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NovoCure Ltd (NVCR)
NASDAQ:NVCR
Risk Overview Q4, 2025
Risk Distribution
35% Legal & Regulatory
20% Production
18% Finance & Corporate
18% Tech & Innovation
8% Ability to Sell
3% 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
NovoCure 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 Q4, 2025
Main Risk Category
Legal & Regulatory
With 14 Risks
Legal & Regulatory
With 14 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
40
-1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
40
-1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
1Risks removed
2Risks changed
Since Dec 2025
0Risks added
1Risks removed
2Risks changed
Since Dec 2025
Number of Risk Changed
2
+2
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
2
+2
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of NovoCure 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 40
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 14/40 (35%)Above Sector Average
Regulation8 | 20.0%
Regulation - Risk 1
In addition to FDA requirements, we will spend considerable time and money complying with other federal, state, local and foreign rules, regulations and guidance and, if we are unable to fully comply with such rules, regulations and guidance, we could face substantial penalties.Regulation - Risk 2
If we, our collaborative partners, our contract manufacturers or our component suppliers fail to comply with the FDA's QSR or equivalent regulations established in other countries, the manufacturing and distribution of our Products could be interrupted, and our Product sales and results of operations could suffer.We, our collaborative partners, our contract manufacturers and our component suppliers are required to comply with the FDA's QSR and the equivalent quality system requirements imposed by the laws and regulations in other jurisdictions, which are a complex regulatory framework that covers the procedures and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, sterilization, storage and shipping of our Products. We cannot assure you that our facilities or our contract manufacturers' or component suppliers' facilities would pass any future quality system inspection. If our or any of our contract manufacturers' or component suppliers' facilities fails a quality system inspection, the manufacturing or distribution of our Products could be interrupted and our operations disrupted. Failure to take adequate and timely corrective action in response to an adverse quality system inspection could force a suspension or shutdown of our packaging and labeling operations or the manufacturing operations of our contract manufacturers, and lead to suspension, variation or withdrawal of our regulatory approvals or a recall of our Products. If any of these events occurs, we may not be able to provide our customers with our Products on a timely basis, our reputation could be harmed and we could lose customers, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.
Regulation - Risk 3
Our device candidates must undergo rigorous preclinical and clinical testing and we must obtain regulatory approvals, which could be costly and time-consuming and subject us to unanticipated delays or prevent us from marketing any devices.Our research and development activities, as well as the manufacturing and marketing of our Products, are subject to regulation, including regulation for safety, efficacy and quality, by the FDA in the U.S. In the EU member states where we market our Products and operate, we are subject to, inter alia, the Medical Device Regulation ("MDR"), which applies directly in all EU member states. In Switzerland, our Products and operations are subject to, inter alia, the Medical Devices Ordinance, which implements the MDR into Swiss law. In the United Kingdom, our Products and operation are subject to, inter alia, the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 and the Medical Devices (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (the "UK Regulations"), which implements the MDR and MDR like provisions into UK law. In Japan, we must obtain approvals from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare ("MHLW") to market our devices. We are regulated by comparable authorities in other countries. Regulations promulgated by the regulatory authorities in our applicable jurisdictions are wide-ranging and govern, among other things:
- the conduct of preclinical and clinical studies;- product design, development, manufacturing, testing, storage and shipping;- product labeling, advertising and promotion;- regulatory jurisdiction, premarket clearance, approval and conformity assessment pathways and procedures for initial approvals, as well as for modifications introduced in marketed products;- post-market surveillance and monitoring;- reporting of adverse events or incidents and implementation of corrective actions, including product recalls;- interactions with healthcare professionals and patients; and - product sales and distribution.
We cannot be certain if or when the FDA, comparable regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions or our notified body might request additional or modified studies on our Products, under what conditions such studies might be requested, or the required size or length of any such studies. The data collected from our clinical studies may not be sufficient to support regulatory approval in the U.S., Japan and other countries or to obtain a CE Certificate in the EU for our various future device candidates. Even if we believe the data collected from our clinical studies are sufficient, the FDA and comparable regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions have substantial discretion in the assessment and approval or conformity assessment processes and may disagree with our interpretation of the data. Our failure to adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of any of our device candidates would delay or prevent regulatory approval in the U.S., Japan and other countries or delay or prevent a CE Certificate in the EU (and therefore be unable to affix the CE mark) for our device candidates, which could prevent us from being sustainably profitable. In addition, any change in the laws or regulations that govern the clearance and approval processes relating to our current and future devices could make it more difficult and costly to obtain clearance or approval for new devices, or to produce, market and distribute our Products. Delays in receiving clearance or approval may result from these factors and others outside of our control, such as implementation of significant new or revised laws, regulations and policies, reductions in budgets to these agencies, staffing cuts and shifting priorities within these agencies. Significant delays in receiving clearance or approval, or the failure to receive clearance or approval for our new devices would have an adverse effect on our ability to expand our business.
We intend to market our Products in a number of international markets in addition to our current markets. In order to market our Products in any jurisdiction and for other indications or purposes, we may be required to obtain separate regulatory approvals or CE Certificates for our Products, as applicable. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical studies and manufacturing and marketing of our device candidates outside the U.S. vary widely from country to country. CE Certificates and regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions may take longer to obtain than FDA approvals and can require, among other things, additional testing and different clinical study designs. CE Certification processes and regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions include essentially all of the risks associated with the FDA approval processes. Some regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions must also approve prices of our Products. Approval of a Product by the FDA does not guarantee approval of the same product by the health authorities of other countries or CE marking of our Products in the EU and vice versa. In addition, changes in regulatory policy in the U.S. or in other countries for the approval or CE marking of a medical device during the period of product development and regulatory agency review or notified body review of each submitted new application may cause delays or rejections.
In the European Economic Area ("EEA"), we are required to obtain a CE Certificate and to affix a CE mark to our Products. In the EEA, our devices must be subject to conformity assessment procedure involving an EEA notified body, a private organization accredited by an EEA member state to conduct conformity assessment procedures under the MDR. The notified body typically audits and examines the device's technical documentation, including the clinical evaluation, and the quality system for the manufacture, design and final inspection of our devices before issuing a CE Certificate demonstrating compliance with the relevant requirements or the quality system requirements laid down in the relevant Annexes to the MDR. The MDR became active on May 26, 2021 and replaced Council Directive 93/42/EEC concerning medical devices ("MDD") with transitional provisions for "legacy" devices under the MDD. The MDR introduced significant changes to the regulatory framework for medical devices in the EU, including new, stricter requirements that we must comply with in order to obtain CE Certificates for new product candidates, and to renew the CE Certificates for our "legacy" MDD-Products when they expire or by December 31, 2027 or 2028, depending on device class, whichever occurs first. These changes may prevent or delay the CE Certification of our device candidates or impact our ability to modify our Products on a timely basis. In particular, the delay in the publication of key MDR guidance documents at EU level and the limited availability of qualified notified bodies might affect our ability to timely comply and demonstrate such compliance with the new requirements or delay the MDR CE Certification of our device candidates. Further, as a result of the implementation of the MDR, our notified body (as well as many other notified bodies throughout the EEA) has suffered a significant backlog in issuing CE Certificate renewals. In the UK, our Products are regulated under the UK Regulations. There can be no assurance that the UK Regulations will be interpreted by UK regulators in the same manner as the MDR from which the UK Regulations are based, which may prevent or delay the UK CE certification of our device candidates or impact our ability to modify our Products on a timely basis.
Regulation - Risk 4
We may choose to, or may be required to, suspend, repeat or terminate our clinical studies if they are not conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements, the results are negative or inconclusive or the studies are not well designed.Clinical studies must be conducted in accordance with the FDA's cGCPs and the equivalent laws and regulations applicable in other jurisdictions in which the clinical studies are conducted. The clinical studies are subject to oversight by the FDA, regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions, ethics committees and institutional review boards at the medical institutions where the clinical studies are conducted. In addition, clinical studies must be conducted with device candidates produced under the FDA's QSR and in accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements in the other jurisdictions in which the clinical studies are conducted. The conduct of clinical studies may require large numbers of test patients.
The FDA or regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions might delay or terminate our clinical studies of a device candidate for various reasons, including:
- the device candidate may have unforeseen adverse side effects or may not appear to be more effective than current therapies;- we may not agree with the FDA, a regulatory authority in another jurisdiction or an ethics committee regarding the protocol for the conduct of a clinical study;- new therapies may become the standard of care while we are conducting our clinical studies, which may require us to revise or amend our clinical study protocols or terminate a clinical study; or - fatalities may occur during a clinical study due to medical problems that may or may not be related to clinical study treatments.
Furthermore, the process of obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals in the U.S. and other jurisdictions and CE Certification in the EU for new therapeutic products is lengthy, expensive and uncertain. It can vary substantially, based on the type, complexity and novelty of the product involved. Accordingly, any of our device candidates could take a significantly longer time than we expect to, or may never, gain regulatory approval or obtain CE Certification in the EU, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.
The process of obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals may be further complicated when we seek approval for indications involving the use of our products together with pharmacological/immunological therapies and therapy candidates. If our regulators determine that the predominant questions stem from the pharmacological/immunological therapy in the study, they may require us and our partners to conduct the study under trial rules and regulations governing pharmacological/immunological therapies, which may differ significantly from medical device requirements. Adhering to pharmacological/immunological regulations and requirements governing clinical trials could make it more difficult to enroll study sites and patients, increase compliance costs and lengthen the time it takes to complete the study.
Regulation - Risk 5
Legislative and regulatory changes in the U.S. and in other countries regarding healthcare insurance and government-sponsored reimbursement programs (such as Medicare in the United States) may adversely affect our business and financial results.We rely to a material degree on highly regulated private and government-run health insurance programs for our revenue in most of the countries in which we operate. The laws and regulations regarding health care programs, both public and private, are driven by public policy considerations that may be unrelated to the direct provision of patient care, such as lowering costs or requiring or limiting access to healthcare options. These laws and regulations are very complicated and there are many requirements we must satisfy in order for our Products to become and remain eligible for reimbursement under these programs. In many cases we may have limited negotiating power when negotiating reimbursement rates for our Products.
In the future, lawmakers and regulators could also pass additional healthcare laws and implement other regulatory changes at both the national and local levels. These laws and regulations could potentially affect coverage and reimbursement for our Products. However, we cannot predict the ultimate content, timing or effect of any future healthcare initiatives or the impact any future legislation or regulation will have on us.
Governmental authorities in the U.S., EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, and other jurisdictions are increasingly active in their goal of reducing public spending on healthcare. We cannot, therefore, guarantee that the treatment of patients with our Products would be reimbursed in any particular country or, if successfully included on reimbursement lists, whether we will remain on such lists at a reasonable price.
Regulation - Risk 6
If our Products cause or contribute to a death or a serious injury, or malfunction in certain ways, we will be subject to medical device reporting regulations, which can result in voluntary corrective actions or agency enforcement actions.Under the FDA Medical Device Reporting regulations and the equivalent regulations applicable in other jurisdictions in which our Products are or may be marketed in the future, medical device manufacturers are required to report to the FDA and to the equivalent non-U.S. authorities information that a device has or may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or has malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to death or serious injury if the malfunction of the device or one of our similar devices were to recur. If we fail to report these events to the FDA or to the equivalent authorities in other jurisdictions within the required time frames, or at all, the FDA or the equivalent authorities in other jurisdictions could take enforcement action against us. Any such adverse event involving our Products also could result in future voluntary corrective actions, such as recalls or customer notifications, or agency action, such as inspection or enforcement action. Any corrective action, whether voluntary or involuntary, as well as defending ourselves in a lawsuit, will require the dedication of our time and capital, distract management from operating our business, and may harm our reputation and financial results.
Regulation - Risk 7
We are subject to extensive post-marketing regulation by the FDA and comparable authorities in other jurisdictions, which could impact the sales and marketing of our Products and could cause us to incur significant costs to maintain compliance. In addition, we may become subject to additional regulation in other jurisdictions as we increase our efforts to market and sell current and future Products outside of the U.S.Changed
We market and sell our Products, and expect to market and sell future Products, subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and numerous other federal, state and governmental authorities in other jurisdictions. These regulations are broad and relate to, among other things, the conduct of preclinical and clinical studies, product design, development, manufacturing, labeling, testing, product storage and shipping, premarket clearance and approval, conformity assessment procedures, premarket clearance and approval of modifications introduced in marketed products, post-market surveillance and monitoring, reporting of adverse events and incidents, pricing and reimbursement, interactions with healthcare professionals, interactions with patients, information security, advertising and promotion and product sales and distribution. Although we have received FDA approval to market our Products for specific indications together with specific other therapies, such as temozolomide for GBM and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for NSCLC, we will require additional FDA approval to market our Products for other indications. We may be required to obtain approval of a new PMA, HDE or PMA/HDE supplement application for modifications made to our Products. This approval process is costly and uncertain, and it could take one to three years, or longer, from the time the application is filed with the FDA. We may make modifications in the future that we believe do not or will not require additional approvals, such as the introduction of software products that we have assessed as not subject to FDA regulation and that are intended for use by users of our Products. If the FDA disagrees, and requires new PMAs, HDEs, or PMA/HDE supplements for the modifications, we may be required to recall and to stop marketing the modified versions of our Products.
In addition, before our Products can be marketed in the EU, our Products must obtain a CE Certificate from a notified body. New intended uses of CE marked medical devices falling outside the scope of the current CE Certificate require a completely new conformity assessment before the device can be CE marked and marketed in the EU for the new intended use. The process required to gather necessary information and draw up documentation in order to obtain CE Certification of a medical device in the EU can be expensive and lengthy and its outcome can be uncertain. We may make modifications to our Products in the future that we believe do not or will not require notifications to our notified body or new conformity assessments to permit the maintenance of our current CE Certificate. If the competent authorities of the EU member states or our notified body disagree and require the conduct of a new conformity assessment, the modification of the existing CE Certificate or the issuance of a new CE Certificate, we may be required to recall or suspend the marketing of the modified versions of our Products.
In Japan, new medical devices or new therapeutic uses of medical devices falling outside the scope of the existing approval by the MHLW require a new assessment and approval for each such new device or use. Accordingly, we may be required to obtain a new approval from MHLW before we launch a modified version of our Products or the use of our Products for additional indications. Approval time frames from the MHLW vary from simple notifications to review periods of one or more years, depending on the complexity and risk level of the device. In addition, importation into Japan of medical devices is subject to "Quality Management System (QMS) Ordinance," which includes the equivalent of "Good Import" regulations in the U.S. As with any highly regulated market, significant changes in the regulatory environment could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our Products in Japan.
In the U.S. and other jurisdictions, we also are subject to numerous post-marketing regulatory requirements, which include regulations under the QSR related to the manufacturing of our Products, labeling regulations and medical device reporting regulations, which require us to report to the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions and our notified body if our Products cause or contributes to a death or serious injury, or malfunction in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. In addition, these regulatory requirements may in the future change in a way that adversely affects us. If we fail to comply with present or future regulatory requirements that are applicable to us, we may be subject to enforcement action by the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions and notified bodies, which may include any of the following sanctions:
- untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;- unanticipated expenditures to address or defend such actions;- patient notification, or orders for repair, replacement or refunds;- voluntary or mandatory recall, withdrawal or seizure of our current or future devices;- administrative detention by the FDA or other regulatory authority in another jurisdiction of medical devices believed to be adulterated or misbranded;- operating restrictions, suspension or shutdown of production;- refusal or delay of our requests for PMA or analogous approval for new intended uses for or modifications to our Products or for approval of new devices;- refusal or delay in obtaining CE Certificates for new intended uses for or modifications to our Products;- suspension, variation or withdrawal of the CE Certificates granted by our notified body in the EU;- prohibition or restriction of Products being placed on the market;- operating restrictions;- suspension or withdrawal of PMA or analogous approvals that have already been granted;- refusal to grant export approval for our Products or any device candidates; or - criminal prosecution.
The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.
Regulation - Risk 8
We may not be successful in securing and maintaining reimbursement codes necessary to facilitate accurate and timely billing for our Products or physician services attendant to our Products.Third-party payers, healthcare systems, government agencies or other groups often issue reimbursement codes to facilitate billing for products and physician services used in the delivery of healthcare. Within the U.S., the billing codes most directly related to our Products are contained in the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System ("HCPCS code set"). The HCPCS code set contains Level I codes that describe physician services, also known as Common Procedural Terminology codes ("CPT codes") and Level II codes that primarily describe products. CMS is responsible for issuing the HCPCS Level II codes. The American Medical Association issues HCPCS Level I codes.
We have secured unique HCPCS Level II codes that describe our Products and we are able to use these codes in the U.S. to bill third-party payers. Loss of these codes or any alteration in the reimbursement amounts attached to these codes would materially impact our operating results. We do not expect to obtain different codes for new indications.
Except for a Category III CPT code for TTFields therapy treatment planning services using our MAXPOINT mapping software, which does not include payment rates, no CPT codes specific to our therapy currently exist to describe physician services related to the delivery of therapy using our Products. Other CPT codes for physician services specifically related to our Products may not be obtainable. Our future revenues and results may be affected by the absence of specific CPT codes, as physicians may be less likely to prescribe the therapy when there is no certainty that adequate reimbursement will be available for the time, effort, skill, practice expense and malpractice costs required to provide the therapy to patients. Coverage and payment relating to these codes is subject to discretion by each third-party payer.
Outside the U.S., Germany, France and Japan, we have not secured codes to describe our Products or to document physician services related to the delivery of therapy using our Products. The failure to obtain and maintain these codes could affect the future growth of our business.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities3 | 7.5%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Product liability suits, whether or not meritorious, could be brought against us due to alleged defective devices or for the misuse of our Products, which could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation, payment of substantial damages and/or expenses and an increase in our insurance rates.Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
Other future litigation and regulatory actions could have a material adverse impact on the Company.From time to time, we may be subject to litigation and other legal and regulatory proceedings relating to our business or investigations or other actions by governmental agencies, including as described in Part I, Item 3 "Legal Proceedings" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. No assurances can be given that the results of these or new matters will be favorable to us. An adverse resolution of lawsuits, arbitrations, investigations or other proceedings or actions could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, including as a result of non-monetary remedies. Defending ourselves in these matters may be time-consuming, expensive and disruptive to normal business operations and may result in significant expense and a diversion of management's time and attention from the operation of our business, which could impede our ability to achieve our business objectives. Additionally, any amount that we may be required to pay to satisfy a judgment, settlement, fine or penalty may not be covered by insurance. Subject to the Jersey Companies Law, our articles of association permit us to indemnify any director against any liability, to purchase and maintain insurance against any liability for any director and to provide any director with funds (whether by loan or otherwise) to meet expenditures incurred or to be incurred by such director in defending any criminal, regulatory or civil proceedings or in connection with an application for relief (or to enable any such director to avoid incurring such expenditure). In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers to indemnify them against certain liabilities and expenses arising from their being a director or officer to the maximum extent permitted by Jersey law. In the event we are required to make such payments to our directors and officers, there can be no assurance that any of these payments will not be material.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 3
We may be subject to fines, penalties or injunctions if we are determined to be promoting the use of our Products for unapproved or off-label uses.Medical devices may be marketed only for the indications for which they are approved. Our promotional materials and training materials must comply with FDA regulations and other applicable laws and regulations governing the promotion of our Products in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Currently, our Products are only approved in certain countries for specific types of cancer, together with specific types of other therapies, such as temozolomide for GBM and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for NSCLC.
If the FDA or the competent authorities in other jurisdictions, including the EU member states, determine that our promotional materials or training constitutes promotion of an unapproved use, they could request that we modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, including the issuance of an untitled or warning letter, an injunction, seizure, civil fines and criminal penalties. It is also possible that authorities in other federal, state or national enforcement in other jurisdictions might take action if they consider our promotional or training materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement. In that event, our reputation could be damaged and the commercialization of our Products could be impaired.
Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 2.5%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
We pay taxes, including tariffs, in multiple jurisdictions and adverse determinations by taxing or other governmental authorities or changes in tax laws, rates or our status under which tax jurisdictions apply to us could increase our tax burden or otherwise affect our financial condition or results of operations, as well as subject our shareholders to additional taxes.Environmental / Social2 | 5.0%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
We are affected by and subject to environmental laws and regulations that could be costly to comply with or that may result in costly liabilities.Environmental / Social - Risk 2
We are increasingly dependent on information technology systems and subject to privacy and security laws. Our Products and our systems and infrastructure face certain risks, including from cyber security breaches and data leakage.We increasingly rely upon technology systems and infrastructure. Our technology systems, including our Products, are potentially vulnerable to breakdown or other interruption by fire, power loss, system malfunction, unauthorized access and other events. Likewise, data privacy breaches by employees and others with both permitted and unauthorized access to our Products and our systems may pose a risk that protected patient information ("PI") may be exposed to unauthorized persons or to the public, or may be permanently lost. The increasing use and evolution of technology, including cloud-based computing, creates additional opportunities for the unintentional dissemination of information, intentional destruction of confidential information stored in our systems or in non-encrypted portable media or storage devices. We could also experience a business interruption, information theft of confidential information, or reputational damage from industrial espionage attacks, malware or other cyber incidents, which may compromise our system infrastructure or lead to data leakage, either internally or at our third-party service providers or other business partners.
The size and complexity of our computer systems, and scope of our geographic reach, make us potentially vulnerable to information technology system breakdowns, internal and external malicious intrusion, cyberattacks and computer viruses. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to sabotage systems, change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. If we do not allocate and effectively manage the resources necessary to build and sustain the proper technology infrastructure or properly manage third-party contractors who perform data management services on our behalf, then a security breach could subject us to, among other things, transaction errors, business process inefficiencies, the loss of customers, damage to our reputation, business disruptions or the loss of or damage to intellectual property. Such security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss of information, litigation, penalties, remediation costs and potentially significant liability to customers, employees, business partners and regulatory authorities, including, for example, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") in the United States and Regulation 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data under GDPR in the EU. If our data management systems (including third party data management systems) do not effectively collect, secure, store, process and report relevant data for the operation of our business, whether due to equipment malfunction or constraints, software deficiencies, or human error, our ability to effectively plan, forecast and execute our business plan and comply with applicable laws and regulations will be impaired. Any such impairment could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
While we have invested heavily in the protection of data and information technology and in related training, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent significant breakdowns, breaches in our systems or other cyber incidents or ensure compliance with all applicable security and privacy laws, regulations and standards, including with respect to third-party service providers that utilize sensitive personal information, including PI, on our behalf.
A security breach, whether of our Products, systems or third-party hosting services we utilize, could disrupt treatments being provided by our Products, disrupt access to our customers' stored information, such as patient treatment data and health information, and could lead to the loss of, damage to or public disclosure of such data and information, including patient health information. Such an event could have serious negative consequences, including possible patient injury, regulatory action, fines, penalties and damages, reduced demand for our Products, an unwillingness of customers to use our Products, harm to our reputation and brand and time-consuming and expensive litigation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. We carry a limited amount of insurance for cybersecurity liability, and our insurance coverage may be inadequate. In the future, our insurance coverage may be expensive or not be available on acceptable terms or in sufficient amounts, if at all.
Production
Total Risks: 8/40 (20%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing3 | 7.5%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Our Products may in the future be subject to recalls that could harm our reputation, business and financial results.Manufacturing - Risk 2
Safety issues concerning lithium-ion batteries could have a material adverse impact on our business.Our Products use lithium-ion batteries. On rare occasions, lithium-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke, heat, and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other lithium-ion cells. A failure in the lithium-ion battery contained in a Product could occur, which could result in accidents, casualty or damages, and subject us to lawsuits, product recalls, or redesign efforts. In addition, we store a significant number of lithium-ion cells at our facilities. Any failure of battery cells or a safety issue or fire related to the cells could disrupt our operations. Such damage or injury could lead to adverse publicity and potentially a safety recall. The transportation of lithium and lithium-ion batteries is regulated worldwide.
Laws regulating the transportation of batteries have been and may be enacted which could impose additional costs that could harm our ability to be profitable. If additional restrictions are put in place that limit our ability to ship our Products by air freight or on water borne cargo, such restrictions could have an adverse effect on our supply chain, our inventory management procedures and processes and our ability to fill prescriptions and service patients in a timely manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, compliance with future worldwide or International Air Transport Association approval process and regulations could require significant time and resources from our technical staff and, if redesign were necessary, could delay the introduction of new Products.
Manufacturing - Risk 3
Continued testing of our Products may not yield successful results and could reveal currently unknown aspects or safety hazards associated with our Products.Our research and development programs are designed to test the safety and efficacy of our Products and TTFields through extensive preclinical and clinical testing. Even if our ongoing and future preclinical and clinical studies are completed as planned, we cannot be certain that their results will support our claims or that the FDA and other regulatory authorities will agree with our conclusions. Success in preclinical studies and early clinical studies does not ensure that later clinical studies will be successful, and we cannot be sure that the later studies will replicate the results of prior studies and preclinical studies. The clinical study process may fail to demonstrate that our device candidates are safe and effective for the proposed indicated uses, which could cause us to abandon a device candidate and may delay development of others. It is also possible that patients enrolled in clinical studies will experience adverse side effects that have not been previously observed. In addition, our preclinical and clinical studies for our device candidates involve a relatively small patient population and, as a result, these studies may not be indicative of future results.
We may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, the testing process that could delay or prevent further commercialization of our Products, including the following:
- Preclinical and clinical testing for our Products may not produce the desired effect, may be inconclusive or may not be predictive of safety or efficacy results obtained in future clinical studies, following long-term use or in much larger populations;- unanticipated adverse events or other side effects that are not currently known may occur during our clinical studies that may preclude additional regulatory approval or result in additional limitations to commercial use if approved; and - the data collected from our clinical studies may not reach statistical significance or otherwise not be sufficient to support FDA or other regulatory approval.
If unacceptable side effects arise in the development of our Products for future indications, we could suspend or terminate our clinical studies or the FDA or other regulatory authorities could order us to cease clinical studies or deny approval of our device candidates for any or all targeted indications, narrow the approved indications for use or otherwise require restrictive product labeling or marketing or require further clinical studies, which may be time-consuming and expensive and may not produce results supporting FDA or other regulatory approval of our Products in a specific indication. Treatment-related side effects could also affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the study or result in potential product liability claims. In addition, these side effects may not be appropriately recognized or managed by the treating medical staff. We expect to have a need to train medical personnel using our device candidates to understand the side effect profiles for our clinical studies and upon any commercialization of our Products for future indications. Inadequate training in recognizing or managing the potential side effects of our Products could result in patient injury or death. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, prospects and financial condition significantly.
Any delay or termination of our clinical studies will delay the filing of submissions for regulatory approvals of our Products and ultimately our ability to commercialize our Products and generate revenues. Furthermore, we may abandon our Products for indications that we previously believed to be promising. Over time, we expect to make modifications to our Products that are designed to improve efficacy, reduce side effects, enhance the user experience and other purposes. It is possible that our patients will not accept these developments or see them as improvements, necessitating abandoning the development or spending additional development efforts to refine the modification. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.
Employment / Personnel1 | 2.5%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Because of the specialized nature of our business, the termination of relationships with our key employees, consultants and advisors may prevent us from successfully operating our business, including developing our Products, conducting clinical studies, commercializing our Products and obtaining any necessary financing.Supply Chain3 | 7.5%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We depend on single-source suppliers for some of our components. The loss of these suppliers could prevent or delay shipments of our Products, delay our clinical studies or otherwise adversely affect our business.Supply Chain - Risk 2
Quality control problems with respect to devices and components supplied by third-party suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our clinical studies or the commercialization of our Products and, as a result, a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.Our Products, which are manufactured by third parties, are highly technical and are required to meet exacting specifications. Any quality control problems that we experience with respect to the devices and components supplied by third-party suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our attempts to complete our clinical studies, our operating expenses or the commercialization of our Products. The failure of our suppliers to comply with strictly enforced regulatory requirements could expose us to regulatory action, including warning letters, product recalls, suspension or termination of distribution, product seizures or civil penalties. If we experience any delay in the receipt or deficiency in the quality of products supplied to us by third-party suppliers, or if we have to switch to replacement suppliers, we may face additional regulatory delays and the manufacture and delivery of our Products would be interrupted for an extended period of time, which would materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
If the third parties on which we rely to conduct our preclinical and clinical studies and to assist us with research and development do not perform as contractually required or expected, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approvals for or commercialize our Products.We do not have the ability to independently conduct certain of our preclinical and development activities or any of our clinical studies for our Products; therefore, we must rely on third parties, such as contract research organizations, medical institutions, clinical investigators, contract laboratories and collaborative partners, to conduct such studies. We and these third parties are required to comply with current good clinical practices ("cGCPs"), which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA under the medical device Quality System Regulation ("QSR") and comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions for clinical development. We and these third parties are also required to comply with current good laboratory practices ("cGLPs"), which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions for nonclinical laboratory studies. If we or any of these third parties fail to comply with applicable cGLP and cGCP regulations, the data generated in our nonclinical studies and clinical studies may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may require us to perform additional nonclinical or clinical studies before approving our applications. We cannot be certain that, upon inspection or review of our data, such regulatory authorities will determine that any of our nonclinical studies or clinical studies comply with the applicable cGLP or cGCP regulations.
Additionally, any third parties conducting our preclinical, clinical and other development programs are not and will not be our employees and, except for remedies available to us under our agreements with such third parties, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing preclinical, clinical and other development programs. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or regulatory obligations or meet expected deadlines, if these third parties need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our development activities or clinical studies may be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for our Products or successfully commercialize our Products on a timely basis, if at all, and our business, prospects and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Costs1 | 2.5%
Costs - Risk 1
Failure to secure and maintain adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payers could adversely affect acceptance of our Products and reduce our revenues.Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 7/40 (18%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights3 | 7.5%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
The market price for our ordinary shares may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses.Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Our ordinary shares are issued under the laws of Jersey, which may not provide the level of legal certainty and transparency afforded by incorporation in a U.S. state.We are incorporated under the laws of the Bailiwick of Jersey, Channel Islands. Jersey legislation regarding companies is largely based on English corporate law principles. However, there can be no assurance that Jersey law will not change in the future or that it will serve to protect investors in a similar fashion afforded under corporate law principles in the U.S., which could adversely affect the rights of investors.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
U.S. shareholders may not be able to enforce civil liabilities against us.We are a Jersey entity with most of our assets located outside of the U.S. Although we have appointed an agent for service of process in the U.S. for purposes of U.S. federal securities laws, a number of our directors and executive officers and a number of directors of each of our subsidiaries are not residents of the U.S., and all or a substantial portion of the assets of such persons are located outside the U.S. As a result, it may not be possible for investors to effect service of process within the U.S. upon such persons or to enforce against them judgments obtained in U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the U.S.
We have been advised by our Jersey lawyers that the courts of Jersey would recognize any final and conclusive judgment under which a sum of money is payable (not being a sum payable in respect of taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) obtained against us in the courts of any other territory in respect of certain enforceable obligations in accordance with the principles of private international law as applied by Jersey law (which are broadly similar to the principles accepted under English common law) and such judgment would be sufficient to form the basis of proceedings in the Jersey courts for a claim for liquidated damages in the amount of such judgment. In such proceedings, the Jersey courts would not re-hear the case on its merits save in accordance with such principles of private international law. Obligations may not necessarily be enforceable in Jersey in all circumstances or in accordance with their terms; and in particular, but without limitation: (i) any agreement purporting to provide for a payment to be made in the event of a breach of such agreement would not be enforceable to the extent that the Jersey courts were to construe such payment to be a penalty that was excessive, in that it unreasonably exceeds the maximum damages that an obligee could have suffered as a result of the breach of an obligation; (ii) the Jersey courts may refuse to give effect to any provision in an agreement that would involve the enforcement of any revenue or penal laws in other jurisdictions; and (iii) the Jersey courts may refuse to allow unjust enrichment or to give effect to any provisions of an agreement (including provisions relating to contractual interest on a judgment debt) that it considers usurious.
Accounting & Financial Operations1 | 2.5%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
To date, we have generated only occasional and intermittent operating profits, and we have a history of incurring substantial operating losses.Debt & Financing1 | 2.5%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We have borrowed a significant amount of debt and have the ability to borrow additional debt in the future, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and our ability to react and make changes to our business.Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 5.0%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
The success of our business may be dependent on the actions of our collaborative partners.Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
As we expand, we may experience difficulties managing our growth.Our anticipated growth will place a significant strain on our management and on our operational and financial resources and systems. We could face challenges inherent in efficiently managing a more complex business with an increased number of employees over large geographic distances, including the need to implement appropriate systems, policies, benefits and compliance programs. Failure to manage our growth effectively could materially adversely affect our business. Additionally, our anticipated growth will increase the demands placed on our third-party suppliers, resulting in an increased need to carefully monitor the available supply of components and services and to scale up our quality assurance programs. There is no guarantee that our suppliers will be able to support our anticipated growth. Any failure by us to manage our growth effectively could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our development and commercialization goals.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 7/40 (18%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D4 | 10.0%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Our business and prospects depend heavily on Optune Gio, which is currently approved only for the treatment of GBM, Optune Lua, which is currently approved for the treatment of NSCLC and MPM in certain countries and Optune Pax, which is currently approved for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in the U.S. If we are unable to increase sales of our Products, obtain further regulatory approvals and commercialize our Products for the treatment of additional indications, or are significantly delayed or limited in doing so, our business and prospects will be materially harmed.Changed
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
Our clinical studies could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected by many factors, including difficulties in enrolling patients.Clinical testing can be costly and take many years, and the outcome is uncertain and susceptible to varying interpretations. Moreover, success in preclinical and early clinical studies does not ensure that large-scale studies will be successful or predict final results. Acceptable results in early studies may not be replicable in later studies. A number of companies in the oncology industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical studies, even after promising results in earlier studies. Negative or inconclusive results or adverse events or incidents during a clinical study could cause the clinical study to be redone or terminated. In addition, failure to appropriately construct clinical studies could result in high rates of adverse events or incidents, which could cause a clinical study to be suspended, redone or terminated. We may be unable to obtain reimbursement for our Products used in clinical trials where our Products are already part of the approved standard of care. We may be unable to obtain other drugs or therapies that are to be used together with our Products in a given protocol, either due to supply issues, recall or the ability to obtain materials in an efficient or economically feasible manner. Our failure or the failure of third-party participants in our studies to comply with their obligations to follow protocols and/or legal requirements may also result in our inability to use the affected data in our submissions to regulatory authorities.
The timely completion of clinical studies depends, among other things, on our ability to enroll a sufficient number of patients who remain in the study until its conclusion. We may experience difficulties in patient enrollment in our clinical studies for a variety of reasons, including:
- the severity of the disease under investigation;- the limited size and nature of the patient population;- the patient eligibility criteria defined in our protocol and other clinical study protocols;- standards of care may vary by geographic region, affecting whether our protocols may be valid in a given region;- the nature of the study protocol, including the attractiveness of, or the discomforts and risks associated with, the treatments received by enrolled subjects;- difficulties and delays in clinical studies that may occur as a result of economic, political, industry and environmental conditions outside of our control;- the ability to obtain IRB approval at clinical study locations;- clinicians' and patients' perceptions as to the potential advantages, disadvantages and side effects of our Products in relation to other available therapies, including any new drugs or treatments that may be approved for the indications we are pursuing;- availability of other clinical studies that exclude use of our Products;- the possibility or perception that enrolling in a Product's clinical study may limit the patient's ability to enroll in future clinical studies for other therapies due to protocol restrictions;- the possibility or perception that our software is not secure enough to maintain patient privacy;- patient referral practices of physicians;- the ability to monitor patients adequately during and after treatment;- the availability of appropriate clinical study investigators, support staff, drugs and other therapeutic supplies and proximity of patients to clinical sites;- physicians' or our ability to obtain and maintain patient consents; and - the risk that patients enrolled in clinical studies will choose to withdraw from or otherwise not be able to complete a clinical study.
If we have difficulty enrolling and retaining a sufficient number or diversity of patients to conduct our clinical studies as planned, or encounter other difficulties, we may need to delay, terminate or modify ongoing or planned clinical studies, any of which would have an adverse effect on our business.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
If we are unable to continue the development of an adequate sales and marketing organization or contract with third parties to assist us, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our Products for current and future indications.To achieve commercial success for our Products, we must continue to compliantly develop and grow our sales and marketing organization and, as necessary, enter into sales and distribution relationships with third parties to market and sell our Products. Developing and managing a sales and marketing organization is a difficult, expensive and time consuming process. We may not be able to successfully develop adequate sales and marketing capabilities to achieve our growth objectives. We compete with other medical device, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to recruit, hire, train and retain the sales and marketing personnel that we anticipate we will need, and the nature of our Products may make it more difficult to compete for sales and marketing personnel. In addition, because our current Products require, and we anticipate our future Products will require, physician training and education, our sales and marketing organization may need to grow substantially as we expand our approved indications and markets. As a consequence, our expenses associated with building up and maintaining our sales force and marketing capabilities may be disproportionate to the revenues we may be able to generate on sales of our Products.
If we are unable to establish adequate sales and marketing capabilities or successful sales and distribution relationships, we may fail to realize the full revenue potential of our Products for current and future indications, and we may not be able to achieve the necessary growth in a cost-effective manner or realize a positive return on our investment. In our current and future sales and distribution agreements with other companies, we generally do not and may not have control over the resources or degree of effort that any of these third parties may devote to our Products, and if they fail to devote sufficient time and resources to the marketing of our Products, or if their performance is substandard, our revenues may be adversely affected.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 4
Over time, we expect to make modifications to our Products that are designed to improve efficacy, reduce side effects, enhance the user experience and other purposes. Modifications to our Products may require approvals of new PMAs, HDEs, or PMA/HDE supplement applications, modified or new CE Certificates and analogous regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions or even require us to cease promoting or to recall the modified versions of our Products until such clearances, approvals or modified or new CE Certificates are obtained, and the FDA, comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions or our notified body may not agree with our conclusions regarding whether new approvals are required.Any modification to a device approved through the PMA or HDE pathway that impacts the safety or effectiveness of the device requires submission to the FDA and FDA approval of a PMA supplement application or even a new PMA or HDE application, as the case may be. The FDA requires a company to make the determination as to whether a new PMA, HDE or PMA/HDE supplement application is to be filed, but the FDA may review the company's decision. For example, in the past, we have made initial determinations that certain modifications did not require the filing of a new PMA or PMA/HDE supplement application and have notified the FDA of these changes in our PMA Annual Report, but after its review of our PMA Annual Report, the FDA requested that we submit these modifications to the FDA as a PMA supplement application. From time to time, we may make other changes to the devices, software, packaging, manufacturing facilities and manufacturing processes and may submit additional PMA/HDE supplement applications for these changes. FDA may conduct a facility inspection as part of its review and approval process. In addition, it is possible that the FDA will require a human factors (user interface) study. It is also possible that the FDA may require additional clinical data. We can provide no assurance that we will receive FDA approval for these changes on a timely basis, or at all. We also may make additional changes in the future that we may determine do not require the filing of a new PMA, HDE or PMA/HDE supplement application. The FDA may not agree with our decisions regarding whether the filing of new PMAs, HDEs or PMA/HDE supplement applications are required.
In addition, any substantial change introduced to a medical device or to the quality system certified by our notified body requires a new conformity assessment of the device and can lead to changes to the CE Certificates or the preparation of a new CE Certificate of Conformity. Substantial changes may include, among others, the introduction of a new intended use of the device, a change in its design or a change in the company's suppliers. Responsibility for determination that a modification constitutes a substantial change lies with the manufacturer of the medical device. We must inform the notified body that conducted the conformity assessment of the Products we market or sell in the EU of any planned substantial changes to our quality system or changes to our Products that could, among other things, affect compliance with the MDR or the devices' intended use. The notified body will then assess the changes and verify whether they affect the Product's conformity with the Essential Requirements laid down in Annex I to the MDR or the conditions for the use of the device. If the assessment is favorable, the notified body will issue a new CE Certificate or an addendum to the existing CE Certificate attesting compliance with the Essential Requirements laid down in Annex I to the MDR. There is a risk that the competent authorities of the EU member states or our notified body may disagree with our assessment of the changes introduced to our Products. The competent authorities of the EU member states or our notified body also may come to a different conclusion than the FDA on any given product modification.
In addition, "legacy" medical devices that have obtained a CE Certification under the MDD may in principle continue to be marketed under such CE Certificate until the CE Certificate expires but at the latest by December 31, 2027 or 2028, depending on device class, under transitional provisions as amended in February 2023, provided that the manufacturer complies with the MDR's additional requirements related to post-marketing surveillance, market surveillance, vigilance, and registration of economic operators and of devices. However, if such medical devices undergo a significant change in their design or intended use, we would need to obtain a new CE Certificate under the MDR for these devices.
If the FDA disagrees with us and requires us to submit a new PMA, HDE, or PMA/HDE supplement application for then-existing modifications and/or the competent authorities of the EU member states or our notified body disagree with our assessment of the change introduced in a product, its design or its intended use, we may be required to cease promoting or to recall the modified product until we obtain approval and/or until a new conformity assessment has been conducted in relation to the product, as applicable. In addition, we could be subject to significant regulatory fines or other penalties. Furthermore, our Products could be subject to recall if the FDA, comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions, or our notified body determine, for any reason, that our Products are not safe or effective or that appropriate regulatory submissions were not made. Any recall or requirement that we seek additional approvals or clearances could result in significant delays, fines, increased costs associated with modification of a product, loss of revenues and potential operating restrictions imposed by the FDA, comparable foreign regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions, or our notified body. Delays in receipt or failure to receive approvals/certification, or the failure to comply with any other existing or future regulatory requirements, could reduce our sales, profitability and future growth prospects.
Trade Secrets3 | 7.5%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
If we fail to maintain, develop, protect, defend or enforce our intellectual property rights, including to our proprietary technology, trade secrets or know how, competitors may be able to develop competing therapies.Trade Secrets - Risk 2
The oncology and medical device industries are characterized by patent and other intellectual property litigation and disputes, and any litigation, dispute or claim against us may cause us to incur substantial costs, could place a significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention of management from our business, harm our reputation and require us to remove certain devices from the market.Whether a product infringes a patent or violates other intellectual property rights involves complex legal and factual issues, the determination of which is often uncertain. Any intellectual property dispute, even a meritless or unsuccessful one, would be time consuming and expensive to defend and could result in the diversion of our management's attention from our business and result in adverse publicity, the disruption of research and development and marketing efforts, injury to our reputation and loss of revenues. Any of these events could negatively affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Third parties may assert that TTFields, our Products, the methods employed in the use of our Products or other activities infringe on their patents. Such claims may be made by competitors seeking to obtain a competitive advantage or by other parties, many of whom have significantly larger intellectual property portfolios than we have.
Additionally, in recent years, individuals and groups have begun purchasing intellectual property assets for the purpose of making claims of infringement and attempting to extract settlements from companies like ours. With respect to our current Products, the risk of infringement claims is exacerbated by the fact that there are numerous issued and pending patents relating to the treatment of cancer. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, and in many cases remain unpublished for many months after filing, there may be applications now pending of which we are unaware that may later result in issued patents that our Products may infringe.
There could also be existing patents that one or more components of our Products or other device candidates may inadvertently infringe. As the number of competitors in the market or other device candidates grows, the possibility of inadvertent patent infringement by us or a patent infringement claim against us increases. To the extent we gain greater market visibility, our risk of being subject to such claims is also likely to increase. If a third party's patent was upheld as valid and enforceable and we were found to be infringing, we could be prevented from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing our Products or other device candidates, unless we were able to obtain a license under that patent or to redesign our systems to avoid infringement. A license may not be available at all or on terms acceptable to us, and we may not be able to redesign our Products to avoid any infringement. Modification of our Products or development of device candidates to avoid infringement could require us to conduct additional clinical studies and to revise our filings with the FDA and other regulatory bodies, which would be time-consuming and expensive. If we are not successful in obtaining a license or redesigning our devices, we may be unable to make, use, sell, offer to sell or import our devices and our business could suffer. We may also be required to pay substantial damages and undertake remedial activities, which could cause our business to suffer.
We may also be subject to claims alleging that we infringe or violate other intellectual property rights, such as copyrights or trademarks, may have to defend against allegations that we misappropriated trade secrets, and may face claims based on competing claims of ownership of our intellectual property. The confidentiality and assignment of inventions agreements that our employees, consultants and other third parties sign may not in all cases be enforceable or sufficient to protect our intellectual property rights. In addition, we may face claims from third parties based on competing claims to ownership of our intellectual property.
We also employ individuals who were previously employed at other medical device companies, and as such we may be subject to claims that such employees have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed the alleged trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Any such litigation, dispute or claim could be costly to defend and could subject us to substantial damages, injunctions or other remedies, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our devices.As is the case with other medical device companies, our success is heavily dependent on our intellectual property rights, and particularly on our patent rights. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the medical device industry involves both technological and legal complexity, and is therefore costly, time consuming and inherently uncertain. In addition, the U.S. has recently enacted and is currently implementing wide-ranging patent reform legislation. Certain U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that could further negatively impact the value of our patents, narrow the scope of available patent protection or weaken the rights of patent owners.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 3/40 (8%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.5%
Competition - Risk 1
We face competition from numerous competitors, which may make it more difficult for us to achieve significant market penetration and which may allow our competitors to develop additional oncology treatments to compete with our Products.Demand1 | 2.5%
Demand - Risk 1
We may not be successful in achieving market acceptance of our Products by healthcare professionals, patients and/or third-party payers in the timeframes we anticipate, or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.Sales & Marketing1 | 2.5%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
There is no assurance that Medicare or the Medicare Administrative Contractors will provide, or continue to provide, coverage or adequate payment rates for our Products.Macro & Political
Total Risks: 1/40 (3%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 2.5%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Global economic, political, industry and environmental conditions constantly change and unfavorable conditions may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.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.