Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.
For the period ended Dec 31, 2025. Filed Mar 9, 2026.
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A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.
FY2025 · Filed Mar 9, 2026
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-K
Period ended 2024-12-31; filed 2025-03-11.
0001558370-25-002703
Item 1A. Risk FactorsCurrent report: 10-K
Period ended 2025-12-31; filed 2026-03-09.
0001104659-26-025197
Item 1A. Risk FactorsThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 330 previous paragraphs and 353 current paragraphs.
198 unchanged; 98 reworded; 37 added; 11 removed; 23 previous and 20 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 143 previous and 154 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Added paragraphs (37)
Current report
trials, and all of our other active product candidates are currently in preclinical development, including VY1706, our tau silencing program.
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In addition, one of our competitors, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in 2025, discontinued their Phase 2 clinical study of posdinemab, an anti-tau antibody being investigated to treat early Alzheimer’s disease, following a scheduled review of clinical findings that determined posdinemab did not achieve statistical significance in slowing clinical decline, despite the results observed in earlier preclinical studies.
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Our future business prospects depend heavily on our ability, alone or through our collaborations, to successfully develop, gain regulatory approval of, and commercialize our current and future product candidates. Drug development and obtaining regulatory approval for a product involve a long, expensive and uncertain process, involving a high degree of risk. We are early in our development efforts. VY7523 is currently in early-stage clinical trials, and all of our other active product candidates (including VY1706) are currently in preclinical development. Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of our current and future product candidates, we must conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidates. We or our collaborators, as applicable, may not be able to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of any of our current product candidates or any future product candidate at each stage of clinical development or we may encounter other issues with any clinical trials or non-clinical studies required for regulatory submissions. Some or all of our or our collaborators’ clinical trials may fail to meet their primary or key secondary endpoints, raise safety issues or generate mixed results.
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There is also the potential for slower than expected clinical site initiation, problems with the conduct of a study at one or more sites, delays or problems in analyzing data, the need for additional analyses or data or the need to enroll additional patients, the negative impact of feedback from the FDA or other regulatory authorities on trial design or the analysis of results, the need to make protocol amendments or other unexpected issues, such as adverse events, in any of our clinical trials. These types of issues could lead to delays in the completion of a trial and announcement of results or impact the results of our trials.
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Further, the FDA may determine that we must provide additional evidence and data before approving a BLA or NDA for our candidate products. For example, the FDA reviews an application to determine whether there is “substantial evidence” to support a finding of effectiveness for the proposed product for its intended use(s). In February 2026, the Commissioner of FDA and the Director of Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research published an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine in which they declared that, in most cases, the new default requirement for FDA approval of a new product will be one adequate and well-controlled pivotal clinical trial plus confirmatory evidence, rather than two pivotal clinical trials. In determining whether to rely on one trial, the FDA will focus on the single trial’s quality, including magnitude of effect, appropriateness of control arms, endpoint selection, statistical power, blinding, handling of missing data, biological plausibility and alignment with intermediate biomarkers. The FDA has long had authority to approve new products on the basis of one trial plus confirmatory evidence and, in recent years, the agency has exercised that authority with respect to certain types of products. The FDA now takes the position that this will be the new official default standard for most product candidates. At this point, it is unclear how this new policy will be implemented by the FDA and how, if at all, it will affect our clinical development programs.
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Moreover, principal investigators for our future clinical trials may serve as scientific advisors or consultants to us and receive compensation in connection with such services. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to report some of these relationships to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. The FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority may conclude that a financial relationship between us and a principal investigator has created a conflict of interest or otherwise affected interpretation of the study. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory
Current report
The FDA and comparable regulatory agencies in foreign jurisdictions, such as the EMA and Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, play an important role in the development of our product candidates by providing guidance on our clinical development programs and reviewing our regulatory submissions, including investigational new drug applications, requests for special designations and marketing applications. If these oversight and review activities are disrupted, then correspondingly our ability to develop and secure timely approval of our product candidates could be impacted in a negative manner.
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For example, the recent loss and retirement of FDA leadership and personnel could lead to disruptions and delays in FDA guidance, or review and approval of our product candidates. Pursuant to President Trump’s E.O. 14210, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative,” the Secretary of HHS announced on March 27, 2025, a reorganization and reduction in force across HHS of approximately 20,000 employees (82,000 to 62,000), with the FDA’s workforce of approximately 20,000 to decrease by 3,500 full-time employees. On July 14, 2025, following litigation reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, the administration began to carry out layoffs across HHS, including the FDA. In November 2025, a Congressional Continuing Resolution ended the government shutdown, providing full-year funding for the FDA for fiscal year 2026 through September 30, 2026 at approximately $7 billion with a slight increase in user fees for drug and device companies.
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Further, while the FDA’s review of marketing applications and other activities for new drugs and biologics is largely funded through the user fee program established under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, it remains unclear how the administration’s reduction in force and budget cuts will impact this program and the ability of the FDA to provide guidance and review our product candidates in a timely manner. For example, while the FDA reduction in force did not reportedly specifically target FDA reviewers, many operations, administrative and policy staff that help support such reviews were affected and those losses could lead to delays in PDUFA reviews and related activities. There have been several reports in which the FDA failed to meet a PDUFA goal date for approval of an NDA or a BLA due to heavy workload and limited resources. In addition, there is a risk that the reduction in force and budget cutbacks could threaten the integrity of the PDUFA program itself because, for the FDA to utilize user fees collected under PDUFA in the first place, a certain amount of non-user fee appropriations must be spent on the process for the review of applications plus certain other costs during the same fiscal year.
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For example, the federal government shut down on October 1, 2025, and did not reopen for 43 days. With the shutdown, the FDA issued a public notice stating that agency operations would continue to the extent permitted by law, such as activities necessary to address imminent threats to the safety of human life and activities funded by carryover user fee funds. The FDA declared that, during the shutdown period, it did not have legal authority to accept user fees assessed for fiscal year 2026 until fiscal year 2026 appropriation or Continuing Resolution for the FDA was enacted. As a result, the FDA was not able to accept any regulatory submissions for fiscal year 2026 that required a fee payment and that was submitted during the lapse period. In addition, the FDA indicated that some of its regulatory science research, crucial for advancing product innovation, safety, and quality, would be curtailed during the lapse period.
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Accordingly, if any of the foregoing developments and others impact the ability of the FDA to provide us guidance regarding our clinical development programs or delay the FDA’s review and processing of our regulatory submissions, including INDs, NDAs, or BLAs, our business would be negatively impacted. Further, any future government shutdown could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
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Additionally, we could face heightened risks with respect to obtaining marketing authorization in the United Kingdom as a result of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, commonly referred to as Brexit. The United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Single Market and EU Customs Union. As of January 1, 2025, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, is responsible for approving all medicinal products destined for the United Kingdom market (i.e., Great Britain and Northern Ireland). On April 28, 2025, the United Kingdom Parliament adopted amendments to improve and strengthen the United Kingdom’s clinical trials regulatory regime; they are scheduled to take effect on April 28, 2026. These changes were needed since the current United Kingdom requirements are based upon the now-repealed EU Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC), which has been replaced by the CTR. Since the United Kingdom left the EU prior to the date on which the CTR took effect, the United Kingdom legal framework did not benefit from the same revisions as occurred at EU level.
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pathways) was published on April 26, 2023. On June 4, 2025, after almost two years of negotiations among the EU Member States, the Council of the European Union adopted its position on the proposed overhaul of the EU general pharmaceutical legislative framework, which is known as the new Pharma Package. Thereafter, on December 11, 2025, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement on the legislation, which is expected to be adopted by mid-2026. The revisions may have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry and our business. They would, among other things, set a baseline period of eight years of data exclusivity and one year of market exclusivity with possible extensions for new indications up to a maximum of 11 years total. There will likely be a transition period of 24 months, with the changes taking effect in mid-2028.
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We believe that any of the product candidates we develop as a biological product under a BLA should qualify for the 12-year period of exclusivity. However, there is a risk that this exclusivity could be shortened due to congressional action or otherwise, or that the FDA will not consider the subject product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for biosimilar competition sooner than anticipated. For example, in October 2025, the FDA issued draft guidance which proposes to eliminate the need for sponsors of biosimilar products to conduct comparative human clinical efficacy studies, allowing them to rely instead on analytical testing to demonstrate product differences from a reference product. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar, once approved, will be substituted for any one of the reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological products will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing. Nonetheless, the approval of a biosimilar to our product candidates would have a material adverse impact on our business due to increased competition and pricing pressure.
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In 2025 and 2026, we reduced the size of our organization in connection with restructurings. We may encounter difficulties in managing our business as a result of these restructurings, or as a result of the attrition that has occurred or may in the future occur due to these restructurings, which could disrupt our operations. In addition, we may not achieve anticipated benefits and savings from these restructurings.
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Our board of directors have approved restructuring plans to eliminate a portion of our workforce as part of initiatives to reduce expenses and enhance operations. The restructurings were approved in connection with our ongoing evaluation of our operations and our efforts to focus resources on creating shareholder value on critical program and platform development. The restructurings during 2025 and 2026 involved the termination of 71 employees, representing 41% of our workforce as of January 1, 2025.
