NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES INC - Quarter Report: 2019 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2019

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 0-22705

NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(858) 617-7600

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days:    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

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

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

The number of outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, was 91,286,923 as of April 24, 2019.

NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Part I. Financial Information

Item 1. Financial Statements

NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

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NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

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NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

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NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY  

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

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NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(unaudited)

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.  (Neurocrine, we, our or us) is a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company with more than 25 years of experience discovering and developing life-changing treatments for people with serious, challenging and under-addressed neurological, endocrine, and psychiatric disorders. We specialize in targeting and interrupting disease-causing mechanisms involving the interconnected pathways of the nervous and endocrine systems.

Our portfolio includes United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia (TD) and endometriosis and clinical development programs in multiple therapeutic areas including Parkinson’s disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and uterine fibroids. Our treatment for endometriosis and our product candidate for uterine fibroids are partnered with AbbVie, Inc. (AbbVie). In addition, in January 2019, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Voyager), focused on the development and commercialization of four programs using Voyager’s propriety gene therapy platform, including one clinical development program for advanced Parkinson’s disease patients, VY-AADC.

Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary, which are of a normal and recurring nature, for the fair presentation of our financial position and of the results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of  Neurocrine and our wholly owned subsidiaries.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2018, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (2018 Form 10-K) filed with the SEC. The results of operations for the interim period shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2018, has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.

There were no significant changes to our significant accounting policies as disclosed in the 2018 Form 10-K.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements.

ASU 2016-02. In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”, which requires lessees to recognize leases on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 establishes a right-of-use (ROU) model that requires a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with a term longer than 12 months. ASU 2016-02 also requires disclosures to meet the objective of enabling users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2016-02 using the modified retrospective transition method. Under this transition method, we recognized and measured leases that existed at the application date in our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of January 1, 2019.

Arrangements that are determined to be operating leases at inception are included in operating lease assets, noncurrent operating lease liabilities, and other current liabilities in our condensed consolidated balance sheets.

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As none of our operating leases provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU asset is adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease payments and any lease incentives received. Operating lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which we have elected to account for as a single lease component. Further, we have elected to recognize our short-term lease payments in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the associated lease term and variable lease payments in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred. Short-term and variable lease payments were not material in the first quarter of 2019.

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In connection with the adoption of ASU 2016-02, we elected the package of practical expedients requiring no reassessment of whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, the lease classification of any expired or existing leases, or initial direct costs for any existing leases. We also made accounting policy elections not to apply the recognition requirements under ASU 2016-02 to any of our short-term leases and to account for each separate lease and associated nonlease components as a single lease component for all of our leases.

In preparation for implementation of ASU 2016-02, we finalized key accounting assessments and updated processes to appropriately recognize and present the associated financial information. Based on these efforts, the adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in the recognition of (1) ROU assets of $50.0 million and operating lease liabilities of $70.9 million, resulting from leases of office and laboratory space; (2) the derecognition of deferred rent of $20.9 million for certain lease incentives received; and (3) a cumulative-effect adjustment of $8.0 million to the opening balance of the accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2019, resulting from the recognition of an existing deferred gain on sale of real estate. The comparative prior period information continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect during those periods. Further, we expect the adoption of ASU 2016-02 to be immaterial to our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss and statements of cash flows on an ongoing basis.

ASU 2018-07. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, “Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, which expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees and applies to all share-based payment transactions in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in a grantor’s own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2018-07 using the modified retrospective transition method with no impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. Further, we expect the adoption of ASU 2018-07 to be immaterial to our condensed consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and comprehensive loss, and statements of cash flows on an ongoing basis.

2. Significant Collaboration and Licensing Agreements

Voyager. In January 2019, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, a clinical-stage gene therapy company. The agreement is focused on the development and commercialization of four programs using Voyager’s proprietary gene therapy platform. The four programs consist of the VY-AADC program for Parkinson’s disease and VY-FXN program for Friedreich’s ataxia, and the rights to two programs to be determined by the parties in the future. The agreement became effective on March 11, 2019 (the date of closing), upon expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.

In connection with the agreement, we paid Voyager $115.0 million upfront and purchased $50.0 million of Voyager’s common stock at $11.9625 per share, representing approximately 4.2 million shares. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Voyager may also be entitled to an additional $1.7 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones across the four programs, as well as royalties on net sales of any collaboration product.

Pursuant to development plans agreed to by us and Voyager, unless Voyager exercises its co-development and co-commercialization rights as provided for in the agreement, we will be responsible for all development costs. Further, upon the occurrence of a specified event for each program, we will assume responsibility for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities of such program.

We accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition as the set of acquired assets did not constitute a business. Our equity investment in Voyager was recorded at a fair value of $54.7 million after considering Voyager’s stock price on the date of closing and certain lock-up and voting provisions applicable to the acquired shares. The remaining $113.1 million of the purchase price, which includes the applicable transaction costs, was expensed as in-process research and development (IPR&D) as the general lack of discernable future benefits at the time the costs were incurred indicated that the immediate recognition principle of expense recognition should apply.

We may terminate the agreement upon 180 days written notice to Voyager prior to the first commercial sale of any collaboration product or upon 1 year after the date of notice if such notice is provided after the first commercial sale of any collaboration product. Unless terminated earlier, the agreement will continue in effect until the expiration of the last to expire royalty term with respect to any collaboration product or the last expiration or termination of any exercised co-development and co-commercialization rights by Voyager as provided for in the agreement.

BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A. In February 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A. (BIAL) for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients, in the United States (U.S.) and Canada. We paid BIAL an upfront license fee of $30.0 million and have agreed to make additional regulatory event-based payments of up to $40.0 million, of which $10.0 million has been paid as of March 31, 2019, and up to an additional $75.0 million in commercial event-based payments.

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. In March 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) for the development and commercialization of INGREZZA for movement disorders in Japan

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and other select Asian markets. MTPC made an upfront payment of $30.0 million and has agreed to make an additional $85.0 million in development and regulatory event-based payments, payments for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, and royalties on product sales in select territories in Asia.

Since inception of the agreement, we have recognized revenue of $19.8 million associated with the delivery of a technology license and existing know-how, and $15.0 million in development event-based payments resulting from MTPC’s initiation of Phase II/III clinical trials of INGREZZA in TD in Asia. In accordance with our continuing performance obligations, $10.2 million of the $30.0 million upfront payment is being deferred to be recognized in future periods. Under the terms of the agreement, there is no general obligation to return the upfront payment for any non-contingent deliverable.

AbbVie. In June 2010, we entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie, to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation gonadotropin-releasing factor antagonists for women’s and men’s health. AbbVie made an upfront payment of $75.0 million and has agreed to make additional development and regulatory event-based payments of up to $480.0 million, of which $115.0 million has been earned as of March 31, 2019, and up to an additional $50.0 million in commercial event-based payments.

