UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

OR

2020
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to             

__________to__________

Commission file number: number 0-22705

NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware33-0525145

(State or other jurisdiction of


incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer


Identification Number)

No.)
12780 El Camino Real,San Diego, CACalifornia92130
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)

(858) 617-7600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(858) 617-7600

code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

Common Stock, $0.001 par valueThe NASDAQ StockNBIXNasdaq Global Select Market
(Title of each class)(Trading Symbol)(Name of each exchange on which registered)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes      No  

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes       No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes       No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes       No  

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer  ☑

Accelerated filer  ☐Non-accelerated filer  ☐

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes      No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes       No  

The aggregate market value of theregistrant’s common equitystock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, as of June 30, 2017 totaled approximately $3,407,988,476 based oncomputed by reference to the closing price foras of the last business day of the registrant’s Common Stock on that day as reported by the NASDAQ Stock Market. Such value excludes Common Stock held by executive officers, directors and 10% or greater stockholders as ofmost recently completed second fiscal quarter, June 30, 2017. The identification of 10% or greater stockholders as of June 30, 2017 is based on applicable Schedule 13G and amended Schedule 13G reports. This calculation does not reflect a determination that such parties are affiliates for any other purposes.

2020, was approximately $11,231,617,436.

As of February 2, 2018, there were 89,273,537January 29, 2021, 93,943,645 shares of the registrant’s Common Stockcommon stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to the registrant’s annual meeting of stockholders to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days following the end of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Document Description

10-K Part

Portions of the registrant’s notice of annual meeting of stockholders and proxy statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after registrant’s fiscal year end of December 31, 2017 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report

III


TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Item 1.

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Item 1B.

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Item 2.

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Item 3.

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Item 4.

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Item 5.

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Item 6.

Selected Financial Data4934

Item 7.

50

Item 7A.

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Item 8.

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Item 9.

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Item 9A.

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Item 9B.

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Item 10.

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Item 11.

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Item 12.

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Item 13.

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Item 14.

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Item 15.

100

INGREZZA® is a and ONGENTYS® are registered trademarktrademarks of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Any other brand names or trademarks appearing in this Annual Report that are not the property of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. are the property of their respective holders.

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PART I

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K and the information incorporated herein by reference contain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although our forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of our management, these statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known by us. Consequently, these forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believes,” “expects,” “hopes,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “intends,” “estimates,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “continue,” “seeks,” “pro forma,” or “anticipates,” or other similar words (including their use in the negative), or by discussions of future matters such as the development of new products, technology enhancements, possible changes in legislation and other statements that are not historical. These statements include but are not limited to statements under the captions “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business,” as well as other sections in this report. You should be aware that the occurrence of any of the events discussed under the heading in Part I titled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report could substantially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition and that if any of these events occurs, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or a part of the value of your shares of our common stock.

The cautionary statements made in this report are intended to be applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever they may appear in this report. We urge you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update our forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

ITEM 1.BUSINESS


3


Item 1. Business
Overview

We were originally incorporated in California in January 1992 and were reincorporated in Delaware in May 1996.

We are a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company focused ondedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing innovativedelivering life-changing treatments for people with serious, challenging and life-changing pharmaceuticals, in diseases with high unmet medical needs, through our novel R&D platform, focused onunder-addressed neurological, endocrine and endocrine based diseases andpsychiatric disorders. Our diverse portfolio of products and product candidates is led by INGREZZA® (valbenazine), a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor for the treatment of movement disorders which was approved by the U.S.includes United States Food and Drug Administration, (FDA) on April 11, 2017or FDA, approved treatments for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia, (TD). Our three lead late-stageParkinson’s disease, endometriosis*, uterine fibroids* and clinical programs are INGREZZA (valbenazine) for Tourette syndrome, elagolix, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist for women’s health that is partneredin multiple therapeutic areas. For nearly three decades, we have specialized in targeting and interrupting disease-causing mechanisms involving the interconnected pathways of the nervous and endocrine systems. (*in collaboration with AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie),)
Product Pipeline
Exclusive and opicapone, a highly-selective catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor (COMT inhibitor) that is an adjunct therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors for adult patients with Parkinson’s disease and was in-licensed from BIAL – Portela & CA, S.A. (BIAL).

We believe that INGREZZA has the potential to address important unmet medical needs in neurological and psychiatric disorders beyond TD and we plan to continue to study the use of INGREZZA in other disease states. We are currently investigating the utilization of INGREZZA in Tourette syndrome. We have completed three clinical trials in Tourette’s patients and a Phase IIb study in children with Tourette syndrome is currently ongoing. We intend to utilize the results of these studies to discuss with the FDA a plan for New Drug Application (NDA) submission for INGREZZA in Tourette syndrome patients.

Partnered Commercial Products

Our partner AbbVie has successfully completed the placebo-controlled portion of two Phase III studies of elagolix in women with endometriosis. Based on the positive results of these studies, AbbVie submitted an NDA to the FDA for elagolix to treat women with endometriosis during the third quarter of 2017. The NDA was accepted for priority review by the FDA and given a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date in the second quarter of 2018. In addition, AbbVie is also assessing elagolix in women with uterine fibroids. The Phase III program began in early 2016 with two replicate studies of women with heavy uterine bleeding associated with uterine fibroids. AbbVie expects initial top-line efficacy data from the Phase III uterine fibroids program to be available in the first quarter of 2018, and based on the results of the study anticipates a subsequent NDA submission in 2019.

On February 9, 2017, we entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicapone in the United States and Canada. Opicapone is a once-daily, peripherally-acting, highly-selective COMT inhibitor that was approved in June 2016 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as an adjunct therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors for adult patients with Parkinson’s disease and end-of-dose motor fluctuations who cannot be stabilized on those combinations. We held a meeting with the FDA in January 2018 to discuss a potential NDA submission for opicapone and we are currently awaiting the final summary meeting minutes which we expect to receive in February 2018. We intend to commercialize opicapone in the United States and Canada upon the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.

Our Product Pipeline

The following table summarizes our approvedexclusive and partnered commercial products our most advanced product candidates currently in clinical development and those currently in research and is followed by detailed descriptions of each program:

Program

Target Indication(s)

Status

Rights

Approved products:

INGREZZA® (valbenazine)

Tardive DyskinesiaMarketedNeurocrine/MitsubishiTanabe (Asia-Pacific)

Product candidates in clinical development:

elagolix

EndometriosisPhase IIIAbbVie

elagolix

Uterine FibroidsPhase IIIAbbVie

opicapone

Parkinson’s DiseasePhase IIINeurocrine (U.S. and Canada)/BIAL

INGREZZA® (valbenazine)

Tourette SyndromePhase IIbNeurocrine/Mitsubishi Tanabe (Asia-Pacific)

NBI-74788

Classic Congenital

Adrenal Hyperplasia

Phase IINeurocrine

Research programs:

Neurological/Neuropsychiatric (e.g. VMAT2 Inhibitors)

Movement Disorders,

Bipolar Disorder and

Schizophrenia

ResearchNeurocrine

CNS Disorders (Targeted by G Protein-Coupled Receptors and Ion Channels)

Epilepsy, Essential Tremor, Dystonia, Other IndicationsResearchNeurocrine

“Marketed” indicates that we have receivedproduct:

nbix-20201231_g1.jpg
INGREZZA (valbenazine)
We launched INGREZZA in the U.S. in May 2017, after receiving FDA regulatory approval offor INGREZZA as the product,first FDA-approved drug for the specified target indication.

treatment of tardive dyskinesia in April 2017. INGREZZA provides a once-daily dosing treatment option for tardive dyskinesia and has two dosing options (40 mg and 80 mg capsules), with 40 mg taken for the first seven days of treatment and an option to take 40 mg or 80 mg thereafter, depending on the patient’s dosing needs.

In February 2021, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharmaceutical Company, or MTPC, reported positive top-line results from the J-KINECT Phase III” indicates that we or our collaborators are conducting large-scale, multicenter comparative clinical trials on patients afflicted with a target disease in orderIII study, designed to provide substantial evidence forevaluate the efficacy and safety of valbenazine in tardive dyskinesia. Detailed results from this trial will be presented at a future medical conference. With positive data in hand, a marketing authorization with the Ministry of Health and Welfare is planned for 2021 in Japan. In addition, MTPC submitted filings for marketing authorizations in South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in 2020.

Tardive dyskinesia is defined by hyperkinetic involuntary movements which arise after months or years of treatment with dopamine receptor blocking agents, such as antipsychotics used for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, and certain treatments for nausea, vomiting and gastric emptying in patients with gastroparesis. While the prevalence rates of tardive dyskinesia can vary greatly in accordance with the population being studied, it is estimated that over 500 thousand individuals are affected by tardive dyskinesia in the U.S. alone (Kantar Health).
4


INGREZZA net product candidate.

sales totaled $993.1 million, $752.9 million and $409.6 million for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and represented the significant majority of our total net product sales for 2020 and all of our net product sales for 2019 and 2018.

ONGENTYS (opicapone)
We launched ONGENTYS in the U.S. in September 2020, after receiving FDA approval for ONGENTYS as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients in April 2020. We acquired the U.S. and Canada rights to ONGENTYS from BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A., or BIAL, in the first quarter of 2017.
ONGENTYS is a novel, once-daily, peripherally acting, highly selective Catechol-O-methyltransferase, or COMT, inhibitor utilized as an adjunct therapy to levodopa/carbidopa in patients with Parkinson’s disease experiencing motor fluctuations. COMT inhibitors are utilized to prolong the duration of effect of levodopa, the primary treatment option for Parkinson’s disease patients, during periods of the day where the effects of levodopa wear off and motor symptoms worsen, also referred to as “off-time.” Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that affects approximately 1 million individuals in the U.S. alone.
ORILISSA (elagolix)
AbbVie Inc., or AbbVie, launched ORILISSA in the U.S. and Canada in August and November 2018, respectively, after receiving FDA and Health Canada approval for ORILISSA for the management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women in July and October 2018, respectively. Discovered and developed through Phase II” indicatesII clinical studies by us, we out-licensed the global rights to elagolix to AbbVie in 2010.
The World Endometriosis Research Foundation estimates that we or our collaboratorsthere are conducting clinical trials on groupsover 170 million women worldwide who suffer from endometriosis, including approximately 7.5 million women in the U.S. alone.
ORIAHNN (elagolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate; elagolix)
AbbVie launched ORIAHNN in the U.S. in June 2020, after receiving FDA approval for ORIAHNN as the first FDA-approved non-surgical, oral medication option for the management of patients afflictedheavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women in May 2020. We out-licensed the global rights to elagolix to AbbVie in 2010.
Uterine fibroids are benign hormonally responsive tumors that form in the wall of the uterus with a specific diseaseprevalence rate of at least 25% (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) and are a leading indication for hysterectomy in orderthe U.S., with approximately 250,000 hysterectomies performed each year related to determine preliminary efficacy, optimal dosagesuterine fibroids (Whiteman et al AJOG 2008, 198, e1).
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Clinical Development Pipeline
The following table summarizes our clinical development pipeline and expanded evidenceis followed by detailed descriptions of safety of the product candidate.

“Research” indicates identification and evaluation of compound(s) in laboratory and preclinical models.

INGREZZA® (valbenazine)each program:

nbix-20201231_g2.jpg
Neurology
valbenazineVesicular Monoamine Transporter 2VMAT2 Inhibitor (VMAT2)

VMAT2 is a protein concentrated in the human brain that is essential for the transmission of nerve impulses between neurons. VMAT2 is primarily responsible for packaging and transporting monoamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and histamine) in neurons. Specifically, dopamine enables neurotransmission among nerve cells that are involved in voluntary and involuntary motor control. Disease states such as TD,tardive dyskinesia, Tourette syndrome, Huntington’s chorea, schizophrenia, and tardive dystonia are characterized in part by a hyperdopaminergic state in the brain, and modulation of neuronal dopamine levels may provide symptomatic benefits for patients with these conditions, among others.

INGREZZA as

We are currently conducting the KINECT-HD study, a Treatment for Tardive Dyskinesia. TD is defined by hyperkinetic involuntary movements which arise after months or years of treatment with dopamine receptor blocking agents, e.g. antipsychotics used for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, and Reglan® (metoclopramide) for nausea and vomiting and gastric emptying in patients with gastroparesis. Features of TD may include grimacing, tongue protrusion, lip smacking, puckering and pursing of the lips, and rapid eye blinking. Rapid movements of the extremities may also occur. The impact on daily function and the quality of life for individuals suffering from TD can be substantial. While the prevalence rates of TD can vary greatly in accordance with the population being studied, it is estimated that approximately 500,000 individuals are affected by TD in the United States alone (Kantar Health).

On April 11, 2017, INGREZZA became the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of TD. INGREZZA provides a once-daily dosing treatment option for TD causing reversible reduction of dopamine release at the nerve terminal by selectively inhibiting the pre-synaptic VMAT2. In vitro, INGREZZA is a highly selective inhibitor of human VMAT2 showing little or no affinity for VMAT1, other receptors, such as dopamine D2 receptors, other transporters or ion channels. INGREZZA for TD has two dosing options (40 mg and 80 mg) with 40 mg taken for the first seven days of treatment with an option of 40 mg or 80 mg thereafter depending on a patient’s dosing needs. INGREZZA was generally well tolerated during our clinical trials with no apparent drug-drug interactions with the most common emergent adverse event being mild and transient somnolence.

In connection with the FDA approval of INGREZZA for TD, we have committed to conduct certain post-marketing studies including Phase 1 (e.g., pharmacokinetics (PK) in volunteers with renal impairment) and Phase 4 (e.g.,III, randomized, placebo-controlled, withdrawal in TD patients). We expectdouble-blind, multi-center Phase III clinical study to conduct these studies overevaluate the next four years in accordance with FDA guidance.

Tourette syndrome. Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that consistsefficacy, safety and tolerability of rapid, non-rhythmic stereotyped motor and vocal tics. Motor tics are typically characterized by facial grimacing, head jerks, extremity movements and other dystonic movements. Vocal tics typically include grunting, throat clearing, and repeating words and phrases. The average age of onset for Tourette syndrome is approximately six years, with symptoms reaching their peak severity at approximately age ten. Tourette syndrome is more commonly diagnosed in males than females and may also be associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. We were granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for valbenazine for the treatment of chorea in 120 patients with Huntington’s disease, or HD, with Phase III top-line data expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.

HD is a hereditary progressive neurodegenerative disorder, in which neurons within the brain break down, resulting in motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Symptoms generally appear between the ages of 30 to 50 and worsen over a 10 to 25-year period. Many patients with HD experience chorea, a troublesome involuntary movement disorder, in which patients develop abnormal, abrupt or irregular movements. Chorea can affect various body parts, and interfere with speech, swallowing, posture and gait. HD is estimated to affect approximately 30,000 adults in the U.S., with more than 200,000 at risk of inheriting the disease (NORD).
NBI-921352 (XEN901) – Nav1.6 Sodium Channel Inhibitor
NBI-921352 is a potent, highly selective Nav1.6 sodium channel inhibitor being developed to treat pediatric patients with Tourette s syndrome in 2017. Orphan drug designation is granted by the FDA to drugs that are intended to treat rare diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The orphan drug

designation allows the orphan drug indication for the drug to be eligible for a seven-year period of U.S. marketing exclusivity upon approval of the drug, as well asSCN8A-DEE and other development assistance and financial incentives.

We have completed juvenile rodent preclinical studies of INGREZZA and based on the results of these preclinical studies, we initiated the T-Force Study in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome in early 2015. potential indications, including adult focal epilepsy.

The T-Force Study was an open-label, multiple ascending dose, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and exposure-responsepharmacokinetics of INGREZZANBI-921352 have been evaluated in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome. A total of 28 patients were evaluated over 14 days of once daily dosing followed by 7 days off-drug at 10 study centers in the United States. The study was divided into two dosing groups consisting of children (ages 6-11) and adolescents (ages 12-18), and each age group was further divided into three dosing cohorts. Subsequent dose escalations for children and adolescents were based, in part, on the pharmacokinetic and safety data from the previous cohort in each age group. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale was also assessed and after two weeks of treatment showed a mean reduction of 31% from baseline scores, with over half of the subjects considered clinical responders. Based on the results of the T-Force study, we initiated the Phase II program in Tourette syndrome.

The T-Forward study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-dose, parallel group,Phase I study that enrolled 124 adults with moderateusing a powder-in-capsule formulation of NBI-921352 in healthy adult subjects.

6


Xenon has developed a pediatric-specific, granule formulation of NBI-921352, and completed juvenile toxicology studies to severe Tourette syndrome. Two once-daily fixed dosessupport pediatric development activities.
In October 2020, the FDA requested additional non-clinical data to support the IND we submitted in August 2020 in support of INGREZZA were evaluated versus placebo in a 1:1:1 randomization. The three-arm study included eight weeks of dosing followed by two weeks off-drug at 32 study centers in the United States to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of INGREZZA in Tourette patients. The primary endpoint of this study was a change from baseline of placebo versus active scores utilizing the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale at the end of week 8. Tourette symptoms were also be evaluated via the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale as well as Clinical Global Impression of Change scales, among others. While the T-Forward study showed a significant improvement in overall symptoms of Tourette syndrome as evidenced by the Clinical Global Impression of Change (p=0.015), the pre-specified primary endpoint, the change-from-baseline in the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale at week 8 was not met (p=0.18). Adverse events were dose dependent and consistent with earlier clinical studies.

The T-Force GREEN study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-dose, parallel group, Phase II clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of INGREZZAfor NBI-921352 in up to 90 pediatric patients with moderate to severe Tourette syndrome. Once-daily fixed doses of INGREZZA were evaluated versus placebo in a 1:1:1 randomization. The three-arm study evaluated 98 children and adolescents over six weeks of dosing followed by two weeks off-drug at approximately 40 study centers in the United States. The primary endpoint of this study is the change from baseline of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale between placebo and active treatment groups at the end of week six. Exposure-response analysis showed that selected doses for the T-Force GREEN study were below the therapeutic range for adequate tic reduction in the majority of subjects. For the subset of subjects with pharmaceutical exposure in the appropriate range, there was a substantial reduction in tics. For subjects with sub-therapeutic exposure, tic reduction was comparable to placebo. Adverse events were consistent with those observed in previous INGREZZA studies.

SCN8A-DEE. Based on the results of the T-Force GREEN study and earlier studies of INGREZZAfeedback received in Tourette patients,January 2021, we initiated the T-Force GOLDplan to initiate a Phase II clinical study in October 2017. This study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, Phase IIb study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, efficacyadolescent patients (aged 12 years and optimal dose of once-daily INGREZZAolder) with SCN8A-DEE in up to 120 pediatric patients with moderate to severe Tourette syndrome. Patients will receive either once-daily dosing of INGREZZA or placebo using a 1:1 randomization over 12 weeks of dosing followed by two weeks off-drug. The primary endpoint of this study is the change from baseline of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale between placebo and active treatment groups at the end of week 12. Tourette symptoms will also be evaluated via the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale as well as Clinical Global Impression Scales. Top-line data from this study is expected in late 2018.

elagolix – Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Antagonist

GnRH is a peptide that stimulates the secretion of the pituitary hormones that are responsible for sex steroid production and normal reproductive function. Researchers have found that chronic administration of GnRH agonists, after initial stimulation, reversibly shuts down this transmitter pathway and is clinically useful in treating hormone-dependent diseases such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Several companies have developed peptide GnRH agonists on this principle, such as Lupron® and Zoladex®. However, since these molecules are peptides, they must be injected via a depot formulation rather than the preferred oral route of administration. In addition, GnRH agonists can take up to several weeks to exert their desired effect once the initial stimulation has occurred, a factor not seen with the use of GnRH antagonists. Upon administration, GnRH agonists have shown a tendency to exacerbate the condition via a hormonal flare. More importantly the profound suppression effect observed with GnRH agonists is similar to that seen after menopause and can be associated with hot flushes and the loss of bone mineral density.

Orally active, nonpeptide GnRH antagonists potentially offer several advantages over injectable GnRH peptide drugs, including rapid onset of hormone suppression without hormonal flare. Also, injection site reactions commonly observed in peptide depots are avoided and dosing can be rapidly discontinued if necessary – a clinical management option not available with long-acting depot injections. Additionally, by using GnRH antagonists, it may be possible to alter the level of pituitary GnRH suppression thereby titrating circulating hormone levels.

In June 2010, we entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation non-peptide GnRH antagonists (collectively, GnRH Compounds) for women’s and men’s health indications. Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie is responsible for all development, marketing and commercialization costs and has primary responsibility for all regulatory interactions with the FDA related to elagolix and other GnRH Compounds covered by the collaboration. AbbVie is currently in Phase III evaluation of elagolix in two indications, endometriosis and uterine fibroids.

Endometriosis. Endometriosis is associated with a multitude of symptoms, some of the most common of which include pain related both to menstruation (dysmenorrhea) and sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) as well as chronic pelvic pain throughout the menstrual cycle, infertility, and menorrhagia, among many others. The wide range of symptoms associated with endometriosis serves to complicate and delay diagnosis due to the significant overlap of symptoms with the disease profiles of other conditions. The World Endometriosis Research Foundation estimates that there are over 170 million women worldwide who suffer from endometriosis, including approximately 7.5 million women in the United States alone. We believe that the availability of an oral treatment, lacking the side effect profile of the currently available peptide GnRH agonists, may be a desirable alternative to current pharmaceutical therapies and ultimately encourage a significantly higher treatment rate.

The endometriosis Phase III program evaluated two separate doses of elagolix (150mg once daily and 200mg twice daily) over a 24-week treatment period. The initial randomized, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal trial (Violet PETAL) enrolled 872 women in approximately 160 clinical sites throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The co-primary endpoints were a comparison of the daily non-menstrual pelvic pain and daily dysmenorrhea scores during the third month of treatment to the respective daily baseline scores utilizing a responder analysis. Maintenance of response at month six was also assessed utilizing the same daily scales.

In January 2015, AbbVie announced the top-line results of the initial six months of placebo-controlled dosing of the Violet PETAL study. After six months of continuous treatment, both doses of elagolix (150mg once daily and 200mg twice daily) met the study’s co-primary endpoints (p<0.001) of reducing scores of non-menstrual pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea associated with endometriosis, at month three, as well as at month six.

The observed safety profile of elagolix in the Violet PETAL study was consistent with observations from earlier clinical studies. Among the most common adverse events were hot flush, headache, nausea and fatigue.

While most adverse events were similar across treatment groups, some, such as hot flush and bone mineral density loss, were dose-dependent. Overall discontinuation rates were similar across treatment groups and discontinuations specifically due to adverse events were 5.9%, 6.4%, and 9.7% for placebo, 150 mg once daily and 200 mg twice daily, respectively.

Additional efficacy and safety endpoints for the patients enrolled in the Violet PETAL study were measured through one year of continuous dosing as well as for a period of time after the final dose. The one-year dosing portion of this study concluded in mid-2015. In July 2015, AbbVie announced that the efficacy and safety data at one year was consistent with the data witnessed at six months.

In February 2016, AbbVie announced the top-line results from the second of the two Phase III elagolix endometriosis clinical trials, the Solstice Study, a multinational study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of elagolix in 815 premenopausal women with endometriosis. The top-line results from this trial were consistent with those of the Violet PETAL Study; after six months of treatment, both doses of elagolix (150 mg once daily and 200 mg twice daily) met the Solstice Study’s co-primary endpoints of reducing scores of non-menstrual pelvic pain and menstrual pain (or dysmenorrhea) associated with endometriosis at month three, as well as month six. The observed safety profile of elagolix in the Solstice Study was consistent with observations from prior studies. Among the most common adverse events were hot flush, headache, and nausea. While most adverse events were similar across treatment groups some, such as hot flush and bone mineral density loss, were dose-dependent. Overall discontinuation rates were similar across treatment groups (25.3%, 21.2%, and 19.7% for placebo, 150 mg once daily and 200 mg twice daily, respectively); discontinuations specifically due to treatment emergent adverse events were 6.1%, 4.4%, and 10.0% for placebo, 150 mg once daily and 200 mg twice daily, respectively. Patients in the Solstice Study were eligible to continue on in either post-treatment follow-up or a blinded extension study for an additional six-month safety and efficacy evaluation of elagolix.

During the third quarter of 2017, AbbVie submitted an NDA for elagolix2021, and the study protocol will be amended to include younger pediatric patients (aged 2-11 years) with SCN8A-DEE as soon as the FDA has reviewed and approved additional non-clinical information. We are also advancing clinical plans to initiate a Phase II clinical study of NBI-921352 for the treatment of endometriosis to the FDA. The NDA was accepted for priority review byadult focal epilepsy in 2021. In addition, in October 2020, we announced the FDA and given a PDUFA date in the second quarter of 2018.

Uterine Fibroids. Uterine fibroids are benign hormonally responsive tumors that form in the wall of the uterus. They are the most common solid tumor in women with a prevalence rate of at least 25% (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists). While many women do not have symptoms, depending on the size, location and number, uterine fibroids can cause symptoms such as: longer, more frequent, or heavy menstrual bleeding, menstrual pain, vaginal bleeding at time other than menstruation, pain in the abdomen or lower back, pain during sex, difficulty urinating, frequent urination, constipation or rectal pain. Due to the severity of symptoms, treatment sometimes requires surgery, including the removal of the uterus. In fact, uterine fibroids is a leading indicationgranted us Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for hysterectomy in the United States, with approximately 250,000 hysterectomies performed each year related to uterine fibroids (Whitemanet al AJOG2008,198, e1). We believe that a safe and effective oral therapy would be a preferred treatment regimen rather than surgical intervention.

AbbVie conducted a Phase IIb clinical trial that enrolled approximately 570 women with heavy uterine bleeding due to uterine fibroids at approximately 100 sites in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Chile and the United Kingdom. The trial was a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled, two cohort design study that evaluated the safety and efficacy of two different elagolix treatment regimens (300mg twice daily and 600mg once daily) alone and in combination with two different strengths of hormonal add-back therapy (estradiol/norethindrone acetate). The primary endpoint of the study was an assessment of uterine blood loss after six months of treatment. Secondary efficacy endpoints included change in uterine volume, fibroid volume, and menstrual patterns. Safety assessments of bone mineral density, comparing baseline to month six, were performed via DXA scan. Patients were also followed off drug for up to six months.

Results from this Phase IIb study show elagolix reduced heavy menstrual bleeding in all treatment arms. The study’s primary endpoint, a composite design where subjects had to achieve a menstrual blood loss (MBL)

volume of less than 80 mL as well as a 50 percent or greater reduction in MBL volume from baseline at the final study month, was met for all dosing regimens (p<0.001) as assessed utilizing a quantitative measure of reduction in uterine blood flow, the alkaline hematin method.

Among the most common adverse events were hot flush, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Some adverse events such as hot flush were more frequent in the elagolix only treatment arms versus the placebo and elagolix with hormonal add back therapy treatment arms. Reduction in bone mineral density associated with elagolix alone was attenuated when elagolix was co-administered with hormonal add-back therapy.

AbbVie initiated Phase III studies of elagolix in patients with uterine fibroids in early 2016. The Phase III program includes two replicate, pivotal, six-month efficacy and safety studies followed by a six-month safety and efficacy extension study. AbbVie is evaluating 300mg of elagolix dosed twice daily both alone and in combination with hormonal add-back therapy (estradiol/norethindrone acetate). The primary endpoint in these Phase III studies will be the same as that employed in the Phase IIb study: percent of subjects with reduction in uterine blood flow as measured by the alkaline hematin method. AbbVie expects initial top-line data from this Phase III program in the first quarter of 2018, and based on the results of the study anticipates a subsequent NDA submission in 2019.

opicapone, Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Inhibitor

COMT inhibitors are utilized to prolong the duration of effect of levodopa which is utilized as a primary treatment option for Parkinson’s disease patients. Administration of levodopa often results in adequate control of Parkinson’s symptoms, also referred to as “on-time,” however, there are periods of the day where the effects of levodopa wear off and motor symptoms worsen, these are considered “off-time.” Opicapone is a novel, once-daily, peripherally-acting, highly-selective COMT inhibitor utilized as adjunct therapy to levodopa in Parkinson’s patients. Opicapone works through decreasing the conversion rate of levodopa into 3-O-methyldopa, thereby reducing the off-time period in patients with Parkinson’s and extending the on-time period.

In February 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicaponeNBI-921352 for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease,SCN8A-DEE.