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The continuing impact of the restructurings and additional measures we might take to reduce costs could divert management attention, yield attrition beyond our intended reduction in force, reduce employee morale, or cause us to delay, limit, reduce or eliminate certain product development plans.
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importation, which must be approved by the FDA. The state will also need to relabel the drugs and perform quality testing of the products to meet FDA standards. On May 21, 2025, the FDA announced that it would offer individual states the opportunity to submit a draft proposal for pre-review and meet with the FDA to obtain initial feedback from FDA prior to formally submitting their SIP proposals. The intent of these meetings is to assist states in developing their proposals by further clarifying requirements, enhancing the quality of proposals submitted to the agency and ultimately shortening the review timeline.
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More recently, on August 16, 2022, the IRA was signed into law by President Biden. The new legislation has implications for Medicare Part D, which is a program available to individuals who are entitled to Medicare Part A or enrolled in Medicare Part B to give them the option of paying a monthly premium for outpatient prescription drug coverage. Among other things, the IRA requires manufacturers of certain drugs to engage in price negotiations with Medicare (beginning in 2026), with prices that can be negotiated subject to a cap; imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation; and replaces the Part D coverage gap discount program with a new discounting program. The IRA permits the Secretary of the HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years.
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On April 15, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order which directs HHS to take steps to reduce the prices of pharmaceutical products. The new order repeats many of the proposals advanced during the first Trump Administration, including directing the FDA to streamline and improve its existing drug importation program so as to make it easier for states to obtain approval without sacrificing the safety or quality of drug products. Other provisions of the order relate to the 340B program. Specifically, one provision calls on the Secretary of HHS to determine the hospital acquisition cost for covered outpatient drugs at hospital outpatient departments and to consider and propose any appropriate adjustments for Medicare payment. The other provision directs HHS to condition grant funding to certain health centers on those centers passing through the 340B discounts they receive on insulin and injectable epinephrine products to patients who meet certain requirements. With respect to the IRA’s Medicare drug pricing program, the order, among other things, calls for alignment in “the treatment of small molecule prescription drugs with that of biological products, ending the distortion that undermines relative investment in small molecule prescription drugs, coupled with other reforms to prevent any increase in overall costs to Medicare and its beneficiaries.”
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Further, on May 12, 2025, President Trump issued an additional Executive Order calling on pharmaceutical manufacturers to voluntarily reduce the prices of medicines in the United States. The order directs the Secretary of HHS to communicate most-favored-nation, or MFN, price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices in line with comparably developed nations. The Executive Order further provides that if such actions do not lower the costs of pharmaceuticals, the Secretary of HHS would pursue other actions, including proposing a rulemaking that imposes MFN pricing in the United States. Subsequently, on May 20, 2025, HHS indicated that the proposed MFN pricing will apply only to brand products without generic or biosimilar competition and the reference foreign countries will include only those in which the branded product similarly does not have generic or biosimilar competition. Second, HHS indicated that the MFN target price will be the lowest price in a country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, with a gross domestic product, or GDP, per capita of at least 60% of the U.S. GDP per capita. Based on previous estimates, there are likely at least 22 OECD countries that would satisfy this criterion. The implications of these actions remain unclear and are likely to result in litigation if the administration pursues an MFN regulatory pricing requirement.
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More recently, on July 31, 2025, the President issued letters to 17 pharmaceutical companies reiterating the requirements of the May 12, 2025, Executive Order and demanding that such companies extend MFN pricing to
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Medicaid patients, guarantee MFN pricing for newly-launched drug products, return increased revenues abroad to American patients and provide for direct purchasing at MFN pricing. The letters also urged these companies to stipulate that they will not offer other developed nations better prices for new drugs than the prices offered for such products in the U.S. The letters called for engagement with the FDA and CMS within 60 days to implement these changes and threatened to use “every tool in our arsenal” to address what the letter characterized as “abusive drug pricing practices.” Since that time, virtually all of these pharmaceutical companies have entered into agreements with the administration to provide for lower prices on certain pharmaceuticals.
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Following the July 2020 Court of Justice of the European Union judgement invalidating the so-called EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, the European Commission adopted an adequacy decision for the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework in July 2023. This adequacy decision permits U.S. companies who self-certify under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework to rely on it as a valid data transfer mechanism for data transfers from the European Union to the United States. However, some privacy advocacy groups have already suggested that they will be challenging the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and there is currently one pending litigation against the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), C-703/25 P –Latombe v Commission. If these challenges are successful, they
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may not only impact the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, but also further limit the viability of the so-called standard contractual clauses and other data transfer mechanisms.
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In the spring of 2025, the U.S. government initiated a series of tariff-related actions against U.S. trading partners. On April 2, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order announcing a “baseline” reciprocal tariff of 10% on all U.S. trading partners effective April 5, 2025, and higher individualized reciprocal tariffs on 57 countries (with certain product exemptions for pharmaceutical-related products, among others). Previously, the Trump Administration had imposed a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico for goods not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, and tariffs due to drug trafficking equaling 20% on imports from China. In response, several countries threatened retaliatory measures, including Canada and China, which then imposed retaliatory tariffs. Prior to when the country-specific reciprocal tariffs were scheduled to take effect, the Trump Administration delayed the effective date of such tariffs for all countries except China to August 1, 2025. Later, the United States and China reached a framework agreement that ultimately resulted in the suspension of the higher reciprocal tariffs on China until November 10, 2025. Shortly before that expiration date, the United States and China reached a one-year agreement with an expiration of
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November 10, 2026, that includes the continued suspension of the heightened reciprocal tariffs on China and delayed enforcement of new U.S. export rules targeting affiliates of blacklisted firms.
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Since the April reciprocal tariffs announcement, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the UK, among others, have reached deals with the U.S. that include reduced tariff rates to varying levels and other measures. On July 31, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order detailing new reciprocal tariff rates for individual countries that took effect on August 7, 2025. The new reciprocal rates, which are consistent with the rates reflected in the trade deals already announced, range from 10% to 41%. The new rates do not apply to Canada, China, Mexico and a few other countries. For China, the 10% baseline reciprocal tariff announced in April remains in effect, in addition to a minimum of a 10% tariff due to drug trafficking. Regarding Canada and Mexico, the rate remains 25% for goods that are not covered by the USMCA for Mexico and, effective August 1, 2025, was increased to 35% on imports from Canada that are not covered by the USMCA. President Trump also announced a further 10% increase on non-USMCA goods from Canada, but it is unclear when such increase will take effect. The European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK and others have reached agreements with the U.S. that cap pharmaceutical tariffs at 15%. In addition, an agreement with Malaysia provides a zero percent tariff exemption for pharmaceutical products that are not patented in the U.S. and are used in pharmaceutical applications and an agreement with Switzerland and Lichenstein caps tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported from those two countries at 15 percent. Finally, an agreement with Taiwan concluded on January 15, 2026, eliminating tariffs on generic pharmaceuticals and their active ingredients imported from Taiwan.
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The reciprocal tariffs and the fentanyl tariffs were imposed by President Trump pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs, invalidating both the reciprocal tariffs and fentanyl tariffs. Shortly thereafter, the President issued a new Executive Order revoking the IEEPA tariffs and Customs and Border Protection ceased collecting the tariffs as of 12:01 am on February 24, 2026. At the same time, however, the Trump Administration imposed a new 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Pursuant to the statute, absent an extension by Congress, these tariffs will expire in 150 days on July 24, 2026. Like the IEEPA tariffs, pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients are exempt from the Section 122 tariffs along with a list of other products. The Trump Administration has announced that it also plans to initiate new investigations on “most major trading partners” under Section 301 of the same act, which will likely lead to additional tariffs.
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For those countries that have concluded trade deals with the United States, the tariff rates agreed to - including with regard to pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients - have now reverted to 10% until July 24, 2026.
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Neither the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision nor the Executive Order revoking the IEEPA tariffs addressed refunds, leaving the issue to renewed proceedings before the U.S. Court of International Trade, where importers may need to pursue administrative remedies and/or litigation amid continued uncertainty.
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Separately, in April 2025, the Department of Commerce initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into the impact on U.S. national security of the imports of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients, including finished drug products, medical countermeasures, critical inputs such as active pharmaceutical ingredients, and key starting materials, and products derivative of those items. On September 25, 2025, via a post on Truth Social, President Trump announced that, beginning October 1, 2025, all branded or patented drugs imported in the U.S. would face a 100% tariff. At the same time, President Trump indicated that these tariffs could be avoided by building pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Thereafter, President Trump delayed the October 1 st effective date of the tariffs on branded or patented pharmaceutical products announcing that the administration had now “begun preparing” tariffs on manufacturers that do not build in the U.S. or enter into an MFN drug pricing agreement with the Trump Administration.
