−Removed: Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for
−Removed: the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2020 (the “Annual Report”),
−Removed: includes a detailed discussion of our risk factors under the heading “PART I, Item 1A –
+Added: Risk Factors.
+Added: Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
+Added: year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2021 (the “Annual Report”), includes a detailed discussion of
+Added: our risk factors under the heading “PART I, Item 1A –
Risk Factors.”
−Removed: You should carefully consider the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report, as well as other information in this quarterly
−Removed: Any of these risks could cause our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects to
−Removed: We are not aware of any material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed.
−Removed: clinical development process be successfully completed, our ability to derive revenues from the sale of therapeutics will depend
−Removed: upon our first obtaining FDA as well as foreign regulatory approvals, all of which are subject to a number of unique risks and
−Removed: uncertainties.
−Removed: are able to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidate in clinical trials, if we fail to gain timely
−Removed: approval to commercialize PEDMARK from the FDA and other foreign regulatory authorities, we will be unable to generate the
−Removed: revenues we will need to build our business.
−Removed: The FDA or comparable regulatory authorities in other countries may delay, limit
−Removed: or deny approval of PEDMARK for various reasons.
−Removed: For example, such authorities may disagree with the design, scope or
−Removed: implementation of our clinical trials;
−Removed: or with our interpretation of data from our preclinical studies or clinical trials;
−Removed: may otherwise take the position that PEDMARK fails to meet the requirements and standards for regulatory approval.
−Removed: numerous FDA personnel assigned to review different aspects of a NDA, and uncertainties can be presented by their ability to
−Removed: exercise judgment and discretion during the review process.
−Removed: During the course of review, the FDA may request or require
−Removed: additional preclinical, clinical, chemistry, manufacturing, and control ( “
−Removed: or other data and information, and the development and provision of these data and information may be time consuming and
−Removed: Regulatory approvals may not be granted on a timely basis, if at all, and even if and when they are granted, they
−Removed: may not cover all the indications for which we seek approval.
−Removed: On February 10, 2020, we submitted a New Drug Application
−Removed: to the FDA for PEDMARK for the prevention of ototoxicity associated with cisplatin chemotherapy in pediatric patients ≥1
−Removed: month to 18 years of age with localized, non-metastatic, solid tumors.
−Removed: On April 10, 2020, we received notification from
−Removed: the FDA that the NDA was accepted for filing and the original application was granted Priority Review with a PDUFA target
−Removed: action date of August 10, 2020.
−Removed: On August 10, 2020, we received a Complete Response Letter ( “
−Removed: According to the CRL, after recent completion of a pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility of our drug product
−Removed: manufacturer, the FDA identified deficiencies resulting in a Form 483, which is a list of conditions or practices that
−Removed: are required to be resolved prior to the approval of PEDMARK™.
−Removed: The Company has developed a detailed plan
−Removed: and has dedicated, and continues to commit, significant resources to addressing the CRL, while, in parallel, working with our
−Removed: third-party drug product manufacturer to be ready for re-inspection by the FDA.
−Removed: If the FDA determines that these actions were
−Removed: not sufficient, or based on the re-inspection FDA officials do not recommend approval relative to the drug product
−Removed: manufacturing facility, or if information deemed necessary by the FDA cannot be provided as part of our NDA submission or
−Removed: during the review period as deemed appropriate on a timely basis, such events could further delay the progress of our NDA and
−Removed: could require additional Company actions that cannot be completed during the review period which may adversely impact our
−Removed: Further, while we may develop a product candidate with the intention of addressing a large, unmet medical need, the
−Removed: FDA may only approve the use of the drug for indications affecting a relatively small number of patients, thus greatly
−Removed: reducing the market size and our potential revenues.
−Removed: The approvals may also contain significant limitations in the form of
−Removed: warnings, precautions or contraindications with respect to conditions of use, which could further narrow the size of the
−Removed: In certain countries, even if the health regulatory authorities approve a drug, it cannot be marketed until pricing
−Removed: for the drug is also approved.
−Removed: Finally, even after approval can be obtained, we may be required to recall or withdraw a
−Removed: product as a result of newly discovered safety or efficacy concerns, either of which would have a materially adverse effect
−Removed: on our business and results of operations.
