Tectonic Therapeutic, Inc.

Previous wording

AVROBIO expects to continue to incur costs and expenditures in connection with AVROBIO’s strategic alternatives process. Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, to become and remain profitable, it must successfully develop and eventually commercialize product candidates with significant market potential and acceptance. This will require AVROBIO to be successful in a range of challenging activities, and its expenses will increase substantially as AVROBIO seeks to resume, initiate, conduct and complete preclinical and clinical trials of AVROBIO’s product candidates, and manufacture, market and sell these or any future product candidates for which AVROBIO may obtain marketing approval, if any, and satisfy any post-marketing requirements. Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, AVROBIO may never succeed in any or all of these activities and, even if AVROBIO does, AVROBIO may never generate revenues that are significant or large enough to achieve profitability. If AVROBIO does achieve profitability, AVROBIO may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. AVROBIO’s failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of AVROBIO and could impair their ability to raise capital, maintain their research and development efforts, expand their business or continue operations. A decline in the value of AVROBIO also could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

Current wording

To become and remain profitable, we, our collaborators and any potential future collaborators must develop and eventually commercialize products with significant market potential. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing preclinical studies and clinical trials, producing biologics with contract manufacturing development organizations (“CDMOs”) in the United States and in other countries, obtaining marketing approval for product candidates, manufacturing, marketing and selling products for which we may obtain marketing approval and satisfying any post-marketing requirements. We may never succeed in any or all of these activities and, even if we do, we may never generate revenue that is significant or large enough to achieve profitability. If we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of the company and could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our research and development efforts, expand our business or continue our operations.

Previous wording

To successfully commercialize any of AVROBIO’s product candidates, if approved, AVROBIO will need to develop AVROBIO’s commercial capabilities, either on AVROBIO’s own or with others, should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates. The establishment and development of AVROBIO’s own commercial team or the establishment of a contract sales force to market any product candidate AVROBIO may develop will be expensive and time-consuming and could delay any product launch. Moreover, AVROBIO cannot be certain that AVROBIO will be able to successfully develop this capability. AVROBIO may enter into collaborations regarding any approved product candidates with other entities to utilize their established marketing and distribution capabilities, but AVROBIO may be unable to enter into such agreements on favorable terms, if at all. If any future collaborators do not commit sufficient resources to commercialize AVROBIO’s product candidates, or AVROBIO is unable to develop the necessary capabilities on AVROBIO’s own, AVROBIO will be unable to generate sufficient product revenue to sustain AVROBIO’s business. AVROBIO competes with many companies that currently have extensive, experienced and well-funded sales, distribution and marketing operations to recruit, hire, train and retain marketing and sales personnel. AVROBIO also faces competition in AVROBIO’s search for third parties to assist AVROBIO with the sales and marketing efforts of AVROBIO’s product candidates, if approved. Without an internal team or the support of a third-party to perform marketing and sales functions, AVROBIO may be unable to compete successfully against these more established companies.

Current wording

market acceptance of any approved product candidates.

Previous wording

the occurrence of serious adverse events associated with the product candidate that are viewed to outweigh its potential benefits; or

Current wording

occurrence of adverse events associated with the product candidate that are viewed to outweigh its potential benefits, such as complications with pharmacokinetic behaviors, or safety or tolerability concerns that could cause us or our collaborators, as applicable, to suspend or terminate a trial if we or our collaborators find that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

Previous wording

failure to perform in accordance with the FDA’s GCP or applicable regulatory guidelines in other countries;

Current wording

failure to perform clinical trials in accordance with the FDA’s or any other regulatory authority’s good clinical practices (“GCP”) requirements, or regulatory guidelines in other countries;

Previous wording

be delayed in obtaining marketing approval for AVROBIO’s product candidates, if at all;

Current wording

Clinical trials that we conduct may not demonstrate the efficacy and safety necessary to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety or efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, changes in and adherence to the clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. If the results of our ongoing or future clinical trials are inconclusive with respect to the efficacy of our product candidates, if we do not meet the clinical endpoints with statistical and clinically meaningful significance, or if there are safety concerns associated with our product candidates, we may be delayed in obtaining marketing approval, if at all. Additionally, any safety concerns observed in any one of our clinical trials in our targeted indications could limit the prospects for regulatory approval of our product candidates in those and other indications.