3. Investments

Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value, with any unrealized gains and losses reported in comprehensive loss. The amortized cost of debt securities in this category is adjusted for the amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. Such amortization and accretion are included in investment income. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in investment income and other, net. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Interest and dividends on securities classified as available-for-sale are included in investment income and other, net. Further, investments in equity securities of certain companies that are subject to holding period restrictions longer than 1 year are carried at fair value, with any unrealized gains or losses reported in other expense, net.

Investments consist of the following:

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Investments classified as available-for-sale securities consist of the following:

The following table presents gross unrealized losses and fair value for those available-for-sale investments that were in an unrealized loss position, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous loss position:

At each reporting date, we perform an evaluation of impairment to determine if any unrealized losses are other-than-temporary. Factors considered in determining whether a loss is other-than-temporary include the length of time and extent to which fair value has been less than the cost basis, the financial condition of the issuer, and our intent and ability to hold the investment until recovery of the amortized cost basis. We intend and have the ability to hold our investments in unrealized loss positions until their amortized cost basis has been recovered. Further, based on our evaluation, we determined that unrealized losses were not other-than-temporary at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018.

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4. Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy has been established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

We classify our cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments within Level 1 or Level 2. The fair value of our investment grade corporate debt securities is determined using proprietary valuation models and analytical tools, which utilize market pricing or prices for similar instruments that are both objective and publicly available, such as matrix pricing or reported trades, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, and offers.

The fair value of our investments in restricted equity securities is determined using an option pricing valuation model and classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. The most significant assumptions within the option pricing valuation model are the term of the restrictions and the stock price volatility, which is based upon the historical volatility of similar companies. Significant changes in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly higher or lower fair value measurement.

The $517.5 million of 2.25% convertible senior notes due May 15, 2024 (2024 Notes) were recorded at the estimated value of a similar non-convertible instrument on the date of issuance and accretes to the face value of the 2024 Notes over their 7-year term. The fair value of the 2024 Notes, estimated utilizing market quotations from an over-the-counter trading market (Level 2), was $700.9 million as of March 31, 2019 and $616.1 million as of December 31, 2018. Refer to Note 7 for more information.

We did not reclassify any investments between levels in the fair value hierarchy during the first quarter of 2019 or 2018.

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Investments, which were measured at fair value on a recurring basis using the inputs described above, consisted of the following:

The following table presents a reconciliation of our investment in restricted equity securities measured at fair value on a quarterly basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3):

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5. Inventory

Inventory consisted of the following:

6. Leases

In December 2007, we closed the sale of our facility and associated real property for a purchase price of $109.0 million. Concurrent with the sale, we retired the entire $47.7 million in mortgage debt previously outstanding with respect to the facility and associated real property and received cash of $61.0 million, net of transaction costs and debt retirement. The ultimate result of this real estate sale was a net deferred gain of $39.1 million, of which the remaining balance was $8.0 million as of December 31, 2018, and which we recognized as a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity upon adoption of Topic 842 on January 1, 2019.

Upon the closing of the sale of the facility and associated real property, we entered into an agreement (original lease) whereby we leased back our corporate headquarters, comprised of two buildings located in San Diego, California, for an initial term of 12 years. In 2008 through 2011, we entered into a series of subsequent amendments to the original lease, whereby we vacated a building and continued to occupy one building.

In June 2017, we entered into an amendment to extend the current term of the original lease through December 31, 2029. Under the terms of the amendment, we will continue to pay base annual rent (subject to an annual fixed percentage increase), property taxes, and other normal and necessary expenses, such as utilities, repairs, and maintenance. Certain incentives were included in the lease, including $13.1 million in tenant improvement allowances and three months of rent abatement. In lieu of a cash security deposit, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (Wells Fargo) issued a $3.0 million letter of credit on our behalf, which is secured by a deposit of equal amount with the same bank. We have the right to extend the lease for 2 consecutive 10-year terms and a right of first offer for future rental of adjacent office space owned by the landlord. At commencement of the lease, we were not reasonably certain to exercise either of the two 10-year extension options contained within the lease. As such, these options were not recognized as part of the associated operating lease ROU asset or liability.

In May 2018, we entered into an agreement to lease 44,718 square feet of office space in San Diego, California, which commenced on July 1, 2018, for a term of 10 years and 10 months. Under the terms of the lease, we will pay base annual rent (subject to an annual fixed percentage increase), plus property taxes, and other normal and necessary expenses, such as utilities, repairs, and maintenance. Certain incentives were included in the lease, including $4.2 million in tenant improvement allowances and twelve months of rent abatement. In lieu of a cash security deposit, Wells Fargo issued a $1.0 million letter of credit on our behalf, which is secured by a deposit of equal amount with the same bank. We do not have the right to extend the lease or right of first offer for future rental of adjacent office space owned by the landlord.

In the first quarter of 2019, our operating lease cost was $1.9 million and cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities for operating cash flows from operating leases was $1.6 million. As of March 31, 2019, we reported operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities of $49.3 million and $70.4 million, respectively. Further, as of March 31, 2019, our operating leases had a weighted average remaining lease term of 10.57 years and a weighted average discount rate of 6.65%.

At March 31, 2019, the minimum lease payments for our operating lease liabilities were as follows:

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7. Convertible Senior Notes

On May 2, 2017, we completed a private placement of $517.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2024 and entered into an indenture agreement (2024 Indenture) with respect to the 2024 Notes. The 2024 Notes accrue interest at a fixed rate of 2.25% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, beginning on November 15, 2017. The 2024 Notes mature on May 15, 2024. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Notes were approximately $502.8 million, after deducting commissions and the offering expenses payable by us.

Holders of the 2024 Notes may convert the 2024 Notes at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding May 15, 2024, only under the following circumstances:

On or after January 15, 2024, until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding May 15, 2024, holders may convert their 2024 Notes at any time.

Upon conversion, holders will receive the principal amount of their 2024 Notes and any excess conversion value, calculated based on the per share volume-weighted average price for each of the 30 consecutive trading days during the observation period (as more fully described in the 2024 Indenture). For both the principal and excess conversion value, holders may receive cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our option.

It is our intent and policy to settle conversions through combination settlement, which essentially involves repayment of an amount of cash equal to the “principal portion” and delivery of the “share amount” in excess of the principal portion in shares of common stock or cash. In general, for each $1,000 in principal, the “principal portion” of cash upon settlement is defined as the lesser of $1,000, and the conversion value during the 25-day observation period as described in the 2024 Indenture. The conversion value is the sum of the daily conversion value which is the product of the effective conversion rate divided by 25 days and the daily volume weighted average price (VWAP) of our common stock. The “share amount” is the cumulative “daily share amount” during the observation period, which is calculated by dividing the daily VWAP into the difference between the daily conversion value (i.e., conversion rate x daily VWAP) and $1,000.

The initial conversion rate for the 2024 Notes is 13.1711 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $75.92 per share of our common stock. At the initial conversion rate, settlement of the 2024 Notes for shares of our common stock would approximate 6.8 million shares. The conversion rate will be subject to adjustment in some events but will not be adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. The initial conversion price of the 2024 Notes represented a premium of approximately 42.5% to the closing sale price of $53.28 per share of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on April 26, 2017, the date that we priced the private offering of the 2024 Notes.

