimburses the pharmacy at the retail price for the drug rather than procuring it from the manufacturer at the discounted FCP discussed above. In order for the DoD to realize discounted prices for covered drugs (generally drugs approved under NDAs), federal law requires manufacturers to pay refunds on utilization of their covered drugs sold to Tricare beneficiaries through retail pharmacies in DoD’s Tricare network. These refunds are generally the difference between the Non-FAMP and the FCP and are due on a quarterly basis. Absent an agreement from the manufacturer to provide such refunds, DoD will designate the manufacturer’s products as Tier 3 (non-formulary) and require that beneficiaries obtain prior authorization in order for the products to be dispensed at a Tricare retail network pharmacy. However, refunds are due whether or not the manufacturer has entered into such an agreement.

Branded Pharmaceutical Fee

A branded pharmaceutical fee is imposed on manufacturers and importers of branded prescription drugs, generally drugs approved under NDAs. The fee is $2.8 billion in 2019 and subsequent years. This annual fee is apportioned among the participating companies based on each company’s sales of qualifying products to or utilization by certain U.S. government programs during the preceding calendar year. The fee is not deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Utilization of generic drugs, generally drugs approved under ANDAs, is not included in a manufacturer’s sales used to calculate its portion of the fee.

The ACA

Effective in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) made several changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, including increasing pharmaceutical manufacturers’ rebate liability by raising the minimum basic Medicaid rebate on most branded prescription drugs from 15.1% of average manufacturer price, or AMP, to 23.1% of AMP, and adding a new rebate calculation for “line extensions” (i.e., new formulations, such as extended release formulations) of solid oral dosage forms of branded products, as well as potentially impacting their rebate liability by modifying the statutory definition of AMP. The ACA also expanded the universe of Medicaid utilization subject to drug rebates by requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to pay rebates on Medicaid managed care utilization as of 2010 and by expanding the population potentially eligible for Medicaid drug benefits. CMS will expand Medicaid rebate liability to the territories of the U.S. as well, beginning in 2022, if the territories elect to enroll in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. In addition, the ACA provides for the public availability of retail survey prices and certain weighted average AMPs under the Medicaid program. The implementation of this requirement by CMS may also provide for the public availability of pharmacy acquisition cost data, which could influence our decisions related to setting product prices and offering related discounts.

With regard to the 340B program, effective in 2010, the ACA expanded the types of entities eligible to receive discounted 340B pricing; although, under the current state of the law, with the exception of children’s hospitals, these newly eligible entities will not be eligible to receive discounted 340B pricing on orphan drugs when used for the orphan indication.

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The U.S. government and state legislatures have shown significant interest in implementing cost containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid health care costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs. Further, the ACA, contains provisions that may reduce the profitability of drug products, including, for example, increased rebates for drugs reimbursed by Medicaid programs and the extension of Medicaid rebates to Medicaid managed care plans. Several other provisions of the ACA focused on cost containment include:

The adoption of government controls and measures and tightening of restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could also limit payments for pharmaceuticals.

The marketability of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.

Generic Drugs

Given that we manufacture and market generic drug products, our business may be impacted by laws and policies governing the coverage, pricing and reimbursement of generic drugs. Generic drugs are the same API as initial innovator medicines and are typically more affordable in comparison to the innovator’s products. Sales of generic medicines have benefitted from policies encouraging generic substitution and a general increasing acceptance of generic drugs on the part of healthcare insurers, consumers, physicians and pharmacists. However, while the U.S. generics market is one of the largest in the world, the recent trend of rising generic drug prices has drawn scrutiny from the U.S. government. Specifically, generic drug pricing is the subject of Congressional inquiries and media attention, and many generic drug manufacturers are the targets of government investigations.

In addition, like branded drug manufacturers, generic drug manufacturers are now required to pay an inflation penalty if price increases on generic drugs exceed the rate of inflation.

Also, the ACA revised the methodology for setting Medicaid generic drug reimbursement in order to further limit the reimbursement of generic drugs under the Medicaid program. Specifically, the Federal Upper Limit (“FUL”), which establishes the government’s maximum payment amount for certain generic drugs, is no less than 175% of the weighted average of the most recently reported monthly AMPs for pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent multiple source drug products that are available for purchase by retail community pharmacies on a nationwide basis. Similarly, reimbursement for generic drugs is also limited in Medicare Part B, as the Average Sales Price (the metric upon which reimbursement is based or ASP) for multiple-source drugs included within the same multiple-source drug billing and payment code is the volume-weighted average of the various manufacturers’ ASPs for those drug products.

Reimbursement for Compounded Drugs

Given that we intend to compound and sell compounded products, some of which may include APIs that we manufacture, our business may be impacted by the downstream coverage and reimbursement of compounded products. Generally, federal reimbursement is available for compounded drugs but is typically dependent upon whether the individual ingredients or bulk drug substances that make up the compounded product are FDA-approved. Certain of our API products have not yet received FDA approval.

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There is a national payment policy for compounded drugs under Medicare Part B, but the policy is unclear because it does not stipulate whether payment is available for ingredients that are bulk drug substances, which are generally not FDA-approved. Under Medicare Part B, claims for compounded drugs are typically submitted using a billing code for “not otherwise classified drugs,” and CMS contractors who process Part B claims may conduct further reviews of outpatient claims to determine whether the drug billed under a nonspecific billing code is a compounded drug and to identify its ingredients in order to make payment decisions. However, CMS contractors who process Part B claims do not always collect information on the FDA-approval status of drug ingredients, and, therefore, payment may be made for ingredients that are not FDA-approved products. Therefore, there is uncertainty as to whether Medicare payments for compounded drugs are consistent with the Medicare Part B policy.

Under Medicare Part D, federal payments are not available for non-FDA-approved products—including bulk drug substances—and inactive ingredients used to make a compounded drug. Insurers that offer Medicare Part D benefits and Part D-only sponsors, generally, pay pharmacies for each ingredient in the compounded drug that is an FDA-approved product and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement under Part D. However, with respect to non-FDA approved bulk drug substances, insurers that offer Medicare Part D benefits and Part D-only sponsors may choose to pay for such bulk substances but may not submit these payments as part of the Part D transaction data CMS uses to determine federal payments to Part D plans.

Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws and Compliance Requirements

We are subject to various federal and state laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry. These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales and marketing programs. In addition, we may be subject to patient privacy regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. The laws that may affect our ability to operate include:

The ACA broadened the reach of the fraud and abuse laws by, among other things, amending the intent requirement of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the applicable criminal healthcare fraud statutes contained within 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b. Pursuant to the statutory amendment, a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. In addition, the ACA provides that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act or the civil monetary penalties statute. Many states have adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare items or services reimbursed by any source, not only the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

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The federal False Claims Act prohibits anyone from, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, for payment to federal programs (including Medicare and Medicaid) claims for items or services that are false or fraudulent. Although we would not submit claims directly to payors, manufacturers can be held liable under these laws if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. In addition, our future activities relating to the reporting of wholesaler or estimated retail prices for our products, the reporting of prices used to calculate Medicaid rebate information and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement for our products, and the sale and marketing of our products, are subject to scrutiny under this law. For example, pharmaceutical companies have been prosecuted under the federal False Claims Act in connection with their alleged off-label promotion of drugs, purportedly concealing price concessions in the pricing information submitted to the government for government price reporting purposes, and allegedly providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would bill federal health care programs for the product. Penalties for a False Claims Act violation include three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus mandatory civil penalties for each separate false claim, the potential for exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, and, although the federal False Claims Act is a civil statute, conduct that results in a False Claims Act violation may also implicate various federal criminal statutes. In addition, private individuals have the ability to bring actions under the federal False Claims Act, and certain states have enacted laws modeled after the federal False Claims Act.

New Legislation and Regulations

From time to time, legislation is drafted, introduced and passed in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the testing, approval, manufacturing, marketing, coverage and reimbursement of products regulated by the FDA or other government agencies. In addition to new legislation, FDA and healthcare fraud and abuse and coverage and reimbursement regulations and policies are often revised or interpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Most recently, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform Act”) was enacted, which, among other things, removes penalties for not complying with the individual mandate to carry health insurance. There is still uncertainty with respect to the impact this legislation will have on the ACA because a decision regarding the constitutionality of the ACA after the repeal of the individual mandate was ultimately appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. On November 10, 2020, oral arguments were heard in this case.  It is unclear when a decision will be made. Additional reforms by the incoming administration could have an adverse effect on anticipated revenues from therapeutic candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval and may affect our overall financial condition and ability to develop therapeutic candidates. However, we cannot predict the ultimate content, timing or effect of any healthcare reform legislation or the impact of potential legislation on us.

Furthermore, in the U.S., the health care industry is subject to political, economic and regulatory influences. Initiatives to reduce the federal budget and debt and to reform health care coverage are increasing cost-containment efforts. We anticipate that federal agencies, Congress, state legislatures and the private sector will continue to review and assess alternative health care benefits, controls on health care spending, and other fundamental changes to the healthcare delivery system. Any proposed or actual changes could limit coverage or the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for health care products and services, which could also result in reduced demand for our products or additional pricing pressures and limit or eliminate our spending on development projects and affect our ultimate profitability. We are not able to predict whether further legislative changes will be enacted or whether FDA or healthcare fraud and abuse or coverage and reimbursement regulations, guidance, policies or interpretations will be changed or what the effect of such changes, if any, may be.

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (“FCPA”) prohibits any U.S. individual or business from corruptly offering, paying, promising or authorizing the provision of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, foreign political party or official thereof, or candidate for foreign political office to obtain or retain business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the U.S. to comply with accounting provisions requiring the issuer to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the issuer and its controlled subsidiaries and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls.

Environment

We are subject to inspections by the FDA for compliance with cGMP and other U.S. regulatory requirements, including U.S. federal, state and local regulations regarding environmental protection and hazardous and controlled substance controls, among others. Environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. We have incurred, and may continue to incur, significant expenditures to ensure that we are in compliance with these laws and regulations. We would be subject to significant penalties for failure to comply with these laws and regulations.

China Government Regulation

In the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”), we operate in an increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment. We are subject to a variety of Chinese laws, rules and regulations affecting many aspects of our business. This section summarizes the principal Chinese laws, rules and regulations relevant to our business and operations.

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Foreign Investment in Pharmaceutical Industry

Foreign investment in China was previously subject to the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (2017 Revision) issued and effective beginning July 28, 2017, and the Special Administrative Measures for the Access of Foreign Investment (2018 Revision)  (“Negative List”) issued and effective beginning July 28, 2018, which together comprised the encouraged foreign-invested industries catalogue and the special administrative measures for the access of foreign investments to the restricted or the prohibited foreign-invested industries. The latter set out restrictions such as percentage of shareholding and qualifications of senior management. The Catalogue of Industries in which Foreign Investment is Encouraged, and the Negative List are revised yearly, and the most updated revisions were issued on December 27, 2020 (the “2020 Catalogue”) and came into effect on January 27, 2021. The most updated Negative List was issued on June 23, 2020 (the “2020 Negative List”) and took effect on July 23, 2020, which further reduced restrictions on foreign investment. The manufacturing and production of new anti-cancer drugs, new cardiovascular medicine and new nervous system drugs all fall within the field of industries in which foreign investment is encouraged in the 2020 Catalogue.

General Regulations on China Drug Administration

The pharmaceuticals industry in China is mainly regulated and administrated by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Health Commission (NHC) and the Bureau of National Health Care. Pursuant to the Decision of the First Session of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress on the State Council of the PRC (the “State Council”) Institutional Reform Proposal promulgated by the Chinese National Congress on March 17, 2018, (1) the State Administration for Market Regulation was established; and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) ceased to exist, while the NMPA was established as a department under the State Administration for Market Regulation; (2) the National Health and Family Planning Commission shall cease to exist, while the NHC shall be established as a department under the State Council, incorporating duties of supervision and management which had been assigned to relevant departments and (3) the Bureau of National Health Care shall be established as a bureau directly subordinate to the State Council.

The NMPA monitors and supervises the administration of pharmaceutical products, as well as medical devices and equipment. The NMPA’s primary responsibility includes evaluating, registering and approving new drugs, generic drugs and imported drugs; approving and issuing permits for the manufacture, export and import of pharmaceutical products and medical appliances; approving the establishment of enterprises for pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution; formulating administrative rules and policies concerning the supervision and administration of pharmaceuticals and handling significant accidents involving these products. The local provincial drug administrative authorities are responsible for supervision and administration of drugs within their respective administrative regions.

The People’s Republic of China Drug Administration Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in 1984 and the Implementing Measures of the Chinese Drug Administration Law promulgated by the Ministry of Health, or the MOH, in 1989 set forth the legal framework for the administration of pharmaceutical products, including the research, development and manufacturing of drugs.

The Chinese Drug Administration Law was revised in February 2001, December 2013, April 2015, and again in August 2019. The purpose of the revisions was to strengthen the supervision and administration of pharmaceutical products and to ensure the quality and safety of those products for human use. The revised Chinese Drug Administration Law applies to entities and individuals engaged in the development, production, trade, application, supervision and administration of pharmaceutical products. It regulates and prescribes a framework for the administration of pharmaceutical preparations of medical institutions and for the development, research, manufacturing, distribution, packaging, pricing and advertisement of pharmaceutical products. Revised Implementing Measures of the Chinese Drug Administration Law promulgated by the State Council took effect in September 2002 and was revised in February 2016, and again in March 2019, providing detailed implementing regulations for the revised Chinese Drug Administration Law.

The Chinese Drug Administration Law was newly revised on August 26, 2019 and came into effect on December 1, 2019. As compared to the old law, the current revised Chinese Drug Administration Law mainly includes the following key highlights:

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Under these regulations, we need to follow related regulations for preclinical research, clinical trials and production of new drugs.

Good Laboratories Practice Certification for Preclinical Research

To improve the quality of preclinical research, the NMPA promulgated the Administrative Measures for Good Laboratories Practice of Preclinical Laboratory in 2003, which was revised in 2020, and began to conduct the certification program of GLP. Under the Administrative Provisions on Drug Clinical Test Units, promulgated in November 29, 2019, which replaced the Certifying Measures for Clinical Test Units, or NMPA Circular 44, promulgated in February 2004, the NMPA decides whether an institution is qualified for undertaking pharmaceutical preclinical research upon the evaluation of the institution’s organizational administration, its research personnel, its equipment and facilities and its operation and management of preclinical pharmaceutical projects. If all requirements are met, a GLP Certification will be issued by the NMPA, and the result will be published on the NMPA’s website. According to the newly revised Chinese Drug Administration Law, drug clinical trial institutions shall complete filing with NMPA (approval by NMPA is no longer required). Accordingly, NMPA promulgated the Filing Measures for Drug Clinical Trial Institutions on November 29, 2019, which provides details of the filing procedures and requirements.

Approval for Clinical Trials and Production of New Drugs

According to the Provisions for Drug Registration promulgated by the NMPA in 2007 and revised in January 2020, the Chinese Drug Administration Law, the Provisions on the Administration of Special Examination and Approval of Registration of New Drugs, or the Special Examination and Approval Provisions issued by the NMPA in 2009 and the Circular on Information Publish Platform for Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials issued by the NMPA in 2013, we must comply with the following procedures and obtain several approvals for clinical trials and production of new drugs.

Clinical Trial Application

Upon completion of its preclinical research, a research institution must apply for approval of a CTA before conducting clinical trials. According to the Decision of the NMPA on Adjusting the Approval Procedures of the Administrative Approval Items for Certain Drugs promulgated by the NMPA on March 17, 2017, the decision on the approval of clinical trials of drugs enacted by the NMPA can be made by the Center for Drug Evaluation of the NMPA, or the CDE in the name of the NMPA from May 1, 2017. In July 2018, the NMPA promulgated the Announcement of the State Drug Administration on Adjusting Evaluation and Approval Procedures for Clinical Trials for Drugs, which further adjusted for those who apply for drug clinical trials in China, if an applicant does not receive any negative or questioning opinions from the CDE within sixty days after the date of accepting the application and the payment of the fee, drug clinical trials may be conducted in accordance with the plan being submitted.

Four Phases of Clinical Trials

A clinical development program consists of Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4. Phase 1 refers to the initial clinical pharmacology and safety evaluation studies in humans. Phase 2 refers to the preliminary evaluation of a drug candidate’s therapeutic effectiveness and safety for particular indication(s) in patients, provides evidence and support for the design of Phase 3 clinical trial and settles the administrative dose regimen. Phase 3 refers to clinical trials undertaken to confirm the therapeutic effectiveness of a drug. Phase 3 is used to further verify the drug’s therapeutic effectiveness and safety on patients with target indication(s), to evaluate overall benefit-risk relationships of the drug and ultimately to provide sufficient evidence for the review of drug registration application. Phase 4 refers to a new drug’s post-marketing study to assess therapeutic effectiveness and adverse reactions when the drug is widely used, to evaluate overall benefit-risk relationships of the drug when used among general population or specific groups and to adjust the administration dose, etc.

New Drug Application

When Phase 1, 2 and 3 of the clinical trials have been completed, the applicant must apply to the NMPA for approval of a new drug application. The NMPA then determines whether to approve the application according to the comprehensive evaluation opinion provided by the CDE of the NMPA. We must obtain approval of a new drug application before our drugs can be manufactured and sold in the Chinese market.

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Good Manufacturing Practice

All facilities and techniques used in the manufacture of products for clinical use or for sale in China must be operated in conformity with cGMP guidelines as established by the NMPA. GMP certification was no longer required from December 2019 and regular and random onsite checking and supervision will be implemented by the relevant authority. Failure to comply with applicable requirements could result in the termination of manufacturing and significant fines.

Animal Test Permits

According to Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals promulgated by the State Science and Technology Commission in November 1988, as revised in January 2011, July 2013, and March 2017, and Administrative Measures on the Certificate for Animal Experimentation promulgated by the State Science and Technology Commission and other regulatory authorities in December 2001, performing experimentation on animals requires a Certificate for Use of Laboratory Animals. Applicants must satisfy the following conditions:

We obtained a Certificate for Use of Laboratory Animals in 2012 regarding the scope of rats and mice.

Domestic Category 1 New Drugs Are Eligible for Special Examination and Approval

According to the Provisions for Drug Registration, drug registration applications are divided into three different types, namely Domestic New Drug Application, Domestic Generic Drug Application and Imported Drug Application. Drugs fall into one of three categories, namely chemical medicine, biological product or traditional Chinese or natural medicine. The registrations of chemical medicines are divided into six categories, among which, a Category 1 drug is a new drug that has never been marketed in any country. All of our clinical-stage drug candidates qualify as domestic Category 1 new drugs.

In March 2016, the NMPA promulgated the Work Plan for Reforming the Chemical Medicines Registration Classification System, under which, the registrations of chemical medicines are divided into five categories as follows:

Category 1: Innovative drugs that are not marketed both domestically and abroad. These drugs contain new compounds with clear structures and pharmacological effects, and they have clinical value.

Category 2: Modified new drugs that are not marketed both domestically and abroad. With known active components, the drug’s structure, phase, prescription manufacturing process, administration route and indication are optimized, and it has obvious clinical advantage.

Category 3: The drugs that are imitated by domestic applicants to original drugs that have been marketed abroad but not domestically. These kinds of drugs are supposed to have the same quality and effects with original drugs. Original drugs are the foremost drugs that are approved to be marketed domestically and /or abroad with complete and full safety and validity data as marketing evidence.

Category 4: The drugs that are imitated by domestic applicants to original drugs that have been marketed domestically. These kinds of drugs are supposed to have the same quality and effects with original drugs.

Category 5: The drugs that have been marketed abroad are applied to be marketed domestically.

The registration of Category 1 or Category 2 drugs above will be subject to the requirements of Domestic New Drug Application under the Provisions for Drug Registration, Domestic Generic Drug Application will be applicable to Category 3 or Category 4 drugs registration, and Imported Drug Application will be applicable to Category 5 drugs registration. The applicants whose registration applications for chemical medicines have been accepted by the NMPA before the date of promulgation of the Work Plan for Reforming the Chemical Medicines Registration Classification System can choose to continue the applications process according to the Provisions for Drug Registration or to comply with the new categories under the Work Plan for Reforming the Chemical Medicines Registration Classification System

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According to the Special Examination and Approval Provisions, the NMPA conducts special examination and approval for new drugs registration application when:

The Special Examination and Approval Provisions provide that the applicant may file for special examination and approval at the stage of Clinical Trial Application if the drug candidate falls within items (1) or (2), and for drug candidates that fall within items (3) or (4), the application for special examination and approval must be made when filing for production.

The registration of Category 1 or Category 2 drugs above will be subject to the requirements of Domestic New Drug Application under the Provisions for Drug Registration, Domestic Generic Drug Application will be applicable to Category 3 or Category 4 drugs registration and Imported Drug Application will be applicable to Category 5 drugs registration. The applicants whose registration applications for chemical medicines have been accepted by the NMPA before the date of promulgation of the Reform Plan Regarding the Category of the Registration of Chemical Medicines can choose to continue the applications process according to the Provisions for Drug Registration or to comply with the new categories under the Reform Plan Regarding the Category of the Registration of Chemical Medicines.

We believe that certain of our products fall within items (2) and (3) above. Therefore, we may file an application for special examination and approval at the CTA stage, which may enable us to pursue a more expedited path to approval in China and bring therapies to patients more quickly.

The Advantages of Category 1 New Drugs over Category 5 Drugs

Under the Provisions for Drug Registration and the Work Plan for Reforming the Chemical Medicines Registration Classification System, Category 5 drugs are drugs which have already been marketed abroad by multinational companies but are not yet approved in China, and Category 5 drug registration will be subject to the requirements of the Imported Drug Application. Compared with the application for Category 5 drugs, the application for Category 1 domestic new drugs has a more straight-forward registration pathway. According to the Special Examination and Approval Provisions, where a special examination and approval treatment is granted, the application for clinical trial and manufacturing will be handled with priority and with enhanced communication with the CDE, which will establish a working mechanism for communicating with the applicants. If it becomes necessary to revise the clinical trial scheme or make other major alterations during the clinical trial, the applicant may file an application for communication. When an application for communication is approved, the CDE will arrange the communication with the applicant within one month.

In comparison, according to the Provisions for Drug Registration, the registration pathway for Category 5 drugs is complicated and evolving. Category 5 drug applications may be submitted after a company obtains an NDA approval and receive the CPP granted by a major regulatory authority, such as the FDA or the EMA. Multinational companies may need to apply for conducting multi-regional clinical trials, which means that companies do not have the flexibility to design the clinical trials to fit the Chinese patients and standard-of-care. Category 5 drug candidates may not qualify to benefit from fast track review with priority at the CTA stage. Moreover, a requirement to further conduct local clinical trials can potentially delay market access by several years from its international NDA approval.

