10q10k10q10k.net

What changed in Kymera Therapeutics, Inc.'s 10-K2022 vs 2023

vs

Paragraph-level year-over-year comparison of Kymera Therapeutics, Inc.'s 2022 and 2023 10-K annual filings, covering the Business, Risk Factors, Legal Proceedings, Cybersecurity, MD&A and Market Risk sections. Every new, removed and edited paragraph is highlighted side-by-side so you can see exactly what management changed in the 2023 report.

+658 added667 removedSource: 10-K (2024-02-22) vs 10-K (2023-02-23)

Top changes in Kymera Therapeutics, Inc.'s 2023 10-K

658 paragraphs added · 667 removed · 416 edited across 8 sections

Item 1. Business

Business — how the company describes what it does

172 edited+143 added178 removed272 unchanged
Biggest changeThe FD&C Act requires that a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a drug that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan, or PSP, within 60 days of an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 trial.
Biggest changeThe FD&C Act requires that a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a drug that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan, or PSP, within 60 days of an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 trial. 47 The initial PSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information, and any request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from pediatric studies along with supporting information.
IRAK4 is a critical node in the IL-1R/TLR signaling pathway, which is dependent on both IRAK4’s kinase activity and scaffolding function.
IRAK4 is a critical node in the IL-1R/TLR signaling pathway, which is dependent on both IRAK4’s kinase activity and scaffolding function.
Even if a product is considered to be an innovative medicinal product so that the innovator gains the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company nevertheless could also market another version of the product if such company obtained marketing authorization based on an MAA with a complete independent data package of pharmaceutical tests, preclinical tests and clinical trials.
Even if a product is considered to be an innovative medicinal product so that the innovator gains the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company nevertheless could also market another version of the product if such company obtained marketing authorization based on an MAA with a complete and independent data package of pharmaceutical tests, preclinical tests and clinical trials.
Additionally, marketing authorization may be granted to a similar product for the same therapeutic indication at any time if (i) the second applicant can establish that its product, although similar, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior; (ii) the marketing authorization holder for the authorized orphan product consents to a second orphan medicinal product application; or (iii) the marketing authorization holder for the authorized orphan product cannot supply enough orphan medicinal product.
Additionally, a marketing authorization may be granted to a similar product for the same therapeutic indication at any time if (i) the second applicant can establish that its product, although similar, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior; (ii) the marketing authorization holder for the authorized orphan product consents to a second orphan medicinal product application; or (iii) the marketing authorization holder for the authorized orphan product cannot supply enough orphan medicinal product.
The process required by the FDA before our product candidates are approved as drugs for therapeutic indications and may be marketed in the U.S. generally involves the following: completion of extensive preclinical studies in accordance with applicable regulations, including studies conducted in accordance with good laboratory practice, or GLP, requirements; completion of the manufacture, under current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, conditions, of the drug substance and drug product that the sponsor intends to use in human clinical trials along with required analytical and stability testing; submission to the FDA of an IND application, which must become effective before clinical trials may begin; approval by an institutional review board, or IRB, or independent ethics committee at each clinical trial site before each trial may be initiated; performance of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in accordance with applicable IND regulations, good clinical practice, or GCP, requirements and other clinical trial-related regulations to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational product for each proposed indication; submission to the FDA of a NDA; a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA, to accept the filing for review; satisfactory completion of one or more FDA pre-approval inspections of the manufacturing facility or facilities where the drug will be produced to assess compliance with cGMP requirements to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity; potential FDA audit of the clinical trial sites that generated the data in support of the NDA; payment of user fees for FDA review of the NDA; and 51 FDA review and approval of the NDA, including consideration of the views of any FDA advisory committee, prior to any commercial marketing or sale of the drug in the U.S.
The process required by the FDA before our product candidates are approved as drugs for therapeutic indications and may be marketed in the U.S. generally involves the following: completion of extensive preclinical studies in accordance with applicable regulations, including studies conducted in accordance with good laboratory practice, or GLP, requirements; completion of the manufacture, under current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, conditions, of the drug substance and drug product that the sponsor intends to use in human clinical trials along with required analytical and stability testing; submission to the FDA of an IND application, which must become effective before clinical trials may begin; approval by an institutional review board, or IRB, or independent ethics committee at each clinical trial site before each trial may be initiated; performance of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in accordance with applicable IND regulations, good clinical practice, or GCP, requirements and other clinical trial-related regulations to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational product for each proposed indication; submission to the FDA of a NDA; a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA, to accept the filing for review; satisfactory completion of one or more FDA pre-approval inspections of the manufacturing facility or facilities where the drug will be produced to assess compliance with cGMP requirements to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity; potential FDA audit of the clinical trial sites that generated the data in support of the NDA; payment of user fees for FDA review of the NDA; and FDA review and approval of the NDA, including consideration of the views of any FDA advisory committee, prior to any commercial marketing or sale of the drug in the U.S.
For medicines that do not fall within these categories, an applicant has the option of submitting an application for a centralized marketing authorization to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, as long as the medicine concerned contains a new active substance not yet authorized in the EU, is a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation, or if its authorization would be in the interest of public health in the EU.
For medicines that do not fall within these categories, an 53 applicant has the option of submitting an application for a centralized marketing authorization to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, as long as the medicine concerned contains a new active substance not yet authorized in the EU, is a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation, or if its authorization would be in the interest of public health in the EU.
We believe that our small molecule protein degraders have unique advantages over existing therapies and allow us to address a large portion of the human genome that was previously intractable with traditional modalities. We focus on biological pathways that have been clinically validated but where key biological nodes/proteins have not been drugged or have been inadequately drugged.
We believe that our small molecule protein degraders have unique advantages over existing therapies and allow us to address a large portion of the human genome that was previously intractable with traditional modalities. We focus on biological pathways that have been clinically validated but where key biological nodes/proteins have not been drugged or are inadequately drugged.
All of our European Union trademarks in existence as of December 31, 2020 were automatically cloned onto the United Kingdom register due to “Brexit.” Most recently, we filed an application for our K & Design mark in the United States, and we plan to file European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada applications based on our U.S. priority date in that application in due course.
All of our European Union trademarks in existence as of December 31, 2020 were automatically cloned onto the United Kingdom register due to “Brexit.” 42 Most recently, we filed an application for our K & Design mark in the United States, and we plan to file European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada applications based on our U.S. priority date in that application in due course.
They also have to be dosed parenterally and can be costly and complex to develop and manufacture. 4 Oligo-based therapeutics are capable of drugging proteins elusive to small molecules in some cases but have significant drug delivery challenges with dosing and in achieving systemic distribution, greatly limiting the breadth of diseases they are able to address effectively.
They also have to be dosed parenterally and can be costly and complex to develop and manufacture. Oligo-based therapeutics are capable of drugging proteins elusive to small molecules in some cases but have significant drug delivery challenges with dosing and in achieving systemic distribution, greatly limiting the breadth of diseases they are able to address effectively.
In addition, Sanofi may terminate the agreement for convenience or for a material safety event upon advance prior written notice, and we may terminate the agreement with respect to any collaboration candidate if, following Sanofi’s assumption of responsibility for the development, commercialization or manufacturing of collaboration candidates with respect to a particular target, Sanofi ceases to exploit any collaboration candidates directed to such target for a specified period.
In addition, Sanofi may terminate the agreement for convenience or for a material safety event upon advance prior written notice, and we may terminate the agreement with respect to any collaboration candidate if, following Sanofi’s assumption of responsibility for the development, 39 commercialization or manufacturing of collaboration candidates with respect to a particular target, Sanofi ceases to exploit any collaboration candidates directed to such target for a specified period.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged, examining the medical necessity, reviewing the cost-effectiveness of medical 58 products and services and imposing controls to manage costs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the approved products for a particular indication.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged, examining the medical necessity, reviewing the cost-effectiveness of medical products and services and imposing controls to manage costs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the approved products for a particular indication.
An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, which reviews, evaluates and provides a recommendation 53 as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, which reviews, evaluates and provides a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Fast Track designation provides increased opportunities for sponsor interactions with the FDA during preclinical and clinical development, in addition to the potential for rolling review once a marketing application is filed, meaning that the agency may review portions of the marketing application before the sponsor submits the complete application, as well as Priority Review, discussed below.
Fast Track designation provides increased opportunities for sponsor interactions with the FDA during preclinical and clinical development, in addition to the 46 potential for rolling review once a marketing application is filed, meaning that the agency may review portions of the marketing application before the sponsor submits the complete application, as well as Priority Review, discussed below.
Our approach is rooted in an understanding of the relationship between E3 ubiquitin ligases and target proteins, which allows us to identify the properties that make a target both ligandable and degradable, and determine how multiple factors impact potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics, or PK, and pharmacodynamics, or PD.
Our approach is rooted in an understanding of the relationship between E3 ubiquitin ligases and target proteins, which allows us to identify the properties that make a target both ligandable and degradable, and determine how multiple factors impact potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD).
The data exclusivity period prevents generic or biosimilar applicants from referencing the innovator’s preclinical and clinical trial data contained in the dossier of the reference product when applying for a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization in the EU during a period of eight years from the date on which the reference product was first authorized in the 62 EU.
The data exclusivity period prevents generic or biosimilar applicants from referencing the innovator’s preclinical and clinical trial data contained in the dossier of the reference product when applying for a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization in the EU during a period of eight years from the date on which the reference product was first authorized in the EU.
Other potential consequences include, among other things: restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls; 56 safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases or other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials; refusal of the FDA to approve applications or supplements to approved applications, or withdrawal of product approvals; product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties; and consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs; or mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and issuance of corrective information.
Other potential consequences include, among other things: restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls; safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases or other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials; refusal of the FDA to approve applications or supplements to approved applications, or withdrawal of product approvals; product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; 48 injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties; and consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs; or mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and issuance of corrective information.
We believe the diverse functions of STAT3 in tumor biology, evasion of immune surveillance by tumor cells, and inflammation and fibrosis provide opportunities to address a wide variety of high unmet need disease indications through the targeting of a single genetically and clinically validated pathway.
We believe the diverse functions of STAT3 in tumor biology, evasion of immune surveillance by tumor cells, and inflammation and fibrosis provide opportunities to address a wide variety of high unmet need disease 8 indications through the targeting of a single genetically and clinically validated pathway.
The FDA also issued a draft guidance in July 2016 setting forth the principles for co-development of an in 57 vitro companion diagnostic device with a therapeutic product. The draft guidance describes principles to guide the development and contemporaneous marketing authorization for the therapeutic product and its corresponding in vitro companion diagnostic.
The FDA also issued a draft guidance in July 2016 setting forth the principles for co-development of an in vitro companion diagnostic device with a therapeutic product. The draft guidance describes principles to guide the development and contemporaneous marketing authorization for the therapeutic product and its corresponding in vitro companion diagnostic.
Monoclonal antibodies directed against pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 or their receptors IL-6R have also been approved for select autoimmune diseases. However, autoimmune and fibrotic diseases and certain cancers are often regulated 29 by multiple cytokines.
Monoclonal antibodies directed against pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 or their receptors IL-6R have also been approved for select autoimmune diseases. However, autoimmune and fibrotic diseases and certain cancers are often regulated by multiple cytokines.
Collaboration Agreement with Genzyme Corporation On July 7, 2020, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Original Sanofi Agreement, with Genzyme Corporation, a subsidiary of Sanofi, to co-develop drug candidates directed to two biological targets. The Original Sanofi Agreement became effective during the third quarter of 2020.
Collaboration Agreement with Sanofi (formerly Genzyme Corporation) On July 7, 2020, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Original Sanofi Agreement, with Genzyme Corporation, a subsidiary of Sanofi, to co-develop drug candidates directed to two biological targets. The Original Sanofi Agreement became effective during the third quarter of 2020.
Trademarks We intend to file applications for trademark registrations in connection with our product candidates and other technologies in various jurisdictions, including the United States. 50 We have applied to register both the KYMERA mark and the KYMERA THERAPEUTICS mark in the United States, Europe, and Canada.
Trademarks We have and intend to file applications for trademark registrations in connection with our product candidates and other technologies in various jurisdictions, including the United States. We have applied to register both the KYMERA mark and the KYMERA THERAPEUTICS mark in the United States, Europe, and Canada.
The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal and state regulations and requirements, including GLP requirements for safety/toxicology studies. The results of the preclinical studies, together with manufacturing information and analytical data must be submitted to the FDA as part of an IND.
The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal 43 and state regulations and requirements, including GLP requirements for safety/toxicology studies. The results of the preclinical studies, together with manufacturing information and analytical data must be submitted to the FDA as part of an IND.
Some countries may require the 60 completion of additional studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies or so-called health technology assessments, in order to obtain reimbursement or pricing approval.
Some countries may require the completion of additional studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies or so-called health technology assessments, in order to obtain reimbursement or pricing approval.
In addition, if we exercise our Opt-In Right, Sanofi will grant to us an exclusive 47 option, applicable to each collaboration target, which upon exercise will allow us to conduct certain co-promotion activities in the field in the United States.
In addition, if we exercise our Opt-In Right, Sanofi will grant to us an exclusive option, applicable to each collaboration target, which upon exercise will allow us to conduct certain co-promotion activities in the field in the United States.
Orphan medicinal products are eligible for financial incentives such as reduction of fees or fee waivers and are, upon grant of a marketing authorization, entitled to ten years of market exclusivity for the approved therapeutic indication.
Orphan medicinal products are eligible for financial incentives such as reduction of fees or fee waivers and are, upon grant of a marketing authorization, 54 entitled to ten years of market exclusivity for the approved therapeutic indication.
In oncology, JAK inhibitors have been approved for hematological malignancies with mutations leading to activation of the JAK2/STAT5 pathway, including primary myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera, and for acute graft versus host disease.
In oncology, JAK inhibitors have been approved for hematological malignancies with mutations leading to activation of the JAK2/STAT5 pathway, including primary myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera, and for acute graft 28 versus host disease.
Our success also depends on our ability to defend and enforce our intellectual property rights, preserve the confidentiality of our proprietary information, and operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the valid and enforceable patents and proprietary rights of third parties.
Our success also depends on our ability to defend and enforce our 40 intellectual property rights, preserve the confidentiality of our proprietary information, and operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the valid and enforceable patents and proprietary rights of third parties.
Our competitors will also include companies that are or will be developing other targeted protein degradation methods as well as small molecule, antibody, or gene therapies 48 for the same indications that we are targeting.
Our competitors will also include companies that are or will be developing other targeted protein degradation methods as well as small molecule, antibody, or gene therapies for the same indications that we are targeting.
For instance, in the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area, or the EEA (comprised of the EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), medicinal products must be authorized for marketing by using either the centralized procedure or a national procedure. Centralized procedure —If pursuing marketing authorization of a product candidate for a therapeutic indication under the centralized procedure, following the opining of the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, the European Commission issues a single marketing authorization valid across the EEA.
For instance, in the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area, or the EEA (comprised of the EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), medicinal products must be authorized for marketing by using either the centralized procedure or a national procedure. Centralized procedure —If pursuing marketing authorization of a product candidate for a therapeutic indication under the centralized procedure, following the opinion of the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, the European Commission issues a single marketing authorization valid across the EEA.
AD is treated symptomatically with topical therapies, including emollients, corticosteroids, and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The lone FDA-approved systemic treatment is the IL-4Ra targeting antibody dupilumab, though only approximately 40% of moderate-to-severe disease patients met the primary endpoint in its Phase 3 trials, leaving a significant percentage of patients who are currently underserved.
AD is treated symptomatically with topical therapies, including emollients, corticosteroids, and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The leading FDA-approved systemic treatment is the IL-4Ra targeting antibody dupilumab, though only approximately 40% of moderate-to-severe disease patients met the primary endpoint in its Phase 3 trials, leaving a significant percentage of patients who are currently underserved.
Pain NRS30 response is defined as at least a 30% reduction and at least one unit reduction from baseline in Pain NRS. As also shown in Figure 22, the Pain NRS responder rate was 50% in all HS patients and 60% in those HS patients with moderate to severe disease, sustained after Day 28.
Pain NRS30 response is defined as at least a 30% reduction and at least one unit reduction from baseline in Pain NRS. As also shown in Figure 13, the Pain NRS responder rate was 50% in all HS patients and 60% in those HS patients with moderate to severe disease, sustained after Day 28.
In AD patients, as shown in Figure 17, there was a mean 37% reduction in skin lesions as measured using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score, with reductions in individual patients of up to 76%. Maximum reduction was seen by Day 28 and was maintained at Day 42.
In AD patients, as shown in Figure 10, there was a mean 37% reduction in skin lesions as measured using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score, with reductions in individual patients of up to 76%. Maximum reduction was seen by Day 28 and was maintained at Day 42.
Similar to as in the U.S., the various phases of non-clinical and clinical research in the European Union are subject to significant regulatory controls. In April 2014, the EU adopted the new Clinical Trials Regulation, (EU) No 536/2014 (Clinical Trials Regulation) which replaced the Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC on January 31, 2022.
Similar to the U.S., the various phases of non-clinical and clinical research in the European Union are subject to significant regulatory controls. In April 2014, the EU adopted the Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 (Clinical Trials Regulation) which replaced the Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC on January 31, 2022.
Now that the United Kingdom (which comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland) has left the European Union, Great Britain is no longer covered by centralized marketing authorizations (under the Northern Ireland Protocol, centralized marketing authorizations will continue to be recognized in Northern Ireland).
Now that the United Kingdom (which comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland) has left the European Union, Great Britain is no longer covered by centralized marketing authorizations (under the Northern Ireland Protocol, centralized marketing authorizations currently continue to be recognized in Northern Ireland).
