Atara Biotherapeutics Inc

Previous wording

Investment in biopharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that product candidates will fail to prove effective, gain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We have one product, Ebvallo, which is approved in the EU and the UK and have generated limited revenues from commercialization, and have incurred significant research, development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations and expect to continue to incur such expenses. As a result, we have incurred significant operating losses in every annual reporting period since our inception. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we reported a net loss of $276.1 million.

Current wording

Investment in biopharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that product candidates will fail to prove effective, gain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We have one product, Ebvallo, which is approved in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland and have generated limited revenues from commercialization, and have incurred significant research, development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations and expect to continue to incur such expenses. As a result, we have incurred significant operating losses in every annual reporting period since our inception. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we reported a net loss of $85.4 million.

Previous wording

To date, we have generated only limited revenues from commercialization. We have regulatory approval for one product, Ebvallo, in the EU and the UK. We have out-licensed the commercialization rights to tab-cel (Ebvallo in the EU and the UK) to Pierre Fabre under the A&R Commercialization Agreement and we have sold certain royalty and milestone interests for the Initial Territory, subject to a specified cap, to HCRx pursuant to the HCRx Agreement. Our ability to generate revenues from commercialization and achieve profitability will be subject to the A&R Commercialization Agreement, the HCRx Agreement and depend on our commercialization partners’ ability to successfully commercialize products, including any of our current product and product candidates, and other product candidates that we may develop, in-license or acquire in the future. Our ability to generate revenues from the sale of products and achieve profitability will also depend on a number of additional factors, including our ability to:

Current wording

To date, we have generated only limited revenues from commercialization. We have obtained regulatory approval for one product, Ebvallo, in the EEA, Switzerland and the UK. We have out-licensed the commercialization rights to tab-cel (Ebvallo in the EEA, Switzerland and the UK) to Pierre Fabre under the A&R Commercialization Agreement and we have sold certain royalty and milestone interests for the Initial Territory, subject to a specified cap, to HCRx pursuant to the HCRx Agreement. Our ability to generate revenues from commercialization and achieve profitability will be subject to the A&R Commercialization Agreement, the HCRx Agreement and depend on our commercialization partners’ ability to successfully commercialize products, including any of our current product and product candidates, and other product candidates that we may develop, in-license or acquire in the future. Our ability to generate revenues from the sale of products and achieve profitability will also depend on a number of additional factors, including our ability to:

Previous wording

We will require substantial additional financing on terms acceptable to us to achieve our goals, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or manufacturing efforts.

Current wording

We will require substantial near-term financing to continue operations, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or manufacturing efforts, impair our exploration of strategic alternatives, or require us to pursue a liquidation and dissolution or other wind down of our business.

Previous wording

We expect to expend substantial resources for the foreseeable future to continue the clinical development and manufacturing of our T-cell immunotherapy product candidates, and the advancement and expansion of our preclinical research pipeline. We also expect to continue to expend resources for the development and manufacturing of our product and product candidates and the technology we have licensed or have an exclusive right to license from our partners. These expenditures will include costs associated with research and development, potentially acquiring or licensing new product candidates or technologies, conducting preclinical and clinical studies and potentially obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing products. Under the terms of our license agreements with each of our in-license partners, we are obligated to make payments upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise. Because the design and outcome of our ongoing, planned and anticipated clinical studies is highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of our product and product candidates.

Current wording

We expect to expend substantial resources for the foreseeable future to continue the clinical development and manufacturing of our T-cell immunotherapy product candidates. We also expect to continue to expend resources for the development and manufacturing of our product and product candidates and the technology we have licensed or have an exclusive right to license from our partners. These expenditures will include costs associated with research and development, potentially acquiring or licensing new product candidates or technologies, conducting preclinical and clinical studies and potentially obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing products. Under the terms of our license agreements with each of our in-license partners, we are obligated to make payments upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise. Because the design and outcome of our ongoing, planned and anticipated clinical studies is highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of our product and product candidates.

Previous wording

We expect that existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, combined with certain anticipated payments from the A&R Commercialization Agreement, as well as cost reductions from completed workforce reductions and operating efficiencies resulting from our planned transition of substantially all activities relating to tab-cel at the time of the BLA transfer to Pierre Fabre, will enable us to fund our planned operations into 2027. Such anticipated payments are estimates based on assumptions and plans that are subject to change and such changes could materially impact our cash runway. These assumptions include the receipt of future payments that are dependent upon the successful filing and approval of the tab-cel BLA, as well as the completion of specific development and regulatory activities by us and actions taken by third parties, and are, therefore, uncertain at this time.

Current wording

We do not believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments are sufficient to fund our operations and ongoing activities in the near term, and believe that approximately $15 million in additional financing is necessary to fund our ongoing activities required to achieve BLA approval for tab-cel. Such estimates are based on assumptions and plans that are subject to change and such changes could materially impact our expected cash runway. These assumptions include the receipt of future payments that are dependent upon the successful transition of substantially all activities relating to tab-cel to Pierre Fabre by the end of the first quarter of 2025, as well as the completion of specific development and regulatory activities by us and actions taken by third parties, and are, therefore, uncertain at this time. Any delay in these transition and other activities will create additional expenses and cash needs for us.

Previous wording

As of December 31, 2023, we had total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $51.7 million. Our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 will not be sufficient to fund our planned operations for at least the next twelve months from the date of issuance of these financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months after the issuance of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Current wording

As of December 31, 2024, we had total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $42.5 million. Our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of December 31, 2024 will not be sufficient to fund our planned operations for at least the next twelve months from the date of issuance of these financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months after the issuance of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Previous wording

To alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, we plan to secure additional capital, potentially through a combination of public or private security offerings; use of our ATM facility; and/or strategic transactions. We may also need to raise additional funding as required based on the status of our development programs and our projected cash flows. Although we have been successful in raising capital in the past, and expect to continue to raise capital as required, there is no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining sufficient funding on terms acceptable to us to fund continuing operations, if at all, or identify and enter into any strategic transactions that will provide the capital that we will require. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding on acceptable terms, we could be forced to delay, limit, reduce or terminate preclinical studies, clinical studies or other development activities for one or more of our product candidates, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Current wording

To alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, we plan to secure additional capital, potentially through a combination of public or private security offerings; use of our ATM facility; and/or strategic transactions. We may also need to raise additional funding as required based on the status of our development programs and our projected cash flows. Although we have been successful in raising capital in the past, and expect to continue to raise capital as required, there is no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining sufficient funding on terms acceptable to us to fund continuing operations, if at all, or identify and enter into any strategic transactions that will provide the capital that we will require. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding on acceptable terms, we could be forced to delay, limit, reduce or terminate clinical studies or other development activities for one or more of our product candidates, as well as our exploration of strategic alternatives, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Previous wording

We plan to seek required additional capital, and may do so through a variety of means, including through private and public equity offerings and debt financings. For example, in December 2022, we sold certain of our royalty and milestone interests related to the Initial Territory under the amended and restated Pierre Fabre Commercialization Agreement, subject to a specified cap, to HCRx pursuant to the HCRx Agreement. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, or if existing holders of warrants exercise their rights to purchase common stock, the ownership interest of existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of stockholders. To the extent equity valuations, including the trading price of our common stock, are depressed as a result of economic disruptions or other uncertainties, for example due to rising inflationary pressures, the war in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East or other factors, the potential magnitude of this dilution will increase. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take certain actions, including incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, entering into licensing arrangements, or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds from third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies or product candidates or grant licenses or other rights on terms that are not favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development efforts for our product candidates, grant to others the rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop ourselves or take other actions that are adverse to our business.

Current wording

We plan to seek required additional capital, and may do so through a variety of means, including through private and public equity offerings and debt financings. For example, in December 2022, we sold certain of our royalty and milestone interests related to the Initial Territory under the Pierre Fabre Commercialization Agreement, subject to a specified cap, to HCRx pursuant to the HCRx Agreement. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, or if existing holders of warrants exercise their rights to purchase common stock, the ownership interest of existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of stockholders. To the extent equity valuations, including the trading price of our common stock, are depressed as a result of economic disruptions or other uncertainties, for example due to rising inflationary pressures, the war in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East or other factors, the potential magnitude of this dilution will increase. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take certain actions, including incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, entering into licensing arrangements, or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds from third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies or product candidates or grant licenses or other rights on terms that are not favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development efforts for our product candidates, grant to others the rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop ourselves or take other actions that are adverse to our business.

Previous wording

In August 2022, we reduced our workforce by approximately 20% across all areas of our company, including members of management. In November 2023, we further reduced our workforce by approximately 30%. In January 2024, we announced another reduction of our workforce by approximately 25%. The reductions in force reflect a prioritization around key research and development programs and the reduction of our expense profile. We may not realize, in full or in part, the anticipated benefits, savings and improvements in our cost structure from our restructuring efforts due to unforeseen difficulties, delays or unexpected costs. If we are unable to realize the expected operational efficiencies and cost savings from restructuring, our operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected. We also cannot be certain that we will not have to undertake additional workforce reductions or restructuring activities in the future. Furthermore, our cost savings plan may be disruptive to our operations, which could affect our ability to generate product revenue. In addition, our workforce reductions could yield unanticipated consequences, such as attrition beyond planned staff reductions, or disruptions in our day-to-day operations. Our workforce reductions could also harm our ability to attract and retain qualified management, scientific, clinical, and manufacturing personnel who are critical to our business. Any failure to attract or retain qualified personnel could prevent us from successfully developing and commercializing our product candidates in the future, including tab-cel, if approved.

Current wording

In August 2022, we reduced our workforce by approximately 20% across all areas of our company, including members of management. In November 2023, we further reduced our workforce by approximately 30%. In January 2024, we announced another reduction of our workforce by approximately 25%. In January 2025, we announced another reduction of our workforce by approximately 50%. In March 2025, we further reduced our workforce by approximately 50%, retaining approximately 35 employees essential to executing on our strategic priorities. The reductions in force reflect a prioritization around key research and development programs and the reduction of our expense profile. We may not realize, in full or in part, the anticipated benefits, savings and improvements in our cost structure from our restructuring efforts due to unforeseen difficulties, delays or unexpected costs. If we are unable to realize the expected operational efficiencies and cost savings from restructuring, our operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected. We also cannot be certain that we will not have to undertake additional workforce reductions or restructuring activities in the future. Furthermore, our cost savings plan may be disruptive to our operations, which could affect our ability to generate product revenue. In addition, our workforce reductions could yield unanticipated consequences, such as attrition beyond planned staff reductions, or disruptions in our day-to-day operations. Our workforce reductions could also harm our ability to attract and retain qualified management, scientific, clinical, and manufacturing personnel who are critical to our business. Any failure to attract or retain qualified personnel could prevent us from successfully developing and commercializing our product candidates in the future, including tab-cel, if approved.

Previous wording

We have one approved product, Ebvallo, in the EU and the UK and are generally early in our development efforts and have only a small number of product candidates in clinical development. All of our other product candidates are still in preclinical development. If we or our collaborators are unable to successfully develop, manufacture and commercialize our product or product candidates or experience significant delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed.

Current wording

We have one approved product, Ebvallo, which is currently approved in the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK and Switzerland. In March 2025, we announced our decision to pause the development of our allogeneic CAR T programs and discontinue all CAR T development operations. All of our other product candidates are still in preclinical development. If we or our collaborators are unable to successfully develop, manufacture and commercialize our product or product candidates or experience significant delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed.

Previous wording

We have one approved product, Ebvallo, in the EU and the UK and are generally early in our development efforts, and only a small number of our product candidates are in clinical development. The majority of our product candidates are currently in preclinical development. We have invested substantial resources in identifying and developing potential product candidates, conducting preclinical and clinical studies, manufacturing activities, and preparing for the commercial launch of our product and product candidates. Our ability to generate revenues from the sale of our product and product candidates, if approved, will depend heavily on the successful development, manufacture and our partners' eventual commercialization of our product and product candidates.

