Denali Therapeutics Inc
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 27, 2025.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.
FY2024 · Filed Feb 27, 2025
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-K
Period ended 2023-12-31; filed 2024-02-28.
0001714899-24-000086
Item 1A. Risk FactorsCurrent report: 10-K
Period ended 2024-12-31; filed 2025-02-27.
0001714899-25-000066
Item 1A. Risk FactorsThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 470 previous paragraphs and 445 current paragraphs.
310 unchanged; 123 reworded; 10 added; 31 removed; 6 previous and 2 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 0 previous and 0 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Added paragraphs (10)
Current report
•manufacture product candidates at our manufacturing facility and with our contract manufacturers;
Current report
Inadequate funding for the FDA, USPTO, SEC, and other government agencies could hinder or result in the suspension of their operations, which could negatively impact our business.
Current report
Business disruptions, including as a result of global pandemics, could seriously harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
Current report
In particular, given the new administration in the United States, there is currently significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and various other countries, most significantly China, with respect to trade policies, treaties, tariffs, taxes, and other limitations on cross-border operations. The U.S. government has and continues to make significant additional changes in U.S. trade policy and may continue to take future actions that could negatively impact U.S. trade. For example, legislation has been introduced in Congress to limit certain U.S. biotechnology companies from using equipment or services produced or provided by select Chinese biotechnology companies, and others in Congress have advocated for the use of existing executive branch authorities to limit those Chinese service providers’ ability to engage in business in the U.S. We cannot predict what actions may ultimately be taken with respect to trade relations between the United States and China or other countries, what products and services may be subject to such actions or what actions may be taken by the other countries in retaliation. If we are unable to obtain or use services from existing service providers or become unable to export or, if approved, sell our products, our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
Current report
•the timing and ability to obtain regulatory approval on our lead product candidates, including DNL310;
Current report
We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Removed paragraphs (31)
Previous report
•The manufacture of our product candidates, particularly those that utilize our BBB platform technology, is complex and we may encounter difficulties in production.
Previous report
•The proposed spin out of our preclinical small molecule portfolio is subject to various risks and uncertainties or may not result in the expected benefits.
Previous report
•work with our contract manufacturers to scale up the manufacturing processes for our product candidates or, in the future, establish and operate a manufacturing facility;
Previous report
•build clinical manufacturing capabilities and capacity.
Previous report
•general economic conditions, including conditions resulting from rising inflation and interest rates, recent bank failures and instability in the financial services sector, geopolitical uncertainty and instability or war; and
Previous report
We have a diversified portfolio with numerous programs at various stages of research, discovery, preclinical and clinical development. These programs require significant capital investment. We seek to maintain a process of prioritization and resource allocation to maintain an optimal balance between aggressively advancing lead programs and replenishing our portfolio. We regularly review the programs in our portfolio, and terminate those programs which do not meet our development criteria, which we have done a number of times in the past.
Previous report
Public health outbreaks, such as epidemics or pandemics may significantly disrupt our business. Such outbreaks pose the risk that we or our employees, contractors, suppliers, and other partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time due to the spread of the disease, due to shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by federal, state, and local governmental authorities or certain employers, or due to the economic consequences associated with the pandemic. Business disruptions could include disruptions or restrictions on our ability to travel, as well as temporary closures of our facilities and the facilities of our partners, clinical trial sites, service providers, suppliers, or contract manufacturers. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary disruption in our ability to recruit participants for our clinical trials in the calendar year 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. While it is not possible to predict whether another pandemic, epidemic, or infectious disease outbreak similar to COVID-19 will materialize, any measures taken by governments and local authorities in response to such future health crises have the potential to disrupt and delay the initiation of new clinical trials, the progress of our ongoing clinical trials and our preclinical activities, and potentially the manufacture or shipment of both drug substance and finished drug product of our product candidates for preclinical testing and clinical trials, as well as adversely impact our business, financial condition, or operating results.
Previous report
The continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may materially and adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition.
Previous report
On May 11, 2023, the federal government ended the COVID-19 public health emergency, which ended a number of temporary changes made to federally funded programs, while some remain in effect. The full impact of the termination of the public health emergency on the FDA and other regulatory policies and operations remains unclear. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented policies that enabled some of our employees to work remotely, which policies may continue for an indefinite period. Due to telecommuting patterns, modified work schedules, and enhanced safety protocols, our laboratory operations have at times and may again operate with decreased efficiency. Furthermore, our clinical trial sites for our clinical studies were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic: in 2020, we experienced a pause in enrollment in our BIIB122/DNL151 Phase 1 and Phase 1b trials, our DNL343 Phase 1 and Phase 2/3 trials, and our ETV:IDS program observational biomarker study, and we have subsequently experienced certain delays in patient enrollment.
Previous report
The FDA issued a number of COVID-19 related guidance documents for manufacturers and clinical trial sponsors in 2020 and 2021, many of which have expired or were withdrawn with the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency in May 2023, although some COVID-19 related guidance documents remain in effect. Should the FDA issue additional guidance that mandates material changes to our clinical trials in response to a pandemic or other public health outbreaks, the costs of such clinical trials may increase. To the extent we experience any ongoing pand emic disruptions or other public health emergencies, including a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, potential impacts to our business may include delays or difficulties in enrolling patients, difficulties interpreting data impacted by trial disruptions, supply chain issues, staffing shortages, and disruptions to the operations of our service providers, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and clinical development plans.
Previous report
To the extent another pandemic or other public health outbreak adversely affects our business, operations and financial condition in the future, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.
Previous report
•our competitors may develop platform technologies to deliver large molecule therapeutics across the BBB that render our platform technology obsolete or less attractive;
Previous report
We may not be successful in our efforts to further develop our BBB platform technology and current product candidates. We are not permitted to market or promote any of our product candidates before we receive regulatory approval from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and we may never receive such regulatory approval for any of our product candidates. Our product candidates are in the early stages of development and will require significant additional clinical development, management of preclinical, clinical, and manufacturing activities, regulatory approval, adequate manufacturing supply, a commercial organization, and significant marketing efforts before we generate any revenue from product sales, if at all.
Previous report
If any of our product candidates successfully complete clinical trials, we generally plan to seek regulatory approval to market our product candidates in the United States, the EU, and in additional foreign countries where we believe there is a viable commercial opportunity. We have never commenced, compiled, or submitted an application seeking regulatory approval to market any product candidate, and may never receive such regulatory approval even if a product candidate successfully completes clinical trials, which would adversely affect our viability. To obtain regulatory approval in countries outside the United States, we must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such other countries regarding safety, efficacy or potency, purity, chemistry, manufacturing and controls, clinical trials, commercial sales, pricing, and distribution of our product candidates. We may also rely on our collaborators or partners to conduct the required activities to support an application for regulatory approval, and to seek approval, for one or more of our product candidates. We cannot be sure that our collaborators or partners will conduct these activities or do so within the time frame we desire. Even if we (or our collaborators or partners) are successful in obtaining approval in one jurisdiction, we cannot ensure that we will obtain approval in any other jurisdictions. If we are unable to obtain approval for our product candidates in multiple jurisdictions, our revenue, business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be negatively affected.
Previous report
Even if we receive regulatory approval to market any of our product candidates, whether for the treatment of neurodegenerative and LSDs or other diseases, we cannot assure you that any such product candidate will be successfully commercialized, widely accepted in the marketplace, or more effective than other commercially available alternatives.
Previous report
•public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;
Previous report
We do not have a sales or marketing infrastructure and have no experience in the sale, marketing, or distribution of pharmaceutical products. To achieve commercial success for any approved product for which we retain sales and marketing responsibilities, we must either develop a sales and marketing organization or outsource these functions to third parties. In the future, we may choose to build a focused sales, marketing, and commercial support infrastructure to sell, or participate in sales activities with our collaborators for, some of our product candidates if and when they are approved.
Previous report
We may not be successful in securing or maintaining proprietary patent protection for products and technologies we develop or license. Moreover, if any of our owned or in-licensed patents that are listed in the Orange Book are successfully challenged by way of a Paragraph IV certification and subsequent litigation, the affected product could immediately face generic competition and its sales would likely decline rapidly and materially. Should sales decline, we may have to write off a portion or all of the intangible assets associated with the affected product and our results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. See “Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
Previous report
Drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment, the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial, and/or result in potential product liability claims. We are required to maintain product liability insurance pursuant to certain of our license agreements. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against us could cause our stock price to decline and, if judgments exceed our insurance coverage, could adversely affect our results of operations and business. In addition, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in impairment of our business reputation, withdrawal of clinical trial participants, costs due to related litigation, distraction of management’s attention from our primary business, initiation of investigations by regulators, substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants, the inability to commercialize our product candidates, and decreased demand for our product candidates, if approved for commercial sale.
Previous report
We have received Fast Track designation from the FDA for SAR443820/DNL788, and may seek Fast Track designation from the FDA for additional product candidates. Even if one or more of our product candidates receives Fast Track designation, we may be unable to obtain or maintain the benefits associated with the Fast Track designation.
Previous report
The FDA has granted Fast Track designation to SAR443820/DNL788. Fast Track designation is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of therapies to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. However, if we do not continue to meet the criteria of the Fast Track designation, or if our clinical trials are delayed, suspended or terminated, or put on clinical hold due to unexpected adverse events or issues with clinical supply, we will not receive the benefits associated with the Fast Track program. Furthermore, Fast Track designation does not change the standards for approval. Fast Track designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures. Fast Track designation also does not guarantee our product candidate will be approved in a timely manner, if at all.
Previous report
We may incur liabilities, expenses, costs, and other operational losses under the GDPR and UK GDPR as well as privacy and data protection laws of Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and applicable EU member states. We may find it necessary or appropriate to make additional changes to the ways we or our service providers collect, disclose, transfer, and otherwise process data within the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, and to our related policies and practices. This may be onerous and may interrupt or delay our development activities, and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Previous report
Inadequate funding for the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner, or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
Previous report
•collaborations may be terminated in their entirety or with respect to certain product candidates or technologies and, if so terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates or technologies, including our BBB platform technology; and
Previous report
•collaboration agreements may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner or at all. If a present or future collaborator of ours were to be involved in a business combination, the continued pursuit and emphasis on our development or commercialization program under such collaboration could be delayed, diminished, or terminated.
Previous report
The proposed spin out of our preclinical small molecule portfolio is subject to various risks and uncertainties and may not be completed on the terms or timeline currently contemplated, or at all, or may not result in the expected benefits, which might harm our business or operations.
Previous report
On January 8, 2024, we announced our intention to spin out our preclinical small molecule portfolio into a new, independently-funded company ("NewCo"). Unanticipated developments could delay, prevent, or otherwise adversely affect the proposed spin out, including but not limited to disruptions in general or financial market conditions, litigation or other legal challenges to the spin out, or potential problems or delays in licensing our intellectual property to NewCo. We cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the spin out on the terms or the timeline that we announced, if at all. Furthermore, the anticipated benefits of the spin out are based on a number of assumptions; if some of these prove incorrect, the Company may not be able to achieve the full expected strategic and financial benefits of the transaction.
Previous report
The price of the Company's common stock may be more volatile around the time of the spin out, and the Company cannot predict the effect of the spin out on the trading price of shares of its common stock. Moreover, following the spin out, the price of shares of the Company's common stock may fluctuate.
Previous report
The rules dealing with U.S. federal, state, and local income taxation are constantly under review by legislators and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department. Changes to tax laws (which changes may have retroactive application) have occurred and are likely to continue to occur in the future, which could adversely affect our shareholders. For example, in August 2022, the United States enacted the Inflation Reduction Act, which implemented a 15% minimum tax on book income for certain companies and introduced a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks. In addition, the current tax administration has proposed changes to the orphan drug tax credit. Changes in tax laws, regulation, or enforcement could adversely affect our stockholders or require us to implement changes to minimize increases in our tax liability.
Previous report
•the success of existing or new competitive products or technologies;
Previous report
In January 2020, we sold 9.0 million shares of common stock in an underwritten follow-on offering pursuant to a shelf registration statement filed in March 2019 and, in October 2022, we sold 11.9 million shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering pursuant to a second shelf registration statement filed in February 2022. Also in February 2022, we entered into an equity distribution agreement with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, SVB Securities LLC, and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., as sales agents, to establish an at-the-market facility pursuant to which we may offer and sell from time to time up to $400.0 million in shares of our common stock. On February 27, 2024, we announced a PIPE financing in which we have agreed to sell 3,244,689 shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase 26,046,065 shares of our common stock and which is expected to result in gross proceeds of approximately $499.7 million. We have also granted a certain investor certain director nomination and additional registration rights, subject to certain exceptions, conditions, and limitations.
Reworded paragraphs (123)
Previous wording
•A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, or the perception of its effects, may materially and adversely affect our business, operations, and financial condition.
Current wording
•A pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease, or the perception of its effects, may materially and adversely affect our business, operations, and financial condition.
Previous wording
•We are heavily dependent on the successful development of our BBB technology and the programs currently in our pipeline, which are in the preclinical and clinical development stages.
Current wording
•We are heavily dependent on the successful development of our TV technology and the programs currently in our pipeline, which are in the preclinical and clinical development stages.
Previous wording
•We have concentrated a substantial portion of our efforts on the treatment of neurodegenerative and LSDs, fields that have seen limited success in drug development.
Current wording
•We have concentrated a substantial portion of our efforts on the treatment of neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases, fields that have seen limited success in drug development.
Previous wording
•Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, information security policies, and contractual obligations relating to privacy and data protection.
Current wording
•Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, information security policies, and contractual obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and data security.
Previous wording
•Our reliance on third parties for the manufacture of the significant majority of the materials for our research programs, preclinical studies, and clinical trials may increase the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of such materials or product candidates.
Current wording
•Our reliance on third parties for the manufacture of the significant majority of the materials for our research programs, preclinical studies, and clinical trials. This reliance on third parties may increase the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of such materials or product candidates.
Previous wording
•If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our product candidates or our BBB technology, our competitors could develop and commercialize products or technology similar or identical to ours, and adversely affect our ability to commercialize any product candidates.
Current wording
•If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our product candidates or our TV technology, our competitors could develop and commercialize products or technology similar or identical to ours, and adversely affect our ability to commercialize any product candidates.
Previous wording
•Our rights to develop and commercialize our BBB technology and product candidates are subject, in part, to the terms of licenses granted to us by others or licenses granted by us to others.
Current wording
•Our rights to develop and commercialize our TV technology and product candidates are subject, in part, to the terms of licenses granted to us by others or licenses granted by us to others.
Previous wording
•Issued patents covering our BBB technology, product candidates and other technologies could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged.
Current wording
•Issued patents covering our TV technology, product candidates and other technologies could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged.
Previous wording
•We may not be successful in obtaining, through acquisitions, in-licenses or otherwise, necessary rights to our BBB platform technology, product candidates or other technologies.
Current wording
•We may not be successful in obtaining, through acquisitions, in-licenses, or otherwise, necessary rights to our TV platform, product candidates or other technologies.
Previous wording
•Third party intellectual property claims against us, our licensors or our collaborators may prevent or delay the development of our BBB platform technology, product candidates and other technologies.
Current wording
•Third-party intellectual property claims against us, our licensors or our collaborators may prevent or delay the development of our TV platform, product candidates and other technologies.
Previous wording
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history, focused on developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ALS, and LSDs, including Hunter syndrome and Sanfilippo syndrome. We commenced operations in May 2015, have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales. Drug development is a highly uncertain undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. Our clinical-stage programs are in various phases ranging from Phase 1 through Phase 3. To date, we have not completed a pivotal clinical trial, obtained marketing approval for any product candidates, manufactured a commercial scale product or arranged for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conducted sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Our limited operating history makes any assessment of our future success and viability subject to significant uncertainty. We will encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by clinical-stage biopharmaceutical companies, and we have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome such risks and difficulties. If we do not address these risks and difficulties successfully, our business will suffer.
Current wording
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history, focused on developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ALS, and lysosomal storage diseases, including Hunter syndrome and Sanfilippo syndrome. We commenced operations in May 2015, have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales. Drug development is a highly uncertain undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. Our clinical-stage programs are in various phases ranging from Phase 1 through Phase 3. To date, we have not completed a pivotal clinical trial, obtained marketing approval for any product candidates, manufactured a commercial scale product or arranged for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conducted sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Our limited operating history makes any assessment of our future success and viability subject to significant uncertainty. We will encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by clinical-stage biopharmaceutical companies, and we have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome such risks and difficulties. If we do not address these risks and difficulties successfully, our business will suffer.
Previous wording
We have incurred significant net losses since our inception. Our net losses were $145.2 million, $326.0 million, and $290.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $1.12 billion.
Current wording
We have incurred significant net losses since our inception. Our net losses were $422.8 million, $145.2 million, and $326.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1.54 billion.
Previous wording
We have invested significant financial resources in research and development activities, including for our preclinical and clinical product candidates and our TV platform. We do not expect to generate revenue from product sales for several years, if at all. The amount of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the level of our future expenditures and revenue. Moreover, our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year, such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance.
Current wording
We have invested significant financial resources in research and development activities, including for our preclinical and clinical product candidates and our TV platform. The amount of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the level of our future expenditures and revenue. Moreover, our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year, such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance.
Previous wording
•meet the requirements and demands of being a public company;
Current wording
•meet the requirements and demands of being a public company; and
Previous wording
•defend against any product liability claims or other lawsuits related to our products; and
Current wording
•defend against any product liability claims or other lawsuits related to our products.
Previous wording
Our operations have required substantial amounts of cash since inception. We currently fund our operations primarily with the proceeds from our follow-on offerings completed in January 2020 and October 2022, and payments received from ourcollaboration agreements with Biogen, Sanofi, and Takeda. We havea diversified portfolio with numerous programs at various stages of research, discovery, preclinicaland clinical development. Developing our product candidates is expensive, and we expect to continue to spend substantial amounts as we fund our early-stage research projects, and continue to advance our programs through preclinical and clinical development. Even if we are successful in developing our product candidates, obtaining regulatory approvals and launching and commercializing any product candidate will require substantial additional funding.
Current wording
Our operations have required substantial amounts of cash since inception. We currently fund our operations primarily with the proceeds from our follow-on offering completed in October 2022, payments received from ourcollaboration agreements with Biogen, Sanofi, Takeda, and a strategic private offering transaction completed in February 2024. We havea diversified portfolio with numerous programs at various stages of research, discovery, preclinicaland clinical development. Developing our product candidates is expensive, and we expect to continue to spend substantial amounts as we fund our early-stage research projects, advance our programs through preclinical and clinical development, and prepare for potential commercialization.
Previous wording
As of December 31, 2023, we had $1.03 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our projected operations through at least the next twelve months. Our estimate as to how long we expect our existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities to be available to fund our operations is based on assumptions that may be proven inaccurate, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, such as recent bank failures, geopolitical uncertainty, rising inflation or interest rates, or a perceived or actual economic downturn, may cause us to increase our spending significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. We may also need to raise additional funds sooner than we anticipate if we choose to expand more rapidly than we presently anticipate.
Current wording
As of December 31, 2024, we had $1.19 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our projected operations through at least the next twelve months. Our estimate as to how long we expect our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities to be available to fund our operations is based on assumptions that may be proven inaccurate, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, such as recent bank failures, geopolitical uncertainty, rising inflation or interest rates, or a perceived or actual economic downturn, may cause us to increase our spending significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. We may also need to raise additional funds sooner than we anticipate if we choose to expand more rapidly than we presently anticipate.
Previous wording
We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available when we need it, on terms acceptable to us or at all. Other than the PIPE financing that was announced on February 27, 2024, we have no committed source of additional capital. If adequate capital is not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to significantly delay, scale back, or discontinue our research and development programs or the commercialization of any product candidates, if approved, or be unable to continue or expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities, which could materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Current wording
We have no committed source of additional capital, and we cannot be certain that additional funding will be available when we need it, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If adequate capital is not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to significantly delay, scale back, or discontinue our research and development programs or the commercialization of any product candidates, if approved, or be unable to continue or expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities, which could materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Previous wording
Due to the significant resources required for the development of our programs, and depending on our ability to access capital, we must prioritize development of certain product candidates. Moreover, we may expend our limited resources on programs that do not yield a successful product candidate and fail to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
Current wording
We may expend our limited resources on programs that do not yield a successful product candidate and fail to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
Previous wording
Due to the significant resources required for the development of our programs, we must focus our programs on specific diseases and disease pathways and decide which product candidates to pursue and advance and the amount of resources to allocate to each. Our decisions concerning the allocation of research, development, collaboration, management, and financial resources toward particular product candidates or therapeutic areas may not lead to the development of any viable commercial product and may divert resources away from better opportunities. Similarly, our potential decisions to delay, terminate, spin out, or collaborate with third parties in respect of certain programs may subsequently also prove to be suboptimal and could cause us to miss valuable opportunities. If we make incorrect determinations regarding the viability or market potential of any of our programs or product candidates or misread trends in the biopharmaceutical industry, in particular for neurodegenerative and LSDs, our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be materially adversely affected. As a result, we may fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities, be required to forgo or delay pursuit of opportunities with other product candidates or other diseases and disease pathways that may later prove to have greater commercial potential than those we choose to pursue, or relinquish valuable rights to such product candidates through collaboration, licensing or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been advantageous for us to invest additional resources to retain sole development and commercialization rights.
Current wording
Due to the significant resources required for the development of our programs, we must focus our programs on specific diseases and disease pathways and decide which product candidates to pursue and advance and the amount of resources to allocate to each. Our decisions concerning the allocation of research, development, collaboration, management, and financial resources toward particular product candidates or therapeutic areas may not lead to the development of any viable commercial product and may divert resources away from better opportunities. Similarly, our potential decisions to delay, terminate, divest, or collaborate with third parties in respect of certain programs may subsequently also prove to be suboptimal and could cause us to miss valuable opportunities. If we make incorrect determinations regarding the viability or market potential of any of our programs or product candidates or misread trends in the biopharmaceutical industry, in particular for neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
Previous wording
Research and development of biopharmaceutical products is inherently risky. We are heavily dependent on the successful development of our BBB platform technology and the programs currently in our pipeline, which are in preclinical and clinical development stages. We cannot give any assurance that any of our product candidates will receive regulatory, including marketing approval, which is necessary before they can be commercialized.
Current wording
We are heavily dependent on the successful development of our TV platform and the programs currently in our pipeline. We cannot give any assurance that any of our product candidates will receive regulatory, including marketing, approval, which is necessary before they can be commercialized.
Previous wording
We are at an early stage of development of many of the product candidates currently in our programs and are further developing our BBB platform technology. To date, we have invested substantially all of our efforts and financial resources to identify, acquire intellectual property for, and develop our BBB platform technology and our programs, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. Our future success is dependent on our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and then successfully commercialize our product candidates, and we may fail to do so for many reasons, including the following:
Current wording
Investment in biopharmaceutical product development involves significant risk that any product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate efficacy or potency, or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval, and become commercially viable. To date, we have invested substantially all of our efforts and financial resources to identify, acquire intellectual property for, and develop our TV platform and our programs, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. Our future success is dependent on our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and then successfully commercialize our product candidates, and we may fail to do so for many reasons, including the following:
Previous wording
•our competitors may develop therapeutics that render our product candidates obsolete or less attractive;
Current wording
•our competitors may develop therapeutics or platform technologies that render our product candidates or platform obsolete or less attractive;
Previous wording
•the product candidates and BBB platform technology that we develop may not be sufficiently covered by intellectual property for which we hold exclusive rights;
Current wording
•the product candidates and TV platform that we develop may not be sufficiently covered by intellectual property for which we hold exclusive rights;
Previous wording
•the product candidates and BBB platform technology that we develop may be covered by third parties’ patents or other intellectual property or exclusive rights;
Current wording
•the product candidates and TV platform that we develop may be covered by third parties’ patents or other intellectual property or exclusive rights;
Previous wording
We have never completed a clinical development program. We have previously discontinued the development of certain molecules prior to completion of preclinical development because we did not believe theymet our criteria for potential clinical success. Further, we cannot be certain that any of our product candidates will be successful in clinical trials. For instance, in August 2023, together with our collaboration partner Takeda, we discontinued development of TAK-920/DNL919 (ATV:TREM2) in Alzheimer’s disease, based on data from the Phase 1 study and the rapidly evolving treatment landscape and shifted our efforts to exploring back-up molecules. We may in the future advance product candidates into clinical trials and terminate such trials prior to their completion.
Current wording
We have previously discontinued the development of certain molecules prior to completion of preclinical development because we did not believe theymet our criteria for potential clinical success. Further, we cannot be certain that any of our product candidates will be successful in clinical trials. For instance, in August 2023, together with our collaboration partner Takeda, we discontinued development of TAK-920/DNL919 (ATV:TREM2) in Alzheimer’s disease, based on data from the Phase 1 study and the rapidly evolving treatment landscape, and, in January 2025, we announced that the Phase 2/3 HEALEY ALS Platform Trial evaluating DNL343 for ALS did not meet primary and key secondary endpoints. We may in the future advance product candidates into clinical trials and terminate such trials prior to their completion.
Previous wording
Investment in biopharmaceutical product development involves significant risk that any product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate efficacy or potency, or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval, and become commercially viable. We cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to successfully advance any of our product candidates through the development process or, if approved, successfully commercialize any of our product candidates.
Current wording
We cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to successfully advance any of our product candidates through the development process or, if approved, successfully commercialize any of our product candidates.
Previous wording
We may not be successful in our efforts to continue to create a pipeline of product candidates or to develop commercially successful products. If we fail to successfully identify and develop additional product candidates, our commercial opportunity may be limited.
Current wording
We may not be successful in our efforts to continue to create a pipeline of product candidates or to develop commercially successful products.
Previous wording
One of our strategies is to identify and pursue clinical development of additional product candidates. We currently have several programs in the research, discovery, and preclinical stages of development. Identifying, developing, obtaining regulatory approval for, and commercializing additional product candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative and LSDs will require substantial additional funding and is prone to the risks of failure inherent in drug development. We cannot provide you any assurance that we will be able to successfully identify or acquire additional product candidates, advance any of these additional product candidates through the development process, successfully commercialize any such additional product candidates, if approved, or assemble sufficient resources to identify, acquire, develop or, if approved, commercialize additional product candidates. If we are unable to successfully identify, acquire, develop, and commercialize additional product candidates, our commercial opportunity may be limited.
Current wording
One of our strategies is to identify and pursue clinical development of additional product candidates. We currently have several programs in the research, discovery and preclinical stages of development. Identifying, developing, obtaining regulatory approval for, and commercializing additional product candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases will require substantial additional funding and is prone to the risks of failure inherent in drug development. We cannot provide you any assurance that we will be able to successfully identify or acquire additional product candidates, advance any of these additional product candidates through the development process, successfully commercialize any such additional product candidates, if approved, or assemble sufficient resources to identify, acquire, develop or, if approved, commercialize additional product candidates.
Previous wording
We have concentrated a substantial portion of our research and development efforts on the treatment of neurodegenerative and LSDs, fields that have seen limited success in drug development. Further, our product candidates are based on new approaches and novel technology, which makes it difficult to predict the time and cost of product candidate development and subsequently obtaining regulatory approval.
Current wording
Our product candidates are based on novel technology in fields that have seen limited success in drug development, which makes it difficult to predict the time and cost of product candidate development and subsequently obtaining regulatory approval.
Previous wording
We have focused our research and development efforts on addressing neurodegenerative and LSDs. Collectively, efforts by biopharmaceutical companies in the fields of neurodegenerative and LSDs have seen limited success in drug development. There are few effective therapeutic options available for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS, and LSDs, such as Hunter syndrome and Sanfilippo syndrome. Our future success is highly dependent on the successful development of our BBB platform technology and our product candidates for treating neurodegenerative and LSDs. Developing and, if approved, commercializing our product candidates for treatment of neurodegenerative and LSDs subjects us to a number of challenges, including engineering product candidates to cross the BBB to enable optimal concentration of the therapeutic in the brain and obtaining regulatory approval from the FDA and other regulatory authorities who have only a limited set of precedents to rely on.
Current wording
We have focused our research and development efforts on addressing neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases. Collectively, efforts by biopharmaceutical companies in the fields of neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases have seen limited success in drug development. There are few effective therapeutic options available for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS, and lysosomal storage diseases, such as Hunter syndrome and Sanfilippo syndrome. Our future success is highly dependent on the successful development of our TV platform and our product candidates for treating neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases. Developing and, if approved, commercializing our product candidates for treatment of neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases subjects us to a number of challenges, including engineering product candidates to cross the BBB to enable optimal concentration of the therapeutic in the brain and obtaining regulatory approval from the FDA and other regulatory authorities who have only a limited set of precedents to rely on.
Previous wording
Our approach to the treatment of neurodegenerative and LSDs aims to identify and select targets with a genetic link to neurodegenerative and LSDs, as applicable, identify and develop molecules that engage the intended target, identify and develop biomarkers, which are biological molecules found in blood, other bodily fluids or tissues that are signs of a normal or abnormal process or of a condition or disease, to select the right patient population and demonstrate target engagement, pathway engagement and impact on disease progression of our molecules, and engineer our molecules to cross the BBB and act directly in the brain. This strategy may not prove to be successful. We may not be able to discover, develop, and utilize biomarkers to demonstrate target engagement, pathway engagement, and the impact on disease progression of our molecules. We cannot be sure that our approach will yield satisfactory therapeutic products that are safe and effective, scalable, or profitable. Moreover, public perception of drug safety issues, including adoption of new therapeutics or novel approaches to treatment, may adversely influence the willingness of subjects to participate in clinical trials, or if approved, of physicians to subscribe to novel treatments.
Current wording
Our approach to the treatment of neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases aims to identify and select targets with a genetic link to neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases, as applicable, identify and develop molecules that engage the intended target, identify and develop biomarkers, which are biological molecules found in blood, other bodily fluids or tissues that are signs of a normal or abnormal process or of a condition or disease, to select the right patient population and demonstrate target engagement, pathway engagement and impact on disease progression of our molecules, and engineer our molecules to cross the BBB and act directly in the brain. This strategy may not prove to be successful. We may not be able to discover, develop, and utilize biomarkers to demonstrate target engagement, pathway engagement, and the impact on disease progression of our molecules. We cannot be sure that our approach will yield satisfactory therapeutic products that are safe and effective, scalable, or profitable. Moreover, public perception of drug safety issues, including adoption of new therapeutics or novel approaches to treatment, may adversely influence the willingness of subjects to participate in clinical trials, or if approved, of physicians to subscribe to novel treatments.
Previous wording
•imposition of a temporary or permanent clinical hold by regulatory agencies for a number of reasons, including after review of an IND or amendment, CTA or amendment, or equivalent application or amendment; as a result of a new safety finding that presents unreasonable risk to clinical trial participants; a negative finding from an inspection of our clinical trial operations or trial sites; developments on trials conducted by competitors for related technology that raises FDA or EMA concerns about risk to patients of the technology broadly; or if the FDA or EMA finds that the investigational protocol or plan is clearly deficient to meet its stated objectives;
Current wording
•imposition of a temporary or permanent clinical hold by regulatory agencies for a number of reasons, including after review of an IND or amendment, CTA or amendment, or equivalent application or amendment; as a result of a new safety finding that presents unreasonable risk to clinical trial participants; a negative finding from an inspection of our clinical trial operations or trial sites; developments in trials conducted by competitors for related technology that raise FDA or EMA concerns about risk to patients of the technology broadly; or if the FDA or EMA finds that the investigational protocol or plan is clearly deficient to meet its stated objectives;
Previous wording
Any inability to successfully initiate or complete clinical trials could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenue. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, we or our collaborators may be required or elect to conduct additional studies to bridge our modified product candidates to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays could also shorten any periods during which our products have patent protection and may allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business and results of operations.
Current wording
Any inability to successfully initiate or complete clinical trials could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenue. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, we or our collaborators may be required to or elect to conduct additional studies to bridge our modified product candidates to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays could also shorten any periods during which our products have patent protection and may allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business and results of operations.
Previous wording
We could also encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us or our collaborators, by the data safety monitoring board for such trial, or by any regulatory authority, or if the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted suspend or terminate the participation of their clinical investigators and sites subject to their review. Such authorities may suspend or terminate a clinical trial due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product candidate, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions, or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.
Current wording
We could also encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us or our collaborators, by the data safety monitoring board for such trial, or by any regulatory authority, or if the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted suspend or terminate the participation of their clinical investigators and sites subject to their review. Such authorities may suspend or terminate a clinical trial due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product candidate, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions, developments on trials conducted by us or our competitors for related technology that raises regulatory concerns about risk to patients of the technology broadly, or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.
Previous wording
For example, in January 2022, we announced that the TAK-920/DNL919 (ATV:TREM2) IND application had been placed on clinical hold by the FDA. In August 2023 we announced that, in agreement with Takeda, we would discontinue clinical development of TAK-920/DNL919 in Alzheimer’s disease. We cannot assure you that we will ever resume the clinical program for TAK-920/DNL919, nor can we assure you that our other product candidates will not be subject to new, partial, or full clinical holds in the future, which may impact development plans.
Current wording
For example, in January 2022, we announced that the TAK-920/DNL919 (ATV:TREM2) IND application had been placed on clinical hold by the FDA. In August 2023 we announced that, in agreement with Takeda, we would discontinue clinical development of TAK-920/DNL919 in Alzheimer’s disease. We cannot assure you that we will ever resume the clinical program for TAK-920/DNL919, nor can we assure you that our other product candidates will not be subject to new, partial, or full clinical holds in the future, which may impact development plans. We may also pause the advancement of lead molecules in favor of a backup molecule with a superior safety or efficacy profile, such as we did in our RIPK1 program, switching our focus from DNL747 to SAR443820/DNL788.
Previous wording
•the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will not complete such trials, for any reason, including the risk of higher drop-out rates if participants become infected with the COVID-19 virus or other infectious diseases that impact their participation in our trials.
Current wording
•the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will not complete such trials, for any reason, including the risk of higher drop-out rates if participants become infected with the global virus or other infectious diseases that impact their participation in our trials.
Previous wording
Our inability to enroll and retain a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials would result in significant delays or may require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether. Enrollment delays in our clinical trials may result in increased development costs for our product candidates and jeopardize our ability to obtain marketing approval for the sale of our product candidates. Furthermore, even if we are able to enroll a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials, we may have difficulty maintaining participation in our clinical trials through the treatment and any follow-up periods, which could delay or negatively impact the anticipated readouts from our clinical trials, delay our regulatory submissions, and increase the costs of the clinical trials.
Current wording
Our inability to enroll and retain a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials would result in significant delays or may require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether. Enrollment delays and retention challenges in our clinical trials may result in increased development costs for our product candidates, delay our ability to obtain clinical data, and jeopardize our ability to obtain marketing approval for the sale of our product candidates.
Previous wording
Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of preclinical studies of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of early-stage or later-stage clinical trials, and results of early clinical trials of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. The results of clinical trials in one set of patients or disease indications may not be predictive of those obtained in another. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety or efficacy or potency results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, changes in and adherence to the dosing regimen and other clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. Open-label extension studies may also extend the timing and increase the cost of clinical development substantially. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy or potency profile despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. A number of companies in the biopharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or potency or unacceptable safety issues, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. This is particularly true in neurodegenerative and LSDs, where failure rates historically have been higher than in many other disease areas. Most product candidates that begin clinical trials are never approved by regulatory authorities for commercialization.
Current wording
Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of preclinical studies of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of early-stage or later-stage clinical trials, and results of early clinical trials of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. The results of clinical trials in one set of patients or disease indications may not be predictive of those obtained in another. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety or efficacy or potency results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, changes in and adherence to the dosing regimen and other clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. Open-label extension studies may also extend the timing and increase the cost of clinical development substantially. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy or potency profile despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. A number of companies in the biopharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or potency or unacceptable safety issues, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. This is particularly true in neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases, where failure rates historically have been higher than in many other disease areas. Most product candidates that begin clinical trials are never approved by regulatory authorities for commercialization.
Previous wording
Even if such clinical trials are successfully completed, we cannot guarantee that the FDA will approve the product candidates for the proposed indications, and more trials could be required before we submit our product candidates for approval. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing application, we may be required to expend significant resources, which may not be available to us, or to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates. Even if regulatory approval is secured for any of our product candidates, the terms of such approval, such as requiring us to narrow our indications to a smaller subset, may also limit its commercial potential.
Current wording
Even if such clinical trials are successfully completed, we cannot guarantee that the FDA will approve the product candidates for the proposed indications, and more trials could be required before we submit our product candidates for approval. For instance, while we plan to submit a biologics license application ("BLA") for accelerated approval of DNL310, we expect the FDA will require us to conduct a confirmatory trial post any approval. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing application, we may be required to expend significant resources, which may not be available to us, or to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates. Even if regulatory approval is secured for any of our product candidates, the terms of such approval, such as requiring us to narrow our indications to a smaller subset, may also limit its commercial potential.
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Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
•To the extent we seek orphan drug designation for any of our product candidates, we may be unable to obtain such designations or to maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug status.
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
We plan to seek accelerated approval of DNL310. If successful, we expect the FDA will require us to conduct a confirmatory study to verify the predicted clinical benefit and safety profile. The results from the confirmatory study may not support the clinical benefit or safety profile, which would result in approval being withdrawn. The Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act reformed the accelerated approval pathway, such as requiring the FDA to specify conditions for post-approval study requirements and setting forth procedures for the FDA to withdraw a product on an expedited basis for non-compliance with post-approval requirements. An unsuccessful post-marketing study or failure to complete such a study could result in the withdrawal of marketing approval.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (6)
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
•initiate and conduct additional preclinical, clinical, or other studies for our product candidates;
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, or the perception of its effects, may materially and adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
We or our collaborators may in the future advance product candidates into clinical trials and terminate such trials prior to their completion, which could adversely affect our business. Further, after the commencement of clinical trials, we or our collaborators may discontinue advancement of lead molecules, such as the TAK-920/DNL919 program, or pause the advancement of lead molecules in favor of a backup molecule with a superior safety or efficacy profile, such as we did in our RIPK1 program, switching our focus from DNL747 to SAR443820/DNL788.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
•we may be unable to demonstrate to the regulatory authorities that a product candidate’s risk-benefit ratio when compared to the standard of care is acceptable;
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
For example, in August 2023, together with our collaboration partner Takeda,we made the strategic decision to discontinue clinical development of TAK-920/DNL919 in Alzheimer's disease following a clinical hold by the FDA.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
If we obtain FDA approval for any of our product candidates and begin commercializing those products in the United States, our operations will be subject to various federal, state, local, and foreign healthcare fraud and abuse laws. The laws that may impact our operations include the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the False Claims Act, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 ("HITECH"), the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, and analogous state and foreign laws and regulations. These laws may impact, among other things, our clinical research program, as well as our proposed and future sales, marketing, and education programs. In particular, the promotion, sales, and marketing of healthcare items and services is subject to extensive laws and regulations designed to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing, and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive, and other business arrangements.