SCN8A-DEE is a rare, extremely severe, single-gene epilepsy caused by mutations in the United States and Canada. UnderSCN8A gene that activates Nav1.6, the termsmost highly expressed sodium channel in the excitatory pathways of the agreement, we willcentral nervous system, or CNS. Children born with SCN8A-DEE typically start experiencing seizures between birth and 18 months of age, and most have multiple seizures per day. Other symptoms include learning difficulties, muscle spasms, low or high muscle tone, poor coordination, developmental delay, and features similar to autism. An estimated 10% of people with SCN8A are reported to have experienced sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The prevalence of SCN8A-DEE is estimated to be responsible1% of all developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (Larsen et al, Neurology 2015, 84, 480). As SCN8A mutations were discovered only recently (i.e., in 2012), the number of SCN8A-DEE cases is expected to increase as awareness of and access to genetic surveillance increases. SCN8A-DEE is generally refractory to anti-epilepsy treatments.
We are developing NBI-921352 with Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc., or Xenon, as part of a strategic collaboration announced in December 2019.
NBI-827104 (ACT-709478) – T-type Calcium Channel Blocker
We acquired the global rights to NBI-827104 from Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd., or Idorsia, in May 2020. NBI-827104 is a potent, selective, orally active and brain penetrating T-type calcium channel blocker, being developed for the developmenttreatment of a rare pediatric epilepsy and commercializationother potential indications, including essential tremor.
In November 2020, we initiated a Phase II clinical study for NBI-827104 in a rare pediatric epileptic encephalopathy known as Continuous Spike and Wave During Sleep, or CSWS. CSWS typically impacts children initially between the ages of opicaponetwo and four years old and manifests itself via a variety of seizure types, including atypical absence seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures and focal seizures that usually occur during sleep. In addition, children with CSWS often present with cognitive, behavioral and developmental regression or delay. Due to the differentiated mechanism of action of this molecule, when compared to non-selective calcium channel inhibitors, treatment with NBI-827104 could lead to an enhanced benefit risk profile for patients with this rare pediatric form of epilepsy. In parallel we are advancing clinical plans to initiate a Proof of Concept clinical study of NBI-827104 for the treatment of essential tremor in the United States and Canada.

Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s disease2021.

Endocrinology
crinecerfont (NBI-74788) – CRF1 Antagonist
Crinecerfont is a chronicpotent, selective, orally active, corticotropin-releasing factor1, or CRF1, receptor antagonist as demonstrated in a range of in vitro and progressive movement disorder that affects approximately one million people in the United States. The disease is characterized by a loss of neurons in the substantia nigra, the area of the brain where dopamine is produced. Dopamine production and synthesis is necessary for coordination and movement. As Parkinson’s progresses, dopamine production steadily decreases resulting in tremor, slowed movement (bradykinesia), impaired posture and balance, and speech and writing problems. There is no present cure for Parkinson’s and management consists of controlling the motor symptoms primarily through administration of levodopa therapies. While this improves the control of Parkinson’s symptoms, as the disease progresses the beneficial effects of levodopa begin to wear off, symptoms worsen and patients experience end-of-dose motor fluctuations. These end of dose motor fluctuations are improved with the addition of a COMT inhibitor to levodopa.

In June 2016, the EMA authorized ONGENTYS® (opicapone) as an adjunct therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors (DDCIs) in adult patients with Parkinson’s disease and end-of-dose motor fluctuations who cannot be stabilized on those combinations. This approval was based on data from a clinical development program that included 28 clinical studies of more than 900 patients treated with opicapone in 30 countries worldwide.

The two pivotal Phase III studies utilized for European approval, BIPARK-I and BIPARK-II, demonstrated that opicapone once-daily achieved a statistically significant decrease in off-time periods for Parkinson’s patients

compared to placebo. The BIPARK-I study was a placebo-controlled study of approximately 600 patients that also included entacapone as an active comparator. The results of this study also showed that once-daily opicapone was non-inferior to entacapone which is dosed multiple times per day. The BIPARK-II study was a placebo-controlled study of approximately 400 patients that also showed a significant decrease in off-time periods for Parkinson’s patients. In both studies, opicapone was associated with significant improvements in both patient and clinician global assessments of change. The data from these two Phase III trials also demonstrated that opicapone improved motor fluctuations in levodopa-treated patients regardless of concomitant dopamine agonist or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors used. Opicapone was generally well tolerated and was not associated with relevant electrocardiographic or hepatic adverse events.

Both of the BIPARK Phase III trials included a one-year open-label extension where opicapone sustained the decrease in off-time and increase in on-time periods that was demonstrated during the double-blind placebo-controlled portion of the studies.

We held a meeting with the FDA in January 2018 to discuss a potential NDA submission for opicapone and we are currently awaiting the final summary meeting minutes which we expect to receive in February 2018. We intend to commercialize opicapone in the United States and Canada, subject to regulatory approvals.

NBI-74788- Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF) Receptor1 Antagonist

CRFvivo assays. CRF1, is a hypothalamic hormone released directly into the hypophyseal portal vasculature which acts on specific CRF1 receptors on corticotropesthe CRF1 receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor, or GPCR, in the anterior pituitary to stimulate the release of adrenocorticotropin hormone, (ACTH).or ACTH. The primary role of ACTH is the stimulation of the synthesis and release of adrenal steroids, including cortisol. Cortisol from the adrenals have a negative feedback role at the level of the hypothalamus that decreases CRFCRF1 release as well as at the level of the pituitary to inhibit the release of ACTH. This tight control loop is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Blockade of CRFCRF1 receptors at the pituitary has been shown to decrease the release of ACTH, and subsequently attenuatewhich in turn decreases the production and release of adrenal steroids.

steroids including androgens, and potentially the symptoms associated with classic CAH. Lower ACTH levels would also reduce the amount of exogenous corticosteroid necessary for classic CAH patients to thrive avoiding the side-effects currently associated with excessive steroid therapy.

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Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (classic CAH)CAH is a group of autosomal recessive genetic disorders that affects approximately 20,000-30,00030 thousand people in the United StatesU.S. and approximately 50 thousand people in the EU, and results in an enzyme deficiency altering the production of adrenal steroids. Because of this deficiency, the adrenal glands have little to no cortisol biosynthesis resulting in a potentially life-threatening condition. If left untreated, classic CAH can result in salt wasting, dehydration, and eventually death. Even with cortisol replacement, persistent elevation of ACTH from the pituitary gland results in excessive androgen levels leading to virilization of females including precocious puberty, menstrual irregularity, short stature, hirsutism, acne and fertility problems.

Corticosteroids are the current standard of care for classic CAH and are used chronically to both correct the endogenous cortisol deficiency and to reduce the excessive ACTH levels and androgen excess. However, the dose and duration of steroid use required to suppress ACTH is well above the normal physiological level of cortisol; resulting in metabolic syndrome, bone loss, growth impairment, and Cushing’s syndrome as common and serious side effects.

NBI-74788 is a potent, selective, orally-active, CRF receptor antagonist as demonstrated We have been granted orphan drug designation for crinecerfont in a rangethe treatment of in vitro and in vivo assays. Blockade of CRF receptors at the pituitary has been shown to decrease the release of ACTH, which in turn decreases the production of adrenal steroids including androgens, and potentially the symptoms associated with classic CAH. Lower ACTH levels would also reduce the amount of exogenous corticosteroid necessary for classic CAH patients to thrive avoidingin the side-effects currently associated with excessive steroid therapy.

We conductedU.S. and the EU.

In June 2020, positive data from a completed Phase I single ascending doseII, open-label, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic clinical study of NBI-74788 in healthy volunteers in 2017. Based on the positive results of this Phase I study we initiated a Phase II clinical trial of NBI-74788crinecerfont in adult patients with

refractory classic CAH. This pilot study is designed to be an open-label, pharmacokinetic/CAH, which assessed key pharmacodynamic study assessing two single, ascending doses of NBI-74788 in up to twenty study participants. Key pharmacodynamic biomarker measurements includebiomarkers including ACTH, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), androgen and cortisol levels collected the morning following bedtime dosing.

dosing on Day 1 and Day 14, demonstrated meaningful reductions in elevated ACTH and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels (by 54% to 75%) at all doses studied, together with a dose-related decrease in androstenedione (A4) levels, ranging from 21% to 64%. At the highest dose of crinecerfont (100 mg twice daily), 75% of patients showed a response of at least 50% reduction from baseline for each of the three hormone markers at day 14. Treatment with crinecerfont was well tolerated with a favorable safety profile with no related serious adverse events reported. Adverse events reported in two or more participants included headache, upper respiratory tract infection, fatigue, contusion, insomnia and nausea.

In July 2020, we initiated the CAHtalyst study, a global registrational Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of crinecerfont in 165 adult patients with classic CAH, followed by an open-label treatment period.
In July 2019, we initiated a Phase IIa proof-of-concept, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic clinical study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of crinecerfont in pediatric patients with classic CAH. We intendplan to applyinitiate a single global registrational Phase III clinical study for orphan drugcrinecerfont in pediatric patients with CAH in 2021.
elagolix – GnRH Antagonist
The gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH, is the endogenous peptide that binds to the GnRH receptor and stimulates the secretion of the pituitary hormones that are responsible for sex steroid production and normal reproductive function. Researchers have found that chronic administration of GnRH agonists, after initial stimulation, reversibly shuts down this transmitter pathway and is clinically useful in treating hormone-dependent diseases such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, orPCOS.
AbbVie initiated a Phase II clinical study of elagolix in patients with PCOS in mid-2019. The study is designed to evaluate whether there is a potential impact on disordered hormonal dynamics in women with PCOS. We out-licensed the global rights to elagolix to AbbVie in 2010.
PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders among women of reproductive age, affecting approximately 3.5 million women in the U.S. PCOS occurs when the ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones (androgens) than normal. Women with PCOS experience irregular menstrual periods, infertility, pelvic pain, weight gain, acne and excess hair growth on the face, chest, stomach and thighs. There is no cure for PCOS, and treatment options are limited. If left untreated, PCOS can lead to certain cancers, diabetes and coronary artery disease.
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Psychiatry
We acquired the global rights to develop and commercialize NBI-1065844 (TAK-831), NBI-1065845 (TAK-653) and NBI-1065846 (TAK-041) from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda, in June 2020.
NBI-1065844 (TAK-831) – DAAO Inhibitor
NBI-1065844 is a potential first-in-class D-Amino Acid Oxidase, or DAAO, inhibitor that has completed multiple Phase I clinical studies and is currently in on-going Phase II clinical studies, including the Phase II INTERACT proof-of-concept clinical study in negative symptoms of schizophrenia, with Phase II top-line data expected in the first quarter of 2021.
According to the World Health Organization, or WHO, 20 million people across the globe are affected by schizophrenia. In the U.S., the prevalence of schizophrenia is estimated to be approximately 0.6% of the population. The negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia describe a lessening or absence of behaviors and functions related to motivation and interest, or verbal and emotional expression. There are currently no approved treatment options in the U.S. for patients with predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
NBI-1065844 is currently designated as a royalty-bearing product for Takeda. Takeda retains a one-time opt-in right for a 50:50 profit share arrangement upon achievement of a certain development event.
NBI-1065845 (TAK-653) – AMPA Potentiator
NBI-1065845 is a potential first-in-class Alpha-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazole Propionic Acid, or AMPA, potentiator with the potential to be developed for treatment-resistant depression. NBI-1065845 has completed multiple Phase I clinical studies. We plan to initiate a Phase II clinical study of NBI-1065845 in treatment-resistant depression in 2021.
According to the WHO, major depressive disorder, or MDD, is one of the leading causes of disability. While there are a number of marketed treatments for MDD, approximately 1/3 of patients do not benefit from them. There is a significant need to develop new therapies with improved, faster onset of efficacy that are well tolerated.
NBI-1065845 is currently designated as a 50:50 profit share product with Takeda. Takeda retains a one-time opt-out right to convert the designation to a royalty-bearing product dependent on a certain development event.
NBI-1065846 (TAK-041) – G Protein-Coupled Receptor 139 Agonist
NBI-1065846 is a potential first-in-class G Protein-Coupled Receptor 139, or GPR139, agonist with the potential to be developed for NBI-74788 in the treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Orphan drug designationanhedonia in depression. NBI-1065846 has completed multiple Phase I clinical studies. We plan to initiate a Phase II clinical study of NBI-1065846 in anhedonia in 2021.
Anhedonia is granteda psychological condition characterized by the FDAinability to medicines intended forexperience pleasure. In patients with depression, anhedonia often does not improve with current treatments and predicts lack of functional improvement.
NBI-1065846 is currently designated as a 50:50 profit share product with Takeda. Takeda retains a one-time opt-out right to convert the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States and provides sponsors withdesignation to a royalty-bearing product dependent on a certain development and commercial incentives for such designated compounds and medicines.

event.

Research Programs

Our

We invest in research and development focus is on addressingin order to address diseases and disorders of the central nervous and endocrine systems, which include therapeutic categories ranging from HPAhypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal disorders to stress-related disorders and neurological/neuropsychiatric diseases. Central nervous systemCNS and endocrinology drug therapies are among the largest therapeutic categories, accounting for over $150$110 billion in worldwide drug sales in the U.S. alone according to GlobalData (2014)IQVIA (2018).

Neurological/Neuropsychiatric: VMAT2 Inhibitors

VMAT2 inhibition results in the modulation of dopamine pathways which may also be useful for patients suffering from schizophrenia. Approximately 2.2 million people in the Unites States suffer from schizophrenia at an estimated annual cost of $62 billion. Our discovery efforts around VMAT2 inhibitors also focus on developing novel therapies for schizophrenia sufferers.

Essential Tremor

Essential tremor is one of the most common neurological disorders in adults, impacting an estimated 10 million individuals in the United States (International Essential Tremor Foundation). The disorder is characterized by involuntary, rhythmic, oscillatory movements that most often affect the upper limbs. As the disease progresses, tremor severity often increases and spreads to other parts of the body. Essential tremor has a significant impact on the activities of daily living often resulting in functional disability as the disease progresses and is associated with a high comorbidity rate of social phobia, depression and anxiety. Current pharmacological therapies utilized in the treatment of essential tremor include propranolol and primidone. Deep brain stimulation, an invasive procedure involving the implantation of electrodes within certain areas of the brain, is sometimes utilized for severe essential tremor.

CNS Disorders (Targeted by G Protein-Coupled Receptors and Ion Channels)

G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are the largest known gene superfamily of the human genome. Greater than thirty percent of all marketed prescription drugs act on GPCRs; which makes this class of proteins historically the most successful therapeutic target family. However, only a small fraction of the GPCR gene superfamily has been exploited. Ion channels appear to be represented by approximately 400 genes in the human genome and are currently the targets for approximately seven percent of the current marketed drugs. Next-generation therapies derived from targeting GPCRs and ion channels will be discovered through the understanding of the complex relationships of drug/receptor interactions and their subsequent impact on efficacy, downstream signaling networks and regulation.

Our GPCR research platform has met this requirement by integrating drug discovery research efforts with a suite of assays and assay systems and automated analytical techniques. This process, now also applied to ion channels, provides an unbiased profile of pharmacological protein/ligand interactions coupled within vivo efficacy using discrete animal models allowing for rapid discovery of initial leads and advancement into

preclinical and clinical development. Importantly, this design cycle is not limited to GPCRs or ion channel targets, but can be utilized for other recently identified proteins that play a role in human disease where current treatments or therapies are either inadequate or nonexistent.

Our

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Business Strategy

Our goalmission is to becomeimprove the leading biopharmaceutical company focused onlives of patients living with serious and under-addressed neurological, neuro-endocrinology and endocrine-relatedpsychiatry related diseases and disorders. The following are the key elements of our business strategy:

Continuing to Advance and Build

Commercializing Our Product Portfolio Focused on Neurological and Endocrine-Related Diseases and Disorders. We believe that by continuing to advance and extend our product pipeline, we can mitigate some of the clinical development risks associated with drug development. We currently have multiple programs in various stages of research and development. Our three lead late-stage clinical programs are elagolix, a GnRH antagonist in Phase III development for endometriosis and uterine fibroids that is partnered with AbbVie, INGREZZA (valbenazine), our VMAT2 inhibitor for the treatment of movement disorders which is in Phase IIb development for Tourette syndrome, and opicapone, a highly-selective COMT inhibitor that is an adjunct therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors for adult patients with Parkinson’s disease and was in-licensed from BIAL. We take a portfolio approach to managing our pipeline that balances the size of the market opportunities with clear and defined clinical and regulatory paths to approval. By doing so, we focus our internal development resources on innovative therapies with improved probabilities of technical and commercial success.

Maintaining Certain Commercial Rights to Our Product Portfolio to Evolve into a Fully-Integrated Pharmaceutical Company.Portfolio. In April 2017, we received approval from the FDA for INGREZZA for the treatment of TD.tardive dyskinesia. In April 2020, we received FDA approval for ONGENTYS as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients. We market INGREZZA for TDand ONGENTYS in the United States through our specialty sales force focused primarily on physicians who treat TD patients, including psychiatrists and neurologists.U.S. The commercial launch of INGREZZA with our field-basedoccurred in May 2017 and ONGENTYS occurred in September 2020. We have built a specialty sales teamforce in the U.S. of approximately 160 personnel, occurred250experienced sales professionals. This specialty sales force focuses on May 1, 2017. This entire promotion to physicians, primarily psychiatrists and neurologists.Ourcommercial team is comprised of experienced professionals in marketing, access and reimbursement, managed markets, market research, commercial operations, and sales force planning and management. In addition, our commercial infrastructure includes capabilities in manufacturing, medical affairs, quality control and compliance. We intend to retain commercial rights to certain products, including INGREZZA, that we can effectively and efficiently develop, secure regulatory approval and commercialize, which includes products with a concentrated prescriber base and well-defined patient population that can be accessed with an efficient patient and prescriber outreach program.

Selectively Establishing Corporate Collaborations with Global Pharmaceutical Companies

Advancing Life-Changing Discoveries in Neurology, Neuro-Endocrinology and Psychiatry. We believe that by continuing to Assist in the Development of Our Productsadvance and Mitigate Financial Risk while Retaining Significant Commercial Upside. We leverage the development, regulatory and commercialization expertise of our corporate collaborators to accelerate the development of certain ofextend our product candidates, while typically retaining co-promotional rights,pipeline, we can mitigate some of the clinical development risks associated with drug development. We currently have multiple programs in various stages of research and at times commercial rights, in North America, as indevelopment, including symptomatic disease modifying and curative treatments. We take a portfolio approach to managing our pipeline that balances the casesize of our collaborationthe market opportunities with Mitsubishi Tanabe. We intendclear and defined clinical and regulatory paths to further leverage our resources by selectively entering into additional strategic alliances to enhanceapproval. By doing so, we focus our internal development resources on innovative therapies with improved probabilities of technical and commercialization capabilities by licensing our technology.

Identifyingcommercial success.

Discovering Novel DrugsMedicines to Address Unmet Market Opportunities.Patient Needs. We seek to identify and validate novel drugsnew medicines on characterizednovel targets for internal development or collaboration. For example, GnRH antagonists, compounds designed to reduce the secretions of sex steroids, may represent the first novel non-peptide, non-injectable means of treatment of endometriosis. We believe the creativity and productivity of our discovery research group will continue to be a critical component for our continuedongoing success. Research and development costs were $121.8 million, $94.3 million and $81.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Acquiring Rights to ComplementaryCommercial Products, Drug Development Candidates and Technologies. We plan to continue to selectively acquire rights to products in variousprograms at all stages of development and commercial products to take advantage of our drug development

capabilities. For example, in February 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, we will be responsible for the development and commercialization of opicapone in the United States and Canada.

Our commercial capabilities.

Corporate Collaborations and Strategic Alliances

One of our business strategies is to utilize strategic alliances to enhance our development and commercialization capabilities. The following is a summary of our significant collaborations/alliances:

AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie).

Takeda. In June 2010,2020, we announcedentered into an exclusive worldwide collaborationlicense agreement with AbbVieTakeda, which became effective in July 2020, to develop and commercialize elagolixcertain compounds in Takeda’s early to mid-stage psychiatry pipeline. Specifically, Takeda granted us an exclusive license to the following seven assets: (i) NBI-1065844 (TAK-831) for schizophrenia, (ii) NBI-1065845 (TAK-653) for treatment-resistant depression, (iii) NBI-1065846 (TAK-041) for anhedonia (which together with the NBI-1065845 are referred to as the Phase II Ready Assets), and (iv) four non-clinical stage assets, or the Non-Clinical Assets.
NBI-1065844 is deemed a royalty-bearing product under the license agreement pursuant to which we will be responsible for all next-generation GnRH antagonists (collectively, GnRH Compounds) for women’scosts and men’s health. AbbVie made an upfront paymentexpenses associated with the development, manufacture, and commercialization of $75 millionsuch asset, subject to certain exceptions, and has agreedTakeda will be eligible to make additionalreceive development and regulatorycommercial milestones and royalties with respect to such asset, or a Royalty-Bearing Product, and Takeda will retain the right to opt-in to a profit sharing arrangement pursuant to which we and Takeda will equally share in the operating profits and losses related to such asset, subject to certain exceptions, in lieu of receiving milestones and royalties, or a Profit-Share Product. Subject to specified conditions, Takeda may elect to exercise such opt-in right for NBI-1065844 before we initiate a Phase III clinical trial. Each of the Phase II Ready Assets is deemed a Profit-Share Product and Takeda will retain the right to opt-out of the profit-sharing arrangement for such asset pursuant to which such asset would become a Royalty-Bearing Product. Takeda may elect to exercise such opt-out rights with respect to a Phase II
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Ready Asset immediately following the completion of the second Phase II clinical trial for such Phase II Ready Asset. In addition, under certain circumstances related to the development and commercialization activities to be performed by us, Takeda may elect to opt-out of the profit-sharing arrangement for a Profit-Share Product before the initiation of a Phase III clinical trial for such product.
Each of the Non-Clinical Assets will be Royalty-Bearing Products pursuant to which we will be responsible for all costs and expenses associated with the development, manufacture, and commercialization of such assets, subject to certain exceptions.
Unless earlier terminated, the license agreement will continue on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis until the date on which, (i) for any Royalty-Bearing Product, the royalty term has expired in such country; and (ii) for any Profit-Share Product, for so long as we continue to develop, manufacture, or commercialize such licensed product.We may terminate the license agreement for convenience in its entirety or in one or more (but not all) of the United States, Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, or the Major Markets, on 6 months’ written notice to Takeda (i) with respect to all licensed products prior to the first commercial sale of the first licensed product for which first commercial sale occurs, or (ii) with respect to all licensed products in one or more given target classes, as defined in the agreement, prior to the first commercial sale of the first licensed product in such target class(es) for which first commercial sale occurs. We may terminate the license agreement for convenience in its entirety or in one or more (but not all) of the Major Markets on 12 months’ written notice to Takeda (i) with respect to all licensed products following the first commercial sale of the first licensed product for which first commercial sale occurs, or (ii) with respect to all licensed products in one or more given target classes following the first commercial sale of the first licensed product in such target class(es) for which first commercial sale. Takeda may terminate the license agreement, subject to specified conditions, (i) if we challenge the validity or enforceability of certain Takeda intellectual property rights or (ii) on a target class-by-target class basis, in the event based paymentsthat we do not conduct any material development or commercialization activities with respect to any licensed product within such target class for a specified continuous period. Subject to a cure period, either party may terminate the license agreement in the event of upany material breach, solely with respect to $480 millionthe target class of a licensed product to which such material breach relates, or in its entirety in the event of any material breach that relates to all licensed products.
Idorsia. We acquired the global rights to NBI-827104 from Idorsia in May 2020. NBI-827104 is a potent, selective, orally active and upbrain penetrating T-type calcium channel blocker, being developed for the treatment of a rare pediatric epilepsy and other potential indications, including essential tremor. The agreement also included a research collaboration to andiscover and identify additional $50 million in commercial event based payments.novel T-type calcium channel blockers as development candidates. Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie iswe are responsible for all manufacturing, development marketing and commercialization costs.costs of any collaboration product. We received funding for certain internal collaboration expenses which included reimbursement from AbbVie for internal and external expenses related to the GnRH Compounds and personnel funding through the end of 2012. We will be entitled to a percentage of worldwide sales of GnRH Compounds for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights. Under the terms of our agreement with AbbVie, the collaborative development effort between the parties to advance GnRH compounds towards commercialization was governed by a joint development committee with representatives from both us and AbbVie. The collaborative development portion of the agreement concluded, as scheduled, on December 31, 2012. AbbVie may terminate the collaboration atand licensing agreement, in its discretion upon 180 daysentirety or with respect to a particular compound or development candidate, by providing 90 days’ written notice to us. Idorsia. Further, in the event a party commits a material breach and fails to cure such material breach within 90 days after receiving written notice thereof, the non-breaching party may terminate the agreement in its entirety immediately upon written notice to the breaching party.
Xenon. In such event,December 2019, we wouldentered into a license and collaboration agreement with Xenon to identify, research, and develop sodium channel inhibitors, including clinical candidate NBI-921352 and three preclinical candidates, which compounds we will have the exclusive right to further develop and commercialize under the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement.
We will be entitled to specified paymentssolely responsible, at our sole cost and expense, for ongoing clinicalall development and related activities and all GnRH Compound product rights would revert to us. Since the inceptionmanufacturing of the agreement, we have recorded revenuescompounds and any pharmaceutical product that contains a compound, subject to Xenon’s right to elect to co-fund the development of $75.0 millionone product in a major indication and thus receive a mid-single digit percentage increase in royalties owed on the net sales of such product in the U.S. If Xenon exercises such option, the parties will share equally all reasonable and documented costs and expenses incurred in connection with the development of such product in the applicable indication, except costs and expenses that are solely related to the amortizationdevelopment of up-frontsuch product for regulatory approval outside the U.S.
Unless earlier terminated, the term of the license fees, $75.0 millionand collaboration agreement will continue on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis until the expiration of the royalty term for such product in milestone revenue,such country. Upon the expiration of the royalty term for a particular product and $37.0 millioncountry, the exclusive license granted by Xenon to us with
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respect to such product and country will become fully paid, royalty free, perpetual, and irrevocable. We may terminate the license and collaboration agreement by providing at least 90 days’ written notice, provided that such unilateral termination will not be effective for certain products until we have used commercially reasonable efforts to complete certain specified clinical studies. Either party may terminate the agreement in the event of sponsored development revenue.

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Mitsubishi Tanabe). In March 2015, wea material breach in whole or in part, subject to specified conditions.

Voyager.We entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe forVoyager, a clinical-stage gene therapy company, which became effective in March 2019. The agreement is focused on the development and commercialization of INGREZZAfour programs using Voyager’s proprietary gene therapy platform. The four programs consist of the following: NBIb-1817 for movement disorders in JapanParkinson’s disease, the Friedreich’s ataxia program and other select Asian markets. Mitsubishi Tanabe made an up-front license fee payment of $30 million and hastwo undisclosed programs.
Pursuant to development plans agreed to make additional developmentby us and commercialization event-based payments totaling up to $85 million, paymentsVoyager, unless Voyager exercises its co-development and co-commercialization rights as provided for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, and royalties on product sales in select territories in Asia. Under the terms of the agreement, Mitsubishi Tanabe iswe will be responsible for all development marketingcosts. Further, upon the occurrence of a specified event for each program, we will assume responsibility for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization costs in Japan and other select Asian markets withactivities of such program.
On February 2, 2021, we notified Voyager of our termination of the exceptionNBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease program. The effective date of a single Huntington’s chorea clinical trial to be performed by us, at an estimated cost of approximately $12 million, should Mitsubishi Tanabe request the clinical trial. Wethis termination will be entitledAugust 2, 2021. The termination does not apply to a percentage of sales of INGREZZAany other development program other than NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease, and our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager will otherwise continue in Japan andeffect. With respect to the other select Asian markets for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights. Mitsubishi Tanabeprograms, we may terminate the collaboration and license agreement at its discretionwith Voyager upon 180 days’days written notice to us. InVoyager prior to the first commercial sale of any collaboration product or upon 1 year after the date of notice if such event, all INGREZZA product rights for Japan and other select Asian markets would revert to us. Sincenotice is provided after the inceptionfirst commercial sale of any collaboration product. Unless terminated earlier, the agreement will continue in effect until the expiration of the agreement, we have recorded revenueslast to expire royalty term with respect to any collaboration product or the last expiration or termination of $19.8 million related to the up-front license fee,any exercised co-development and $15.0 million in milestone revenue.

BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A. (BIAL). In February 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIALco-commercialization rights by Voyager as provided for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, in the United Statesagreement.

BIAL.We acquired the U.S. and Canada. Canada rights to ONGENTYS from BIAL in the first quarter of 2017. We launched ONGENTYS in the U.S. in September 2020, after receiving FDA approval for ONGENTYS as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients in April 2020.
Under the terms of the agreement, we are responsible for the management and costcommercialization of all opicapone development and commercialization activitiesONGENTYS in the United StatesU.S. and Canada. UnderFurther, werely on BIAL for the termscommercial supply of ONGENTYS. Upon our written request prior to the estimated expiration of the agreement,term of a licensed product, the parties shall negotiate a good faith continuation of BIAL’s supply of such licensed product after the term. After the term, and if BIAL is not supplying a certain licensed product, we paidshall pay BIAL an upfront license fee of $30 million, and we may also be required to pay up to an additional $115 million in milestone payments associated witha trademark royalty based on the regulatory approval and net sales of products containing opicapone. In addition, we will pay BIAL a percentage of net sales (with a floor minimum) in exchange for the manufacture and supply of opicapone drugsuch licensed product.

Upon commercialization BIAL and Neurocrine will agree onof ONGENTYS, we determined certain annual sales forecasts. IfIn the event we fail to meet the minimum sales requirements for a particular year, we willwould be requiredobligated to pay BIAL an amount correspondingequal to the difference between the actual net sales and the minimum sales requirements for such year, and if we fail to meetyear.