Current wording

We have one approved product, Ebvallo, which is currently approved in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland. We have invested substantial resources in identifying and developing potential product candidates, conducting preclinical and clinical studies, manufacturing activities, and preparing for the commercial launch of our product and product candidates. Our ability to generate revenues from the sale of our product and product candidates, if approved, will depend heavily on the successful development and manufacture, and our partners' eventual commercialization of our product and product candidates.

Previous wording

The success of our product and product candidates will depend on many factors, including the following:

Current wording

The success of our product and product candidates depends on many factors, including the following:

Previous wording

We have been affected by and could be adversely affected in the future by the effects of health epidemics and pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations in the future, as well as the businesses and operations of third parties on which we rely.

Current wording

We have been affected by and could be adversely affected in the future by the effects of health epidemics and pandemics, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations in the future, as well as the businesses and operations of third parties on which we rely.

Previous wording

Our clinical trials may also be affected by health epidemics and pandemics and have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical site initiation and patient enrollment experienced delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including due to the prioritization of hospital resources toward COVID-19 and away from clinical trials and as a result of changing practice patterns that impact the diseases our trials address. Some patients may not be able to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services or if patients are forced to quarantine due to a health epidemic or pandemic. For example, while most clinical trial sites for our studies, including our Phase 3 clinical trial of tab-cel in patients with EBV+ PTLD, remained open to enrollment for patients, some sites limited the screening and enrollment of new patients due to governmental orders related to COVID-19, or fear of infection of COVID-19, limited, and may limit in the future, patients’ abilities to access clinical sites. Pandemic-related travel restrictions may also interrupt key clinical trial activities, such as clinical trial site data monitoring and the collection, processing and analyses of efficacy, safety and translational data. For example, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a temporary slow-down in stem cell and solid organ transplant volumes, which may have decreased the eligible patient population for the tab-cel Phase 3 study. In April 2020, we initiated a temporary pause in the screening and enrollment of patients in our EMBOLD study of ATA188 in patients with PMS. Although we were able to resume the screening and enrollment of patients in our EMBOLD study and enrolled the first patient in the study in June 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic required us to pause screening and enrollment of patients in our clinical studies. Similarly, our ability to recruit and retain principal investigators and site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to health epidemics and pandemics, may be adversely impacted.

Current wording

Our clinical trials may also be affected by health epidemics and pandemics due to interruptions to clinical trial site data monitoring andthe collection, processing, and analyses of efficacy, safety, and translational data. Similarly, our ability to recruit and retain principal investigators and site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to health epidemics and pandemics, may be adversely impacted.

Previous wording

Our future success is dependent on the regulatory approval of our product candidates.

Current wording

Our future success is dependent on the marketing authorization of our product candidates.

Previous wording

We only have one product, Ebvallo, that has gained regulatory approval, an approval in the EU and the UK. Currently, our prioritized clinical-stage product candidates include tab-cel (tabelecleucel) in the U.S. and ATA3219 Our business is substantially dependent on our ability to obtain regulatory approval for, and, if approved, to find a partner who can successfully commercialize our product candidates in a timely manner.

Current wording

We only have one product, Ebvallo, that has gained marketing authorization, with approval currently in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland. Our prioritized clinical-stage product candidates include tab-cel (tabelecleucel) in the U.S. Our business is substantially dependent on our ability to obtain regulatory approval for, and, if approved, to find a partner who can successfully commercialize our product candidates in a timely manner.

Previous wording

Neither we nor our partners can commercialize product candidates in the U.S. without first obtaining regulatory approval for the product candidates from the FDA; similarly, neither we nor our partners can commercialize product candidates outside of the U.S. without obtaining regulatory approval from comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any product candidate for a target indication, we must demonstrate with substantial evidence gathered in preclinical and clinical studies that the product candidate is safe and effective for use for that target indication and that the manufacturing facilities, processes and controls are adequate with respect to such product candidate to assure stability, safety, purity and potency.

Current wording

Neither we nor our partners can commercialize product candidates in the U.S. without first obtaining marketing authorization for the product candidates from the FDA; similarly, neither we nor our partners can commercialize product candidates outside of the U.S. without obtaining marketing authorization from comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any product candidate for a target indication, we must demonstrate with substantial evidence gathered in preclinical and clinical studies that the product candidate is safe and effective for use for that target indication and that the manufacturing facilities, processes and controls are adequate with respect to such product candidate to assure stability, safety, purity, and potency.

Previous wording

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of preclinical and clinical studies and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. The novel nature of our product candidates may create further challenges in obtaining regulatory approval. For example, the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities have limited experience with regulating the development and commercialization of T-cell immunotherapies, particularly allogeneic T-cell product candidates, and CAR T therapies, including assessing the comparability of different versions of such product candidates. In addition, approval policies, regulations, regulatory positions or the type and amount of clinical and other data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and throughout regulatory interactions, and may vary among jurisdictions, particularly for novel therapies. The EC and the MHRA has approved the MAA for Ebvallo as a monotherapy treatment for patients with EBV+ PTLD who have received at least one prior therapy under “exceptional circumstances,” which is a pathway under which EC and MHRA grant marketing authorization when “comprehensive data cannot be obtained even after authorization.” Under the exceptional circumstances marketing authorization, our commercial partner, Pierre Fabre, is subject to ongoing post-marketing obligations to continue confirmation of the benefits of Ebvallo, and if any of our other product candidates are approved under this pathway, we or our future commercial partners will be subject to this obligation. Continuation of the Ebvallo marketing authorization is subject to annual re-assessment. The annual re-assessment will determine whether the Ebvallo marketing authorization should be maintained, changed, or suspended, based on Pierre Fabre’s fulfillment of post-marketing obligations and the risk/benefit profile of Ebvallo. If we, or our commercial partners, do not satisfy the ongoing post-marketing obligations or the EC determines that the risk/benefit profile of Ebvallo is not acceptable, the EC may change or suspend the marketing approval for Ebvallo. We have not obtained regulatory approval for any other product candidate, and it is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any future product candidates will ever obtain regulatory approval.