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As a result of changes in tariffs that have been announced and/or struck down or implemented, and the underlying uncertainty currently surrounding international trade, we could experience a negative impact to our costs of materials and production processes, and supply chain disruptions and delays as a result of any new tariff policies or trade restrictions. If we are unable to obtain necessary raw materials or product components in sufficient quantity and in a timely manner due to disruptions in the global supply chain caused by macroeconomic events and conditions, the development, testing and clinical trials of our product candidates may be delayed or infeasible, and regulatory approval or commercial launch of any resulting product may be delayed or not obtained, which could significantly harm our business. We cannot yet predict the effect of the U.S. tariffs on imports, or the extent to which other countries will impose quotas, duties, tariffs, taxes or other similar restrictions upon imports or exports in the future, nor can we predict future trade policy or the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements and their impact on our business.
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Further, some of our collaborators and suppliers are located in China. Trade tensions and conflicts between the United States and China have been escalated in recent years and, as such, we are exposed to the possibility of product supply disruption and increased costs and expenses in the event of changes to the laws, rules, regulations and policies of the governments of the United States or China, or due to geopolitical unrest and unstable economic conditions.
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For example, in February 2024, U.S. lawmakers called for investigations into and the imposition of possible economic sanctions against Chinese biotechnology companies WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics over alleged ties to the Chinese military. Subsequently, in December 2025, as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, President Trump signed into law the BIOSECURE Act. Under the BIOSECURE Act, U.S. government agencies cannot (1) buy or obtain biotechnology equipment or services provided by biotechnology companies of concern, or BCCs; (2) enter into, extend, or renew a contract with any entity using biotechnology equipment or services provided by a BCC to perform a government contract; or (3) expend loan or grant funds for biotechnology equipment or services provided by a BCC, whether directly or through a loan or grant recipient. The Act does not name specific companies as BCCs but treats any company on the Department of Defense 1260H list of “Chinese military companies” as a BCC.
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On December 18, 2025, the Chairs of multiple Senate and House committees, including the House Select Committee on China, sent a letter to the Department of Defense recommending that WuXi AppTec, WuXi Biologics, and WuXi XDC be added to the 1260H list, which would make all of those entities BCCs. The 1260H list was updated by the Department of War in January 2024 and January 2025, and we expect the 1260H list will be updated in early 2026.
Removed paragraphs (11)
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virus, or AAV, capsids, which we refer to as TRACER Capsids, and our investment to discover TRACER Capsids with broad tropism in CNS and other tissues with cell-specific transduction properties for particular therapeutic applications;
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terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;
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Further, the FDA may determine that we must provide additional evidence and data before approving a BLA or NDA for our candidate products. For example, the FDA reviews an application to determine whether there is “substantial evidence” to support a finding of effectiveness for the proposed product for its intended use(s). The FDA has interpreted this evidentiary standard to generally require at least two adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to establish effectiveness of a new product. Under certain circumstances, however, the FDA has indicated that a single trial with certain characteristics and additional confirmatory evidence may satisfy this standard. The FDA issued draft guidance in September 2023 that outlines considerations for relying on confirmatory evidence in lieu of a second clinical trial to demonstrate effectiveness. In the event that we submit a BLA or NDA on the basis of one clinical trial and confirmatory evidence, the FDA could determine that such information is not sufficient to support approval of the application and the agency could require us to conduct an additional trial in support of the BLA or NDA.
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applications by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority, as the case may be, and may ultimately lead to the denial of marketing approval of one or more of our product candidates.
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Disruptions in the FDA and other government agencies caused by funding shortages or global health concerns could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel or otherwise prevent new product candidates and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner, which could negatively impact our business.
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Further, with the change in presidential administrations in 2025, there is substantial uncertainty as to how, if at all, the new administration will seek to modify or revise the requirements and policies of the FDA and other regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over our product candidates. There is also uncertainty as to how other measures being implemented by the Trump Administration across the government will impact our activities and those of the FDA and its operations. For example, the potential loss of FDA personnel could lead to further disruptions and delays in FDA review of our product candidates and FDA guidance regarding our or our collaborators’ clinical development programs. Similarly, efforts by the new administration to substantially reduce research funding by the National Institutes of Health of medical research could have substantial direct or indirect impacts on our research activities.
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Weno longer qualify as a “smaller reporting company” and, commencing with our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2025, we may no longer take advantage of reduced disclosureand reporting requirements applicable tosmaller reporting companies, which will require us to incur significant expenses and expend time and resources.
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We no longer qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, based on our non-affiliate public float in excess of $250 million and our annual revenues in excess of $100 million during our last fiscal year, in each case determined as of the last business day of our second quarter of 2024. As a smaller reporting company, we were permitted and relied on exemptions from certain disclosure
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requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies. These exemptions included:
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We expect to continue to take advantage of some or all of the available exemptions through the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and any portions of our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders incorporated by reference herein. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
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Following the filing of this Annual Report and the definitive proxy statement relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, we will be required to comply with disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies. Compliance with these additional requirements may increase our legal and financial compliance costs and divert the attention of management and other personnel from operational and other business matters to these additional public company reporting requirements. If we are not able to comply with changing requirements in a timely manner, the market price of our stock could decline, and we could be subject to delisting proceedings by the Nasdaq Global Select Market or sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.
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Previous wording
We are an early-stage biotechnology company and have not yet generated revenues from the sales of our product candidates. All of our product candidates are in the early stages of development. Investment in biotechnology companies is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any product candidates will fail to be safe and efficacious, obtain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We have not yet demonstrated the ability to complete any clinical trials of our product candidates, obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialization. We continue to incur significant expenses related to research and development, and other operations in order to commercialize our product candidates. We have a history of incurring significant operating losses. We had a net loss of $65.0 million, net income of $132.3 million, and a net loss of $46.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $326.2 million.
Current wording
We are an early-stage biotechnology company and have not yet generated revenues from the sales of our product candidates. All of our product candidates are in the early stages of development. Investment in biotechnology companies is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any product candidates will fail to be safe and efficacious, obtain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We have not yet demonstrated the ability to complete any clinical trials of our product candidates, obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialization. We continue to incur significant expenses related to research and development, and other operations in order to commercialize our product candidates. We have a history of incurring significant operating losses. We had a net loss of $119.7 million, net loss of $65.0 million, and net income of $132.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $445.9 million.
Previous wording
Even if one or more of the product candidates that we develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities to redesign or modify preclinical studies or clinical trials or to perform preclinical studies or clinical trials in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we are able to generate revenues from the sale of any approved products, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations.
Current wording
Even if one or more of the product candidates that we develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities to redesign or modify preclinical studies or clinical trials or to perform preclinical studies or clinical trials in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we are able to generate revenues from the sale of any approved products, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations and may we decide to discontinue commercial availability and/or voluntarily request the withdrawal of the new drug application, or NDA, for any of our products, which may raise additional potential risks and uncertainties. Any issues or hurdles related to our commercialization efforts may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects and could lead us to make significant further changes to the scope and nature of our efforts.
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Our operations have consumed significant amounts of cash since inception. As of December 31, 2024, our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were$332.4 million. Based upon our current operating plan, we expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities at December 31, 2024 along with amounts expected to be received as reimbursement for development costs under ourcollaboration and license agreements with Neurocrine and Novartis, and interest income, to be sufficient tomeet our planned operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into mid-2027.
Current wording
Our operations have consumed significant amounts of cash since inception. As of December 31, 2025, our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were$201.7 million. Based upon our current operating plan, we expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025, along with amounts expected to be received as reimbursement for development costs under ourcollaboration and license agreements with Neurocrine and Novartis, and interest income, to be sufficient tomeet our planned operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into 2028. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong.
Previous wording
Identifying potential product candidates and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive, and uncertain process that takes years to complete. We may never generate the necessary data or results required to maintain the financial support of our collaborators or obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In the event we are unable to achieve milestones necessary to demonstrate progress on those programs, a current or future collaboration partner or licensor may be unwilling to fund these programs at the desired levels or at all, which could require us to fund these programs to a greater extent than we have expected, to decline to pursue certain program objectives or to discontinue one or more of the programs. Our ability to develop a product candidate for any of our lead gene therapy or other biological therapy programs may take longer than we anticipate, or may not happen at all, and could require funding at a level higher than we expect. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our product revenues, if any, and any commercial milestone payments or royalty payments under our collaboration or option and license agreements, will be derived from sales of products that may not be commercially available for many years, if at all. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing and business development transactions to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
Current wording
Identifying potential product candidates and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive, and uncertain process that takes years to complete. We may never generate the necessary data or results required to maintain the financial support of our collaborators or obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In the event we are unable to achieve milestones necessary to demonstrate progress on those programs, a current or future collaboration partner or licensor may be unwilling to fund these programs at the desired levels, or at all, which could require us to fund these programs to a greater extent than we have expected, to decline to pursue certain program objectives or to discontinue one or more of the programs. Our ability to develop a product candidate for any of our lead gene therapy or other biological therapy programs may take longer than we anticipate, or may not happen at all, and
Previous wording
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate product revenues sufficient to achieve consistent profitability, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, and option and license arrangements. We do not have any committed external source of funds other than the amounts we are entitled to receive from our collaboration partners, Neurocrine and Novartis, and licensees for the reimbursement of certain research and development expenses, potential option exercises, the achievement of specified regulatory and commercial milestones, and royalty payments under the 2019 Neurocrine Collaboration Agreement, the 2023 Neurocrine Collaboration Agreement, and the 2023 Novartis Collaboration Agreement and the amounts we are entitled to receive from our licensees Alexion and Novartis for the achievement of specified development, regulatory, and commercialization milestones and royalty payments under the applicable option and license agreements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or equity-linked securities, including convertible debt, our stockholders’ ownership interests will be diluted. The amount of stockholder dilution will be affected by the size of each securities offering and the offering price for the securities sold. The offering price will likely reflect the prevailing market price for our securities, with dilution increasing as the prevailing market price for our securities decreases. The terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our existing stockholders’ rights as holders of our common stock. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, obtaining additional capital, acquiring or divesting businesses, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. Our issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Further, our existing stockholders may not agree with the terms of such financings.
Current wording
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate product revenues sufficient to achieve consistent profitability, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, and option and license arrangements. We do not have any committed external source of funds other than the amounts we are entitled to receive from our collaboration partners, Neurocrine and Novartis, and licensees for the reimbursement of certain research and development expenses, potential option exercises, the achievement of specified regulatory and commercial milestones, and royalty payments under the 2019 Neurocrine Collaboration Agreement, the 2023 Neurocrine Collaboration Agreement, and the 2023 Novartis Collaboration Agreement and the amounts we are entitled to receive from our licensees Alexion and Novartis for the achievement of specified development, regulatory, and commercialization milestones and royalty payments under the applicable option and license agreements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or equity-linked securities, including convertible debt, our stockholders’ ownership interests will be diluted. For example, on November 10, 2025, we entered into a sales agreement with respect to an “at the market offering” program pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100.0 million, from time to time through TD Securities (USA) LLC. Any significant sales of shares of our common stock pursuant to the sales agreement would result in dilution to our current stockholders. The amount of stockholder dilution through the sale of equity or equity-linked securities will be affected by the size of each securities offering and the offering price for the securities sold. The offering price will likely reflect the prevailing market price for our securities, with dilution increasing as the prevailing market price for our securities decreases. The terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our existing stockholders’ rights as holders of our common stock. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, obtaining additional capital, acquiring or divesting businesses, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. Our issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Further, our existing stockholders may not agree with the terms of such financings.
Previous wording
Our operating history to date has been limited to building our team, business planning, raising capital, establishing our intellectual property portfolio, determining which neurological diseases to pursue, advancing our product candidates including delivery and manufacturing and conducting preclinical studies and early-phase clinical trials. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had an operating history that included the late stage of clinical development, completion of clinical development, or commercialization of one or more product candidates. VY7523, our anti-tau antibody candidate, is in early-stage clinical trials, and. all of our other active product candidates are currently in preclinical development.
Current wording
Our operating history to date has been limited to building our team, business planning, raising capital, establishing our intellectual property portfolio, determining which neurological diseases to pursue, advancing our product candidates, including delivery and manufacturing and conducting preclinical studies and early-phase clinical trials. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had an operating history that included the late stage of clinical development, completion of clinical development, or commercialization of one or more product candidates. VY7523, our anti-tau antibody candidate, is in early-stage clinical
Previous wording
In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors such as the regulatory setbacks that previously occurred in prior clinical programs, we have conducted such as those put on hold by the FDA. These and other events that are part of our operating history may impact our ability to operate our business and to raise capital. All of our product candidates are in the early stages of development. To achieve our current goals, we will need to transition in the future from a company with a research and development focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.
Current wording
In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors such as the regulatory setbacks that previously occurred in prior clinical programs we have conducted, such as those put on hold by the FDA, and the terminations, in part, of the 2019 Neurocrine Collaboration Agreement and the 2022 Novartis Option and License Agreement to date. These and other events that are part of our operating history may impact our ability to operate our business and to raise capital. All of our product candidates are in the early stages of development. To achieve our current goals, we will need to transition in the future from a company with a research and development focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.
Previous wording
We expect our financial condition and operating results to continue to fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control as we advance our programs
Current wording
We expect our financial condition and operating results to continue to fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control as we advance more of our programs into the clinical stage. Accordingly, our stockholders should not rely upon the results of any quarterly or annual periods as indications of future operating performance.
Previous wording
Our AAV gene therapy, non-viral therapeutic, and other biological therapy product candidates are based on a proprietary technology and, in several disease areas, unvalidated treatment approaches, which makes it difficult and potentially infeasible to predict the duration and cost of development of, and subsequently obtaining regulatory approval for, our product candidates.
Current wording
Our AAV gene therapy, non-viral therapeutic, and other product candidates are based on proprietary technologies and, in several disease areas, unvalidated treatment approaches, which make it difficult and potentially infeasible to predict the duration and cost of development of, and subsequently obtaining regulatory approval for, our product candidates.
Previous wording
AAV gene therapies are a relatively new technology. We cannot accurately predict when or if any of our product candidates will prove effective or safe in humans or whether these product candidates will receive marketing approval. Additionally, there can be no assurance that we will not experience problems or delays in the preclinical testing or development of our product candidates and that such problems or delays will not cause unanticipated costs, or that any such problems or delays can be solved in a timely or profitable basis, if at all. For example, we are no longer advancing VY9323, formerly the lead development candidate for our superoxide dismutase 1, or SOD1, silencing program for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, as a development candidate and are assessing alternate payloads for the program based on three-month data from a non-human primate good laboratory practice, or GLP, toxicology study suggesting that a different payload would be necessary to achieve the desired product profile for the program. We also may experience unanticipated problems or delays in expanding our manufacturing capacity or outsourcing manufacturing activities to contract manufacturers.
Current wording
We cannot accurately predict when or if any of our product candidates will prove effective or safe in humans or whether these product candidates will receive marketing approval. Additionally, there can be no assurance that we will not experience problems or delays in the preclinical testing or development of our product candidates and that such problems or delays will not cause unanticipated costs, or that any such problems or delays can be solved in a timely or profitable basis, if at all. For example, we are no longer advancing VY9323, formerly the lead development candidate for our superoxide dismutase 1, or SOD1, silencing gene therapy program for ALS, as a development candidate based on three-month data from a non-human primate good laboratory practice, or GLP, toxicology study suggesting that a different payload would be necessary to achieve the desired product profile for the program. We also may experience unanticipated problems or delays in expanding our manufacturing capacity or outsourcing manufacturing activities to contract manufacturers.
Previous wording
It is difficult to determine how long it will take or how much it will cost to obtain regulatory approvals for our product candidates in either the United States or the European Union or how long it will take to commercialize our product candidates. The few regulatory approvals of gene therapies to date may not be indicative of what the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities may require for approval or whether different or additional preclinical studies or clinical trials may be required to support regulatory approval in a particular jurisdiction. Delay or failure to obtain, or unexpected costs in obtaining, the regulatory approval necessary to bring a potential product candidate to market could decrease our ability to generate sufficient product revenue, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be harmed.
Current wording
It is difficult to determine how long it will take or how much it will cost to obtain regulatory approvals for our product candidates in either the United States or the European Union or how long it will take to commercialize our product candidates. The few regulatory approvals of gene therapies to date may not be indicative of what the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities may require for approval or whether different or additional preclinical studies or clinical trials may be required to support regulatory approval in a particular jurisdiction. Delay or failure to obtain, or unexpected costs in obtaining, the regulatory approval necessary to bring a potential product candidate to market could
Previous wording
Regulatory requirements governing biological, gene therapy, and other non-viral therapeutic products have changed frequently and may continue to change in the future. Such requirements may lengthen the regulatory review process, require us to modify current studies or perform additional studies or increase our development costs, which in turn may force us to delay, limit, or terminate certain of our programs.
Current wording
Regulatory requirements governing gene therapy, non-viral therapeutic, and other products have changed frequently and may continue to change in the future. Such requirements may lengthen the regulatory review process, require us to modify current studies or perform additional studies, or increase our development costs, which in turn may force us to delay, limit, or terminate certain of our programs.
Previous wording
All of our product candidates are in early stages of development, and the risk of failure is high. Clinical testing is expensive, is difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and is uncertain as to outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Our product candidates may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy in preclinical testing or clinical development despite demonstrating promising results in earlier preclinical studies or clinical trials. In addition, the outcome of preclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later stage clinical trials. For example, despite data we believed was promising from the earlier PD-1101 Phase 1b clinical trial and from the separate PD-1102 Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the delivery of VY-AADC (NBIb-1817), we and our strategic collaborator Neurocrine did not receive favorable data, and were ultimately unable to complete, the RESTORE-1 Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating VY-AADC (NBIb-1817) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Similarly, interim results generated from clinical trials do not necessarily predict final results, and results from one completed clinical trial may not be replicated in a subsequent clinical trial with a similar study design. Some of our clinical trials were conducted with small patient populations and were not blinded or placebo-controlled, making it difficult to predict whether the favorable results that we observed in such trials will be sustained or
Current wording
All of our product candidates are in early stages of development, and the risk of failure is high. Clinical testing is expensive, is difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and is uncertain as to outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Our product candidates may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy in preclinical testing or clinical development despite demonstrating promising results in earlier preclinical studies or clinical trials. In addition, the outcome of preclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later stage clinical trials. For example, despite data we believed was promising from the earlier PD-1101 Phase 1b clinical trial and from the separate PD-1102 Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the delivery of VY-AADC (NBIb-1817), we and our strategic collaborator Neurocrine did not receive favorable data from, and were ultimately unable to complete, the RESTORE-1 Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating VY-AADC (NBIb-1817) for the treatment of PD.
Previous wording
There is a high failure rate for product candidates proceeding through preclinical studies and clinical trials. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials even after achieving promising results in early-stage clinical trials. If a larger population of patients does not experience positive results, if these results are not reproducible, or if our products show diminishing activity over time, our products may not receive approval from the EMA or the FDA. Data obtained from preclinical and clinical activities are subject to varying interpretations, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. In addition, we may encounter regulatory delays or rejections as a result of many factors, including changes in regulatory policy during the period of product development. Failure to confirm favorable results from earlier trials by demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of our products in late-stage clinical trials with larger patient populations could harm our business and we may never succeed in commercialization or generating product revenue.
Current wording
A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials even after achieving promising results in early-stage clinical trials. If a larger population of patients does not experience positive results, if these results are not reproducible, or if our products show diminishing activity over time, our products may not receive approval from the EMA or the FDA. Data obtained from preclinical and clinical activities are subject to varying interpretations, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. In addition, we may encounter regulatory delays or rejections as a result of many factors, including changes in regulatory policy during the period of product development. Failure to confirm favorable results from earlier trials by demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of our products in late-stage clinical trials with larger patient populations could harm our business and we may never succeed in commercialization or generating product revenue.
Previous wording
We have conducted, and may in the future choose to conduct, one or more of our clinical trials outside the United States. To date, we have conducted clinical trials in the United States and Canada. We may in the future choose to conduct one or more of our clinical trials or include sites in current or future clinical trials outside the United States.
Current wording
We have conducted, and may in the future choose to conduct, one or more of our clinical trials outside the United States.
Previous wording
In addition, even where the foreign trial data are not intended to serve as the sole basis for approval, the FDA will not accept the data as support for an application for marketing approval unless the trial satisfies certain conditions. For example, the clinical trial must be well-designed and conducted and performed by qualified investigators in accordance with ethical principles. The trial population must also adequately represent the U.S. population, and the data must be applicable to the U.S. population and U.S. medical practice in ways that the FDA deems clinically meaningful. In addition, while these clinical trials are subject to the applicable local laws, FDA acceptance of the data will depend on its determination that the trials also complied with all applicable U.S. laws and regulations. If the FDA does not accept the data from any trial we conduct outside the United States, it would likely result in the need for additional trials, which would be costly and time-consuming and would delay or permanently halt our development of the applicable product candidates. Even if the FDA accepted such data, it could require us to modify our planned clinical trials to receive clearance to initiate such trials in the United States or to continue such trials once initiated.
Current wording
accordance with ethical principles. The trial population must also adequately represent the U.S. population, and the data must be applicable to the U.S. population and U.S. medical practice in ways that the FDA deems clinically meaningful. In addition, while these clinical trials are subject to the applicable local laws, FDA acceptance of the data will depend on its determination that the trials also complied with all applicable U.S. laws and regulations. If the FDA does not accept the data from any trial we conduct outside the United States, it would likely result in the need for additional trials, which would be costly and time-consuming and would delay or permanently halt our development of the applicable product candidates. Even if the FDA accepted such data, it could require us to modify our planned clinical trials to receive clearance to initiate such trials in the United States or to continue such trials once initiated.
Previous wording
We are early in our development efforts. All of our active product candidates are currently in preclinical development orearly-stage clinical development. We may encounter substantial delays or difficulties in commencement, enrollment or completion of our preclinical studies or clinical trials, or we may fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities, any of which could prevent us from commercializing our current and future product candidates on a timely basis, if at all.
Current wording
We are early in our development efforts. VY7523, our anti-tau antibody candidate, is in early-stage clinical trials, and all of our other active product candidates, including VY1706, are currently in preclinical development. We or our collaborators may encounter substantial delays or difficulties in the commencement, enrollment or completion of preclinical studies or clinical trials, or we or our collaborators may fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy sufficient to support further development or to satisfy the applicable regulatory authorities, any of which could prevent us or our collaborators from further developing or commercializing current and future product candidates on a timely basis, if at all.
Previous wording
Our ability to complete our preclinical testing and studies is contingent on, among other things, our ability to source animals and other supplies required for the conduct of such testing and studies. If we are unable to obtain such supplies, we may be unable to complete such preclinical testing and studies in a timely manner or at all. For example, some of our IND-enabling toxicology, capsid discovery, and other studies require certain NHPs that are customarily imported from outside the United States. Our inability to obtain access to a sufficient supply of these NHPs in a timely manner or at all may impair or delay our ability to complete preclinical studies to support capsid discovery efforts or IND applications or similar applications in other jurisdictions. We have previously encountered, and may encounter in the future, delays in obtaining a sufficient supply of such NHPs due to governmental or regulatory actions that result in importation restrictions in the United States or exportation restrictions in the country of origin. At times when the NHP supply in the United States has been constrained, we have conducted NHP studies at contract research facilities outside of the United States. When utilizing such facilities, we are required to observe export control regulations for the shipment of product candidates and their component materials and import control regulations for the shipment of samples to us for evaluation and storage. We may be required to incur delays or expenses in order to conduct our NHP studies in compliance with these regulations, and we may be subject to additional penalties, delays, or expenses if we fail to achieve compliance.
Current wording
NHPs in a timely manner, or at all, may impair or delay our ability to complete preclinical studies to support capsid discovery efforts or IND applications or similar applications in other jurisdictions. We have previously encountered, and may encounter in the future, delays in obtaining a sufficient supply of such NHPs due to governmental or regulatory actions that result in importation restrictions in the United States or exportation restrictions in the country of origin. At times when the NHP supply in the United States has been constrained, we have conducted NHP studies at contract research facilities outside of the United States. When utilizing such facilities, we are required to observe export control regulations for the shipment of product candidates and their component materials and import control regulations for the shipment of samples to us for evaluation and storage. We may be required to incur delays or expenses in order to conduct our NHP studies in compliance with these regulations, and we may be subject to additional penalties, delays, or expenses if we fail to achieve compliance.
Previous wording
Additionally, we cannot predict if the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States will accept our planned clinical programs or if the outcome of our preclinical testing and studies will ultimately support the further development of our preclinical and clinical programs. In connection with our VY-HTT01 Program for the treatment of Huntington’s disease, for example, we were unable to successfully predict what the FDA would require and were unable to obtain a second pre-IND meeting with the FDA to discuss the product candidate’s regulatory pathway with the FDA. As a result, in October 2020, the FDA notified us that the IND application for the planned Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate VY-HTT01 had been put on clinical hold.
Current wording
Additionally, we cannot predict if the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States will accept our planned clinical programs or if the outcome of our preclinical testing and studies will ultimately support the further development of our preclinical and clinical programs. In connection with our earlier VY-HTT01 Program for the treatment of Huntington’s disease, for example, we were unable to successfully predict what the FDA would require and were unable to obtain a second pre-IND meeting with the FDA to discuss the product candidate’s regulatory pathway with the FDA. As a result, in October 2020, the FDA notified us that the IND application for the planned Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate VY-HTT01 had been put on clinical hold.
Previous wording
In addition, the FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies with respect to clinical trials may change and additional government regulations may be enacted. For example, in December 2022, with the passage of Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act, known was FDORA, Congress required sponsors to develop and submit a diversity action plan, or DAP, for each Phase 3 clinical trial or any other “pivotal study” of a new drug or biological product. These plans are meant to encourage the enrollment of more diverse patient populations in late-stage clinical trials of FDA-regulated products. Specifically, action plans must include the sponsor’s goals for enrollment, the underlying rationale for those goals, and an explanation of how the sponsor intends to meet them. In addition to these requirements, the legislation directs the FDA to issue new guidance on DAPs. In June 2024, as mandated by FDORA, the FDA issued draft guidance outlining the general requirements for DAPs. Unlike most guidance documents issued by the FDA, the DAP guidance when finalized will have the force of law because FDORA specifically dictates that the form and manner for submission
Current wording
In addition, the FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies with respect to clinical trials may change and additional government regulations may be enacted. For example, in December 2022, with the passage of Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act, known was FDORA, Congress required sponsors to develop and submit a diversity action plan, or DAP, for each Phase 3 clinical trial or any other “pivotal study” of a new drug or biological product. These plans are meant to encourage the enrollment of more diverse patient populations in late-stage clinical trials of FDA-regulated products. Specifically, action plans must include the sponsor’s goals for enrollment, the underlying rationale for those goals, and an explanation of how the sponsor intends to meet them. In addition to these requirements, the legislation directs the FDA to issue new guidance on DAPs. In June 2024, as mandated by FDORA, the FDA issued draft guidance outlining the general requirements for DAPs. Unlike most guidance documents issued by the FDA, the DAP guidance when finalized will have the force of law because FDORA specifically dictates that the form and manner for submission of DAPs are specified in FDA guidance. On January 27, 2025, in response to an Executive Order issued by President Trump on January 21, 2025, on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, the FDA removed this draft guidance from its website. Thereafter, following litigation, the FDA was directed by a federal district court to restore the draft guidance to the FDA website. When the FDA did so, it stated that “information on this page may be modified and/or removed in the future subject to the terms of the court’s order and implemented consistent with applicable law.” Accordingly, in light of these ongoing actions, there is considerable uncertainty surrounding the draft DAP guidance and how the FDA will consider diversity action plans in connection with its review of BLAs.
Previous wording
We cannot guarantee that any clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A clinical trial failure can occur at any stage of testing. Similarly, there may be delays or difficulties in our initiation of future clinical trials. Similarly, there may be delays or difficulties in our initiation of future clinical trials. For example, we no longer expect to file an IND or Canadian clinical trial application for VY9323, formerly the lead development candidate for our SOD1 silencing program for ALS, and are assessing alternate payloads for the program based on three-month data from a non-human primate GLP toxicology study suggesting that a different payload would be necessary to achieve the desired product profile for the program.
Current wording
We cannot guarantee that any clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A clinical trial failure can occur at any stage of testing. Similarly, there may be delays or difficulties in our initiation of future clinical trials. For example, we no longer expect to file an IND or Canadian clinical trial application for VY9323, formerly the lead development candidate for our SOD1 silencing program for ALS, based on three-month data from a
Previous wording
We also have very limited historical experience with clinical trials as a company. Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in clinical trials of our product candidates is critical to our success. We may not be able to identify, recruit and enroll a sufficient number of patients, or those with required or desired characteristics, to complete our clinical trials in a timely manner or at all pursuant to the requirements of the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities. Patient enrollment and trial completion are affected by many factors including:
Current wording
Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in clinical trials of our product candidates is critical to our success. We may not be able to identify, recruit and enroll a sufficient number of patients, or those with required or desired characteristics, to complete our clinical trials in a timely manner, or at all, pursuant to the requirements of the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities. Patient enrollment and trial completion are affected by many factors including:
Previous wording
Any inability to successfully initiate or complete preclinical studies and clinical trials could result in additional costs and potential delays to us or impair our ability to generate revenues from product sales, regulatory and commercialization milestones and royalties. We do not know whether any of our preclinical studies or clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured, or will be completed on schedule, or at all. For example, our decision to refocus our Huntington’s disease program means we must conduct new preclinical studies, prepare a new IND, submit it to the FDA, and resolve any potential FDA objections before enrolling our first patient in a new clinical trial. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, such as our previous transition to an HEK 293-based production system from a baculovirus/Sf9 AAV production system or as a result of unanticipated clinical trial results, we may need to conduct additional studies to bridge our modified product candidates to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Current wording
Any inability to successfully initiate or complete preclinical studies and clinical trials could result in additional costs and potential delays to us or impair our ability to generate revenues from product sales, regulatory and commercialization milestones and royalties. We do not know whether any of our preclinical studies or clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured, or will be completed on schedule, or at all. For example, the decision to refocus the Huntington’s disease program requires completion of new preclinical studies, preparation of a new IND, submission to the FDA, and resolution of any potential FDA objections before enrollment of the first patient in a new clinical trial. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, such as we did in connection with our previous transition to an HEK 293-based production system from a baculovirus/Sf9 AAV production system or as a result of unanticipated clinical trial results, we may need to conduct additional studies to bridge our modified product candidates to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Previous wording
Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit their commercial potential or result in significant negative consequences following any potential marketing approval.
Current wording
Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their further development or regulatory approval, limit their commercial potential or result in significant negative consequences following any potential marketing approval.
Previous wording
Our proprietary antibodies and gene therapy product candidates may cause an immunologic reaction, or an immune response against the relevant product candidate. Other potential side effects associated with our gene therapy product candidates could include insertional oncogenesis, which is the process whereby the insertion of a functional gene near a gene that is important in cell growth or division results in uncontrolled cell division, which could potentially enhance the risk of malignant transformation. In past clinical trials that were conducted by others using non-AAV gene therapy vectors, several significant side effects were caused by gene therapy treatments, including reported cases of leukemia and death. If our vectors demonstrate a similar adverse effect, or other adverse effects, we may be required to halt or delay further clinical development of our product candidates or withdraw the product from the market post-approval. For example, in a recently published review of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas, it was shown that a small subset contained an integrated genome sequence of wild-type AAV2, and it was suggested that AAV2 may be associated with insertional oncogenesis.
Current wording
Our proprietary antibodies, gene therapies and non-viral therapy product candidates may cause an immunologic reaction, or an immune response against the relevant product candidate. Other potential side effects associated with our gene therapy product candidates could include insertional oncogenesis, which is the process whereby the insertion of a functional gene near a gene that is important in cell growth or division results in uncontrolled cell division, which could potentially enhance the risk of malignant transformation. In past clinical trials that were conducted by others using non-AAV gene therapy vectors, several significant side effects were caused by gene therapy treatments, including reported cases of leukemia and death. For example, one of our competitors, Capsida Biotherapeutics, Inc., stated that it was not aware of significant safety signals in its preclinical program known as STXBP1, but its first patient dosed in its clinical program resulted in the death of a patient. Additionally, in a published review of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas, it was shown that a small subset contained an integrated genome sequence of wild-type AAV2, and it was suggested that AAV2 may be associated with insertional oncogenesis. If our vectors demonstrate a similar adverse effect, or other adverse effects, we may be required to halt or delay further clinical development of our product candidates or withdraw the product from the market post-approval.
Previous wording
In addition to side effects caused by the product candidate, the administration process also could cause side effects. If in the future we are unable to demonstrate that such side effects were caused by the administration process or related procedures or are unable to modify the trial protocol adequately to address such side effects, the FDA, the European Commission, the EMA or other regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of, or deny approval of, our product candidates for any or all targeted indications. For example, product candidates designed to “knock down” or reduce the expression of a gene or the production of its encoded protein could have effects on other parts of the body, or “off target” effects, that could result in unforeseen toxicity. Even if we are able to demonstrate that any future SAEs are not product-related, and regulatory authorities do not order us to cease further development of our product candidates, such occurrences could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial. Moreover, if we elect, or are required, to delay, suspend or terminate any clinical trial of any of our product candidates, the commercial prospects of such product candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate product revenues from any of these product candidates may be delayed or eliminated. Any of these occurrences may harm our ability to develop other product candidates and may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly.
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Side effects could be caused by the product candidate or the administration process. If in the future we are unable to demonstrate what caused such side effects or are unable to modify the trial protocol adequately to address such side effects, the FDA, the European Commission, the EMA or other regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of, or deny approval of, our product candidates for any or all targeted indications. For example, product candidates designed to “knock down” or reduce the expression of a gene or the production of its encoded protein could have effects on other parts of the body, or “off target” effects, that could result in unforeseen toxicity. Even if we are able to demonstrate that any future side effects are not product-related, and regulatory authorities do not order us to cease further development of our product candidates, such occurrences could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial. Moreover, if we elect, or are required, to delay, suspend or terminate any clinical trial of any of our product candidates, the commercial prospects of such product candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate product revenues from any of these product candidates may be delayed or eliminated. Any of these occurrences may harm our ability to develop other product candidates and may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly.
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Additionally, if any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, the FDA could require us to adopt a REMS to ensure that the benefits outweigh its risks. We believe that the likelihood of the FDA requiring a REMS may be higher for treatments with more invasive routes of administration such as direct delivery through brain surgery. Such REMS may include, among other things, a medication guide outlining the risks of the product for distribution to patients and a communication plan to health care practitioners or the limitation of the use of the product to specifically trained neurosurgeons and/or certain centers. Furthermore, adverse events which were initially considered unrelated to the study treatment of the clinical trial may later be found to be caused by the study treatment. If we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by our product candidate, several potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
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Additionally, if any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, the FDA could require us to adopt a REMS to ensure that the benefits outweigh its risks. We believe that the likelihood of the FDA requiring a REMS may be higher for treatments such as gene therapy. Such REMS may include, among other things, a medication guide outlining the risks of the product for distribution to patients and a communication plan to health care practitioners or the limitation of the use of the product to specifically trained neurosurgeons and/or certain centers. Furthermore, adverse events which were initially considered unrelated to the study treatment of the clinical trial may later be found to be caused by the study treatment. If we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by our product candidate, several potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
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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 applicable regulatory authority 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 we do (regardless of our orphan drug designation), we may be precluded from receiving marketing approval for our 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 United States can be extended by six months if the new drug application or BLA sponsor submits pediatric data that adequately respond to a written request from the FDA for such data. The exclusivity period in the European Union can be reduced to nine years if a
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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 applicable regulatory authority 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 we do (regardless of our orphan drug designation), we may be precluded from receiving marketing approval for our product for the applicable exclusivity period. The applicable period is seven years
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product no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the product is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. 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.
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in the United States and 10 years in the European Union. The exclusivity period in the United States can be extended by six months if the new drug application or BLA sponsor submits pediatric data that adequately respond to a written request from the FDA for such data. The exclusivity period in the European Union can be reduced to nine years if a product no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the product is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. 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.
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The FDA and Congress may further reevaluate the Orphan Drug Act and its regulations and policies, particularly in light of a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In September 2021, the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, inCatalyst Pharms, Inc. v. Becerra, orCatalyst, held that, for the purpose of determining the scope of orphan drug exclusivity, the term “same disease or condition” in the statute means the designated “rare disease or condition” and could not be interpreted by the FDA to mean the “indication or use.” Thus, the court concluded, orphan drug exclusivity applies to the entire designated disease or condition rather than the approved “indication or use.” Although there have been legislative proposals to overrule this decision, they have not been enacted into law. On January 23, 2023, the FDA announced that, in matters beyond the scope of theCatalystcourt order, the FDA will continue to apply its existing regulations tying orphan-drug exclusivity to the uses or indications for which the orphan drug is approved. More recently however, on February 14, 2025, a federal district court in Washington, DC fully embraced the reasoning of the Catalyst decision in another decision challenging the scope of orphan drug exclusivity. The implications of this decision, and its impact on the FDA’s implementation of the Orphan Drug Act, are unclear at this point.
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The FDA and Congress may further reevaluate and revise the Orphan Drug Act and its regulations and policies. For example, in September 2021, the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that, for the purpose of determining the scope of orphan drug exclusivity, the term “same disease or condition” means the designated “rare disease or condition” and not the “indication or use” for which the product is approved. Subsequently, in another case, a federal district court in Washington, D.C. followed the reasoning of the Eleventh Circuit decision and that decision was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. On February 3, 2026, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 was enacted into law. It overruled these court decisions and codified the FDA’s longstanding interpretation of the scope of orphan drug exclusivity to apply to “the same drug for the same approved use or indication within such designated rare disease or condition.” This change, which applies retroactively, expressly authorizes the FDA to approve multiple versions of the same orphan drug for different sub-indications and subpopulations, such as adult and pediatric patients or multiple variations of the same disease that are caused by different genetic variants.
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in the European Union or, if such method exists, the medicinal product will be of significant benefit to those affected by that condition. There is no assurance that we would be able to meet that standard for any of our product candidates. Further, if we do obtain orphan drug designation for a candidate product in the EU, we will not be able to maintain that designation if we are not able to show, to the satisfaction of the EU regulatory authorities, that the candidate product is of significant benefit to patients over available commercial products for the indication in the EU and any additional products that are ahead of our product candidate in clinical development for the indication.
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In addition, to obtain orphan drug designation in the European Union, we would need to demonstrate that there exists no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of the condition in question that has been authorized in the European Union or, if such method exists, the medicinal product will be of significant benefit to those affected by that condition. There is no assurance that we would be able to meet that standard for any of our product candidates. Further, if we do obtain orphan drug designation for a candidate product in the EU, we will not be able to maintain that designation if we are not able to show, to the satisfaction of the EU regulatory authorities, that the candidate product is of significant benefit to patients over available commercial products for the indication in the EU and any additional products that are ahead of our product candidate in clinical development for the indication.
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such designation. In any event, the receipt of RMAT designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to drugs considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, the FDA may later decide that a product candidate that received RMAT designation no longer meets the conditions for designation. Alternatively, we or our collaborative partners may decide not to proceed with the clinical development of a product candidate that has previously received RMAT designation or decide to pursue such product candidate for an indication for which it has not received RMAT designation.
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RMAT designation is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if we believe one of our other product candidates meets the criteria for RMAT designation, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make such designation. In any event, the receipt of RMAT designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to drugs considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, the FDA may later decide that a product candidate that received RMAT designation no longer meets the conditions for designation. Alternatively, we or our collaborative partners may decide not to proceed with the clinical development of a product candidate that has previously received RMAT designation or decide to pursue such product candidate for an indication for which it has not received RMAT designation.
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For the purposes of accelerated approval, a surrogate endpoint is a marker, such as a laboratory measurement, radiographic image, physical sign, or other measure that is thought to predict clinical benefit but is not itself a measure of clinical benefit. An intermediate clinical endpoint is a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or
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For the purposes of accelerated approval, a surrogate endpoint is a marker, such as a laboratory measurement, radiographic image, physical sign, or other measure that is thought to predict clinical benefit but is not itself a measure of
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other clinical benefit. The accelerated approval pathway may be used in cases in which the advantage of a new drug or biologic over available therapy may not be a direct therapeutic advantage but is a clinically important improvement from a patient and public health perspective. If granted, accelerated approval is usually contingent on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verify and describe the drug’s or biologic’s clinical benefit. If such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s or biologic’s clinical benefit, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the product.
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clinical benefit. An intermediate clinical endpoint is a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. The accelerated approval pathway may be used in cases in which the advantage of a new drug or biologic over available therapy may not be a direct therapeutic advantage but is a clinically important improvement from a patient and public health perspective. If granted, accelerated approval is usually contingent on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verify and describe the drug’s or biologic’s clinical benefit. If such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s or biologic’s clinical benefit, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the product.
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The FDA may also require that NDA or BLA submissions for our product candidates include pediatric data. Under the PREA, an NDA, BLA or supplement to an NDA or BLA for certain drugs and biological products must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug or biological product in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective, unless the sponsor receives a deferral or waiver from the FDA. Applicable legislation in the EU also requires sponsors to either conduct clinical trials in a pediatric population in accordance with a Pediatric Investigation Plan approved by the Pediatric Committee of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, or to obtain a waiver or deferral from the conduct of these studies by this Committee. For any of our product candidates for which we are seeking regulatory approval in the United States or the EU, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain a waiver or alternatively complete any required studies and other requirements in a timely manner, or at all, which could result in associated reputational harm and subject us to enforcement action.
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The FDA may also require that NDA or BLA submissions for our product candidates include pediatric data. Under the PREA, an NDA, BLA or supplement to an NDA or a BLA for certain drugs and biological products must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug or biological product in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective, unless the sponsor receives a deferral or waiver from the FDA. Applicable legislation in the EU also requires sponsors to either conduct clinical trials in a pediatric population in accordance with a Pediatric Investigation Plan approved by the Pediatric Committee of the EMA or to obtain a waiver or deferral from the conduct of these studies by this Committee. For any of our product candidates for which we are seeking regulatory approval in the United States or the EU, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain a waiver or alternatively complete any required studies and other requirements in a timely manner, or at all, which could result in associated reputational harm and subject us to enforcement action.
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The process of obtaining marketing approvals, both in the United States and abroad, is expensive; may take many years if additional clinical trials are required, if approval is obtained at all and can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors, including the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidates involved. In the United States, for example, the application user fee to obtain FDA review of a marketing application is more than $4.3 million and may be higher in the future. Changes in marketing approval policies during the development period, in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or in regulatory review for each submitted product application, may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application. The FDA and comparable authorities in other countries have substantial discretion in the approval process and may refuse to accept any application or may decide that our data are insufficient for approval and require additional preclinical, clinical or other studies. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from preclinical and clinical testing could delay, limit or prevent marketing approval of a product candidate. Any marketing approval we, or any current or future collaborators, ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render the approved product not commercially viable.
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The process of obtaining marketing approvals, both in the United States and abroad, is expensive; may take many years if additional clinical trials are required, if approval is obtained at all and can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors, including the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidates involved. In the United States, for example, the application user fee to obtain FDA review of a marketing application is more than $4.6 million and may be higher in the future. Changes in marketing approval policies during the development period, in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or in regulatory review for each submitted product application, may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application. The FDA and comparable authorities in other countries have substantial discretion in the approval process and may refuse to accept any application or may decide that our data are insufficient for approval and require additional preclinical, clinical or other studies. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from preclinical and clinical testing could delay, limit or prevent marketing approval of a product candidate. Any marketing approval we, or any current or future collaborators, ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render the approved product not commercially viable.
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In addition, FDA 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 our product candidates. We 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 we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance,
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In addition, FDA 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 our product candidates. We 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 we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing
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we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new product candidates to be reviewed or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, including for 35 days beginning on December 22, 2018, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown 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.
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During the last several years the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, have had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged
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The biopharmaceutical industry is characterized by intense and dynamic competition to develop new technologies and proprietary therapies. Any product candidates that we successfully develop into products and commercialize may compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. While we believe that our gene therapy platform, vectorized antibody platform, non-viral therapeutics platform, product programs, product candidates and scientific expertise in the fields of proprietary antibodies, gene therapy, and
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The biopharmaceutical industry is characterized by intense and dynamic competition to develop new technologies and proprietary therapies. Any product candidates that we successfully develop into products and commercialize may compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. While we believe that our gene therapy platform, non-viral therapeutics platform, product programs, product candidates and scientific expertise in the fields of proprietary antibodies, gene therapy, and neuroscience provide us with competitive advantages, we face potential competition from various sources, including larger and better-funded pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as from academic institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions.
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could require funding at a level higher than we expect. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our product revenues, if any, and any commercial milestone payments or royalty payments under our collaboration or option and license agreements, will be derived from sales of products that may not be commercially available for many years, if at all. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing and business development transactions to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
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decrease our ability to generate sufficient product revenue, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be harmed.
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Similarly, interim results generated from clinical trials do not necessarily predict final results, and results from one completed clinical trial may not be replicated in a subsequent clinical trial with a similar study design. Some of our clinical trials were conducted with small patient populations and were not blinded or placebo-controlled, making it difficult to predict whether the favorable results that we observed in such trials will be sustained or repeated in larger and more advanced clinical trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their products.
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In addition, even where the foreign trial data are not intended to serve as the sole basis for approval, the FDA will not accept the data as support for an application for marketing approval unless the trial satisfies certain conditions. For example, the clinical trial must be well-designed and conducted and performed by qualified investigators in
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To conduct clinical trials, we must first complete preclinical testing and studies to support IND applications or similar applications in other jurisdictions. We cannot be certain of the timely completion or successful outcome of our preclinical testing and studies. Our ability to complete our preclinical testing and studies is contingent on, among other things, our ability to source animals and other supplies required for the conduct of such testing and studies. If we are unable to obtain such supplies, we may be unable to complete such preclinical testing and studies in a timely manner, or at all. For example, some of our IND-enabling toxicology, capsid discovery, and other studies require certain NHPs that are customarily imported from outside the United States. Our inability to obtain access to a sufficient supply of these
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non-human primate GLP toxicology study suggesting that a different payload would be necessary to achieve the desired product profile for the program.
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government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions and could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
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programs. If we license rights to product candidates, we may not be able to realize the benefit of such transactions if we are unable to successfully integrate them with our existing operations and company culture.
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and the commercial prospects for our product candidates could be harmed, our costs could increase, and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed.
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Biological products are inherently difficult to manufacture. Our program materials are manufactured using technically complex processes requiring specialized equipment and facilities, highly specific raw materials, cells, and reagents, and other production constraints. Several of these raw materials, cells, and reagents are provided by a limited
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manufacturer is relied upon for commercial production. Switching manufacturers may involve substantial costs and could result in a delay in our desired clinical and commercial timelines.
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of benefits or advantages to physicians is governed by anti-bribery laws of European Union Member States and the UK Bribery Act 2010.
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In addition to California, a number of other states have passed comprehensive privacy laws similar to the CCPA and CPRA. These laws are either in effect or will go into effect sometime before the end of 2026. Like the CCPA and CPRA, these laws create obligations related to the processing of personal information, as well as special obligations for the processing of “sensitive” data (which includes health data in some cases). Some of the provisions of these laws may
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reimbursement for particular medications. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products.
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In some circumstances, particularly in-licenses with academic institutions and our collaboration with Transition Bio, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain, enforce or defend the patents, covering technology that we license from third parties. Therefore, we cannot be certain that these patents and applications will be prosecuted, maintained and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. If our licensors fail to maintain such patents, or lose rights to those patents or patent applications, the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated and our right to develop and commercialize any
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necessary because we fail to achieve practical application of the government-funded technology, because action is necessary to alleviate health or safety needs, to meet requirements of federal regulations or to give preference to U.S. industry. In addition, our rights in such inventions may be subject to certain requirements to manufacture products embodying such inventions in the United States. Any exercise by the government, or a third party on its behalf, of such rights could harm our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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we are unable to do so, the institution may offer the intellectual property rights to other parties, potentially blocking our ability to develop our program. We may also decide not to exercise an option to such institutional rights.
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examination, post-grant review andinter partes review before the USPTO or foreign patent offices. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future, regardless of the merit of the claim.
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are obtained, once the patent life has expired, we may be open to competition from competitive products, including generics or biosimilars.
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completed several transactions since its inception which resulted in an ownership change under Section 382 of the Code. In addition, future changes in our stock ownership, some of which are outside of our control, could result in ownership changes in the future. For these reasons, even if we attain profitability, we may be unable to use a material portion of our NOLs and other tax attributes.
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into the clinical stage. Accordingly, our stockholders should not rely upon the results of any quarterly or annual periods as indications of future operating performance.
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repeated in larger and more advanced clinical trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their products.
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We are early in our development efforts. VY7523, our anti-tau antibody candidate, is currently in early-stage clinical trials, and all of our other active product candidates are currently in preclinical development. Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of our current and future product candidates, we must conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidates. To conduct clinical trials, we must first complete preclinical testing and studies to support IND applications or similar applications in other jurisdictions. We cannot be certain of the timely completion or successful outcome of our preclinical testing and studies.
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of DAPs are specified in FDA guidance. On January 27, 2025, in response to an Executive Order issued by President Trump on January 21, 2025, on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, the FDA removed this draft guidance from its website. The implications of this action are not yet known.
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In addition, to obtain orphan drug designation in the European Union, we would need to demonstrate that there exists no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of the condition in question that has been authorized
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RMAT designation is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if we believe one of our other product candidates meets the criteria for RMAT designation, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make
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neuroscience provide us with competitive advantages, we face potential competition from various sources, including larger and better-funded pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as from academic institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions.
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Additionally, we could face heightened risks with respect to obtaining marketing authorization in the UK as a result of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, commonly referred to as Brexit. The UK is no longer part of the European Single Market and EU Customs Union. As of January 1, 2025, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, is responsible for approving all medicinal products destined for the United Kingdom market (i.e., Great Britain and Northern Ireland). At the same time, a new international recognition procedure, or IRP, will apply, which intends to facilitate approval of pharmaceutical products in the UK. The IRP is open to applicants that have already received an authorization for the same product from one of the MHRA’s specified Reference Regulators, or RRs. The RRs notably include EMA and regulators in the EU/European Economic Area member states for approvals in
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fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of product candidates or products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our product candidates. Our potential future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our product candidates may also adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any product candidates that receive regulatory approval on a timely and competitive basis.
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The success of our business depends upon our ability to identify, develop and commercialize product candidates generated through our proprietary antibody program and our gene therapy, vectorized antibody, and non-viral therapeutics platforms and programs. Research programs to identify new product candidates require substantial technical, financial and human resources. Most of our product candidates are in preclinical development, and one is in early-stage clinical trials. Our current portfolio of product candidates is subject to change as we continue to conduct preclinical and clinical testing and to develop product candidates and prioritize or abandon product candidates based on
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transparency in the negotiation program. The second cycle of negotiations with participating drug companies is expected to occur during 2025, and any negotiated prices for this second set of drugs will be effective starting January 1, 2027.
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other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such 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 have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions.
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GDPR restrictions on transfers of personal data from the European Union to the United States are unsettled and may impact our business operations. The GDPR generally prohibits transfers of personal data of European Union data subjects outside of the European Union, unless a lawful data transfer solution has been implemented, or a specific exception applies. In July 2020, the European Court of Justice invalidated the Privacy Shield program, a voluntary self-
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healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription drugs and surgical procedures and other treatments, has become intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products such as ours.
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payments if we, or our collaboration partners or TRACER Capsid licensees, use a capsid created using certain DNA preparation processes licensed under the Touchlight License Agreement.
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We may not be aware of all third-party intellectual property rights potentially relating to our product candidates, particularly due to the competitive and rapidly-evolving gene therapy and non-viral therapeutic patent landscape. Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing or, in some cases, only
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this case, and depending on the jurisdiction of the patent filing, we may not be able to license, enforce, or exploit the co-owned rights without the consent from, or an accounting to, the other co-owners.
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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 or methods of treatment, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally. For example, an April 2024 report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative identified a number of countries, including India and China, where challenges to the procurement and enforcement of patent rights have been reported. Several countries,
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Competitors may infringe our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of our licensees or licensors, or we may be required to defend against claims of infringement. To counter infringement or unauthorized use claims or to defend against claims of infringement can be expensive and time-consuming. Even if resolved in our favor, 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
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intellectual property rights. The ambiguities and changing law in all countries as to patenting genetic material may directly affect our ability to secure and/or maintain patent protection for our gene therapy products.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
proprietary technology and confidential information or other unauthorized use or disclosure would impair our competitive position and may harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This choice of forum provision is inapplicable to actions arising under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and we likewise do not intend to apply this choice of forum provision to actions arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
Our internal computer systems and those of our current and any future collaborators and other contractors or consultants are vulnerable to damage from cyber-attacks, computer viruses, unauthorized access, ransom requests, sabotage, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures. While we have not experienced