Unless earlier terminated, the minimum sales requirements for any two consecutive years, BIAL may terminate the agreement. The agreement also contemplates that we will purchase, and BIAL will supply, all drug product and investigation medicinal product for our development and commercialization activities. BIAL has the right to co-promote opicapone within the United States and Canada during certain periods of time. If BIAL exercises its option to co-promote the licensed products, we will enter into a co-promotion agreement with BIAL at a future time.

The agreement, unless terminated earlier, will continue on a licensed product-by-licensed productproduct-by-product and country-by-country basis until a generic product in respect of such licensed product under the agreement is sold in a country and sales of such generic product are greater than a specified percentage of total sales of such licensed product in such country.

Either party may terminate the agreement earlier if the other party materially breaches the agreement and does not cure the breach within a specified notice period, or upon the other party’s insolvency. BIAL may terminate the agreement if we fail to use commercially reasonable efforts or fail to file ansubmit a new drug application, or NDA, for a licensed product by a specified date, in the event we fail to meet the minimum sales requirements for any two years, or under certain circumstances involving a change of control. Incontrol of Neurocrine Biosciences. Under certain circumstances where BIAL elects to terminate the agreement in connection with oura change of control of Neurocrine Biosciences, BIAL shallwould be obligated to pay us a termination fee. We canmay terminate the agreement at any time for any reason upon six monthsnine months’ written notice to BIAL if priorBIAL.
MTPC. In March 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with MTPC for the development and commercialization of INGREZZA for movement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets. Under the terms of the agreement, MTPC is responsible for all development, marketing and commercialization costs in Japan and other select Asian markets, with the exception of a single Huntington’s chorea study to be performed by us. We will
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be entitled to a percentage of sales of INGREZZA in Japan and other select Asian markets for the first NDA approval inlonger of ten years or the United States, andlife of the related patent rights. MTPC may terminate the agreement at its discretion upon nine months180 days’ written notice to BIAL ifus. In such event, all INGREZZA product rights for Japan and other select Asian markets would revert to us.
AbbVie. In June 2010, we entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation GnRH antagonists, or collectively the GnRH Compounds, for women’s and men’s health.
AbbVie received approval of ORILISSA for the management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women from the FDA in July 2018 and Health Canada in October 2018. In May 2020, AbbVie received approval from the FDA for ORIAHNN for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women.
Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie is responsible for all third-party development, marketing, and commercialization costs. We are entitled to a percentage of worldwide sales of GnRH Compounds for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights. AbbVie may terminate the collaboration at its discretion upon 180 days’ written notice is given after the first NDA approval in the United States. If our termination request occurs prior to the first NDA approval in the United States, we will have to pay BIAL a termination fee except under certain conditions specified in the agreement.

us.

Intellectual Property

We actively seek to protect our lead compounds, compound libraries, expressed proteins, synthetic organic processes, formulations, assays, cloned targets, screening technologyproducts and other technologies by filing, or by causingproduct candidates and related inventions and improvements that we consider important to be filed on our behalf, patent applications in the United Statesbusiness. We own a portfolio of U.S and abroad. Additionally, we have licensed from institutions the rights to issued United Statesnon-U.S. patents pending United Statesand patent applications and have licensed rights to a number of U.S. and non-U.S. patents and patent applications. Our owned and licensed patents and patent applications cover or relate to our products and product candidates, including certain formulations, used to treat particular conditions and methods of administration, drug delivery technologies and delivery profiles and methods of manufacturing.
We own or have licensed rights to the following U.S. patents relating to INGREZZA and our other products and product candidates in our pipeline (in addition to non-U.S. patents and certain patents covering our early-stage product candidates):
INGREZZA, our highly selective VMAT2 inhibitor for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia, is covered by eight issued U.S. patents that are listed in the FDA’s Orange Book and pending foreign filings. We faceare set to expire between 2027 and 2037. There is also a potential patent term extension of up to an additional two years for U.S. Patent No. 8,039,627, which is currently set to expire in 2029 and is the risk that one or moreearliest patent covering valbenazine, the active pharmaceutical ingredient contained in INGREZZA. In Japan and certain other East Asian markets, we are actively pursuing most of the above patent applications may be denied. We also facepatents corresponding to those listed in the risk thatFDA’s Orange Book entry for INGREZZA.
ONGENTYS, a highly selective COMT inhibitor for Parkinson’s disease, is covered by nine issued U.S. patents that we own or license may be challenged or circumvented or may otherwise not provide protectionare listed in the FDA’s Orange Book and set to expire between 2026 to 2035 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional four years for any commercially viable products we develop.

The technologies we useone of these patents).

ORILISSA, our small molecule GnRH antagonist for the treatment of endometriosis pain, is covered by eight issued U.S. patents that are listed in our research, as well as the drug targets we select, may infringeFDA’s Orange Book and are set to expire between 2021 to 2036 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years for one of the patents currently set to expire either in 2021 or violate2024).
ORIAHNN, containing our small molecule GnRH antagonist for the proprietary rightstreatment of third parties. If this occurs, we may be requiredmenstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids, is covered by six issued U.S. patents that are listed in the FDA’s Orange Book and are set to obtain licensesexpire between 2021 to 2024 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years for one of the patents).
Valbenazine, our highly selective VMAT2 inhibitor under further clinical development for the treatment of chorea in Huntington’s disease, is covered by at least six of the issued U.S. patents or proprietary rightsthat are listed in the FDA’s Orange Book entry for INGREZZA and are set to expire between 2027 and 2036 . There is also a potential patent term extension of up to an additional two years for U.S. Patent No. 8,039,627, which is currently set to expire in 2029.
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Crinecerfont, our CRF1 antagonist for the treatment of CAH, is covered by U.S. Patent No. 10,905,690, which expires in 2035 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years).
NBI-1065844, a DAAO inhibitor for the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia, is covered by U.S. Patent No. 9,290,456, among others, which expires in order2032 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to continue withan additional five years).
NBI-827104, an inhibitor of T-type calcium channels for the commercializationtreatment of CSWS epilepsy, is covered by U.S. Patent No. US 9,932,314, among others, which expires in 2035 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years).
NBI-921352, an inhibitor of the Nav1.6 voltage-gated sodium channel for the treatment of SCN8A-DEE epilepsy, is covered by U.S. Patent No. US 10,246,453, among others, which expires in 2037 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years).
Elagolix, our products.

small molecule GnRH antagonist under further development for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, is covered by six of the issued U.S. patents that are listed in the FDA’s Orange Book entry for ORILISSA and are set to expire between 2021 to 2024 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years for one of the patents).

NBI-1065845, a positive allosteric modulator of AMPA for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression is covered by U.S. Patent No. 8,778,934, among others, which expires in 2031 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years).
NBI-1065846, a GPR139 agonist for the treatment of anhedonia in depression, is covered by U.S. Patent No. 9,556,130, among others, which expires in 2035 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to an additional five years).
In addition to the granted and potential patent protection,term extensions referenced above, the United States,products and product candidates in our pipeline may be subject to additional terms of exclusivity that we might obtain by future patent issuances.
Separately, the U.S., the European Union, or EU, and Japan all provide data and marketing exclusivity for new medicinal compounds. If this protection is available, no competitor may use the original applicant’s data as the basis of a generic marketing application during the period of data and marketing exclusivity.exclusivity, which is measured from the date of marketing approval by the FDA or corresponding foreign regulatory authority. This period of exclusivity is generally five years in the United States,U.S., six years in Japan and ten years in the European Union, measured fromEU, except that for biologics, this period of exclusivity in the dateU.S. is twelve years under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act. In addition, if granted orphan drug designation, certain of FDA, or corresponding foreign regulatory authority, approval.

Elagolix, our small molecule GnRH antagonist currentlyproduct candidates, including crinecerfont, may also be eligible for market exclusivity in clinical trialsthe U.S. and EU for the treatment of endometriosisseven years and uterine fibroids, is covered by six issued U.S. patents relating to composition of matter, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use. U.S. Patent Nos. 6,872,728, 7,179,815 and 7,462,625 are due to expire in 2021 (not including potential patent term extensions of up to five years) while U.S. Patent Nos. 7,056,927, 7,176,211 and 7,419,983 are due to expire in 2024 (not including potential patent term extensions of up to five years).

INGREZZA (valbenazine), our highly selective VMAT2 inhibitor, currently in clinical trials for the treatment Tourette syndrome, is covered by U.S. Patent No. 8,039,627, which expires in 2029 (not including a

ten years, respectively.

potential patent term extension of up to two years) and U.S. Patent No. 8,357,697, which expires in 2027. INGREZZA is also covered by European Patent No. 2,081,929, which expires in 2027.

Opicapone, a highly selective COMT inhibitor for Parkinson’s disease is covered by U.S. Patent No. 8,168,793, among others, which expires in 2029 (not including a potential patent term extension of up to five years).

Manufacturing and Distribution

Supply

We currently rely on, and expectintend to continue to rely on, contractthird-party manufacturers to producefor the production of INGREZZA as well as forand our existing and future product candidates. Raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, and other supplies required for the production of INGREZZA and our product candidates are procured from various third-party manufacturers and suppliers in quantities adequate to meet our needs. Continuing adequate supply of such raw materials and API is assured through our long-term commercial supply and manufacturing agreements with multiple manufacturers and our continued focus on the expansion and diversification of our third-party manufacturing relationships. In addition, under the terms of our agreement with BIAL, we rely on BIAL and its suppliers to supply all drug product for the commercialization of ONGENTYS.
We believe this outsourcingour outsource manufacturing strategy will enableenables us to direct our financial resources to the maximization of our commercialization efforts without devotingopportunities with INGREZZA and ONGENTYS, investment in our internal R&D programs and expansion of our clinical pipeline through business development opportunities.
Our third-party manufacturers, suppliers and service providers may be subject to routine current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, inspections by the resourcesFDA or comparable agencies in other jurisdictions. We depend on our third-party partners for continued compliance with cGMP requirements and capital required to build manufacturing facilities.

We have established an internal pharmaceutical development group to develop manufacturing methods forapplicable foreign standards.

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Marketing, Sales and Distribution
Our sales force in the U.S. consists of approximately 250 experienced sales professionals focused on educating health care professionals, including psychiatrists and neurologists, who treat patients with tardive dyskinesia and Parkinson’s disease.
For INGREZZA, our product candidates, to optimize manufacturing processes, and to select and transfer these manufacturing technologies to our suppliers. We have also established an internal commercial supply team to manage all aspects related tocustomers in the INGREZZA commercial supply chain. We have entered into long-term contracts with multiple manufacturers to ensure adequate product supply and to mitigate risk.

There currently areU.S. consist of a limited numbernetwork of these manufacturers. Furthermore, somespecialty pharmacy providers that deliver INGREZZA to patients by mail and a specialty distributor that distributes INGREZZA primarily to closed-door pharmacies and government facilities. For ONGENTYS, our customers in the U.S. consist primarily of the contract manufacturers that we have identified to date only have limited experience at manufacturing, formulating, analyzing and packaging our products and product candidates in quantities sufficient for conducting clinical trials or for commercialization.wholesale distributors. We attempt to acquire adequate inventory of materials and/or finished product to avoid significant supply disruption.

Additionally, we have retainedrely on third-party service providers to perform a variety of functions related to the packaging, storage and distribution of INGREZZA including shipping, warehousing, customer service, order-taking and processing, invoicing, collections, and other distribution-related activities.

We have entered into distribution agreements for INGREZZA with a limited number of select pharmacies (SP) and select distributors (SD), and all of our product sales are to these customers. SPs subsequently dispense INGREZZA to patients based on the fulfillment of a prescription and SDs sell INGREZZA primarily to government facilities and in-patient hospital pharmacies. Our agreements with SPs and SDs provide for transfer of title to the product at the time the product is delivered to the SP or SD. Our three largest customers represented 99% of our product revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Master Manufacturing Services Agreement and Product Agreement

We entered into a Master Manufacturing Services Agreement with Patheon UK Limited (Patheon) in November 2016, and a related Amended and Restated Product Agreement in July 2017, for Patheon’s manufacture of commercial supplies of INGREZZA at Patheon’s manufacturing site. Under the terms of the agreements, we are responsible for supplying the active pharmaceutical ingredients for INGREZZA to Patheon. Patheon is responsible for manufacturing the INGREZZA capsules, conducting quality control, quality assurance, validation activities, stability testing, packaging and providing related services for the manufacture of the INGREZZA capsules.

Pursuant to the agreements, we have agreed to order from Patheon certain annual binding minimum amounts of INGREZZA capsules based on an agreed upon pricing schedule. The agreements have an initial term ending in December 2021, and will automatically renew after the initial term for successive terms of two years, unless either party gives notice of its intention to terminate the agreements within at least 18 months prior to the end of the then current term.

ONGENTYS.

Commercial Packaging Agreement

We entered into a Commercial Packaging Agreement with AndersonBrecon Inc., doing business as PCI of Illinois (PCI), in December 2016, for PCI’s commercial packaging services. Under the terms of the agreement, PCI will be responsible for, among other things, the packaging of certain of our products, tooling purchases and repair, analytical work, stability testing, auditing of suppliers and storage. We are responsible for supplying the product materials to PCI. Pursuant to the agreement, we have agreed to submit rolling forecasts, some of which will be binding on us. We will compensate PCI for services rendered, based on an agreed upon fee schedule and subject to certain price adjustments.

The agreement has an initial term ending in September 2019, unless earlier terminated in accordance with its terms. The agreement will automatically renew after the initial term for successive terms of two years, unless either party gives notice of its intention to terminate the agreement at least one year prior to the end of the then current term.

Marketing and Sales

During 2017, we established the balance of our commercial team to launch INGREZZA in TD. This commercial team is comprised of experienced professionals in marketing, access and reimbursement, managed markets, market research, commercial operations, and sales force planning and management.

We have built a specialty sales force in the United States of approximately 160 experienced sales professionals. This specialty sales force focuses on promotion to physicians who treat TD patients, primarily neurologists and psychiatrists.

In addition, our commercial infrastructure includes capabilities in manufacturing, medical affairs, quality control, and compliance.

Government Regulation

Our business activities which include the manufacture and marketing of INGREZZA as well as our other potential products currently in research and development, are subject to extensive regulation by the United StatesU.S. and other countries. Regulation by government authorities in the United StatesU.S. and foreign countries is a significant factor in the development, manufacture, distribution, tracking, marketing and sale of our proposed products and in our ongoing research and product development activities. All of our products in development will require regulatory approval by government agencies prior to commercialization. In particular, human therapeutic products are subject to rigorous preclinical studies and clinical trials and other approval procedures of the FDA and similar regulatory authorities in foreign countries. The process of obtaining these approvals and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal and state statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. In the United States, various federal and state statutes and regulation also govern or influence testing, manufacturing, safety, labeling, storage, and record-keeping of human therapeutic products and their marketing. Recent federal legislation imposes additional obligations on pharmaceutical manufacturers regarding product tracking and tracing.

In addition, federal and state healthcare laws restrict business practices in the pharmaceutical industry. These laws include, without limitation, federal and state fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, data privacy and security laws, as well as transparency laws regarding payments or other items of value provided to healthcare providers.

We have a comprehensive compliance program designed to ensure our business practices remain compliant.

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute makes it illegal for any person or entity including a prescription drug manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf) to knowingly and willfully, directly or indirectly, solicit, receive, offer, or pay any remuneration that is intended to induce the referral of business, including the purchase, order,

lease of any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value.

Federal civil and criminal false claims laws including the federal civil False Claims Act, and the federal civil monetary penalties law, which prohibit among other things, any person or entity from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, for payment to, or approval by, federal programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, claims for items or services, including drugs, that are false or fraudulent or not provided as claimed and knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to avoid decrease or concealdecrease an obligation to pay money to the federal government.

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, (HIPAA)or HIPAA, created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors knowingly and willfully stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.

In addition, we may be subject to HIPPA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their privacy and security regulations, which impose certain obligations, including the adoption of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect individually identifiable health information on covered entities subject to HIPPA (i.e., health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers) and their business associates that perform certain services for or on their behalf involving the use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information as we as their covered subcontractors.
The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies to report annually to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, and applicable entities to report ownership and investment interests held by the physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, such obligations will include payments and other transfers of value provided in the previous year to certain other healthcare professionals, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives.
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Also, many states have similar fraud and abusehealthcare statutes or regulations that may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of payor, in addition to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs.payor. Additionally, to the extent that our product is sold in a foreign country, we may be subject to similar foreign laws.

HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and their implementing regulations, requires certain types of individuals and entities to abide by standards relating to the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information, including the adoption of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect such information. In addition, certain state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, some of which are more stringent than HIPAA and many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians and teaching hospitals, and applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by the physicians and their immediate family members.

Failure to comply with these laws, where applicable, can result in significant penalties, including the imposition of significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, and additional reporting requirements and regulatory oversight, if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.

Development and Marketing Approval for Products

Preclinical studies generally are conducted in laboratory animals to evaluate the potential safety and efficacy of a product. Drug developers submit the results of preclinical studies to the FDA as a part of an investigational new drug, or IND, application before clinical trials can begin in humans. Typically, clinical evaluation involves a time consuming and costly three-phase process.

Phase IClinical trials are conducted with a small number of subjects to determine the early safety profile, maximum tolerated dose and pharmacologicalpharmacokinetic properties of the product in human volunteers.volunteers and for certain products, such as gene therapies, in patients with the target disease.
Phase IIClinical trials are conducted with groups of patients afflicted with a specific disease in order to determine preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and expanded evidence of safety.
Phase IIILarge-scale,Larger, multi-center, comparative clinical trials are conducted with patients afflicted with a specific disease in order to determine safety and efficacy as primary support for regulatory approval by the FDA to market a product candidate for a specific disease.

The FDA closely monitors the progress of each of the three phases of clinical trials that are conducted in the United StatesU.S. and may, at its discretion, re-evaluate, alter, suspend or terminate the testing based upon the data accumulated to that point and the FDA’s assessment of the risk/benefit ratio to the patient. To date, we haveInstitutional Review Boards, Institutional Ethics Committees, and Data Safety Monitoring Boards also conducted someclosely monitor the conduct of our trials and may also place holds on our clinical trials in Europe, Canada, Oceania and South Africa.or recommend that we voluntarily do so. Clinical trials conducted in foreign countries are also subject to oversight by regulatory authorities in those countries.

Once Phase III trials are completed, drug developers submit the results of preclinical studies and clinical trials to the FDA in the form of an NDA or a biologics license application, or BLA, for approval to commence commercial sales. In most cases, the submission of an NDA or BLA is subject to a substantial application user fee. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, guidelines that are currently in effect, the FDA has a goal of ten months from the date of filing of a standard NDA for a new molecular entity to review and act on the submission. ThisThe FDA generally has a six-month review typically takes twelve months from the date the NDA is submitted to FDA because the FDA has approximately two months to make a “filing” decision.

goal of priority NDAs.

In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 (PREA) as amended and reauthorized, certain NDAsapplications or supplements to an NDAapplication must contain data that are adequate to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations, and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The FDA may, on its own initiative or at the request of the applicant, grant deferrals for submission of some or all pediatric data until after approval of the product for use in adults or full or partial waivers from the pediatric data requirements.

The FDA also may require submission of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) plan to ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks. The REMS planrisk evaluation and mitigation strategy could include medication guides, physician communication plans, assessment plans, and/or additional elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries, or other risk minimization tools.

The FDA conducts a preliminary review of all NDAs and BLAs within the first 60 days after submission, before accepting them for filing, to determine whether they are sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an NDA for filing. In this event, the application must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application is also subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review. The FDA reviews an NDA or BLA to determine, among other things, whether the drug is safe and effective for its intended use and whether the facility in which it is
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manufactured, processed, packaged or held meets standards designed to assure the product’s continued safety, quality and purity.

The FDA may refer an application for a novel drug to an advisory committee. An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, that 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.

Before approving an NDA or BLA, the FDA typically will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA or BLA, the FDA may inspect one or more clinical trial sites to assure compliance with Good Clinical Practice requirements.

After evaluating the NDA or BLA and all related information, including the advisory committee recommendation, if any, and inspection reports regarding the manufacturing facilities and clinical trial sites, the FDA may issue an approval letter, or, in some cases, a complete response letter. A complete response letter generally contains a statement of specific conditions that must be met in order to secure final approval of the NDAapplication and may require additional clinical or preclinical testing in order for FDA to reconsider the application. Even with submission of this additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. If and when those conditions have been met to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA will typically issue an approval letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications.

Even if the FDA approves a product, it may limit the approved indications for use of the product, require that contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling, require that post-approval studies, including Phase IV clinical trials, be conducted to further assess a drug’s safety after approval, require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the product after commercialization, or impose other conditions, including distribution and use restrictions or other risk management mechanisms under a REMS,risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, which can materially affect the potential market and profitability of the product. The FDA may prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of post-marketing studies or surveillance programs. After approval, some types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes, and additional labeling claims, are subject to further testing requirements and FDA review and approval.

We will also have to complete an approval process similar to that in the United States in virtually every foreign target market for our productsU.S. in order to commercialize our product candidates in those countries.each foreign country. The approval procedure and the time required for approval vary from country to country and may involve additional testing. Foreign approvals may not be granted on a timely basis, or at all. In addition, regulatory approval of prices is required in most countries other than the United States.U.S. The resulting prices may not be sufficient to generate an acceptable return to us or our corporate collaborators.

Special FDA Expedited Review and Approval Programs

The FDA has various programs, including fast track designation, accelerated

In the EU, there are currently two potential tracks for seeking marketing approval priority review, and breakthrough therapy designation, which are intended to expedite or simplify the process for the development and FDA review of drugs that are intended for the treatment of serious or life threatening diseases or conditions and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. The purpose of these programs is to provide important new drugs to patients earlier than under standard FDA review procedures.

To be eligible for a fast track designation,product not authorized in any EU member state: a decentralized procedure and a centralized procedure. In the decentralized procedure, identical applications for marketing authorization are submitted simultaneously to the national regulatory agencies. Regulatory review is led by one member state (the reference-member state), and its assessment—based on safety, quality and efficacy—is reviewed and approved (assuming there are no concerns that the product poses a serious risk to public health) by the other member states from which the applicant is seeking approval (the concerned-member states). The decentralized procedure leads to a series of single national approvals in all relevant countries. In the centralized procedure, which is required of all products derived from biotechnology, a company submits a single marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, which conducts an evaluation of the dossier, drawing upon its scientific resources across Europe. If the drug product is proven to fulfill the requirements for quality, safety and efficacy, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products of Human Use, or CHMP, adopts a positive opinion, which is transmitted to the European Commission for final decision on grant of the marketing authorization. While the EC generally follows the CHMP’s opinion, it is not bound to do so. Subsequent commercialization is enabled by country-by-country reimbursement approval.

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Orphan Drug Designation
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA must determine, based on the request ofmay grant orphan drug designation to a sponsor, that a product isdrug intended to treat a serious or life-threateningrare disease or condition, and demonstrateswhich is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the potential to address an unmet medical need. The FDA will determine that a product will fill an unmet medical needU.S., or if it will provide a therapy where none exists or provide a therapyaffects more than 200,000, there is no reasonable expectation that may be potentially superior to existing therapy based on efficacy or safety factors. The FDA may review sectionssales of the drug in the U.S. will be sufficient to offset the costs of developing and making the drug available in the U.S. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA or BLA. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process.
If the FDA approves a sponsor’s marketing application for a fast track product on a rolling basis beforedesignated orphan drug for use in the complete application is submitted, ifrare disease or condition for which it was designated, the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the NDA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the NDA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the NDA.

The FDA may give a priority review designation to drugs that offer major advances in treatment, or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists. A priority review means that the goal for the FDA to review an

application is six months, rather than the standard review of ten months under current PDUFA guidelines. These six and ten month review periods are measured from the filing date rather than the receipt date for NDAs for new molecular entities, which typically adds approximately two months to the timeline for review and decision from the date of submission. Most products that are eligible for fast track designation are also likely to be considered appropriate to receive a priority review.

In addition, products studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening illnesses and that provide meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing treatments may be eligible for accelerated approval and may be approved on the basisseven-year period of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials establishing that the drug product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of approval,marketing exclusivity, during which the FDA may require a sponsor ofnot approve another sponsor’s marketing application for a drug receiving acceleratedwith the same active moiety and intended for the same use or indication as the approved orphan drug, except in limited circumstances, such as if a subsequent sponsor demonstrates its product is clinically superior. During a sponsor’s orphan drug exclusivity period, competitors, however, may receive approval to perform post-marketing studies to verify and describefor drugs with different active moieties for the predicted effect on irreversible morbiditysame indication as the approved orphan drug, or mortality or other clinical endpoint, andfor drugs with the same active moiety as the approved orphan drug, may be subject to accelerated withdrawal procedures.

A breakthrough therapy is defined asbut for different indications. Orphan drug exclusivity could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval for a drug with the same active moiety intended for the same indication before we do, unless we are able to demonstrate that grounds for withdrawal of the orphan drug exclusivity exist, or that our product is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treatclinically superior. Further, if a serious or life-threateningdesignated orphan drug receives marketing approval for an indication broader than the rare disease or condition for which it received orphan drug designation, it may not be entitled to exclusivity.

Legislation similar to the Orphan Drug Act has been enacted in other countries outside of the United States, including the EU. The orphan legislation in the EU is available for therapies addressing conditions that affect five or fewer out of 10,000 persons, are life‑threatening or chronically debilitating conditions and preliminary clinicalfor which no satisfactory treatment is authorized. The market exclusivity period is for ten years, although that period can be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, available evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Drugs designated as breakthrough therapies are also eligible for accelerated approval. The FDA must take certain actions, such as holding timely meetings and providing advice, intended to expedite the development and review of an application for approval of a breakthrough therapy.

Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decideestablishes that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval willdoes not be shortened.

justify maintenance of market exclusivity.

Post-Approval Requirements

Drugs manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, advertising and promotion and reporting of adverse experiences with the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing, annual program user fee requirements for any marketed products, and the establishments at which such products are manufactured, as well as new application fees for supplemental applications with clinical data.

The FDA may impose a number of post-approval requirements as a condition of approval of an NDA.NDA or BLA. For example, the FDA may require post-marketing testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization.

In addition, drug manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of approved drugs are required to register their establishments with the FDA and state agencies and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and these state agencies for compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, (cGMP)or cGMP, requirements. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated and often require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP requirements and impose reporting and documentation requirements upon the sponsor and any third-party manufacturers that the sponsor may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain cGMP compliance.

Once an approval is granted, the FDA may withdraw the approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in mandatory revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical trials to assess

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new safety risks; or imposition of distribution or other restrictions under a REMSrisk evaluation and mitigation strategy program. 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;

fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials;

refusal of the FDA to approve pending NDAs or supplements to approved NDAs, or suspension or revocation of product approvals;

product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; or

injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Drugs may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s FDA approved labeling. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability.

Physicians may prescribe legally available products for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those tested by us and approved by the FDA. The FDA does not regulate behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, restrict manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products.

Additional Regulation for Gene Therapy Products
In addition to the regulations discussed above, there are a number of standards that apply to gene therapy. FDA has issued various guidance documents regarding gene therapies, which outline factors that FDA will consider at each of the stages of development and relate to, among other things: the proper preclinical assessment of gene therapies; the chemistry, manufacturing and controls information that should be included in an IND application; the proper design of tests to measure product potency in support of an IND or BLA; and measures to observe delayed adverse effects in subjects who have been exposed to investigational gene therapies when the risk of such effects is high. For instance, FDA usually recommends that sponsors observe all surviving subjects who receive treatment using gene therapies that are based on adeno-associated virus vectors in clinical trials for potential gene therapy-related delayed adverse events for a minimum five-year period, followed by 10 years of annual queries, either in person or by questionnaire. FDA does not require the long-term tracking to be complete prior to its review of the BLA.
In addition to FDA oversight and oversight by institutional review boards, gene therapy clinical trials are also subject to review and oversight by an institutional biosafety committee, or IBC, a local institutional committee that reviews and oversees research utilizing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules at that institution. The IBC assesses the safety of the research and identifies any potential risk to public health or the environment.
Reimbursement

Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval. In the United StatesU.S. and markets in other countries, sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval will depend, in part, on the extent to which third-party payors provide coverage and establish adequate reimbursement levels for such drug products.

In the United States,U.S., third-party payors include federal and state healthcare programs, government authorities, private managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations. No uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement exists in the United States, and coverage and reimbursement can differ significantly from payor to payor. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates, but also have their own methods and approval process apart from Medicare determinations. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our drug products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
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Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost-effectiveness of medical drug products and medical services, in addition to questioning their safety and efficacy. Such payors may limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. We may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of our products, in addition to the costs required to obtain the FDA approvals. Nonetheless, our products or product candidates, including INGREZZA, may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective.

Moreover, the process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a drug product may be separate from the process for setting the price of a drug product or for establishing the reimbursement rate that such a payor will pay for the drug product. A payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Further, one payor’s determination to provide coverage for a drug product does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the drug product. Adequate third-party payor reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development.