Previous wording

Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, AVROBIO may find it difficult to enroll patients in AVROBIO’s clinical trials, which could delay or prevent AVROBIO from proceeding with clinical trials of AVROBIO’s product candidates.

Current wording

We may find it difficult to enroll patients in our clinical trials, which could delay or prevent us from proceeding with, or otherwise adversely affect, clinical trials of our product candidates.

Previous wording

Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, the timing and success of AVROBIO’s patient enrollment and clinical trial activities would depend on AVROBIO’s ability to recruit patients to participate as well as the completion of required follow-up periods. Patients may be unwilling to participate in AVROBIO’s gene therapy clinical trials because of negative publicity from adverse events related to the biotechnology or gene therapy fields, competitive clinical trials for similar patient populations, clinical trials in product candidates employing AVROBIO’s vectors, the existence of current treatments or for other reasons. In addition, the indications that AVROBIO has targeted and may in the future target are rare diseases, which may limit the pool of patients that may be enrolled in AVROBIO’s clinical trials. Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, the timeline for recruiting patients, conducting studies and obtaining regulatory approval of AVROBIO’s product candidates may be delayed, which could result in increased costs, delays in advancing AVROBIO’s product candidates, delays in testing the effectiveness of AVROBIO’s product candidates or termination of the clinical trials altogether. Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, AVROBIO may not be able to identify, recruit and enroll a sufficient number of patients, or those with required or desired characteristics, to complete AVROBIO’s clinical trials in a timely manner or at all. There can be no assurance AVROBIO will achieve that goal or any of AVROBIO’s other patient enrollment goals should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates.

Current wording

Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in clinical trials of our product candidates is critical to our success. The timely completion of our clinical trials in accordance with our protocols depends, among other things, on our ability to recruit a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate and remain in the trial until its conclusion. Patients may be unwilling to participate in our clinical trials because of negative publicity from adverse events related to novel therapeutic approaches, competitive clinical trials for similar patient populations, the existence of current treatments or for other reasons. Any delays related to patient enrollment could result in increased costs, delays in advancing our product candidates, delays in testing the effectiveness of our product candidates or termination of the clinical trials altogether. We may not be able to identify, recruit and enroll a sufficient number of patients, or those with the required or desired characteristics, to complete our clinical trials in a timely manner. Patient enrollment and trial completion is affected by many factors, including the:

Previous wording

delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs and clinical study sites;

Current wording

delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with clinical trial sites on clinical budgets and/or clinical trial agreements;

Previous wording

eligibility and exclusion criteria;

Current wording

eligibility and exclusion criteria for the trial;

Previous wording

perceived risks and benefits of gene therapy-based approaches to treatment of diseases, including any required pretreatment conditioning regimens;

Current wording

perceived risks and benefits of our approach;

Previous wording

AVROBIO’s ability to generate revenue from product sales and achieve profitability depends on AVROBIO’s ability, alone or with collaborative partners, to successfully resume and complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize, AVROBIO’s product candidates. AVROBIO does not anticipate generating revenues from product sales for the next several years, if ever. Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, AVROBIO’s ability to generate future revenues from product sales depends heavily on AVROBIO’s success in:

Current wording

loss of revenues from product sales; and

Previous wording

Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States and other major markets, may designate drugs intended to treat conditions or diseases affecting relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. Under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, the FDA may designate a product candidate as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally defined as having a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the European Union, the European Commission grants an orphan designation in respect of a product after receiving the opinion of the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products on an orphan designation application. Orphan designation in the European Union may be granted to products where the sponsor can establish that such product is intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition affecting not more than 5 in 10,000 persons in the European Union when the application is made. Additionally, orphan designation may be granted for products intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening, seriously debilitating or serious and chronic condition when, without incentives, it is unlikely that sales of the product would generate sufficient returns in the European Union to justify the necessary investment in developing the product. In either case, the applicant must be able to establish that there is no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such condition authorized for marketing in the European Union, or if such a method exists, the product would be of a significant benefit to those affected by the condition.

