Item 4. Controls and Procedures
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, filed or submitted under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, including, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in such reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting 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 provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. 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. In addition, the design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, a control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act), as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on the foregoing, our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of such time.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEG AL PROCEEDINGS
Except as discussed below, there are no material changes from the legal proceedings previously disclosed in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
On June 14, 2022, the Company received a Notice Letter (the “Fresenius Kabi Notice”) from Fresenius Kabi advising that Fresenius Kabi had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent Nos.: 9,561,229; 9,808,465; 9,974,742; 9,974,793; 9,974,794; 10,500,208; 10,624,850; 10,953,018; and 11,173,118 (the “CINVANTI Patents”), which are listed in the FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (the “Orange Book”). The Fresenius Kabi Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA. On July 27, 2022, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Fresenius Kabi and a related entity in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in response to Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA filing. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Fresenius Kabi from infringing the CINVANTI Patents. On May 15, 2024, the Court granted partial summary judgment of infringement for the Company and found no indefiniteness of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,561,229 and 9,974,794. On June 24, 2024, the parties completed a four-day bench trial centered on Fresenius’s defense of obviousness of claims from U.S. Patent Nos. 9,561,229 and 9,974,794 that cover CINVANTI. The parties are currently conducting post-trial briefing. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI. As a result of filing our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Fresenius’s ANDA until the earlier of December 14, 2024 or resolution of the litigation
On August 4, 2023, the Company received a Notice Letter (the "Mylan August Notice") from Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Mylan”) advising that Mylan had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI (“Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of CINVANTI”) in the U.S. prior to the expiration of the CINVANTI Patents, which are listed in the Orange Book. The Mylan August Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of CINVANTI. On September 15, 2023, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Mylan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in response to the filing of Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of CINVANTI. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Mylan from infringing the CINVANTI Patents. On November 9, 2023, the Company received an updated Notice Letter from Mylan advising that it had submitted an amendment to Mylan’s ANDA to include a paragraph IV certification to Heron’s recently listed U.S. Patent No. 11,744,800.The parties are currently conducting fact discovery. A five-day bench trial is scheduled for May 19, 2025. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI. As a result of filing our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of CINVANTI until the earlier of February 4, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
On December 16, 2023, the Company received a Notice Letter (the "Mylan December Notice") from Mylan advising that Mylan had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of APONVIE in the U.S. (“Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of APONVIE”) prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent Nos.: 9,561,229; 9,808,465; 9,974,742; 9,974,793; 9,974,794; 10,500,208; 10,624,850; 10,953,018; 11,173,118; and 11,744,800 (the "APONVIE Patents"), which are listed in the Orange Book. The Mylan December Notice Letter alleges that the APONVIE Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of APONVIE. On January 11, 2024, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the APONVIE Patents against Mylan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in response to Mylan filing an ANDA for a generic version of APONVIE. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Mylan from infringing the APONVIE Patents. On January 26, 2024, the Court consolidated this litigation concerning Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of APONVIE with the previously-filed litigation concerning Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of CINVANTI. Accordingly, a five-day bench trial is scheduled for May 19, 2025. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to APONVIE. As a result of filing our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Mylan’s ANDA for a generic version of APONVIE until the earlier of June 16, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
On December 12, 2023, the Company received a Notice Letter (the "Slayback Notice") from Slayback Pharma LLC (“Slayback”) advising that Slayback had submitted an NDA under Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. (“Slayback’s NDA”) prior to the expiration of the patents, listed in the Orange Book. The Slayback Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid,
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unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Slayback’s NDA. On January 24, 2024, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Slayback and a related entity in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in response to Slayback’s NDA filing. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Slayback from infringing those patents. On July 2, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey granted Slayback’s motion to transfer this matter to the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware is not yet scheduled. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI. As a result of filing our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Slayback's NDA until the earlier of June 12, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
ITEM 1A. RIS K FACTORS
We operate in a rapidly changing environment that involves a number of risks that could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results, some of which are beyond our control. In addition to the other information set forth in this report, the risks and uncertainties that we believe are most important for you to consider are discussed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the 2023 Form 10-K and in Part II, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Other than the factors set forth below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors described in the 2023 Form 10-K.
We face intense competition from other companies developing products for the management of postoperative pain or the prevention of CINV and PONV.
ZYNRELEF competes in the postoperative pain management market with MARCAINETM (bupivacaine hydrochloride injection, solution, marketed by Pfizer Inc.) and generic forms of bupivacaine; NAROPIN® (ropivacaine, marketed by Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC) and generic forms of ropivacaine; EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension, marketed by Pacira BioSciences, Inc.); XARACOLL®(bupivacaine HCl implant, marketed by Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited); POSIMIR® (owned by Durect Corporation and to be marketed in the U.S. by Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited); ANJESO® (meloxicam injection, marketed by Baudax Bio, Inc.); OFIRMEV® (acetaminophen injection, marketed by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals); SEGLENTIS® (celecoxib and tramadol hydrochloride, marketed by Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. in the U.S.); generic forms of IV acetaminophen; and potentially other products in development for postoperative pain management that reach the U.S. market.
APONVIE competes in the PONV prevention market with generic ondansetron, the current standard of care, generic aprepitant, and BARHEMSYS® (amisulpride, marketed by Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); TAK-951 (a peptide agonist under development (PH2) by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited for PONV and not approved anywhere globally for any use); and potentially other products in development for PONV prevention that reach the market.
CINVANTI faces significant competition. NK1 receptor antagonists are administered for the prevention of CINV, in combination with 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, to augment the therapeutic effect of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. Currently available NK1receptor antagonists include: generic versions of EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant); EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant, marketed by Merck & Co., Inc.); EMEND® (aprepitant, marketed by Merck & Co., Inc.); AKYNZEO®(palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, combined with netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, marketed by Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.); VARUBI® (rolapitant, marketed by TerSera Therapeutics LLC), FOCINVEZ TM (fosaprepitant injection, marketed by Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC) and other products that include an NK1 receptor antagonist that reach the market for the prevention of CINV.
SUSTOL faces significant competition. Currently available 5-HT3 receptor antagonists include: AKYNZEO® (palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, combined with netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, marketed by Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.); SANCUSO® (granisetron transdermal patch, marketed by Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc.); and generic products including ondansetron (formerly marketed by GlaxoSmithKline plc as ZOFRAN), granisetron (formerly marketed by Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. as KYTRIL) and palonosetron (formerly marketed by Eisai in conjunction with Helsinn Healthcare S.A. as ALOXI). Currently, palonosetron is the only 5-HT3receptor antagonist other than SUSTOL that is approved for the prevention of delayed CINV associated with MEC regimens. SUSTOL is indicated in combination with other antiemetics in adults for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) or anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) combination chemotherapy regimens, which is considered to be a HEC regimen by the NCCN and ASCO. No other 5-HT3 receptor antagonist is specifically approved for the prevention of delayed CINV associated with a HEC regimen.
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Small or early-stage companies and research institutions may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established pharmaceutical companies. We will also face competition from these parties in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, and acquiring and in-licensing technologies and products complementary to our programs or potentially advantageous to our business. If any of our competitors succeed in obtaining approval from the FDA or other regulatory authorities for their product candidates sooner than we do for our product candidates that are more effective or less costly than ours, our commercial opportunity could be significantly reduced. Major technological changes can happen quickly in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and the development of technologically improved or different products or drug delivery technologies may make our product candidates or platform technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.
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Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.