The marketability of any product or product candidates for which we or our collaborators receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and adequate reimbursement. In addition, emphasis on managed care in the United StatesU.S. has increased and we

expect will continue to increase the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing. Coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.

Healthcare Reform

The United StatesU.S. and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. Among policy makers and payors in the United StatesU.S. and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the United States,U.S., the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives.

By way of example, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, collectively the ACA, was signed into law, which intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Among the provisions of the ACA of importance to our potential drug candidates are:

an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports specified branded prescription drugs and biologic agents, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programs;

an increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to 23.1% and 13.0% of the average manufacturer price for branded and generic drugs, respectively;

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;

extension of a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations;

expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, among other things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to certain individuals with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, thereby potentially increasing a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability;

a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for a manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D;

expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing program; and

a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research.

We expect that the ACA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government-funded programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private third-party payor.

Some of the provisions of the ACA have yet to be fully implemented, and there have been

There remain legal and political challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. Since January 2017, Presidentthe Trump hasadministration signed twoseveral executive orders

and other directives designed to delay, circumvent, or loosen certain requirements mandated by the ACA. Concurrently, Congress has considered legislation that would repeal or repeal and replace all or part of the ACA. While Congress has not passed repeal legislation,Legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the newly enacted federal income tax lawTax Cuts and Jobs Act, includes a provision repealing,that repealed, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate”. In addition, the 2020 federal spending package permanently eliminated, effective January 1, 2020, the ACA-mandated “Cadillac” tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage and medical device tax and, effective January 1, 2021, also eliminated the health insurer tax. On December 14, 2018, a Texas U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress may consider other legislation to repeal or replace elementsas part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Additionally, on December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as well. The

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U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing this case, although it is unclear when a decision will be made. It is also unclear how such litigation will impact the ACA.

Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include, among others, aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which began in 2013 and will remain in effect through 20252030, except for a temporary suspension from May 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unless additional Congressional action is taken. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals and cancer treatment centers, increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.

Additional changes that may affect our business include the expansion of new programs such as Medicare payment for performance initiatives for physicians under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015(MACRA), which will be fully implemented in 2019. At this time it is unclear how the introduction of the Medicare quality payment program will impact overall physician reimbursement.

Also, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny recently over pharmaceutical pricing practices in light of the rising cost of prescription drugs and biologics. Such scrutiny has resulted in several recent Congressional inquirieshearings and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate Finance Committee passed legislation in 2019 to reform pharmaceutical pricing in a variety of meaningful ways, and we expect legislative efforts to reform drug pricing to continue in 2021.
At the federal level, Congressthe Trump administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 included a $135 billion allowance to support legislative proposals seeking to reduce drug prices, increase competition, lower out-of-pocket drug costs for patients, and increase patient access to lower-cost generic and biosimilar drugs. On March 10, 2020, the Trump administration have each indicatedsent “principles” for drug pricing to Congress, calling for legislation that it will continuewould, among other things, cap Medicare Part D beneficiary monthly out-of-pocket expenses, and place limits on pharmaceutical price increases. Additionally, the Trump administration previously released a “Blueprint” to seeklower drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs of drugs. On July 24, 2020 and September 13, 2020, the Trump administration announced several executive orders related to drug pricing that sought to implement several of the administration’s proposals. As a result, the FDA released a final rule on September 24, 2020, effective November 30, 2020, providing guidance for states to build and submit importation plans for drugs from Canada. This rule is undergoing legal challenge.
Further, on November 20, 2020, HHS finalized a regulation removing safe harbor protection for price reductions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to plan sponsors under Part D, either directly or through pharmacy benefit managers, unless the price reduction is required by law. The rule also creates a new legislative and/or administrative measuressafe harbor for price reductions reflected at the point-of-sale, as well as a safe harbor for certain fixed fee arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers. This rule has been stayed until 2023 while pending litigation is heard in the courts.
On November 20, 2020, CMS issued an interim final rule implementing President Trump’s Most Favored Nation executive order, which would tie Medicare Part B payments for certain physician-administered drugs to control drug costs. the lowest price paid in other economically advanced countries, effective January 1, 2021. On December 28, 2020, the United States District Court in Northern California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against implementation of the interim final rule. Two additional lawsuits in other jurisdictions are challenging the legality of this rule.
At the state level, legislatures have become increasingly aggressive in passingpassed legislation and implementingimplemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.

Further, it is possible that additional governmental action is taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competition

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are subject to rapid and intense technological change. We face, and will continue to face, competition in the development and marketing of our products and product candidates from academic institutions, government agencies, research institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies,companies. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research institutions, government agencies and academic institutions. development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approval and marketing than we do.
Competition may also arise from, among other things:

otherthings, new drug development technologies;

methods oftechnologies, new or improved treatment options for preventing or reducing the incidence of disease including vaccines;in diseases our products treat and

new small

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molecule or other classes of therapeutic agents.

Developments Such developments by others may rendercompetitors could reduce or eliminate the use of our products or may limit the utility and application of ongoing clinical trials for our product candidates or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive. We are performing research on or developingcandidates.

Additional information about the competition that our marketed products for the treatment of several disorders including endometriosis, TD, uterine fibroids, Tourette syndrome, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, essential tremor, pain, and other neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders.

In April 2017, face is set forth below.

Tardive Dyskinesia. INGREZZA (valbenazine)competes with AUSTEDO (deutetrabenazine), which was approved by the FDA for TD,the treatment of tardive dyskinesia in adults in August 2017 and is also currently in Phase IIb development for Tourette syndrome. There are currently two FDA approved drug therapies for TD; INGREZZA® and AUSTEDO® (deutetrabenazine), a deuterium labeled VMAT2 inhibitor which was developedmarketed by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (Teva). In addition,and several clinical development-stage programs targeting tardive dyskinesia and related movement disorders. Additionally, there are a number of commercially available medicines used to treat tardive dyskinesia off-label, treatment regimens for TD consist of utilizingsuch as Xenazine® (tetrabenazine) and generic equivalents, and various atypical antipsychotic medications (e.g., clozapine), anticholinergics, benzodiazepines (off-label) or, and botulinum toxin injections to treat the movements associatedtoxin.
Parkinson’s Disease. ONGENTYS competes with TD.

Generic neuroleptic medications (pimozidetwo other FDA-approved COMT inhibitors and haloperidol) as well as ABILIFY® (apriprizole)their generic equivalents. Additionally, there are approved by the FDA to control the tics associateda number of alternative adjunctive treatment options (FDA-approved and in clinical development) for Parkinson’s patients which compete with Tourette syndrome. Teva is also investigating AUSTEDO for utilityONGENTYS, including various L-dopa preparations, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors and others. In terms of potential future competition, there are several programs in Tourette syndrome. Other potential indications for our VMAT2 inhibitor include the chorea associatedlate-stage clinical development.

Endometriosis and Uterine Fibroids. ORILISSA and ORIAHNN each compete with Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia and tardive dystonia. Currently, Austedo (deutetrabenazine) and XENAZINE® (tetrabenazine), marketed by Lundbeck, as well as its generic alternatives to Xenazine, are approved for the chorea associated with Huntington’s disease.

We, in conjunction with our partner AbbVie, are developing elagolix for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids. There are no current pharmaceutical therapies approved in the United States for the chronic treatment of uterine fibroids. During 2017, Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. filed an NDA with the FDA for potential use of ESMYA® (ulipristal), a selective progesterone receptor modulator in the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids. ObsEva SA has initiated a Phase IIb endometriosis study with its GnRH receptor antagonist OBE2109 and has initiated Phase III studies of uterine fibroids patients with the same molecule. Myovant Sciences, Inc. is investigating its GnRH receptor antagonist, relugolix, in Phase III trials of endometriosis, uterine fibroids and prostate cancer patients. LUPRON DEPOT®, marketed by AbbVie, is approved for short-term use to improve the outcome of uterine fibroid surgery. However, approximately 250,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States as a direct result of uterine fibroids, as well as myomectomies (surgery) to remove the fibroids. Our oral small molecule pharmaceutical agent, elagolix, would compete directly with these current invasive standards of care.

LUPRON DEPOT and SYNAREL® and depo-subQ provera104®, marketed by Pfizer, areseveral FDA-approved products that have been approved for the treatment of endometriosis, uterine fibroids, infertility, and central precocious puberty. These drugs,Additionally, there is also competition from surgical intervention, including hysterectomies and any generic alternatives, may compete with any small molecule non-peptide GnRH antagonists we, in conjunction with our collaborative partner AbbVie, develop forablations. Separate from these indications. Approximately 130,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States as a direct result of endometriosis, as well as a significant number of laparoscopic procedures to ablate endometrial explants. Our oral small molecule pharmaceutical agent, elagolix, would also compete directly with these current invasive standards of care.

Opicapone is a COMT inhibitor to be utilized as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. COMT inhibitors prolong the duration of effect of levodopa which is the primary treatment option for Parkinson’s disease patients. There are currently two FDA approved COMT inhibitors, COMTAN® (entacapone) originally developed by Orion Pharma and TASMAR® (tolcapone) originally developed by Hoffman-LaRoche Inc. Opicapone would compete directly with these two drugs and their generic equivalents.

NBI-74788 is currently being investigated for the treatment of classic CAH, for whichoptions, there are limited therapies. Highmany programs in clinical development which serve as potential future competition. Lastly, there are numerous medicines used to treat the symptoms of disease (vs. endometriosis or uterine fibroids directly) which may also serve as competition: oral contraceptives, NSAIDs and other pain medications including opioids.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. For CAH, high doses of corticosteroids are the current standard of care to both correct the endogenous cortisol deficiency as well as reduce the excessive ACTH levels. However,In the levelU.S. alone, there are more than two dozen companies manufacturing steroid-based products. In addition, there are several clinical development-stage programs targeting CAH and several companies developing medicinal treatments for CAH.
Epilepsy. Our investigational treatments for potential use in epilepsy may in the future compete with numerous approved anti-seizure medications, or ASMs, and development-stage programs being pursued by several other companies. Commonly used ASMs, among others, include phenytoin, levetiracetam, brivaracetam, cenobamate, carbamazepine, clobazam, lamotrigine, valproate, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, lacosamide, perampanel and cannabidiol. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments specifically indicated for the early infantile epileptic encephalopathies SCN8A-DEE and EE-CSWS; however, a number of dosedifferent ASMs are currently used in these patient populations.
Schizophrenia. The investigational treatment NBI-1065844 for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia may in the future compete with off-label antipsychotic and antidepressant medicines, including cariprazine, clozapine, fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, and amisulpride. In addition, there are several development-stage programs being pursued by other companies, including pimavanserin, roluperidone, RO6889450 and sodium benzoate. Currently, there are no-FDA approved treatments specifically indicated for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Other. Our investigational treatments for potential use in endocrinology, neurology, and psychiatry, as well as our investigational gene therapies, may in the durationfuture compete with numerous approved products and development-stage programs being pursued by several other companies.
Human Capital
Our Employees. We have grown to a team of steroid use required to suppress ACTH is well above the normal physiological level of cortisol; resulting in metabolic syndrome, bone loss, growth impairment, and Cushing’s syndromeover 845 employees as common and serious side effects. Both Millendo Therapeutics, with its ACAT1 inhibitor ATR-101, and Spruce Biosciences, with its CRF antagonist SPR001 are in clinical development for classic CAH.

If one or more of these competitive products or programs are successful, it may reduce or eliminate the market for our products.

Compared to us, many of our competitors and potential competitors have substantially greater:

capital resources;

commercial experience;

research and development resources, including personnel and technology;

regulatory experience;

preclinical study and clinical testing experience;

manufacturing and marketing experience; and

production facilities.

Any of these competitive factors could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, which could negatively affect our stock price.

Employees

As of December 31, 2017,2020, all of whom were employed in the U.S. Our highly qualified and experienced team which includes scientists, physicians and professionals across sales, marketing, manufacturing, regulatory, finance and other important functions are critical to our success. We also leverage temporary workers to provide flexibility for our business needs. During 2020, we had approximately 400 full-time employees. Noneadded 191 new employees to our team.

We expect to continue to add additional employees in 2021 with a focus on expanding our expertise and bandwidth in clinical and preclinical research and development. We continually evaluate our business needs and opportunities
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and balance in house expertise and capacity with external expertise and capacity. Currently, we rely on third-party contract manufacturers.
Our Culture. The success of our employees are representedhuman capital management investments is evidenced by our low employee turnover, a collective bargaining arrangement,number which is regularly reviewed by our Board of Directors as part of their oversight of our human capital strategy. In recognition of our efforts, in 2020, we were named to the Fortune Best Small and weMedium Workplaces 2020 list ranking Number 8 across the country. We were also named a Great Place to Work Certified company and were recognized on Great Place to Work’s Best Workplace for Parents 2020 list.
Employee Engagement, Talent Development & Benefits. We believe that our relationship withfuture success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and retain highly skilled employees. We provide our employees is good.with competitive salaries and bonuses, opportunities for equity ownership, development programs that enable continued learning and growth and a robust employment package that promotes well-being across all aspects of their lives, including health care, retirement planning and paid time off. As part of our promotion and retention efforts, we also invest in ongoing leadership development through programs as well as offer tuition reimbursement. In addition, we rely on a numberregularly conduct an employee survey to gauge employee engagement and identify areas of consultants to assist us.

Insurance

We maintain limited product liability insurance coverage forfocus.

Diversity & Inclusion. Much of our clinical trialssuccess is rooted in the amountdiversity of $10 million per occurrenceour teams and $10 million inour commitment to inclusion. We value diversity at all levels and continue to focus on extending our diversity and inclusion initiatives across our entire workforce. We believe that our business benefits from the aggregate. Upon FDA approval of INGREZZA we expanded our insurance coverage to include product liability insurance related to the sale of INGREZZA in the amount of $20 million per occurrence and $20 million in the aggregate. However, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive,different perspectives a diverse workforce brings, and we may not be able to obtain or maintain insurance coveragepride ourselves on having a strong, inclusive and positive culture based on our shared mission and values.
Corporate Information
We were originally incorporated in California in January 1992 and reincorporated in Delaware in May 1996. Our principal executive offices are located at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability.

Available Information

12780 El Camino Real, San Diego, California 92130. Our telephone number is (858) 617-7600.

Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge on our website atwww.neurocrine.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, website atwww.sec.gov.

Additionally, copies of our Annual Report will be made available, free of charge, upon written request.

Information found on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

Item 1A. Risk Factors
The following information sets forth risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements we have made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and those we may make from time to time. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition could be harmed. Additional risks not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also affect our business operations.

Risks Related

Summary Risk Factors
We face risks and uncertainties related to Our Company

We have limited marketing experience, and have only recently begun establishing our sales force, distribution and reimbursement capabilities, and webusiness, many of which are beyond our control.In particular, risks associated with our business include:

We may not be able to successfully commercialize INGREZZA, ONGENTYS, or any of our product candidates if they are approved in the future.

Our ability

If physicians and patients do not continue to produce revenues ultimately dependsaccept INGREZZA or do not accept ONGENTYS, or our sales and marketing efforts are not effective, we may not generate sufficient revenue.
Governmental and third-party payors may impose sales and pharmaceutical pricing controls on our abilityproducts or limit coverage and/or reimbursement for our products that could limit our product revenues and delay sustained profitability.
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Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, in regions where we or third parties on which we rely have significant sales and marketing efforts or manufacturing facilities, concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations, or materially affect our operations, and at our clinical trial sites, as well as the business or operations of our manufacturers, CROs or other third parties with whom we conduct business.
Because the development of our product candidates is subject to sella substantial degree of technological uncertainty, we may not succeed in developing any of our product candidates.
Our clinical studies may be delayed for safety or other reasons, or fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, which could prevent or significantly delay their regulatory approval. For example, the FDA has placed a clinical hold on the RESTORE-1 study, a Phase II, randomized, placebo-surgery controlled, double-blind, multi-center clinical study of NBIb-1817 in Parkinson’s disease patients, following our submission of an IND safety report related to the observation of MRI abnormalities in some study participants. The clinical implications of this observation are currently unknown and are being evaluated. On February 2, 2021, we notified Voyager of our termination of the NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease program. The effective date of the termination will be August 2, 2021.
We depend on our current collaborators for the development and commercialization of several of our products and secure adequate third-party reimbursement ifproduct candidates and when they are approved by the FDA. We currently have limited experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. With respect to INGREZZA in particular, we have only recently hired our sales force to sell INGREZZA, and have only recently begun establishing our distribution and reimbursement capabilities, all of which will be necessary to successfully commercialize INGREZZA. While we have recently hired personnel, and engaged consultants with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, there can be no guarantee that we will be able to establish or maintain the personnel, systems, arrangements and capabilities necessary to successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any product candidate approved by the FDA in the future. If we fail to establish or maintain successful marketing, sales and reimbursement capabilities or failmay need to enter into successful marketing arrangements with third parties,future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product revenues may suffer.

candidates.

Use of our approved products or those of our collaborators could be associated with side effects or adverse events.
We currently depend on a single source supplierface intense competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, the demand for each of the production of INGREZZA and its active pharmaceutical ingredients. The loss of either of these suppliers, or delays or problems in the supply of INGREZZA, could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA.

The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of process controls required to consistently produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients and the finished product in sufficient quantities while meeting detailed product specifications on a repeated basis. Manufacturers of pharmaceutical products may encounter difficulties in production, including difficulties with production costs and yields, process controls, quality control and quality assurance, including testing of stability, impurities and impurity levels and other product specifications by validated test methods, and compliance with strictly enforced United States, state and non-United States regulations. If our third-party suppliers for INGREZZA encounter these or any other manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties, we may be unable to meet commercial demand for INGREZZA, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA.

In addition, if our suppliers fail or refuse to supply us with INGREZZA or its active pharmaceutical ingredient for any reason, it would take a significant amount of time and expense to qualify a new supplier. The FDA and similar international regulatory bodies must approve manufacturers of the active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients and certain packaging materials used in pharmaceutical products. The loss of a supplier could require us to obtain regulatory clearance and to incur validation and other costs associated with the transfer of the active pharmaceutical ingredients or product manufacturing processes. If there are delays in qualifying new suppliers or facilities or a new supplier is unable to meet FDA or a similar international regulatory body’s requirements for approval, there could be a shortage of INGREZZA, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA.

reduced.

We currently have no manufacturing capabilities. If third-party manufacturers of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any of our product candidates fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our concerns, or if their performance is substandard, our clinical trials and product introductions may be delayed, and our costs may rise.

We havecurrently depend on a limited number of third-party suppliers. The loss of these suppliers, or delays or problems in the past utilized,supply of INGREZZA or ONGENTYS, could materially and intendadversely affect our ability to continue to utilize, third-party manufacturers to produce the drug compounds we use in our clinical trials and for the commercialization of our products. We have limited experience in manufacturing products for commercial purposes and do not currently have any manufacturing facilities. Consequently, we depend on, and will continue to depend on, several contract manufacturers for all production of products for development and commercial purposes, including INGREZZA. successfully commercialize INGREZZA or ONGENTYS.
If we are unable to obtainretain and recruit qualified scientists or retain third-party manufacturers,if any of our key senior executives discontinues his or her employment with us, it may delay our development efforts or impact our commercialization of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any product candidate approved by the FDA.
We license some of our core technologies and drug candidates from third parties. If we willdefault on any of our obligations under those licenses, or violate the terms of these licenses, we could lose our rights to those technologies and drug candidates or be forced to pay damages.
Our indebtedness and liabilities could limit the cash flow available for our operations, expose us to risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have a history of losses and expect to increase our expenses for the foreseeable future, and we may not be able to develop or commercialize our products, including INGREZZA. The manufacturesustain profitability.
We have recently increased the size of our products for clinical trialsorganization and commercial purposes is subjectwill need to specific FDA regulations, including current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. Our third-party manufacturers might not comply with FDA regulations relatingcontinue to manufacturingincrease the size of our products for clinical trials and commercial purposes or other regulatory requirements now or in the future. Our reliance on contract manufacturers also exposes us to the following risks:

contract manufacturersorganization. We may encounter difficulties with managing our growth, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our customers are concentrated and therefore the loss of a significant customer may harm our business.
If we cannot raise additional funding, we may be unable to complete development of our product candidates or establish commercial and manufacturing capabilities in achieving volume production, quality controlthe future.
Health care reform measures and quality assurance,other recent legislative initiatives could adversely affect our business.
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If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our competitors could develop and alsomarket products based on our discoveries, which may experience shortages in qualified personnel. As a result,reduce demand for our contract manufacturers mightproducts.
Risks Related to Our Company
We may not be able to meet our clinical schedules or adequately manufacture our products in commercial quantities when required;

switching manufacturers may be difficult because the number of potential manufacturers is limited. It may be difficult or impossible for us to find a replacement manufacturer quickly on acceptable terms, or at all;

our contract manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time requiredcontinue to successfully produce, store or distribute our products; and

drug manufacturers are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and other agencies to ensure strict compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices and other government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We do not have control over third-party manufacturers’ compliance with these regulations and standards.

Our current dependence upon third parties for the manufacture of our products may reduce our profit margin, if any, on the sale of INGREZZA or our future products and our ability to develop and deliver products on a timely and competitive basis.

Our clinical trials may fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, which could prevent or significantly delay their regulatory approval.

Before obtaining regulatory approval for the sale of any of our potential products, we must subject these product candidates to extensive preclinical and clinical testing to demonstrate their safety and efficacy for humans. Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and may take years to complete.

In connection with the clinical trials of our product candidates, we face the risks that:

the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authority may not allow an Investigational New Drug (IND) application or foreign equivalent filings required to initiate human clinical studies for our drug candidates or the FDA may require additional preclinical studies as a condition of the initiation of Phase I clinical studies, or additional clinical studies for progression from Phase I to Phase II, or Phase II to Phase III, or for NDA approval;

the product candidate may not prove to be effective or as effective as other competing product candidates;

we may discover that a product candidate may cause harmful side effects or results of required toxicology studies may not be acceptable to the FDA;

the results may not replicate the results of earlier, smaller trials;

the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may require use of new or experimental endpoints that may prove insensitive to treatment effects;

we or the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may suspend the trials;

the results may not be statistically significant;

patient recruitment may be slower than expected;

patients may drop out of the trials; and

regulatory requirements may change.

These risks and uncertainties impact all of our clinical programs. Specifically, our VMAT2 inhibitor program will be impacted if any of the events above lead to delayed timelines for the enrollment in, or completion of, clinical trials of INGREZZA for Tourette syndrome. With respect to our gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) program with AbbVie, any of the clinical, regulatory or operational events described above could delay timelines for the elagolix endometriosis program, for which an NDA has been submitted to the FDA; or the completion of the Phase III uterine fibroids program. Likewise, any of these events could change our planned clinical and regulatory activities for the opicapone program in Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, any of these events described above could result in suspension of a program and/or obviate any filings for necessary regulatory approvals.

In addition, late-stage clinical trials are often conducted with patients having the most advanced stages of disease. During the course of treatment, these patients can die or suffer other adverse medical effects for reasons that may not be related to the pharmaceutical agent being tested but which can nevertheless adversely affect clinical trial results. Any failure or substantial delay in completing clinical trials for our product candidates may severely harm our business.

Even if the clinical trials are successfully completed, we cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will interpret the results as we do, and more trials could be required before we submit our product candidates for approval. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing application, approval of our product candidates may be significantly delayed, or we may be required to expend significant additional resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates.

We depend on our current collaborators for the development and commercialization of our product candidates that we out-license and in-license, and may need to enter into future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product candidates.

Our strategy for fully developing and commercializing elagolix is dependent upon maintaining our current collaboration agreement with AbbVie. This collaboration agreement provides for significant future payments should certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones be achieved, and royalties on future sales of elagolix. Under this agreement, AbbVie is responsible for, among other things, conducting clinical trials and obtaining required regulatory approvals for elagolix; as well as manufacturing and commercialization of elagolix in the event it receives regulatory approval.

Because of our reliance on AbbVie, the development and commercialization of elagolix could be substantially delayed, and our ability to receive future funding could be substantially impaired, if AbbVie:

failed to gain the requisite regulatory approval of elagolix;

did not successfully launch and commercialize elagolix;

did not conduct its collaborative activities in a timely manner;

did not devote sufficient time and resources to our partnered program;

terminated its agreement with us;

developed, either alone or with others, products that may compete with elagolix;

disputed our respective allocations of rights to any products or technology developed during our collaboration; or

merged with a third party that wants to terminate our agreement.

In March 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe to develop and commercialize INGREZZA, in Japan and other select Asian markets. We will rely on Mitsubishi Tanabe to achieve certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones which, if achieved, could generate significant future revenue for us. Our collaboration with Mitsubishi Tanabe is subject to risks and uncertainties similar to those described above. In addition, we may need to enter into other out-licensing collaborations to assist in the development and commercialization of other product candidates we are developing nowONGENTYS, or may develop in the future, and any such future collaborations would be subject to similar risks and uncertainties.

In February 2017, we entered into a license agreement with BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, we are responsible for the management of all opicapone development and commercialization activities; however, we will depend on BIAL to supply all drug product and investigation medicinal product for our development and commercialization activities. In addition, pursuant to the license agreement, the parties have established a joint steering committee with overall coordination and strategic oversight over activities under the agreement and to provide a forum for regular exchange of information, and BIAL has the right to co-promote licensed products during certain periods of time and to engage in certain marketing-related activities in cooperation with us. Accordingly, our strategy for developing and commercializing opicapone is dependent upon maintaining our current collaboration with BIAL. Because of our reliance on BIAL for certain aspects related to the development and commercialization of opicapone, any disagreement with BIAL, or BIAL’s decision to not devote sufficient time and resources to our collaboration or to not conduct activities in a timely manner, could substantially delay and/or prohibit our ability to develop and commercialize opicapone.

These issues and possible disagreements with AbbVie, Mitsubishi Tanabe, BIAL or any future corporate collaborators could lead to delays in the collaborative research, development or commercialization of our product candidates. Furthermore, disagreements with these parties could require or result in litigation or arbitration, which would be time-consuming and expensive. If any of these issues arise, it may delay the development and commercialization of drug candidates and, ultimately, our generation of product revenues.

We do not and will not have access to all information regarding the product candidates we licensed to AbbVie.

We do not and will not have access to all information regarding the products being developed and potentially commercialized by AbbVie, including potentially material information about clinical trial design and execution, safety reports from clinical trials, spontaneous safety reports if a product candidate is later approved and marketed, regulatory affairs, process development, manufacturing, marketing and other areas known by AbbVie. In addition, we have confidentiality obligations under our agreement with AbbVie. Thus, our ability to keep our shareholders informed about the status of product candidates under our collaboration with AbbVie will be limited by the degree to which AbbVie keeps us informed and allows us to disclose such information to the public. If AbbVie fails to keep us informed about the clinical development and regulatory approval of our collaboration and product candidates licensed to it, we may make operational and investment decisions that we

would not have made had we been fully informed, which may materially and adversely affect our business and operations.

In April 2017, we received FDA approval for INGREZZA for TD and that approval subjects us to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense and market withdrawal. Additionally, our other product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other restrictions and market withdrawal and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our products.

We received FDA regulatory approval for INGREZZA in April 2017. This approval and other regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates if they are approved in the future.

Our ability to produce INGREZZA revenues consistent with expectations ultimately depends on our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA and secure adequate third-party reimbursement. Our experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products began with INGREZZA’s approval in 2017, when we hired our sales force and established our distribution and reimbursement capabilities, all of which are necessary to successfully commercialize our current and future products. We have continued to invest in our commercial infrastructure and distribution capabilities in the past four years, including our sales force expansion in late 2018. While our team members and consultants have experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, we may alsoface difficulties related to managing the rapid growth of our personnel and infrastructure, and there can be no guarantee that we will be able to maintain the personnel, systems, arrangements and capabilities necessary to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA, or to successfully commercialize ONGENTYS or any product candidate approved by the FDA in the future.
In addition, our business has been and may continue to be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most hospitals, community mental health facilities, and other healthcare facilities have implemented policies that limit access of our sales representatives, medical affairs personnel, and patients to such facilities. Due to these closures and our work from home decisions, our field force is currently functioning utilizing digital and telephonic engagement tools and tactics, which may be less effective than our ordinary sales and marketing and medical education programs. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including any lasting effects on the way we conduct our business, is highly uncertain and subject to limitations onchange. If we fail to maintain successful marketing, sales and reimbursement capabilities, our product revenues may suffer.
If physicians and patients do not continue to accept INGREZZA or do not accept ONGENTYS or our sales and marketing efforts are not effective, we may not generate sufficient revenue.
The commercial success of INGREZZA or ONGENTYS will depend upon the approved indicated usesacceptance of those products as safe and effective by the medical community and patients.
The market acceptance of INGREZZA or ONGENTYS could be affected by a number of factors, including:
the timing of receipt of marketing approvals for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor indications;
the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. With respect to products;
the FDA’s approval of INGREZZA for TD, we are subject to certain post-marketing requirements and commitments. Failure to comply with these post-marketing requirements and commitments could result in withdrawalpricing of our marketing approval for INGREZZA. In addition, with respect to INGREZZA,products;
the availability of healthcare payor coverage and any product candidate that the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeepingadequate reimbursement for the product will be subject to extensiveproducts;
public perception regarding any products we may develop;
the success of existing competitor products addressing our target markets or the emergence of equivalent or superior products; and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things:

restrictions on the marketing or manufacturingcost-effectiveness of the product, withdrawal ofproducts.