MDM2 is the crucial regulator of the most common tumor suppressor, p53, which remains intact (or wild type) in more than 50% of cancers. Unlike small molecule inhibitors, our MDM2 degrader, KT-253, has been shown preclinically to have the ability to overcome the MDM2 feedback loop and rapidly induce apoptosis, even with brief exposures.
MDM2 is the crucial regulator of the most common tumor suppressor, p53, which remains intact (or wild type) in close to 50% of cancers. Unlike small molecule inhibitors, our MDM2 degrader, KT-253, has been shown preclinically to have the ability to overcome the MDM2 feedback loop and rapidly induce apoptosis, even with brief exposures.
Our proprietary targeted protein degradation, or TPD, platform, which we refer to as Pegasus™, enables us to discover highly selective small molecule protein degraders with activity against disease-causing proteins throughout the body.
Our proprietary targeted protein degradation, or TPD, platform, which we refer to as Pegasus™, allows us to discover highly selective small molecule protein degraders with activity against disease-causing proteins throughout the body.
The endpoints were chosen in order to assess the effect of KT-474 treatment on the burden of skin disease as well as on symptoms such as pain and pruritus that impact quality of life for HS and AD patients.
The endpoints were chosen to assess the effect of KT-474 treatment on the burden of skin disease as well as on symptoms such as pain and pruritus that impact quality of life for HS and AD patients.
The TCA includes specific provisions concerning pharmaceuticals, which include the mutual recognition of GMP, inspections of manufacturing facilities for medicinal products and GMP documents issued, but does not foresee wholesale mutual recognition of UK and EU pharmaceutical regulations.
The TCA includes specific provisions concerning pharmaceuticals, which include the mutual recognition of GMP, inspections of manufacturing facilities for medicinal products and GMP documents issued, but does not provide wholesale mutual recognition of UK and EU pharmaceutical regulations.
In August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, included aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken.
The Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, included aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2032 unless additional Congressional action is taken.
This enables the development of highly potent drugs that are able to induce strong p53 upregulation and an irreversible acute apoptotic response in tumor cells with just brief exposures, thereby maximizing efficacy and improving the safety profile by allowing time for the recovery of normal cells. 36 Figure 43.
This enables the development of highly potent drugs that are able to induce strong p53 upregulation and an irreversible acute apoptotic response in tumor cells with just brief exposures, thereby maximizing efficacy and improving the safety profile by allowing time for the recovery of normal cells.
A copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are posted on our website, www.kymeratx.com, under “Investors”. 66
A copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are posted on our website, www.kymeratx.com, under “Investors”. 58
The E3 ligase tags the protein target for degradation by attaching a series of ubiquitin, and the proteasome recognizes the tagged protein and degrades it into small peptides.
The E3 liaise tags the protein target for degradation by attaching a series of ubiquitin, and the proteasome recognizes the tagged protein and degrades it into small peptides .
As shown in the figure below, after the degrader facilitates the ubiquitination of the target protein, and as the protein is degraded by the proteasome, the molecule separates from the protein, and is able to form another ternary complex to conduct the degradation process again.
As shown in step 3 and step 4 in the figure below, after the degrader facilitates the ubiquitination of the target protein, and as the protein is degraded by the proteasome, the molecule separates from the protein, and is able to form another ternary complex to conduct the degradation process again.
With respect to our oncology programs, we are evaluating KT-333, a STAT3 degrader, in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory liquid and solid tumors, including aggressive lymphomas. Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we expect to provide additional clinical data in 2023.
With respect to our clinical oncology programs, we are evaluating KT-333, a STAT3 degrader, in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory liquid and solid tumors, including aggressive lymphomas. Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we expect to present additional clinical data in 2024.
In addition to the competitors we face in developing small molecule protein degraders, we will also face competition in the indications we expect to pursue with our IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, STAT3, and MDM2 programs. Many of these indications already have approved standards of care which may include more traditional therapeutic modalities.
In addition to competitors we face in developing small molecule protein degraders, we will also face competition in the indications we expect to pursue with our IRAK4, STAT6, TYK2, STAT3, and MDM2 programs. Many of these indications have approved standards of care which may include more traditional therapeutic modalities.
We are developing KT-474, a highly active and selective, orally bioavailable IRAK4 degrader, for the treatment of IL-1R/TLR-driven immunology-inflammation conditions and diseases with high unmet medical need, including hidradenitis suppurativa, or HS, an inflammatory skin disease, as well as atopic dermatitis, or AD, and potentially other indications.
We are developing KT-474, a highly active and selective, orally bioavailable IRAK4 degrader, for the treatment of interleukin-1 receptor/toll-like receptor or IL-1R/TLR-driven immunology-inflammation conditions and diseases with high unmet medical need, including hidradenitis suppurativa, or HS, an inflammatory skin disease, as well as atopic dermatitis, or AD, and potentially other indications.
The competition is likely to come from multiple sources, including larger pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and academia. Competitors in our efforts to develop small molecule protein degraders therapies for patients, include, but are not limited to, Arvinas, Inc., C4 Therapeutics, Inc., Nurix Therapeutics, Inc., and Foghorn Therapeutics, Inc. Further, several large pharmaceutical companies have disclosed preclinical investments in this field.
The competition is likely to come from multiple sources, including larger pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and academia. Companies developing small molecule protein degraders therapies for patients, include, but are not limited to, Arvinas, Inc., C4 Therapeutics, Inc., Nurix Therapeutics, Inc., and Foghorn Therapeutics, Inc. Further, several large pharmaceutical companies have disclosed preclinical investments in this field.
At present, Great Britain has implemented EU legislation on the marketing, promotion and sale of medicinal products through the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (as amended) (under the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU regulatory framework will continue to apply in Northern Ireland).
At present, Great Britain has implemented EU legislation on the marketing, promotion and sale of medicinal products through the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (as amended) (under the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU regulatory framework currently continues to apply in Northern Ireland).
The proportion of patients achieving an AN count of 0, 1 or 2 at Day 28 was 42% in all HS patients and 50% in those with moderate to severe disease. 19 Figure 20: AN count over time HiSCR50 response is defined as a 50% or greater reduction in AN count and no increase in abscesses or draining fistulas.
The proportion of patients achieving an AN count of 0, 1 or 2 at Day 28 was 42% in all HS patients and 50% in those with moderate to severe disease. HiSCR50 response is defined as a 50% or greater reduction in AN count and no increase in abscesses or draining fistulas.
Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we expect to provide additional clinical data in 2023. We are developing degraders that target MDM2 for the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a dose escalation portion of the trial, and we expect to provide additional clinical data in 2024. MDM2 We are developing degraders that target MDM2 for the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
In the United States, these laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, false claims, physician transparency, and patient data privacy and security laws and regulations.
In the United States, these laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, false claims, physician transparency, pharmaceutical price reporting, and patient data privacy and security laws and regulations.
As shown in Figure 20, the AN count was reduced by up to an average of 46% in all HS patients and of 51% in the moderate to severe subset, with reductions in individual patients of up to 100% and with maximum reduction occurring by Day 42.
The AN count was reduced by up to an average of 46% in all HS patients and by an average of 51% in the moderate to severe subset, with reductions in individual patients of up to 100% and with maximum reduction occurring by Day 42.
The discovery of the UPS also revealed a new modality to harness this cellular process for the treatment of diseases. The UPS comprises a series of finely orchestrated enzymatic sequences that ultimately lead to protein polyubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome in cells.
The discovery of the UPS also revealed a new modality to harness this cellular process for the treatment of diseases. As shown below in figure 1, the UPS comprises a series of finely orchestrated enzymatic sequences that ultimately lead to protein polyubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome in cells.
To further our goal of delivering transformative therapies to the broadest possible patient population, we intend to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company.
To further our goal of delivering transformative therapies to the broadest patient populations, we intend to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company.
In patients whose baseline levels were greater than the upper limit of normal, the evaluable patients showed suppression of all 4 analytes, with mean maximum reductions through Day 42 ranging from 41 to 63%, as shown below in Figure 15.
In patients whose baseline levels were greater than the upper limit of normal, the evaluable patients showed suppression of all 4 analytes, with mean maximum reductions through Day 42 ranging from 41 to 63%.
With respect to the KT-474 product candidate, as of January 20, 2023, we own one granted U.S. patent, 15 pending U.S. patent applications, three pending international patent applications, and about 81 patent applications filed in foreign jurisdictions, such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Israel, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan, each with claims directed to compositions of matter covering KT-474 and/or methods of making or using KT-474.
With respect to the KT-474 product candidate, as of December 31, 2023, we own three granted U.S. patent, eight pending U.S. patent applications, five pending international patent applications, one granted foreign patent and about 128 patent applications filed in foreign jurisdictions, such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Israel, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan, each with claims directed to compositions of matter covering KT-474 and/or methods of making or using KT-474.
We have chosen to pursue IRAK4 degradation due to the well-validated role of the IL-1R/TLR pathway in immunology and inflammation and the potential advantage that drugging a single node of multiple different mediators of inflammation has over other approaches focused on targeting one of many cytokines that stimulate the IRAK4 node.
The initial indications being pursued include HS and AD. We have chosen to pursue IRAK4 degradation due to the well-validated role of the IL-1R/TLR pathway in immunology and inflammation and the potential advantage that drugging a single node of multiple different mediators of inflammation has over other approaches focused on targeting one of many cytokines that stimulate the IRAK4 node.
The core of the TPD modality consists of a small molecule (shown in magenta in Figure 3 below) that we refer to as a heterobifunctional degrader. The role of this heterobifunctional degrader molecule is to mediate a “new” interaction through the formation of a ternary complex between a disease-causing protein and an E3 ligase.
The core of the TPD modality consists of a small molecule that we refer to as a heterobifunctional degrader. The role of this heterobifunctional degrader molecule is to mediate a “new” interaction through the formation of a ternary complex between a disease-causing protein and an E3 ligase.
This iterative mechanism is catalytic, which results in increased potency even at lower concentrations, another key differentiator from other modalities such as small molecule inhibitors and therapeutic antibodies. 6 Figure 3. Overview of Targeted Protein Degradation. Due to the unique advantages of TPD, this transformative modality is capable of targeting proteins traditionally undrugged by small molecules.
This iterative mechanism is catalytic, which results in increased potency even at lower concentrations, another key differentiator from other modalities such as small molecule inhibitors and therapeutic antibodies. 5 Figure 1 Due to the unique advantages of TPD, this transformative modality is capable of targeting proteins traditionally undrugged by small molecules.
In March 2022, the FDA released a final guidance entitled “Expansion Cohorts: Use in First-In-Human Clinical Trials to Expedite Development of Oncology Drugs and Biologics,” which outlines how drug developers can utilize an adaptive trial design commonly referred to as a seamless trial design in early stages of oncology drug development (i.e., the first-in-human clinical trial) to compress the traditional three phases of trials into one continuous trial called an expansion cohort trial. 52 Information to support the design of individual expansion cohorts are included in IND applications and assessed by FDA.
In March 2022, the FDA released a final guidance entitled “Expansion Cohorts: Use in First-In-Human Clinical Trials to Expedite Development of Oncology Drugs and Biologics,” which outlines how drug developers can utilize an adaptive trial design commonly referred to as a seamless trial design in early stages of oncology drug development (i.e., the first-in-human clinical trial) to compress the traditional three phases of trials into one continuous trial called an expansion cohort trial.
In addition to the upfront payment, we will also be eligible to receive certain development milestone payments of up to $1.48 billion in the aggregate, of which more than $1.0 billion relates to the IRAK4 program, upon the achievement of certain developmental or regulatory events.
In addition to the upfront payment, under the agreement we were eligible to receive certain development milestone payments of up to $1.48 billion in the aggregate, of which more than $1.0 billion relates to the IRAK4 program, upon the achievement of certain developmental or regulatory events.
As of January 20, 2023, our platform E3 ligase ligand patent families included three granted U.S. patents, four U.S. patent applications, and three patent applications in Europe. Any U.S. or foreign patents resulting from these applications, if granted and all appropriate maintenance fees paid, are expected to expire between 2038 and 2040, absent any patent term adjustments or extensions.
As of December 31, 2023, our platform E3 ligase ligand patent families included three granted U.S. patents, five U.S. patent applications, and three patent applications in Europe. Any U.S. or foreign patents resulting from these applications, if granted and all appropriate maintenance fees paid, are expected to expire between 2038 and 2044, absent any patent term adjustments or extensions.
Our Quantitative System Pharmacology Model measures and predicts a diverse set of parameters that impact target protein levels, based on an understanding of PK/PD, both in vitro and in vivo, and across healthy and diseased tissues and cell types. Proprietary Chemistry .
We continue to utilize our Quantitative System Pharmacology Model, which measures and predicts a diverse set of parameters that impact target protein levels, based on an understanding of PK/PD, both in vitro and in vivo, and across healthy and diseased tissues and cell types.
A separate application will, however, still be required. The MHRA also has the power to have regard to marketing authorizations approved in EU Member States through decentralized or mutual recognition procedures with a view to more quickly granting a marketing authorization in the United Kingdom or Great Britain.
The MHRA also has the power to have regard to marketing authorizations approved in EU Member States through decentralized or mutual recognition procedures with a view to more quickly granting a marketing authorization in the United Kingdom or Great Britain.
As both TLRs and IL-1Rs are involved in the production and response to all of these IL-1 family cytokines, IRAK4 targeting with a single small molecule degrader could impact multiple different cytokines and chemokines and thereby provide a transformative approach to the treatment of IL-1R/TLR-driven diseases. Figure 5. IRAK4 Function is Comprised of Both Kinase-Dependent and -Independent Activity.
As both TLRs and IL-1Rs are involved in the production and response to all of these IL-1 family cytokines, IRAK4 targeting with a single small molecule degrader could impact multiple different cytokines and chemokines and thereby provide a transformative approach to the treatment of IL-1R/TLR-driven diseases.
On December 20, 2021, we entered into a noncancelable lease for 100,624 square feet of office and laboratory space in Watertown, Massachusetts. This lease has an initial term of 134 months, and we have two consecutive options to extend the term of the lease for five years each at then-market rates.
In December 2021, we entered into a lease for 100,624 square feet of office and laboratory space in Watertown, Massachusetts, which we are beginning to occupy in February 2024. This lease has an initial term of 134 months, and we have two consecutive options to extend the term of the lease for five years each at then-market rates.
As shown in Figure 22, there was a 49 to 55% mean reduction in the Pain Numerical Rating Scale, or NRS, in all HS patients and in those HS patients with moderate to severe disease, respectively, with maximum reduction occurring between Days 28 and 42.
Symptoms of pain and pruritus were also measured. As shown in Figure 13, there was a 49 to 55% mean reduction in the Pain Numerical Rating Scale, or NRS, in all HS patients and in those HS patients with moderate to severe disease, respectively, with maximum reduction occurring between Days 28 and 42.
Other Target-Specific Patent Families As of January 20, 2023, we own about 36 U.S. patent applications, nine international patent applications and about 50 patent applications filed in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan which focus on degrader compounds designed to specifically target other proteins.
Other Target-Specific Patent Families As of December 31, 2023, we own one granted U.S. patent, about 31 U.S. patent applications, 10 international patent applications and about 81 patent applications filed in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan which focus on degrader compounds designed to specifically target other proteins.
Differentiation from JAK and IL-6 Inhibitors Small molecule inhibitors against JAK family kinases, such as JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2, have been approved for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as RA, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis and target the JAK2/STAT5 pathway.
Figure 34 Small molecule inhibitors against JAK family kinases, such as JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2, have been approved for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis and target the JAK2/STAT5 pathway.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts. In addition, failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
These designations provide incentives to encourage the development of medicines for rare diseases. 54 Expedited Development and Review Programs for Drugs The FDA maintains several programs intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions.
Expedited Development and Review Programs for Drugs The FDA maintains several programs intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions.
In addition, failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions. 61 Government Regulation of Drugs Outside of the United States To market any product outside of the U.S., we would need to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials, marketing authorization or identification of an alternate regulatory pathway, manufacturing, commercial sales and distribution of our products.
Government Regulation of Drugs Outside of the United States To market any product outside of the U.S., we would need to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials, marketing authorization or identification of an alternate regulatory pathway, manufacturing, commercial sales and distribution of our products.
As of January 20, 2023, our IRAK-specific patent families included four granted U.S. patents, about 34 U.S. patent applications, about 9 international patent applications, and about 158 patent applications filed in foreign jurisdictions, such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Eurasia, Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan.
As of December 31, 2023, our IRAK-specific patent families included 11 granted U.S. patents, about 34 U.S. patent applications, about eight international patent applications, three granted foreign patents and about 293 patent applications filed in foreign jurisdictions, 41 such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Eurasia, Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan.
Bacterial activation of TLRs, as well as the production of IL-1a, IL-1ß, and IL-36 by keratinocytes and inflammatory cells leading to inflammation characterized by high levels of TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-17, are central to the pathogenesis of HS.
Thus, there remains a high unmet need for better therapies for the treatment of HS. Bacterial activation of TLRs, as well as the production of IL-1a, IL-1ß, and IL-36 by keratinocytes and inflammatory cells leading to inflammation characterized by high levels of TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-17, are central to the pathogenesis of HS.
As illustrated in the figure below, the E3/E2/ubiquitin ligase complex (shown in blue) binds to a substrate protein (shown in purple) to mediate the transfer of ubiquitin, which leads to degradation of the target protein through the proteasome. 5 Figure 2. Natural Protein Degradation Through Ubiquitin-Proteasome System. Targeted protein degradation is a new modality that co-opts this innate cellular process.
The E3/E2/ubiquitin ligase complex (shown in blue) binds to a substrate protein (shown in orange) to mediate the transfer of ubiquitin, which leads to degradation of the target protein through the proteasome. Targeted protein degradation is a new modality that co-opts this innate cellular process.
We are initially prioritizing indications such as HS, AD, and RA where there is clinical proof of concept for targeting cytokines impacted by the IL-1R/TLR pathway but for which there continues to be a high level of unmet need. 11 Figure 6.
We are initially prioritizing HS and AD, autoimmune dermatologic conditions where there is clinical proof of concept for targeting cytokines impacted by the IL-1R/TLR pathway but for which there continues to be a high level of unmet need.
As of January 20, 2023, our STAT-specific patent families included one granted U.S. patent, 14 U.S. patent applications, two international patent applications, and about 33 patent applications filed in foreign jurisdictions, such as Australia, Canada, China, Eurasia, Europe, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan.
As of December 31, 2023, our STAT-specific patent families included two granted U.S. patent, about 18 U.S. patent applications, three international patent applications, and about 49 patent applications filed in foreign jurisdictions, such as Australia, Canada, China, Eurasia, Europe, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Employees and Human Capital As of December 31, 2022, we had 167 full-time employees, of which 84 have M.D. or Ph.D. degrees. Within our workforce, 134 employees are engaged in research and development and 33 are engaged in business development, finance, legal, and general management and administration.
Employees and Human Capital As of December 31, 2023, we had 187 full-time employees, of which 97 have M.D. or Ph.D. degrees. Within our workforce, 143 employees are engaged in research and development and 44 are engaged in business development, finance, legal, and general management and administration.
Our Corporate Information We were incorporated under the laws of Delaware in September 2015 under the name Project HSC, Inc. We are the successor in interest to Kymera Therapeutics, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on May 25, 2017 and the former holder of all of our outstanding shares of common stock.
We are the successor in interest to Kymera Therapeutics, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on May 25, 2017 and the former holder of all of our outstanding shares of common stock.
Available Information Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are available free of charge on our website located at www.kymeratx.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.
References to our website are inactive textual references only and the content of our website should not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 57 Available Information Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are available free of charge on our website located at www.kymeratx.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.