Adjustment on the Administration of Imported Drug Registration

On October 10, 2017, the NMPA promulgated the Decision on Adjusting Relevant Matters Concerning the Administration of Imported Drug Registration, effective as of the date of its promulgation, which stipulates that, among others, (1) simultaneous research and application are allowed, meaning that, in the case of a clinical trial concerning a drug subject thereto to be conducted at an international multi-center clinical trial (“IMCCT”) in China, Phase 1 clinical trials of the drug are allowed simultaneously, and the requirement that the drug subject to the clinical trial need to have been previously registered overseas or to have entered a Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial shall not apply, except for preventative biological products; (2) the drug registration procedure is to be optimized, meaning that, upon the completion of a clinical trial at an IMCCT in China, an applicant may directly file a drug registration application and (3) for a new chemical drug or an innovative therapeutic biological drug for which a clinical trial or market registration is made, in each case as an imported drug, the requirement that such drug has received an overseas license issued by the country or region where the drug’s overseas pharmaceutical manufacturer is located shall not apply.

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Changes to the Review and Approval Process

In August 2015, the State Council issued a statement, Opinions on Reforming the Review and Approval Process for Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Devices, which contained several potential policy changes that could benefit the pharmaceutical industry:

In November 2015, the NMPA released the Circular Concerning Several Policies on Drug Registration Review and Approval, which further clarified the following policies potentially simplifying and accelerating the approval process of clinical trials:

In March 2016, the NMPA issued the Interim Provisions on the Procedures for Drug Clinical Trial Data Verification that provides procedural rules for NMPA’s on-site verification of clinical data before drug approvals.

Also, in February 2016, the NMPA published the Opinions on Implementing a Prioritized Review System to Avoid Drug Review Backlogs, which introduces a prioritized review and approval pathway to clinical trial applications and registration applications of certain drugs as part of NMPA’s ongoing reform of its current drug review and approval system.

The NMPA issued the Procedures for Priority Examination and Approval of Medical Devices (Procedures) on October 25, 2016, which shall come into effect on January 1, 2017. The Procedures, composed of seventeen articles, specify that the priority in examination and approval shall be given, in relation to the applications of registering Class-III domestic, or Class-II and Class-III imported medical devices, when those applications fall within such categories as diagnosis or treatment of rare disease or malignant tumor with significant clinical advantage. According to the Procedures, the medical device technical evaluation center of the NMPA will tentatively decide on the applicants applying for their project given priority examination and approval, names of their products and the reception numbers and disclose such information on its website for a period of no less than five working days. The Procedures provide that for projects given priority in examination and approval, the medical device technical evaluation center shall communicate with applicants in an active way, as required by applicable provisions, in the course of evaluating relevant technologies and may arrange for special talks when necessary; food and drug administrative departments at provincial levels shall take the review of the registered quality management system of medical devices as priority and the NMPA will prioritize their administrative examination and approval.

In December 2017, the NMPA innovations promulgated the Opinions on Encouraging the Prioritized Evaluation and Approval for Drug, which abolished the Opinions on Implementing a Prioritized Review System to Avoid Drug Review Backlogs. The NMPA would prioritize the examination and approval on applications of new drugs in particular cases, including (1) applications of new drugs with significant clinical value satisfying particular conditions; (2) applications of new drugs with significant clinical advantages preventing or treating particular diseases and (3) other particular conditions.

According to the Announcement on Optimizing the Evaluation and Approval of Drug Registration promulgated by the NMPA and the NHC in May 2018, the Chinese government seeks to further simplify and accelerated the clinical trial approval process.

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On July 7, 2020, the NMPA promulgated the Announcement on Promulgating Three Documents Including the Working Procedures for the Evaluation of Breakthrough Therapy Designation Drugs (for Trial Implementation), which abolished the Opinions on Encouraging the Prioritized Evaluation and Approval for Drug, and stipulates that sponsors of innovative drug candidates which exhibit clinical benefits for the treatment of life-threatening or other serious conditions for which there is no existing effective prevention and treatment method, or compared with existing treatment methods that have sufficient evidence to show that they have obvious clinical advantages, then any applicant can apply for breakthrough therapeutic drug programs during Phase I and II clinical trials for such drug candidates.

Chinese Enterprise Income Tax Law and Its Implementation

The Chinese Enterprise Income Tax Law (“EIT Law”) and its implementation rules provide that from January 1, 2008, a uniform income tax rate of 25% is applied equally to domestic enterprises as well as foreign investment enterprises and permit certain High and New Technologies Enterprises (“HNTEs”) to enjoy preferential enterprise income tax rates subject to these HNTEs meeting certain qualification criteria.

The EIT Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax at the rate of 10% is applicable to dividends and other distributions payable by a Chinese resident enterprise to investors who are “non-resident enterprises” (that do not have an establishment or place of business in China, or that have such establishment or place of business but the relevant dividend or other distribution is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business). However, pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income effective on December 8, 2006, the withholding tax rate for dividends paid by a Chinese resident enterprise is 5% if the Hong Kong enterprise owns at least 25% of the capital of the Chinese enterprise; otherwise, the dividend withholding tax rate is 10%. According to the Notice of the Chinese State Administration of Taxation on Issues relating to the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 20, 2009 and effective on the same day, the corporate recipient of dividends distributed by Chinese enterprises must satisfy the direct ownership thresholds at all times during the twelve consecutive months preceding the receipt of the dividends. The Chinese State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice on How to Understand and Identify the Owner of Benefits in the China-HK Tax Agreement on October 27, 2009. Pursuant to these regulations and the Administrative Measures for Treaty Treatment for Non-Resident Taxpayers promulgated by the Chinese State Administration of Taxation in October 2019 and effective from January 1, 2020, non-resident enterprises are required to file information sheets to the competent tax authorities in order to enjoy the favorable treatments under the treaties. However, the relevant tax authorities may check and verify at their discretion, and if a company is deemed to be a pass-through entity rather than a qualified owner of benefits, it cannot enjoy the favorable tax treatments provided in the tax arrangement. In addition, if transactions or arrangements are deemed by the relevant tax authorities to be entered into mainly for the purpose of enjoying favorable tax treatments under the tax arrangement, such favorable tax treatments may be subject to adjustment by the relevant tax authorities in the future.

Pursuant to the Announcement on Continuation of Enterprise Income Tax Policies for Extensive Development in the Western Region issued by the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration of Taxation  and effective from January 1, 2021, which replaced the Notice on the Relevant Tax Policies for the Implementation of the Strategy of Extensive Development of the Western Regions, under which from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2030, a reduced enterprise income tax rate of 15% is applicable to the enterprises set up in the western regions as designated by the relevant Chinese regulations with their main business in the encouraged industries. The encouraged industries are those listed in the Catalog of Encouraged Industries in the Western Regions as promulgated by NDRC. To qualify for the reduced tax rate, an enterprise must derive 60% or more of its revenue from the business listed in the Catalog of Encouraged Industries in the Western Regions.

Regulations Relating to Business Tax and Value-added Tax

Pursuant to the Temporary Regulations on Business Tax, which were promulgated by the State Council on December 13, 1993 and effective on January 1, 1994, as amended on November 10, 2008 and effective January 1, 2009, any entity or individual conducting business in a service industry is generally required to pay business tax at the rate of 5% on the revenues generated from providing such services.

In November 2011, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) promulgated the Pilot Plan for Imposition of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax (Pilot Plan). Since January 2012, the SAT has been implementing the Pilot Plan, which imposes value-added tax (“VAT”) in lieu of business tax for certain industries in Shanghai. The Pilot Plan was expanded to other regions, including Beijing, in September 2012 and was further expanded nationwide beginning August 1, 2013. VAT is applicable at a rate of 6% in lieu of business taxes for certain services, and 17% for the sale of goods and provision of tangible property lease services. VAT payable on goods sold or taxable services provided by a general VAT taxpayer for a taxable period is the net balance of the output VAT for the period after crediting the input VAT for the period. In March 2016, the Ministry of Finance and SAT jointly issued the Notice on Adjustment of Transfer Business Tax to Value Added Tax effective from May 2016, according to which Chinese tax authorities have started imposing VAT on revenues from various service sectors, including real estate, construction, financial services and insurance as well as other lifestyle service sectors, replacing the business tax.

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Regulations Relating to Environmental Protection

China has adopted extensive environmental laws and regulations with national and local standards for emissions control, discharge of wastewater and storage and transportation, treatment and disposal of waste materials. At the national level, the relevant environmental protection laws and regulations include the Chinese Environmental Protection Law, the Chinese Law on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, the Chinese Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, the Chinese Law on the Promotion of Clean Production, the Chinese Law on the Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution, the Chinese Law on the Prevention and Control of Solid Waste Pollution, the Chinese Recycling Economy Promotion Law, the Chinese Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, the Administrative Regulations on the Levy and Use of Discharge Fees and the Measures for the Administration of the Charging Rates for Pollutant Discharge Fees. In recent years, the Chinese Government has introduced a series of new policies designed to generally promote the protection of the environment. For instance, on November 10, 2016, the General Office of the State Council has released the Implementing Plan for the Permit System for Controlling the Discharge of Pollutants (Plan). The Plan proposes the need of instituting a system for enterprises and public institutions to control their respective total amount of pollutants discharged, which shall be connected with the environmental impact assessment system organically. The Plan also stipulates that it is necessary to regulate the orderly issuance of pollutant discharge permits, to make a name list to manage the permission of pollutant discharge, to promote the administration of such permission system per industry and to impose severer administration and control over enterprises and public institutions located at such places where environment quality fails to reach relevant standards. Furthermore, the Plan requires that a national pollutant discharge permit management information platform shall be established by 2017 to strengthen the information disclosure and social supervision.

Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange and Dividend Distribution

Foreign Exchange Regulation

The Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, most recently amended in August 2008, are the principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China. Under the Chinese foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, may be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) by complying with certain procedural requirements. In contrast, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required when RMB is converted into a foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of foreign currency-denominated loans.

In November 2012, SAFE promulgated the Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Foreign Direct Investment, which substantially amends and simplifies the foreign exchange procedure. Pursuant to this circular, the opening of various special purpose foreign exchange accounts, such as pre-establishment expenses accounts, foreign exchange capital accounts and guarantee accounts, the reinvestment of RMB proceeds by foreign investors in China, and remittance of foreign exchange profits and dividends by a foreign-invested enterprise to its foreign shareholders no longer require the approval or verification of SAFE, and multiple capital accounts for the same entity may be opened in different provinces, which was not previously possible. In addition, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Printing and Distributing the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Administration over Domestic Direct Investment by Foreign Investors and the Supporting Documents in May 2013, which specifies that the administration by the SAFE or its local branches over direct investment by foreign investors in China will be conducted by way of registration, and banks must process foreign exchange business relating to the direct investment in China based on the registration information provided by SAFE and its branches.

Under the Circular of the SAFE on Further Improving and Adjusting the Policies for Foreign Exchange Administration under Capital Accounts promulgated by the SAFE on January 10, 2014 and effective from February 10, 2014, administration over the outflow of the profits by domestic institutions has been further simplified. In principle, a bank is no longer required to examine transaction documents when handling the outflow of profits of no more than the equivalent of $50,000 by a domestic institution. When handling the outflow of profits exceeding the equivalent of $50,000, the bank, in principle, is no longer required to examine the financial audit report and capital verification report of the domestic institution, provided that it must examine, according to the principle of transaction authenticity, the profit distribution resolution of the board of directors (or the profit distribution resolution of the partners) relating to this profit outflow and the original copy of its tax record-filing form. After each profit outflow, the bank must affix its seal to and endorsements on the original copy of the relevant tax record-filing form to indicate the actual amount of the profit outflow and the date of the outflow.

On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming the Management Approach regarding the Settlement of Foreign Exchange Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises (“SAFE Circular 19”), which became effective on June 1, 2015. According to SAFE Circular 19, the foreign exchange capital of foreign-invested enterprises may be settled on a discretionary basis, meaning that the foreign exchange capital in the capital account of a foreign-invested enterprise for which the rights and interests of monetary contribution has been confirmed by the local foreign exchange bureau (or the book-entry registration of monetary contribution by the banks) can be settled at the banks based on the actual operational needs of the foreign-invested enterprise. The proportion of such discretionary settlement is temporarily determined as 100%. The RMB converted from the foreign exchange capital will be kept in a designated account, and if a foreign-invested enterprise needs to make further payment from such account, it still must provide supporting documents and go through the review process with the banks.

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Furthermore, SAFE Circular 19 stipulates that the use of capital by foreign-invested enterprises must adhere to the principles of authenticity and self-use within the business scope of enterprises. The capital of a foreign-invested enterprise and capital in RMB obtained by the foreign-invested enterprise from foreign exchange settlement must not be used for the following purposes:

On June 9, 2016, SAFE issued the Notice to Reform and Regulate the Administration Policies of Foreign Exchange Capital Settlement to further reform foreign exchange capital settlement nationwide.

Our Chinese subsidiaries’ distributions to the offshore parent and carrying out cross-border foreign exchange activities shall comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above.

Share Option Rules

Under the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control issued by the People’s Bank of China on December 25, 2006, all foreign exchange matters involved in employee share ownership plans and share option plans in which Chinese citizens participate require approval from SAFE or its authorized branch. In addition, under the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies, commonly known as SAFE Circular 7, or Share Option Rules, issued by the SAFE on February 15, 2012, Chinese residents who are granted shares or share options by companies listed on overseas stock exchanges under share incentive plans are required to (1) register with the SAFE or its local branches; (2) retain a qualified Chinese agent, which may be a Chinese subsidiary of the overseas listed company or another qualified institution selected by the Chinese subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the share incentive plans on behalf of the participants and (3) retain an overseas institution to handle matters in connection with their exercise of share options, purchase and sale of shares or interests and funds transfers. We have made and will continue to make efforts to comply with these requirements since the completion of our initial public offering in June 2017.

In addition, the State Administration of Taxation has issued certain circulars concerning employee share options or restricted shares, including the Circular of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning Individual Income Tax in Relation to Share Options, promulgated in August 2009. Under these circulars, the employees working in China who exercise share options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to Chinese individual income tax. The Chinese subsidiaries of such overseas listed companies have obligations to file documents related to employee share options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees who exercise their share options. If the employees fail to pay or the Chinese subsidiaries fail to withhold their income taxes in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the Chinese subsidiaries may face fines or sanctions imposed by tax authorities or other Chinese government authorities.

Regulation of Dividend Distribution

The principal laws, rules and regulations governing dividend distribution by foreign-invested enterprises in China are the Company Law of China, as amended, and the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, the Cooperative Joint Venture Law, and the Equity Joint Venture Law. Under these laws, rules and regulations, foreign-invested enterprises may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profit, if any, as determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. Both Chinese domestic companies and wholly-foreign owned Chinese enterprises are required to allocate at least 10% of their respective accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain capital reserve funds until the aggregate amount of these reserve funds have reached 50% of the registered capital of the enterprises. A Chinese company is not permitted to distribute any profits until any losses from prior fiscal years have been offset. Profits retained from prior fiscal years may be distributed together with distributable profits from the current fiscal year.

Labor Laws and Social Insurance

Pursuant to the Chinese Labor Law and the Chinese Labor Contract Law, employers must execute written labor contracts with full-time employees. All employers must comply with local minimum wage standards. Violations of the Chinese Labor Contract Law and the Chinese Labor Law may result in the imposition of fines and other administrative and criminal liability in the case of serious violations.

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In addition, according to the Chinese Social Insurance Law, employers like our Chinese subsidiaries in China must provide employees with welfare schemes covering pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work-related injury insurance, and medical insurance and housing funds.

Rest of the World Regulation

For other countries outside of the U.S. and China, the requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, drug licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. In all cases the clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with GCP requirements and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles having their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki.

If we fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to, among other things, fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.

Human Capital

As of December 31, 2020, we had 593 full-time employees and 12 part-time employees. Of these, 244 are engaged in full-time research and development and laboratory operations, 203 are engaged in manufacturing activities and 146 are engaged in full-time selling, general and administrative functions.  

As of December 31, 2020, 49% of our personnel were located in the U.S., 42% were located in Asia, 8% were located in Latin America, and 1% in Europe. We have also engaged and may continue to engage independent consultants and contractors to assist us with our operations. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We have not experienced any employment related work stoppages, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good.

Supporting our people is a fundamental value for Athenex. We believe the Company’s success depends on its ability to attract, develop and retain key personnel. We monitor our compensation and total reward programs closely and provide a competitive mix of compensation and benefits for all employees.  This includes competitive salaries, bonus opportunities for approximately one-third of our employees, and long-term incentives in the form of stock options and other equity types for nearly one-half of our employees. Benefits include opportunities for 401(k) matches, insurance covering health, dental and life, and HSA contributions.

Because of our global presence with locations and employees around the world, Athenex maintains a rich diverse culture. We believe this diversity is an asset and with the skills, experience and industry knowledge of our employees significantly benefit our operations and performance. We believe in a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion. We are also committed to advancing safe and respectful work environments. We recognize and value that our employees can make important contributions to our business based on their individual talents, backgrounds, and expertise, allowing everyone to thrive personally and professionally. We strive for a diverse workforce at every level of the company and its board of directors.

Health and safety in the workplace for our employees and personnel has been of primary importance, particularly with the many issues surrounding COVID-19.  The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of keeping our employees safe and healthy. In response to the pandemic, the Company has taken actions aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect its workforce so that its workforce can more safely and effectively perform their work. We have invested in systems and technology to allow many employees the ability to work remotely. We have implemented wellness checks for employees including officers and board members. We did not lay off or furlough our work force in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Financial Information

We manage our operations and allocate resources in line with our three distinct reportable segments. Financial information regarding our operations, assets and liabilities, including our net loss for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 and our total assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, is included in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report.

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Corporate Information

We were originally formed under the laws of the state of Delaware in November 2003 under the name Kinex Pharmaceuticals, LLC. In December 2012, we converted from a limited liability company to a Delaware corporation, Kinex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In August 2015, we amended and restated our certificate of incorporation to change our name to Athenex, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 1001 Main Street, Suite 600, Buffalo, New York 14203, and our telephone number is (716) 427-2950. Our website address is www.athenex.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this Annual Report.

Available Information

We file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Our filings with the SEC are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also access our press releases, financial information and reports filed with the SEC (for example, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those Forms) on our website under the “Investor Relations” tab. Copies of any documents on our website are available without charge, and reports filed with or furnished to the SEC will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.

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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following risk factors, as well as the other information in this report, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic could continue to adversely impact our business, including our commercial operations, clinical development activities and clinical trials.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced disruptions in production at our CQ API Facility during 2020, and in line with the industry overall, slowed enrollment as well as suspensions of ongoing clinical trials for our earlier stage product candidates, which continued through the fourth quarter of 2020, and disruptions related to our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer falling ill with COVID-19 in January 2021. The future extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations is largely unknown and the situation is fluid. The extent to which our business and operations may be impacted by the pandemic will depend on a number of factors, including (i) the ultimate spread and severity of the outbreaks in the U.S. and globally, (ii) the existence of additional waves of outbreak as containment measures are lifted, (iii) the scope, duration and impact of containment measures on individuals and businesses, and (iv) the timing to market and relative availability of testing and treatment options for COVID-19. If the pandemic worsens or we experience additional waves of outbreak on a local, national or global scale, we may experience a multitude of additional disruptions that could severely impact our business, operations, clinical development activities and planned clinical trials, including without limitation, the following:

Each of these disruptions as well as others arising from the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely impact our ability to conduct clinical development activities, planned clinical trials and our business generally, and could have a material adverse impact on our operations and financial condition and results.

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The economic disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic may result in material adverse consequences for general economic, financial and business conditions, and could result in increased credit and counterparty risks.

Through our normal business activities, we are subject to significant credit and counterparty risks that arise in the ordinary course of business. These risks have been heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic turbulence, giving rise to substantial macroeconomic uncertainty. In the event of a sustained economic downturn, our customers, lenders, licensing partners, service providers, and other counterparties may be unable to fully fulfil their respective obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all. In addition, governments that we have partnered with and received grants from in connection with the construction of certain production facilities may be unable to timely fulfil their obligations under such agreements due to the impact of COVID-19 on their financial conditions.

In particular, we are a party to various strategic collaboration and license agreements that are important to our business and to our current and future product candidates. Unfavorable macroeconomic conditions caused by COVID-19 may lead our business partners to delay or curtail planned expenditures under our licensing arrangements, which could delay the development and commercialization of our product candidates in certain geographies for certain indications, which would harm our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

As a result of COVID-19, we have experienced difficulties in collecting certain license agreement receivables. For instance, we have experienced significant delays in the receipt of payments due from a license partner – see Part 1, Item 2, “Management Discussion and Analysis,” under the heading “Recent business updates and COVID-19 related measures” for further information.  If any of these difficulties persist for one or more of our partnerships, we may need to declare a default and terminate a license arrangement, which could delay or impair our ability to develop and commercialize the product candidates in the territories covered by the license agreement. In addition, we may seek replacement partnerships to develop and commercialize these product candidates in the territories covered by the terminated arrangement, the negotiation and entry into which may impact our development timelines and otherwise be on terms less favorable compared to existing contractual terms. This could in turn have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial conditions, results of operations, and prospects.

In addition, a prolonged downturn in macroeconomic conditions or negative trends in the global credit markets could further negatively impact our ability to collect on receivables, including milestone payments, due to us which may increase our concessions and discount rates as well as the length of time until these receivables are collected. An inability to timely collect may lead to an increase in our borrowing requirements, our accounts receivable and potentially lead to increased write-offs, with possible adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

We have incurred net losses every year since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future.

Investment in pharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront costs and expenses and significant risk that a drug candidate will fail to gain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. Since our formation, the company has relied on a combination of public and private securities offerings, public-private partnerships, the issuance of convertible notes and public grants to fund our operations. We have devoted most of our financial resources to research and development, including our non-clinical development activities and clinical trials. We have not generated substantial revenue from product sales to date, and we continue to incur significant development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. As a result, we incurred losses in 2020, 2019 and 2018. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we reported net losses of $148.4 million, $125.5 million and $128.7 million, respectively, and had an accumulated deficit of $713.6 million as of December 31, 2020. Substantially all of our operating losses have resulted from costs incurred in connection with our research and development programs and from selling, general and administrative expenses associated with our operations.

We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and we expect these losses to increase as we continue our development of, and seek regulatory approvals for, our drug candidates, and begin to commercialize approved drugs, including Klisyri (tirbanibulin). Typically, it takes many years to develop a new drug before it is available for treating patients. In addition to our recent receipt of a CRL regarding the NDA for Oral Paclitaxel, 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, our ability to generate revenue and the timing and amount of milestones, payments due pursuant to our financing arrangements, and other required payments to third parties in connection with our potential future arrangements with third parties. If any of our drug candidates fail in clinical trials or do not gain regulatory approval, or if approved, fail to achieve market acceptance, we may never become profitable. Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity and working capital.

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We expect our research and development expenses to continue to be significant in connection with our continued investment in our drug candidates and our ongoing and planned clinical trials for our drug candidates. Furthermore, as we obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidates, we expect to incur increased selling, general and administrative expenses. In addition, as a public company, we incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. As a result, we expect to continue to incur significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future. These losses have had and will continue to have a material adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity, financial position, cash flows and working capital.

