Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Overview
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the Company) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The Company's diverse neuroscience portfolio includes approved treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients receiving levodopa-based therapy, hypomobility in PD, epilepsy, migraine, cervical dystonia, and chronic sialorrhea. The Company is developing a broad range of novel CNS product candidates including new potential treatments for epilepsy, depression, and other CNS disorders.
The Company was incorporated in Delaware, commenced operations in 2005, became publicly traded in 2012, and is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SUPN. Our principal executive offices are located in Rockville, Maryland. Our extensive expertise in product development has been built over the past 30 years: initially as a stand-alone development organization; then, as a United States (U.S.) subsidiary of Shire Plc (Shire, a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.); then upon our acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Shire Laboratories, Inc. in 2005, as Supernus Pharmaceuticals.
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Our Strategy
Our mission is to improve the lives of patients suffering from CNS diseases. Our vision is to be a leader in the CNS industry by developing and commercializing new medicines for the treatment of CNS diseases. Key elements of our strategy to achieve this vision include:
• Drive growth and profitability. Using dedicated sales and marketing resources in the U.S., we continue to drive the revenue growth of our key marketed products.
• Advance product candidates toward commercialization. Several product candidates in our pipeline are in early-to-late stage clinical testing, and moving toward being commercially available to patients.
• Continue to grow our pipeline. We continue to evaluate and develop additional CNS product candidates that we believe have significant commercial potential through our internal research and development efforts.
• Target strategic business development opportunities. We actively explore a broad range of strategic opportunities. This includes in-licensing products and entering into co-promotion and co-development partnerships for our commercial products and product candidates, as well as acquisitions of businesses with either or both commercial products and product candidates.
Commercial Products
Our commercial products, including those sold by or through our subsidiaries, include:
Qelbree ®
Qelbree (viloxazine extended-release capsules) is a novel non-stimulant product indicated for the treatment of ADHD in adults and pediatric patients 6 years and older. On April 2, 2021, the FDA approved Qelbree for the treatment of ADHD in pediatric patients 6 to 17 years of age. In May 2021, the Company launched Qelbree for pediatric patients in the U.S. On April 29, 2022, the FDA approved Qelbree for treatment of ADHD in adult patients. The Company launched Qelbree for adult patients in May 2022. In January 2025, the FDA approved an expanded label update for Qelbree to include new data on the pharmacodynamics and use in breastfeeding mothers.
GOCOVRI ®
GOCOVRI (amantadine) extended-release capsules is the first and only FDA-approved medicine indicated for the treatment of dyskinesia in patients with PD receiving levodopa-based therapy, with or without concomitant dopaminergic medications, and as an adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in patients with PD experiencing "OFF" episodes.
GOCOVRI was approved by the FDA in August 2017 for treatment of dyskinesia and in February 2021 as an adjunctive treatment for "OFF" episodes. The February 2021 update to the label indication makes GOCOVRI the only medicine clinically proven and approved to reduce both "OFF" episodes and dyskinesia in PD patients taking a levodopa-based medication, resulting in a clinically meaningful increase in good "on" time without the need for a "trade-off' when managing these motor complications.
Oxtellar XR ®
Oxtellar XR is indicated for treatment of partial-onset seizure in adults and children 6 years of age and older. Oxtellar XR is the first once-daily extended-release oxcarbazepine product indicated for the treatment of epilepsy in the U.S. market. In 2013, we launched Oxtellar XR for adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults and children 6 to 17 years of age. In January 2019, we launched Oxtellar XR for monotherapy treatment of partial onset epilepsy seizures in adults and children 6 to 17 years of age.
APOKYN ®
APOKYN (apomorphine hydrochloride injection) is a product indicated for the acute, intermittent treatment of hypomobility or "OFF" episodes ("end-of-dose wearing off" and unpredictable "on-off" episodes) in patients with advanced PD. APOKYN's adjustable dose subcutaneous injection pen is designed to quickly and reliably reverse the effects of oral levodopa wearing off in patients with inadequately controlled PD.
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Trokendi XR ®
Trokendi XR is indicated for (1) epilepsy: initial monotherapy for the treatment of partial-onset and primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizure in patients 6 years of age and older (1.1); adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset, primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, or seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome in patients 6 years of age and older (1.2); and for (2) preventive treatment of migraine in patients 12 years of age and older. Trokendi XR is the first once-daily extended-release topiramate product indicated for the treatment of epilepsy and the prophylaxis of migraine headaches in adults and adolescents in the U.S. market.
XADAGO ®
XADAGO (safinamide) is a once-daily product indicated as adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in patients with PD who are experiencing "OFF" episodes. XADAGO is a monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor that works by blocking the catabolism of dopamine, which is believed to result in an increase in dopamine levels, and therefore a subsequent increase in dopaminergic activity in the brain. XADAGO was approved by the FDA in March 2017.
The Company has entered into settlement agreements with third parties permitting the sale of a generic version of XADAGO beginning in December 2027, or sooner under certain conditions. For more information, refer to Part I, Item I—Business — Intellectual Property and Exclusivity in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
MYOBLOC ®
MYOBLOC (rimabotulinumtoxinB) is a product indicated for the treatment of cervical dystonia to reduce the severity of abnormal head position and neck pain associated with cervical dystonia in adults and treatment of chronic sialorrhea in adults. MYOBLOC is the only Type B toxin available on the market. MYOBLOC injections must be administered by a physician.
MYOBLOC was approved by the FDA in August 2019 for the treatment of chronic sialorrhea in adults and in December 2000 for the treatment of adults with cervical dystonia.
ONAPGO TM
ONAPGO (apomorphine hydrochloride) injection is the first and only subcutaneous apomorphine infusion device for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced PD. ONAPGO was approved by the FDA in February 2025 and received an Orphan Drug Designation. ONAPGO will be launched in the second quarter of 2025.
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Research and Development
We are committed to the development of innovative product candidates in neurology and psychiatry, including the following:
We also engage in a variety of research and development efforts including development of a pipeline of novel CNS product candidates for the treatment of various CNS conditions. We have devoted and continue to devote significant resources to research and development activities. We expect to incur significant expenses as we continue developing each of our product candidates through FDA approval or until the program terminates; and expanding product indications for approved products and our intellectual property portfolio. Our expectations regarding our research and development programs are subject to the risks described under Item 1A—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Industry and Business .
ONAPGO (formerly SPN-830)
ONAPGO (apomorphine hydrochloride) injection is the first and only subcutaneous apomorphine infusion device for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced PD. ONAPGO was approved by the FDA in February 2025 and received an Orphan Drug Designation. ONAPGO will be launched in the second quarter of 2025.
The approval of ONAPGO is based on results from a Phase 3, twelve-week, multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (N=107) evaluating the efficacy and safety of ONAPGO. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean change in total daily "OFF" time assessed from baseline to the end of the twelve-week treatment period based on patient diaries. The key secondary endpoints were the mean change in daily GOOD ON time, which was defined as ON time without troublesome dyskinesia, and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC).
During the Phase 3 study, ONAPGO significantly reduced the amount of daily "OFF" time at twelve weeks from baseline (p=0.0114), with ONAPGO-treated patients (n=53) experiencing a 2.6-hour reduction compared to placebo (n=51) with 0.9 hours. The reduction in daily "OFF" time was accompanied by a similar significant increase in daily GOOD ON time (2.8 hours for ONAPGO-treated patients compared to 1.1 hours for the placebo group; p=0.0188). In addition, numerically greater improvements in daily "OFF" time and daily GOOD ON time were seen as early as the first week of treatment and were maintained throughout all measured timepoints. Additionally, ONAPGO-treated patients more frequently reported improvement in their state of general health compared with placebo-treated patients (PGIC: 79% vs. 24%; p<0.0001). The most common adverse events (≥10% incidence) were infusion-site nodule, nausea, somnolence, infusion-site erythema, dyskinesia, headache, and insomnia.
SPN-817 (huperzine A)
SPN-817 represents a novel MOA for an anticonvulsant. SPN-817 is a novel synthetic form of huperzine A, whose MOA includes potent acetylcholinesterase inhibition, with pharmacological activities in CNS conditions such as epilepsy. The development will initially focus on the drug's anticonvulsant activity, which has been shown in preclinical models to be effective
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for the treatment of partial seizures and Dravet Syndrome. SPN-817 has received Orphan Drug Designation for both Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome from the FDA.
We are focused on completing and optimizing the synthesis process of the synthetic drug as well as developing a novel dosage form. Given the potency of SPN-817 (huperzine A), a novel extended-release oral dosage form is critical to the success of this program because initial studies with the immediate-release formulations of non-synthetic SPN-817 (huperzine A) have shown serious dose-limiting, side effects.
We are conducting an open-label Phase 2a clinical study of SPN-817 in patients with treatment-resistant seizures. The first part of this study (Stage A) has completed dosing in the titration and maintenance periods. We have completed enrollment of Stage A and announced in November 2024 the topline data from all subjects with focal seizures who received the 3mg and 4mg twice daily doses, completed the maintenance period (n=10), and enrolled in the post-maintenance extension period (n=6).
• Maintenance period:
◦ 56% median seizure reduction from baseline.
◦ 70% of subjects had 30% or more seizure reduction.
◦ 60% of subjects had 50% or more seizure reduction.
◦ 30% of subjects had 75% or more seizure reduction.
• Post-maintenance extension period:
◦ 66% median seizure reduction from baseline.
◦ 83% of subjects had 30% or more seizure reduction.
◦ 67% of subjects had 50% or more seizure reduction.
◦ 50% of subjects had 75% or more seizure reduction.
• Seizure Freedom:
◦ Maintenance period: 1 out of 10 subjects (10%) who completed a post-baseline seizure diary had at least one four-week seizure free period.
◦ Post-maintenance extension period: 1 out of 6 subjects (17%) had at least one four-week seizure free period.
Assessment by EpiTrack®, a validated cognitive screening tool designed for patients with epilepsy, indicated that 75% of 16 subjects was equally split between those who improved and those who had no change in cognitive function. SPN-817 was safe and had acceptable tolerability with 2 subjects discontinuing because of treatment related adverse events out of the 26 subjects who entered the maintenance period. The second part of this study (Stage B) is on-going and includes the use of a concomitant anti-emetic to reduce the cholinergic adverse events observed in the study.
We initiated a Phase 2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 3mg and 4mg twice daily doses in approximately 258 adult patients with treatment resistant focal seizures.
SPN-820 (NV-5138)
SPN-820 is a first-in-class, orally active small molecule that activates the brain mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), a gatekeeper of cellular metabolism and renewal. SPN-820 binds to and modulates sestrin, which senses amino acid availability in the brain, a potent natural activator of mTORC1.
Depression is associated with synapse loss and reduced synaptic plasticity in key brain regions including the prefrontal cortex and increasing mTORC1-mediated synaptic plasticity is a promising avenue to treat depression and associated symptoms. SPN-820 selectively binds to intracellular sestrin proteins and subsequently engages a cascade of multi-protein complexes, enhancing mTORC1 signaling. A single administration of SPN-820 rapidly (on within one hour) and transiently (off within seven hours) enhances intracellular mTORC1 signaling in the prefrontal cortex of animals, restores levels of synaptic proteins, reducing depressive-like behaviors in a brain-derived neurotrophic factor "BDNF"-dependent manner. The rapid and transient enhancement of mTORC1 signaling in the prefrontal cortex is required for anti-depressant effects in preclinical animal models. The intracellular mechanism of SPN-820, and the lack of binding to cell surface receptors, suggests the potential for a differentiated safety profile.
A Phase 1 trial demonstrated early proof of concept in which a single dose of SPN-820 showed a rapid and sustained improvement in core symptoms, with favorable safety and tolerability in patients with treatment resistant depression. We believe the novel mechanism of action (MOA) in depression may improve symptoms of depression in patients who have failed other
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agents.
We completed a Phase 2a multi-center open label study in 40 subjects with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in the fourth quarter of 2024. The data were based on 40 enrolled subjects, of which 38 completed the ten-day treatment period. The primary objective of the study was to assess efficacy in MDD, as well as the onset of efficacy. The Phase 2a study demonstrated rapid and substantial decrease in depressive symptoms, and 80% decrease in suicidal ideation. SPN-820 was well-tolerated during the study with few adverse events reported by the subjects. In addition, the data demonstrated a rapid Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) response rate (≥50% reduction) and remission (MADRS ≤10), reaching 50.0% and 35.0% of subjects, respectively, at 4 hours, with additional improvement to 84.2% and 63.2% of participants by Day 10.
In February 2025, we reported topline results from the Phase 2b study of SPN-820. The Phase 2b study of SPN-820 in adults with treatment-resistant depression did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement on the primary endpoint of change from baseline in the MADRS total score to Week 4 (SPN-820 [LS mean ± Standard Error]: -12.3 ± 0.96 vs. placebo: -11.9 ± 0.96; p = not significant). There was no treatment difference between SPN-820 and placebo in the change from baseline to Week 4 for the secondary endpoints. The safety profile of SPN-820 was consistent with previous clinical trials, showing few adverse events.
The Phase 2b study was a multi-center randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of SPN-820 in adults with treatment-resistant depression. The study examined the efficacy and safety of SPN-820 over a course of four weeks of treatment and then a week of blinded placebo-washout in approximately 250 patients from approximately 40 clinical sites. The primary outcome measure was the change from baseline to end of treatment period on the MADRS Total Score.
SPN-443 – Novel stimulant for the treatment of ADHD/CNS
We completed a Phase 1 single dose study in healthy adults in 2024 following submission of an Investigational New Drug Application. The study was a first in human, pilot pharmacokinetic study of two oral formulations of SPN-443 in healthy adults. The primary objective of the study was to assess the safety and tolerability. This molecule, along with its major metabolites, is an inhibitor of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, also known as a triple reuptake inhibitor. Both formulations of SPN-443 showed adequate bioavailability and were well tolerated.
Sales and Marketing
We market our key products through our own sales forces in the U.S. and seek strategic collaborations with other pharmaceutical companies to commercialize our products outside of the U.S. We have a commercial sales and marketing organization in the U.S. to support sales of our commercial products. We believe our current sales forces in the U.S. are effectively targeting healthcare providers to support and grow our key commercial products.
One sales force focuses on serving movement disorder specialists and other specialized health care providers in the U.S. in the Parkinson's area.
The second sales force focuses on serving psychiatrists, pediatricians, primary care physicians and other health professionals in the ADHD area.
Customers
The majority of our product sales are to pharmaceutical wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, and distributors who, in turn, sell our products to pharmacies, hospitals, and other customers, including federal and state entities. The majority of sales of Qelbree, Oxtellar XR, Trokendi XR, and XADAGO are made to wholesalers and distributors. In addition, MYOBLOC is available for direct purchase by physicians and hospitals. The majority of sales of GOCOVRI and APOKYN, are made to specialty pharmacies.
Each of our three major customers, Cencora, Inc., Cardinal Health, Inc., and McKesson Corporation, individually accounted for more than 20% of our total product revenue in 2024 and collectively accounted for more than 77% of our total product revenue in 2024.
Market and Competition
W e are engaged in segments of the pharmaceutical industry that are highly competitive and rapidly changing. Many large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies, and other public and private
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research organizations are commercializing or pursuing the development of products for the same molecule, compound, or diseases that we are currently pursuing or may target in the future.
ADHD
ADHD is a CNS disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impul sivity. ADHD affects an estimated 6% to 9% of all school-age children, and an estimated 3% to 5% of adults in the U.S. An estimated 50% of children with ADHD continue to meet the criteria for ADHD into adolescence. Diagnosis of ADHD requires a comprehensive clinical evaluation based on identifying patients who exhibit the core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Although many patients may be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive, the level of severity and degree of functional impairment, and considerations as to what may be behind the underlying symptoms determine which patients meet the diagnosis and therefore should be treated for ADHD.
Competition in the U.S. ADHD market has increased with the commercial launch of several branded products in recent years, as well as the launch of generic versions of branded drugs, such as Adderall XR, Concerta, Vyvanse, Intuniv, Kapvay and Strattera. Treatment options for ADHD in the U.S. market can be broadly classified as either stimulant or as non-stimulant products.
Our product, Qelbree, is a novel nonstimulant taken once-daily for full-day exposure. Efficacy and symptom improvement was observed early in treatment in clinical studies. Also, it has a proven safety and tolerability profile, with no evidence of abuse potential in clinical studies. Qelbree was the first novel nonstimulant treatment for ADHD approved by the FDA since 2011.
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological disorder that is characterized by a loss of dopamine producing neurons in certain regions of the brain, causing symptoms like tremor, slowness of movement, stiffness, loss of balance, and lack of coordination. PD is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 1-2% of individuals 65 years and older. Patients with PD can also be affected with psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and problems with cognition and memory. As the disease progresses, some patients may lose the ability to independently perform the tasks of daily living.