−Removed: Although historically
−Removed: we have been a research and development company, we currently plan to commercialize our lead product candidate internally rather
−Removed: than license such asset.
−Removed: There can be no assurance that we will be successful in developing and expanding commercial operations
−Removed: or balancing our research and development activities with our commercialization activities.
−Removed: We have historically
−Removed: been engaged primarily in research and development activities, but plan to commercialize our lead product candidate, PEDMARK,
−Removed: There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage the balance of our research and development operations
−Removed: with our planned commercialization activities.
−Removed: Potential investors should be aware of the problems, delays, expenses and difficulties
−Removed: frequently encountered by companies balancing development of product candidates, which can include problems such as unanticipated
−Removed: issues relating to clinical trials and receipt of approvals from the FDA and foreign regulatory bodies, with commercialization
−Removed: efforts, which can include problems relating to managing manufacturing and supply, reimbursement, marketing problems and additional
−Removed: Our product candidate may require significant additional research and clinical trials, and we will need to overcome significant
−Removed: regulatory burdens prior to commercialization in the United States and other countries.
−Removed: In addition, we may be required to spend
−Removed: significant funds on building out our commercial operations.
−Removed: There can be no assurance that after the expenditure of substantial
−Removed: funds and efforts, we will successfully develop and commercialize PEDMARK, generate any significant revenues or ever achieve and
−Removed: maintain a substantial level of sales of our product.
−Removed: We are the target of securities litigation, which may
−Removed: be costly and time-consuming to defend.
−Removed: Following periods of market volatility
−Removed: in the price of a company’s securities or the reporting of unfavorable news, security purchasers have often instituted class
−Removed: action litigation.
−Removed: This risk is especially relevant for us because pharmaceutical companies like us have experienced significant
−Removed: stock price volatility in recent years.
−Removed: Moreover, we were named in a putative securities class action complaint as a result of
−Removed: the decline in our stock price following the August 10, 2020 announcement that we had received a Complete Response Letter
−Removed: from the FDA regarding our NDA for PEDMARK™.
−Removed: See Item 1 under Legal Proceedings to our unaudited condensed consolidated
−Removed: financial statements included in this report.
−Removed: Regardless of the outcome, we could incur substantial legal costs and our management’s
−Removed: attention could be diverted from the operation of our business, causing our business to suffer.
−Removed: limitations on the liability of our directors, and we may have to indemnify our officers and directors in certain instances.
−Removed: certificate of incorporation limits, to the maximum extent permitted under British Columbia law, the personal liability of our
−Removed: directors for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors.
−Removed: Our bylaws provide that we will indemnify our
−Removed: officers and directors and may indemnify our employees and other agents to the fullest extent permitted by law.
−Removed: These provisions
−Removed: may be in some respects broader than the specific indemnification provisions under British Columbia law.
−Removed: The indemnification provisions
−Removed: may require us, among other things, to indemnify such officers and directors against certain liabilities that may arise by reason
−Removed: of their status or service as directors or officers (other than liabilities arising from willful misconduct of a culpable nature),
−Removed: to advance their expenses incurred as a result of certain proceedings against them as to which they could be indemnified and to
−Removed: obtain directors ’
−Removed: and officers ’
−Removed: believe that our limitation of officer and director liability assists us to attract and retain qualified employees and directors.
−Removed: However, in the event an officer, a director or the board of directors commits an act that may legally be indemnified under British
−Removed: Columbia law, we will be responsible to pay for such officer(s) or director(s) legal defense and potentially any damages
−Removed: resulting there from.
−Removed: Furthermore, the limitation on director liability may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against
−Removed: directors and may discourage or deter stockholders from instituting litigation against directors for breach of their fiduciary
−Removed: duties, even though such an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders and us.
−Removed: Given the difficult environment and
−Removed: potential for incurring liabilities currently facing directors of publicly-held corporations, we believe that director indemnification
−Removed: is in our and our stockholders ’
−Removed: best interests because it
−Removed: enhances our ability to attract and retain highly qualified directors and reduce a possible deterrent to entrepreneurial decision-making.
−Removed: Nevertheless,
−Removed: limitations of director liability may be viewed as limiting the rights of stockholders, and the broad scope of the indemnification
−Removed: provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could result in increased expenses.