In the event of conversion, holders would forgo all future interest payments, any unpaid accrued interest and the possibility of further stock price appreciation. Upon the receipt of conversion requests, the settlement of the 2024 Notes will be paid pursuant to the terms of the 2024 Indenture. In the event that all of the 2024 Notes are converted, we would be required to repay the $517.5 million in principal value and any conversion premium in any combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our option.

We may not redeem the 2024 Notes prior to May 15, 2021. On or after May 15, 2021, we may redeem for cash all or part of the 2024 Notes if the last reported sale price (as defined in the 2024 Indenture) of our common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading-day period ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date which we provide notice of redemption. The redemption price will equal the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the 2024 Notes being redeemed, plus (ii) accrued and unpaid interest, including additional interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the 2024 Notes.

If we undergo a fundamental change, as defined in the 2024 Indenture, subject to certain conditions, holders of the 2024 Notes may require us to repurchase for cash all or part of their 2024 Notes at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2024 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date. In addition, if a ‘‘make-whole fundamental change’’ (as defined in the 2024 Indenture) occurs prior to January 15, 2024, we will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with the make-whole fundamental change.

The 2024 Notes are our general unsecured obligations that rank senior in right of payment to all of our indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the 2024 Notes, and equal in right of payment to our unsecured indebtedness.

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While the 2024 Notes are currently classified as long-term on our condensed consolidated balance sheets, the future convertibility and resulting balance sheet classification of this liability will be monitored at each quarterly reporting date and will be analyzed dependent upon market prices of our common stock during the prescribed measurement periods. In the event that the holders of the 2024 Notes have the election to convert the 2024 Notes at any time during the prescribed measurement period, the 2024 Notes would then be considered a current obligation and classified as such.

We are required to separately account for the liability and equity components of the 2024 Notes as they may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion in a manner that reflects our economic interest cost. The liability component of the instrument was valued in a manner that reflects the market interest rate for a similar nonconvertible instrument at the date of issuance. The initial carrying value of the liability component of $368.3 million was calculated using a 7.5% assumed borrowing rate. The equity component of $149.2 million, representing the conversion option, was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the par value of the 2024 Notes and was recorded in additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet at the issuance date. That equity component is treated as a discount on the liability component of the 2024 Notes, which is amortized over the seven-year term of the 2024 Notes using the effective interest rate method. The equity component is not re-measured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification.

We allocated the total transaction costs of approximately $14.7 million related to the issuance of the 2024 Notes to the liability and equity components of the 2024 Notes based on their relative values. Transaction costs attributable to the liability component are amortized to interest expense over the seven-year term of the 2024 Notes, and transaction costs attributable to the equity component are netted with the equity component in stockholders’ equity.

The 2024 Notes do not contain any financial or operating covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the issuance of other indebtedness or the issuance or repurchase of securities by us. The 2024 Indenture contains customary events of default with respect to the 2024 Notes, including that upon certain events of default, 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the 2024 Notes will automatically become due and payable.

The 2024 Notes, net of discounts and deferred financing costs, consisted of the following:

8. Net Loss Per Share

Net loss per share was calculated as follows:

In loss periods, basic net loss per share and diluted net loss per share are identical because the otherwise dilutive potential common shares become anti-dilutive and are therefore excluded.

Convertible debt instruments that may be settled entirely or partly in cash (such as the 2024 Notes) may, in certain circumstances where the borrower has the ability and intent to settle in cash, be accounted for under the treasury stock method. We issued the 2024 Notes with a combination settlement feature, which we have the ability and intent to use upon conversion of the 2024 Notes, to settle the principal amount of debt for cash and the excess of the principal portion in shares of our common stock. As a result, of the approximately 6.8 million shares underlying the 2024 Notes, only the shares required to settle the excess of the principal portion  are considered under the treasury stock method.

Shares which have been excluded from diluted per share amounts because their effect would have been anti-dilutive consisted of the following:

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth below in Part II, Item 1A under the caption “Risk Factors.” The interim financial statements and this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, which are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Overview

We are a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company with more than 25 years of experience discovering and developing life-changing treatments for people with serious, challenging and under-addressed neurological, endocrine, and psychiatric disorders. We specialize in targeting and interrupting disease-causing mechanisms involving the interconnected pathways of the nervous and endocrine systems.

Our portfolio includes United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia (TD) and endometriosis and clinical development programs in multiple therapeutic areas including Parkinson’s disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and uterine fibroids. Our treatment for endometriosis and our product candidate for uterine fibroids are partnered with AbbVie, Inc. (AbbVie). In addition, in January 2019, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Voyager), focused on the development and commercialization of four programs using Voyager’s propriety gene therapy platform, including one clinical development program for advanced Parkinson’s disease patients, VY-AADC.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, we initiated T-Force GOLD, a Phase IIb study of valbenazine in pediatric patients with Tourette syndrome. In December 2018, we announced that topline data from the T-Force GOLD study failed to meet the primary endpoint. We continue to analyze the complete dataset from the study to determine the next steps for valbenazine in Tourette syndrome.

We currently have four major collaborations, two of which involve out-licensing of our proprietary technology to pharmaceutical partners. Refer to Note 2 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for more information.

Voyager. In January 2019, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, a clinical-stage gene therapy company. The agreement is focused on the development and commercialization of four programs using Voyager’s proprietary gene therapy platform. The four programs consist of the VY-AADC program for Parkinson’s disease and VY-FXN program for Friedreich’s ataxia, and the rights to two programs to be determined by the parties in the future.

BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A. In February 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A. (BIAL) pursuant to which we in-licensed technology from BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients, in the U.S. and Canada.

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. In March 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation for the development and commercialization of INGREZZA^® (valbenazine) for movement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets.

AbbVie. In June 2010, we entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists.

Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 and 2018

Revenues

The following table presents our revenues by category.

Product Sales, Net

In April 2017, the FDA approved INGREZZA for the treatment of TD. INGREZZA became available for prescription in late April 2017. Net product sales were $136.4 million  in the first quarter of 2019, compared to  $71.1 million in the first quarter of 2018.

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Collaboration Revenue

In July  2018, we were notified by AbbVie that FDA approval was granted for ORILISSA^® (elagolix) for the management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women. We recognized sales-based royalties, payable to us by our partner AbbVie on quarterly net sales of ORILISSA, of $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2019.

Operating Expenses

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales was $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2019 compared to $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2018, reflecting lower facility validation costs related to achieving supply chain redundancies, offset by increased INGREZZA net product sales in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018.

Research and Development

We support our drug discovery and development efforts through the commitment of significant resources to discovery, research and development (R&D) programs, and business development opportunities.

Costs are reflected in the applicable development stage based upon the program status when incurred. Therefore, the same program could be reflected in different development stages in the same reporting period. For several of our programs, the R&D activities are part of our collaborative and other relationships.

