Allogene Therapeutics Inc
For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Nov 7, 2024.
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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Sep 30, 2024 · Filed Nov 7, 2024
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-Q
Period ended 2024-06-30; filed 2024-08-07.
0001737287-24-000056
Item 1A. Risk FactorsCurrent report: 10-Q
Period ended 2024-09-30; filed 2024-11-07.
0001737287-24-000073
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 414 previous paragraphs and 414 current paragraphs.
367 unchanged; 42 reworded; 3 added; 0 removed; 5 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 (3)
Current report
•the prevalence of any biomarker required for enrollment, such as MRD or CD70 expression;
Current report
•Our future contract manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time required to supply our clinical trials or to successfully produce, store and distribute our products or core reagents.
Current report
Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of the patent. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Noncompliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.
Reworded paragraphs (42)
Previous wording
If we, or our collaborators, are required by the FDA, or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, to obtain approval (or clearance, or certification) of a companion diagnostic device in connection with approval of one of our product candidates, and we, or our collaborators, do not obtain, or face delays in obtaining, approval (or clearance, or certification) of a companion diagnostic device, we will not be able to commercialize the product candidate, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.*
Current wording
•If we, or our collaborators, are required by the FDA, or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, to obtain approval (or clearance, or certification) of a companion diagnostic device in connection with approval of one of our product candidates, and we, or our collaborators, do not obtain, or face delays in obtaining, approval (or clearance, or certification) of a companion diagnostic device, we will not be able to commercialize the product candidate, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.
Previous wording
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and investment in biopharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate efficacy or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval and become commercially viable. We are advancing an allogeneic CAR T platform of primarily early-stage product candidates and have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales to date, and we will continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. To date, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, securing related intellectual property rights, building our product manufacturing infrastructure, including a dedicated good manufacturing practices (GMP) manufacturing facility, manufacturing our clinical product candidates and conducting discovery, research and development activities for our programs. As a result, we are not profitable and have incurred net losses in each period since our inception. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we reported a net loss of $327.3 million. For the six months ended June 30, 2024, we reported a net loss of $131.4 million. As of June 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1.7 billion.
Current wording
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and investment in biopharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate efficacy or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval and become commercially viable. We are advancing an allogeneic CAR T platform of primarily early-stage product candidates and have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales to date, and we will continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. To date, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, securing related intellectual property rights, building our product manufacturing infrastructure, including a dedicated good manufacturing practices (GMP) manufacturing facility, manufacturing our clinical product candidates and conducting discovery, research and development activities for our programs. As a result, we are not profitable and have incurred net losses in each period since our inception. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we reported a net loss of $327.3 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we reported a net loss of $197.7 million. As of September 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1.8 billion.
Previous wording
As of June 30, 2024, we had $444.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and investments. Changing circumstances may cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to spend more money than currently expected because of circumstances beyond our control. We may also need to raise additional capital sooner than we currently anticipate if we choose to expand more rapidly than we presently plan. In any event, we will require additional capital for the further development and commercialization of our product candidates, including funding our internal manufacturing capabilities.
Current wording
As of September 30, 2024, we had $403.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and investments. Changing circumstances may cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to spend more money than currently expected because of circumstances beyond our control. We may also need to raise additional capital sooner than we currently anticipate if we choose to expand more rapidly than we presently plan. In any event, we will require additional capital for the further development and commercialization of our product candidates, including funding our internal manufacturing capabilities.
Previous wording
We may provide guidance regarding our expected financial and business performance, such as projections regarding our cash runway. Correctly identifying key factors affecting business conditions and predicting future events is an inherently uncertain process and our guidance may not ultimately be accurate. Our guidance is based on certain assumptions relating to our expenses which may fluctuate based on how quickly we are able to execute on our operational initiatives, such as the timing of initiation of clinical trials and the rate of enrollment in such trials, and the timing of certain milestone payments, manufacturing expenses, employee expenses, facility expenses, and potential modifications of existing or the establishment of new partnership agreements. If our assumptions are not met or are impacted as a result of various risks and uncertainties, we may have to raise additional capital sooner than we currently expect and the market value of our common stock could decline significantly.
Current wording
We may provide guidance regarding our expected financial and business performance, such as projections regarding our cash runway and projected clinical development and/or regulatory milestones. Correctly identifying key factors affecting business conditions and predicting future events is an inherently uncertain process and our guidance may not ultimately be accurate. Our guidance is based on certain assumptions relating to our expenses which may fluctuate based on how quickly we are able to execute on our operational initiatives, such as the timing of initiation of clinical trials and the rate of enrollment in such trials, and the timing of certain milestone payments, manufacturing expenses, employee expenses, facility expenses, and potential modifications of existing or the establishment of new partnership agreements. If our assumptions are not met or are impacted as a result of various risks and uncertainties, we may have to raise additional capital sooner than we currently expect and the market value of our common stock could decline significantly.
Previous wording
Under current law, federal net operating losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal net operating loss carryforwards in a taxable year is limited to 80% of taxable income in such year. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” (generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in the equity ownership of certain stockholders over a rolling three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. As a result of our initial public offering (IPO) in October 2018 and private placements and other transactions that have occurred since our incorporation, we may have experienced an “ownership change”. We may also experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership. We anticipate incurring significant additional net losses for the foreseeable future, and our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards associated with any such losses to offset future taxable income may be limited to the extent we incur future ownership changes. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of net operating loss carryforwards is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. As a result, we may be unable to use all or a material portion of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future cash flows. For example, California imposed limits on the usability of California state net operating losses to offset taxable income in tax years beginning after 2023 and before 2027.
Current wording
Under current law, federal net operating losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal net operating loss carryforwards in a taxable year is limited to 80% of taxable income in such year. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” (generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in the equity ownership of certain stockholders over a rolling three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. As a result of our initial public offering (IPO) in October 2018 and private placements and other transactions that have occurred since our incorporation, we may have experienced an “ownership change”. We may also experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership. We anticipate incurring significant additional net losses for the foreseeable future, and our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards associated with any such losses to offset future taxable income may be limited to the extent we incur future ownership changes. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of net operating loss carryforwards is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. For example, California imposed limits on the usability of California state net operating losses to offset taxable income in tax years beginning after 2023 and before 2027. As a result, we may be unable to use all or a material portion of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future cash flows.