The most commonly prescribed medicine for PD is levodopa. PD patients are frequently prescribed levodopa to help replace dopamine, which is reduced in the brain. However, motor disabilities as a result of levodopa wearing off remain a significant problem for over half of PD patients. Patients in an "OFF" state, including those whose last dose of oral levodopa has worn off and whose next oral dose has not yet begun to take effect, can suffer from reduced coordination or mobility for several hours per day. Carbidopa may be used along with levodopa to improve its efficacy and reduce the amount of levodopa needed to control PD symptoms. There are a number of alternative adjunctive treatment options (FDA-approved and in clinical development) for Parkinson's patients, including various levodopa preparations, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, and others.
APOKYN is given as needed as an adjunct to levodopa/carbidopa therapy in PD patients who experience "OFF" episodes. In well-controlled clinical studies, APOKYN injections were effective in treating "OFF" periods, as measured by the motor function subset of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). APOKYN, delivered via an injection pen, is for patients for whom oral levodopa will not sufficiently control "OFF" periods. Patients taking APOKYN saw 95% of "OFF" episodes reversed, with improvement beginning as quickly as 10 minutes post-dosing in clinical studies. With the alternative of immobility and limited function, we believe the rapid and reliable reduction of "OFF" episode symptoms is of utmost importance to patients. APOKYN competes with pro re nata therapies such as Inbrija, and other adjunctive therapies, including NOURIANZ. APOKYN also competes with other products for the treatment of PD, both branded such as VYALEV, and generic, including levodopa products.
For patients who experience significant "OFF" time each day, the Company has developed ONAPGO, formerly known as SPN-830, the first and only subcutaneous apomorphine infusion device for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced PD. The infusion may reduce the variability in motor symptoms of PD and offer improved tolerability versus the acute injection route. The FDA approved ONAPGO in February 2025, and the Company will launch ONAPGO in the second quarter of 2025. ONAPGO competes with VYALEV, and with other products for the treatment of PD, both branded and generic, including levodopa products.
For patients not ready to try parenteral therapy, oral MAO-B inhibitors, such as XADAGO, may provide a decrease in "OFF" time of up to one hour per day when combined with appropriate levodopa therapy. In the XADAGO clinical trials, patients
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experienced more beneficial "on" time, a time when Parkinson's symptoms are reduced, without troublesome uncontrolled involuntary movement (dyskinesia), compared to those receiving a placebo. The increase in "on" time was accompanied by a reduction in "OFF" time and better scores on a measure of motor function assessed during "on" time than before treatment. XADAGO competes with other MAO-B inhibitors used to treat "OFF" episodes in PD, including rasagiline (AZILECT) and selegiline (Zelapar and EMSAM). XADAGO also competes with other products for the treatment of PD, both branded and generic, including levodopa products.
GOCOVRI (amantadine) extended-release capsules is the first and only FDA-approved medicine indicated for the treatment of dyskinesia in patients with PD receiving levodopa-based therapy, with or without concomitant dopaminergic medications, and as an adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in patients with PD experiencing "OFF" episodes. It is also the only medicine clinically proven to reduce both dyskinesia and “OFF” periods. GOCOVRI, taken once daily at bedtime, provides an initial lag and a slow rise in amantadine concentration during the night, resulting in a high concentration from the morning and throughout the waking day. Additionally, in the clinical trials, the adjunctive use of GOCOVRI did not require changes to dopaminergic therapies.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a c omplex neurological disorder characterized by the spontaneous recurrence of unprovoked seizures, which are sudden surges of electrical activity in the brain that impair a person's mental and/or physical abilities. Adherence with drug treatment regimens is critically important to achieving effective control for patients with epilepsy. Non-adherence with anti-epileptic drug (AED) therapy is a serious issue and remains the most common cause of breakthrough seizures for patients. Not only is taking all prescribed doses critical to control breakthrough seizures, but the timing of when patients take their prescribed doses can also be crucial.
We believe extended-release products, particularly Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR, may offer important advantages in the treatment of epilepsy. The release profiles of extended-release products can produce more consistent and steadier plasma concentrations as compared to immediate-release products, potentially resulting in fewer side effects, better tolerability, fewer emergency room visits, improved efficacy, and fewer breakthrough seizures. In addition, Trokendi XR's and Oxtellar XR's once-daily dosing is designed to improve patient adherence over the current immediate release products, which must be taken multiple times per day. We believe a once-daily dosing regimen improves adherence, making it more probable that patients take their medication and maintain sufficient levels of medication in their bloodstreams. Extended-release products may help patients improve adherence and, consequently, help patients enjoy a better quality of life.
Trokendi XR competes with all immediate-release and extended-release topiramate products, including Topamax, Qudexy XR, and other generic topiramate products. Oxtellar XR competes with all immediate-release and extended-release oxcarbazepine products, including Trileptal and other generic oxcarbazepine products. Both Oxtellar XR and Trokendi XR compete with other anti-epileptic products, both branded and generic. Many medications are used to treat epilepsy, including topiramate, oxcarbazepine, acetazolamide, brivaracetam, carbamazepine, clobazam, lacosamide, phenytoin, valproic acid, lamotrigine, gabapentin, levetiracetam phenobarbital, and zonisamide.
In addition, when considering treatment regimens for patients with epilepsy, neurologists and epileptologists take into consideration the MOA of the different AEDs that are available. By combining several different MOAs, it is sometimes possible to get significantly better seizure control. We acquired SPN-817, an antiepileptic, which we believe has an MOA different from that of other products and can therefore potentially represent a unique additional treatment alternative.
Migraine
Migraine is a painful, complex neurological disorder consisting of recurring painful attacks that can significantly disrupt time with loved ones, education, and careers. Migraine headaches are often characterized by throbbing pain, extreme sensitivity to light or sound, and potentially, nausea and vomiting. The World Health Organization categorizes migraine as one of the most disabling medical illnesses worldwide. The American Research Foundation categorizes migraine as the third most prevalent illness in the world, and nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone with migraines. Migraine is estimated to affect over 39 million individuals in the U.S.
As in epilepsy, we believe extended-release products, particularly Trokendi XR, may offer important advantages for the treatment of migraines. Trokendi XR also competes with other products used for the prevention of migraine headaches. Most notably, this includes anti-CGRPs (calcitonin gene related peptide), which is a class of products first introduced in 2018; Botox; beta-blockers; valproic acid; and amitriptyline.
Cervical Dystonia
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Cervical dystonia, also known as spasmodic torticollis, is a condition characterized by involuntary muscle contractions in the neck, which cause the head to twist uncontrollably into an abnormal, often painful position. It is a rare disorder, most often presenting in middle age, whose symptoms begin gradually, worsen, and then plateau over a period of months. Estimates of the prevalence of cervical dystonia vary considerably, from 20 to 4,100 per million individuals. Injections of botulinum toxin into affected neck muscles can create temporary relief from symptoms.
In well-controlled studies, botulinum toxins like MYOBLOC have been shown to improve symptoms as measured on the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale, including pain. Based on clinical studies, MYOBLOC injections offer patients struggling with painful cervical dystonia symptoms relief as early as two weeks after injection, with the duration of effect between 12-16 weeks.
MYOBLOC is the only available botulinum toxin B, whereas other available toxins are type A. MYOBLOC competes with type A toxins such as Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin. MYOBLOC also competes with oral agents used to treat cervical dystonia, including generic baclofen, anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, and tetrabenazine.
Sialorrhea
Sialorrhea can occur in conjunction with several neurologic disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cerebral palsy (CP), PD, or as a side effect of some medications. It is characterized by overactive salivary glands. In adults, PD is the most common cause of sialorrhea, with 70%–80% of PD patients experiencing symptoms. In 30%–80% of schizophrenic patients taking clozapine, sialorrhea is evident. In addition to being embarrassing, complications of sialorrhea include aspiration, infection, skin breakdown, and bad odor.
MYOBLOC competes with Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of sialorrhea in adults. Other pharmacologic treatments used to treat sialorrhea include generic glycopyrrolate tablets as well as behavior modification.
Manufacturing
We currently depend on third-party commercial manufacturing organizations (CMOs) for all manufa cturing operations, including the production of raw materials, dosage form product, and product packaging. This encompasses products for commercial use, as well as some products for preclinical and clinical research. We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of any of our product candidates beyond that used in Phase 2 clinical trials, nor do we have plans to develop our own manufacturing operations in the foreseeable future to support Phase 3 clinical trials or commercial production. We currently employ internal resources to manage our manufacturing contractors.
We have agreements with CMOs headquartered in North America, including: Patheon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.), Packaging Coordinators, Inc., Aphena Pharma Solutions, and Catalent Pharma Solutions, Europe, and Asia for the manufacturing and packaging of some of our commercial products, including those of our subsidiaries, as well as for our pipeline product candidates. For Qelbree, Trokendi XR, GOCOVRI, and Oxtellar XR we currently rely on third-party CMOs for the manufacturing and packaging of final commercial products. We rely on third-party CMOs in Asia for the manufacturing of bulk drug substance for Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR and rely on a third-party CMO in Europe for the raw materials and manufacturing of Qelbree and GOCOVRI. With respect to GOCOVRI and Qelbree, we have an additional manufacturer of bulk drug substance. These CMOs offer a comprehensive range of contract manufacturing and packaging services.
We purchase APOKYN, ONAPGO, MYOBLOC, and XADAGO, as finished goods. APOKYN is manufactured and packaged in Europe for the U.S. market and is supplied to us by our licensing partner, Britannia. ONAPGO is manufactured in Europe, supplied to us by Britannia, and packaged in the U.S.. Britannia (a subsidiary of Stada Arzneimittel AG) also supplies injectable apomorphine to the European market under the brand name Apo-go. MYOBLOC is manufactured and packaged in Europe by Merz GmbH & Co. KGaA (Merz). Under the contract manufacturing agreement with Merz for the manufacture and supply of MYOBLOC, the Company has an annual minimum purchase requirement of MYOBLOC amounting to an estimated €3.9 million. XADAGO is manufactured and packaged in Europe by Zambon S.p.A. (Zambon).
Refer to Part I, Item 1A — Risk Factors — If we fail to produce our products and product candidates in the volumes that we require on a timely basis or fail to comply with stringent regulations applicable to pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, we may face delays in the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates or be required to withdraw our products from the market for risks associated with manufacturing and supply of our products and product candidates.
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Our Proprietary Technology Platforms
We have a successful track record of developing and launching novel products by applying proprietary formulation technologies to known drugs to improve their side effect profile or improve patient adherence. In addition, we have developed new indications for existing therapies. Our key proprietary technology platforms include: Microtrol, Solutrol, and EnSoTrol. These technologies have been utilized to create novel, customized product profiles designed to enhance efficacy, reduce the frequency of dosing to improve patient adherence and improve tolerability. Our technologies have been used to create ten commercial products, including our products: Qelbree, Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR; Adderall XR (developed for Shire, which has been acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company); Intuniv (developed for Shire); Mydayis (developed for Shire); Orenitram (developed for United Therapeutics Corporation); and Namzaric (developed for Allergan plc).
We are also engaged in generating and assessing New Chemical Entities (NCEs). These NCEs are generated by leveraging our expertise in structure function relationships in active molecules. Our NCEs are being assessed in preclinical pharmacology models for CNS activity and are advancing towards Investigational New Drug application (IND) enabling toxicology studies to support potential future clinical investigation.
Intellectual Property and Exclusivity
Overview
We, including our subsidiaries, continue to build our intellectual property portfolio to provide protection for our technologies, products, and pr oduct candidates. We, including our subsidiaries, seek patent protection, where appropriate, both in the U.S. and internationally for products and product candidates.
Our policy is to protect our innovations and proprietary products, and that of our subsidiaries, by, among other things, filing patent applications in the U.S. and abroad, including Europe, Canada, and other countries when appropriate. We, including our subsidiaries, also rely on trade secrets, know-how, proprietary knowledge, continuing technological innovation, and in-licensing opportunities to develop and maintain our proprietary position. Neither we, nor our subsidiaries can be sure that patents will be granted with respect to our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us, or any of our subsidiaries in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents that may be granted to us, or any of our subsidiaries in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our technology, our products, or those of our subsidiaries. Neither we, nor any of our subsidiaries can be sure that any patents, if granted, will sustain a legal challenge.
Patent Portfolio
Our commercial products, including those of our subsidiaries, covered by active patents include Trokendi XR, Oxtellar XR, Qelbree, GOCOVRI, Osmolex ER and XADAGO. We, or our subsidiaries, own all the issued patents for Trokendi XR, Oxtellar XR, Qelbree, GOCOVRI, Osmolex ER, as well as the pending U.S. patent applications for Qelbree and GOCOVRI. We have a license from Zambon for the U.S. patents that cover XADAGO.
The Company has ongoing patent litigation concerning Trokendi XR. For more information, refer to Part I, Item 3—Legal Proceedings in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Qelbree
We have three families of pending U.S. non-provisional and foreign counterpart patent applications for Qelbree. Patents, if issued, could expire from 2029 to 2035. We have patents issued in the U.S., Canada, and certain countries in Europe covering a method of treating ADHD using viloxazine hydrochloride. In a second family, covering the novel synthesis process of the active ingredient, we have patents issued in the U.S. as well as in certain foreign countries. In a third family, we have four patents issued in the U.S. covering modified release formulations of viloxazine hydrochloride, three of which cover Qelbree. We also have patents issued in certain foreign countries. We own all the issued patents and the pending patent applications.
GOCOVRI
The patent portfolio covering GOCOVRI includes 19 U.S. patents. We have additional pending applications containing method and composition claims relating to the pharmacokinetic profile and dosing, and formulations of amantadine extended release. The issued patents expire through 2038. These patents and patent applications are owned by Adamas Operations and, as of the first quarter of 2022 are licensed to Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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Prior to our acquisition of Adamas, Adamas entered into settlement agreements with third parties, permitting the sale of a generic version of GOCOVRI (amantadine) extended-release capsules (including for any new indications approved under the GOCOVRI NDA) on or after June 4, 2029.
Oxtellar XR
Our extended-release oxcarbazepine patent portfolio currently includes 14 U.S. patents, 11 of which cover Oxtellar XR. The 11 issued U.S. patents covering Oxtellar XR will expire no earlier than 2027. We own all of the issued patents and the pending U.S. patent applications. We also own additional foreign patents for extended-release oxcarbazepine.
The Company entered into settlement and license agreements with third parties, permitting the sale of a generic version of Oxtellar XR beginning in September 2024.
Trokendi XR
We currently have 10 U.S. patents that cover Trokendi XR. We own all the issued patents. We also own additional foreign patents for extended-release topiramate. The ten issued U.S. patents covering Trokendi XR will expire no earlier than 2027.
The Company has entered into settlement agreements with third parties, permitting the sale of a generic version of Trokendi XR beginning in January 2023 and entitling the Company to receive royalties on those sales.
XADAGO
The patent portfolio covering XADAGO has 3 U.S. patents licensed from Zambon. These patents will expire from 2027 to 2031.
The Company has entered into settlement agreements with third parties, permitting the sale of a generic version of XADAGO beginning in December 2027, or earlier under certain circumstances.
ONAPGO
In February 2025, ONAPGO received Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. from the FDA. ONAPGO received seven years of U.S exclusivity from the time of approval by the FDA.
SPN-817 (huperzine A)
We have one patent issued in the U.S., and in China, Mexico, and certain other foreign countries relating to extended-release formulations of huperzine. We additionally have pending patent applications in the U.S. and certain foreign countries.
SPN-820 (NV-5138)
Under the terms of the April 2020 Development Agreement with Navitor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Navitor Inc.), we have an exclusive option to license or acquire NV-5138 in all world territories, prior to initiation of the Phase 3 clinical program. NV-5138 has multiple patents issued covering composition of matter, various methods of use, etc. in the U.S. and certain other foreign countries. The issued patents have expiration dates of 2036-2038 or beyond. There are additional pending patent applications in the U.S. and certain foreign countries.
Other Intellectual Property Rights
We, including our subsidiaries, seek trademark protection in the U.S. and internationally, where available and when appropriate. We, including our subsidiaries, have filed for trademark protection for several marks, which are used in connection with our pharmaceutical research and development collaborations as well as with our products and those of our subsidiaries. We or our subsidiaries are the owner/licensee of various U.S. federal trademark registrations (®) and registration applications (TM), including the following marks referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, pursuant to applicable U.S. intellectual property laws: "Supernus ® ", "Microtrol ® ", "Qelbree ® ", "GOCOVRI ® ", "Oxtellar XR ® ", "APOKYN ® ", "Trokendi XR ® ", "XADAGO ® ", "MYOBLOC ® ", "Osmolex ER ® ", "Namzaric ® ", "ONAPGO TM ", and the registered Supernus Pharmaceuticals logo.
From time to time, we, including our subsidiaries, may find it necessary or prudent to obtain licenses from third party IP holders. Where licenses are readily available at a reasonable cost, such licenses are considered a normal cost of doing business. In other instances, however, we or our subsidiaries may use the results of freedom-to-operate inquiries and internal analyses to guide
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our early-stage research away from areas where we are likely to encounter obstacles in the form of third party IP. For example, where a third party holds relevant IP and is a direct competitor, a license might not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. We, and our subsidiaries, strive to identify potential third party IP issues in the early stages of our research programs in order to minimize the cost and disruption of resolving such issues.
