Skip to main content

CODEXIS INC

For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Oct 31, 2024.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Sep 30, 2024 · Filed Oct 31, 2024

CDXS$1.08+5.9%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Risk Factors?

Read the current filing

The 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 298 previous paragraphs and 299 current paragraphs.

281 unchanged; 17 reworded; 1 added; 0 removed; 0 previous and 0 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 4 previous and 4 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 (1)

Current report

We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to finance the further development and expansion of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, restrictions contained in future agreements and financing instruments, business prospects and such other factors as our Board deems relevant.
Reworded paragraphs (17)

Previous wording

•We have invested significant resources to enable fully enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis, which is based on novel ideas and technologies that are largely unproven.

Current wording

•We have invested significant resources to enable enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis, which is based on novel ideas and technologies that are largely unproven.

Previous wording

We have incurred net losses since our inception, including losses of $76.2 million, $33.6 million, and $21.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and $34.3 million and $34.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $531.8 million and $497.5 million, respectively. If we are unable to continue to successfully develop and commercialize products in our pharmaceutical manufacturing business, increase sales of existing products and services, develop and commercialize our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform, and or develop new products or services, or otherwise expand our business, whether through new or expanded collaborations or other products and services, our net losses may increase and we may never achieve profitability. In addition, some of our agreements, including the agreements with GSK, Merck, Novartis, Nestlé Health Science, Aldevron, Roche and Crosswalk Therapeutics provide for milestone payments, usage payments, and/or future royalty or other payments, which we will only receive if we and/or our collaborators develop and commercialize products or achieve technical milestones. We also intend to continue to fund the development of additional proprietary performance enzyme products and advance new technologies like our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform. There can be no assurance that any of these products or services will become commercially viable or that we will ever achieve profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. If we fail to achieve profitability, or if the time required to achieve profitability is longer than we anticipate, we may not be able to continue our business. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis.

Current wording

We have incurred net losses since our inception, including losses of $76.2 million, $33.6 million, and $21.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and $54.9 million and $69.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $552.4 million and $497.5 million, respectively. If we are unable to continue to successfully develop and commercialize products in our pharmaceutical manufacturing business, increase sales of existing products and services, develop and commercialize our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform, and or develop new products or services, or otherwise expand our business, whether through new or expanded collaborations or other products and services, our net losses may increase and we may never achieve profitability. In addition, some of our agreements, including the agreements with GSK, Merck, Novartis, Nestlé Health Science, Aldevron, Roche, Crosswalk Therapeutics and Alphazyme provide for milestone payments, usage payments, and/or future royalty or other payments, which we will only receive if we and/or our collaborators develop and commercialize products or achieve technical milestones. We also intend to continue to fund the development of additional proprietary performance enzyme products and advance new technologies like our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform. There can be no assurance that any of these products or services will become commercially viable or that we will ever achieve profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. If we fail to achieve profitability, or if the time required to achieve profitability is longer than we anticipate, we may not be able to continue our business. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis.

Previous wording

Although we continue to expand our customer base, our current revenues are derived from a limited number of key customers. For the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, customers that each individually contributed 10% or more of our total revenue accounted for 40% and 49% of our total revenues, respectively. We expect a limited number of customers to continue to account for a significant portion of our revenues for the foreseeable future. This customer concentration increases the risk of quarterly fluctuations in our revenues and operating results. The loss or reduction of business from one or a combination of our significant customers could, materially adversely affect our revenues, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

Although we continue to expand our customer base, our current revenues are derived from a limited number of key customers. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, customers that each individually contributed 10% or more of our total revenue accounted for 43% and 35% of our total revenues, respectively. We expect a limited number of customers to continue to account for a significant portion of our revenues for the foreseeable future. This customer concentration increases the risk of quarterly fluctuations in our revenues and operating results. The loss or reduction of business from one or a combination of our significant customers could, materially adversely affect our revenues, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

Our product supply agreements with customers generally have a finite duration, may not be extended or renewed and generally do not require the customer to purchase any particular quantity or quantities of our products. While our products are not considered commodities and may not be easily substituted for by our customers, particularly when our products are used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, our customers may nevertheless terminate or fail to renew their product supply agreements with us or significantly curtail their purchases thereunder under certain circumstances. We are working to develop new relationships with existing or new customers, but despite these efforts we may not, at the time that any of our existing product supply agreements expire or are terminated, or purchases thereunder curtailed, have other contracts in place generating similar or material revenue. Any such expiration, termination or reduction could materially adversely affect our revenues, financial condition and results of operations. For the six months ended June 30, 2024, we derived a majority of our product revenue from these product supply agreements.

Current wording

Our product supply agreements with customers generally have a finite duration, may not be extended or renewed and generally do not require the customer to purchase any particular quantity or quantities of our products. While our products are not considered commodities and may not be easily substituted for by our customers, particularly when our products are used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, our customers may nevertheless terminate or fail to renew their product supply agreements with us or significantly curtail their purchases thereunder under certain circumstances. We are working to develop new relationships with existing or new customers, but despite these efforts we may not, at the time that any of our existing product supply agreements expire or are terminated, or purchases thereunder curtailed, have other contracts in place generating similar or material revenue. Any such expiration, termination or reduction could materially adversely affect our revenues, financial condition and results of operations. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we derived a majority of our product revenue from these product supply agreements.

Previous wording

Manufacturing of our enzymes is conducted primarily in five locations: our in-house facility in Redwood City, California, and at four third-party contract manufacturing organizations, Lactosan in Kapfenberg, Austria, ACSD in Anagni, Italy, Alphazyme in Jupiter, Florida, and Sekisui in Maidstone, United Kingdom. Generally, we perform smaller scale manufacturing in-house and outsource the larger scale manufacturing to these contract manufacturers. We have limited internal capacity to manufacture enzymes. As a result, we are dependent upon the performance and capacity of third-party manufacturers for the larger scale manufacturing of the enzymes used in our pharmaceutical and life sciences businesses.

Current wording

Manufacturing of our enzymes is conducted primarily in four locations: our in-house facility in Redwood City, California, and at three third-party contract manufacturing organizations, Lactosan in Kapfenberg, Austria, ACSD in Anagni, Italy, and Sekisui in Maidstone, United Kingdom. Generally, we perform smaller scale manufacturing in-house and outsource the larger scale manufacturing to these contract manufacturers. We have limited internal capacity to manufacture enzymes. As a result, we are dependent upon the performance and capacity of third-party manufacturers for the larger scale manufacturing of the enzymes used in our pharmaceutical and life sciences businesses.

Previous wording

We currently have supply agreements in place with Lactosan, ACSD, Alphazyme and Sekisui. As Alphazyme’s services relate primarily to non-core assets following our strategic shift of focus, that agreement will terminate as of May 2025. However, in the absence of a supply agreement, a contract manufacturer will be under no obligation to manufacture our enzymes and could elect to discontinue their manufacture at any time. If we require additional manufacturing capacity and are unable to obtain it in sufficient quantity, we may not be able to increase our product sales, or we may be required to make substantial capital investments to build that capacity or to contract with other manufacturers on terms that may be less favorable than the terms we currently have with our suppliers. If we choose to build our own additional manufacturing facility, it could take several years or longer before our facility is able to produce commercial volumes of our enzymes. Any resources we expend on acquiring or building internal manufacturing capabilities could be at the expense of other potentially more profitable opportunities. In addition, if we contract with other manufacturers, we may experience delays of several months in qualifying them, which could harm our relationships with our customers or collaborators and could negatively affect our revenues or operating results.

Current wording

We currently have supply agreements in place with Lactosan, ACSD and Sekisui. In the absence of a supply agreement, a contract manufacturer will be under no obligation to manufacture our enzymes and could elect to discontinue their manufacture at any time. If we require additional manufacturing capacity and are unable to obtain it in sufficient quantity, we may not be able to increase our product sales, or we may be required to make substantial capital investments to build that capacity or to contract with other manufacturers on terms that may be less favorable than the terms we currently have with our suppliers. If we choose to build our own additional manufacturing facility, it could take several years or longer before our facility is able to produce commercial volumes of our enzymes. Any resources we expend on acquiring or building internal manufacturing capabilities could be at the expense of other potentially more profitable opportunities. In addition, if we contract with other manufacturers, we may experience delays of several months in qualifying them, which could harm our relationships with our customers or collaborators and could negatively affect our revenues or operating results.

Previous wording

Our ability to maintain and manage collaborations in our markets is fundamental to the success of our business. We currently have license agreements, research and development agreements, supply agreements and/or distribution agreements with various collaborators. For example, we have ongoing collaborations and agreements with GSK, Merck, Novartis, Roche and Aldevron that are important to our business and financial results. We may have limited or no control over the amount or timing of resources that any collaborator is able or willing to devote to our partnered products or collaborative efforts. Any of our collaborators may fail to perform its obligations. These collaborators may breach or terminate their agreements with us or otherwise fail to conduct their collaborative activities successfully and in a timely manner. Further, our collaborators may not develop products arising out of our collaborative arrangements or devote sufficient resources to the development, manufacture, marketing or sale of these products. Moreover, disagreements with a collaborator could develop, and any conflict with a collaborator could lead to litigation, reduce our ability to enter into future collaboration agreements and negatively impact our relationships with one or more existing collaborators. If any of these events occur, especially if they occur in our collaborations with GSK, Merck or Novartis, or if we fail to maintain our agreements with our collaborators, we may not be able to commercialize our existing and potential products or grow our business or generate sufficient revenues to support our operations, we may not receive contemplated milestone payments and royalties under the collaboration, and we may be involved in litigation. Our collaboration opportunities could be harmed and our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if:

Current wording

Our ability to maintain and manage collaborations in our markets is fundamental to the success of our business. We currently have license agreements, research and development agreements, supply agreements and/or distribution agreements with various collaborators. For example, we have ongoing collaborations and agreements with GSK, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Aldevron and Alphazyme that are important to our business and financial results. We may have limited or no control over the amount or timing of resources that any collaborator is able or willing to devote to our partnered products or collaborative efforts. Any of our collaborators may fail to perform its obligations. These collaborators may breach or terminate their agreements with us or otherwise fail to conduct their collaborative activities successfully and in a timely manner. Further, our collaborators may not develop products arising out of our collaborative arrangements or devote sufficient resources to the development, manufacture, marketing or sale of these products. Moreover, disagreements with a collaborator could develop, and any conflict with a collaborator could lead to litigation, reduce our ability to enter into future collaboration agreements and negatively impact our relationships with one or more existing collaborators. If any of these events occur, especially if they occur in our collaborations with GSK, Merck or Novartis, or if we fail to maintain our agreements with our collaborators, we may not be able to commercialize our existing and potential products or grow our business or generate sufficient revenues to support our operations, we may not receive contemplated milestone payments and royalties under the collaboration, and we may be involved in litigation. Our collaboration opportunities could be harmed and our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if:

Previous wording

We have invested significant resources to enable fully enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis, which is based on novel ideas and technologies that are largely unproven.

Current wording

We have invested significant resources to enable enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis, which is based on novel ideas and technologies that are largely unproven.

Previous wording

Our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform is currently in development to enable the commercial-scale manufacture of RNAi and other RNA-based therapeutics through an enzymatic route. While we believe fully enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis will offer certain improvements over phosphoramidite chemistry, including with respect to required infrastructure investments, batch size limitations and waste disposal challenges, the enzymatic route is novel and has not yet been commercialized. As such, we may be faced with unforeseen results, delays and setbacks, in addition to the other foreseeable risks and uncertainties associated with the ongoing development of the ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform and other products.

Current wording

Our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform is currently in development to enable the commercial-scale manufacture of RNAi and other RNA-based therapeutics through an enzymatic route. While we believe enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis will offer certain improvements over phosphoramidite chemistry, including with respect to required infrastructure investments, batch size limitations and waste disposal challenges, the enzymatic route is novel and has not yet been commercialized. As such, we may be faced with unforeseen results, delays and setbacks, in addition to the other foreseeable risks and uncertainties associated with the ongoing development of the ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform and other products.

Previous wording

Other challenges with a new technology such as our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform include having an unknown and unproven development and regulatory path, uncertainly around the value that we can realize from the technology, uncertainty around the timeline for adoption of the technology by customers, and uncertainly around our ability to manufacture at GMP scale and partner with customers on manufacturing and utilizing the technology. We may also be unable to achieve the expected benefits of the ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform in a timely manner or at all.

Current wording

Other challenges with a new technology such as our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform include having an unknown and unproven development and regulatory path, uncertainly around the value that we can realize from the technology, uncertainty around the timeline for adoption of the technology by customers, and uncertainly around our ability to secure supply of necessary materials or to manufacture at GMP scale and partner with customers on manufacturing and utilizing the technology. We may also be unable to achieve the expected benefits of the ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform in a timely manner or at all.

Previous wording

We have investments in illiquid or non-marketable equity securities acquired in private transactions. As of June 30, 2024, 7.3% of our consolidated assets consisted of investment securities, which are illiquid investments. Investments in non-marketable, securities are inherently risky and difficult to value. We account for our non-marketable equity securities under the measurement alternative. Under the measurement alternative, the carrying value of our non-marketable equity investments is adjusted to fair value for observable transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer or impairment. We evaluate our investment in non-marketable securities when circumstances indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying value. We may impair these securities and establish an allowance for a credit loss when we determine that there has been an “other-than-temporary” decline in estimated fair value of the equity security compared to its carrying value. The impairment analysis requires significant judgment to identify events or circumstances that would likely have a material adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Because over 5% of our total assets consisted of non-marketable investment securities, any future impairment charges from the write down in value of these securities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Current wording

We have investments in illiquid or non-marketable equity securities acquired in private transactions. As of September 30, 2024, 3.9% of our consolidated assets consisted of investment securities, which are illiquid investments. Investments in non-marketable, securities are inherently risky and difficult to value. We account for our non-marketable equity securities under the measurement alternative. Under the measurement alternative, the carrying value of our non-marketable equity investments is adjusted to fair value for observable transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer or impairment. We evaluate our investment in non-marketable securities when circumstances indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying value. We may impair these securities and establish an allowance for a credit loss when we determine that there has been an “other-than-temporary” decline in estimated fair value of the equity security compared to its carrying value. The impairment analysis requires significant judgment to identify events or circumstances that would likely have a material adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Future impairment charges from the write down in value of these securities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Previous wording

Reporting obligations as a public company place a considerable strain on our financial and management systems, processes and controls, as well as on our personnel. In addition, as a public company we are required to document and test our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act so that our management can certify as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Likewise, our independent registered public accounting firm is required to provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K. If our management is unable to certify the effectiveness of our internal controls or if our independent registered public accounting firm cannot deliver a report attesting to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, or if we identify or fail to remediate material weaknesses in our internal controls, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny and a loss of public confidence, which could seriously harm our reputation and the market price of our common stock. In addition, if we do not maintain adequate financial and management personnel, processes and controls, we may not be able to manage our business effectively or accurately report our financial performance on a timely basis, which could cause a decline in our common stock price and may seriously harm our business.

Current wording

Reporting obligations as a public company place a considerable strain on our financial and management systems, processes and controls, as well as on our personnel. In addition, as a public company we are required to document and test our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act so that our management can certify as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Likewise, while we currently qualify as a “smaller reporting company” under the SEC rules, for any fiscal years in which we are not considered a smaller reporting company, our independent registered public accounting firm is required to provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K. If our management is unable to certify the effectiveness of our internal controls or if our independent registered public accounting firm cannot deliver a report attesting to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, or if we identify or fail to remediate material weaknesses in our internal controls, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny and a loss of public confidence, which could seriously harm our reputation and the market price of our common stock. In addition, if we do not maintain adequate financial and management personnel, processes and controls, we may not be able to manage our business effectively or accurately report our financial performance on a timely basis, which could cause a decline in our common stock price and may seriously harm our business.

Previous wording

In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, such as funding the ongoing commercialization of our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform and a GMP manufacturing facility, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. We may seek to obtain such additional capital through equity offerings, including pursuant to the EDA, the Cantor Sales Agreement, debt financings, credit facilities and/or strategic collaborations. If future financings involve the issuance of equity securities, our existing stockholders would suffer dilution. In addition, under our Loan Agreement, we are subject to restrictive covenants that limit our ability to conduct our business and could be subject to additional covenants to the extent we seek other debt financing in the future. Strategic collaborations may also place restrictions on our business. We may not be able to raise sufficient additional funds on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. If we fail to raise sufficient funds and fail to generate sufficient revenues to achieve planned gross margins and to control operating costs, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of strategic opportunities, develop products or technologies, or otherwise respond to competitive pressures could be significantly limited. If this happens, we may be forced to delay or terminate research or development programs or the commercialization of products resulting from our technologies, curtail or cease operations or obtain funds through collaborative and licensing arrangements that may require us to relinquish commercial rights, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If adequate funds are not available, we will not be able to successfully execute our business plan or continue our business.

Current wording

In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, such as funding the ongoing commercialization of our ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform and a GMP manufacturing facility, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. We may seek to obtain such additional capital through equity offerings, including pursuant to the Cantor Sales Agreement, debt financings, credit facilities and/or strategic collaborations. If future financings involve the issuance of equity securities, our existing stockholders would suffer dilution. In addition, under our Loan Agreement, we are subject to restrictive covenants that limit our ability to conduct our business and could be subject to additional covenants to the extent we seek other debt financing in the future. Strategic collaborations may also place restrictions on our business. We may not be able to raise sufficient additional funds on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. If we fail to raise sufficient funds and fail to generate sufficient revenues to achieve planned gross margins and to control operating costs, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of strategic opportunities, develop products or technologies, or otherwise respond to competitive pressures could be significantly limited. If this happens, we may be forced to delay or terminate research or development programs or the commercialization of products resulting from our technologies, curtail or cease operations or obtain funds through collaborative and licensing arrangements that may require us to relinquish commercial rights, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If adequate funds are not available, we will not be able to successfully execute our business plan or continue our business.

Previous wording

Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patents and maintain adequate protection of our intellectual property rights directed to our technology, products and services in the United States and other countries. We have adopted a strategy of seeking patent protection in the United States and in foreign countries with respect to certain of the technology used in orrelating to our products, services, and processes. As such, as of June 30, 2024, we owned or controlled approximately 1,990 active issued patents and pending patent applications in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions. As of June 30, 2024, our patents and patent applications, if issued, have terms that expire between 2024 and approximately 2045. We also have license rights to a number of issued patents and pending patent applications in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions. Our owned and licensed patents and patent applications include those directed to our enabling technology and to the methods and products that support our business in the pharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences, oligonucleotide synthesis, and other markets. We intend to continue to apply for patents relating to our technology, methods, services and products as we deem appropriate.

Current wording

Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patents and maintain adequate protection of our intellectual property rights directed to our technology, products and services in the United States and other countries. We have adopted a strategy of seeking patent protection in the United States and in foreign countries with respect to certain of the technology used in orrelating to our products, services, and processes. As such, as of September 30, 2024, we owned or controlled approximately 1,740 active issued patents and pending patent applications in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions. As of September 30, 2024, our patents and patent applications, if issued, have terms that expire between 2024 and approximately 2045. We also have license rights to a number of issued patents and pending patent applications in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions. Our owned and licensed patents and patent applications include those directed to our enabling technology and to the methods and products that support our business in the pharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences, oligonucleotide synthesis, and other markets. We intend to continue to apply for patents relating to our technology, methods, services and products as we deem appropriate.

Previous wording

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition of the Company. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for a board of directors which is divided into three classes, with staggered three-year terms and provide that all stockholder action must be effected at a duly called meeting of the stockholders and not by a consent in writing, and further provide that only our board of directors, the chairman of the board of directors, our chief executive officer or president may call a special meeting of the stockholders. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation allows our board of directors, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These provisions may also frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, who are responsible for appointing the members of our management team. Furthermore, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) which prohibits, with some exceptions, stockholders owning in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us. Finally, our charter documents establish advanced notice requirements for nominations for election to our board of directors and for proposing matters that can be acted upon at stockholder meetings. Although we believe these provisions together provide for an opportunity to receive higher bids by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors, they would apply even if an offer to acquire our company may be considered beneficial by some stockholders.

Current wording

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition of the Company. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for a board of directors which is divided into three classes, with staggered three-year terms and provide that all stockholder action must be effected at a duly called meeting of the stockholders and not by a consent in writing, and further provide that only our Board, the chairman of our Board, our chief executive officer or president may call a special meeting of the stockholders. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation allows our Board, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These provisions may also frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our Board, who are responsible for appointing the members of our management team. Furthermore, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) which prohibits, with some exceptions, stockholders owning in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us. Finally, our charter documents establish advanced notice requirements for nominations for election to our Board and for proposing matters that can be acted upon at stockholder meetings. Although we believe these provisions together provide for an opportunity to receive higher bids by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with our Board, they would apply even if an offer to acquire our company may be considered beneficial by some stockholders.

Previous wording

Our headquarters and other facilities are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which in the past has experienced both severe earthquakes and wildfires. Earthquakes, wildfires or other natural disasters could severely disrupt our operations, and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. We are also vulnerable to other types of disasters and other events that could disrupt our operations, such as riot, civil disturbances, war, terrorist acts, public health emergencies, domestic or foreign conflicts, infections in our laboratory or production facilities or those of our customers or contract manufacturers and other events beyond our control. If a natural disaster or other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our headquarters, that damaged critical infrastructure, such as our enterprise financial systems or manufacturing resource planning and enterprise quality systems, or that otherwise disrupted operations, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. The disaster recovery and business continuity plans we have in place currently are limited and are unlikely to prove adequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event, and we may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of such plans. We do not carry insurance for earthquakes and we may not carry sufficient business interruption insurance to compensate us for losses that may occur. Any losses or damages we incur could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows and success as an overall business.

Current wording

Our headquarters and other facilities are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which in the past has experienced both severe earthquakes and wildfires. Earthquakes, wildfires or other natural disasters could severely disrupt our operations, and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. We are also vulnerable to other types of disasters and other events that could disrupt our operations, such as riot, civil disturbances, war, terrorist acts, public health emergencies, domestic or foreign conflicts, infections in our laboratory or production facilities or those of our customers or contract manufacturers and other events beyond our control. If a natural disaster or other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our headquarters, that damaged critical infrastructure, such as our enterprise financial systems or manufacturing resource planning and enterprise quality systems, or that otherwise disrupted operations, including due to impacts on our collaborators, suppliers or other third parties on which we rely, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. The disaster recovery and business continuity plans we have in place currently are limited and are unlikely to prove adequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event, and we may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of such plans. We do not carry insurance for earthquakes and we may not carry sufficient business interruption insurance to compensate us for losses that may occur. Any losses or damages we incur could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows and success as an overall business.

Previous wording

In the United States, HIPAA imposes, among other things, certain standards relating to the privacy, security, transmission and breach reporting of certain individually identifiable health information. Certain states have also adopted and continue to adopt new privacy and security laws and regulations, which govern the privacy, processing and protection of health-related and other personal information. Such laws and regulations will be subject to interpretation by various courts and other governmental authorities, thus creating potentially complex compliance issues for us and our future customers and strategic partners. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) went into effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA creates individual privacy rights for California consumers and increases the privacy and security obligations of entities handling certain personal information. The CCPA also provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches (which has increased the likelihood of, and risks associated with, data breach litigation). Further, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) significantly amended the CCPA, which went into effect in January 2023. It imposes additional data privacy obligations on covered businesses, including additional consumer rights processes, limitations on data uses, new audit requirements for higher risk data and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. It also created a new California privacy protection agency authorized to issue substantive regulations and could result in increased privacy and information security enforcement. Additional compliance investment and potential business process changes may also be required. Similar laws regulating personal information generally or health information in particular have passed in more than a dozen states and have been proposed in other states and at the federal level, reflecting a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States. These developments increase our compliance burden and our risk, including risks of regulatory fines, litigation and associated reputational harm. Any liability from failure to comply with the requirements of these laws could adversely affect our financial condition.

Current wording

In the United States, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) imposes, among other things, certain standards relating to the privacy, security, transmission and breach reporting of certain individually identifiable health information. Certain states have also adopted and continue to adopt new privacy and security laws and regulations, which govern the privacy, processing and protection of health-related and other personal information. Such laws and regulations will be subject to interpretation by various courts and other governmental authorities, thus creating potentially complex compliance issues for us and our future customers and strategic partners. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) went into effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA creates individual privacy rights for California consumers and increases the privacy and security obligations of entities handling certain personal information. The CCPA also provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches (which has increased the likelihood of, and risks associated with, data breach litigation). Further, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) significantly amended the CCPA, which went into effect in January 2023. It imposes additional data privacy obligations on covered businesses, including additional consumer rights processes, limitations on data uses, new audit requirements for higher risk data and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. It also created a new California privacy protection agency authorized to issue substantive regulations and could result in increased privacy and information security enforcement. Additional compliance investment and potential business process changes may also be required. Similar laws regulating personal information generally or health information in particular have passed in more than a dozen states and have been proposed in other states and at the federal level, reflecting a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States. These developments increase our compliance burden and our risk, including risks of regulatory fines, litigation and associated reputational harm. Any liability from failure to comply with the requirements of these laws could adversely affect our financial condition.