Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
Omeros Corporation (“Omeros,” the “Company” or “we”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing small-molecule and protein therapeutics for large-market as well as orphan indications targeting immunologic diseases, including complement-mediated diseases and cancers related to dysfunction of the immune system, as well as addictive and compulsive disorders.
Complement-targeted Therapeutic Development Programs
We are advancing multiple development programs focused on diseases and disorders associated with the complement system, a group of specialized proteins that protect against invasive pathogens as well as damaged cells inside the body and comprise an important part of the body’s immune system. When triggered, the various components of complement cooperate to generate an immune response that fights infection and clears damaged or dead cells, maintaining healthy function of the body’s systems. However, dysregulation of the complement system (i.e., over- or under-activation) can be harmful and is associated with increased vulnerability to infections and non-infectious diseases, including autoimmune disorders, chronic inflammation, thrombotic microangiopathy, and cancer.
There are three distinct pathways of complement, each activated via one or more unique mechanisms :
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Classical pathway: activated by antigen-antibody complexes
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Lectin pathway: activated by lectin binding of carbohydrate patterns on the surfaces of damaged cells and microbes
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Alternative pathway: constitutively active and amplifies classical and lectin pathway activation
Our complement-targeted therapeutic development programs are primarily focused on diseases and disorders associated with the lectin and/or alternative pathways of complement. Our lectin pathway program includes inhibitors of mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease 2 (“MASP-2”) and our alternative pathway program includes inhibitors of mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease 3 (“MASP-3”).
Narsoplimab (OMS721), the lead candidate in our lectin pathway program, is a proprietary, patented human monoclonal antibody inhibitor of MASP-2, the key effector enzyme of the lectin pathway. Clinical development of narsoplimab is currently focused primarily on hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (“TA-TMA”). We are also developing OMS1029, a long-acting, next-generation antibody and an orally administered small molecule targeting MASP-2 and the lectin pathway.
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The lead drug candidate in our development program focused on the alternative pathway of complement is OMS906, a proprietary, patented monoclonal antibody targeting MASP-3. MASP-3 is the key activator of the alternative pathway of complement. We believe OMS906 has the potential to treat a wide range of alternative pathway-related diseases and that its attributes favorably differentiate OMS906 from other marketed and in-development alternative pathway inhibitors. Clinical development of OMS906 is currently ongoing in multiple alternative pathway-related disorders, including complement 3 glomerulopathy (“C3G”), a rare chronic kidney disease, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (“PNH”), a rare and life-threatening hemolytic blood disorder. An orally administered small molecule MASP-3 inhibitor is also in development.
Other Development Programs
Our development pipeline also includes OMS527, our phosphodiesterase 7 (“PDE7”) inhibitor program focused on addiction and movement disorders. We also have a diverse group of preclinical programs, including five immuno-oncology platforms directed to development of novel adoptive T cell/CAR-T therapies, immunomodulators, immunotoxins and cancer vaccines.
OMIDRIA Sale and Royalty Monetization Transactions
We previously developed and commercialized OMIDRIA ® (phenylephrine and ketorolac intraocular solution) 1%/0.3%, which is approved for use during cataract surgery or intraocular lens (“IOL”) replacement to maintain pupil size by preventing intraoperative miosis (pupil constriction) and to reduce postoperative ocular pain. We marketed OMIDRIA in the United States (the “U.S.”) from the time of its commercial launch in 2015 until December 2021.
On December 23, 2021, we sold OMIDRIA and certain related assets, including inventory and prepaid expenses to Rayner Surgical Inc. (“Rayner”) pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement, dated December 1, 2021 (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”). Under the Asset Purchase Agreement, Rayner paid us $126.0 million in cash at the closing and we retained all outstanding accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued expenses as of the closing date. Rayner is also obligated under the Asset Purchase Agreement to pay us royalties based on Rayner’s net sales of OMIDRIA for a term that extends for the life of the patents covering OMIDRIA in the relevant jurisdiction. The latest expiration of a patent covering OMIDRIA in the United States is currently in 2035. Also pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, we were entitled to receive a milestone payment of $200.0 million (the “Milestone Payment”) within 30 days following an event (the “Milestone Event”) that establishes separate payment for OMIDRIA for a continuous period of at least four years when furnished in the ambulatory surgery center (“ASC”) setting. The Milestone Event occurred in December 2022 and we recorded a $200.0 million milestone receivable. We received the Milestone Payment together with accrued interest in February 2023.
On September 30, 2022, we entered into a Royalty Purchase Agreement (the “Original Agreement”) with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”) under which we received $125.0 million in cash in exchange for a portion of our royalties on global net sales of OMIDRIA payable by Rayner between September 1, 2022 and December 31, 2030, subject to certain annual caps on the royalty amounts payable to DRI, with Omeros entitled to receive all royalties paid in excess of the applicable caps.
On February 1, 2024, we entered into an amended and restated royalty purchase agreement (the “Amendment”) with DRI to effect the sale to DRI of an expanded interest in the OMIDRIA royalties. The Amendment eliminated the annual caps on royalty payments to which DRI is entitled and provides that DRI will now receive all royalties on U.S. net sales of OMIDRIA payable between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2031. We received $115.5 million in cash upon closing of the Amendment. Additionally, we are eligible under the Amendment to receive two milestone payments of up to $27.5 million each, payable in January 2026 and January 2028, respectively, based on achievement of certain thresholds for U.S. net sales of OMIDRIA. DRI is entitled to payment only to the extent of royalty payments that are payable on U.S. net sales of OMIDRIA on or before December 31, 2031 and DRI has no recourse to our assets other than its interest in the OMIDRIA royalties. Omeros retains the right to receive all royalties payable by Rayner on any net sales of OMIDRIA outside the U.S. payable from and after January 1, 2024, as well as all royalties on global net sales of OMIDRIA payable from and after December 31, 2031.
As discussed above, the term for royalty payments under the Asset Purchase Agreement expires based on the last-expiring OMIDRIA-related patent in the relevant country, which in the United States currently extends into 2035. The royalty rate payable by Rayner on net sales of OMIDRIA is currently 30% in the United States and 15% outside the U.S. These royalty rates are subject to reduction upon the occurrence of certain events described in the Asset Purchase Agreement. For example, the applicable U.S. royalty rate would be reduced to 10% during any specific period in which OMIDRIA is no longer eligible for separate payment (i.e., included in the packaged payment rate for the surgical procedure) under Medicare Part B. Pursuant to legislation enacted in late 2022, we expect separate payment for OMIDRIA under Medicare Part B to extend until at least January 1, 2028.
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Our Drug Candidates and Development Programs
Our clinical drug candidates consist of the following:
Drug Candidate/Program
Targeted Disease(s)
Development Status
Next Expected Milestone
Narsoplimab (MASP-2 / Lectin Pathway)
Hematopoietic stem-cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA)
Pivotal trial complete; CRL received; working with FDA on BLA resubmission
BLA resubmission
Narsoplimab (MASP-2 / Lectin Pathway)
Severe COVID-19, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC, i.e., long COVID) and other causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
Phase 2 trial in severe COVID-19 completed
Continue development of narsoplimab and diagnostic for lectin pathway hyperactivation for COVID-19/ARDS and related indications
OMS1029 (MASP-2 / Lectin Pathway)
Long-acting second-generation antibody targeting lectin pathway disorders
Phase 1 trial nearly complete (dosing completed and follow-up ongoing)
Select indication for Phase 2 development
OMS906 (MASP-3 / Alternative Pathway)
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) and other alternative pathway disorders
Phase 2
Complete Phase 2 trials with treated patients moving to extension study of long-term efficacy and finalize dose selections; Initiate pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials.
OMS527 (PDE7)
Addictions and compulsive disorders; movement
disorders
Phase 1
Continue NIDA-funded research through completion of a Phase 1 cocaine interaction study and Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with cocaine use disorder; Determine whether and how best to continue development of OMS527 in levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID).
Our pipeline of preclinical development programs includes the following:
Preclinical Program
Targeted Disease(s)
Development Status
Next Expected Milestone
MASP-2: small-molecule inhibitors
Lectin pathway disorders
Preclinical
Continue IND-enabling studies of current drug development candidate
MASP-3: small-molecule inhibitors
Alternative pathway disorders
Preclinical
Identify drug development candidate for clinical trials
Adoptive T-Cell and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapies
Wide range of cancers
Preclinical
Complete preclinical proof of concept studies and evaluate data
Immunomodulators/Immunotoxins/Cancer Vaccines
Wide range of cancers
Preclinical
Complete preclinical proof of concept studies and evaluate data
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Complement Inhibitor Programs
The complement system plays a role in the body’s inflammatory response and becomes activated as a result of tissue damage or trauma or microbial pathogen invasion. Inappropriate or uncontrolled activation of the complement system can cause diseases characterized by serious tissue injury. Three main pathways can activate the complement system: classical, lectin, and alternative. Omeros is focused on development of therapeutics to treat diseases associated with the lectin and/or alternative pathways of complement.
MASP-2 Program - Lectin Pathway Disorders
MASP-2, a novel pro-inflammatory protein target, is the effector enzyme of the lectin pathway and is required for the function of this pathway. Omeros is developing antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors of MASP-2 as potential therapeutics for diseases in which the lectin pathway has been shown to contribute to significant tissue injury and pathology. When not treated, these diseases are typically characterized by significant end-organ damage, such as kidney or central nervous system injury. Importantly, inhibition of MASP-2 has been demonstrated not to interfere with the antibody-dependent classical complement activation pathway, a critical component of the acquired immune response to infection. In addition to our clinical programs evaluating narsoplimab, we have generated positive preclinical data from MASP-2 inhibition in in vivo models of AMD, myocardial infarction, diabetic neuropathy, stroke, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and other diseases and disorders. We own or hold worldwide exclusive licenses to rights related to MASP-2, the antibodies targeting MASP-2 and the therapeutic applications for those antibodies.