Late stage consists of costs incurred related to product candidates in Phase 2 registrational studies and onwards. Early stage consists of costs incurred related to product candidates post-investigational new drug application (IND) through Phase 2 non-registrational studies. Research and discovery consists of costs incurred to support our research and discovery activities and includes all pre-IND costs. Milestone expenses represent payments made in connection with our collaborative and other relationships. Payroll and benefits consists of costs incurred for salaries and wages, payroll taxes, benefits, and share-based compensation associated with those individuals involved in ongoing R&D activities.

Facilities and other consists of indirect costs incurred in support of overall R&D activities and non-specific programs, including activities that benefit multiple programs, such as management costs, as well as depreciation, information technology, and facility-based expenses. These costs are not allocated to a specific program or stage.

The following table presents our total R&D expense by category:

R&D expense decreased $11.2 million, from $48.9 million in the first quarter of 2018 to $37.7 million in the first quarter of 2019, primarily due to a non-recurring share-based compensation charge of $7.7 million and milestone expenses of $10.0 million in connection with our exclusive license agreement with BIAL in the first quarter of 2018.

Acquired In-Process Research and Development

In connection with the payment of our upfront fee pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, we recorded a charge of $113.1 million, accounted for as in-process research and development (IPR&D), in the first quarter of 2019.

Sales, General and Administrative

Sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expense increased $28.9 million, from $58.6 million in the first quarter of 2018 to $87.5 million in the first quarter of 2019, primarily due to the expansion of our sales force in the third quarter of 2018, the national launch of our patient-focused disease-state awareness campaign, Talk About TD, and an increase in the Branded Pharmaceutical Drug fee expense.

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Other (Expense) Income

Other expense, net, decreased $2.8 million, from $4.4 million in the first quarter of 2018 to $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2019, primarily due to an unrealized gain of $1.7 million to adjust our equity investment in Voyager to fair value as of March 31, 2019.

Benefit for Income Taxes

Our benefit for income taxes for the first quarter of 2019 was $0.5 million, reflecting $0.6 million of tax benefit recorded to income from continuing operations, with an equal and offsetting tax expense recorded to accumulated other comprehensive loss, offset by $0.1 million of state income tax expense. We used the year-to-date effective tax rate method to determine our interim income tax expense for state jurisdictions where a reliable estimate of the annual effective tax rate could not be made. The tax benefit recorded differs from the statutory rate of 21% primarily due to a full valuation allowance recorded against losses incurred.

Net Loss

We incurred a net loss of $102.1 million, or $1.12 net loss per share, in the first quarter of 2019, compared to a net loss of $41.8 million, or $0.47 net loss per share, in the first quarter of 2018. The increase in net loss was primarily due to a $113.1 million IPR&D charge incurred in connection with our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, partially offset by increased INGREZZA net product sales in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At March 31, 2019, our cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments totaled $700.8 million compared with $866.9 million at December 31, 2018.

Net cash used in operating activities was $112.5 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $38.5 million in the first quarter of 2018. The increase in net cash used in operating activities was primarily due to IPR&D of $113.1 million in connection with our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, partially offset by increased INGREZZA net product sales.

Net cash provided by investing activities was $41.0 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $57.1 million of net cash used in investing activities in the first quarter of 2018, reflecting timing differences associated with the purchases and sales and maturities of our available-for-sale investments, as well as changes in our portfolio-mix between cash equivalents and short-term and long-term investment holdings, offset by our $54.7 million equity investment in Voyager in the first quarter of 2019.

Net cash provided by financing activities in the quarter of 2019 was $2.6 million, compared to $16.1 million in the first quarter of 2018.

Shelf Registration Statement

In February 2017, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement which immediately became effective by rule of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For so long as we continue to satisfy the requirements to be deemed a well-known seasoned issuer, this shelf registration statement allows us to issue an unlimited number of securities from time to time. We sold no securities under this shelf registration statement in the first quarter of 2019 or 2018.

Convertible Senior Notes

In May 2017, we issued $517.5 million of 2.25% convertible senior notes due May 15, 2024. Refer to Note 7 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for more information.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of March 31, 2019, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

There were no changes to our critical accounting policies as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk on our short-term investments. The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal while at the same time maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. To achieve this objective, we invest in highly liquid and high-quality government and other debt securities. To minimize our exposure due to adverse shifts in interest rates, we invest in short-term securities and ensure that the maximum average maturity of our investments does not exceed 12 months. If a 10% change in interest rates were to have occurred on March 31, 2019, it would not have had a material effect on the fair value of our investment portfolio as of that date. Due to the short holding period of our investments, we have concluded that we do not have a material financial market risk exposure.

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Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

For a summary of new accounting pronouncements which may be applicable to us, see Note 1 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in this report.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although our forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of our management, these statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known by us. Consequently, these forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believes,” “expects,” “hopes,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “intends,” “estimates,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “continue,” “seeks,” “proforma,” or “anticipates,” or other similar words (including their use in the negative), or by discussions of future matters such as the development of new products, technology enhancements, possible changes in legislation and other statements that are not historical. These statements include but are not limited to statements under the captions “Risk Factors,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” as well as other sections in this report. You should be aware that the occurrence of any of the events discussed under the heading in Part II titled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report could substantially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition and that if any of these events occurs, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or a part of the value of your shares of our common stock.

The cautionary statements made in this report are intended to be applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever they may appear in this report. We urge you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update our forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

A discussion of our exposure to, and management of, market risk appears in Part I, Item 2 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the heading “Interest Rate Risk.”

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports required by the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the timelines specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and in reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

As required by SEC Rule 13a-15(b), we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the quarter covered by this report. Based on the foregoing, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

An evaluation was also performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of any changes to our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our last fiscal quarter and that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Our evaluation did not identify significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2019, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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Part II. Other Information

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The following information sets forth risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements we have made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and those we may make from time to time. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition could be harmed. Additional risks not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also affect our business operations. The risk factors set forth below with an asterisk (*) contain changes to the risk factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

Risks Related to Our Company

*We may not be able to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA, or any of our product candidates if they are approved in the future.

Our ability to produce INGREZZA revenues consistent with expectations ultimately depends on our ability to sell our products and secure adequate third-party reimbursement if and when they are approved by the FDA. Our experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products began with INGREZZA’s approval in 2017, when we hired our sales force and established our distribution and reimbursement capabilities, all of which are necessary to successfully commercialize INGREZZA. While our team members and consultants have experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, we may face difficulties related to managing the rapid growth of our personnel and infrastructure, and there can be no guarantee that we will be able to maintain the personnel, systems, arrangements and capabilities necessary to successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any product candidate approved by the FDA in the future. If we fail to maintain successful marketing, sales and reimbursement capabilities or fail to enter into successful marketing arrangements with third parties, our product revenues may suffer.

*If physicians and patients do not continue to accept INGREZZA or do not accept any of our other products, or our sales and marketing efforts are not effective, we may not generate sufficient revenue.

The commercial success of INGREZZA or any of our other products, if approved for marketing, will depend upon the acceptance of those products as safe and effective by the medical community and patients.

The market acceptance of INGREZZA or any of our other products could be affected by a number of factors, including:

If the medical community and patients do not ultimately accept our products as being safe, effective, superior and/or cost-effective, we may not generate sufficient revenue.