To protect our competitive position and that of our subsidiaries, it may be necessary to enforce our patent rights through litigation aga inst infringing third parties. See Part I, Item 3—Legal Proceedings . Litigation to enforce our own patent rights or those of our subsidiaries is subject to uncertainties that cannot be quantified in advance. In the event of an adverse outcome in litigation, we or our subsidiaries could be prevented from commercializing a product or precluded from using certain aspects of our technology platforms. This could have a material adverse effect on our business or that of our subsidiaries. In addition, litigation involving our patents or those of our subsidiaries carries the risk that one or more of our patents or those of our subsidiaries will be held invalid (in whole or in part; on a claim-by-claim basis) or held unenforceable. Such an adverse court ruling could allow third parties to commercialize products or use technologies that are similar to ours and then compete directly with us, without compensation to us or our subsidiaries. In addition, third parties could allege that our products or those of our subsidiaries infringe their intellectual property rights and pursue legal action against the Company or any of its subsidiaries. See Part I, Item 1A—Risk Factors for risk factors related to intellectual property.
U.S. Patent Application Process
The U.S. patent system permits the filing of provisional and non-provisional patent applications. A non-provisional patent application is submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and can mature into a patent once the USPTO determines that the claimed invention meets the standards for patentability. The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of the patents in the countries in which they are obtained. In most countries in which we file, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application. In the U.S., a patent's term may be lengthened via a patent term adjustment (PTA), which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the USPTO in granting a patent.
A patent’s term can be shortened through a process called a "terminal disclaimer." This process can be undertaken when a patent application is considered too similar to another patent owned by the same applicant. Without this process an applicant could be barred from obtaining a new related patent because it would be deemed to be an obvious variant of an existing patent. By filing a terminal disclaimer, a new patent can be issued at the cost of the applicant acknowledging that the new patent cannot extend beyond the expiration of the original patent. A new patent issued after the filing of a terminal disclaimer cannot be asserted against others unless the owner of the new patent also owns the previously existing patent that was the subject of the terminal disclaimer. Recent legal decisions have shown that filing a terminal disclaimer can reduce any extra time added to a patent’s term due to delays in the patent approval process. Patent applicants typically avoid filing terminal disclaimers when doing so would negatively affect their interests.
In evaluating the patentability of a claimed invention, the filing date of a non-provisional patent application is used by the USPTO to determine what information constitutes prior art. If certain requirements are satisfied, a non-provisional patent application can claim the benefit of the filing date of a previously filed provisional patent application. In such an instance, the filing date accorded to the provisional patent application may supersede information that otherwise could preclude the patentability of an invention.
The term of a patent that covers an FDA-approved drug may also be eligible for patent term extension (PTE). This permits the patent term to be extended as compensation for that portion of a patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, permits a PTE of up to five years beyond the expiry date of the patent. The length of the PTE is related to the length of time the drug is under FDA review. However, the patent extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval. Only one patent for an approved drug may be extended. Similar provisions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug are available in Europe and other foreign jurisdictions.
In the f uture, if any of our product candidates receive FDA or other regulatory approval, we may be able to apply for PTEs on patents covering those products. Depending upon the timing, duration, and specifics of FDA approval and the issuance of a U.S. patent, we may obtain limited patent term restoration.
Collaborations and Licensing Arrangements
We, including our subsidiaries, obtained exclusive licenses from third parties for proprietary rights to support our, and our subsidiaries', commercial products and product candidates. Under these in-licensing agreements, we or our subsidiaries may be required to pay certain amounts upon the achievem ent of defined milestones. If these products are ultimately commercialized,
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we or the applicable subsidiary are also obligated to pay royalties to third parties, computed as a percentage of net product sales, for each respective product under a license agreement.
We, including our subsidiaries, also have entered into out-licensing agreements to license our intellectual property and technology or that of our subsidiaries to third parties. Under these out-license agreements, we or our subsidiaries may be entitled to receive certain amounts upon the achievement of defined milestones and royalties from third parties, generally computed as a percentage of net product sales, for each respective product under a license agreement.
APOKYN and ONAPGO (apomorphine hydrochloride)
In January 2016, we entered into an Amended and Restated Distribution, Development, Commercialization, and Supply Agreement with Britannia that grants us certain intellectual property and product rights in relation to APOKYN, including the right to use and market APOKYN in the United States (Territory). Additionally, under the agreement, Britannia retains certain intellectual property and product rights in relation to APOKYN, including the right to use and market APOKYN in the rest of the world, excluding the United States. Under the Agreement, Britannia has an obligation to supply us with APOKYN for our marketing and sale of the product.
Under the agreement, we are obligated to pay Britannia a royalty based upon U.S. net sales, adjusted for other product related costs for APOKYN, ONAPGO (formerly known as SPN-830), and any other commercial products jointly developed under the agreement. The parties have also agreed to a cost sharing arrangement for the development of new products beyond APOKYN. Under the agreement, we are obligated to pay more than half of the related costs associated with the development of ONAPGO (formerly known as SPN-830) or other new products that are commercialized solely by the Company in the U.S. For costs associated with new products that are commercialized both inside and outside the Territory, we are obligated to pay less than half of the related costs.
We have agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize products under the agreement. The initial 15 year term of the agreement is subject to automatic renewal periods unless canceled by either party. Either party may terminate the agreement under certain circumstances, including a material breach of the agreement by the other.
XADAGO
In February 2016, we entered into a License and Distribution Agreement and a Supply Agreement with Zambon. Under the License and Distribution Agreement, we are the exclusive distributor of XADAGO in the U.S. and we are prohibited from selling or distributing in the U.S. certain product that compete with XADAGO. Also, Zambon is eligible to receive up to $30.0 million in future payments upon the achievement of sales-based milestones, which are based upon specified annual net product sales of XADAGO in the U.S. During the term of the License and Distribution Agreement, we are also obligated to pay a royalty on net product sales of XADAGO in the U.S. In the event that XADAGO annual net sales exceed the specified U.S. annual net product sales thresholds, the royalty percent increases and could go as high as the mid-teens.
Under the Supply Agreement, we must purchase from Zambon and Zambon must provide to us all XADAGO finished products for the U.S. market.
We have agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize XADAGO under the agreement. Either party may terminate the agreement under certain circumstances, including a material breach of the agreement by the other.
MYOBLOC
In May 2004, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with a third party resulting in us owning the worldwide rights to MYOBLOC in exchange for us paying a low double-digit royalty based on U.S. annual net sales of MYOBLOC. We make royalty payments to Elan Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a subsidiary of Perrigo Pharma International DAC. While we currently have no intention of seeking approval in the U.S. for cosmetic use, if MYOBLOC is so approved, a milestone payment would be due and the royalty rate will become subject to certain reductions based on cosmetic use net sales. We also have the right under the agreement to make use of, develop and offer for sale worldwide products containing Botulinum Toxin Type B. The agreement may not be terminated for convenience.
We have a contract manufacturing agreement with Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA (Merz) for the manufacture and supply of MYOBLOC (Merz Agreement). Pursuant to the Merz Agreement, Merz is required to provide a dedicated manufacturing facility including a stand-alone building, dedicated clean room suites, dedicated manufacturing and purification equipment, and filling and packaging production lines (collectively, the manufacturing facility) to manufacture finished products. The Merz Agreement will expire in July 2027, unless the Company and Merz mutually agree to extend the term. The Merz
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Agreement may not be terminated for convenience. Under the terms of the Merz Agreement, the Company is required to purchase a minimum quantity of finished products on an annual basis. This minimum purchase requirement represents the in-substance fixed contract consideration associated with the dedicated manufacturing facility. The Company has an annual minimum purchase quantity requirement of finished products.
SPN-817 (huperzine A)
In September 2018, we entered into a merger agreement to acquire Biscayne Neurotherapeutics (Biscayne), a privately-held company developing a novel treatment for epilepsy (SPN-817). Through this agreement, we obtained worldwide rights, excluding certain markets in Asia where rights have been previously out-licensed, to SPN-817. SPN-817 has received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for the treatment of Dravet Syndrome, a severe form of childhood epilepsy and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. We may be obligated to pay up to $73 million to the prior Biscayne security holders if certain development milestones are achieved and up to an additional $95 million if certain sales milestones are achieved. In addition, we will be obligated to pay a low single digit royalty on net sales to the prior Biscayne security holders and any applicable royalties to third parties for the use of in-licensed IP. The maximum combined royalty we will pay to all parties on net product sales is approximately 12%, depending on the IP covering the commercial product and the applicable tiered sales levels.
SPN-820 (NV-5138)
In April 2020, we entered into a development agreement (the Development Agreement) with Navitor Inc. We can terminate the Development Agreement upon 30 days' notice. Under the terms of the Development Agreement, the Company and Navitor Inc. will jointly conduct a Phase 2 clinical program for NV-5138 (SPN-820) for treatment-resistant depression. We will bear all of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 development costs incurred by either party, up to a maximum of $50 million, which amount could be increased under the terms of the Development Agreement upon Navitor Inc.’s request and the Company’s consent. In 2020, we paid a one-time, nonrefundable, and non-creditable fee of $10 million for the option to acquire or license NV-5138 (SPN-820) and made a $15 million equity investment representing approximately 13% ownership in Navitor Inc. There are also certain additional payments which could be incurred by us that are contingent upon Navitor Inc. achieving defined milestones. These payments include an additional license or acquisition fee depending on whether we ultimately license or acquire NV-5138 (SPN-820), and subsequent clinical, regulatory and sales milestone payments. The total payments, exclusive of the royalty payments on net sales of NV-5138 (SPN-820) and development costs paid by us under the agreement, have the potential to reach $410 million to $475 million, which includes an aggregate upfront payment of $25 million paid in 2020 for the option to acquire or license NV-5138 (SPN-820) and the equity investment, an additional license or acquisition fee depending on whether we ultimately license or acquire NV-5138 (SPN-820), and subsequent clinical, regulatory and sales based milestone payments. We also will have the first right of refusal for any compound with a similar mechanism of action to NV-5138 (SPN-820) on mTORC1 in the central nervous system.
In addition to entering into the Development Agreement in April 2020, as above mentioned, we acquired Series D Preferred Shares of Navitor Inc. (the Navitor Shares), an equity investment representing an approximately 13% ownership position in Navitor Inc. As part of a legal restructuring in March 2021, our Navitor Inc. Shares were exchanged for membership interests in Navitor Pharmaceutics LLC (Navitor LLC), which became the sole shareholder of Navitor Inc.
In the second quarter of 2024, we consented to payment of additional Phase 2 development costs for NV-5138 (SPN-820) as they are incurred, but reserve the right to terminate payment of future development costs at our discretion.
See Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , Note 4 , Investments , in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Namzaric
Namzaric (memantine hydrochloride extended release and donepezil hydrochloride) capsules for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of an Alzheimer's type is currently marketed by Allergan plc under an exclusive license agreement between Adamas Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories Holdings Limited ("Forest"), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Allergan plc (collectively, "Allergan") in the United States. Adamas Pharmaceuticals receives royalties on net sales of Namzaric from May 2020. Allergan is responsible for all manufacturing related to Namzaric.
In November 2012, Allergan was granted an exclusive license, with right to sublicense, certain of Adamas Pharmaceuticals' intellectual property rights relating to human therapeutics containing memantine in the United States. In connection with these rights, Allergan markets and sells Namzaric (memantine and donepezil hydrochlorides) extended-release capsules and NAMENDA XR (memantine hydrochloride) extended-release capsules for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia related to Alzheimer's disease.
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Adamas Pharmaceuticals is entitled to receive royalties on net sales in the United States by Allergan, its affiliates, or any of its sublicensees of controlled-release versions of memantine products covered by the terms of the license agreement. Allergan's obligation to pay royalties with respect to fixed-dose memantine-donepezil products, including Namzaric, continues until the later of (i) 15 years after the commercial launch of the first fixed-dose memantine-donepezil product by Allergan in the United States or (ii) the expiration of the Orange Book listed patents for which Allergan obtained rights from Adamas covering such product. However, Allergan's obligation to pay royalties for any product covered by the license is eliminated in any quarter where there is significant competition from generics.
Royalties recognized from Allergan are in the low double digits to mid-teens, as a percent of net sales of Namzaric in the United States. Based on recent trends of Namzaric sales, the tiered royalty is expected to be in the low double digits through the term of the agreement. Based on the current settlement agreements with the Namzaric Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) filers to date, the earliest date on which any of these agreements grant a license to market a Namzaric ANDA filer's generic version of Namzaric is January 1, 2025 (or earlier in certain circumstances). Alternatively, the Namzaric ANDA filers with the earliest license date have the option to launch an authorized generic version of Namzaric beginning on January 1, 2026 instead of launching their own generic version of Namzaric on January 1, 2025. In January 2025, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. received approval from the FDA and has launched a generic version of Namzaric. Adamas expects that it will not receive royalties from sale of Namzaric after the entry of the generic version of Namzaric in January 2025.
Adamas expects that it will not receive royalties on sales of NAMENDA XR because of the entry of multiple generic versions of NAMENDA XR.
License Agreements with Other Third Parties
The Company has granted other companies, including United Therapeutics Corporation and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd., rights to utilize certain of its proprietary technologies in the development of certain of their products. These technologies were used by these companies to develop certain other products, including Orenitram (treprostinil) and Mydayis. We receive royalties under these arrangements based on net product sales of certain products developed using the licensed technologies. In some cases, we are also entitled to milestone payments.
With respect to Qelbree, Oxtellar XR, and Trokendi XR, we have entered into collaboration and licensing agreements with third parties to commercialize these products outside of the U.S. Under certain licensing arrangements, we are eligible to receive royalties based on net product sales as defined in the agreements and in some cases, we are also entitled to milestone payments. We currently receive royalties from third parties related to agreements for Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR.
The Company has also entered into settlement and licensing agreements with generic companies to settle patent litigation and to grant non-exclusive licenses to market generic versions of Oxtellar XR and Trokendi XR in the U.S. Under certain licensing arrangements, the Company is eligible to receive royalties based on net product sales as defined in the agreements, and the number of generic equivalent products on the market in the U.S. We currently receive royalties from third parties related to certain agreements for Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR.
Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreements
We, including our subsidiaries, require our employees, temporary employees, and consultants to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment, consulting, or collaborative relationships with us or our subsidiaries. These agreements provide that all confidential information developed by or made known during the course of the relationship with us or our subsidiaries be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties, except in specific circumstances. For example, nothing in any policy or agreement prohibits (i) reporting any possible violations of applicable laws, rules, or regulations to any governmental agency or government entity or (ii) making any other disclosures that are protected under federal, state, or local laws or regulations in the United States. The agreements provide that all inventions resulting from work performed for us or relating to our business and conceived of or completed by the individual during employment or assignment, as applicable, shall be our exclusive property or the exclusive property of the applicable subsidiary, in each case, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
We and our subsidiaries seek to protect our respective products, product candidates, and our technologies through a combination of patents, trade secrets, proprietary know-how, FDA exclusivity, and contractual restrictions on disclosure.
Government Regulation
U.S. Drug Development Process
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The research and development process generally begins with discovery research, which focuses on the identification of a molecule that has the desired effect against a given disease. If clinical testing is to initiate in the United States, the FDA requires submission of an IND, which must become effective before human clinical trial testing may commence. The results of pre-clinical testing, along with other information, including information abo ut product chemistry, product manufacturing and controls, and a proposed clinical trial protocol, are submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Until the IND becomes effective following a waiting period, we may not start the clinical trials. This is typically followed by additional preclinical laboratory and animal testing, and adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use. The satisfaction of FDA approval requirements typically takes many years. The actual time required may vary substantially based upon the type, complexity, and novelty of the product or disease.
Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluation, as well as animal studies to assess the characteristics and potential pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of the product. The conduct of the preclinical tests must comply with FDA regulations and requirements, including acceptable laboratory practices.
If preclinical testing of an identified compound proves successful, the compound moves into clinical development. While these are generally conducted in three sequential phases, the phases may overlap or be combined.
• Phase 1 - Involves the first human tests of the drug, in a small number of healthy volunteers or in patients, to assess safety, tolerability, potential dosing, and if possible, early evidence on effectiveness.
• Phase 2 - Involves trials in a relatively small group of patients to determine the effectiveness of the drug for a particular indication(s); dosage tolerance, and optimum dosage; and to identify common adverse effects and safety risks.
• Phase 3 - Involves tests confirming favorable results in earlier phases, in a significantly larger patient population, and to further demonstrate efficacy and safety. Phase 3 trials include both a control group that receives the standard treatment and a study group that receives the new treatment that is being tested.
Clinical trials must be conducted in compliance with applicable regulations and consistent with acceptable clinical practices, as well as protocols detailing not only the objectives of the trial, but also the parameters to be used in monitoring safety of study participants, and/or the parameters to determine effectiveness. Each protocol involving testing on patients, and subsequent protocol amendments, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. The FDA may order the temporary halt or permanent discontinuation of a clinical trial at any time, or to impose other sanctions if they believe that the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the applicable requirements, or if continuing the trial presents an unacceptable risk to the clinical trial patients. The study protocol and informed consent information for patients in clinical trials must also be submitted to an institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee for approval. The IRB/ethics committee may also require the clinical trial at the site to be halted, either temporarily or permanently, for failure to comply with the IRB/ethics committee requirements, or they may impose other sanctions.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the product candidate. They must finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) requirements. More over, the product used in late-stage clinical trials must be manufactured under the proposed commercial process and at the same scale as will be used commercially. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate. The manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality, and purity of the final product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested. Stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life under various conditions and for commercially viable lengths of time.
The research and development process, from discovery through a new drug launch, requires substantial time, effort, skill, and financial resources. The research and development of any product candidate has a significant amount of inherent uncertainty. Often, substantial resources must be committed even though success is far from assured. There is no guarantee when, or if, a product candidate will receive the regulatory approval required to launch a new drug or new indication of an existing drug.
In addition to the development of new products and new formulations, research and development projects also may include Phase 4 trials, sometimes called post-marketing studies. For such projects, clinical trials are designed and conducted to collect additional data regarding, among other parameters, the benefits and risks of an approved drug. Alternatively, these trials may be conducted to assess the effectiveness of a product candidate in a new patient population.
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U.S. FDA Review and Approval Processes
Drug development is an inherently uncertain process with a high risk of failure at every stage of development. After the completion of the required clinical testing, an NDA or Biological License Application (hereinafter NDA) is prepared and submitted to the FDA. FDA approval of the NDA is required before marketing of the product may begin in the U.S. The NDA must include the results of all preclinical, clinical, and other testing, along with a description of the manufacturing process, validation of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the drug, proposed labeling, and other relevant information. The NDA requests approval to market the product. Most NDAs are subject to a substantial user fee at the time of submission; rarely applications meet conditions or gain a waiver which negates the need for the user fee. A holder of an approved NDA may also be subject to annual program and/or establishment fees. These fees typically increase annually.
The FDA has 60 days from its receipt of an NDA to determine whether the application will be accepted for filing, which is based on the agency's threshold determination that the NDA is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. Sponsors will be notified if the application's review will proceed. Additional information may be requested, rather than accepting an application for filing.
Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth review. Review status could be either standard or priority. A priority review designation means FDA’s goal is to take action on an application within six months, compared to 10 months under standard review. The review process may be extended by the FDA for their initial review, and, if new information submitted during the review, the review period may be extended.
The FDA may also refer applications for novel drug products or drug products that present difficult questions of safety or efficacy to an advisory committee, which is typically a panel that includes clinicians and other experts. The advisory committee reviews and evaluates information and prepares a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendations. After the FDA evaluates the information provided in the NDA, it issues either an approval letter or a complete response letter. A complete response letter outlines the deficiencies in the submission and may require substantial additional testing or information in order for the FDA to reconsider the application. If and when those deficiencies have been timely addressed, the FDA will re-initiate review. If it is satisfied that the deficiencies have been addressed, the FDA will issue an approval letter.
During the review period, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with good clinical practice regulations. The FDA may rely on a recent inspection of the facility, or they may decide to inspect each facility at which the drug is manufactured to ensure compliance with cGMP regulations. The FDA may also undertake an audit of nonclinical and clinical sites. The FDA will not approve the product unless compliance is satisfactory and unless the application contains the data that provide substantial evidence that the drug is safe and effective in the indication studied.
A marketing approval authorizes commercial marketing of the drug, with specific prescribing information for specific indications. As a condition of NDA approval, the FDA may require a risk evaluation and mitigating strategy (REMS) to help ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh the potential risks. REMS can include medication guides, communication plans for health care professionals, and elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries, and other risk minimization tools. Moreover, as a condition to product approval, the FDA may require substantial post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the drug's safety or efficacy in commercial use and may impose other conditions, including distribution and labeling restrictions, which can materially affect the potential addressable market and profitability of the drug. Once granted, product approvals may be withdrawn if compliance with regulatory standards is not maintained, if problems are identified following initial marketing, or if post-marketing commitments are not met. Certain of the Company's commercial products have post-marketing commitments.
The approval process is lengthy and difficult. The FDA may refuse to approve the NDA if the applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied. Further, data obtained from clinical trials are not always conclusive, or the FDA may interpret data differently than us. In addition, if a product receives regulatory approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific diseases, dosages, or indications. This could restrict the commercial value of the product. Also, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings, or precautions be included in the product labeling, as well as requiring Phase 4 testing or post approval marketing of commercial use.
New Drug Application
Our activities encompass two types of NDAs: Section 505(b)(1) NDA (Full NDA) and Section 505(b)(2) NDA.
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A Section 505(b)(1), which is a "full" or "stand-alone" NDA, must contain all pertinent information and full reports of investigations conducted by the applicant to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the drug, as well as complete preclinical, clinical, and manufacturing information.
Section 505(b)(2) NDAs often provide an alternative path to FDA approval for new or improved formulations or new uses of previously approved products. For a Section 505(b)(2) application, the FDA permits the submission of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from clinical trials not conducted by or for the applicant, and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. The FDA permits the applicant to rely upon the FDA's previous findings of safety and effectiveness for an approved product. The FDA requires submission of information needed to support any changes to a previously approved drug, such as published data or new studies conducted by the applicant, including bioavailability or bioequivalence studies or clinical trials demonstrating safety and effectiveness. The FDA may then approve the new product candidate for all or some of the label indications for which the referenced product has been approved, as well as for any new indication sought by the Section 505(b)(2) applicant. The Section 505(b)(2) regulatory approval process is designed to allow for potentially expedited, lower cost and lower risk regulatory approval, based on previously established safety, efficacy, and manufacturing information on a drug which has been already approved by the FDA for the same or a different indication.
To the extent that the Section 505(b)(2) applicant is relying on studies conducted on previously approved drug product, the Section 505(b)(2) applicant must submit patent certifications with respect to any patents for the approved product on which the application relies that are listed in the FDA's publication, Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly referred to as the Orange Book. Specifically, the applicant must certify for each listed patent that either: (1) the required patent information has not been filed; or (2) the listed patent has expired; or (3) the listed patent has not expired but will expire on a particular date, and approval is not sought until after patent expiration; or (4) the listed patent is invalid, unenforceable or will not be infringed by the proposed new product. A certification that the new product will not infringe the previously approved product's listed patent or that such patent is invalid or unenforceable is known as a Paragraph IV certification.
If the applicant does not challenge one or more listed patents through a Paragraph IV certification, the FDA will not approve the Section 505(b)(2) NDA application until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired. Further, the FDA also will not approve, as applicable, a Section 505(b)(2) NDA application until any non-patent exclusivity has expired, for example: five-year exclusivity period for obtaining approval of an NCE; or three year exclusivity period for an approval based on new clinical trials; or pediatric exclusivity, listed in the Orange Book for the referenced product.
A section 505(b)(2) NDA applicant must send notice of the Paragraph IV certification to the owner of the referenced NDA for the previously approved product and relevant patent holders within 20 days after the Section 505(b)(2) NDA has been accepted for filing by the FDA. If the relevant patent holder elects to initiate litigation, the Section 505(b)(2) applicant may invest a significant amount of time and expense in the development of its product, only to be subject to significant delay and patent litigation before its product may be commercialized. Alternatively, if the NDA applicant or relevant patent holder does not file a patent infringement lawsuit within the specified 45 day period, the FDA may approve the Section 505(b)(2) application at any time.
Notwithstanding the approval of many products by the FDA pursuant to Section 505(b)(2) over the last few years, some pharmace utical companies and others have objected to the FDA's interpretation of Section 505(b)(2). If the FDA changes its interpretation of Section 505(b)(2), or if the FDA's interpretation is successfully challenged in court, this could delay or even prevent the FDA from approving any Section 505(b)(2) NDA that we submit.
By its very nature, a Section 505(b)(1) NDA submission carries a higher degree of regulatory approval risk than a Section 505(b)(2) NDA submission. In addition, a requirement for more extensive testing and development can adversely impact our ability to compete with alternative products that arrive on the market sooner than our product candidate. Further, the time and financial resources required to obtain FDA approval could substantially and materially increase.
Review and Approval of Combination Products
Products comprised of separate components (e.g., a drug and a device; a biologic and a device; a drug and a biologic; or a drug, device, and a biologic) are known as "combination products." Such products often raise regulatory, policy, and review management challenges because they integrate components that are regulated under different types of regulatory requirements and by different FDA Centers, namely, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) (each a "Center"). Differences in regulatory pathways for each component can impact the regulatory processes for all aspects of product development and management, including preclinical testing, clin ical investigation, marketing applications, manufacturing and quality control, adverse event reporting, promotion and advertising, user fees, and post-approval modifications.
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The FDA's Office of Combination Products (OCP) determines which Center will have primary jurisdiction (the "Lead Center") for the combination product based on the combination product's "primary mode of action" (PMOA). A mode of action is the means by which a product achieves an intended therapeutic effect or action. The PMOA is the mode of action that provides the most important therapeutic action of the combination product or the mode of action expected to make the greatest contribution to the overall intended therapeutic effects of the combination product. The Lead Center has primary responsibility for the review and regulation of a combination product; however, a second Center is often involved in the review process, especially to provide input regarding the "secondary" component(s). In most instances, the Lead Center applies its usual regulatory pathway. For example, a drug-device combination product assigned to CDER will typically be reviewed under an NDA, while a drug-device combination product assigned to CDRH is typically reviewed through a 510(k), Premarket Approval Application (PMA), or de novo reclassification request.
Often it is difficult for OCP to determine with reasonable certainty the most important therapeutic action of the combination product. In those difficult cases, OCP will consider consistency with other combination products raising similar types of safety and effectiveness questions, or which Center has the most expertise to evaluate the most significant safety and effectiveness questions raised by the combination product. A sponsor may use a voluntary formal process, known as a Request for Designation, when the product classification is unclear or in dispute to obtain a binding decision as to which a product's primary mode of action as well as which center will regulate the combination product. If the sponsor objects to that decision, it may request that the agency reconsider that decision.
Combination products are subject to application User Fees based on the type of application submitted for the product's premarket approval or clearance. For example, a combination product for which an NDA is submitted is subject to the NDA fee under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Likewise, a combination product for which a PMA is submitted is subject to the PMA fee under the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act.
Since a combination product incorporates two or more components with different regulatory requirements, a combination product manufacturer must comply with all cGMP and Quality System (QS) Regulation/Medical Device Good Manufacturing Practices (QSR) requirements that apply to each component. The FDA has issued a combination product cGMP regulation, along with final gu idance, describing two approaches a combination product manufacturer may follow to demonstrate compliance. Under these two options, the manufacturer demonstrates compliance with:
• All cGMP regulations applicable to each separate regulated component included in the combination product; or
• Either the drug cGMPs or the QSR, as well as with specified provisions from the other of these two sets of requirements (also called the "streamlined approach”).
Pediatric Information
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2007 (PREA), NDAs or supplements to NDAs must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug for the claimed indication(s) in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the drug is safe and effective. The intent of the PREA is to compel sponsors whose drugs have pediatric applicability to study those drugs in pediatric populations, rather than ignoring pediatric indications for adult indications that could be more economically desirable. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of data, full waivers, or partial waivers of the data requirements. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any drug for an indication for which an Orphan Drug Designation has been granted.
Orphan Drug Designation
Orphan Drug Designation is granted by the FDA to drugs intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., but there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making the product available in the U.S. for the disease or condition will be recovered from sales of the product. Orphan Drug Designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. Orphan Drug Designation does not convey any advantage or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process. However, if an orphan drug later receives approval for the indication for which it has an orphan designation, the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication. Exceptions to this policy include showing clinical superiority to the product with the orphan drug exclusivity or if the license holder cannot supply sufficient quantities of the product. Orphan drug exclusivity in the U.S., which is seven years, does not prevent the FDA from approving a different drug for the same disease or condition, or the same drug for a different disease or condition, provided the sponsor has conducted appropriate clinical trials required for approval. Among the other benefits of an Orphan Drug Designation, are tax credits for certain research expenses and waiver of the NDA application user fee for the orphan indication. However, a competitor obtaining orphan product exclusivity for a therapeutic agent
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before we do, could block the approval of one of our products for seven years for the same indication, unless we are able to demonstrate that our product is clinically superior, or the competitor cannot supply sufficient quantities of the product.
Priority Review
Under FDA policies, a drug candidate is eligible for priority review, or review within six months from filing, for a new molecular entity (NME). In addition, a six month review period may pertain to a non-NME if the drug candidate provides a significant improvement as compared to marketed drugs in the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of disease. A fast track designated drug candidate would ordinarily meet the FDA's criteria for priority review. The FDA makes its determination of priority or standard review during the 60-day filing period post the initial NDA submission.
Fast Track Designation
The FDA is required to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs that are intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatenin g condition and for which there is currently no effective treatment. These products must demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. The FDA must determine if the drug candidate qualifies for the fast track designation within 60 days of receipt of the sponsor's request. Once the FDA designates a drug as a fast track candidate, it is required to facilitate the development and expedite the review of that drug by providing more frequent communication and guidance to the sponsor. In addition to other benefits such as greater interaction with the FDA, the FDA may initiate a review of the sect ions of a fast track drug's NDA before the application is complete. This rolling review is available if the applicant provides and the FDA approves a schedule for the submission of the remaining information, and if the applicant pays the applicable user fees. However, the FDA's review period for filing and reviewing an application does not begin until the last section of the NDA has been submitted. Additionally, a fast track designation may be withdrawn by the FDA, if the FDA believes that the designation is no longer supported by data emerging in the clinical trial process.
Post-Approval Regulatory Requirements
Any drugs for which we receive FDA approval are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things: record-keeping requirements; reporting of adverse events with the product; providing the FDA with updated safety and efficacy information; product sampling and distribution requirements; complying with certain electronic records and signature requirements; and complying with FDA promotion and advertising requirements.
Drugs may be promot ed only for the approved indication and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. Changes to some of the conditions established in an approved application, including changes in indications, labeling, or manufacturing processes or facilities, may require submission for further review and approval by the FDA before the change can be implemented.
Adverse event reporting and submission of periodic reports is required following marketing approval. The FDA may also require post-marketing testing, known as Phase 4 testing, REMS, and surveillance to monitor the effects of an approved product, or place conditions on an approval that could restrict the distribution and use of the product.
In addition, quality control, as well as the manufacture, packaging and labeling procedures must continue to conform to cGMPs after approval. Drug manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacturing and distribution of approved drugs are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMPs. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in the areas of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMPs. Regulatory agencies may withdraw product approval, or request product recalls if a company fails to comply with regulatory standards, or if it encounters problems following initial marketing, or if previously unrecognized problems are subsequently discovered. In addition, prescription drug manufacturers in the U.S. must comply with applicable p rovisions of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, provide and receive product tracing information; maintain appropriate licenses, ensure they only work and contract with other properly licensed entities, and have procedures in place to identify and properly handle suspect and illegitimate products.
Patent Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity
Depending upon the timing, duration, and specifics of FDA marketing approval of our product candidates, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited PTE under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent term restoration of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and during the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product's approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally 50% of the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission date of an NDA, plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that
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application. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug is eligible for the extension, and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent and within sixty days of approval of the drug. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any paten t term extension or restoration.
Market exclusivity provisions under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) can also delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the U.S. to the first applicant to gain the approval of an NDA for an NCE. A drug is an NCE if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the therapeutic action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an ANDA or a Section 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for another version of such drug, where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. As an alternative to submission via 505(b)(2) approval, an applicant may choose to submit a full Section 505(b)(1) NDA, wherein the applicant would be required to conduct its own preclinical and adequate, well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. They may not refer to other clinical trials or data.
The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, Section 505(b)(2) NDA, or supplement to an existing NDA, if new clinical investigations (other than bioavailability studies) that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application. Such clinical trials may, for example, support: new indications; dosages; routes of administration; or strengths of an existing drug. Alternatively, these trials may be for a new use if the new clinical investigations conducted or sponsored by the applicant are determined by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application. This exclusivity, sometimes referred to as clinical investigation exclusivity, prevents the FDA from approving an application under Section 505(b)(2) for the same conditions of use associated with the new clinical investigations before the expiration of three years from the date of approval. Such three-year exclusivity, however, would not prevent the approval of another application if the applicant submits a Section 505(b)(1) NDA and has conducted its own adequate, well-controlled clinical trials demonstrating safety and efficacy, nor would it prevent approval of a Section 505(b)(2) product that did not incorporate the exclusivity-protected changes of the approved drug product. The FDCA, FDA regulations, and other applicable regulations and policies prov ide incentives to manufacturers to create modified, non-infringing versions of a drug to facilitate the approval of an ANDA or other application for generic substitutes.
Pediatric exclusivity is a type of non-patent marketing exclusivity granted in the U.S. If granted, pediatric exclusivity, provides an additional six months of exclusivity to be attached to any existing exclusivity (e.g., three or five year exclusivity) or to patent protection for a drug. This six month exclusivity, which runs from the end of other exclusivity protection or patent delay, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric trial in accordance with an FDA-issued "Written Request" for such a trial.
Other Regulatory Requirements
In March 2019, MDD US Operations, LLC (formerly US WorldMeds, LLC) and its subsidiary, Solstice Neurosciences, LLC (US) (collectively, the MDD Subsidiaries), which are subsidiaries of the Company, entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Under the CIA, the MDD Subsidiaries agreed to pay $17.5 million to resolve U.S. Department of Justice allegations that the MDD Subsidiaries violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to induce the use of APOKYN and MYOBLOC (collectively, the MDD Products). The fine was paid by the MDD Subsidiaries prior to the closing of the USWM Acquisition. The False Claims Act provides that any Person who knowingly submits false claims to the government is liable for treble damages as well as additional penalties.
As a consequence of the USWM Acquisition, and under the terms of the CIA, the Company has assumed the extensive obligations of the MDD Subsidiaries concerning the ongoing maintenance of an effective compliance and disclosure program to promote compliance with the statutes, regulations and written directives of Medicare, Medicaid and all other Federal health care programs and with the statutes, regulations and written directives of the FDA. The CIA has a term of five years, with the final Reporting Period ending in April 2024, and imposes material burdens on the Company, its officers and directors to take actions designed to ensure compliance with applicable healthcare laws, including requirements to maintain specific compliance positions within the Company, to report any non-compliance with the terms of the agreement, to submit annual reports to the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to have prepared an annual audit by an Independent Review Organization. The Company submitted its final report during the second quarter of 2024 and currently expects the review of its report for the final Reporting Period to conclude during the first half of 2025. The CIA sets forth potentially substantial stipulated monetary penalties for non-compliance with the terms of the agreement. In addition, the Company may be excluded from participation in federally funded healthcare programs for a material breach of the CIA, which would result in substantial losses to the Company.
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The U.S. has enacted a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. In the U.S., the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (as amended), is a sweeping measure intended to improve quality of care, constrain healthcare spending, and expand healthcare coverage within the U.S. This is accomplished primarily through the imposition of health insurance mandates on employers and individuals and the expansion of the Medicaid program.
In addition to FDA restrictions on the marketing of pharmaceutical products, several other types of state and federal laws have been applied to restrict certain business and marketing practices in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years. These laws include: anti-kickback; false claims; patient data privacy; civil monetary penalties statute; and security and transparency statutes and regulations.
The Federal Open Payments program requires certain manufacturers, including those that engage in the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, or conversion of drugs, devices, biological, and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program, with certain exceptions, to report annually to the federal government information related to payments and other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as certain ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. We are also required to report information regarding payments and other transfers of value provided during the previous year to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants, and certified nurse-midwives.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), to which we are also subject, prohibits corporations and individuals from engaging in certain activities to obtain or retain business or influence a person working in an official capacity. Under the FCPA, it is illegal to pay, offer to pay, or authorize the payment of anything of value to any foreign government official, government staff member, political party, or political candidate in an attempt to obtain or retain business or otherwise influence a person working in an official capacity. Historically, pharmaceutical companies have been the target of FCPA and other anti-corruption investigations and penalties.
In addition, we are subject to data privacy and security regulations by the federal government, the states, and certain foreign governments in which we conduct our business. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data protection issues which may affect our business. Numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including state security breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws and federal and state consumer protection laws, govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions and create liability for us (including the imposition of significant penalties), private litigation and/or adverse publicity that negatively affects our business. In addition, healthcare providers who prescribe our products and research institutions we collaborate with are subject to privacy and security requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). HIPAA and its implementing regulations impose certain requirements on covered entities, including certain healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business associates (including us) that create, receive, maintain or transmit individually identifiable health information for or on behalf of a covered entity and their subcontractors that use, disclose, access, or otherwise process individually identifiable protected health information, relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA's privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, which are independent contractors or agents of covered entities that receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates and possibly other persons, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys' fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
In order to be eligible to have our products paid for with federal funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased by certain federal agencies and grantees, we must comply with the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (VHCA). The VHCA requires manufacturers to offer their covered drugs (biologics and single source and innovator multiple source drugs) for sale to certain federal agencies, including but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), on a Federal Supply Schedule contract, at a price no higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price (FCP). The FCP is based on the non-federal average manufacturer price, or Non-FAMP, which we will have to calculate and report to the VA on a quarterly and annual basis. In addition, the Federal Supply Schedule contract requires compliance with applicable federal procurement laws.
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Depending on the circumstances, failure to comply with these laws can result in penalties, including significant criminal, civil, and/or administrative criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, exclusion of products from reimbursement under government programs, "qui tam" actions brought by individual whistleblowers in the name of the government, imprisonment, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, refusal to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government contracts, reputational harm, diminished profits, and future earnings, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our business.
In addition to regulations in the U.S., we are subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials, commercial sales, as well as the distribution of our product candidates, to the extent we choose to clinically evaluate or sell products outside of the U.S. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain approval of a product by the appropriate regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The requirements, approval process and the time frame varies for each jurisdiction. As in the U.S., post-approval regulatory requirements, such as those regarding product manufacture, marketing, or distribution, would apply to any product that is approved outside the U.S. We generally market our products outside of the U.S. through licensing arrangements.
Refer to Part I, Item 1A—Risk Factors , for discussion of risks associated with government regulations.
Pharmaceutical Coverage, Pricing, and Reimbursement
Significant uncertainty exists as to the third-party payor coverage and reimbursement status of any of our products and product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval. Sales of any pr oducts for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include government health administrative authorities, managed care providers, private health insurers, and other entities. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a drug product may be separate from the process for setting the price or reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the drug product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drug products for a particular indication. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging prices and examining the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of medical products and services, in addition to their safety and efficacy. We may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of our products, in addition to the costs required to obtain the FDA approvals. Our product candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective by such third-party payors. A third-party payor's decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, collectively known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers and significantly impacted the pharmaceutical industry. Federal, state, and local governments in the U.S. continue to consider legislation to limit the growth of health care costs, including the cost of prescription drugs. Future legislation could limit payments for pharmaceuticals, such as the product candidates that we are developing.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) includes measures intended to lower the cost of prescription drugs and related healthcare reforms, such as limits on price increases and subjecting an escalating number of drugs to annual price negotiations with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Specifically, the IRA authorizes and directs HHS to set drug price caps for certain high-cost Medicare Part B and Part D qualified drugs, with the initial list of drugs announced in August 2023. On August 14, 2024, CMS announced that it had selected 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D for negotiation for initial maximum price applicability for calendar year 2026. None of the selected drugs were Supernus products. The IRA also authorizes HHS to penalize pharmaceutical manufacturers that increase the price of certain Medicare Part B and Part D drugs faster than the rate of inflation. The IRA also creates significant changes to the Medicare Part D benefit design by capping Part D beneficiaries' annual out-of-pocket spending.
The marketability of any product candidates for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. In addition, emphasis on managed care in the United States has increased, and we expect will continue to increase the pressure on pharmaceutical drug pricing. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Over the past several years an increasing number of U.S. states have passed, or are in the process of passing, new regulations designed to increase pricing transparency associated with pharmaceutical manufacturers. Many states have determined
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that it's in their interest to take legislative action in order to curb drug price increases and to decrease their annual pharmaceutical spending. This momentum is likely to continue in the years ahead. Many of the enacted state price transparency regulations fall into the following categories: advance notice of price increases; price increase reporting; periodic price reports; new drug reporting; price information disclosures to Health Care Professionals and state agencies. The potential penalties for noncompliance vary by state regulation. While certain regulations do not contain specific penalty clauses, most do and can contain penalties that can be significant per violation for noncompliance.
Environmental Matters
Our operations and those of our third-party manufacturers and suppliers are subject to national, state and local environmental laws. We have made, and intend to continue to make, expenditures and undertake efforts to comply with applicable laws. We believe the safety procedures utilized by us for the handling and disposing hazardous materials comply with the standards prescribed by applicable laws and regulations.
Human Capital
Our success begins and ends with our people. Our solid progress to date reflects the talent and hard work of all of our employees. We consider the intellectual capital of our employees to be an essential driver of our business and key to our future prospects. Attracting, developing, and retaining talented people in technical, marketing, sales, research, and other positions is crucial to executing our strategy and our ability to compete effectively. As of December 31, 2024, we employed 674 full-time employees in the U.S. None of our employees are represented by a labor union. We consider relations with our employees to be good.
Talent Acquisition, Retention and Development
Our key human capital objectives are to attract, retain and develop the highest quality talent. We employ various human resource programs in support of these objectives. Our ability to recruit and retain such talent depends on a number of factors, including compensation and benefits, talent development and career opportunities, and the work environment.
We attract and reward our employees by providing market competitive compensation and benefit packages, including incentives and recognition plans that extend to all levels in our organization. To that end, we offer a comprehensive total rewards program aimed at health, home-life, and financial needs of our employees. Our total rewards package includes market-competitive pay, broad-based stock grants, bonuses, healthcare benefits, retirement savings plans, paid time off and family leave, an Employee Assistance Program, and mental health services.
We are committed to the safety, health, and security of our employees. We believe a hazard-free environment is critical for the success of our business. Throughout our operations, we strive to ensure that all our employees have access to safe workplaces that allow them to succeed in their jobs. Our experience and continuing focus on workplace safety has enabled us to preserve business continuity without sacrificing our commitment to keeping our colleagues and workplace visitors safe.
We place a strong value on collaboration and we believe that working together leads to better outcomes for our customers. This extends to the way we treat each other as team members. We strive to create an environment where innovative ideas can flourish by demonstrating respect for each other and valuing the opinions,and viewpoints of employees. We believe a collaborative workplace results in business growth and encourages increased innovation.
In recent years we have been named to a number of best company lists, including the 2021 Forbes Best Small Companies list and the 2020 Best of Rockville – Pharmaceutical Companies list.
Other Information
We are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SUPN. Our principal executive offices are located at 9715 Key West Ave., Rockville, Maryland, 20850. Our website address is www.supernus.com .
We make available free of charge on our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports, as well as proxy statements, and, from time to time, other documents, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Through a link on the Investor Relations portion of our website, you can access our filings with the SEC. Information contained on our website is not a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy, and other information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including us, that file electronically with the SEC.
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References to our website and the SEC’s website in this report are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be viewed as, incorporation by reference of the information contained on, or available through, such websites. Such information should not be considered a part of this report unless otherwise expressly incorporated by reference in this report.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Any investment in our business involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described below, with all of the other information we include in this report and the additional information in the other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC" or the "Commission"). These risks may result in material harm to our business, our financial condition, and the results of our operations. If a material, adverse event was to occur, the market price of our common stock may decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
RISK FACTORS SUMMARY
We are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including risks related to our industry and business, risks related to our finances and capital requirements, risks related to securities markets and investment in our stock, and certain general risks, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The summary below is not exhaustive and is qualified by reference to the full set of risk factors set forth in this "Risk Factors” section.
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Risks Related to Our Industry and Business
• We are dependent on the commercial success of our products in the U.S.
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• If generics or other versions of our products including generics containing one or more of the active pharmaceutical ingredients present in our products are approved and successfully commercialized, our business could be materially harmed.
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• We are subject to uncertainty relating to payment or managed care reimbursement policies, which, if not favorable for our products or product candidates, could hinder or prevent our commercial success.
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• We depend on wholesalers, distributors, and specialty pharmacies for the distribution of our products. If we lose any of our significant wholesaler, distributor, or specialty pharmacy accounts, our business could be harmed.
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• Final marketing approval of any of our product candidates or approval of additional indications for existing products by the FDA or other regulatory authorities may be delayed, limited, or denied, any of which would adversely affect our ability to generate operating revenues.
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• We rely on and will continue to rely on outsourcing arrangements for certain of our critical activities, including clinical research of our product candidates, manufacture of our compounds and product candidates, and the manufacture of our commercial products. If we fail to produce our products and product candidates in the volumes that we require on a timely basis or fail to comply with stringent regulations applicable to pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, we may face delays in the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates or be required to withdraw our products from the market.
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• If we do not obtain marketing exclusivity for our product candidates, our business may suffer.
36
• If our competitors develop or market alternatives for the treatment of our target indications, our commercial opportunities will be reduced or eliminated.
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• We depend on collaborators to work with us to develop, manufacture and commercialize our products and product candidates. We have in-licensed or acquired a portion of our intellectual property necessary to develop certain of our product candidates. If we fail to comply with our obligations under any of these arrangements, we could lose the benefit of such collaborative relationships, including licenses or intellectual property rights.
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• Our failure to successfully develop and market our product candidates would impair our ability to grow.
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• Our clinical trials for our product candidates may fail to demonstrate acceptable levels of safety, efficacy, or other requirements, which could prevent or significantly delay regulatory approval.
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• Delays or failures in the completion of clinical development of our product candidates would increase our costs, delay, or limit our ability to generate revenues.
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• Healthcare reform measures could hinder or prevent the commercial success of our products or product candidates.
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• Healthcare cost containment legislation and the failure of third-party payors to provide appropriate levels of coverage and reimbursement for the use of products and treatments facilitated by our products could harm our business and prospects.
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• Any failure to comply with healthcare regulations, including implementation of any change in compliance with healthcare regulations and laws could cause us to incur significant compliance expenses and any failure to comply could subject us to substantial penalties and fines. Our business, operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected.
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• We could be involved in additional lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents, which could be expensive, time consuming, distracting, and ultimately unsuccessful.
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• Limitations on our patent rights relating to our products and product candidates may limit our ability to prevent third parties from competing with us.
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• We face potential litigation and product liability exposures. If successful claims are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities.
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• Cybersecurity incidents may adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, and reputation. Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.
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• Compliance with the terms and conditions of our Corporate Integrity Agreement requires significant resources and management time and, if we fail to comply, we could be subject to penalties or, under certain circumstances, excluded from government healthcare programs, which would materially adversely affect our business.
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Risks Related to Our Finances and Capital Requirements
• Our operating results may fluctuate significantly.
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• Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes may be limited or may expire prior to utilization.
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• We have and may further expand our business through acquisitions of new product lines or businesses, which expose us to various risks, including difficulties in integrating acquisitions. Our recent acquisitions pose certain incremental risks to the Company.
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• Any impairment in the value of our intangible assets, including goodwill, would negatively affect our operating results and total capitalization.
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Risks Related to Securities Markets and Investment in Our Stock
• The issuance of additional shares of our common stock, or instruments convertible into or rights to acquire shares or our common stock, or market sales of our common stock, could affect the market price of our common stock.
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• Anti-takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law could delay or prevent a change of control, which could negatively impact the market price of our common stock.
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General Risk Factors
• Obtaining and maintaining patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment, and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies. Our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
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• Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover our legal claims or other losses that we may incur in the future.
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• Our operations rely on sophisticated information technology, systems, and infrastructure, a disruption of which could harm our operations.
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Risks Related to Our Industry and Business
We are dependent on the commercial success of our products in the U.S.
Our financial performance, including our ability to replace revenue and income lost to generic products and other competitors as well as to grow our business, depends heavily on the commercial success of our products. A substantial amount of our resources is focused on generating, maintaining and/or expanding the revenue generated by our approved products in the U.S. Our major products Qelbree ® , GOCOVRI ® , Oxtellar XR ® , and APOKYN ® , represented approximately 38%, 20%, 16%, and 12% of our total net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024, respectively. If any of our major products were to become subject to problems, such as changes in prescription growth rates, unexpected side effects, loss of intellectual property protection, supply chain or product supply shortages, regulatory proceedings, changes in labeling, publicity adversely affecting doctor or patient confidence in such product, material product liability litigation, pressure from new or existing competitive products, or adverse changes in coverage under managed care programs, the adverse impact on our revenue and profit could be significant. As noted in
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the "Business" section of this report, sales of a generic version of Trokendi XR ® and Oxteller XR ® began in January 2023 and September 2024, respectively. Those competitive products have significantly impacted the sales of Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR, resulting in an adverse impact on our revenue and profit. In addition, our revenue and profit could be significantly impacted by the timing and rate of commercial acceptance of key new products.
Our ability to generate significant product revenue from sales of our products in the near term will depend on, among other things, our ability to:
• Defend our patents, intellectual property, and products from the competition, both branded and generic;
• Maintain commercial manufacturing arrangements with third-party manufacturers;
• Produce, through a validated process, sufficiently large quantities of our products to meet demand;
• Continue to maintain a wide variety of internal sales, distribution, and marketing capabilities, sufficient to sustain and grow revenue;
• Continue to maintain and grow widespread acceptance of our products from physicians, health care payors, patients, pharmacists, and the medical community;
• Properly price and obtain adequate reimbursement coverage of these products by governmental authorities, private health insurers, managed care organizations, and other third-party payors;
• Maintain compliance with ongoing FDA labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping, safety, and other post-market requirements;
• Obtain approval from the FDA to expand the labeling of our approved products for additional indications;
• Adequately protect against and effectively respond to any claims by holders of patents and other IP rights alleging that our products infringe their rights; and
• Adequately protect against and effectively respond to any unanticipated adverse effects or unfavorable publicity that develops with respect to our products, as well as respond to the emergence of new or existing competitive products, which may be proven to be more clinically effective and cost-effective.
There are no guarantees that we will be successful in completing these tasks. We will need to continue investing substantial financial and management resources to maintain our commercial sales and marketing infrastructure and recruit and train qualified marketing, sales, and other personnel.
Sales of our products may slow for a variety of reasons, including competing products or safety issues. Any increase in sales of our products will be dependent on several factors, including our ability to educate physicians, to increase physician awareness, and physician acceptance of the benefits and cost-effectiveness of our products relative to competing products.
Our ability to increase market acceptance of any of our products or to gain market acceptance of approved product candidates among physicians, patients, health care payors, and the medical community will depend on a number of factors, including:
• Acceptable evidence of safety and efficacy;
• Relative convenience and ease of administration;
• Prevalence, nature, and severity of any adverse side effects;
• Availability of alternative treatments, including branded and generic products; and
• Pricing and cost effectiveness.
Further, our products are subject to continual review by the FDA. We cannot provide assurance that newly discovered or reported safety issues would not arise. With the use of any marketed drug by a broader patient population, serious adverse events may occur from time to time that initially do not appear to be related to the drug itself. Any safety issues could cause us to suspend or to cease marketing of our approved products; cause us to modify how we market our approved products; subject us to
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substantial liabilities; and adversely affect our revenues and financial condition. In the event of a withdrawal of any of our products from the market, our revenues would decline significantly, and our business would be seriously harmed and could fail.
In addition, we have expressed certain long term revenue expectations. If we are not successful in broadening and/or maintaining the current commercial acceptance of our products, such that we cannot achieve those revenue expectations with respect to such products, this could result in a material adverse impact on our anticipated revenue, earnings, and liquidity.
If generics or other versions of our products including generics containing one or more of the active pharmaceutical ingredients present in our products are approved and successfully commercialized, our business could be materially harmed.
Third parties have, and in the future may, receive approval to manufacture and market their own versions of products containing one or more of the active pharmaceutical ingredients present in our products in the U.S. For example, Upsher-Smith launched Qudexy XR (extended-release topiramate) and a branded generic version of Qudexy XR in 2014. Upsher-Smith also entered into a settlement with two generic companies to launch a generic to Qudexy XR in 2020. In February 2021, one of the generic companies, Glenmark, entered the U.S. market with its own therapeutically equivalent generic products to Qudexy XR.
The Company has entered into settlement and license agreements with third parties, which permit the sale of generic versions of Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR on January 2023 and September 2024, respectively. Sales of generic versions of Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR began in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The Company has also entered into settlement and license agreements with third parties permitting the sale of the first generic version of XADAGO beginning in December 2027, or sooner under certain conditions. We have the right to defend our products against third parties who may infringe or are infringing our patents.
Third parties have, and in the future may, receive approval to manufacture and market their own products, including generics containing apomorphine hydrochloride, for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease in the U.S. For example, in 2019, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. launched Inbrija (acquired by Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC in July 2024), an inhalable form of levodopa and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Sunovion, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Ltd) launched KYNMOBI, a sublingual film formulation of apomorphine hydrochloride, in 2020 (later withdrawn from the U.S. in June 2023). In February 2022, the FDA approved the first generic containing apomorphine hydrochloride to treat hypomobility "OFF" episodes ("end-of-dose wearing off" and unpredictable "ON/OFF" episodes) associated with advanced Parkinson's Disease. This approval was for the drug cartridges only, which according to the FDA’s press release are to be used with the APOKYN pen, the brand-name pen injector, as the generic manufacturer did not seek approval of its own pen. Patients treated with generic apomorphine hydrochloride will need to separately obtain the APOKYN pen. The success of these products and the entry of new products could adversely impact the sales of APOKYN.
To the extent any third party is successful in obtaining approval to manufacture and market a generic or its own version of a product containing one or more of the active pharmaceutical ingredients present in our products in the U.S., we may not be able to prospectively realize revenues from such products. Accordingly, our business and growth prospects could be materially impaired.
We are subject to uncertainty relating to payment or managed care reimbursement policies, which, if not favorable for our products or product candidates, could hinder or prevent our commercial success.
Our business is operating in an ever more challenging environment, with significant economic pressures exerted by federal and state governments, insurers, and private payors on the pricing of our products, affecting our ability to obtain and/or maintain satisfactory rates of reimbursement for our products. The U.S. federal and state governments and private payors are under intense pressure to control healthcare spending even more tightly than in the past. These pressures are further compounded by consolidation among distributors, retailers, private insurers, managed care organizations, and other private payors, resulting in an increase in their negotiating power, particularly with respect to our products. In addition, these pressures are intensified by increased, adverse publicity about pricing for pharmaceuticals. These prices are sometimes characterized as excessive, leading to government investigations and legal proceedings regarding pharmaceutical pricing practices.
Our ability, or our collaborators' ability, to successfully commercialize our products and product candidates, including Qelbree and ONAPGO (formerly known as SPN-830), will depend in part on the coverage and reimbursement levels set by governmental authorities, private health insurers, managed care organizations, and other third-party payors.
As a threshold for coverage and reimbursement, third-party payors require that drug products be approved for marketing by the FDA. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the effectiveness of and prices charged for medical products and services. Government authorities and third-party payors have attempted to control costs, in some instances, by limiting coverage, by limiting the amount of reimbursement for particular medications, or by encouraging the use of lower-cost generic products.
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We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for any of the products that we develop and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. Moreover, that level of reimbursement may change over time as a result of requests from payors for higher levels of fees. Reduced or partial payment, or reduced reimbursement coverage, could make our products or product candidates less attractive to patients and prescribing physicians. We also may be required to sell our products or product candidates at a significant discount, which would adversely affect our ability to realize an appropriate return on our investment in our products or product candidates or to maintain profitability. Our business would also be adversely affected if private insurers, managed care organizations, the Medicare program, or other reimbursing bodies or payors limit the indications for which our products or product candidates will be reimbursed.
We expect that private insurers and managed care organizations will consider the efficacy, cost effectiveness, and safety of our products or product candidates in determining whether to approve reimbursement for such products or product candidates and to what extent they will provide reimbursement. Moreover, they will consider the efficacy and cost effectiveness of comparable or competitive products, including generic products, in making reimbursement decisions for our products. Because each third-party payor individually approves payment or reimbursement, obtaining these approvals can be a time consuming and expensive process, requiring us to provide scientific or clinical support for the use of each of our products or product candidates separately to each third-party payor. In some cases, it could take months or years before a particular private insurer or managed care organization reviews a particular product. Prior to that time, reimbursement may be negligible. We may ultimately be unsuccessful in obtaining coverage. In addition, our competitors may have more extensive existing business relationships with third-party payors that could adversely impact the coverage for our products.
Our business would be materially and adversely affected if we do not receive reimbursement for our products or product candidates from private insurers in a timely fashion or on a satisfactory basis. Our products and product candidates may not be considered cost-effective, and coverage and reimbursement may not be available or economically sufficient to allow us to sell our products or product candidates on a profitable basis.
In addition, many managed care organizations negotiate the reimbursement price of products through the use of formularies, which establish reimbursement levels. Exclusion of a product from a formulary, as has occurred in the past, can lead to sharply reduced usage in the managed care organization's patient population because reimbursement is limited and/or negligible. If our products are not included within an adequate number of managed care formularies or reimbursed at adequate levels, or if those policies increasingly favor generic products, our market share and gross margins could be negatively affected. This would have a material adverse effect on our overall business and financial condition.
There has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the U.S. with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed federal and state legislative initiatives designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under the Medicare program, to review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and to reform government reimbursement methodologies for drugs. For additional information, see " Healthcare cost containment legislation and the failure of third-party payors to provide appropriate levels of coverage and reimbursement for the use of products and treatments facilitated by our products could harm our business and prospects. " We expect to experience pricing pressures in connection with the sale of any of our products and product candidates due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of health maintenance organizations, additional cost containment initiatives, and additional legislative changes.
In some foreign jurisdictions, where certain of our products are sold by third parties pursuant to license agreements with us, particularly Canada and Europe, the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to strict governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take 6 to 12 months, or longer, after the receipt of regulatory approval and product launch. To obtain favorable reimbursement for the indications sought, or to obtain pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our products or product candidates, if approved, to other available therapies. If reimbursement for our products or product candidates is unavailable in any country in which reimbursement is sought or is limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our business could be materially harmed and unprofitable.
As evidenced by the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, discussed in greater detail below, we expect these challenges to continue and to potentially intensify during 2025, as political pressures mount, and healthcare payors, including government-controlled health authorities, insurance companies, and managed care organizations, step up initiatives to reduce the overall cost of healthcare, restrict access to higher-priced new medicines, increase the use of generic products and impose overall price cuts. Such pressures could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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We depend on wholesalers, distributors, and specialty pharmacies for the distribution of our products. If we lose any of our significant wholesaler, distributor, or specialty pharmacy accounts, our business could be harmed.
The majority of our product sales are to pharmaceutical wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, and distributors who, in turn, sell our products to pharmacies, hospitals, and other customers, including federal and state entities. The majority of sales of Qelbree, Oxtellar XR, Trokendi XR, XADAGO, and MYOBLOC are made to wholesalers and distributors. In addition, MYOBLOC is available for direct purchase by physicians and hospitals. The majority of sales of GOCOVRI and APOKYN are made to specialty pharmacies.
Each of our three major customers, Cencora, Inc., Cardinal Health, Inc., and McKesson Corporation, individually accounted for more than 20% of our total product revenue in 2024 and collectively accounted for more than 77% of our total product revenue in 2024.
The loss of any of these wholesale pharmaceutical distributors or wholesale and specialty pharmacy accounts, or a material reduction in their purchases, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects. In addition, these wholesale customers comprise a significant part of the distribution network for pharmaceutical products in the U.S. This distribution network has undergone and may continue to undergo significant consolidation marked by mergers and acquisitions. As a result, a small number of large wholesale distributors control a significant share of the market.
Consolidation of drug wholesalers has increased. This may result in increased competition and pricing pressures on pharmaceutical products. We cannot assure you that we can manage these pricing pressures or that wholesaler purchases will not fluctuate unexpectedly from period to period.
Sales of our products can be greatly affected by the inventory levels that our respective wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, and distributors carry. We monitor wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, and distributor inventory of our products using a combination of methods. Pursuant to distribution service agreements with our three largest wholesale customers, we receive product inventory reports. For other wholesalers where we do not receive inventory reports, our estimates of wholesaler inventories may differ significantly from actual inventory levels. Significant differences between actual and estimated inventory levels may result in excessive stocking, resulting in our holding substantial quantities of unsold inventory, or, alternatively, inadequate supplies of product in the distribution channels. This could result in an inability to support sales at the retail level. These changes may cause our revenues to fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and, in some cases, may cause our operating results for a particular quarter to be below expectations.
At times, wholesalers and distributors may increase inventory levels in response to anticipated price increases, resulting in both greater wholesaler purchases prior to the anticipated price increase and in reduced wholesaler purchases in later quarters. Accordingly, this may cause substantial fluctuations in our results of operations from period to period. If our financial results are below expectations for a particular period, the market price of our common stock may drop significantly.
We may not be able to effectively market and sell our product candidates, if approved, in the U.S.
We plan on expanding our sales and marketing capabilities in the U.S. to commercialize new product candidates if approved. This will require investing significant amounts of financial and management resources. If we are unable to establish and maintain adequate sales and marketing capabilities for new product candidates or do so in a timely manner, we may not be able to generate sufficient product revenues from our product candidates to be profitable. The cost of establishing and maintaining such marketing and sales capabilities may not be economically justifiable in light of the revenues generated by any of our product candidates. With the approval of a new product candidate, we may re-prioritize our marketing and sales efforts, including reassigning our sales representatives who support existing products to devote their full efforts to the launch of the new product candidate. This could have a detrimental impact on the future sales performance of existing products.
Final marketing approval of any of our product candidates or approval of additional indications for existing products by the FDA or other regulatory authorities may be delayed, limited, or denied, any of which would adversely affect our ability to generate operating revenues.
We are dependent on obtaining regulatory approval of our product candidates and approval for additional indications for existing products. Our business depends on successful clinical development i.e., successful completion of clinical trials and completion of requisite manufacturing information. We are not permitted to market any of our product candidates in the U.S. until we receive approval of an NDA from the FDA or market in any foreign jurisdiction until we receive approval from the requisite authority. Satisfaction of regulatory requirements typically takes many years, is dependent upon the type, complexity, and novelty of the product, and requires the expenditure of substantial resources. We cannot predict whether or when we will obtain regulatory
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approval to commercialize our product candidates. We cannot, therefore, predict the timing of any future revenues from these product candidates.
The FDA has substantial discretion in the drug approval process, including the ability to delay, limit or deny approval of a product candidate or deny a prior approval supplement for many reasons. For example, the FDA
• Could reject or delay the marketing application for an NCE;
• Could determine that we cannot rely on Section 505(b)(2) for any approval of our product candidates;
• Could determine that the information provided by us was inadequate, contained clinical deficiencies, or otherwise failed to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of any of our product candidates for a specific indication;
• May not find the data from bioequivalence studies and/or clinical trials sufficient to support the submission of an NDA or to obtain marketing approval in the U.S.;
• May find the clinical and other benefits of our product candidates do not outweigh their safety risks;
• May disagree with our trial design or our interpretation of data from preclinical studies, bioequivalence studies, and/or clinical trials, or may change the requirements for approval even after they have reviewed and commented on the design for our trials; the outcome and measurement scale used in the trials; or the clinical protocols whether with or without a special protocol assessment process;
• May determine that we have identified the wrong reference listed drug or drugs, or that approval of our Section 505(b)(2) application of our product candidate is blocked by patent or non-patent exclusivity of the reference listed drug or drugs;
• May identify deficiencies in the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we enter into agreements for the supply of raw materials, including the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or formulated product used in our product candidates, wherein those deficiencies may result in a delay in obtaining FDA approval or in an interruption in the ability to supply product;
• Could reject or delay approval of a "prior approval supplement" required prior to distribution of the drug product made using changes that may impact product quality, identity strength, purity, or potency (i.e., major changes);
• May approve our product candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request, or may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-approval clinical trials;
• May change their approval policies or adopt new regulations;
• May not approve the labeling claims that we believe are necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of our product candidates or may approve them with warnings and precautions that could limit the acceptance of our product candidates and their commercial success; or
• May not approve the addition of new indications to the label of our existing products.
Notwithstanding the approval of many products by the FDA pursuant to Sections 505(b)(1) and 505(b)(2), over the last few years, some pharmaceutical companies and others have objected to the FDA's interpretation of Section 505(b)(2). If the FDA changes its interpretation of Section 505(b)(2), or if the FDA's interpretation is successfully challenged in court, this could delay or even prevent the FDA from approving any Section 505(b)(2) application that we submit. Any failure to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates would eliminate our ability to generate revenues for that candidate. Any failure to obtain such approval for all of the indications and labeling claims we deem desirable could reduce our potential revenues.
The process of obtaining regulatory clearances or approvals to market a medical device can be costly and time consuming. We may not be able to obtain these clearances or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. The FDA exercises significant discretion over the regulation of combination products, including drug and device components in a combination product.
The FDA could in the future require additional regulation under the medical device provisions of the FDCA. We must comply with the QSR, which sets forth the FDA's cGMP, requirements for medical devices, and other applicable government regulations and corresponding foreign standards for drug cGMPs. If we fail to comply with these regulations, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
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In February 2025, the FDA approved ONAPGO (apomorphine hydrochloride) injection (formerly SPN-830), as the first and only subcutaneous apomorphine infusion device for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced PD. See Item 1. Business for further information.
We rely on and will continue to rely on outsourcing arrangements for certain of our critical activities, including clinical research of our product candidates, manufacture of our compounds and product candidates, and the manufacture of our commercial products. If we fail to produce our products and product candidates in the volumes that we require on a timely basis or fail to comply with stringent regulations applicable to pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, we may face delays in the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates or be required to withdraw our products from the market.