Current wording

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of preclinical and clinical studies and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. The novel nature of our product candidates may create further challenges in obtaining regulatory approval. For example, the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities have limited experience with regulating the development and commercialization of T-cell immunotherapies, particularly allogeneic T-cell product candidates, and CAR T therapies, including assessing the comparability of different versions of such product candidates. In addition, approval policies, regulations, regulatory positions or the type and amount of clinical and other data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and throughout regulatory interactions, and may vary among jurisdictions, particularly for novel therapies. The EC has approved the MAA for Ebvallo as a monotherapy treatment for patients with EBV+ PTLD who have received at least one prior therapy under “exceptional circumstances,” which is a pathway under which marketing authorization is granted when “comprehensive data cannot be obtained even after authorization.” The MHRA and Swissmedic approved the marketing application for Ebvallo leveraging the EMA assessment. Under the exceptional circumstances marketing authorization, our commercial partner, Pierre Fabre, is subject to ongoing post-marketing obligations to continue confirmation of the benefits of Ebvallo, and if any of our other product candidates are approved under this pathway, we or our future commercial partners will be subject to this obligation. Continuation of the Ebvallo marketing authorization is subject to annual re-assessment. The annual re-assessment will determine whether the Ebvallo marketing authorization should be maintained, changed, or suspended, based on Pierre Fabre’s fulfillment of post-marketing obligations and the risk/benefit profile of Ebvallo. If we, or our commercial partners, do not satisfy the ongoing post-marketing obligations or the risk/benefit profile of Ebvallo is determined not to be acceptable based on new clinical or post-marketing data, the EC, MHRA, or Swissmedic may change or suspend the marketing approval for Ebvallo. We have not obtained regulatory approval for any other product candidate, and it is possible Ebvallo (tabelecleucel) may not be approved in any other country other than those in which approval has been obtained and also possible that none of our other product candidates or any future product candidates will ever obtain regulatory approval.

Previous wording

The FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority may require information beyond what we plan to provide in or expect to be required for a marketing application, including additional CMC information, preclinical or clinical data to support approval. These requirements may delay or prevent approval and our commercialization plans, or we may decide to abandon the development program. For example, at a Type B meeting in February 2022, we were not able to align with the FDA on comparability between tab-cel product versions used in the pivotal ALLELE study and the intended commercial product. The FDA initially recommended we conduct a new clinical trial with the commercial product to address the lack of alignment on comparability and to gain additional clinical experience with the intended commercial product. Throughout 2023, we held a number of meetings with the FDA on clinical aspects and CMC for a potential BLA submission for tab-cel. We recently held a pre-BLA meeting with the FDA that supports our plan to submit the tab-cel BLA in the second quarter of 2024. The FDA may not ultimately accept or approve a BLA submission with the current clinical dataset. In this case, the conduct of an additional clinical trial or trials in the lead indication or completing the ongoing ALLELE study may be necessary to support a BLA submission for tab-cel, which would result in considerable delay to a BLA submission or could lead us not to pursue a BLA submission. Conducting an additional clinical trial, if required, may prove too difficult or too expensive, and the process of designing a clinical trial, enrolling enough patients, and completing treatment and data collection under the protocol could take a significant amount of time, effort, and resources. Even if we complete the clinical trial, the study may not meet its prespecified endpoints, and even if it does, the FDA may still disagree that the clinical trial is sufficient to support submission and approval of a BLA for tab-cel, or may consider that the data, while adequate for BLA submission, can support only a more limited indication than that for which we initially applied.

Current wording

The FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority may require information beyond what we plan to provide in or expect to be required for a marketing application, including additional CMC information, preclinical or clinical data to support approval. These requirements may delay or prevent approval and our commercialization plans, or we may decide to abandon the development program. For example, at a Type B meeting in February 2022, we were not able to align with the FDA on comparability between tab-cel product versions used in the pivotal ALLELE study and the intended commercial product. The FDA initially recommended we conduct a new clinical trial with the commercial product to address the lack of alignment on comparability and to gain additional clinical experience with the intended commercial product. Throughout 2023, we held a number of meetings with the FDA on clinical and CMC aspects for a potential BLA submission for tab-cel. Ultimately, we reached agreement with the FDA on the comparability of tab-cel product manufactured using a different process version with the intended commercial product and subsequently held a pre-BLA meeting with the FDA that supported our plan to submit the tab-cel BLA in the second quarter of 2024. The BLA was submitted in May 2024, and the FDA accepted the BLA submission in July 2024 and granted priority review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of January 15, 2025. Although the FDA designated tabelecleucel as a breakthrough therapy, a breakthrough designation (BTD) status is not considered in the FDA's decision to approve or not approve a product candidate. Designation as a breakthrough therapy is at the discretion of the FDA, and receipt of a BTD designation may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to drugs considered for approval under non-expedited FDA review procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification and rescind the BTD designation or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. Furthermore, our CMOs for tab-cel will undergo pre-approval inspection in connection with our tab-cel BLA, and we cannot be certain that we will be able to adequately support them through such inspection nor that they will successfully pass any such inspection. For example, we received the Response Letter from the FDA in January 2025 relating solely to observations during pre-approval inspection of a third-party manufacturing facility in connection with our tab-cel BLA. In addition, in January 2025, the FDA placed a clinical hold on Atara’s active Investigational New Drug (IND) applications. These INDs include the tab-cel program as monotherapy treatment for adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with Epstein-Barr virus positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD) and ATA3219 for the tr…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Previous wording

Our development activities and/or commercialization planning with our partners could be harmed or delayed by governmental or regulatory delays due to a variety of factors. These factors include limitations on the availability of governmental and regulatory agency personnel to review regulatory filings or engage with us (caused by global health concerns or otherwise, including the COVID-19 pandemic); changes to governmental regulatory requirements, policies, guidelines or priorities, reallocation, or availability of government resources; or for other reasons, that may significantly delay the FDA’s, or other regulatory agencies', ability to review and process any submissions we have filed or may file or cause other regulatory delays. If global health concerns continue to prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, or impact reviews or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to review and process our regulatory submissions in a timely fashion, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 10, 2020, the FDA announced its intention to postpone most inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities and products inspections of domestic manufacturing facilities through April 2020. On March 18, 2020, the FDA announced its intention to postpone temporarily routine surveillance inspections of domestic manufacturing facilities and provided guidance regarding the conduct of clinical trials. On July 10, 2020, the FDA announced that it is working toward the goal of restarting on-site inspections it deems to be “mission critical.” In May 2021, the FDA updated its guidance, first published in August 2020, clarifying how it intends to conduct inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how it plans to determine which inspections are “mission critical.” Additionally, on April 14, 2021, the FDA issued a guidance document in which the FDA described its plans to conduct voluntary remote interactive evaluations of certain drug manufacturing facilities and clinical research sites. According to the guidance, the FDA intends to request such remote interactive evaluations in situations where an in-person inspection would not be prioritized, deemed mission-critical, or where direct inspection is otherwise limited by travel restrictions, but where the FDA determines that remote evaluation would still be appropriate. The FDA intends to use this risk-based assessment system to identify the categories of regulatory activity that can occur within a given geographic area, ranging from mission critical inspections to resumption of all regulatory activities. The FDA has since adjusted its inspection activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 29, 2021, the FDA implemented temporary changes to its inspection activities to ensure the safety of its employees and regulate…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Current wording