Current wording

As part of our business strategy, we may seek orphan drug designation for any product candidates we develop, and we may be unsuccessful. While we have not made a determination on whether we intend to seek orphan drug designation for any of our product candidates at this time, we may do so in the future. Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States, may designate drugs for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. Under the Orphan Drug Act in the United States, the FDA may designate a drug as an orphan drug if it is a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals annually in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards certain clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers.

Previous wording

Generally, if a product candidate with an orphan drug designation receives the first marketing approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities from approving another marketing application for a product that constitutes the same drug treating the same indication for that marketing exclusivity period, except in limited circumstances. If another sponsor receives such approval before AVROBIO does (regardless of AVROBIO’s orphan drug designation), AVROBIO will be precluded from receiving marketing approval for AVROBIO’s product for the applicable exclusivity period. The applicable period is seven years in the United States and 10 years in the European Union. The exclusivity period in the European Union can be reduced to six years, if at the end of the fifth year, a product no longer meets the criteria for orphan designation or if the product is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. The European Commission introduced a legislative proposal in April 2023 that, if implemented, could reduce the current ten-year marketing exclusivity period in the European Union for certain orphan medicines. Orphan drug exclusivity may be revoked if any regulatory agency determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.

Current wording

Generally, in the United States, if a drug with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first marketing approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the drug is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the FDA from approving another marketing application for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances.

Previous wording

Even if AVROBIO obtains orphan drug exclusivity for a product candidate, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product candidate from competition because different drugs can be approved for the same condition in the United States. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA may subsequently approve another drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the latter drug is not the same drug or is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care. In the European Union, a marketing authorization may be granted to a similar medicinal product for the same orphan indication at any time if:

Current wording

Even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for any of our product candidates, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product candidate from competition because different therapies can be approved for the same condition and the same therapies can be approved for different conditions but used off-label. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care. In addition, a designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. Moreover, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later 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. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process. While we may seek orphan drug designation for applicable indications for our current and any future product candidates, we may never receive such designations. Even if we do receive such designations, there is no guarantee that we will enjoy the benefits of those designations.

Previous wording

the prevalence and severity of any adverse events or side effects, including any limitations or warnings contained in a product’s approved labeling or that are later found to be associated with a product, including in findings from long-term follow-up studies;

Current wording

limitations or warnings contained in the labeling approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities;

Previous wording

The United States and many foreign jurisdictions have enacted or proposed legislative and regulatory changes affecting the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of AVROBIO’s product candidates or any future product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect AVROBIO’s ability to profitably sell any product for which AVROBIO obtains marketing approval. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives. There have been, and likely will continue to be, legislative and regulatory proposals at the federal and state levels directed at broadening the availability of healthcare and containing or lowering the cost of healthcare. Please see the section titled “Business – Government Regulation – Healthcare Reform.”

Current wording

Third-party payors, whether domestic or foreign, or governmental or commercial, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs. The United States and many foreign jurisdictions have enacted or proposed legislative and regulatory changes affecting the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of TX45 or any potential future product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell any product for which we obtain marketing approval.

Previous wording

Moreover, increasing efforts by governmental and third-party payors in the United States and abroad to cap or reduce healthcare costs may cause such organizations to limit both coverage and the level of reimbursement for newly approved products and, as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for AVROBIO’s product candidates. There has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation 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 program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. It is expected that the healthcare reform measures that have been adopted and may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that AVROBIO receives for any approved product and could seriously harm AVROBIO’s future revenues. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. Should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, the implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent AVROBIO from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialize AVROBIO’s product candidates.

Current wording

There has also been increasing executive, legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to drug pricing practices. There have been U.S. congressional inquiries, presidential executive orders and proposed and enacted legislation 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 program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. For example, on December 7, 2023, an initiative to control the price of prescription drugs through the use of march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act was announced. On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published for comment a Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights which for the first time includes the price of a product as one factor an agency can use when deciding to exercise march-in rights. While march-in rights have not previously been exercised, it is uncertain if that will continue under the new framework. We expect that the healthcare reform measures that have been adopted and may be adopted in the future may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product and could seriously harm our future revenues. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialize our products.

Previous wording

In addition, the FDA’s policies, and those of equivalent foreign regulatory agencies, may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of AVROBIO’s product candidates. AVROBIO cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If AVROBIO is slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if AVROBIO is not able to maintain regulatory compliance, AVROBIO may lose any marketing approval that AVROBIO may have obtained and AVROBIO may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would materially and adversely affect AVROBIO’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Current wording

If we or any third parties we may engage are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we or such third parties are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, our product candidates may lose any regulatory approval that may have been obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.

Previous wording

Inadequate funding for the FDA and other government agencies could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of AVROBIO’s business may rely, which could negatively impact AVROBIO’s business.

Current wording

Inadequate funding for the FDA and other government agencies, including from government shutdowns, or other disruptions to these agencies’ operations, could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.

Previous wording

Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect AVROBIO’s business. For example, over the last several years the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical FDA and other government employees and stop critical activities. Since March 2020, when foreign and domestic inspections of facilities were largely placed on hold, the FDA has been working to resume pre-pandemic levels of inspection activities, including routine surveillance, bioresearch monitoring and pre-approval inspections. Should the FDA determine that an inspection is necessary for approval and an inspection cannot be completed during the review cycle due to restrictions on travel, and the FDA does not determine a remote interactive evaluation to be adequate, the FDA has stated that it generally intends to issue, depending on the circumstances, a complete response letter or defer action on the application until an inspection can be completed. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, a number of companies announced receipt of complete response letters due to the FDA’s inability to complete required inspections for their applications. Regulatory authorities outside the U.S. may adopt similar restrictions or other policy measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or any other public health crisis and may experience delays in their regulatory activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process AVROBIO’s regulatory submissions, should AVROBIO resume development of its product candidates, which could have a material adverse effect on AVROBIO’s business. Further, future shutdowns of other government agencies, such as the SEC, may also impact AVROBIO’s business through review of AVROBIO’s public filings and AVROBIO’s ability to access the public markets.

Current wording

Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies (including layoffs) may also slow the time necessary for new product candidates to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, many staff members from the FDA and other agencies have recently been laid off. If a prolonged government shutdown or disruption occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, future government shutdowns and/or disruptions could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operation.

Previous wording

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drugs vary widely from country to country. In the United States, recently enacted legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product licensing approval is granted. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. As a result, AVROBIO might obtain marketing approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that delay AVROBIO’s or their commercial launch of the product, possibly for lengthy time periods, and negatively impact the revenue AVROBIO is able to generate from the sale of the product in that country. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder AVROBIO’s ability to recoup AVROBIO’s investment in one or more product candidates, even if any product candidates AVROBIO may develop obtain marketing approval. Please see the section titled “Business – Government Regulation – Coverage and Reimbursement.”

Current wording

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drug products vary widely from country to country. Current and future legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. In many regions, including the EU, Japan and Canada, the pricing of prescription drugs is controlled by the government and some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after regulatory approval for the product is granted. Regulatory agencies in those countries could determine that the pricing for our products should be based on prices of other commercially available drugs for the same disease, rather than allowing us to market our products at a premium as new drugs. As a result, we might obtain marketing approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that delay or limit commercial launch of the product, possibly for lengthy time periods, which could negatively impact the revenue we generate from the sale of the product in that particular country. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in one or more product candidates, even if our product candidates obtains marketing approval.

Previous wording

others may be able to make gene therapy products that are similar to AVROBIO’s product candidates but that are not covered by the claims of the patents that AVROBIO licenses or may own or license in the future;

Current wording

others may be able to make or use compounds or cells that are similar to the biological compositions of our product candidates but that are not covered by the claims of our patents;

Previous wording

AVROBIO’s commercial success depends in part on avoiding infringement of the patents and proprietary rights of third parties. There is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the United States, involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including patent infringement lawsuits, interferences, oppositions and inter parties reexamination proceedings before the USPTO and corresponding foreign patent offices. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which AVROBIO is pursuing development candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that AVROBIO’s product candidates may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties.

Current wording

Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. There is a substantial amount of litigation involving patents and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as administrative proceedings for challenging patents, including interference, derivation, inter partes review, post grant review, and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. We may be exposed to, or threatened with, future litigation by third parties having patent or other intellectual property rights alleging that our product candidates and/or proprietary technologies infringe their intellectual property rights. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing our product candidates. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to our product candidates and programs. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our product candidates may give rise to claims of infringement of the patent rights of others. Moreover, it is not always clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of drugs, products or their methods of use or manufacture. Thus, because of the large number of patents issued and patent applications filed in our fields, there may be a risk that third parties may allege they have patent rights encompassing our product candidates, technologies or methods.

Previous wording

Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in issued patents that AVROBIO’s product candidates may infringe or be alleged to infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of AVROBIO’s or AVROBIO’s licensors’ technologies infringes upon these patents. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of any of AVROBIO’s product candidates, any molecules formed during the manufacturing process or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block AVROBIO’s ability to commercialize such product candidate unless AVROBIO obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire.

Current wording

Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. Generally, conducting clinical trials and other development activities in the United States is protected under the Safe Harbor exemption as set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 271. If and when TX45 or another one of our product candidates is approved by the FDA, certain third parties may seek to enforce their patents by filing a patent infringement lawsuit against us. While we do not believe that any claims of such patent that could otherwise materially adversely affect commercialization of our product candidates, if approved, are valid and enforceable, we may be incorrect in this belief, or we may not be able to prove it in a litigation. In this regard, patents issued in the United States by law enjoy a presumption of validity that can be rebutted only with evidence that is “clear and convincing,” a heightened standard of proof. There may be third-party patents of which we are currently unaware with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of our product candidates. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in issued patents that our product candidates may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of our product candidates, constructs or molecules used in or formed during the manufacturing process, or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize the product candidate unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or they are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Similarly, if any third-party patent were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover aspects of our formulations, processes for manufacture or methods of use, the holders of any such patent may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the product candidate unless we obtained a license or until such patent expires or is finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. In either case, such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain a necessary license to a third-party patent on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, our ability to commercialize our product candidates may be impaired or delayed, which could in turn significantly harm our business. Even if we obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from co…

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Previous wording

Parties making claims against AVROBIO may obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block AVROBIO’s ability to further develop and commercialize one or more of AVROBIO’s product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from AVROBIO’s business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against AVROBIO, AVROBIO may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, pay royalties, redesign AVROBIO’s infringing products or obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. Even in the absence of a finding of infringement, AVROBIO may choose to obtain a license, if such a license is available. A successful claim of patent or other intellectual property infringement against AVROBIO could materially adversely affect AVROBIO’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

Parties making claims against us may seek and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, obtain one or more licenses from third parties, pay royalties or redesign our infringing products, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. We cannot predict whether any such license would be available at all or whether it would be available on commercially reasonable terms. Even if such a license is available, it may be non-exclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. Furthermore, even in the absence of litigation, we may need to obtain licenses from third parties to advance our research or allow commercialization of our product candidates. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize our product candidates, which could harm our business significantly.

Previous wording

Certain of AVROBIO’s employees, consultants or advisors are currently, or were previously, employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including AVROBIO’s competitors or potential competitors. Although AVROBIO tries to ensure that AVROBIO’s employees, consultants and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for AVROBIO, AVROBIO may be subject to claims that these individuals or AVROBIO has used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such individual’s current or former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If AVROBIO fails in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, AVROBIO may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if AVROBIO is successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management. AVROBIO’s licensors may face similar risks, which could have an adverse impact on intellectual property that is licensed to AVROBIO.

Current wording

As is common in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, we employ individuals who were previously employed at universities or other biopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. In addition, we have used and continue to use consultants, advisors, and/or independent contractors with relationships with third parties, including institutions and/or other companies. We try to ensure that our employees, consultants, advisors, and/or independent contractors have the right to assign to us intellectual property generated during their engagement with us, and that they do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us. Although no claims against us are currently pending, there is no guarantee that in the future we may not be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants, advisors, or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of a former employer or other third parties, or improperly assign intellectual property rights to us. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and, if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. This type of litigation or proceeding could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce our resources available for development activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to adequately conduct such litigation or proceedings. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial resources.

Previous wording

If one of AVROBIO’s licensing partners or AVROBIO initiate legal proceedings against a third-party to enforce a patent covering one of AVROBIO’s product candidates, should such a patent issue, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering AVROBIO’s product candidate is invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld information material to patentability from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. Third parties also may raise similar claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re-examination, post grant review, inter parties review and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. Such proceedings could result in the revocation or cancellation of or amendment to AVROBIO’s patents in such a way that they no longer cover AVROBIO’s product candidates. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, AVROBIO cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which the patent examiner and AVROBIO or AVROBIO’s licensing partners were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, AVROBIO could lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on one or more of AVROBIO’s product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on AVROBIO’s business.

Current wording

If we or one of our licensing partners initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering one of our product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate, as applicable, is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace, and there are numerous grounds upon which a third-party can assert invalidity or unenforceability of a patent. Third parties may also raise similar claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re-examination, post grant review, and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings). Such proceedings could result in revocation or amendment to our patents in such a way that they no longer cover our product candidates. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we, our patent counsel and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, or if we are otherwise unable to adequately protect our rights, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to commercialize or license our technology and product candidates.

Previous wording

Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing AVROBIO’s ability to protect AVROBIO’s product candidates.

Current wording

Changes in patent law in the U.S. and in ex-U.S. jurisdictions could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.

Previous wording

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and AVROBIO’s intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States could be less extensive than those in the United States. Although AVROBIO’s license agreements grant AVROBIO worldwide rights, and AVROBIO’s currently in-licensed U.S. patent rights have certain corresponding foreign patents or patent applications, there can be no assurance that AVROBIO will obtain or maintain such corresponding patents or patent applications with respect to any future license agreements. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States even in jurisdictions where AVROBIO and AVROBIO’s licensors pursue patent protection. Consequently, AVROBIO and AVROBIO’s licensors may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing AVROBIO’s inventions in all countries outside the United States, even in jurisdictions where AVROBIO and AVROBIO’s licensors pursue patent protection, or from selling or importing products made using AVROBIO’s inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use AVROBIO’s technologies in jurisdictions where AVROBIO and AVROBIO’s licensors have not pursued and obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where AVROBIO has patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with AVROBIO’s product candidates and AVROBIO’s patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.

Current wording

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of such patent. If we or any of our licensors are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to its business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected. Also, competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop our own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection but where enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products in jurisdictions where we do not have any issued patents and our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.

Previous wording

Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biotechnology products, which could make it difficult for AVROBIO to stop the infringement of AVROBIO’s patents or marketing of competing products in violation of AVROBIO’s proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce AVROBIO’s patent rights, even if obtained, in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert AVROBIO’s efforts and attention from other aspects of AVROBIO’s business, could put AVROBIO’s patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and AVROBIO’s patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against AVROBIO. AVROBIO may not prevail in any lawsuits that AVROBIO initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, AVROBIO’s efforts to enforce AVROBIO’s intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that AVROBIO develops or licenses.

Current wording

Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products against third parties in violation of our proprietary rights generally. The initiation of proceedings by third parties to challenge the scope or validity of our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial cost and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted

Previous wording

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of any FDA marketing approval of AVROBIO’s product candidates, one or more U.S. patents that AVROBIO licenses or may own or license in the future, if any, may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent extension term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. A patent may only be extended once and only based on a single approved product. However, AVROBIO may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than AVROBIO requests. If AVROBIO is unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is less than AVROBIO requests, AVROBIO’s competitors may obtain approval of competing products following AVROBIO’s patent expiration, and AVROBIO’s revenue could be reduced, possibly materially. In addition, AVROBIO does not control the efforts of AVROBIO’s licensors to obtain a patent term extension, and there can be no assurance that they will pursue or obtain such extensions to the patents that AVROBIO licenses from them.

Current wording

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of any FDA marketing approval of any product candidates we may develop, one or more of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Action of 1984 Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent extension term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. However, we may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents, or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or term of any such extension is less than we request, our competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration, and our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially harmed. Further, for our licensed patents, we may not have the right to control prosecution, including filing with the USPTO, of a petition for patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Thus, if one of our licensed patents is eligible for patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act, we may not be able to control whether a petition to obtain a patent term extension is filed, or obtained, from the USPTO.

Previous wording

AVROBIO has registered the marks “AVROBIO” and “plato” with the USPTO and in certain other countries, but AVROBIO does not have trademarks or trademark applications with the USPTO for the marks “AVRO” or the AVROBIO logo. In the future, even if AVROBIO applies for registration of these marks, there can be no assurance that such registration will be approved. Once registered, AVROBIO’s trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. AVROBIO may not be able to protect AVROBIO’s rights to these trademarks and trade names, which AVROBIO needs to build name recognition among potential partners or customers in AVROBIO’s markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to AVROBIO’s, thereby impeding AVROBIO’s ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of AVROBIO’s registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the long term, if AVROBIO is unable to establish name recognition based on AVROBIO’s trademarks and trade names, then AVROBIO may not be able to compete effectively and AVROBIO’s business may be adversely affected. AVROBIO’s efforts to enforce or protect AVROBIO’s proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could adversely impact AVROBIO’s financial condition or results of operations.

Current wording

Our trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names or may be forced to stop using these names, which we need for name recognition by potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trade names or trademarks that incorporate variations of our unregistered trade names or trademarks. If we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business may be adversely affected.

Previous wording

refuse to permit the import or export of products; or

Current wording

Moreover, our CDMOs may experience manufacturing difficulties due to resource constraints, governmental restrictions or as a result of labor disputes or unstable political environments. Supply chain issues, including those resulting from the a health pandemic and the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, may affect our third-party vendors and cause delays. Furthermore, since we have engaged WuXi Biologics, a manufacturer located in China, we are exposed to the possibility of product supply disruption and increased costs in the event of changes in the policies of the United States or Chinese governments or political unrest or unstable economic conditions in China. For example, the U.S. House of Representatives of the prior Congress (the 118th Congress) passed the BIOSECURE Act, which proposed targeting U.S. government contracts, loans, and grants to entities that use biotechnology equipment or services from certain Chinese biotechnology companies, including Wuxi Biologics, and would authorize the U.S. government to name other Chinese biotechnology companies of concern. The version of the BIOSECURE Act passed by the prior House of Representatives included a grandfathering provision allowing biotechnology equipment and services provided or produced by WuXi Biologics and other named biotechnology companies of concern under a contract or agreement entered into before the effective date until January 1, 2032. The BIOSECURE Act did not become law in the 118 th Congress. It is unclear whether the current Congress (the 119 th Congress) will introduce the BIOSECURE Act or similar legislation in this congressional session and, if so, how the scope, prohibitions, or designated biotechnology companies of concern may differ from the version of the BIOSECURE Act passed by the House in the prior 118 th Congress. In addition to the BIOSECURE Act, any additional U.S. executive action, legislative action, or potential sanctions with China could materially impact our work with WuXi Biologics. U.S. executive agencies have the ability to designate entities and individuals on various governmental prohibited and restricted parties lists. Depending on the designation, potential consequences can range from a comprehensive prohibition on all transactions or dealings with designated parties, or a limited prohibition on certain types of activities, such as exports and financing activities, with designated parties. If we are required to change manufacturers for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations and guidelines. For example, in the event that we need to transfer from WuXi Biologics, which is our sole manufacturing source for TX45, we anticipate that the complexity of the manufacturing process may materially impact the amount of time it would take to secure a replacement manufacturer. The delays associated with the verificat…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Previous wording

an inability to obtain additional funding;

Current wording

We may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of the product candidate for which we are seeking to collaborate, reduce or delay our development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay our potential commercialization, reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.

Previous wording

Failure to comply with health and data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions (which could include civil or criminal penalties), private litigation, and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect AVROBIO’s operating results and business.

Current wording

Failure to comply with health-related data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions, including civil or criminal penalties, private litigation, and adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business.

Previous wording

AVROBIO and any potential collaborators may be subject to federal, state, and foreign data protection laws and regulations (i.e., laws and regulations that address privacy and data security). In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including federal health information privacy laws, state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), that govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information could apply to AVROBIO’s operations or the operations of AVROBIO’s collaborators. In addition, AVROBIO may obtain health information from third parties (including research institutions from which AVROBIO obtains clinical trial data) that are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA, as amended by HITECH. Depending on the facts and circumstances, AVROBIO could be subject to civil, criminal, and administrative penalties if AVROBIO knowingly obtain, use, or disclose individually identifiable health information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA.

Current wording

We and any current and future collaborators are subject to federal, state/provincial, municipal and foreign data protection laws and regulations, such as laws and regulations that address privacy and data security. In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including federal health information privacy laws, state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws, including Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, that govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information could apply to our operations or the operations of our collaborators. In addition, we may obtain health information from third parties, including research institutions from which we obtain clinical trial data, that are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA, as amended by HITECH. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we could be subject to civil, criminal, and administrative penalties if we violate HIPAA.

Previous wording

Compliance with U.S. and international data protection laws and regulations could require AVROBIO to take on more onerous obligations in AVROBIO’s contracts, restrict AVROBIO’s ability to collect, use and disclose data, or in some cases, impact AVROBIO’s ability to operate in certain jurisdictions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions (which could include civil, criminal and administrative penalties), private litigation, and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect AVROBIO’s operating results and business. Moreover, clinical trial patients, employees and other individuals about whom AVROBIO or AVROBIO’s potential collaborators obtain personal information, as well as the providers who share this information with AVROBIO, may limit AVROBIO’s ability to collect, use and disclose the information. Claims that AVROBIO has violated individuals’ privacy rights, failed to comply with data protection laws, or breached AVROBIO’s contractual obligations, even if AVROBIO is not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm AVROBIO’s business.

Current wording

Compliance with U.S. and international data protection laws and regulations could require us to take on more onerous obligations in our contracts, restrict our ability to collect, use and disclose data, or in some cases, impact our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions (which could include civil, criminal, and administrative penalties), private litigation, and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business. Moreover, clinical trial subjects, employees, and other individuals about whom we or our current or future collaborators obtain personal information, as well as the providers who share this information with us, may limit our ability to collect, use and disclose the information. Claims that we have violated individuals’ privacy rights, failed to comply with data protection laws, or breached our contractual obligations, even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our business.

Previous wording

AVROBIO is exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by AVROBIO’s employees, principal investigators, consultants and commercial partners. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional failures to comply with the regulations of the FDA or of other foreign regulatory authorities, provide accurate information to the FDA and other foreign regulatory authorities, comply with healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations in the United States and abroad, report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to AVROBIO. In particular, sales, marketing and business conduct in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of healthcare professional interactions, drug pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Such misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical studies, which could result in regulatory sanctions and cause serious harm to

Current wording

We are exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by our employees, principal investigators, consultants, and commercial partners. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional failures to comply with FDA regulations or the regulations applicable in other jurisdictions, provide accurate information to the FDA and other regulatory authorities, comply with healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations in the United States and abroad, report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Such misconduct also could involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials or interactions with the FDA or other regulatory authorities, which could result in regulatory sanctions and cause serious harm to our reputation. It is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from government investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could result in significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participating in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, 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, contractual damages, reputational harm and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Previous wording

AVROBIO has yet to adopt and implement comprehensive processes, systems and other relevant measures within AVROBIO’s organization, and/or with AVROBIO’s relevant collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants, which are appropriate to address relevant requirements relating to international transfers of personal data from Europe, and to minimize the potential impacts and risks resulting from those requirements, across AVROBIO’s organization. Failure to implement valid mechanisms for personal data transfers from Europe may result in AVROBIO’s facing increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and injunctions against processing personal data from Europe. Inability to export personal data may also: restrict AVROBIO’s activities outside Europe; limit AVROBIO’s ability to collaborate with partners as well as other service providers, contractors and other companies outside of Europe; and/or require AVROBIO to increase AVROBIO’s processing capabilities within Europe at significant expense or otherwise cause AVROBIO to change the geographical location or segregation of AVROBIO’s relevant systems and operations – any or all of which could adversely affect AVROBIO’s operations or financial results. Additionally, other countries outside of Europe have enacted or are considering enacting similar cross-border data transfer restrictions and laws requiring local data residency, which could increase the cost and complexity of delivering AVROBIO’s services and operating AVROBIO’s business. The type of challenges AVROBIO faces in Europe will likely also arise in other jurisdictions that adopt laws similar in construction to the GDPR or regulatory frameworks of equivalent complexity.

Current wording

Additionally, other countries have enacted or are considering enacting similar cross-border data transfer restrictions and laws requiring local data residency, which could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services and operating our business.

Previous wording

Changes in tax law could adversely affect AVROBIO’s business and financial condition.

Current wording

Legislation or other changes in U.S. tax law could adversely affect our business and financial condition.