Our financial results are subject to volatility related to our revenue and expenses, and despite beginning to generate revenue from product sales, we have not yet been profitable and may never become profitable.

Our financial results are subject to volatility based on a number of factors, including the timing of milestone licensing fees that we receive or are required to pay, the amount and timing of our debt repayment obligations, the change in product types sold by APD and APS and whether those products are in high demand, our ability to predict the products in high demand in the market, competition in the market for generic drugs. As we currently only have commercialized our API products and recently received approval to commercialize Klisyri, our ability to generate revenue and become profitable depends upon our ability to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for, our proprietary drug candidates, including Oral Paclitaxel and Oral Docetaxel, and specialty products, such as medical testing kits. Our product sales of API totaled $3.6 million, $12.7 million and $18.0 million in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Our specialty products launched in March 2017 and sales totaled $89.6 million, $50.4 million, and $30.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. We have an existing API manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China, where operations were suspended as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in China but resumed producing API primarily for the Company’s use in March 2020 in accordance with local regulatory guidance. Our revenue and gross margins are also subject to fluctuation due to changes in product mix and the expenses we incur to continue our research and development and commercialization efforts.   

We expect to continue to incur substantial losses through the projected development and commercialization of our drug candidates. Other than Klisyri, which received FDA approval for commercialization in December 2020, none of our proprietary drug candidates have been approved for marketing in the U.S., China or any other jurisdiction, and they may never receive such approval. Our ability to achieve revenue and profitability is dependent on our ability to complete the development of our proprietary drug candidates, obtain necessary regulatory approvals, and have our proprietary drugs manufactured and successfully marketed.

Even as we receive regulatory approval of our proprietary drug candidates for commercial sale, we do not know when they will generate revenue, if at all. Our ability to generate revenue from product sales of our drug candidates depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

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In addition, because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with drug development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses, or when, or if, we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. In addition, our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, NMPA, or regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions to perform studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even as our proprietary drug candidates are approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with the commercial launch of these drugs. In the case of Klisyri, our only approved drug product, we are exclusively dependent on the marketing and sales efforts of our partners to generate revenue, particularly Almirall, which holds the commercialization rights to the U.S. and European markets.

If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce our operations. Failure to become and remain profitable may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to raise capital and continue operations. A decline in the value of our company could also cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We will need to obtain additional financing to fund our operations, and if we are unable to obtain such financing, we may be unable to complete the development and commercialization of our drug candidates.

To date, we have financed our operations with the proceeds from debt financings, public and private securities offerings, public-private partnerships, the issuance of convertible notes and public grants. In addition to the significant amounts we will need to expend to complete the additional trial for NDA resubmission and to market and commercialize Oral Paclitaxel, if approved, together with any additional approved products, our drug candidates will require the completion of clinical studies and regulatory review, substantial investment before they can provide us with any product sales revenue. Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. The net cash used for our operating activities was $131.2 million, $97.5 million and $109.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 respectively. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts on advancing the clinical development of our proprietary drug candidates, supporting the commercialization of Klisyri and any additional proprietary drugs for which we receive regulatory approval, including building our own commercial organizations to address certain markets.

On June 19, 2020, we entered into a 6-year $225.0 million Senior Credit Agreement with Oaktree, bearing interest at a fixed annual rate of 11%. We expect to use borrowings under our Senior Credit Agreement, proceeds from out-licensing arrangements and potential future financing transactions, if necessary, to fund expenditures that are in excess of our operating cash flow and cash on hand, including completing the development and commercialization of our proprietary drug candidates and to conduct additional clinical trials for the approval of our proprietary drug candidates if requested by regulatory bodies and to complete the development of any additional proprietary drug candidates we might discover. Moreover, our research and development expenses and other contractual commitments are substantial and are expected to increase in the future. In addition, we will require additional financial resources and personnel to build out operations at our public-private partnership facilities in Chongqing, China and Dunkirk, New York.

Our forecast of the period of time through which our financial resources will be adequate to support our operations is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

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We have also incurred debt service obligations under our Senior Credit Agreement and will have minimum payment obligations under our Revenue Interest Financing Agreement entered into with Sagard on August 4, 2020, which could make it more difficult for us to fund our operations.  Under the Senior Credit Agreement, we are required to make quarterly interest-only payments until June 19, 2022, after which we are required to make quarterly amortizing payments, with the remaining balance of the principal plus accrued and unpaid interest due at maturity. Beginning on September 17, 2020, we were required to pay a commitment fee on any undrawn commitments equal to 0.6% per annum, payable on each subsequent funding date or the commitment termination date. Under the Revenue Interest Financing Agreement, our receipt of financing is contingent on receiving an FDA approval for Oral Paclitaxel and, in the event we are unable to do so before December 31, 2021, Sagard will have a termination right. In the event we receive approval but do not generate revenues from Oral Paclitaxel sufficient to satisfy minimum payment obligations of $20.0 million by September 30, 2024 and $50.0 million by August 4, 2026, we will in each instance be required to pay Sagard the amount of the shortfall. In addition, if Sagard has not received payments equaling at least $85.0 million by the tenth anniversary of the date the Product Payment is funded, then subject to the Hard Cap, we will be required to pay Sagard an amount such that Sagard will have obtained a 6.0% internal rate of return on the Product Payment (taking into account all other payments received by Sagard from us under the Revenue Interest Financing Agreement). For additional information, please see “Liquidity and Capital Resources —Debt and Equity Financings”.

We believe that the existing cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments will fund operations into the second quarter of 2022. The Company’s estimates are based on relevant conditions that are known and reasonably knowable at the date of these consolidated financial statements being available for issuance, and are subject to change due to changes in business, industry or macroeconomic conditions. This forecasted cash runway does not contemplate the additional funding we may receive through the Senior Credit Agreement and Revenue Interest Financing Agreement. Further, we do not expect to have further access to additional capital under these facilities due to our receipt of the CRL for Oral Paclitaxel and will need to seek out alternative sources of financing unless and until Oral Paclitaxel is approved by the FDA or we will need to renegotiate these arrangements. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could spend our available financial resources much faster than expected and may need to raise additional funds sooner than anticipated. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we will be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs or future commercialization efforts. Our inability to obtain additional funding when needed could seriously harm our business.

We may not be able to refinance, extend, or repay our substantial indebtedness owed to our senior secured lender, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and ability to continue as a going concern.

We anticipate that we will need to raise a significant amount of debt or equity capital in the future in order to repay our outstanding debt obligations owed to under the Senior Credit Agreement when they mature on July 3, 2023 and to continue to fund our operations. We are required to make quarterly interest-only payments until June 19, 2022, after which we are required to make quarterly amortizing payments, with the remaining balance of the principal plus accrued and unpaid interest due at maturity. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital to repay these obligations at maturity and we are otherwise unable to extend the maturity dates or refinance these obligations, we would be in default. We cannot provide any assurances that we will be able to raise the necessary amount of capital to repay these obligations or that we will be able to extend the maturity dates or otherwise refinance these obligations. Upon a default on the senior debt, our senior secured lender would have the right to exercise its rights and remedies to collect, which would include foreclosing on our assets. Accordingly, a default would have a material adverse effect on our business and, if our senior secured lender exercises its rights and remedies, we would likely be forced to seek bankruptcy protection.

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Covenants in the agreements governing our existing debt agreements restrict the manner in which we conduct our business.

The Senior Credit Agreement contains various covenants that limit, subject to certain exemptions, our ability and/or our certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness or liens; make investments; consummate business combinations such as mergers and dispositions; prepay other indebtedness; and to declare dividends and other distributions, subject to certain exceptions, including specific exceptions with respect to product commercialization and development activities. In addition, the Senior Credit Agreement contains certain financial covenants, including, among other things, maintenance of minimum liquidity and a minimum revenue test, measured quarterly until the last day of the second consecutive fiscal quarter where the consolidated leverage ratio does not exceed 4.5 to 1, provided that thereafter we cannot allow our consolidated leverage ratio to exceed 4.5 to 1, measured quarterly.

The Senior Credit Agreement requires that we maintain (i) a debt service reserve account with a minimum cash balance equal to the amount required to pay interest on the outstanding loan for a period of the next twelve months and (ii) a minimum liquidity amount in cash or permitted cash equivalent investments of $20.0 million until the date on which the aggregate principal amount of loans outstanding is greater than or equal to $150.0 million (the “First Step-Up Date”), $25.0 million from the First Step-Up Date until the date on which the aggregate principal amount of loans outstanding balance is equal to $225.0 million (the “Second Step-Up Date”), and $30.0 million from the Second Step-up Date until the maturity date. Our obligations under the Senior Credit Agreement are guaranteed by certain of our existing domestic subsidiaries and subsequently acquired or organized subsidiaries subject to certain exceptions. Our obligations under the Senior Credit Agreement and the related guarantees thereunder are secured, subject to customary permitted liens and other agreed upon exceptions, by (i) a pledge of all of the equity interests of our direct subsidiaries, and (ii) a perfected security interest in all of our tangible and intangible assets.

The restrictions contained in our Senior Credit Agreement governing our debt could adversely affect our ability to:

In addition, the Revenue Interest Financing Agreement imposes various affirmative and negative covenants, including consent and information rights for Sagard.

A breach of any of these covenants, subject to certain cure rights of the Company, could result in a default under the agreements governing our debt. Further, additional indebtedness that we incur in the future may subject us to further covenants. If a default under any such debt agreement is not cured or waived, the default could result in the acceleration of debt, which could require us to repay debt prior to the date it is otherwise due and that could adversely affect our financial condition. If we default under the Senior Credit Agreement, the lenders may seek repayment through our subsidiary guarantors or by executing on the security interest granted pursuant to the Senior Credit Agreement and related security agreements.

Our ability to comply with the covenants, restrictions and specified financial ratios contained in our senior secured loan agreement may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial, and industry conditions. Even if we are able to comply with all of the applicable covenants, the restrictions on our ability to manage our business in our sole discretion could adversely affect our business by, among other things, limiting our ability to take advantage of financings, mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate opportunities that we believe would be beneficial to us. In addition, our obligations under the loan agreement are secured, on a first-priority basis, and such security interests could be enforced in the event of default by the collateral agent for the loan agreement.

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Our access to additional capital under the Senior Credit Agreement, Sagard Revenue Interest Financing Agreement and our out-licensing agreements is dependent on the fulfillment of certain conditions, where applicable, and achievement of certain milestones, which we may not achieve.

As of December 31, 2020, we had $150.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Credit Agreement, $54.1 million of which was used to repay amounts outstanding under our previous facility with Perceptive and an additional $16.5 million of the upfront loan proceeds held by us as restricted cash in a debt service reserve account, and $12.7 million in fees and expenses incurred in connection with the financing, leaving $66.7 million in available proceeds from the first three tranches after payment of fees and expenses incurred in connection with our entry into the Senior Credit Agreement. Under our Senior Credit Agreement and our out-licensing arrangements, our ability to access additional capital is dependent on our ability to achieve various regulatory and commercial milestones, which we may never achieve. Our Senior Credit Agreement provides that we must meet funding conditions related to the approval and commercialization of Oral Paclitaxel to draw down the remaining $75.0 million of commitments under Senior Credit Agreement. Each of the Senior Credit Agreement and Revenue Interest Financing Agreement also require bringdowns of various representations and warranties as a condition to funding and our access to funding under the Revenue Interest Financing Agreement is dependent on the approval of Oral Paclitaxel. The Revenue Interest Financing Agreement also provides Sagard with a termination right in the event we do not receive a marketing authorization for Oral Paclitaxel by December 31, 2021. Given that the FDA is requiring an additional clinical trial, there is a substantial likelihood that we will not be able to receive FDA approval by this date and we will not be able to access additional funds under our financing arrangements until we receive FDA approval of Oral Paclitaxel. For additional information, please see “Liquidity and Capital Resources —Debt and Equity Financings —Oaktree Senior Credit Agreement.”

In the event we are unable to meet the above funding conditions and/or achieve the various commercial and regulatory milestones in our out-licensing agreements, we will need to raise additional capital and can provide no assurances that we will be able to do so when needed or on acceptable terms. In the event we are unable to access additional capital we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and drug development programs or commercialization efforts. In addition, the failure to meet these conditions and milestones would have broader implications on the value and prospects of our Company and could impair our ability to raise such additional necessary capital, grow our business, retain key employees and continue our operations.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or drug candidates.

We may seek additional funding through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a holder of our common stock. The incurrence of additional indebtedness or the issuance of certain equity securities could result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain additional restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt or issue additional equity, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. In addition, issuance of additional equity securities, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. In the event that we enter into collaborations or licensing arrangements in order to raise capital, we may be required to accept unfavorable terms, including relinquishing or licensing to a third party on unfavorable terms our rights to technologies or proprietary drug candidates that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves or potentially reserve for future potential arrangements when we might be able to achieve more favorable terms.

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An impairment of goodwill could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Acquisitions frequently result in the recording of goodwill and other intangible assets. As of December 31, 2020, our existing goodwill represented $38.9 million, or 10% of our total assets, as a result of our acquisitions of APS, CDE, Polymed, Taihao and CIDAL. Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to impairment testing at least annually using a fair value-based approach. The identification and measurement of goodwill impairment involves the estimation of the fair value of our reporting units. The estimates of fair value of reporting units are based on the best information available as of the date of the assessment and incorporate management assumptions about expected future cash flows and other valuation techniques. Future cash flows can be affected by changes in industry or market conditions, among other factors. The recoverability of goodwill is evaluated at least annually or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit has more likely than not declined below its carrying value. We cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any future impairment of assets, and, going forward, we may be required to take goodwill or other asset impairment charges relating to certain of our reporting units. Any such charges would have an adverse effect on our financial results.

Risks Related to Clinical Development of Our Proprietary Drug Candidates

The majority of our primary clinical candidates are still in the development stage and have not yet received regulatory approval, which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future performance.

We are a globally-focused biopharmaceutical company formed in November 2003. Our operations to date have focused on organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, establishing our intellectual property portfolio and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials of our drug candidates. We have not yet successfully completed large-scale, pivotal clinical trials or obtained regulatory approvals for all of our drug candidates and have not yet established sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialization of the drug candidates we plan to commercialize. We are also dependent on the marketing and sales efforts of our partners for the successful commercialization of our approved drug, Klisyri. Consequently, any predictions you make about our future success or viability may not be accurate. In addition, as a developing business, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown challenges.

We are focused on the discovery and development of innovative drugs for the treatment of cancers. The fact that we have not yet, among other things, demonstrated our ability to initiate or complete large-scale clinical trials or manufacture drugs at commercial scale, particularly in light of the rapidly evolving cancer treatment field, may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future performance. These constraints make any assessment of our future success or viability subject to significant uncertainty. We will encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by early-stage companies in rapidly evolving fields as we seek to transition to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. If we do not address these risks and difficulties successfully, our business will suffer. We depend substantially on the success of our proprietary drug candidates, which are in pre-clinical and clinical development.

As of February 19, 2021, we had a total of 21 planned or ongoing clinical trials for our drug candidates. We have one FDA approved drug product, Klisyri, and have completed, two Phase 3 clinical trials for tirbanibulin ointment 1% for AK, and one Phase 3 clinical trial for Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Our business and the ability to generate revenue related to product sales from our proprietary drug candidates will depend on the successful development, regulatory approval and commercialization for the treatment of patients with our drug candidates, which are still in development, and other drugs we may develop. Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome. The results of pre-clinical studies and early clinical trials of our drug candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. In the case of any trials we conduct, results have in the past, and may in the future, fail to meet the desired safety and efficacy endpoints, or differ from earlier trials due to the larger number of clinical trial sites and additional countries and populations involved in such trials. We have invested a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in the development of our existing drug candidates. The success of our proprietary drug candidates will depend on several factors, including:

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If we do not achieve one or more of these requirements in accordance with our business plans or at all, we could experience significant delays in our ability to obtain approval for and/or to successfully commercialize our drug candidates, which would materially harm our business and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenues and cash flows to continue our operations.

Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of preclinical studies and early clinical trials of our drug candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. Drug candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, including genetic differences, patient adherence to the dosing regimen and other trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. In the case of any trials we conduct, results may differ from early trials due to the larger number of patients, clinical trial sites and additional countries and populations involved in such trials. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. Our future clinical trial results may not be favorable as previous trials with the same compound, even with the same indication.

We may not be successful in our efforts to identify or discover additional drug candidates. Due to our limited resources and access to capital, we must and have in the past decided to prioritize development of certain product candidates; these decisions may prove to have been wrong and may adversely affect our business.

To date, we have focused our drug discovery efforts on developing our cancer platform, particularly our Orascovery and Src Kinase inhibition product candidates. If our cancer platform fails to identify potential drug candidates, our business could be materially harmed. Additionally, our management, at the direction of our board of directors, has discretion in prioritizing which product candidates to develop.

Research programs to pursue the development of our drug candidates for additional indications and to identify new drug candidates and disease targets require substantial technical, financial and human resources whether or not we ultimately are successful. Our research programs may initially show promise in identifying potential indications and/or drug candidates, yet fail to yield results for clinical development for a number of reasons, including:

Because we have limited financial and managerial resources, we focus on research programs and drug candidates for specific indications. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other drug 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 be able to identify additional therapeutic opportunities for our drug candidates or to develop suitable potential drug candidates through internal research programs, which could materially adversely affect our future growth and prospects. We may focus our efforts and resources on potential drug candidates or other potential programs that ultimately prove to be unsuccessful.

If we encounter difficulties enrolling patients in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.

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. We and our research partners have from time to time and may in the future experience difficulties in patient enrollment in our clinical trials for a variety of reasons, including:

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In addition, our clinical trials will compete with other clinical trials for drug candidates that are in the same therapeutic areas as our drug 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. Because the number of qualified clinical investigators is limited, we have conducted and 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 at such clinical trial sites.

Even if we are able to enroll a sufficient number of patients in our clinical trials, delays in patient enrollment may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or outcome of the planned clinical trials, which could prevent completion of these trials and adversely affect our ability to advance the development of our drug candidates.

Some of our drug candidates represent a novel approach to cancer treatment, which could result in delays in clinical development, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and delays in our ability to achieve regulatory approval or commercialization, or market acceptance by physicians and patients of our drug candidates.

Some of our drug candidates, particularly those developed through our Orascovery platform, represent a departure from more commonly used methods for cancer treatment, and therefore represent a novel approach that carries inherent development risks. For instance, our Orascovery platform intends to facilitate the delivery of chemotherapy agents orally, as opposed to IV, while our Src Kinase inhibitor candidates operate by a new mechanism of action. To develop our Orascovery platform, we must successfully develop oral formulations of the active ingredients and ensure they can be delivered safely and consistently in capsule form. The need to further develop or modify in any way the protocols related to our drug candidates to demonstrate safety or efficacy may delay the clinical program, regulatory approval or commercialization, if approved. Our Src Kinase inhibitor platform is based on a novel molecule with an additional mechanism of action that is not found in other Src Kinase inhibitors. Because of this, unexpected safety and tolerability concerns may arise during the development process.

In addition, potential patients and their doctors may be inclined to use conventional standard-of-care treatments rather than enroll patients in any future clinical trial or to use our product candidates commercially once approved. This may have a material impact on our ability to generate revenues from our drug candidates. Further, given the novelty of the administration of our drug candidates, hospitals and physicians may prefer traditional treatment methods, may be reluctant to adopt the use of our products or may require a substantial amount of education and training, any of which could delay or prevent acceptance of our products by physicians and patients and materially hinder successful commercialization of our drug candidates.

Our products and product candidates may cause undesirable, or an increase in the frequency of, side effects that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial profile of an approved label, or result in significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.

Undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities, as recently indicated by the FDA in its CRL with respect to our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel, that indicated a need for an additional study to examine safety and dosing. Further, once a product candidate receives marketing approval and we or others identify undesirable side effects caused by the product after the approval, or if drug abuse is determined to be a significant problem with an approved product, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

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Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidate and could substantially increase the costs of commercializing an affected product or product candidate and significantly impact our ability to successfully commercialize or maintain sales of our product or product candidates and generate revenues.

If clinical trials of our drug candidates fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities, as the FDA recently indicated in its CRL with respect to our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel, or do not otherwise produce positive results, we will incur costs and experience delays in completing, and may ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of our drug candidates.

We may experience various unexpected events during, or as a result of, clinical trials that could delay or prevent our ability to receive regulatory approval or commercialize our drug candidates, including:

If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of our drug candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of our drug candidates or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are not positive or are only modestly positive or if they raise safety concerns, we may:

Delays in testing or approvals may result in increases in our drug development costs. We do not know whether any 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 have the exclusive right to commercialize our drug candidates or allow our competitors to bring drugs to market before we do and impair our ability to commercialize our drug candidates and may harm our business and results of operations.

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Manufacturing risks, including our inability to manufacture API and clinical products used in the clinical trials of our proprietary product candidates could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our product candidates.

Our business strategy depends on our ability to manufacture API in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis so as to meet our needs to manufacture our product candidates for our clinical trials and to meet consumer demand for our future products, while adhering to product quality standards, complying with regulatory requirements and managing manufacturing costs. We are subject to numerous risks relating to our manufacturing capabilities, including:

In addition, we conduct manufacturing operations at our facility in Chongqing, China to manufacture API and our proprietary product candidates. As a result, our business is subject to risks associated with that facility in particular and doing business in China generally, including:

Operations at the CQ API Facility in Chongqing, China were suspended as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in China but resumed producing API primarily for the Company’s use in March 2020 in accordance with local regulatory guidance.

These risks are likely to be exacerbated by our limited experience with our current products and manufacturing processes. If, as we expect, our need for API increases, or demand for our products increase, we will have to invest additional resources to purchase components, hire and train employees and enhance our manufacturing processes and may have to use alternate suppliers of API to meet our needs. If we fail to increase our production capacity efficiently, our sales may not increase in line with our forecasts and our operating margins could fluctuate or decline. Any of these factors may affect our ability to manufacture our product and could reduce our revenues and profitability.

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Risks Related to Development, Regulatory Approval and Commercialization

The regulatory approval processes of the FDA, NMPA and other regulatory authorities are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA, NMPA and other regulatory authorities in jurisdictions where we seek such approval is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of preclinical studies and clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. We cannot provide any assurances with respect to the timing for any regulatory approval or if our studies will be considered to be sufficient by regulators, as we recently experienced with our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel. In addition, approval policies, regulations or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a drug candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions. It is possible that none of our other existing drug candidates or any drug candidates we may discover, in-license or acquire and seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval.