Use of our approved products or those of our collaborators, including INGREZZA and ORILISSA, could be associated with side effects or adverse events.

As with most pharmaceutical products, use of our approved products or those of our collaborators, including INGREZZA and ORILISSA, could be associated with side effects or adverse events which can vary in severity (from minor adverse reactions to death) and frequency (infrequent or prevalent). Side effects or adverse events associated with the use of our products or those of our collaborators may be observed at any time, including after a product is commercialized, and reports of any such side effects or adverse events may negatively impact demand for our or our collaborators’ products or affect our or our collaborators’ ability to maintain regulatory approval for such products. Side effects or other safety issues associated with the use of our approved products or those of our collaborators could require us or our collaborators to modify or halt commercialization of these products or expose us to product liability lawsuits which will harm our business. We or our collaborators may be required by regulatory agencies to conduct additional studies regarding the safety and efficacy of our products which we have not planned or anticipated. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that we or our collaborators will resolve any issues related to any product related adverse events to the satisfaction of the FDA or any regulatory agency in a timely manner or ever, which could harm our business, prospects and financial condition.

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*We currently depend on a limited number of third-party suppliers. The loss of these suppliers, or delays or problems in the supply of INGREZZA, could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA.

The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of process controls required to consistently produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients and the finished product in sufficient quantities while meeting detailed product specifications on a repeated basis. Manufacturers of pharmaceutical products may encounter difficulties in production, including difficulties with production costs and yields, process controls, quality control and quality assurance, including testing of stability, impurities and impurity levels and other product specifications by validated test methods, and compliance with strictly enforced U.S., state, and non-U.S. regulations. We depend on a limited number of suppliers for each of the production of INGREZZA and its active pharmaceutical ingredients. If our third-party suppliers for INGREZZA encounter these or any other manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties, we may be unable to meet commercial demand for INGREZZA, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA. We also depend on BIAL, and its suppliers, for the production of opicapone drug substance and drug product.

In addition, if our suppliers fail or refuse to supply us with INGREZZA or its active pharmaceutical ingredient for any reason, it would take a significant amount of time and expense to qualify a new supplier. The FDA and similar international regulatory bodies must approve manufacturers of the active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients and certain packaging materials used in pharmaceutical products. The loss of a supplier could require us to obtain regulatory clearance and to incur validation and other costs associated with the transfer of the active pharmaceutical ingredients or product manufacturing processes. If there are delays in qualifying new suppliers or facilities or a new supplier is unable to meet FDA or a similar international regulatory body’s requirements for approval, there could be a shortage of INGREZZA, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA. If BIAL is unable or refuses to supply us with opicapone drug product for any reason, we have limited opportunity to qualify a new supplier. The inability to obtain sufficient quantities of opicapone drug product could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize opicapone.

*We have no manufacturing capabilities. If third-party manufacturers of INGREZZA or any of our product candidates fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our concerns, or if their performance is substandard, our clinical trials and product introductions may be delayed, and our costs may rise.

We have in the past utilized, and intend to continue to utilize, third-party manufacturers to produce the drug compounds we use in our clinical trials and for the commercialization of our products. We have limited experience in manufacturing products for commercial purposes and do not currently have any manufacturing facilities. Consequently, we depend on, and will continue to depend on, several contract manufacturers for all production of products for development and commercial purposes, including INGREZZA. If we are unable to obtain or retain third-party manufacturers, we will not be able to develop or commercialize our products, including INGREZZA. The manufacture of our products for clinical trials and commercial purposes is subject to specific FDA regulations, including current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. Our third-party manufacturers might not comply with FDA regulations relating to manufacturing our products for clinical trials and commercial purposes or other regulatory requirements now or in the future. In addition, the manufacture of gene therapy products, which will be necessary under our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, is technically complex and necessitates substantial expertise and capital investment. Our reliance on contract manufacturers also exposes us to the following risks:

Our current dependence upon third parties for the manufacture of our products may reduce our profit margin, if any, on the sale of INGREZZA or our future products and our ability to develop and deliver products on a timely and competitive basis.

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Governmental and third-party payors may impose sales and pharmaceutical pricing controls on our products or limit coverage and/or reimbursement for our products that could limit our product revenues and delay sustained profitability.

Our ability to commercialize any products successfully, including INGREZZA, will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available. The continuing efforts of government and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of health care through various means may reduce our potential revenues. These payors’ efforts could decrease the price that we receive for any products we may develop and sell in the future.

Assuming we obtain coverage for a given product by a third-party payor, the resulting reimbursement payment rates may not be adequate or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover all or a significant portion of the cost of our products. Coverage decisions may depend upon clinical and economic standards that disfavor new drug products when more established or lower cost therapeutic alternatives are already available or subsequently become available regardless of whether they are approved by the FDA for that particular use.

Government authorities and other third-party payors are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs, such as by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Further, no uniform policy requirement for coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party payors in the U.S. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. In addition, communications from government officials regarding health care costs and pharmaceutical pricing could have a negative impact on our stock price, even if such communications do not ultimately impact coverage or reimbursement decisions for our products.

There may also be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition.

We could face liability if a regulatory authority determines that we are promoting INGREZZA, or any of our product candidates that receives regulatory approval, for “off-label” uses.

A company may not promote “off-label” uses for its drug products. An off-label use is the use of a product for an indication that is not described in the product’s FDA-approved label in the U.S. or for uses in other jurisdictions that differ from those approved by the applicable regulatory agencies. Physicians, on the other hand, may prescribe products for off-label uses. Although the FDA and other regulatory agencies do not regulate a physician’s choice of drug treatment made in the physician’s independent medical judgment, they do restrict promotional communications from companies or their sales force with respect to off-label uses of products for which marketing clearance has not been issued. A company that is found to have promoted off-label use of its product may be subject to significant liability, including civil and criminal sanctions. We intend to comply with the requirements and restrictions of the FDA and other regulatory agencies with respect to our promotion of our products, including INGREZZA, but we cannot be sure that the FDA or other regulatory agencies will agree that we have not violated their restrictions. As a result, we may be subject to criminal and civil liability. In addition, our management’s attention could be diverted to handle any such alleged violations. A significant number of companies have been the target of inquiries and investigations by various U.S. federal and state regulatory, investigative, prosecutorial and administrative entities in connection with the promotion of products for unapproved uses and other sales practices, including the Department of Justice and various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission and various state Attorneys General offices. These investigations have alleged violations of various U.S. federal and state laws and regulations, including claims asserting antitrust violations, violations of the federal civil False Claims Act, the Prescription Drug Marketing Act, anti-kickback laws, and other alleged violations in connection with the promotion of products for unapproved uses, pricing and Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement. If the FDA or any other governmental agency initiates an enforcement action against us or if we are the subject of a qui tam suit and it is determined that we violated prohibitions relating to the promotion of products for unapproved uses, we could be subject to substantial civil or criminal fines or damage awards and other sanctions such as consent decrees and corporate integrity agreements pursuant to which our activities would be subject to ongoing scrutiny and monitoring to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Any such fines, awards or other sanctions would have an adverse effect on our revenue, business, financial prospects, and reputation.