Our development activities and/or commercialization planning with our partners could be harmed or delayed by governmental or regulatory delays due to a variety of factors. These factors include limitations on the availability of governmental and regulatory agency personnel to review regulatory filings or engage with us (caused by global health concerns or otherwise); changes to governmental regulatory requirements, policies, guidelines or priorities, reallocation, or availability of government resources; or for other reasons, that may significantly delay the FDA’s, or other regulatory agencies', ability to review and process any submissions we have filed or may file or cause other regulatory delays. If global health concerns prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, or impact reviews or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to review and process our regulatory submissions in a timely fashion, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Previous wording

If we do obtain approval for a product candidate marketing application, regulatory authorities may approve any of our product candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request (including failing to approve the most commercially promising indications), may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical studies, or may approve a product candidate with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of that product candidate. In addition, the clinical study requirements of the FDA, EMA and other regulatory agencies and the criteria these regulators use to determine the safety and efficacy of a product candidate are determined according to the type, complexity, novelty and intended use and market of the potential products. The regulatory approval process for novel product candidates, such as our novel T-cell product candidates and next-generation CAR T programs, can be more complex and consequently more expensive and take longer than for other, better known or extensively studied pharmaceutical or other product candidates. Approvals by the EC and FDA of autologous CAR T therapies, such as Novartis’ Kymriah® and Gilead’s Yescarta®, may not be indicative of what these regulators may require for approval of our therapies. We have multiple clinical trials of our product candidates currently ongoing. If an adverse safety issue, clinical hold or other adverse finding occurs in one or more of our clinical trials, such event could adversely affect our other clinical trials of the same or related product candidates. Moreover, our product candidates may not perform successfully in clinical studies or may be associated with adverse events that distinguish them from those that have previously been approved, such as approved autologous CAR T therapies. For instance, allogeneic product candidates may result in adverse events not experienced with autologous products. Even if a product candidate is approved by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, the approval might contain significant limitations related to use for specified age groups, warnings, precautions or contraindications, or may be subject to burdensome post-approval study or risk management requirements. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for one of our product candidates in one or more jurisdictions, or any approval contains significant limitations, we may not be able to obtain sufficient funding to continue the development of that product or generate revenues attributable to that product candidate. Also, any regulatory approval of our current or future product candidates, once obtained, may be withdrawn in a region or country by the respective regulatory agency.

Current wording

If we do obtain approval for a product candidate marketing application, regulatory authorities may approve any of our product candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request (including failing to approve the most commercially promising indications), may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical studies, or may approve a product candidate with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of that product candidate. In addition, the clinical study requirements of the FDA, EMA, MHRA, Swissmedic, and other regulatory agencies and the criteria these regulators use to determine the safety and efficacy of a product candidate are determined according to the type, complexity, novelty and intended use and market of the potential products. The regulatory approval process for novel product candidates, can be more complex and consequently more expensive and take longer than for other, better known or extensively studied pharmaceutical or other product candidates. Approvals by the EC and FDA of autologous CAR T therapies, such as Novartis’ Kymriah® and Gilead’s Yescarta®, may not be indicative of what these regulators require for approval of our therapies. If an adverse safety issue or other adverse finding occurs in one or more of our clinical trials, including those that could result in a clinical hold, such events could adversely affect our other clinical trials of the same or related product candidates. Moreover, our product candidates may not perform successfully in clinical studies or may be associated with adverse events that distinguish them from those that have previously been approved, such as approved autologous CAR T therapies. For instance, exposure to allogeneic product candidates may result in adverse events not experienced with autologous products. Even if a product candidate is approved by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, the approval might contain significant limitations related to use for specified age groups, warnings, precautions or contraindications, or may be subject to burdensome post-approval study or risk management requirements. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for one of our product candidates in one or more jurisdictions, or any approval contains significant limitations, we may not be able to obtain sufficient funding to continue the development of that product or generate revenues attributable to that product candidate. Also, any regulatory approval of our current or future product candidates, once obtained, may be withdrawn in a region or country by the respective regulatory agency.

Previous wording

Our T-cell immunotherapy product and product candidates and our next-generation CAR T programs represent new therapeutic approaches that could result in heightened regulatory scrutiny, delays in clinical development or our inability to achieve regulatory approval, commercialization or payor coverage of our product candidates.

Current wording

Our T-cell immunotherapy product and product candidates represent new therapeutic approaches that could result in heightened regulatory scrutiny, delays in clinical development or our inability to achieve regulatory approval, commercialize or secure payor coverage of our product candidates.

Previous wording

Our future success is dependent on the successful development and commercialization of T-cell immunotherapies and our next-generation CAR T programs in general and our development product candidates in particular. Because these programs, particularly our pipeline of allogeneic T-cell product and product candidates that are bioengineered from donors, represent a new approach to immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, developing and commercializing our product candidates subject us to a number of challenges, including:

Current wording

Our future success is dependent on the successful development and commercialization of T-cell immunotherapies in general and our development product candidates in particular. Because these programs, particularly our pipeline of allogeneic T-cell product and product candidates that are bioengineered from donors, represent a new approach to immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, developing and commercializing our product candidates subject us to a number of challenges, including but not limited to:

Previous wording

educating medical personnel regarding the potential side effect profile of our product and each of our product candidates, particularly those that may be unique to our allogeneic T-cell product and product candidates and to our next-generation CAR T programs;

Current wording

educating medical personnel regarding the potential side effect profile of our product and each of our product candidates, particularly those that may be unique to our allogeneic T-cell product and product candidates;

Previous wording

We cannot be sure that the manufacturing processes used in connection with our T-cell immunotherapy product and product candidates will yield a sufficient supply of satisfactory products that are stable, safe, pure, and potent, or comparable to those T cells historically produced by our partners, be scalable or profitable.