If the product from the market, medical community and patients do not continue to accept our products as being safe, effective, superior and/or voluntary or mandatory product recalls;

fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials;

refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals;

product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and

product injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

The FDA’s policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of any of our product candidates or future indications for currently approved products. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance,cost-effective, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, which would adversely affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability.

not generate sufficient revenue.

Governmental and third-party payors may impose sales and pharmaceutical pricing controls on our products or limit coverage and/or reimbursement for our products that could limit our product revenues and delay sustained profitability.

Our ability to continue to commercialize any productsINGREZZA successfully including INGREZZA,or to commercialize ONGENTYS, will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available. The continuing efforts of government and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of health care
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and the price of prescription drugs through various means may reduce our potential revenues. These payors’ efforts could decrease the price that we receive for any products we may develop and sell in the future.

Assuming we obtain coverage for a given product by a third-party payor, the resulting reimbursement payment rates may not be adequate or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover all or a significant portion of the cost of our products. Coverage decisions may depend upon clinical and economic standards that disfavor new drug products when more established or lower cost therapeutic alternatives are already available or subsequently become available regardless of whether they are approved by the FDA for that particular use.

Government authorities and other third-party payors are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs, such as by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Further, no uniform policy requirement for coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party payors in the United States.U.S. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. In addition, communications from government officials regarding health care costs and pharmaceutical pricing could have a negative impact on our stock price, even if such communications do not ultimately impact coverage or reimbursement decisions for our products.

There may also be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future. In addition, gene therapy treatments, which we are developing pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, face additional uncertainty related to pricing and reimbursement. As an example, there are a limited number of gene therapy products currently approved for coverage and reimbursement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS.
If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not successfully commercialize INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition.

If physicians and patients do not accept INGREZZA or any of our other products, we may not generate sufficient revenue.

The commercial success of INGREZZA or any of our other products, if approved for marketing, will depend upon the acceptance of those products as safe and effective

Our business could be adversely affected by the medical community and patients.

The market acceptanceeffects of INGREZZAhealth pandemics or any of our other products could be affected by a number of factors, including:

epidemics, including the timing of receipt of marketing approvals for indications;

the safety and efficacy of the products;

the pricing of our products;

the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement for the products;

the success of existing products addressing our target marketsCOVID-19 pandemic, in regions where we or the emergence of equivalent or superior products; and

the cost-effectiveness of the products.

In addition, market acceptance dependsthird parties on the effectiveness of our marketing strategy and distribution support, and, to date, althoughwhich we rely have hired experiencedsignificant sales and marketing professionals,efforts or manufacturing facilities, concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations, or materially affect our operations, and at our clinical trial sites, as well as the business or operations of our manufacturers, CROs or other third parties with whom we conduct business.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics in regions where we have very

limited salesconcentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations, and marketing experience. Ifcould cause significant disruption in the medical communityoperations of third-party manufacturers and CROs upon whom we rely. As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we may experience disruptions that could severely impact our supply chain, ongoing and future clinical trials and commercialization of INGREZZA and ONGENTYS. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased travel restrictions and the shutdown or delay of business activities in various regions, including San Diego, California, where our headquarters are located. In response to state and local restrictions, we implemented work-from-home policies for all employees except certain key essential members involved in business-critical activities. The effects of the stay at home order and our work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business and delay our clinical programs and timelines, the magnitude of which will

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depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. In addition, we may face several challenges or disruptions upon a return back to the workplace if and when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, including re-integration challenges by our employees and distractions to management related to such transition. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.
Quarantines, stay at home orders and other state and local restrictions, or the perception that such orders, shutdowns or other restrictions on the conduct of business operations could occur, related to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, could impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities in the United States and other countries, or the availability or cost of materials, which would disrupt our supply chain.
In addition, clinical site initiation and patient enrollment may be delayed due to concerns for patient safety and prioritization of healthcare resources toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Some patients may not be able to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services. Similarly, our ability to recruit and retain patients, principal investigators and site staff (who as healthcare providers may have heightened exposure to COVID-19) may be hindered, which would adversely impact our clinical trial operations. For example, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we initially paused enrollment of new patients in several of our clinical trials.Since then, we have begun enrolling patients again in the Phase III study of valbenazine for chorea in HD and the Phase IIa pediatric study of crinecerfont in CAH.However, increases in COVID-19 cases or hospitalizations in the future could cause us to again limit or suspend our patient enrollment and screening activities.
The spread of COVID-19, which has caused a broad impact globally, may materially affect us economically. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, the pandemic is currently resulting in disruption of global financial markets. This disruption, if sustained or recurrent, could make it more difficult for us to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could materially affect our business and the value of our common stock.
The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or a similar health pandemic or epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not ultimately acceptyet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our productsbusiness, our clinical trials, healthcare systems or the global economy as being safe, effective, superior and/or cost-effective, we may not generate sufficient revenue.

a whole. These effects could have a material impact on our operations.

Because the development of our product candidates is subject to a substantial degree of technological uncertainty, we may not succeed in developing any of our product candidates.

All of our product candidates are currently in research or clinical development with the exceptionexceptions of INGREZZA, which has been approved by the FDA for TD.tardive dyskinesia, ONGENTYS, which has been approved by the FDA for Parkinson’s disease, ORILISSA (partnered with AbbVie), which has been approved by the FDA for the management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women, and ORIAHNN (partnered with AbbVie), which has been approved by the FDA for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women. Only a small number of research and development programs ultimately result in commercially successful drugs. In addition, to date the FDA has granted regulatory approval for only a very limited number of gene therapy products and the clinical development of a gene therapy product may result in unforeseen adverse events. For example, the FDA has placed a clinical hold on the RESTORE-1 study, a Phase II, randomized, placebo-surgery controlled, double-blind, multi-center clinical study of NBIb-1817 in Parkinson’s disease patients, following our submission of an IND safety report related to the observation of MRI abnormalities in some study participants. The clinical implications of this observation are currently unknown and are being evaluated. On February 2, 2021, we notified Voyager of our termination of the NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease program. The effective date of the termination will be August 2, 2021.
Potential products that appear to be promising at early stages of development may not reach the market for a number of reasons. These reasons include the possibilities that the potential products may:

be found ineffective or cause harmful side effects during preclinical studies or clinical trials;

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fail to receive necessary regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all;

be precluded from commercialization by proprietary rights of third parties;

be difficult to manufacture on a large scale; or

be uneconomical to commercialize or fail to achieve market acceptance.

If any of our product candidates encounters any of these potential problems, we may never successfully market that product candidate.

Our indebtednessclinical trials may be delayed or fail to demonstrate the safety and liabilitiesefficacy of our product candidates, which could limitprevent or significantly delay their regulatory approval.
Before obtaining regulatory approval for the cash flow availablesale of any of our potential products, we must subject these product candidates to extensive preclinical and clinical testing to demonstrate their safety and efficacy for humans. Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and may take years to complete and the outcomes are uncertain.
In connection with the clinical trials of our product candidates, we face the risks that:
the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authority may not allow an IND application or foreign equivalent filings required to initiate human clinical studies for our operations, exposedrug candidates or the FDA may require additional preclinical studies as a condition of the initiation of Phase I clinical studies, or additional clinical studies for progression from Phase I to Phase II, or Phase II to Phase III, or for NDA approval;
the product candidate may not prove to be effective or as effective as other competing product candidates;
we may discover that a product candidate may cause harmful side effects or results of required toxicology or other studies may not be acceptable to the FDA;
the results may not replicate the results of earlier, smaller trials;
the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may require use of new or experimental endpoints that may prove insensitive to treatment effects;
we or the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may suspend the trials;
the results may not be statistically significant;
patient recruitment and enrollment may be slower or more difficult than expected;
the FDA may not accept the data from any trial or trial site outside of the US;
patients may drop out of the trials;
unforeseen disruptions or delays may occur, caused by man-made or natural disasters or public health pandemics or epidemics or other business interruptions, including, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic; and
regulatory requirements may change.
These risks and uncertainties impact all of our clinical programs and any of the clinical, regulatory or operational events described above could change our planned clinical and regulatory activities. For example, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we paused enrollment of new patients in several of our clinical trials, and increases in COVID-19 cases or hospitalizations in the future could cause us to risksfurther limit or suspend our patient enrollment and screening activities. Additionally, any of these events described above could result in suspension of a program and/or obviate any filings for necessary regulatory approvals.
In addition, late-stage clinical trials are often conducted with patients having the most advanced stages of disease. During the course of treatment, these patients can die or suffer other adverse medical effects for reasons that couldmay not be related to the pharmaceutical agent being tested but which can nevertheless adversely affect clinical trial results. Any failure or substantial delay in completing clinical trials for our business, financial conditionproduct candidates may severely harm our business.
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Even if the clinical trials are successfully completed, we cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will interpret the results as we do, and more trials could be required before we submit our product candidates for approval. To the extent that the results of operations.

To date, we have sold $517.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2024 (2024 Notes). We may also incur additional indebtednessthe trials are not satisfactory to meet future financing needs. Our indebtedness could have significant negative consequencesthe FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for our security holders and our business, results of operations and financial condition by, among other things:

increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions;

limiting our ability to obtain additional financing;

requiring the dedicationsupport of a substantial portionmarketing application, approval of our cash flow from operations to service our indebtedness, which will reduce the amount of cash available for other purposes;

limiting our flexibility to plan for,product candidates may be significantly delayed, or react to, changes in our business;

diluting the interests of our existing stockholders as a result of issuing shares of our common stock upon conversion of the 2024 Notes; and

placing us at a possible competitive disadvantage with competitors that are less leveraged than us or have better access to capital.

Our business may not generate sufficient funds, and we may otherwise be unable to maintain sufficient cash reserves, to pay amounts due under the 2024 Notes and any additional indebtedness that we may incur. In addition, our cash needs may increase in the future. In addition, any future indebtedness that we may incur may contain financial and other restrictive covenants that limit our ability to operate our business, raise capital or make payments under our other indebtedness. If we fail to comply with these covenants or to make payments under our indebtedness when due, then we would be in default under that indebtedness, which could, in turn, result in that and our other indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full.

The conditional conversion feature of the 2024 Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

In the event the conditional conversion feature of the 2024 Notes is triggered, holders of 2024 Notes will be entitled to convert their 2024 Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more of the holders of the 2024 Notes elects to convert their notes, unless we satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering only shares of our common stock, we would be required to settle all or a portionexpend significant additional resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our conversion obligation throughproduct candidates.

We depend on our current collaborators for the paymentdevelopment and commercialization of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. Furthermore, even if holders of the 2024 Notes did not elect to convert their notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the 2024 Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reductionseveral of our net working capital.

products and product candidates and may need to enter into future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product candidates.

We have a history of losses and expect to increasedepend on our expensescurrent collaborators for the foreseeabledevelopment and commercialization of several of our products and product candidates and may need to enter into future collaborations to develop and commercialize certain of our product candidates. For example, we may never achieve sustained profitability.

Since our inception, we have incurred significant net losses and negative cash flow from operations. As a result of historical operating losses, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2017. We do not expect to be profitablecollaborate with AbbVie for the year ending December 31, 2018.

In April 2017, we received FDA approvalmanufacture and commercialization of two of our commercial products, ORILISSA and ORIAHNN, and for the continued development of elagolix. We collaborate with MTPC for the development and commercialization of INGREZZA for TD, howevermovement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets. We also rely on BIAL for the commercial supply of ONGENTYS. In addition, we have not yet obtained regulatory approvalscollaborate with Xenon for any other product candidates. Even if the development of NBI-921352, Idorsia for the development of NBI-827104 and Takeda for the development of NBI-1065844.

Our current and future collaborations and licenses could subject us to a number of risks, including:
we succeed in commercializing INGREZZAmay be required to undertake the expenditure of substantial operational, financial and management resources;
we may be required to assume substantial actual or developing and commercializing any of our other product candidates, contingent liabilities;
we may not be profitable. We also expectable to continuecontrol the amount and timing of resources that our strategic collaborators devote to incur significant operatingthe development or commercialization of our products or product candidates;
we may not be able to influence our strategic collaborator’s decisions regarding the development and capital expenditurescollaboration of our partnered product and product candidates, and as we:

a result, our collaboration partners may not pursue or prioritize the development and commercialization of those partnered products and product candidates in a manner that is in our best interest;

commercialize INGREZZAstrategic collaborators may select indications or design clinical trials in a way that may be less successful than if we were doing so;

strategic collaborators may not conduct collaborative activities in a timely manner, provide insufficient funding, terminate a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new version of a product candidate for TD;

clinical testing;

seek regulatory approvals forstrategic collaborators may not pursue further development and commercialization of products resulting from the strategic collaboration arrangement or may elect to discontinue research and development programs;

disagreements or disputes may arise between us and our strategic collaborators that result in delays or in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management’s attention and consumes resources;
strategic collaborators may experience financial difficulties;
strategic collaborators may not properly maintain, enforce or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in a manner that could jeopardize or invalidate our proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation;
strategic collaborators could terminate the arrangement or allow it to expire, which would delay the development and commercialization and may increase the cost of developing and commercializing our products or product candidates;

and

strategic collaborators could develop, formulate, manufactureeither alone or with others, products or product candidates that may compete with ours.

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If any of these issues arise, it may delay and/or negatively impact the development and commercializecommercialization of drug candidates and, ultimately, our generation of product candidates;

revenues.

in-license or acquire new product development opportunities;

implement additional internal systems and infrastructure; and

hire additional clinical, scientific, sales and marketing personnel.

We expect to increase our expenses and other investments in the coming years as we fund our operations, in-licensing or acquisition opportunities, and capital expenditures. We will need to generate significant revenues to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow on an annual basis. We may not be able to generate these revenues,successfully commercialize ONGENTYS.

In April 2020, we received FDA approval for ONGENTYS as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson’s disease patients, and in September 2020, we launched the commercial sale of ONGENTYS with our existing INGREZZA infrastructure. The successful commercialization of ONGENTYS is subject to many risks, and there are numerous examples of unsuccessful product launches and failures, including by pharmaceutical companies with more experience and resources than us. If we are unable to effectively train our employees and equip them with effective materials, including medical and sales literature to help them inform and educate health care practitioners about the benefits of ONGENTYS and its proper administration, our commercialization of ONGENTYS may never achieve profitability on an annual basis in the future. Our failure to achieve or maintain profitability on an annual basis could negatively impact the market price of our common stock.not be successful. Even if we become profitable on an annual basis,are successful in effectively training and equipping our sales force, there are many factors that could cause the commercialization of ONGENTYS to be unsuccessful, including a number of factors that are outside our control. Health care practitioners may not prescribe ONGENTYS and patients may be unwilling to use ONGENTYS if insurance coverage is not provided or reimbursement is inadequate. In addition, our ability to train our employees and effectively communicate with potential prescribers could be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Use of our approved products or those of our collaborators could be associated with side effects or adverse events.
As with most pharmaceutical products, use of our approved products or those of our collaborators could be associated with side effects or adverse events which can vary in severity (from minor adverse reactions to death) and frequency (infrequent or prevalent). Side effects or adverse events associated with the use of our products or those of our collaborators may be observed at any time, including after a product is commercialized, and reports of any such side effects or adverse events may negatively impact demand for our or our collaborators’ products or affect our or our collaborators’ ability to maintain regulatory approval for such products. Side effects or other safety issues associated with the use of our approved products or those of our collaborators could require us or our collaborators to modify or halt commercialization of these products or expose us to product liability lawsuits which will harm our business. We or our collaborators may be required by regulatory agencies to conduct additional studies regarding the safety and efficacy of our products which we cannot assure youhave not planned or anticipated. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that we wouldor our collaborators will resolve any issues related to any product related adverse events to the satisfaction of the FDA or any regulatory agency in a timely manner or ever, which could harm our business, prospects and financial condition.
Gene therapy treatments, which we are developing pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, may be able to sustainperceived as unsafe or increase profitability on an annual basis.

We have recentlymay result in unforeseen adverse events. Negative public opinion and increased the sizeregulatory scrutiny of our organization, and will need to continue to increase the size of our organization. Wegene therapy may encounter difficulties with managing our growth, which could adversely affect our resultsability to initiate or continue clinical development or obtain regulatory approvals for gene therapy product candidates or the commercialization of operations.

Asgene therapy products.

Gene therapy remains a novel technology, with few gene therapy products approved to date in the US. Public perception may be influenced by claims that gene therapy is unsafe, and gene therapy may not gain the acceptance of December 31, 2017,the public or the medical community. Even if we had approximately 400 employees. Although we substantially increasedare able to successfully complete clinical development of a gene therapy product and obtain commercial approval, the sizesuccess of our organization during 2017, we may needcollaboration with Voyager will depend upon physicians who specialize in the treatment of genetic diseases targeted by gene therapy product candidates, prescribing treatments that involve the use of our product candidates in lieu of, or in addition to, add additional qualified personnelexisting treatments with which they are familiar and resources, especially now that we have a commercial sales force. Our current infrastructurefor which greater clinical data may be inadequateavailable. More restrictive government regulations, negative public opinion related to supportgene therapy products, or safety issues identified in our development and commercialization efforts and expected growth. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, includingclinical trials may delay or impair the need to identify, recruit, maintain and integrate additional employees, and may take time away from running other aspects of our business, including development and commercialization of our gene therapy product candidates.

candidates or demand for any gene therapy products we develop.

Our future financial performance

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The limited precedent for gene therapy approvals makes it difficult to determine how long it will take or how much it will cost to obtain regulatory approvals for the product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager.
The FDA has limited experience in the review and approval of gene therapy products. The limited precedent for gene therapy approvals makes it difficult to determine how long it will take or how much it will cost to obtain regulatory approvals for the product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager.
Regulatory requirements governing gene therapy products have changed frequently and may continue to change in the future. As a result, the regulatory review process may take longer or cost more than we anticipate, including requirements for additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, and delay or prevent approval and commercialization of our gene therapy product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager. While the FDA has issued draft guidance for the development of gene therapies and proposed rules that would streamline certain requirements to which gene therapies are currently subject, it remains to be seen as to whether such initiatives will ultimately increase the speed of drug development in gene therapies such as the product candidates we are developing through our collaboration with Voyager.
Delay or failure to obtain, or unexpected costs in obtaining, the regulatory approval necessary to bring a potential product to market could decrease our ability to commercialize INGREZZAgenerate sufficient product revenue, and any otherour business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects would be harmed. If our gene therapy products are approved but fail to achieve market acceptance among physicians, patients, hospitals, third-party payors or others in the medical community, we will not be able to generate significant revenue.
We face intense competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, the demand for our products may be reduced.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are subject to rapid and intense technological change. We face, and will continue to face, competition in the development and marketing of our products and product candidates that receive regulatory approval will depend, in part,from academic institutions, government agencies, research institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Competition may also arise from, among other things:
other drug development technologies;
methods of preventing or reducing the incidence of disease, including vaccines; and
new small molecule or other classes of therapeutic agents.
Developments by others may render our product candidates or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.
We are commercializing and performing research on or developing products for the treatment of several disorders including endometriosis, tardive dyskinesia, uterine fibroids, essential tremor, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, pain, Parkinson’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia, and other neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders, and there are a number of competitors to our ability to manage any future growth effectively. In particular, as we commercialize INGREZZA, we will need to support the trainingproducts and ongoing activitiesproduct candidates. If one or more of our sales forcecompetitors’ products or programs are successful, the market for our products may be reduced or eliminated.
With respect to INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia, we compete with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which received FDA approval for AUSTEDO to treat tardive dyskinesia in August 2017, and will likely needseveral clinical development-stage programs targeting tardive dyskinesia and related movement disorders. Additionally, there are a number of commercially available medicines used to treat tardive dyskinesia off-label, such as Xenazine (tetrabenazine) and generic equivalents, and various antipsychotic medications (e.g., clozapine), anticholinergics, benzodiazepines (off-label), and botulinum toxin.
In endometriosis, ORILISSA and ORIAHNN each compete with several FDA-approved products for the treatment of endometriosis, uterine fibroids, infertility, and central precocious puberty. Additionally, there is also competition from surgical intervention, including hysterectomies and ablations. Separate from these options, there are many programs in clinical development which serve as potential future competition. Lastly, there are numerous medicines used to treat the symptoms of disease (vs. endometriosis or uterine fibroids directly) which may also serve as competition: oral contraceptives, NSAIDs and other pain medications including opioids.
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With respect to ONGENTYS for Parkinson’s disease, there are currently two other FDA-approved COMT inhibitors. ONGENTYS competes directly with these two drugs and their generic equivalents. Additionally, there are a number of alternative adjunctive treatment options (FDA-approved and in clinical development) for Parkinson’s patients which compete with ONGENTYS, including various L-dopa preparations, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors and others. In terms of potential future competition, there are several programs in late-stage clinical development.
As for CAH, high doses of corticosteroids are the current standard of care to both correct the endogenous cortisol deficiency as well as reduce the excessive ACTH levels. In the U.S. alone, there are more than two dozen companies manufacturing steroid-based products. Additionally, there are several clinical development-stage programs targeting CAH and several companies developing medicinal treatments for CAH.
Our investigational treatments for potential use in epilepsy may in the future compete with numerous approved anti-seizure medications, or ASMs, and development-stage programs being pursued by several other companies. Commonly used ASMs, among others, include phenytoin, levetiracetam, brivaracetam, cenobamate, carbamazepine, clobazam, lamotrigine, valproate, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, lacosamide, perampanel and cannabidiol. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments specifically indicated for the early infantile epileptic encephalopathies SCN8A-DEE and EE-CSWS; however, a number of different ASMs are currently used in these patient populations.
The investigational treatment NBI-1065844 for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia may in the future compete with off-label antipsychotic and antidepressant medicines, including ciraprazine, clozapine, fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, and amisulpride. In addition, there are several development-stage programs being pursued by other companies, including pimavanserin, roluperidone, RO6889450 and sodium benzoate. Currently, there are no-FDA approved treatments specifically indicated for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Our investigational treatments for potential use in endocrinology, neurology, and psychiatry, as well as our investigational gene therapies, may in the future compete with numerous approved products and development-stage programs being pursued by several other companies.
Compared to us, many of our competitors and potential competitors have substantially greater:
capital resources;
research and development resources, including personnel and technology;
regulatory experience;
preclinical study and clinical testing experience;
manufacturing, marketing and distribution experience; and
production facilities.
Moreover, increased competition in certain disorders or therapies may make it more difficult for us to recruit or enroll patients in our clinical trials for similar disorders or therapies.
We currently have no manufacturing capabilities. If third-party manufacturers of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any of our product candidates fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our concerns, or if their performance is substandard, our clinical trials and product introductions may be delayed, and our costs may rise.
We have in the past utilized, and intend to continue to expandutilize, third-party manufacturers to produce the sizedrug compounds we use in our clinical trials and for the commercialization of our employee baseproducts. We have limited experience in manufacturing products for managerial, operational, financialcommercial purposes and other resources. To that end,do not currently have any manufacturing facilities. Establishing internal commercial manufacturing capabilities would require significant time and resources, and we must be able to:

manage our development efforts effectively;

integrate additional management, administrative and manufacturing personnel;

further develop our marketing and sales organization; and

maintain sufficient administrative, accounting and management information systems and controls.

We may not be able to accomplish these taskstimely or successfully manageestablish such capabilities. Consequently, we depend on, and will continue to depend on, several contract manufacturers for all production of products for development and commercial purposes, including INGREZZA and ONGENTYS. If we are unable to obtain or retain third-party manufacturers, we will not be able to develop or commercialize our operationsproducts, including INGREZZA and accordingly,ONGENTYS. The

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manufacture of our products for clinical trials and commercial purposes is subject to specific FDA regulations, including current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. Our third-party manufacturers, including BIAL and its suppliers, might not comply with FDA regulations relating to manufacturing our products for clinical trials and commercial purposes or other regulatory requirements now or in the future. In addition, the manufacture of gene therapy products, which will be necessary under our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, is technically complex and necessitates substantial expertise and capital investment. Our reliance on contract manufacturers also exposes us to the following risks:
contract manufacturers may encounter difficulties in achieving volume production, quality control or quality assurance, and also may experience shortages in qualified personnel. As a result, our contract manufacturers might not be able to meet our clinical schedules or adequately manufacture our products in commercial quantities when required;
switching manufacturers may be difficult because the number of potential manufacturers is limited. It may be difficult or impossible for us to find a replacement manufacturer quickly on acceptable terms, or at all;
our contract manufacturers may not achieveperform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time required to successfully produce, store or distribute our research, development,products; and commercialization goals.
drug manufacturers are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other agencies to ensure strict compliance with cGMP and other government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We do not have control over third-party manufacturers’ compliance with these regulations and standards.
Our failure to accomplish any of these goals could harm our financial results and prospects.

We license some of our core technologies and drug candidates from third parties. If we default on any of our obligations under those licenses, or violate the terms of these licenses, we could lose our rights to those technologies and drug candidates or be forced to pay damages.

We are dependent on licenses fromcurrent dependence upon third parties for somethe manufacture of our key technologies. These licenses typically subject us to various commercialization, reportingproducts may reduce our profit margin, if any, on the sale of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS, or our future products and other obligations. If we fail to comply with these obligations, we could lose important rights. If we were to default on our obligations under any of our licenses, we could lose some or all of our rights to develop, market and sell products covered by these licenses. For example, BIAL may terminate our license agreement, pursuant to which we have rightsability to develop and commercialize opicapone, if we fail to use commercially reasonable efforts, fail to file an NDA fordeliver products on a licensed product bytimely and competitive basis.

We currently depend on a specified date,limited number of third-party suppliers. The loss of these suppliers, or otherwise breach the license agreement. In addition, if we were to violate any of the terms of our licenses, we could become subject to damages. For example, on December 1, 2015, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York (Mount Sinai) filed a complaint against us, seeking unspecified monetary damages, future sublicensing fees and attorney’s fees, alleging that we violated the terms of our license with Mount Sinai by inappropriately sublicensing Mount Sinai technology to AbbVie. While we believe that we have meritorious defenses to the claims madedelays or problems in the complaintsupply of INGREZZA or ONGENTYS, could materially and intend to vigorously defend ourselves against such claims, we are not able to predict the ultimate outcome of this action. Likewise, if we were to lose our rights under a license to use proprietary research tools, it could adversely affect our existing collaborations or adversely affect our ability to form new collaborations.successfully commercialize INGREZZA or ONGENTYS.
The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of process controls required to consistently produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, and the finished product in sufficient quantities while meeting detailed product specifications on a repeated basis. Manufacturers of pharmaceutical products may encounter difficulties in production, such as difficulties with production costs and yields, process controls, quality control and quality assurance, including testing of stability, impurities and impurity levels and other product specifications by validated test methods, compliance with strictly enforced U.S., state, and non-U.S. regulations, and disruptions caused by man-made or natural disasters or public health pandemics or epidemics or other business interruptions, including, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic. We also face the risk that our licensors could, fordepend on a limited number of reasons, lose patent protectionsuppliers for the production of INGREZZA and its API. If our third-party suppliers for INGREZZA encounter these or lose their rightsany other manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties, we may be unable to meet commercial demand for INGREZZA, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA. In addition, under the technologiesterms of our agreement with BIAL, although we are responsible for the management of all ONGENTYS commercialization activities, we rely on BIAL and its suppliers to supply all drug product for the commercialization of ONGENTYS. BIAL relies on third-party contract manufacturers to produce ONGENTYS. These contract manufacturers may encounter difficulties in achieving volume production, quality control, or quality assurance. As a result, these contract manufacturers may not be able to adequately produce ONGENTYS in commercial quantities when required, which may impact our ability to deliver ONGENTYS on a timely basis.
In addition, if our suppliers fail or refuse to supply us with INGREZZA or its API for any reason, it would take a significant amount of time and expense to qualify a new supplier. The FDA and similar international regulatory bodies must approve manufacturers of the active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients and certain packaging materials used in pharmaceutical products. The loss of a supplier could require us to obtain regulatory clearance and to incur validation and other costs associated with the transfer of the API or product manufacturing processes. If there are delays in qualifying new suppliers or facilities or a new supplier is unable to meet FDA or a similar international regulatory body’s requirements for approval, there could be a shortage of INGREZZA, which could
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materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA. If BIAL is unable or refuses to supply us with ONGENTYS drug product for any reason, or does not meet FDA or international regulators’ requirements for approval, we have licensed, thereby impairing or extinguishinglimited opportunity to qualify a new supplier. This could materially and adversely affect our rights under our licenses with them.

ability to successfully commercialize ONGENTYS.

The independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations that we rely upon to conduct our clinical trials may not be diligent, careful or timely, and may make mistakes, in the conduct of our trials.