Our drug candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval from the FDA, NMPA or another regulatory authority for many reasons, including:

The FDA, NMPA or a regulatory authority in another jurisdiction may require more information, including additional preclinical or clinical data, to support approval, which may delay or prevent approval in those territories and our commercialization plans, or we may decide to abandon the development program. If we were to obtain approval, regulatory authorities may approve any of our drug candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request, may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials, or may approve a drug candidate with a label that is not desirable for the successful commercialization of that drug candidate. In addition, if our drug candidate produces undesirable side effects or safety issues, the FDA may require the establishment of REMS, or the NMPA or a regulatory authority may require the establishment of a similar strategy, that may, for instance, significantly restrict distribution of our drug candidates and impose burdensome implementation requirements on us. Any of the foregoing scenarios could materially harm the commercial prospects of our drug candidates.

The approval process for pharmaceutical products outside the U.S. varies among countries and may limit our ability to develop, manufacture and sell our products internationally. Failure to obtain marketing approval in international jurisdictions would prevent our product candidates from being marketed abroad.

In order to market and sell our products internationally, we must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The approval procedure varies among countries and may involve additional testing. We may conduct clinical trials for, and seek regulatory approval to market, our product candidates in countries other than the U.S. and China. Depending on the results of clinical trials and the process for obtaining regulatory approvals in other countries, we may decide to first seek regulatory approvals of a product candidate in the U.S. or in countries other than the U.S., or we may simultaneously seek regulatory approvals in the U.S. and other countries. If we seek marketing approval for a product candidate outside the U.S., we will be subject to the regulatory requirements of health authorities in each country in which we seek approval. With respect to marketing authorizations in China, we will be required to seek regulatory approval from the NMPA. For marketing approval in Europe, we will seek to obtain marketing approval from the EMA. The approval procedure varies among regions and countries and may involve additional testing, and the time required to obtain approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval.

Obtaining regulatory approvals from health authorities in countries outside the U.S. is likely to subject us to all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval described above. In addition, marketing approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by the health authorities of any other country, and marketing approvals by foreign health authorities do not ensure a similar approval by the FDA.

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We are conducting, and may in the future conduct, clinical trials for our product candidates in sites outside the U.S. and the FDA may not accept data from trials conducted in such locations.

We have conducted, and may in the future conduct, certain of our clinical trials outside of the U.S., including in the U.K., China, Taiwan and Latin America. Although the FDA may accept data from clinical trials conducted outside the U.S., acceptance of this data is subject to certain conditions imposed by the FDA. There can be no assurance the FDA will accept data from any clinical trials we conduct outside of the U.S. For example, in the CRL we received regarding the NDA for Oral Paclitaxel, the FDA indicated that the participants in a new clinical trial they are recommending should be reflective of the U.S. population. If the FDA does not accept the data from any of our other clinical trials conducted outside the U.S., it would likely result in the need for additional clinical trials, which would be costly and time-consuming and could delay or prevent the commercialization of any of our product candidates.

Regulatory approval may be substantially delayed or may not be obtained for one or all of our drug candidates for a variety of reasons.

We may be unable to complete development of our drug candidates on schedule, if at all. The completion of the studies for our drug candidates will require funding beyond our current resources. In addition, if regulatory authorities require additional time or studies to assess the safety or efficacy of our drug candidates, we may not have or be able to obtain adequate funding to complete the necessary steps for approval for any or all of our drug candidates. Preclinical studies and clinical trials required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our drug candidates are time consuming and expensive and together take several years or more to complete. For example, one of our product candidates, Oral Paclitaxel, for which we filed and the FDA accepted an NDA in September 2020 and received a CRL in February 2021, has been in development since 2011. Delays in clinical trials, regulatory approvals or rejections of applications for regulatory approval in the U.S., United Kingdom, Taiwan, New Zealand, China, Latin America, or other jurisdictions may result from many factors, including:

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Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may also occur, and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols submitted to applicable regulatory authorities to reflect these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit clinical trial protocols to IRBs or ethics committees for re-examination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial.

According to the Special Examination and Approval Provisions issued by the NMPA in 2009, the NMPA may conduct special examinations and approve new drug registration applications for drugs which (i)  have active ingredients extracted from plants, animals and minerals, etc. and their preparations are not yet marketed in China, and newly discovered Chinese crude drugs and their preparations, (ii) contain chemical drug substances and their preparations and biological products not yet approved for marketing in China or abroad, (iii) are new drugs for the treatment of diseases, including, among others, AIDS, malignant tumors and rare diseases, with significant clinical advantage, and (iv) are new drugs for the treatment of diseases, for which effective therapeutic methods are not available. On May 17, 2018, the NMPA and NHC issued the Announcement on Optimizing the Review and Approval of Drug Registration, which clarifies that a priority review and approval mechanism will be available. The current Chinese Drug Administration Law, which was promulgated on August 26, 2019 and came into effect on December 1, 2019, also stipulates that the government encourages research and development of innovative drugs for serious diseases such as cancer.

On July 7, 2020, the NMPA promulgated the Announcement on Promulgating Three Documents Including the Working Procedures for the Evaluation of Breakthrough Therapy Designation Drugs (for Trial Implementation), which stipulates that sponsors of, innovative drug candidates which exhibit clinical benefits for the treatment of life-threatening or other serious conditions for which there is no existing effective prevention and treatment method, or compared with existing treatment methods that have sufficient evidence to show that they have obvious clinical advantages, may apply for breakthrough therapeutic drug programs during Phase I and II clinical trials for such drug candidates. We cannot be sure that the NMPA will grant such priority treatment to any of our drug candidates.

If we experience delays in the completion of, or the termination of, a clinical trial, of any of our drug candidates, the commercial prospects of our drug candidates will be harmed, and our ability to generate revenues from the sale of any of those drug candidates will be delayed. In addition, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down our drug candidate development and approval process, and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly. In addition, 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 drug candidates.

Our approved drugs and drug candidates have caused and may cause undesirable adverse events or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial profile of an approved label, or result in significant negative consequences following any regulatory approval.

Undesirable adverse events related to our approved drugs or drug candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials that would preclude approval of our drug candidates by the FDA, NMPA, or another regulatory authority or, if approved, could result in a more restrictive label. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity or prevalence of adverse events. In such an event, our trials could be suspended or terminated and the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of, or deny approval of, our drug candidates for any or all targeted indications. For example, in the CRL we received from the FDA, the FDA indicated that it had determined that our Oral Paclitaxel Phase III study demonstrated an unacceptable increase in neutropenia-related sequelae and has determined that additional risk mitigation strategies to improve toxicity, which may involve dose optimization and / or exclusion of the patients deemed to be at a higher risk of toxicity, are required to support potential approval of the NDA.  Drug-related adverse events could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete the trial, and could result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our reputation, business, financial condition and prospects.

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For Klisyri® (tirbanibulin), adverse events reported during clinical trials and identified in the approved prescribing information included erythema, flaking/ scaling, crusting, swelling, vesiculation/pustulation, erosion/ ulceration, application site pruritus, and application site pain, which included pain, tenderness, stinging, and burning sensation at the application site.

In our clinical studies to date, we have observed the following SAEs that were deemed at least possibly related to each of our product candidates:

Additionally, if we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by Klisyri® or one or more of our drug candidates, if approved, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the particular drug or drug candidate, if approved, and could significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.

The commercialization of Klisyri® and of any of our drug candidates, if approved, subjects us to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expenses and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our drug candidates.

Klisyri® and our drug candidates, if any are approved, are subject to ongoing regulatory requirements for manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sampling, record-keeping, conduct of post-marketing studies, and submission of safety, efficacy and other post-marketing information, including both federal and state requirements in the U.S. and requirements of foreign regulatory authorities.

Manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive requirements of the FDA, NMPA and regulatory authorities, including, in the U.S., ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to current cGMP regulations. As such, we and our contract manufacturers will be subject to continual review and inspections to assess compliance with cGMP and adherence to commitments made in any NDA 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.

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Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our drug candidates may be subject to conditions of approval or limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the drug may be marketed, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the drug candidate. The FDA may also require a REMS program as a condition of approval of one or more of our drug candidates, which could entail requirements for long-term patient follow-up, a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA, NMPA or a regulatory authority approves our drug candidates, we will have to comply with requirements including, for example, submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, and continued compliance with cGMP and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval.

The FDA may impose consent decrees or withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the drug reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our drugs, 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 post-marketing studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:

The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Drugs may be promoted only for their approved indications and in a manner consistent with the provisions of the approved prescribing information. The FDA, NMPA and other regulatory authorities actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability. The policies of the FDA, NMPA and of other regulatory authorities may change. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the U.S. 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 lose any regulatory approval that we may have obtained, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.

Risks Related to Commercialization of Klisyri® and Our Drug Candidates

We depend substantially on the success of our approved product, Klisyri® and our drug candidates. If we are unable to successfully commercialize Klisyri® or experience significant delays in doing so for our other drug candidates, our business will be materially harmed.

Our business and the ability to generate revenue related to product sales depend on the successful commercialization of our approved product Klisyri® and the successful development, regulatory approval and commercialization of any current or future product candidates. Klisyri® has been approved by the FDA in the U.S., but Klisyri® has not received regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction and no sales can be made in any such jurisdiction unless such approval occurs. We have invested a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in the development of Klisyri®, and our prospects are highly dependent on, and a significant portion of the value of our company relates to, our ability to successfully commercialize these products. The success of Klisyri® and any current or future product candidates depends on several factors, including:

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If we do not achieve one or more of these factors in a timely manner or at all, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully commercialize Klisyri® or any current or future product candidates, which could materially harm our business, and we may not be able to earn sufficient revenues and cash flows to continue our operations.

If we are not able to obtain, or experience delays in obtaining, required regulatory approvals for our drug candidates, we will not be able to commercialize these drug candidates, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.

Our business is substantially dependent on our ability to complete the development of, obtain regulatory approval for and successfully commercialize drug candidates in a timely manner. We cannot commercialize drug candidates without first obtaining regulatory approval to market each drug from the FDA, NMPA or regulatory authorities in the relevant jurisdictions. Some of our proprietary drug candidates are currently undergoing various phases of FDA clinical trials. We cannot predict whether these trials and future trials will be successful or whether regulators will agree with our conclusions regarding the preclinical studies and clinical trials we have conducted to date. We recently experienced this uncertainty with the receipt of a CRL for our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel, and the FDA recommended an additional clinical trial be completed and additional risk mitigation strategies to improve toxicity, which may involve dose optimization and / or exclusion of the patients deemed to be at a higher risk of toxicity, to support potential approval of the NDA. Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any drug candidate for a target indication, we must demonstrate in preclinical studies and well-controlled clinical trials, and, with respect to approval in the U.S., to the satisfaction of the FDA, that the drug candidate is safe and effective for use for that target indication and that the manufacturing facilities, processes and controls are adequate. An NDA must include extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to establish the drug candidate’s safety and effectiveness. The NDA must also include significant information regarding the chemistry, manufacturing and controls for the drug. Obtaining approval of an NDA is a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and approval may not be obtained. If we submit an NDA to the FDA, the FDA decides whether to accept or reject the submission for filing. We cannot be certain that any submissions will be accepted for filing and review by the FDA.

Regulatory authorities outside of the U.S., such as the regulatory authorities in emerging markets, also have requirements for approval of drugs for commercial sale with which we must comply prior to marketing in those areas. Regulatory requirements can vary widely from country to country and could delay or prevent the introduction of our drug candidates. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries and obtaining regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained in any other country. Approval processes vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and validation and additional administrative review periods. Seeking non-U.S. regulatory approval could require additional non-clinical studies or clinical trials, which could be costly and time-consuming. The non-U.S. regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval and other risks specific to the relevant jurisdiction. For all of these reasons, we may not obtain non-U.S. regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all.

If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidates in one or more jurisdictions, or any approval contains significant limitations, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our drug candidates will be harmed. Furthermore, if we are not able to obtain, or experience delays in obtaining, required regulatory approvals, we will not be able to commercialize our drug candidates, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.

If our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel is not approved by the FDA, this would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial performance and results of operations.

We submitted an NDA for Oral Paclitaxel for the treatment of metastsatic breast cancer. On February 26, 2021, we received a CRL from the FDA regarding our NDA for Oral Paclitaxel. In the CRL, the FDA indicated its concern of safety risk to patients in terms of an increase in neutropenia-related sequelae on the Oral Paclitaxel arm compared with the IV paclitaxel arm in the Phase III study. The FDA also expressed concerns regarding the uncertainty over the results of the primary endpoint of objective response rate (ORR) at week 19 conducted by blinded independent central review (BICR). The agency stated that the BICR reconciliation and re-read process may have introduced unmeasured bias and influence on the BICR. Additionally, the FDA recommended that we conduct a new adequate and well-conducted clinical trial in a patient population with MBC representative of the population in the U.S. We are working to consider the appropriate next steps in the development of Oral Paclitaxel. The agency determined that additional risk mitigation strategies to improve toxicity, which may involve dose optimization and / or exclusion of patients deemed to be at higher risk of toxicity, are required to support potential approval of the NDA. We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the FDA’s response, engage in a dialogue on the design and scope of a clinical trial to address the agency’s requirements and align on the next steps required to obtain approval. If we pursue the additional trial, it will be at significant cost and if we fail to obtain approval or experience additional delays in obtaining approval, any such decision or delays would have a material impact on our ability to generate revenue from the sales of Oral Paclitaxel. Accordingly, an inability to generate such revenue would have a material effect on our business, financial performance and results of operations.

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Any fast track designation or grant of priority review status by the FDA may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, nor will it assure FDA approval of our product candidates. Additionally, our product candidates may treat indications that do not qualify for priority review vouchers.

We previously received priority review for Oral Paclitaxel in the U.S. and may seek fast track designation or priority review of applications for approval of our product candidate for future indications. If a drug is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition and the drug demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition, the drug sponsor may apply for FDA fast track designation. If a product candidate offers major advances in treatment, the FDA may designate it eligible for priority review. A priority review designation means that the FDA’s goal to review an application is six months, rather than the standard review period of ten months. The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant these designations, so even if we believe a particular product candidate is eligible for these designations, we cannot assure you that the FDA would decide to grant them. Even if we do receive fast track designation or priority review, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. Receiving priority review from the FDA does not guarantee approval within the six-month review cycle or thereafter.

We are dependent on the efforts of Almirall for the commercialization of Klisyri in the U.S. and Europe.

We have entered into collaborations with Almirall and are dependent on the efforts of Almirall for the commercialization of Klisyri in the U.S. and in Europe. The success of this arrangement will depend heavily on the efforts and activities of Almirall. In some situations, we may not be able to influence Almirall’s decisions regarding the commercialization of Klisyri or Almirall’s level of effort in marketing and selling Klisyri.

Klisyri® and any of our drug candidates, if approved, 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.

Klisyri® and any of our drug candidates, if approved, may nonetheless fail to gain sufficient market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community. For example, current cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy are well established in the medical community, and doctors may continue to rely on these treatments to the exclusion of our drug candidates. In addition, physicians, patients and third-party payors may prefer other novel products to ours, and we may experience difficulties gaining acceptance for our orally administered drug candidates. We are also subject to regulatory restrictions on how we market our drug candidates. If our drug candidates do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate significant product sales revenues, and we may not become profitable. The degree of market acceptance of Klisyri® and our drug candidates, if approved for commercial sale, will depend on a number of factors, including:

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If Klisyri® and any of our drug candidates, if approved, fail to achieve market acceptance among physicians, patients, hospitals, cancer treatment centers or others in the medical community, we will not be able to generate significant revenue. Even if our drugs achieve market acceptance, we may not be able to maintain that market acceptance over time if new products or technologies are introduced that are more favorably received than our drugs, are more cost effective or render our drugs obsolete.

Our sales force is working to gain market acceptance among physicians, patients, patient advocacy groups, healthcare payers, including pharmacy benefit managers, and others in the medical community. Our partner Almirall is commercializing Klisyri® in the U.S. The commercial success of our products in the U.S. will depend on the degree of such market acceptance. Insurers and other third-party payers may also encourage the use of generic products, either in preference to or prior to the use of brand therapies. The degree of market acceptance of Klisyri® and any current or future product candidates, if approved, will depend on a number of factors, including:

It is possible that we may find it necessary or desirable to provide rebates on Klisyri® or future product candidates, if approved, to customers or third-party payers or to implement patient assistance programs, including co-pay assistance programs, which could affect our profitability. In addition, we do not know how physicians, patients and third-party payers will respond to the pricing of Klisyri® in the U.S. or the pricing of any current or future product candidates in any jurisdiction, if approved.

The market opportunities for our currently marketed or potential products, if approved, are difficult to precisely estimate.

Orphan drugs target rare diseases and must therefore capture significant market share at high per-patient cost to generate reasonable returns.

KX2-361 has obtained Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA and Oral Paclitaxel has obtained Orphan Drug Designations from both the FDA and EC, respectively. As orphan drug candidates target rare diseases with small patient populations, we believe that we would need to capture significant market share to achieve meaningful returns on these product candidates. Further, as is typical of drugs for rare conditions, we would need to establish relatively higher prices in order to generate a return on investment and achieve meaningful gross margins. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in commercializing our orphan drug product candidates, if at all, or that we will be able to generate sufficient revenues from their sales to produce a meaningful return due to the limited market size.

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Our manufacturing experience is limited and any failure by us to manufacture our products for commercial sale after receiving FDA approval would materially impact our revenue and financial condition.

The manufacture of drugs for commercial sale is subject to regulation by the FDA under cGMP regulations and by other regulators under other laws and regulations. We cannot assure you that we will continue to manufacture our products under cGMP regulations or other laws and regulations in sufficient quantities for commercial sale, or in a timely or economical manner.

Our manufacturing facilities require specialized personnel and are expensive to operate and maintain. Any delay in the regulatory approval or market launch of product candidates to be manufactured in these facilities will require us to continue to operate these expensive facilities and retain specialized personnel, which may increase our expected losses.

Through our public-private partnerships, an additional cGMP manufacturing facility for our use is substantially complete in Dunkirk, New York, and the construction of a new API facility is complete in Chongqing, China. Our facility in Dunkirk, New York is being built pursuant to an agreement with FSMC. Under the current arrangement, we selected and hired contractors for the project and oversee the development of the Dunkirk facility. ESD, the parent entity of FSMC, is responsible for the costs of construction and all equipment for the facility, up to an aggregate of around $208.0 million (including approximately $8.0 million in additional funds that were available from the previous $25.0 million ESD grant), and ESD, not us, will own the facility and equipment. If development of the Dunkirk facility is delayed or not completed it could materially adversely affect our operations and financial results. Our New API Facility in Chongqing was constructed in accordance with an agreement with CQ. Under the current agreement, CQ is responsible for construction of the facility but we are responsible for the costs of all equipment for the facilities. CQ will own the land and buildings, and we will lease the facilities, rent-free, for the first 10-year term, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 10-year term, during which, if we are profitable, we will pay a monthly rent of 5 RMB per square meter of space occupied. We have committed to achieving certain operational, revenue and tax generation milestones within certain time periods once we commence operation. If we are not able to achieve such milestones, CQ will have the opportunity to terminate the agreement and dispose of the plants in its discretion.

Additionally, both the Dunkirk and Chongqing facilities will need to be cGMP validated. The Chongqing facility commenced operations in January of 2021 and the Dunkirk facility is expected to commence operations in the second half of 2021. Validation is a lengthy process that must be completed before we can manufacture under cGMP requirements. We cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory agencies will approve the manufacture of any products at these or other facilities, that such facilities will remain in compliance with cGMP regulations, or that such facilities will maintain a compliance status acceptable to the FDA or other regulatory agencies.

The manufacture of pharmaceutical products is a highly complex process in which a variety of difficulties may arise from time to time. We may not be able to resolve any such difficulties in a timely fashion, if at all. If anything were to interfere with the continuing manufacturing operations in our facilities, it could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Currently, many of our product candidates are manufactured in small quantities for use in clinical trials. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully scale up the manufacture of Klisyri or any of our other product candidates in a timely or economical manner. As with Klisyri or other product candidates approved by the FDA or other drug regulatory authorities for commercial sale, we will need to manufacture them in larger quantities. If we are unable to successfully scale up our manufacturing capacity, the regulatory approval or commercial launch of such product candidate may be delayed or there may be a shortage in supply of such product candidate.

If we fail to develop manufacturing capacity and experience, fail to continue to contract for manufacturing on acceptable terms, or fail to manufacture our product candidates economically on a commercial scale or in accordance with cGMP regulations, our development programs and prospects for commercialization will be materially adversely affected. This may result in delays in receiving FDA or foreign regulatory approval for one or more of our product candidates or delays in the commercial production of a product that has already been approved. Any such delays could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The manufacture of API is highly regulated by FDA, NMPA and other regulatory bodies and is subject to current good manufacturing practice requirements and to inspection by such regulators, which may result in adverse findings and actions against certain API manufacturing facilities.

API manufacturing facilities are subject to regulation by the applicable regulatory bodies in the place of manufacture as well as the regulatory agency in the country to which the product is exported. For instance, FDA’s cGMP regulations apply to these facilities and violation of these, or other, regulations may result in adverse action against the facility, including cessation of manufacturing activities. Our API manufacturing facilities in Chongqing are also subject to regulation by the NMPA. In addition, the existing Chongqing API plant’s commercial operations were suspended in 2019 based on concerns raised by the DEMC related to the location of our plant. If the FDA, NMPA, DEMC or other regulators discover a problem at one facility, we may be subject to increased scrutiny and/or adverse actions across our operations, including fines or orders to cease manufacturing, which could have a material impact on our operations, clinical development, regulatory approval process, business strategy or results of operations.

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We have limited experience in marketing proprietary drug products. If we are unable to establish such marketing and sales capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to market and sell our proprietary drug candidates, we may not be able to generate sales revenue from such products.

We have limited sales, marketing and commercial product experience. For the product candidates and/or territories where we do not have existing partnerships pursuant to which our partners will be responsible for the marketing and sales of such products, we intend to continue to develop our in-house commercial organization and sales force for such products, which will require significant capital expenditures, management resources and time. We will have to compete with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to recruit, hire, train and retain marketing and sales personnel.

If we are unable to establish sufficient internal sales, marketing and commercial distribution capabilities for these proprietary drug candidates, we will need to pursue additional collaborative arrangements for the sales and marketing of our proprietary drugs. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to establish or maintain such collaborative arrangements, or if we are able to do so, that they will have effective sales forces. Any revenue we receive will depend upon the efforts of such third parties, which may not be successful. We may have less control over the marketing and sales efforts of such third parties which may present fraud and abuse and other regulatory considerations, and our revenue from product sales may be lower than if we had commercialized our proprietary drug candidates ourselves. We also face competition in our search for third parties to assist us with the sales and marketing efforts of our proprietary drug candidates.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to develop our in-house sales and commercial distribution capabilities or establish or maintain relationships with third-party collaborators to successfully commercialize any proprietary product, and as a result, we may not be able to generate sales revenue from such products.

Factors that may inhibit our efforts to successfully establish a sales force include:

In the event we are unable to successfully market and promote our products, our business may be harmed.

We face substantial competition, and our competitors may discover, develop or commercialize competing drugs before or more successfully than we do.