Current wording

We cannot be sure that the manufacturing processes used in connection with our T-cell immunotherapy product and product candidates will yield a sufficient supply of satisfactory products that are stable, safe, pure, and potent, or comparable to those T cells historically produced by our partners or that processes will be scalable or profitable.

Previous wording

The FDA may also modify or enhance trial requirements which may affect enrollment. In August 2023, the FDA published a guidance document, Informed Consent, Guidance for IRBs, Clinical Investigators, and Sponsors, which supersedes past guidance and finalizes draft guidance on informed consent. The FDA’s new guidance presents evolving requirements for informed consent which may affect recruitment and retention of patients in clinical trials. Effects on recruitment and retention of patients may hinder or delay a clinical trial and could cause a significant setback to an applicable program.

Current wording

Sponsors, which supersedes past guidance and finalizes draft guidance on informed consent. The FDA’s new guidance presents evolving requirements for informed consent which may affect recruitment and retention of patients in clinical trials. Effects on recruitment and retention of patients may hinder or delay a clinical trial and could cause a significant setback to an applicable program.

Previous wording

The results of preclinical studies or earlier clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of future results. Our existing product candidates in clinical studies, and any other product candidate we advance into clinical studies, may not have favorable results in later clinical studies or receive regulatory approval.

Current wording

The results of preclinical studies or earlier clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of future results. Our existing product candidate in clinical studies, and any other product candidate we advance into clinical studies, may not have favorable results in later clinical studies or receive regulatory approval.

Previous wording

Success in preclinical studies and early clinical studies does not ensure that later clinical studies will generate adequate data to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of an investigational drug. Likewise, a number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including those with greater resources and experience than us, have suffered significant setbacks in clinical studies, even after seeing promising results in earlier preclinical studies or clinical studies. Despite the results reported in earlier preclinical studies or clinical studies for our product candidates, there can be significant variability in safety and efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors. We do not know whether the clinical studies we may conduct, or clinical studies in progress, will demonstrate adequate efficacy and safety to result in regulatory approval to market any product candidates in any particular jurisdiction.

Current wording

Success in preclinical studies and early clinical studies does not ensure that later clinical studies will generate adequate data to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of an investigational drug. Indeed, a number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including those with greater resources and experience than us, have suffered significant setbacks in clinical studies, even after seeing promising results in earlier preclinical studies or clinical studies. Despite the results reported in earlier preclinical studies or clinical studies for our product candidates, there can be significant variability in safety and efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors. We do not know whether the clinical studies we may conduct, or clinical studies in progress, will demonstrate adequate efficacy and safety to result in regulatory approval to market any product candidates in any particular jurisdiction.

Previous wording

Tab-cel has been predominantly evaluated in single-center studies under investigator-sponsored investigational new drug (INDs) applications held by MSK and in our Expanded Access Programs, utilizing different response criteria and endpoints from those we have used or may utilize in later clinical studies. These Phase 2 clinical studies with tab-cel also enrolled a heterogeneous group of patients with a variety of EBV-driven malignancies, including EBV+ PTLD after HCT and EBV+ PTLD after SOT. These Phase 2 studies were not prospectively designed to evaluate the efficacy of tab-cel in the treatment of a single disease state for which we may later seek approval. Findings from early studies may not be reproducible in late phase studies we conduct. For instance, the current protocol for our ALLELE study in EBV+ PTLD is designed to rule out a 20% ORR as the null hypothesis. This means that if the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval on ORR among patients receiving at least one dose of tab-cel exceeds 20% at the end of the study, then the study would be expected to meet the primary endpoint for the treatment of PTLD. For example, assuming enrollment of 33 patients in a cohort of ALLELE, an observed ORR above approximately 37% would be expected to meet the primary endpoint for that cohort. In addition, our amended ALLELE study protocol includes an interim analysis as well as a final study analysis. We have previously received feedback from the FDA that an interim analysis of the ALLELE study may not be sufficient to support approval of a BLA. Moreover, final study results may not be consistent with interim study results. Furthermore, modifications to the total sample size of the ALLELE study and the statistical approach may be necessary in connection with the review of such a BLA submission by the FDA.

Current wording

Tab-cel has been predominantly evaluated in single-center studies under investigator-sponsored IND applications held by MSK and in our Expanded Access Programs, utilizing different response criteria and endpoints from those we have used or may utilize in later clinical studies. These Phase 2 clinical studies with tab-cel also enrolled a heterogeneous group of patients with a variety of EBV-driven malignancies, including EBV+ PTLD after HCT and EBV+ PTLD after SOT. These Phase 2 studies were not prospectively designed to evaluate the efficacy of tab-cel in the treatment of a single disease state for which we may later seek approval. Findings from early studies may not be reproducible in late phase studies we conduct. For instance, the current protocol for our ALLELE study in EBV+ PTLD is designed to rule out a 20% ORR as the null hypothesis. This means that if the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval on ORR among patients receiving at least one dose of tab-cel exceeds 20% at the end of the study, then the study would be expected to meet the primary endpoint for the treatment of PTLD. Assuming enrollment of 33 patients in a cohort of ALLELE, an observed ORR above approximately 37% would be expected to meet the primary endpoint for that cohort. In addition, our amended ALLELE study protocol includes an interim analysis as well as a final study analysis. We have previously received feedback from the FDA that an interim analysis of the ALLELE study may not be sufficient to support approval of a BLA. Moreover, final study results may not be consistent with interim study results. Furthermore, modifications to the total sample size of the ALLELE study and the statistical approach may be necessary in connection with the review of the BLA by the FDA.