We rely on outsourcing arrangements for some of our critical activities, including manufacturing, preclinical and clinical research, data collection and analysis, and electronic submission of regulatory filings. We may have limited control over third parties, and we cannot guarantee that they will perform their obligations in an effective, competent, and timely manner. Our reliance on third parties, including third-party Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) and CMOs, entails risks including, but not limited to:
• Non-compliance by third parties with regulatory and quality control standards;
• Sanctions imposed by regulatory authorities if materials supplied or manufactured by a third party supplier or manufacturer fail to comply with applicable regulatory standards;
• Possible breach of the agreements by the CROs or CMOs because of factors beyond our control, insolvency or other financial difficulties of any of these third parties; labor unrest; natural disasters; or other factors adversely affecting their ability to conduct their business; and
• Termination or non-renewal of an agreement by a third party at a time that is inconvenient for us and for reasons not entirely under our control.
We do not currently own or operate manufacturing facilities for the commercial production of any of our products or for production of clinical supplies of our product candidates, nor do we have plans to do so in the future. We currently depend on third-party clinical manufacturing organizations (CMOs), who offer a comprehensive range of contract manufacturing and packaging services, in various countries for the supply of API for our products and product candidates, including raw materials and drug substances for our preclinical research and clinical trials. For most of our products and product candidates, we rely on single source suppliers to produce and package final dosage forms for our products and raw materials, including API. If any of these vendors are unable to perform their obligations to us, including due to violations of the FDA's requirements, our ability to meet regulatory requirements, projected timelines, and necessary quality standards for the development or commercialization of products would be adversely affected. Further, if we were required to change suppliers, it could result in substantial delays in our regulatory approval efforts, significantly increase our costs, and delay generation of revenues. Accordingly, the loss of any of our current or future third-party manufacturers or suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and business prospects.
There is a risk that supplies of our products or product candidates may be significantly delayed by or may become unavailable as a result of manufacturing, equipment, process, supply chain or business-related issues or geopolitical events affecting our suppliers. At this time while we do not know of any geopolitical events impacting our supply chain, we cannot determine the impact of current or future geopolitical events which may ultimately have an impact on our supply chains or may create other unforeseen consequences affecting us or our suppliers. Any future curtailment in the availability of raw materials or finished goods could result in production or other delays, resulting adverse business effects. In addition, because regulatory authorities must generally approve raw material sources for pharmaceutical products, changes in raw material suppliers may result in production delays or higher raw material costs. We may also encounter similar risks with the other products and product candidates where raw materials or finished goods are purchased from suppliers outside the U.S., as is the case for example for ONAPGO (formerly known as SPN-830), Qelbree, APOKYN, XADAGO, and MYOBLOC where various suppliers are based in Europe.
The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of advanced manufacturing techniques and process controls. Pharmaceutical companies and their suppliers often encounter difficulties in manufacturing, particularly in scaling up the production of their products. These problems can adversely affect production costs and yields, quality control, the stability of the product and quality assurance testing, as well as compliance with federal, state, and foreign regulations. If we are unable to demonstrate stability in accordance with commercial requirements, or if our manufacturers were to encounter difficulties or otherwise fail to comply with their obligations to us, our ability to obtain
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or maintain FDA approval and to market our products and product candidates, respectively, would be jeopardized. In addition, any delay or interruption in producing clinical trial supplies could delay or prohibit the completion of our clinical trials, increase the costs associated with conducting our clinical trials and, depending upon the period of delay, require us to commence new trials at the significant additional expense or to terminate a trial.
Manufacturers of pharmaceutical products need to comply with cGMP requirements and other requirements enforced by the FDA, including electronic tracking and submission. These requirements include quality control, quality assurance, and the maintenance of records and documentation. Manufacturers of our products and product candidates may be unable to comply with all cGMP requirements and other FDA and similar foreign regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in fines and civil penalties, suspension of production, suspension or delay in product approval, product seizure or recall, or withdrawal of product approval. If the safety of any of our products or product candidates is compromised due to failure to adhere to applicable laws or for other reasons, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for such product candidates or to successfully commercialize such products. We may be held liable for any injuries sustained as a result. Any of these factors could cause a delay in clinical development, regulatory submissions, approvals, or commercialization of our product candidates, entail higher costs, or result in our being unable to effectively commercialize our product candidates. Furthermore, if we fail to obtain the required commercial quantities on a timely basis from our suppliers and at commercially reasonable prices, we may be unable to meet the demand for our approved products or may not be able to sell our products profitably.
If we do not obtain marketing exclusivity for our product candidates, our business may suffer.
Under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, three years of marketing exclusivity may be granted for the approval of NDAs and sNDAs, including Section 505(b)(2) applications, for, among other things, new indications, dosage forms, routes of administration, strengths, or for a new use of an existing drug. If the clinical investigations that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are determined by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, the FDA may grant exclusivity for the product, sometimes referred to as clinical investigation exclusivity. This prevents the FDA from approving an application under Section 505(b)(2) for the same conditions of use for new clinical investigations prior to the expiration of three years from the date of approval. Such exclusivity, however, would not prevent the approval of another application if the applicant submits a full NDA and has conducted its own adequate, well-controlled clinical trials, demonstrating safety and efficacy. It would not prevent approval of a generic product or Section 505(b)(2) product that did not incorporate the exclusivity-protected changes of the approved drug product.
Under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, newly-approved drugs and indications may also benefit from a statutory period of non-patent marketing exclusivity. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments provide five-year marketing exclusivity to the first applicant to gain the approval of an NDA for an NCE. This would be the case if the FDA had not previously approved any other drug containing the same API or active moiety, which is the molecule responsible for the action of the drug substance. Although protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments will not prevent the submission or approval of another full NDA, such an NDA applicant would be required to conduct its own preclinical and adequate, well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
Currently, the Company has a five-year marketing exclusivity period for Qelbree.
If we are unable to obtain marketing exclusivity for our subsequent product candidates, then our competitors may obtain approval for competing products more easily than if we had such marketing exclusivity. In such an event, our future revenues could be reduced materially.
If the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities approve generic products that compete with any of our products or product candidates, the sales of our products or the commercial success of our product candidates would be adversely affected.
Once an NDA, including a Section 505(b)(2) application, is approved, the product covered thereby becomes a listed drug, which can be cited by potential competitors in support of approval of an ANDA. FDCA, FDA regulations and other applicable regulations and policies provide incentives to manufacturers to create modified, non-infringing versions of a drug to facilitate the approval of an ANDA or other application for generic substitutes. These manufacturers might only be required to conduct a relatively inexpensive study to show that their product has the same active ingredient(s), dosage form, strength, route of administration, and conditions of use or labeling, as our product or product candidate and that the generic product is bioequivalent to our product. Bioequivalence implies that a product is absorbed in the body at the same rate and to the same extent as our product or product candidate. These generic equivalents, which must meet the same quality standards as branded pharmaceuticals, would be significantly less costly than ours to bring to market. Companies that produce generic equivalents are generally able to offer their products at significantly lower prices. Thus, regardless of the regulatory approval pathway, after the introduction of a generic competitor, a significant percentage of the sales of any branded product are typically lost to the generic product through
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both price and volume erosion. Accordingly, as we have observed with Trokendi XR and Oxtellar XR, competition from generic equivalents adversely, materially, and permanently impact our revenues, profitability, and cash flows from those products and may substantially limit our ability to obtain a return on the investments we have made in our products.
If our competitors develop or market alternatives for the treatment of our target indications, our commercial opportunities will be reduced or eliminated.
The pharmaceutical industry is characterized by rapidly advancing technologies, intense product-driven competition, and a strong emphasis on proprietary therapeutics. We face competition from a number of sources, some of which may target the same indications as to our products and product candidates. These include large pharmaceutical companies, smaller pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, academic institutions, government agencies, and private and public research institutions. The availability of new products or the approval of new indications for existing products may limit the demand for and the price we are able to charge for any of our products. We may be unable to differentiate our products from competitive offerings.
In addition to competition for our current commercial products, we anticipate that we will face intense competition when our pipeline product candidates are approved by regulatory authorities and begin their commercialization process. In particular, we are aware of Serina Therapeutics developing a product candidate that may compete with ONAPGO (formerly SPN-830). Also, AbbVie has developed and received FDA approval in October 2024 to market a subcutaneous 24-hour infusion of levodopa-based therapy for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced Parkinson disease (PD).
New developments, including the development of other drug technologies, may render our products or product candidates obsolete or noncompetitive. As a result, demand for our product may significantly decline or our products and product candidates may become obsolete before we recover expenses incurred in connection with their development or realize revenues from their commercialization. Moreover, many competitors have substantially greater:
• Capital resources;
• Research and development resources and experience, including personnel and technology;
• Drug development, clinical trial and regulatory resources and experience, including personnel and technology;
• Sales and marketing resources and experience;
• Manufacturing and distribution resources and experience;
• Name recognition; and
• Resources, experience and expertise in prosecution and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
As a result of these factors, our competitors may obtain regulatory approval of their products more rapidly than we are able to or may obtain patent protection or other intellectual property rights that limit or block us from developing or commercializing our product candidates. Our competitors may also develop drugs that are more effective, have faster onset to action, better tolerated, subject to fewer or less severe side effects, more widely prescribed or accepted, or less costly than ours. They may also be more successful than us in manufacturing and marketing their products. If we are unable to compete effectively with the products of our competitors, or if such competitors are successful in developing products that compete with any of our approved product candidates, our business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry may result in an even higher level of resources being concentrated at competitors. Competition may intensify as a result of advances made in the commercial applicability of technologies and as a result of greater availability of capital for investment.
Our products and our product candidates may be subject to restrictions or withdrawal from the market. We may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements.
Even though U.S. regulatory approval has been obtained for our products, the FDA may impose significant restrictions on their indicated uses, or may impose restrictions on marketing, or may impose requirements for costly post-approval studies. For example, certain of our products, including Qelbree, ONAPGO, Oxtellar XR, Trokendi XR, and MYOBLOC, were approved on the basis of post-approval commitments.
We have post-marketing commitments for Qelbree including the requirement to conduct a clinical efficacy and six month open label safety extension study for ADHD in pediatric patients 4 to 5 years of age, a lactation study and a descriptive study related to the use of Qelbree during pregnancy, and to assess the risks of adverse events and potential complications. We are
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working toward meeting these post-marketing commitments for Qelbree in a timely manner. We also have post-marketing commitment to conduct a new leachable study for ONAPGO, which was approved by the FDA in February 2025.
We also have post-marketing commitments for Oxtellar XR and MYOBLOC. Although we have initiated work on some of these post-marketing commitments, we have not been able to accomplish them. We were released from the majority of our post-marketing commitments for Trokendi XR in 2024. If we do not meet our post-marketing commitments and are unable to show good cause for our inability to adhere to the timetables laid out in the approval letters, the FDA could take enforcement action against us, including withdrawal of approval.
Our products, product candidates, and our collaborators' approved products are subject to ongoing FDA requirements governing the labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping, and submission of safety and other information. In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) regulations. If we, our collaborators, or a regulatory authority discover previously unknown problems with a product, including side effects that are unanticipated in severity or frequency, or problems with the facility where the product is manufactured, a regulatory authority may impose restrictions on that product or on the manufacturer, including requiring withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing.
If we or our collaborators, or our products, product candidates, or our collaborators' products, or the manufacturing facilities for our products, product candidates or our collaborators' products fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, a regulatory authority may:
• Issue warning letters or untitled letters;
• Impose civil or criminal penalties;
• Suspend regulatory approval;
• Suspend any ongoing bioequivalence and/or clinical trials;
• Refuse to approve pending applications or supplements to applications filed by us;
• Impose restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements, or suspend production for a sustained period of time; or
• Seize or detain products or require us to initiate a product recall.
In addition, our product labeling, advertising, and promotion of our approved products are subject to regulatory requirements and continuing regulatory review. The FDA strictly regulates the promotional claims that may be made about prescription products. In particular, a product may not be promoted for uses that are not approved by the FDA, as reflected in the product's approved labeling. Notwithstanding, physicians may nevertheless prescribe products to their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved label, which is known as "off label use". The FDA and other authorities actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have promoted off-label use may be subject to significant sanctions. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion and has enjoined companies from engaging in off-label promotion. If we are found to have promoted off-label use, we may be enjoined from such off-label promotion and become subject to significant liability. This could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, revenues, and profits.
Further, the FDA's policies may prospectively change. Additional government regulations may be enacted that could affect our products or prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. If we are unable to adapt on a timely basis, or at all, to changes in existing requirements or to adopt new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we have obtained, adversely affecting our business, prospects, and ability to achieve or sustain profitability.
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We depend on collaborators to work with us to develop, manufacture and commercialize their and our products and product candidates. We have in-licensed or acquired a portion of our intellectual property necessary to develop certain of our product candidates. If we fail to comply with our obligations under any of these arrangements, we could lose the benefit of such collaborative relationships, including licenses or intellectual property rights.
Under the Britannia Supply Agreement, we have been granted certain intellectual property and product rights in relation to APOKYN, including the right to use and market APOKYN in the United States. Additionally, the Britannia Supply Agreement grants Britannia certain intellectual property and product rights in relation to APOKYN, including the right to use and market APOKYN in the rest of the world, excluding the United States. Per the Agreement, Britannia has an obligation to supply us with APOKYN for our marketing and sale of the product.
Britannia may terminate its obligation to supply APOKYN for cause, or at any time, by giving at least twenty-four months' written notice. The Britannia Supply Agreement does not provide technology transfer assistance from Britannia to any new suppliers we might engage following termination. In addition, the Britannia Supply Agreement is silent in providing us with an explicit license grant to any intellectual property, or to access know-how necessary or useful for manufacturing APOKYN. If we materially breach the Britannia Supply Agreement, or Britannia chooses to terminate the Britannia Supply Agreement for convenience, we could lose the right and resources necessary for the manufacture of APOKYN or could incur significant costs implementing technology transfer assistance.
We also have agreements with leading CMOs to manufacture other commercial products and the API for such products. These CMOs offer a comprehensive range of contract manufacturing services.
We have a license agreement with United Therapeutics Corporation to use one of our proprietary technologies in an oral formulation of treprostinil diethanolamine, or treprostinil, for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and for other indications. The Company is eligible to receive, and has received royalties under this agreement based on net product sales of United Therapeutics Corporation's product, Orenitram (treprostinil). We are entitled to receive milestones and royalties for the use of this formulation in indications other than arterial hypertension.
Namzaric (memantine hydrochloride extended release and donepezil hydrochloride) capsules for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of an Alzheimer's type is currently marketed by Allergan plc under an exclusive license agreement between Adamas Pharmaceuticals, LLC and Forest Laboratories Holdings Limited ("Forest"), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Allergan plc (collectively, "Allergan") in the United States. Adamas Pharmaceuticals LLC receives royalties on net sales of Namzaric.
We rely on third-party collaborators and strategic partners to market and commercialize our products and product candidates outside the U.S. We are party to and rely on several arrangements with third parties which provide us with rights to intellectual property that are necessary for the development of certain of our product candidates. In addition, we may enter into similar arrangements in the future for other product candidates. Our current arrangements impose various development, financial and other obligations on us. If we materially breach these obligations, of if third parties fail to adequately perform their respective obligations, these arrangements could be terminated which could result in our inability to develop, manufacture, market and sell products that are covered by such intellectual properties. We may not have sufficient resources to successfully establish future collaborations or license future arrangements on acceptable terms, if at all. We also face competition in our search for collaborators and licensing partners. By entering into strategic collaborations or similar arrangements, we rely on third parties to financially support their local operations, including support required for development, commercialization, sales, marketing, and regulatory activities, as well as expertise in each of those subject areas.
Refer to Part I, Item 1—Business — Collaborations and Licensing Agreements , of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for discussion on the different collaborations and licensing arrangements.
Our future collaboration agreements may limit the areas of research and development that we may pursue, either alone or in collaboration with third parties. Much of the potential revenues from these future collaborations may consist of contingent payments, such as payments for achieving certain development milestones and royalties payable on product sales. The milestones and royalty revenues that we may receive under these collaborations will depend upon our collaborators' ability to successfully develop, introduce, market and sell new products. Future collaboration partners may fail to develop or effectively commercialize products, product candidates, or technologies because they, among other things, may:
• Change the focus of their development and commercialization efforts, or may have insufficient resources to effectively develop our product candidates;
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• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically have re-evaluated their development and commercialization priorities following mergers and consolidations, which have been common in recent years. The ability of some of our product candidates to reach their potential could be limited if our future collaborators fail to apply sufficient development or commercialization efforts related to those product candidates;
• Decide not to devote the necessary resources due to internal constraints, such as limited personnel with the requisite scientific expertise, limited cash resources, or in the belief that other internal drug development programs may have a higher likelihood of obtaining marketing approval, or may potentially generate a greater return on investment;
• Develop and commercialize, either alone or with others, drugs that are similar to or competitive with the product candidates that are the subject of their collaboration with us;
• Not have necessary and sufficient resources to develop the product candidate through clinical development, marketing approval, and commercialization;
• Fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements;
• Are unable to obtain the necessary marketing approvals; or
• Breach or terminate their arrangement with us.
If collaboration partners fail to develop or fail to effectively commercialize our products for any of these reasons, we may not be able to replace the collaboration partner with another partner to develop and commercialize the product under the terms of the collaboration, if at all. Further, even if we are able to replace the collaboration partner, we may not be able to do so on commercially favorable terms. As a result, the development and commercialization of the affected product or product candidate could be delayed, impaired, or terminated because we may not have sufficient financial resources or capabilities to continue the development and commercialization of the product candidate on our own. Failure of our third-party collaborators to successfully market and commercialize our products or product candidates within and outside the U.S. could materially diminish our revenues and harm our results of operations.
Even if our product candidates receive regulatory approval in the U.S., we or our collaborators may not receive approval to commercialize our product candidates outside of the U.S.
To market any product outside of the U.S., we must establish and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other regulatory jurisdictions regarding safety and efficacy. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve product testing and administrative review periods different from, and longer than, those in the U.S. The time required to obtain approval in other jurisdictions might differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process in other jurisdictions may include all of the risks detailed above regarding FDA approval in the U.S., as well as other risks. For example, legislation analogous to Section 505(b)(2) of the FDCA in the U.S., which relates to the ability of an NDA applicant to use published data not developed by such applicant, may not exist in other countries. In territories where data are not freely available, we may not have the ability to commercialize our products without first negotiating with third parties to obtain their permission to refer to their clinical data in our regulatory applications. This process could require the expenditure of significant additional funds and time.
In addition, regulatory approval in one jurisdiction does not ensure regulatory approval in another. A failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory processes in others. Failure to obtain regulatory approval in other jurisdictions, or any delay or setback in obtaining such approvals, could have the same adverse effects as detailed above regarding FDA approval. As described above, such effects include the risks that any of our product candidates may not be approved for all requested indications, which could limit the uses of our product candidates and could have an adverse effect on their commercial potential or could require costly post-marketing studies.
Our failure to successfully develop and market our product candidates would impair our ability to grow.
As part of our growth strategy, we intend to develop and market additional product candidates. We may spend substantial resources and several years completing the development of a particular current or future internal product candidate, during which process we can experience failure at any stage, and for many reasons. The product candidates to which we allocate our resources, even if approved, may not be commercially successful. In addition, because our internal research capabilities are limited, we may be dependent upon pharmaceutical companies, academic scientists, and other researchers to sell or license
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products or technologies to us. The success of this strategy depends partly upon our ability to identify, select, discover and acquire promising pharmaceutical product candidates and approved products, and to manage our spending as expenses related to undertaking clinical trials can be substantial.
In February 2025, the FDA approved ONAPGO (apomorphine hydrochloride) injection, formerly known as SPN-830, as the first and only subcutaneous apomorphine infusion device for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced PD.
We may be unable to acquire product candidates or products.
The process of proposing, negotiating, and implementing a license, or acquiring a product candidate or an approved product, is lengthy and complex. Other companies, including some with substantially greater financial, marketing and sales resources, may compete with us for the license, the product candidate, or approved product. We have limited resources, including financial resources, to identify and execute the acquisition or in-licensing of third-party products, businesses, and technologies and integrate them into our current infrastructure. Moreover, we may devote significant resources to potential acquisitions, or in-licensing opportunities wherein those transactions are never consummated, or we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such efforts. We may not be able to acquire the rights to additional product candidates on terms that we find acceptable or at all.
In addition, future acquisitions may entail numerous operational and financial risks, including:
• Exposure to unknown liabilities;
• Disruption of our business, and diversion of our management's time and attention, to develop acquired products or technologies;
• Incur substantial debt, or dilutive issuances of securities, or depletion of cash to pay for acquisitions;
• Incur higher than expected acquisition, integration, and operating costs;
• Experience difficulty in combining the operations and personnel of any acquired businesses with our operations and personnel;
• Impair relationships with key suppliers or customers of any acquired businesses due to changes in management and ownership; and
• Unable to retain and/or motivate key employees of any acquired businesses.
Our clinical trials for our product candidates may fail to demonstrate acceptable levels of safety, efficacy, or other requirements, which could prevent or significantly delay regulatory approval.
We may be unable to sufficiently demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates in obtaining regulatory approval. We must demonstrate, with substantial evidence gathered in well-controlled studies and to the satisfaction of the relevant regulatory authorities, that each product candidate is safe and effective for use in the target indication. We may be required to conduct additional studies or trials to adequately demonstrate safety and efficacy, which could prevent or significantly delay our receipt of regulatory approval, increase clinical costs, and ultimately delay or otherwise impair the commercialization of that product candidate.
Any product candidate that we in-license or acquire may require additional development prior to commercial sale, including formulation development, extensive clinical testing, and approval by the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory authorities. All product candidates are prone to risks of failure typical to pharmaceutical product development, including the possibility that a product candidate will not be shown to be sufficiently safe and effective for approval by regulatory authorities.
In addition, the results from the trials that we have completed for our product candidates may not be replicated in future trials. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced development, even after promising results in earlier trials. If our product candidates are not shown to be safe and effective, these clinical development programs might be terminated.
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Delays or failures in the completion of clinical development of our product candidates would increase our costs, delay, or limit our ability to generate revenues.
Delays or failures in the completion of clinical trials for our product candidates could significantly raise our product development costs. We do not know whether current or planned trials will be completed on schedule, if at all. The commencement and completion of clinical development can be delayed or halted for a number of reasons, including:
• Difficulties in obtaining regulatory approval to commence a clinical trial or in complying with conditions imposed by a regulatory authority regarding the scope or term of a clinical trial;
• Difficulties obtaining IRB or ethics committee approval to conduct a trial at a prospective site;
• Delays in reaching or failure to reach agreement on acceptable terms with prospective trial sites and investigators, the contractual terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly from site to site;
• Insufficient or inadequate supply of or quantity of a product candidate for use in trials;
• Challenges recruiting and enrolling patients to participate in clinical trials, for any and all reasons, including competition from other programs for the treatment of similar conditions;
• Severe or unexpected drug-related side effects experienced by patients in a clinical trial;
• Difficulty retaining patients who have enrolled in a clinical trial but who may be prone to withdraw due to side effects from the therapy, lack of efficacy, or personal issues;
• Temporary cessation of clinical trials (clinical holds); or
• Delays due to ambiguous or negative interim results in clinical trials.
Clinical trials may be suspended or terminated by us; or at a trial site by the site's Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) or ethics committee overseeing the clinical trial; or by the FDA; or by other regulatory authorities due to a number of factors, including:
• Failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or the trial protocols;
• Observations during an inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial sites by the FDA or other regulatory authorities which ultimately result in the imposition of a delay or clinical hold;
• Unforeseen safety issues; or
• Lack of adequate funding to continue the trial.
Failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or the trial protocols may result in the inability to use the trial data to support product approval. Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may occur, and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols to reflect these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit our clinical trial protocols to IRBs or ethics committees for reexamination, which may adversely impact the cost, timing, and/or successful completion of a clinical trial.
In addition, many of the factors that cause or lead to a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates. If we experience delays in completion, or if we terminate any of our clinical trials, our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates may be materially harmed, and our commercial prospects and ability to generate product revenues diminished.
Additionally, the current inflationary environment, unstable economic conditions and geopolitical events may delay our trials or significantly increase our product development costs.
Our products and product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other characteristics that limit their commercial potential, delay, or prevent their regulatory approval.
Undesirable side effects caused by any of our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt development. This could result in the denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other regulatory authorities and result in potential product liability claims. Undesirable side effects caused by any of our products could cause regulatory
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authorities to temporarily or permanently halt product sales, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. As required by the FDA, the labels for our products include precautions and warnings about side effects, and in certain cases, the need for monitoring patients receiving the product.
If our products cause side effects, and we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by our products or product candidates, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including, among others:
• regulatory authorities may withdraw approval of the product or otherwise require us to take the approved product off the market;
• regulatory authorities may require additional warnings or a narrowing of the indication on the product label; or
• we may be required to create a medication guide outlining the proper use of the medication and the risks of side effects for distribution to patients;
• we may be required to modify the product in some way;
• regulatory authorities may require us to conduct additional clinical trials, or costly post-marketing testing and surveillance, to monitor the safety or efficacy of the product;
• sales of approved products may decrease significantly;
• we could be sued and be held liable for harm caused to patients; or
• our reputation may suffer.
Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining the commercial success of our products and product candidates and could substantially increase commercialization costs.
We may not obtain or maintain the benefits associated with Orphan Drug Designation, including market exclusivity.
Regulatory authorities in the United States may designate drugs for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. The FDA may grant Orphan Drug Designation to drugs intended to treat a rare disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals annually in the U.S. Orphan Drug Designation entitles a party to financial incentives, such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax credits for certain research, and user fee waivers under certain circumstances. In addition, if a drug receives its first FDA approval in an indication for which it has Orphan Drug Designation, that drug is entitled to seven years of market exclusivity. This implies that the FDA may not approve any other firm's application for the same drug for that same indication for a period of seven years. Exceptions are limited, such as showing clinical superiority over the drug with orphan drug exclusivity.
Although we have been granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for SPN-817 for the treatment of Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gaustaut Syndrome and for ONAPGO for the treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced PD, and we intend to expand our designation for alternative uses where applicable, we may not receive the benefits associated with Orphan Drug Designation. This may result from a failure to maintain orphan drug status, or it may result from a competing product reaching the market with an orphan designation for the same disease indication. Under U.S. rules for orphan drugs, if such a competing product reaches the market before ours does, the competing product could potentially obtain a scope of market exclusivity that limits or precludes our product from being sold in the U.S. for seven years. Even if we obtain exclusivity, the FDA could subsequently approve an alternative drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the second to reach the market is clinically superior in that it is safer, more effective, or makes a major contribution to patient care. In addition, a competitor may receive approval of different products for the same indication for which our orphan product has exclusivity or may obtain approval for the same product but for a different indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity.
In August 2017, the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017 (FDARA) was enacted. FDARA, among other things, codified the FDA's pre-existing regulatory interpretation to require that a drug sponsor demonstrate clinical superiority of an orphan drug that is otherwise the same as a previously approved drug for the same rare disease in order to receive orphan drug exclusivity. The new legislation reverses prior precedent holding that the Orphan Drug Act unambiguously requires that the FDA recognize the orphan exclusivity period, regardless of showing clinical superiority.
The FDA may further reevaluate the Orphan Drug Act, including the FDARA amendment, its regulations, and policies. We do not know if, when, or how the FDA may change the orphan drug regulations and policies in the future. It is uncertain how
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any changes might affect our business. Depending on what changes the FDA may make to its orphan drug regulations and policies, our business could be adversely impacted.
Healthcare reform measures could hinder or prevent the commercial success of our products or product candidates.
The U.S. and certain states have shown significant, increased interest in pursuing healthcare reform and changes to the healthcare delivery system. Numerous major markets outside the US, including the EU, Japan, and China, have widespread governmental involvement in healthcare funding, including with regard to pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals. Government-adopted reform measures could adversely impact the pricing of healthcare products and services in the U.S. or internationally, adversely impacting the level of reimbursement available from governmental agencies and/or commercial third-party payors. The continuing efforts of third-party payors, including U.S. federal and state agencies, foreign governments, insurance companies, managed care organizations, employers, and other payors of healthcare services to contain or reduce healthcare costs may adversely affect the Company's ability to set prices at launch, increase prices after launch, generate revenues, achieve profitability, and/or maintain profitability. In addition to healthcare reform initiatives in the U.S. and in other countries, there are (i) new laws, regulations, and judicial or other governmental decisions affecting pricing, drug reimbursement, and access or marketing within or across jurisdictions; (ii) changes in intellectual property laws; (iii) changes in accounting standards; (iv) new and increasing data privacy regulations and enforcement; (v) legislative mandates or preferences for local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products; and (vi) emerging and new global regulatory requirements for reporting payments and other value transfers to healthcare professionals. The costs of compliance with such laws and regulations, or the negative results of non-compliance, could adversely affect the business, cash flow, results of operations, financial condition and prospects of the Company. The Company believes that the healthcare industry will continue to be subject to increasing regulation as well as legal and political action, as future proposals to reform the healthcare system are considered by the U.S. Executive branch, Congress, and state legislatures.
In March 2010, a comprehensive change to the U.S. healthcare system, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) was enacted, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. These laws and their regulations (collectively "HealthCare Reform Law") have far reaching consequences for pharmaceutical companies like the Company. Possible revisions to the HealthCare Reform Law are the subject of continuing legislative debates and litigation.
The HealthCare Reform Law exerts downward pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and has increased the industry's regulatory burden and operating costs. Among the provisions of the HealthCare Reform Law of importance to the Company's products and product candidates are the following:
• An annual, nondeductible fee payable to the U.S. federal government by any entity that manufactures or imports specified branded prescription drugs or biologic agents. This fee is based on each company's market share of prior year total sales of branded products to certain federal healthcare programs;
• An increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program;
• Rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP) for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted, or injected. During 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Final Rule that makes significant modifications to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program regulations in several areas, including with respect to the treatment of value-based purchasing arrangements, the definition of key terms, and the price reporting treatment of manufacturer-sponsored patient benefit programs. On May 26, 2023, CMS issued a proposed rule seeking to implement policies in the MDRP related to the new legislative requirements in the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 to address, among other things, drug misclassification and drug pricing and product data misreporting by manufacturers
• A Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer a substantial point-of-sale discount off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer's outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D;
• Extension of manufacturers' Medicaid rebate liability to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations;
• Expansion of the eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs in certain states;
• Expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing program;
• A requirement to annually report the number of drug samples that manufacturers and distributors provide to physicians; and
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• A Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities for, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, and provide funding for such research.
In 2021 the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) was signed into law, which includes a provision eliminating the statutory cap on rebates that drug manufacturers pay to Medicaid beginning in January 2024. These rebates function as a discount off the list price and eliminating the cap means that manufacturer discounts paid to Medicaid can increase. Prior to this change, manufacturers had not been required to pay more than 100% of the Average Manufacturer Price (“AMP”) in rebates to state Medicaid programs for Medicaid-covered drugs. As a result of this provision, effective January 1, 2024 manufacturers may have to pay state Medicaid programs more in rebates than they receive on sales of particular products. This change could present a risk to the Company in the future for drugs that have high Medicaid utilization and rebate exposure that is more than 100% of the AMP. As a result of ARPA certain pharmaceutical manufacturers may reconsider pricing strategies and overall business in Medicaid and other federal programs.
In 2022 the IRA was enacted, which made significant changes to how drugs are covered and paid for under the Medicare program, including the creation of financial penalties for drugs whose prices rise faster than the rate of inflation, redesign of the Medicare Part D program to require manufacturers to bear more of the liability for certain drug benefits, and government price-setting for certain Medicare Part D drugs, starting in 2026, and Medicare Part B drugs starting in 2028.
Additional changes to the HealthCare Reform Law include The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three years to five years.
In addition to those changes discussed above, in recent years there have also been several Congressional inquiries and proposed bills designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare; review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government programs reimbursement methodologies for drugs.
Executive orders have changed certain provisions of the HealthCare Reform Law, while other provisions have been subject to court challenges. On June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the most recent judicial challenge to the HealthCare Reform Law, brought by several states, without specifically ruling on the constitutionality of the HealthCare Reform Law. Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, then President Biden issued an executive order instructing certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare, including, among others, re-examining Medicaid demonstration projects and waiver programs that include work requirements, and policies that create barriers to obtaining access to health insurance coverage through Medicaid or the HealthCare Reform Law.
On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court overruled their landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which gave rise to the doctrine known as the Chevron doctrine. The Supreme Court’s ruling sharply reduced the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer and ruled that courts should rely on their own interpretation of ambiguous laws. This ruling could have a significant impact on the health care industry, which is heavily regulated by multiple federal agencies and subject to frequent federal rulemaking regarding such topics as reimbursement, health care operations, patient safety, and patient privacy.
There was enormous growth and visibility for artificial intelligence (AI) systems and tools in 2023, leading to increased calls for regulation and oversight. On October 30, 2023, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI, which addressed the use of AI in health care and the safety and integrity of data stored and generated by AI health care technology systems and directed HHS to establish an AI Task Force that must, within 365 days of its creation, develop policies and specific frameworks addressing the use of AI and AI -enabled technologies in the health sector, including research, drug and device safety, and health care delivery and financing.
Congress may consider other legislation to repeal or replace elements of the HealthCare Reform Law. It is difficult to predict the extent to which any of these changes to the HealthCare Reform Law, or additional changes if made, may impact the Company's business or any financial condition.
The Company's activities, including research, preclinical testing, clinical trials, and the manufacturing and marketing of its products, are subject to extensive regulation by numerous federal, state and local governmental authorities in the U.S., including the FDA, and by foreign regulatory authorities. In the U.S., the FDA administers requirements covering the testing, approval safety, effectiveness, manufacturing, labeling, and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and vaccines. In some instances, the FDA requirements have increased the amount of time and resources necessary to develop new products and bring them to market in the U.S. FDA statutes, regulations, and guidance often are revised or reinterpreted by the FDA in ways that may significantly affect the Company's business and products.
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