413 more changes not shown on this page.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Risk Factors — what could go wrong, per management

173 edited+80 added49 removed537 unchanged
Biggest changeFor example, the collaboration agreement with Vertex may be terminated by Vertex either in its entirety or on a target-by-target basis, upon one hundred eighty days’ prior written notice to us, upon our material breach, subject to specified notice and cure provisions, or upon our bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution or winding up; collaborators may own or co-own intellectual property covering our products that results from our collaborating with them, and in such cases, we would not have the exclusive right to commercialize such intellectual property; and collaborators may not pay milestones and royalties due to the company in a timely manner. 96 As a result, we may not be able to realize the benefit of our existing collaboration and licensing arrangements or any future strategic partnerships or acquisitions, collaborations or license arrangements we may enter into if we are unable to successfully integrate them with our existing operations and company culture, which could delay our timelines or otherwise adversely affect our business.
Biggest changeAs a result, we may not be able to realize the benefit of our existing collaboration and licensing arrangements or any future strategic partnerships or acquisitions, collaborations or license arrangements we may enter into if we are unable to successfully integrate them with our existing operations and company culture, which could delay our timelines or otherwise adversely affect our business.
Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing, patient support or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately.
Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing, patient support or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately.
If a third party claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate its intellectual property rights, we may face a number of issues, including, but not limited to: infringement, misappropriation and other intellectual property claims which, regardless of merit, may be expensive and time-consuming to litigate and may divert our management’s attention from our core business and may impact our reputation; substantial damages for infringement, misappropriation or other violations, which we may have to pay if a court decides that the product candidate or technology at issue infringes, misappropriates or violates the third party’s rights, and, if the court finds that the infringement was willful, we could be ordered to pay treble damages and the patent owner’s attorneys’ fees; a court prohibiting us from developing, manufacturing, marketing or selling our current or future product candidates, or from using our proprietary technologies, including our Pegasus TM platform, unless the third-party licenses its product rights to us, which it is not required to do on commercially reasonable terms or at all; if a license is available from a third party, we may have to pay substantial royalties, upfront fees and other amounts, and/or grant cross-licenses to intellectual property rights for our products, or the license to us may be non-exclusive, which would permit third parties to use the same intellectual property to compete with us; redesigning our current or future product candidates or processes so they do not infringe, misappropriate or violate third-party intellectual property rights, which may not be possible or may require substantial monetary expenditures and time; and there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and, if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
If a third party claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate its intellectual property rights, we may face a number of issues, including, but not limited to: 97 infringement, misappropriation and other intellectual property claims which, regardless of merit, may be expensive and time-consuming to litigate and may divert our management’s attention from our core business and may impact our reputation; substantial damages for infringement, misappropriation or other violations, which we may have to pay if a court decides that the product candidate or technology at issue infringes, misappropriates or violates the third party’s rights, and, if the court finds that the infringement was willful, we could be ordered to pay treble damages and the patent owner’s attorneys’ fees; a court prohibiting us from developing, manufacturing, marketing or selling our current or future product candidates, or from using our proprietary technologies, including our Pegasus TM platform, unless the third-party licenses its product rights to us, which it is not required to do on commercially reasonable terms or at all; if a license is available from a third party, we may have to pay substantial royalties, upfront fees and other amounts, and/or grant cross-licenses to intellectual property rights for our products, or the license to us may be non-exclusive, which would permit third parties to use the same intellectual property to compete with us; redesigning our current or future product candidates or processes so they do not infringe, misappropriate or violate third-party intellectual property rights, which may not be possible or may require substantial monetary expenditures and time; and there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and, if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
The ACA, among other things, subjects biological products to potential competition by lower-cost biosimilars, expands the types of entities eligible for the 340B drug discount program, addresses a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected, increases rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and extends the rebate program to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations, establishes annual fees and taxes on manufacturers of certain branded prescription drugs, and creates a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or BBA, effective as of January 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; and provided incentives to programs that increase the federal government’s comparative effectiveness research.
The ACA, among other things, subjects biological products to potential competition by lower-cost biosimilars, expands the types of entities eligible for the 340B drug discount program, addresses a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected, increases rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and extends the rebate program to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations, establishes annual fees and taxes on manufacturers of certain branded prescription drugs, and creates a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in 79 which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or BBA, effective as of January 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; and provided incentives to programs that increase the federal government’s comparative effectiveness research.
Our current or future product candidates could be delayed in receiving, or fail to receive, regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following: the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design or implementation of our clinical trials; we may be unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that a product candidate is safe and effective for its proposed indication; the results of clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical significance required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities for approval; we may be unable to demonstrate that a product candidate’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks; the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials; 78 the data collected from clinical trials of our current or future product candidates may not be sufficient to support the submission of an NDA or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the U.S. or elsewhere; the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may find deficiencies with or fail to approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.
Our current or future product candidates could be delayed in receiving, or fail to receive, regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following: the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design or implementation of our clinical trials; we may be unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that a product candidate is safe and effective for its proposed indication; the results of clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical significance required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities for approval; we may be unable to demonstrate that a product candidate’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks; the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials; the data collected from clinical trials of our current or future product candidates may not be sufficient to support the submission of an NDA or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the U.S. or elsewhere; the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may find deficiencies with or fail to approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.
If we obtain approval of our current or future product candidates and ultimately commercialize our current or future product candidates in foreign markets, we would be subject to additional risks and uncertainties, including: 82 differing regulatory requirements in foreign countries, such that obtaining regulatory approvals outside of the U.S. may take longer and be more costly than obtaining approval in the U.S.; our customers’ ability to obtain reimbursement for our current or future product candidates in foreign markets; the burden of complying with complex and changing foreign regulatory, tax, accounting and legal requirements; different medical practices and customs in foreign countries affecting acceptance in the marketplace; import or export licensing requirements; longer accounts receivable collection times; longer lead times for shipping; language barriers for technical training; reduced protection of intellectual property rights in some foreign countries; the existence of additional potentially relevant third-party intellectual property rights; economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets; compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad; foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes; foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country; difficulties staffing and managing foreign operations; workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the U.S.; potential liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or comparable foreign regulations; the interpretation of contractual provisions governed by foreign laws in the event of a contract dispute; production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism.
If we obtain approval of our current or future product candidates and ultimately commercialize our current or future product candidates in foreign markets, we would be subject to additional risks and uncertainties, including: differing regulatory requirements in foreign countries, such that obtaining regulatory approvals outside of the U.S. may take longer and be more costly than obtaining approval in the U.S.; our customers’ ability to obtain reimbursement for our current or future product candidates in foreign markets; the burden of complying with complex and changing foreign regulatory, tax, accounting and legal requirements; different medical practices and customs in foreign countries affecting acceptance in the marketplace; import or export licensing requirements; longer accounts receivable collection times; longer lead times for shipping; language barriers for technical training; reduced protection of intellectual property rights in some foreign countries; the existence of additional potentially relevant third-party intellectual property rights; economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets; compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad; foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes; 76 foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country; difficulties staffing and managing foreign operations; workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the U.S.; potential liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or comparable foreign regulations; the interpretation of contractual provisions governed by foreign laws in the event of a contract dispute; production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism.
The following examples are illustrative: patent applications that we own or may in-license may not lead to issued patents; patents, should they issue, that we may own or in-license, may not provide us with any competitive advantages, may be narrowed in scope, or may be challenged and held invalid or unenforceable; others may be able to develop and/or practice technology, including compounds that are similar to the chemical compositions of our current or future product candidates, that is similar to our technology or aspects of our technology but that is not covered by the claims of any patents we may own or in-license, should any patents issue; third parties may compete with us in jurisdictions where we do not pursue and obtain patent protection; we, or our future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by a patent application that we own or may in-license; we, or our future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to file patent applications covering a particular invention; others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights; our competitors might conduct research and development activities in the U.S. and other countries that provide a safe harbor from patent infringement claims for certain research and development activities, as well as in countries where we do not have patent rights, and may then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in our major commercial markets; we may not be able to obtain and/or maintain necessary licenses on reasonable terms or at all; 101 third parties may assert an ownership interest in our intellectual property and, if successful, such disputes may preclude us from exercising exclusive rights, or any rights at all, over that intellectual property; we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a patent covering such trade secrets or know-how; we may not be able to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets or other proprietary information; we may not develop or in-license additional proprietary technologies that are patentable; and the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business.
The following examples are illustrative: patent applications that we own or may in-license may not lead to issued patents; patents, should they issue, that we may own or in-license, may not provide us with any competitive advantages, may be narrowed in scope, or may be challenged and held invalid or unenforceable; others may be able to develop and/or practice technology, including compounds that are similar to the chemical compositions of our current or future product candidates, that is similar to our technology or aspects of our technology but that is not covered by the claims of any patents we may own or in-license, should any patents issue; third parties may compete with us in jurisdictions where we do not pursue and obtain patent protection; we, or our future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by a patent application that we own or may in-license; we, or our future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to file patent applications covering a particular invention; others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights; our competitors might conduct research and development activities in the U.S. and other countries that provide a safe harbor from patent infringement claims for certain research and development activities, as well as in countries where we do not have patent rights, and may then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in our major commercial markets; we may not be able to obtain and/or maintain necessary licenses on reasonable terms or at all; third parties may assert an ownership interest in our intellectual property and, if successful, such disputes may preclude us from exercising exclusive rights, or any rights at all, over that intellectual property; we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a patent covering such trade secrets or know-how; we may not be able to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets or other proprietary information; we may not develop or in-license additional proprietary technologies that are patentable; and 93 the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business.
Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a drug, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things: restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the drug, withdrawal of the drug from the market, or voluntary drug recalls; fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials; refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us, or suspension or revocation of drug license approvals; 81 drug seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of drugs; and injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a drug, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things: restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the drug, withdrawal of the drug from the market, or voluntary drug recalls; fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials; refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us, or suspension or revocation of drug license approvals; drug seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of drugs; and injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar settlement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may 81 apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar settlement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws.
While certain activities related to development and preclinical and clinical testing of our current or future product candidates may be subject to safe harbor of patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. §271(e)(1), upon receiving FDA approval for such candidates we or any of our future licensors or strategic partners may immediately become party to, exposed to, or threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation by third parties having patent or other intellectual property rights 105 alleging that such product candidates infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their intellectual property rights.
While certain activities related to development and preclinical and clinical testing of our current or future product candidates may be subject to safe harbor of patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. §271(e)(1), upon receiving FDA approval for such candidates we or any of our future licensors or strategic partners may immediately become party to, exposed to, or threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation by third parties having patent or other intellectual property rights alleging that such product candidates infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their intellectual property rights.
Market acceptance of our current or future product candidates, if approved, will depend on a number of factors, including, among others: the efficacy of our current or future product candidates as demonstrated in clinical trials, and, if required by any applicable regulatory authority in connection with the approval for the applicable indications, to provide patients with incremental health benefits, as compared with other available medicines; 91 limitations or warnings contained in the labeling approved for our current or future product candidates by the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities; the clinical indications for which our current or future product candidates are approved; availability of alternative treatments already approved or expected to be commercially launched in the near future; the potential and perceived advantages of our current or future product candidates over current treatment options or alternative treatments, including future alternative treatments; the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies or treatment methods and of physicians to prescribe these therapies or methods; the need to dose such product candidates in combination with other therapeutic agents, and related costs; the strength of marketing and distribution support and timing of market introduction of competitive products; publicity concerning our products or competing products and treatments; pricing and cost effectiveness; the effectiveness of our sales and marketing strategies; our ability to increase awareness of our current or future product candidates; our ability to obtain sufficient third-party coverage or reimbursement; or the willingness of patients to pay out-of-pocket in the absence of third-party coverage.
Market acceptance of our current or future product candidates, if approved, will depend on a number of factors, including, among others: the efficacy of our current or future product candidates as demonstrated in clinical trials, and, if required by any applicable regulatory authority in connection with the approval for the applicable indications, to provide patients with incremental health benefits, as compared with other available medicines; limitations or warnings contained in the labeling approved for our current or future product candidates by the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities; the clinical indications for which our current or future product candidates are approved; availability of alternative treatments already approved or expected to be commercially launched in the near future; the potential and perceived advantages of our current or future product candidates over current treatment options or alternative treatments, including future alternative treatments; the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies or treatment methods and of physicians to prescribe these therapies or methods; the need to dose such product candidates in combination with other therapeutic agents, and related costs; the strength of marketing and distribution support and timing of market introduction of competitive products; publicity concerning our products or competing products and treatments; pricing and cost effectiveness; the effectiveness of our sales and marketing strategies; 83 our ability to increase awareness of our current or future product candidates; our ability to obtain sufficient third-party coverage or reimbursement; or the willingness of patients to pay out-of-pocket in the absence of third-party coverage.
We have adopted a code of conduct applicable to all of our employees, 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 comply with these laws or regulations.
We have adopted a code of conduct applicable to all of our employees, 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 comply with 82 these laws or regulations.
If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of our current or future product 106 candidates, molecules used in or formed during the manufacturing process, or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize the product candidate unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or they are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable.
If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of our current or future product candidates, molecules used in or formed during the manufacturing process, or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize the product candidate unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or they are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable.
Legally mandated price controls on payment 87 amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, regional health care authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other health care programs.
Legally mandated price controls on payment amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, regional health care authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other health care programs.
Even if approved for reimbursement, historically, product candidates launched in some foreign countries, such as some countries in the EU, do not follow price structures of the U.S. and prices generally tend to be significantly lower. 85 Current and future healthcare legislative reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Even if approved for reimbursement, historically, product candidates launched in some foreign countries, such as some countries in the EU, do not follow price structures of the U.S. and prices generally tend to be significantly lower. Current and future healthcare legislative reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. In August 2021, we initiated a US patent office proceeding, a post-grant review, to challenge a third-party patent unrelated to our current product candidates.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. In August 2021, we initiated a US patent office 96 proceeding, a post-grant review, to challenge a third-party patent unrelated to our current product candidates.
For example, because many of these stockholders purchased their shares at prices substantially below the current trading price of our stock and have held their shares for a longer period, they may be more interested in selling our Company to an acquirer than other investors or they may want us to pursue strategies that deviate from the interests of other stockholders.
For example, because many of these stockholders purchased their shares at prices substantially below the 103 current trading price of our stock and have held their shares for a longer period, they may be more interested in selling our Company to an acquirer than other investors or they may want us to pursue strategies that deviate from the interests of other stockholders.
Depending on what changes the FDA may make to its Orphan Drug regulations and policies, our business could be adversely impacted. Even if we receive regulatory approval for any of our current or future product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense.
Depending on what changes the FDA may make to its Orphan Drug regulations and policies, our business could be adversely impacted. 74 Even if we receive regulatory approval for any of our current or future product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense.
The drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly. 76 Further, our current or future product candidates could cause undesirable side effects in clinical trials related to on-target toxicity.
The drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly. Further, our current or future product candidates could cause undesirable side effects in clinical trials related to on-target toxicity.
Current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our research, development and production efforts, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations. 90 Our employees, principal investigators, CROs and consultants may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including non-compliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading laws.
Current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our research, development and production efforts, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations. Our employees, principal investigators, CROs and consultants may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including non-compliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading laws.
We are dependent on patents, know-how and proprietary technology, both our own and in-licensed from Vertex, Sanofi and other collaborators. Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our current or future product candidates and use our and our licensors’ proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties.
We are dependent on patents, know-how and proprietary technology, both our own and in-licensed from Sanofi and other collaborators. Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our current or future product candidates and use our and our licensors’ proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties.
Even if we obtain a license, it may be nonexclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. Parties making claims against us may seek and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize our current or future product candidates.
Even if we obtain a license, it may be nonexclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. 98 Parties making claims against us may seek and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize our current or future product candidates.
Further, in July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, was enacted. There are significant corporate governance and executive compensation related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act that require the SEC to adopt additional rules and regulations in these areas, such as “say on pay” and proxy access.
Further, in July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, was enacted. 61 There are significant corporate governance and executive compensation related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act that require the SEC to adopt additional rules and regulations in these areas, such as “say on pay” and proxy access.
In some cases, the technical skills required to manufacture our product candidates or products, if approved, may be unique or proprietary to the original CMO and we may have difficulty, or there may be contractual restrictions prohibiting us from, transferring such skills to a back-up or alternate supplier, or we may be 77 unable to transfer such skills at all.
In some cases, the technical skills required to manufacture our product candidates or products, if approved, may be unique or proprietary to the original CMO and we may have difficulty, or there may be contractual restrictions prohibiting us from, transferring such skills to a back-up or alternate supplier, or we may be unable to transfer such skills at all.
The preclinical studies 71 and clinical trials of our current or future product candidates are, and the manufacturing and marketing of our current or future product candidates will be, subject to extensive and rigorous review and regulation by numerous government authorities in the U.S. and in other countries where we intend to test or, if approved, market any of our current or future product candidates.
The preclinical studies and clinical trials of our current or future product candidates are, and the manufacturing and marketing of our current or future product candidates will be, subject to extensive and rigorous review and regulation by numerous government authorities in the U.S. and in other countries where we intend to test or, if approved, market any of our current or future product candidates.
Private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is: a covered benefit under its health plan; safe, effective and medically necessary; 84 appropriate for the specific patient; cost-effective; and neither experimental nor investigational.
Private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the 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.
Disputes may also arise between us and our current or future licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including: the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues; whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate intellectual property rights of the licensor that are not subject to the licensing agreement; our right to sublicense patent and other rights to third parties under collaborative development relationships; 100 our diligence obligations with respect to the use of the licensed technology in relation to our development and commercialization of our current or future product candidates, and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations; the priority of invention of any patented technology; and the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our current or future licensors and us and our partners.
Disputes may also arise between us and our current or future licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including: the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues; whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate intellectual property rights of the licensor that are not subject to the licensing agreement; our right to sublicense patent and other rights to third parties under collaborative development relationships; 92 our diligence obligations with respect to the use of the licensed technology in relation to our development and commercialization of our current or future product candidates, and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations; the priority of invention of any patented technology; and the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our current or future licensors and us and our partners.
We may also need to raise additional funds sooner if we choose to pursue additional indications and/or geographies for our current or future product candidates or otherwise expand more rapidly than we presently anticipate. Furthermore, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
We may also need to raise additional funds sooner if we choose to pursue additional indications and/or geographies for our current or future product candidates or otherwise expand more rapidly than we presently anticipate. Furthermore, we expect to continue to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
Topline data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final 73 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. From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials.
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. From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials.
In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us.
In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization 99 strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us.
If coverage is available, but reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. In the U.S., no uniform policy exists for coverage and reimbursement for products among third-party payors.
If coverage is available, but reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. 78 In the U.S., no uniform policy exists for coverage and reimbursement for products among third-party payors.
We believe that any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidates and could substantially increase the costs of commercializing our current or future product candidates, if approved, and significantly impact our ability to successfully commercialize our current or future product candidates and generate revenues.
We believe that any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidates and could substantially increase the costs of commercializing our current or future product candidates, if 70 approved, and significantly impact our ability to successfully commercialize our current or future product candidates and generate revenues.
In addition, even if one or more of our current or future product 79 candidates qualify as breakthrough therapies, the FDA may later decide that such product candidates no longer meet the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.
In addition, even if one or more of our current or future product candidates qualify as breakthrough therapies, the FDA may later decide that such product candidates no longer meet the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.
Any delays in entering into new collaborations or strategic partnership agreements related to our current or future product candidates could delay the development and commercialization of our current or future product candidates in certain geographies or for certain indications, which would harm our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Any delays in entering into new collaborations or strategic partnership agreements related to our current or future product candidates could 88 delay the development and commercialization of our current or future product candidates in certain geographies or for certain indications, which would harm our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. 104 We may not be able to detect infringement against any intellectual property we may own or in-license.
If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. We may not be able to detect infringement against any intellectual property we may own or in-license.
We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect. This estimate also assumes that we do not obtain any additional funding through collaborations or other strategic alliances.
We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect. This estimate also assumes that we do not obtain any 60 additional funding through collaborations or other strategic alliances.
Although we designed the Phase 1 trials of KT-474, KT-413, KT-333 and KT 253, and intend to design other clinical trials for our current or future product candidates, or be involved in the design when other parties sponsor the trials, we anticipate that third parties will conduct all of our clinical trials.
Although we designed the Phase 1 trials of KT-474, KT-333 and KT-253, and intend to design other clinical trials for our current or future product candidates, or be involved in the design when other parties sponsor the trials, we anticipate that third parties will conduct all of our clinical trials.
Congress, the U.S. courts, the USPTO and the relevant law-making bodies in other countries, 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. 102 Risks Related to our Trademarks, Trade Names and Trade Secrets If our trademarks and trade names for our products or company name are not adequately protected in one or more countries where we intend to market our products, we may delay the launch of product brand names, use different or less effective trademarks or tradenames in different countries, or face other potentially adverse consequences to building our product brand recognition.
Congress, the U.S. courts, the USPTO and the relevant law-making bodies in other countries, 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. 94 Risks Related to our Trademarks, Trade Names and Trade Secrets If our trademarks and trade names for our products or company name are not adequately protected in one or more countries where we intend to market our products, we may delay the launch of product brand names, use different or less effective trademarks or tradenames in different countries, or face other potentially adverse consequences to building our product brand recognition.
If our facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers are unable to operate because of an accident or incident or for any other reason, even for a short period of time, any or all of our research and development programs may be harmed.
If our facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers are unable to operate because of an accident or incident or for any other reason, even for a short 100 period of time, any or all of our research and development programs may be harmed.
While we seek to maintain adequate inventory of the drug product and drug substance used in our current or future product candidates, any interruption or delay in the supply of components or materials, or our inability to obtain such API, drug product and drug substance from alternate sources at acceptable prices in a timely manner, could impede, delay, limit or prevent our development efforts, which could harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. 95 Our success is dependent on our executive management team’s ability to successfully pursue business development, strategic partnerships and investment opportunities as our company matures.
While we seek to maintain adequate inventory of the drug product and drug substance used in our current or future product candidates, any interruption or delay in the supply of components or materials, or our inability to obtain such API, drug product and drug substance from alternate sources at acceptable prices in a timely manner, could impede, delay, limit or prevent our development efforts, which could harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. 87 Our success is dependent on our executive management team’s ability to successfully pursue business development, strategic partnerships and investment opportunities as our company matures.
The price of our common stock may be disproportionately affected as investors may favor traditional profit-making industries and companies during the times of market uncertainty and instability. Unstable market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition and stock price.
The price of our common stock may be disproportionately affected as investors may favor traditional profit-making industries and companies during the times of market uncertainty and instability. 102 Unstable market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition and stock price.
Failure to succeed in clinical trials may make it more challenging to recruit and retain qualified scientific personnel. We will need to develop and expand our company, and we may encounter difficulties in managing this development and expansion, which could disrupt our operations.
Failure to succeed in clinical trials may make it more challenging to recruit and retain qualified scientific personnel. We will need to continue to develop and expand our company, and we may encounter difficulties in managing this development and expansion, which could disrupt our operations.
We have not received approval to market any of our current product candidates from regulatory authorities in any jurisdiction, and it is possible that none of our current product candidates, nor any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future, will ever obtain regulatory approval.
We have not received approval to market any of our current product candidates from regulatory authorities in any jurisdiction, and 71 it is possible that none of our current product candidates, nor any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future, will ever obtain regulatory approval.
In addition, many countries outside the U.S. have limited government support programs that provide for reimbursement of drugs such as our product candidates, with an emphasis on private payors for access to commercial products.
In addition, many countries outside the U.S. have limited government support programs that provide for reimbursement of products such as our product candidates, with an emphasis on private payors for access to commercial products.
The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property.
The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual 95 property.
Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, and review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs.
Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal 80 and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, and review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs.
These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, sales, marketing and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. 92 Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize drugs that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than any drugs that we or our collaborators may develop.
These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, sales, marketing and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. 84 Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize drugs that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than any drugs that we or our collaborators may develop.
Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our current or future product candidates on our own include: our inability to recruit and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel; the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to physicians or persuade adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe any future drugs; the lack of complementary drugs to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines; and 93 unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization.
Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our current or future product candidates on our own include: our inability to recruit and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel; the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to physicians or persuade adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe any future drugs; the lack of complementary drugs to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines; and 85 unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization.
The program was initially placed on partial clinical hold regarding the multiple ascending dose (MAD) portion of the Phase 1 trial, pending FDA review of the interim data in healthy volunteers from the SAD portion of the trial.
The program was initially placed on partial clinical hold regarding the multiple ascending dose, or MAD) portion of the Phase 1 trial, pending FDA review of the interim data in healthy volunteers from the SAD portion of the trial.
Vertex, Sanofi and other collaborators may have the right to terminate their respective license agreements in full in the event that we materially breach or default in the performance of any of the obligations under such license agreements.
Sanofi and other collaborators may have the right to terminate their respective license agreements in full in the event that we materially breach or default in the performance of any of the obligations under such license agreements.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent or other intellectual property protection in the U.S. and other countries for our current or future product candidates and our core technologies, including our proprietary Pegasus TM platform, our initial IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, STAT3 and MDM2 programs, which are our four most advanced development programs, as well as our proprietary compound library and other know-how.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent or other intellectual property protection in the U.S. and other countries for our current or future product candidates and our core technologies, including our proprietary Pegasus TM platform, our initial IRAK4, STAT3 and MDM2 programs, which are our most advanced development programs, as well as our proprietary compound library and other know-how.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, we are required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. 113 To achieve compliance with Section 404, we have engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, we are required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. 106 To achieve compliance with Section 404, we have engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging.
These antitakeover provisions and other provisions in our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then-current board of directors and could 114 also delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company.
These antitakeover provisions and other provisions in our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers 107 to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then-current board of directors and could also delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company.
The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to pharmaceutical products, which 99 could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of any patents we may own or in-license or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally.
The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to pharmaceutical products, which 91 could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of any patents we may own or in-license or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally.
Obtaining approval of an NDA or MAA is a complex, lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and the FDA or EMA may delay, limit or deny approval of any of our current or future product candidates for many reasons, including, among others: we may not be able to demonstrate that our current or future product candidates are safe and effective in treating their target indications to the satisfaction of the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency; the results of our preclinical studies and clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical or clinical significance required by the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency for marketing approval; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may disagree with the number, design, size, conduct or implementation of our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may require that we conduct additional preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may not approve the formulation, labeling or specifications of any of our current or future product candidates; the contract research organizations, or CROs, that we retain to conduct our preclinical studies and clinical trials may take actions outside of our control that materially adversely impact our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may find the data from preclinical studies and clinical trials insufficient to demonstrate that our current or future product candidates’ clinical and other benefits outweigh their safety risks; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may disagree with our interpretation of data from our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may not accept data generated at our preclinical studies and clinical trial sites; if our NDA, if and when submitted, is reviewed by an advisory committee, the FDA may have difficulties scheduling an advisory committee meeting in a timely manner or the advisory committee may recommend against approval of our application or may recommend that the FDA require, as a condition of approval, additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, limitations on approved labeling or distribution and use restrictions; 72 the FDA may require development of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, as a condition of approval or post-approval; the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency may determine that the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract do not conform to applicable requirements, including current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMPs; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may be delayed in its review processes due to staffing or other constraints arising from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; or the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may change its approval policies or adopt new regulations.
Obtaining approval of an NDA or MAA is a complex, lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and the FDA or EMA may delay, limit or deny approval of any of our current or future product candidates for many reasons, including, among others: 65 we may not be able to demonstrate that our current or future product candidates are safe and effective in treating their target indications to the satisfaction of the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency; the results of our preclinical studies and clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical or clinical significance required by the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency for marketing approval; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may disagree with the number, design, size, conduct or implementation of our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may require that we conduct additional preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may not approve the formulation, labeling or specifications of any of our current or future product candidates; the contract research organizations, or CROs, that we retain to conduct our preclinical studies and clinical trials may take actions outside of our control that materially adversely impact our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may find the data from preclinical studies and clinical trials insufficient to demonstrate that our current or future product candidates’ clinical and other benefits outweigh their safety risks; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may disagree with our interpretation of data from our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may not accept data generated at our preclinical studies and clinical trial sites; if our NDA, if and when submitted, is reviewed by an advisory committee, the FDA may have difficulties scheduling an advisory committee meeting in a timely manner or the advisory committee may recommend against approval of our application or may recommend that the FDA require, as a condition of approval, additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, limitations on approved labeling or distribution and use restrictions; the FDA may require development of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, as a condition of approval or post-approval; the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency may determine that the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract do not conform to applicable requirements, including current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMPs; the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may be delayed in its review processes due to staffing or other constraints; or the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency may change its approval policies or adopt new regulations.
We are not permitted to market our current or future product candidates in the U.S. until we receive approval of a New Drug Application, or an NDA, from the FDA, in the European Union, or EU, until we receive approval of a marketing authorisation application, or an MAA, from the European Commission following scientific evaluation by the EMA, or in any other foreign countries until we receive the requisite approval from such countries.
We are not permitted to market our current or future product candidates in the U.S. until we receive approval of a New Drug Application, or an NDA, from the FDA, in the European Union, or EU, until we receive approval of a marketing authorization application, or an MAA, from the European Commission following scientific evaluation by the EMA, or in any other foreign countries until we receive the requisite approval from such countries.
We also rely on trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our proprietary and intellectual property position. 97 We own patent applications and one patent related to our platform E3 ligase ligand technology and our novel bifunctional degrader compounds, including claims to compositions of matter, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, methods of treatment, and other related methods.
We also rely on trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our proprietary and intellectual property position. 89 We own patent applications and one patent related to our platform E3 ligase ligand technology and our novel bifunctional degrader compounds, including claims to compositions of matter, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, methods of treatment, and other related methods.
In December 2019, a novel strain of a virus named SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), or coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, surfaced in Wuhan, China and has since spread worldwide, including to Eastern Massachusetts where our primary office and laboratory space is located.
For example, in December 2019, a novel strain of a virus named SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), or coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, surfaced in Wuhan, China and has since spread worldwide, including to Eastern Massachusetts where our primary office and laboratory space is located.
Furthermore, during the course of litigation, there could be negative public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, which could have a negative effect on the market price of our common stock. 112 Risks Related to Tax Changes in tax law may adversely affect us or our investors.
Furthermore, during the course of litigation, there could be negative public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, which could have a negative effect on the market price of our common stock. 105 Risks Related to Tax Changes in tax law may adversely affect us or our investors.
Our future capital requirements will depend on, and could increase significantly as a result of, many factors, including: the scope, progress, results and costs of drug discovery, preclinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for our current or future product candidates, including additional expenses attributable to adjusting our development plans (including any supply related matters) in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; 68 the scope, prioritization and number of our research and development programs; the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our current or future product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain additional collaborations on favorable terms, if at all; the achievement of milestones or occurrence of other developments that trigger payments under any existing or additional collaboration agreements we obtain; the extent to which we are obligated to reimburse, or entitled to reimbursement of, clinical trial costs under future collaboration agreements, if any; the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims; the extent to which we acquire or in-license other current or future product candidates and technologies; the costs of securing manufacturing arrangements for commercial production; and the costs of establishing or contracting for sales and marketing capabilities if we obtain regulatory clearances to market our current or future product candidates.
Our future capital requirements will depend on, and could increase significantly as a result of, many factors, including: the scope, progress, results and costs of drug discovery, preclinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for our current or future product candidates, including additional expenses attributable to adjusting our development plans (including any supply related matters); the scope, prioritization and number of our research and development programs; the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our current or future product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain additional collaborations on favorable terms, if at all; the achievement of milestones or occurrence of other developments that trigger payments under any existing or additional collaboration agreements we obtain; the extent to which we are obligated to reimburse, or entitled to reimbursement of, clinical trial costs under future collaboration agreements, if any; the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims; the extent to which we acquire or in-license other current or future product candidates and technologies; the costs of securing manufacturing arrangements for commercial production; and the costs of establishing or contracting for sales and marketing capabilities if we obtain regulatory clearances to market our current or future product candidates.
In addition, we may be subject to 98 third-party submissions to the USPTO, the EPO, or elsewhere, that may reduce the scope or preclude the granting of claims from our pending patent applications. Competitors may challenge our issued patents or may file patent applications before we do.
In addition, we may be subject to 90 third-party submissions to the USPTO, the EPO, or elsewhere, that may reduce the scope or preclude the granting of claims from our pending patent applications. Competitors may challenge our issued patents or may file patent applications before we do.
We could also be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborators or otherwise at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable and we may be required to relinquish rights to some of our technologies or current or future product candidates or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospec ts.
We could also be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborators or otherwise at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable and we may be required to relinquish rights to some of our technologies or current or future product candidates or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects.
Shares issued upon the exercise of stock options outstanding under our equity incentive plans or pursuant to future awards granted under those plans will become available for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of applicable vesting schedules, any applicable market standoff and lock-up agreements, and Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act.
Shares issued upon the exercise of stock options outstanding or settlement of restricted stock units under our equity incentive plans or pursuant to future awards granted under those plans will become available for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of applicable vesting schedules, any applicable market standoff and lock-up agreements, and Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act.
Among other matters, U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws and regulations, which we collectively refer to as Trade Laws, prohibit companies and their employees, agents, clinical research organizations, legal counsel, accountants, consultants, contractors, and other partners from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting, or receiving directly or indirectly, corrupt or improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector.
Among other matters, U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws and regulations, which we collectively refer to as Trade Laws, prohibit companies and their employees, agents, clinical research organizations, legal counsel, accountants, consultants, contractors, and other partners from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting, or receiving directly or indirectly, corrupt or improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector.
We have entered into collaboration and licensing arrangements with Vertex and Sanofi and may in the future form or seek strategic alliances or acquisitions, create joint ventures, or enter into additional collaboration and licensing arrangements with third parties that we believe will complement or augment our development and commercialization efforts with respect to our current product candidates and any future product candidates that we may develop.
We have entered into a collaboration and licensing arrangement with Sanofi and may in the future form or seek strategic alliances or acquisitions, create joint ventures, or enter into additional collaboration and licensing arrangements with third parties that we believe will complement or augment our development and commercialization efforts with respect to our current product candidates and any future product candidates that we may develop.
Outside parties may: have staffing difficulties; fail to comply with contractual obligations; 94 experience regulatory compliance issues; and form relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors.
Outside parties may: have staffing difficulties; fail to comply with contractual obligations; experience regulatory compliance issues; and 86 form relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors.
Some factors from the coronavirus outbreak that will delay or otherwise adversely affect enrollment in the clinical trials of our product candidates, as well as our business generally, include: the potential diversion of healthcare resources away from the conduct of clinical trials to focus on pandemic concerns, including the attention of physicians serving as our clinical trial investigators, hospitals serving as our clinical trial sites and hospital staff supporting the conduct of our prospective clinical trials; limitations on travel that could interrupt key trial and business activities, such as clinical trial site initiations and monitoring, domestic and international travel by employees, contractors or patients to clinical trial sites, including any government-imposed travel restrictions or quarantines that will impact the ability or willingness of patients, employees or contractors to travel to our clinical trial sites or secure visas or entry permissions, a loss of 75 face-to-face meetings and other interactions with potential partners, any of which could delay or adversely impact the conduct or progress of our clinical trials; the potential negative affect on the operations of our third-party manufacturers and the supply chain for our product candidates.
Some factors from any public health crisis that may delay or otherwise adversely affect enrollment in the clinical trials of our product candidates, as well as our business generally, include: the potential diversion of healthcare resources away from the conduct of clinical trials to focus on pandemic concerns, including the attention of physicians serving as our clinical trial investigators, hospitals serving as our clinical trial sites and hospital staff supporting the conduct of our prospective clinical trials; limitations on travel that could interrupt key trial and business activities, such as clinical trial site initiations and monitoring, domestic and international travel by employees, contractors or patients to clinical trial sites, including any government-imposed travel restrictions or quarantines that will impact the ability or willingness of patients, employees or contractors to travel to our clinical trial sites or secure visas or entry permissions, a loss of face-to-face meetings and other interactions with potential partners, any of which could delay or adversely impact the conduct or progress of our clinical trials; the potential negative affect on the operations of our third-party manufacturers and the supply chain for our product candidates.
In addition to the competitors we face in developing small molecule protein degraders, we will also face competition in the indications we expect to pursue with our IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, STAT3 and MDM2 programs. Many of these indications already have approved standards of care which may include more traditional therapeutic modalities.
In addition to the competitors we face in developing small molecule protein degraders, we will also face competition in the indications we expect to pursue with our IRAK4, STAT6, TYK2, STAT3 and MDM2 programs. Many of these indications already have approved standards of care which may include more traditional therapeutic modalities.
As of December 31, 2022, the existing holdings of our executive officers, directors, principal stockholders and their affiliates represent beneficial ownership, in the aggregate, of approximately 31% of our outstanding common stock.
As of December 31, 2023, the existing holdings of our executive officers, directors, principal stockholders and their affiliates represent beneficial ownership, in the aggregate, of approximately 31% of our outstanding common stock.
The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our operations or those of our third-party partners, including our preclinical studies or clinical trial operations, will also depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the outbreak, new information that will emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others.
The extent to which any future pandemic impacts our operations or those of our third-party partners, including our preclinical studies or clinical trial operations, will also depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the outbreak, new information that will emerge concerning the severity of disease and the actions to contain the disease or treat its impact, among others.
This pathway may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process and it does not increase the likelihood that our product candidates will receive marketing approval. We may seek accelerated approval of KT-474, KT-413, KT-333, KT-253 or future product candidates.
This pathway may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process and it does not increase the likelihood that our product candidates will receive marketing approval. We may seek accelerated approval of KT-474, KT-621, KT-294, KT-333, KT-253 or future product candidates.
Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties to conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials for our current and future product candidates.
Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties to conduct our ongoing and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials for our current and future product candidates.
We are also unable to predict when, if ever, we will be able to generate revenue from such product candidates due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with drug development, including the uncertainty of : the results of our ongoing or planned clinical trials of our product candidates, including KT-474, KT-413, KT-333 and KT-253; the results of preclinical studies and timing of IND clearances of future product candidates, and/or clinical trial costs for current and future product candidates; our successful initiation, enrollment of and completion of clinical trials for current and future product candidates, including our ability to generate positive data from any such clinical trials; our ability to receive regulatory approvals from applicable regulatory authorities; the initiation and successful completion of all safety studies required to obtain U.S. and foreign marketing approval for our product candidates; the costs associated with the development of any additional development programs we identify in-house or acquire through collaborations or other arrangements; our ability to establish and maintain manufacturing capabilities or make arrangements with third-party manufacturers for clinical supply and commercial manufacturing; obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection or regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates; launching commercial sales of our product candidates, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; obtaining and maintaining acceptance of our product candidates, if and when approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; effectively competing with other therapies; obtaining and maintaining healthcare coverage and adequate reimbursement; the success of our existing collaborations as well as the terms and timing of any additional collaboration, license or other arrangement, including the terms and timing of any payments thereunder; our ability to enforce and defend intellectual property rights and claims; and our ability to maintain a continued acceptable safety profile of our product candidates following approval. 70 We expect to incur significant sales and marketing costs as we prepare to commercialize our current or future product candidates.
We are also unable to predict when, if ever, we will be able to generate revenue from such product candidates due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with drug development, including the uncertainty of: the results of ongoing or planned clinical trials of our product candidates; the results of preclinical studies and timing of IND clearances of future product candidates, and/or clinical trial costs for current and future product candidates; our successful initiation, enrollment of and completion of clinical trials for current and future product candidates, including our ability to generate positive data from any such clinical trials; our ability to receive regulatory approvals from applicable regulatory authorities; the initiation and successful completion of all safety studies required to obtain U.S. and foreign marketing approval for our product candidates; the costs associated with the development of any additional development programs we identify in-house or acquire through collaborations or other arrangements; 63 our ability to establish and maintain manufacturing capabilities or make arrangements with third-party manufacturers for clinical supply and commercial manufacturing; obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection or regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates; launching commercial sales of our product candidates, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; obtaining and maintaining acceptance of our product candidates, if and when approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; effectively competing with other therapies; obtaining and maintaining healthcare coverage and adequate reimbursement; the success of our existing collaborations as well as the terms and timing of any additional collaboration, license or other arrangement, including the terms and timing of any payments thereunder; our ability to enforce and defend intellectual property rights and claims; and our ability to maintain a continued acceptable safety profile of our product candidates following approval.
Fast Track Designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures. We may seek approval of KT-474, KT-413, KT-333, KT-253 or any other future product candidate, where applicable, under the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway.
Fast Track Designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures. We may seek approval of KT-474, KT-621, KT-294, KT-333, KT-253 or any other future product candidate, where applicable, under the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway.
If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they publish negative evaluations of our stock, the price of our stock could decline. The trading market for our common stock will rely in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our business.
If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they publish negative evaluations of our stock, the price of our stock could decline. The trading market for our common stock relies in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our business.
In addition, the patient populations that our lead and other core product candidates target may be particularly susceptible to COVID-19 or its variants, which may make it more difficult for us to identify patients able to enroll in our clinical trials and may impact the ability of enrolled patients to complete any such trials.
In addition, the patient populations that our lead and other core product candidates target may be particularly susceptible to infectious diseases or its variants, which may make it more difficult for us to identify patients able to enroll in our clinical trials and may impact the ability of enrolled patients to complete any such trials.
In addition, receiving accelerated approval does not assure that the product’s accelerated approval will eventually be converted to a traditional approval. We have obtained orphan drug designation for one of our product candidates.
In addition, receiving accelerated approval does not assure that the product’s accelerated approval will eventually be converted to a traditional approval. 73 We have obtained orphan drug designation for some of our product candidates.
A pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19 or its variants, may materially and adversely affect our business and our financial results and could cause a disruption to the development of our product candidate. Public health crises such as pandemics or similar outbreaks could adversely impact our business.
A pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease may materially and adversely affect our business and our financial results and could cause a disruption to the development of our product candidate. Public health crises such as pandemics or similar outbreaks could adversely impact our business.
For example, in December 2020, we submitted an IND application for KT-474 to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in healthy volunteers and patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) or atopic dermatitis (AD).
For example, in December 2020, we submitted an IND application for KT-474 to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in healthy volunteers and patients with HS or AD.
Further, collaborations involving our technologies or current or future product candidates are subject to numerous risks, which may include the following: collaborators have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to a collaboration; collaborators may not pursue development and commercialization of our current or future product candidates or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization of our current or future product candidates based on clinical trial results, changes in their strategic focus due to the acquisition of competitive products, availability of funding or other external factors, such as a business combination that diverts resources or creates competing priorities; collaborators may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial, stop a clinical trial, 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 current or future product candidates; a collaborator with marketing and distribution rights to one or more products may not commit sufficient resources to their marketing and distribution; collaborators may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our intellectual property or proprietary information in a way that gives rise to actual or threatened litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us to potential liability; disputes may arise between us and a collaborator that cause the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of our current or future product candidates, or that result in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management attention and resources; collaborations may be terminated and, if terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable current or future product candidates.
Further, collaborations involving our technologies or current or future product candidates are subject to numerous risks, which may include the following: collaborators have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to a collaboration; collaborators may not pursue development and commercialization of our current or future product candidates or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization of our current or future product candidates based on clinical trial results, changes in their strategic focus due to the acquisition of competitive products, availability of funding or other external factors, such as a business combination that diverts resources or creates competing priorities; collaborators may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial, stop a clinical trial, 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 current or future product candidates; a collaborator with marketing and distribution rights to one or more products may not commit sufficient resources to their marketing and distribution; collaborators may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our intellectual property or proprietary information in a way that gives rise to actual or threatened litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us to potential liability; disputes may arise between us and a collaborator that cause the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of our current or future product candidates, or that result in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management attention and resources; collaborations may be terminated and, if terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable current or future product candidates; collaborators may own or co-own intellectual property covering our products that results from our collaborating with them, and in such cases, we would not have the exclusive right to commercialize such intellectual property; and collaborators may not pay milestones and royalties due to the company in a timely manner.