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We are subject to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review for INGREZZA, which may result in significant additional expense and market withdrawal. Additionally, our other product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other restrictions and market withdrawal and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our products.

We received FDA regulatory approval for INGREZZA in April 2017. This approval and other regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates may also be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. With respect to the FDA’s approval of INGREZZA for TD, we are subject to certain post-marketing requirements and commitments. Failure to comply with these post-marketing requirements and commitments could result in withdrawal of our marketing approval for INGREZZA. In addition, with respect to INGREZZA, and any product candidate that the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for the product will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency (especially for a product, such as INGREZZA, which has been administered in only a limited patient population to date), or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things:

The FDA’s policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of any of our product candidates or future indications for currently approved products. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, which would adversely affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability on a sustained basis.

*If we are unable to retain and recruit qualified scientists or if any of our key senior executives discontinues his or her employment with us, it may delay our development efforts or impact our commercialization of INGREZZA or any product candidate approved by the FDA.

We are highly dependent on the principal members of our management and scientific staff. The loss of any of these people could impede the achievement of our objectives, including the successful commercialization of INGREZZA or any product candidate approved by the FDA. Furthermore, recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel to perform research and development work in the future, along with personnel with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, is critical to our success. We may be unable to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among biotechnology, pharmaceutical and health care companies, universities and non-profit research institutions for experienced scientists and individuals with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. We may face particular retention challenges in light of the recent rapid growth in our personnel and infrastructure and the perceived impact of those changes upon our corporate culture. In addition, we rely on a significant number of consultants to assist us in formulating our research and development strategy and our commercialization strategy. Our consultants may have commitments to, or advisory or consulting agreements with, other entities that may limit their availability to us.

*If the market opportunities for our products and product candidates are smaller than we believe they are, our revenues may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

Certain of the diseases that INGREZZA and our product candidates are being developed to address are in underserved and underdiagnosed populations. Our projections of both the number of people who have these diseases, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who will seek treatment utilizing our products or product candidates, may not be accurate. If our estimates of the prevalence or number of patients potentially on therapy prove to be inaccurate, the market opportunities for INGREZZA and our product candidates may be smaller than we believe they are, our prospects for generating expected revenue may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

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*Our clinical trials may fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, which could prevent or significantly delay their regulatory approval.

Before obtaining regulatory approval for the sale of any of our potential products, we must subject these product candidates to extensive preclinical and clinical testing to demonstrate their safety and efficacy for humans. Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and may take years to complete.

In connection with the clinical trials of our product candidates, we face the risks that:

These risks and uncertainties impact all of our clinical programs. For example, any of the clinical, regulatory or operational events described above could change our planned clinical and regulatory activities for the opicapone program in Parkinson’s disease and/or our NBI-74788 program for the treatment of CAH. Additionally, any of these events described above could result in suspension of a program and/or obviate any filings for necessary regulatory approvals.

In addition, late-stage clinical trials are often conducted with patients having the most advanced stages of disease. During the course of treatment, these patients can die or suffer other adverse medical effects for reasons that may not be related to the pharmaceutical agent being tested but which can nevertheless adversely affect clinical trial results. Any failure or substantial delay in completing clinical trials for our product candidates may severely harm our business.

Even if the clinical trials are successfully completed, we cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will interpret the results as we do, and more trials could be required before we submit our product candidates for approval. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing application, approval of our product candidates may be significantly delayed, or we may be required to expend significant additional resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates.

*Gene therapy treatments, which we are developing pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, may be perceived as unsafe or may result in unforeseen adverse events. Negative public opinion and increased regulatory scrutiny of gene therapy may adversely affect our ability to initiate or continue clinical development or obtain regulatory approvals for gene therapy product candidates or the commercialization of gene therapy products.

Gene therapy remains a novel technology, with few gene therapy products approved to date in the U.S. Public perception may be influenced by claims that gene therapy is unsafe, and gene therapy may not gain the acceptance of the public or the medical community. As part of our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, a Phase 2 clinical trial of VY-AADC is being conducted. There is no guarantee that this program or other collaboration gene therapy product candidates will not be placed on clinical hold by the FDA, as has been the case for many gene therapy clinical programs. Even if we are able to successfully complete clinical development of a gene therapy product and obtain commercial approval, the success of our collaboration with Voyager will depend upon physicians who specialize in the treatment of genetic diseases targeted by gene therapy product candidates, prescribing treatments that involve the use of our product candidates in lieu of, or in addition to, existing treatments with which they are familiar and for which greater clinical data may be available. More restrictive government regulations or negative public opinion related to gene therapy products may delay or impair the development and commercialization of our gene therapy product candidates or demand for any gene therapy products we develop.

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*Because the development of our product candidates is subject to a substantial degree of technological uncertainty, we may not succeed in developing any of our product candidates.

All of our product candidates are currently in research or clinical development with the exceptions of INGREZZA, which has been approved by the FDA for TD, and ORILISSA (partnered with AbbVie), which has been approved by the FDA for the management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women. Only a small number of research and development programs ultimately result in commercially successful drugs. In addition, to date the FDA has only approved three gene therapy products. Potential products that appear to be promising at early stages of development may not reach the market for a number of reasons. These reasons include the possibilities that the potential products may:

If any of our product candidates encounters any of these potential problems, we may never successfully market that product candidate.

*The limited precedent for gene therapy approvals makes it difficult to determine how long it will take or how much it will cost to obtain regulatory approvals for the product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager.

The FDA has limited experience in the review and approval of gene therapy products.  The limited precedent for gene therapy approvals makes it difficult to determine how long it will take or how much it will cost to obtain regulatory approvals for the product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager.

Regulatory requirements governing gene therapy products have changed frequently and may continue to change in the future. As a result, the regulatory review process may take longer or cost more than we anticipate, including requirements for additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, and delay or prevent approval and commercialization of our gene therapy product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager. While the FDA has issued draft guidance for the development of gene therapies and proposed rules that would streamline certain requirements to which gene therapies are currently subject, it remains to be seen as to whether such initiatives will ultimately increase the speed of drug development in gene therapies such as the product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager.

Delay or failure to obtain, or unexpected costs in obtaining, the regulatory approval necessary to bring a potential product to market could decrease our ability to generate sufficient product revenue, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects would be harmed.

We do not and will not have access to all information regarding the products and product candidates we licensed to AbbVie.

We do not and will not have access to all information regarding ORILISSA, including potentially material information about commercialization plans, medical information strategies, clinical trial design and execution, safety reports from clinical trials, safety reports, regulatory affairs, process development, manufacturing and other areas known by AbbVie. In addition, we have confidentiality obligations under our agreement with AbbVie. Thus, our ability to keep our shareholders informed about the status of ORILISSA will be limited by the degree to which AbbVie keeps us informed and allows us to disclose such information to the public. If AbbVie fails to keep us informed about commercialization efforts related to ORILISSA, or the status of the clinical development or regulatory approval pathway of other product candidates licensed to it, we may make operational and/or investment decisions that we would not have made had we been fully informed, which may materially and adversely affect our business and operations.

The independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations that we rely upon to conduct our clinical trials may not be diligent, careful or timely, and may make mistakes, in the conduct of our trials.

We depend on independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations (CROs) to conduct our clinical trials under their agreements with us. The investigators are not our employees, and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our programs. If our independent investigators fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our drug development programs, or if their performance is substandard, or not in compliance with Good Clinical Practices, it may delay or prevent the approval of our FDA applications and our introduction of new drugs. The CROs we contract with for execution of our clinical trials play a significant role in the conduct of the trials and the subsequent collection and analysis of data. Failure of the CROs to meet their obligations could adversely affect clinical development of our products. Moreover, these independent investigators and CROs may also have relationships with other commercial entities, some of which may compete with us. If independent investigators and CROs assist our competitors at our expense, it could harm our competitive position.

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*We depend on our current collaborators for the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates that we out-license and in-license and may need to enter into future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product candidates.

Our strategy for fully developing and commercializing ORILISSA is dependent upon maintaining our current collaboration agreement with AbbVie. This collaboration agreement provides for significant future payments should certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones be achieved, and royalties on future sales of elagolix. Under this agreement, AbbVie is responsible for, among other things, conducting clinical trials and obtaining required regulatory approvals for elagolix; as well as manufacturing and commercialization of ORILISSA.

Because of our reliance on AbbVie, the commercialization and continued development of ORILISSA could be substantially delayed, and our ability to receive future funding could be substantially impaired, if AbbVie:

In March 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe to develop and commercialize INGREZZA in Japan and other select Asian markets. We will rely on Mitsubishi Tanabe to achieve certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones which, if achieved, could generate significant future revenue for us. Our collaboration with Mitsubishi Tanabe is subject to risks and uncertainties similar to those described above. In addition, we may need to enter into other out-licensing collaborations to assist in the development and commercialization of other product candidates we are developing now or may develop in the future, and any such future collaborations would be subject to similar risks and uncertainties.

In February 2017, we entered into a license agreement with BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, in the U.S. and Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, we are responsible for the management of all opicapone development and commercialization activities; however, we will depend on BIAL to supply all drug product and investigation medicinal product for our development and commercialization activities. In addition, pursuant to the license agreement, the parties have established a joint steering committee with overall coordination and strategic oversight over activities under the agreement and to provide a forum for regular exchange of information, and BIAL has the right to co-promote licensed products during certain periods of time and to engage in certain marketing-related activities in cooperation with us. Accordingly, our strategy for developing and commercializing opicapone is dependent upon maintaining our current collaboration with BIAL. Because of our reliance on BIAL for certain aspects related to the development and commercialization of opicapone, any disagreement with BIAL, or BIAL’s decision to not devote sufficient time and resources to our collaboration or to not conduct activities in a timely manner, could substantially delay and/or prohibit our ability to develop and commercialize opicapone.

In January 2019, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Voyager for the research, development and commercialization of four programs including Voyager’s Parkinson’s disease program, or AADC Program, Voyager’s Friedreich’s ataxia program, or FA Program, and two programs to be determined by us and Voyager at a later date, or the Discovery Programs. Pursuant to development plans to be agreed to by the parties, which will be overseen by a joint steering committee, Voyager has operational responsibility, subject to certain exceptions, for the conduct of each the AADC Program, FA Program and Discovery Programs prior to specified transition events for each program. We have agreed to be responsible for all costs incurred by Voyager in conducting these activities for each program in accordance with an agreed budget. Upon the occurrence of specified events for each program, we have agreed to assume responsibility for development, manufacturing and commercialization activities for such program. Voyager might not be successful in achieving the goals set forth in the development plan prior to the occurrence of the specified events that give rise to us assuming responsibility for development, manufacturing and commercialization activities for such program. Further, Voyager’s objectives in connection with the collaboration may not be consistent with our best interests. Voyager could take actions that may be adverse to us, or it could halt, slow, or deprioritize its development and commercialization efforts under the collaboration. In any such instances, our ability to commercialize any product candidate related to the AADC Program, FA Program or Development Programs could be delayed or prohibited.    

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These issues and possible disagreements with AbbVie, Mitsubishi Tanabe, BIAL, Voyager, or any future corporate collaborators could lead to delays in the collaborative research, development or commercialization of our product candidates. Furthermore, disagreements with these parties could require or result in litigation or arbitration, which would be time-consuming and expensive. If any of these issues arise, it may delay the development and commercialization of drug candidates and, ultimately, our generation of product revenues.

*We license some of our core technologies and drug candidates from third parties. If we default on any of our obligations under those licenses, or violate the terms of these licenses, we could lose our rights to those technologies and drug candidates or be forced to pay damages.

We are dependent on licenses from third parties for some of our key technologies. These licenses typically subject us to various commercialization, reporting and other obligations. If we fail to comply with these obligations, we could lose important rights. If we were to default on our obligations under any of our licenses, we could lose some or all of our rights to develop, market and sell products covered by these licenses. For example, BIAL may terminate our license agreement, pursuant to which we have rights to develop and commercialize opicapone, if we fail to use commercially reasonable efforts, fail to submit an NDA for a licensed product by a specified date, or otherwise breach the license agreement. Pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, Voyager can terminate the agreement if we challenge the validity or enforceability of certain Voyager intellectual property rights or if we commit a material breach in whole or in part of the agreement and do not cure such breach within the agreed upon cure period. In addition, if we were to violate any of the terms of our licenses, we could become subject to damages. Likewise, if we were to lose our rights under a license to use proprietary research tools, it could adversely affect our existing collaborations or adversely affect our ability to form new collaborations. We also face the risk that our licensors could, for a number of reasons, lose patent protection or lose their rights to the technologies we have licensed, thereby impairing or extinguishing our rights under our licenses with them.

Our indebtedness and liabilities could limit the cash flow available for our operations, expose us to risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To date, we have sold $517.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due May 15, 2024 (2024 Notes). We may also incur additional indebtedness to meet future financing needs. Our indebtedness could have significant negative consequences for our security holders and our business, results of operations and financial condition by, among other things:

Our business may not generate sufficient funds, and we may otherwise be unable to maintain sufficient cash reserves, to pay amounts due under the 2024 Notes and any additional indebtedness that we may incur. In addition, our cash needs may increase in the future. In addition, any future indebtedness that we may incur may contain financial and other restrictive covenants that limit our ability to operate our business, raise capital or make payments under our other indebtedness. If we fail to comply with these covenants or to make payments under our indebtedness when due, then we would be in default under that indebtedness, which could, in turn, result in that and our other indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full.

The conditional conversion feature of the 2024 Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition, operating results, or liquidity.

In the event the conditional conversion feature of the 2024 Notes is triggered, holders of 2024 Notes will be entitled to convert their 2024 Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more of the holders of the 2024 Notes elects to convert their notes, unless we satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering only shares of our common stock, we would be required to settle all or a portion of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. The conditional convertibility of the 2024 Notes will be monitored at each quarterly reporting date and analyzed dependent upon market prices of our common stock during the prescribed measurement periods.