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Narsoplimab (OMS721)
The lead candidate in our MASP-2 inhibitor program is narsoplimab (OMS721), a proprietary, patented human monoclonal antibody targeting MASP-2. Narsoplimab is in clinical development for several indications.
Hematopoietic stem-cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (“TA-TMA”): We successfully completed a pivotal clinical trial for narsoplimab in TA-TMA and previously submitted to the FDA a biologics license application (“BLA”) seeking marketing approval for narsoplimab in this indication. In late 2021, FDA issued a complete response letter (“CRL”) with respect to the BLA in which the agency indicated that additional information would be needed to support regulatory approval. We appealed FDA’s decision to issue the CRL through a formal dispute resolution process that concluded in late 2022. Although our appeal was denied, the decision identified potential paths for resubmission of the BLA based on both response data and survival data from the completed pivotal trial versus a historical control group, with or without an independent literature analysis or based on survival data alone. Consistent with subsequent interactions with FDA’s review division, we submitted to FDA in the fall of 2023 an analysis plan to assess already existing clinical trial data, existing data from a historical control population available from an external source, data from the narsoplimab expanded access program, and data directed to the mechanism of action of narsoplimab. We are having ongoing discussions with the agency regarding the proposed analysis plan. As a result, we are currently unable to estimate when we will submit the BLA or, subsequently, FDA’s timing for a decision regarding approval. There can be no guarantee that FDA's specific recommendations for resubmission will be acceptable to Omeros in terms of the time and/or expenditure required or that any resubmission of the BLA will result in approval of narsoplimab for TA-TMA.
In the U.S., FDA has granted narsoplimab (1) breakthrough therapy designation in patients who have persistent TMA despite modification of immunosuppressive therapy, (2) orphan drug designation for the prevention (inhibition) of complement-mediated TMAs, and (3) orphan drug designation for the treatment of TA-TMA. The European Commission (the “EC”) also granted narsoplimab designation as an orphan medicinal product for treatment in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
In Europe, the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) has confirmed narsoplimab’s eligibility for the EMA’s centralized review of a single marketing authorization application (“MAA”) that, if approved, authorizes the product to be marketed in all EU member states and European Economic Area countries. We expect to complete our MAA submission following the resubmission of our BLA to FDA.
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COVID-19 and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ( “ ARDS ” ): There is strong and increasingly well-established evidence of the central role of the lectin pathway in COVID-19 and ARDS and we have developed both mechanistic and proof-of-concept clinical data indicating that narsoplimab may be an effective therapeutic for COVID-19, ARDS and/or related indications. We also continue to explore the mounting evidence that MASP-2 and the lectin pathway are important drivers of post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 (“PASC”), commonly known as long COVID, as well as potential approaches to identify acute COVID-19 patients at high-risk for hospitalization and mortality, to identify those PASC patients with hyperactive lectin pathway-driven disease, and to monitor response to treatment with MASP-2 inhibitors.
Narsoplimab has been administered under compassionate use to treat COVID-19 patients in Italy and in the U.S., achieving encouraging results. Additionally, narsoplimab was the only complement inhibitor included in the I-SPY COVID-19 trial, a nationwide, late-stage adaptive platform trial sponsored by Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative (“Quantum Leap”), that evaluated multiple agents as potential treatments for severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation. Results of the I-SPY COVID-19 trial were reported in September 2022. The narsoplimab treatment arm was terminated prior to accrual of the maximum of 125 patients on the basis of analysis in a pre-consented patient population in which substantial bias was detected. Although narsoplimab was not observed in this study to shorten the time to recovery in critically ill patients with COVID-19, analysis in the randomized patient population showed that the addition of narsoplimab to treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 reduces the mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]=0.81, with probability [HR <1] equal to 0.77). In approximately half of the patients who died in the narsoplimab group, narsoplimab was not given or was prematurely stopped, with those patients dying 9 to 35 days later. Neither the trial’s futility nor graduation criteria had been met in the analysis of the randomized population at the time the narsoplimab arm was terminated. Narsoplimab demonstrated the greatest reported survival benefit of all therapeutics evaluated in the I-SPY platform trial.
We have also developed an assay platform to identify hyperactivation of the lectin pathway. Lectin pathway hyperactivation is correlated with COVID-19-related-ARDS and may be involved in the pathogenesis of other forms of ARDS and/or PASC. As such, the assay may be useful to identify patients who are at greatest risk of hospitalization and/or mortality as well as those who are particularly amenable to lectin pathway inhibition therapy for the treatment of one or more of these conditions. We continue to validate the clinical correlation of lectin pathway hyperactivation with COVID-19, ARDS and PASC. We continue to engage in discussions with potential partners as well as with representatives of the U.S. government regarding potential opportunities to obtain funding and advance development of our potential diagnostic and/or therapeutic product candidates for COVID-19, PASC or other infectious diseases.
IgA Nephropathy : In October 2023, we announced the results of a pre-specified interim analysis in ARTEMIS-IGAN, our Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating narsoplimab for the treatment of immunoglobulin A (“IgA”) nephropathy. Topline results of the interim analysis showed that narsoplimab did not achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint of reduction in proteinuria from baseline compared to placebo. Based on the absence of statistical significance and as previously agreed with FDA, we determined not to submit an application for approval of narsoplimab in this indication and the ARTEMIS-IGAN clinical trial has been discontinued.
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OMS1029
Our lectin pathway program also includes OMS1029, our long-acting antibody targeting MASP-2. This next-generation MASP-2 inhibitor is intended to be complementary to narsoplimab, enabling us to pursue chronic indications in which dosing convenience would be of significant benefit to patients. Dosing of all cohorts in a single-ascending dose Phase 1 clinical trial of OMS1029 was successfully completed in early 2023. Pharmacokinetic (“PK”) and pharmacodynamic (“PD”) data show dose-proportional exposure and sustained lectin pathway inhibition, consistent with dosing of OMS1029 once quarterly, either intravenously or subcutaneously. Dosing has also been completed in both of two planned cohorts of our ongoing Phase 1 multiple-ascending-dose study of OMS1029 in healthy volunteers and we expect the study to conclude in mid-2024. OMS1029 has been well tolerated to date with no safety concerns identified. We continue to evaluate several potential indications for Phase 2 clinical development for OMS1029.
MASP-3 Program - Alternative Pathway Disorders
As part of our program to develop complement-targeted therapeutics, we have identified MASP-3, which has been shown to be the key activator of the complement system’s alternative pathway (“APC”), and we believe that we are the first to make this and related discoveries associated with the APC. The complement system is part of the immune system’s innate response, and the APC is considered the amplification loop within the complement system. MASP-3 is responsible for the conversion of pro-factor D to mature factor D; which is necessary for the activation of the APC.
We believe that MASP-3 inhibitors have the potential to treat patients suffering from a wide range of diseases and conditions including: PNH; C3G; multiple sclerosis; neuromyelitis optica; age-related macular degeneration; Alzheimer’s disease; systemic lupus erythematosus; diabetic retinopathy; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis; anti-phospholipid syndrome; atherosclerosis; myasthenia gravis and others. Several of these indications have been clinically validated by other agents targeting the APC. Our MASP-3 program has also generated positive data in a well-established animal model of arthritis.
OMS906
The lead candidate in our MASP-3 inhibitor program is OMS906, a proprietary, patented human monoclonal antibody targeting MASP-3. Clinical development of OMS906 is currently focused on rapidly advancing to Phase 3 clinical trials in multiple APC-related disorders, including PNH and C3G. OMS906 received designation from FDA as an orphan drug for the treatment of PNH in July 2022.
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Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria ( “ PNH ” ): We have three ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating OMS906 for PNH. One in PNH patients who have not previously been treated with a complement inhibitor, and the second in PNH patients who have had an unsatisfactory response to ravulizumab, an inhibitor of complement component 5 (“C5”). The third Phase 2 clinical trial is an open-label extension study to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of OMS906 in patients who have completed either of the other two PNH Phase 2 clinical trials.
In December 2023, updated results from a pre-specified interim analysis of our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of OMS906 in complement-inhibitor-naïve adults with PNH were featured in a podium presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology. The interim analysis results showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in all measured markers of hemolysis, including hemoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase. No patients were reported to have had a clinical breakthrough of PNH or a thrombotic event, and none were reported to require a transfusion while receiving OMS906 treatment.
Enrollment is complete and dosing is ongoing in our Phase 2 trial evaluating OMS906 in PNH patients who have had an unsatisfactory response to the C5 inhibitor ravulizumab. Utilizing a “switch-over” design, this study enrolls PNH patients receiving ravulizumab, adds OMS906 to provide combination therapy with ravulizumab for 24 weeks, and then, in those patients who demonstrate a hemoglobin response with the combination therapy, switches to OMS906 monother apy. Data from a pre-specified interim analysis showed that the addition of OMS906 therapy to ravulizumab treatment resulted in statistically significant and clinical meaningful improvements in both mean hemoglobin levels and absolute reticulocyte counts by week 4 of combination therapy, with a sustained response demonstrated through week 24 (the latest assessment prior to the interim analysis cutoff). Full details from the interim analysis are expected to be presented at a major hematology conference in mid-2024. Interim analysis data from the monotherapy portion of the trial is expected to be available in late 2024.