222 more changes not shown on this page.

Item 2. Properties

Properties — owned and leased real estate

1 edited+1 added0 removed1 unchanged
Biggest changeAdditionally, in December 2021 we signed an additional lease for 100,624 square feet of office and laboratory space in Watertown, Massachusetts, which the Company expects to begin occupying in November 2023. We believe that our office and laboratory space is sufficient to meet our current needs and that suitable additional space will be available as and when needed.
Biggest changeWe believe that our office and laboratory space is sufficient to meet our current needs and that suitable additional space will be available as and when needed.
Added
Additionally, in February 2023 we began occupying 100,624 square feet of office and laboratory space in Watertown, Massachusetts under a lease that expires in March 2035. We have two options to extend the lease term, each for five additional years.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Legal Proceedings — active lawsuits and investigations

1 edited+0 added0 removed1 unchanged
Biggest changeRegardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors. Item 4. Mine Saf ety Disclosures. Not applicable. 115 PART II
Biggest changeRegardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors. Item 4. Mine Saf ety Disclosures. Not applicable. 109 PART II

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Mine Safety Disclosures — required of mining issuers

1 edited+0 added0 removed0 unchanged
Biggest changeItem 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 115 PART II Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 116 Item 6. Reserved 117 Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 118 Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 131 Item 8.
Biggest changeItem 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 109 PART II Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 110 Item 6. Reserved 111 Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 112 Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 125 Item 8.

Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity

Market for Common Equity — stock, dividends, buybacks

4 edited+0 added1 removed3 unchanged
Biggest changeThe performance graph in this Item 5 is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such a filing.
Biggest changeThe performance graph in this Item 5 is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such a filing. 110 Holders of Our Common Stock As of February 16, 2024, there were approximately 21 holders of record of shares of our common stock.
This number does not include stockholders for whom shares are held in “nominee” or “street” name. 116 Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans The information required by Item 5 of Form 10-K regarding equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities None.
This number does not include stockholders for whom shares are held in “nominee” or “street” name. Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans The information required by Item 5 of Form 10-K regarding equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities None.
Stock Performance Graph The following graph shows a comparison from August 21, 2020, the first date that shares of our common stock were publicly traded, through December 31, 2022, of the cumulative total return on an assumed investment of $100.00 in cash in our common stock, the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index for the same period.
Stock Performance Graph The following graph shows a comparison from August 21, 2020, the first date that shares of our common stock were publicly traded, through December 31, 2023, of the cumulative total return on an assumed investment of $100.00 in cash in our common stock, the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index for the same period.
Comparison of 29 Month Cumulative Total Return* Among Kymera Therapeutics, Inc., the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index *$100 invested on August 21, 2020 in stock and indices, including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending December 31.
Comparison of 41 Month Cumulative Total Return* Among Kymera Therapeutics, Inc., the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index *$100 invested on August 21, 2020 in stock and indices, including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending December 31.
Removed
Holders of Our Common Stock As of February 17, 2023, there were approximately 37 holders of record of shares of our common stock.

Item 7. Management's Discussion & Analysis

Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) — revenue / margin commentary

62 edited+18 added23 removed77 unchanged
Biggest changeFood and Drug Administration, or FDA, for current and future product candidates; initiate and continue research and development activities to support our pre-clinical product candidate pipeline; manufacture our drug products, drug substances, delivery vehicles, and product candidates for use in preclinical studies, clinical trials and on a larger scale for commercialization, if approved; continue to develop and expand our Pegasus TM platform to identify additional product candidates; maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; seek marketing approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, if any; acquire or in-license additional product candidates and technologies; expand our infrastructure and facilities to accommodate our growing employee base and ongoing development activity; require the manufacture of larger quantities of our product candidates for clinical development and potential commercialization; establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any products for which we may obtain marketing approval; and add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our research and development programs, any future commercialization efforts and operating as a public company.
Biggest changeWe expect that our expense and capital requirements will increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly if and as we: initiate and complete preclinical studies and clinical trials for current or future product candidates prepare and submit Investigational New Drug applications, or INDs, with the U.S Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for future product candidates; develop and scale up our capabilities to support our ongoing preclinical activities and clinical trials for our product candidates and commercialization of any of our product candidates for which we may obtain marketing approval; secure facilities to support continued growth in our research, development and commercialization efforts; advance research and development related activities to expand our product pipeline; expand and improve the capabilities of our Pegasus™ platform; seek regulatory approval for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical development; contract to manufacture our product candidates; maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; hire additional staff, including clinical, scientific and management personnel; and incur additional costs associated with continuing to operate as a public company.
The timing and amount of our operating expenditures will depend largely on: the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of nonclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates or any future product candidates we may develop; our ability to maintain our relationships with Sanofi, Vertex and other key collaborators; 127 the outcome, timing and cost of seeking and obtaining regulatory approvals from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, including the potential for such authorities to require that we perform more nonclinical studies or clinical trials than those that we currently expect or change their requirements on studies that had previously been agreed to; the cost to establish, maintain, expand, enforce and defend the scope of our intellectual property portfolio, including the amount and timing of any payments we may be required to make, or that we may receive, in connection with licensing, preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patents or other intellectual property rights; the effect of competing technological and market developments; the costs of continuing to grow our business, including hiring key personnel and maintaining or acquiring operating space; the degree of market acceptance of any approved product candidates, including product pricing, as well as product coverage and the adequacy of reimbursement by third-party payors; the cost of acquiring, licensing or investing in additional businesses, products, product candidates and technologies; the cost and timing of selecting, auditing and potentially validating a manufacturing site for commercial-scale manufacturing; the cost of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any product candidates for which we may receive regulatory approval and that we determine to commercialize; and our need to implement additional internal systems and infrastructure, including financial and reporting systems.
The timing and amount of our operating expenditures will depend largely on: the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of nonclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates or any future product candidates we may develop; our ability to maintain our relationships with key collaborators; the outcome, timing and cost of seeking and obtaining regulatory approvals from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, including the potential for such authorities to require that we perform more nonclinical studies or clinical trials than those that we currently expect or change their requirements on studies that had previously been agreed to; the cost to establish, maintain, expand, enforce and defend the scope of our intellectual property portfolio, including the amount and timing of any payments we may be required to make, or that we may receive, in connection with licensing, preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patents or other intellectual property rights; the effect of competing technological and market developments; the costs of continuing to grow our business, including hiring key personnel and maintaining or acquiring operating space; the degree of market acceptance of any approved product candidates, including product pricing, as well as product coverage and the adequacy of reimbursement by third-party payors; the cost of acquiring, licensing or investing in additional businesses, products, product candidates and technologies; the cost and timing of selecting, auditing and potentially validating a manufacturing site for commercial-scale manufacturing; the cost of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any product candidates for which we may receive regulatory approval and that we determine to commercialize; and our need to implement additional internal systems and infrastructure, including financial and reporting systems.
We believe that our small molecule protein degraders have unique advantages over existing therapies and allow us to address a large portion of the human genome that was previously intractable with traditional modalities. We focus on biological pathways that have been clinically validated but where key biological nodes/proteins have not been drugged or inadequately drugged.
We believe that our small molecule protein degraders have unique advantages over existing therapies and allow us to address a large portion of the human genome that was previously intractable with traditional modalities. We focus on biological pathways that have been clinically validated but where key biological nodes/proteins have not been drugged or are inadequately drugged.
Cash Flow from Financing Activities During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $153.0 million, primarily consisting of $149.8 million of net proceeds received in our August 2022 PIPE offering, $3.2 million in proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options, $1.1 million in proceeds from the issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase partially offset by finance lease payments of $1.1 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $153.0 million, primarily consisting of $149.8 million of net proceeds received in our August 2022 PIPE offering, $3.2 million in proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options, $1.1 million in proceeds from the issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase partially offset by finance lease payments of $1.1 million.
We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis.
We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the 122 results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis.
This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our applicable personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual costs.
This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our applicable personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed 123 and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual costs.
Research and development expenses The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for each period presented (program expenses are not disclosed prior to formal development cadidate nomination): Year ended December 31, Change 2022 2021 (in thousands) External research and development costs: IRAK4 $ 17,850 $ 27,368 $ (9,518 ) IRAKIMiD 4,914 10,847 (5,933 ) STAT3 8,332 10,081 (1,749 ) MDM2 11,823 11,823 Other 46,474 35,909 10,565 Internal research and development costs 74,855 52,812 22,043 Total research and development expenses $ 164,248 $ 137,017 $ 27,231 Research and development expenses were $164.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $137.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Research and development expenses The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for each period presented (program expenses are not disclosed prior to formal development candidate nomination): Year ended December 31, Change 2022 2021 (in thousands) External research and development costs: IRAK4 $ 17,850 $ 27,368 $ (9,518 ) IRAKIMiD 4,914 10,847 (5,933 ) STAT3 8,332 10,081 (1,749 ) MDM2 11,823 11,823 Other 46,474 35,909 10,565 Internal research and development costs 74,855 52,812 22,043 Total research and development expenses $ 164,248 $ 137,017 $ 27,231 Research and development expenses were $164.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $137.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
We only apply the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. 129 When optional goods or services are offered, we assess the options to determine whether the options grant the customer a material right.
We only apply the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. When optional goods or services are offered, we assess the options to determine whether the options grant the customer a material right.
We utilize this method due to lack of historical exercise data. The expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero as we have no current plans to pay any dividends on common stock.
We utilize this method due to lack of historical exercise data. The expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero as we have no current plans to pay any dividends on common stock. 124
This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development and commercialization, including the following: the timing and progress of nonclinical and clinical development activities; the number and scope of nonclinical and clinical programs we decide to pursue; the ability to raise necessary additional funds; the progress of the development efforts of parties with whom we may enter into collaboration arrangements; our ability to maintain our current development program and to establish new ones; our ability to establish new licensing or collaboration arrangements; the successful initiation and completion of clinical trials with safety, tolerability and efficacy profiles that are satisfactory to the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority; the receipt and related terms of regulatory approvals from applicable regulatory authorities; the availability of drug substance and drug product for use in production of our product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain agreements with third-party manufacturers for clinical supply for our clinical trials and commercial manufacturing, if any of our product candidates are approved; our ability to obtain and maintain patents, trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity, both in the United States and internationally; our ability to protect our rights in our intellectual property portfolio; our ability to obtain and maintain third-party insurance coverage and adequate reimbursement; 122 the acceptance of our product candidates, if approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; the impact of competition with other products; the impact of any business interruptions to our operations, including the timing and enrollment of patients in our planned clinical trials, or to those of our manufacturers, suppliers, or other vendors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or similar public health crisis; and our ability to maintain a continued acceptable safety profile for our therapies following approval.
This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development and commercialization, including the following: the timing and progress of nonclinical and clinical development activities; the number and scope of nonclinical and clinical programs we decide to pursue; the ability to raise necessary additional funds; the progress of the development efforts of parties with whom we may enter into collaboration arrangements; our ability to maintain our current development program and to establish new ones; our ability to establish new licensing or collaboration arrangements; the successful initiation and completion of clinical trials with safety, tolerability and efficacy profiles that are satisfactory to the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority; the receipt and related terms of regulatory approvals from applicable regulatory authorities; the availability of drug substance and drug product for use in production of our product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain agreements with third-party manufacturers for clinical supply for our clinical trials and commercial manufacturing, if any of our product candidates are approved; our ability to obtain and maintain patents, trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity, both in the United States and internationally; our ability to protect our rights in our intellectual property portfolio; our ability to obtain and maintain third-party insurance coverage and adequate reimbursement; the acceptance of our product candidates, if approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; the impact of competition with other products; 116 the impact of any business interruptions to our operations, including the timing and enrollment of patients in our planned clinical trials, or to those of our manufacturers, suppliers, or other vendors resulting from a future pandemic or similar public health crisis; and our ability to maintain a continued acceptable safety profile for our therapies following approval.
General and administrative expenses also include legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters, professional fees for accounting, auditing, tax and administrative consulting services, insurance costs, administrative travel expenses, marketing expenses and other operating costs.
General and administrative expenses also include legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters, professional fees for accounting, auditing, tax and administrative consulting services, insurance costs, facilities costs, administrative travel expenses, marketing expenses and other operating costs.
We agreed to pay Cowen a commission of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares sold by Cowen under the Sales Agreement. There have been no shares of our common stock sold under the Sales Agreement as of December 31, 2022.
We agreed to pay Cowen a commission of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares sold by Cowen under the Sales Agreement. There have been no shares of our common stock sold under the Sales Agreement as of December 31, 2023.
These increases were primarily offset by a $17.2 million reduction in direct expenses related to our activities for our IRAK4, IRAKIMiD and STAT3 programs due to changes in the stage of development of these respective programs.
These increases were primarily offset by a $17.2 million reduction in direct expenses related to our activities for our IRAK4, IRAKIMiD and STAT3 programs due to changes in the stage of development of these programs and the discontinuation of IRAKIMiD.
We also anticipate that we will incur increased accounting, audit, legal, regulatory, compliance and director and officer insurance costs as well as legal, investor and public relations expenses associated with our continued growth as a public comapny.
We also anticipate that we will incur increased accounting, audit, legal, regulatory, compliance and director and officer insurance costs as well as legal, investor and public relations expenses associated with our continued growth as a public company.
The $7.5 million increase was primarily due to a $6.5 million increase in G&A employee compensation due to an increase in employee headcount, and a $1.0M increase in legal and professional services expenses to support our growth as a public compamy.
The $7.5 million increase was primarily due to a $6.5 million increase in G&A employee compensation due to an increase in employee headcount, and a $1.0M increase in legal and professional services expenses to support our growth as a public company.
Cash Flow provided by (used in) Investing Activities During the year ended December 31, 2022, cash provided by investing activities was $20.5 million comprised of maturities of marketable securities of $469.3 million partially offset by purchases of marketable securities of $446.0 million and purchases of property and equipment of $2.8 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, cash provided by investing activities was $20.5 million comprised of maturities of marketable securities of $469.3 million partially offset by purchases of marketable securities of $446.0 million and purchases of property and equipment of $2.8 million.
With respect to our oncology programs, we are evaluating KT-333, a STAT3 degrader, in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory liquid and solid tumors, including aggressive lymphomas. Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we expect to provide additional clinical data in 2023.
With respect to our clinical oncology programs, we are evaluating KT-333, a STAT3 degrader, in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory liquid and solid tumors, including aggressive lymphomas. Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we expect to present additional clinical data in 2024.
These contracts provide for termination upon notice. Payments due upon cancellation generally consist only of payments for services provided or expenses incurred, including non-cancellable obligations of our service providers, up to the date of cancellation. These payments have not been included separately within these contractual and other obligations disclosures.
Payments due upon cancellation generally consist only of payments for services provided or expenses incurred, including non-cancellable obligations of our service providers, up to the date of cancellation. These payments have not been included separately within these contractual and other obligations disclosures.
However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed on favorable terms or at all. Market volatility resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed.
However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed on favorable terms or at all. Market volatility resulting from macroeconomic factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed.
Pursuant to the Vertex Agreement, we are responsible for discovery and preclinical research on the targets, and Vertex is responsible for development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates after it exercises its option to license.
Pursuant to the Vertex Agreement, we were responsible for discovery and preclinical research on the targets, and Vertex was responsible for development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates after it exercises its option to license.
Results of Operations Comparison of years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021: Year ended December 31, Change 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenue—from related parties $ 46,826 $ 72,832 $ (26,006 ) Operating expenses: Research and development 164,248 137,017 27,231 General and administrative 43,834 36,345 7,489 Total operating expenses 208,082 173,362 34,720 Loss from operations (161,256 ) (100,530 ) (60,726 ) Other income, net 6,448 313 6,135 Net loss $ (154,808 ) $ (100,217 ) $ (54,591 ) Collaboration revenue We recognize revenue under each of the Vertex Agreement and Sanofi Agreement based on our pattern of performance related to the respective identified performance obligation, which is the period over which we will perform research services under each of the Vertex Agreement and Sanofi Agreement. 123 Collaboration revenues were $46.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, of which $10.8 million and $36.0 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively.
Results of Operations Comparison of years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021: Year ended December 31, Change 2022 2021 (in thousands) Collaboration Revenue $ 46,826 $ 72,832 $ (26,006 ) Operating expenses: Research and development 164,248 137,017 27,231 General and administrative 43,834 36,345 7,489 Total operating expenses 208,082 173,362 34,720 Loss from operations (161,256 ) (100,530 ) (60,726 ) Other income, net 6,448 313 6,135 Net loss $ (154,808 ) $ (100,217 ) $ (54,591 ) 118 Collaboration revenue We recognize revenue under each of our collaboration agreements based on our pattern of performance related to the respective identified performance obligation, which is the period over which we will perform research services under each of the respective agreements.
These expenses include: employee-related expenses, including salaries, related benefits and stock-based compensation expense, for employees engaged in research and development functions; expenses incurred under agreements with organizations that support our platform program development; contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, that are primarily engaged to provide drug substance and product for our preclinical research and development programs, nonclinical studies and other scientific development services; the cost of acquiring and manufacturing nonclinical trial materials, including manufacturing registration and validation batches; facilities, depreciation and other expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and insurance; costs related to compliance with quality and regulatory requirements; and payments made under third-party licensing agreements. 121 Advance payments that we make for goods or services to be received in the future for use in research and development activities are recorded as prepaid expenses.
These expenses include: employee-related expenses, including salaries, related benefits and stock-based compensation expense, for employees engaged in research and development functions; expenses incurred under agreements with organizations that support our platform program development; contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, that are primarily engaged to provide drug substance and product for our preclinical research and development programs, nonclinical studies and other scientific development services; the cost of acquiring and manufacturing nonclinical trial materials, including manufacturing registration and validation batches; facilities, depreciation and other expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and insurance; costs related to compliance with quality and regulatory requirements; and payments made under third-party licensing agreements.
Collaboration revenues were $72.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, of which $18.5 million and $54.3 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively.
Collaboration revenues were $46.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, of which $10.8 million and $36.0 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively. Collaboration revenues were $72.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, of which $18.5 million and $54.3 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively.
Our net losses were $154.8 million, $100.2 million and $45.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. In addition, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 we had an accumulated deficit of $383.8 million and $229.0 million, respectively.
Our net losses were $147.0 million, $154.8 million and $100.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In addition, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 we had an accumulated deficit of $530.8 million and $383.8 million, respectively.
Components of Our Results of Operations Revenue To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the foreseeable future. Our only revenues have been derived from research collaboration arrangements with Vertex and Sanofi.
See “—Liquidity and capital resources.” 113 Components of Our Results of Operations Revenue To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the foreseeable future. Our only revenues have been derived from research collaboration arrangements with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, or Vertex, and Sanofi.
In October 2021, we entered into a sales agreement, or Sales Agreement, with Cowen and Company, LLC, or Cowen, pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate gross proceeds of up to $250.0 million from time to time in “at-the-market” offerings through Cowen, as our sales agent.
As of December 31, 2023 we had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $436.3 million. 119 In October 2021, we entered into a sales agreement, or Sales Agreement, with Cowen and Company, LLC, or Cowen, pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate gross proceeds of up to $250.0 million from time to time in “at-the-market” offerings through Cowen, as our sales agent.
Other Income, Net Other income, net was $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The $0.4 million decrease was primarily due to the prevailing interest rates in the respective periods.
Other Income, Net Other income, net was $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The $6.1 million increase was primarily due to the prevailing interest rates in the respective periods.
In addition, Sanofi may terminate the agreement for convenience or for a material safety event upon advance prior written notice, and we may terminate the agreement with respect to any collaboration candidate if, following Sanofi’s assumption of responsibility for the development, commercialization or manufacturing of collaboration candidates with respect to a particular target, Sanofi ceases to exploit any collaboration candidates directed to such target for a specified period.
In addition, Sanofi may terminate the agreement for convenience or for a material safety event upon advance prior written notice, and we may terminate the agreement with respect to any collaboration candidate if, following Sanofi’s assumption of responsibility for the development, commercialization or manufacturing of collaboration candidates with respect to a particular target, Sanofi ceases to exploit any collaboration candidates directed to such target for a specified period. 114 In consideration for the exclusive licenses granted to Sanofi under the Sanofi Agreement, Sanofi made an upfront payment of $150.0 million.
Vertex provided us with a non-refundable upfront payment of $50.0 million and purchased 3,059,695 shares of our Series B-1 Convertible Preferred Stock at $6.54 a share, pursuant to a separate, but simultaneously executed Share Purchase Agreement.
Vertex provided us with a non-refundable upfront payment of $50.0 million and purchased 3,059,695 shares of our Series B-1 Convertible Preferred Stock at $6.54 a share, pursuant to a separate, but simultaneously executed Share Purchase Agreement. The Vertex Agreement expired upon the completion of the initial research term on May 9, 2023 .
To date, we have received gross proceeds of $1.03 billion from sales of our convertible preferred stock, the sale of common stock including our August 2020 IPO and concurrent private placement, our July 2021 follow-on offering and concurrent private placement, our August 2022 PIPE offering, and through our collaborations with Vertex and Sanofi.
To date, we have received gross proceeds of $1.45 billion from sales of our convertible preferred stock, the sale of common stock including our August 2020 IPO and concurrent private placement, our July 2021 follow-on offering and concurrent private placement, our August 2022 PIPE offering, January 2024 follow-on offering, our sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC., and through our corporate collaborations.
We plan to initiate our Phase 1 clinical trial of KT-253 in early 2023. Since our inception in 2015, we have devoted substantially all of our efforts to organizing and staffing our company, research and development activities, business planning, raising capital, building our intellectual property portfolio and providing general and administrative support for these operations.
Since our inception in 2015, we have devoted substantially all our efforts to organizing and staffing our company, research and development activities, business planning, raising capital, building our intellectual property portfolio and providing general and administrative support for these operations.
To date, we have received gross proceeds of $1.03 billion from sales of our convertible preferred stock, the sale of common stock including our August 2020 initial public offering, or IPO, and concurrent private placement, our July 2021 follow-on offering and concurrent private placement, our August 2022 private investment in public equity, or PIPE offering, and through our collaborations with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, or Vertex, and Sanofi.
To date, we have received gross proceeds of $1.45 billion from sales of our convertible preferred stock, the sale of common stock including our August 2020 initial public offering, or IPO, and concurrent private placement, our July 2021 follow-on offering and concurrent private placement, our August 2022 112 private investment in public equity, or PIPE, offering, January 2024 follow-on offering, our sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC., and through our corporate collaborations.
Cash flows The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for each of the periods presented: Year Ended December 31, 2022 2021 2020 (in thousands) Cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ (153,085 ) $ (128,946 ) $ 88,130 Cash provided by (used in) investing activities 20,519 (99,835 ) (422,588 ) Cash provided by financing activities 152,999 250,280 289,262 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 20,433 $ 21,499 $ (45,196 ) Cash Flows (Used in) provided by Operating Activities During the year ended December 31, 2022, operating activities used $153.1 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $154.8 million during the period and a $37.8 million decrease in deferred revenue under our Sanofi and Vertex collaboration agreements.
Cash flows The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for each of the periods presented: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2020 (in thousands) Cash used in operating activities $ (102,826 ) $ (153,085 ) $ (128,946 ) Cash provided by (used in) investing activities 139,886 20,519 (99,835 ) Cash provided by financing activities 4,192 152,999 250,280 Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 41,252 $ 20,433 $ 21,499 Cash Flow used in Operating Activities During the year ended December 31, 2023, operating activities used $102.8 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $147.0 million during the period and a $8.6 million decrease in deferred revenue under our collaboration agreements.
Additionally with respect to Sanofi, on December 2, 2022, Sanofi provided the Company with written notice of its intention to advance the collaboration target 1 candidate, KT-474, into Phase 2 clinical trials.
Additionally with respect to Sanofi, on December 2, 2022, Sanofi provided the Company with written notice of its intention to advance the collaboration target 1 candidate, KT-474, into Phase 2 clinical trials for which the Company received milestone payments as further set forth in the Amended Sanofi Agreement.
To date, there have not been any material adjustments to our prior estimates of accrued research and development expenses. 130 Equity-Based Compensation Expense We measure equity-based awards granted to employees, directors, and nonemployees based on their fair value on the date of the grant and recognize compensation expense for those awards over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award.
Equity-Based Compensation Expense We measure equity-based awards granted to employees, directors, and nonemployees based on their fair value on the date of the grant and recognize compensation expense for those awards over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award.
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $559.5 million.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $436.3 million.
At this time, we cannot accurately estimate or know the nature, timing and costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the clinical development of any future product candidates.
We expect that our research and development expenses will increase substantially in connection with our planned clinical development activities 115 in the near term and in the future. At this time, we cannot accurately estimate or know the nature, timing and costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the clinical development of any future product candidates.
These were offset by adjustments for non-cash items of $33.2 million (primarily consisting of stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization and premiums and discounts on available sale-securities) and a $7.5 million net increase in operating assets and liabilities primarily driven by changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses partially offset by changes in prepaid expenses and other operating assets and liabilities. 126 During the year ended December 31, 2020, operating activities provided $88.1 million of cash, primarily resulting from $150.0 million of proceeds received under our collaboration agreement with Sanofi executed in July 2020.
These were offset by adjustments for non-cash items of $33.2 million (primarily consisting of stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization and premiums and discounts on available sale-securities) and a $7.5 million net increase in operating assets and liabilities primarily driven by changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses partially offset by changes in prepaid expenses and other operating assets and liabilities.
These research efforts and costs, which also support the development of, and enhancements to, our Pegasus TM platform, include external research costs, personnel costs, supplies, license fees and facility-related expenses. We expense research and development costs as incurred.
These research efforts and costs include external research costs, personnel costs, supplies, license fees and facility-related expenses. We expense research and development costs as incurred.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, cash used in investing activities was $422.6 million comprised of purchases of marketable securities of $529.4 million and purchases of property and equipment of $9.1 million offset by maturities of marketable securities of $115.9 million.
Cash Flow provided by (used in) Investing Activities During the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by investing activities was $139.9 million comprised of maturities of marketable securities of $363.5 million partially offset by purchases of marketable securities of $189.2 million and purchases of property and equipment of $34.4 million.
Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials. We expect that our research and development expenses will increase substantially in connection with our planned clinical development activities in the near term and in the future.
Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials.
We will be eligible to receive tiered royalties for each program on net sales ranging from the high single digits to high teens, subject to low-single digits upward adjustments in certain circumstances.
We will be eligible to receive tiered royalties for each program on net sales ranging from the high single digits to high teens, subject to low-single digits upward adjustments in certain circumstances. As of December 31, 2023, we have achieved $55.0 million of milestones to date under the Sanofi Agreement related to certain IRAK4 clinical milestones.
Our current clinical stage programs are IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, and STAT3, which each address high impact targets within the interleukin-1 receptor/toll-like receptor, or IL-1R/TLR, and janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription, or JAK/STAT, pathways, providing the opportunity to treat a broad range of immune-inflammatory diseases, hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors.
Our current clinical stage programs are IRAK4, STAT3, and MDM2, which each address high impact targets within biologically-proven pathways, providing the opportunity to treat a broad range of immuno-inflammatory diseases, hematologic malignancies, and/or solid tumors.
In addition, if we exercise the Opt-In Right, Sanofi will grant us an exclusive option, applicable to each collaboration target, which upon exercise will allow us to conduct certain co-promotion activities in the field in the United States. 120 The Sanofi Agreement, unless earlier terminated, will expire on a product-by-product basis on the date of expiration of all payment obligations under the Sanofi Agreement with respect to such product.
In addition, if we exercise the Opt-In Right, Sanofi will grant us an exclusive option, applicable to each collaboration target, which upon exercise will allow us to conduct certain co-promotion activities in the field in the United States.
We may also perform follow-on research activities for an optioned target upon Vertex’s request and at Vertex’s expense. Sanofi Agreement On July 7, 2020, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Sanofi Agreement, with Sanofi to co-develop drug candidates directed to two biological targets.
Sanofi Agreement On July 7, 2020, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Sanofi Agreement, with Sanofi to co-develop drug candidates directed to two biological targets.
We expect that we will require additional funding to continue the clinical development of our IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, STAT3 and MDM2 programs, commercialize our product candidates if we receive regulatory approval, and pursue in-licenses or acquisitions of other product candidates.
We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could exhaust our available capital resources sooner than we expect. We expect that we will require additional funding to continue the clinical development of our clinical programs, commercialize our product candidates if we receive regulatory approval, and pursue in-licenses or acquisitions of other product candidates.
Vertex Collaboration Agreement On May 9, 2019, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Vertex Agreement, with Vertex, to advance small molecule protein degradation against up to six targets. Under the Vertex Agreement, Vertex has the exclusive option to license the rights to the product candidates developed through the collaboration at which point Vertex will control development and commercialization.
Vertex Collaboration Agreement On May 9, 2019, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Vertex Agreement, with Vertex, to advance small molecule protein degradation against up to six targets.
Collaboration revenues were $72.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, of which $18.5 million and $54.3 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively. Collaboration revenues were $34.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, of which $15.2 million and $18.8 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively.
Collaboration revenues were $78.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, of which $8.4 million and $70.2 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively. Collaboration revenues were $46.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, of which $10.8 million and $36.0 million were attributable to our collaboration agreements with Vertex and Sanofi, respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in investing activities was $99.8 million comprised of purchases of marketable securities of $456.4 million and purchases of property and equipment of $1.6 million offset by maturities of marketable securities of $358.2 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in investing activities was $99.8 million comprised of purchases of marketable securities of $456.4 million and purchases of property and equipment of $1.6 million offset by maturities of marketable securities of $358.2 million. 120 Cash Flow from Financing Activities During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by financing activities was $4.2 million, primarily consisting of $2.9 million in proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options, $1.4 million in proceeds from the issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase partially offset by finance lease payments of $0.1 million.
Research and development expenses Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred in connection with the discovery and development of targeted protein degradation therapeutics, including those in our initial programs, IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, STAT3 and MDM2.
Operating expenses Our operating expenses since inception have consisted solely of research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses. Research and development expenses Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred in connection with the discovery and development of targeted protein degradation therapeutics.
For additional information on our leases and timing of future payments, please read Note 7, Leases, to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K. Other Obligations We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with various third parties for clinical trials, preclinical research studies, and testing, manufacturing, and other services and products for operating purposes.
Other Obligations We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with various third parties for clinical trials, preclinical research studies, and testing, manufacturing, and other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts provide for termination upon notice.
If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings or other arrangements when needed, we may be required to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development or future commercialization 128 Contractual Obligations and Other Commitments We have entered into arrangements that contractually obligate us to make payments that will affect our liquidity and cash flows in future periods.
If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings or other arrangements when needed, we may be required to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development or future commercialization efforts, or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Other Income, Net Other income, net was $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Other Income, Net Other income, net was $18.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The $12.2 million increase was primarily due to the prevailing interest rates in the respective periods.
The $18.1 million increase was primarily due to an increase in legal and professional service fees and an increase in personnel, facility, occupancy and other expenses stemming from an increase in headcount to support our growth as a public company as well as increased stock-based compensation expense also attributable to our headcount.
The $11.2 million increase was primarily due to a $8.8 million increase in personnel, stock-based compensation and occupancy costs due to increases in employee headcount in the general and administrative functions, and a $2.4 million increase in legal and professional services expenses to support our growth as a public company.
Such arrangements primarily include those related to our lease commitments. Lease Commitments Our lease commitments reflect payments due for our two lease agreements for laboratory and office space in Watertown, Massachusetts that expire in March, 2030 and December, 2034, respectively.
Lease Commitments Our lease commitments reflect payments due for our two lease agreements for laboratory and office space in Watertown, Massachusetts that expire in March of 2030 and 2035, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, our contractual commitments for our leases were $134.5 million, which will be paid over the term of such leases.
We or Sanofi may terminate the agreement upon the other party’s material breach or insolvency or for certain patent challenges.
The Sanofi Agreement, unless earlier terminated, will expire on a product-by-product basis on the date of expiration of all payment obligations under the Sanofi Agreement with respect to such product. We or Sanofi may terminate the agreement upon the other party’s material breach or insolvency or for certain patent challenges.
We believe the existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities on hand, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2025 which is expected to take us past the proof-of-concept Phase 2 data for KT-474, as well as early proof-of-concept data for KT-413, KT-333 and KT-253 .
We believe the existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities on hand, together with the net proceeds from the first quarter of 2024 offerings and the $15 million milestone payment received in January of 2024 under our collaboration agreement with Sanofi, will be sufficient to fund our operations into the first half of 2027. which is expected to take us beyond the Phase 2 data for KT-474, as well as additional proof-of-concept data for KT-253 and KT-333, and several clinical inflection points for our STAT6 and TYK2 programs.
In December 2022, Sanofi notified us of its intent to advance KT-474 into Phase 2 clinical trials. Phase 2 clinical trials of KT-474 will initially investigate its potential in HS and AD, with the clinical trial for the first indication initiating in 2023.
Phase 2 clinical trials of KT-474 are initially investigating its potential in HS and AD with the clinical trial for both indications having been initiated and commenced dosing in 2023. In September 2023, the Company and Sanofi mutually agreed to cease activities related to Collaboration Target 2.
Cash provided by operating activities also included an increase of accounts payable and accruals of $6.7 million, an increase in net operating assets and liabilities of $0.7 million, offset by our net loss of $45.6 million adjusted for net non-cash items of $8.9 million (primarily stock-based compensation, depreciation expense and amortization of premiums and discounts on securities).
These were offset by a $11.2 million net decrease in other operating assets and liabilities primarily driven by changes in accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, operating lease liabilities as well as adjustments for non-cash items of $41.5 million (primarily consisting of stock-based compensation, depreciation & amortization and premiums & discounts on available-sale-securities).
The $6.1 million increase was primarily due to the prevailing interest rates in the respective periods. 124 Results of Operations Comparison of years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 Year ended December 31, Change 2021 2020 (in thousands) Revenue—from related parties $ 72,832 $ 34,034 $ 38,798 Operating expenses: Research and development 137,017 62,105 74,912 General and administrative 36,345 18,233 18,112 Total operating expenses 173,362 80,338 93,024 Loss from operations (100,530 ) (46,304 ) (54,226 ) Other income, net 313 711 (398 ) Net loss $ (100,217 ) $ (45,593 ) $ (54,624 ) Collaboration revenue We recognize revenue under each of the Vertex Agreement and Sanofi Agreement based on our pattern of performance related to the respective identified performance obligation, which is the period over which we will perform research services under each of the Vertex Agreement and Sanofi Agreement.
Results of Operations Comparison of years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022: Year ended December 31, Change 2023 2022 (in thousands) Collaboration Revenue $ 78,592 $ 46,826 $ 31,766 Operating expenses: Research and development 189,081 164,248 24,833 General and administrative 55,041 43,834 11,207 Total operating expenses 244,122 208,082 36,040 Loss from operations (165,530 ) (161,256 ) (4,274 ) Other income, net 18,568 6,448 12,120 Net loss $ (146,962 ) $ (154,808 ) $ 7,846 Collaboration revenue We recognize revenue under each of our collaboration agreements based on our pattern of performance related to the respective identified performance obligation, which is the period over which we will perform research services under each of the respective agreements.
Research and development expenses The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for each period presented (program expenses are not disclosed prior to formal development cadidate nomination): Year ended December 31, Change 2021 2020 (in thousands) External research and development costs: IRAK4 $ 27,368 $ 14,016 $ 13,352 IRAKIMiD $ 10,847 6,170 $ 4,677 STAT3 10,081 6,674 3,407 Other 35,909 12,579 23,330 Internal research and development costs 52,812 22,666 30,146 Total research and development expenses $ 137,017 $ 62,105 $ 74,912 Research and development expenses were $137.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $62.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The increase in revenue is primarily attributable to the achievement of $55 million in milestones under the Sanofi agreement in the fourth quarter of 2023. 117 Research and development expenses The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for each period presented (program expenses are not disclosed prior to formal development candidate nomination): Year ended December 31, Change 2023 2022 (in thousands) External research and development costs: IRAK4 $ 13,762 $ 17,850 $ (4,088 ) IRAKIMiD 4,641 4,914 (273 ) STAT3 11,490 8,332 3,158 MDM2 8,170 11,823 (3,653 ) Other 56,637 46,474 10,163 Internal research and development costs 94,381 74,855 19,526 Total research and development expenses $ 189,081 $ 164,248 $ 24,833 Research and development expenses were $189.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $164.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
We have completed our Phase 1 trial of KT-474, which included a single ascending dose, or SAD, portion, a multiple ascending dose, or MAD, portion and a single dose, food-effect cohort to establish the dose for the patient cohort, or Part C, in patients with HS and AD.
We have completed our Phase 1 trial of KT-474, which included cohorts of healthy volunteers, as well as patients with HS and AD. Phase 2 clinical trials of KT-474, conducted by Sanofi, are initially investigating its potential in HS and AD. The clinical trials for both indications have been initiated, and patient dosing is ongoing.
Removed
We are also evaluating KT-413, our IRAKIMiD degrader, in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory B cell lymphomas, including MYD88 mutant diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we expect to provide additional clinical data in 2023.
Added
Our disclosed preclinical programs target STAT6 and TYK2, two proteins in well-validated pathways where we believe our degrader technology has the potential to offer unique advantages as compared to competing therapies. Both programs are currently in IND-enabling studies.
Removed
In December 2022, we received FDA clearance for our investigational new drug, or IND, application to evaluate our MDM2 degrader, KT-253, in a Phase 1 clinical trial. KT-253 has been developed to stabilize the tumor suppressor p53 and address a wide variety of p53 wild type tumor types in both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
Added
With respect to our IRAK4 program, we are collaborating with Sanofi S.A, or Sanofi, on the development of drug candidates targeting IRAK4 outside the oncology and immuno-oncology fields.
Removed
We expect that our expense and capital requirements will increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly if and as we: • initiate and complete clinical trials for current or future product candidates, including the ongoing Phase 1 trials of KT-333, KT-413, and KT-253; 118 • prepare and submit Investigational New Drug applications, or INDs, with the U.S.
Added
We are developing KT-474, a highly active and selective, orally bioavailable IRAK4 degrader, for the treatment of interleukin-1 receptor/toll-like receptor or IL-1R/TLR-driven immunology-inflammation conditions and diseases with high unmet medical need, including hidradenitis suppurativa, or HS, an inflammatory skin disease, as well as atopic dermatitis, or AD, and potentially other indications.
Removed
See “—Liquidity and capital resources.” Since it was reported to have surfaced in December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2 which leads to COVID-19, has spread across the world and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
Added
In September 2023, we announced that the FDA, granted KT-333 Fast Track Designation for the treatment of relapsed/refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma, an indication for which we have previously received Orphan Drug Designation. Our Phase 1 clinical trial of KT-253, our MDM2 degrader, was initiated in March 2023.
Removed
Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have intensified and governments around the world, including in the United States, Europe and Asia, have implemented severe travel restrictions, social distancing requirements, stay-at-home orders and have delayed the commencement of non-COVID-19-related clinical trials, among other restrictions.
Added
The study is evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and clinical activity of ascending doses of KT-253 in adult patients with relapsed or refractory high grade myeloid malignancies, acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, lymphomas, and solid tumors.
Removed
As a result, the current COVID-19 pandemic has presented a substantial public health and economic challenge around the world and is affecting our employees, patients, communities and business operations, as well as contributing to significant volatility and negative pressure on the U.S. economy and in financial markets.
Added
Patient enrollment and dosing are ongoing in the Phase 1a portion of the trial, and we provided initial safety, proof-of-mechanism and proof-of-concept data in November of 2023. We expect to present additional clinical data in 2024. In June 2023, KT-253 was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.
Removed
We expect that COVID-19 precautions will directly or indirectly impact the timeline for some of our 119 planned clinical trials and are continuing to assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our current and future business and operations, including our expenses and clinical trials, as well as on our industry and the healthcare system.
Added
In November 2023, we announced the decision to discontinue the development of our KT-413 (IRAKIMiD) program, despite reaching expected degradation levels and a lack of dose-limiting toxicities, in order to focus resources to support our growing immunology pipeline.
Removed
As a result of the pandemic, many companies have experienced disruptions in their operations and in markets served. To date, we have initiated some and may take additional temporary precautionary measures intended to help ensure our employees’ well-being and minimize business disruption. These measures include devising contingency plans and securing additional resources from third-party service providers.
Added
Under the Vertex Agreement, Vertex was granted the exclusive option to license the rights to the product candidates developed through the collaboration at which point Vertex would control development and commercialization.
Removed
For the safety of our employees and their families, we have temporarily reduced the presence of our scientists in our labs and continue to rely on third parties to conduct many of the experiments and studies for our research programs. Certain of our third-party service providers have also experienced shutdowns or other business disruptions.
Added
Advance payments that we make for goods or services to be received in the future for use in research and development activities are recorded as prepaid expenses.

23 more changes not shown on this page.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Market Risk — interest-rate, FX, commodity exposure

2 edited+0 added0 removed5 unchanged
Biggest changeDuring 2022, we experienced increases in interest income and costs across our business. If inflationary pressures continue to persist, they may continue to have an adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.
Biggest changeIf inflationary pressures continue to persist, they may continue to have an adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. As a result of the inflationary environment, however, interest rates have increased, which has resulted in higher interest income rates than were previously realized.
As of December 31, 2022, we had no significant liabilities denominated in foreign currencies. Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and clinical trial costs. The global macroeconomic environment has experienced, and continues to experience, extraordinary challenges, including the highest rates of inflation in 40 years.
As of December 31, 2023, we had no significant liabilities denominated in foreign currencies. Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor, third party vendors, and clinical trial costs. The global macroeconomic environment has experienced, and continues to experience, extraordinary challenges.

Other KYMR 10-K year-over-year comparisons