We depend on independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations, (CROs)or CROs, to conduct our clinical trials under their agreements with us. The investigators are not our employees, and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our programs. If our independent investigators fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our drug development programs, or if their performance is substandard, or not in compliance with Good Clinical Practices, it may delay or prevent the approval of our FDA applications and our introduction of new drugs. The CROs we contract with for execution of our clinical trials play a significant role in the conduct of the trials and the subsequent collection and analysis of data. Failure of the CROs to meet their obligations could adversely affect clinical development of our products. Moreover, these independent investigators and CROs may also have relationships with other commercial entities, some of which may compete with us. If independent investigators and CROs assist our competitors at our expense, it could harm our competitive position.

We do not and will not have access to all information regarding the products and product candidates we licensed to AbbVie.

We do not and will not have access to all information regarding elagolix, including potentially material information about commercialization plans, medical information strategies, clinical trial design and execution, safety reports from clinical trials, safety reports, regulatory affairs, process development, manufacturing and other areas known by AbbVie. In addition, we have confidentiality obligations under our agreement with AbbVie. Thus, our ability to keep our shareholders informed about the status of elagolix will be limited by the degree to which AbbVie keeps us informed and allows us to disclose such information to the public. If AbbVie fails to keep us informed about commercialization efforts related to elagolix, or the status of the clinical development or regulatory approval pathway of other product candidates licensed to it, we may make operational and/or investment decisions that we would not have made had we been fully informed, which may materially and adversely affect our business and operations.
We are subject to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review for INGREZZA. Additionally, our other product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other post-marketing requirements and restrictions.
Regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. For example, with respect to the FDA’s approval of INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia in April 2017, we are subject to certain post-marketing requirements and commitments. In addition, with respect to INGREZZA, and any product candidate that the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for the product will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Failure to comply with these ongoing regulatory requirements, or later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, may result in, among other things:
restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, changes in the product’s label, withdrawal of the product from the market, or voluntary or mandatory product recalls;
fines, warning 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 product license approvals;
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product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and
product injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The occurrence of any of these events may adversely affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability on a sustained basis.
If we are unable to retain and recruit qualified scientists or if any of our key senior executives discontinues his or her employment with us, it may delay our development efforts or impact our commercialization of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any product candidate approved by the FDA.
We are highly dependent on the principal members of our management and scientific staff. The loss of any of these people could impede the achievement of our objectives, including the successful commercialization of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any product candidate approved by the FDA. Furthermore, recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel to perform research and development work in the future, along with personnel with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, is critical to our success. We may be unable to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among biotechnology, pharmaceutical and health care companies, universities and non-profit research institutions for experienced scientists and individuals with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. We may face particular retention challenges in light of the recent rapid growth in our personnel and infrastructure and the perceived impact of those changes upon our corporate culture. In addition, we rely on a significant number of consultants to assist us in formulating our research and development strategy and our commercialization strategy. Our consultants may have commitments to, or advisory or consulting agreements with, other entities that may limit their availability to us.
If the market opportunities for our products and product candidates are smaller than we believe they are, our revenues may be adversely affected, and our business may suffer.
Certain of the diseases that INGREZZA, ONGENTYS and our other product candidates are being developed to address are in underserved and underdiagnosed populations. Our projections of both the number of people who have these diseases, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who will seek treatment utilizing our products or product candidates, may not be accurate. If our estimates of the prevalence or number of patients potentially on therapy prove to be inaccurate, the market opportunities for INGREZZA, ONGENTYS and our other product candidates may be smaller than we believe they are, our prospects for generating expected revenue may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.
We license some of our core technologies and drug candidates from third parties. If we default on any of our obligations under those licenses, or violate the terms of these licenses, we could lose our rights to those technologies and drug candidates or be forced to pay damages.
We are dependent on licenses from third parties for some of our key technologies. These licenses typically subject us to various commercialization, reporting and other obligations. If we fail to comply with these obligations, we could lose important rights. If we were to default on our obligations under any of our licenses, we could lose some or all of our rights to develop, market and sell products covered by these licenses. For example, BIAL may terminate our license agreement, pursuant to which we have rights to commercialize ONGENTYS, if we fail to use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with specified obligations under the license agreement, or if we otherwise breach the license agreement. In addition, several of our collaboration and license agreements allow our licensors to terminate such agreements if we challenge the validity or enforceability of certain intellectual property rights or if we commit a material breach in whole or in part of the agreement and do not cure such breach within the agreed upon cure period. In addition, if we were to violate any of the terms of our licenses, we could become subject to damages. Likewise, if we were to lose our rights under a license to use proprietary research tools, it could adversely affect our existing collaborations or adversely affect our ability to form new collaborations. We also face the risk that our licensors could, for a number of reasons, lose patent protection or lose their rights to the technologies we have licensed, thereby impairing or extinguishing our rights under our licenses with them.
Our indebtedness and liabilities could limit the cash flow available for our operations, expose us to risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In May 2017, we sold $517.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due May 15, 2024, or the 2024 Notes. In November 2020, we entered into separate, privately negotiated transactions with certain
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holders of the 2024 Notes to repurchase $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. At December 31, 2020, $381.3 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes remained outstanding. We may also incur additional indebtedness to meet future financing needs. Our indebtedness could have significant negative consequences for our security holders and our business, results of operations and financial condition by, among other things:
increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions;
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing;
requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to service our indebtedness, which will reduce the amount of cash available for other purposes;
limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business;
diluting the interests of our existing stockholders as a result of issuing shares of our common stock upon conversion of the 2024 Notes; and
placing us at a possible competitive disadvantage with competitors that are less leveraged than us or have better access to capital.
Our business may not generate sufficient funds, and we may otherwise be unable to maintain sufficient cash reserves, to pay amounts due under the 2024 Notes and any additional indebtedness that we may incur. In addition, our cash needs may increase in the future. In addition, any future indebtedness that we may incur may contain financial and other restrictive covenants that limit our ability to operate our business, raise capital or make payments under our other indebtedness. If we fail to comply with these covenants or to make payments under our indebtedness when due, then we would be in default under that indebtedness, which could, in turn, result in that and our other indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full.
We have a history of losses and expect to increase our expenses for the foreseeable future, and we may not be able to sustain profitability.
Since our inception, we have incurred significant net losses and negative cash flow from operations. At December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $0.7 billion as a result of historical operating losses.
We received FDA approval for INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia in April 2017 and for ONGENTYS for Parkinson’s disease in April 2020. Our partner AbbVie received FDA approval for ORILISSA for endometriosis in July 2018 and for ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids in May 2020. However, we have not yet obtained regulatory approvals for any other product candidates. Even if we continue to succeed in commercializing INGREZZA, or if we successfully commercialize ONGENTYS or are successful in developing and commercializing any of our other product candidates, we may not be able to sustain profitability. We also expect to continue to incur significant operating and capital expenditures as we:
commercialize INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia;
commercialize ONGENTYS for Parkinson’s disease;
seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates;
develop, formulate, manufacture and commercialize our product candidates;
in-license or acquire new product development opportunities;
implement additional internal systems and infrastructure; and
hire additional clinical, scientific, sales and marketing personnel.
We expect to increase our expenses and other investments in the coming years as we fund our operations, in-licensing or acquisition opportunities, and capital expenditures. While we were profitable for the year ended December 31, 2020, our future operating results and profitability may fluctuate from period to period due to the factors described above, and we will need to generate significant revenues to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow on a sustained basis. We may not be able to generate these revenues, and we may never achieve
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profitability on a sustained basis in the future. Our failure to maintain or increase profitability on a sustained basis could negatively impact the market price of our common stock.
We have recently increased the size of our organization and will need to continue to increase the size of our organization. We may encounter difficulties with managing our growth, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
At December 31, 2020, we had approximately 845 full-time employees. Although we have substantially increased the size of our organization, we may need to add additional qualified personnel and resources, especially now that we have a commercial sales force. Our current infrastructure may be inadequate to support our development and commercialization efforts and expected growth. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain and integrate additional employees, and may take time away from running other aspects of our business, including development and commercialization of our product candidates.
Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize INGREZZA, ONGENTYS and any other product candidates that receive regulatory approval will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. In particular, as we commercialize INGREZZA and ONGENTYS, we will need to support the training and ongoing activities of our sales force and will likely need to continue to expand the size of our employee base for managerial, operational, financial and other resources. To that end, we must be able to successfully:
manage our development efforts effectively;
integrate additional management, administrative and manufacturing personnel;
further develop our marketing and sales organization; and
maintain sufficient administrative, accounting and management information systems and controls.
We may not be able to accomplish these tasks or successfully manage our operations and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development, and commercialization goals. Our failure to accomplish any of these goals could harm our financial results and prospects.
We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

As is commonplace in the biotechnology industry, we employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, we may be subject to claims that these employees or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

If we are unable to retain and recruit qualified scientists or if any of our key senior executives discontinues his or her employment with us, it may delay our development efforts or impact our commercialization of INGREZZA or any product candidate approved by the FDA.

We are highly dependent on the principal members of our management and scientific staff. The loss of any of these people could impede the achievement of our objectives, including the successful commercialization of INGREZZA or any product candidate approved by the FDA. Furthermore, recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel to perform research and development work in the future, along with personnel with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, is critical to our success. We may be unable to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among biotechnology, pharmaceutical and health care companies, universities and non-profit research institutions for experienced scientists and individuals with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. In addition, we rely on a significant number of consultants to assist us in formulating our research and development strategy and our commercialization strategy. Our consultants may have commitments to, or advisory or consulting agreements with, other entities that may limit their availability to us.

If the market opportunities for our products and product candidates are smaller than we believe they are, our revenues may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

Certain of the diseases that INGREZZA and our product candidates are being developed to address are in underserved and underdiagnosed populations. Our projections of both the number of people who have these diseases, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who will seek treatment utilizing our products or product candidates, may not be accurate. If our estimates of the prevalence or number of patients potentially on therapy prove to be inaccurate, the market opportunities for INGREZZA and our product candidates may be smaller than we believe they are, our prospects for generating expected revenue may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

We could face liability if a regulatory authority determines that we are promoting INGREZZA, or any of our product candidates that receives regulatory approval, for “off-label” uses.

A company may not promote “off-label” uses for its drug products. An off-label use is the use of a product for an indication that is not described in the product’s FDA-approved label in the United States or for uses in other jurisdictions that differ from those approved by the applicable regulatory agencies. Physicians, on the other hand, may prescribe products for off-label uses. Although the FDA and other regulatory agencies do not regulate a physician’s choice of drug treatment made in the physician’s independent medical judgment, they do restrict promotional communications from companies or their sales force with respect to off-label uses of products for which marketing clearance has not been issued. A company that is found to have promoted off-label use of its product may be subject to significant liability, including civil and criminal sanctions. We intend to comply with the requirements and restrictions of the FDA and other regulatory agencies with respect to our promotion of our products, including INGREZZA, but we cannot be sure that the FDA or other regulatory agencies will agree that we have not violated their restrictions. As a result, we may be subject to criminal and civil liability. In addition, our management’s attention could be diverted to handle any such alleged violations. A significant number of

companies have been the target of inquiries and investigations by various United States federal and state regulatory, investigative, prosecutorial and administrative entities in connection with the promotion of products for unapproved uses and other sales practices, including the Department of Justice and various United States Attorneys’ Offices, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission and various state Attorneys General offices. These investigations have alleged violations of various United States federal and state laws and regulations, including claims asserting antitrust violations, violations of the federal False Claims Act, the Prescription Drug Marketing Act, anti-kickback laws, and other alleged violations in connection with the promotion of products for unapproved uses, pricing and Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement. If the FDA or any other governmental agency initiates an enforcement action against us or if we are the subject of aqui tam suit and it is determined that we violated prohibitions relating to the promotion of products for unapproved uses, we could be subject to substantial civil or criminal fines or damage awards and other sanctions such as consent decrees and corporate integrity agreements pursuant to which our activities would be subject to ongoing scrutiny and monitoring to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Any such fines, awards or other sanctions would have an adverse effect on our revenue, business, financial prospects, and reputation.

Because our operating results may vary significantly in future periods, our stock price may decline.

Our quarterly revenues, expenses and operating results have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate significantly in the future. Our financial results are unpredictable and may fluctuate, for among other reasons, due to seasonality and timing of customer purchases and commercial sales of INGREZZA, impact of the commercial launch of ONGENTYS and ORIAHNN, royalties from out-licensed products, the impact of Medicare Part D coverage;coverage, our achievement of product development objectives and milestones, clinical trial enrollment and expenses, research and development expenses and the timing and nature of contract manufacturing, and contract research payments. In addition, we recently received regulatory approval frompayments, fluctuations in our effective tax rate, and disruptions caused by man-made or natural disasters or public health pandemics or epidemics or other business interruptions, including, for example, the FDA for INGREZZA in TD and our revenues will be dependent on our ability to sell INGREZZA and to secure adequate third-party reimbursement.COVID-19 pandemic. A high portion of our costs are predetermined on an annual basis, due in part to our significant research and development costs. Thus, small declines in revenue could disproportionately affect financial results in a quarter. BecauseWhile we were profitable for the year ended December 31, 2020, our future operating results and profitability may fluctuate from period to period, and even if we become profitable on a quarterly or annual basis, we may not be able to sustain or increase our profitability. Moreover, as our company and our market capitalization have grown, our financial performance has become increasingly subject to quarterly and annual comparisons with the expectations of these factors,
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securities analysts or investors. The failure of our financial results in one or more future quarters may fail to meet thethese expectations, of securities analystseither in a single quarterly or investors, whichannual period over a sustained period time, could cause our stock price to decline.

The recently passed comprehensive

Changes in tax reform billlaws or regulations that are applied adversely to us or our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition or results of operations.
New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

On December 22, Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. For example, legislation enacted in 2017, President Trump signed into law new legislation that significantly revisesinformally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act, enacted many significant changes to the US tax laws. Future guidance from the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The newly enacted federal incomeService and other tax law, among other things, contains significant changesauthorities with respect to corporate taxation, including reductionthe Tax Act may affect us, and certain aspects of the corporate tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, limitationTax Act repealed or modified in future legislation. For example, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, modified certain provisions of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of adjusted earnings (except for certain small businesses), limitation of the deduction for net operating losses to 80% of current year taxable income and elimination of net operating loss carrybacks, one time taxation of offshore earnings at reduced rates regardless of whether they are repatriated, elimination of U.S. tax on foreign earnings (subject to certain important exceptions), immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits. Notwithstanding the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of the new federal tax law is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected.Tax Act. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act or any newly enacted federal tax law. Thelegislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses under the Tax Act or future reform legislation could have a material impact of this tax reform on holdersthe value of our common stock is also uncertaindeferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future US tax expense.

Our ability to use net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be adverse.limited.
Our net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards generated in tax years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017, are only permitted to be carried forward for 20 years under applicable US tax law. Under the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, as modified by the CARES Act, our federal NOLs generated in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOLs in tax years beginning after December 31, 2020, is limited to 80% of taxable income. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act or the CARES Act. In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. We urgedo not believe we have experienced any previous ownership changes, but the determination is complex and there can be no assurance we are correct. Furthermore, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stockholdersstock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control.
As a result, our pre-2018 NOL carryforwards may expire prior to consult with their legalbeing used and our NOL carryforwards generated in tax advisors with respectyears beginning after December 31, 2020, will be subject to thisa percentage limitation and, if we undergo an ownership change (or if we previously underwent such an ownership change), our ability to use all of our pre-change NOLs and other pre-change tax attributes (such as research tax credits) to offset our post-change income or taxes may be limited. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax attributes. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. For example, California passed legislation imposing limits on the usability of California state NOLs and the potentialcertain tax consequencescredits in tax years beginning after 2019 and before 2023. As a result, we may be unable to use all or a material portion of investing in or holding our common stock.

NOLs and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future cash flows.

Our effective tax rate may fluctuate, and we may incur obligations in tax jurisdictions in excess of accrued amounts.

Our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various places that we operate. In preparing our financial statements, we estimate the amount of tax that will become payable in each of

such places. Nevertheless, our effective tax rate may be different than experienced in the past due to numerous factors, including passage of the newly enacted federal income tax law, changes in the mix of our profitability from state to state, the results of examinations and audits of our tax filings, our inability to secure or sustain acceptable agreements with tax authorities, changes in accounting for income taxes and changes in tax laws. Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations and may result in tax obligations in excess of amounts accrued in our financial statements.

Our ability to use net operating losses to offset future taxable income may be subject to limitations.

As of

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In addition, on December 31, 2017,2020, we had federaldetermined, based on our facts and state incomecircumstances, that it was more likely than not that a substantial portion of our deferred tax net operating loss carry forwards of approximately $978.7 millionassets would be realized and, $535.3 million, respectively. These net operating loss carry forwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. Under the newly enacted federal income tax law, federal net operating losses incurred in 2018 and in future years may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal net operating losses is limited. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the newly enacted federal tax law. In addition, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carry forwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. We have determined that no ownership changes have occurred through December 31, 2016 and we are currently evaluating whether any ownership changes occurred through December 31, 2017. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result, substantially all of subsequent shiftsour valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets was released. Therefore, beginning in 2021, we expect to commence recording income tax expense at an estimated tax rate that will likely approximate statutory tax rates, which would result in a significant reduction in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control. If an ownership change occursnet income and our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards is materially limited, it would harm our future operating results by effectively increasing our future tax obligations.

income per share.

The price of our common stock is volatile.

The market prices for securities of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies historically have been highly volatile, and the market for these securities has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, has negatively affected the stock market and investor sentiment and has resulted in significant volatility. Furthermore, especially as we and our market capitalization have grown, the price of our common stock may be dependent uponhas been increasingly affected by quarterly and annual comparisons with the valuations and recommendations of the analysts who cover our business. If our results do not meet these analysts’ forecasts, the expectations of our investors or the financial guidance we provide to investors in any period, which is based on assumptions that may be incorrect or that may change from quarter to quarter, the market price of our common stock could decline. During 2017,Over the course of the last twelve months, the price of our common stock has ranged from approximately $38.00$72 per share to approximately $78.00$136 per share. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate in response to many factors, including:

sales of INGREZZA;

INGREZZA and ORILISSA;

impact of the commercial launch of ONGENTYS and ORIAHNN;

the status and cost of our post-marketing commitments for INGREZZA;

INGREZZA and ONGENTYS;

the results of our clinical trials;

reports of safety issues related to INGREZZA, ONGENTYS, ORILISSA, or ORIAHNN;

developments concerning new and existing collaboration agreements;

announcements of technological innovations or new therapeutic products by us or others;

general economic and market conditions, including economic and market conditions affecting the biotechnology industry;

developments in patent or other proprietary rights;

developments related to the FDA;

future sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders;

comments by securities analysts;

additions or departures of key personnel;

fluctuations in our operating results;

developments related to on-going litigation;

potential litigation matters;

government regulation;

health caregovernment and third-party payor coverage and reimbursement;

failure of any of our product candidates, if approved, to achieve commercial success;

disruptions caused by man-made or natural disasters or public health pandemics or epidemics or other business interruptions, including, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic; and

public concern as to the safety of our drugs.

Our customers are concentrated and therefore the loss of a significant customer may harm our business.
We have entered into agreements for the distribution of INGREZZA with a limited number of specialty pharmacy providers and a specialty distributor, and all of our product sales are to these customers. Two of these customers
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represented approximately 86% of our product revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and a significant majority of our accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2020. If any of these significant customers becomes subject to bankruptcy, is unable to pay us for our products or is acquired by a company that wants to terminate the relationship with us, or if we otherwise lose any of these significant customers, our revenue, results of operations and cash flows would be adversely affected. Even if we replace the loss of a significant customer, we cannot predict with certainty that such transition would not result in a decline in our revenue, results of operations and cash flows.
If we cannot raise additional funding, we may be unable to complete development of our product candidates or establish commercial and manufacturing capabilities in the future.

We may require additional funding to commercialize INGREZZA for TD, to continue our research and product development programs, to conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials, for operating expenses, and to pursue regulatory approvals for additionalour product candidates, and indications, for the costs involved in filing and prosecuting patent applications and enforcing or defending patent claims, if any, and the cost of product in-licensing and any possible acquisitions, establish manufacturing capabilities in the future andacquisitions. In addition, we may require additional funding to expand commercialestablish manufacturing and marketing efforts for other product candidates or indications.capabilities in the future. We believe that our existing capital resources, together with investment income, and future payments due under our strategic alliances, will be sufficient to satisfy our current and projected funding requirements for at least the next 12twelve months. However, these resources might be insufficient to conduct research and development programs, the cost of product in-taking and possible acquisitions, fully commercialize products and operate the company to the full extent currently planned. If we cannot obtain adequate funds, we may be required to curtail significantly our commercial plans or one or more of our research and development programs or obtain funds through additional arrangements with corporate collaborators or others that may require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies or product candidates.

Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

the commercial success of INGREZZA;

INGREZZA, ONGENTYS, ORILISSA, and/or ORIAHNN;

debt service obligations on the 2024 Notes;

continued scientific progress in our researchR&D and clinical development programs;

the magnitude and complexity of our research and development programs;

progress with preclinical testing and clinical trials;

the time and costs involved in obtaining regulatory approvals;

the costs involved in filing and pursuing patent applications, enforcing patent claims, or engaging in interference proceedings or other patent litigation;

competing technological and market developments;

the establishment of additional strategic alliances;

developments related to on-goingany future litigation;

the cost of commercialization activities and arrangements, including manufacturing of our product candidates; and

the cost of product in-licensing and any possible acquisitions.

We intend to seek additional funding through strategic alliances and may seek additional funding through public or private sales of our securities, including equity securities. For example, for so long as we continue to satisfy the requirements to be deemed a well-known seasoned issuer, we can utilize a shelf registration statement

currently on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to allow us to issue an unlimited number of securities from time to time. In addition, during the second quarter of 2017, we issued the 2024 Notes and we have previously financed capital purchases and may continue to pursue opportunities to obtain additional debt financing in the future. In November 2020, we entered into separate, privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of the 2024 Notes to repurchase $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. At December 31, 2020, $381.3 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes remained outstanding. Additional equity or debt financing might not be available on reasonable terms, if at all. In addition, disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic could make it more difficult for us to access capital. Any additional equity financings will be dilutive to our stockholders and any additional debt financings may involve operating covenants that restrict our business.

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Compliance with changing regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses.

Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, new SEC regulations and NASDAQNasdaq rules, are creating uncertainty for companies such as ours. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in some cases due to their lack of specificity, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased sales,selling, general and administrative expenses and management time related to compliance activities. If we fail to comply with these laws, regulations and standards, our reputation may be harmed, and we might be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the SEC. Any such action could adversely affect our financial results and the market price of our common stock.

Increasing use of social media could give rise to liability and result in harm to our business.
Our employees are increasingly utilizing social media tools and our website as a means of communication. Despite our efforts to monitor social media communications, there is risk that the unauthorized use of social media by our employees to communicate about our products or business, or any inadvertent disclosure of material, nonpublic information through these means, may result in violations of applicable laws and regulations, which may give rise to liability and result in harm to our business. In addition, there is also risk of inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information, which could result in significant legal and financial exposure and reputational damages that could potentially have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, negative posts or comments about us or our products on social media could seriously damage our reputation, brand image and goodwill.
Risks Related to Our Industry

Health care reform measures and other recent legislative initiatives could adversely affect our business.

The business and financial condition of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are affected by the efforts of governmental and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of health care.care and to lower drug prices. In the United States,U.S., comprehensive health care reform legislation was enacted by the Federal government and we expect that there will continue to be a number of federal and state proposals to implement government control over the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals. In addition, increasing emphasis on reducing the cost of health care in the United StatesU.S. will continue to put pressure on the rate of adoption and pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals. Moreover, in some foreign jurisdictions, pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is already subject to government control. Additionally, other recent federal and state legislation imposes newimpose obligations on manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, among others, related to product tracking and tracing. Among the requirements of this new legislation, manufacturers are required to provide certain information regarding the drug product provided to individuals and entities to which product ownership is transferred, label drug product with a product identifier, and keep certain records regarding distribution of the drug product. Further, under this new legislation, manufacturers will have drug product investigation, quarantine, disposition, notification and purchaser license verification responsibilities related to counterfeit, diverted, stolen, and intentionally adulterated products, as well as products that are the subject of fraudulent transactions or which are otherwise unfit for distribution such that they would be reasonably likely to result in serious health consequences or death.

Additionally, in March 2010, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively the ACA, was signed into law, which was intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose taxes and fees
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on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Among the provisions of the ACA of importance to our potential drug candidates are:

an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures, or imports, specified branded prescription drugs and biologic agents, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programs;

an increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to 23.1% and 13.0% of the average manufacturer price for branded and generic drugs, respectively;

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;

extension of a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations;

expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, among other things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to certain individuals with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, thereby potentially increasing a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability;

a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must now agree to offer 50%70% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for a manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D;

expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing program; and

a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research.

Some of the provisions of the ACA have yet to be fully implemented, and there have been

There remain legal and political challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. Since January 2017, President Trump has signed twoseveral executive orders and other directives designed to delay, circumvent, or loosen certain requirements mandated by the ACA.ACA have been put into place. Concurrently, Congress has considered legislation that would repeal or repeal and replace all or part of the ACA. While Congress has not passed repeal legislation,Legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the newly enacted federal income tax lawTax Cuts and Jobs Act includes a provision repealing,that repealed, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate”. In addition, the 2020 federal spending package permanently eliminated, effective January 1, 2020, the ACA-mandated “Cadillac” tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage and medical device tax and, effective January 1, 2021, also eliminated the health insurer tax. On December 14, 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge in Texas ruled that the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress may consider other legislation to repeal or replace elementsas part of the ACA.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Additionally, on December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as well. On March 2, 2020, the United States Supreme Court is currently reviewing this case, although it is unclear when a decision will be made. It is also unclear how such litigation will impact the ACA and our business.

Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which began in 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, will remain in effect through 20252030, except for a temporary suspension from May 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unless additional Congressional action is taken. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals and cancer treatment centers, increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.

Additional changes that may affect our business include the expansion of new programs such as Medicare payment for performance initiatives for physicians under MACRA,the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which will be fully implemented in 2019.
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ended the use of the statutory formula, also referred to as the Sustainable Growth Rate, for clinician payment and established a quality payment incentive program, also referred to as the Quality Payment Program. This program provides clinicians with two ways to participate, including through the Advanced Alternative Payment Models, or APMs, and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS. In November 2019, CMS issued a final rule finalizing the changes to the Quality Payment Program. At this time, it isremains unclear how the introduction of the Medicare quality payment programQuality Payment Program will impact overall physician reimbursement.
Also, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny recently over pharmaceutical pricing practices in light of the rising cost of prescription drugs and biologics. Such scrutiny has resulted in several recent Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products. At the federal level, Congressthe Trump administration’s budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year includes a $135 billion allowance to support legislative proposals seeking to reduce drug prices, increase competition, lower out-of-pocket drug costs for patients, and increase patient access to lower-cost generic and biosimilar drugs. On March 10, 2020, the Trump administration have each indicatedsent “principles” for drug pricing to Congress, calling for legislation that itwould, among other things, cap Medicare Part D beneficiary out-of-pocket pharmacy expenses, provide an option to cap Medicare Part D beneficiary monthly out-of-pocket expenses, and place limits on pharmaceutical price increases. Further, the Trump administration released a “Blueprint” to lower drug prices and reduce out of pocket costs of drugs that contains additional proposals to increase manufacturer competition, increase the negotiating power of certain federal healthcare programs, incentivize manufacturers to lower the list price of their products and reduce the out of pocket costs of drug products paid by consumers. On July 24, 2020 and September 13, 2020, the Trump administration announced several executive orders related to prescription drug pricing that attempt to implement several of the administration’s proposals. As a result, the FDA released a final rule on September 24, 2020, effective November 30, 2020, providing guidance for states to build and submit importation plans for drugs from Canada. Further, on November 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, finalized a regulation removing safe harbor protection for price reductions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to plan sponsors under Part D, either directly or through pharmacy benefit managers, unless the price reduction is required by law. The rule also creates a new safe harbor for price reductions reflected at the point-of-sale, as well as a safe harbor for certain fixed fee arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers. On November 20, 2020, CMS issued an interim final rule implementing President Trump’s Most Favored Nation executive order, which would tie Medicare Part B payments for certain physician-administered drugs to the lowest price paid in other economically advanced countries, effective January 1, 2021. On December 28, 2020, the U.S. District Court in Northern California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against implementation of the interim final rule. It is unclear whether the Biden administration will continuework to seek new legislative and/reverse these measures or administrative measures to control drug costs.pursue similar policy initiatives. At the state level, legislatures have become increasingly aggressive in passingpassed legislation and implementingimplemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.

We expect that the ACA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. In particular, it is possible that additional governmental action is taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government-funded programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain sustained profitability or commercialize our drugs.

We are currently unable to predict what additional legislation or regulation, if any, relating to the health care industry may be enacted in the future or what effect recently enacted federal legislation or any such additional legislation or regulation would have on our business. The pendency or approval of such proposals or reforms could result in a decrease in our stock price or limit our ability to raise capital or to enter into collaboration agreements for the further development and commercialization of our programs and products.

