Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
From time to time we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are not presently a party to any legal proceedings that, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
On June 26, 2020, following the suspension and recall of ABRAXANE ® in China supplied to us by Celgene Logistics Sàrl, a Bristol Myers Squibb Company (referred to elsewhere in this report as BMS, but for this paragraph only, “BMS-Celgene”), we initiated an arbitration proceeding at the International Chamber of Commerce against BMS-Celgene asserting that it had breached and continues to breach the terms and conditions of the License and Supply Agreement entered into by BeiGene and BMS-Celgene in July 2017 and a related quality agreement (collectively, the “BMS-Celgene License”). Under the BMS-Celgene License, we allege that BMS-Celgene is obligated, among other things, to ensure the continuity and adequacy of its supply of ABRAXANE to us. In the arbitration proceeding, we are seeking (i) a declaration that BMS-Celgene was and is in breach of the BMS-Celgene License, (ii) a declaration that BMS-Celgene acted with gross negligence and/or willful misconduct, (iii) an award of damages, and (iv) such other relief as the arbitrators deem appropriate. BMS-Celgene responded in part by submitting a counterclaim against us seeking to recover approximately $30 million in costs that it contends it incurred as part of the ABRAXANE recall. We believe that the allegations contained in the counterclaim are without merit and are defending the counterclaim vigorously. On October 6, 2021, BMS-Celgene delivered a notice to us purporting to terminate the BMS-Celgene License with respect to ABRAXANE ® and providing 180-days' notice that it was withdrawing ABRAXANE from the range of products for sale or distribution in China pursuant to Section 2.6 of the BMS-Celgene License. We believe that the reasons stated in the notice do not provide a valid basis for terminating the BMS-Celgene License with respect to ABRAXANE, and that the notice is a tactical maneuver on the part of BMS-Celgene to reduce its damages in the arbitration proceedings, and we have amended our claims to add a claim for wrongful termination of the BMS-Celgene License with respect to ABRAXANE. A hearing was held in the arbitration in June 2022, and no decision has been issued.
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