Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed in “Risk Factors” and in other parts of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Company Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative cardiovascular medicines. Our objective is to commercialize and develop CARDAMYST (also known as etripamil) in the United States as a fast-acting, portable nasal spray treatment for use by patients anywhere, anytime an attack of supraventricular tachycardia, or “SVT” occurs. We are also developing etripamil for the indication of atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate, or “AFib-RVR.”
CARDAMYST TM (etripamil) nasal spray
We are currently focused on obtaining marketing approval of CARDAMYST for the treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, or “PSVT” from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or “FDA.” We expect that the FDA will make their final decision regarding the marketing approval of CARDAMYST for PSVT by March 27, 2025, which is also known as the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or “PDUFA,” review goal date.
We are also developing etripamil nasal spray for a subsequent indication to treat patients with AFib-RVR. Similar to our approach for PSVT, we believe that etripamil has the potential to help the person experiencing a symptomatic episode of AFib-RVR to self-treat themselves and to conveniently, reliably, and quickly, reduce their elevated heart rate, with the goal of reducing the need for emergency department utilization. We completed a successful Phase 2 study in patients presenting urgently with AFib-RVR, i.e., to an emergency department. We publicly presented these positive Phase 2 data in November 2023, which demonstrated that patients receiving etripamil nasal spray experienced rapid and statistically superior ventricular rate reduction and improved symptom-relief compared to placebo, with safety and tolerability findings generally consistent with those observed in our PSVT program. This data supports the development of etripamil, self-administered in the medically unmonitored setting, for the treatment of AFib-RVR and, following dialogue with FDA, have finalized a Phase 3, potentially registrational study.
PSVT Market Overview
PSVT is a condition that causes a patient’s heart to suddenly start beating faster than normal. It can be life-altering as PSVT is highly symptomatic, characterized by unpredictable attacks of a racing heart, often exceeding 150 beats per minute. Symptoms of PSVT arise suddenly and may include palpitations, sweating, chest pressure or pain, shortness of breath, sudden onset of fatigue, lightheadedness or dizziness, fainting, and anxiety, causing many patients to interrupt their daily activities at the time of symptom-onset. The impact and morbidity from an episode of PSVT can be especially detrimental in patients with underlying cardiovascular or medical conditions, such as heart failure, obstructive coronary disease, or dehydration. The uncertainty of when such an attack of PSVT will strike or how long it will persist is often anxiety-provoking, reducing patients’ quality of life and preventing participation in many desired activities. Drugs approved for the treatment of attacks of PSVT include adenosine, verapamil, and diltiazem, with all being administered intravenously under medical supervision, usually in the emergency department. Other oral drugs are sometimes used to treat attacks in a concept called “pill in the pocket.” However, those drugs have never been proven effective or safe and are not approved for this use. Doctors are often frustrated by the lack of effective treatment options besides a prolonged, unpleasant, and costly trip to the emergency department or, for some patients, an invasive ablation procedure. PSVT can be traumatic for patients, frustrating for healthcare providers, and costly for payors. With no pharmaceutical innovation in the treatment of PSVT for more than 30 years and a movement in the healthcare system to enable patient-centered care, we believe there is an opportunity to help patients living with PSVT to take greater control over their PSVT.
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We believe that PSVT is a large and under-recognized market which we estimate affects more than two million Americans. From this diagnosed population, we define the immediate target addressable market for CARDAMYST as approximately 60% of patients who are actively managed by clinical cardiologists, interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists. The remaining patients with PSVT can become addressable over time, as they are inconsistently managed (cycling in and out of the healthcare system) and/or being managed less frequently by primary care healthcare providers. Furthermore, PSVT is expected to increase in prevalence in coming years as wearable electrocardiogram, or “ECG,” technology (e.g., smartphone, watches) becomes both more adept at diagnosing PSVT and more widely used by patients and clinical practitioners, in turn shortening the current two to three year average time to diagnosis.
Following the release of data from the RAPID clinical study in market research, cardiologists reported a willingness to prescribe CARDAMYST to approximately 50% of the patients with PSVT in their care, which suggests approximately 500,000 to 800,000 patients can potentially be treated with CARDAMYST in peak years . Additionally, we believe that this cardiology-identified group of patients may use CARDAMYST to treat a median of three to five episodes per year, based on the projected number of self-reported longer and more intense episodes experienced by patients, as well as the patient utilization experience in our Phase 3 clinical trials. This implies a peak demand potential in the United States for CARDAMYST of 2.5 million to 4 million episodes treated per year.
Current treatment for PSVT also consumes significant healthcare resources. Research published in the American Journal of Cardiology in 2020 shows that total healthcare expenditures in the year following a diagnosis of PSVT ranged from $20,000 to $30,000 per patient which were significantly higher than the expenditures observed for patients without PSVT. These significant increases included increased emergency department visits and hospitalization costs. Of note, catheter ablations following diagnosis represented only 23% of this increased spend, meaning most costs were unrelated to ablations. Recent data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) database indicate that in 2019 there were approximately 140,000 emergency department, or “ED,” visits for PSVT when coded in the primary diagnostic position, and a total of approximately 525,000 ED visits when PSVT was coded in any diagnostic position. Of these, approximately 25% of ED admissions for PSVT resulted in a hospital admission. HCUP estimates a total of approximately 40,000 to approximately 120,000 inpatient admissions for PSVT in 2019 (based again if PSVT were found in the primary v. any diagnostic position). Despite the effectiveness of catheter ablation, claims data suggests that only approximately 15% of patients with PSVT are ablated over a three-year period, leading to a total of approximately 100,000 catheter ablations annually. In total, at least $5 billion is spent annually in the United States on the management of PSVT.
AFib-RVR Market Overview
Atrial Fibrillation, or “AFib,” is a common cardiac arrhythmia with an irregular and often rapid heart rate that is often markedly symptomatic and, without proper treatment, can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular complications. A common complication of AFib is a rapid heart rate, also referred to as AFib-RVR, which is frequently defined as a heart rate ≥ 110 beats per minute. The occurrence of a rapid ventricular rate, or “RVR,” in patients with atrial fibrillation increases the likelihood of marked symptoms including heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness. There are two commonly used pharmacological approaches to chronically manage AFib, rhythm control and rate control. Regardless of the chronic approach, break-through episodes of rapid heart rate occur frequently; and when faced with a sudden episode of AFib-RVR, acute rate control is needed, with most treatments being AV-nodal targeted drugs such as a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker. These treatments can be given intravenously; however, this requires a burdensome trip to an emergency department which may lead to a hospital admission. Acute treatment can be attempted by administration of an oral rate control drug; however, such drugs do not adequately provide immediate or adequate ventricular rate control due to a 30- to 90-minute delayed onset of action, and, as a result, many patients need faster and more certain rate-reduction and symptom-resolution and so seek acute-medical care by going to the emergency department for treatment utilizing intravenous rate control and/or electrical cardioversion of their atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, the chronic administration of oral rate-control drugs does not broadly prevent episodes of AFib-RVR. Similar to PSVT, patients may feel a loss of control by needing to visit the emergency department for overcoming their AFib-RVR episode and the unpredictable nature of these episodes, which can occur anytime and anywhere. Doctors have expressed frustration
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at the lack of options for patients to self-manage these acute rate attacks; and payor organizations would prefer to treat the AFib-RVR attacks in a more cost effective and time-efficient manner.
An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from AFib. The prevalence of AFib is expected to grow to greater than 12 million by 2030. A subset of patients with AFib experiences episodes of abnormally high heart rate, most often accompanied by palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and weakness. While these episodes, known as AFib-RVR, may be treated by oral calcium channel blockers and/or beta blockers, patients frequently seek acute care in the ED to address symptoms. In 2019, nearly 1.1 million patients were admitted to the ED due to AFib symptoms. Initial data suggests that approximately 60% of all AFib ED visits were attributable to AFib-RVR, as symptoms driving patients to seek care generally become more pronounced at higher heart rates. Treatment for such symptoms typically includes medically supervised intravenous administration of calcium channel blockers or beta blockers, or electrical cardioversion. With little available data for AFib-RVR, we believe, based on our initial market research, that 30% to 40% of patients with AFib experience one or more symptomatic episodes of RVR per year that require treatment, suggesting a target addressable market of up to approximately four to five million patients by 2030 for etripamil in patients with AFib-RVR.
We believe that etripamil has the potential to be developed such that it can be used by patients to rapidly reduce their heart rate at home, self-administered, to provide a supplemental option to either the acute oral rate or rhythm control strategy their physician would use. When presented with a target product profile reflecting this potential use case, cardiologists and electrophysiologists in a 2021 market research study perceived utility in the product profile and indicated that they would prescribe to approximately 67% of their patients that experience episodes of AFib-RVR. They further indicated that a rapidly-acting intranasal calcium channel blocker could serve as a “bridge” to the longer onset times of acute oral agents. According to physicians, it can take hours for patients to feel an alleviation of symptoms using acute oral rate or rhythm control. During this time, patients may experience concerning symptoms that often prompt them to seek emergency care. We believe that the combination of convenient delivery, potency, rapid onset and short duration of action of etripamil has the potential to move the current treatment setting for some acute episodes of AFib out of the burdensome and costly emergency department.
Current AFib management consumes significant healthcare resources in the United States. The American Heart Association published a report in 2016 summarizing the current and projected cost burden of cardiovascular diseases in the United States. This report suggests atrial fibrillation resulted in $25 billion in direct medical costs in 2016 (approximately 7% of all cardiovascular diseases) and another $7 billion in indirect costs (i.e., up to $32 billion in total costs). Additionally, the forecasted growth in atrial fibrillation prevalence is anticipated to result in healthcare expenditures of $46 billion in direct costs and $10 billion in indirect costs in the United States by 2030.
New Drug Application Status
In May 2024, we announced that the FDA accepted our New Drug Application, or “NDA,” for CARDAMYST (etripamil) for the treatment of PSVT. The Company continues to engage the FDA throughout the NDA review process in the form of responses to FDA requests for information, as well as audits of manufacturing facilities and testing labs, clinical sites, clinical study support services and of our headquarters. The PDUFA goal date for action on the NDA is March 27, 2025. If approved, we believe that CARDAMYST will be the first and only self-administered therapy for the rapid termination of episodes of SVT wherever and whenever they occur.