We have initiated an open-label extension study to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of OMS906 in patients with PNH. In the extension study, PNH patients who have completed a previous study evaluating OMS906 roll directly into the extension study without a break in OMS906 treatment. Data from this study will contribute to a planned BLA for O MS906 in the treatment of PNH. Based on PK data from a successful Phase 1 single-ascending-dose study of OMS906 in healthy subjects and interim data from our ongoing clinical trials in PNH patients, we are exploring two different dosing frequencies - once every eight weeks and once every 12 weeks - for the Phase 3 studies and commercialization.
In February 2024 we met with FDA to discuss our development program for OMS906 in PNH. We presented clinical and nonclinical data and requested input on expectations for Phase 3 studies and BLA submission. FDA confirmed that the scope of our nonclinical program is sufficient to support Phase 3 clinical studies and provided input on dosing and design of the proposed Phase 3 program to support a BLA in PNH. We expect to meet again with FDA later this year to discuss further details of the design of our Phase 3 studies. Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating OMS906 in PNH are targeted to begin in late 2024.
Complement 3 glomerulopathy ( “ C3G ” ): We also have an ongoing Phase 2 clinical program evaluating OMS906 for the treatment of C3G, a rare and debilitating renal disease driven by complement dysregulation. Notably, the relevance of the alternative pathway to C3G has been clinically validated in a Phase 3 trial with another inhibitor of the alternative pathway that reported positive results in the treatment of C3G. Although a protocol amendment to modify the OMS906 dose based on information learned from our PNH program delayed initiation of the study, sites are now open in multiple countries and patients are being screened for enrollment. We are targeting to initiate Phase 3 development for C3G in the first part of 2025, after Phase 2 results are available and discussions occur with regulators.
Preclinical Complement Inhibitor Programs
We have also directed efforts to development of small-molecule inhibitors of MASP-2 and MASP-3 designed for oral administration . In our MASP-2 small molecule inhibitor program we continue to advance testing to enable the filing of an investigational new drug application. Our MASP-3 small-molecule inhibitor is advancing rapidly toward selection of a drug development candidate.
Other Clinical Programs
PDE7 Inhibitor Programs - OMS527
Our PDE7 inhibitor programs, which we refer to as OMS527, comprise multiple PDE7 inhibitor compounds and are based on our discoveries of previously unknown links between PDE7 and any addiction or compulsive disorder, and between PDE7 and any movement disorders. PDE7 appears to modulate the dopaminergic system, which plays a significant role in regulating both addiction and movement. We believe that PDE7 inhibitors could be effective therapeutics for the treatment of addictions and compulsions as well as for movement disorders. Data generated in preclinical studies support the use of PDE7 inhibitors in both of these therapeutic areas.
Cocaine Use Disorder ( “ CUD ” ): In April 2023, we were awarded a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, to develop our lead orally administered PDE7 inhibitor compound, for which we have successfully completed a Phase 1 study, for the treatment of CUD. The grant amount, a total of $6.69 million over three years, is intended to support preclinical cocaine interaction/toxicology studies to assess safety of the therapeutic candidate in the presence of concomitant cocaine administration, as well as an in-patient, placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of OMS527 in adults with CUD who receive concurrent intravenous cocaine. The preclinical study is intended to provide the toxicology data necessary to support the human study of OMS527 in CUD. That study is underway and is expected to be completed in late 2024.
Levodopa-induced dyskinesia ( “ LID ” ): With investigators at Emory University, we are also evaluating OMS527 as a potential treatment for LID, which are involuntary and often crippling movements in patients with Parkinson’s disease that are caused by prolonged treatment with levodopa, the most prescribed therapy for Parkinson’s disease. More than 10 million patients are living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide. Reportedly 50 percent or more of levodopa-treated patients with Parkinson’s disease suffer from LID.
We hold an exclusive license to certain PDE7 inhibitors claimed in patents and pending patent applications owned by Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. (“Daiichi Sankyo”), as successor-in-interest to Asubio Pharma Co., Ltd. for use in the treatment of movement, addiction and compulsive disorders as well as other specified indications. For a more detailed description of our agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, see “License and Development Agreements” below.
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PPAR γ Program - OMS405
In our peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (“PPARγ”) program, we have engaged in development of proprietary compositions that include PPARγ agonists for the treatment and prevention of addiction to substances of abuse, which may include opioids, nicotine and alcohol. We believe that Omeros is the first to demonstrate a link between PPARγ and addiction disorders. Data from clinical studies and from animal models of addiction suggest that PPARγ agonists could be efficacious in the treatment of a wide range of addictions.
Our collaborators at The New York State Psychiatric Institute have completed two Phase 2 clinical trials related to our PPARγ program. These studies evaluated a PPARγ agonist, alone or in combination with other agents, for treatment of addiction to heroin and to nicotine. The published results of the heroin study demonstrated that, although not altering the reinforcing or positive subjective effects of heroin, the PPARγ agonist significantly reduced heroin craving and overall anxiety. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (“NIDA”) provided substantially all of the funding for these clinical trials and solely oversaw the conduct of these trials. We have the right or expect to be able to reference the data obtained from these studies for any future FDA submission and continue to retain all other rights in connection with the PPARγ program.
We have also reported positive results ( i.e. , decreased cravings and protection of brain white matter) from a Phase 2 clinical trial conducted by an independent investigator evaluating the effects of a PPARγ agonist in patients with cocaine use disorder. An investigator-sponsored study evaluating the effects of a PPARγ agonist on the prevention of relapse following treatment of cocaine use disorder is ongoing. The study is funded by NIDA.
We own patents, patent applications and other intellectual property rights related to our PPARγ program, as described under “Intellectual Property” below.
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Preclinical Programs and Platforms
Immuno-Oncology Platform
We have five immuno-oncology (I-O) platforms in preclinical development – adoptive T-cell therapy, CART-T, signaling-driven immunomodulators, antigen-driven immunomodulators that function both as therapeutics and vaccines, and oncotoxins. To date, in vitro, ex vivo and animal studies using human cellular components have been positive with high response rates. These data collectively reinforce the scientific basis for each platform, confirming our rationale for their design and development. The data from our studies to date have demonstrated a number of potential advantages of our immuno-oncology franchise over other I-O approaches.
Our I-O franchise should be applicable to cancers broadly. Rather than targeting only cell-surface antigens, our I-O franchise is designed to target both cell-surface and intracellular cancer targets, significantly broadening the range of indications. Unlike other therapeutic approaches that affect either CD4 or CD8 levels, we have designed and demonstrated the ability of our technologies to increase levels of both CD4 and CD8 cells against a given cancer, both of which are necessary to kill tumor cells. By increasing both the CD4 and CD8 cells, we should also be able to mitigate the “treatment exhaustion” – or the wearing-off of the treatment effect – seen with many currently available therapies. This would allow repeated treatment, providing a sustained and better anti-tumor response.
Our cellular platforms do not require modification or engineering. Instead, cells from the patient are simply treated outside the body and administered back to the patient. We expect this simplicity in process, if achieved, to represent a major advance over currently available T-cell therapies, greatly decreasing both preparation time and cost. When injected into the body, our novel biologic molecules should result not only in elimination of tumor cells but, importantly, in immune memory against future cancer relapse. Our core technology is also amenable potentially to cancer prevention broadly.
We believe that all five platforms are entirely novel and proprietary. We continue to confirm our results and to generate new data, all of which contribute to our intellectual property position.
Sales and Marketing
We have retained all worldwide marketing and distribution rights to our drug candidates and our development programs. As such, we will be able to market any drug candidate that is approved in the future independently, through arrangements with third parties, or via some combination of these approaches.
We maintained internal marketing and sales capabilities with respect to OMIDRIA until the completion of the divestiture of that product on December 23, 2021. As part of the divestiture, substantially all of our OMIDRIA sales and marketing team members accepted employment with Rayner and were separated from their employment at Omeros, effective as of December 31, 2021.
Manufacturing, Supply and Commercial Operations
We currently do not own or operate manufacturing facilities. We utilized contract manufacturers to produce, store and distribute OMIDRIA and currently rely on third parties to produce sufficient quantities of our drug candidates for use in pre-clinical and clinical studies and for the manufacture of narsoplimab for commercial use following potential regulatory approval.
OMIDRIA . We assigned or otherwise transitioned to Rayner our agreements with the third parties that produced, stored and distributed OMIDRIA. We required manufacturers that produced active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”) and finished drug products to operate in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMPs”) and all other applicable laws and regulations.
In the U.S., we sold OMIDRIA through a limited number of wholesalers that distributed the product to ASCs and hospitals. Title transferred upon delivery of OMIDRIA to the wholesaler. For additional information, see Part II, Item 8, “ Note 7 – Discontinued Operations – Sale of OMIDRIA ” to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Drug Candidates . We have laboratories in-house for analytical method development, bioanalytical testing, formulation, stability testing and small-scale compounding of laboratory supplies of drug candidates. We utilize contract manufacturers to produce sufficient quantities of drug candidates for use in preclinical and clinical studies and to store and distribute our drug candidates. We require manufacturers that produce bulk drug substance and finished drug products for clinical use to operate in accordance with cGMPs and all other applicable laws and regulations. We anticipate that we will rely on contract manufacturers to develop and manufacture our drug candidates for commercial sale. We maintain agreements with potential and existing manufacturers that include confidentiality and intellectual property provisions to protect our proprietary rights related to our drug candidates.