−Removed: Our board of directors
−Removed: believes, however, that these provisions will provide a better balancing of the legal obligations of, and protections for, directors
−Removed: and will contribute positively to the quality and stability of our corporate governance.
−Removed: Our board of directors has concluded
−Removed: that the benefit to stockholders of improved corporate governance outweighs any possible adverse effects on stockholders of reducing
−Removed: the exposure of directors to liability and broadened indemnification rights.
−Removed: Our business and operations may be
−Removed: materially and adversely affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak.
−Removed: In December 2019, a novel strain
−Removed: of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China and has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United
−Removed: States and Europe.
−Removed: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.
−Removed: The coronavirus pandemic
−Removed: is affecting the United States and global economies.
−Removed: If the outbreak continues to spread, it may affect our operations and those
−Removed: of third parties on which we rely in a number of ways, including causing disruptions in the supply of our product candidate, the
−Removed: pending regulatory approval process and the conduct of current and planned preclinical and clinical studies.
−Removed: We may need to limit
−Removed: operations or implement limitations and may experience limitations in employee resources.
−Removed: There are risks that the coronavirus
−Removed: may be more difficult to contain if the outbreak reaches a larger population or broader geography, in which case the risks described
−Removed: herein could be elevated significantly.
−Removed: The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our results will depend on future developments,
−Removed: including, without limitation, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain
−Removed: the coronavirus or treat its impact, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
−Removed: Additionally, while the duration of and
−Removed: the potential economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic are difficult to assess or predict, the impact of the coronavirus
−Removed: on the global financial markets may reduce our ability to access capital, which could negatively impact our short-term and long-term
−Removed: liquidity and our ability to complete our regulatory submissions and clinical studies on a timely basis, or at all.
−Removed: For instance,
−Removed: our regulatory submissions may be temporarily delayed or paused, and the operations of our contracted third parties may be significantly
−Removed: delayed as well.
−Removed: The ultimate impact of the coronavirus pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change.
−Removed: We do not yet know
−Removed: the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business, financing or preclinical and clinical trial activities or the
−Removed: global economy as a whole.
−Removed: However, these effects could have a material impact on our liquidity, capital resources, operations
−Removed: and business and those of the third parties on which we rely.
−Removed: Natural disasters, epidemic or pandemic
−Removed: disease outbreaks, trade wars, political unrest or other events could disrupt our business or operations or those of our development
−Removed: partners, manufacturers, regulators or other third parties with whom we conduct business now or in the future.
−Removed: A wide variety of events beyond our control,
−Removed: including natural disasters, epidemic or pandemic disease outbreaks (such as the recent novel coronavirus outbreak), trade wars,
−Removed: political unrest or other events, could disrupt our business or operations or those of our manufacturers, regulatory authorities,
−Removed: or other third parties with whom we conduct business.
−Removed: These events may cause businesses and government agencies to be shut down,
−Removed: supply chains to be interrupted, slowed, or rendered inoperable, and individuals to become ill, quarantined, or otherwise unable
−Removed: to work and/or travel due to health reasons or governmental restrictions.
−Removed: For example, many states recently ordered most businesses
−Removed: closed, mandating work-from-home arrangements where feasible, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
−Removed: These limitations could
−Removed: negatively affect our business operations and continuity, and could negatively impact our development timelines and ability to
−Removed: timely perform basic business functions, including, without limitation, making SEC filings and preparing financial reports.
−Removed: our operations or those of third parties with whom we conduct business are impaired or curtailed as a result of these events,
−Removed: the development and commercialization of our products and product candidate could be impaired or halted, which could have a material
−Removed: adverse impact on our business.
−Removed: Sales of Unregistered Securities.
−Removed: Upon Senior Securities.
−Removed: Mine Safety Disclosure.
+Added: You should carefully consider the risk factors
+Added: discussed in our Annual Report, as well as other information in this quarterly report.
+Added: Any of these risks could cause our business, financial
+Added: condition, results of operations and future growth prospects to suffer.
+Added: We are not aware of any material changes from the risk factors
+Added: previously disclosed.
+Added: Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
+Added: and Use of Proceeds.
+Added: Defaults Upon Senior Securities.
+Added: Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.