PSVT Clinical Development Highlights
In April 2024, we announced new clinical data demonstrating real-world application of etripamil, an investigational new drug, for conversion of recurrent PSVT. Conducted in North and South America, an open label, Phase 3 study of etripamil in PSVT (the NODE-303 study) was presented at The American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions. NODE-303 evaluated self-administered etripamil (70 mg, nasal spray) in an outpatient setting for up to four episodes of PSVT per patient. Other key characteristics of the NODE-303 study that distinguish the study from earlier Phase 3 studies, include the removal of the in-office test dose as well as the use of a broader inclusion exclusion study entry criteria. For example, NODE-303 did not exclude patients with a history of co-morbid AFib or atrial flutter. The results
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demonstrated that symptom-prompted treatment with etripamil restored sinus rhythm with a median time-to-conversion of 17 minutes and was generally well tolerated. The conversion of PSVT to sinus rhythm was similar among multiple episodes of PSVT and the frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events within 24 hours decreased with successively treated episodes. Adverse events, or “AEs,” were predominantly localized to the drug’s nasal administration site, consistent with prior trial findings. The protocol was amended during the trial to allow for a repeat dose of drug if symptoms persisted 10 minutes following the first dose, however most of the clinical trial was conducted prior to the amendment and used the 70 mg single dose. Efficacy of etripamil for PSVT conversion (restoration of sinus rhythm) in NODE-303 was 60.0% by 30 minutes after drug self-administration, and 69.9% by 60 minutes after drug self-administration; these rates of conversion are similar to those demonstrated in double-blinded and other open-label etripamil studies. This data supports a potentially significant shift in the management approach for recurrent PSVT.
In October 2022, we announced positive and statistically significant topline efficacy and safety data from the Phase 3 RAPID clinical trial of etripamil in patients with PSVT. These results were further presented shortly thereafter, in November 2022, as a Late-Breaking Clinical Trial Session at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2022 (Chicago, IL) and subsequently published in The Lancet (June 2023) . RAPID, our multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, event-driven Phase 3 trial, enrolled 706 patients across clinical sites in North America and Europe. Patients were randomized 1:1 to a regimen of self-administering a first dose etripamil nasal spray, with a repeat dose 10 minutes later if symptoms persisted, or a matching placebo regimen. Self-administration was prompted by a patient’s customary symptoms and was performed in the at-home setting without medical supervision. The RAPID trial achieved its primary endpoint, with patients taking the regimen with etripamil demonstrating a highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful difference in time to SVT conversion as compared to placebo. A Kaplan Meier analysis demonstrated a significantly greater proportion of patients who took etripamil converted within thirty minutes compared to placebo (64.3% vs. 31.2%; hazard ratio, or “HR,” 2.62; 95% CI 1.66, 4.15; p<0.001). By 90 minutes post-study drug administration, 80.6% of etripamil patients converted versus 60.7% of placebo patients (HR = 1.93; 95% CI 1.349, 2.752; p<0.001) and statistical significance was maintained throughout the 5-hour observation window. Statistically significant reductions in time to conversion in patients who took etripamil were evident early and persisted throughout the observation window of the study compared to placebo. The median time to conversion for patients in RAPID who self-administered etripamil was 17.2 minutes compared to 53.3 minutes for patients on placebo. The safety and tolerability data from the RAPID trial continues to support the potential self-administration use of etripamil, with findings consistent with those observed in prior trials. The most common randomized-treatment emergent adverse events, or “RTEAEs,” and AEs which occurred within 24 hours of administration of etripamil, were related to the nasal local administration site. Overall, the majority of RTEAEs were reported as mild (68%) or moderate (31%). There were no serious AEs related to etripamil.
The use of additional medical interventions and visits to an emergency department were important secondary measures of efficacy for both the RAPID and NODE-301 studies, although with the understanding that neither study was individually powered to expect statistical differences. In a pre-planned analysis across both studies, patients who self-administered etripamil sought additional medical interventions 43% less frequently (15% vs. 25%; p=0.013) and had 39% fewer emergency department visits (14% vs. 22%; p=0.035) than patients in the placebo arm.
In March 2023 we completed NODE-303, a Phase 3, multi-center, open-label safety trial, evaluating the safety of etripamil when self-administered without medical supervision over multiple, separate episodes of SVT. Data from the completed NODE-303 open-label safety and RAPID extension studies are included in the PSVT NDA submission for etripamil to the FDA.
In September 2024, our licensing partner, Corxel (formerly Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Limited, JIXING), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced positive topline data from the Phase 3 JX02002 clinical trial of etripamil nasal spray in patients with PSVT in China.
The 500-patient Phase 3 trial (JX02002) met its primary endpoint, with a Kaplan Meier analysis shows a statistically significantly greater proportion of patients who self-administered etripamil converted from PSVT to sinus rhythm within 30 minutes compared to placebo (40.5% vs. 15.9%, respectively; hazard ratio [HR] = 3.00; 95% CI 1.58-5.71; p<0.001).
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Statistically significant (p<0.05) results were also shown for the secondary efficacy endpoints for percent of patients’ PSVT converted to sinus rhythm by 10, 15, 45 and 60 minutes after self-administration of study drug.
Corxel further reported that, overall, treatment emergent adverse events were comparable between treatment groups, and there were no reported serious adverse events related to etripamil. The safety and tolerability data from the JX02002 trial were consistent with previous clinical studies. This important study further expands the etripamil global development program to more than 2,000 unique patients treated with etripamil.
AFib-RVR Clinical Development Highlights
In November 2023, we presented positive Phase 2 data from the ReVeRA study as a Featured Science Presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Meetings (Philadelphia, PA) and as simultaneously published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology . The randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled ReVeRA trial of etripamil nasal spray enrolled 87 patients and dosed 56 patients aged 18 years and older with AFib who urgently presented experiencing AFib and a ventricular rate of 110 or more beats per minute, or “bpm.” The trial was designed to assess the magnitude, rapidity, and duration of reduction and the patient satisfaction with treatment using an established patient reported outcome, or “PRO,” tool. Data showed that delivery of etripamil nasal spray (70 mg) significantly and rapidly reduced ventricular rate, in a pattern consistent with the drug’s pharmacologic profile. Etripamil achieved the primary endpoint with a high degree of statistical significance; patients experienced a ventricular rate reduction of 29.91 bpm (95% confidence interval: -40.31, -19.52; p<0.0001) in the etripamil arm relative to placebo. The absolute maximum reduction in rate in the etripamil arm was 34.97 bpm. Using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire 9, or “TSQM-9,” PRO, compared to placebo, patients treated with etripamil demonstrated significant improvements in two satisfaction ratings: effectiveness (p<0.0001) and relief of symptoms (p=0.0002), with the degrees of improvement consistent with those customarily described as clinically meaningful. Treatment-emergent serious adverse events, or “TESAEs,” were rare and the most common (≥ 5%) adverse events were mild or moderate in intensity and included nasal discomfort, rhinorrhea, increased lacrimation, throat irritation and dizziness. Further trial details are below in this document.
During 2024, we met with the FDA on the ReVeRA study, during which the FDA confirmed its guidance from our Pre-IND meeting (2023) regarding the availability of a supplemental new drug application, or “sNDA,” pathway for the marketing approval for etripamil for the indication of AFib-RVR. The sNDA pathway potentially permits a single pivotal efficacy study to be sufficient for filing for marketing approval if etripamil is already approved for PSVT. FDA further concurred with respect to key proposed study elements including powering, inclusion criteria, patient population, and statistical analyses, and offered clarification with respect to the endpoints to guide the design of the Phase 3 study. In our mid-2023 Pre-IND meeting, the FDA provided guidance that our primary endpoint can be the reduction of ventricular rate, and the primary analysis would be performed on the intent to treat, or “ITT,” population. In addition, the study would have to show statistical significance (p<0.05) on the key secondary endpoint of symptom relief as a patient benefit, also in the ITT population. The secondary endpoint could use a PRO measure, and the application of a seven-point anchored scale was discussed with the FDA. We have finalized the Phase 3 study protocol following FDA’s review, obtained concurrence with the FDA to proceed, are operationally starting the study, and anticipating enrolling patients in 2025.
The Phase 3 study will be conducted in a medically unmonitored setting (e.g., at-home) in a manner very similar to the conduct of our Phase 3 development program for PSVT. The Phase 3 AFib-RVR study will enroll patients with a history of symptomatic AFib episodes, and will use a self-administered, repeat-dose regimen of 70 mg per dose (the dose and dosing approach that was studied in the RAPID trial in patients with PSVT). The Phase 3 study’s target population will be patients with verified history of AFib-RVR, and the ITT population will be all patients self-administering the study drug for perceived AFib-RVR. The primary endpoint is the mean change from baseline ventricular rate to nadir ventricular rate for patients treated with etripamil versus placebo, as was studied in the ReVeRA trial in AFib-RVR. The key secondary endpoint will be based on a PRO of symptomatic improvement, discussed with the FDA, which is similar to the PRO questions utilized in our PSVT and AFib-RVR programs. The study has been powered and sized based upon approximately 150 events from 150 unique patients with a history of symptomatic episodes of AFib-RVR.
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Operations Overview
Since the commencement of our operations in 2003, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to performing research and development activities in support of our product development efforts, hiring personnel, raising capital to support and expand such activities, providing general and administrative support for these operations and, more recently, preparing for commercialization. We operate our business using a significant outsourcing model. As such, our team is composed of a relatively smaller core of employees who direct a significantly larger number of team members who are outsourced in the forms of vendors and consultants to enable execution of our operational plans. We do not currently have any products approved for sale, and we continue to incur significant research and development and general administrative expenses related to our operations.
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded net losses of $41.5 million and $59.7 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $367.5 million. We expect to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that a substantial portion of our capital resources and efforts in the foreseeable future will be focused on completing the necessary development activities required for obtaining regulatory approval and preparing for potential commercialization of our product candidates. We had $25.3 million of cash and cash equivalents and $44.4 million of short-term investments at December 31, 2024.
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for at least the next several years. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from period to period, depending on the timing of our planned clinical trials and expenditures on other research and development activities. We expect our expenses will increase over time as we:
• continue our ongoing and planned development of etripamil, including future Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of AFib-RVR and potential Phase 4 clinical trials for treatment of PSVT;
• seek marketing approvals for etripamil for the treatment of PSVT, AFib-RVR and other cardiovascular indications;
• establish a sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution capability, either directly or indirectly through third parties, to commercialize etripamil or any future product candidate for which we may obtain marketing approval;
• build a portfolio of product candidates through development, or the acquisition or in-license of drugs, product candidates or technologies;
• initiate preclinical studies and clinical trials for etripamil for any additional indications we may pursue, including the clinical trials for the treatment of atrial fibrillation and rapid ventricular rate as well as other areas of unmet medical need, and for any additional product candidates that we may pursue in the future;
• maintain, protect and expand our intellectual property portfolio;
• hire additional clinical, regulatory and scientific personnel;
• add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and planned future commercialization efforts; and
• incur additional legal, accounting, insurance and other expenses associated with operating as a public company.
Recent Developments
In February 2025, we announced that we received Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or “USPTO” on a new Method of Use patent for etripamil nasal spray (proposed trade name CARDAMYST™).
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The patent (U.S. Patent Application No.: 17/865,697) covers the repeat dose regimen used in the RAPID Phase 3 study that evaluated CARDAMYST in PSVT and proposed for the package insert as part of the CARDAMYST New Drug Application, or “NDA,” currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or “FDA.” The issuance of the Notice of Allowance for this new patent for CARDAMYST potentially extends our intellectual property protection in the United States until July 2042, which is an additional 6 years of potential protection for our intellectual property portfolio.
The Macroeconomic Climate
Inflation rates may also materially adversely affect our business and corresponding financial position and cash flows. Inflationary factors, changes to interest rates and overhead costs may adversely affect our operating results. Interest and inflation rates also present a recent challenge impacting the U.S. economy and could make it more difficult for us to obtain traditional financing on acceptable terms, if at all, in the future. Additionally, geopolitical events such as the Russia-Ukraine war and unrest and/or further escalation in Israel and Gaza, recent banking instabilities, new or changing international tariffs, and other U.S. geopolitical issues affecting other territories and employee availability and wage increases, and economic markets all of which may result in additional stress on our working capital resources.
Components of Results of Operations
Revenues
We have not generated any revenues from product sales to date. We would only expect to generate revenues from product sales in the near future if the FDA approves the NDA. We generated no revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The prior year revenue is due to a milestone reached as a result of the successful initiation of a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of the product by or on behalf of Corxel for the treatment of PSVT in the People’s Republic of China, or “the Territory,” including mainland China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan. For additional information about our Revenue, see Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”, and Note 3, “Revenue” in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries and fees paid to external service providers and also include personnel costs, including share-based compensation expense and other related compensation expenses. We expense research and development costs in the periods in which they are incurred. Costs for certain development activities are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information and data provided to us by our vendors, collaborators and third-party service providers.
To date, substantially all of our research and development expenses have been related to the preclinical and clinical development of etripamil. As we advance etripamil or other product candidates for other indications, we expect to allocate our direct external research and development costs across each of the indications or product candidates. Further, we expect our research and development costs to increase for the development of etripamil in atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate, and we expect our research and development expenses related to the development of etripamil for PSVT decrease as a percentage of our total research and development expenses.
The process of conducting the necessary clinical research to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time-consuming and is subject to uncertainties and delays. As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, we are unable to determine the duration and completion costs of our research and development projects or when and to what extent we will generate revenue from the commercialization and sale of our product candidates, if at all.
We recognize the benefit of Canadian research and development tax credits as a reduction of research and development costs for fully refundable investment tax credits.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses include personnel and related compensation costs, expenses for outside professional services, lease expense, insurance expense and other general administrative expenses. Personnel costs consist of salaries, bonuses, benefits, related payroll taxes and share-based compensation. Outside professional services consist of legal, accounting and audit services and other consulting fees.
We expect to continue to incur expenses as a public company, including expenses related to compliance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or “SEC,” and those of any national securities exchange on which our securities are traded, additional insurance expenses, investor relations activities, and other administrative and professional services.
Commercial Expenses
Commercial expenses consist primarily of personnel and related compensation costs, market and health economic research, and market development activities for PSVT and, to a lesser extent, AFib-RVR. The focus of these expenses is three-fold: first, we want to leverage rigorous primary and secondary research to fully understand our target disease states from the perspective of the patient, healthcare provider, and payer; second, we want to understand and document the burden of disease posed by PSVT and AFib-RVR from an epidemiology, healthcare resource use, and cost perspective; and third, we want to engage our target patient, physician, and payer stakeholders with evidence-based and compliant educational materials that serve to increase the awareness and understanding of the impact of PSVT and AFib-RVR on patients and the overall healthcare system.
If the FDA approves the NDA, we anticipate our commercial expenses will increase as we invest in the infrastructure, personnel, and operational expenses required to launch our first product in the United States.
Interest Income
Interest income primarily consists of interest income from our cash equivalents and short-term investments.
Interest Expense
Interest expense primarily consists of contractual debt interest expense and the amortization of debt costs.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)
2024
2023
$ Change
% Change
Revenue
$
—
$
1,000
$
(1,000)
100.0%
Operating expenses
Research and development, net of tax credits
14,357
31,052
(16,695)
(53.8)%
General and administrative
16,742
15,932
810
5.1%
Commercial
11,003
15,114
(4,111)
(27.2)%
Total operating expenses
42,102
62,098
(19,996)
(32.2)%
Loss from operations
(42,102)
(61,098)
18,996
(31.1)%
Interest income
4,164
3,967
197
5.0%
Interest expense
(3,581)
(2,554)
(1,027)
40.2%
Net loss
(41,519)
(59,685)
18,166
(30.4)%
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Revenue
We recorded no revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to revenue of $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This prior year revenue was the result of having reached a milestone pursuant to our License and Collaboration Agreement, dated May 15, 2021, with Corxel Pharmaceuticals, or “Corxel,” formerly known as Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Limited, such party being referred to as “Ji Xing” and, such agreement, as the “Ji Xing License Agreement”, due upon the successful initiation of a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of a pharmaceutical product that uses a device to deliver etripamil by nasal spray by or on behalf of Corxel for the treatment of PSVT in the People’s Republic of China, or “the Territory,” including mainland China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan.
Research and Development Expenses
The following table shows our research and development expenses by type of activity for the periods indicated.
Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)
2024
2023
$ Change
% Change
Clinical
$
6,596
$
19,611
$
(13,015)
(66.4)%
Drug manufacturing and formulation
4,145
6,741
(2,596)
(38.5)%
Regulatory and other costs
3,875
5,012
(1,137)
(22.7)%
Less: R&D tax credits
(259)
(312)
53
(17.0)%
Total R&D expenses
$
14,357
$
31,052
$
(16,695)
(53.8)%
Research and development expenses decreased by $16.7 million, or 53.8% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to lower clinical expenses. This decrease in clinical expenses was driven by lower clinical development costs and clinical personnel-related costs as a result of the completion of phase 3 studies. This decrease was also driven by a decrease in drug manufacturing and regulatory costs.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses increased $0.8 million, or 5.1%, for the for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was driven primarily by an increase in outside service costs, partially offset by a decrease in personnel costs.
Commercial
Commercial expenses decreased by $4.1 million, or 27.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. While successfully resolving the Refusal to File letter issued by the FDA in December 2023, we implemented a reduction in personnel costs, professional costs and other operational expenses related to commercialization.
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Interest Income
Interest income was $4.2 million and $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in interest income was due to higher average interest rates earned on investments in 2024 when compared to 2023.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest expense was due to the issuance of the 2029 Convertible Notes on March 29, 2023.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
We have incurred operating losses and experienced negative operating cash flows since our inception, and we anticipate continuing to incur losses for at least the next several years. As of December 31, 2024, we had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $69.7 million and an accumulated deficit of $367.5 million.
On February 28, 2024, we entered into an underwriting agreement, or the “Underwriting Agreement,” related to an underwritten public offering, or the “Offering,” of 16,666,667 of our common shares, without par value, at a public offering price of $1.50 per share and, in lieu of common shares to certain investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase 3,333,333 Shares at a public offering price of $1.499 per pre-funded warrant. Under the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, we granted the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 common shares at the same price per share as the other common shares sold in the Offering, which was exercised by the Underwriters in full on February 29, 2024.
Each pre-funded warrant has an exercise price of $0.001 per share. The pre-funded warrants were exercisable immediately upon issuance, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations.
The net proceeds to the Company from the Offering, including the proceeds from the exercise by the Underwriters of their option to purchase the additional 3,000,000 common shares in full, was $31.9 million after deducting underwriting commissions and offering expenses payable by the Company.
On March 27, 2023, we entered into a purchase and sale agreement, as amended, or the “Royalty Purchase Agreement,” and a note purchase agreement, or, as amended, the “Note Purchase Agreement,” with RTW Investments, LP and certain of its affiliates, or collectively, “RTW.”
On March 29, 2023, the Company closed the transaction contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreement and issued and sold the $50 million principal amount of 6.0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029, or the “2029 Convertible Notes,” to the holders in a private placement transaction.
The 2029 Convertible Notes are senior secured obligations and are guaranteed on a senior secured basis by our wholly owned subsidiary, Milestone Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. Interest, at the annual rate of 6.0%, is payable quarterly in cash or, at our option, payable in kind for the first three years. The maturity date for the 2029 Convertible Notes will be March 31, 2029. The obligations under the 2029 Convertible Notes are secured by substantially all of our and our subsidiary guarantor’s assets.
Each $1,000 of principal of the 2029 Convertible Notes (including any interest added thereto as payment in kind) is convertible into 191.0548 common shares, equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $5.23 per share, subject to customary anti-dilution and other adjustments. Subject to specified conditions, on or after March 27, 2027, the 2029 Convertible Notes are redeemable by us subject to certain conditions, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2029 Convertible Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date.
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On July 29, 2020, we entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement SM , or the “Sales Agreement,” with respect to an at-the-market offering program, or the “ATM Program,” under which the Company may issue and sell its common shares having an aggregate offering price of up to $50 million through Jefferies as its sales agent or principal. On May 31, 2023, we filed a prospectus supplement (File No. 333-261049) that amended and restated the information in our prospectus supplement dated July 29, 2020, and, accordingly, the information in this prospectus supplement superseded the information contained in that prospectus supplement, or the prior prospectus supplement. Pursuant to that prior prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus contained in our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239318), we issued 361,236 common shares under the Sales Agreement, resulting in net proceeds of $2.6 million (net of issuance costs of $0.1 million). No common shares were sold under the Sales Agreement during the year ended December 31, 2024.
We expect that our operating plan, existing cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments to be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months from the date of issuance of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024 and that there are no known events or conditions that may cast substantial doubt on our ability to continue as a going concern for at least the next 12 months from the date of this filing.
Contingent future source of funding
Pursuant to the Royalty Purchase Agreement, RTW agreed to purchase, following FDA approval of etripamil (subject to certain conditions), in exchange for a purchase price of $75.0 million, the right to receive a tiered quarterly royalty payments, or “royalty interest,” on the annual net product sales of etripamil in the United States. This represents a contingent future source of funding, in order for the Company to receive the $75 million, the closing conditions specified in the Royalty Purchase Agreement, which includes the Company receiving marketing approval from the FDA on or prior to September 30, 2025, must be met.
Funding Requirements
We use our cash primarily to fund research and development expenditures. We expect our expenses to increase as we continue the development of etripamil and prepare for regulatory approval. We expect to incur increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future as we continue the clinical development of our product candidate. At this time, due to the inherently unpredictable nature of clinical development, we cannot reasonably estimate the costs we will incur and the timelines that will be required to complete development, obtain marketing approval, and commercialize etripamil or any future product candidates, if at all. For the same reasons, we are also unable to predict when, if ever, we will generate revenue from product sales or whether, or when, if ever, we may achieve profitability. Clinical and preclinical development timelines, the probability of success, and development costs can differ materially from expectations.
In addition, we have exclusive development and commercialization rights for etripamil for all indications that we may pursue and as such have the potential to license development and or commercialization rights for etripamil to a potential partner in regions outside of Greater China. We plan to establish commercialization and marketing capabilities using a direct sales force to commercialize etripamil in the United States. Outside of the United States, we are considering commercialization strategies that may include collaborations with other companies.
For other new product candidates, our efforts are focused on licensing development and/or commercialization rights from potential partners. In the case of either in-licensing or out-licensing, we cannot forecast when such arrangements will be secured, if at all, and to what degree such arrangements would affect our development and commercialization plans and capital requirements.
The timing and amount of our operating expenditures will depend largely on:
• the timing, progress and results of our ongoing and planned clinical trials and other development activities of etripamil in PSVT, AFib-RVR and in other cardiovascular indications;
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• the scope, progress, results and costs of preclinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials of etripamil for additional indications or any future product candidates that we may pursue;
• our ability to establish additional collaborations on favorable terms, if at all;
• the ability of vendors and third-party service providers to accurately forecast expenses and deliver on expectations;
• the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of etripamil and any future product candidates;
• the costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution, for etripamil and any future product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;
• the costs and timing of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending any intellectual property-related claims; and
• the extent to which we acquire or in-license other product candidates and technologies.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from product sales, we expect to fund our operations and capital funding needs through equity and/or debt financing. We may also consider entering into collaboration arrangements or selectively partnering for clinical development and commercialization. The sale of additional equity would result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of debt financing would result in debt service obligations and the instruments governing such debt could provide for operating and financing covenants that restrict our operations or our ability to incur additional indebtedness or pay dividends, among other items. If we are not able to secure adequate additional funding, we may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, and/or suspend or curtail planned programs. Any of these actions could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated:
Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)
2024
2023
$ Change
% Change
Net cash (used in) provided by:
Operating activities
$
(28,848)
$
(46,424)
17,576
(37.9)%
Investing activities
8,283
4,756
3,527
74.2%
Financing activities
32,119
47,792
(15,673)
(32.8)%
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents during the period
$
11,554
$
6,124
5,430
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2024, was $28.8 million, which consisted primarily of a net loss of $41.5 million. The net loss was partially offset by a net cash increase of $3.7 million related to the change in assets and liabilities, non-cash charges of $5.8 million related to share-based compensation and non-cash interest charges of $3.2 million related to the 2029 Convertible Notes.
Net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2023, was $46.4 million, which consisted primarily of a net loss of $59.7 million. The net loss was partially offset by a net cash increase of $1.2 million related to the change in assets and liabilities, non-cash charges of $9.5 million related to share-based compensation and non-cash interest charges of $2.3 million related to the 2029 Convertible Notes.
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Investing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2024, we redeemed $121.9 million of short-term investments, and we acquired $113.6 million of short-term investments. In addition, we acquired $0.1 million in property and equipment.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we redeemed $142.0 million of short-term investments, and we acquired $137.1 million of short-term investments. In addition, we acquired $0.1 million in property and equipment.
Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2024, our financing activities provided cash proceeds of $32.1 million. These proceeds were primarily a result of the $31.9 million received from the issuance of common shares and pre-funded warrants, net of $2.6 million in issuance costs paid under the Underwriting Agreement.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, our financing activities provided cash proceeds of $47.8 million. These proceeds were primarily a result of the $50 million received from the issuance of the 2029 Convertible Notes under the Note Purchase Agreement, which was partially offset by $2.8 million in debt costs, and $0.6 million in cash proceeds from the exercise of share options and issuance of common shares under the employee stock purchase plan.
Contractual Obligations
We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with clinical research organizations, or “CROs,” contract manufacturing organizations, or “CMOs,” and other third parties for clinical trials, preclinical research studies and testing and manufacturing services. These contracts are generally cancelable at our option with various notice requirements as defined in the contract. Payments due upon cancellation consist of payments for services provided or expenses incurred, including noncancelable obligations of our service providers, up to and through the date of cancellation. These payments are not included as the amount and timing of these payments are not known.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2024, which have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, or “U.S. GAAP,” and on a basis consistent with those accounting principles followed by us. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires our management to make judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenue generated and expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates and judgments include, but are not limited to:
• Estimates of the percentage of work completed of the total work over the life of the individual trial in accordance with agreements established with CROs, CMOs and clinical trial sites which in turn impact the research & development expenses.
• Estimate of the grant date fair value share options granted to employees, consultants and directors, and the resulting share-based compensation expense, using the Black Scholes option pricing model.
Accordingly, actual results may differ from these judgments and estimates under different assumptions or conditions and any such differences may be material. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.
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a) Research & Development Expenses — Accruals
Research and development costs are charged against income in the period of expenditure. Our research and development costs consist primarily of salaries and fees paid to CROs and to CMO.
Clinical trial expenses include direct costs associated with CROs, direct CMO costs for the formulation and packaging of clinical trial material, as well as investigator and patient-related costs at sites at which our trials are being conducted. Direct costs associated with our CROs and CMOs are generally payable on a time-and-materials basis, or when milestones are achieved. The invoicing from clinical trial sites can lag several months. We record expenses for our clinical trial activities performed by third parties based upon estimates of the percentage of work completed of the total work over the life of the individual trial in accordance with agreements established with CROs and clinical trial sites. We determine the estimates through discussions with internal clinical personnel, CROs and CMOs as to the progress or stage of completion of trials or services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services based on facts and circumstances known to us as of each consolidated balance sheet date. The actual costs and timing of clinical trials are highly uncertain, subject to risks and may change depending upon a number of factors, including our clinical development plan. If the actual timing of the performance of services of the level of effort varies from the estimate, we will adjust the accrual accordingly. Adjustments to prior period estimates have not been material. We recognize the benefit of Canadian research and development tax credits as a reduction of research and development costs for fully refundable investment tax credits and as a reduction of income taxes for investment tax credits that can only be claimed against income taxes payable when there is reasonable assurance that the claim will be recovered.
b) Share-Based Compensation
We recognize compensation costs related to share options granted to employees, consultants and directors based on the estimated fair value of the awards on the date of grant. We estimate the grant date fair value, and the resulting share-based compensation expense, using the Black Scholes option pricing model. This Black Scholes option pricing model uses various inputs to measure fair value, including estimated fair value of our underlying common shares at the grant date, expected term, estimated volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yields of our common shares. The estimated volatility creates a critical estimate because we have not been a public company long enough to demonstrate our own historical volatility. The grant date fair value of the share-based awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods, which are generally the vesting period of the respective awards. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur.
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The following table summarizes, by grant date, the number of underlying common shares and the associated per-share exercise price, which was the fair value per share as determined by our board of directors on the applicable grant date, for share options granted during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Estimated
Number of
Fair Value
Estimated
Common Shares
Exercise
per Common
Per-Share
Subject to
Price Per
Share at
Fair Value
Options Granted
Common Share
Grant Date
of Options
January 16, 2023
82,000
$
3.93
$
3.93
$
3.10
February 16, 2023
1,323,900
$
3.59
$
3.59
$
2.87
February 27, 2023
36,000
$
3.19
$
3.19
$
2.54
March 14, 2023
3,500
$
3.51
$
3.51
$
2.79
March 21, 2023
42,000
$
3.45
$
3.45
$
2.75
May 1, 2023
125,000
$
3.62
$
3.62
$
2.88
May 22, 2023
20,000
$
4.10
$
4.10
$
3.27
June 7, 2023
180,000
$
3.86
$
3.86
$
3.01
June 19, 2023
15,000
$
3.50
$
3.50
$
2.80
July 24, 2023
15,000
$
3.10
$
3.10
$
2.48
July 25, 2023
4,000
$
3.11
$
3.11
$
2.49
August 1, 2023
21,000
$
3.17
$
3.17
$
2.54
October 2, 2023
122,000
$
2.98
$
2.98
$
2.30
October 16, 2023
8,000
$
2.99
$
2.99
$
2.31
March 19, 2024
45,000
$
1.45
$
1.45
$
1.12
May 6, 2024
924,000
$
1.74
$
1.74
$
1.38
July 1, 2024
8,000
$
1.34
$
1.34
$
1.03
July 15, 2024
160,000
$
1.59
$
1.59
$
1.18
July 17, 2024
22,000
$
1.55
$
1.55
$
1.19
August 28, 2024
320,000
$
1.45
$
1.45
$
1.07
September 3, 2024
80,000
$
1.39
$
1.39
$
1.02
October 1, 2024
8,000
$
1.50
$
1.50
$
1.19
October 4, 2024
10,000
$
1.50
$
1.50
$
1.14
November 1, 2024
75,000
$
1.44
$
1.44
$
1.15
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.
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