Previous wording
We are also advancing product candidates against unexplored targets and with new technology. For example, in our TRAVERSE trial we are advancing ALLO-316 against a target, CD70. ALLO-316 may have limited efficacy, even accounting for the selection of patients with CD70 positive tumors, or have off-target toxicities. Since CD70 is found on activated T and other immune cells, ALLO-316 may also cause fratricide resulting in the loss of ALLO-316 cells, either during the ALLO-316 manufacturing process or after ALLO-316 is administered to patients, or may deplete host T or other immune cells.
Current wording
We are also advancing product candidates against unexplored targets and with new technology. For example, we are advancing ALLO-316 against the CD70 target, and ALLO-329 against CD19 and CD70 targets. ALLO-316 may have limited efficacy, even accounting for the selection of patients with CD70 positive tumors, or have off-target toxicities. As a dual-targeting CAR T product candidate, ALLO-329 may demonstrate limited ability to target and eliminate cells, including both B and T lymphocytes, that express one or both targets. Additionally, there may be unexpected toxicity, such as severe or prolonged immunosuppression or hyperinflammation, arising from targeting both CD19 and CD70 simultaneously. Since CD70 is found on activated T and other immune cells, ALLO-316 and ALLO-329 may also cause fratricide resulting in the loss of ALLO-316 or ALLO-329 cells, either during the manufacturing process or after the cells are administered to patients, or may deplete host T or other immune cells.
Previous wording
In our ALPHA3 trial, we are advancing cema-cel for the treatment of patients with LBCL who have completed R-CHOP and have attained a remission, but who still test positive for minimal residual disease (MRD). As part of this trial, under Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), we plan to use an investigational assay developed by Foresight Diagnostics to determine if a patient is MRD positive. There is a risk that the assay may not function as intended and that the assay may not be sufficiently sensitive to detect the presence of low levels of MRD or sufficiently specific to avoid unacceptable rates of false positives. In addition, there are logistical risks with collecting and sending patient samples to Foresight Diagnostics for testing, and there is a risk that the MRD assay will not be timely performed on the patient samples. If the MRD assay does not function as intended or is not timely performed on patient samples, it could negatively impact the rate of enrollment or the clinical results of the ALPHA3 trial. In addition, we are reliant on Foresight Diagnostics to perform MRD testing. A delay or failure by Foresight Diagnostics to perform MRD testing may negatively impact our ability to conduct ALPHA3 trial as planned, or prevent us from conducting ALPHA3 trial.
Current wording
In our ALPHA3 trial, we are advancing cema-cel for the treatment of patients with LBCL who have completed R-CHOP and have attained a remission, but who still test positive for minimal residual disease (MRD). As part of this trial, under Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), we are using an investigational assay developed by Foresight Diagnostics to determine if a patient is MRD positive. There is a risk that the assay may not function as intended and that the assay may not be sufficiently sensitive to detect the presence of low levels of MRD or sufficiently specific to avoid unacceptable rates of false positives. In addition, there are logistical risks with collecting and sending patient samples to Foresight Diagnostics for testing, and there is a risk that the MRD assay will not be timely performed on the patient samples. If the MRD assay does not function as intended or is not timely performed on patient samples, it could negatively impact the rate of enrollment or the clinical results of the ALPHA3 trial. In addition, we are reliant on Foresight Diagnostics to perform MRD testing. A delay or failure by Foresight Diagnostics to perform MRD testing may negatively impact our ability to conduct ALPHA3 trial as planned, or prevent us from conducting ALPHA3 trial.
Previous wording
Our business and future success depends on our ability to advance clinical development, obtain regulatory approval of, and then successfully commercialize, our lead product candidates. Because cema-cel, ALLO-316 and our B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) program candidates are among the first allogeneic products to be evaluated in the clinic, the failure of any such product candidates, or the failure of other allogeneic T cell therapies, including for reasons due to safety, efficacy or durability, may impede our ability to develop our product candidates, and significantly influence physicians’ and regulators’
Current wording
Our business and future success depends on our ability to advance clinical development, obtain regulatory approval of, and then successfully commercialize, our lead product candidates. Because cema-cel, ALLO-316, ALLO-715 and ALLO-605, products designed for use in patients with cancer, and ALLO-329, designed for use in patients with autoimmune disease, are or will be among the first allogeneic products to be evaluated in the clinic, the failure of any such product candidates, or the failure of other allogeneic T cell therapies, including for reasons due to safety, efficacy or durability, may impede our ability to develop our product candidates, and significantly influence physicians’ and regulators’ opinions in regard to the viability of our entire pipeline of allogeneic T cell therapies. For instance, all of our clinical trials were previously put on clinical hold due to an observation in the phase 1 portion of the ALPHA2 trial. While the clinical hold has been resolved, we could be subject to a clinical hold in the future due to unexpected observations, adverse patient outcomes or other issues.
Previous wording
We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the U.S. or abroad. The policies of the FDA, the competent authorities of the European Union Member States (EU Member States), the EMA, the European Commission and other comparable regulatory authorities responsible for clinical trials may change and additional government regulations may be enacted. For instance, the regulatory landscape related to clinical trials in the European Union recently evolved. The European Union Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR), which was adopted in April 2014 and repeals the European Union Clinical Trials Directive, became applicable on January 31, 2022. The CTR allows sponsors to make a single submission to both the competent authority and an ethics committee in each EU Member State, leading to a single decision for each EU Member State. The assessment procedure for the authorization of clinical trials has been harmonized as well, including a joint assessment by all EU Member States concerned, and a separate assessment by each EU Member State with respect to specific requirements related to its own territory, including ethics rules. Each EU Member State’s decision is communicated to the sponsor via the centralized European Union portal. Once the clinical trial approved, clinical study development may proceed. The CTR foresees a three-year transition period. The extent to which ongoing and new clinical trials will be governed by the CTR varies. The CTR will apply to clinical trials from an earlier date if the related clinical trial application was made on the basis of the CTR or if the clinical trial has already transitioned to the CTR framework before January 31, 2025. Compliance with the CTR requirements by us and our third-party service providers, such as CROs, may impact our developments plans.
Current wording
We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the U.S. or abroad. The policies of the FDA, the competent authorities of the European Union Member States (EU Member States), the EMA, the European Commission and other comparable regulatory authorities responsible for clinical trials may change and additional government regulations may be enacted. For instance, the regulatory landscape related to clinical trials in the European Union recently evolved. The European Union Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR), which was adopted in April 2014 and repeals the European Union Clinical Trials Directive, became applicable on January 31, 2022. The CTR allows sponsors to make a single submission to both the competent authority and an ethics committee in each EU Member State, leading to a single decision for each EU Member State. The assessment procedure for the authorization of clinical trials has been harmonized as well, including a joint assessment by all EU Member States concerned, and a separate assessment by each EU Member State with respect to specific requirements related to its own territory, including ethics rules. Each EU Member State’s decision is communicated to the sponsor via the centralized European Union portal. Once the clinical trial is approved, clinical study development may proceed. The CTR foresees a three-year transition period. The extent to which ongoing and new clinical trials will be governed by the CTR varies. The CTR will apply to clinical trials from an earlier date if the related clinical trial application was made on the basis of the CTR or if the clinical trial has already transitioned to the CTR framework before January 31, 2025. Compliance with the CTR requirements by us and our third-party service providers, such as CROs, may impact our developments plans.
Previous wording
Future undesirable or unacceptable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics. Approved autologous CAR T therapies and those under development have shown frequent rates of CRS, neurotoxicity, serious infections, prolonged cytopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome (HLH/MAS) and adverse events have resulted in the death of patients. We have observed certain of these adverse events for our allogeneic CAR T product candidates. Other adverse events could also emerge in autologous CAR T therapies over time. For instance, patients who received an autologous anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy have experienced neurocognitive and hypokinetic movement disorder with features of Parkinson's disease that emerged months after treatment and may have been due to BCMA expression within the brain. Our anti-BCMA product candidates have the risk of causing similar adverse events.
Current wording
Future undesirable or unacceptable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics. Approved autologous CAR T therapies and those under development have shown frequent rates of CRS, neurotoxicity including immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), serious infections, prolonged cytopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome (HLH/MAS), immune effector cell-associated HLH-like syndrome (IEC-HS) and adverse events have resulted in the death of patients. We have observed certain of these adverse events for our allogeneic CAR T product candidates. Other adverse events could also emerge in autologous CAR T therapies over time. For instance, patients who received an autologous anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy have experienced neurocognitive and hypokinetic movement disorder with features of Parkinson's disease that emerged months after treatment and may have been due to BCMA expression within the brain. Our anti-BCMA product candidates have the risk of causing similar adverse events.
Previous wording
Our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates may also cause unique adverse events related to the differences between the donor and patients, such as GvHD or infusion reactions. In addition, we utilize a lymphodepletion regimen, which generally includes fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and ALLO-647, that may cause serious adverse events. For instance, because the regimen will cause a transient and sometimes prolonged immune suppression, patients will have an increased risk of infection that may be unable to be cleared by the patient and ultimately lead to other serious adverse events or death. Our lymphodepletion regimen has caused and may also cause prolonged cytopenia and aplastic anemia. We are also exploring various dosing strategies for lymphodepletion in our clinical trials, such as including varying doses of the chemotherapy agents and/or ALLO-647 or eliminating one or more of the agents, which may alter the risk of serious adverse events or have other undesirable outcomes such as a reduction of the efficacy of treatment.
Current wording
Our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates may also cause unique adverse events related to the differences between the donor and patients, such as GvHD or infusion reactions. In addition, we utilize a lymphodepletion regimen, which generally includes combinations of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and ALLO-647, that may cause serious adverse events. For instance, because some regimens are expected to cause a deep and sometimes prolonged immune suppression, patients will have an increased risk of infection that may be unable to be cleared by the patient and ultimately lead to other serious adverse events or death. Our lymphodepletion regimen has caused such adverse events and may also cause prolonged cytopenia and aplastic anemia. We are also exploring various dosing strategies for lymphodepletion in our clinical trials, such as including varying doses of the chemotherapy agents and/or ALLO-647 or eliminating one or more of the agents, which may alter the risk of serious adverse events or have other undesirable outcomes such as a reduction of the efficacy of treatment.
Previous wording
As we treat and re-treat more patients with our product candidates in our clinical trials, new less common side effects may also emerge or increased incidence of previously observed side effects may occur. There is a risk that the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may not agree that sufficient mitigating procedures are included in our protocols to address such side effects, and FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may impose a clinical hold as it evaluates risks associated with such side effects and/or as we work with the agency to implement protocol amendments to appropriately manage such side effects. For instance, we observed a chromosomal abnormality that led to a previous clinical hold on our clinical trials. While our investigation concluded that the chromosomal abnormality had no clinical significance and was unrelated to our manufacturing process, our manufacturing processes include gene engineering by using viral vectors and genomic nucleases that may in the future cause insertion, deletion, or chromosomal translocation that may result in allogeneic CAR T cells to proliferate uncontrollably and adverse events. In addition, we have observed liver enzyme elevations, including one adverse event – autoimmune hepatitis – that qualified as a dose-limiting toxicity in our TRAVERSE trial.
Current wording
As we treat and re-treat more patients with our product candidates in our clinical trials, new less common side effects may also emerge or increased incidence of previously observed side effects may occur. There is a risk that the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may not agree that sufficient mitigating procedures are included in our protocols to address such side effects, and FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may impose a clinical hold as it evaluates risks associated with such side effects and/or as we work with the agency to implement protocol amendments to appropriately manage such side effects. For instance, we observed a chromosomal abnormality that led to a previous clinical hold on our clinical trials. While our investigation concluded that the chromosomal abnormality had no clinical significance and was unrelated to our manufacturing process, our manufacturing processes include gene engineering by using viral vectors and genomic nucleases that may in the future cause insertion, deletion, or chromosomal translocation that may result in allogeneic CAR T cells to proliferate uncontrollably and adverse events.
Previous wording
We may also combine the use of our product candidates with other investigational therapies that may cause separate adverse events or events related to the combination.
Current wording
We may also combine the use of our product candidates with other investigational or approved therapies that may cause separate adverse events or events related to the combination.
Previous wording
•We may not be able to submit INDs or equivalent foreign applications, to commence additional clinical trials on the timelines we expect, and even if we are able to, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, may not permit us to proceed.
Current wording
We may not be able to submit INDs or equivalent foreign applications to commence additional clinical trials on the timelines we expect, and even if we are able to, the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may not permit us to proceed.*
Previous wording
In addition, we have an open IND for ALLO-647, which is being used as part of lymphodepletion in all our clinical trials. Any regulatory issues related to ALLO-647 or to the development of ALLO-647, if it is used as part of a lymphodepletion regimen in a clinical study, could delay such study and delay the development of our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates and significantly affect our business.
Current wording
In addition, we have an open IND for ALLO-647, which is being used as part of lymphodepletion in certain of our clinical trials. Any regulatory issues related to ALLO-647 or to the development of ALLO-647, if it is used as part of a lymphodepletion regimen in a clinical study, could delay such study and delay the development of our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates and significantly affect our business.
Previous wording
•the screen failure rate for clinical trials of our product candidates may be higher than we anticipate, requiring us to screen larger numbers of patients than originally planned, for example, the number of patients who have MRD at the end of front-line treatment in ALPHA3 may be lower than we expect;
Current wording
•the screen failure rate for clinical trials of our product candidates may be higher than we anticipate, requiring us to screen larger numbers of patients than originally planned. For example, the number of patients who have MRD at the end of front-line treatment in ALPHA3 may be lower than we expect, requiring more patients to be screened;
Previous wording
A pandemic or epidemic may also increase the risk of certain of the events described above and delay our development timelines. Any inability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenue. In addition, in order to transition manufacturing of certain of our product candidates from our CDMO to our manufacturing facility, we will be required to meet certain regulatory conditions, such as establishing comparability with the product candidates manufactured at our CDMO, and our inability to meet such conditions would result in investment of additional resources, a delay in using our manufacturing facility for production and extend our clinical trial timelines. Similar conditions may apply if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates. Clinical study 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
A pandemic or epidemic may also increase the risk of certain of the events described above and delay our development timelines. Any inability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenue. In addition, as we continue to transition manufacturing of certain of our product candidates from our CDMO to our manufacturing facility, we will be required to meet certain regulatory conditions, such as establishing comparability with the product candidates manufactured at our CDMO, and our inability to meet such conditions would result in investment of additional resources, a delay in using our manufacturing facility for production of such product candidate and an extension of our clinical trial timelines. Similar conditions may apply if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates. Clinical study 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 may experience difficulties in patient enrollment in our clinical trials for a variety of reasons. For example, as we progress the ALPHA2 CLL cohort, ALPHA3 and TRAVERSE trials, we may face enrollment challenges, including an unwillingness of sites or patients to participate, the exclusion of patients with certain disease characteristics or the ineligibility of patients that have received prior autologous CAR T therapies, which continue to gain adoption. The timely completion of clinical trials in accordance with their protocols depends, among other things, on our ability to enroll a sufficient number of patients. Because we anticipate a minority of the 1L patients we will test for MRD as part of screening for the ALPHA3 trial will be MRD positive, we will likely experience a very high screen failure rate, which will require screening a large number of patients to complete enrollment in the study. Because of the anticipated high screen failure rate, certain clinical trial sites may decline to participate in ALPHA3 or completion of enrollment may be significantly delayed. Future epidemics or pandemics may result in reduced enrollment and challenges to related clinical trial activities. The enrollment of patients may be more difficult, such as due to the perceptions of the safety of our clinical trials due to the previous clinical hold, and will depend on many factors, including:
Current wording
We may experience difficulties in patient enrollment in our clinical trials for a variety of reasons. For example, as we progress the ALPHA2 CLL cohort, ALPHA3 and TRAVERSE trials, we may face enrollment challenges, including an unwillingness of sites or patients to participate, the exclusion of patients with certain disease characteristics or the ineligibility of patients that have received prior autologous CAR T therapies, which continue to gain adoption. The timely completion of clinical trials in accordance with their protocols depends, among other things, on our ability to enroll a sufficient number of patients. Because we anticipate a minority of the 1L patients we will test for MRD as part of screening for the ALPHA3 trial will be MRD positive, we will likely experience a very high screen failure rate, which will require screening a large number of patients to complete enrollment in the study. Because of the anticipated high screen failure rate, certain clinical trial sites may decline to participate in ALPHA3 or completion of enrollment may be significantly delayed. Future epidemics or pandemics may result in reduced enrollment and challenges to related clinical trial activities. The enrollment of patients may be more difficult, such as due to the perceptions of the safety of our product candidates, and will depend on many factors, including:
Previous wording
Since we only need to conduct a limited number of manufacturing runs to generate clinical supply, the diversity of our supply is limited during clinical trials. As a result, some patients may have antibodies to certain donor specific antigens at titers that could negatively impact the activity of our product candidates and which would render the patients ineligible for treatment. Furthermore, cellular mechanisms of allogeneic tissue rejection may limit the efficacy of our products. In addition, we have introduced an in vitro companion diagnostic (IVD) assay in the TRAVERSE trial to screen for patients with CD70+ tumors and will utilize an MRD assay in the ALPHA3 trial to screen for patients who are MRD positive, both of which are restricting or will restrict the number of patients eligible for the trials.
Current wording
Since we only need to conduct a limited number of manufacturing runs to generate clinical supply, the diversity of our supply is limited during clinical trials. As a result, some patients may have antibodies to certain donor specific antigens at titers that could negatively impact the activity of our product candidates and which would render the patients ineligible for treatment. Furthermore, cellular mechanisms of allogeneic tissue rejection may limit the efficacy of our products. In addition, we have introduced an in vitro companion diagnostic (IVD) assay in the TRAVERSE trial to screen for patients with CD70+ tumors and are utilizing an MRD assay in the ALPHA3 trial to screen for patients who are MRD positive, both of which are restricting the number of patients eligible for the trials.
Previous wording
Moreover, because our product candidates represent a departure from more commonly used methods for cancer treatment, potential patients and their doctors may be inclined to use conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, hematopoietic cell transplantation as well as autologous CAR T cell therapies, rather than enroll patients in our clinical trial, including if our product candidates have or are perceived to have additional safety or efficacy risks or if using our product candidates may affect insurance coverage of conventional therapies. For instance, the development of autologous CAR T cell therapies continues to rapidly advance, including into earlier lines of treatment of LBCL and treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma, as described under the section entitled "Business—Competition" included in our Annual Report. We also may experience risks associated with a new class of therapies, bispecific antibodies, which have been approved for multiple myeloma and LBCL. The compelling results and related approvals impact our ability to enroll patients with R/R multiple myeloma or LBCL in our clinical trials. Moreover, patients eligible for allogeneic CAR T cell therapies but ineligible for autologous CAR T cell therapies due to aggressive cancer and inability to wait for autologous CAR T cell therapies may be at greater risk for complications and death from therapy or may experience a reduction in efficacy as compared to patients who are well enough and whose disease is sufficiently slow growing as to be eligible for autologous CAR T cell therapy.
Current wording
Moreover, because our product candidates represent a departure from more commonly used methods for cancer treatment, potential patients and their doctors may be inclined to use conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, hematopoietic cell transplantation as well as autologous CAR T cell therapies, rather than enroll patients in our clinical trial, including if our product candidates have or are perceived to have additional safety or efficacy risks or if using our product candidates may affect insurance coverage of conventional therapies. For instance, the development of autologous CAR T cell therapies continues to rapidly advance, including into earlier lines of treatment of LBCL and treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma, as described under the section entitled "Business—Competition" included in our Annual Report. We also may experience risks associated with a new class of therapies, bispecific antibodies, which have been approved for multiple myeloma and LBCL. The compelling results and related approvals may impact our ability to enroll patients in our clinical trials. Moreover, patients eligible for allogeneic CAR T cell therapies but ineligible for autologous CAR T cell therapies due to aggressive cancer and inability to wait for autologous CAR T cell therapies may be at greater risk for complications and death from therapy or may experience a reduction in efficacy as compared to patients who are well enough and whose disease is sufficiently slow growing as to be eligible for autologous CAR T cell therapy.
Previous wording
Applicable data protection laws, privacy policies, data protection obligations and public company disclosure obligations may require us, or we may choose, to notify relevant stakeholders, including affected individuals, regulators and investors, of certain security incidents, or to implement other requirements, such as providing credit monitoring. Such disclosures and compliance with such requirements are costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. If we (or a third party with whom we work) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may also experience adverse consequences. These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing sensitive information (including personal data); litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration; indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms. Whether a cybersecurity incident is reportable to our investors may not be straightforward, may take considerable time to determine, and may be subject to change as the investigation of the incident progresses, including changes that may significantly alter any initial disclosure that we provide. Moreover, experiencing a material cybersecurity incident and any mandatory disclosures could lead to negative publicity, loss of investor or partner confidence in the effectiveness of our cybersecurity measures, diversion of management’s attention, governmental investigations, lawsuits, and the expenditure of significant capital and other resources.
Current wording
Applicable data protection laws, privacy policies, data protection obligations and public company disclosure obligations may require us, or we may choose, to notify relevant stakeholders, including affected individuals, regulators and investors, of certain security incidents, or to implement other requirements, such as providing credit monitoring. Such disclosures and compliance with such requirements are costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. A security incident, whether perceived or actual, experienced by us or a third party with whom we work, may cause us to experience adverse consequences. These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing sensitive information (including personal data); litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration; indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms. Whether a cybersecurity incident is reportable to our investors may not be straightforward, may take considerable time to determine, and may be subject to change as the investigation of the incident progresses, including changes that may significantly alter any initial disclosure that we provide. Moreover, experiencing a material cybersecurity incident and any mandatory disclosures could lead to negative publicity, loss of investor or partner confidence in the effectiveness of our cybersecurity measures, diversion of management’s attention, governmental investigations, lawsuits, and the expenditure of significant capital and other resources.
Previous wording
Act (HITECH), and their respective implementing regulations, imposes requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH, through its implementing regulations, makes certain of HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, defined as a person or organization, other than a member of a covered entity’s workforce, that creates, receives, maintains or transmits protected health information for or on behalf of a covered entity for a function or activity regulated by HIPAA as well as their covered subcontractors.
Current wording
In the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act) and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). For example, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and their respective implementing regulations, imposes requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH, through its implementing regulations, makes certain of HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, defined as a person or organization, other than a member of a covered entity’s workforce, that creates, receives, maintains or transmits protected health information for or on behalf of a covered entity for a function or activity regulated by HIPAA as well as their covered subcontractors.
Previous wording
•We are heavily reliant on our partners for access to TALEN® gene editing technology for the manufacturing and development of our oncology product candidates.
Current wording
We are heavily reliant on our partners, Cellectis and Servier, for access to TALEN gene editing technology for the manufacturing and development of our oncology product candidates.*
Previous wording
We rely on an agreement with Cellectis for exclusive rights to use TALEN technology for 15 select cancer targets, including BCMA, FLT3, CD70, DLL3, Claudin 18.2 and other targets included in our pipeline. We also rely on Cellectis, through our agreement with Servier, for exclusive rights to UCART19, ALLO-501 and cema-cel. Any other gene-editing technology used to research and develop product candidates directed at targets not covered by our existing agreements with Cellectis and Servier will require significant investment and time for advancement. In addition, the Cellectis gene-editing technology may fail to produce viable product candidates. Moreover, both Servier and Cellectis may terminate our respective agreements in the event of a material breach of the agreements, or upon certain insolvency events. Cellectis has challenged and may in the future challenge certain performance by Servier, such as its development of products licensed under the Cellectis-Servier Agreement in ALL, and any failure by those parties to resolve such matters may have an adverse impact on us. If our agreements were terminated or we required other gene editing technology, such a license or technology may not be available to us on reasonable terms, or at all, and advancing other gene editing technology would require significant resources.
Current wording
We rely on an agreement with Cellectis for exclusive rights to use TALEN technology for 15 select cancer targets, including BCMA, FLT3, CD70, DLL3, Claudin 18.2 and other targets included in our pipeline. We also rely on Cellectis, through our agreement with Servier, for exclusive rights to UCART19, ALLO-501 and cema-cel. Any other gene-editing technology used to research and develop product candidates directed at targets not covered by our existing agreements with Cellectis and Servier will require significant investment and time for advancement. In addition, the Cellectis gene-editing technology may fail to produce viable product candidates. Moreover, both Servier and Cellectis may terminate our respective agreements in the event of a material breach of the agreements, or upon certain insolvency events. Cellectis has challenged and may in the future challenge certain performance by Servier, such as its development of products licensed under the Cellectis-Servier Agreement in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and any failure by those parties to resolve such matters may have an adverse impact on us. If our agreements were terminated or we required other gene editing technology, such a license or technology may not be available to us on reasonable terms, or at all, and advancing other gene editing technology would require significant resources.
Previous wording
In May 2024 we entered into the Servier Amendment which made various amendments to the Original Servier Agreement, and expanded our licensed territory thereunder to include the European Union and the United Kingdom, and also granted us an option, under certain circumstances, to expand the territory further to include China (including Hong Kong) and Japan. Although we believe that we and Servier are both in full compliance of our respective obligations under the Servier Agreement, there can be no assurance that we will not have future disputes with Servier regarding our respective rights and obligations under our agreements and any future dispute could jeopardize our CD19 Products license, the loss of which would have a significant adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.
Current wording
In May 2024 we entered into the Servier Amendment which made various amendments to the Original Servier Agreement, and expanded our licensed territory thereunder to include the European Union and the United Kingdom, and also granted us an option, under certain circumstances, to expand the territory further to include China (including Hong Kong) and Japan. Although we believe that we and Servier are both in full compliance of our respective obligations under the Servier
Previous wording
Our oncology product candidates utilize an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody as part of a lymphodepletion regimen to be infused prior to infusing our product candidates. The anti-CD52 antibody may reduce the likelihood of a patient’s immune system rejecting the engineered allogeneic T cells for a sufficient period of time to enable a window of persistence during which such engineered allogeneic T cells can actively target and destroy cancer cells. However, the antibody may not have the benefits that we anticipate and could have adverse effects. For instance, our lymphodepletion regimen, including using an anti-CD52 antibody, will cause immune suppression that can be of unpredictable depth and duration and that may be associated with an increased risk of infection, such as to common viral or bacterial or opportunistic pathogens, that may be unable to be cleared and ultimately lead to other serious adverse events or death.
Current wording
Certain of our oncology product candidates utilize an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody as part of a lymphodepletion regimen to be infused prior to infusing our product candidates. The anti-CD52 antibody may reduce the likelihood of a patient’s immune system rejecting the engineered allogeneic T cells for a sufficient period of time to enable a window of persistence during which such engineered allogeneic T cells can actively target and destroy cancer cells. However, the antibody may not have the benefits that we anticipate and could have adverse effects. For instance, our lymphodepletion regimen, including using an anti-CD52 antibody, will cause immune suppression that can be of unpredictable depth and duration and that may be associated with an increased risk of infection, such as to common viral or bacterial or opportunistic pathogens, that may be unable to be cleared and ultimately lead to other serious adverse events or death.
Previous wording
To secure our own readily available source of anti-CD52 antibody, we are developing our own monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody, ALLO-647, which we use in our clinical trials. ALLO-647 may cause serious adverse events that alemtuzumab may cause, including fatal adverse events, infusion related reactions, immune thrombocytopenia, glomerular nephropathies, thyroid disorders, autoimmune cytopenias, autoimmune hepatitis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, acquired hemophilia, infections, stroke, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. In addition, we are exploring various dosing strategies for lymphodepletion in our clinical trials, such as including varying doses of the chemotherapy agents and/or ALLO-647 or eliminating one or more of the agents, which may alter the risk of serious adverse events or have other undesirable outcomes such as a reduction of the efficacy of treatment. Additionally, our experimental lymphodepletion regimens may show different safety profiles when paired with different allogeneic CAR T product candidates such that regimens deemed safe with one CAR T product candidate may be determined to be associated with unacceptable toxicity when combined with another CAR T candidate or with the same candidate in a different patient population. If observed, these differences may require additional clinical exploration and may cause delays in the execution or termination of development campaigns. See the section entitled "Business—Product Pipeline and Development Strategy" included in our Annual Report for information on safety events.
Current wording
To secure our own readily available source of anti-CD52 antibody, we are developing our own monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody, ALLO-647, which we use in certain of our clinical trials. ALLO-647 may cause serious adverse events that alemtuzumab may cause, including fatal adverse events, infusion related reactions, immune thrombocytopenia, glomerular nephropathies, thyroid disorders, autoimmune cytopenias, autoimmune hepatitis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, acquired hemophilia, infections, stroke, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. In addition, we are exploring various dosing strategies for lymphodepletion in our clinical trials, such as including varying doses of the chemotherapy agents and/or ALLO-647 or eliminating one or more of the agents, which may alter the risk of serious adverse events or have other undesirable outcomes such as a reduction of the efficacy of treatment. Additionally, our experimental lymphodepletion regimens may show different safety profiles when paired with different allogeneic CAR T product candidates such that regimens deemed safe with one CAR T product candidate may be determined to be associated with unacceptable toxicity when combined with another CAR T candidate or with the same candidate in a different patient population. If observed, these differences may require additional clinical exploration and may cause delays in the execution or termination of development campaigns. See the section entitled "Business—Product Pipeline and Development Strategy" included in our Annual Report for information on safety events.
Previous wording
If we are unable to successfully develop and manufacture ALLO-647 in the timeframe we anticipate, or at all, such as if regulatory authorities do not agree with our selected dose or approve of the use of ALLO-647 in combination with our allogeneic T cell product candidates, our clinical trial timelines and ability to commercialize any of our oncology product candidates would be significantly delayed.
Current wording
If we are unable to successfully develop and manufacture ALLO-647 in the timeframe we anticipate, or at all, such as if regulatory authorities do not agree with our selected dose or approve of the use of ALLO-647 in combination with our allogeneic T cell product candidates, our clinical trial timelines and ability to commercialize certain of our oncology product candidates would be significantly delayed.
Previous wording
While we utilize CF1 for clinical manufacturing of our product candidates, we may continue to use CDMOs from time to time to manufacture product candidates in the United States while we manage all other aspects of the supply, including planning, CDMO oversight, disposition and distribution logistics. For example, in the past, Servier was responsible for UCART19 manufacturing, and experienced UCART19 supply issues that limited its ability to recruit new patients. There can be no assurance that we will not experience supply or manufacturing issues in the future.
Current wording
While we utilize CF1 for clinical manufacturing of our CAR T product candidates, we will continue to use CDMOs to manufacture ALLO-647 and several core reagents, and for distribution logistics. There can be no assurance that we will not experience supply or manufacturing issues related to our product candidates or core reagents in the future.
Previous wording
We have built CF1 and are in the process of transitioning the manufacturing of certain product candidates to our manufacturing facility. Manufacturing product candidates in our own facility requires that we meet certain regulatory conditions, which may delay or extend our clinical trial timelines. As we transition more manufacturing to CF1, there is a risk that we may need to re-engage our CDMO to manufacture material, which would be costly and there is a risk that the CDMO may be unavailable or may fail in manufacturing, such as due to the CDMO having to retrain its personnel, or train new personnel, to manufacture our material.
Current wording
We have built CF1 and have transitioned the manufacturing of certain product candidates to our manufacturing facility. Manufacturing product candidates in our own facility requires that we meet certain regulatory conditions, which may delay or extend our clinical trial timelines. As we transition more manufacturing to CF1, there is a risk that we may need to re-engage our CDMO to manufacture material, which would be costly and there is a risk that the CDMO may be unavailable or may fail in manufacturing, such as due to the CDMO having to retrain its personnel, or train new personnel, to manufacture our material.
Previous wording
•Our third-party manufacturers might be unable to timely formulate and manufacture our product or produce the quantity and quality required to meet our clinical and commercial needs, if any.
Current wording
•Our third-party manufacturers might be unable to timely formulate and manufacture our product or core reagents or produce the quantity and quality required to meet our clinical and commercial needs, if any.
Previous wording
States governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of medical and hazardous materials, and there is a risk of contamination or injury resulting from medical or hazardous materials. For instance, we have had and may continue to have environmental notice of violations at our manufacturing facility. As a result of any such contamination or injury, we may incur liability or local, city, state or federal authorities may curtail the use of these materials and interrupt our business operations. In the event of an accident, we could be held liable for damages or penalized with fines, and the liability could exceed our resources. We do not have any insurance for liabilities arising from medical or hazardous materials. In addition, we have previously shipped certain materials to Allogene Overland PRC in China and may do so in the future to its successor entity. Any violation by our joint venture in the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal under foreign law may subject us to additional liability.
Current wording
Our research and development activities involve the controlled use of potentially hazardous substances, including chemical and biological materials. We and our suppliers are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations in the United States governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of medical and hazardous materials, and there is a risk of contamination or injury resulting from medical or hazardous materials. For instance, we have had and may continue to have environmental notice of violations at our manufacturing facility. As a result of any such contamination or injury, we may incur liability or local, city, state or federal authorities may curtail the use of these materials and interrupt our business operations. In the event of an accident, we could be held liable for damages or penalized with fines, and the liability could exceed our resources. We do not have any insurance for liabilities arising from medical or hazardous materials. In addition, we have previously shipped certain materials to Allogene Overland PRC in China and may do so in the future to its successor entity. Any violation by our joint venture in the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal under foreign law may subject us to additional liability.
Previous wording
Complex regulatory environments exist in other jurisdictions in which we might consider seeking regulatory approvals for our product candidates, further complicating the regulatory landscape. For example, in the European Union a special committee called the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) was established within the EMA in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 on advanced-therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of ATMPs, and to follow scientific developments in the field. ATMPs include gene therapy products as well as somatic cell therapy products and tissue engineered products. In this regard, on May 28, 2014, the EMA issued a recommendation that
Current wording
Complex regulatory environments exist in other jurisdictions in which we might consider seeking regulatory approvals for our product candidates, further complicating the regulatory landscape. For example, in the European Union a special committee called the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) was established within the EMA in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 on advanced-therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of ATMPs, and to follow scientific developments in the field. ATMPs include gene therapy products as well as somatic cell therapy products and tissue engineered products. In this regard, on May 28, 2014, the EMA issued a recommendation that UCART19 be considered a gene therapy product under Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 on ATMPs. We cannot conclude that our product candidates will receive a similar recommendation.
Previous wording
•The FDA, or comparable foreign authorities, may disagree with our regulatory plan and we may fail to obtain regulatory approval of our CAR T cell product candidates.
Current wording
The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our regulatory plan and we may fail to obtain regulatory approval of our CAR T cell product candidates.*
Previous wording
As we are concurrently developing ALLO-647 to be used as part of the lymphodepletion regimen for our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates, mapping a co-development path for dual approval of ALLO-647 and any of our CAR T cell product candidates and coordinating concurrent review with different divisions of competent regulatory authorities. As an example, the divisions of the FDA create additional regulatory uncertainty for us and may delay the development of our product candidates. We expect the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research division of the FDA to exercise authority over the regulatory approval of ALLO-647 while the CBER division will oversee the regulatory approval of our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates.
Current wording
As we are concurrently developing ALLO-647 to be used as part of the lymphodepletion regimen for certain of our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates, mapping a co-development path for dual approval of ALLO-647 and any of our CAR T cell product candidates and coordinating concurrent review with different divisions of competent regulatory authorities. As an example, the divisions of the FDA create additional regulatory uncertainty for us and may delay the development of our product candidates. We expect the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research division of the FDA to exercise authority over the regulatory approval of ALLO-647 while the CBER division will oversee the regulatory approval of our allogeneic CAR T cell product candidates.
Previous wording
Companion diagnostics are developed in conjunction with clinical programs for the associated product and are subject to regulation as medical devices by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and, to date, the FDA has generally required premarket approval of companion diagnostics for cancer therapies. Generally, when a companion diagnostic is essential to the safe and effective use of a therapeutic product, the FDA requires that the companion diagnostic be approved concurrent with approval of the therapeutic product and before a product can be commercialized. In the EEA, companion diagnostics are deemed to be in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) and are governed by Regulation 2017/746 (IVDR). IVDs, including companion diagnostics, must conform with the general safety and performance requirements (GSPR) of the IVDR by December 2028.
Current wording
Companion diagnostics are developed in conjunction with clinical programs for the associated product and are subject to regulation as medical devices by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and, to date, the FDA has generally required premarket approval of companion diagnostics for cancer therapies. Generally, when a companion diagnostic is essential to the safe and effective use of a therapeutic product, the FDA requires that the companion diagnostic be approved concurrent with approval of the therapeutic product and before a product can be commercialized. In the EEA, companion diagnostics are deemed to be in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) and are governed by Regulation 2017/746 (IVDR).
Previous wording
We have received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for ALLO-715 and cema-cel and fast track designation for ALLO-605 and ALLO-316. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain RMAT designation or fast track designation for any of our additional product candidates. RMAT designation and fast track designation do not change the FDA’s standards for product approval, and there is no assurance that such designation will result in expedited review or approval or that the approved indication will not be narrower than the indication covered by the designation. Additionally, RMAT designation and fast track designation can be revoked if the criteria for eligibility cease to be met as clinical data emerges.
Current wording
We have received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for ALLO-316, ALLO-715 and cema-cel and fast track designation for ALLO-605 and ALLO-316. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain RMAT designation or fast track designation for any of our additional product candidates. RMAT designation and fast track designation do not change the FDA’s standards for product approval, and there is no assurance that such designation will result in expedited review or approval or that the approved indication will not be narrower than the indication covered by the designation. Additionally, RMAT designation and fast track designation can be revoked if the criteria for eligibility cease to be met as clinical data emerges.
Previous wording
The strength of patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. The patent applications that we own or in-license may fail to result in issued patents with claims that cover our product candidates or uses thereof in the United States or in other foreign countries. Even if the patents do successfully issue, third parties may challenge the patentability, validity, enforceability or scope thereof, for example through inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review or ex parte reexamination before the USPTO, or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in foreign jurisdictions, which may result in such patents being cancelled, narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property or prevent others from designing their products to avoid being covered by our claims. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patents and patent applications we hold with respect to our product candidates is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop, and threaten our ability to commercialize, our product candidates. Further, if we encounter delays in our clinical trials, the period of time during which we could market our product candidates under patent protection would be reduced. United States patent applications containing or that at any time contained a claim not entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013 are subject to the “first to file” system implemented by the America Invents Act (2011).
Current wording
The strength of patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. The patent applications that we own or in-license may fail to result in issued patents with claims that cover our product candidates or uses thereof in the United States or in other foreign countries. Even if the patents do successfully issue, third parties may challenge the patentability, validity, enforceability or scope thereof, for example through inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review or ex parte reexamination before the USPTO, or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in foreign jurisdictions, which may result in such patents being cancelled, narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property or prevent others from designing their products to avoid being covered by our claims. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patents and patent applications we hold with respect to our product candidates is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop, and threaten our ability to commercialize, our product candidates. Further, if we encounter delays in our clinical trials, the period of time during which we could market our product candidates under patent protection would be reduced. United States patent applications containing at any time a claim not entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013 are subject to the “first to file” system implemented by the America Invents Act (2011).
Previous wording
This first to file system will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to our product candidates. Furthermore, for United States applications in which all claims are entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013, an interference proceeding can be provoked by a third-party or instituted by the USPTO, to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by the patent claims of our applications. For United States applications containing a claim not entitled to priority before March 16, 2013, there is a greater level of uncertainty in the patent law in view of the passage of the America Invents Act, which brought into effect significant changes to the United States patent laws, including new procedures for challenging patent applications and issued patents.
Current wording
This first to file system will require us to be cognizant of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to our product candidates. Furthermore, for United States applications in which all claims are entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013, an interference proceeding can be provoked by a third-party or instituted by the USPTO, to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by the patent claims of our applications. For United States applications containing a claim not entitled to priority before March 16, 2013, there is a greater level of uncertainty in the patent law in view of the passage of the America Invents Act, which brought into effect significant changes to the United States patent laws, including new procedures for challenging patent applications and issued patents.
Previous wording
Third parties may assert that we or our collaboration partners infringe their patents or are otherwise employing their proprietary technology without authorization and may sue us and/or our collaboration partners. For example, in July 2024 Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. and Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc. (collectively, Roche) filed lawsuits in Federal District Courts in California and Delaware against Foresight Diagnostics Inc. (Foresight Diagnostics), who is our collaboration partner, as well as Stanford University and three of Foresight’s founders, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and breach of contract relating to Foresight Diagnostics’ PhasED-Seq Circulating Tumor DNA Platform which is being used as part of our ALPHA3 clinical trial to identify MRD+ patients. As part of the lawsuit, Roche seeks to obtain ownership of certain
Current wording
Third parties may assert that we or our collaboration partners infringe their patents or are otherwise employing their proprietary technology without authorization and may sue us and/or our collaboration partners. For example, in July 2024 Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. and Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc. (collectively, Roche) filed lawsuits in Federal District Courts in California and Delaware against Foresight Diagnostics Inc. (Foresight Diagnostics), who is our collaboration partner, as well as Stanford University and three of Foresight’s founders, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and breach of contract relating to Foresight Diagnostics’ PhasED-Seq Circulating Tumor DNA Platform which is being used as part of our ALPHA3 clinical trial to identify MRD+ patients. As part of the lawsuit, Roche seeks to obtain ownership of certain Stanford patents covering the PhasED-Seq technology that are licensed to Foresight Diagnostics. Foresight Diagnostics has stated that it believes that Roche’s allegations are meritless and that it intends to vigorously defend against the case, and in October 2024 Foresight Diagnostics and Stanford filed motions seeking to have the lawsuits dismissed. If Roche obtains an injunction or otherwise prevails in its lawsuits, we may be required to seek alternative means for gaining access to the PhasED-Seq MRD assay or find an alternative MRD assay to use in the ALPHA3 trial, either of which may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms or at all, and/or could significantly delay or prevent the completion of the trial or our plans to commercialize cema-cel as part of a 1L consolidation strategy, if approved, which could materially adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
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Rearranged current paragraphs (2)
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
Agreement, there can be no assurance that we will not have future disputes with Servier regarding our respective rights and obligations under our agreements and any future dispute could jeopardize our CD19 Products license, the loss of which would have a significant adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
IVDs, including companion diagnostics, must conform with the general safety and performance requirements (GSPR) of the IVDR by December 2028.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (5)
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
opinions in regard to the viability of our entire pipeline of allogeneic T cell therapies. For instance, all of our clinical trials were previously put on clinical hold due to an observation in the ALPHA2 trial. While the clinical hold has been resolved, we could be subject to a clinical hold in the future due to unexpected observations, adverse patient outcomes or other issues.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
In the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act) and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). For example, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
Our research and development activities involve the controlled use of potentially hazardous substances, including chemical and biological materials. We and our suppliers are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations in the United
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
UCART19 be considered a gene therapy product under Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 on ATMPs. We cannot conclude that our product candidates will receive a similar recommendation.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
Stanford patents covering PhasED-Seq that are licensed to Foresight Diagnostics. Foresight has stated that it believes that Roche’s allegations are meritless and that it intends to vigorously defend against the case. If Roche obtains a preliminary injunction or prevails in its lawsuits, we may be required to seek alternative means for gaining access to the PhasED-Seq MRD assay or find an alternative MRD assay to use in the ALPHA3 trial, either of which may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms or at all, and/or could significantly delay or prevent the completion of the trial or our plans to commercialize cema-cel as part of a 1L consolidation strategy, if approved, which could materially adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.