Previous wording

From time to time, we or our partners may announce or share with regulatory authorities interim “top line” or preliminary data from clinical studies. Interim data from clinical studies are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Preliminary or “top line” data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data previously announced. As a result, interim and preliminary data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could impact the regulatory approval of, and significantly harm the prospects of any product candidate that is impacted by the applicable data.

Current wording

From time to time, we or our partners may announce or share with regulatory authorities interim “top line” or preliminary data from clinical studies. Interim data from clinical studies are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Preliminary or “top line” data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data previously announced. As a result, interim and preliminary data should be viewed with caution. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could impact the regulatory approval of, and/or significantly harm the prospects of any product candidate that is impacted by the applicable data.

Previous wording

We may experience delays in our ongoing or future clinical studies and we do not know whether clinical studies will begin or enroll subjects on time, will need to be redesigned or will be completed on schedule, if at all. There can be no assurance that the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities will not put clinical studies of any of our product candidates on clinical hold in the future. Clinical studies may be delayed, suspended or prematurely terminated for a variety of reasons, such as:

Current wording

We may experience delays in our ongoing or future clinical studies and we do not know whether clinical studies will begin or enroll subjects on time, will need to be redesigned or will be completed on schedule, if at all. There can be no assurance that the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities will not put clinical studies of any of our product candidates on clinical hold in the future. For example, in January 2025, the FDA placed a clinical hold on our INDs for tab-cel as well as our product candidate ATA3219. The clinical hold is directly linked to inadequately addressed GMP compliance issues identified during the pre-approval inspection of a third party manufacturing facility referenced in a Response Letter we received in January 2025. Our ATA3219 product candidate is manufactured at a separate, fully compliant GMP-certified facility, the starting material used in its production are affected by the compliance issues at the same third-party facility referenced in the Response Letter. In addition, the new EU Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 (CTR) has amended the system of approval for clinical trials in the EU and has established a new clinical trials portal and database, called the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS), for the submission and authorization of clinical trial applications. Clinical studies may be delayed, suspended or prematurely terminated for a variety of reasons, such as:

Previous wording

an FDA or other regulatory authority clinical site inspection reveals serious violations of regulations applicable to clinical investigations, which may result in requests for additional data analyses and/or rejection of data deemed unreliable;

Current wording

an FDA or other regulatory authority clinical site inspection revealing serious violations of regulations applicable to clinical investigations, which may result in requests for additional data analyses and/or rejection of data deemed unreliable;

Previous wording

feedback from the FDA, the IRB, data safety monitoring boards or comparable foreign authorities, or results from earlier stage or concurrent preclinical and clinical studies, that might require modification to the protocol for a study;

Current wording

feedback from the FDA, the IRB, data safety monitoring boards or comparable foreign authorities, or results from earlier stage or concurrent preclinical and clinical studies, that might require modification to a study protocol;

Previous wording

unacceptable benefit/risk profile, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects;

Current wording

data that demonstrate an unacceptable benefit/risk profile, including a lack of efficacy, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects

Previous wording

difficulties in manufacturing or obtaining from third parties sufficient quantities and breadth of appropriate partially HLA matched cell lines from among the available T-cell lines to start or to use in clinical studies;

Current wording

difficulties in manufacturing or obtaining from third parties sufficient quantities of clinical product and/or inability to supply a breadth of appropriate partially HLA matched cell lines from among the available T-cell lines to start or to use in clinical studies;

Previous wording

lack of adequate funding to continue a study, including the incurrence of unforeseen costs due to enrollment delays, requirements to conduct additional studies or increased expenses associated with the services of our CROs and other third parties; or

Current wording

lack of adequate funding to continue a study, including the incurrence of unforeseen costs due to enrollment delays, requirements to conduct additional studies or increased expenses associated with the services of our CROs and other third parties;

Previous wording

We rely on CROs, other vendors and clinical study sites to ensure the proper and timely conduct of our clinical studies, and while we have agreements governing their committed activities, we have limited influence over their actual performance. Furthermore, these third parties may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. Reliance on CROs entails risks to which we would not be subject if we conducted our clinical studies ourselves, including reliance on the CRO for clinical site initiation and monitoring, the possibility that the CRO does not maintain the financial resources to meet its obligations under our agreements, the possibility of breach of these agreements by the CRO because of factors beyond our control, including a failure to properly perform their obligations under these agreements, and the possibility of termination or non-renewal of the agreements by the CROs, based on their own business priorities, at a time that is costly or damaging to us. Our reliance on these third parties for research and development activities will reduce our control over these activities but will not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. For example, we will remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan, study protocols for the trial, statistical analysis plan and other study-specific documents (for example, monitoring and blinding plans). Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as Good Clinical Practice (GCP), International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, or ICH, guidelines, and regulations regarding the informed consent process, safety reporting requirements, data collection guidelines, and other regulations for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected. The EMA also requires us to comply with similar standards. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCP requirements through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCP requirements, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP and other applicable regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under applicable current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and current Good Tissue Practices (cGTP) regulations. Our failure to comply with t…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Current wording

Our reliance on these third parties for research and development activities will reduce our control over these activities but will not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. For example, we will remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan, study protocols for the trial, statistical analysis plan and other study-specific documents (for example, monitoring and blinding plans). Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as Good Clinical Practice (GCP), International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, or ICH, guidelines, and regulations regarding the informed consent process, safety reporting requirements, data collection guidelines, and other regulations for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected. The EMA also requires us to comply with similar standards. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCP requirements through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCP requirements, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP and other applicable regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under applicable current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and current Good Tissue Practices (cGTP) regulations. Our, or our third party vendors', failure to comply with these regulations may require us to conduct new clinical trials, which would delay the marketing approval process. We also are required to register certain ongoing clinical trials and post the results of certain completed clinical trials on government-sponsored databases, such as ClinicalTrials.gov, within certain timeframes. Failure to do so can result in fines, adverse publicity and civil and criminal sanctions.

Previous wording

Our projections of both the number of people who have the diseases we are targeting, as well as the subset of people with these diseases in a position to receive second or later lines of therapy, and who have the potential to benefit from treatment with our product and product candidates, are based on our current beliefs and estimates. These estimates have been derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, surveys of clinicians, patient foundations, or our own market research, and may prove to be incorrect. Further, new studies, product approvals, changes to the standard of care and diagnosis rates or scientific understanding of disease burden may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of these diseases, and the number of patients who could benefit from our products may turn out to be lower than expected. Additionally, the potentially addressable patient population for our product candidates may be limited or may not be amenable to treatment with our product candidates. For instance, we expect our product, tab-cel, to initially target a patient population that suffers from aggressive EBV+PTLD and has failed rituximab or rituximab plus chemotherapy. Our commercial partners may have different estimates of the market opportunities for our product or product candidates. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we initially observed a temporary slow-down in stem cell and solid organ transplant volumes. These reductions were transient, but if a reduction in such volumes resumes or if there are other disruptive factors that reduce PTLD incidence, such as changes in immunosuppression regimens or treatment of re-activated viremia, it could result in lower PTLD incidence and thus reduce the demand for tab-cel. Even if our product and product candidates obtain significant market share, because the potential target populations are small, we may never achieve profitability without obtaining regulatory approval for additional indications.

Current wording

Our projections of both the number of people who have the diseases we are targeting, as well as the subset of people with these diseases in a position to receive second or later lines of therapy, and who have the potential to benefit from treatment with our product and product candidates, are based on our current beliefs and estimates. These estimates have been derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, surveys of clinicians, patient foundations, or our own market research, and may prove to be incorrect. Further, new studies, product approvals, changes to the standard of care and diagnosis rates or scientific understanding of disease burden may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of these diseases, and the number of patients who could benefit from our products may turn out to be lower than expected. Additionally, the potentially addressable patient population for our product candidates may be limited or may not be amenable to treatment with our product candidates. For instance, for our product, tab-cel, we have initially pursued marketing authorization for a patient population that suffers from aggressive EBV+PTLD and has failed rituximab or rituximab plus chemotherapy. Our commercial partners may have different estimates of the market opportunities for our product or product candidates. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we initially observed a temporary slow-down in stem cell and solid organ transplant volumes. These reductions were transient, but if a reduction in such volumes resumes or if there are other disruptive factors that reduce PTLD incidence, such as changes in immunosuppression regimens or treatment of re-activated viremia, it could result in lower PTLD incidence and thus reduce the demand for tab-cel. Even if our product and product candidates obtain significant market share, because the potential target populations are small, we may never achieve profitability without obtaining regulatory approval for additional indications.

Previous wording

Generally, if a product with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first regulatory approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the FDA, the EMA, and the MHRA from approving another marketing application for the same biologic for the same indication for that time period. The applicable period is seven years in the U.S. and ten years in the EU and the UK. The EU and UK exclusivity periods can be reduced to six years if a drug no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the drug is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. These periods may be reduced in the EU based on a new applicable legal framework, currently under review by the European Parliament and Council. Orphan drug exclusivity may be lost if the FDA, EMA or MHRA determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the drug to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. In the U.S., the FDA may still approve a later marketing application blocked by an ongoing period of orphan drug exclusivity in limited circumstances such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity or if the FDA finds that the holder of the orphan drug exclusivity has not shown that it can assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the orphan drug to meet the needs of patients with the disease or condition for which the product was approved. As a result, even if one of our product candidates receives orphan exclusivity, the FDA can still approve or license other drugs or biological products that have a different active ingredient for use in treating the same indication or disease.

Current wording

Generally, if a product with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first regulatory approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the FDA, the EMA, and the MHRA from approving another marketing application for the same biologic for the same indication for that time period. The applicable period is seven years in the U.S. and ten years in the EU and the UK. The EU and UK exclusivity periods can be reduced to six years if a drug no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the drug is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. These periods may be reduced in the EU based on a new applicable legal framework, currently under review by the European Parliament and Council. Orphan drug exclusivity may be lost if the FDA, EMA or MHRA determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the drug to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. In the U.S., the FDA may still approve a later marketing application blocked by an ongoing period of orphan drug exclusivity in limited circumstances such as a demonstration of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity or if the FDA finds that the holder of the orphan drug exclusivity has not shown that it can assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the orphan drug to meet the needs of patients with the disease or condition for which the product was approved. As a result, even if one of our product candidates receives orphan exclusivity, the FDA can still approve or license other drugs or biological products that have a different active ingredient for use in treating the same indication or disease.

Previous wording

In addition, Congress is considering updates to the orphan drug provisions of the FDCA in response to a 2021 11 th Circuit decision, Catalyst Pharms., Inc. v. Becerra, 14 F.4th 1299 (11th Cir. 2021), in which the court disagreed with the FDA’s longstanding position that the orphan drug exclusivity only applies to the approved use or indication within an eligible disease, and not to all uses or indications within the entire disease or condition. In particular, the circuit court held that that the orphan-drug exclusivity for the drug developed by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Catalyst) blocked the FDA’s approval of another drug for all uses or indications within the same orphan-designated disease, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), even though Catalyst’s drug was approved at that time only for use in the treatment of LEMS in adults. Accordingly, the court ordered the FDA to set aside the approval of a drug indicated for LEMS in children. This decision created uncertainty in the application of the orphan drug exclusivity. Any changes to the orphan drug provisions could change our opportunities for, or likelihood of success in obtaining, orphan drug exclusivity and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospect.

Current wording

In addition, Congress is considering updates to the orphan drug provisions of the FDCA in response to a 2021 11 th Circuit decision, Catalyst Pharms., Inc. v. Becerra, 14 F.4th 1299 (11th Cir. 2021), in which the court disagreed with the FDA’s longstanding position that the orphan drug exclusivity only applies to the approved use or indication within an eligible disease, and not to all uses or indications within the entire disease or condition. In particular, the circuit court held that that the orphan-drug exclusivity for the drug developed by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Catalyst) blocked the FDA’s approval of another drug for all uses or indications within the same orphan-designated disease, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), even though Catalyst’s drug was approved at that time only for use in the treatment of LEMS in adults. Accordingly, the court ordered the FDA to set aside the approval of a drug indicated for LEMS in children. This decision created uncertainty in application of orphan drug exclusivity to products on the market. Any changes to the orphan drug provisions could change our opportunities for, or likelihood of success in obtaining, orphan drug exclusivity and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospect.