Stocks
ETFs
Options
Commodities
Crypto
Currency
Pro Newsletters
Research Tools
Daily Feeds
Calendars
Economic Indicators
Class Actions
Calculators
Education
About Us
Working with TipRanks
Follow Us
Urogen Pharma (URGN)
NASDAQ:URGN
Holding URGN?
Track your performance easily
Risk Overview Q3, 2024
Risk Distribution
28% Legal & Regulatory
25% Tech & Innovation
23% Finance & Corporate
10% Production
8% Ability to Sell
6% 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
Urogen Pharma 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 23 Risks
Legal & Regulatory
With 23 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
83
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
83
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
1Risks removed
7Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
1Risks added
1Risks removed
7Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
Number of Risk Changed
7
+2
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
7
+2
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Urogen Pharma 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 83
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 23/83 (28%)Above Sector Average
Regulation14 | 16.9%
Regulation - Risk 1
We and the third parties with whom we work are subject to stringent and changing U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, and rules, contractual obligations, industry standards, self-regulatory schemes, government regulation, policies, standards, and other obligations related to data privacy and security. The actual or perceived failure by us, our customers, partners or vendors to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; loss of customers or sales; or otherwise adversely affect our business.*Changed
Regulation - Risk 2
The data from our pivotal Phase 3 ENVISION trial and supporting ATLAS and OPTIMA II trials may be insufficient to support regulatory approval of UGN-102.*Added
On July 27, 2023, we announced that UGN-102 met its primary endpoints in the Phase 3 ATLAS and ENVISION trials. Additionally, on June 13, 2024, we announced positive secondary endpoint DOR data from the Phase 3 ENVISION. The primary and secondary endpoints data from the ENVISION trial may not be sufficient to satisfy the regulatory threshold for approval, or we may receive other data that negatively impacts the efficacy and safety profile of UGN-102.
Regulation - Risk 3
We have not yet completed submission of our NDA for certain product candidates in our pipeline, and we may be delayed in obtaining or fail to obtain such regulatory approvals and to commercialize our product candidates.*Changed
The process of developing, obtaining regulatory approval for and commercializing our product candidates is long, complex, costly and uncertain, and delays or failure can occur at any stage. The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, marketing, sale and distribution of drugs are subject to extensive and rigorous regulation by the FDA and foreign regulatory agencies, as applicable. These regulations are agency-specific and differ by jurisdiction. We are not permitted to market any product candidate in the United States until we receive approval of an NDA from the FDA, or in any foreign countries until we receive the requisite approval from the respective regulatory agencies in such countries. To gain approval of an NDA or other equivalent regulatory approval, we must provide the FDA or relevant foreign regulatory authority with nonclinical and clinical data that demonstrates the safety and efficacy of the product for the intended indication.
Before we can submit an NDA to the FDA or comparable similar applications to foreign regulatory authorities, we must conduct Phase 3 clinical trials, or a pivotal/registration trial equivalent, for each product candidate. After submission of an NDA, the FDA may raise additional questions on any data contained in the application. These questions may come in the form of information requests or in the NDA 74-day letter as review issues. We must address these questions during the review, but we do not know whether our responses will be acceptable to the FDA. We cannot assure you that the FDA will not decide to require us to perform additional clinical trials, including potentially requiring us to perform an additional pivotal study with a control arm, before approving, or as a condition of approving, NDAs for our product candidates.
Phase 3 clinical trials often produce unsatisfactory results even though prior clinical trials were successful. Moreover, the results of clinical trials may be unsatisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities even if we believe those clinical trials to be successful. The FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agencies may suspend one or all of our clinical trials or require that we conduct additional clinical, nonclinical, manufacturing, validation or drug product quality studies and submit that data before considering or reconsidering any NDA or comparable foreign regulatory application that we may submit. Depending on the extent of these additional studies, approval of any applications that we submit may be significantly delayed or may cause the termination of such programs or may require us to expend more resources than we have available.
If any of these outcomes occur, we may not receive regulatory approval for the corresponding product candidates, and our business would not be able to generate revenue from the sale of any such product candidates.
Regulation - Risk 4
Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval may fail to achieve the broad degree of physician adoption and use and market acceptance necessary for commercial success.The commercial success of Jelmyto and any other product candidates that receive regulatory approval will depend significantly on their broad adoption and use by physicians for approved indications, including, in the case of Jelmyto, for the treatment of low-grade UTUC, and in the case of UGN-102, for the treatment of low-grade intermediate risk NMIBC, and for other therapeutic indications that we may seek to pursue with any of our product candidates. Physicians treating low-grade UTUC and low-grade intermediate risk NMIBC have never had to consider treatments other than surgery. The degree and rate of physician and patient adoption of Jelmyto, UGN-102 or any of our other product candidates, if approved, will depend on a number of factors, including:
- the clinical indications for which the product is approved; - the safety and efficacy data from the clinical trial(s) supporting the approved clinical indications; - the approved labeling and packaging for our products, including the degree of product preparation and administration convenience and ease of use that is afforded to physicians by the approved labeling and product packaging; - the prevalence and severity of adverse side effects and the level of benefit/risk observed in our clinical trials; - sufficient patient satisfaction with the results and administration of our products and overall treatment experience, including relative convenience, ease of use and avoidance of, or reduction in, adverse side effects; - the extent to which physicians recommend our products to patients; - physicians' and patients' willingness to adopt new therapies in lieu of other products or treatments, including willingness to adopt Jelmyto, and our lead product candidate UGN-102 as locally-administered drug replacements to current surgical standards of care; - the cost of treatment, safety and efficacy of our products in relation to alternative treatments, including the recurrence rate of our treatments; - the extent to which the costs of our products are covered and reimbursed by third-party payors, including the availability of a physician reimbursement code for our treatments, and patients' willingness to pay for our products; - whether treatment with our products, including the treatment of low-grade UTUC with Jelmyto and the treatment of low-grade intermediate risk NMIBC with UGN-102, if approved, will be deemed to be an elective procedure by third- party payors; if so, the cost of treatment would be borne by the patient and would be less likely to be broadly adopted; - proper education of physicians or nurses for the skillful administration of our approved product, Jelmyto, and UGN-102, if approved, and development of a broad experiential knowledge base of aggregated clinician feedback from which we can refine appropriate procedures for product administration, without which there could be a risk of adverse events; - the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts, especially the success of any targeted marketing efforts directed toward physicians and clinics and any direct-to-consumer marketing efforts we may initiate; and - third-party clinical practice guidelines.
If Jelmyto, UGN-102 or any of our other product candidates are approved for use but fail to achieve the broad degree of physician adoption and market acceptance necessary for commercial success, our operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Regulation - Risk 5
We may face future developmental and regulatory difficulties related to Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive marketing approval. In addition, we are subject to government regulations and we may experience delays in obtaining required regulatory approvals to market our proposed product candidates.We are subject to certain post-marketing commitments related to Jelmyto, including a requirement for a period of five years to provide annual updates for the DOR for all patients with ongoing CRs enrolled in the Phase 3 OLYMPUS trial. With respect to our current and future candidates, even if we complete clinical testing and receive approval of any regulatory filing for our product candidates, the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may grant approval contingent on the performance of additional costly post-approval clinical trials, risk mitigation requirements and surveillance requirements to monitor the safety or efficacy of the product, which could negatively impact us by reducing revenues or increasing expenses, and cause the approved product candidate not to be commercially viable. Absence of long-term safety data may further limit the approved uses of our products, if any.
The FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency also may approve our product candidates for a more limited indication or a narrower patient population than we originally requested or may not approve the labeling that we believe is necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of our product candidates. Furthermore, any such approved product will remain subject to extensive regulatory requirements, including requirements relating to manufacturing, labeling, packaging, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, distribution and recordkeeping.
If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements of the FDA or other applicable foreign regulatory authorities, or previously unknown problems with any approved commercial products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes are discovered, we could be subject to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions or other setbacks, including the following:
- suspension or imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; - regulatory agency refusal to approve pending applications or supplements to applications; - suspension of any ongoing clinical trials; - suspension or withdrawal of marketing approval; - an injunction or imposition of civil or criminal penalties or monetary fines; - seizure or detention of products; - bans or restrictions on imports and exports; - issuance of warning letters or untitled letters; - suspension or imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; or - refusal of regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to applications.
In addition, various aspects of our operations are subject to federal, state or local laws, rules and regulations, any of which may change from time to time. Costs arising out of any regulatory developments could be time-consuming and expensive and could divert management resources and attention and, consequently, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Regulation - Risk 6
Our ability to market Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive marketing approval is and will be limited to certain indications. If we want to expand the indications for which we may market our products, we will need to obtain additional regulatory approvals, which may not be granted.*Jelmyto is indicated for adult patients with low-grade UTUC. We are currently developing UGN-102, UGN-103, UGN-104, UGN-201 and UGN-301 for the treatment of various forms of urothelial cancer. The FDA and other applicable regulatory agencies will restrict our ability to market or advertise our products to the scope of the approved label for the applicable product and for no other indications, which could limit physician and patient adoption. We may attempt to develop and, if approved, promote and commercialize new treatment indications for our products in the future, but we cannot predict when or if we will receive the regulatory approvals required to do so. Failure to receive such approvals will prevent us from promoting or commercializing new treatment indications. In addition, we would be required to conduct additional clinical trials or studies to support approvals for additional indications, which would be time consuming and expensive, and may produce results that do not support regulatory approvals. If we do not obtain additional regulatory approvals, our ability to expand our business will be limited.
Regulation - Risk 7
If we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses of Jelmyto or any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval, or if physicians misuse our products, we may become subject to prohibitions on the sale or marketing of our products, significant sanctions, and product liability claims, and our image and reputation within the industry and marketplace could be harmed.The FDA and other regulatory agencies strictly regulate the marketing and promotional claims that are made about drug products. In particular, a product may not be promoted for uses or indications that are not approved by the FDA or such other regulatory agencies as reflected in the product's approved labeling and may not be promoted based on overstated efficacy or omission of important safety information. For example, we cannot promote the use of our product Jelmyto in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved label, but we are permitted to share truthful and non-misleading information that is otherwise consistent with the product's FDA approved labeling. However, physicians are able, in their independent medical judgment, to use Jelmyto on their patients in an off-label manner, such as for the treatment of other urology indications. If we are found to have promoted such off-label uses, we may receive warning letters and become subject to significant liability, which would harm our business. The federal government has levied large administrative, civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion and has enjoined several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. If we become the target of such an investigation or prosecution based on our marketing and promotional practices, we could face similar sanctions, which would harm our business. In addition, management's attention could be diverted from our business operations, significant legal expenses could be incurred, and our reputation could be damaged. The FDA has also requested that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed. If we are deemed by the FDA to have engaged in the promotion of our products for off-label use, we could be subject to prohibitions on the sale or marketing of our products or significant fines and penalties, and the imposition of these sanctions could also affect our reputation with physicians, patients and caregivers, and our position within the industry.
Physicians may also misuse our products or use improper techniques, potentially leading to adverse results, side effects or injury, which may lead to product liability claims. If our products are misused or used with improper technique, we may become subject to costly litigation. Product liability claims could divert management's attention from our core business, be expensive to defend, and result in sizable damage awards against us that may not be covered by insurance. We currently carry product liability insurance covering our clinical trials with policy limits that we believe are customary for similarly situated companies and adequate to provide us with coverage for foreseeable risks. Although we maintain such insurance, any claim that may be brought against us could result in a court judgment or settlement in an amount that is not covered, in whole or in part, by our insurance or that is in excess of the limits of our insurance coverage. In addition, while we have established product liability insurance relating to our commercialization of Jelmyto, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this insurance on commercially reasonable terms or that this insurance will be sufficient. Furthermore, the use of our products for conditions other than those approved by the FDA may not effectively treat such conditions, which could harm our reputation in the marketplace among physicians and patients.
Regulation - Risk 8
Our business activities may be subject to the FCPA and similar anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws of other countries in which we operate, as well as U.S. and certain foreign export controls, trade sanctions, and import laws and regulations. Compliance with these legal requirements could limit our ability to compete in foreign markets and subject us to liability if we violate them.We currently dedicate certain resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we operate outside of the United States. Our business activities in these foreign countries may be subject to the FCPA and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we operate.
The FCPA generally prohibits companies and their employees and third party intermediaries from offering, promising, giving or authorizing the provision of anything of value, either directly or indirectly, to a non-U.S. government official in order to influence official action or otherwise obtain or retain business. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Our business is heavily regulated and therefore involves significant interaction with public officials, including officials of non-U.S. governments. Additionally, in many other countries, hospitals owned and operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees would be considered foreign officials under the FCPA. Recently the SEC and U.S. Department of Justice have increased their FCPA enforcement activities with respect to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. There is no certainty that all of our employees, agents or contractors, or those of our affiliates, will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, particularly given the high level of complexity of these laws. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, disgorgement, and other sanctions and remedial measures, and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our product in one or more countries and could materially damage our reputation, our brand, our international activities, our ability to attract and retain employees and our business.
In addition, our product and activities may be subject to U.S. and foreign export controls, trade sanctions and import laws and regulations. Governmental regulation of the import or export of our product, or our failure to obtain any required import or export authorization for our product, when applicable, could harm our international sales and adversely affect our revenue. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the export of our product may create delays in the introduction of our product in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export of our product to some countries altogether. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the shipment of certain products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions. If we fail to comply with export and import regulations and such economic sanctions, penalties could be imposed, including fines and/or denial of certain export privileges. Moreover, any new export or import restrictions, new legislation or shifting approaches in the enforcement or scope of existing regulations, or in the countries, persons, or product targeted by such regulations, could result in decreased use of our product by, or in our decreased ability to export our product to existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our product or limitation on our ability to export or sell access to our product would likely significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Regulation - Risk 9
Failure to obtain marketing approval in international jurisdictions would prevent our approved product, Jelmyto, and our product candidates from being marketed abroad.In order to market and sell our products in the European Union and other jurisdictions, we or our third-party collaborators must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing. The time required to obtain approval may differ substantially from that required to obtain FDA approval. Regulatory approval processes outside the United States generally include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, it is required that the product be approved for reimbursement before the product can be commercialized in that country. We may not obtain approvals from regulatory authorities outside the United States on a timely basis, if at all. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions, and approval by one regulatory authority outside the United States does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions or by the FDA. We may not be able to submit for marketing approvals and may not receive the necessary approvals to commercialize our product candidates in any particular market. Even though Jelmyto is fully approved for marketing in Israel, there can be no assurance that it will achieve the broad degree of physician adoption and use, reimbursement and market acceptance necessary for commercial success.
Regulation - Risk 10
If the FDA does not conclude that UGN-102 satisfies the requirements under 505(b)(2), or if the requirements for our product candidates are not as we expect, the approval pathway for these product candidates will likely take significantly longer, cost significantly more and entail significantly greater complications and risks than anticipated, and in either case may not be successful.The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (the "Hatch-Waxman Act"), added 505(b)(2) to the FDCA. 505(b)(2) permits the filing of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from studies that were not conducted by or for the applicant, and for which the applicant has not received a right of reference, which could expedite the development program for UGN-102 and our other product candidates by potentially decreasing the amount of nonclinical and clinical data that we would need to generate in order to obtain FDA approval. However, while we believe that our product candidates are reformulations of existing drugs and, therefore, will not be treated as NCEs, the submission of an NDA under the 505(b)(2) pathway does not preclude the FDA from determining that the product candidate that is the subject of such submission is an NCE and therefore not eligible for review under such regulatory pathway.
If the FDA does not allow us to pursue the 505(b)(2) pathway as anticipated, we may need to conduct additional nonclinical experiments and clinical trials, provide additional data and information, and meet additional standards for regulatory approval. If this were to occur, the time and financial resources required to obtain FDA approval for these product candidates, and complications and risks associated with these product candidates, would likely increase significantly. Moreover, inability to pursue the 505(b)(2) pathway could result in new competitive products reaching the market more quickly than our product candidates, which would likely harm our competitive position and prospects. Even if we are allowed to pursue the 505(b)(2) pathway, our product candidates may not receive the requisite approvals for commercialization.
In addition, notwithstanding the approval of a number of products by the FDA under 505(b)(2) certain competitors and others have objected to the FDA's interpretation of 505(b)(2). If the FDA's interpretation of 505(b)(2) is successfully challenged, the FDA may be required to change its 505(b)(2) policies and practices, which could delay or even prevent the FDA from approving any NDA that we submit under 505(b)(2). In addition, the pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive, and 505(b)(2) NDAs are subject to special requirements designed to protect the patent rights of sponsors of previously approved drugs that are referenced in a 505(b)(2) NDA. These requirements may give rise to patent litigation and mandatory delays in approval of our potential future NDAs for up to 30 months depending on the outcome of any litigation. It is not uncommon for a manufacturer of an approved product to file a citizen petition with the FDA seeking to delay approval of, or impose additional approval requirements for, pending competing products. If successful, such petitions can significantly delay, or even prevent, the approval of the new product. However, even if the FDA ultimately denies such a petition, the FDA may substantially delay approval while it considers and responds to the petition. In addition, even if we are able to utilize the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for our product candidates, there is no guarantee this would ultimately lead to faster product development or earlier approval.
Moreover, even if these product candidates are approved under the 505(b)(2) pathway, as the case may be, the approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which the products may be marketed or to other conditions of approval or may contain requirements for costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of the products.
In addition, there have been a number of recent regulatory and legislative initiatives designed to encourage generic competition for pharmaceutical products, including expedited review procedures for generic manufacturers and incentives designed to spur generic competition of branded drugs. In particular, the FDA and the FTC have been focused on brand companies' denial of drug supply to potential generic competitors for testing. In December 2019, the CREATES Act was enacted, which provides a legislatively defined private right of action under which generic companies can bring suit against companies who refuse access to product for the bioequivalence testing needed to support approval of a generic product.
We cannot currently predict the specific outcome or impact on our business of such regulatory and legislative initiatives, litigation or investigation. However, it is our policy, which is in compliance with the CREATES Act, to evaluate requests for samples of our approved product, and to provide samples in response to bona fide requests from qualified third parties, including generic manufacturers, subject to specified conditions. We have provided samples of Jelmyto to certain generic manufacturers.
Regulation - Risk 11
We expect current and future legislation affecting the healthcare industry, including healthcare reform, to impact our business generally and to increase limitations on reimbursement, rebates and other payments, which could adversely affect third-party coverage of our products, our operations, and/or how much or under what circumstances healthcare providers will prescribe or administer our products, if approved.*The United States and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. Among policy makers and payors in the United States and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives.
For example, in March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the "ACA"), laws intended, among other things, to broaden access to health insurance, improve quality of care, and reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending.
There have been judicial, Congressional and executive branch challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. For example, on June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge on procedural grounds that argued the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the "individual mandate" was repealed by Congress. On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ("IRA") into law, which among other things, extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025. The IRA also eliminates the "donut hole" under the Medicare Part D program beginning in 2025 by significantly lowering the beneficiary maximum out-of-pocket cost and through a newly established manufacturer discount program. It is possible that the ACA will be subject to judicial or Congressional challenges in the future. It is unclear any such challenges, other litigation and the healthcare reform measures of the Biden administration will impact the ACA and our business.
In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. For example, in August 2011, President Obama signed into law the Budget Control Act of 2011, which, among other things included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to healthcare providers of up to 2.0% per fiscal year, which started in 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the BBA, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will stay in effect until 2032, unless additional Congressional action is taken. In January 2013, President Obama signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several categories of healthcare providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. Further, on March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, which eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug's AMP, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024.
Additionally, there have been several recent U.S. presidential executive orders, Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted legislation at the federal and state levels designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, reduce the cost of drugs under Medicare, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. At the federal level, for example, in July 2021, the Biden administration released an executive order, "Promoting Competition in the American Economy," with multiple provisions aimed at prescription drugs. In response to Biden's executive order, on September 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") released a Comprehensive Plan for Addressing High Drug Prices that outlines principles for drug pricing reform and sets out a variety of potential legislative policies that Congress could pursue as well as potential administrative actions HHS can take to advance these principles. Further, on November 15, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Beginning on January 1, 2023, manufacturers will be required to pay quarterly refunds to CMS for discarded amounts of certain single-dose container and single-use package drugs payable under part B of the Medicare program. Refunds will generally be based on the discarded volume above 10% of the total allowed amount. However, in unique circumstances, CMS will increase the applicable threshold to 35%. At this time, CMS has determined that Jelmyto fits within this unique circumstance classification. In addition, the IRA, among other things, (1) directs HHS to negotiate the price of certain single-source drugs and biologics covered under Medicare and (2) imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation. These provisions took effect progressively starting in fiscal year 2023. On August 15, 2024, HHS announced the agreed-upon reimbursement prices of the first ten drugs that were subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare drug price negotiation program is currently subject to legal challenges. HHS will select up to fifteen additional drugs covered under Part D for price negotiation in 2025. Further, 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. Further, on December 7, 2023, the Biden administration announced an initiative to control the price of prescription drugs through the use of march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act. On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published for comment a Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights which for the first time includes the price of a product as one factor an agency can use when deciding to exercise march-in rights. While march-in rights have not previously been exercised, it is uncertain if that will continue under the new framework.
At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. If healthcare policies or reforms intended to curb healthcare costs are adopted, or if we experience negative publicity with respect to the pricing of our products or the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs generally, the prices that we charge for any approved products may be limited, our commercial opportunity may be limited and/or our revenues from sales of our products may be negatively impacted.
These laws may result in additional reductions in healthcare funding, which could have an adverse effect on our customers and accordingly, our financial operations. Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on our operations, including the marketing approvals of UGN-102 or our other product candidates may be.
Although we cannot predict the full effect on our business of the implementation of existing legislation or the enactment of additional legislation pursuant to healthcare and other legislative reform, we believe that legislation or regulations that would reduce reimbursement for, or restrict coverage of, our products could adversely affect how much or under what circumstances healthcare providers will prescribe or administer our products. This could adversely affect our business by reducing our ability to generate revenues, raise capital, obtain additional licensees and market our products. In addition, we believe the increasing emphasis on managed care in the United States has and will continue to put pressure on the price and usage of pharmaceutical products, which may adversely impact product sales.
Regulation - Risk 12
Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expenses, limit or withdraw regulatory approval and subject us to penalties if we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval will be subject to continual regulatory review by the FDA and/or foreign regulatory authorities. Additionally, Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements, including labeling and other restrictions and market withdrawal and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our products.
The FDA approval of Jelmyto is, and any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may be, subject to limitations on the approved indications for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval. In addition, any regulatory approvals that we receive for our current or future product candidates may contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product. In addition, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for Jelmyto is, and any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval 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 cGMP and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval.
Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products or product candidates, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with our third-party manufacturers' processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things:
- restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, withdrawal of the product from the market, or voluntary or mandatory product recalls; - fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials; - refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications submitted by us, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals; and - product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
Our ongoing regulatory requirements may also change from time to time, potentially harming or making costlier our commercialization efforts. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or other countries. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would adversely affect our business.
Regulation - Risk 13
Our relationships with healthcare professionals, independent contractors, clinical investigators, CROs, consultants and vendors in connection with our current and future business activities may be subject to federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, transparency laws, government price reporting, and health information privacy and security laws. If we are unable to comply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face significant penalties.We are subject to various U.S. federal, state and foreign health care laws, including those intended to prevent health care fraud and abuse. These laws may impact, among other things, our clinical research, sales and marketing activities, and constrain the business or financial arrangements with healthcare providers, physicians, and other parties that have the ability to directly or indirectly influence the prescribing, ordering, marketing, or distribution of products for which we obtain marketing approval.
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, persons or entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, lease, order or recommendation of, any good, facility, item or service, for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, by a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid. Remuneration has been broadly defined to include anything of value, including, but not limited to, cash, improper discounts, and free or reduced-price items and services.
Federal false claims laws, including the federal civil False Claims Act (the "FCA"), and civil monetary penalties law impose penalties against individuals or entities for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment or approval that are false or fraudulent or making a false record or statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. The FCA has been used to, among other things, prosecute persons and entities submitting claims for payment that are inaccurate or fraudulent, that are for services not provided as claimed, or for services that are not medically necessary. The FCA includes a whistleblower provision that allows individuals to bring actions on behalf of the federal government and share a portion of the recovery of successful claims.
Many states have similar fraud and abuse statutes and regulations that may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of payor, in addition to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs. State and federal authorities have aggressively targeted pharmaceutical companies for, among other things, alleged violations of these anti-fraud statutes, based on among other things, unlawful financial inducements paid to prescribers and beneficiaries, as well as impermissible promotional practices, including certain marketing arrangements that rely on volume-based pricing and off-label promotion of FDA-approved products.
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), among other things, imposes civil and criminal liability for knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including public and private payors, or knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.
Additionally, HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 ("HITECH"), and their implementing regulations, impose, among other things, specified requirements on covered entities, including certain healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, and their business associates as well as their covered subcontractors relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information, including mandatory contractual terms and required implementation of certain safeguards of such information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA's security standards directly applicable to business associates, independent contractors or agents of covered entities that receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce HIPAA and seek attorneys' fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways, may not have the same effect and may not be preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Our operations are also subject to the federal Open Payments program pursuant to the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created under Section 6002 of the ACA and its implementing regulations, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologicals and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to annually report to CMS information related to payments and other transfers of value provided to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), certain other healthcare professionals (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and teaching hospitals and certain ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members to CMS. We may also be subject to 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, drug pricing, and/or state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry's voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidelines promulgated by the federal government.
Many states have also adopted laws similar to each of the above federal laws, which may be broader in scope and apply to items or services reimbursed by any payor, including commercial insurers. In addition, we may be subject to certain foreign healthcare laws that are analogous to the U.S. healthcare laws described above. If any of our business activities, including but not limited to our relationships with healthcare providers, are found to violate any of the aforementioned laws, we may be subject to significant administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, 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, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
Also, the FCPA and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We cannot assure you that our internal control policies and procedures will protect us from reckless or negligent acts committed by our employees, future distributors, partners, collaborators or agents. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could result in fines, penalties or prosecution and have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and reputation.
Regulation - Risk 14
Legislative or regulatory healthcare reforms in the United States or abroad may make it more difficult and costly for us to obtain regulatory clearance or approval of our product candidates or any future product candidates and to produce, market, and distribute our products after clearance or approval is obtained.From time to time, legislation is drafted and introduced in Congress in the United States or by governments in foreign jurisdictions that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the regulatory clearance or approval, manufacture, and marketing of regulated products or the reimbursement thereof. In addition, FDA or foreign regulatory agency regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of our product candidates or any future product candidates. We cannot determine what effect changes in regulations, statutes, legal interpretation or policies, when and if promulgated, enacted or adopted may have on our business in the future. Such changes could, among other things, require:
- changes to manufacturing methods; - recall, replacement, or discontinuance of one or more of our products; and - additional recordkeeping.
Each of these would likely entail substantial time and cost and could harm our business and our financial results. In addition, delays in receipt of or failure to receive regulatory clearances or approvals for any future products would harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities2 | 2.4%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit commercialization of any of our other products we develop.Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
It may be difficult to enforce a judgment of a U.S. court against us, our officers and directors or the Israeli experts named in our reports filed with the SEC in Israel or the United States, to assert U.S. securities laws claims in Israel or to serve process on our officers and directors and these experts.We are incorporated in Israel. One of our directors resides outside of the United States, and most of the assets of this director are located outside of the United States. Therefore, a judgment obtained against us, or this director, including a judgment based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, may not be collectible in the United States and may not be enforced by an Israeli court. It may also be difficult for you to effect service of process on this director in the United States or to assert U.S. securities law claims in original actions instituted in Israel. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on an alleged violation of U.S. securities laws reasoning that Israel is not the most appropriate forum in which to bring such a claim. In addition, even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proven as a fact by expert witnesses, which can be a time consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law.
There is little binding case law in Israel that addresses the matters described above. As a result of the difficulty associated with enforcing a judgment against us in Israel, you may not be able to collect any damages awarded by either a U.S. or foreign court.
Taxation & Government Incentives4 | 4.8%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Changes in funding for the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
If we are classified as a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC"), our U.S. shareholders may suffer adverse tax consequences.Generally, for any taxable year, if at least 75% of our gross income is passive income, or at least 50% of the value of our assets is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, including cash, we would be characterized as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The determination of whether we are a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis and the applicable law is subject to varying interpretation. In particular, the characterization of our assets as active or passive may depend in part on our current and intended future business plans, which are subject to change. In addition, the total value of our assets for PFIC testing purposes may be determined in part by reference to the market price of our ordinary shares from time to time, which may fluctuate considerably. Under the income test, our status as a PFIC depends on the composition of our income which will depend on the transactions we enter into in the future and our corporate structure. The composition of our income and assets is also affected by how, and how quickly, we spend the cash we raise in any offering.
Based on our analysis of our income, assets, activities and market capitalization, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2023. However, because the determination of whether or not we are a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis, and because the applicable law is subject to varying interpretation, we cannot provide any assurances regarding our PFIC status for any past, current or future taxable years. Our U.S. tax counsel has not provided any opinion regarding our PFIC status in any taxable year.
If we are characterized as a PFIC, our U.S. shareholders may suffer adverse tax consequences, including having gains realized on the sale of our ordinary shares treated as ordinary income, rather than capital gain, the loss of the preferential rate applicable to dividends received on our ordinary shares by individuals who are U.S. shareholders who are individuals, having interest charges apply to distributions by us and gains from the sales of our shares, and additional reporting requirements under U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations. A U.S. Holder that (i) owns our ordinary shares at any point during a year in which we are characterized as a PFIC and (ii) does not timely make a QEF election (as described below) will treat such ordinary shares as stock in a PFIC for all subsequent tax years, even if we no longer qualify as a PFIC under the relevant tests in such subsequent tax years. A U.S. shareholder of a PFIC generally may mitigate these adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences by making a qualified electing fund ("QEF") election, or, in some circumstances, a "mark to market" election. However, there is no assurance that we will provide the information required by the IRS in order to enable U.S. shareholders to make a timely QEF election. Moreover, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future. Accordingly, U.S. shareholders may be unable to make a timely QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
Changes to tax laws could have a material adverse effect on us and reduce net returns to our shareholders.Our tax treatment is subject to changes in tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof, as well as tax policy initiatives and reforms under consideration and the practices of tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate, including those related to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development's ("OECD") Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("BEPS") Project (including "BEPS 2.0"), and the European Commission's state aid investigations and other initiatives.
Such changes may include (but are not limited to) the taxation of operating income, investment income, dividends received or, in the specific context of withholding tax, dividends paid. The OECD has published a package of measures for reform as a product of BEPS, which include the reallocation of global profits of large multinational companies to market jurisdictions based on customer location as well as the introduction of a global minimum tax. Many of the package's proposed measures require amendments to the domestic tax legislation of various jurisdictions.
We are unable to predict what tax reform may be proposed or enacted in the future or what effect such changes would have on our business, but such changes, to the extent they are brought into tax legislation, regulations, policies or practices, could affect our financial position and overall or effective tax rates in the future in countries where we have operations, reduce post-tax returns to our shareholders, and increase the complexity, burden and cost of tax compliance.
New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could affect the tax treatment of our domestic and foreign earnings. For example, effective in 2022, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the option to deduct research and development expenditures in the current period and requires U.S. taxpayers to capitalize and amortize them over five or fifteen years pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 174. Although Congress may defer, modify, or repeal this provision, potentially with retroactive effect, we have no assurance that Congress will take any action with respect to this provision. Any new taxes could adversely affect our domestic and international business operations, and our business and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses 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 tax expenses.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 4
Tax authorities may disagree with our positions and conclusions regarding certain tax positions, resulting in unanticipated costs, taxes or non-realization of expected benefits.A tax authority may disagree with tax positions that we have taken, which could result in increased tax liabilities. For example, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or another tax authority could challenge our allocation of income by tax jurisdiction and the amounts paid between our affiliated companies pursuant to our intercompany arrangements and transfer pricing policies, including amounts paid with respect to our intellectual property development. Similarly, a tax authority could assert that we are subject to tax in a jurisdiction where we believe we have not established a taxable nexus, often referred to as a "permanent establishment" under international tax treaties, and such an assertion, if successful, could increase our expected tax liability in one or more jurisdictions. A tax authority may take the position that material income tax liabilities, interest and penalties are payable by us, in which case, we expect that we might contest such assessment. Contesting such an assessment may be lengthy and costly and if we were unsuccessful in disputing the assessment, the implications could increase our anticipated effective tax rate, where applicable.
Environmental / Social3 | 3.6%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could negatively impact our business.Environmental / Social - Risk 2
Our business involves the use of hazardous materials and we and our third-party manufacturers and suppliers must comply with environmental laws and regulations, which can be expensive and restrict how we do business.Our research and development activities and our third-party subcontractors' and suppliers' activities involve the controlled storage, use, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials owned by us, including mitomycin, key components of our product candidates, and other hazardous compounds. We and our manufacturers and suppliers are subject to laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these hazardous materials. Despite our efforts, we cannot eliminate the risk of contamination. This could cause an interruption of our commercialization efforts and business operations, environmental damage resulting in costly clean-up and liabilities under applicable laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. Although we believe that the safety procedures utilized by us and our subcontractors and suppliers for handling and disposing of these materials generally comply with the standards prescribed by these laws and regulations, we cannot guarantee that this is the case or eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In such an event, we may be held liable for any resulting damages and such liability could exceed our resources and state or federal or other applicable authorities may curtail our use of certain materials and interrupt our business operations.
Furthermore, environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent. We cannot predict the impact of such changes and cannot be certain of our future compliance.
Environmental / Social - Risk 3
Our business could be negatively impacted by environmental, social and corporate governance matters or our reporting of such matters.*There is an increasing focus from certain investors, employees, partners, and other stakeholders concerning environmental, social and corporate governance matters. We may be, or be perceived to be, not acting responsibly in connection with these matters, which could negatively impact us. For instance, the SEC recently finalized rules designed to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures. These climate disclosure rules have been challenged in court and the SEC has issued an order staying their implementation pending the outcome of judicial review. These new climate-related disclosures, if required, may significantly increase our compliance and reporting costs and may also result in disclosures that certain investors or other stakeholders deem to impact our reputation negatively and/or that harm our share price.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 21/83 (25%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D9 | 10.8%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
If in the future we acquire or in-license technologies or product candidates, we may incur various costs, may have integration difficulties and may experience other risks that could harm our business and results of operations.Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
We may be unable to obtain Orphan Drug Designation or exclusivity for future product candidates we may develop. If our competitors are able to obtain orphan drug exclusivity for their products that are for the same indication as our product candidates, we may not be able to have competing products approved by the applicable regulatory authority for a significant period of time.Under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 (the "Orphan Drug Act"), the FDA may designate a product as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat an orphan disease or condition, defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States.
In the United States, Orphan Drug Designation entitles a party to financial incentives, such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers. In addition, if a product receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has Orphan Drug Designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means the FDA may not approve any other application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity. Although the FDA has granted orphan drug exclusivity to Jelmyto for the treatment of UTUC, we may not receive orphan drug exclusivity for any of our other product candidates that have received orphan designation.
Although the FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to Jelmyto and UGN-201 for treatment of UTUC and CIS, respectively, we may not receive Orphan Drug Designation for any of our other product candidates. If our competitors are able to obtain orphan drug exclusivity for their products that are the same or similar to our product candidates before our drug candidates are approved, we may not be able to have competing product candidates approved by the FDA for a significant period of time. Any delay in our ability to bring our product candidates to market would negatively impact our business, revenue, cash flows and operations.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
If we are not successful in developing, receiving regulatory approval for and commercializing our nonclinical and clinical product candidates, our ability to expand our business and achieve our strategic objectives could be impaired.*We plan to devote a substantial portion of our resources to the continued clinical testing and potential approval of UGN-102 for the treatment of low-grade intermediate risk NMIBC. Another key element of our strategy is to discover, develop and commercialize a portfolio of products to serve additional therapeutic markets. We are seeking to do so through our internal research programs, but our resources are limited, and those that we have are geared towards clinical testing and seeking regulatory approval of UGN-102 and our other existing product candidates. We may also explore strategic collaborations for the development or acquisition of new products, but we may not be successful in entering into such relationships. Research programs to identify product candidates require substantial technical, financial and human resources, regardless of whether any product candidates are ultimately identified. Our research programs may initially show promise in identifying potential product candidates, yet fail to yield product candidates for clinical development for many reasons, including:
- the research methodology used may not be successful in identifying potential product candidates; - competitors may develop alternatives that render our product candidates obsolete or less attractive; - a product candidate may in a subsequent trial be shown to have harmful side effects or other characteristics that indicate it is unlikely to be effective or otherwise does not meet applicable regulatory criteria; - a product candidate may not be capable of being produced in commercial quantities at an acceptable cost, or at all; - a product candidate may not be accepted as safe and effective by patients, the medical community or third-party payors, if applicable; and - intellectual property or other proprietary rights of third parties for product candidates we develop may potentially block our entry into certain markets or make such entry economically impracticable.
If we fail to develop and successfully commercialize other product candidates, our business and future prospects may be harmed, and our business will be more vulnerable to any problems that we encounter in developing and commercializing our product candidates.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 4
In addition to Jelmyto, we are dependent on the success of our lead product candidate, UGN-102, and our other product candidates, including obtaining regulatory approval to market our product candidates in the United States.*The research, development, testing, manufacturing, labeling, packaging, approval, promotion, advertising, storage, recordkeeping, marketing, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, and export and import of drug products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and by foreign regulatory authorities. These regulations differ from country to country. To gain approval to market our product candidates, we must provide clinical data that adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product for the intended indication. Other than Jelmyto, all of our product candidates, including our lead product candidate, UGN-102, remain in clinical development and have not yet received regulatory approval from the FDA or any other regulatory agency in the United States or any other country. Our business depends upon obtaining these regulatory approvals. There are no drugs that have been approved by the FDA for the primary treatment of low-grade intermediate risk NMIBC, and only a limited number of drugs have been approved by the FDA as adjuvant treatment for BCG unresponsive NMIBC. The FDA can delay, limit or deny approval of our product candidates for many reasons.
While the FDA accepted our NDA for UGN-102 in October 2024, there is no guarantee that the FDA will eventually approve UGN-102 for the indication and patient population that we request or approve the labeling that we believe is necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of UGN-102, as the FDA has the authority to refuse to approve NDAs for a variety of reasons. Additionally, the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may also require a panel of experts, referred to as an advisory committee, to deliberate on the adequacy of the safety and efficacy data to support approval of UGN-102. We currently anticipate that the FDA will require an advisory committee for UGN-102. The opinion of the advisory committee, although not binding, may have a significant impact on our ability to obtain approval for UGN-102 based on the completed clinical trials, as the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities often adheres to the advisory committee's recommendations. However, even if the advisory committee provides a positive recommendation, there is no guarantee that the FDA will follow the advisory committee's recommendations and there are numerous examples of the FDA departing from the recommendations of its advisory committee. Accordingly, the regulatory approval pathway for our product candidates may be uncertain, complex, expensive and lengthy, and approval may not be obtained.
The success of our product candidates is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with successfully completing current and future clinical trials, such as:
- the FDA's acceptance of our parameters for regulatory approval relating to UGN-102 and our other product candidates, including our proposed indications, primary and secondary endpoint assessments and measurements, safety evaluations and regulatory pathways, and proposed labeling and packaging; - our ability to successfully complete the FDA requirements related to CMC, for UGN-102 and our other product candidates, and if completed, their sufficiency to support an NDA; - the FDA's timely acceptance of our INDs, for our product candidates and our inability to commence clinical trials in the United States without such IND acceptances; - the FDA's acceptance of the design, size, conduct and implementation of our clinical trials, our trial protocols and the interpretation of data from nonclinical studies or clinical trials; - the FDA's acceptance of the population studied in our clinical trials being sufficiently large, broad and representative to assess efficacy and safety in the patient population for which we seek approval; - our ability to successfully complete the clinical trials of our product candidates, including timely patient enrollment and acceptable safety and efficacy data and our ability to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidates undergoing such clinical trials; - our ability to demonstrate meaningful clinical or other benefits which outweigh any safety or other perceived risks, through the completion of our clinical trials for our product candidates; - the FDA's decision to schedule an advisory committee meeting, and to conduct such meeting, in a timely manner to evaluate and make a recommendation regarding our NDA for UGN-102; - if an advisory committee meeting is scheduled, the outcome of remains uncertain and it is possible that the advisory committee will have an adverse or split recommendation with respect to our applications to market UGN-102 and our other product candidates in the United States; - if applicable, even if FDA's advisory committee recommends approval of our applications to market UGN-102 and our other product candidates in the United States, without limiting the approved labeling, specifications, distribution or use of the products, or imposing other restrictions, the FDA is not bound by the advisory committee's recommendation and there are a number of instances where the FDA has voted against the recommendations of advisory committees; - the FDA's determination of safety and efficacy of our product candidates; - the FDA's determination that the Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act ("FDCA") regulatory pathway ("505(b)(2)") is available for our product candidates; - the prevalence and severity of adverse events associated with our product candidates, including UGN-102, as there are no drugs and related drug administration procedures approved for the primary treatment of low-grade NMIBC, that are based on RTGel technology; - the timely and satisfactory performance by third-party contractors of their obligations in relation to our clinical trials; - our success in educating physicians and patients about the benefits, risks, administration and use of our product candidates, if approved, particularly in light of the fact that there are no drugs that have been approved by the FDA for the primary treatment of low-grade NMIBC, and only a limited number of drugs have been approved by the FDA as adjuvant treatment for high-grade NMIBC; - the availability, perceived advantages, relative cost, safety and efficacy of alternative and competing treatments for the indications addressed by our product candidates; - the effectiveness of our marketing, sales and distribution strategy, and operations, as well as that of any current and future licensees; - the FDA's acceptance of the quality of our drug substance or drug product, formulation, labeling, packaging, or the specifications of our product candidates is sufficient for approval; - our ability to develop, validate and maintain a commercially viable manufacturing process that is compliant with cGMP;- the FDA's acceptance of the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract; - our ability to secure supplies for our product candidates to support clinical trials and commercial use; - our ability to manufacture or secure active ingredient, RTGel hydrogel, and finished product from third-party suppliers for product candidates, including UGN-102, UGN-103, UGN-104, UGN-201 and UGN-301, if approved; - our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights with respect to our product candidates; - the extent to which the costs of our products, once approved, are covered and reimbursed by third-party payors, including the availability of a physician reimbursement code for our treatments, and patients' willingness to pay for our products; and - our ability to properly train physicians or nurses for the skillful preparation and administration of any of our product candidates that receive approval, including UGN-102, and our ability to develop a broad experiential knowledge base of aggregated clinician feedback from which we can refine appropriate procedures for product administration, without which there could be a risk of adverse events.
Many of these clinical, regulatory and commercial risks are beyond our control. Further, these risks and uncertainties impact all of our clinical programs that we pursue and may be amplified by pandemics, epidemics or public health emergencies, as described below. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will be able to advance any more of our product candidates through clinical development, or to obtain additional regulatory approval of any of our product candidates. To the extent we seek regulatory approval in foreign countries, we may face challenges similar to those described above with regulatory authorities in applicable jurisdictions. Any delay in obtaining, or inability to obtain, applicable regulatory approval for any of our product candidates would delay or prevent commercialization of our product candidates and would thus negatively impact our business, results of operations and prospects. Even if we receive approval of any of the product candidates in our pipeline or future product candidates, there is no assurance that we will be able to successfully commercialize any of them.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 5
Interim, topline and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary, interim or topline data from our clinical trials. These interim updates are based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change as patient data become available and following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the topline results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Topline data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, topline data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. In addition, we may report interim analyses of only certain endpoints rather than all endpoints. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. In particular, interim data may reflect small sample sizes, be subject to substantial variability and may not be indicative of either future interim results or final results. Publications based on interim data may differ from FDA approved product labeling. Adverse changes between interim data and final data could significantly harm our business and prospects. Further, additional disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors in the future could result in volatility in the price of our ordinary shares. See the description of risks under the heading "Risks Related to Ownership of our Ordinary Shares" for additional disclosures related to the risk of volatility in the price of our ordinary shares.
Further, others, including regulatory agencies, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of the particular program, the approvability or commercialization of the particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is typically selected from a more extensive amount of available information. Furthermore, we may report interim analyses of only certain endpoints rather than all endpoints. You or others may not agree with what we determine is the material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure, and any information we determine not to disclose may ultimately be deemed significant with respect to future decisions, conclusions, views, activities or otherwise regarding a particular product, product candidate or our business. If the preliminary or topline data that we report differ from late, final or actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, UGN-102 or any other investigational product candidate may be harmed, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 6
We have limited experience in conducting clinical trials and obtaining approval for product candidates and may be unable to do so successfully.As a company, we have limited experience in conducting clinical trials and have progressed only one product candidate through to regulatory approval. In part because of this lack of experience, our clinical trials may require more time and incur greater costs than we anticipate. We cannot be certain that the planned clinical trials will begin or conclude on time, if at all. Large-scale trials will require significant additional financial and management resources. Third-party clinical investigators do not operate under our control. Any performance failure on the part of such third parties could delay the clinical development of our product candidates or delay or prevent us from obtaining regulatory approval or commercializing our current or future product candidates, depriving us of potential product revenue and resulting in additional losses.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 7
We may not be able to advance our nonclinical product candidates into clinical development and through regulatory approval and commercialization.Certain of our product candidates are currently in nonclinical development and are therefore currently subject to the risks associated with nonclinical development, including the risks associated with:
- generating adequate and sufficient nonclinical safety and efficacy data in a timely fashion to support the initiation of clinical trials; - obtaining regulatory approval to commence clinical trials in any jurisdiction, including the submission and acceptance of INDs; - contracting with the necessary parties to conduct a clinical trial; - enrolling sufficient numbers of patients in clinical trials in timely fashion, if at all; and - timely manufacture of sufficient quantities of the product candidate for use in clinical trials.
These risks and uncertainties impact all our nonclinical programs that we pursue. If we are unsuccessful in advancing our nonclinical product candidates into clinical trials in a timely fashion, our business may be harmed. Even if we are successful in advancing our nonclinical product candidates into clinical development, their success will be subject to all of the clinical, regulatory and commercial risks described elsewhere in this Quarterly Report and our other filings with the SEC. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will be able to develop, obtain regulatory approval for, commercialize or generate significant revenue from our product candidates.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 8
Clinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results, and our clinical trials may fail to adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates.Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. A failure of one or more of our clinical trials can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. We do not know whether our ongoing and future clinical trials, if any, will begin on time, need to be redesigned, enroll an adequate number of patients on time or be completed on schedule, if at all. Clinical trials can be delayed, suspended or terminated for a variety of reasons, including failure to:
- generate sufficient nonclinical, toxicology, or other in vivo or in vitro data to support the initiation or continuation of clinical trials; - obtain regulatory approval or feedback on trial design, in order to commence a trial; - identify, recruit and train suitable clinical investigators; - reach agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs and clinical trial sites, and have such CROs and sites effect the proper and timely conduct of our clinical trials; - obtain and maintain institutional review board ("IRB") approval at each clinical trial site; - identify, recruit, enroll and retain suitable patients to participate in a trial; - have a sufficient number of patients enrolled, complete a trial or return for post-treatment follow-up; - ensure clinical investigators and clinical trial sites observe trial protocol or continue to participate in a trial; - address any patient safety concerns that arise during the course of a trial; - address any conflicts with new or existing laws or regulations; - add a sufficient number of clinical trial sites; - manufacture sufficient quantities at the required quality of product candidate for use in clinical trials; or - raise sufficient capital to fund a trial.
Patient enrollment is a significant factor in the timing and success of clinical trials and is affected by many factors, including the size and nature of the patient population, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the trial, the design of the clinical trial, competing clinical trials and clinicians' and patients' or caregivers' perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug candidate being studied in relation to other available therapies, including any new drugs or treatments that may be developed or approved for the indications we are investigating.
We may also encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us, by the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, by the trial's data safety monitoring board, by the FDA or by the applicable foreign regulatory authorities. Such authorities may suspend or terminate one or more of our clinical trials due to a number of factors, including our failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with relevant regulatory requirements or clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a drug, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.
If we experience delays in carrying out or completing any clinical trial of our product candidates, the commercial prospects of our product candidates may be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenues from any of these product candidates will be delayed.
In addition, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down our product candidate development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business and financial condition. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 9
Jelmyto or any of our product candidates may produce undesirable side effects that we may not have detected in our previous nonclinical studies and clinical trials or that are not expected with mitomycin treatment or inconsistent with catheter administration procedures. This could prevent us from gaining marketing approval or market acceptance for these product candidates, or from maintaining such approval and acceptance, and could substantially increase commercialization costs and even force us to cease operations.As with most pharmaceutical products, Jelmyto and our product candidates may be associated with side effects or adverse events that can vary in severity and frequency. Side effects or adverse events associated with the use of Jelmyto or any of our product candidates, including UGN-102, may be observed at any time, including in clinical trials or once a product is commercialized, and any such side effects or adverse events may negatively affect our ability to obtain regulatory approval or market our product candidates. To date, in our nonclinical testing, Compassionate Use Program for Jelmyto, clinical trials and post-marketing experience, we have observed several adverse events and SAEs, including ureteric obstruction, ureteral stenosis, inhibition of urine flow, rash, flank pain, kidney swelling, kidney infection, renal dysfunction, hematuria, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, dysuria, vomiting, urinary tract infection, urgency in urination and pain during urination. In addition, we have observed transient perturbation of laboratory measures of renal and hematopoietic function. These adverse events are known mitomycin or procedure-related adverse events and many are indicated as potential side effects of mitomycin usage on the mitomycin label. However, we cannot assure you that we will not observe additional drug or procedure-related adverse events or SAEs in the future or that the FDA will not determine them as such. Side effects such as toxicity or other safety issues associated with the use of Jelmyto or our product candidates could require us to perform additional studies or halt development or sale of Jelmyto or our product candidates or expose us to product liability lawsuits, which will harm our business.
Furthermore, our Phase 2b clinical trial for UGN-102 involved larger patient bases than in our prior studies of these candidates, and the commercial marketing of Jelmyto and, if approved, UGN-102, will further expand the clinical exposure of the drugs to a wider and more diverse group of patients than those participating in the clinical trials, which may identify undesirable side effects caused by these products that were not previously observed or reported.
The FDA and foreign regulatory agency regulations require that we report certain information about adverse medical events if our products may have caused or contributed to those adverse events. The timing of our obligation to report would be triggered by the date upon which we become aware of the adverse event as well as the nature and severity of the event. We may fail to report adverse events of which we become aware within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to appreciate that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or removed in time from the use of our products. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations, the FDA or a foreign regulatory agency could take action including enforcing a hold on or cessation of clinical trials, withdrawal of approved drugs from the market, criminal prosecution, the imposition of civil monetary penalties or seizure of our products.
Additionally, in the event we discover the existence of adverse medical events or side effects caused by one of our products or product candidates, a number of other potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
- our inability to submit an NDA or similar application for our product candidates because of insufficient risk-reward, or the denial of such application by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities; - the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities suspending or terminating our clinical trials or suspending or withdrawing their approval of the product; - the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities requiring the addition of labeling statements, such as boxed or other warnings or contraindications or distribution and use restrictions; - the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities requiring us to issue specific communications to healthcare professionals, such as letters alerting them to new safety information about our product, changes in dosage or other important information; - the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities issuing negative publicity regarding the affected product, including safety communications; - our being limited with respect to the safety-related claims that we can make in our marketing or promotional materials; - our being required to change the way the product is administered, conduct additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials or restrict or cease the distribution or use of the product; and - our being sued and held liable for harm caused to patients.
Any of these events could prevent us from achieving market acceptance or approval of the affected product or product candidate and could substantially increase development or commercialization costs, force us to withdraw from the market any approved product, or even force us to cease operations. We cannot assure you that we will resolve any issues related to any product-related adverse events to the satisfaction of the FDA or any regulatory agency in a timely manner or ever, which could harm our business, prospects and financial condition.
Trade Secrets11 | 13.3%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
If our efforts to obtain, protect or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights related to our product candidates and technologies are not adequate, we may not be able to compete effectively, and we otherwise may be harmed.*Trade Secrets - Risk 2
We may be subject to claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of third parties.Even if our patents do successfully issue, third parties may challenge the validity, enforceability or scope of such granted patents or any other granted patents we own or license, which may result in such patents being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. For example, patents granted by the European Patent Office may be opposed by any person within nine months from the publication of their grant. Also, patents granted by the USPTO may be subject to reexamination and other challenges.
Pharmaceutical patents and patent applications involve highly complex legal and factual questions, which, if determined adversely to us, could negatively impact our patent position. There is significant litigation activity in the pharmaceutical industry regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. Such litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.
The patent positions of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. The interpretation and breadth of claims allowed in some patents covering pharmaceutical compositions may be uncertain and difficult to determine and are often affected materially by the facts and circumstances that pertain to the patented compositions and the related patent claims. Furthermore, even if they are not challenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property or prevent others from designing around our claims. To meet such challenges, which are part of the risks and uncertainties of developing and marketing product candidates, we may need to evaluate third party intellectual property rights and, if appropriate, to seek licenses for such third party intellectual property or to challenge such third party intellectual property, which may be costly and may or may not be successful, which could also have an adverse effect on the commercial potential for Jelmyto, UGN-102 and any of our other product candidates.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
We may receive only limited protection, or no protection, from our issued patents and patent applications.*There can be no assurance that any pending patent application will be granted. The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of the patents in the countries in which they are obtained.
The patent application process, also known as patent prosecution, is expensive and time consuming, and we or any future licensors and licensees may not be able to prepare, file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we or any future licensors or licensees will fail to identify patentable aspects of inventions made in the course of development and commercialization activities before it is too late to obtain patent protection on them. Therefore, these and any of our patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. It is possible that defects of form in the preparation or filing of our patents or patent applications may exist, or may arise in the future, for example with respect to proper priority claims, inventorship, etc., although we are unaware of any such defects that we believe are of material import. If we or any future licensors or licensees fail to establish, maintain or protect such patents and other intellectual property rights, such rights may be reduced or eliminated. If any future licensors or licensees are not fully cooperative or disagree with us as to the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of any patent rights, such patent rights could be compromised. If there are material defects in the form or preparation of our patents or patent applications, such patents or applications may be invalid and unenforceable. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on our business.
The strength of patents in the pharmaceutical field involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. This uncertainty includes changes to the patent laws through either legislative action to change statutory patent law or court action that may reinterpret existing law in ways affecting the scope or validity of issued patents. The patent applications that we own or in-license may fail to result in issued patents in the United States or foreign countries. Even if patents do successfully issue from the patent applications that we own or in-license, third parties may challenge the validity, enforceability or scope of such patents, which may result in such patents being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. For example, patents granted by the European Patent Office may be challenged, also known as opposed, by any person within nine months from the publication of their grant. Any successful challenge to our patents could deprive us of exclusive rights necessary for the successful commercialization of our product candidates. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents may not adequately protect our product candidates, provide exclusivity for our product candidates, or prevent others from designing around our claims. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patents we hold or pursue with respect to our product candidates is challenged, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop or threaten our ability to commercialize our product candidates.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Various extensions may be available; however, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Without patent protection for our product candidates, we may be open to competition from generic versions of our product candidates. We received a Paragraph IV Certification Notice Letter from Teva in February 2024, providing notification that Teva has submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of Jelmyto. In the Notice Letter, Teva alleges that two of the patents listed in the FDA Orange Book for Jelmyto, U.S. Patent Numbers 9,040,074 and 9,950,069, each of which expires in January 2031, are invalid, unenforceable, or will not be infringed by Teva's manufacture, use, or sale of the generic product described in its ANDA submission. See Part II, Item 1. "Legal Proceedings" for additional discussion. If we are unable to maintain patent protection for Jelmyto, Jelmyto will be subject to immediate competition from generic entrants after regulatory exclusivity expires in April 2027. Further, if we encounter delays in our development efforts, including our clinical trials, the period of time during which we could market our product candidates under patent protection would be reduced.
A considerable number of our patents and patent applications are entitled to effective filing dates prior to March 16, 2013. For U.S. patent applications in which patent claims are entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013, an interference proceeding can be provoked by a third party, for example a competitor, or instituted by the USPTO to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by those patent claims. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Our participation in an interference proceeding may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management.
Trade Secrets - Risk 4
Our trade secrets may not have sufficient intellectual property protection.In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we also rely on trade secret protection to protect proprietary know-how that may not be patentable or that we elect not to patent, processes for which patents may be difficult to obtain or enforce, and any other elements of our product candidates, and our product development processes (such as manufacturing and formulation technologies) that involve proprietary know-how, information or technology that is not covered by patents. However, trade secrets can be difficult to protect. If the steps taken to maintain our trade secrets are deemed inadequate, we may have insufficient recourse against third parties for misappropriating any trade secrets. Misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets could significantly affect our competitive position and may have an adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, trade secret protection does not prevent competitors from independently developing substantially equivalent information and techniques and we cannot guarantee that our competitors will not independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. The FDA, as part of its Transparency Initiative, is currently considering whether to make additional information publicly available on a routine basis, including information that we may consider to be trade secrets or other proprietary information, and it is not clear at the present time how the FDA's disclosure policies may change in the future, if at all.
In an effort to protect our trade secrets and other confidential information, we require our employees, consultants, advisors, and any other third parties that have access to our proprietary know-how, information or technology, for example, third parties involved in the formulation and manufacture of our product candidates, and third parties involved in our clinical trials to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of their relationships with us. These agreements require that all confidential information developed by the individual or made known to the individual by us during the course of the individual's relationship with us is kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties. However, we cannot be certain that our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed despite having such confidentiality agreements. Adequate remedies may not exist in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets. In addition, in some situations, these confidentiality agreements may conflict with, or be subject to, the rights of third parties with whom our employees, consultants, or advisors have previous employment or consulting relationships. To the extent that our employees, consultants or contractors use any intellectual property owned by third parties in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in any related or resulting know-how and inventions. If we are unable to prevent unauthorized material disclosure of our trade secrets to third parties, we may not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Trade Secrets - Risk 5
Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.As is the case with other pharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly on obtaining and enforcing patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the pharmaceutical industry involves both technological and legal complexity, and therefore, is costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. In addition, the United States has recently enacted and is currently implementing wide-ranging patent reform legislation. Further, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have either narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances or 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.
For our U.S. patent applications containing a claim not entitled to priority before March 16, 2013, there is a greater level of uncertainty in the patent law. In September 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the America Invents Act ("AIA"), was signed into law. The AIA includes a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law, including provisions that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The USPTO is currently developing regulations and procedures to govern administration of the AIA, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the AIA. It is not clear what other, if any, impact the AIA will have on the operation of our business. Moreover, the AIA and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could harm our business and financial condition.
An important change introduced by the AIA is that, as of March 16, 2013, the United States transitioned to a "first-to-file" system for deciding which party should be granted a patent when two or more patent applications are filed by different parties claiming the same invention. A third party that files a patent application in the USPTO after that date but before us could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by the third party. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Furthermore, our ability to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents depends on whether the differences between our technology and the prior art allow our technology to be patentable over the prior art. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to either (i) file any patent application related to our product candidates or (ii) invent any of the inventions claimed in our patents or patent applications.
Among some of the other changes introduced by the AIA are changes that limit where a patentee may file a patent infringement suit and provide opportunities for third parties to challenge any issued patent in the USPTO. This applies to all of our U.S. patents, even those issued before March 16, 2013. Because of a lower evidentiary standard in USPTO proceedings compared to the evidentiary standard in a United States federal court necessary to invalidate a patent claim, a third party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a district court action. Accordingly, a third party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not have been invalidated if first challenged by the third party as a defendant in a district court action.
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 would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.
Trade Secrets - Risk 6
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, documentary, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent prosecution process.
Periodic maintenance fees and various other governmental fees on any issued patent and/or pending patent applications are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of a patent or patent application. We have systems in place to remind us to pay these fees, and we employ an outside firm and rely on our outside counsel to pay these fees. While an inadvertent lapse may sometimes be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are many situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. If we fail to maintain the patents and patent applications directed to our product candidates, our competitors might be able to enter the market earlier than should otherwise have been the case, which could harm our business.
Trade Secrets - Risk 7
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on our product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive. The requirements for patentability may differ in certain countries, particularly developing countries. For example, unlike other countries, China has a heightened requirement for patentability, and specifically requires a detailed description of medical uses of a claimed drug. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement on infringing activities is inadequate. These products may compete with our products, and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to pharmaceuticals, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally.
Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing, and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. In addition, certain countries in Europe and certain developing countries, including India and China, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In those countries, we may have limited remedies if our patents are infringed or if we are compelled to grant a license to our patents to a third party, which could materially diminish the value of those patents. This could limit our potential revenue opportunities. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we own or license. Finally, our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights may be adversely affected by unforeseen changes in foreign intellectual property laws.
Trade Secrets - Risk 8
If we are unable to protect our trademarks from infringement, our business prospects may be harmed.We filed applications for trademarks (Jelmyto, RTGel, and UroGen) that identify our branding elements, such as Jelmyto and our unique technology in the United States, Europe, Japan and China. Although we take steps to monitor the possible infringement or misuse of our trademarks, it is possible that third parties may infringe, dilute or otherwise violate our trademark rights. Any unauthorized use of our trademarks could harm our reputation or commercial interests. In addition, our enforcement against third-party infringers or violators may be unduly expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome may be an inadequate remedy.
Trade Secrets - Risk 9
We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or other intellectual property rights or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive and time consuming.*Third parties may infringe or misappropriate our intellectual property, including our existing patents, patents that may issue to us in the future, or the patents of our licensors to which we have a license. As a result, we may be required to file infringement claims to stop third-party infringement or unauthorized use. Further, we may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our intellectual property rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States.
Drug manufacturers may develop, seek approval for, and launch generic versions of our products. For example, we received a Paragraph IV Certification Notice Letter from Teva in February 2024, providing notification to us that Teva has submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use, or sell a generic version of Jelmyto. See Part II, Item 1. "Legal Proceedings" for additional discussion.
If we do not file a patent infringement lawsuit against a generic manufacturer within 45 days of receiving notice of its Paragraph IV certification, the ANDA applicant may not be subject to a 30-month stay. If we file an infringement action against a generic drug manufacturer, that company may challenge the scope, validity or enforceability of our or our licensors' patents, requiring us and/or our licensors to engage in complex, lengthy and costly litigation or other proceedings.
In addition, if we or one of our licensors initiated legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering our product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidates is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace, and there are numerous grounds upon which a third party can assert invalidity or unenforceability of a patent.
Furthermore, within and outside of the United States, there has been a substantial amount of litigation and administrative proceedings, including interference and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in various foreign jurisdictions, regarding patent and other intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical industry. The AIA's procedures include inter partes review and post grant review. These procedures bring uncertainty to the possibility of challenges to our patents in the future, including challenges by competitors who perceive our patents as blocking entry into the market for their products, and the outcome of such challenges.
Such litigation and administrative proceedings could result in revocation of our patents or amendment of our patents such that they do not cover our product candidates. They may also put our pending patent applications at risk of not issuing or issuing with limited and potentially inadequate scope to cover our product candidates. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. Additionally, it is also possible that prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe affects the validity or enforceability of a claim, may, nonetheless, ultimately be found by a court of law or an administrative panel to affect the validity or enforceability of a claim. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection could have a negative impact on our business.
Enforcing our or our licensors' intellectual property rights through litigation is very expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of litigation more effectively than we can because of greater financial resources. Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time.
Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could impair our ability to compete in the marketplace. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or administrative proceedings, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, during the course of litigation or administrative proceedings, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments or public access to related documents. If investors perceive these results to be negative, the market price for our ordinary shares could be significantly harmed.
Trade Secrets - Risk 10
We may become subject to claims for remuneration or royalties for assigned service invention rights by our employees, which could result in litigation and adversely affect our business.A significant portion of our intellectual property has been developed by our employees during their employment. Our employees execute agreements that assign to us any ownership interest in a patent or patent application created in the scope of the employee's employment. In Israel, the Israeli Patent Law, 5727-1967, or the Patent Law, provides that inventions conceived by an employee during the scope of his or her employment with a company are regarded as "service inventions." Accordingly, our employees in Israel also enter into agreements that, among other things, waive the right to special remuneration for service inventions created in the scope of their employment or engagement. The Israeli Compensation and Royalties Committee, or the Committee, a body constituted under the Patent Law, has previously held, in certain cases, that employees may be entitled to remuneration for service inventions that they develop during their service for a company despite their explicit waiver of such right. Therefore, although we enter into agreements with our Israeli employees that waive their right to special remuneration for service inventions created in the scope of their employment or engagement, we may nonetheless face claims by employees demanding remuneration beyond their regular salary and benefits.
Trade Secrets - Risk 11
Third-party claims alleging intellectual property infringement may adversely affect our business.Our commercial success depends in part on our avoiding infringement of the patents and proprietary rights of third parties, for example, the intellectual property rights of competitors. Our commercialization activities may be subject to claims that we infringe or otherwise violate patents owned or controlled by third parties. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing our product candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our activities related to our product candidates may give rise to claims of infringement of the patent rights of others. We cannot assure you that our product candidates will not infringe existing or future patents. We may unknowingly infringe existing patents by commercialization of our product candidates. It is also possible that patents of which we are aware, but which we do not believe are relevant to our product candidates, could nevertheless be found to be infringed by our product candidates. Nevertheless, we are not aware of any issued patents that we believe would prevent us from marketing our product candidates, if approved. There may also be patent applications that have been filed but not published that, when issued as patents, could be asserted against us.
Third parties making claims against us for infringement or misappropriation of their intellectual property rights may seek and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize our product candidates. Further, if a patent infringement suit were brought against us, we could be forced to stop or delay research, development, manufacturing or sales of the product or product candidate that is the subject of the suit. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would cause us to incur substantial expenses, and would be a substantial diversion of management time and employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us by a third party, we may have to (i) pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys' fees if we are found to have willfully infringed the third party's patents; (ii) obtain one or more licenses from the third party; (iii) pay royalties to the third party; and/or (iv) redesign any infringing products. Redesigning any infringing products may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditures. Further, we cannot predict whether any required license would be available at all or whether it would be available on commercially reasonable terms. In the event that we could not obtain a license, we may be unable to further develop and commercialize our product candidates, which could harm our business significantly. Even if we are able to obtain a license, the license would likely obligate us to pay license fees or royalties or both, and the rights granted to us might be nonexclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. Ultimately, we could be prevented from commercializing a product, or be forced to cease some aspect of our business operations, if, as a result of actual or threatened patent infringement claims, we are unable to enter into licenses on acceptable terms.
Defending ourselves or our licensors in litigation is very expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of litigation or administrative proceedings more effectively than we can because of greater financial resources. Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could impair our ability to compete in the marketplace. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Cyber Security1 | 1.2%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
If our information technology systems or data, or those of third parties with whom we work, are or were compromised, this could result in adverse consequences resulting from such compromise including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; a material disruption of our drug development program; compromise sensitive information related to our business; harm our reputation; triggering our breach notification obligations; prevent us from accessing critical information; disruptions of our business operations; loss of revenue or profits; loss of customers or sales and expose us to liability or other adverse effects to our business.*Changed
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 19/83 (23%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights10 | 12.0%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our shareholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidates.*Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
The market price of our ordinary shares has been and may continue to be subject to fluctuation and you could lose all or part of your investment.*The stock market in general has been, and the market price of our ordinary shares in particular has been and may continue to be, subject to fluctuation, whether due to, or irrespective of, our operating results and financial condition. The market price of our ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Global Market may fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:
- the success of our ongoing launch and commercialization of Jelmyto; - actual or anticipated variations in our and our competitors' results of operations and financial condition; - physician and market acceptance of Jelmyto or any other approved product; - the mix of products that we sell; - any voluntary or mandatory recall of Jelmyto or any other approved product, or the imposition of any additional labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions; - our success or failure to obtain approval for and commercialize our product candidates; - changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; - changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if our ordinary shares are covered by analysts; - development of technological innovations or new competitive products by others; - announcements of technological innovations or new products by us; - publication of the results of nonclinical or clinical trials for Jelmyto, UGN-102 or our other product candidates; - failure by us to achieve a publicly announced milestone; - delays between our expenditures to develop and market new or enhanced product candidates and the generation of sales from those products; - developments concerning intellectual property rights; - the announcement of, or developments in, any litigation matters, including any product liability claims related to Jelmyto or any of our product candidates; - regulatory developments and the decisions of regulatory authorities as to the approval or rejection of new or modified products; - changes in the amounts that we spend to develop, acquire or license new products, technologies or businesses; - changes in our expenditures to promote our products; - our sale or proposed sale, or the sale by our significant shareholders, of our ordinary shares or other securities in the future; - changes in key personnel; - success or failure of our research and development projects or those of our competitors; - the trading volume of our ordinary shares; and - general economic and market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance.
These factors and any corresponding price fluctuations may negatively impact the market price of our ordinary shares and result in substantial losses being incurred by our investors. In the past, following periods of market volatility, public company shareholders have often instituted securities class action litigation. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could impose a substantial cost upon us and divert the resources and attention of our management from our business.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Future sales of our ordinary shares could reduce the market price of our ordinary shares.If our existing shareholders, particularly our directors, their affiliates, or our executive officers, sell a substantial number of our ordinary shares in the public market, the market price of our ordinary shares could decrease significantly. The perception in the public market that our shareholders might sell our ordinary shares could also depress the market price of our ordinary shares and could impair our future ability to obtain capital, especially through an offering of equity securities.
In addition, our sale of additional ordinary shares or other securities in order to raise capital might have a similar negative impact on the share price of our ordinary shares. A decline in the price of our ordinary shares might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional ordinary shares or other equity securities and may cause you to lose part or all of your investment in our ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Future equity offerings could result in future dilution and could cause the price of our ordinary shares to decline.*In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional ordinary shares or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our ordinary shares at prices that we determine from time to time, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing shareholders. We may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. On December 20, 2019, we entered into the ATM Sales Agreement pursuant to which we may from time to time offer and sell our ordinary shares, having an aggregate offering price of up to $100.0 million, to or through TD Cowen, acting as sales agent or principal, in any manner deemed to be an "at-the market offering". As of September 30, 2024, $27.3 million remain available for sale under the ATM Sales Agreement. The shares will be offered and sold pursuant to our shelf registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC on November 15, 2022, which was declared effective on November 29, 2022.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
The significant share ownership position of our officers, directors and entities affiliated with certain of our directors may limit your ability to influence corporate matters.Our officers, directors and entities affiliated with certain of our directors beneficially own a significant portion of our outstanding ordinary shares. Accordingly, these persons are able to significantly influence, though not independently determine, the outcome of matters required to be submitted to our shareholders for approval, including decisions relating to the election of our board of directors, and the outcome of any proposed merger or consolidation of our company. These interests may not be consistent with those of our other shareholders. In addition, these persons' significant interest in us may discourage third parties from seeking to acquire control of us, which may adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of our ordinary shares, such holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.If a "United States person" (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code")) is treated as owning (directly, indirectly or constructively) at least 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to vote or 10% or more of the total value of all classes of our stock, such United States person may be treated as a "United States shareholder" with respect to each "controlled foreign corporation" ("CFC") in our group (if any). Each United States shareholder of a CFC may be required to annually report and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of "Subpart F income," "global intangible low-taxed income" and investments in U.S. property by the CFC, regardless of whether the CFC makes any distributions. In addition, a United States shareholder that realizes gain from the sale or exchange of shares in a CFC may be required to classify a portion of such gain as dividend income rather than capital gain. An individual who is a United States shareholder with respect to a CFC generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. A non-U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a CFC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if United States shareholders own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of either the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such corporation entitled to vote or of the total value of the stock of such corporation. The determination of CFC status is complex and includes attribution rules, the application of which is not entirely certain. Because our group includes at least one U.S. subsidiary (UroGen Pharma, Inc.), if we were to form or acquire any non-U.S. subsidiaries in the future, attribution rules could cause them to be treated as CFCs with respect to any United States person owning (directly, indirectly or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares.
We cannot provide any assurances that we will assist investors in determining whether we or any non-U.S. subsidiaries that we may form or acquire in the future would be treated as a CFC or whether such investor would be treated as a United States shareholder with respect to any such CFC. Further, we cannot provide any assurances that we will furnish to any United States shareholder information that may be necessary to comply with the reporting and tax paying obligations discussed above. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations may subject you to significant monetary penalties and may prevent the statute of limitations with respect to your U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which reporting was due from starting. U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to their investment in our ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
Provisions of Israeli law and our articles of association may delay, prevent or otherwise impede a merger with, or an acquisition of, us, even when the terms of such a transaction are favorable to us and our shareholders.Israeli corporate law regulates mergers, requires tender offers for acquisitions of shares above specified thresholds, requires special approvals for transactions involving directors, officers or significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may be relevant to such types of transactions. For example, a tender offer for all of a company's issued and outstanding shares can only be completed if shareholders not accepting the tender offer hold less than 5% of the issued share capital. Completion of the tender offer also requires approval of a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in the tender offer, unless shareholders not accepting the tender offer hold less than 2% of the company's outstanding shares. Furthermore, the shareholders, including those who indicated their acceptance of the tender offer, may, at any time within six months following the completion of the tender offer, petition an Israeli court to alter the consideration for the acquisition, unless the acquirer stipulated in its tender offer that a shareholder that accepts the offer may not seek such appraisal rights.
Furthermore, Israeli tax considerations may make potential transactions unappealing to us or to our shareholders whose country of residence does not have a tax treaty with Israel exempting such shareholders from Israeli tax. For example, Israeli tax law does not recognize tax-free share exchanges to the same extent as U.S. tax law. With respect to mergers, Israeli tax law allows for tax deferral in certain circumstances but makes the deferral contingent on the fulfillment of a number of conditions, including, in some cases, a holding period of two years from the date of the transaction during which sales and dispositions of shares of the participating companies are subject to certain restrictions. Moreover, with respect to certain share swap transactions, the tax deferral is limited in time, and when such time expires, the tax becomes payable even if no disposition of the shares has occurred. These provisions could delay, prevent or impede an acquisition of us or our merger with another company, even if such an acquisition or merger would be beneficial to us or to our shareholders.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade our ordinary shares, the price of our ordinary shares could decline.The trading market for our ordinary shares relies in part on the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about us and our business, if at all. We do not have control over these analysts, and we do not have commitments from them to write research reports about us. The price of our ordinary shares could decline if no research reports are published about us or our business, or if one or more equity research analysts downgrade our ordinary shares or if those analysts issue other unfavorable commentary or cease publishing reports about us or our business.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
Our business could be negatively affected as a result of actions of activist shareholders, and such activism could impact the trading value of our securities.Shareholders may, from time to time, engage in proxy solicitations or advance shareholder proposals, or otherwise attempt to effect changes and assert influence on our board of directors and management. Activist campaigns that contest or conflict with our strategic direction or seek changes in the composition of our board of directors could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition. A proxy contest would require us to incur significant legal and advisory fees, proxy solicitation expenses and administrative and associated costs and require significant time and attention by our board of directors and management, diverting their attention from the pursuit of our business strategy. Any perceived uncertainties as to our future direction and control, our ability to execute on our strategy, or changes to the composition of our board of directors or senior management team arising from a proxy contest could lead to the perception of a change in the direction of our business or instability which may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, make it more difficult to pursue our strategic initiatives, or limit our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners, any of which could adversely affect our business and operating results. If individuals are ultimately elected to our board of directors with a specific agenda, it may adversely affect our ability to effectively implement our business strategy and create additional value for our shareholders. We may choose to initiate, or may become subject to, litigation as a result of the proxy contest or matters arising from the proxy contest, which would serve as a further distraction to our board of directors and management and would require us to incur significant additional costs. In addition, actions such as those described above could cause significant fluctuations in our share price based upon temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
Your rights and responsibilities as a shareholder will be governed by Israeli law, which differs in some material respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S. companies.The rights and responsibilities of the holders of our ordinary shares are governed by our articles of association and by Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some material respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in U.S. companies. In particular, a shareholder of an Israeli company has a duty to act in good faith and in a customary manner in exercising its rights and performing its obligations towards the company and other shareholders, and to refrain from abusing its power in the company, including, among other things, in voting at a general meeting of shareholders on matters such as amendments to a company's articles of association, increases in a company's authorized share capital, mergers and acquisitions and related party transactions requiring shareholder approval, as well as a general duty to refrain from discriminating against other shareholders. In addition, a shareholder who is aware that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a vote at a meeting of the shareholders or to appoint or prevent the appointment of a director or executive officer in the company has a duty of fairness toward the company.
There is limited case law available to assist us in understanding the nature of these duties or the implications of these provisions. These provisions may be interpreted to impose additional obligations and liabilities on holders of our ordinary shares that are not typically imposed on shareholders of U.S. companies.
Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 3.6%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Our ability to use our U.S. net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes to offset future taxable income and taxes may be limited.Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We have never paid cash dividends on our share capital, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our share capital, nor do we anticipate paying any cash dividends on our share capital in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our ordinary shares will be investors' sole source of gain for the foreseeable future. In addition, Israeli law limits our ability to declare and pay dividends and may subject our dividends to Israeli withholding taxes. The Loan Agreement also restricts our ability to pay dividends.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
We have a limited operating history and have incurred significant losses and negative cash flows since our inception, and we anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses and negative cash flows for the foreseeable future, which makes it difficult to assess our future viability.*We are a biotechnology company with a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. We are not profitable and have incurred net losses in each period since we commenced operations in 2004, including net losses of $102.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and a net loss of $23.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. As of September 30, 2024 we had an accumulated deficit of $768.7 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. Our ability to ultimately achieve recurring revenues and profitability is dependent upon our ability to successfully complete the development of our product candidates and obtain necessary regulatory approvals for and successfully manufacture, market and commercialize our products.
We believe that we will continue to expend substantial resources in the foreseeable future for the clinical development of our current product candidates or any additional product candidates and indications that we may choose to pursue in the future. These expenditures will include costs associated with research and development, conducting nonclinical studies and clinical trials, and payments for third-party manufacturing and supply, as well as sales and marketing of any of our product candidates that are approved for sale by regulatory agencies. Because the outcome of any clinical trial is highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of our clinical stage and nonclinical drug candidates and any other drug candidates that we may develop in the future. Other unanticipated costs may also arise.
Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including:
- the timing of, and the costs involved in, clinical development and obtaining regulatory approvals for our product candidates; - changes in regulatory requirements during the development phase that can delay or force us to stop our activities related to any of our product candidates; - the cost of commercialization activities for Jelmyto and any other products approved for sale, including marketing, sales and distribution costs; - our degree of success in commercializing Jelmyto; - the cost of third-party manufacturing of our products candidates and any approved products; - the number and characteristics of any other product candidates we develop or acquire; - our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations, licensing or other commercialization arrangements, and the terms and timing of such arrangements; - the extent and rate of market acceptance of any approved products; - the expenses needed to attract and retain skilled personnel; - the costs associated with being a public company; - the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing patent and other intellectual property claims, including potential litigation costs, and the outcome of such litigation; - the timing, receipt and amount of sales of, or royalties on, future approved products, if any; - the repayment of outstanding debt; - any product liability or other lawsuits related to our products or business arrangements; - scientific breakthroughs in the field of urothelial cancer treatment and diagnosis that could significantly diminish the demand for our product candidates or make them obsolete; and - changes in reimbursement or other laws, regulations or policies that could have a negative impact on our future revenue stream.
In addition, we have limited experience and have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome many of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in new and rapidly evolving fields, particularly in the biotechnology industry. Drug development is a highly speculative undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. To date, we have not obtained regulatory approval for or commercialized any product except Jelmyto.
Debt & Financing4 | 4.8%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
Covenants under our Prepaid Forward Contract with RTW restrict our ability to borrow additional capital.Debt & Financing - Risk 2
We may require additional financing to fund our operations and achieve our goals, and a failure to obtain this capital when needed and on acceptable terms, or at all, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development, commercialization efforts or other operations.*Changed
We are not profitable and have had negative cash flow from operations since our inception. Since our inception, almost all our resources have been dedicated to the nonclinical and clinical development of our first commercial product, Jelmyto, and our lead product candidate UGN-102. As of September 30, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $254.2 million. To fund our operations and develop our product candidates and commercialize Jelmyto, we have relied primarily on equity and debt financings and, following the launch of Jelmyto in June 2020, revenue generated from sales of Jelmyto.
In December 2019, we entered into the ATM Sales Agreement with TD Cowen pursuant to which we may from time to time offer and sell our ordinary shares having an aggregate offering price of up to $100.0 million. As of September 30, 2024, $27.3 million remain available for sale under the ATM Sales Agreement.
In March 2021, we announced the RTW Transaction with RTW totaling $75 million in funding for our company, which was received in May 2021, to support the launch of Jelmyto and the development of UGN-102. In return for the upfront cash payment, RTW is entitled to receive tiered future payments based on global annual net product sales of Jelmyto and UGN-102, if approved.
On March 7, 2022, UroGen Pharma Ltd., UroGen Pharma, Inc., as the Borrower, and certain direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company party thereto from time to time, as guarantors ("Guarantors" and, collectively with UroGen Pharma Ltd. and Borrower, "Credit Parties"), entered into a loan agreement with funds managed by Pharmakon, including BPCR Limited Partnership (as a "Lender"), BioPharma Credit Investments V (Master) LP (as a Lender), and BioPharma Credit PLC, as collateral agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, "Collateral Agent"), pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to make term loans to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount of up to $100.0 million (the "Initial Term Loans") to be funded in two tranches. The first tranche of $75.0 million ($72.6 million of proceeds were received, $70.8 million net of additional transaction costs) was funded in March 2022, and the second tranche of $25.0 million was funded in December 2022.
On March 13, 2024, we entered into an amended and restated loan agreement with Pharmakon for an additional third and fourth tranche of senior secured loan. The third tranche of $25.0 million was funded in September 2024. The fourth tranche of $75.0 million will become available at our option no later than August 29, 2025, subject to (i) receiving FDA approval of an NDA for UGN-102 no later than June 30, 2025 and (ii) the satisfaction of customary bring down conditions and deliverables.
We may require additional capital to complete clinical trials, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates, and otherwise fund our operations. Our operating plan may change as a result of many factors currently unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned, through public or private equity financings, convertible debt or debt financings, third-party funding, marketing and distribution arrangements, as well as other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements, or a combination of these approaches. We may also require additional capital to pursue nonclinical and clinical activities, and pursue regulatory approval for, and to commercialize, our pipeline product candidates.
Any additional fundraising efforts may divert the attention of our management from day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates. In addition, we cannot guarantee that future financing will be available in sufficient amounts or on favorable terms, if at all. Moreover, the terms of any financing may negatively impact the holdings or the rights of our shareholders, and the issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us or the possibility of such issuance may cause the market price of our shares to decline. The incurrence of indebtedness could result in increased fixed payment obligations and we may be required to agree to certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. We could also be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborative partners or otherwise at an earlier stage than would be desirable and we may be required to relinquish rights to some of our technologies, intellectual property or product candidates or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us, any of which may harm our business, financial condition, cash flows, operating results and prospects.
If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required or choose to:
- delay, limit, reduce or terminate nonclinical studies, clinical trials or other development activities for our product candidates or any of our future product candidates; - delay, limit, reduce or terminate our other research and development activities; or - delay, limit, reduce or terminate our establishment or expansion of manufacturing, sales and marketing or distribution capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize Jelmyto or any of our product candidates that obtain marketing approval.
We may also be unable to expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities, as desired, which could harm our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Our indebtedness resulting from our loan agreement with Pharmakon could adversely affect our financial condition or restrict our future operations.*Changed
In March 2022, we entered into a loan agreement with Pharmakon pursuant to which the Lenders funded the Initial Term Loans to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount of $100.0 million in two tranches. In March of 2024, we amended and restated the loan agreement, pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to make additional term loans to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount of up to $100.0 million to be funded in two tranches. The third tranche of $25.0 million was funded in September 2024. The fourth tranche of $75.0 million will become available at our option no later than August 29, 2025, subject to (i) receiving FDA approval of an NDA for UGN-102 no later than June 30, 2025 and (ii) the satisfaction of customary bring down conditions and deliverables. There is no assurance that the additional term loans will become available.
The obligations of the Borrower under the loan agreement with Pharmakon are guaranteed on a full and unconditional basis by UroGen Pharma Ltd. and the other Guarantor and are secured by substantially all of the respective Credit Parties' tangible and intangible assets and property, including intellectual property, subject to certain exceptions.
The loan agreement contains negative covenants that, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, restrict our ability to:
- sell or dispose of assets, including certain intellectual property; - amend, modify or waive certain agreements or organizational documents; - consummate certain change in control transactions; - incur certain additional indebtedness; - incur any non-permitted lien or other encumbrance on the Credit Parties' assets; - pay dividends or make any distribution or payment on or redeem, retire or purchase any equity interests; and - make payments of certain subordinated indebtedness.
In addition, we are required under the loan agreement to comply with various operating covenants and default clauses that may restrict our ability to finance our operations, engage in business activities or expand or fully pursue our business strategies. A breach of any of these covenants or clauses could result in a default under the loan agreement, which could cause all of the outstanding indebtedness under the facility to become immediately due and payable, including a make whole amount and prepayment premium.
If we are unable to generate sufficient cash to repay our debt obligations when they become due and payable, we may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms, if at all, which may negatively affect our business operations and financial condition.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry could adversely affect our current and projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations.Adverse developments that affect financial institutions, such as events involving liquidity that are rumored or actual, have in the past and may in the future lead to bank failures and market-wide liquidity problems. For example, on March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank ("SVB") was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") as receiver. Similarly, on March 12, 2023, Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital Corp. were each swept into receivership. In addition, on May 1, 2023, the FDIC seized First Republic Bank and sold its assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co. It is uncertain whether the U.S. Department of Treasury, FDIC and Federal Reserve Board will provide access to uninsured funds in the future in the event of the closure of other banks or financial institutions, or that they would do so in a timely fashion.
Although we assess our banking relationships as we believe necessary or appropriate, our access to cash in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired by factors that affect the financial institutions with which we have banking relationships. These factors could include, among others, events such as liquidity constraints or failures, the ability to perform obligations under various types of financial, credit or liquidity agreements or arrangements, disruptions or instability in the financial services industry or financial markets, or concerns or negative expectations about the prospects for companies in the financial services industry. These factors could also include factors involving financial markets or the financial services industry generally. The results of events or concerns that involve one or more of these factors could include a variety of material and adverse impacts on our current and projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations. These could include, but may not be limited to, delayed access to deposits or other financial assets or the uninsured loss of deposits or other financial assets; or termination of cash management arrangements and/or delays in accessing or actual loss of funds subject to cash management arrangements.
In addition, widespread investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to our cash and liquidity resources could, among other risks, adversely impact our ability to meet our operating expenses, financial obligations or fulfill our other obligations, result in breaches of our financial and/or contractual obligations or result in violations of federal or state wage and hour laws. Any of these impacts, or any other impacts resulting from the factors described above or other related or similar factors not described above, could have material adverse impacts on our liquidity and our current and/or projected business operations and financial condition and results of operations.
Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 2.4%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We will need to continue to increase the size of our organization. If we fail to manage our growth effectively, our business could be disrupted.*Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
We have entered into collaboration and licensing agreements and in the future may enter into collaboration and licensing arrangements with other third parties for the development or commercialization of our product candidates. If our collaboration and licensing arrangements are not successful, we may not be able to capitalize on the market potential of these product candidates.We may utilize a variety of types of licensing, collaboration, distribution and other marketing arrangements with third parties to develop our product candidates and commercialize our approved product candidates, if any. We are not currently party to any such arrangement that we consider material. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators' abilities and efforts to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements.
Any collaborations that we enter into may pose a number of risks, including the following:
- collaborators have significant discretion in determining the amount and timing of efforts and resources that they will apply to these collaborations; - collaborators may not perform their obligations as expected; - product candidates developed by collaborators may not perform sufficiently in clinical trials to be determined to be safe and effective, thereby delaying or terminating the drug approval process and reducing or eliminating milestone payments to which we would otherwise be entitled if the product candidates had successfully met their endpoints and/or received FDA approval; - clinical trials conducted by collaborators could give rise to new safety concerns; - collaborators may not pursue development and commercialization of our product candidates that receive marketing approval or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization programs based on clinical trial results, changes in the collaborators' strategic focus or available funding, or external factors, such as an acquisition, that divert resources or create competing priorities; - collaborators may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product candidate for clinical testing; - collaborators could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our products or product candidates if the collaborators believe that competitive products are more likely to be successfully developed or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours; - product candidates discovered in collaboration with us may be viewed by our collaborators as competitive with their own product candidates or products, which may cause collaborators to cease to devote resources to the commercialization of our product candidates; - a collaborator with marketing and distribution rights to one or more of our product candidates that achieve regulatory approval may not commit sufficient resources to the marketing and distribution of such product or products; - disagreements with collaborators, including disagreements over proprietary rights, contract interpretation or the preferred course of development, might cause delays or termination of the research, development or commercialization of product candidates, might lead to additional responsibilities for us with respect to product candidates, or might result in litigation or arbitration, any of which would divert management attention and resources, be time-consuming and expensive; - collaborators may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in such a way as to invite litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation; - collaborators may infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability; and - collaborations may be terminated for the convenience of the collaborator and, if terminated, we could be required to raise additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates.
Collaborations may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner, or at all, and may otherwise experience challenges. For example, in August 2020, we announced that the Phase 2 APOLLO trial of BOTOX/RTGel for the treatment of overactive bladder, which was conducted by Allergan Pharmaceuticals Limited ("Allergan"), did not meet the primary endpoint. The data suggested that this result may have been due to BOTOX not effectively permeating the urothelium. In November 2021 our arrangement with Allergan was terminated.
If any future material collaborations that we enter into do not result in the successful development and commercialization of products or if one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may not receive any future research funding or milestone or royalty payments under the collaboration. If we do not receive the funding we expect under these agreements, our development of our product candidates could be delayed, and we may need additional resources to develop our product candidates. All the risks relating to product development, regulatory approval and commercialization described in this report also apply to the activities of our collaborators.
Additionally, subject to its contractual obligations to us, if a collaborator of ours were to be involved in a business combination, it might deemphasize or terminate the development or commercialization of any product candidate licensed to it by us. If one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may find it more difficult to attract new collaborators and perception of us in the business and financial communities could be harmed.
Production
Total Risks: 8/83 (10%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel6 | 7.2%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
We depend on our executive officers and key clinical, technical and commercial personnel to operate our business effectively, and we must attract and retain highly skilled employees in order to succeed.*Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties.We employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies. We may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise improperly used or disclosed confidential information of these third parties or our employees' former employers. Further, we may be subject to ownership disputes in the future arising, for example, from conflicting obligations of consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates. We may also be subject to claims that former employees, consultants, independent contractors, collaborators or other third parties have an ownership interest in our patents or other intellectual property. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging our right to and use of confidential and proprietary information. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose our rights therein. Such an outcome could have a negative impact on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial cost and be a distraction to our management and employees.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
If we fail to attract and keep senior management and key personnel, we may be unable to successfully develop our product candidates, conduct our clinical trials and commercialize any of the products we develop.Our success depends in part on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified management, clinical, scientific and other personnel. We believe that our future success is highly dependent upon the contributions of members of our senior management, as well as our senior scientists and other members of our management team. The loss of services of any of these individuals could delay or prevent the successful development of our product pipeline, completion of our planned clinical trials or the commercialization of our product candidates.
Although we have not historically experienced unique difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified employees, we could experience such problems in the future. For example, competition for qualified personnel in the pharmaceutical field is intense due to the limited number of individuals who possess the skills and experience required by our industry. We will need to hire additional personnel as we expand our clinical development and commercial activities. We may not be able to attract and retain quality personnel on acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, to the extent we hire personnel from competitors, we may be subject to allegations that they have been improperly solicited or that they have divulged proprietary or other confidential information, or that their former employers own their research output.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 4
Under applicable employment laws, we may not be able to enforce covenants not to compete.We generally enter into non-competition agreements as part of our employment agreements with our employees. These agreements generally prohibit our employees, if they cease working for us, from competing directly with us or working for our competitors or clients for a limited period. We may be unable to enforce these agreements under the laws of the jurisdictions in which our employees work, and it may be difficult for us to restrict our competitors from benefitting from the expertise our former employees or consultants developed while working for us.
For example, Israeli labor courts have required employers seeking to enforce non-compete undertakings of a former employee to demonstrate that the competitive activities of the former employee will harm one of a limited number of material interests of the employer which have been recognized by the courts as justification for the enforcement of non-compete undertakings, such as the protection of a company's trade secrets or other intellectual property.
Additionally, on July 9, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order encouraging the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") to curtail unfair use of non-compete agreements and other agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility. While we cannot predict how the initiatives set forth in the executive order will be implemented or, as a result, the impact that the executive order will have on our operations, there is now increased uncertainty regarding the long-term enforceability of our non-compete agreements. In January 2023, the FTC proposed a rule that, if enacted, would prohibit employers from entering into non-compete clauses with workers and require employers to rescind existing non-complete clauses. Moreover, the law governing non-compete agreements and other forms of restrictive covenants varies from state to state within the U.S. and some states are reluctant to strictly enforce non-compete agreements.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 5
Our employees, independent contractors, clinical investigators, CROs, consultants and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading.We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors, clinical investigators, CROs, consultants and vendors may engage in fraudulent conduct or other illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct, breach of contract or other unauthorized activities that violate: FDA regulations, including those laws requiring the reporting of true, complete and accurate information to the FDA; manufacturing standards; federal, state and foreign healthcare fraud and abuse laws; buying or selling of our ordinary shares while in possession of material non-public information; or laws that require the reporting of financial information or data accurately.
Specifically, research, sales, marketing, education and other business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive and other business arrangements. Activities subject to these laws also include the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. We have adopted a Corporate Code of Ethics and Conduct and a Compliance Program, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by employees and other third parties, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws. If any such actions are instituted against us, even if we are successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business. Violations of such laws subject us to numerous penalties, including, but not limited to, the imposition of significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, 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, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
Most states also have statutes or regulations similar to these federal laws, which may apply to items such as pharmaceutical products and services reimbursed by private insurers. We and/or our future partners may be subject to administrative, civil and criminal sanctions for violations of any of these federal and state laws. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for a variety of promotional and marketing activities, such as: providing free trips, free goods, improper consulting fees and grants and other monetary benefits to prescribers; reporting to pricing services inflated average wholesale prices that were then used by federal programs to set reimbursement rates; engaging in off-label promotion; and submitting inflated best price information to the Medicaid Rebate Program to reduce liability for Medicaid rebates. Ensuring that our internal operations and future business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations, agency guidance or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations, which could have a significant impact on the conduct of our business.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 6
If we are unable to effectively train and equip our sales force, our ability to successfully commercialize Jelmyto and any future product candidates will be harmed.*Changed
Our sales force has only promoted Jelmyto since its launch in June 2020. In addition, Jelmyto is the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of low-grade UTUC. As a result, we are and will continue to be required to expend significant time and resources to train our sales force to be credible, persuasive, and compliant with applicable laws in marketing Jelmyto for the treatment of low-grade UTUC to physicians and nurses. In addition, we must train our sales force to ensure that a consistent and appropriate message about Jelmyto is being delivered to our customers. We generally manage and deploy our sales force by geographic coverage across the United States. Lack of coverage due to turnover of personnel, and/or inability to identify and integrate additional personnel would have a negative impact on our ability to engage with physicians and other stakeholders. If we are unable to effectively train, deploy and retain our sales force and equip them with effective materials, including medical and sales literature to help them inform and educate customers about the benefits and risks of Jelmyto, any future product candidates, and their proper administration, our efforts to successfully commercialize Jelmyto and any future product candidates could be put in jeopardy, which would negatively impact our ability to generate product revenues.
There can be no assurance that our sales force will continue to have in-person access to physicians as a result of pandemics, epidemics or public health emergencies, or that digital materials and virtual engagement will be effective at growing and sustaining prescription levels of Jelmyto. Disruptions in the prescription volume of Jelmyto could also occur:
- if patients are physically quarantined or are unable or unwilling to visit healthcare providers; - if physicians restrict access to their facilities for a material period of time; - if healthcare providers prioritize treatment of acute or communicable illnesses over treatment of low-grade UTUC; - if pharmacies are closed or suffering staff shortages or supply chain disruptions; - if patients lose access to employer-sponsored health insurance due to periods of high unemployment; or - as a result of general disruptions in the operations of payors, distributors, logistics providers and other third parties that are necessary for Jelmyto to be prescribed, reconstituted, instilled and reimbursed.
Supply Chain2 | 2.4%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We currently contract with third-party subcontractors and single-source suppliers for certain raw materials, compounds and components necessary to produce Jelmyto for commercial use, and to produce UGN-102, UGN-103, UGN-104, UGN-201, and UGN-301 for nonclinical studies and clinical trials, and expect to continue to do so to support commercial scale production of UGN-102, UGN-103, UGN-104 and UGN-201, if approved, as well as any approved product that includes UGN-301. There are significant risks associated with the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and contracting with contract manufacturers, including single-source suppliers. Furthermore, our existing third-party subcontractors and single-source suppliers may not be able to meet the increased need for certain raw materials, compounds and components that may result from our commercialization efforts. This increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of Jelmyto, UGN-102, UGN-103, UGN-104, UGN-201 or UGN-301 or be able to obtain such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.*Changed
Supply Chain - Risk 2
We rely on third parties and consultants to assist us in conducting our clinical trials for our product candidates. If these third parties or consultants do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines, we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize UGN-102 or any of our other product candidates.We do not have the ability to independently conduct many of our nonclinical studies or our clinical trials. We rely on medical institutions, clinical investigators, contract laboratories, and other third parties, such as CROs to conduct clinical trials on our product candidates. Third parties play a significant role in the conduct of our clinical trials and the subsequent collection and analysis of data. These third parties are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements, we have limited ability to control the amount or timing of resources that any such third party will devote to our clinical trials. Due to the limited drug development for non-muscle invasive urothelial cancers over the past 15 years, neither we nor any third-party clinical investigators, CROs and/or consultants are likely to have extensive experience conducting clinical trials for the indications we are targeting. If our CROs or any other third parties upon which we rely for administration and conduct of our clinical trials do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements, or for other reasons, or if they otherwise perform in a substandard manner, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated, and we may not be able to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize UGN-102 or any of our other product candidates.
We and the third parties upon whom we rely are required to comply with Good Clinical Practice ("GCP"), regulations, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by regulatory authorities around the world for products in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCP regulations through periodic inspections of clinical trial sponsors, principal investigators and clinical trial sites. If we or our third parties fail to comply with applicable GCP regulations, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and our submission of marketing applications may be delayed, or the regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that, upon inspection, a regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply or complied with applicable GCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with material produced under current GMP regulations, which are enforced by regulatory authorities. Our failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process. Moreover, our business may be impacted if our CROs, clinical investigators or other third parties violate federal or state fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations; healthcare privacy and security laws; and bribery and anti-corruption laws.
In order for our clinical trials to be carried out effectively and efficiently, it is imperative that our CROs and other third parties communicate and coordinate with one another. Moreover, our CROs and other third parties may also have relationships with other commercial entities, some of which may compete with us. Our CROs and other third parties may terminate their agreements with us upon as few as 30 days' notice under certain circumstances. If our CROs or other third parties conducting our clinical trials do not perform their contractual duties or obligations, experience work stoppages, do not meet expected deadlines, terminate their agreements with us or need to be replaced, or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical trial protocols or GCPs, or for any other reason, we may need to conduct additional clinical trials or enter into new arrangements with alternative CROs, clinical investigators or other third parties. We may be unable to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs, clinical investigators or other third parties on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Switching or adding CROs, clinical investigators or other third parties can involve substantial cost and require extensive management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays may occur, which can impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Although we carefully manage our relationship with our CROs, clinical investigators and other third parties, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter such challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a negative impact on our business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 7/83 (8%)Below Sector Average
Competition2 | 2.4%
Competition - Risk 1
Orphan Drug Designation may not ensure that we will enjoy market exclusivity in a particular market, and if we fail to obtain or maintain orphan drug exclusivity for our product candidates, we may be subject to earlier competition and our potential revenue will be reduced.Competition - Risk 2
Jelmyto and our product candidates, if approved, will face significant competition with competing technologies and our failure to compete effectively may prevent us from achieving significant market penetration.*The biotechnology industry is intensely competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our potential competitors include large and experienced companies that enjoy significant competitive advantages over us, such as greater financial, research and development, manufacturing, personnel and marketing resources, greater brand recognition and more experience and expertise in obtaining marketing approvals from the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities. These companies may develop new drugs to treat the indications that we target or seek to have existing drugs approved for use for the treatment of the indications that we target.
We are aware of several pharmaceutical companies that are developing drugs in the general fields of urology and uro-oncology, such as AADi, LLC, Biocancell Ltd., Bristol Myers Squibb, CG Oncology Inc., enGene Holdings, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, FKD Therapies Oy, GSK, ImmunityBio, Janssen, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp, Pfizer, Prokarium, Protara Therapeutics, Roche, Samyang Biopharma, Steba Biotech Ltd., SURGE Therapeutics, Viralytics Limited and Vyriad. We are aware that Ferring Pharmaceuticals is marketing Adstiladrin, approved by the FDA for the treatment of high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, and that in 2024 the FDA approved ImmunityBio's product ANKTIVA for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS, with or without papillary tumors. We are also aware there are companies among this list conducting clinical trials in various phases in the same indications in which we are developing products. In addition, we received from Teva a Paragraph IV Certification Notice Letter in February 2024, providing notification that Teva has submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of Jelmyto. In the Notice Letter, Teva alleges that two of the patents listed in the FDA Orange Book for Jelmyto, U.S. Patent Numbers 9,040,074 and 9,950,069, each of which expires in January 2031, are invalid, unenforceable, or will not be infringed by Teva's manufacture, use, or sale of the generic product described in its ANDA submission. See Part II, Item 1. "Legal Proceedings" for additional discussion. If we are unable to maintain patent protection for Jelmyto, Jelmyto may be subject to immediate competition from FDA approved generic entrants after orphan drug exclusivity for Jelmyto expires in April 2027.
Additionally, outside of these indications where we are developing products, we are aware of other companies doing work in both bladder and upper tract cancers, but these are with agents or on targets in high-grade, metastatic, or muscle invasive cancers. Competition may increase further as a result of advances in the commercial applicability of technologies and greater availability of capital for investment in this industry. Our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing products that are more effective, easier to administer or less costly than our product candidates.
In addition, we face competition from existing standards of treatment, surgical tumor resection procedures. If we are not able to demonstrate that our product candidates are at least as safe and effective as such courses of treatment, medical professionals may not adopt our product candidates in replacement of the existing standard of care. Generic mitomycin injectable drug products, while approved by FDA for gastric and pancreatic cancers, are neither approved for low-grade UTUC nor reconstituted with hydrogel in an FDA-approved product as Jelmyto is, although they may be used off-label by physicians for the treatment of low-grade UTUC, as they have been prior to the approval of Jelmyto.
Demand2 | 2.4%
Demand - Risk 1
Jelmyto has only been studied in a limited number of patients and in limited populations. Jelmyto is now available to a much larger number of patients and to a broader population, and we do not know whether the results of Jelmyto use in this larger number of patients and broader populations will be consistent with the results from our clinical studies.*Demand - Risk 2
The market opportunities for Jelmyto and our product candidates may be smaller than we anticipate or limited to those patients who are ineligible for established therapies or for whom prior therapies have failed and may be small.Cancer therapies are sometimes characterized as first-line, second-line or third-line. When cancer is detected early enough, first-line therapy, often chemotherapy, hormone therapy, surgery, radiotherapy or a combination of these, is sometimes adequate to cure the cancer or prolong life. Second- and third-line therapies are administered to patients when prior therapy is not or is no longer effective. For urothelial cancers, the current first-line standard of care is surgery designed to remove one or more tumors. Chemotherapy is currently used in treating urothelial cancer only as an adjuvant, or supplemental therapy, after tumor resection. We are designing our lead product candidate UGN-102 as an alternative to surgery as the standard of care for certain urothelial cancers. However, there is no guarantee that this product candidate will be approved or that we will not have to conduct additional clinical trials. Even if approved, the market opportunity for UGN-102 may be smaller than we anticipate or limited to those patients who are ineligible for established therapies or for whom prior therapies have failed. Our other or future product candidates, including UGN-103, UGN-104, UGN-201 and UGN-301, may face similar risks.
Our projections of both the number of people who have the cancers we are targeting, as well as the subset of people with these cancers who have previously failed prior treatments, and who have the potential to benefit from treatment with our product candidates, are based on our beliefs and estimates. These estimates have been derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, surveys of clinics, patient foundations or third-party market research, and may prove to be incorrect. Further, new studies may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of these cancers and the number of patients may turn out to be lower than expected. Additionally, the potentially addressable patient population for our product candidates may be limited or may not be amenable to treatment with our product candidates. For instance, our pivotal Phase 3 OLYMPUS clinical trial for Jelmyto was designed to evaluate the use of Jelmyto for the treatment of tumors in the renal pelvis (the funnel-like dilated part of the ureter in the kidney) and was not designed to evaluate the use of Jelmyto for the treatment of tumors in the ureter (the tube that connects the kidneys to the bladder). Even though Jelmyto is approved for the treatment of low-grade UTUC, some physicians have chosen, and physicians may choose in the future, to only use it to treat tumors in the renal pelvis and not tumors in the ureter, which would limit the degree of physician adoption and market acceptance of Jelmyto. Even if we obtain significant market share, because the potential target populations are small, we may never achieve profitability without obtaining regulatory approval for additional indications, including the use of the products as first- or second-line therapy. For example, low-grade UTUC is a rare malignant tumor of the cells lining the urinary tract and there is limited scientific literature or other research on the incidence and prevalence of low-grade UTUC. If our estimates of the incidence and prevalence of low-grade UTUC are incorrect, Jelmyto's commercial viability may prove to be limited, which may negatively affect our financial results.
Sales & Marketing3 | 3.6%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
We have limited experience as an organization in marketing and distributing products and are therefore subject to certain risks in relation to the commercialization of Jelmyto and any of our product candidates that receive regulatory approval.Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
We are highly dependent on the successful commercialization of our only approved product, Jelmyto.*Jelmyto is our first product, which we commercially launched in the United States in June 2020. We have not commercialized any other product candidates. We have invested significant efforts and financial resources in the research and development of Jelmyto. We are focusing a significant portion of our activities and resources on Jelmyto, and we believe our prospects are highly dependent on, and a significant portion of the value of our company relates to, our ability to successfully commercialize Jelmyto in the United States.
Successful commercialization of Jelmyto is subject to many risks. We initiated our commercial launch of Jelmyto in June 2020, and prior to that, we had never, as an organization, launched or commercialized any product. There is no guarantee that our commercialization efforts will be successful, or that we will be able to successfully launch and commercialize any other product candidates that receive regulatory approval. There are numerous examples of unsuccessful product launches and failures to meet high expectations of market potential, including by pharmaceutical companies with more experience and resources than us. While we have established our commercial team and have hired our U.S. sales force, we will need to maintain, further train and develop our team in order to be prepared to successfully coordinate the ongoing commercialization of Jelmyto. Even if we are successful in maintaining and further developing our commercial team, there are many factors that could cause the commercialization of Jelmyto to be unsuccessful, including a number of factors that are outside of our control. We must also properly educate physicians and nurses on the skillful preparation and administration of Jelmyto, and develop a broad experiential knowledge base of aggregated clinician feedback from which we can refine appropriate procedures for product administration, without which there could be a risk of adverse events.
Because no drug has previously been approved by the FDA for the treatment of low-grade UTUC, it is especially difficult to estimate Jelmyto's market potential. The commercial success of Jelmyto depends on the extent to which patients and physicians accept and adopt Jelmyto as a treatment for low-grade UTUC, and we do not know whether our or others' estimates in this regard will be accurate. For example, if the patient population suffering from low-grade UTUC is smaller than we estimate or if physicians are unwilling to prescribe or patients are unwilling to be treated with Jelmyto due to label warnings, adverse events associated with product administration or other reasons, the commercial potential of Jelmyto will be limited. Physicians may not prescribe Jelmyto and patients may be unwilling to be treated with Jelmyto if coverage is not provided or reimbursement is inadequate to cover a significant portion of the cost. Additionally, any negative development for Jelmyto in our post-marketing commitments, or in regulatory processes in other jurisdictions, may adversely impact the commercial results and potential of Jelmyto. Thus, significant uncertainty remains regarding the commercial potential of Jelmyto.
In addition, our commercialization efforts for Jelmyto could be hindered by pandemics, epidemics or public health emergencies.
If Jelmyto sales do not meet expectations, our share price could decline significantly and the long-term success of the product and our company could be harmed.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 3
It may be difficult for us to profitably sell our product candidates if coverage and reimbursement for these products is limited by government authorities and/or third-party payor policies.In addition to any healthcare reform measures which may affect reimbursement, market acceptance and sales of Jelmyto, UGN-102 and our other product candidates, if approved, will depend on the coverage and reimbursement policies of third-party payors, like government authorities, private health insurers, and managed care organizations. Third-party payors decide which medications they will cover and separately establish reimbursement levels. In October 2020, a Medicare C-Code was issued for Jelmyto and we have obtained pass-through status for two years, no more than three. CMS has established a permanent and product-specific J-code for Jelmyto that took effect on January 1, 2021. Our existing pass-through status was set to expire in the fourth quarter of 2023. However, CMS granted Jelmyto a New Technology APC, effective from October 1, 2023. A service is separately for paid under a New Technology APC until sufficient claims data have been collected to allow CMS to assign the procedure to a clinical APC group that is appropriate in clinical and resource terms. This generally occurs within two to three years from the time a new HCPCS code becomes effective. However, if CMS are able to collect sufficient claims data in less than two years, CMS may consider reassigning the service to an appropriate APC, or, if CMS does not have sufficient data at the end of three years upon which to base its reassignment to an appropriate clinical APC, CMS may keep the service in a New Technology APC until adequate data become available. Loss of our New Technology APC may result in Medicare beneficiaries losing access to Jelmyto in the hospital outpatient setting and Jelmyto becoming packaged into a comprehensive APC.
A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government and other third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for health care products, examining the cost effectiveness of drugs in addition to their safety and efficacy, and limiting or attempting to limit both coverage and the level of reimbursement for prescription drugs. Although our experience to date has demonstrated coverage for Jelmyto, we cannot be sure that adequate coverage will be available for UGN-102 or our other product candidates, if approved, or, if coverage is available, the level of reimbursement will be adequate to make our products affordable for patients or profitable for us. In addition, if inflation or other factors were to significantly increase our business costs, it may not be feasible to pass price increases on to our customers due to the process by which healthcare providers are reimbursed for our product candidates.
There is significant uncertainty related to the insurance coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. In the United States, decisions about reimbursement for new medicines under Medicare are made by CMS, as the administrator for the Medicare program. Private third-party payors often use CMS as a model for their coverage and reimbursement decisions, but also have their own methods and approval process apart from CMS's determinations. Our experience to date has demonstrated coverage with CMS and commercial payors for Jelmyto, and we have established written policies with certain commercial providers. However, it is difficult to predict what CMS as well as other third-party payors will decide with respect to reimbursement for fundamentally novel products such as ours, as there is no body of established practices and precedents for these new products.
Reimbursement may impact the demand for, and/or the price of, any product for which we obtain marketing approval. Assuming we obtain coverage for a given product by a third-party payor, the resulting reimbursement payment rates may not be adequate or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided, and reimbursement is adequate to cover all or a significant portion of the cost of our products. Moreover, for products administered under the supervision of a physician, obtaining and maintaining coverage and adequate reimbursement may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with such drugs. Additionally, separate reimbursement for the product itself or the treatment or procedure in which the product is used may not be available, which may impact physician utilization. Therefore, coverage and adequate reimbursement is critical to new product acceptance. Coverage decisions may depend upon clinical and economic standards that disfavor new drug products when more established or lower cost therapeutic alternatives are already available or subsequently become available. There may be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution.
Reimbursement by a third-party payor may depend upon a number of factors including the third-party payor's determination that use of a product is:
- a covered benefit under its health plan; - safe, effective and medically necessary; - appropriate for the specific patient; - cost-effective; and - neither experimental nor investigational.
Obtaining and maintaining coverage and reimbursement approval for a product from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us to provide supporting scientific, clinical and cost effectiveness data for the use of our products to the payor. Further, no uniform policy requirement for coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party payors in the United States. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process may require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. We may not be able to provide data sufficient to gain acceptance with respect to coverage and/or sufficient reimbursement levels.
Although we have obtained written policy coverage in commercial plans as well as coverage for government plans for Jelmyto to date, we cannot be sure that adequate coverage or reimbursement will continue to be available for Jelmyto, or be available for UGN-102 or any of our other product candidates, if approved. Also, we cannot be sure that reimbursement amounts will not reduce the demand for, or the price of, our future products. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize Jelmyto, UGN-102 or our other product candidates, or achieve profitably at all, even if approved. Additionally, coverage policies and reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for any of our products or product candidates that receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future. For example, beginning on January 1, 2023, manufacturers will be required to pay quarterly refunds to CMS for discarded amounts of single-dose container and single-use package drugs covered under Medicare Part B. Rebates will generally be based on the discarded volume above 10% of the total allowed amount. CMS has been receptive to evaluating the feasibility of the 10% threshold, and where appropriate, has modified the discarded volume threshold accordingly. In unique circumstances, CMS will increase the applicable threshold to 35%. At this time, CMS has determined that Jelmyto fits within this unique circumstance. If we are unable to obtain and maintain sufficient third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement for our products, the commercial success of our products may be greatly hindered and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 5/83 (6%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment3 | 3.6%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Certain of our clinical trials and other significant operations (including our Israeli corporate offices and contract manufacturers) are located outside of the United States and, therefore, our results may be adversely affected by geopolitical, economic and military instability.Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Our research and development and other significant operations are located in Israel and, therefore, our results may be adversely affected by political, economic and military instability in Israel.*Our research and development facility is located in Ra'anana, Israel, and certain of our key vendors and suppliers, including Isotopia Molecular Imaging Ltd., our single contracted supplier for the hydrogel contained in Jelmyto and UGN-102, are located within Israel. If these or any future facilities in Israel were to be damaged, destroyed or otherwise unable to operate, whether due to war, acts of hostility, earthquakes, fire, floods, hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, other natural disasters, employee malfeasance, terrorist acts, pandemic, power outages or otherwise, or if performance of our research and development is disrupted for any other reason, such an event could delay our clinical trials or, if our product candidates are approved and we choose to manufacture all or any part of them internally, jeopardize our ability to manufacture our products as promptly as our prospective customers will likely expect, or possibly at all. If we experience delays in achieving our development objectives, or if we are unable to manufacture an approved product within a timeframe that meets our prospective customers' expectations, our business, prospects, financial results and reputation could be harmed.
In addition, several countries, principally in the Middle East, restrict doing business with Israel, and additional countries may impose restrictions on doing business with Israel and Israeli companies whether as a result of hostilities in the region or otherwise. Any hostilities involving Israel, terrorist activities, political instability or violence in the region or the interruption or curtailment of trade or transport between Israel and its trading partners could adversely affect our operations and results of operations and adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares.
In October 2023, Hamas initiated an attack against Israel, provoking a state of war and the risk of a larger conflict. The intensity and duration of Israel's current war against Hamas is difficult to predict, as are such war's economic implications on our business and operations and on Israel's economy in general.
Additionally, the newly elected Israeli government has announced plans to significantly reduce the Israeli Supreme Court's judicial oversight, including reducing its ability to strike down legislation that it deems unreasonable, and plans to increase political influence over the selection of judges. These plans have prompted protests of Israeli citizens and criticism of leading Israeli business leaders as well as some foreign leaders. If such government plans are eventually enacted, they may cause operational challenges for us. In addition, if foreign policy is negatively impacted with regard to Israel, this could impact our business with suppliers and customers which could in turn adversely impact our reputation, results of operations or financial condition.
Our commercial insurance does not cover losses that may occur as a result of an event associated with the security situation in the Middle East. Although the Israeli government is currently committed to covering the reinstatement value of direct damages that are caused by terrorist attacks or acts of war, there can be no assurance that this government coverage will be maintained, or if maintained, will be sufficient to compensate us fully for damages incurred. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Further, our operations could be disrupted by the obligations of our employees to perform military service. As of September 30, 2024, we had 40 employees based in Israel. Of these employees, some may be military reservists, and may be called upon to perform military reserve duty of up to 36 days per year (and in some cases more) until they reach the age of 40 (and in some cases, up to the age of 45 or older). Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli Defense Force has called up more than 350,000 of its reserve forces to serve. It is possible that there will be further military reserve duty call-ups in the future, which may affect our business due to a shortage of skilled labor and loss of institutional knowledge, and necessary mitigation measures we may take to respond to a decrease in labor availability, such as overtime and third-party outsourcing, for example, may have unintended negative effects and adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity or cash flows.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3
Unstable market, economic and geo-political conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition and share price.The global credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions in the past. These disruptions can result in severely diminished liquidity and credit availability, increase in inflation, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates, further bank failures and uncertainty about economic stability. There can be no assurance that further deterioration in credit and financial markets and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such economic downturn, volatile business environment, higher inflation, bank failures or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions. If the equity and credit markets deteriorate, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive. Our portfolio of corporate and government bonds could also be adversely impacted. Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our operations, growth strategy, financial performance and share price and could require us to delay or abandon clinical development plans. In addition, there is a risk that one or more of our current service providers, manufacturers and other partners may not survive an economic downturn or rising inflation, which could directly affect our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and on budget.
Other international and geo-political events could also have a serious adverse impact on our business. For instance, in February 2022, Russia initiated military action against Ukraine. In response, the United States and certain other countries imposed significant sanctions and trade actions against Russia and could impose further sanctions, trade restrictions, and other retaliatory actions. In October 2023, Hamas initiated an attack against Israel, provoking a state of war and the risk of a larger conflict. While we cannot predict the broader consequences, these conflicts and retaliatory and counter-retaliatory actions could materially adversely affect global trade, currency exchange rates, inflation, regional economies, and the global economy, which in turn may increase our costs, disrupt our supply chain, impair our ability to raise or access additional capital when needed on acceptable terms, if at all, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 1.2%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies.Capital Markets1 | 1.2%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. Dollar and the New Israeli Shekel may negatively affect our earnings.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.