Liquidia Corp
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Mar 19, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Mar 19, 2025
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Item 1. Business
Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacture, and commercialization of products that address unmet patient needs, with current focus directed towards rare cardiopulmonary diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (“PAH”) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (“PH-ILD”). We operate through our wholly owned operating subsidiaries, Liquidia Technologies and Liquidia PAH, formerly known as RareGen.
We currently generate revenue pursuant to a promotion agreement between Liquidia PAH and Sandoz Inc. (“Sandoz”), dated as of August 1, 2018, as amended (the “Promotion Agreement”), sharing profit derived from the sale of Sandoz’s substitutable generic treprostinil injection (“Treprostinil Injection”) in the United States. Liquidia PAH has the exclusive rights to conduct commercial activities to encourage the appropriate use of Treprostinil Injection. We employ a targeted sales force calling on physicians and hospital pharmacies involved in the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD in the United States, as well as key stakeholders involved in the distribution and reimbursement of medicines to treat these patients. We established our commercial presence in the field to support Treprostinil Injection and have since expanded our presence to support the potential launch of YUTREPIA (treprostinil) inhalation powder (“YUTREPIA”), further validating our reputation as a company committed to supporting PAH and PH-ILD patients.
We conduct research, development and manufacturing of novel products by applying our subject matter expertise in cardiopulmonary diseases and our proprietary PRINT® technology, a particle engineering platform, to enable precise production of uniform drug particles designed to improve the safety, efficacy and performance of a wide range of therapies. Through development of our own products and research with third parties, we have experience applying PRINT across multiple routes of administration and drug payloads including inhaled therapies, vaccines, biologics, nucleic acids and ophthalmic implants, among others.
Our lead product candidate is YUTREPIA for the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD. YUTREPIA is an inhaled dry powder formulation of treprostinil designed with PRINT to improve the therapeutic profile of treprostinil by enhancing deep lung delivery while using a convenient, low effort dry-powder inhaler (“DPI”) and by achieving higher dose levels than the labeled doses of current inhaled therapies. On August 16, 2024, the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) (i) granted tentative approval for our New Drug Application (“NDA”) for YUTREPIA for the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD and (ii) simultaneously determined that Tyvaso DPI, approved on May 23, 2022, qualifies for a three-year New Clinical Investigation exclusivity for the chronic use of dry powder formulations of treprostinil for the approved indications. As a result, final approval of YUTREPIA for PAH and PH-ILD is delayed until after expiry of the three-year regulatory exclusivity for Tyvaso DPI on May 23, 2025.
We are also developing L606, an investigational, liposomal formulation of treprostinil administered twice-daily with a short-duration next-generation nebulizer, which we licensed from Pharmosa Biopharm Inc. (“Pharmosa”). L606 is currently being evaluated in an open-label study in the United States for treatment of PAH and PH-ILD with a planned pivotal study for the treatment of PH-ILD.
About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Interstitial Lung Disease
Diseases
PH is divided into five groups based on the criteria of the World Health Organization (“WHO”) as defined at the 5th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension in Nice, France. WHO Group I is comprised of individuals with PAH. WHO Group III includes patients with pulmonary hypertension caused by hypoxia and/or lung diseases, mostly interstitial lung disease (“ILD”), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (“COPD”) and sleep-disordered breathing. Our current products seek to address unmet needs to treating patients diagnosed with PAH and PH-ILD.
PAH is a rare, chronic, progressive disease caused by hardening and narrowing of the pulmonary arteries that can lead to right heart failure and eventually death, with an estimated diagnosed, treated prevalence in the United States of approximately 45,000 patients.
PH-ILD is the second most prevalent form of Group 3 PH (precapillary PH due to lung disease). ILD is a diverse collection of up to 150 different pulmonary diseases, including interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (“IPF”), chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, connective tissue disease related ILD, and sarcoidosis among others. We currently estimate diagnosed and undiagnosed prevalence of PH-ILD in the United States to be approximately 60,000. The prevalence of PH in many of the underlying ILD diseases is not yet known due to factors including underdiagnosis and lack of approved treatments until 2021.
Treatments
There is currently no cure for PAH or PH-ILD, so the goals of existing treatments are to alleviate symptoms, maintain or improve functional class, delay disease progression and improve quality of life. The FDA has approved several classes of drugs to treat PAH over the last 25 years, including drugs acting through the prostacyclin pathway, the nitric oxide pathway, the endothelin pathway and, starting in 2023, the inhibition of activin signaling. There are currently only two FDA-approved treatments for PH-ILD, both of which are inhaled forms of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog. Without a curative treatment, we expect continued development of new mechanisms of action that may be used in combination with approved treatments.
Drugs targeting the prostacyclin pathway are central to PAH and PH-ILD therapy. Prostacyclin analogs, like treprostinil, have been developed for continuous infusion, inhalation and oral administration. The maximal efficacy benefit of any one drug in the prostacyclin pathway is partially limited by its specific safety profile and the burden of administration. Increased drug exposure of prostacyclin analogs like treprostinil, if tolerated by the patient, has demonstrated increased clinical benefit, making it the only titratable mechanism of action to treat these diseases.
Delivering prostacyclin analogs by inhalation has been effective and causes fewer systemic side effects than parenteral and oral formulations. Inhalation helps supplement the endogenous production of prostacyclin where it is normally synthesized, near the targeted pulmonary arteries. As a result, inhaled prostacyclin analogs help avoid side effects related to off-target tissues and takes advantage of binding key prostacyclin receptors that are preferentially expressed in the lung. The only inhaled prostacyclin analogs approved by the FDA are nebulized Ventavis® (iloprost), nebulized Tyvaso® (treprostinil), and Tyvaso DPI® (treprostinil), a dry powder inhaled formulation. Observations from a large retrospective study of Tyvaso supported the finding that higher doses of inhaled treprostinil correlated to better clinical outcomes including delayed transition to more invasive administration, persistence on therapy, and improved three-year survival. With regard to PH-ILD, there is growing medical preference for inhaled therapies to avoid ventilation-perfusion mismatch resulting from systemic delivery of prostacyclins. In March 2021, the FDA approved Tyvaso® as the only treatment for PH-ILD, later adding Tyvaso DPI as a treatment option upon its approval by the FDA in May 2022.
Systemic delivery of prostacyclin has proven effective but challenging, especially in those patients who have progressed to more severe forms of PAH. Parenteral delivery of prostacyclin analogs by continuous infusion via intravenous or subcutaneous administration, like Remodulin® (treprostinil) and epoprostenol, are considered the most effective treatment for PAH; however, the burden of external pumps and side-effect profiles have limited their use to severely ill patients. Regardless, physicians have come to rely on these pump-delivered products to stabilize rapidly declining patients to slow disease progression and to ensure the mechanism of action is fully maximized.
Oral tablet delivery of prostacyclin analogs two or three times a day, like Orenitram® (treprostinil), or agonists of the prostacyclin signaling pathway, like Uptravi® (selexipag), improve convenience compared to infusions, but does not address the off-target toxicities that limit optimal dosing. New patients to oral delivery may not be able to titrate to known therapeutic levels.
Market
In 2024, the total reported net revenue of branded therapies that targeted the prostacyclin pathway to treat PAH and PH-ILD in the United States was $4.1 billion. United Therapeutics reported that its class of branded treprostinil-based products generated U.S. net revenue of $2.5 billion in 2024, of which the Tyvaso® franchise contributed $1.6 billion, Orenitram contributed $434 million and Remodulin® contributed $464 million. Since 2019, reported annual sales of products in the Tyvaso franchise have increased from $400 million to $1.6 billion, correlating with the expansion into the PH-ILD indication in 2021 and addition of Tyvaso DPI in 2022.
Our Products and Product Candidates
YUTREPIATM (treprostinil) Inhalation Powder to Treat PAH and PH-ILD
Our lead investigational drug, YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) inhalation powder, is an inhaled dry-powder formulation of treprostinil designed to improve the therapeutic profile of treprostinil by enhancing deep lung delivery and achieving higher dose levels than the labeled doses of current inhaled therapies while using a convenient, easy-to-use dry-powder inhaler, the RS00 Model 8 DPI. YUTREPIA was initially tentatively approved by the FDA for the treatment of PAH in November 2021. In August 2024, the FDA (i) granted tentative approval for our NDA for YUTREPIA for the treatment of both PAH and PH-ILD and (ii) simultaneously determined that Tyvaso DPI, approved on May 23, 2022, qualifies for a three-year New Clinical Investigation exclusivity for the chronic use of dry powder formulations of treprostinil for the approved indications. As a result, final approval of YUTREPIA for PAH and PH-ILD is delayed until after expiry of the three-year regulatory exclusivity for Tyvaso DPI on May 23, 2025.
We believe YUTREPIA can become the prostacyclin of first choice across the disease continuum in PAH and PH-ILD because of its convenience, low-effort device and the ability to titrate to higher doses.
Each particle of YUTREPIA has been designed using our PRINT technology to have uniform size and shape to achieve enhanced aerosolization and deposition in the lungs. As a result, our PRINT formulation does not require deagglomeration by a patient actuated breath and can be effectively delivered using a low-effort, patient-friendly device and minimal inspiratory effort. The RS00 Model 8 DPI device used to deliver YUTREPIA is robust with regard to position and accidental movements and has been used globally to deliver drugs to patients with compromised lung function, like asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis. By contrast, Tyvaso DPI uses a high resistance device that has only been used previously in patients with diabetes.
YUTREPIA has been safely titrated to doses higher than the target labeled doses of Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI. Historically, the labeled dose range for inhaled treprostinil has been 9-12 nebulized breaths per session (“bps”), for Tyvaso and the corresponding doses of Tyvaso DPI (up to 64 mcg, comparable to 12 bps). In contrast, YUTREPIA has been studied in PAH patients up to 291.5 mcg four times a day (comparable to at least 33 bps of Tyvaso), and in PH-ILD patients, as high as 318 mcg (comparable to at least 36 bps of Tyvaso) as part of an on-going open-label clinical study. The different combinations of YUTREPIA’s four proposed capsule-strengths allow customized dosing and titration based on a patient’s disease progression. This expanded dose range of YUTREPIA may allow patients to remain on inhaled treprostinil therapy longer before transitioning to more invasive parenteral therapies.
In clinical studies required for approval, YUTREPIA has proven to be safe, well-tolerated and effective regardless of a patient’s previous exposure to treprostinil. Prostacyclin-naïve patients achieved comparable dosing to the transition patients within the first two months of treatment. Patients on a stable dose of Tyvaso successfully transitioned to YUTREPIA while maintaining or improving clinical outcomes as measured by exploratory endpoints. The combination of data from both patient groups provide confidence that a physician may prescribe YUTRPEIA across a continuum of PAH and PH-ILD patients.
We have developed YUTREPIA under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway using the nebulized form of treprostinil, Tyvaso, as the reference listed drug. This regulatory pathway allows us to rely in part on the FDA’s previous findings of efficacy and safety of Tyvaso and the active ingredient treprostinil. We submitted NDA for YUTREPIA in January 2020. The FDA conducted on-site pre-approval inspections of two U.S. manufacturing facilities: our Morrisville, North Carolina facility and the facility of the third-party provider of encapsulation and packaging services for YUTREPIA in August 2021 and October 2021, respectively. In November 2021, the FDA issued a tentative approval of YUTREPIA which indicated that the NDA had met all the requirements for final approval but cannot yet be marketed. In July 2023, we filed an amendment to our NDA to add PH-ILD to the labeled indications for YUTREPIA. The FDA issued a tentative approval of the amended NDA for both PAH and PH-ILD in August 2024. Final FDA approval of the NDA for YUTREPIA is delayed until the expiration on May 23, 2025 of New Clinical Investigation exclusivity that was granted to Tyvaso DPI.
Final FDA approval and launch may be impacted by litigation commenced by United Therapeutics in which it may seek to enjoin approval and launch of YUTREPIA as described further inItem 3 Legal Proceedings. The FDA’s tentative approval can be subject to change based on new information that may come to FDA’s attention between such time as the tentative and final approval. A new drug product may not be marketed until the date of final approval.
Our NDA submission was based in part upon the results of our pivotal, open-label Phase 3 clinical trial, Investigation of the Safety and Pharmacology of Dry Powder Inhalation of Treprostinil, for YUTREPIA (“INSPIRE”). The primary objective of the INSPIRE study was to evaluate the long-term safety of YUTREPIA with a primary endpoint to assess safety and tolerability through Month 2. The study enrolled patients who have either (a) been under stable treatment with Tyvaso (nebulizer-delivered treprostinil) for at least three months and transitioned to YUTREPIA under the protocol (“Transition patients”), or (b) patients who had been under stable treatment with no more than two non-prostacyclin oral PAH therapies for at least three months and then had their treatment regimen supplemented with YUTREPIA under the protocol (“Prostacyclin Naïve patients”). Of the 121 patients enrolled in the study, 55 were Transition patients and 66 were Prostacyclin Naïve patients. Transition patients started at a dose comparable to their prior nebulized treprostinil dose and were titrated to higher doses as warranted by their clinical disease. Prostacyclin Naïve patients started on a dose of 26.5 mcg of YUTREPIA, with most (>80%) titrating to a 79.5 mcg dose or higher within the first two months of treatment.
YUTREPIA was observed to be well-tolerated and treatment-emergent adverse events (“TEAEs”) were mostly mild to moderate in nature at Month 2 up to doses of 159 mcg, the highest dose studied for the primary endpoint. We continued to treat patients who chose to remain on YUTREPIA beyond the Month 2 timepoint. At the completion of the INSPIRE study, the patient with the longest duration of treatment had been on YUTREPIA therapy for 18 months and the highest dosing reached in the INSPIRE study was 212 mcg of treprostinil given four times per day. Patients from INSPIRE had the option of rolling into the LTI-302 extension study to remain on treatment. Patients in LTI-302 continued to titrate doses upwards as needed with no observed maximum tolerated dose and the highest dose observed to date being 291.5 mcg.
Our NDA submission also includes results from pharmacokinetic (“PK”) studies in healthy volunteers indicating that the single-capsule dose of 79.5 mcg YUTREPIA provides comparable PK with 9 bps of Tyvaso (54 mcg). For reference, the target dose of Tyvaso is 9 to 12 bps, 4 times daily. Clinical results from the PK, pivotal and extension studies of YUTREPIA have been presented at various international scientific meetings such as the American Thoracic Society (ATS), International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI), American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) from 2019 through 2024.
We are actively conducting and considering other clinical trials to generate additional data to support the use of YUTREPIA. In December 2023, we enrolled the first PH-ILD patient in the Open-Label Prospective Multicenter Study to Evaluate Safety and Tolerability of Dry Powder Inhaled Treprostinil in Pulmonary Hypertension, referred to as the ASCENT study.
Future studies may include pediatric patients as well as transitions to, or combinations with, YUTREPIA and other approved treatments.
Treprostinil Injection, a Generic Version of Remodulin®
Remodulin® is treprostinil administered through continuous intravenous and subcutaneous infusion, as approved by the FDA in 2002 and 2004, and marketed by United Therapeutics. Patients must use external pumps manufactured by third parties to deliver Remodulin. Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (“Smiths Medical”) manufactured the pumps used by most patients in the United States to administer Remodulin, including the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump used to deliver subcutaneous Remodulin, and the CADD-Legacy® pump to deliver intravenous Remodulin. An estimated 3,000 patients are treated annually with parenteral, infused treprostinil split between the two routes of administration. Branded Remodulin generated U.S. revenue of approximately $464 million and $415 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
In August 2018, Sandoz partnered with Liquidia PAH (then known as RareGen) on an exclusive basis to market and commercialize its generic Treprostinil Injection, which was subsequently launched as the first-to-file, fully-substitutable generic treprostinil for parenteral administration in March 2019. Liquidia PAH promotes the appropriate use of Treprostinil Injection for the treatment of PAH in the United States and works jointly with Sandoz on commercial strategy for the product. Sandoz retains all rights in and to Treprostinil Injection. As the Abbreviated New Drug Application (“ANDA”) holder for Treprostinil Injection, Sandoz maintains responsibility for compliance with FDA regulatory and healthcare laws including any regulatory communications with the FDA or any other regulatory authorities with respect to Treprostinil Injection. In consideration for Liquidia PAH conducting certain responsibilities associated with the commercialization of Treprostinil Injection, Liquidia PAH receives a portion of the net profits generated from the sales of the product.
Treprostinil Injection contains the same active ingredient, same strength, same dosage forms and same inactive ingredient amounts as Remodulin, and at the same service and support, but at a lower price. The treprostinil is supplied in 20 mL multi-dose vials in four strengths — containing 20 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg (1 mg/mL, 2.5 mg/mL, 5 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL) of treprostinil, respectively. Treprostinil Injection is available for intravenous and subcutaneous administration at the same specialty pharmacies that dispense the brand name medicine.
When first launched in April 2019, Treprostinil Injection was only available for intravenous administration. The cartridges required to operate the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump for subcutaneous administration were not available to patients using Treprostinil Injection due to restrictions imposed by other companies. On May 21, 2021, Liquidia PAH’s manufacturing partner, Chengdu Shifeng Medical Technologies LTD (“Chengdu”) began selling the RG 3ml Medication Cartridge, which now may be used to supply Treprostinil Injection to PAH patients with the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump manufactured by Smiths Medical.
Smiths Medical no longer manufactures or supports the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump. We have also experienced shortages of critical components of the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump that has caused the number of CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps available for the subcutaneous administration of Treprostinil Injection to be limited. Although we believe that the number of available CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps will be sufficient to serve existing patients using Treprostinil Injection through at least the end of 2025, it is possible that the availability of CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps could end earlier. Due to this limitation in the availability of pumps, specialty pharmacies are not currently placing new patients on to subcutaneous Treprostinil Injection therapy in order to preserve the available pumps for those patients already receiving subcutaneous administration of Treprostinil Injection.
In December 2022, we entered into a Device Development and Supply Agreement (the “Pump Development Agreement”) with Sandoz and Mainbridge Health Partners LLC (“Mainbridge”) to support the development of a new subcutaneous pump for infusion of Treprostinil Injection in order to replace the existing CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps.
Mainbridge is performing development, validation and testing activities required for the pump and related consumables. We have not yet submitted a 510(k) clearance application for a pump under the Pump Development Agreement and are currently uncertain when, if ever, such a 510(k) clearance application will be submitted with respect to the pump under development with Mainbridge. We and Sandoz are also evaluating alternative pump options for the subcutaneous administration of Treprostinil Injection, but we do not yet have any agreements in place with respect to the development of any alternative pumps. We and Sandoz are splitting the costs to develop a new pump equally.
Separately, Smiths Medical has announced that it will discontinue support of the CADD Legacy pump, which is used to administer Treprostinil Injection intravenously, starting in 2028. Smiths Medical’s CADD-Solis infusion pump has been identified as a replacement for the CADD Legacy pump, and patients can use the CADD-Solis pump in anticipation of the discontinuation of the CADD Legacy pump.
L606
In June 2023, we entered into the Pharmosa License Agreement (as defined below) pursuant to which we were granted an exclusive license in North America to develop and commercialize L606, an inhaled, sustained-release liposomal formulation of treprostinil currently being evaluated in a clinical trial for the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD. In October 2024, we and Pharmosa entered into the First Amendment (as defined below) to expand our licensed territory to include key markets in Europe, Japan and elsewhere, in addition to licensing proprietary nebulizers controlled by Pharmosa and being evaluated for use in a planned global pivotal study for the treatment of PH-ILD. L606 is a complement to our pipeline and furthers our mission to provide innovative treatment options that improve the lives of patients with improved product profiles.
L606 offers potential substantial benefits to patients with less frequent dosing than current inhaled products, improved tolerability with lower peak exposures and rapid delivery with a next-generation nebulizer. We believe L606 may provide best-in-class treprostinil exposure over a 24-hour period, including during sleeping hours, which could translate to improved efficacy, tolerability, and patient outcomes. Liposomes as a pulmonary drug delivery system have been reported to enhance the therapeutic benefits of drugs and to reduce the potential for systemic adverse effects. The L606 suspension uses Pharmosa’s proprietary liposomal formulation to encapsulate treprostinil, which can be released slowly under a controlled manner/rate into the lung. This control enables modulation of drug release to achieve optimized drug exposure over an extended period of time and reducing local irritation on the respiratory tract.
L606 is supplied in six different dose strengths in disposable ampules, packaged as fourteen ampules in a foil pouch representing one week’s supply of drug. L606 is administered with the L606 inhalation system (mesh-vibrating nebulizer), which is currently undergoing testing. Before each treatment session, a L606 ampule would be opened and the suspension would be transferred into the medication chamber of L606 nebulizer for oral inhalation. The L606 formulation inhalation system consists of an electronic, lightweight, and virtually silent mesh-vibrating nebulizer which can deliver a dose in less than 2-minutes using breath-actuated smart technology and patients' normal breathing pattern. The vibrating mesh technology generates fine-particle aerosols of the L606 formulation. Pharmosa has demonstrated clinically that L606 can be used with devices supplied by different manufacturers, providing us the option to improve the patient device experience without changing the intended dose administered.
We intend to develop L606 through the 505(b)(2) registration pathway in the United States. The FDA confirmed in meetings with Pharmosa, and subsequently with Liquidia in December 2023, that the registration requirements for L606 to treat PAH and PH-ILD should include clinical data that provides (i) comparable bioavailability to nebulized Tyvaso® in a Phase 1 study of health volunteers, (ii) short-term and long-term safety data from an open-label study in PAH and PH-ILD patients, and (iii) demonstrated efficacy from a single Phase 3 placebo-controlled efficacy trial in PH-ILD patients. Liquidia has also met with representatives in the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) to solicit input in support of the global Phase 3 study which will include PH-ILD patients in the European Union.
Comparable bioavailability was established in a Phase 1, randomized, 2-part study that was conducted by Pharmosa at a clinical research unit in the USA. The systemic exposures of a single dose of L606, 51 mcg, and, Tyvaso, 54 mcg, were compared. L606 resulted in a similar systemic exposure (“AUCinf”) compared with the equivalent dose of Tyvaso, with a significantly reduced peak plasma concentration (“Cmax”), approximately 7.3-fold lower for L606 than for Tyvaso.
L606 demonstrated extended plasma concentrations up to 12 hours after a single dose, supporting a reduction in dosing frequency to twice daily, or every 12 hours. Peak and total exposure of treprostinil increased with increasing dose.
We are currently conducting in the United States an open-label study to assess the safety of L606 in patients with PAH and patients with PH-ILD transitioning from Tyvaso (nebulizer or dry-powder inhaler) or patients with PAH naïve to prostacyclins. The open-label study was fully enrolled during 2024 with 28 patients and includes some patients who have been successfully treated with L606 for longer than one year. L606 continues to be well tolerated up to our maximum dose of 318 mcg twice-daily, which is approximately 2 to 2.5-fold higher than comparable target dosing of Tyvaso (9 to 12 bps) four times daily.
We are preparing to conduct a global placebo-controlled efficacy study in PH-ILD. The clinical design will include approximately 340 patients across more than 100 sites in at least 20 countries. The primary outcome measure will be six-minute walk distance. To initiate the study, we must also support regulatory submissions related to the proprietary nebulizer which will be used in combination with L606.
PRINT Technology
Our proprietary PRINT particle engineering technology allows us to engineer and manufacture highly uniform drug particles with precise control over the size, three-dimensional geometric shape and chemical composition of the particles. By controlling these physical and chemical parameters of particles, PRINT enables us to engineer desirable pharmacological benefits into product candidates, including prolonged duration of drug release, increased drug loading, more convenient routes of administration, the ability to create novel combination products, enhanced storage and stability and the potential to reduce adverse side effects. We believe that our PRINT technology can be applied to a wide range of therapeutic areas, molecule types, routes of administration and novel or generic products. Our manufacturing equipment and materials used in the production of our drug particles are proprietary and protected by our patent portfolio and trade secret know-how.
YUTREPIA leverages PRINT® technology to produce dry-powder drug particles that enhance deep-lung delivery. YUTREPIA drug particles are uniform in size (~1μm) and shape having been engineered for enhanced aerosolization and deep-lung deposition. In vitro studies suggest that the uniformity of size and shape allow our inhaled particles to target delivery into the lungs with less deposition in the upper airways. The dry-powder formulation aerosolizes into free-flowing particles upon inhalation, allowing for the use of a low-effort inhaler. The figures below depict YUTREPIA, with the figure on the left showing size and shape consistency among particles and the figure on the right showing their trefoil shape:
Development, Regulatory and Commercial Strategy
We intend to develop and commercialize a pipeline of drugs by applying our expertise in the development of cardio-pulmonary medicines and leveraging the advantages of our proprietary PRINT technology. We believe that our PRINT technology can be applied to a wide range of therapeutic areas, molecule types, routes of administration and novel or generic products. To date, our pipeline has focused on the development of improved and differentiated drug products containing FDA-approved active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”) with established efficacy and safety profiles, which we believe are eligible for the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway to seek marketing approval in the United States. The 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway can be capital efficient and potentially enable a shorter time to approval, subject to certain risks associated with this regulatory pathway. If our product candidates receive marketing approval, we plan to commercialize them in the United States either by ourselves or through partnership or licensing arrangements with other pharmaceutical companies. Outside of the United States, we may pursue regulatory approval and commercialization of our product candidates in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies with regional expertise.
We intend to manufacture our product candidates using a combination of in-house capabilities and external contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”), depending on the program requirements. For example, our current plans are for the dry powder formulation of YUTREPIA to be manufactured internally using PRINT Technology and for CMOs to produce, package and distribute YUTREPIA finished goods on a commercial scale. Conversely, L606 is planned to be manufactured exclusively by CMOs using the proprietary formulation methods provided by Pharmosa.
We intend to focus our commercial efforts initially on the U.S. market in the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD. We currently employ a targeted sales force, calling on physicians involved in the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD in the United States, as well as key stakeholders involved in the distribution and reimbursement of therapies for PAH and PH-ILD. Strategically, we believe that our existing commercial presence in the field will enable an efficient launch of YUTREPIA if and when we obtain final approval, leveraging existing relationships and further validating our reputation as a company committed to supporting PAH and PH-ILD patients. Our commercial efforts focus on the highly concentrated target market of PAH and PH-ILD centers of excellence and high prescribers of approved therapies. Our physician call points within these sites of care will include cardiologists, pulmonologists and their supporting staff. We believe that we can effectively commercialize YUTREPIA, if approved, with our specialty field team and other support functions, like medical science liaisons and reimbursement specialists to support the proper conveying of scientific, medical, and healthcare economic information regarding our products.
Manufacturing and Supply
We operate from a 45,000 square foot facility in Morrisville, North Carolina in which we design, formulate and manufacture engineered drug particles using PRINT particle fabrication lines as well as supportive activity including research and development, analytical development, quality control and production of mold templates that enable our production processes. Our three operational PRINT particle fabrication lines are located within class ISO7 clean rooms that operate under applicable ISO and current good manufacturing practices (“cGMP”) air quality and environmental requirements. Our current operational fabrication lines are scaled and capable of producing the necessary materials to support our clinical trials and, if approved, initial commercial demand for YUTREPIA.
In August 2021, the FDA completed an on-site Pre-Approval Inspection (“PAI”) of our Morrisville, North Carolina facility in connection with the review of the YUTREPIA NDA. The 5-day PAI concluded with no Form 483 Inspectional Observations issued. This was our first inspection of the Morrisville site by the FDA. We utilize contract manufacturers to finish production and package our drug product for clinical and commercial use.
We depend on third-party suppliers and CMOs for commercial inventory and clinical supplies of YUTREPIA, including active pharmaceutical ingredients which are used in our product candidates. For example, we currently rely on a sole supplier, LGM Pharma, LLC (“LGM”), for treprostinil, the active pharmaceutical ingredient of YUTREPIA, and we currently rely on a sole supplier, Plastiape S.p.A (“Plastiape”), for RS00 Model 8 DPI, the device used to administer YUTREPIA. We also rely on a sole supplier, Lonza Tampa LLC (“Lonza”), for encapsulation and packaging services for YUTREPIA. If and when we receive final marketing approval for YUTREPIA, we expect to continue to rely on
third-party CMOs to manufacture, package and distribute some or all of our supply of YUTREPIA on a commercial scale.
Supply of Treprostinil Injection is managed directly by our partner Sandoz, who retains the ANDA, manages inventory and records gross revenue on product sales. Sandoz is either the manufacturer or contracted party for the entire supply chain. We collaborate with Sandoz on a regular basis to plan appropriate inventory production and management based on the demand for Treprostinil Injection and observations in the field. Additionally, we have contracted with our manufacturing partner Chengdu to supply the RG 3mL Medication Cartridge for use with CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps and enable subcutaneous administration of Treprostinil Injection. The pumps used to administer Treprostinil Injection are currently all manufactured by ICU Medical, with whom we have no contractual relationship. We have entered into the Pump Development Agreement with Sandoz and Mainbridge for the development of a new pump for the subcutaneous administration of treprostinil.
L606 is manufactured exclusively by CMOs using the proprietary liposomal formulation methods provided by Pharmosa. Under the License Agreement, Pharmosa will manufacture clinical and commercial supplies of L606 and support Liquidia in establishing a redundant global supply chain. The proprietary nebulizer used to administer L606 will be manufactured by a third party. We are continuing to evaluate several options for the nebulizer that we will plan to use for L606.
Our Collaboration and Licensing Agreements
Pharmosa License Agreement
In June 2023, we entered into a license agreement with Pharmosa pursuant to which we were granted an exclusive license in North America to develop and commercialize L606, an inhaled, sustained-release formulation of treprostinil currently being evaluated in a clinical trial for the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD, and a non-exclusive license for the manufacture, development and use (but not commercialization) of such licensed product in most countries outside North America (the “Pharmosa License Agreement”). On October 2, 2024, we and Pharmosa entered into a First Amendment to the Pharmosa License Agreement (the “First Amendment”) which, among other things, expands our licensed territory beyond North America to include key markets in Europe, Japan and elsewhere.
Concurrently with the execution of the First Amendment, we and Pharmosa also entered into a Device License Agreement (the “Device License Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the Device License Agreement, Pharmosa will provide (i) an exclusive license to Liquidia Technologies for the right to develop, manufacture, use and commercialize Pharmosa’s next-generation smart-technology nebulizers (the “Device”) for use with L606 in most countries (subject to certain exceptions) (the “Territory”) and (ii) a non-exclusive license to Liquidia Technologies for the right to develop, manufacture and use (but not commercialize) the Device outside of the Territory.
Under the terms of the Pharmosa License Agreement, as amended, we will be responsible for development, regulatory and commercial activities of L606 in the Territory. Pharmosa will manufacture clinical and commercial supplies of the liposomal formulation through its global supply chain and support us in establishing a redundant global supply chain. In consideration for these exclusive rights, we paid Pharmosa an upfront license fee of $10 million and paid an additional $3.5 million upfront license fee in October 2024 in connection with the rights granted in the First Amendment and the Device License Agreement. In addition to the upfront fees, we will pay Pharmosa potential development milestone payments tied to clinical development and approvals in PAH and/or PH-ILD of up to $37.75 million, potential sales milestones of up to $185 million in North America and $150 million outside North American and two tiers of low, double-digit royalties on all net sales of L606. Pharmosa will also receive a $10 million milestone payment for each additional indication approved by the FDA after PAH and PH-ILD and each additional product approved by the FDA under the license, a $2 million milestone payment for each additional indication approved by the EMA after PAH and PH-ILD, and a $0.5 million milestone payment for each additional indication approved by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (“PMDA”) after PAH and PH-ILD.
Sandoz Promotion Agreement
Liquidia PAH entered into a Promotion Agreement with Sandoz on August 1, 2018, as amended on May 8, 2020, September 4, 2020, November 18, 2022, and March 10, 2023, which engaged Liquidia PAH on an exclusive basis to promote the appropriate use of Sandoz’s Treprostinil Injection for the treatment of PAH in the United States, including its commonwealths, territories, possessions and military bases. Liquidia PAH works jointly with Sandoz on commercial strategy for Treprostinil Injection and on identifying, manufacturing and developing medical devices, including pumps and cartridges, that may be used to administer Treprostinil Injection. As the ANDA holder for Treprostinil Injection, Sandoz retains all rights to Treprostinil Injection and maintains responsibility for compliance with FDA regulatory and healthcare laws including any regulatory communications with the FDA or any other regulatory authorities.
Under the Promotion Agreement, Sandoz retains responsibility for: the specifications, manufacture and supply, distribution and future development of treprostinil; regulatory submission and interactions with the FDA pertaining to treprostinil, including maintaining all necessary regulatory approvals; reporting to the FDA or other regulatory authorities on matters relating to manufacturing, sale or promotion, such as any safety events involving treprostinil; internally reviewing and, as it determines appropriate, approving promotional materials developed by Liquidia PAH, and making submissions to the FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion; handling safety activities including adverse event reporting, and initiating and managing any recalls of treprostinil.
Liquidia PAH’s activities and obligations related to the Promotion Agreement include: promotional and non-promotional activities, including sales and marketing activities for treprostinil, and engagement of healthcare professionals for advisory boards; developing, with prior written approval from Sandoz, marketing and educational materials consistent with FDA approved labeling and applicable laws; notifying Sandoz of notices from governmental authorities about adverse event reports or regulatory inquiries related to the safety of treprostinil, product complaints or alleged defects, and unsolicited requests for off-label medical information; providing certain data and information to Sandoz in order to fulfill its transparency and reporting obligations under the Physician Payment Sunshine Act; complying with applicable laws relevant to the activities conducted under the Promotion Agreement; establishing a compliance program and mechanism for disclosure of any violations of Liquidia PAH policies and procedures and submission of an annual report and certification to Sandoz of its compliance activities; and managing, with oversight and participation from Sandoz, negotiations and arrangements for managed care activities.
We and Sandoz also entered into a Pump Development Agreement with Mainbridge for the development of a new pump for the subcutaneous administration of treprostinil. Pursuant to the Pump Development Agreement, we and Sandoz have agreed to pay Mainbridge certain future contingent milestone payments in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth therein. Sandoz and Liquidia PAH have agreed to split all of these development costs and milestone payments evenly.
Liquidia PAH paid Sandoz an initial payment of $10 million on August 1, 2018 and, upon the successful quality release by Sandoz of 9,000 units of Treprostinil Injection on August 3, 2018, Liquidia PAH paid Sandoz an additional $10 million as further consideration for the right to conduct the activities as contemplated in the Promotion Agreement and to receive a portion of the “Net Profits” (as defined in the Promotion Agreement). The portion of Net Profits are allocated to Liquidia PAH currently through December 31, 2028 is as follows: (i) for that portion of aggregate Net Profits less than or equal to $500 million, Liquidia PAH shall receive 50% of all such Net Profits; and (ii) for that portion of aggregate Net Profits greater than $500 million, Liquidia PAH shall receive 75% of all such Net Profits. After December 31, 2028, the portion of Net Profits allocated to Liquidia PAH shall be as follows: (i) if aggregate Net Profits as of December 31, 2028 were less than $500 million, Liquidia PAH shall receive 50% of all Net Profits; and (ii) if aggregate Net Profits as of December 31, 2028 were greater than or equal to $500 million, Liquidia PAH shall receive 75% of all Net Profits.
The Promotion Agreement expires December 31, 2032, subject to certain renewal periods. Liquidia PAH and Sandoz may terminate the Promotion Agreement for cause upon a number of customary events, such as a material breach of the Promotion Agreement that remains uncured, complete withdrawal of marketing approval of Treprostinil Injection or upon the filing or institution of bankruptcy, reorganization, liquidation or receivership proceedings with respect to the other party. Further, either party may terminate the Promotion Agreement upon written notice to the other party at any
time after the current term in the event Sandoz is then procuring 100% of its supply of Treprostinil Injection from a single third party upon (a) expiration of the supply agreement with such third party and (b) Sandoz’s failure, after exercise of commercially reasonable efforts, to secure continued supply of Treprostinil Injection from such third party or other third parties within 12 months of the termination of such supply agreement. Liquidia PAH and Sandoz also each have a right to terminate the Promotion Agreement on not more than 90 days’ written notice in the event that Net Profits in the last calendar year are less than $5 million.
Sandoz may terminate the Promotion Agreement on not more than 90 days’ written notice after the conclusion of any full 12-month calendar year in the event that Net Profits in such calendar year are less than or equal to 10% of the net sales in such calendar year;provided,however, that Sandoz may not terminate the Promotion Agreement in such instance if both (x) Net Profits or the profit margin were adversely affected in such calendar year by any temporary event or circumstance and (z) the joint steering committee makes a determination that such profit margin deficiency is not likely to continue in the subsequent calendar year. Sandoz may also terminate the Promotion Agreement upon a change of control of Liquidia PAH.
Liquidia PAH may terminate the Promotion Agreement on not more than 90 days’ written notice after the conclusion of any full 12 month calendar year in the event that Liquidia PAH’s share of the Net Profits in such calendar year are less than or equal to Liquidia PAH’s operating expenses relating to Treprostinil Injection for such calendar year; provided, however, that Liquidia PAH may not terminate the Promotion Agreement in such instance if both (x) Net Profits or its operating expenses relating to Treprostinil Injection were adversely affected in such calendar year by a temporary event or circumstance and (z) the joint steering committee makes a determination that Liquidia PAH’s share of the Net Profits is not likely to continue to be less than its operating expenses relating to Treprostinil Injection in the subsequent calendar year.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In December 2008, we entered into the Amended and Restated License Agreement with The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“UNC”) for the use of certain patent rights and technology relating to initial innovations of our PRINT technology (the “UNC License”). Under the terms of the UNC License, we have an exclusive license to such patent rights and technology for our drug products. The UNC License grants us the right to grant sublicenses to the technology as well as control the litigation of any infringement claim instituted by or against us in respect of the licensed patent rights. We are also responsible for the costs of all expenses associated with the prosecution and maintenance of the patents and patent applications. Such filings and prosecution will be carried out by UNC and in UNC’s name but under our control.
Under the UNC License, we are required to pay UNC royalties equal to a low single digit percentage of all net sales of our drug products whose manufacture, use or sale includes any use of the technology or patent rights covered by the UNC License, as well as tiered royalty percentages ranging in the low single digits of sales by our sublicensees for any product covered by rights under a sublicense agreement granted pursuant to the UNC License. Under the UNC License, we are also required to pay UNC certain fees other than royalties that we collect and are attributable to UNC sublicensed intellectual property. We also reimburse UNC for its costs of procuring and maintaining the patents we license from UNC. Effective November 2017, we satisfied all substantive milestones associated with our UNC License other than semi-annual and annual reporting-based milestones that continue through the term of the UNC License. The UNC License expires (i) on the expiration of the last to expire patent included in the patent rights or (ii) if no patents mature from such patent rights, in December 2028.
We have the right to terminate the UNC License upon a specified period of prior written notice. UNC may terminate the UNC License in certain circumstances, including if we fail to pay royalty or other payments on time or if we fail to sublicense in accordance with the terms of the UNC License. Upon termination of the UNC License, we must pay any royalty obligations due upon termination.
Aerie Pharmaceuticals
We have exclusively licensed our PRINT technology to Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aerie”), which in 2017 acquired most of the assets of Envisia Therapeutics, Inc., for broad usage in the design and commercialization of small molecule and biologic ophthalmic therapies. In November 2022, Alcon Inc. (“Alcon”) completed its acquisition of Aerie to help bolster Alcon’s presence in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical space and, as a result, retains Aerie’s exclusive license to the use of our PRINT technology for ophthalmic therapies.
GlaxoSmithKline
In March 2023, we and GSK plc (“GSK”) entered into a Research License Agreement (the “GSK License Agreement”) which supersedes and replaces our prior agreements with GSK. Pursuant to the GSK License Agreement, the Company has granted to GSK a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable (except to affiliates), royalty free license to use our PRINT technology for the sole purpose of conducting pre-clinical research and pre-clinical development of inhaled formulations of GSK’s Molecules in the Field and in the Territory (capitalized terms are as defined in the GSK License Agreement). The Company and GSK will each own and retain all rights, title, and interest in and to all inventions, discoveries and other subject matter (including Know-How (as defined in the GSK License Agreement)) together with all intellectual property rights therein which are owned or controlled by such party as of the date of the GSK License Agreement or which are invented or acquired by or on behalf of such party independent of the GSK License Agreement.
Liquidia is permitted to continuously use its PRINT technology for any inhaled formulation other than certain identified GSK proprietary molecules, pursuant to the GSK License Agreement. Under the terms of the new agreement, GSK will be required to seek an expanded license before it may use PRINT for clinical or commercial purposes.
Unless earlier terminated, the GSK License Agreement will continue in effect until the later of (i) the expiration of the last-to-expire Valid Claim (as defined in the GSK License Agreement) included within the Liquidia Technology (as defined in the GSK License Agreement) and (ii) all Arising PRINT Improvements (as defined in the GSK License Agreement) and Liquidia Know-How (as defined in the GSK License Agreement) are in the public domain. GSK may terminate the Agreement upon at least thirty days’ prior written notice to the Company. The GSK License Agreement may also be terminated by either party for a material breach by the other party, subject to notice and cure provisions, or in the event of the other party’s insolvency. In the GSK License Agreement, each party made customary representations and warranties and agreed to customary covenants, including, without limitation, with respect to indemnification, for transactions of this type.
Intellectual Property
The proprietary nature and protection of our product candidates, their methods of use and our platform technology that enables our product candidates are an important part of our business strategy of rapidly developing and commercializing new medicines that address areas of significant unmet medical needs.
Our policy is to seek patent protection of our proprietary product candidates and technology by filing U.S., international and certain foreign patent applications covering certain of our proprietary technology, inventions, improvements and product candidates that are important to the growth and protection of our business. We also rely on a combination of trade secrets, know-how, trademarks and contractual restrictions to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to patent protection or where we do not consider patent protection to be adequate or applicable.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other protection for our product candidates, enabling technology, inventions and know-how and our ability to defend and enforce these patents, preserve the proprietary nature of our trade secrets and trademarks and operate our business without infringing valid and enforceable patent and other proprietary rights of third parties. Where possible, we pursue both composition-of-matter patents and method-of-use patents for our product candidates. We are also pursuing patents covering our proprietary PRINT micro- and nano-particle fabrication technology.
We are the owner or exclusive licensee of patents and applications relating to our proprietary technology platform and our product candidates and are pursuing additional patent protection for these and for our other product candidates and technology developments.
We have a total of 127 patents and pending patent applications in our patent portfolio which protect our PRINT technology and drug products in development. As of December 31, 2024, we were the sole owner of 20 patents in the United States and 42 patents in foreign jurisdictions, as well as 11 additional pending patent applications, including provisional patent applications, in the United States, Europe, Japan and other jurisdictions. In addition to the patents and patent applications owned solely by us, our patent portfolio also includes 42 patents and 12 patent applications licensed from third parties. As of December 31, 2024, we had an exclusive, worldwide license from UNC to 14 U.S. patents and 7 foreign patents, as well as one additional patent applications in the United States or selected foreign jurisdictions. Five of the patents and one patent application in the portfolio licensed from UNC are jointly owned by us. Also, as of December 31, 2024, we had an exclusive, worldwide license from Pharmosa Biopharm to four U.S. patents and 17 foreign patents, as well as 11 additional patent applications in the United States or selected foreign jurisdictions. YUTREPIA is specifically protected by 16 issued patents in the United States, the longest-lived of which will expire in 2037.
We hold multiple U.S. trademark registrations and have numerous pending trademark applications. Issuance of a federally registered trademark creates a rebuttable presumption of ownership of the mark; however, it is subject to challenge by others claiming first use in the mark in some or all the areas in which it is used. Federally registered trademarks have a perpetual life so long as they are maintained and renewed on a timely basis and used properly as trademarks, subject to the rights of third parties to seek cancellation of the trademarks if they claim priority or confusion of usage. We believe our patents and trademarks are valuable and would provide us certain benefits in marketing our products.
Competition
The pharmaceutical industry is intensely competitive, subject to rapid and significant technological change and places emphasis on the value of proprietary products. While we believe that our technologies and experience provide us with a competitive advantage, our competitors include organizations such as major multinational pharmaceutical companies, established biotechnology companies, biopharmaceutical companies and generic drug companies. Many of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we have, such as more commercial resources, larger research and development staffs and more extensive marketing and manufacturing organizations. As a result, these companies may obtain marketing approval more rapidly than we are able and may be more effective in selling and marketing their products. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaboration arrangements with large, established companies.
Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. Our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing, on an exclusive basis, technologies and drug products that are more effective or less costly than products that we are currently developing or that we may develop, which could render our products obsolete and non-competitive. We expect any products that we develop and commercialize to compete on the basis of, among others, efficacy, safety, convenience of administration and delivery, price and the availability of reimbursement from government and other third-party payors. We also expect to face competition in our efforts to recruit and retain qualified personnel, establish clinical trial sites and secure patient enrollment in our clinical trials, and identify appropriate collaborators to help commercialize any approved products in our target commercial markets.
Our product candidates, YUTREPIA and L606, will compete for market share to treat patients diagnosed with PAH or PH-ILD. Treprostinil Injection, which we commercialize with Sandoz, competes only in the PAH market. Each disease has different competitive forces as described below.
Competition in PAH
Our products and development programs directed toward the treatment of PAH compete with several approved classes of drugs in clinically validated signaling pathways. These drugs may be used alone or in combination and may include branded or generic formulations or molecules with the following mechanisms of action: antagonists of endothelin receptors (“ERAs”) such as bosentan, macitentan and ambrisentan); PDE5 inhibitors in the nitric oxide pathway such as tadalafil and sildenafil; soluble guanylate cyclase (“sGC”) stimulators such as riociguat; inhibitors of activin signaling such as sotatercept; and agonists of the prostacyclin pathway that either bind to the IP receptor, such as selexipag, or are analogs of endogenous prostacyclin, such as treprostinil, iloprost and epoprostenol. The branded forms of these molecules are commercialized by large pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson under the name Janssen/Actelion, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Merck & Company, and United Therapeutics.
In PAH treatment, therapies targeting the prostacyclin pathway are usually added after oral formulations of ERAs, PDE5 inhibitors and/or oral sGCs. Injections of sotatercept, approved in March 2024, are usually added to patient therapy after prostacyclin products, but its clinical use is developing. It is possible that sotatercept may come to be used prior to prostacyclin therapies, which may have an adverse effect on the market potential for YUTREPIA and/or L606.
Competition with prostacyclin-targeted treatments in PAH
Inhaled prostacyclin products. We expect that our products will face competition from the following inhaled prostacyclin analogs, which may be more tolerable than systemically delivered oral and infused products.
| • | Tyvaso (treprostinil), is a nebulized formulation marketed by United Therapeutics for the treatment of PAH since 2009. Tyvaso is the reference listed drug in our NDA for YUTREPIA. Following patent litigation, United Therapeutics and Watson Pharmaceuticals reached a settlement whereby Watson Pharmaceuticals will be permitted to enter the market with a generic version of Tyvaso beginning on January 1, 2026. |
| • | Tyvaso DPI (treprostinil) is a dry-powder formulation commercialized by United Therapeutics in partnership with MannKind Corporation. Tyvaso DPI was approved for the treatment of PAH in May 2022. |
| • | Ventavis® (iloprost) is the only other inhaled prostacyclin analog and marketed by Actelion, a division of Johnson & Johnson. Approved to treat PAH since 2004, Ventavis is administered six to nine times per day via a nebulizer. Ventavis is still available to patients though utilization has significantly dwindled due to the more frequent and burdensome treatment regimen. |
Orally delivered prostacyclin products. Oral products are perceived to be more convenient than inhaled and infused products. Orenitram® (treprostinil), dosed three-times daily and sold by United Therapeutics, and Uptravi® (selexipag), dosed twice daily and sold by Janssen Pharmaceuticals/Actelion, are both approved to treat PAH.
Infused prostacyclin analogs. Our Treprostinil Injection product to treat PAH faces competition primarily from the continued use of the branded Remodulin® sold by United Therapeutics as well as additional generic treprostinil products offered by Teva, Par Pharmaceutical, Dr. Reddy’s and Alembic. Generic drug prices may decline dramatically as competitors seek to secure preferential utilization though the specialty pharmacy and hospital distribution channels in which parenteral prostacyclin products are sold. Other parenteral agents that utilize the prostacyclin pathway include parenteral iloprost and epoprostenol, which are marketed by multiple companies as generic and branded products.
We expect United Therapeutics to continue to defend its leadership position vigorously through, among other actions, life cycle management, marketing agreements with third-party payors, and pharmacy benefits managers. In February 2021, United Therapeutics announced the commercial launch of the Remunity® pump for Remodulin®, which uses a small subcutaneous pump for patients starting or on a stable dose of Remodulin and can use prefilled Remodulin cassettes. The Remunity pump also has a water-resistant casing, which may be considered more convenient than the
CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps currently used to deliver treprostinil subcutaneously. United Therapeutics also maintains intellectual property that could lead to improved product profiles for a variety of PAH treatments, including using prodrugs of treprostinil to decrease site pain associated with subcutaneous delivery or extend the release profile of treprostinil. Similarly, Corsair Pharma, a former partner of United Therapeutics, is developing a prodrug and transdermal patch intended to provide continuous and consistent blood levels of treprostinil comparable to an infusion pump.
Competition in PH-ILD
Unlike PAH, there is less competition from competing products and mechanisms of action (“MOAs”) to treat PH-ILD patients. Inhaled treprostinil is the only approved treatment and route of delivery. In April 2021, United Therapeutics announced that Tyvaso was approved by FDA as the first and only treatment for patients with PH-ILD. Tyvaso DPI is also indicated to treat PH-ILD. We expect other programs to initiate trials given the very clear unmet needs of this patient group.
Potential competition from products in development to treat PAH and/or PH-ILD
We also expect continued development by competitors of clinically validated or novel MOAs that may be approved during the period of time that our products, if approved, are being commercialized. The approval of some or any of these could change the treatment paradigm and impact the utilization of our products in the prostacyclin class. Specific products in later stage development include:
| • | Ralenipag, a once-daily oral IP agonist, is being developed by United Therapeutics to treat PAH as a better choice to twice-daily oral Uptravi (selexipag). Data from the pivotal studies may be reported in 2026. |
| • | Treprostinil Palmitil Inhalation Powder (“TPIP”), a once-daily, dry-powder formulation of a treprostinil prodrug, is being developed by Insmed to treat PAH and PH-ILD. Insmed expects to complete a placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in PAH in 2025, having already concluded a smaller open-label Phase 2 study in PH-ILD in 2024. |
| • | Seralutinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor delivered as an inhaled dry-powder, is being developed by Gossamer to treat PAH and PH-ILD. Results from Phase 2 study met the primary endpoint with greater effects in patients with more severe disease. Gossamer expects data from a Phase 3 study in PAH in 2025 and has stated they intend to also initiate a Phase 3 study in PH-ILD in 2025. If successful, this would be the second MOA to treat both PAH and PH-ILD. |
| • | Mosliciguat, a once-daily, inhaled sGC activator, is being developed by Pulmovant to treat PH-ILD, building on the body of knowledge from approved oral sGC stimulators in PAH. Pulmovant has initiated a Phase 2 study in 2024, having presented favorable data from a Phase 1 study demonstrating tolerability and a clinically meaningful reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance (“PVR”). If successful, this would be a potential third MOA to treat PH-ILD. |
We are also aware of several other agents in clinical development that are exploring mechanisms of action which, if approved, could impact the standard of care for treating PAH and/or PH-ILD in the United States, including programs from Cereno Scientific, Novartis AG, and Forsee Pharmaceuticals among others.
Human Capital
As of March 10, 2025, we employed 157 salaried and 13 hourly employees, 168 of whom are located in the United States and two of whom are located in Europe. We have no collective bargaining agreements with our employees, and we have not experienced any work stoppages. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.
We believe that our future success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and retain highly skilled employees. We provide our employees with competitive salaries and bonuses, opportunities for equity ownership,
development programs that enable continued learning and growth and a robust employment package that promotes well-being across all aspects of their lives, including health care, retirement planning and paid time off. Much of our success is rooted in the diversity of our teams and our commitment to equity and inclusion. We value diversity at all levels.
Facilities
Our corporate headquarters is located in Morrisville, North Carolina, and consist of approximately 45,000 square feet of space under a lease that expires on December 31, 2031 and includes an option for us to renew the lease for an additional five years through December 31, 2036. The primary use of this location is general office, laboratory, research and development and light manufacturing. We will seek additional space as needed to accommodate our growth.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware on June 17, 2020. Our principal executive offices are located at 419 Davis Drive, Suite 100, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560 and our telephone number is (919) 328-4400. Our website is www.liquidia.com. The information on or that can be accessed through our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and you should not consider any such information as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock. This Annual Report on Form 10-K and all of our filings under the Exchange Act, including copies of annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports, are available free of charge through our website on the date we file those materials with, or furnish them to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Such filings are also available to the public on the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Government Regulation
Government authorities in the United States at the federal, state and local level, the European Union, the United Kingdom and in other countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, (including manufacturing changes), quality control, approval, labeling, packaging, storage, record-keeping, promotion, advertising, distribution, marketing, export and import of products such as those we are developing. The processes for obtaining regulatory approvals in the United States and in foreign countries, along with subsequent compliance with applicable statutes and regulations, require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
Government Regulation in the United States
United States Drug Development Process
In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”), the Public Health Service Act (the “PHSA”) and the FDA’s implementing regulations.
Failure to comply with the applicable requirements in the United States at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, a clinical hold, untitled or warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement or civil or criminal penalties. The process required by the FDA before a new drug may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
| ● | completion of preclinical laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies according to Good Laboratory Practices regulations; |
| ● | submission to the FDA of an Investigational New Drug application (“IND”) which must become effective before human clinical studies may begin; |
| ● | approval by an independent institutional review board (“IRB”), data safety monitoring boards (“DSMBs”) or ethics committees (“ECs”) at each clinical site before each trial may be initiated or continued; |
| ● | performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical studies according to Good Clinical Practice (“GCP”), regulations, to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use; |
| ● | preparation and submission to the FDA of an NDA, containing the results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the drug product, proposed labeling and other relevant information, to request approval to market the drug product; |
| ● | satisfactory completion of FDA inspections of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug product, or components thereof, are produced to assess compliance with cGMP to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity; |
| ● | satisfactory completion of FDA audits of clinical trial sites to assure compliance with GCPs and the integrity of clinical data; |
| ● | FDA review and approval of the NDA; |
| ● | payment of fees, including annual program fees for each drug product on the market; and |
| ● | ongoing compliance with any post approval requirements, including risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (“REMS”) and post approval study commitments or requirements by the FDA. |
The testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort and financial resources, and we cannot be certain that any approvals for our product candidates will be granted on a timely basis, if at all.
Once a pharmaceutical product candidate is identified for development, it enters the preclinical testing stage. Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, toxicity, formulation and stability, as well as animal studies. When a sponsor wants to proceed to test the product candidate in humans, it must submit an IND in order to conduct clinical trials.
An IND sponsor must submit the results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information, analytical data and any available clinical data or literature, to the FDA as part of the IND. The sponsor must also include a protocol detailing, among other things, the objectives of the initial clinical study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated if the initial clinical study lends itself to an efficacy evaluation. Some preclinical testing may continue even after the IND is submitted. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions related to a proposed clinical study and places the study on a clinical hold within that 30-day time period. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before the clinical study can begin. Clinical holds also may be imposed by the FDA at any time before or during clinical studies due to safety concerns or non-compliance, and may be imposed on all product candidates within a certain pharmaceutical class. The FDA also can impose partial clinical holds, for example, prohibiting the initiation of clinical studies of a certain duration or for a certain dose.
All clinical studies must be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators in accordance with GCP regulations. These regulations include the requirement that all research subjects provide informed consent in writing before their participation in any clinical study. Further, IRBs, DSMBs, or ECs must review and approve the plan for any clinical study before it commences at any institution, and the IRBs must conduct continuing review and reapprove the study at least annually. IRBs, DSMBs, or ECs consider, among other things, whether the risks to individuals participating in the clinical study are minimized and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRBs, DSMBs, or ECs also approve the information regarding the clinical study and the consent form that must be provided to each clinical study subject or his or her legal representative and must monitor the clinical study until completed.
Each new clinical protocol and any amendments to the protocol must be submitted for FDA review, and to the IRBs, DSMBs, or ECs for approval. Protocols detail, among other things, the objectives of the clinical study, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria and the parameters to be used to monitor subject safety.
Information about certain clinical trials must be submitted within specific timeframes to the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) for public dissemination on their ClinicalTrials.gov website.
Human clinical studies are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:
| ● | Phase 1. The product is initially introduced into a small number of healthy human subjects or patients and tested for safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness. In the case of some products for severe or life-threatening diseases, especially when the product is suspected or known to be unavoidably toxic, the initial human testing may be conducted in patients. |
| ● | Phase 2. Involves clinical studies in a limited patient population to identify possible adverse effects and safety risks, to preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the product for specific targeted diseases and to determine dosage tolerance and optimal dosage and schedule. |
| ● | Phase 3. Clinical studies are undertaken to further evaluate dosage, clinical efficacy and safety in an expanded patient population at geographically dispersed clinical study sites. These clinical studies are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit relationship of the product and provide an adequate basis for product labeling. |
Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical studies must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events. Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 testing may not be completed successfully within any specified period, if at all. The FDA or the sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical study at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, IRBs, DSMBs, or ECs can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical study at its institution if the clinical study is not being conducted in accordance with the requirements of IRBs, DSMBs, or ECs or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients.
There are FDA-imposed limitations on communications about investigational drugs. The FDA prohibits companies from making promotional claims of safety or effectiveness of the drug for a use for which it is under investigation, and from “commercialization” of the drug before it is approved for commercial marketing and distribution, and otherwise regulates communications about products in clinical trials. FDA law prohibits “misbranding” of drugs and establishes related rules and policies on communications about promotional and non-promotional (educational, scientific) communications. Interactions with or communications directed to healthcare professionals (“HCPs”), patients or patient- or disease-advocates or advocacy groups, and payors, are subject to heightened scrutiny by the FDA. Relative to non-promotional communications, for example, there are specific and limited FDA accommodations for non-promotional, truthful and non-misleading sharing of information regarding products in development and off-label uses including dissemination of peer-reviewed reprints, support of independent continuing medical education (“CME”) and healthcare economic discussions with payors. In a competitive environment, a company’s communications about products in development may also be subject to heightened scrutiny.
Concurrent with clinical studies, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the product and finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
United States Review and Approval Processes
Assuming successful completion of the required clinical testing, the results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical studies, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the drug, proposed labeling and other relevant information, are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA for a new drug, requesting approval to market the product.
The submission of an NDA is subject to the payment of a substantial application user fee although a waiver of such fee may be obtained under certain limited circumstances. For example, the agency will waive the application fee for the first human drug application that a small business or its affiliate submits for review. The sponsor of an approved NDA is also subject to annual program user fees.
In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 (“PREA”) an NDA application (or a supplement to an application) for a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration must contain a Pediatric Assessment. If so, the submission must contain data from pediatric studies that are adequate to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug for the claimed indications 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 applicant has obtained a waiver or deferral. PREA applies only to products developed for diseases that occur in both adult and pediatric populations, and generally does not apply to products with Orphan Drug Designation or to ANDAs for generic drugs.
A sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a drug product that is subject to the PREA requirements must submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan (“PSP”). The FDA encourages all applications to submit the PSP as soon as possible in the drug development process, and to discuss the plan with FDA at critical points in the development process. For products intended for life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses, applicants are encouraged to discuss the PSP at the Pre-IND meeting and End-of-Phase 1 meeting. For products not intended for such illnesses, the FDA recommends that sponsors submit and discuss the PSP no later than the End-of-Phase 2 (“EOP2”) meeting. The initial PSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information. The FDA and the sponsor must reach agreement on the PSP. A sponsor can submit amendments to an agreed-upon initial PSP at any time if changes to the pediatric plan need to be considered based on data collected from preclinical studies, early phase clinical studies or other clinical development programs. The sponsor may submit a request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from pediatric studies along with supporting information. The FDA may, on its own initiative or at the request of the applicant, grant deferrals for submission of data or full or partial waivers. The FDA may, on its own initiative or at the request of the applicant, grant deferrals for submission of data or full or partial waivers. It is critical that sponsors are in compliance with the PREA, as non-compliance may result in the FDA considering the drug product misbranded solely on that basis.
The FDA also may require submission of a REMS to mitigate any identified or suspected serious risks. The REMS could include medication guides, physician communication plans, assessment plans and elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries or other risk minimization tools.
The FDA reviews all NDAs submitted to ensure that they are sufficiently complete for substantive review before it accepts them for filing. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an application for filing. In this event, the application must be re-submitted with the additional information. The re-submitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review.
The FDA reviews an NDA to determine whether a product is safe and effective for its intended use, which includes assessment of preclinical and clinical data; proposed labeling; chemistry, manufacturing, and control (“CMC”) data; and an assessment of whether the manufacturing processes and facilities meet the appropriate requirements and comply with the applicable regulations (including cGMP requirements and adequate assurance for consistent commercial production of the product within required specifications). There are numerous FDA personnel assigned to review different aspects of an NDA, exercising judgment, discretion, and interpretation of data relative to the review process.
The FDA may approve an NDA only if, among other things, the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the manufacture processing, packing and testing of the product are adequate to ensure and preserve its identity, strength, quality and purity.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA often will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is or will be manufactured.
The FDA may refer the NDA to an advisory committee for review, evaluation and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. An advisory committee is a panel of experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, who provide advice and recommendations when requested by the FDA. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations when making decisions.
Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure clinical data supporting the submission were developed in compliance with GCP.
The approval process is lengthy and difficult, and the FDA may refuse to approve an NDA if the applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, or may require additional preclinical, clinical or CMC data or other data and information. Even if such data and information are submitted, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval. Data obtained from clinical studies, as well as other types of supporting data, are not always conclusive and the FDA may interpret data differently than an applicant interprets the same data.
After the FDA’s evaluation of an application, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a complete response letter to indicate that the review cycle is complete and that the application is not ready for approval. A complete response letter generally contains a statement of specific conditions that must be met to secure final approval of the application and may require additional clinical or preclinical testing for the FDA to reconsider the application. The deficiencies identified may be minor, for example, requiring labeling changes, or major, for example, requiring additional clinical studies. Additionally, the complete response letter may include recommended actions that the applicant might take to place the application in a condition for approval. If a complete response letter is issued, the applicant may either resubmit the application, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application, or request an opportunity for a hearing.
Even with submission of additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. If and when those conditions have been met to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA will typically issue an approval letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications.
If a product receives regulatory approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific diseases and dosages or the indications for use may otherwise be limited, which could restrict the commercial value of the product. Further, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling. In addition, the FDA may require post-approval studies, including Phase 4 clinical studies, to further assess safety and effectiveness after approval and may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of approved products that have been commercialized. After approval, some types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes and additional labeling claims, are subject to further testing requirements and FDA review and approval.
New Drug Applications
Drug products may obtain FDA marketing approval pursuant to an NDA (described above) for innovator products, or an ANDA for generic products. Relevant to ANDAs, the U.S. Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (the “Hatch-Waxman Act”) amended the FDCA to establish a statutory procedure for submission and FDA review and approval of ANDAs for generic versions of branded drugs previously approved by the FDA (such previously approved drugs are also referred to as reference listed drugs). Because the safety and efficacy of reference listed drugs have already been established by the brand company (sometimes referred to as the innovator), the FDA does not require
new human clinical trials to establish safety and efficacy of generic products. Rather, a generic manufacturer is typically required to conduct bioequivalence studies of its test product against the reference listed drug. The bioequivalence studies for orally administered, systemically available drug products assess the rate and extent to which the active pharmaceutical ingredient is absorbed into the bloodstream from the drug product and becomes available at the site of action. Bioequivalence is established when there is an absence of a significant difference in the rate and extent for absorption of the generic product and the reference listed drug. For some drugs, including locally acting drugs such as topical anti-fungals, other means of demonstrating bioequivalence may be required by the FDA, especially where rate and/or extent of absorption are difficult or impossible to measure. In addition to the bioequivalence data, an ANDA must contain patent certifications and chemistry, manufacturing, labeling and stability data.
A third alternative for obtaining FDA marketing approval is a special type of NDA, commonly referred to as a 505(b)(2) NDA, which enables the applicant to rely, in part, on the FDA’s findings of safety and efficacy of an existing product, or published literature, in support of its application. 505(b)(2) NDAs often provide an alternate path to FDA approval for new or improved formulations or new uses of previously approved products. Section 505(b)(2) permits the filing of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from studies not conducted by or for the applicant and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. The applicant may rely upon the FDA’s findings with respect to certain preclinical or clinical studies conducted for an approved product. The FDA may also require companies to perform additional studies or measurements to support the change from the approved product. The FDA may then approve the new product candidate for all or some of the label indications for which the referenced product has been approved, as well as for any new indication sought by the 505(b)(2) applicant.
In seeking approval for a drug through an NDA, including a 505(b)(2) NDA, applicants are required to list with the FDA certain patents of the applicant or that are held by third parties whose claims cover the applicant’s product. Upon approval of an NDA, each of the patents listed in the application for the drug is then published in the FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (the “Orange Book”). Any subsequent applicant who files an ANDA seeking approval of a generic equivalent version of a drug listed in the Orange Book or a 505(b)(2) NDA referencing a drug listed in the Orange Book must make one of the following certifications to the FDA concerning patents: (1) the patent information concerning the reference listed drug product has not been submitted to the FDA; (2) any such patent that was filed has expired; (3) the date on which such patent will expire; or (4) such patent is invalid, unenforceable or will not be infringed upon by the manufacture, use or sale of the drug product for which the application is submitted. This last certification is known as a paragraph IV certification. A notice of the paragraph IV certification must be provided to each owner of the patent that is the subject of the certification and to the holder of the approved NDA to which the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application refers. The applicant may also elect to submit a “section viii” statement certifying that its proposed label does not contain (or “carves out”) any language regarding the patented method-of-use rather than certify to a listed method-of-use patent. An application with a section viii statement or carve out may be approved if the removal of language from the label necessitated by the carve out does not make the generic drug less safe or effective.
If the reference NDA holder or patent owners assert a patent challenge directed to one of the Orange Book listed patents within 45 days of the receipt of the paragraph IV certification notice, the FDA is prohibited from approving the application until the earlier of 30 months from the receipt of the paragraph IV certification expiration of the patent, settlement of the lawsuit or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the applicant. The ANDA or 505(b)(2) application also will not be approved until any applicable non-patent exclusivity has expired as described in further detail below. Thus approval of a 505(b)(2) NDA or ANDA can be prevented until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired, until any non-patent exclusivity, such as exclusivity for obtaining approval of a new chemical entity, has expired, and, in the case of a Paragraph IV certification and subsequent patent infringement suit, until the earlier of 30 months, settlement of the lawsuit or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant.
The FDA may issue tentative approval of an application if the application meets all conditions for approval but cannot receive effective approval because the listed patents, the 30-month stay or another period of regulatory exclusivity, as applicable, has not expired. If tentative approval is granted, then once such listed patents, 30-month stay or other regulatory exclusivity have expired or, in the case of patents that are subject to a patent infringement suit, been found to be invalid or not infringed, the applicant may seek final approval by submitting an amendment that, among other things,
includes a safety update and any other changes, if any, in the conditions under which the product was tentatively approved. Prior to granting final approval, the FDA must review and approve any changes reflected in the amendment and may consider any other new information that has come to its attention. An amendment requesting final approval is generally subject to either a 2-month or 6-month review cycle, depending on the information submitted in the amendment.
Combination Products
Medical products containing a combination of drugs, biological products, or medical devices may be regulated as “combination products” in the United States. A combination product generally is defined as a product comprised of components from two or more regulatory categories, such as drug/device, device/biologic or drug/biologic. The term combination product includes: (i) a product comprised of two or more regulated components (i.e., drug/device, biologic/device, drug/biologic or drug/device/biologic, that are physically, chemically or otherwise combined or mixed and produced as a single entity); (ii) two or more separate products packaged together in a single package or as a unit and comprised of drug and device products, device and biological products or biological and drug products; (iii) a drug, device or biological product packaged separately that according to its investigational plan or proposed labeling is intended for use only with an approved individually specified drug, device or biological product where both are required to achieve the intended use, indication or effect and where upon approval of the proposed product the labeling of the approved product would need to be changed, such as to reflect a change in intended use, dosage form, strength, route of administration, or significant change in dose; or (iv) any investigational drug, device or biological product packaged separately that according to its proposed labeling is for use only with another individually specified investigational drug, device, or biological product where both are required to achieve the intended use, indication or effect.
Each constituent part of a combination product is subject to the requirements established by the FDA for that type of constituent part, whether a new drug, biologic or device. In order to facilitate pre-market review of combination products, the FDA designates one of its centers to have primary jurisdiction for the pre-market review and regulation of the overall product based upon a determination by FDA of the primary mode of action of the combination product, and typically one application, such as for a drug/device combination product assigned to the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER”) an NDA, will be made.
A device with the primary purpose of delivering or aiding in the delivery of a drug and distributed containing a drug (i.e., a “prefilled delivery system”) is typically evaluated by CDER using drug authorities and device authorities, as necessary.
A device with the primary purpose of delivering or aiding in the delivery of a drug and that is distributed without the drug (i.e., unfilled) is typically evaluated by the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health and CDER, respectively, unless the intended use of the two products, through labeling, creates a combination product.
The FDA has indicated that dry powder inhalers, such as our lead product candidate, YUTREPIA, are drug/device combination products. L606 is also classified as a drug/device combination as it relies on the use of nebulizer. Both YUTREPIA and L606 will seek approval by way of the NDA process by CDER as their primary mode of action is their drug component.
Expedited Development and Review Programs
The FDA is authorized to designate certain products for expedited review if they are intended to address an unmet medical need in the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition. These expedited review programs are referred to as fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation and priority review designation. The FDA has published a final Guidance for Industry titled “Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions-Drugs and Biologics” which provides guidance on the FDA programs that are intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new product candidates as well as threshold criteria generally applicable to concluding that a product candidate is a candidate for these expedited development and review programs.
The FDA may designate a product for fast track review if it is intended, whether alone or in combination with one or more other products, for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and it demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for such a disease or condition. For fast track products, sponsors may have greater interactions with the FDA and the FDA may initiate review of sections of a fast track product’s application before the application is complete. This rolling review may be available if the FDA determines, after preliminary evaluation of clinical data submitted by the sponsor, that a fast track product may be effective. The sponsor must also provide, and the FDA must approve, a schedule for the submission of the remaining information and the sponsor must pay applicable user fees. However, the FDA’s time period goal for reviewing a fast track application does not begin until the last section of the application is submitted. In addition, the fast track designation may be withdrawn by the FDA if the FDA believes that the designation is no longer supported by data emerging in the clinical trial process.
The FDA may designate a product as a breakthrough therapy if it is intended, either alone or in combination with one or more other products, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The FDA may take certain actions with respect to breakthrough therapies, including holding meetings with the sponsor throughout the development process, providing timely advice to the product sponsor regarding development and approval, involving more senior staff in the review process, assigning a cross-disciplinary project lead for the review team, and taking other steps to design the clinical trials in an efficient manner.
The FDA may designate a product for priority review if it is a product that treats a serious condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness. The FDA determines, on a case-by-case basis, whether the proposed product represents a significant improvement when compared with other available therapies. Significant improvement may be illustrated by evidence of increased effectiveness in the treatment of a condition, elimination or substantial reduction of a treatment-limiting product reaction, documented enhancement of patient compliance that may lead to improvement in serious outcomes, and evidence of safety and effectiveness in a new subpopulation. A priority designation is intended to direct overall attention and resources to the evaluation of such applications, and to shorten the FDA’s goal for taking action on a marketing application from ten months to six months.
Accelerated Approval Pathway
The FDA may grant accelerated approval to a drug for a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic advantage to patients over existing treatments based upon a determination that the drug has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA may also grant accelerated approval for such a condition when the product has an effect on an intermediate clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality, and that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. Drugs granted accelerated approval must meet the same statutory standards for safety and effectiveness as those granted traditional approval.
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. Surrogate endpoints can often be measured more easily or more rapidly than clinical endpoints. An intermediate clinical endpoint is a measurement of a therapeutic effect that is considered reasonably likely to predict the clinical benefit of a drug, such as an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality. The FDA has limited experience with accelerated approvals based on intermediate clinical endpoints, but has indicated that such endpoints generally may support accelerated approval where the therapeutic effect measured by the endpoint is not itself a clinical benefit and basis for traditional approval, if there is a basis for concluding that the therapeutic effect is reasonably likely to predict the ultimate clinical benefit of a drug.
The accelerated approval pathway is most often used in settings in which the course of a disease is long and an extended period of time is required to measure the intended clinical benefit of a drug, even if the effect on the surrogate or intermediate clinical endpoint occurs rapidly. Thus, accelerated approval has been used extensively in the development and approval of drugs for treatment of a variety of cancers in which the goal of therapy is generally to improve survival
or decrease morbidity and the duration of the typical disease course requires lengthy and sometimes large trials to demonstrate a clinical or survival benefit.
The accelerated approval pathway is contingent on a sponsor’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verify and describe the drug’s clinical benefit. As a result, a drug candidate approved on this basis is subject to rigorous post-marketing compliance requirements, including the completion of Phase 4 or post-approval clinical trials to confirm the effect on the clinical endpoint. Failure to conduct required post-approval studies, or confirm a clinical benefit during post-marketing studies, would allow the FDA to withdraw the drug from the market on an expedited basis. All promotional materials for drug candidates approved under accelerated regulations are subject to prior review by the FDA.
Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. In addition, the manufacturer of an investigational drug for a serious or life-threatening disease is required to make available, such as by posting on its website, its policy on responding to requests for expanded access. Furthermore, fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, accelerated approval and priority review do not change the standards for approval and may not ultimately expedite the development or approval process.
Post-Approval Requirements
Drugs manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to extensive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to recordkeeping (including certain electronic record and signature requirements), periodic reporting, drug supply chain security surveillance and tracking requirements, product sampling and distribution, advertising and promotion and reporting of certain adverse experiences, deviations and other problems with the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims are subject to prior FDA review and approval. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, there are also continuing, annual FDA “program fee” requirements for products once they are approved, as well as new application fees for supplemental applications with clinical data.
The FDA strictly regulates labeling, advertising, promotion and other types of information on products that are placed on the market. Products may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. Further, manufacturers must continue to comply with cGMP requirements, which are extensive and require considerable time, resources and ongoing investment to ensure compliance. In addition, changes to the manufacturing process generally require prior FDA approval before being implemented and other types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications and additional labeling claims, are also subject to further FDA review and approval.
Manufacturers and certain other entities involved in the manufacturing and distribution of approved products are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP and other laws. The cGMP requirements apply to all stages of the manufacturing process, including the production, processing, sterilization, packaging, labeling, storage and shipment of the product. Manufacturers must establish validated systems to ensure that products meet specifications and regulatory standards and test each product batch or lot prior to its release. Combination products are subject to FDA regulation to ensure the quality of both the constituent parts and the finished product.
Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated and often require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting and documentation requirements upon the sponsor and any third-party manufacturers that the sponsor may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain cGMP compliance.
The FDA may impose a number of post-approval requirements as a condition of approval of an application. For example, the FDA may require post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization.
The FDA may withdraw a product approval if compliance with regulatory requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, problems with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in restrictions on the product or even complete withdrawal of the product from the market.
Potential implications include required revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
| ● | restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls; |
| ● | warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials; |
| ● | refusal of the FDA to approve pending NDAs or supplements to approved NDAs, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals; |
| ● | product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; or |
| ● | injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties. |
The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising, and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Drugs may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. As a compliance best practice and risk mitigation measure, pharmaceutical companies typically train their sales force regarding the limitations on promotion of products relative to their approved indications for use and concerns regarding potential “off-label promotion.” However, a physician may use products off-label when, in the physician’s independent professional medical judgment, he or she deems it appropriate. Recent court decisions have impacted FDA’s enforcement activity regarding off-label promotion in the light of First Amendment considerations; however, there are still significant risks in this area in part due to the potential for False Claims Act exposure.
The distribution of commercial prescription drugs is subject to the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (“DSCSA”), which regulates the distribution of the products at the federal level, and sets certain standards for federal or state registration and compliance of entities in the supply chain and regulation of manufacturers, repackagers, wholesale distributors, third-party logistics providers, and dispensers. The DSCSA preempts certain previously enacted state pedigree laws and upon taking effect superseded the pedigree requirements of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act (“PDMA”). Trading partners within the drug supply chain must now ensure certain product tracing requirements are met, and are required to exchange transaction information, transaction history, and transaction statements. Product identifier information (an aspect of the product tracing scheme) is also now required. Many states still have in place licensure and other requirements for manufacturers and distributors of drug products. The distribution of product samples continues to be regulated under the PDMA, and some states also impose regulations on drug sample distribution.
From time to time, legislation is drafted, introduced and passed in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the approval, manufacturing and marketing of products regulated by the FDA. In addition to new legislation, FDA regulations, guidance and policies are often revised or reinterpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our product candidates. It is impossible to predict whether further legislative or FDA regulation or policy changes will be enacted or implemented and what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.
Patent Term Extension
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of our product candidates, some of our United States patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension (“PTE”) under the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Hatch-Waxman Act permits the extension of a patent term by up to five years as compensation for patent term
effectively lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, PTE cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission date of an NDA plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application, except that the review period is reduced by any time during which the applicant failed to exercise due diligence. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug is eligible for PTE. PTEs are not granted as a matter of right and must be applied for prior to expiration of the patent and within a sixty-day period from the date the product is first approved for commercial marketing. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any PTE. In the future, we may apply for PTEs, defined as the length of the regulatory review of products covered by our granted patents, for some of our currently owned or licensed applications and patents to add patent life beyond their current expiration dates. The length of such PTEs will depend on the length of the regulatory review; however, there can be no assurance that any such extension will be granted to us.
Regulatory Exclusivity
Regulatory, non-patent exclusivity provisions under the FDCA can also delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The specific scope varies, but fundamentally the FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent data exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity (“NCE”) if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the NCE exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an ANDA or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for another version of such drug where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement.
The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example, for new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year new clinical investigation marketing exclusivity covers only the conditions of use associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving applications for drugs containing the original active agent. This three-year new clinical investigation marketing exclusivity does not preclude submission of the ANDA or Section 505(b)(2) NDA for such a product but prevents the FDA from giving final approval to such product. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the preclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical studies necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
Under the FDCA, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States or, if it affects more than 200,000 individuals in the United States, there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making a drug product available in the United States for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales of the product. Orphan designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA grants orphan designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Orphan designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process. If a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives either the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation or, if not the first FDA approval for such drug for the treatment of such disease or condition, such drug is clinically superior to any already approved or licensed drug that is the same drug for such disease or condition, the product is entitled to orphan product marketing exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug or biological product for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan exclusivity or inability to manufacture the product in sufficient quantities. The designation of such drug also entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers. Competitors, however, may receive approval of different products for the indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity or obtain approval for the same product but for a different indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity. If an orphan designated product receives marketing approval for an indication broader than what is designated, it may not be
entitled to orphan exclusivity. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
Pediatric exclusivity is another type of exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, provides an additional six months to the term of any existing regulatory exclusivity, including the non-patent exclusivity periods described above. This six-month exclusivity may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric clinical study that “fairly responds” to an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a clinical study.
Pharmaceutical Coverage, Pricing and Reimbursement
In the United States, sales of any products for which we may receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include government authorities, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations.
Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval. Some of the additional requirements and restrictions on coverage and reimbursement levels imposed by third-party payors influence the purchase of healthcare services and products. The process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for establishing the reimbursement rate that such a payor will pay for the product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific drugs on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication, or place drugs at certain formulary levels that result in lower reimbursement levels. Moreover, a payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Further, one payor’s determination to provide coverage does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage and reimbursement for the product, and the level of coverage and reimbursement may differ significantly from payor to payor as there is no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for drug products among third-party payors.
Reimbursement may also impact the demand for drug products that obtain marketing approval. If coverage for a drug product is obtained by a third-party payor, the resulting reimbursement payment rates may not be adequate or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Further, third party payors require onerous prior approvals or implement other forms of restricted access that make it difficult for patients to utilize our drug products. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Prescribing physicians are unlikely to use or prescribe drug products unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover all or a significant portion of the cost of those drug products. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only to limited levels, a drug product which has obtained marketing approval may not be successfully commercialized.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of medical products and services, in addition to their safety and efficacy. In order to obtain and maintain coverage and reimbursement for any product that might be approved for sale, we may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of any products, in addition to the costs required to obtain regulatory approvals. Our product candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective. If third-party payors do not consider a product to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover the product after approval as a benefit under their plans or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow a company to sell its products at a profit.
The U.S. government and state legislatures have shown significant interest in implementing cost containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and coverage and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs. There has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to drug pricing practices. For example, U.S. federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas to pharmaceutical companies seeking information about pricing practices in connection with an investigation into pricing practices being conducted by the DOJ. Several state attorneys general also
have commenced drug pricing investigations and filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, and the U.S. Senate has publicly investigated a number of pharmaceutical companies relating to price increases and pricing practices. Proposed legislation has been designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. Federal budget proposals have included measures to permit Medicare Part D plans to negotiate the price of certain drugs under Medicare Part B, to allow some states to negotiate drug prices under Medicaid, and to eliminate cost sharing for generic drugs for low-income patients. At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Adoption of government controls and measures, and tightening of restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could exclude or limit our drugs and product candidates from coverage and limit payments for pharmaceuticals. We continue to monitor the potential impact of proposals to lower prescription drug costs at the federal and state level, and anticipate that current and future U.S. federal and state legislative proposals may result in additional downward pressure on drug pricing and reimbursement, which could have a significant impact on our business.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”), which includes certain new tax measures, was signed into law in August 2022. The IRA contains two main tax provisions, a new corporate alternative minimum tax imposed on certain corporations meeting average annual financial statement income of more than $1 billion during a three-year tax period, and an excise tax imposed upon share repurchases by certain publicly traded corporations. The IRA is effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022; we are evaluating the provisions of the IRA but currently do not believe these provisions will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Among other things, the IRA requires manufacturers of certain drugs to engage in price negotiations with Medicare (beginning in 2026), 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 (beginning in 2025). Failure to comply with requirements under the drug price negotiation program or pay the identified rebates is subject to an excise tax and/or a civil monetary penalty. The IRA permits the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. For that and other reasons, it is currently unclear how the IRA will be effectuated and the impact of the IRA on the pharmaceutical industry and on generic drug pricing cannot yet be fully determined.
In addition, we expect that the increased emphasis on managed care and cost containment measures in the United States by third-party payors and government authorities to continue and will place pressure on pharmaceutical pricing and coverage. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Other Healthcare Laws and Compliance Requirements
Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors often play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any drug products for which we may obtain marketing approval, or for which we may provide contracted promotional services to third parties. Our current and future arrangements with healthcare providers, physicians, third-party payors and customers, and our sales, marketing and educational activities, may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations (at the federal and state level) that may constrain our business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell, or distribute drug products.
Among the laws and regulations that may affect our ability to operate and may present risk to our business are those, at the federal and state level, on topics including: anti-kickback, false claims, and other healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse matters; drug pricing and price reporting; advertising, promotion, and other types of communications regarding pharmaceutical products; limitations on and transparency regarding financial relationships with healthcare professionals; and data privacy and security.See Item 1A. Risk Factors –Risks Related to Government Regulation.
Healthcare Reform
A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. There have been a number of federal and state proposals during the last few years regarding the pricing of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, limiting coverage and reimbursement for drugs and other medical products, government control and other changes to the healthcare system in the United States including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”).
In the future, there may continue to be additional proposals relating to the reform of the U.S. healthcare system, some of which could further limit the prices we will be able to charge for our product candidates, or the amounts of reimbursement available for our product candidates. If future legislation were to impose direct governmental price controls or access restrictions, it could have a significant adverse impact on our business. Managed care organizations, as well as Medicaid and other government agencies, continue to seek price discounts. Some states have implemented, and other states are considering, measures to reduce costs of the Medicaid program, and some states are considering implementing measures that would apply to broader segments of their populations that are not Medicaid-eligible. Due to the volatility in the current economic and market dynamics, we are unable to predict the impact of any unforeseen or unknown legislative, regulatory, payor or policy actions, which may include cost containment and healthcare reform measures. Such policy actions could have a material adverse impact on our profitability.
These and other healthcare reform initiatives may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial operations. We expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in reduced demand for our product candidates or additional pricing pressures.
Government Regulation Outside of the United States
In order to market any product outside of the United States, we will need to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries and jurisdictions regarding development, approval, commercial sales and distribution of our products, and governing, among other things, clinical trials, marketing authorization, commercial sales and distribution of our products, if approved. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the necessary approvals by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The approval process varies between countries and jurisdictions and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval in other countries and jurisdictions might differ from and be longer than that required to obtain FDA approval. Regulatory approval in one country or jurisdiction does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country or jurisdiction may negatively impact the regulatory process in others.
European Union
In the European Union (“EU”) and the European Economic Area (“EEA”), Regulation (EU) 536/2014 on clinical trials (the “CTR”) requires sponsors to submit a single clinical trial application (“CTA”) through the Clinical Trials Information System (“CTIS”), an online portal designed to streamline the authorization process. Under the previous Directive 2001/20/EC (the “CTD”), sponsors had to obtain separate approvals in each EU/EEA member state. In contrast, CTIS serves as a single-entry point, allowing sponsors to apply for trial authorization in up to 30 EU/EEA countries through a unified process. The CTIS authorization procedure consists of two parts: (i) during the Part I assessment, member states collaborate to assess the CTA jointly and (ii) during the Part II assessment, each member state conducts an individual assessment of the CTA. All ongoing clinical trials in the EU/EEA were required to transition to CTIS by January 30, 2025, marking the end of a three-year transition period that began when the CTR became applicable, repealing the CTD.
Medicinal products need a marketing authorization (“MA”) to be placed on the EU market. The MA is issued following a scientific assessment of the quality, safety, and efficacy of the product. To obtain an MA, pharmaceutical companies
may submit MA applications (“MAA”) under the centralized, decentralized, mutual recognition, or national authorization procedure.
Under the centralized procedure, the European Commission (“EC”) grants a single MA, valid in all EU/EEA member states, following a favorable opinion from the European Medicines Agency (the “EMA”). The centralized procedure is compulsory for medicines produced by specified biotechnological processes, products designated as orphan medicinal products, advanced-therapy medicinal products (“ATMPs”), and products with a new active substance indicated for the treatment of specified diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases and other immune dysfunctions, or viral diseases. The centralized procedure is optional for products containing new active substances for indications other than those stated above, products that represent a significant therapeutic, scientific, or technical innovation, or whose authorization would be in the interest of public health. Under this procedure, the maximum evaluation timeframe for an MAA by the EMA is 210 days, excluding “clock stops” when the applicant must provide additional written or oral information in response to questions from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (“CHMP”). Alternative pathways may apply in specific cases, including:
| ● | Accelerated Assessment Procedure – Reduces the review period from 210 to 150 days for products of major public health interest that offer significant therapeutic innovation. |
| ● | Conditional MA – Granted when comprehensive clinical data is not yet available, but the product addresses an unmet medical need and demonstrates a favorable benefit-risk profile. |
| ● | MA under Exceptional Circumstances – Applies when full safety and efficacy data may never be obtainable, usually due to the rarity of the condition. |
| ● | PRIME Scheme – Streamlines development and provides early scientific advice, potentially leading to accelerated assessment during the MAA. |
While the mutual recognition procedure (“MRP”) and decentralized procedure (“DP”) both result in national MAs, the assessment process is coordinated across the EU. The key difference between such procedures is that the MRP applies to products already authorized in at least one EU member state on a national basis and the DCP is used for products not yet authorized in any EU member state. The evaluation process can take up to 210 days under the DCP and 90 days under the MRP after the submission of a valid MAA. Once all involved member states reach an agreement on the assessment, the procedure concludes, and each member state must grant a national MA. While this authorization should be issued within 30 days, in practice, national phase timelines and fees vary, as they are subject to individual national regulations. The national procedure grants an MA that is valid only in the member state where it is issued.
An MA has an initial validity of five years, with some exceptions. The MA may be renewed after five years on the basis of a re-evaluation of the risk-benefit balance by the EMA or by the competent authority of the EU member state in which the original MA was granted. The EC or the competent authorities of the EU member states may decide, on justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, to proceed with one further five year renewal period for the MA. Once subsequently definitively renewed, the MA shall be valid for an unlimited period.
The EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (“COMP”) may recommend orphan medicinal product designation to promote the development of medicines for life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting no more than five in 10,000 people in the EU. The COMP can only recommend orphan designation to products that offer a significant clinical benefit over existing approved treatments for the relevant indication. Orphan medicinal product designation entitles the sponsor to financial incentives, such as fee reductions or waivers, and grants 10 years of market exclusivity following approval of the MA. During this period, regulatory authorities cannot approve a similar medicinal product for the same therapeutic indication unless the holder of the MA for the original orphan medicinal product has given his consent to the second applicant, the new product offers a significant clinical benefit, or the holder of the MA for the original orphan product is unable to supply sufficient quantities. This period of protection is extended by two years for medicines that also have complied with an agreed pediatric investigation plan granted at the time of review of the orphan medicine designation.
In the EU, MAAs for generic medicinal products do not require the inclusion of pre-clinical and clinical trial results. Instead, they can refer to the data included in the MA of a reference product, provided that the data exclusivity period for the reference product has expired.
Medicines containing a new active substance qualify for eight years of data exclusivity and are granted an additional two years of market exclusivity upon MA. The data exclusivity period prevents generic applicants from relying on the preclinical and clinical trial data in the dossier of the reference product when applying for a generic MA in the EU. This restriction lasts for eight years from the date the reference product was first authorized in the EU. The market exclusivity period prevents a successful generic applicant from commercializing its product in the EU until 10 years have passed since the initial MA of the reference product in the EU. This 10-year market exclusivity period can be extended to a maximum of 11 years if, during the first eight years, the MA holder obtains approval for one or more new therapeutic indications that, upon scientific evaluation, are determined to bring a significant clinical benefit compared to existing therapies.
Controls on the pricing of medicines in the EU, as well as decisions on their reimbursement by national social security systems, are determined exclusively at the national level. As a result, access to reimbursement and pricing decisions can vary significantly across the member states.
Recently adopted and pending legislation in the EU will impact regulatory procedures for medicinal products, including the Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 on health technology assessment (“HTA Regulation”) adopted in January 2025, which, among other things, is designed to increase cooperation between EU member states to provide for a common assessment of clinical effectiveness to be taken into account by national reimbursement authorities across the EU. In addition, in April 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise the EU pharmaceutical legislation consisting of a new directive that would replace Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation (EC) 726/2004, among others. The EU legislative process remains ongoing, with several stages still required before the regulations may receive final approval. If approved, such regulations would mark a significant overhaul of the current EU pharmaceutical legal framework and is anticipated to have a wide range of impact, including, but not limited to, regulatory approval procedures, regulatory data and market exclusivity periods, incentives for orphan medicines, and the so-called “Bolar exemption,” among others.
Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (the “MDR”) governs medical devices in the EU. Unlike medicinal products, medical devices do not require prior authorization from regulatory authorities. However, they must undergo a conformity assessment procedure and obtain the “CE” marking before being placed on the EU market. The specific conformity assessment procedure varies depending on the device’s risk classification. For Class I devices, manufacturers may carry out the conformity assessment autonomously. Conversely, for Class IIa, IIb, and III devices, the assessment requires the involvement of a notified body. Medical devices intended to administer medicinal products qualify as (i) medical devices, where the medicinal product is supplied separately, or (ii) medicinal products, where the device and the medicinal product are placed on the market as a “single integral product” which is intended exclusively for use in the given combination and is not reusable. Single integral products must be authorized as medicines in the EU, while also meeting the general requirements that apply to medical devices. Examples of single integral products include pre-filled syringes, pre-filled pens, nebulizers pre-charged with a specific medicinal product, patches for transdermal drug delivery and pre-filled inhalers.
United Kingdom
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (“MHRA”) is the standalone regulator for medicinal products and medical devices in the United Kingdom. Starting in January 2025, only the MHRA has authority to approve new medicines across the entire United Kingdom, whereas for medical devices, the EU rules continue to apply with respect to Northern Ireland only.
MAs for medicinal products in the United Kingdom are governed by the Human Medicines Regulations (SI 2012/1916), as amended. Since January 2021, MAs previously submitted using the EU centralized procedure are not valid to be considered in the United Kingdom. As a result, companies established in the United Kingdom cannot use the EU centralized procedure and instead must follow one of the United Kingdom’s national authorization procedures or
remaining international cooperation procedures established after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union in 2020 (“Brexit”) to obtain an MA to market products in the United Kingdom. All existing EU MAs for centrally authorized products were automatically converted or grandfathered into MAs in the United Kingdom, effective in Great Britain only, free of charge starting in January 2021, unless the MA holder opted-out of this option.
The MHRA has introduced additional changes to MA procedures in the United Kingdom post-Brexit. This includes the introduction of procedures to prioritize access to new medicines that will benefit patients, which includes a 150-day assessment route and a rolling review procedure. In addition, since January 2024, the MHRA has been able to rely on the International Recognition Procedure (“IRP”) when reviewing certain types of MAs. This procedure is available for MA applicants who have already received approval for the same product from a reference regulator, which includes the FDA, the EMA, and national competent authorities of individual EU countries. A positive opinion from the EMA and CHMP, or a positive end of procedure outcome from the EU mutual recognition or decentralized procedures are also considered to have received marketing approval for the purposes of the IRP.
There is no pre-marketing authorization orphan designation for medicinal products in the United Kingdom. The MHRA reviews applications for orphan designation in parallel to the corresponding MA. The orphan designation criteria in the United Kingdom are similar to those in the EU, but have been tailored for the United Kingdom market. For example, to be eligible for orphan designation in the United Kingdom, the prevalence of the condition in Great Britain, rather than the EU, must not be more than five in 10,000 individuals. Upon the grant of an MA with orphan designation, the medicinal product will benefit from up to 10 years of market exclusivity from similar products in the approved orphan indication. This market exclusivity period will begin on the date of first approval of the product in Great Britain.
The current regulatory framework in the United Kingdom with respect to clinical trials is derived from the EU CTD. Amendments to the United Kingdom’s regulatory framework governing clinical trials are currently going through the parliamentary process, and the new rules are expected to apply starting in 2026, following a one-year transition period.
The regulatory framework in the United Kingdom with respect to medical devices is also expected to undergo significant changes. The current applicable legislation in Great Britain is largely still based on the European Economic Community’s Medical Devices Directives (93/42/EEC), which is no longer in effect in the EU after the adoption of the EU MDR, which came into effect after Brexit, and consequently was only implemented in Northern Ireland according to the provisions of the Windsor Framework. Notwithstanding the differing legal regimes in place in the United Kingdom, medical devices with a valid CE marking from the EU are authorized to be placed in the United Kingdom market until June 30, 2030 at the latest, depending on the device type and classification.
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