We face intense competition,

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Any relationships with healthcare professionals, principal investigators, consultants, customers (actual and ifpotential) and third-party payors in connection with our current and future business activities are and will continue to be subject, directly or indirectly, to federal and state healthcare laws. If we are unable to compete effectively, the demand forcomply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our productsoperations.
Our business operations and activities may be reduced.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries aredirectly, or indirectly, subject to rapidvarious federal and intense technological change. We face,state healthcare laws, including without limitation, fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, data privacy and security laws, as well as transparency laws regarding payments or other items of value provided to healthcare providers. These laws may restrict or prohibit a wide range of business activities, including, but not limited to, research, manufacturing, distribution, pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. These laws may impact, among other things, our current activities with principal investigators and research subjects, as well as current and future sales, marketing, patient co-payment assistance and education programs.

Such laws include:
the federal Anti-Kickback Statute which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid;
the federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the federal civil False Claims Act, and civil monetary penalties laws, which impose criminal and civil penalties against individuals or entities for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government;
HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for, among other things, executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;
HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, and its implementing regulations, which also imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, on covered entities, including certain healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, as well as their business associates and their covered subcontractors, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;
the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to CMS information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, and applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers also will continuebe required to face, competitionreport such information regarding its relationships with physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives during the previous year; and
analogous state, local, and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third party payors, including private insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government; state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures or drug pricing; state laws that require disclosure of price increases above certain identified thresholds as well as of new commercial launches in the developmentstate; state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; state and local “drug take
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back” laws and regulations; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements will comply with applicable healthcare laws may involve substantial costs. While our interactions with healthcare professionals, including our speaker programs and other arrangements, such as our contributions to patient assistance programs, have been structured to comply with these laws and related guidance, it is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws. If our operations or activities are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to, without limitation, significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate.
In addition, any sales of our product once commercialized outside the U.S. will also likely subject us to foreign equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above, among other foreign laws.
We could face liability if a regulatory authority determines that we are promoting INGREZZA, ONGENTYS or any of our product candidates that receives regulatory approval, for “off-label” uses.
A company may not promote “off-label” uses for its drug products. An off-label use is the use of a product for an indication that is not described in the product’s FDA-approved label in the U.S. or for uses in other jurisdictions that differ from those approved by the applicable regulatory agencies. Physicians, on the other hand, may prescribe products for off-label uses. Although the FDA and other regulatory agencies do not regulate a physician’s choice of drug treatment made in the physician’s independent medical judgment, they do restrict promotional communications from companies or their sales force with respect to off-label uses of products for which marketing clearance has not been issued. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s FDA approved labeling. A company that is found to have promoted off-label use of its product may be subject to significant liability, including civil and criminal sanctions. We intend to comply with the requirements and restrictions of the FDA and other regulatory agencies with respect to our promotion of our products, including INGREZZA and product candidates from academic institutions, government agencies, research institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Competition may also arise from, among other things:

other drug development technologies;

methods of preventing or reducingONGENTYS, but we cannot be sure that the incidence of disease, including vaccines; and

new small moleculeFDA or other classesregulatory agencies will agree that we have not violated their restrictions. As a result, we may be subject to criminal and civil liability. In addition, our management’s attention could be diverted to handle any such alleged violations. If the FDA or any other governmental agency initiates an enforcement action against us, or if we are the subject of therapeutic agents.

Developmentsa qui tam suit brought by others may render our product candidates or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.

We are commercializinga private plaintiff on behalf of the government, and performing research on or developingit is determined that we violated prohibitions relating to the promotion of products for the treatment of several disorders including endometriosis, TD, uterine fibroids, Tourette syndrome, essential tremor, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, pain,unapproved uses, we could be subject to substantial civil or criminal fines or damage awards and other neurologicalsanctions such as consent decrees and endocrine-related diseasescorporate integrity agreements pursuant to which our activities would be subject to ongoing scrutiny and disorders,monitoring to ensure compliance with applicable laws and there are a number of competitors toregulations. Any such fines, awards or other sanctions would have an adverse effect on our productsrevenue, business, financial prospects, and product candidates. If one or more of our competitors’ products or programs are successful, the market for our products may be reduced or eliminated. For example, in August 2017, Teva received approval for AUSTEDO® to treat TD.

Compared to us, many of our competitors and potential competitors have substantially greater:

reputation.

capital resources;

research and development resources, including personnel and technology;

regulatory experience;

preclinical study and clinical testing experience;

manufacturing, marketing and distribution experience; and

production facilities.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our competitors could develop and market products based on our discoveries, which may reduce demand for our products.

Our success will depend on our ability to, among other things:

obtain patent protection for our products;

preserve our trade secrets;

prevent third parties from infringing upon our proprietary rights; and

operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others, both in the United StatesU.S. and internationally.

Because of the substantial length of time and expense associated with bringing new products through the development and regulatory approval processes in order to reach the marketplace, the pharmaceutical industry places
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considerable importance on obtaining patent and trade secret protection for new technologies, products and processes. Accordingly, we intend to seek patent protection for our proprietary technology and compounds. However, we face the risk that we may not obtain any of these patents and that the breadth of claims we obtain, if any, may not provide adequate protection of our proprietary technology or compounds.

We also rely upon unpatented trade secrets and improvements, unpatented know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position, which we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality agreements with our commercial collaborators, employees and consultants. We also have invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and some, but not all, of our commercial collaborators and consultants. However, if our employees, commercial collaborators or consultants breach these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach, and our trade secrets may otherwise become known or independently discovered by our competitors.

In addition, although we own a number of patents, the issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its validity or enforceability, and third parties may challenge the validity or enforceability of our patents. We cannot assure you how much protection, if any, will be given to our patents if we attempt to enforce them and they are challenged in court or in other proceedings. It is possible that a competitor may successfully challenge our patents or that challenges will result in limitations of their coverage. Moreover, competitors may infringe our patents or successfully avoid them through design innovation. To prevent infringement or unauthorized use, we may need to file infringement claims, which are expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding a court may decide that a patent of ours is not valid or is unenforceable or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover its technology. Interference proceedings declared by the United StatesU.S. Patent and Trademark Office may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patent applications or those of our licensors. Litigation or interference proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management. We cannot assure you that we will be able to prevent misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect such rights as fully as in the United States.

U.S.

If we fail to obtain or maintain orphan drug designation or other regulatory exclusivity for some of our product candidates, our competitive position would be harmed.

A product candidate that receives orphan drug designation can benefit from a streamlined regulatory process as well as potential commercial benefits following approval. Currently, this designation provides market exclusivity in the United StatesU.S. and the EU for seven years and ten years, respectively, if a product is the first such product approved for such orphan indication. This market exclusivity does not, however, pertain to indications other than those for which the drug was specifically designated in the approval, nor does it prevent other types of drugs from receiving orphan designations or approvals in these same indications. Further, even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the new drug is clinically superior to the orphan product or a market shortage occurs.

In the EU, orphan exclusivity may be reduced to six years if the drug no longer satisfies the original designation criteria or can be lost altogether if the marketing authorization holder consents to a second orphan drug application or cannot supply enough drug, or when a second applicant demonstrates its drug is “clinically superior” to the original orphan drug. Valbenazine has received an orphan drug designation for the treatment of

pediatric patients with Tourette syndrome from the FDA. If we seekWe may not be successful obtaining orphan drug designations for otherany indications or in other jurisdictions, we may fail to receive such orphan drug designations and, even if we succeed, such orphan drug designations may fail to result in or maintain orphan drug exclusivity upon approval, which would harm our competitive position.

The technologies we use in our research as well as the drug targets we select may infringe the patents or violate the proprietary rights of third parties.

We cannot assure you that third parties will not assert patent or other intellectual property infringement claims against us or our collaborators with respect to technologies used in potential products. If a patent infringement suit were brought against us or our collaborators, we or our collaborators could be forced to stop or delay developing, manufacturing or selling potential products that are claimed to infringe a third party’s intellectual property unless that party grants us or our collaborators rights to use its intellectual property. In such cases, we could be required to obtain licenses to patents or proprietary rights of others in order to continue to commercialize our products. However, we may not be able to obtain any licenses required under any patents or proprietary rights of third parties
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on acceptable terms, or at all. Even if our collaborators or we were able to obtain rights to the third party’s intellectual property, these rights may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same intellectual property. Ultimately, we may be unable to commercialize some of our potential products or may have to cease some of our business operations as a result of patent infringement claims, which could severely harm our business.

Our employees, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including non-compliance with regulatory standards and requirements.

We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees and independent contractors, such as principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners and vendors, or by employees of our commercial partners could include failures to comply with FDA regulations, to provide accurate information to the FDA, to comply with manufacturing standards we have established, to comply with federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, to report financial information or data accurately, to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets or the trade secrets of our commercial partners, or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and other business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws intended to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. Employee and independent contractor misconduct could also involve the improper use of individually identifiable information, including, without limitation, information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation.

Any relationships with healthcare professionals,action against our employees, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, customers (actual and potential) and third-party payorscommercial partners or vendors for violations of these laws could result in connection with our current and future business activities are and will continue to be subject, directly or indirectly, to federal and state healthcare laws. If we are unable to comply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations.

Our business operations and activities may be directly, or indirectly, subject to various federal and state healthcare laws, including without limitation, fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, data privacy and security laws, as well as transparency laws regarding payments or other items of value provided to healthcare providers. These laws may restrict or prohibit a wide range of business activities, including, but not limited to, research, manufacturing, distribution, pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. These laws may impact, among other things, our current activities with principal investigators and research subjects, as well as current and future sales, marketing, patient co-payment assistance and education programs.

Such laws include:

the federal Anti-Kickback Statute which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid;

the federal civil and criminal false claims, including the civil False Claims Act, and civil monetary penalties laws, which impose criminal and civil penalties against individuals or entities for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government;

the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which imposes criminal and civil liability for, among other things, executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;

HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and its implementing regulations, which also imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, on certain types of individuals and entities, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;

the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to CMS information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians and teaching hospitals, and applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by the physicians and their immediate family members; and

analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third party payors, including private insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government; state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements will comply with applicable healthcare laws may involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws. If our operations or activities are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to, without limitation, civil, criminal, and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate.

In addition, any sales of our product once commercialized outside the United States will also likely subject us to foreign equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above, among other foreign laws.

imprisonment.

We face potential product liability exposure far in excess of our limited insurance coverage.

The use of any of our potential products in clinical trials, and the sale of any approved products, including INGREZZA and ONGENTYS, may expose us to liability claims. These claims might be made directly by consumers, health care providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling our products. We have obtained limited product liability insurance coverage for our clinical trials in the amount of $10$45.0 million per occurrence and $10$45.0 million in the aggregate. In addition, we have product liability insurance related to the sale of INGREZZA and ONGENTYS in the amount of $45.0 million per occurrence and $45.0 million in the aggregate. However, our insurance may not reimburse us or may not be sufficient to reimburse us for any expenses or losses we may suffer. Moreover, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive, and we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability. Upon FDA approval of INGREZZA we expanded our insurance coverage to include product liability insurance related to the sale of INGREZZA in the amount of $20 million per occurrence and $20 million in the aggregate. However, we may be unable to obtain commercially reasonable product liability insurance forfrom any productscurrent or future clinical trials or approved in the future for marketing. On occasion, juries have awarded large judgments in class action lawsuits based on drugs that had unanticipated side effects.products. A successful product liability claim, or series of claims, brought against us would decrease our cash reserves and could cause our stock price to fall.

Furthermore, regardless of the eventual outcome of a product liability claim, any product liability claim against us may decrease demand for our approved products, including INGREZZA and ONGENTYS, damage our reputation, result in regulatory investigations that could require costly recalls or product modifications, cause clinical trial participants to withdrawal, result in costs to defend the related litigation, decrease our revenue, and divert management’s attention from managing our business.

Our activities involve hazardous materials, and we may be liable for any resulting contamination or injuries.

Our research activities involve the controlled use of hazardous materials. We cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. If an accident occurs, a court may hold us liable for any resulting damages, which may harm our results of operations and cause us to use a substantial portion of our cash reserves, which would force us to seek additional financing.

Cyber security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information, including the theft of our intellectual property, and could expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.

We are increasingly dependent on information technology systems and infrastructure, including mobile technologies, to operate our business. In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store confidential and sensitive electronic information on our networks and in our data centers. This information includes, among other things, our intellectual property and proprietary information, the confidential information of our collaborators and licensees, and the personally identifiable information of our employees. It is important to our operations and business strategy that this electronic information remains secure and is perceived to be secure. Despite security measures, however,The size and
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complexity of our information technology systems, and network infrastructure may bethose of third-party vendors with whom we contract, and the volume of data we retain, make such systems potentially vulnerable to attacks by hackersbreakdown, malicious intrusion, security breaches and other cyber-attacks. Additionally, natural disasters, public health pandemics or breachedepidemics (including, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic), terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures may result in damage to or the interruption or impairment of key business processes, or the loss or corruption of confidential information, including intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information. Information security risks have significantly increased in recent years in part due to employee error, malfeasance,the proliferation of new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists and other external parties, including foreign private parties and state actors. A security breach or privacy violation that leads to disclosure or modification of or prevents access to personally identifiable information or other disruptions. Any such cyber-attack protected information could harm our reputation, compel us to comply with federal and/or state breach could compromise our networksnotification laws and foreign law equivalents, subject us to mandatory corrective action, require us to verify the correctness of database contents and otherwise subject us to liability under laws and regulations that protect personal data, centers and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost,resulting in increased costs or stolen. Any such access, disclosure, or other loss of informationrevenue. Similarly, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or ongoing or planned clinical trials could result in legal claimsdelays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or proceedings, liability under lawsreproduce the data. Additionally, theft of our intellectual property or proprietary business information could require substantial expenditures to remedy. If we are unable to prevent such security breaches or privacy violations or implement satisfactory remedial measures, our operations could be disrupted, and we may suffer loss of reputation, financial loss and other regulatory penalties because of lost or misappropriated information. In addition, these breaches and other inappropriate access can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying them may lead to increased harm of the type described above. Moreover, the prevalent use of mobile devices that access confidential information increases the risk of data security breaches, which could lead to the loss of confidential information, trade secrets or other intellectual property. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. While we have implemented security measures to protect our data security and information technology systems, such measures may not prevent such events. Significant disruptions of our information technology systems or breaches of data security could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Compliance with evolving U.S. and global privacy and data security requirements could result in additional costs and liabilities to us or inhibit our ability to collect and process data globally, and the failure to comply with such requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The regulatory framework for the collection, use, safeguarding, sharing, transfer and other processing of information worldwide is rapidly evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, imposes strict obligations on the processing of personal data, including personal health data, and the free movement of such data. The GDPR applies to any company established in the EU as well as any company outside the EU that processes personal data in connection with the offering of goods or services to individuals in the EU or the monitoring of their behavior. The GDPR enhances data protection obligations for processors and controllers of personal data, including, for example, obligations relating to: processing health and other sensitive data; obtaining consent of individuals; providing notice to individuals regarding data processing activities; responding to data subject requests; taking certain measures when engaging third-party processors; notifying data subjects and regulators of data breaches; implementing safeguards to protect the privacysecurity and confidentiality of personal information, delaysdata; and impedimentstransferring personal data to countries outside the EU, including the U.S. The GDPR imposes substantial fines for breaches of data protection requirements, which can be up to four percent of global revenue or 20 million euros, whichever is greater, and it also confers a private right of action on data subjects for breaches of data protection requirements. The GDPR and other changes in laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of sensitive data, such as EU regulations governing clinical trial data and other healthcare data, could require us to change our discovery, development,business practices or lead to government enforcement actions, private litigation or significant penalties against us and commercialization efforts,could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Additionally, the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which went into effect in 2020, created new individual privacy rights for California consumers (as that word is broadly defined in the law) and damageplaces increased privacy and security obligations on entities handling personal data of consumers or households. For example, the
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CCPA requires covered companies to provide additional disclosures to California consumers, and provides such consumers with new rights, such as the ability to opt out of certain disclosures of personal information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. The CCPA may increase our reputation.

compliance costs and potential liability. Some observers have noted that the CCPA could mark the beginning of a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the U.S., which could increase our potential liability and adversely affect our business.

ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.

ITEM 2.PROPERTIES

Item 2. Properties
We lease our corporate headquarters, which consistsare located in San Diego, California, and consist of approximately 140,000141 thousand square feet of laboratory and office space located at 12780 El Camino Real, in San Diego, California. The lease expires in December 2029 with options to extend the term88 thousand square feet of the lease for up to two consecutive ten year periods.

office space located at 12790 El Camino Real, 46 thousand square feet of laboratory space located at 10420 Wateridge Circle, and 45 thousand square feet of office space located at 12777 High Bluff Drive.

We believe that our property and equipment are generally well maintained, and in good operating condition.

ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The information set forth under Note 7 “Commitmentscondition, and Contingencies”suitable for the conduct of our business.

Item 3. LegalProceedings
From time to time in the normal course of business, we may be subject to various legal matters such as threatened or pending claims or proceedings. We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings or claims, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation or claims that could have a material adverse effect on our consolidatedbusiness, operating results, cash flows or financial statements included in Part II, condition should such litigation or claim be resolved unfavorably.
Item 8 of this Annual Report on From 10-K is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

4. Mine Safety Disclosures

None.

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PART II

ITEM 5.MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQNasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “NBIX.” The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the high and low sale price for our common stock. These prices do not include retail markups, markdowns or commissions.

   High   Low 

Year Ended December 31, 2017

    

1st Quarter

  $47.43   $38.38 

2nd Quarter

   55.38    39.21 

3rd Quarter

   61.51    44.75 

4th Quarter

   78.05    57.71 

Year Ended December 31, 2016

    

1st Quarter

  $55.94   $31.25 

2nd Quarter

   53.00    39.01 

3rd Quarter

   55.15    44.69 

4th Quarter

   54.91    37.35 

As of February 6, 2018,“NBIX”.

At January 29, 2021, there were approximately 5147 stockholders of record of our common stock. We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock since inception and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Information about our equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

There were no unregistered sales of our equity securities during fiscal 2017.

2020. In addition, we did not repurchase any of our equity securities during 2020.

Stock Performance Graph and Cumulative Total Return*

The graph below shows the cumulative total stockholder return assuming the investment of $100 on December 31, 20122015 (and the reinvestment of dividends thereafter) in each of (i) Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.’s common stock, (ii) the NASDAQNasdaq Composite Index and (iii) the NASDAQNasdaq Biotechnology Index. The comparisons in the graph below are based upon historical data and are not indicative of, or intended to forecast, future performance of our common stock or Indexes.

*The material in this section is not “soliciting material”, is not deemed “filed” with the SEC and is not to be incorporated by reference into any of our SEC filings whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such SEC filing except to the extent we specifically incorporate this section by reference.

ITEM 6.SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

nbix-20201231_g3.jpg

* The material in this section is not “soliciting material”, is not deemed “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and is not to be incorporated by reference into any of our SEC filings whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such SEC filing except to the extent we specifically incorporate this section by reference.
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Item 6. Selected Financial Data
The following selected financial data have been derived from our audited financial statements. The information set forth below is not necessarily indicative of our results of future operations and should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

  2017  2016  2015  2014  2013 
  (In thousands, except for net (loss) income per share data) 

STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS DATA

     

Revenues:

     

Product sales, net

 $116,626  $  $  $  $ 

Milestones and license fees

  45,000   15,000   19,769      2,919 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total revenues

  161,626   15,000   19,769      2,919 

Operating expenses:

     

Cost of product sales

  1,254             

Research and development

  121,827   94,291   81,491   46,425   39,248 

Sales, general and administrative

  169,906   68,081   32,480   17,986   13,349 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

  292,987   162,372   113,971   64,411   52,597 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Loss from operations

  (131,361  (147,372  (94,202  (64,411  (49,678

Other income (expense):

     

Deferred gain on real estate

  2,124   3,423   3,325   3,226   3,133 

Interest expense

  (19,523            

Other income, net

  6,218   2,859   1,948   643   455 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total other income (expense), net

  (11,181  6,282   5,273   3,869   3,588 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net loss

 $(142,542 $(141,090 $(88,929 $(60,542 $(46,090
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net loss per common share:

     

Basic

 $(1.62 $(1.63 $(1.05 $(0.81 $(0.69

Diluted

 $(1.62 $(1.63 $(1.05 $(0.81 $(0.69

Shares used in calculation of net loss per common share:

     

Basic

  88,089   86,713   84,496   74,577   66,989 

Diluted

  88,089   86,713   84,496   74,577   66,989 

BALANCE SHEET DATA

     

Cash, cash equivalents and investments

 $763,290  $350,840  $461,679  $231,301  $145,739 

Working capital

  500,493   280,028   358,359   182,539   136,763 

Total assets

  817,591   365,086   474,785   243,033   154,676 

Long-term debt

  369,618             

Accumulated deficit

  (1,198,866  (1,056,324  (915,234  (826,305  (765,763

Total stockholders’ equity

  372,138   314,877   424,454   208,699   120,410 

ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

(in millions, except per share data)20202019201820172016
Consolidated Statements of Operations Data
Revenues:     
Product sales, net$994.1 $752.9 $409.6 $116.6 $— 
Collaboration revenue51.8 35.2 41.6 45.0 15.0 
Total revenues1,045.9 788.1 451.2 161.6 15.0 
Operating expenses: 
Cost of sales10.1 7.4 4.9 1.3 — 
Research and development275.0 200.0 155.8 91.8 94.3 
Acquired in-process research and development164.5 154.3 4.8 30.0 — 
Selling, general and administrative433.3 354.1 248.9 169.9 68.1 
Total operating expenses882.9 715.8 414.4 293.0 162.4 
Operating income (loss)163.0 72.3 36.8 (131.4)(147.4)
Other (expense) income: 
Interest expense(32.8)(32.0)(30.5)(19.5)— 
Unrealized loss on restricted equity securities(17.7)(13.0)— — — 
Loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes(18.4)— — — — 
Investment income and other, net12.6 19.2 15.5 8.3 6.3 
Total other (expense) income, net(56.3)(25.8)(15.0)(11.2)6.3 
Income (loss) before (benefit from) provision for income taxes106.7 46.5 21.8 (142.5)(141.1)
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes(300.6)9.5 0.7 — — 
Net income (loss)$407.3 $37.0 $21.1 $(142.5)$(141.1)
Net income (loss) per share, basic$4.38 $0.40 $0.23 $(1.62)$(1.63)
Net income (loss) per share, diluted$4.16 $0.39 $0.22 $(1.62)$(1.63)
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic93.1 91.6 90.2 88.1 86.7 
Diluted97.8 95.7 95.4 88.1 86.7 
 
Consolidated Balance Sheets Data 
Cash, cash equivalents and debt securities available-for-sale$1,028.1 $970.2 $866.9 $763.3 $350.8 
Working capital$829.7 $265.7 $649.5 $500.5 $280.0 
Total assets$1,734.7 $1,306.0 $993.2 $817.6 $365.1 
Convertible senior notes$317.9 $408.8 $388.5 $369.6 $— 
Accumulated deficit$(725.4)$(1,132.7)$(1,177.8)$(1,198.9)$(1,056.3)
Total stockholders’ equity$1,126.2 $636.9 $480.8 $372.1 $314.9 

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section contains forward-looking statements pertaining to, among other things, the commercialization of our product and product candidates, the expected continuation of our collaborative agreements, the receipt of research and development payments thereunder, the future achievement of various milestones in product development and the receipt of payments related thereto, the potential receipt of royalty payments, preclinical testing and clinical trials of potential products, the period of time that our existing capital resources will meet our funding requirements, and our financial results of operations. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” See “Forward-Looking Statements” in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Overview

We discoverare a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and develop innovativedelivering life-changing treatments for people with serious, challenging and life-changing pharmaceuticals, in diseases with high unmet medical needs, through our novel researchunder-addressed neurological, endocrine and development (R&D) platform, focused on neurological, psychological and endocrine based diseases andpsychiatric disorders. Utilizing aOur diverse portfolio approach to drug discovery, we have multiple small molecule drug candidates at various stages of pharmaceutical development. We develop proprietary pharmaceuticals for our pipeline, as well as collaborate with other pharmaceutical companies on our discoveries.

On April 11, 2017, the U.S.includes United States Food and Drug Administration, (FDA) or FDA,approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, Parkinson’s disease, endometriosis*, uterine fibroids* and clinical programs in multiple therapeutic areas. For nearly three decades, we have specialized in targeting and interrupting disease-causing mechanisms involving the interconnected pathways of the nervous and endocrine systems. (*in collaboration with AbbVie Inc.)

We launched INGREZZA® (valbenazine) capsulesin the U.S. with our specialty sales force in May 2017, after receiving FDA approval for INGREZZA as the first FDA-approved drug for the treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia (TD). We market INGREZZA for TDin April 2017. In September 2020, we launched ONGENTYS® (opicapone) in the United States throughU.S. leveraging our specialtyexisting INGREZZA commercial infrastructure after receiving FDA approval for ONGENTYS for Parkinson's disease in April 2020. INGREZZA net product sales force focusedrepresent the significant majority of our total net product sales.
Our partner AbbVie Inc., or AbbVie, launched ORILISSA® (elagolix) in the U.S. and Canada in August and November 2018, respectively, after receiving FDA and Health Canada approval for ORILISSA for endometriosis in July and October 2018, respectively. In June 2020, AbbVie launched ORIAHNNTM (elagolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate; elagolix) in the U.S. after receiving FDA approval for ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids in May 2020. We receive royalties at tiered percentage rates on any net sales of ORILISSA and ORIAHNN.
In addition, we have a rapidly expanding pipeline of potential treatments and gene therapies for diseases such as Huntington’s disease, or HD, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or CAH, schizophrenia and depression. Refer to Part I, Item 1, “Business” for more information about our exclusive and partnered commercial products, clinical development pipeline and research programs.
Highlights:
INGREZZA net product sales for 2020 increased $240.2 million, or 31.9%, to $993.1 million, primarily on physicians who treat TD patients, including psychiatristsreflecting strong refill and neurologists. The commercial launch ofpersistency rates for existing INGREZZA with our field-based sales team of approximately 160 personnel, occurred on May 1, 2017.

Our three lead late-stage clinical programs are INGREZZATM(valbenazine)patients.

We launched ONGENTYS in the U.S. in September 2020, after receiving FDA approval for Tourette syndrome, elagolix, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist for women’s health that is partnered with AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), and opicapone, a highly-selective catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor (COMT inhibitor) that isONGENTYS as an adjunctadjunctive therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients in April 2020.
AbbVie launched ORIAHNN in the U.S. in June 2020, after receiving FDA approval for ORIAHNN as the first FDA-approved non-surgical, oral medication option for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women in May 2020. We recognized a $30.0 million event-based milestone as revenue in the second quarter of 2020.
Completed strategic partnerships with Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, or Idorsia, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda, to expand clinical pipeline for epilepsy and psychiatry disorders.Recognized
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in-process research and development, or IPR&D, expense for 2020 of $164.5 million, related to upfront payments.
Total debt outstanding decreased by $136.2 million to $381.3 million after repurchase of approximately 26% of our debt outstanding in December 2020. The total aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million was paid in cash and resulted in an $18.4 million loss.
At December 31, 2020, in part because we achieved three years of cumulative pretax income, management determined that there is sufficient positive evidence to conclude that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets of $319.4 million are realizable. We therefore reduced the valuation allowance accordingly.
Pipeline Highlights:
Crinecerfont (NBI-74788): In July 2020, we initiated the CAHtalyst study, a global registrational Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of crinecerfont in 165 adult patients with classic CAH, followed by an open-label treatment period.
NBI-827104 (ACT-709478): In November 2020, we initiated a Phase II clinical study for NBI-827104 in a rare pediatric epileptic encephalopathy known as Continuous Spike and Wave During Sleep.
INGREZZA: In February 2021, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharmaceutical Company, or MTPC, reported positive top-line results from the J-KINECT Phase III study, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of valbenazine in tardive dyskinesia. Detailed results from this trial will be presented at a future medical conference. With positive data in hand, a marketing authorization with the Ministry of Health and Welfare is planned for 2021 in Japan. In addition, MTPC submitted filings for marketing authorizations in South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in 2020.
NBIb-1817 (VY-AADC): On February 2, 2021, we notified Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., or Voyager, of our termination of the NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease program. The effective date of this termination will be August 2, 2021. The termination does not apply to any other development program other than NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease, and was in-licensed from BIAL – Portela & CA, S.A. (BIAL).

We have funded our operations primarily through private and public offerings of our common stock, debt securities and payments received under collaboration agreements. While we independently develop many of our product candidates, we have entered into collaborations for several of our programs, and intend to rely on our product revenues and existing and future collaborators to meet funding requirements. We expect to generate future operating losses as product candidates are advanced through the various stages of clinical development and as we proceed with the commercial launch of INGREZZA. As of December 31, 2017, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $1.2 billion and expect to incur an operating loss in 2018.

We currently have three major collaborations. Two of these collaborations involve out-licensing of our proprietary technology to pharmaceutical partners. In June 2010, we announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation GnRH antagonists (collectively, GnRH Compounds) and in March 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Mitsubishi Tanabe) forVoyager will otherwise continue in effect.