The development and commercialization of new drugs is highly competitive. We face competition with respect to Klisyri® and will face competition with respect to any drug candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future, from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies worldwide. There are a number of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that currently market and sell drugs or are pursuing the development of drugs for the treatment of the types of cancer for which we are developing and commercializing our drug candidates and drugs. Some of these competitive drugs and therapies are based on scientific approaches that are the same as or similar to our approach, and others are based on entirely different approaches. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations that conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization.

Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize drugs that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than any drugs that we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain approval from the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities for their drugs more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market and/or slow our regulatory approval.

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Many of the companies against which we are competing or against which we may compete in the future have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved drugs than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller and other early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.

If our competitors market products that are more effective, safer, have fewer side effects or are less expensive than our products or that reach the market sooner than any of our current or future product candidates, if approved, we may not achieve commercial success.

Klisyri® and any of our drug candidates, if approved, may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations, third party reimbursement practices or healthcare reform initiatives, which could harm our business.

Successful sales of Klisyri® and any of our drug candidates, if approved, depend on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors. Patients who are provided medical treatment for their conditions generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid in the U.S., and commercial payors are critical to new drug acceptance.

The regulations that govern regulatory approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new therapeutic products vary widely from country to country. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or licensing approval is granted. In some non-U.S. markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. As a result, we might obtain regulatory approval for a drug in a particular country but be subject to price regulations that delay our commercial launch of the drug and negatively impact the revenues we are able to generate from the sale of the drug in that country. For example, according to the guidance issued in March 2015 by the central government of China, each province will decide which drugs to include in its provincial major illness reimbursement lists and the percentage of reimbursement, based on local funding. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recover our investment in one or more drug candidates, even if our drug candidates obtain regulatory approval. For example, in China, according to a statement entitled opinions on reforming the review and approval process for pharmaceutical products and medical devices, issued by the State Council in August 2015, the enterprises applying for new drug approval will be required to undertake that the selling price of new drug on Chinese mainland market shall not be higher than the comparable market prices of the product in its country of origin or Chinese neighboring markets, as applicable.

Our ability to commercialize any drugs successfully also will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for these drugs and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. 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 drug is:

We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for our drugs, if and once approved, and, if coverage and reimbursement are available, what the level of reimbursement will be. Reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any drug for which we obtain regulatory approval. Obtaining reimbursement for our drugs may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with branded drugs and drugs administered under the supervision of a physician. If reimbursement is not available or is available only at limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any drug candidate that we successfully develop. If we fail to obtain and sustain an adequate level of coverage and reimbursement for Klisyri® or any current or future product candidates, if approved, by third-party payers, potential future sales would be materially adversely affected. There will be no commercially viable market for Klisyri® or any current or future product candidates, if approved, without adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payers, and any reimbursement policy may be affected by future healthcare reform measures.  Further, we cannot be certain that adequate coverage and reimbursement will be available for either of our products in jurisdictions outside the U.S. or for any current or future product candidates, if approved. Additionally, even if there is a commercially viable market, if the level of coverage or reimbursement is below our expectations, our anticipated revenue and gross margins will be adversely affected.

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Third-party payers, such as government or private healthcare insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, carefully review and increasingly question and challenge the coverage of and the prices charged for drugs. Reimbursement rates from private health insurance companies vary depending on the company, the insurance plan and other factors. Reimbursement rates may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. A current trend in the U.S. healthcare industry is toward cost containment. Large public and private payers, managed care organizations, group purchasing organizations and similar organizations are exerting increasing influence on decisions regarding the use of, and reimbursement levels for, particular treatments. Such third-party payers, including Medicare, may question the coverage of, and challenge the prices charged for, medical products and services, and many third-party payers limit coverage of or reimbursement for newly approved healthcare products. In particular, third-party payers may limit the covered indications. Cost-control initiatives in the U.S. healthcare industry could put downward pressure on the price we have established for Klisyri® or any current or future product candidates, if approved, which could result in product revenues being lower than anticipated. If we are unable to show a significant benefit relative to existing generic drugs, Medicare, Medicaid and private payers may not be willing to reimburse for Klisyri® or any current or future product candidates, if approved, which would significantly reduce the likelihood of them gaining market acceptance. Reimbursement systems in international markets vary significantly by country and by region, and reimbursement approvals must be obtained on a country-by-country basis. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted.

We believe that U.S. third-party payers consider the efficacy, cost effectiveness, safety and tolerability of Klisyri® and will consider such factors of any current or future product candidates, if approved, and whether use of any such products should be a covered benefit under its health plan in determining whether to approve coverage and reimbursement for such products and at what level. Obtaining these approvals can be a time consuming and expensive process. Our business would be materially adversely affected if we do not obtain or maintain approval for reimbursement of Klisyri® or any current or future product candidates, if approved, from third-party payers on a timely or satisfactory basis or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels. Limitations on coverage could also be imposed at the local Medicare carrier level or by fiscal intermediaries. Medicare Part D, which provides a pharmacy benefit to Medicare patients as discussed below, does not require participating prescription drug plans to cover all drugs within a class of products. Our business could be materially adversely affected if Part D prescription drug plans were to limit access to or deny or limit reimbursement of any of our approved products.

In the U.S., no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for drugs exists among third-party payors. As a result, obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval of a drug 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 drugs 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 drug, 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 our drugs. However, under Medicare Part D—Medicare’s outpatient prescription drug benefit—there are protections in place to ensure coverage and reimbursement for oncology products and all Part D prescription drug plans are required to cover substantially all anti-cancer agents.

The State Council requires central and provincial authorities across China to promote a medical insurance program for major illnesses, which targets covering at least 50% of the medical cost as incurred by treating major illnesses but falls out of the coverage of the basic insurance programs. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the PRC (the “MHRSS”), together with other government authorities, has the power to determine the medicines included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (the “NRDL”). In February 2017, the MHRSS released the 2017 NRDL, which was amended in 2019 and 2020. Medicines included in the NRDL are divided into two parts, Part A and Part B. Patients purchasing medicines included in Part A of the NRDL are entitled to reimbursement of the entire amount of the purchase price. Patients purchasing medicines included in Part B of the NRDL are required to pay a certain percentage of the purchase price and obtain reimbursement for the rest of the purchase price. The percentage of reimbursement for Part B medicines differs from region to region in the PRC. The National Healthcare Security Administration requires provincial authorities to increase reimbursement rates step by step.

In some non-U.S. countries, the pricing of drugs and biologics is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after obtaining regulatory approval of a drug candidate. In addition, market acceptance and sales of our drug candidates will depend significantly on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors for our drug candidates and may be affected by existing and future health care reform measures.

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If and as our drug candidates are approved, we intend to test and market our approved drugs in a variety of international markets and we are exploring the licensing of commercialization rights or other forms of collaboration worldwide, which exposes us to additional risks of conducting business in additional international markets.

We conduct business operations in regions including the U.S., China, Taiwan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and other non-U.S. markets, including certain countries in Latin America, are an important component of our growth strategy. If we fail to obtain licenses or enter into collaboration arrangements with third parties in these markets, or if these parties are not successful, our revenue-generating growth potential will be adversely affected.

Moreover, international business relationships subject us to additional risks that may materially adversely affect our ability to attain or sustain profitable operations, including:

These and other risks may materially adversely affect our ability to obtain or sustain revenue from international markets.

The use of legal, regulatory, and legislative strategies by both brand and generic competitors, including but not limited to “authorized generics” and regulatory petitions, as well as the potential impact of proposed and newly enacted legislation, may increase costs associated with the introduction or marketing of our generic products, could delay or prevent such introduction, and could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our competitors, both branded and generic, often pursue strategies to prevent, delay, or eliminate competition from generic alternatives to branded products. These strategies include, but are not limited to:

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If any other actions by our competitors and other third parties to prevent or delay activities necessary to the approval, manufacture, or distribution of our products are successful, our entry into the market and our ability to generate revenues associated with new products may be delayed, reduced, or eliminated, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and/or share price.

Risks Related to Compounding

Our compounded preparations and the compounding industry are subject to regulatory and customer scrutiny, which may impair our growth and sales.

Formulations prepared and distributed by outsourcing facilities may contain ingredients found in FDA-approved drugs (i.e., “sterile-to-sterile” compounding) or ingredients that are on FDA’s interim or final list of bulk substances that may be used in compounding. Compounded formulations are subject to various statutory and FDA regulatory requirements. Outsourcing facilities are regulated under FDCA Section 503B.  Certain compounding pharmacies and outsourcing facilities have experienced both facility and product quality issues and been the subject of negative media coverage in recent years. Such product quality and facility issues have resulted in increased scrutiny of compounding activities from the FDA and state governmental agencies. For example, the FDA has in the past requested that a number of compounding pharmacies and outsourcing facilities recall unexpired drug products and cease sterile compounding operations due to, among other reasons, lack of assurance of sterility.  Pharmacies and outsourcing facilities have also, at the request of FDA, suspended sterile production or voluntarily recalled certain sterile compounded products after an FDA inspection of those facilities. As a result, some prescribers and hospital/clinic purchasing agents may be hesitant to prescribe or procure compounded formulations, and some patients may be hesitant to purchase the same.

In addition, an outsourcing facility must meet certain conditions under Section 503B of the FDCA in order for its compounded products to be exempt from the FDCA’s premarket approval requirements, from the FDCA requirement that products be labeled with adequate directions for use, and serialization and product tracing requirements. For example, the facility must register with FDA and produce at least one sterile drug product, and the drugs must be compounded by or under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist. The facility must also operate in compliance with FDA’s cGMP regulations and FDA’s guidance for outsourcing facilities addressing cGMP. If our outsourcing facility or any of our compounded products are found not to satisfy the criteria set forth in Section 503B, the marketing of our products absent Section 503B’s exemptions from FDA's new drug approval requirements, adequate directions for use on the product labeling, or without compliance with certain serialization and product tracing requirements could render our products adulterated or misbranded under the FDCA, which could have an adverse effect on our business.

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The source of any bulk substance active ingredient used in compounding must be a Section 510 registered manufacturer, and the bulk substance must be accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis. If the outsourcing facility compounds using bulk drug substances, the bulk drug substances must either appear on FDA’s “interim” list of bulk substances that may be used in compounding under Section 503B which are those bulk drug substances for which FDA has determined there is a clinical need.  Drugs may also be compounded if the FDA-approved drug appear on FDA’s published drug shortage list.   Provided certain conditions are met, FDA will exercise enforcement discretion concerning use of “interim” Category 1 substances pending evaluation of the substances for inclusion on FDA’s final list of bulk drug substances for which there is a clinical need.

FDA has also finalized guidance on determining whether a product is an “essential copy” of a commercially available product, which the FDA has announced it intends to revisit in 2021.  If our products were ever determined to be an essential copy of a commercially available product, FDA could engage in enforcement action. We use bulk drug substances in the preparation of certain of our compounded products. In the event the FDA’s evaluation of these bulk drug substances results in a determination not to include such substances on the FDA’s list of bulk drug substances for which there is a clinical need, or if FDA were to change its interim policy such that compounding with such bulk drug substances could not proceed while the FDA’s evaluation of the substances is pending or until the FDA has issued its final list of bulk drug substances for which there is a clinical need, our ability to continue marketing compounded products subject to Section 503B would be impaired, and our business could be harmed.

If a compounded drug formulation provided by our FDA-registered outsourcing facility leads to patient injury or death, results in a product recall, or causes FDA to request the company shut down its sterile compounding operations, we may be exposed to significant liability and reputational harm.

The production, labeling and packaging of compounded drugs is inherently risky. The success of our compounded formulations and facility operations depends to a significant extent upon perceptions of the safety and quality of our products. We could be adversely affected if our formulations are subject to negative publicity. We could also be adversely affected if any of our formulations or other products, any similar products sold by other companies, or any products sold by other outsourcing facilities, prove to be, or are alleged or asserted to be, harmful to patients. There are a number of factors that could result in the injury or death of a patient who receives one of our compounded formulations, including quality issues, manufacturing or labeling flaws, improper packaging or unanticipated or improper distribution or other uses of the products, any of which could result from human or other error. Any of these situations could lead to a recall of, or safety alert relating to, one or more of our products. Similarly, to the extent any of the ingredients used by us to produce compounded formulations have quality or other problems that adversely affect the finished compounded preparations, our sales could be adversely affected. In addition, in the ordinary course of business, we may voluntarily retrieve products from the field in response to a customer complaint. Because of our dependence upon medical and patient perceptions, any adverse publicity associated with illness or other adverse effects resulting from the use or misuse of our products, any similar products sold by other companies, or related to compounded formulations generally, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

A significant portion of our intellectual property portfolio currently comprises pending patent applications that have not yet been issued as granted patents, and if our pending patent applications fail to issue our business will be adversely affected. If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our technology and drugs, our competitors could develop and commercialize technology and drugs similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and drugs may be adversely affected.

Our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the U.S., China and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and drug candidates. We have sought to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the U.S., China and other countries related to novel technologies and drug candidates that we consider important to our business. As of January 25, 2021, we owned approximately 200 granted patents and over 80 pending patent applications, including six allowed patent applications worldwide. The process of obtaining patent protection 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. 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. There can be no assurance that our pending patent applications will result in issued patents. Moreover, even our issued patents do not guarantee us the right to practice our technology in relation to the commercialization of our platforms’ product candidates. Third parties may have blocking patents that could be used to prevent us from commercializing our patented technologies, platforms and product candidates and practicing our proprietary technology. There can also be no assurance that a third party will not challenge the validity of our patents or that we will obtain sufficient claim scope in those patents, in view of prior art, to prevent a third party from competing successfully with our drug candidates. We may become involved in interference, inter partes review, post grant review, ex parte reexamination, derivation, opposition or similar other proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. Such challenges may result in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and drug candidates, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and drug candidates. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new drug candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing drug candidates similar or identical to ours.

The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are highly uncertain. Changes in patent laws or the interpretation of patent laws in the U.S. and other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection. Publications of discoveries in scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the U.S. and other jurisdictions are typically not published until eighteen months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our patents or pending patent applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

The patent positions of companies like ours are generally uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions, due to inconsistent policies regarding the scope of claims allowable in patents. Changes in patent laws and rules, either by legislation, judicial decisions, or regulatory interpretation in the U.S. and other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions and enforce our intellectual property rights, and more generally could affect the value of our intellectual property.

In addition, the laws of certain non-U.S. countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as U.S. federal and state laws do. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the U.S., or from selling or importing drugs made using our inventions in and into the U.S. or non-U.S. jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own drugs and further, may export otherwise infringing drugs to non-U.S. jurisdictions where we have patent protection but where enforcement rights are not as strong as those in the U.S. These drugs may compete with our drug candidates and our patent or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or adequate to prevent them from competing.

Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in certain jurisdictions, including China. The legal systems of some countries do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property, particularly those relating to biopharmaceutical products, which could make it difficult in those jurisdictions for us to stop the infringement or misappropriation of our patents or other intellectual property rights, or the marketing of competing drugs in violation of our proprietary rights. Proceedings to enforce our patent and other intellectual property rights in non-U.S. jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business.

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Furthermore, such proceedings could put our patents at risk of being invalidated, held unenforceable, or interpreted narrowly, could put our patent applications at risk of not issuing, and could provoke third parties to assert claims of infringement or misappropriation 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.

We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property, which could be expensive, time-consuming and unsuccessful and our patent rights relating to our drug candidates could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court or before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or comparable non-U.S. authority.

Competitors may infringe our patent rights or misappropriate or otherwise violate our intellectual property rights. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, litigation may be necessary to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets or to determine the validity and scope of our own intellectual property rights or the proprietary rights of others. Such litigation can be expensive and time-consuming. Our current and potential competitors may have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce and/or defend their intellectual property rights than we can. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property. Litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of management resources, which could harm our business and financial results. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that patent or other intellectual property rights owned by us are invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patent or other intellectual property rights do not cover the technology in question. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put our patent, as well as any patents that may issue in the future from our pending patent applications, at risk of being invalidated, held unenforceable or interpreted narrowly. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure.

If we initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce any patent, or any patents that may issue in the future from our patent applications, that relates to one of our drug candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that such patent rights are invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the U.S., defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity 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 U.S. or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include ex parte re-examination, inter partes review, post-grant review, derivation and equivalent proceedings in non-U.S. jurisdictions, such as opposition proceedings. Although any party alleging invalidity or unenforceability of our patents has a high burden of proof, nonetheless such proceedings could result in revocation or amendment to our patents in such a way that they no longer cover and protect our drug candidates. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity of our patents, 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 of during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on certain drug candidates. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business.

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We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship of our patents and ownership of other intellectual property.

Although we are not currently experiencing any claims challenging the inventorship of our patents or ownership of our intellectual property, we may in the future be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our patents or other intellectual property as inventors or co-inventors. For example, we may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of consultants or others who are involved in developing our drug candidates. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship. If we fail in defending any such claims, we may lose rights such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, our patent or other intellectual property rights. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

If we are sued for infringing intellectual property rights of third parties, such litigation could be costly and time-consuming and could prevent or delay us from developing or commercializing our drug candidates.

Our commercial success depends in part on our avoiding infringement of the patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties. There is a substantial amount of litigation involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including litigation in the U.S. courts, inter partes review, post grant review, interference and ex parte reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in non-U.S. jurisdictions. Numerous issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing or commercializing drug candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our drug candidates or manufacturing processes may give rise to claims of infringement of the patent rights of others.

Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. 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 drug candidates. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, patent applications that are currently pending may later result in issued patents that our drug candidates may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies that are first publicized or commercialized after the filing date of those patents infringes upon them. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of any of our drug candidates, any molecules formed during the manufacturing process or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to prevent us from commercializing such drug candidate unless we obtain a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Similarly, if any third-party patent is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover aspects of our formulations, processes for manufacture or methods of use, including combination therapy or patient selection methods, the holders of any such patent may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the applicable drug candidate unless we obtain a license, limit our uses, 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.

Third parties who bring successful claims against us for infringement of their intellectual property rights may obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could prevent us from developing and commercializing one or more of our drug candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of management and employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement or misappropriation against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees in the case of willful infringement, obtain one or more licenses from third parties, pay royalties or redesign our infringing drug candidates, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure and undertaking additional preclinical studies, clinical trials or regulatory review. In the event of an adverse result in any such litigation, or even in the absence of litigation, we may need to obtain licenses from third parties to advance our research or allow commercialization of our drug candidates. We cannot predict whether any required license would be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and we may fail to obtain any of these licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. In the event that we are unable to obtain such a license, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize one or more of our drug candidates, which could harm our business significantly. We may also elect to enter into license agreements in order to settle patent infringement claims or to resolve disputes prior to litigation and any such license agreements may require us to pay royalties and other fees that could significantly harm our business.

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Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical personnel, management personnel, or both 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 market price of our common stock. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to 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 greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace.

If our products conflict with the intellectual property rights of third parties, we may incur substantial liabilities and we may be unable to commercialize products in a profitable manner or at all.

We seek to launch generic pharmaceutical products either where patent protection or other regulatory exclusivity of equivalent branded products has expired, where patents have been declared invalid or where products do not infringe the patents of others. However, at times, we may seek approval to market generic products before the expiration of patents relating to the branded versions of those products, based upon our belief that such patents are invalid or otherwise unenforceable or would not be infringed by our products. Our success depends in part on our ability to operate without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of third parties. The manufacture use and sale of generic versions of products has been subject to substantial litigation in the pharmaceutical industry. These lawsuits relate to the validity and infringement of patents or proprietary rights of third parties. If our products were found to be infringing the intellectual property rights of a third-party, we could be required to cease selling the infringing products, causing us to lose future sales revenue from such products and face substantial liabilities for patent infringement, in the form of payment for the innovator’s lost profits or a royalty on our sales of the infringing product. These damages may be significant and could materially adversely affect our business. Any litigation, regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, would be costly and time consuming and we could incur significant costs and/or a significant reduction in revenue in defending the action and from the resulting delays in manufacturing, marketing or selling any of our products subject to such claims.

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 noncompliance with these requirements.

The USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and other patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of the patent.  Although 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 of a patent application or lapse of a patent include failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees, and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In any such event, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

The terms of our patents may not be sufficient to effectively protect our drug candidates and business.

In most countries in which we file patent applications, including the U.S., the term of an issued patent is twenty years from the earliest claimed filing date of a non-provisional patent application in the applicable country. With respect to any issued patents in the U.S., we may be entitled to obtain a patent term extension or extend the patent expiration date provided we meet the applicable requirements for obtaining such patent term extensions. Although such extensions may be available, the life of a patent and the protection it affords is by definition limited. Even if patents covering our drug candidates are obtained, we may be open to competition from other companies as well as generic medications once the patent life has expired for a drug. If patents are issued on our currently pending patent applications, the resulting patents will be expected to expire on dates ranging approximately from 2024 to 2040, excluding any potential patent term extension or adjustment. Upon the expiration of our issued patents, we will not be able to assert such patent rights against potential competitors and our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

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In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop similar technologies. For these reasons, we may have competition for our technologies, platforms and product candidates. Moreover, because of the extensive time required for development, testing and regulatory review of a potential product, it is possible that a related patent may expire before any particular product candidate can be commercialized or that such patent will remain in force for only a short period following commercialization, thereby reducing any significant advantage of the patent.

If we do not obtain additional protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and similar legislation in other countries extending the terms of our patents, if issued, relating to our drug candidates, our business may be materially harmed.

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA regulatory approval for our drug candidates, one or more of our U.S. patents, if issued, may be eligible for limited patent term restoration under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent term extension of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during drug development and the FDA regulatory review process. Patent term extensions, however, cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of fourteen years from the date of drug approval by the FDA, and only one patent can be extended for a particular drug.

The application for patent term extension is subject to approval by the USPTO, in conjunction with the FDA. We may not be granted an extension due to, for example, failure to apply within applicable deadlines, failure 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 a patent term extension for a given patent or the term of any such extension is less than we request, the period during which we will have the right to exclusively market our drug will be shortened and our competitors may obtain earlier approval of competing drugs. As a result, our ability to generate revenues could be materially adversely affected.

Changes in patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our drug candidates.

As is the case with other biopharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patent rights. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biopharmaceutical industry involves both technological and legal complexity, and is therefore costly, time-consuming, and inherently uncertain. In addition, the U.S. 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 patents that we might obtain in the future. For example, in Assoc. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court held that certain claims to naturally-occurring substances are not patentable. Although we do not believe that our issued patents or any patents that may issue from our pending patent applications directed to our drug candidates if issued in their currently pending forms, as well as patent rights licensed by us, will be found invalid based on this decision, we cannot predict how future decisions by the courts, the U.S. Congress or the USPTO may impact the value of our patent rights. There could be similar changes in the laws of foreign jurisdictions that may impact the value of our patent or our other intellectual property rights.

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If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed. We may also be subject to claims that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

In addition to our issued patents and pending patent applications, we rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position and to protect our drug candidates. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties that have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. These agreements provide that all confidential information concerning our business or financial affairs developed or made known to the individual during the course of the individual’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. 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 many cases our confidentiality and other agreements with consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors require them to assign to us or grant us licenses to inventions they invent as a result of the work or services they render under such agreements or grant us an option to negotiate a license to use such inventions. However, any of these parties may breach such agreements and disclose our proprietary information, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret can be difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us and our competitive position would be harmed.

Furthermore, many of our employees, including our senior management, were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Some of these employees, including each member of our senior management, executed proprietary rights, non-disclosure and non-competition agreements in connection with such previous employment. Although we try to ensure that our employees do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or these employees have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such employee’s former employer. We are not aware of any threatened or pending claims related to these matters or concerning the agreements with our senior management, but litigation may be necessary in the future to defend against such claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

In addition, while we typically require our employees, consultants and contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops intellectual property that we regard as our own, which may result in claims by or against us related to the ownership of such intellectual property. If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management and scientific personnel. Further, to the extent that our employees, contractors, consultants, collaborators and advisors use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions.

We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our proprietary technology and processes by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. Although we have confidence in the security of our systems, security measures may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach.

We may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights for our development pipeline through acquisitions and in-licenses.

Because our programs may involve additional drug candidates that require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business may depend in part on our ability to acquire and maintain licenses or other rights to use these proprietary rights. We may be unable to acquire or in-license any compositions, methods of use, or other third-party intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify. The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of established companies are also pursuing strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, cash resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities.

In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license intellectual property rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party intellectual property rights, our business, financial condition and prospects for growth could suffer.

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If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could be required to pay monetary damages or could lose license rights that are important to our business.

We have entered into license agreements with third parties providing us with rights under various third-party patents and patent applications, including the rights to prosecute patent applications and to enforce patents. Certain of these license agreements impose and, for a variety of purposes, we may enter into additional licensing and funding arrangements with third parties that also may impose diligence, development or commercialization timelines and milestone payment, royalty, insurance and other obligations on us. Certain of these license agreements provide us with the exclusive right to practice technologies in major markets including North America, South America, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and parts of Southeast Asia, although the right to practice the technologies and any inventions arising out of such technologies outside of these territories may be reserved to the licensing company. In addition, under certain of our existing licensing agreements, we are obligated to pay royalties on net product sales of our drug candidates once commercialized, pay a percentage of sublicensing revenues, make other specified payments relating to our drug candidates and/or pay license maintenance and other fees. We also have clinical development obligations under certain of these agreements that we are required to satisfy. If we fail to comply with our obligations under our current or future license agreements, our counterparties may have the right to terminate these agreements, in which event we might not be able to develop, manufacture or market any drug or drug candidate that is covered by the licenses or we may face claims for monetary damages or other penalties under these agreements. Such an occurrence could diminish the value of these products and our company. Termination of the licenses provided in these agreements or reduction or elimination of our rights under these agreements may result in our having to negotiate new or reinstated agreements with less favorable terms or cause us to lose our rights under these agreements, including our rights to important intellectual property or technology.

In particular, our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing any of our patented inventions, either directly or indirectly, will depend in part on our success in obtaining, defending, and enforcing patent claims that cover our technology, inventions and improvements. With respect to both licensed and company-owned intellectual property, we cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents that may be granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our platforms and product candidates and the methods used to manufacture those platforms and product candidates. Our issued patents and those that may issue in the future may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, which could limit our ability to stop competitors from marketing related platforms or product candidates or limit the length of the term of patent protection that we may have for our technologies, platforms and product candidates.

If our licensing and sublicensing activities result in non-compliance with our licensing agreements, our business relationships with our licensing partners may suffer and we may be required to pay monetary damages or rescind or amend existing agreements which are important to our business.

We have entered into agreements with third parties under which we have granted licenses to use certain of our patents and patent applications, including the rights to develop, seek regulatory approval for and sell products using our tirbanibulin ointments and KX2-361 products, including to Almirall, which has rights to the U.S. and European markets. We have also entered into similar agreements sublicensing the intellectual property for the Orascovery platform, which we have licensed from Hanmi. We have granted exclusive patent rights to certain of these partners and have granted them certain additional rights with respect to the intellectual property we have licensed to them. From time to time we may engage in other licensing transactions in which we acquire licenses to certain intellectual property or sublicense intellectual property rights. If we fail to comply with or are found to have violated the terms of any of our licenses, we may be required to rescind or amend our license agreements or pay damages to license counterparties or other rightsholders. This may also negatively impact our relationships with our licensing and sublicensing partners for our candidate platforms. For further information regarding the terms of our licenses, please see “Business—License and Collaboration Agreements”.

We depend on our agreements with Hanmi to provide rights to the intellectual property relating to certain of our lead product candidates. Any termination or loss of significant rights under those agreements would adversely affect our development or commercialization of our lead product candidates.

We have licensed the intellectual property rights related to encequidar, an integral part of our current product candidates, from Hanmi pursuant to two license agreements. If, for any reason, our license agreements are terminated or we otherwise lose those rights, it would adversely affect our business. Our license agreements with Hanmi impose on us obligations relating to exclusivity, territorial rights, development, commercialization, funding, payment, diligence, sublicensing, insurance, intellectual property protection and other matters. If we breach any material obligations, or use the intellectual property licensed to us in an unauthorized manner, we may be required to pay damages to Hanmi, and Hanmi may have the right to terminate our license, which could result in us being unable to develop, manufacture and sell our product candidates that incorporate encequidar.

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In addition, under our 2013 license agreement with Hanmi, we have granted Hanmi a one-time right of first negotiation that, at Hanmi’s discretion, requires us to negotiate in good faith the sale of our rights in Oral Paclitaxel and Oral Irinotecan under such agreement to Hanmi at a purchase price determined by an internationally-recognized investment banking firm with an office in Hong Kong at any time prior to the earlier of (1) our first commercial sale of products using such technology or (2) receipt by Hanmi of written notice from our company of the sublicense of the rights in an applicable product to a third party. If Hanmi exercises this right of first negotiation and we reach an agreement to sell our rights under that licensing agreement, our ability to continue to develop certain of our product candidates would be significantly impaired and would adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Each of our license agreements with Hanmi expires on the earlier of (1) expiration of the last of Hanmi’s patent rights licensed under the agreement or (2) invalidation of Hanmi’s patent rights which are the subject of the agreement, provided that the term will automatically be extended for consecutive one year periods unless either party gives notice to the other at least ninety days prior to expiration of the patent rights licensed under the agreement or before the then current annual expiration date of the agreement. The patent rights licensed to us under the agreements with Hanmi have expiry dates ranging from 2023 to 2033, unless the terms of such licensed patents are extended in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Subject to certain conditions, Hanmi may also terminate the license agreements if we fail to comply with certain development milestones set out in each of the agreements. The agreements also contain customary termination rights for either party, such as in the event of a breach of the agreement or the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings by the other party or by mutual agreement. For further information regarding the license terms, right of first negotiation and termination provisions of the Hanmi in-license agreements, please see “Business—License and Collaboration Agreements—In-Licenses —Hanmi Licensing Agreements.”  

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

We may rely on third parties to conduct our preclinical studies and clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines, perform satisfactorily or operate in compliance with laws and regulations, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our drug candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.

We have relied upon and may, in the future, rely upon third-party CROs to monitor and manage data for our ongoing preclinical and clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of our preclinical studies and clinical trials, and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, and regulatory requirements and scientific standards, and our reliance on the CROs does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. In addition, as a result of our acquisition of CIDAL, our preclinical and clinical programs are largely  performed within the Company and we are responsible for conducting clinical trials and complying with applicable laws and regulations, which increases our concentration of risk in the event of business continuity disruptions experienced by CIDAL.

We and our CROs are required to comply with GCPs, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA, NMPA and other regulatory authorities for all of our drugs in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA, NMPA or regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP regulations. Our failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process.

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If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, or CIDAL experiences business continuity issues, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, our CROs are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements with such CROs, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing clinical, non-clinical and preclinical programs. In the event that any of our foreign CROs are impacted by political, social or financial instability, they may be unable to maintain production capacity or compliance with regulatory requirements. If CROs 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 clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements, environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize our drug candidates. As a result, our results of operations and the commercial prospects for our drug candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed.

Our total revenue is highly dependent on a limited number of API customers and pharmaceutical wholesalers, and the loss of, or any significant decrease in business from, any one or more of our major API customers or pharmaceutical wholesalers could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We have derived a significant portion of our revenue from a limited number of customers, as is typical in the pharmaceutical industry. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we generated 10% of our total revenue from our two largest API customers, and generated 30% of our total revenue from the three largest wholesalers in the U.S. market. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we generated 8% of our total revenue from those API customers and generated 45% of our total revenue from the three largest wholesalers in the U.S. market. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we generated less than 1% of our total revenue from those API customers due to the restrictions on our production of commercial batches of API at our existing facility in Chongqing and generated 38% of our total revenue from the three largest wholesalers in the U.S. market.

Additionally, Polymed, our wholly owned subsidiary, prior to the suspension, sold API to third parties for use in those third parties’ products, which may be manufactured in cGMP facilities. The decrease in orders by Polymed’s customers has impacted Polymed’s revenue and, as a result, our overall financial condition. However, we resumed producing API primarily for internal use since March 2020 in accordance with local regulatory guidance. Polymed recently commenced operations at our new API manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China and also develops new compounds and processing techniques.

Once API production for external use resumes, there are a number of factors that could cause us to lose major API customers. We do not enter into long-term sales contracts with customers but sell API to them based on short-term purchase orders. Accordingly, these customers may choose to use other suppliers with little or no notice, based upon considerations of price, quality, shipping time, competitive or other reasons. In addition, our API customers use the API to manufacture drugs, and they are subject to regulation and oversight by the FDA and other relevant regulatory agencies. If for any reason, any such customer violates an FDA regulation that results in their being prohibited from manufacturing drugs, they would no longer purchase API from us. Such sanctions or regulatory action against drug manufacturers could happen without notice, and our revenue stream could be adversely affected without notice.

If we are unable to maintain our business relationships with these major API customers and pharmaceutical wholesalers on commercially acceptable terms, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Even if we are able to maintain our relationships with customers, a change in the mix of products those customers purchase and which we are able to produce may affect our gross margin and results of operations.

If our Global Supply Chain Platform is insufficient, we may rely on third parties to manufacture at least a portion of our drug candidate supplies, and for at least a portion of the manufacturing process of our drug candidates, if approved. Our business could be harmed if those third parties fail to provide us with sufficient quantities of product or fail to do so at acceptable quality levels or prices.

We partially rely on outside vendors to manufacture supplies and process our drug candidates. With the FDA’s approval of Klisyri, we are preparing to manufacture and process drugs on a commercial scale and may not be able to do so for all of our drug candidates.

We have limited experience in managing the manufacturing process, and our process may be more difficult or expensive than the approaches currently in use.

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Although we are further developing our manufacturing facilities, including those leased to us under our public-private partnerships, we may also use third parties as part of our manufacturing process. Our reliance on third-party manufacturers may expose us to the following risks:

Each of these risks could delay or prevent the completion of our clinical trials or the approval of any of our drug candidates by the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities, result in higher costs or adversely impact commercialization of our drug candidates. In addition, we will rely on third parties to perform certain specification tests on our drug candidates prior to delivery to patients. If these tests are not conducted appropriately and test data are not reliable, patients could be put at risk of serious harm and the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities could place significant restrictions on our company until deficiencies are remedied.

The manufacture of drug and biological products is complex and requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of advanced manufacturing techniques and process controls.

Currently, raw materials used in our manufacturing activities, including the pacific yew used in many of the API products we manufacture, are supplied by multiple suppliers. We have agreements for the supply of such raw materials with manufacturers or suppliers that we believe have sufficient capacity to meet our demands. In addition, we believe that adequate alternative sources for such supplies exist. However, there is a risk that, if supplies are interrupted, it would materially harm our business.

Manufacturers of drug and biological products often encounter difficulties in production, particularly in scaling up or out, validating the production process, and assuring high reliability of the manufacturing process (including the absence of contamination). These problems include logistics and shipping, difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, including stability of the product, product testing, operator error, availability of qualified personnel, as well as compliance with strictly enforced federal, state and non-U.S. regulations. Furthermore, if contaminants are discovered in our supply of our drug candidates or in the manufacturing facilities, such manufacturing facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination. We cannot assure you that any stability failures or other issues relating to the manufacture of our drug candidates will not occur in the future. Additionally, our manufacturers may experience manufacturing difficulties due to resource constraints or as a result of labor disputes or unstable political environments. If our manufacturers were to encounter any of these difficulties, or otherwise fail to comply with their contractual obligations, our ability to provide our drug candidate to patients in clinical trials would be jeopardized. Any delay or interruption in the supply of clinical trial supplies could delay the completion of clinical trials, increase the costs associated with maintaining clinical trial programs and, depending upon the period of delay, require us to begin new clinical trials at additional expense or terminate clinical trials completely.

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If third-party manufacturers fail to comply with pharmaceutical manufacturing regulations, our financial results and financial condition will be adversely affected.

Before a third party can begin commercial manufacture of our drug candidates and potential drugs, contract manufacturers are subject to regulatory inspections of their manufacturing facilities, processes and quality systems. Due to the complexity of the processes used to manufacture drug and biological products and our drug candidates, any potential third-party manufacturer may be unable to initially pass federal, state or international regulatory inspections in a cost-effective manner in order for us to obtain regulatory approval of our drug candidates. If our contract manufacturers do not pass their inspections by the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities, our commercial supply of drug product or substance will be significantly delayed and may result in significant additional costs, including the delay or denial of any marketing application for our drug candidates. In addition, drug and biological manufacturing facilities are continuously subject to inspection by the FDA, NMPA and other regulatory authorities, before and after drug approval, and must comply with cGMPs. Our contract manufacturers may encounter difficulties in achieving quality control and quality assurance and may experience shortages in qualified personnel. In addition, contract manufacturers’ failure to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, or the incidence of manufacturing errors, could result in patient injury, product liability claims, product shortages, product recalls or withdrawals, delays or failures in product testing or delivery, cost overruns or other problems that could seriously harm our business, reputation or corporate image. If a third-party manufacturer with whom we contract is unable to comply with manufacturing regulations, we may also be subject to fines, unanticipated compliance expenses, recall or seizure of our drugs, product liability claims, total or partial suspension of production and/or enforcement actions, including injunctions and criminal or civil prosecution. These possible sanctions could materially adversely affect our financial results and financial condition.

Furthermore, changes in the manufacturing process or procedure, including a change in the location where the product is manufactured or a change of a third-party manufacturer, could require prior review by the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities and/or approval of the manufacturing process and procedures in accordance with the FDA or NMPA’s regulations, or comparable requirements. This review may be costly and time consuming and could delay or prevent the launch of a product. The new facility will also be subject to pre-approval inspection. In addition, we have to demonstrate that the product made at the new facility is equivalent to the product made at the former facility by physical and chemical methods, which are costly and time consuming. It is also possible that the FDA, NMPA or other regulatory authorities may require clinical testing as a way to prove equivalency, which would result in additional costs and delay.

We have entered into collaborations and may form or seek collaborations or strategic alliances or enter into additional licensing arrangements in the future, and we may not realize the benefits of such alliances or licensing arrangements.

We have partnered with companies such as Hanmi, Almirall, Xiangxue, XLifeSc and Gland and may form or seek strategic alliances, create joint ventures or collaborations, or enter into additional licensing arrangements with third parties, subject to any restrictions imposed by our financing arrangements, that we believe will complement or augment our development and commercialization efforts with respect to our drug candidates and any future drug candidates that we may develop. Any of these relationships may require us to incur non-recurring and other charges, increase our near and long-term expenditures, issue securities that dilute our existing stockholders, or disrupt our management and business.

In addition, we face significant competition in seeking appropriate strategic partners and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. Moreover, we may not be successful in our efforts to establish a strategic partnership or other alternative arrangements for our earlier stage drug candidates because they may be deemed to be at too early of a stage of development for collaborative effort and third parties may not view our drug candidates as having the requisite potential to demonstrate safety and efficacy. If and when we collaborate with a third party for development and commercialization of a drug candidate, we can expect to relinquish some or all of the control over the future success of that drug candidate to the third party.

Further, collaborations involving our drug candidates are subject to numerous risks, which may include the following:

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As a result, if we enter into collaboration agreements and strategic partnerships or license our drugs, we may not be able to realize the benefit of such transactions if we are unable to successfully integrate them with our existing operations and company culture, which could delay our timelines or otherwise adversely affect our business. We also cannot be certain that, following a strategic transaction or license, we will achieve the revenue or specific net income that justifies such transaction. 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 drug candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to fund and undertake development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we fail to enter into collaborations and do not have sufficient funds or expertise to undertake the necessary development and commercialization activities, we may not be able to further develop our drug candidates or bring them to market and generate product sales revenue, which would harm our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

We have engaged and will continue to rely on a single vendor to manage our order to cash cycle and our distribution activities in the U.S., and the loss or disruption of service from this vendor could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Our U.S. customer management, order processing, invoicing, cash application, chargeback and rebate processing and distribution and logistics activities are managed by Eversana Life Science Services (“Eversana”), a managed services provider with a focus on life sciences companies. If we were to lose the availability of Eversana’s services due to a dispute, termination of or inability to renew the contract, or business continuity issues due to events beyond their control such as fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, epidemics, quarantines, wars, civil unrest, strikes or governmental action, such loss could have a material adverse effect on our operations. Although multiple providers of such services exist, there can be no assurance that we could secure another source to handle these transactions on acceptable terms or otherwise to our specifications in the event of a disruption of services at operational centers.

Risks Related to Our Industry, Business and Operation

We are dependent on our key personnel, and if we are not successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, we may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy. Additionally, certain members of our leadership may engage in other business ventures that may have interests in conflict with ours.

We are highly dependent on Dr. Lau, our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kwan, our Chief Medical Officer and the other principal members of our management and scientific teams. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for any of our executives or other employees. The loss of the services of any of these persons could impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives.

To induce valuable employees to remain at our company, in addition to salary and cash incentives, we have provided stock option grants that vest over time. The value to employees of these equity grants that vest over time may be significantly affected by changes in the price of our common stock that are beyond our control and may at any time be insufficient to counteract more lucrative offers from other companies. Although we have employment agreements with our key employees, any of our employees could leave our employment at any time, with or without notice.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing and sales and marketing personnel or consultants will also be critical to our success. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our discovery and preclinical development and commercialization strategy. The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key employees and consultants could impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives and seriously harm our ability to successfully implement our business strategy.

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The loss of any member of the Company’s senior management, either permanently or for an indeterminate period of time, and/or failure to successfully implement our succession plan to enable the effective transfer of knowledge or to facilitate smooth transitions in leadership could significantly disrupt the management of the Company’s business and impair the Company’s ability to execute its business strategies. Furthermore, replacing executive officers and key employees or consultants may be difficult and may take an extended period of time because of the limited number of individuals in our industry with the breadth of skills and experience required to successfully develop, gain regulatory approval of and commercialize products. Competition to hire from this limited pool is intense, and we may be unable to hire, train, retain or motivate these key personnel or consultants on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for similar personnel.

We may choose to hire part-time employees or use consultants. As a result, certain of our employees, officers, directors and consultants may not devote all of their time to our business, and may from time to time serve as officers, directors and consultants of other companies. These other companies may have interests in conflict with ours. For instance, Dr. Johnson Lau, who serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Dr. Manson Fok, who serves on our board of directors, are also directors of Avalon, a stockholder of ours. Dr. Lau also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Axis, a joint venture that we majority own.

We also face competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high quality personnel, our ability to pursue our growth strategy will be limited.

We are substantially dependent on our public-private partnerships and if we or our counterparties fail to meet the obligations of those agreements and we lose the benefits of those partnerships, it would materially impact our development, operations and prospects.

Our long-term public-private partnerships with governments and government agencies, including in certain emerging markets, include agreements to build and/or maintain manufacturing facilities for us. For example, we entered into an agreement with FSMC, whereby FSMC agreed to fund the costs of construction of a new manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, New York. FSMC is responsible for the costs of construction and of all equipment for the facility, up to an amount not to exceed around $208.0 million, which includes approximately $8.0 million in additional funds not used under the prior $25.0 million grant to construct our North American headquarters and formulation lab in Buffalo, New York, and shall retain ownership of the Dunkirk facility and the equipment. To the extent the costs of constructing the Dunkirk facility exceed approximately $208.0 million, we will be responsible for those costs. We are entitled to lease the facility and all equipment at a rate of $1.00 per year for an initial 10-year term, and for the same rate if we elect to extend the lease for an additional 10-year term. We are responsible for all operating costs and expenses for the facility. In exchange, we have committed to spending $1.52 billion on operational expenses in the Dunkirk facility in our first 10-year term in the facility, and an additional $1.5 billion on operational expenses if we elect to extend the lease for a second 10-year term. We have also committed to hiring 450 permanent employees within the first 5 years at the Dunkirk facility. In addition, in July 2017, we entered into a 20-year payment in-lieu of tax agreement with the CCIDA for the construction of our Dunkirk facility, valued at approximately $9.1 million. We have also entered into similar arrangements with FSMC relating to our headquarters, and CQ relating to a plant in Chongqing, China, under which we have committed to achieving certain operating, revenue and tax generation milestones. If we are unable to comply with our obligations under these arrangements, including the milestones we have committed to achieve, we may lose access to the properties covered by such arrangements which could disrupt our operations and manufacturing activities, cause us to divert resources to finding alternative facilities, which would not have any subsidies, and would have a significant impact on our operations and financial performance. We may also be subject to lawsuits or claims for damages against us if we are unable to comply with our obligations under these arrangements. Failure to satisfy our operating commitments could result in our compensating ESD for those minimum commitments.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the counterparties to our public-private partnerships will comply with the terms of the agreements, including that their ability to fund their capital commitments under the agreements may be subject to their ability to raise additional capital and that construction timetables may not be met, nor is there guarantee that the successors to such counterparties will continue to comply with terms of the agreements, regardless of existence of such government stipulations as a guideline released on November 4, 2016 by the State Council of China, which provides that, among others governments and relevant departments at all levels shall strictly keep policy commitments lawfully made to society and administrative counterparties, shall carefully perform all the contracts lawfully entered into with investment subjects in activities like attraction of investment and public-private partnership, shall not breach contracts with such excuses as government transition and replacement of leaders, and shall bear legal and economic liability in event of their infringements and contract breaches. If our public-private partnership counterparties or their successors fail to comply with their obligations under these arrangements, our development programs and prospects will be materially adversely affected. Public-private partnerships are also subject to risks associated with government and government agency counterparties, including risks related to government relations compliance, sovereign immunity, shifts in the political environment, changing economic and legal conditions and social dynamics.

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We will need to continue to increase the size and capabilities of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing our growth.

As of December 31, 2020, we had 647 employees and consultants and most of our employees are full-time. As our development and commercialization plans and strategies develop, and as we continue to operate as a public company, we must add a significant number of additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other personnel. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:

Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our drug candidates will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth, and our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day-to-day activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities. In addition, we expect to incur additional costs in hiring, training and retaining such additional personnel.

If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and expanding our groups of consultants and contractors, we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize our drug candidates and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.

If we fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our consolidated financial results.

We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses and significant deficiencies that our independent registered public accounting firm or we will identify in the future. Under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or personnel, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis. As a public company, we also need to establish and maintain effective disclosure and financial controls and make changes in our corporate governance practices including our board and committee practices. If we identify such issues or if we are unable to produce accurate and timely financial statements, our stock price may be adversely affected, and we may be unable to maintain compliance with applicable listing requirements.

Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC.

We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected, which would cause us to be unable to produce accurate financial statements and may adversely affect our business.

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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 fraud, misconduct or other illegal activity by our executive officers, employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners and vendors. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and negligent conduct that fails to: comply with the laws of the U.S., including regulations of the FDA and other similar non-U.S. regulatory authorities; provide true, complete and accurate information to the FDA and other similar non-U.S. regulatory authorities; comply with manufacturing standards we have established; comply with healthcare fraud and abuse and privacy laws in the U.S. and similar non-U.S. fraudulent misconduct laws; or report financial information or data accurately or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. In addition to Klisyri, which was approved by the FDA in December 2020, if and as we obtain FDA approval of  additional drug candidates and begin commercializing those drugs in the U.S., our potential exposure under U.S. laws will continue to 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. In particular, 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, which could result in regulatory sanctions and cause serious harm to our reputation. It is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by employees and other parties, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions.

We may have conflicts of interest with our affiliates and related parties, and in the past, we have engaged in transactions and entered into agreements with affiliates that were not negotiated at arms’ length.

We have engaged, and may in the future engage, in transactions with affiliates and other related parties. These transactions may not have been, and may not be, on terms as favorable to us as they could have been if obtained from non-affiliated persons. While an effort has been made and will continue to be made to obtain services from affiliated persons and other related parties at rates and on terms as favorable as would be charged by others, there will always be an inherent conflict of interest between our interests and those of our affiliates and related parties. Our affiliates may economically benefit from our arrangements with related parties. If we engage in related party transactions on unfavorable terms, our operating results will be negatively impacted.

If we engage in future acquisitions or strategic partnerships, this may increase our capital requirements, dilute our stockholders, cause us to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities, and subject us to other risks.

Subject to any limitations imposed by our financing arrangements, we may evaluate various acquisitions and strategic partnerships, including licensing or acquiring complementary products, intellectual property rights, technologies or businesses. Any potential acquisition or strategic partnership may entail numerous risks, including:

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In addition, if we undertake acquisitions, we may issue dilutive securities, assume or incur debt obligations, incur large one-time expenses and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense. Moreover, we may not be able to locate suitable acquisition opportunities and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technology or products that may be important to the development of our business.

Our internal computer systems, or those used by our CROs, collaboration partners, third-party service providers or other contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security breaches.

Despite the implementation of cybersecurity measures, our information technology and Internet based systems, including those of our current and future CROs, collaboration partners, third-party service providers and other contractors and consultants, are vulnerable to damage, interruption, or failure from computer viruses, unauthorized access, intrusion, and other cybersecurity incidents. As the majority of our workforce works remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we face heightened risks related to remote work, including strain on our information technology systems, coordination issues and the threat of cyber-security incidents related to unauthorized system access, aggressive social engineering tactics, and attacks on our information technology systems used to conduct our business. This could result in the exposure of sensitive data including the loss of trade secrets, intellectual property, personal identifiable or sensitive information of employees, customers, partners, clinical trial patients and others, leading to a material disruption of our development programs and our business operations. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or future clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. Likewise, we partially rely on our third-party research institution collaborators for research and development of our drug candidates and other third parties for the manufacture of our drug candidates and to conduct clinical trials, and similar cybersecurity incidents relating to their computer systems could also have a material adverse effect on our business. Certain data security breaches must be reported to affected individuals and the government, and in some cases to the media, under provisions of HIPAA, other U.S. federal and state law, and requirements of non-U.S. jurisdictions, and financial penalties may also apply. 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 drug candidates could be delayed.  

We are aware of a security breach that occurred in March 2017. That incident occurred when the credentials of an approved consultant were compromised, and the consultant’s credentials were used to access the remote desktop server and active directory server of our wholly owned subsidiary APS. Upon discovery of the breach, we immediately took steps to void the compromised credentials and reset all credentials having access to APS’s systems. These particular APS information systems are independent of ours and did not contain any drug candidate, clinical trial or patient-specific data. However, information stored on APS’ systems may have been vulnerable during the intrusion. To help mitigate future incidents, we have put in place enhanced security measures required for access by consultants. Notwithstanding such measures, we cannot be certain that no future security breaches will occur or that future breaches will not result in a material disruption of our development programs and our business operations.

Business disruptions could seriously harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.

Our operations, and those of our third-party research institution collaborators, CROs, suppliers and other contractors and consultants, could be subject to earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics or pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions, for which we are predominantly self-insured. In addition, we partially rely on our third-party research collaborators for conducting research and development of our drug candidates, and they may be affected by government shutdowns or withdrawn funding. The occurrence of any of these business disruptions could seriously harm our operations and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses. Our ability to obtain clinical supplies of our drug candidates could be disrupted if the operations of these suppliers are affected by a man-made or natural disaster or other business interruption. Damage or extended periods of interruption to our corporate, development or research facilities due to fire, natural disaster, power loss, communications failure, unauthorized entry or other events could cause us to cease or delay development of some or all of our drug candidates. Although we maintain property damage and business interruption insurance coverage on these facilities, our insurance might not cover all losses under such circumstances and our business may be seriously harmed by such delays and interruption.

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If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit commercialization of our drug candidates or our 503B products.

We face an inherent risk of product liability as a result of the clinical testing of our drug candidates and will face an even greater risk as we commercialize our clinical candidates, once approved. For example, we may be sued if our drugs that we manufacture, or our 503B products that we currently manufacture or plan to manufacture cause or are perceived to cause injury or are found to be otherwise unsuitable during clinical testing, as applicable, 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 drug, 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 drug candidates. Even successful defense would require significant financial and management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

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 drugs we develop, alone or with collaborators. Although we currently carry clinical trial insurance, which we believe to be adequate for our current operations, the amount of such insurance coverage may not be adequate now, or in the future, and we may be unable to maintain such insurance, or we may not be able to obtain additional or replacement insurance at a reasonable cost, if at all. 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.

Additionally, we may be sued if the products that we commercialize, market or distribute for our partners cause or are perceived to cause injury or are found to be otherwise unsuitable, and may result in:

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We have limited insurance coverage, and any claims beyond our insurance coverage may result in us incurring substantial costs and a diversion of resources.

We maintain property insurance policies covering physical damage to, or loss of, our buildings and their improvements, equipment, office furniture and inventory as well as business interruption insurance covering loss of income & extra expenses associated with physical damage to our property. We maintain workers’ compensation/employer’s liability insurance covering death or work-related injury of employees. We purchase general liability insurance covering certain incidents involving third parties that occur on or in the premises of the company, and products liability insurance covering certain incidents involving third parties resulting from our products. We purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and employment practices liability insurance. We do not maintain key-man life insurance on any of our senior management or key personnel. Our insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover any claim for product liability, damage to our fixed assets or employee injuries. Any liability or damage to, or caused by, our facilities or our personnel beyond our insurance coverage may result in our incurring substantial costs and a diversion of resources.

We may increasingly become a target for public scrutiny, including complaints to regulatory agencies, negative media coverage, including social media and malicious reports, all of which could severely damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our business and prospects.

We focus on the development of drugs used in the treatment of cancers, and such drugs may be the subject of regulatory, watchdog and media scrutiny and coverage, which also creates the possibility of heightened attention from the public, the media and our participants. In addition, members of our management and board include high-profile public figures who may be the subject of media and negative publicity and attention. From time to time, these objections or allegations, regardless of their veracity, may result in public protests or negative publicity, which could result in government inquiry or harm our reputation. Corporate transactions we or related parties undertake may also subject us to increased media exposure and public scrutiny. There is no assurance that we would not become a target for public scrutiny in the future or such scrutiny and public exposure would not severely damage our reputation as well as our business and prospects.

In addition, our directors and management have been in the past, and may continue to be, subject to scrutiny by the media and the public regarding their activities in and outside our company, which may result in unverified, inaccurate or misleading information about them being reported by the press. Negative publicity about our directors or management, even if untrue or inaccurate, may harm our reputation.

Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.

We have incurred net operating losses (“NOLs”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Unused NOLs will carry forward to offset future taxable income, if any, until such unused NOLs expire (if ever). NOLs generated after December 31, 2017 are not subject to expiration, but the yearly utilization of such NOLs is limited to 80 percent of taxable income. Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, if a corporation undergoes an ownership change (generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage points change (by value) in the equity ownership of one or more stockholders or groups of stockholders who own at least 5% of a corporation’s stock over any three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOLs and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income may be limited. We believe that we have experienced at least one ownership change in the past and may experience one in the future, which may affect our ability to utilize our NOLs. As of December 31, 2020, we had federal NOLs of approximately $184.8 million that could be limited by our past and any future ownership change, which could have an adverse effect on our future results of operations. Similar limitations will apply to our ability to carry forward any unused tax credits to offset future taxable income.

If our manufacturing facilities are damaged or destroyed or production at such facilities is otherwise interrupted, our business and prospects would be negatively affected.

If our manufacturing facilities or the equipment in them is damaged or destroyed, we may not be able to quickly or inexpensively replace our manufacturing capacity or replace it at all. In the event of a temporary or protracted loss of the facilities or equipment, we might not be able to transfer manufacturing to a third party. Even if we could transfer manufacturing to a third party, the shift would likely be expensive and time-consuming, particularly since the new facility would need to comply with the necessary regulatory requirements and we would need FDA, NMPA or and other comparable regulatory agency approval before selling any drugs manufactured at that facility. Such an event could delay our clinical trials or reduce our product sales for any of our approved drugs.

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Any interruption in manufacturing operations at our manufacturing facilities could result in our inability to satisfy the demands of our clinical trials or commercialization. A number of factors could cause interruptions, including:

Any disruption that impedes our ability to manufacture our drug candidates in a timely manner could materially harm our business, financial condition and operating results.

If we are unable to perform the clinical testing required to obtain regulatory approval, we will be unable to commercialize our product candidates.

Currently, we maintain insurance coverage against damage to our property and equipment. However, our insurance coverage may not reimburse us, or may not be sufficient to reimburse us, for any expenses or losses we may suffer. We may be unable to meet our requirements for our drug candidates if there were a catastrophic event or failure of our manufacturing facilities or processes.

Risks Related to Government Regulation

Recently enacted and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain regulatory approval of and commercialize our drug candidates and affect the prices we may obtain.

In the U.S., China and certain other jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay regulatory approval of our drug candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell Klisyri and any additional drug candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval.

In the U.S., the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or the MMA, changed the way Medicare covers and pays for pharmaceutical products. The legislation expanded Medicare coverage for drug purchases by the elderly and introduced a new reimbursement methodology based on average sales prices for physician-administered drugs. In addition, this legislation provided authority for limiting the number of drugs that will be covered in any therapeutic class. Cost reduction initiatives and other provisions of this legislation could decrease the coverage and price that we receive for any approved products. While the MMA only applies to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates. Therefore, any reduction in reimbursement that results from the MMA may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors.

The ACA included provisions to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms.

Among the provisions of the ACA of importance to our potential drug candidates are the following:

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In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the U.S. since the ACA was enacted. These changes included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, starting in 2013. In January 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was enacted, which, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. The Medicare reductions have been extended through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which was signed into law in March 2020 and is designed to provide financial support and resources to individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, suspended the 2% Medicare reductions from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, and extended the reductions by one year, through 2030. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 extended the suspension of the 2% Medicare reductions through March 31, 2021. These laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding.

We expect that the ACA, as well as other healthcare reform legislative measures that have been since adopted or may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and an additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved drug. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialize our drugs. Most recently, the Tax Reform Act was enacted, which, among other things, removes penalties for not complying with the individual mandate to carry health insurance. There is still uncertainty with respect to the impact this legislation will have on the ACA because a decision regarding the constitutionality of the ACA after the repeal of the individual mandate was ultimately appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. On November 10, 2020, oral arguments were heard in this case. It is unclear when a decision will be made. Additional reforms by the incoming administration could have an adverse effect on anticipated revenues from therapeutic candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval and may affect our overall financial condition and ability to develop therapeutic candidates. However, we cannot predict the ultimate content, timing or effect of any healthcare reform legislation or the impact of potential legislation on us.

Other legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict coverage and reimbursement and sales and promotional activities, for pharmaceutical products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether agencies such as the FDA or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will issue new regulations, guidance or interpretations that may impact our drug candidates. In addition, increased scrutiny by the U.S. Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent regulatory approval, as well as subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.

We are subject, directly or indirectly, to applicable U.S. federal and state anti-kickback, false claims laws, physician payment transparency laws, fraud and abuse laws or similar healthcare and privacy and security 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 others play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our products and any of our product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval. Our operations are subject to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal False Claims Act and physician payment transparency laws and regulations. These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales and marketing programs as well as any patient support programs we may consider offering. In addition, we may be subject to patient privacy regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. The laws that may affect our ability to operate include:

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Additionally, we are subject to state and non-U.S. equivalents of each of the healthcare laws described above, among others, some of which may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of the payor. Many U.S. states have adopted laws similar to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare services reimbursed by any source, not just governmental payors, including private insurers. In addition, some states have passed laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the April 2003 Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and/or the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. Several states also impose other marketing restrictions or require pharmaceutical companies to make marketing or price disclosures to the state. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement, we could be subject to penalties.

Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the statutory exceptions and safe harbors available, it is possible that some of our business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. In addition, recent health care reform legislation has strengthened these laws. For example, the ACA, among other things, amends the intent requirement of the federal Anti-Kickback and criminal healthcare fraud statutes. As a result of such amendment, a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of these statutes or specific intent to violate them in order to have committed a violation. Moreover, the ACA provides that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the False Claims Act.

Violations of fraud and abuse laws may be punishable by criminal and/or civil sanctions, including penalties, fines and/or exclusion or suspension from federal and state healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and debarment from contracting with the U.S. government. In addition, private individuals have the ability to bring civil whistleblower or qui tam actions on behalf of the U.S. government under the Federal False Claims Act as well as under the false claims laws of several states.

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Law enforcement authorities are increasingly focused on enforcing these laws, and it is possible that some of our practices may be challenged under these laws. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, monetary fines, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations. In addition, the approval and commercialization of any of our drug candidates outside the U.S. will also likely subject us to non-U.S. equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above, among other non-U.S. laws.

If any of the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

Lastly, political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the health care industry in the U.S. to fundamental change. Initiatives to reduce the federal budget and debt and to reform health care coverage are increasing cost-containment efforts. We anticipate that federal agencies, Congress, state legislatures, and the private sector will continue to review and assess alternative health care benefits, controls on health care spending, and other fundamental changes to the healthcare delivery system. Any proposed or actual changes could limit coverage for or the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for health care products and services, which could also result in reduced demand for our products or additional pricing pressures, and limit or eliminate our spending on development projects and affect our ultimate profitability.

Our business is subject to applicable laws and regulations relating to sanctions, anti-money laundering and anti-bribery practices, the violation of which could adversely affect our operations.

We must comply with all applicable economic sanctions, anti-money laundering and anti-bribery laws and regulations of the U.S. and other foreign jurisdictions where we operate, including China. U.S. laws and regulations applicable to us include the economic trade sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, as well as certain laws administered by the U.S. Department of State. Our business is also subject to anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 in the U.K., the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986 and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 in the U.S. and equivalent or similar legislation in the other countries where we do business. In addition, we are subject to the FCPA and other anti-bribery laws such as the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 that generally prohibit the corrupt provision of anything of value to foreign governments and their officials and political parties for the purpose of influencing official conduct or obtaining or retaining an undue business advantage. Applicable anti-bribery laws also may prohibit commercial bribery.

We have operations, conduct clinical trials, deal with government entities, including hospitals and public health regulators, and have contracts in countries known to experience corruption and commercial bribery. Our activities in these countries, particularly China and countries in Latin America, create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by our employees, brokers or agents that could be in violation of various laws, including the FCPA, even though these parties are not always subject to our control and supervision. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other fraudulent practices occur from time-to-time in China, where we conduct business. There is no assurance that our existing safeguards and procedures will be completely effective in ensuring compliance with such laws, and our employees, brokers or agents may engage in conduct for which we may be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or other anti-bribery laws may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect our reputation, business, operating results, and financial condition.

Regulations administered by OFAC govern transactions with countries and persons subject to U.S. trade sanctions. We are also subject to U.S. Government restrictions on transactions with specific entities and individuals, including, without limitation, those set forth on the Entity List, the Specially Designated Nationals List, the Denied Persons List, the Unverified List, and the U.S. State Department’s lists of debarred parties and sanctioned entities, and we may also be subject to restrictions on transactions with specific entities and individuals subject to the sanctions administered by the United Nations Security Council, the EU, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority. These regulations prohibit us from entering into or facilitating unlicensed transactions with, for the benefit of, or in some cases involving the property and property interests of such persons, governments, or countries designated by the relevant sanctions authority under one or more sanctions regimes. Failure to comply with these sanctions and embargoes may result in material fines, sanctions or other penalties being imposed on us or other governmental investigations. In addition, various state and municipal governments, universities and other investors maintain prohibitions or restrictions on investments in companies that do business involving sanctioned countries or entities.

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International economic and trade sanctions are complex and subject to frequent change, including jurisdictional reach and the lists of countries, entities, and individuals subject to the sanctions. Current or future economic and trade sanctions regulations or developments might have a negative impact on our business or reputation, and we may incur significant costs related to current, new, or changing sanctions programs, as well as investigations, fines, fees or settlements, which may be difficult to predict. In addition, companies subject to SEC reporting obligations are required under Section 13 of the Exchange Act to disclose in their periodic reports specified dealings or transactions involving Iran or other individuals and entities targeted by certain sanctions promulgated by OFAC that the reporting company or any of its affiliates engaged in during the period covered by the relevant periodic report. In some cases, Section 13 requires companies to disclose transactions even if they are permissible under U.S. law. The SEC is required to post this notice of disclosure pursuant to Section 13 on its website and report to the President and certain congressional committees regarding such filings.

Although we have policies and controls in place that are designed to ensure compliance with these laws and regulations, it is possible that an employee or intermediary could fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations. In such event, we could be exposed to civil penalties, criminal penalties and other sanctions, including fines or other punitive actions, and the government may seek to impose modifications to business practices, including cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries, and modifications to compliance programs, which may increase compliance costs. In addition, such violations could damage our business and/or our reputation. Such criminal or civil sanctions, penalties, other sanctions, and damage to our business and/or reputation could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Any failure to comply with applicable regulations and industry standards or obtain various licenses and permits could harm our reputation and our business, results of operations and prospects.

A number of governmental agencies or industry regulatory bodies in the U.S., and in non-U.S. jurisdictions including China and countries in Latin America, impose strict rules, regulations and industry standards governing pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and development and manufacturing and marketing activities, which apply to us. Our failure to comply with such regulations could result in the termination of ongoing research or manufacturing and marketing, administrative penalties imposed by regulatory bodies or the disqualification of data for submission to regulatory authorities. This could harm our reputation, prospects for future work and operating results. For example, if we were to treat research animals inhumanely or in violation of international standards set out by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, it could revoke any such accreditation and the accuracy of our animal research data could be questioned.

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 operations involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals. Our operations also produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties.

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 or exposure to hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage, use or disposal of biological or hazardous materials.

In addition, we may be required to incur substantial costs 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.

If we face allegations of noncompliance with the law and encounter sanctions, our reputation, revenues and liquidity may suffer, and our drugs could be subject to restrictions or withdrawal from the market.

Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect our ability to commercialize and generate revenues from our drugs. If regulatory sanctions are applied or if regulatory approval is withdrawn, the value of our company and our operating results will be adversely affected. Additionally, if we are unable to generate revenues from our product sales, our potential for achieving profitability will be diminished and the capital necessary to fund our operations will be increased.

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Risks Related to Our Doing Business in China

Tensions between the U.S. and China over Hong Kong and any continued heightening of retaliatory policies may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and may result in our inability to sustain our growth and expansion strategies.

We have operations in Hong Kong and expect that a portion of our future revenue will be sourced from licensing partnerships and API sales in China. Accordingly, our operations, financial condition and results of operations are affected by economic, political and legal developments between the U.S. and China. The continued tensions between the U.S. and China over China’s June 30, 2020 enactment of a new national security law in Hong Kong has resulted in heightened diplomatic tensions and a number of escalating retaliatory measures by the U.S. and China, including in an executive order signed by former President Trump on July 14, 2020, which ended the special economic status that was afforded to Hong Kong under the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, a U.S. ban on investments in businesses linked to China’s military, the U.S. announcement of the removal of restrictions on U.S. government official interactions with Taiwan and new rules issued by the Chinese Communist Party that would allow Chinese courts to impose penalties on persons for complying with foreign sanctions that impose prohibitions or restrictions on Chinese economic or trade relationships.

These political tensions between the U.S. and China, together with the uncertainties around the Biden administration’s stance with respect to China, create uncertainties for doing business in China, including compliance risks that may arise from retaliatory regulations, restrictions on technology transfers between the countries or measures enacted that further impede our ability to repatriate capital from our subsidiaries in China. The uncertainties caused by continued tensions, together with the risk of escalating retaliatory policies could increase our cost of doing business, adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and may result in our inability to sustain our operations, and growth and expansion strategies with respect to China.  

The pharmaceutical industry in China is highly regulated and such regulations are subject to change which may affect approval and commercialization of our drugs.

Certain of our research operations and manufacturing facilities are in China. The pharmaceutical industry in China is subject to comprehensive government regulation and supervision, encompassing the approval, registration, manufacturing, packaging, licensing and marketing of new drugs. In recent years, the regulatory framework in China regarding the pharmaceutical industry has undergone significant changes, and we expect that it will continue to undergo significant changes. Any such changes or amendments may result in increased compliance costs on our business or cause delays in or prevent the successful development or commercialization of our drug candidates in China and reduce the current benefits we believe are available to us from developing and manufacturing drugs in China. Chinese authorities have become increasingly vigilant in enforcing laws in the pharmaceutical industry and any failure by us or our partners to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations or obtain and maintain required licenses and permits may result in the suspension or termination of our business activities in China. We believe our strategy and approach is aligned with the Chinese government’s policies, but we cannot ensure that our strategy and approach will continue to be aligned.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in foreign currency exchange losses, which may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We incur portions of our expenses, and may in the future derive revenues, in currencies other than U.S. dollars, in particular, the RMB. As a result, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as our results of operations and cash flows are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. For example, a portion of our clinical trial activities are conducted outside of the U.S., and associated costs may be incurred in the local currency of the country in which the trial is being conducted, which costs could be subject to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. We currently do not engage in hedging transactions to protect against uncertainty in future exchange rates between particular foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. A decline in the value of the U.S. dollar against currencies in countries in which we conduct clinical trials could have a negative impact on our research and development costs.

The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions and the foreign exchange policy adopted by China and other non-U.S. governments. Specifically, in China, on July 21, 2005, the Chinese government changed its policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the U.S. dollar. Following the removal of the U.S. dollar peg, the RMB appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the Chinese government has allowed the RMB to appreciate slowly against the U.S. dollar again, and it has appreciated more than 10% since June 2010. In April 2012, the Chinese government announced that it would allow more RMB exchange rate fluctuation and in August 2015, China’s central bank executed a 2% devaluation in the RMB. From December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018, the RMB depreciated approximately 5.6% against the U.S. dollar. From December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019, the RMB depreciated approximately 1% against the U.S. dollar. From December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020, the RMB appreciated approximately 6% against the U.S. dollar. It remains unclear what further fluctuations may occur or what impact this will have on the currency and our results of operations.

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It is difficult to predict how market forces or China, U.S. or other government policies may impact the exchange rate between the RMB, U.S. dollar and other currencies in the future. There remains significant international pressure on the Chinese government to adopt a more flexible currency policy, which could result in greater fluctuation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar. Substantially all of our revenues are denominated in U.S. dollars and our costs are denominated in U.S. dollars and RMB, and a large portion of our financial assets is denominated in U.S. dollars. Generally, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we would receive. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount we would receive. We cannot predict the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, and foreign currency fluctuations in the future may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Changes in the political and economic policies of the Chinese government may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and may result in our inability to sustain our growth and expansion strategies.

A significant portion of our operations are in China. Accordingly, our financial condition and results of operations are affected to a large extent by economic, political and legal developments in China.

The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the extent of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, and control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth by allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, regulating financial services and institutions and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth in the past three decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may also have a negative effect on us. Our financial condition and results of operation could be materially and adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations that are applicable to us and consequently have a material adverse effect on our businesses, financial condition and results of operations.

Tariffs imposed by the U.S. and those imposed in response by other countries, as well as rapidly changing trade relations, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Changes in U.S. and foreign governments’ trade policies have resulted in, and may continue to result in, tariffs on imports into and exports from the U.S. Throughout 2018, 2019 and 2020, the U.S. imposed tariffs on imports from several countries, including China. In response, China has proposed and implemented their own tariffs on certain products, which may impact our supply chain and our costs of doing business. If we are impacted by the changing trade relations between the U.S. and China, our business and results of operations may be negatively impacted. Continued diminished trade relations between the U.S. and other countries, including potential reductions in trade with China and others, as well as the continued escalation of tariffs, could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and results of operations.

There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of laws, rules and regulations in China.

A portion of our operations are conducted in China through our Chinese subsidiaries, and are governed by Chinese laws, rules and regulations. Our Chinese subsidiaries are subject to laws, rules and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. The Chinese legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.

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In 1979, the Chinese government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws, rules and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past few decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investment in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws, rules and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China or may be subject to significant degrees of interpretation by Chinese regulatory agencies. In particular, because these laws, rules and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited number of published decisions and the nonbinding nature of such decisions, and because the laws, rules and regulations often give the relevant regulator significant discretion in how to enforce them, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws, rules and regulations involve uncertainties and can be inconsistent and unpredictable. In addition, the Chinese legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all, and which may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until after the occurrence of the violation.

Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since Chinese administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of Chinese Foreign Investment Law and Negative List and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate governance.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress of the PRC promulgated the Foreign Investment Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “FIL”) which became effective on January 1, 2020. Simultaneously, the three foreign investment laws (i.e. the Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law, the Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, and the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law) were repealed on January 1, 2020. Pursuant to the FIL, foreign investors shall not invest in any field forbidden by the negative list for access of foreign investment. For any field on the negative list, foreign investors shall conform to the investment conditions provided in the negative list. Fields not included in the negative list shall be managed under the principle that domestic investment and foreign investment shall be treated uniformly. According to the FIL, the organization form and institutional framework shall be subject to the provisions of the Company Law of the People's Republic of China, the Partnership Enterprise Law of the PRC, and other PRC laws. Foreign invested enterprises, which were established in accordance with the aforesaid three foreign investment laws may retain their original organization forms and other aspects for five years after the implementation of the FIL. Specific implementation measures shall be formulated by the State Council.

In June 2017 the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued Catalogue of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment (2017 Revision), which introduced Special Administrative Measures on Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List). Any industry not listed in the catalogue and Negative List is a permitted industry, and is generally open to foreign investment unless specifically prohibited or restricted by the Chinese laws and regulations. The Negative List is further divided into restricted foreign-invested industries and prohibited foreign-invested industries. The Negative List was further revised in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The most updated Negative List was issued on June 23, 2020 and took effect on July 23, 2020.

The FIL and Negative List may also materially impact our corporate governance practice and increase our compliance costs. For instance, the FIL imposes stringent ad hoc and periodic information reporting requirements on foreign investors and the applicable FIEs. Aside from investment implementation report and investment amendment report that are required at each investment and alteration of investment specifics, an annual report is mandatory, and large foreign investors meeting certain criteria are required to report on a quarterly basis. Any company found to be non-compliant with these information reporting obligations may potentially be subject to fines and/or administrative or criminal liabilities, and the persons directly responsible may be subject to criminal liabilities.

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Chinese regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by Chinese residents may subject our future Chinese-resident beneficial owners or our Chinese subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our Chinese subsidiaries or limit our Chinese subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits.

The SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular, commonly known as SAFE Circular 75, promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. According to Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Policies for the Foreign Exchange Administration of Direct Investment, the “Circular 13”, which became effective on June 1, 2015, banks shall directly examine and handle foreign exchange registration under domestic direct investment and foreign exchange registration under overseas direct investment, and the SAFE and its branch offices shall indirectly regulate the foreign exchange registration of direct investment through banks. SAFE Circular 37, Circular 13 and other SAFE rules require Chinese residents to register with local branches of SAFE or delegated commercial banks in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such Chinese residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle”. SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by Chinese individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material events. In the event that a Chinese stockholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required registration, the Chinese subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its Chinese subsidiary. Moreover, failure to comply with the various registration requirements described above could result in liability under Chinese law for evasion of foreign exchange controls.

We believe that certain of our stockholders are Chinese residents under SAFE Circular 37. These certain stockholders have undertaken to (1) apply to register with local SAFE branch or its delegated commercial bank as soon as possible after exercising their options and (2) indemnify and hold harmless us and our subsidiaries against any loss suffered arising from their failure to complete the registration. We do not have control over the stockholders and our other beneficial owners and cannot assure you that all of our Chinese-resident beneficial owners have complied with, and will in the future comply with, SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules. The failure of Chinese-resident beneficial owners to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner pursuant to SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, or the failure of future Chinese-resident beneficial owners of our company to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, may subject such beneficial owners or our Chinese subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions. Furthermore, SAFE Circular 37 is unclear how this regulation, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant Chinese government authorities, and we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or future strategy. Failure to register or comply with relevant requirements may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our Chinese subsidiaries and limit our Chinese subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to us. These risks could in the future have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any failure to comply with Chinese regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee share option plans may subject the Chinese plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly Listed Companies, commonly known as SAFE Circular 7, or the Share Option Rules, replacing earlier rules promulgated in 2007. Pursuant to these rules, Chinese residents who are granted shares or share options by companies listed on overseas stock exchanges under share incentive plans are required to (1) register with the SAFE or its local branches; (2) retain a qualified Chinese agent, which may be a Chinese subsidiary of the overseas listed company or another qualified institution selected by the Chinese subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the share incentive plans on behalf of the participants and (3) retain an overseas institution to handle matters in connection with their exercise of share options, purchase and sale of shares or interests and funds transfers. We and our executive officers and other employees who are Chinese residents and who have been granted options will be subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines, and legal sanctions, and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our Chinese subsidiary and limit our Chinese subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under Chinese law. See “Regulation—Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange and Dividend Distribution—Share Option Rules.”

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We may be treated as a resident enterprise for Chinese tax purposes under the Chinese Enterprise Income Tax Law, and we may therefore be subject to Chinese income tax on our global income.

Under the Chinese Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementing rules, both of which came into effect on January 1, 2008, as amended on February 24, 2017 and December 29, 2018, enterprises established under the laws of jurisdictions outside of China with “de facto management bodies” located in China may be considered Chinese tax resident enterprises for tax purposes and may be subject to the Chinese enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on their global income. “De facto management body” refers to a managing body that exercises substantive and overall management and control over the production and business, personnel, accounting books and assets of an enterprise. The State Administration of Taxation has issued guidance, known as Circular 82 that provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a Chinese-controlled offshore-incorporated enterprise is located in China. Although Circular 82 only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by Chinese enterprises, not those, such as us, controlled by foreign enterprises or individuals, the determining criteria set forth in Circular 82 may reflect the State Administration of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by Chinese enterprises. Although the reviewing procedure in Circular 82 was simplified on December 29, 2017, pursuant to Decision of the SAT on Issuing the Catalogues of Tax Departmental Rules and Tax Regulatory Documents Which Are Invalidated, the “de facto management body” test is still valid. Currently, our management is located in the U.S., and we generate a portion of our revenues within China and a portion outside China. We believe that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a Chinese resident enterprise for Chinese tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the Chinese tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body”. If we were to be considered a Chinese resident enterprise, we would be subject to Chinese enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on our global income. In such case, our profitability and cash flow may be materially reduced as a result of our global income being taxed under the Chinese Enterprise Income Tax Law.

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Dividends payable to our foreign investors and gains on the sale of our common stock by our foreign investors may become subject to Chinese tax law.

Under the Chinese Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementing rules issued by the State Council, in general, a 10% Chinese withholding tax is applicable to dividends payable to investors that are non-resident enterprises that do not have an establishment or place of business in China or which have such establishment or place of business but the dividends are not effectively connected with such establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within China. Similarly, any gain realized on the transfer of shares of our common stock by such investors is also subject to Chinese tax at a current rate of 10%, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in relevant tax treaties, if such gain is regarded as income derived from sources within China. If we are deemed a Chinese resident enterprise, dividends paid on our common stock, and any gain realized from the transfer of our common stock, would be treated as income derived from sources within China and would as a result be subject to Chinese taxation. Furthermore, if we are deemed a Chinese resident enterprise, dividends payable to individual investors who are non-Chinese residents and any gain realized on the transfer of common stock by such investors may be subject to Chinese tax at a current rate of 20%, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in applicable tax treaties. It is unclear whether we or any of our subsidiaries established outside China are considered a Chinese resident enterprise, holders of our common stock would be able to claim the benefit of income tax treaties or agreements entered into between China and other countries or areas. If dividends payable to our non-Chinese investors or gains from the transfer of our common stock by such investors are subject to Chinese tax, the value of your investment in our common stock may decline significantly.

We and our stockholders face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in Chinese resident enterprises by their non-Chinese holding companies.

Pursuant to a notice, or Circular 698, issued by the State Administration of Taxation, where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the equity interests of a Chinese resident enterprise indirectly via disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, and such overseas holding company is located in a tax jurisdiction that: (1) has an effective tax rate less than 12.5% or (2) does not tax foreign income of its residents, the non-resident enterprise, being the transferor, shall report to the relevant tax authority of the Chinese resident enterprise such indirect transfer. Using a “substance over form” principle, the Chinese tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring Chinese tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to Chinese enterprise income tax, currently at a rate of 10%. In 2015, the State Administration of Taxation issued a circular, known as Circular 7, which replaced or supplemented certain previous rules under Circular 698. Circular 7 sets out a wider scope of indirect transfer of Chinese assets that might be subject to Chinese enterprise income tax, and more detailed guidelines on the circumstances when such indirect transfer is considered to lack a bona fide commercial purpose and thus regarded as avoiding Chinese tax. The conditional reporting obligation of the non-Chinese investor under Circular 698 is replaced by a voluntary reporting by the transferor, the transferee or the underlying Chinese resident enterprise being transferred. Furthermore, if the indirect transfer is subject to Chinese enterprise income tax, the transferee has an obligation to withhold tax from the sale proceeds, unless the transferor reports the transaction to the Chinese tax authority under Circular 7. Late payment of applicable tax will subject the transferor to default interest. Gains derived from the sale of shares by investors through a public stock exchange are not subject to the Chinese enterprise income tax pursuant to Circular 7 where such shares were acquired in a transaction through a public stock exchange. Circular 698 was abolished by an announcement promulgated by the State Administration of Taxation in October 2017 and effective from December 1, 2017, or SAT Circular 37, which, among other things, provides specific provisions on matters concerning withholding of income tax of non-resident enterprises at the source.

As newly implemented, there is uncertainty as to the application of Circular 7 and SAT Circular 37, both of which may be determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to our offshore restructuring transactions or sale of the shares of our offshore subsidiaries where non-resident enterprises, being the transferors, were involved. The Chinese tax authorities may pursue such non-resident enterprises with respect to a filing regarding the transactions and request our Chinese subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and our non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed under Circular 7, and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Circular 7 or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under Circular 7, for our previous and future restructuring or disposal of shares of our offshore subsidiaries, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to utilize our revenue effectively.

The Chinese government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. A portion of our revenue may in the future be denominated in RMB. Shortages in availability of foreign currency may then restrict the ability of our Chinese subsidiaries to remit sufficient foreign currency to our offshore entities for our offshore entities to pay dividends or make other payments or otherwise to satisfy our foreign currency denominated obligations. The RMB is currently convertible under the “current account,” which includes dividends, trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not under the “capital account”, which includes foreign direct investment and loans, including loans we may secure from our onshore subsidiaries. Currently, our Chinese subsidiaries, which are wholly foreign owned enterprises, may purchase foreign currency for settlement of “current account transactions,” including payment of dividends to us, without the approval of SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, the relevant Chinese governmental authorities may limit or eliminate our ability to purchase foreign currencies in the future for current account transactions. Since a portion of our future revenue may be denominated in RMB, any existing and future restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to utilize revenue generated in RMB to fund our business activities outside of China or pay dividends in foreign currencies to our stockholders, including holders of our common stock. Foreign exchange transactions under the capital account remain subject to limitations and require approvals from, or registration with, SAFE and other relevant Chinese governmental authorities. This could affect our ability to obtain foreign currency through debt or equity financing for our subsidiaries.

The passage of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and recent delistings of Chinese telecommunications companies, and the general negative publicity surrounding China-based companies listed in the U.S. may result in increased regulatory scrutiny of us and negatively impact the trading price of our common stock and could have a material adverse effect upon our business, including our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and prospects.

We believe that the passage of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “HFCAA”) on December 18, 2020, the delistings of China Mobile Ltd., China Telecom Corp., and China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. by executive order from the Trump administration on December 31, 2020, and the general negative publicity surrounding companies with operations in China, including concerning the directors and officers of such companies, that are listed in the U.S. have negatively impacted stock prices for such companies and the HFCAA may result in additional delistings of companies with significant China operations from U.S. securities exchanges. Various equity-based research organizations have published reports on China-based companies after examining, among other things, their corporate governance practices, related party transactions, sales practices and financial statements that have led to special investigations and stock suspensions on national exchanges, including as a result of purported whistle-blowing or leaking by employees or former employees. Any similar scrutiny of us, regardless of its lack of merit, could result in a diversion of management resources and energy, potential costs to defend ourselves against rumors, decreases and volatility in the trading price of our common stock, and increased directors and officers insurance premiums and could have a material adverse effect upon our business, including our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and prospects.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The trading price of our common stock has been and is likely to continue to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to you.

The trading price of our common stock has been and is likely to continue to be volatile and could fluctuate widely in response to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with a portion of their business operations located in China that have listed their securities in the U.S. may affect the volatility in the price of and trading volumes for our common stock. Some of these companies have experienced significant volatility, including significant price declines after their initial public offerings. The trading performances of these companies’ securities at the time of or after their offerings may affect the overall investor sentiment towards other companies with significant China operations listed in the U.S. and consequently may impact the trading performance of our common stock.

In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our common stock may be highly volatile for specific business reasons, including:

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Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and trading price of our common stock. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted securities class action litigation against that company. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert the attention of management, and, if adversely determined, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the stock market, in general, and small pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies 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. Further, the current decline in the financial markets and related factors beyond our control may cause our common stock price to decline rapidly and unexpectedly.

Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our common stock for return on your investment, if any.

We intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. In addition, our Senior Credit Agreement with Oaktree and Sagard restricts our and our restricted subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our common stock as a source for any future dividend income.

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Our board of directors has significant discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to the restrictions contained in our financing agreements. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, restrictions on the form and amount of such dividends in our debt agreements, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on an investment in our common stock will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our common stock. There is no guarantee that our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain its current market price. You may not realize a return on your investment in our common stock and you may even lose your entire investment in our common stock.

There are limitations on the liability of our officers and directors, and we may have to indemnify our officers and directors in certain instances.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limits, to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law, the personal liability of our directors for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors. The indemnification provisions may require us, among other things, to indemnify such officers and directors against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers (other than liabilities arising from willful misconduct of a culpable nature), to advance their expenses incurred as a result of certain proceedings against them as to which they could be indemnified. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent made or threatened to be made a party to an action by reason of the fact that he or she was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or was serving at the request of the corporation, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Delaware law does not permit a corporation to eliminate a director’s duty of care and the provisions of our certificate of incorporation have no effect on the availability of equitable remedies, such as injunction or rescission, for a director’s breach of the duty of care.

We believe that our limitation of officer and director liability assists us to attract and retain qualified employees and directors. However, in the event an officer, a director or the board of directors commits an act that may legally be indemnified under Delaware law, we will be responsible to pay for such officer(s) or director(s) legal defense and potentially any damages resulting there from. Furthermore, the limitation on director liability may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and may discourage or deter stockholders from instituting litigation against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties, even though such an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders and us. Limitations of director liability may be viewed as limiting the rights of stockholders, and the broad scope of the indemnification provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation could result in increased expenses.

Our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders have substantial control over us, which could limit your ability to influence the outcome of key transactions, including a change of control.

Our directors, officers and stockholders who own greater than 5% of our outstanding common stock, together with their affiliates, beneficially owned, in the aggregate, approximately 42.4% of our outstanding common stock based on the number shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020. As a result, these stockholders, if acting together, will be able to influence or control matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers, acquisitions or other extraordinary transactions. In addition, these stockholders, acting together, would have the ability to control the management and affairs of our company. They may also have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of our company and might ultimately affect the market price of our common stock.

In addition, our directors and officers as a group, beneficially own in the aggregate approximately 14.6% of our outstanding common stock based on the number shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020. As such, our directors and executive officers could have considerable influence over matters such as approving a potential acquisition of us. Our directors and executive officers’ investment in and position in our company could also discourage others from pursuing any potential acquisition of us, which could have the effect of depriving the holders of our common stock of the opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over the prevailing market price.

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Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents may discourage our acquisition by a third party, which could limit our stockholders’ opportunity to sell their shares at a premium.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws include provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company, modify our structure or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our stockholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control in a tender offer or similar transaction.

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None.

Our Oncology Innovation Platform operates in several facilities globally: Our corporate headquarters is located in Buffalo, New York, where we occupy approximately 51,000 square feet of the Conventus Center for Collaborative Medicine, which includes approximately 16,000 square feet of a formulation testing and chemistry lab under a lease that expires in July 2025 and is renewable for an additional 10 years. We occupy approximately 1,300 square feet of office space in Cranford, New Jersey under a lease that expires in February 2025 that serves as our clinical research headquarters. We also occupy approximately 5,500 square feet of office and lab space which represents a portion of the IC Development Centre in Hong Kong under a lease that expires in November 2022 that serves as our Hong Kong headquarters and research and development center. We occupy approximately 6,200 square feet of office space in Taipei, Taiwan under a lease that expires in December 2022 which serves for clinical research and clinical data management. In addition, we occupy approximately 9,900 square feet of office space in multiple locations across Latin America under lease agreements which expire at various dates through October 2022, which serve as clinical research facilities.

Our Commercial Platform is headquartered and operates in approximately 15,000 square feet of office space in the Woodfield Preserve Office Center in Schaumberg, Illinois under a lease that expires in March 2027.

Our Global Supply Chain Platform utilizes several facilities globally: We occupy space in facilities in Clarence and Amherst, New York and Chongqing, China which provide our manufacturing and packaging capabilities for our proprietary and 503B products and our Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient operations. In addition, pursuant to an agreement with FSMC, FSMC is funding the costs of constructing a new manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, New York, which we will lease. FSMC will retain ownership of the facility and equipment, and we will lease the facility and equipment for $1.00 per year for an initial 10-year term in exchange for meeting certain spending and employment targets in the Dunkirk area during our term in the facility. The manufacturing facility is expected to be 409,000 sq. ft. and is targeted for completion in 2021. See “Business — Global Supply Chain Platform—Strategic Public-Private Partnerships—New York State Partnership” for more information. Lastly, Chongqing Sintaho Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (“CQ Sintaho”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a lease agreement with Chongqing International Biological City Development & Investment Co., Ltd (“CQ D&I”), an affiliate of CQ. Pursuant to the lease agreement with CQ D&I, CQ Sintaho will lease the newly constructed API of 34,517 square meters rent-free, for the first 10-year term, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 10-year term, during which, if CQ Sintaho is profitable, it will pay a monthly rent of 5 Chinese Renminbi per square meter of space occupied. This lease agreement was executed in January 2021. See “Business – Global Supply Chain Platform—Strategic Public-Private Partnerships—China Partnership” for more information.

We believe that these facilities will be sufficient to meet our current needs.

From time to time we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of prosecution, defense and settlement costs, unfavorable awards, diversion of management resources and other factors.

Not applicable.

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PART II

Market for our Common Stock

Our common stock has been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “ATNX” since June 14, 2017. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our common stock.

As of February 19, 2021, there were 97 holders of record of our common stock. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares are held in street by brokers and other nominees.

Stock Price Performance Graph

The graph below shows a comparison from June 14, 2017, the date on which our common stock first began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, of the cumulative total return on an assumed investment of $100.00 in cash in our common stock as compared to the same investment in the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, all through to December 31, 2020. Such returns are based on historical results and are not intended to suggest future performance.

Cumulative Total Return Comparison

This performance graph is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference to such filing.

Dividend Policy

We have never declared or paid cash or stock dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operations of our business and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.  Any future determination to declare dividends on common stock will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions, any contractual restrictions on dividends, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

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The following selected statements of operations and comprehensive loss data and the cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 and the balance sheet data as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. You should read this data together with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this filing and the information under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our future results. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S., or U.S. GAAP.

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