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In July 2019, we entered into a master services agreement with Lonza Biologics Tuas Pte. Ltd. (“Lonza”) for the commercial production of narsoplimab and for certain regulatory support and related services to be provided by Lonza from time to time. Under the agreement Lonza will manufacture narsoplimab pursuant to purchase orders issued in accordance with certain forecast and confirmation procedures specified in the contract. We will purchase narsoplimab that meets agreed specifications in batches, with the price per batch varying according to the total number of batches ordered for serial production in a single manufacturing campaign. We are obligated to purchase a minimum number of batches annually beginning on a specified anniversary of the first commercial sale of narsoplimab in either the U.S. or EU. We may be obligated to pay certain fees to Lonza upon cancellation of purchase orders.
The initial term of the agreement expires five years after the first commercial sale of narsoplimab in either the U.S. or EU and is subject to automatic renewal for an additional four-year term unless we provide notice of non-renewal at least three years prior to the end of the initial term. In addition, either party may terminate the agreement, subject to applicable notice and cure periods under certain circumstances. Other than our agreement for commercial supply of narsoplimab, we have not yet entered into a commercial supply agreement for any of our drug candidates.
If approved for commercial sale in the U.S., we expect to utilize one or more wholesalers for distribution of narsoplimab.
License and Development Agreements
MASP-3 . In August 2020, we entered into a technology license agreement with Xencor, Inc., pursuant to which we received an exclusive license to apply Xencor’s Xtend Fc technology to OMS906 and options to access exclusive licenses to apply Xtend Fc technology to additional antibodies (the “Xencor Agreement”). Exercise of an option to access additional licenses would require payment of a $3.0 million upfront license fee. With respect to each antibody for which we license the Xencor technology we are obligated to make milestone payments of up to $65.0 million, comprised of $15.0 million in development milestones, $25.0 million in regulatory milestones and $25.0 million in sales milestones. In August 2023, we paid $5.0 million to Xencor in connection with the achievement of a development milestone in our OMS906 program. We are obligated on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis to pay Xencor royalties in the mid-single digit percentage range on net sales of any product covered by the license so long as there is a valid, subsisting and enforceable claim in any patents or patent applications covering the licensed technology. Thereafter, the royalty rate is reduced to the low single-digit percentage range, if the applicable licensed product is covered by Xencor know-how, or to zero, if the applicable licensed product is not covered by Xencor know-how. The term of the Xencor Agreement continues on a product-by-product basis until the later of (i) expiration for the last-to-expire patent covering the licensed technology or (ii) five years from the date of first commercial sale of the applicable product.
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PDE7 . Under an agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, we hold an exclusive worldwide license to PDE7 inhibitors claimed in certain patents and pending patent applications owned by Daiichi Sankyo for use in the treatment of (1) movement disorders and other specified indications, (2) addiction and compulsive disorders and (3) all other diseases except those related to dermatologic conditions. Under the agreement, we agreed to make milestone payments to Daiichi Sankyo of up to an aggregate total of $33.5 million upon the achievement of certain events in each of these three fields; however, if only one of the three indications is advanced through the milestones, the total milestone payments would be $23.5 million. The milestone payment events include successful completion of preclinical toxicology studies; dosing of human subjects in Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials; receipt of marketing approval of a PDE7 inhibitor drug candidate; and reaching specified sales milestones. In addition, Daiichi Sankyo is entitled to receive from us a low single-digit percentage royalty of any net sales of a PDE7 inhibitor licensed under the agreement by us and/or our sublicensee(s) provided that, if the sales are made by a sublicensee, then the amount payable by us to Daiichi Sankyo is capped at an amount equal to a low double-digit percentage of all royalty and specified milestone payments received by us from the sublicensee.
The term of the agreement with Daiichi Sankyo continues so long as there is a valid, subsisting and enforceable claim in any patents covered by the agreement. The agreement may be terminated sooner by us, with or without cause, upon 90 days advance written notice or by either party following a material breach of the agreement by the other party that has not been cured within 90 days or immediately if the other party is insolvent or bankrupt. Daiichi Sankyo also has the right to terminate the agreement if we and our sublicensee(s) cease to conduct all research, development and/or commercialization activities for a PDE7 inhibitor covered by the agreement for a period of six consecutive months, in which case all rights held by us under Daiichi Sankyo’s patents will revert to Daiichi Sankyo.
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Competition
Overview. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry is highly competitive and characterized by a number of established, large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as well as smaller companies like ours. We expect to compete with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and our competitors may:
● develop and market products that are less expensive, more effective or safer than our future products;
● commercialize competing products before we can launch our products;
● operate larger research and development programs, possess greater manufacturing capabilities or have substantially greater financial resources than we do;
● initiate or withstand substantial price competition more successfully than we can;
● have greater success in recruiting skilled technical and scientific workers from the limited pool of available talent;
● more effectively negotiate third-party licenses and strategic relationships; and
● take advantage of acquisition or other opportunities more readily than we can.
We expect to compete for market share against large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, smaller companies that are collaborating with larger pharmaceutical companies, new companies, academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations. In addition, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry is characterized by rapid technological change. Because our research approach integrates many technologies, it may be difficult for us to remain current with the rapid changes in each technology. Further, our competitors may render our technologies obsolete by advancing their existing technological approaches or developing new or different approaches. If we fail to stay at the forefront of technological change, we may be unable to compete effectively.
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Drug Candidates, Development Programs and Platforms. There are a number of complement-targeted therapeutics that are in advanced stages of clinical development, or which have been approved for commercial use. These include Soliris® (eculizumab), Ultomiris® (ravulizumab-cwvz), Empaveli® (pegcetacoplan), Tavneos® (avocopan) and Fabhalta® (iptacopan). Narsoplimab, OMS1029 and/or OMS906 will face competition from one or more of these products if approved for any indication(s) for which one or more of these potentially competitive products are also approved or for which a potentially competitive product is used off-label to treat a relevant condition.
Intellectual Property
We have retained control of all worldwide manufacturing, marketing and distribution rights for each of our drug candidates and programs. Some of our drug candidates and programs are based on inventions and other intellectual property rights that we acquired through assignments, exclusive licenses or acquisitions described in further detail under “License and Development Agreements” above.
As of February 15, 2024, we owned or held worldwide exclusive licenses to a total of 78 issued patents and 60 pending patent applications in the U.S. and 1,334 issued patents and 580 pending patent applications in foreign markets directed to therapeutic compositions and methods and other technologies related to our research and development programs. For each program, our decision to seek patent protection in specific foreign markets, in addition to the U.S., is based on many factors, including one or more of the following: our available resources, the size of the commercial market, the presence of a potential competitor or a contract manufacturer in the market and whether the legal authorities in the market effectively enforce patent rights.
● MASP-2 Program - Narsoplimab (OMS721) and OMS1029. We own and hold worldwide exclusive licenses to rights in connection with MASP-2, antibodies targeting MASP-2, small-molecule MASP-2 inhibitors, and related therapeutic applications. As of February 15, 2024, we exclusively controlled 38 issued patents and 32 pending patent applications in the U.S., and 793 issued patents and 435 pending patent applications in foreign markets, related to our MASP-2 program, including narsoplimab and our second-generation MASP-2 antibody OMS1029. Our MASP-2-related patents have terms that will expire as late as 2038 and, if currently pending patent applications are issued, as late as 2043.
● MASP-3 Program - OMS906 . We own and exclusively control rights in connection with MASP-3, antibodies targeting MASP-3 and related therapeutic applications. We also hold an exclusive license from Xencor, Inc. for the application of certain antibody technology to OMS906, as well as the option to obtain additional licenses to such technology for exclusive application to additional antibodies that we may select. As of February 15, 2024, we exclusively controlled four issued patents and eight pending patent applications in the U.S. and 188 issued and 104 pending patent applications in foreign markets that are related to our MASP-3 program. Our MASP-3-related patents have terms that will expire as late as 2037 and, if currently pending patent applications are issued, as late as 2043.
● PPAR γ Program - OMS405 . As of February 15, 2024, we owned three issued patents and one pending patent application in the U.S., and 37 issued patents and two pending patent applications in foreign markets, directed to our discoveries linking PPARγ and addictive disorders. Our PPARγ-related patents have terms that will expire as late as 2030.
● PDE7 Program - OMS527 . As of February 15, 2024, we owned two issued patents and two pending patent application in the U.S., and 61 issued patents and two pending patent applications in foreign markets directed to our discoveries linking PDE7 to movement disorders, as well as three issued patent and two pending patent applications in the U.S., and 54 issued patents and three pending patent applications in foreign markets directed to the link between PDE7 and addiction and compulsive disorders. Additionally, under a license from Daiichi Sankyo, we exclusively control rights to two issued U.S. patents and 53 issued patents in foreign markets that are directed to proprietary PDE7 inhibitors. Our PDE7-related patents have terms that will expire as late as 2031 and, if currently pending patent applications are issued, as late as 2043. For a more detailed description of our agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, see “License and Development Agreements” below.
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● Immuno-oncology Program. O ur Immuno-oncology program includes five proprietary platforms relating to potential therapies for cancer. As of February 15, 2024, we owned two pending patent applications in foreign markets directed to potential cancer therapies.
All of our employees enter into our standard employee proprietary information and inventions agreement, which includes confidentiality provisions and provides us ownership of all inventions and other intellectual property made by our employees that pertain to our business or that relate to our employees’ work for us or that result from the use of our resources. Our commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and trade secret protection of the use, formulation and structure of our drug candidates and the methods used to manufacture them, as well as on our ability to defend successfully these patents against third-party challenges. Our ability to protect our drug candidates from unauthorized making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing by third parties is dependent on the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents that cover these activities.
The patent positions of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents has emerged to date in the U.S., and tests used for determining the patentability of patent claims in all technologies are in flux. The pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences patent situation outside the U.S. is even more uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the U.S. and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in the patents that we own or have licensed or in third-party patents.
We have registered, and intend to maintain, the trademark “OMEROS” within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in connection with the products and services we offer. We are not aware of any material claims of infringement or other challenges to our right to use the “OMEROS” trademark in the U.S.
Government Regulation
Government authorities in the U.S., the EU and other countries extensively regulate the research, development, testing, manufacture, labeling, promotion, advertising, distribution, marketing, and export and import of drug and biologic products including the drug candidates that we are developing. Failure to comply with applicable requirements, both before and after receipt of regulatory approval, may subject us, our third-party manufacturers, and other partners to administrative and judicial sanctions, such as warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, a delay in approving or refusal to approve pending applications, civil and other monetary penalties, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, and/or criminal prosecutions.
In the U.S., our drug candidates are regulated by FDA as drugs or biologics under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) and implementing regulations and under the Public Health Service Act (“PHSA”). In the EU, our drug candidates are regulated by the EMA and national medicines regulators under the rules governing medicinal products in the EU as well as national regulations in individual countries. Our drug candidates are in various stages of testing and none of our drug candidates has received marketing approval from FDA or the applicable regulatory authorities in the EU.
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The steps required before a product may be approved for marketing by FDA, or the applicable regulatory authorities outside of the U.S., typically include the following:
● formulation development and manufacturing process development;
● preclinical laboratory and animal testing;
● submission to FDA of an Investigational New Drug application (“IND”) for human clinical testing, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin; and in countries outside the U.S., a Clinical Trial Application (“CTA”), is filed according to the country’s local regulations;
● adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the efficacy and safety of the product for each indication for which approval is sought;
● adequate assessment of drug product stability to determine shelf life/expiry dating;
● in the U.S., submission to FDA of a New Drug Application (“NDA”), in the case of a drug product, or a BLA in the case of a biologic product and, in Europe, submission to the EMA or a national regulatory authority of an MAA;
● satisfactory completion of inspections of one or more clinical sites at which clinical trials with the product were carried out and of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the product is produced to assess compliance with Good Clinical Practices (“GCPs”), and cGMPs; and
● FDA review and approval of an NDA or BLA, or review and approval of an MAA by the applicable regulatory authorities in the EU.
Manufacturing. Manufacturing of drug products for use in clinical trials must be conducted according to relevant national and international guidelines, for example, cGMP. Process and formulation development are undertaken to design suitable routes to manufacture the drug substance and the drug product for administration to animals or humans. Analytical development is undertaken to obtain methods to quantify the potency, purity and stability of the drug substance and drug product as well as to measure the amount of the drug substance and its metabolites in biological fluids, such as blood.
Preclinical Tests. Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluations and animal studies to assess efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics. The results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information, analytical data, clinical development plan, and other available information are submitted as part of an IND or CTA.
The IND/CTA Process. An IND or CTA must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. INDs are extensive submissions including, among other things, the results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data. In addition to including the results of the preclinical studies, the IND will also include one or more protocols for proposed clinical trials detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. An IND will become effective 30 days after receipt by FDA unless, before that time, FDA raises concerns or questions and imposes a clinical hold. In that event, the IND sponsor and FDA must resolve any outstanding FDA concerns or questions before the clinical hold is lifted and clinical trials can proceed. Similarly, a CTA must be cleared by the local independent ethics committee and competent authority prior to conducting a clinical trial in the country in which it was submitted. There can be no assurance that submission of an IND or CTA will result in authorization to commence clinical trials. Once an IND or CTA is in effect, there are certain reporting requirements.
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Clinical Trials. Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified personnel and must be conducted in accordance with local regulations and GCPs. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, for example, the parameters to be used in monitoring patient safety and the efficacy criteria, or endpoints, to be evaluated. Each trial must be reviewed and approved by an independent institutional review board or ethics committee for each clinical site at which the trial will be conducted before it can begin. Clinical trials are typically conducted in three defined phases, but the phases may overlap or be combined:
● Phase 1 usually involves the initial administration of the investigational product to human subjects, who may or may not have the disease or condition for which the product is being developed, to evaluate the safety, dosage tolerance, pharmacodynamics and, if possible, to gain an early indication of the effectiveness of the product.
● Phase 2 usually involves trials in a limited patient population with the disease or condition for which the product is being developed to evaluate appropriate dosage, to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks, and to evaluate preliminarily the effectiveness of the product for specific indications.
● Phase 3 clinical trials usually further evaluate and confirm effectiveness and test further for safety by administering the product in its final form in an expanded patient population.
We, our product development partners, institutional review boards or ethics committees, FDA or other regulatory authorities may suspend or terminate clinical trials at any time on various grounds, including a belief that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk.
Disclosure of Clinical Trial Information . Sponsors of clinical trials of certain FDA-regulated products, including prescription drugs, are required to register and disclose certain clinical trial information on a public website maintained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Information related to the product, patient population, phase of investigation, study sites and investigator, and other aspects of the clinical trial is made public as part of the registration. Sponsors are also obligated to disclose the results of these trials after completion. Disclosure of the results of these trials can be delayed for up to two years if the sponsor certifies that it is seeking approval of an unapproved product or that it will file an application for approval of a new indication for an approved product within one year. Clinical trials conducted in European countries are required to be registered at a similar public database maintained and overseen by European health authorities. Competitors may use this publicly available information to gain knowledge regarding the design and progress of our development programs.
The Application Process. If the necessary clinical trials are successfully completed, the results of the preclinical trials and the clinical trials, together with other detailed information, including information on the manufacture and composition of the product, are submitted to FDA in the form of an NDA or a BLA, as applicable, and to the EMA or national regulators in the form of an MAA, requesting approval to market the product for a specified indication. In the EU, an MAA may be submitted to the EMA for review and, if the EMA gives a positive opinion, the EC may grant a marketing authorization that is valid across the EU (centralized procedure). Alternatively, an MAA may be submitted to one or more national regulators in the EU according to one of several national or decentralized procedures. The type of submission in Europe depends on various factors and must be cleared by the appropriate authority prior to submission. For most of our drug candidates, the centralized procedure will be either mandatory or available as an option.
If the regulatory authority determines that the application is not acceptable, it may refuse to accept the application for filing and review, outlining the deficiencies in the application and specifying additional information needed to file the application. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional testing or information, the regulatory authority ultimately may decide that the proposed product is not safe or effective, or that the application does not otherwise satisfy the criteria for approval. In the U.S., to support an approval an NDA must demonstrate, among other things, that the proposed drug product is safe and effective, has a favorable benefit-risk profile, is manufactured in a way that preserves its identity, strength, purity and potency, and that its labeling is adequate and not false or misleading. A similar standard exists for BLAs. Before approving an NDA or BLA, or an MAA, FDA or the EMA, respectively, may inspect one or more of the clinical sites at which the clinical studies were conducted to ensure that GCPs were followed and may inspect facilities at which the product is manufactured to ensure satisfactory compliance with cGMP. The FDA may refer the NDA or BLA to an advisory committee for review and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendation. In addition, even if a drug candidate satisfied its endpoints with statistical significance during clinical trials, FDA could determine that the overall balance of risks and benefits for the drug candidate is not adequate to support approval, or only justifies approval for a narrow set of clinical uses and/or subject to restricted distribution or other burdensome post-approval requirements or limitations. If approval is obtained changes to the approved product such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes, or additional labeling claims will require submission of a supplemental application, referred to as a variation in the EU, or, in some instances, a new application, for further review and approval. The testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort, and financial resources, and we cannot be sure that any future approval will be granted on a timely basis, if at all.
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Some of our drug candidates, such as those from our MASP-2 and MASP-3 programs, are considered biologics because they are derived from natural sources as opposed to being chemically synthesized. The added complexity associated with manufacturing biologics may result in additional monitoring of the manufacturing process and product changes.
In addition, we, our suppliers and our contract manufacturers are required to comply with extensive regulatory requirements both before and after approval. For example, we must establish a pharmacovigilance system and are required to report adverse reactions and production problems, if any, to the regulatory authorities. If any of our drug candidates are approved, we will be required to also comply with certain requirements concerning advertising and promotion for our products. The regulatory authorities may impose specific obligations as a condition of the marketing authorization, such as additional safety monitoring, or the conduct of additional clinical trials or post-marketing safety studies, or the imposition of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”), which could include significant restrictions on distribution or use of the product. Also, quality control and manufacturing procedures must continue to conform to cGMPs after approval. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including production and quality control to comply with cGMPs. In addition, discovery of problems such as safety issues may result in changes in labeling or restrictions on a product manufacturer or marketing authorization holder, including removal of the product from the market.
Fast-Track and Priority Review Designations. Section 506(b) of the FDCA provides for the designation of a drug as a fast-track product if it is intended, whether alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and it demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for such a disease or condition. A program with fast-track status is afforded greater access to FDA for the purpose of expediting the product’s development, review and potential approval. Many products that receive fast-track designation are also considered appropriate to receive priority review, and their respective applications may be accepted by FDA as a rolling submission in which portions of an NDA or BLA are reviewed before the complete application is submitted. Together, these may reduce time of development and FDA review time. In Europe, products that are considered to be of major public health interest are eligible for accelerated assessment, which shortens the review period. The grant of fast-track status, priority review or accelerated assessment does not alter the standard regulatory requirements for obtaining marketing approval.
Breakthrough Therapy Designation . In 2012, Congress enacted the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. This law established a regulatory process allowing for increased interactions with FDA with the goal of expediting development and review of products designated as “breakthrough therapies.” A product may be designated as a breakthrough therapy if it is intended, either alone or in combination with one or more other products, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The FDA may take certain actions with respect to breakthrough therapies, including holding meetings with the sponsor throughout the development process; providing timely advice to the product sponsor regarding development and approval; involving more senior staff in the review process; assigning a cross-disciplinary project lead for the review team; and taking other steps to design the clinical trials in an efficient manner.
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Accelerated Approval . The FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product for a serious or life-threatening condition that provides a meaningful therapeutic advantage to patients over existing treatments based upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA may also grant accelerated approval for such a condition when the product has an effect on an intermediate clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality and that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. In both cases, FDA must take into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. Studies that are conducted to demonstrate a drug’s effect on a surrogate or intermediate clinical endpoint for accelerated approval must be adequate and well-controlled as required by the FDCA.
Following accelerated approval, FDA requires that the company provide confirmatory evidence, which may include certain adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical studies to verify the clinical benefit of the product, and FDA may impose restrictions on distribution to assure safe use. Pursuant to new statutory authority under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022, FDA can require confirmatory studies to be underway at the time of the accelerated approval. If the required confirmatory studies fail to verify the clinical benefit of the drug, or if the applicant fails to perform the required confirmatory studies with due diligence, FDA may withdraw approval of the drug under streamlined procedures in accordance with FDA’s regulations. FDA may also withdraw approval of a drug if, among other things, other evidence demonstrates that the drug product is not shown to be safe or effective under its conditions of use.
The EU also has accelerated approval programs. In the EU, a marketing authorization may be granted on the basis of less complete data than are normally required in certain “exceptional circumstances,” such as when the product’s indication is encountered so rarely that the applicant cannot reasonably be expected to provide comprehensive data. Alternatively, a conditional marketing authorization may be granted prior to obtaining the comprehensive clinical data required for a full MAA if a product fulfills an unmet medical need and the benefit to public health of the product’s immediate availability outweighs the risk inherent in the incomplete data.
Orphan Drug Designation . Under the Orphan Drug Act (“ODA”), FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs or biologics intended to treat a rare disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S. or more than 200,000 individuals in the U.S. for which the cost of developing and making the product available in the U.S. for this type of disease or condition is not likely to be recovered from U.S. sales for that product. The granting of orphan designation does not alter the standard regulatory requirements (other than payment of certain fees and the applicability of certain pediatric assessment requirements), nor does it alter the standards or process for obtaining marketing approval. The sponsor of a product that has an orphan drug designation qualifies for various development incentives specified in the ODA, including a tax credit of up to 25% of expenditures on qualified clinical testing for the orphan drug. Furthermore, if the orphan designated product subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the orphan indication, the product is entitled to an orphan drug exclusivity period, which means that FDA may not grant approval to any other application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity for the protected indication. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent FDA from approving a different drug for the same disease or condition, or the same drug for a different disease or condition. The EU has a similar Orphan Drug program to that of the U.S., and it is administered through the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products.
Pediatric Testing and Exclusivity. In the U.S., NDAs and BLAs are subject to both mandatory pediatric testing requirements and voluntary pediatric testing incentives in the form of exclusivity. An additional six months of exclusivity in the U.S. may be granted to a sponsor of an NDA or BLA if the sponsor conducts certain pediatric studies, which studies are conducted pursuant to a written request from FDA. This process is initiated when FDA issues a Written Request for pediatric studies to determine if the drug or biologic could have meaningful pediatric health benefits. If FDA determines that the sponsor has conducted the requested pediatric studies in accordance with the written request, then an additional six months of exclusivity may attach in the case of a drug to any other regulatory exclusivity or patent protection applicable to the drug and, in the case of a biologic, to any other regulatory exclusivity applicable to the biologic. The EU has a similar requirement and incentive for the conduct of pediatric studies according to the pediatric investigation plan, which must be adopted by the EMA before an MAA may be submitted.
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Expanded Access . “Expanded access” refers to the use of an investigational drug where the primary purpose is to diagnose, monitor, or treat a patient’s disease or condition rather than to collect information about the safety or effectiveness of a drug. There are three FDA-recognized categories of expanded access trials: expanded access for individual patients, including for emergency use; expanded access for intermediate-size patient populations; and expanded access for large patient populations under a treatment IND or treatment protocol. For all types of expanded access, FDA must determine prior to authorizing expanded access that: (1) the patient or patients to be treated have a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and there is no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy; (2) the potential patient benefit justifies the potential risks of use and that the potential risks are not unreasonable in the context of the disease or condition to be treated; and (3) granting the expanded access will not interfere with the initiation, conduct, or completion of clinical studies in support of the drug’s approval. Only a licensed physician or the drug’s manufacturer may apply for expanded access. Manufacturers are not required to supply the investigational product for expanded access. The FDA has established streamlined processes for physicians to request individual patient expanded access whereby physicians can submit a single patient IND. In cases of individual patient emergency expanded access, physicians can receive FDA approval for access by phone and follow up with the abbreviated form. In addition, the sponsor of an expanded access IND must submit IND safety reports and, in the cases of protocols continuing for one year or longer, annual reports to FDA.
U.S. Labeling, Marketing and Promotion. The FDA closely regulates the labeling, marketing and promotion of drugs. In general, our labeling and promotion must not be false or misleading in any particular, and claims that we make must be adequately substantiated. In addition, our approved labeling must include adequate directions to physicians for each intended use of our products. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising, injunctions and potential civil and criminal penalties.
In addition to regulation by FDA, the research, manufacturing, distribution, sale and promotion of drug products in the U.S. are subject to regulation by various federal, state and local authorities, including CMS, other divisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( e.g. , the Office of Inspector General), the U.S. Department of Justice, state Attorneys General, and other state and local government agencies. All of these activities are also potentially subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws. Violations of these laws are punishable by prison sentences, criminal fines, administrative civil money penalties, and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs.
There are also an increasing number of state laws that require manufacturers to make reports to states on pricing and marketing information or impose other special requirements for the sale and marketing of drug products. Many of these laws contain ambiguities as to what is required to comply with the laws. In addition, federal and state “transparency laws” require manufacturers to track and report certain payments made to health care providers and, under some state laws, other information concerning our products. These laws may affect our sales, marketing and other promotional activities by imposing administrative and compliance burdens on us. In addition, our reporting actions could be subject to the penalty provisions of the pertinent state and federal authorities.
Drug Supply Chain Security Act . Title II (the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (the “DSCSA”)), of the Drug Quality and Security Act imposes on manufacturers of certain pharmaceutical products new obligations related to product tracking and tracing, among others, which began a several-year phase-in process in 2015. Among the requirements of this legislation, manufacturers subject to the DSCSA are required to provide certain documentation regarding the drug product to trading partners to which product ownership is transferred, label drug product with a product identifier ( i.e. , serialize), respond to verification requests from trading partners, provide transaction documentation upon request by federal or state government entities, and keep certain records regarding the drug product. The transfer of information to subsequent product owners by manufacturers must be done electronically. For products and transactions falling within DSCSA’s scope, manufacturers are required to verify that purchasers of the manufacturers’ products are appropriately licensed. Further, under the DSCSA, covered manufacturers have drug product investigation, quarantine, disposition, and notification responsibilities for product that is reasonably believed or that credible evidence shows to be counterfeit, diverted, stolen, intentionally adulterated such that the product would result in serious adverse health consequences or death, the subject of fraudulent transactions or otherwise unfit for distribution such that they would be reasonably likely to result in serious health consequences or death. Anti-counterfeiting and serialization requirements similar to those under the DSCSA have also been adopted in the EU and became effective in February 2019.
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Foreign Regulatory Requirements. Outside of the U.S., our ability to conduct clinical trials or market our products will also depend on receiving the requisite authorizations from the appropriate regulatory authorities. The foreign regulatory approval processes include similar requirements and many of the risks associated with FDA and/or the EU approval process described above, although the precise requirements may vary from country to country.
Hatch-Waxman Act. In seeking approval for a drug through an NDA, applicants are required to list with FDA each patent with claims that cover the applicant’s drug or an approved method of use of the drug. Upon approval of a drug, each of the patents listed in the application for the drug is then published in FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly known as the Orange Book. Drugs listed in the Orange Book can, in turn, be cited by potential competitors in support of approval of an Abbreviated New Drug Application (“ANDA”) or a 505(b)(2) application. In this case the original NDA, i.e., the pioneer drug, is known as the “listed” drug or “reference-listed” drug. An ANDA provides for marketing of a drug that has the same active ingredients and, in some cases, also the same inactive ingredients, in the same strengths, route of administration and dosage form as the listed drug and has been shown through testing to be bioequivalent to the listed drug or receives a waiver from bioequivalence testing. ANDA applicants are generally not required to conduct or submit results of preclinical or clinical tests to prove the safety or effectiveness of their drug, other than the requirement for bioequivalence testing. Drugs approved in this way are considered therapeutically equivalent, and are commonly referred to as “generic equivalents” to the listed drug. These drugs then generally can be substituted by pharmacists under prescriptions written for the original listed drug.
The ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant is required to certify to FDA concerning any patents listed for the referenced approved drug in FDA’s Orange Book. Specifically, for each listed patent, the applicant must certify that: (1) the required patent information has not been filed; (2) the listed patent has expired; (3) the listed patent has not expired but will expire on a particular date and approval is sought after patent expiration; or (4) the listed patent is invalid, unenforceable or will not be infringed by the new drug. A certification that the new drug will not infringe the already approved drug’s listed patents or that such patents are invalid or unenforceable is called a Paragraph IV certification. If the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant does not include a Paragraph IV certification, the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application will not be approved until all of the listed patents claiming the referenced drug have expired, except for any listed patents that only apply to uses of the drug not being sought by the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant.
If the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant has made a Paragraph IV certification, the applicant must also send a Paragraph IV Notice Letter to the NDA and patent holders once the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application has been accepted for filing by FDA. The NDA and patent holders may then initiate a patent infringement lawsuit in response to the Paragraph IV Notice Letter. The filing of a patent infringement lawsuit within 45 days of the receipt of a Paragraph IV Notice Letter automatically prevents FDA from approving the ANDA until the earlier of 30 months, expiration of the patent, settlement of the lawsuit, modification by a court or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant.
The ANDA or 505(b)(2) application also will not be approved until any applicable non-patent exclusivity, such as exclusivity for obtaining approval of a new chemical entity, listed in the Orange Book for the reference-listed drug has expired. The U.S. Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, more commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act, provides a period of five years following approval of a drug containing no previously approved active moiety, during which ANDAs for generic versions of those drugs and 505(b)(2) applications referencing those drugs cannot be submitted unless the submission contains a Paragraph IV challenge to a listed patent, in which case the submission may be made four years following the original drug approval. The Hatch-Waxman Act also provides for a period of three years of exclusivity following approval of a listed drug that contains previously approved active ingredients but is approved in a new dosage form, route of administration or combination, or for a new use, the approval of which was supported by new clinical trials other than bioavailability studies that were essential to the approval and conducted by or for the sponsor. During those three years of exclusivity, FDA cannot grant approval of an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application for the protected dosage form, route of administration or combination, or use of that listed drug.
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In December 2019, the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples Act of 2019 (“CREATES Act”) was signed into law. The legislation is intended to address the concern that some brand manufacturers have improperly denied generic and biosimilar product developers access to samples of brand products. The CREATES Act establishes a private cause of action that permits a generic or biosimilar product developer to sue the brand manufacturer to compel it to furnish the necessary samples on commercially reasonable, market-based terms. If the developer prevails, the court may grant the developer a monetary award up to the brand product’s revenue for the period of delay in providing samples.
Biosimilars . The enactment of federal healthcare reform legislation in March 2010 provided a new pathway for approval of follow-on biologics ( i.e. , biosimilars) under the PHSA. FDA licensure of a biosimilar is dependent upon many factors, including a showing that the proposed biosimilar is “highly similar” to the reference product, notwithstanding minor differences in clinically inactive components, and has no clinically meaningful differences from the reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency. The types of data ordinarily required in a biosimilar application to show high similarity include analytical data, animal studies (including toxicity studies), and clinical studies (including immunogenicity and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies). A biosimilar must seek licensure for a condition of use for which the reference-listed product is licensed.
Furthermore, the PHSA provides that for a biosimilar to be considered “interchangeable” ( i.e. , the biological product may be substituted for the reference product without the intervention of the health care provider who prescribed the reference product), the applicant must make an additional showing that the biosimilar can be expected to produce the same clinical result as the reference product in any given patient, and if the product is administered more than once to a patient, that risks in terms of safety or diminished efficacy of alternating or switching between the biological product and the reference product is no greater than the risk of using the reference product without switching. Although FDA has provided guidance on what information and data an applicant should submit to enable an interchangeability determination, thus far FDA has not licensed any biologic as being interchangeable with its reference product.
The PHSA also provides a period of exclusivity for pioneer biologics. Specifically, FDA may not accept a biosimilar application referencing data from a pioneer biologic (i.e., one approved through a full BLA) until four years have elapsed from the date of first licensure of the pioneer biologic. FDA may not approve a biosimilar application referencing data from a pioneer biologic until 12 years have elapsed since the date of first licensure of the pioneer biologic. There are certain restrictions and limitations on the types of BLAs that are eligible for biologics exclusivity as well as what constitutes the date of first licensure for a pioneer biologic.
In the EU, a pathway for the approval of biosimilars has existed since 2005.
Healthcare compliance laws . In the U.S., commercialization of our drug candidates, if approved, is subject to regulation and enforcement under a number of federal and state healthcare compliance laws administered and enforced by various agencies. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
● the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits offering or paying anything of value to a person or entity to induce or reward referrals for goods or services reimbursed by a federal healthcare program such as Medicare or Medicaid;
● the federal False Claims Act, which prohibits presenting or causing to be presented a false claim for payment by a federal healthcare program, and which has been interpreted to also include claims caused by improper drug-manufacturer product promotion or the payment of kickbacks;
● a variety of governmental pricing, price reporting, and rebate requirements, including those under Medicaid and the Veterans Health Care Act; and
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● the so-called Sunshine Act and certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which require that we report to the federal government information on certain financial payments and other transfers of value made to certain health care providers and institutions, as well as certain information regarding our distribution of drug samples.
In addition to these federal law requirements, several U.S. states have enacted similar laws requiring periodic reporting and/or disclosure related to our marketing, sales and other activities, or regulating certain sales and marketing activities, such as provision of meals to certain health care providers. We may also be subject to federal or state privacy laws if we receive protected patient health information.
Similar requirements apply to our operations outside of the U.S. Laws in the U.S. such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibit the offering or payment of bribes or inducements to foreign public officials for business, including physicians or other medical professionals who are employees of public healthcare entities. In addition, many non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we operate, or may operate in the future, have their own laws similar to the healthcare compliance laws that exist in the U.S.
Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement
Overview. In both U.S. and foreign markets, our ability to commercialize our drug candidates successfully, and to attract commercialization partners for our drug candidates, depends in significant part on the availability of adequate financial coverage and reimbursement from third-party payers including, in the U.S., managed care organizations and other private health insurers as well as governmental payers such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Reimbursement by a third-party payer may depend on a number of factors, including the payer’s determination that use of a product is:
● a covered benefit under its health plan;
● safe, effective and medically necessary;
● appropriate for the specific patient;
● cost-effective; and
● neither experimental nor investigational.
Reimbursement by government payers is based on statutory authorizations and complex regulations that may change with annual or more frequent rulemaking, as well as legislative reform measures.
Third-party private and governmental payers are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medicines and examining their cost-effectiveness in addition to their safety and efficacy. We may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of our products or drug candidates. Even with the availability of such studies, third-party private and/or governmental payers may not provide coverage and reimbursement for our drug candidates, in whole or in part.
United States. Political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the healthcare industry in the U.S. to fundamental changes. There have been, and we expect there will continue to be, legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could significantly affect our business. For example, the 2010 Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”), is intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Other legislative changes included a two percent across-the-board reduction to Medicare payments to providers, effective April 1, 2013, which, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will begin to increase gradually starting in April 2030, reaching 4 percent in April 2031 and continuing until the reduction ends in October 2031, unless additional congressional action is taken. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers, and increased the period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. In December 2017, portions of the ACA dealing with the individual mandate insurance requirement were effectively repealed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
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Containment of healthcare costs has been a priority of federal, state, and foreign governments, and the prices of drug products have been a focus of this effort. Governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs. This interest has resulted in significant proposed and enacted reform measures affecting healthcare reimbursement and drug pricing, including the enactment in August 2022 of significant changes to potential Medicare drug product reimbursement through government negotiation of certain drug prices, as well as manufacturer discount and inflation rebate obligations under the Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”).
We are unable to predict what additional legislation, regulations, policies or court orders, if any, relating to the healthcare industry or coverage and reimbursement may be enacted or imposed in the future or what effect such legislation, regulations, policies or court orders would have on our business. Any cost-containment measures, including those listed above, or other healthcare system reforms that are adopted could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects and financial operations.
Europe. Governments in the various member states of the EU influence or control the price of medicinal products in their countries through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national healthcare systems that fund a large part of the cost of those products to consumers. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials or pharmacoeconomic studies that assess the cost-effectiveness of a product or drug candidate relative to currently available therapies or relative to a specified standard. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, and prescription medicines in particular, has become very intense and is creating increasingly high barriers to the entry of new products in these markets.
Research and Development
We have built a research and development organization that includes expertise in discovery research, preclinical development, product formulation, analytical and medicinal chemistry, manufacturing, clinical development and regulatory and quality assurance. We operate cross-functionally and are led by an experienced management team. We strive to make disciplined strategic decisions regarding our research and development programs and to limit the risk profile of our product pipeline. We also access relevant market information and key opinion leaders in creating target product profiles and, when appropriate, as we advance our programs to commercialization. We engage third parties on a limited basis to conduct portions of our preclinical research; however, we are not substantially dependent on any third parties for our preclinical research nor do any of these third parties conduct a major portion of our preclinical research. We also engage multiple clinical sites to conduct our clinical trials and rely on third-party contract research organizations (“CROs”) to coordinate and execute aspects of clinical trial operations. None of these CROs or clinical sites are responsible for the major portion of our clinical trials and we are not substantially dependent on any one of them.
Employees
As of December 31, 2023, we had 198 full-time employees, 132 of whom are in research and development, 19 of whom are in sales and marketing and 47 of whom are in finance, legal, business development and administration. Our full-time employees include six with M.Ds and 40 with Ph.Ds., of whom five and 39, respectively, are in research and development. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we consider our employee relations to be good.
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Information about Our Executive Officers and Significant Employees
The following table provides information regarding our executive officers and significant employees as of April 1, 2024:
Name
Age
Position(s)
Executive Officers:
Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D.
65
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Michael A. Jacobsen
65
Vice President, Finance, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer
Peter B. Cancelmo, J.D.
45
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Significant Employees:
Nadia Dac
54
Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer
Mariana N. Dimitrova, Ph.D.
58
Vice President, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls
George A. Gaitanaris, M.D., Ph.D.
67
Vice President, Science and Chief Scientific Officer
Andreas Grauer, M.D.
63
Vice President, Chief Medical Officer
Catherine A. Melfi, Ph.D.
65
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Quality Systems and Chief Regulatory Officer
J. Steven Whitaker, M.D., J.D.
68
Vice President, Clinical Development
Peter W. Williams
56
Vice President, Human Resources
Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D. founded our company and has served as our president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors since June 1994. He also served as our chief financial officer and treasurer from January 2009 to October 2013 in an interim capacity and as our chief medical officer from June 1994 to March 2010. Prior to founding Omeros, Dr. Demopulos completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Stanford University and his fellowship training in hand and microvascular surgery at Duke University. Dr. Demopulos currently serves on the board of trustees of the Smead Funds Trust, an open-end mutual fund company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Dr. Demopulos received his M.D. from the Stanford University School of Medicine and his B.S. from Stanford University. Dr. Demopulos is the brother of Peter A. Demopulos, M.D., a member of our board of directors.
Michael A. Jacobsen has served as our vice president, finance, chief accounting officer and treasurer since October 2013. Prior to joining Omeros, Mr. Jacobsen served as vice president of finance of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. from September 2011 to May 2013 and as its chief accounting officer from September 2011 to December 2012. From April 2007 to August 2011, Mr. Jacobsen was vice president and chief accounting officer at ZymoGenetics, Inc. Prior to his service with ZymoGenetics, Mr. Jacobsen held various roles at ICOS Corporation, including senior director of finance and corporate controller. From April 1995 to October 2001, Mr. Jacobsen held vice president of finance or chief financial officer roles at three companies in the software, computer hardware and internet retailing industries, two of which were publicly traded. Mr. Jacobsen is a certified public accountant and received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Idaho State University.
Peter B. Cancelmo, J.D. has served as our vice president, general counsel and secretary since June 2019. He joined Omeros as deputy general counsel in January 2019. Prior to joining Omeros, Mr. Cancelmo was a principal and shareholder at Garvey Schubert Barer, P.C., where he represented clients in the life sciences and other technology industries in mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances, public and private securities offerings, and a range of other corporate, commercial and financial transactions. He served as chair of the firm’s business practice group from 2016 until his departure in December 2018. Mr. Cancelmo previously practiced corporate and transactional law at Davies, Ward, Philips and Vineberg LLP, in New York, and Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, in Boston. Mr. Cancelmo received his J.D. from Boston University and his B.A. from Saint Michael’s College.
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Nadia Dac has served as our chief commercial officer since January 2021. Ms. Dac brings nearly three decades of international experience as a strategic commercial leader at large and small biopharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Omeros, Ms. Dac served as the chief commercial officer at Alder Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired in 2019 by Lundbeck) from April 2019 until June 2020 and as vice president of global specialty commercial development at AbbVie, Inc. from December 2014 to March 2019. She previously served as vice president of marketing at Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from May 2013 to September 2014, when the company was acquired by Endo International plc. From 2009 to 2013, Ms. Dac held several roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis AG, including global vice president of neuroscience professional relations prior to her role as vice president of Novartis’ multiple sclerosis franchise, and at Biogen Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Eli Lilly and Company. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Rutgers University.
Mariana N. Dimitrova, Ph.D., has served as our vice president chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (“CMC”) since October 2022. Prior to joining Omeros in this role, Dr. Dimitrova had 20 years of pharmaceutical experience with CMC leadership spanning formulation development, drug product and device development, drug delivery and Human Factors engineering, analytical sciences, process development, and clinical manufacturing. In her career, Dr. Dimitrova contributed to the development of a number of monoclonal antibodies, Fc-fusion proteins, PEG-proteins, bispecific molecules, cytokines, DNA, peptides, and small molecules at Amgen Inc., MedImmune (Astra Zeneca), Biogen, and Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Dimitrova contributed to the commercialization of nine patient-convenient drug/device combination products for the treatment of autoimmune, respiratory, neurodegenerative, hematology, and infectious diseases. Most recently, from May 2019 to September 2022, Dr. Dimitrova was vice president of product and device development at Akero Therapeutics, developing Fc-FGF21 fusion protein for treatment of NASH. Prior to her industry work, Dr. Dimitrova spent five years in academia, including at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan. Dr. Dimitrova holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics and Biological Sciences from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the AIST, and a M.S. in Chemistry from Kliment Ohridski University in Bulgaria.
George A. Gaitanaris, M.D., Ph.D. has served as our vice president, science since August 2006 and as our chief scientific officer since January 2012. From August 2003 until our acquisition of nura, inc., in August 2006, Dr. Gaitanaris served as the chief scientific officer of nura, a company that he co-founded, and that developed treatments for central nervous system disorders. From 2000 to 2003, Dr. Gaitanaris served as president and chief scientific officer of Primal, Inc., a biotechnology company that was acquired by nura in 2003. Prior to co-founding Primal, Dr. Gaitanaris served as staff scientist at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Gaitanaris received his Ph.D. in cellular, molecular and biophysical studies and his M.Ph. and M.A. from Columbia University and his M.D. from the Aristotelian University of Greece.
Andreas Grauer, M.D. has served as our chief medical officer since October 2023. Prior to joining Omeros, Dr. Grauer served as chief medical officer at Federation Bio from October 2021, where he led all clinical activities with a focus on hyperoxaluria and immuno-oncology. From March 2019 to August 2021, Dr. Grauer was chief medical officer of Corcept Therapeutics, Inc., leading its global development organization in the design and execution of clinical programs directed to oncology, neurology, endocrinology, and metabolism indications. From December 2007 to December 2018, Dr. Grauer held several roles of increasing responsibility at Amgen, most recently serving as vice president of global development, therapeutic area head, and co-chair of the franchise steering committee for bone, nephrology and inflammation. Earlier in his career, Dr. Grauer was at Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals where he held roles as global executive medical director for bone and for new technology development. Dr. Grauer received his M.D. from the University of Heidelberg Medical School in Germany, where he also completed his clinical training in internal medicine and endocrinology. He did research in molecular and cellular endocrinology both there and during a post-doctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. He holds an active associate professorship of medicine at the University of Heidelberg Medical School.
Catherine A. Melfi, Ph.D. has served as our vice president, regulatory affairs and quality systems since October 2012 and has served as our chief regulatory officer since April 2016. Dr. Melfi previously served from January 1996 to September 2012 at Eli Lilly and Company, where she held technical and leadership roles of increasing scope and responsibility, including as senior director and scientific director in global health outcomes and regulatory affairs, respectively. Prior to joining Eli Lilly, Dr. Melfi held various faculty and research positions at Indiana University, including appointments in its Economics Department, in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and in the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Melfi received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and B.S. in Economics from John Carroll University.
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J. Steven Whitaker, M.D., J.D. has served as our vice president, clinical development since joining Omeros in 2010, and served as our chief medical officer from March 2010 to August 2018 and from November 2019 to October 2023. From May 2008 to March 2010, Dr. Whitaker served as the chief medical officer, vice president of clinical development at Allon Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. From August 2007 to May 2008, he served as a medical consultant to Accelerator Corporation, a biotechnology-company investor and incubator. From May 1994 to May 2007, Dr. Whitaker served at ICOS Corporation, which was acquired by Eli Lilly and Company in 2007. At ICOS, he held roles of increasing responsibility in clinical research and medical affairs, most recently as divisional vice president, clinical research as well as medical director of the Cialis® global product team. Dr. Whitaker received his M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine, his J.D. from the University of Washington and his B.S. from Butler University.
Peter W. Williams has served as our vice president, human resources since June 2020. Prior to joining Omeros, Mr. Williams served as the senior vice president of human resources at Redbox Automated Retail, LLC from 2016 to 2019, where he led human resources and internal communications functions. From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Williams served as the vice president, HR operations at Outerwall Inc. (Coinstar) and before that he held human resources leadership roles at Coinstar from 2009 to 2013. Prior to 2009, Mr. Williams held human resources leadership roles at various technology and consumer focused companies, including Washington Mutual, Inc., Sterling Commerce, Inc., Expedia, Inc., and Verio, Inc. Mr. Williams received a B.A. in Business Administration and a B.A. in English from the University of Washington.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in 1994 as a Washington corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 201 Elliott Avenue West, Seattle, Washington, 98119, and our telephone number is (206) 676-5000. Our website address is www.omeros.com. We make available, free of charge through our investor relations website at investor.omeros.com, our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including exhibits to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our websites and the information contained therein or incorporated therein are not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding reports that we file or furnish electronically with them at www.sec.gov.
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