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We have a history of losses and expect to increase our expenses for the foreseeable future, and we may never achieve sustained profitability.

Since our inception, we have incurred significant net losses and negative cash flow from operations. As a result of historical operating losses, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2018.

In April 2017, we received FDA approval of INGREZZA for TD, and in July 2018, our partner AbbVie received FDA approval for ORILISSA for management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women. However, we have not yet obtained regulatory approvals for any other product candidates. Even if we succeed in commercializing INGREZZA or developing and commercializing any of our other product candidates, we may not be profitable. We also expect to continue to incur significant operating and capital expenditures as we:

We expect to increase our expenses and other investments in the coming years as we fund our operations, in-licensing or acquisition opportunities, and capital expenditures. While we were profitable for the year ended December 31, 2018, our future operating results and profitability may fluctuate from period to period due to the factors described above, and we will need to generate significant revenues to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow on a sustained basis. We may not be able to generate these revenues, and we may never achieve profitability on a sustained basis in the future. Our failure to maintain or increase profitability on a sustained basis could negatively impact the market price of our common stock.

We have recently increased the size of our organization and will need to continue to increase the size of our organization. We may encounter difficulties with managing our growth, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

As of December 31, 2018, we had approximately 585 full-time employees. Although we have substantially increased the size of our organization, we may need to add additional qualified personnel and resources, especially now that we have a commercial sales force. Our current infrastructure may be inadequate to support our development and commercialization efforts and expected growth. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain and integrate additional employees, and may take time away from running other aspects of our business, including development and commercialization of our product candidates.

Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize INGREZZA and any other product candidates that receive regulatory approval will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. In particular, as we commercialize INGREZZA, we will need to support the training and ongoing activities of our sales force and will likely need to continue to expand the size of our employee base for managerial, operational, financial and other resources. To that end, we must be able to successfully:

We may not be able to accomplish these tasks or successfully manage our operations and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development, and commercialization goals. Our failure to accomplish any of these goals could harm our financial results and prospects.

We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

As is commonplace in the biotechnology industry, we employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, we may be subject to claims that these employees or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

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*Because our operating results may vary significantly in future periods, our stock price may decline.

Our quarterly revenues, expenses and operating results have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate significantly in the future. Our financial results are unpredictable and may fluctuate, for among other reasons, due to commercial sales of INGREZZA, royalties from out-licensed products, the impact of Medicare Part D coverage, our achievement of product development objectives and milestones, clinical trial enrollment and expenses, research and development expenses and the timing and nature of contract manufacturing and contract research payments. In addition, in April 2017 we received regulatory approval from the FDA for INGREZZA in TD and our revenues will be dependent on our ability to sell INGREZZA and to secure adequate third-party reimbursement. A high portion of our costs are predetermined on an annual basis, due in part to our significant research and development costs. Thus, small declines in revenue could disproportionately affect financial results in a quarter. While we were profitable for the year ended December 31, 2018, our future operating results and profitability may fluctuate from period to period, and even if we become profitable on a quarterly or annual basis, we may not be able to sustain or increase our profitability. Moreover, as our company and our market capitalization have grown, our financial performance has become increasingly subject to quarterly and annual comparisons with the expectations of securities analysts or investors. The failure of our financial results to meet these expectations, either in a single quarterly or annual period over a sustained period time, could cause our stock price to decline.

U.S. federal income tax reform could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

On December 22, 2017, U.S. federal income tax legislation was signed into law (H.R. 1, “An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018”, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act). The Tax Act, among other things, contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including reduction of the corporate tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, repeal of the alternative minimum tax for corporations, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of adjusted taxable income (except for certain small businesses), limitation of the deduction for net operating losses generated in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, to 80% of current year taxable income, elimination of most carrybacks of net operating losses arising in taxable years ending after December 31, 2017, one time taxation of offshore earnings at reduced rates regardless of whether they are repatriated, elimination of U.S. tax on foreign earnings (subject to certain important exceptions), immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits. Notwithstanding the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of the Tax Act is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act. The impact of the Tax Act on holders of our common stock is also uncertain and could be adverse. We urge our stockholders to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to this legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in or holding our common stock.

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

Our net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards generated in tax years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017, are only permitted to be carried forward for 20 years under applicable U.S. tax law. Under the Tax Act, our federal NOLs generated in tax years ending after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOLs generated in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, is limited. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act. In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. We do not believe we have experienced any previous ownership changes, but the determination is complex and there can be no assurance we are correct. Furthermore, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control.

As a result, our pre-2018 NOL carryforwards may expire prior to being used and our NOL carryforwards generated thereafter will be subject to a percentage limitation and, if we undergo an ownership change (or if we previously underwent such an ownership change), our ability to use all of our pre-change NOLs and other pre-change tax attributes (such as research tax credits) to offset our post-change income or taxes may be limited. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax attributes. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. As a result, we may be unable to use all or a material portion of our NOLs and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future cash flows.

Our effective tax rate may fluctuate, and we may incur obligations in tax jurisdictions in excess of accrued amounts.

Our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various places that we operate. In preparing our financial statements, we estimate the amount of tax that will become payable in each of such places. Nevertheless, our effective tax rate may be different than experienced in the past due to numerous factors, including passage of the newly enacted federal income tax law, changes in the mix of our profitability from state to state, the results of examinations and audits of our tax filings, our inability to secure or sustain acceptable agreements with tax authorities, changes in accounting for income taxes and changes in tax laws. Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations and may result in tax obligations in excess of amounts accrued in our financial statements.

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The price of our common stock is volatile.

The market prices for securities of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies historically have been highly volatile, and the market for these securities has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. Furthermore, especially as we and our market capitalization have grown, the price of our common stock has been increasingly affected by quarterly and annual comparisons with the valuations and recommendations of the analysts who cover our business. If our results do not meet these analysts’ forecasts, the expectations of our investors or the financial guidance we provide to investors in any period, which is based on assumptions that may be incorrect or that may change from quarter to quarter, the market price of our common stock could decline. Over the course of the last 12 months, the price of our common stock has ranged from approximately $127.00 per share to approximately $65.00 per share. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate in response to many factors, including:

If we cannot raise additional funding, we may be unable to complete development of our product candidates or establish commercial and manufacturing capabilities in the future.

We may require additional funding to effectively commercialize INGREZZA, to continue our research and product development programs, to conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials, for operating expenses, to pursue regulatory approvals for our product candidates, for the costs involved in filing and prosecuting patent applications and enforcing or defending patent claims, if any, and the cost of product in-licensing and any possible acquisitions. In addition, we may require additional funding to establish manufacturing and marketing capabilities in the future. We believe that our existing capital resources, together with investment income, and future payments due under our strategic alliances, will be sufficient to satisfy our current and projected funding requirements for at least the next 12 months. However, these resources might be insufficient to conduct research and development programs, the cost of product in-taking and possible acquisitions, fully commercialize products and operate the company to the full extent currently planned. If we cannot obtain adequate funds, we may be required to curtail significantly our commercial plans or one or more of our research and development programs or obtain funds through additional arrangements with corporate collaborators or others that may require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies or product candidates.

Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including: