ZEVRA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Previous report

Current and future healthcare reform legislation or regulation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of our product candidates and increase the cost to commercialize our approved products.

Previous report

In the United States and many foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could, among other things, prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect the ability to profitably sell approved products. Among policy makers and payors in the United States and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality and/or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives. For example, in 2010, the ACA was signed into law. The ACA substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and significantly affects the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

Previous report

In addition, other legislative changes that have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. The Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers, which went into effect in April 2013, and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will stay in effect through 2032. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, beginning January 1, 2024. The rebate was previously capped at 100% of a drug's average manufacturer price.

Previous report

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”) was signed into law. Among other things, the IRA requires manufacturers of certain drugs to engage in price negotiations with Medicare, with prices that can be subject to a cap, imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation (first due in 2023), and replaces the Part D coverage gap discount program with a new manufacturer discounting program (which began in 2025). The drug price negotiation program is currently subject to legal challenges, and the impact of the IRA on us and the pharmaceutical industry cannot yet be fully determined, but is likely to be significant.

Previous report

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was enacted in July 2025, imposes significant reductions in the funding of the Medicaid program. Such reductions are expected to decrease the number of persons enrolled in Medicaid and reduce the services covered by Medicaid, which could adversely affect sales of approved products or of any product candidate that we commercialize.

Previous report

The current U.S. administration is pursuing a two-fold strategy to reduce drug costs in the United States. While it is unclear whether and how proposals will be implemented, these policies are likely to have a negative impact on the pharmaceutical industry and on our ability to receive adequate revenues for our products. On the one hand, the current U.S. administration threatened to impose significant tariffs on pharmaceutical manufacturers that do not adopt pricing policies such as most favored nation pricing, which would tie the price for drugs in the United States to the lowest price in a group of other countries. In response, multiple major manufacturers entered into confidential pricing agreements with the federal government. Subsequently, in April 2026, the Trump administration issued a proclamation imposing tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act on imports of brand pharmaceuticals, biologics and associated pharmaceutical ingredients, beginning July 31, 2026. Exempted from these tariffs, among others, are drugs and associated ingredients where all approved indications are orphan-designated, and companies that have executed or are negotiating agreements with the federal government regarding most favored nation pricing and onshoring of production and research and development. We expect that MIPLYFFA will be exempted on the basis of its orphan status. On the other hand, the current U.S. administration is pursuing traditional regulatory pathways to impose drug pricing policies and published two proposed regulations in December 2025, referred to as Globe and Guard. If finalized, these regulations would implement mandatory payment models under which manufacturers of eligible drugs would be required to pay rebates to the federal government on a portion of the units of their drugs that are reimbursed by Medicare, with the rebate amount based on most favored nation pricing. Imposing a rebate in the United States that is based on drug prices outside the United States would mark a drastic and unprecedented shift in the U.S. pharmaceutical market, and while the impact of the Globe and Guard proposed regulations, if finalized, cannot yet be determined, it is likely to be significant. Even proposals or executive actions that are ultimately deemed unlawful could negatively impact the U.S. pharmaceutical sector and our business, for example by causing uncertainty and delaying development and commercialization efforts.

Previous report

At the state level, legislatures are increasingly passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure, drug price reporting and other transparency measures. Some states have enacted legislation creating so-called prescription drug affordability boards, which ultimately may attempt to impose price limits on certain drugs in these states, and at least one state board is imposing an upper payment limit. States are also seeking to implement general, across the board price caps for pharmaceuticals, or are seeking to regulate drug distribution. These new laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could negatively impact commercialization of approved products, and, accordingly, our financial operations.

Previous report

In the EU, pharmaceutical legislation has been undergoing a complete review process in the context of the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe initiative, launched by the European Commission in November 2020. The European Commission’s proposal for revision of several legislative instruments related to medicinal products (potentially reducing the duration of regulatory data protection, revising the eligibility for expedited pathways, etc.) was published on April 26, 2023. The proposed revisions (affecting the duration of regulatory data protection and market protection, including for orphan medicinal products, revising the eligibility for expedited pathways, etc.) remain to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the EU , which is not anticipated before early 2026. The proposed changes are not expected to enter into application before 2028 and may have a significant impact on the biopharmaceutical industry in the long term.

Previous report

We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether the FDA's or foreign regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed. We expect that the healthcare reform measures that have been adopted and may be adopted in the future may, among other things, result in more rigorous coverage criteria as well as additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain or maintain profitability, or commercialize our product candidates.

Previous report

If any such risks materialize, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be seriously harmed. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements because of the risk factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other factors described in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.