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Neurocrine (NBIX)
NASDAQ:NBIX
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Risk Overview Q3, 2024
Risk Distribution
33% Legal & Regulatory
19% Tech & Innovation
17% Production
14% Finance & Corporate
14% Ability to Sell
2% Macro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.
Risk Change Over Time
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Neurocrine Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
Risk Highlights Q3, 2024
Main Risk Category
Legal & Regulatory
With 14 Risks
Legal & Regulatory
With 14 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
42
+1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
42
+1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
2Risks removed
4Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
1Risks added
2Risks removed
4Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
Number of Risk Changed
4
+1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
4
+1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Neurocrine in the last period.
Risk Word Cloud
The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 42
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 14/42 (33%)Above Sector Average
Regulation7 | 16.7%
Regulation - Risk 1
We could face liability if a regulatory authority determines that we are promoting INGREZZA or any of our product candidates that receives regulatory approval, for "off-label" uses.Regulation - Risk 2
Any relationships with healthcare professionals, principal investigators, consultants, customers (actual and potential) and third-party payors in connection with our current and future business activities are and will continue to be subject, directly or indirectly, to federal and state healthcare laws. If we are unable to comply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations.Our business operations and activities may be directly, or indirectly, subject to various federal and state healthcare laws, including without limitation, fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, data privacy and security laws, as well as transparency laws regarding payments or other items of value provided to healthcare providers. These laws may restrict or prohibit a wide range of business activities, including, but not limited to, research, manufacturing, distribution, pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. These laws may impact, among other things, our current activities with principal investigators and research subjects, as well as current and future sales, marketing, patient co-payment assistance and education programs.
Such laws include:
- the federal Anti-Kickback Statute which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid;- the federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the federal civil False Claims Act, and Civil Monetary Penalties Laws, which impose criminal and civil penalties against individuals or entities for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government;- HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for, among other things, executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;- HIPAA, as amended by HITECH and its implementing regulations, which also imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, on covered entities, including certain healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, as well as their business associates and their covered subcontractors, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;- the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to CMS information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), other healthcare professionals (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and teaching hospitals, and applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members; and - analogous state, local and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third party payors, including private insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry's voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government; state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures or drug pricing; state laws that require disclosure of price increases above certain identified thresholds as well as of new commercial launches in the state; state laws that create Prescription Drug Price Affordability Boards to review or attempt to cap drug spending; state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; state and local "drug take back" laws and regulations; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements will comply with applicable healthcare laws may involve substantial costs. While our interactions with healthcare professionals, including our speaker programs and other arrangements have been structured to comply with these laws and related guidance, it is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices, business practices of our vendors or consultants, or a rogue employee's activities, may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws. For example, we maintain a patient assistance program to help eligible patients afford our products. These and other types of programs have become the subject of governmental scrutiny, and numerous organizations, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, have been subject to litigation, enforcement actions and settlements related to their patient assistance programs. If our operations or activities or those of our vendors are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other applicable governmental regulations, we may be subject to, without limitation, significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate.
In addition, any sales of our product once commercialized outside the U.S. will also likely subject us to foreign equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above, among other foreign laws.
Regulation - Risk 3
Proposed healthcare reform, drug pricing measures and other prospective legislative initiatives could adversely affect our business.We expect that there will continue to be a number of federal and state proposals to implement additional government controls over the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals. In addition, increasing emphasis on reducing the cost of healthcare in the U.S. will continue to put pressure on the pricing and reimbursement of prescription pharmaceuticals. For example, in response to the Biden administration's October 2022 executive order, on February 14, 2023, HHS released a report outlining three new models for testing by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation which will be evaluated on their ability to lower the cost of drugs, promote accessibility, and improve quality of care. It is unclear whether the models will be utilized in any health reform measures in the future.
In addition, certain jurisdictions outside of the U.S., including the EU, have instituted price ceilings on specific products and therapies, as described further in the risk factor titled "Government and third-party payors may impose sales and pharmaceutical pricing controls on our products or limit coverage and/or reimbursement for our products or impose policies and/or make decisions regarding the status of our products that could limit our product revenues and delay sustained profitability."
We are currently unable to predict what other additional legislation or regulation, if any, relating to the healthcare industry may be enacted in the future or what effect recently enacted federal or equivalent foreign legislation or any such additional legislation or regulation would have on our business. The pendency or approval of such proposals or reforms could result in a decrease in our stock price or limit our ability to raise capital or to enter into collaboration agreements for the further development and commercialization of our programs and products.
Regulation - Risk 4
If we fail to obtain or maintain orphan drug designation or other regulatory exclusivity for some of our product candidates, our competitive position would be harmed.In addition to any patent protection, we rely on forms of regulatory exclusivity to protect our products such as orphan drug designation. A product candidate that receives orphan drug designation can benefit from a streamlined regulatory process as well as potential commercial benefits following approval. Currently, this designation provides market exclusivity in the U.S. for seven years and EU for 10 years if a product is the first such product approved for such orphan indication. This market exclusivity does not, however, pertain to indications other than those for which the drug was specifically designated in the approval, nor does it prevent other types of drugs from receiving orphan designations or approvals in these same indications. Further, even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the product is clinically superior to the orphan product or a market shortage occurs.
In the EU, orphan exclusivity may be reduced to six years if the drug no longer satisfies the original designation criteria or can be lost altogether if the marketing authorization holder consents to a second orphan drug application or cannot supply enough drug, or when a second applicant demonstrates its drug is "clinically superior" to the original orphan drug.
If we do not have adequate patent protection for our products, then the relative importance of obtaining regulatory exclusivity is even greater. We may not be successful obtaining orphan drug designations for any indications and, even if we succeed, such product candidates with such orphan drug designations may fail to achieve FDA approval. Even if a product candidate with orphan drug designation may receive marketing approval from the FDA, it may fail to result in or maintain orphan drug exclusivity upon approval, which would harm our competitive position.
Regulation - Risk 5
Enacted healthcare reform, drug pricing measures and other recent legislative initiatives, including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, could adversely affect our business.Changed
The business and financial condition of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are affected by the efforts of government and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of healthcare and to lower drug prices. In the U.S., comprehensive drug pricing legislation enacted by the Federal government implements, for the first time, government control over the pricing of certain prescription pharmaceuticals. Moreover, in some foreign jurisdictions, pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is also subject to government control. Additionally, other federal and state laws impose obligations on manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, among others, related to disclosure of new drug products introduced to the market and increases in drug prices above a specified threshold.
For example, in August 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA, which, among other things: (1) directs the Secretary of the HHS to negotiate the price of certain high-expenditure, single-source drugs and biologics covered under Medicare; (2) redesigns the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit to lower patient out-of-pocket costs and increase manufacturer liability; and (3) requires drug manufacturers to pay rebates on drugs whose prices increase greater than the rate of inflation. The IRA also extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in the ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025 and beginning in 2025, eliminates the "donut hole" under the Medicare Part D program and creates a new, permanent cap on beneficiary out-of-pocket spending, in addition to a newly established manufacturer discount program. The IRA permits HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. HHS has issued and updated and will continue to issue and update guidance as these programs are implemented. These provisions took effect progressively beginning in 2023. On August 29, 2023, HHS announced the list of the first 10 drugs that will be subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare drug price negotiation program is currently subject to legal challenges. It is currently uncertain how the IRA will be implemented over time; however, it is likely to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry and prescription drug pricing.
While the IRA drug price negotiation program targets high-expenditure drugs that have been on the market for several years without generic or biosimilar competition, we believe we will qualify for the small biotech exception from negotiation that is set to expire in 2029.
Additionally, beginning on January 1, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement those provisions of the IRA establishing a new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount program. Under this discount program and subject to certain exceptions, manufacturers must give a 10 percent discount on Part D program drugs in the initial coverage phase, and a 20 percent discount on Part D drugs when the beneficiary enters the catastrophic coverage phase (the phase after the patient incurs costs above the initial phase out-of-pocket threshold, which will be $2,000 beginning in 2025). However, the IRA allows the 10 and 20 percent discounts to be phased in over a multi-year period for "specified manufacturers" and "specified small manufacturers". During this phase-in period, such manufacturers would pay a lower percentage discount on Medicare Part D program drugs. In April 2024, the Company was notified by CMS that it qualified as a "specified small manufacturer" and will receive the discount phase-in discussed above. INGREZZA is reimbursed under Medicare Part D, and increased discounts could impact INGREZZA revenues, while also having an industry-wide impact on the cost of other Part D program drugs such as AUSTEDO, marketed by Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries. The overall impact on INGREZZA revenues is inherently uncertain and difficult to predict and we are still evaluating the potential impact of this discount program and our designation as a "specified small manufacturer."
Our designation as a "specified small manufacturer" under the new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount program and our expected qualification under the small biotech exception for purposes of the Medicare drug price negotiation program are subject to various requirements and there is no assurance that we will continue to qualify for these exemptions in the future. The loss or potential loss of these exemptions, including as a result of a third party acquiring us, could have an adverse impact on our business.
Prior to the IRA's enactment, the most significant recent federal legislation impacting the pharmaceutical industry occurred in March 2010, when the ACA was signed into law. The ACA was intended to broaden access to health insurance and reduce the number of uninsured individuals, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms.
Other legislative changes have been adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which began in 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will remain in effect until 2032. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals and cancer treatment centers, increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.
At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, on January 5, 2024, the FDA approved Florida's SIP proposal to import certain drugs from Canada for specific state healthcare programs. It is unclear how this program will be implemented, including which drugs will be chosen, and whether it will be subject to legal challenges in the United States or Canada. Other states have also submitted SIP proposals that are pending review by the FDA. Any such approved importation plans, when implemented, may result in lower drug prices for products covered by those programs. Further, certain states through legislation have created a state PDAB to help control costs of drugs for that state. The functions of the PDABs vary by state, and may include among other things, recommending or setting upper limits on the price the state pays for certain drugs, performing drug affordability reviews, and advising state lawmakers on additional ways to reduce the state's drug spending. It is possible that the actions taken by the PDABs may result in lower prices for certain drug products sold in their states.
The implementation of these cost containment measures may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain sustained profitability or commercialize our drugs, particularly since the majority of our current revenue is derived from federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Regulation - Risk 6
We are subject to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review for INGREZZA. Additionally, our other product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other post-marketing requirements and restrictions.Regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates, including crinecerfont, may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. For INGREZZA, and any product candidate that the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for the product will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with GCPs for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, advertising and promotional materials for approved products must comply with FDA regulations and those of foreign regulatory authorities and may be subject to other potentially applicable federal and state laws.
Failure to comply with these ongoing regulatory requirements, or later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, may result in, among other things:
- restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, changes in the product's label, withdrawal of the product from the market, or voluntary or mandatory product recalls;- fines, warning or untitled letters or holds on clinical trials;- refusal by the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals;- adverse inspection findings, enforcement actions, or other activities that temporarily delay manufacture and distribution of our products;- product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and - product injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The occurrence of any of these events may adversely affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability on a sustained basis.
Regulation - Risk 7
Compliance with changing regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses.Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, new SEC regulations and Nasdaq rules, are creating uncertainty for companies such as ours. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in some cases due to their lack of specificity, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased selling, general and administrative expenses and management time related to compliance activities. If we fail to comply with these laws, regulations and standards, our reputation may be harmed and we might be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the SEC. Any such action could adversely affect our financial results and the market price of our common stock.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities2 | 4.8%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Our business operations may subject us to disputes, claims and lawsuits, which may be costly and time-consuming and could materially and adversely impact our financial position and results of operations.Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
We face potential product liability exposure far in excess of our insurance coverage.The use of any of our potential products in clinical trials, and the sale of any approved products, including INGREZZA, may expose us to liability claims. These claims might be made directly by consumers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling our products. We have product liability insurance coverage for both our clinical trials as well as related to the sale of INGREZZA in amounts consistent with customary industry practices. However, our insurance may not reimburse us or may not be sufficient to reimburse us for any expenses or losses we may suffer. Moreover, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive, and 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 from any current or future clinical trials or approved products. A successful product liability claim, or series of claims, brought against us would decrease our cash reserves and could cause our stock price to fall. Furthermore, regardless of the eventual outcome of a product liability claim, any product liability claim against us may decrease demand for our approved products, including INGREZZA, damage our reputation, result in regulatory investigations that could require costly recalls or product modifications, cause clinical trial participants to withdrawal, result in costs to defend the related litigation, decrease our revenue, and divert management's attention from managing our business.
Taxation & Government Incentives3 | 7.1%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Our effective tax rate may fluctuate, and we may incur obligations in tax jurisdictions in excess of accrued amounts.Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
Our ability to use tax attributes may be limited.Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if a corporation undergoes an "ownership change," which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation's ability to use certain pre-change federal tax attributes such as research and development tax credits to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. Based on completed Section 382 analysis done annually, we do not believe we have experienced any previous ownership changes, but the determination is complex and there can be no assurance we are correct. Furthermore, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control.
Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax attributes, including net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of NOLs or credits 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 NOLs, research and development credits, and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future cash flows.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
Changes in tax laws or regulations that are applied adversely to us or our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition or results of operations.Effective January 1, 2022, legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the option to deduct research and development expenses for tax purposes in the year incurred and requires taxpayers to capitalize and subsequently amortize such expenses over five years for research activities conducted in the U.S. and over 15 years for research activities conducted outside the U.S. Unless the U.S. Department of the Treasury issues regulations that narrow the application of this provision to a smaller subset of our research and development expenses or the provision is deferred, modified, or repealed by Congress, we expect a material decrease in our cash flows from operations and an offsetting similarly sized increase in our net deferred tax assets over these amortization periods. The actual impact of this provision will depend on multiple factors, including the amount of research and development expenses we will incur and whether we conduct our research and development activities inside or outside the U.S.
In addition, new income, sales, use, excise or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, modified or applied adversely to us. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Inflation Reduction Act enacted many significant changes to the U.S. tax laws. Future guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities with respect to such legislation may affect us, and certain aspects of such legislation could be repealed or modified in future legislation. Furthermore, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to federal tax laws. Future tax reform legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense.
Environmental / Social2 | 4.8%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
We are subject to stringent and changing obligations related to data privacy and information security. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations.Environmental / Social - Risk 2
Our activities involve hazardous materials, and we may be liable for any resulting contamination or injuries.Our research activities involve the controlled use of hazardous materials. We cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. If an accident occurs, a court may hold us liable for any resulting damages, which may harm our results of operations and cause us to use a substantial portion of our cash reserves, which would force us to seek additional financing.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 8/42 (19%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D3 | 7.1%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Because the development of our product candidates is subject to a substantial degree of technological uncertainty, we may not succeed in developing any of our product candidates.Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
Our clinical trials may be delayed for safety or other reasons, or fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, which could prevent or significantly delay their regulatory approval.Before obtaining regulatory approval for the sale of any of our potential products, we must subject these product candidates to extensive preclinical and clinical testing to demonstrate their safety and efficacy for humans. Clinical trials are expensive, time consuming and may take years to complete and the outcomes are uncertain.
In connection with the clinical trials of our product candidates, we face the risks that:
- the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authority may not allow an IND or foreign equivalent filings required to initiate human clinical studies for our drug candidates or the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may require additional preclinical studies as a condition of the initiation of Phase 1 clinical studies, or additional clinical studies for progression from Phase 1 to Phase 2, or Phase 2 to Phase 3, or for NDA approval;- the product candidate may not prove to be effective or as effective as other competing product candidates;- we may discover that a product candidate may cause harmful side effects or results of required toxicology or other studies may not be acceptable to the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities;- clinical trial results may not replicate the results of previous trials;- we or the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may suspend or vary the trials;- the results may not be statistically significant;- clinical site initiation or patient recruitment and enrollment may be slower or more difficult than expected;- the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may not accept the data from any trial or trial site outside of the U.S.;- a study is compromised due to patients dropping out and not completing the trials;- unforeseen disruptions or delays may occur, caused by man-made or natural disasters, public health pandemics or epidemics, trade restrictions or other business interruptions, including, for example, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, and the potential impact of the proposed BIOSECURE Act; and - regulatory requirements may change.
These risks and uncertainties impact all of our clinical programs and any of the clinical, regulatory or operational events described above could change our planned clinical and regulatory activities. For example, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, together with sanctions imposed on Russia, caused us to suspend all planned clinical trial activities in Russia and Ukraine. As a result, our planned clinical development timelines for valbenazine were significantly delayed while we identified and operationalized alternative clinical trial sites, which we have now done. Geopolitical tensions could also affect our ability to obtain supplies of our investigational products, which could cause delays or otherwise disrupt our clinical trials and research and development efforts. Some of our suppliers are located in China, exposing us to the possibility of supply disruption in the event of changes to the laws, rules, regulations, and policies of the governments of the U.S. or China. For example, the BIOSECURE Act, which recently passed in the House of Representatives and is now with the Senate, targets certain Chinese biotechnology companies. If this bill becomes law, or similar laws are passed, these regulations would have the potential to restrict our ability to contract with certain Chinese biotechnology companies. Such restrictions could cause delays or have other adverse effects on the development of certain of our research programs.
In addition, late-stage clinical trials are often conducted with patients having the most advanced stages of disease. During the course of treatment, these patients can die or suffer other adverse medical effects for reasons that may not be related to the pharmaceutical agent being tested but which can nevertheless adversely affect clinical trial conduct, completion and results. Any failure or substantial delay in completing clinical trials for our product candidates may severely harm our business.
Even if the clinical trials are successfully completed, we cannot guarantee that the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities will interpret the results as we do, and more trials could be required before we submit our product candidates for approval. The FDA and similar foreign regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process and may either refuse to accept an application for substantive review or may form the opinion after review of an application that the application is insufficient to allow approval of a product candidate. To the extent that the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities do not accept our application for review or approve our application, we may be required to expend significant additional resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates. Depending on the extent of these additional trials or any other studies that might be required, approval of any applications that we submit may be significantly delayed. It is also possible that any such additional studies, if performed and completed, may not be considered sufficient by the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities and we may be forced to delay or abandon our applications for approval.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
We may not be able to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any of our product candidates if they are approved in the future.Our ability to produce INGREZZA revenues consistent with expectations ultimately depends on our ability to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA and secure adequate third-party reimbursement. Our experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products began with INGREZZA's approval in 2017, when we hired our sales force and established our distribution and reimbursement capabilities, all of which are necessary to successfully commercialize our current and future products. We have continued to invest in our commercial infrastructure and distribution capabilities since the launch of INGREZZA, including the recent expansion of our psychiatry and long-term care sales teams in September 2024. While our team members and consultants have experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, we may face difficulties related to managing the rapid growth of our personnel and infrastructure, and there can be no guarantee that we will be able to maintain the personnel, systems, arrangements and capabilities necessary to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any product candidate approved by the FDA, or equivalent foreign authorities, in the future.
In addition, our business has been and may continue to be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics. In parts of the country, some hospitals, community mental health facilities, and other healthcare facilities continue to have policies that limit access of our sales representatives, medical affairs personnel and patients to such facilities. In addition, many healthcare practitioners have adopted telehealth for patient interactions, which may impact the ability of the healthcare practitioner to screen for and diagnose tardive dyskinesia or chorea associated with Huntington's disease.
Trade Secrets4 | 9.5%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We license some of our core technologies and drug candidates from third parties. If we default on any of our obligations under those licenses, or violate the terms of these licenses, we could lose our rights to those technologies and drug candidates or be forced to pay damages.Trade Secrets - Risk 2
If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our competitors could develop and market products based on our discoveries, which may reduce demand for our products.Our success will depend on our ability to, among other things:
- obtain patent protection for our products;- preserve our trade secrets;- prevent third parties from infringing upon our proprietary rights; and - operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Because of the substantial length of time and expense associated with bringing new products through the development and regulatory approval processes in order to reach the marketplace, the pharmaceutical industry places considerable importance on obtaining patent and trade secret protection for new technologies, products and processes. Accordingly, we intend to seek patent protection for our proprietary technology and compounds. However, we face the risk that we may not obtain any of these patents and that the breadth of claims we obtain, if any, may not provide adequate protection of our proprietary technology or compounds. Additionally, if our employees, commercial collaborators or consultants use generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to develop our proprietary technology and compounds, it may impact our ability to obtain or successfully defend certain intellectual property rights.
We also rely upon unpatented trade secrets and improvements, unpatented know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position, which we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality agreements with our commercial collaborators, employees and consultants. We also have invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and some, but not all, of our commercial collaborators and consultants. However, if our employees, commercial collaborators or consultants breach these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach, and our trade secrets may otherwise become known or independently discovered by our competitors.
In addition, although we own a number of patents, the issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its validity or enforceability, and third parties may challenge the validity or enforceability of our patents. We cannot assure you how much protection, if any, will be given to our patents if we attempt to enforce them and they are challenged in court or in other proceedings. It is possible that a competitor may successfully challenge our patents or that challenges will result in limitations of their coverage. Moreover, competitors may infringe our patents or successfully avoid them through design innovation. In addition, potential competitors have in the past and may in the future file an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) with the FDA seeking approval to market a generic version of our products, or our competitors' products, before the expiration of the patents covering our products or our competitors' products, as applicable. To prevent infringement or unauthorized use, we have in the past and may in the future need to file infringement claims, which are expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding a court may decide that a patent of ours or a patent of a competitor is not valid or is unenforceable or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover its technology. Derivation proceedings declared by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patent applications (or those of our licensors) or a patent of a competitor. Litigation or derivation proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management. Litigation or derivation proceedings, including proceedings of a competitor, may also result in a competitor entering the marketplace faster than expected. We cannot assure you that we will be able to prevent misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect such rights as fully as in the U.S.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.As is commonplace in the biotechnology industry, we employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, we may be subject to claims that these employees or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
Trade Secrets - Risk 4
The technologies we use in our research as well as the drug targets we select may infringe the patents or violate the proprietary rights of third parties.We cannot assure you that third parties will not assert patent or other intellectual property infringement claims against us or our collaborators with respect to technologies used in potential products. If a patent infringement suit were brought against us or our collaborators, we or our collaborators could be forced to stop or delay developing, manufacturing or selling potential products that are claimed to infringe a third party's intellectual property unless that party grants us or our collaborators rights to use its intellectual property. In such cases, we could be required to obtain licenses to patents or proprietary rights of others in order to continue to commercialize our products. However, we may not be able to obtain any licenses required under any patents or proprietary rights of third parties on acceptable terms, or at all. Even if our collaborators or we were able to obtain rights to the third party's intellectual property, these rights may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same intellectual property. Ultimately, we may be unable to commercialize some of our potential products or may have to cease some of our business operations as a result of patent infringement claims, which could severely harm our business.
Cyber Security1 | 2.4%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
If our information technology systems, those third parties upon which we rely, or our data is or were compromised, we could experience adverse impacts resulting from such compromise, including, but not limited to, interruptions to our operations such as our clinical trials, claims that we breached our data protection obligations, harm to our reputation, regulatory investigations or actions, litigation, fines and penalties, and a loss of customers or sales.Production
Total Risks: 7/42 (17%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing1 | 2.4%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Use of our approved products or those of our collaborators could be associated with side effects or adverse events.Employment / Personnel2 | 4.8%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
If we are unable to retain and recruit qualified scientists and other employees or if any of our key senior executives discontinues his or her employment with us, it may delay our development efforts or impact our commercialization of INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any product candidate approved by the FDA in the future.Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
Our employees, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including non-compliance with regulatory standards and requirements.We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees and independent contractors, such as principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners and vendors, or by employees of our commercial partners could include failures to comply with FDA regulations, to provide accurate information to the FDA, to comply with manufacturing standards we have established, to comply with federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, to report financial information or data accurately, to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets or the trade secrets of our commercial partners, or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and other business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws intended to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. Employee and independent contractor misconduct could also involve the improper use of individually identifiable information, including, without limitation, information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. Any action against our employees, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners or vendors for violations of these laws could result in significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, fines and imprisonment.
Supply Chain4 | 9.5%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We currently have no manufacturing capabilities. If third-party manufacturers of INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any of our product candidates fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our concerns, or if their performance is substandard, our ability to commercialize existing products and conduct clinical trials and develop new products could be impaired and our costs may rise.Changed
Supply Chain - Risk 2
We currently depend on a limited number of third-party suppliers. The loss of these suppliers, or delays or problems in the supply of INGREZZA or any of our other products or product candidates, could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully develop or commercialize INGREZZA, crinecerfont or any of our other products or product candidates.Changed
The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of process controls required to consistently produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), the finished drug product and packaging in sufficient quantities while meeting detailed product specifications on a repeated basis. Manufacturers of pharmaceutical products may encounter difficulties in production, such as difficulties with production costs and yields, process controls and validation, quality control and quality assurance, including testing of stability, impurities and impurity levels and other product specifications by validated test methods, compliance with strictly enforced U.S., state and non-U.S. regulations, and disruptions or delays caused by man-made or natural disasters, pandemics or epidemics, or other business interruptions. We depend on a limited number of suppliers for the production (including API) of INGREZZA, crinecerfont and our other product candidates and for the packaging of INGREZZA. If our third-party suppliers for INGREZZA, crinecerfont or any of our other product candidates encounter these or any other manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties, our ability to successfully develop or commercialize INGREZZA, crinecerfont or any of our other product candidates could be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, if our suppliers fail or refuse to supply us with INGREZZA, crinecerfont or any of our other product candidates, or their APIs for any reason, or terminate our supply agreements or do not perform as agreed, it would take a significant amount of time and expense to qualify a new supplier. The FDA and similar foreign regulatory authorities must approve manufacturers of the active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients and certain packaging materials used in pharmaceutical products. The loss of a supplier could require us to obtain regulatory clearance and to incur validation and other costs associated with the transfer of the API or product manufacturing processes. If there are delays in qualifying new suppliers or facilities or if a new supplier is unable to meet FDA or a similar foreign regulatory authority's requirements for approval, there could be a shortage of INGREZZA, crinecerfont or any of our other product candidates, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully develop or commercialize INGREZZA, crinecerfont or any of our other product candidates.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
The independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations that we rely upon to conduct our clinical trials may not be diligent, careful or timely, or may make mistakes in the conduct of our trials.We depend on independent clinical investigators and CROs to conduct our clinical trials under their agreements with us. The investigators are not our employees, and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our programs. If our independent investigators fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our drug development programs, or if their performance is substandard, or not in compliance with GCPs, it may delay or prevent the approval of our regulatory applications and our introduction of new treatments. The CROs we contract with for execution of our clinical trials play a significant role in the conduct of the trials and the subsequent collection and analysis of data. Failure of the CROs to meet their obligations could adversely affect clinical development of our products. Moreover, these independent investigators and CROs may also have relationships with other commercial entities, some of which may compete with us. If independent investigators and CROs assist our competitors at our expense, it could harm our competitive position.
Supply Chain - Risk 4
We depend on our current collaborators for the development and commercialization of several of our products and product candidates and may need to enter into future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product candidates.We depend on our current collaborators for the development and commercialization of several of our products and product candidates and may need to enter into future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product candidates. For example, we depend on AbbVie for the manufacture and commercialization of ORILISSA and ORIAHNN and for the continued development of elagolix. We collaborate with MTPC for the commercialization of DYSVAL in Japan and for the continued development and commercialization of valbenazine for movement disorders in other select Asian markets. Our additional collaborators include Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Nxera Pharma UK Limited (formerly Sosei Heptares), Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., and Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Our current and future collaborations and licenses could subject us to a number of risks, including:
- strategic collaborators may sell, transfer or divest assets or programs related to our partnered product or product candidates;- we may be required to undertake the expenditure of substantial operational, financial and management resources;- we may be required to assume substantial actual or contingent liabilities;- we may not be able to control the amount and timing of resources that our strategic collaborators devote to the development or commercialization of our products or product candidates;- we may not be able to influence our strategic collaborator's decisions regarding the development and collaboration of our partnered product and product candidates, and as a result, our collaboration partners may not pursue or prioritize the development and commercialization of those partnered products and product candidates in a manner that is in our best interest;- strategic collaborators may select indications or design clinical trials in a way that may be less successful than if we were doing so;- strategic collaborators may not conduct collaborative activities in a timely manner, provide insufficient funding, terminate a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new version of a product candidate for clinical testing;- strategic collaborators may not pursue further development and commercialization of products resulting from the strategic collaboration arrangement or may elect to discontinue research and development programs;- disagreements or disputes may arise between us and our strategic collaborators that result in delays or in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management's attention and consumes resources;- strategic collaborators may experience financial difficulties;- strategic collaborators may not properly maintain, enforce or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in a manner that could jeopardize or invalidate our proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation;- we or strategic collaborators could terminate the arrangement (in whole or in part) or allow it to expire, which would delay the development and commercialization, result in disagreements or disputes or may increase the cost of developing and commercializing our products or product candidates;- strategic collaborators could develop, either alone or with others, products or product candidates that may compete with ours; and - our strategic collaborator's decisions regarding the development and commercialization of a partnered product or product candidate within their territory(ies) could negatively impact us in the territories where we have development and commercialization rights for such product or product candidate.
If any of these issues arise, it may delay and/or negatively impact the development and commercialization of drug candidates and, ultimately, our generation of product revenues.
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 6/42 (14%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights2 | 4.8%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
There can be no assurance with respect to the number of shares of our common stock repurchased under the share repurchase program or that any share repurchases will enhance long-term stockholder value.Added
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
The price of our common stock is volatile.The market prices for securities of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies historically have been highly volatile, and the market for these securities has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, negatively affected the stock market and investor sentiment and resulted in significant volatility, as has the applicability of the Medicare drug price negotiation provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. Furthermore, especially as we and our market capitalization have grown, the price of our common stock has been increasingly affected by quarterly and annual comparisons with the valuations and recommendations of the analysts who cover our business. If our results do not meet these analysts' forecasts, the expectations of our investors or the financial guidance we provide to investors in any period, which is based on assumptions that may be incorrect or that may change from quarter to quarter, the market price of our common stock could decline. Over the course of the last 12 months, the price of our common stock has ranged from approximately $104 per share to approximately $158 per share.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate in response to many factors, including:
- sales of INGREZZA and our other products;- the results of our clinical trials;- reports of safety issues related to INGREZZA, ORILISSA, ORIAHNN, DYSVAL, or any of our other products;- any delay in filing an IND, NDA, marketing authorization application (MAA), or other regulatory submission for any of our product candidates, including crinecerfont, and any adverse development or perceived adverse development with respect to the applicable regulatory agency's review of that IND, NDA, MAA, or other regulatory submission;- developments concerning new and existing collaboration agreements;- announcements of technological innovations or new therapeutic products by us or others, including our competitors;- general economic and market conditions, including economic and market conditions affecting the biotechnology industry;- developments in patent or other proprietary rights;- developments related to the FDA, CMS and foreign regulatory agencies;- government regulation, including the Inflation Reduction Act;- future sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders;- any trading activity in our share repurchase program;- comments by securities analysts;- additions or departures of key personnel;- fluctuations in our operating results;- potential litigation matters;- government and third-party payor coverage and reimbursement;- failure of any of our product candidates, including crinecerfont, to achieve commercial success even if approved;- disruptions caused by man-made or natural disasters, pandemics or epidemics or other business interruptions, including, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; and - public concern as to the safety of our drugs.
In addition, we are a member of the S&P MidCap 400 index. If we cease to be represented in the S&P MidCap 400 index, or other indexes or indexed products, as a result of our market capitalization falling below the threshold for inclusion in the index, certain institutional shareholders may, due to their internal policies and investment guidelines, be required to sell their shareholdings. Such sales may result in further negative pressure on our stock price and, when combined with reduced trading volume and liquidity, could adversely affect the value of your investment and your ability to sell your shares.
Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 4.8%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Because our operating results may vary significantly in future periods, our stock price may decline.Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We expect to increase our expenses for the foreseeable future, and we may not be able to sustain profitability.Changed
We received FDA approval for INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia in April 2017 and for chorea associated with Huntington's disease in August 2023. Our partner AbbVie received FDA approval for ORILISSA for endometriosis in July 2018 and for ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids in May 2020. Additionally, our partner MTPC received Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare approval for DYSVAL for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia in March 2022. However, we have not yet obtained regulatory approvals for any other product candidates. Even if we continue to succeed in commercializing INGREZZA, or are successful in developing and commercializing any of our other product candidates, we may not be able to sustain profitability. We also expect to continue to incur significant operating and capital expenditures as we:
Debt & Financing1 | 2.4%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We may need additional capital in the future. If we cannot raise additional funding, we may be unable to fund our business plan and our future research, development, commercial and manufacturing efforts.Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 2.4%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We have increased the size of our organization and will need to continue to increase the size of our organization. We may encounter difficulties with managing our growth, which could adversely affect our results of operations.Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 6/42 (14%)Above Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.4%
Competition - Risk 1
We face intense competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, the demand for our products may be reduced.Demand3 | 7.1%
Demand - Risk 1
If physicians and patients do not continue to accept INGREZZA or do not accept any of our other products, or our sales and marketing efforts are not effective, we may not generate sufficient revenue.Demand - Risk 2
Our customers are concentrated and therefore the loss of a significant customer may harm our business.We have entered into agreements for the distribution of INGREZZA with a limited number of specialty pharmacy providers and distributors, and all of our product sales of INGREZZA are to these customers. Four of these customers represented approximately 93% of our total product sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and approximately 98% of our accounts receivable balance as of September 30, 2024. If any of these significant customers becomes subject to bankruptcy, is unable to pay us for our products or is acquired by a company that wants to terminate the relationship with us, or if we otherwise lose any of these significant customers, our revenue, results of operations and cash flows would be adversely affected. Even if we replace the loss of a significant customer, we cannot predict with certainty that such transition would not result in a decline in our revenue, results of operations and cash flows.
Demand - Risk 3
If the market opportunities for our products and product candidates are smaller than we believe they are, our expected revenues may be adversely affected, and our business may suffer.Certain of the diseases that INGREZZA, crinecerfont, and our other product candidates are being developed to address are in underserved and underdiagnosed populations. Our projections of both the number of people who have these diseases, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who will seek treatment utilizing our products or product candidates, may not be accurate. If our estimates of the prevalence or number of patients potentially on therapy prove to be inaccurate, the market opportunities for INGREZZA, crinecerfont, and our other product candidates may be smaller than we believe they are, our prospects for generating expected revenue may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.
Sales & Marketing1 | 2.4%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
Government and third-party payors may impose sales and pharmaceutical pricing controls on our products or limit coverage and/or reimbursement for our products or impose policies and/or make decisions regarding the status of our productsthat could limit our product revenues and delay sustained profitability.Brand / Reputation1 | 2.4%
Brand / Reputation - Risk 1
Increasing use of social media could give rise to liability and result in harm to our business.Macro & Political
Total Risks: 1/42 (2%)Below Sector Average
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 2.4%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics, which could also cause significant disruption in the operations of third-party manufacturers, CROs, or other third parties upon whom we rely.See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
FAQ
What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
1. Financial & Corporate
- Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
- Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
- Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
2. Legal & Regulatory
- Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
- Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
- Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
- Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
3. Production
- Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
- Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
- Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
- Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
4. Technology & Innovation
- Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
- Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
- Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
- Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
5. Ability to Sell
- Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
- Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
- Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
- Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
6. Macro & Political
- Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
- Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
- International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
- Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.