COVID-19
The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the development and commercialization of INGREZZA for movement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets. The third collaboration agreement is oneways in which we in-licensed technologylive and interact with one another. While we adapt to this new shared reality, our mission remains unchanged: to discover and develop life-changing treatments for people with serious, challenging and under-addressed disorders.
While we are unable to reliably estimate the duration or extent of any potential business disruption or financial impact during this time, including any impacts on INGREZZA product sales or R&D expense, we remain committed to (1) prioritizing the safety, health and well-being of patients, their caregivers, healthcare providers and our employees; (2) ensuring patients with tardive dyskinesia are well supported and have continued uninterrupted access to INGREZZA, for which we currently do not expect any supply disruption; and (3) advancing ongoing clinical studies. As part of this commitment, we implemented a “Work from BIALHome Policy” in early March 2020 for employees not involved in business-critical activities. For employees involved in business-critical activities, we implemented safety measures designed to comply with federal, state and local guidelines.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, we initially paused enrollment of new patients in several of our clinical trials. Beginning in the third quarter of 2020, we began enrolling patients in our HD and CAH studies. To date, we have not experienced any interruption of our supply of drug products needed to support our ongoing clinical studies, but we expect that completion and data readouts for several of our ongoing and planned studies will be delayed.
We continue to believe that existing funds, cash generated from operations, and existing sources of and access to financing are adequate to satisfy our needs for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements and other business development initiatives that we plan to strategically pursue. However, should the COVID-19 pandemic and commercializationany associated recession or depression continue for a prolonged period, our results of opicaponeoperations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows could be materially impacted by lower revenues and profitability and a lower likelihood of effectively and efficiently developing new medicines.
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Results of Operations
Revenues
The following table presents revenues by category.
 Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
INGREZZA product sales, net$993.1 $752.9 $409.6 
ONGENTYS product sales, net1.0 — — 
Collaboration revenues51.8 35.2 41.6 
Total revenues$1,045.9 $788.1 $451.2 
Product Sales, net.Net product sales were $994.1 million for 2020, $752.9 million for 2019 and $409.6 million for 2018.
Collaboration Revenues.Collaboration revenues reflect the achievement of certain event-based milestones, royalties earned at tiered percentage rates on any net sales of ORILISSA and ORIAHNN and license fees earned under our collaboration agreements with AbbVie and MTPC.
In the second quarter of 2020, we recognized a $30.0 million event-based milestone as revenue upon FDA-approval of AbbVie’s ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids. In the third quarter of 2019, we recognized a $20.0 million event-based milestone as revenue upon the FDA’s acceptance of AbbVie’s new drug application, or NDA, submission of elagolix for uterine fibroids. In the third quarter of 2018, we recognized a $40.0 million event-based milestone as revenue upon FDA-approval of AbbVie’s ORILISSA for the treatment of human diseasesmoderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis.
For ORILISSA and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease,ORIAHNN, we recognized royalty revenue of $19.2 million for 2020, $14.3 million for 2019 and $1.6 million for 2018.
Operating Expenses
Cost of Sales. Cost of sales was $10.1 million for 2020, $7.4 million for 2019 and $4.9 million for 2018, primarily reflecting a higher annual volume of INGREZZA product sales since commercial launch in April 2017.
Research and Development. We support our drug discovery and development efforts through the commitment of significant resources to discovery, R&D programs and business development opportunities.
Costs are reflected in the United Statesapplicable development stage based upon the program status when incurred. Therefore, the same program could be reflected in different development stages in the same reporting period. For several of our programs, the R&D activities are part of our collaborative and Canada.other relationships.
Late stage consists of costs incurred related to product candidates in Phase II registrational studies and onwards. Early stage consists of costs incurred related to product candidates in post-investigational new drug application, or IND, through Phase II non-registrational studies. Research and discovery consists of pre-IND costs. Milestone expenses reflect payments made in connection with our collaborative and other relationships. Payroll and benefits consists of costs incurred for salaries and wages, payroll taxes, benefits and share-based compensation associated with employees involved in ongoing R&D activities. Share-based compensation may fluctuate from period to period based on factors that are not within our control, such as our stock price on the dates share-based grants are issued. Facilities and other consists of indirect costs incurred in support of overall R&D activities and non-specific programs, including activities that benefit multiple programs, such as management costs, as well as depreciation, information technology and facility-based expenses. These three agreementscosts are discussed belownot allocated to a specific program or stage.
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The following table presents R&D expense by category:
 Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Late stage$55.1 $43.7 $14.2 
Early stage30.2 25.3 41.7 
Research and discovery43.3 24.6 17.0 
Milestone payments20.0 10.0 10.0 
Payroll and benefits95.4 71.3 62.0 
Facilities and other31.0 25.1 10.9 
Total R&D expense$275.0 $200.0 $155.8 
R&D expense was $275.0 million for 2020, $200.0 million for 2019 and $155.8 million for 2018. The increase in R&D expense was primarily the result of increased investment to support advancing our expanded clinical portfolio and increased personnel expenses on higher headcount.
Acquired In-Process Research and Development. IPR&D expense was $164.5 million for 2020, $154.3 million for 2019 and $4.8 million for 2018. For 2020, we recorded IPR&D expense of $46.0 million and $118.5 million in connection with the payments of the upfront fees pursuant to our collaborations with Idorsia and Takeda, respectively. For 2019, we recorded IPR&D expense of $118.1 million and $36.2 million in connection with the payments of the upfront fees pursuant to our collaborations with Voyager and Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Xenon. For 2018, we recorded IPR&D expense of $4.8 million in connection with payment of the upfront fee to Jnana to obtain access to Jnana’s proprietary drug discovery platform.
Selling, General and Administrative. Selling, general and administrative, or SG&A, expense was $433.3 million for 2020, $354.1 million for 2019 and $248.9 million for 2018. The increase in SG&A expense from 2019 to 2020 was primarily due to increased personnel expenses on higher headcount and continued investment in INGREZZA marketing. The increase in SG&A expense from 2018 to 2019 was primarily due to the sales force expansion completed in the third quarter of 2018, the national launch of a patient-focused disease state awareness campaign, Talk About TD, and an increase in the Branded Pharmaceutical Drug Fee expense.
Other Expense
Other expense, net, was $56.3 million for 2020, $25.8 million for 2019 and $15.0 million for 2018. Periodic fluctuations in other expense, net, primarily reflect unrealized losses recognized to adjust our equity investments in Voyager and Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. to fair value. For 2020, other expense, net, also reflects an $18.4 million loss on debt extinguishment recognized for the partial repurchase of the 2024 Notes in November 2020.
(Benefit from) Provision for Income Taxes
Our benefit from income taxes was $300.6 million for 2020, compared to a provision for income taxes of $9.5 million for 2019 and $0.7 million for 2018. The benefit from income taxes for 2020 included a $296.3 million benefit related to the release of substantially all of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets on December 31, 2020. The decision to release the valuation allowance was made after we determined that it was more likely than not the deferred tax assets, including net operating losses and tax credits, would be realized, and was based on the evaluation and weighting of both positive and negative evidence, such as our achievement of a cumulative three-year income position at December 31, 2020, as well as our consideration of forecasts of future operating results and utilization of net operating losses and tax credits prior to their expiration. The provision for income taxes for 2019 and 2018 reflected estimated current state income taxes for both periods. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had full valuation allowances against our net deferred tax assets as realization was uncertain. Our tax expense for 2020, 2019 and 2018 varied from the statutory tax rate primarily due to changes in our valuation allowances, net of other permanent book/tax differences, tax credits generated and impacts of changes in tax laws.
Net Income
Net income was $407.3 million, or $4.16 diluted earnings per share, for 2020, $37.0 million, or $0.39 diluted earnings per share, for 2019 and $21.1 million, or $0.22 diluted earnings per share, for 2018. The change from 2019
55


to 2020 was primarily the result of increased INGREZZA net product sales and a non-cash tax benefit of $296.3 million related to the release of substantially all of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets on December 31, 2020, offset by $164.5 million of IPR&D in connection with our collaborations with Idorsia and Takeda, ongoing support for the commercial launch of INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia and progression of our clinical pipeline. The change from 2018 to 2019 was primarily the result of increased INGREZZA net product sales, offset by $154.3 million of IPR&D in connection with our collaborations with Voyager and Xenon, ongoing support for the commercial launch of INGREZZA for tardive dyskinesia and progression of our clinical pipeline.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash, cash equivalents and debt securities available-for-sale totaled $1.0 billion and $970.2 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $228.5 million for 2020, $147.0 million for 2019 and $101.4 million for 2018. The increase in positive cash flow from 2019 to 2020 was primarily due to increased INGREZZA net product sales partially offset by incremental INGREZZA investment and progression of our clinical pipeline. The increase in positive cash flow from 2018 to 2019 was primarily due to increased INGREZZA net product sales, partially offset by incremental INGREZZA investment and upfront payments of $154.3 million in connection with our collaborations with Voyager and Xenon.
Net cash provided by investing activities was $4.1 million for 2020, compared with net cash used in investing activities of $211.1 million for 2019 and $242.9 million for 2018. Periodic fluctuations in cash flows from investing activities primarily reflect timing differences in purchases, sales and maturities of debt securities available-for-sale and changes in our portfolio-mix. Net cash used in investing activities for 2019 also reflects equity investments of $54.7 million in Voyager and $14.2 million in Xenon.
Net cash used in financing activities was $157.8 million for 2020, primarily reflecting our repurchase of $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash in November 2020, compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $32.4 million for 2019 and $29.5 million in 2018. For 2019 and 2018, periodic fluctuations in cash flows from financing activities reflect proceeds from issuances of our common stock.
Shelf Registration Statement. In February 2017, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement which immediately became effective by rule of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. We sold no securities under this shelf registration statement in 2020, 2019 or 2018.
Convertible Senior Notes. In May 2017, we completed a private placement of $517.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes scheduled to mature on May 15, 2024, unless earlier converted, redeemed, or repurchased. We may not redeem the heading “Critical Accounting Policies.”

2024 Notes prior to May 15, 2021. On or after this date, at our election, we may redeem all, or any portion, of the 2024 Notes under certain circumstances. The 2024 Notes do not contain any financial or operating covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the issuance of other indebtedness or the issuance or repurchase of securities by us. There are customary events of default with respect to the 2024 Notes, including that upon certain events of default, 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the 2024 Notes will automatically become due and payable. Amounts for the 2024 Notes and related interest in the table above assume that the 2024 Notes will be held until maturity. In November 2020, we entered into separate, privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of the 2024 Notes to repurchase $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. At December 31, 2020, $381.3 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes remained outstanding.

Critical Accounting Policies

and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon financial statements that we have prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.States of America, or GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses, and related disclosures. On an on-going basis, we evaluate these estimates, including those related to revenue recognition clinical trial accruals (research and development expense), convertible debt, accounts receivable, inventory, cost of product sales and share-based compensation. Estimates are based on historical experience, information received from third parties and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about
56


the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Historically, revisions to our estimates have not resulted in a material change to the financial statements. The items in our financial statements requiring significant estimates and judgments are as follows:

Product Revenue Recognition

Our net product sales consist of U.S. sales of INGREZZA and are recognized when (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred and title to the product and associated risk of loss has passed to the customer, (iii) the price is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collectability is reasonably assured. INGREZZA was approved by the FDA on April 11, 2017 and we commenced shipments of INGREZZA to select pharmacies (SPs) and a select distributor (SD) in late April 2017. SPs dispense product to a patient based on the fulfillment of a prescription and SDs sell product to government facilities, long-term care pharmacies or in-patient hospital pharmacies. Our agreements with SPs and the SD provide for transfer of title to the product at the time the product is delivered to the SP or SD. In addition, except for limited circumstances, the SPs and SD have no right of product return to us. This limited right of return results in the SP or SD using a just-in-time inventory model and which results in frequent product deliveries from our central distribution center. Our agreements with our SPs and SD provide data related to prescription fulfillment including the insurance coverage, copay amounts, deductibles and other data necessary to determine net product sales.

We record revenue when the product is delivered to our SPs or SD, which is an approach frequently referred to as the “sell-in” revenue recognition model. We recognize revenueSales, Net. Revenues from product sales are recorded net of allowances for distribution fees, rebates, chargebacks, and co-payment assistance. Reserves arereserves established for theseapplicable discounts and allowances upon receiptthat are offered within contracts with our customers, payors and other third parties. The transaction price, which includes variable consideration reflecting the impact of INGREZZA bydiscounts and allowances, may be subject to constraint and is included in the SPs or SD and are classified as: (i) an allowance against accounts receivable ifnet sales price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of the amount is payableof the cumulative revenue recognized will not occur in a future period. Actual amounts may ultimately differ from our estimates. If actual results vary, we adjust these estimates, which could have an effect on earnings in the period of adjustment.

Government Rebates. We are obligated to the SP or SD, or (ii) an accrued liability if the amount is payable to a party other than the SP or SD. Allowances against accounts receivable relate to chargebacks and distributor fees and accruals relate primarily to government rebates.

Distribution Fees: Distribution fees include fees paid to the SPs and SDpay rebates for data, prompt payment discounts and other off-invoice discounts. These fees are recorded based on contractual terms.

Government Rebates: Rebates include mandated discounts under the Medicaid Drug Rebate ProgramProgram. The liability for such rebates consists of invoices received for claims from prior quarters that remain unpaid, or for which an invoice has not been received, and estimated rebates for the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Rebatescurrent applicable reporting period, which are amounts owed after the final dispensing of the product to a benefit plan participant and result from contractual agreements with, or statutory requirements pertaining to, Medicaid and Medicare benefit providers. The allowance for rebates is based on statutory discount rates, expected utilization and expected trends in net reimbursement. Our expected utilization of rebates is based on prescription level detail provided by our SPs that includes insurer amounts for each prescription filled during the period as well as the limited amount of product that is in the SPs warehouse at period end.

Chargebacks: Chargebacks are discounts that relate to contracts with government and other entities purchasing from the SD at a discounted price. The SD charges back to us the difference between the price initially paid by the SD and the discounted price paid to the SD by these entities. Chargebacks are recorded based on known and expected SD sales to these entities.

Co-Payment Assistance: We offer co-payment assistance to commercially insured patients meeting certain eligibility requirements. Co-payment assistance is recordedprimarily based on actual historical rebates, estimated payor mix, state and expected program participation. We base our estimate of expected program participation on prescription level detail provided by our SPs that includes copay amounts for each prescription filled during the period as well as the limited amount of product that is in the SPs warehouse at period end. While we obtain this detailed information, we must make estimates of the actual level offederal regulations and related contractual terms. Estimated rebates which we base on the detailed information as well as our experience.

Due to estimates and assumptions inherent in determining the government rebate and copay assistance amounts, the actual rebates and copay assistance paid may be different than our estimates.

Collaboration Agreement Revenue Recognition

Since 2011, we have followed the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) for Revenue Recognition – Multiple-Element Arrangements, if applicable, to determine the recognition of revenue under license and collaboration agreements. The ASC provides guidance relating to the separation of deliverables included in an arrangement into different units of accounting and the allocation of consideration to the units of accounting. The evaluation of multiple-element arrangements requires management to make judgments about (i) the identification of deliverables, (ii) whether such deliverables are separable from the other aspects of the contractual relationship, (iii) the estimated selling price of each deliverable, and (iv) the expected period of performance for each deliverable.

To determine the units of accounting under a multiple-element arrangement, we evaluate certain separation criteria, including whether the deliverables have stand-alone value, based on the relevant facts and circumstances for each arrangement. The selling prices of deliverables under an arrangement may be derived using vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE), third-party evidence, or a best estimate of selling price (BESP), if VSOE or third-party evidence is not available. For most pharmaceutical licensing and collaboration agreements, BESP is utilized. Establishing BESP involves our judgment and considers multiple factors, including market conditions and company-specific factors, including those factors contemplated in negotiating the agreements, as well as internally developed models that include assumptions related to market opportunity, discounted cash flows, estimated development costs, probability of success and the time needed to commercialize a product candidate pursuant to the agreement. In validating the BESP, we consider whether changes in key assumptions used to determine the BESP will have a significant effect on the allocation of the arrangement consideration between the multiple deliverables. The allocated consideration for each unit of accounting is recognized over the related obligation period in accordance with the applicable revenue recognition criteria.

If there are deliverables in an arrangement that are not separable from other aspects of the contractual relationship, they are treated as a combined unit of accounting, with the allocated revenue for the combined unit recognized in a manner consistent with the revenue recognition applicable to the final deliverable in the combined unit. Payments received prior to satisfying the relevant revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferreda reduction of revenue in the accompanying balance sheets and recognized as revenue whenperiod the related revenue recognition criteria are met.

We typically receive up-front payments when licensing our intellectual property, which often occurs in conjunction with an R&D agreement. We recognize revenue attributed to the license upon delivery, provided that the license has stand-alone value.

Milestones are recognized when earned, as evidenced by written acknowledgment from the collaborator or other persuasive evidence that the milestone has been achieved, provided that the milestone eventsale is substantive. A milestone event is generally considered to be substantive if its achievability was not reasonably assured at the inception of the agreement. We assess whether a milestone is substantive at the inception of each agreement.

Cost of Product Sales

Cost of product sales primarily consists of third-party manufacturing costs, storage, freight and other costs associated with sales of INGREZZA. Cost of product sales may also include period costs related to certain inventory manufacturing services, inventory adjustment charges, and manufacturing variances.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recorded net of customer allowances for prompt payment discounts, chargebacks, and any allowance for doubtful accounts. We estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts based on existing contractual payment terms, actual payment patterns of its customers and individual customer circumstances.recognized. To date, weactual government rebates have determined that an allowance for doubtful accounts is not required.

Inventory

Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or estimated net realizable value. We currently use actual costing methodologies to determine the cost basis for our inventories. Inventory is valued on a first-in, first-out basis and consists primarily of third-party manufacturing costs. We capitalize inventory costs associated with our products upon regulatory approval when, based on our judgment, future commercialization is considered probable and the future economic benefit is expected to be realized; otherwise, such costs are expensed. Prior to FDA approval of INGREZZA, all costs related to its manufacturing were charged to research and development expense in the period incurred. At December 31, 2017, our physical inventory consisted primarily of active pharmaceutical product that had been produced prior to FDA approval of INGREZZA with no cost basis as the cost associated with producing this material was expensed rather than capitalized in accordance with accounting guidance. Additionally, bulk drug production, finished bottling and other activities that occurred post FDA approval are included in inventory at December 31, 2017. We provide reserves for potential excess, dated or obsolete inventory based on an analysis of forecasted demand compared to quantities on hand and any firm purchase orders, as well as product shelf life. To date, we have determined that such reserves are not required.

Research and Development Expense

R&D expense consists primarily of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits, and share-based compensation charges, for those individuals involved in ongoing research and development efforts; as well as scientific contractor fees, preclinical and clinical trial costs, research and development facilities costs, laboratory supply costs, and depreciation of scientific equipment. All such costs are charged to R&D expense as incurred. These expenses resultdiffered materially from our independent R&D efforts as well as efforts associated with collaborations and in-licensing arrangements. In addition, we fund R&D and clinical trials at other companies and research institutions under agreements, which are generally cancelable. We review and accrue clinical trials expense based on work performed, which relies on estimates of total costs incurred based on patient enrollment, completion of studies and other events. We follow this method since reasonably dependable estimates of the costs applicable to various stages of a research agreement or clinical trial can be made. Accrued clinical costs are subject to revisions as trials progress. Revisions are charged to expense in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known. Historically, revisions have not resulted in material changes to R&D expense; however a modification in the protocol of a clinical trial or cancellation of a trial could result in a charge to our results of operations.

estimates.

Share-Based Compensation

We grant stock options to purchase our common stock to our employees and directors under our 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2011 Plan) and grant stock options to certain employees pursuant to Employment Commencement Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreements (inducement grants). We also grant certain employees stock bonuses and restricted stock units (RSUs) under the 2011 Plan, and grant certain employees stock options

and RSUs under the Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Inducement Plan (Inducement Plan). Additionally, we have outstanding options that were granted under previous equity plans from which we no longer make grants. Share-based compensation expense related to these equity instruments for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $42.5 million, $28.5 million and $28.4 million, respectively.

Stock option awards and RSUs generally vest over a three to four year period and expense is ratably recognized over those same time periods. For RSUs with performance-based vesting requirements (PRSUs), no expense is recorded until the performance condition is probable of being achieved; upon which expense is then recognized ratably over the expected performance period. During 2017, 2016 and 2015, we recognized approximately $0.4 million, $1.8 million and $8.8 million, respectively, in expense related to certain PRSUs as it became probable that pre-defined performance conditions would be met primarily due to the Phase III results of the Kinect 3 clinical study which were unblinded during the third quarter of 2015.

Compensation. For purposes of calculating share-based compensation, we estimate the fair value of share-based compensation awards using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The determination of the fair value of share-based compensation awards utilizing the Black-Scholes model is affected by our stock price and a number of assumptions, including but not limited to expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards and the expected term of stock options. Our stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, and changes in the assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimates. For example, an increase in the underlying stock price results in a significant increase in the Black-Scholes option-pricing.

The fair value of performance-based restricted stock units, or PRSUs, is estimated based on the closing sale price of our common stock on the date of grant. Expense recognition for PRSUs commences when attainment of the associated performance-based criteria is determined to be probable.

If factors change and we employ different assumptions, share-based compensation expense may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the past. If there is a difference between the assumptions used in determining share-based compensation expense and the actual factors which become known over time, we may change the input factors used in determining share-based compensation expense for future grants. These changes, if any, may materially impact our results of operations in the period such changes are made. For actual forfeitures, we recognize the adjustment to compensation expense in the period the forfeitures occur.

Convertible Debt

Income Taxes. Our income tax benefit (provision) is computed under the asset and liability method. Significant estimates are required in determining our income tax benefit (provision). Some of these estimates are based on interpretations of existing tax laws or regulations. We accountrecognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for convertible debt instrumentsthe expected future tax consequences of events that may be settledhave been included in cash upon conversion by separating the liabilityfinancial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and equity components of the instruments in a manner that reflects our nonconvertible debt borrowing rate. In May 2017, we issued $517.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2024 (the 2024 Notes). Weliabilities are determined the carrying amount of the liability component of the 2024 Notes by using assumptions that market participants would use in pricing a debt instrument, including market interest rates, credit standing, yield curves and volatilities. Determining the fair value of the debt component requires the use of accounting estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions are judgmental in nature and could have a significant impact on the determinationbasis of the debt component, and the associated non-cash interest expense.

Debt acquisition costs related to the 2024 Notes were $14.7 million. In addition, we allocated $149.2 million to the equity component of the convertible debt instrument. We are amortizing the debt acquisition costs and the equity component over the life of the 2024 Notes as additional non-cash interest expense utilizing the effective interest method.

Collaboration Agreements

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Mitsubishi Tanabe). On March 31, 2015, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe for the development and commercialization of INGREZZA (valbenazine) for movement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets. Payments to us under this agreement include an up-front license fee of $30 million, up to $85 million in development and commercialization event-based payments, payments for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, and royalties on product sales in select territories in Asia. Under the terms of the agreement, Mitsubishi Tanabe is

responsible for all third-party development, marketing and commercialization costs in Japan and other select Asian markets with the exception of a single Huntington’s chorea clinical trial to be performed by us, at an estimated cost of approximately $12 million, should Mitsubishi Tanabe request the clinical trial. We will be entitled to a percentage of sales of INGREZZA in Japan and other select Asian markets for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights.

Under our agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe, the collaboration effort between the parties to advance INGREZZA towards commercialization in Japan and other select Asian markets is governed by a joint steering committee and joint development committee with representatives from both us and Mitsubishi Tanabe. There are no performance, cancellation, termination or refund provisions in the agreement that would have a material financial consequence to us. We do not directly control when event-based payments will be achieved or when royalty payments will begin. Mitsubishi Tanabe may terminate the agreement at its discretion upon 180 days’ written notice to us. In such event, all INGREZZA product rights for Japan and other select Asian markets would revert to us.

We have identified the following deliverables associated with the Mitsubishi Tanabe agreement: INGREZZA technology license and existing know-how, development activities to be performed as part of the collaboration, and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The respective standalone value from each of these deliverables has been determined by applying the BESP method and the revenue was allocated based on the relative selling price method with revenue recognition timing to be determined either by delivery or the provision of services.

As discussed above, the BESP method required the use of significant estimates. We used an income approach to estimate the selling price for the technology license and an expense approach for estimating development activities and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The development activities and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products are expected to be delivered throughout the duration of the agreement. The technology license and existing know-how was delivered on the effective date of the agreement.

We also evaluated the event-based payments under the Milestone Method and concluded only one immaterial event-based payment represents a substantive milestone. Event-based payments will be recognized when earned.

We are eligible to receive tiered royalty payments based on product sales in Japan and other select Asian markets. Royalties will be recognized as earned in accordance with the terms of the agreement, when product sales are reported by Mitsubishi Tanabe, the amount can be reasonably estimated, and collectability is reasonably assured.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized $15 million in development event-based payments resulting from Mitsubishi Tanabe’s initiation of Phase II/III development of INGREZZA in TD in Asia. No revenue was recognized under the Mitsubishi Tanabe agreement for the year ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recognized revenue under this agreement of $19.8 million associated with the delivery of a technology license and existing know-how. In accordance with our continuing performance obligations, $10.2 million of the $30 million up-front payment is being deferred and recognized in future periods. Under the terms of the agreement, there is no general obligation to return the up-front payment for any non-contingent deliverable.

AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie). In June 2010, we announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation GnRH antagonists (collectively, GnRH Compounds) for women’s and men’s health. AbbVie made an upfront payment of $75 million and agreed to make additional development and regulatory event-based payments of up to $480 million and up to an additional $50 million in commercial event-based payments. We assessed event-based payments under the revised authoritative guidance for research and development milestones and determined that event-based payments prior to commencement of a

Phase III clinical study, as defined in the agreement, meet the definition of a milestone in accordance with authoritative guidance as (i) they are events that can only be achieved in part on our past performance, (ii) there is substantive uncertainty at the date the arrangement was entered into that the event will be achieved and (iii) they result in additional payments being due to us. Development and regulatory event-based payments subsequent to the commencement of a Phase III clinical study, however, currently do not meet these criteria as their achievement is based on the performance of AbbVie. As of December 31, 2017, $455 million remains outstanding in future event-based payments under the agreement. However, none of the remaining event-based payments meet the definition of a milestone in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance and will be recognized when earned as we have no ongoing obligations.

Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie is responsible for all third-party development, marketing and commercialization costs. We will be entitled to a percentage of worldwide sales of GnRH Compounds for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights. AbbVie may terminate the collaboration at its discretion upon 180 days’ written notice to us. In such event all GnRH Compound product rights would revert to us.

During 2017, event-based revenue of $30.0 million was recognized based on AbbVie’s New Drug Application (NDA) submission for elagolix in endometriosis being accepted as filed by the FDA. During 2016, event-based revenue of $15.0 million was recognized related to AbbVie’s initiation of Phase III development of elagolix in uterine fibroids. No revenue was recognized during 2015 under this collaboration agreement.

BIAL – Portela & CA, S.A. (BIAL). In February 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIAL for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, we are responsible for the management and cost of all opicapone development and commercialization activities in the United States and Canada.

Under the terms of the agreement, we paid BIAL an upfront license fee of $30 million, which was expensed in the first quarter of 2017 as in process research and development. We may also be required to pay up to an additional $115 million in milestone payments associated with the regulatory approval and net sales of products containing opicapone. Prior to FDA approval of opicapone, we may be required to pay up to $20 million in milestones based on certain regulatory and clinical results and FDA acceptance of our NDA filing for opicapone. Upon commercialization of opicapone, we have agreed to determine certain annual sales forecasts. In the event that we fail to meet the minimum sales requirements for a particular year, we will be required to pay BIAL an amount corresponding to the difference between the actual net salestax basis of assets and the minimum sales requirements for such year,liabilities and if we fail to meet the minimum sales requirements for any two years, BIAL may terminate the agreement.

The agreement, unless terminated earlier, will continue on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis until a generic producttheir respective financial reporting amounts (temporary differences) at enacted tax rates in respect of such licensed product under the agreement is sold in a country and sales of such generic product are greater than a specified percentage of total sales of such licensed product in such country. Upon our written request prior to the estimated expiration of the term in respect of a licensed product, the parties shall negotiate a good faith continuation of BIAL’s supply of such licensed product after the term. After the term, and if BIAL is not supplying a certain licensed product, we shall pay BIAL a trademark royalty based on the net sales of such licensed product. Either party may terminate the agreement earlier if the other party materially breaches the agreement and does not cure the breach within a specified notice period, or upon the other party’s insolvency. BIAL may terminate the agreement if we fail to use commercially reasonable efforts or fail to file an NDA for a licensed product by a specified date or under certain circumstances involving our change of control. In certain circumstances where BIAL elects to terminate the agreement in connection with our change of control, BIAL shall pay us a termination fee. We may terminate the agreement at any time for any reason upon six months written notice to BIAL if prior to the first NDA approval in the United States, and upon nine months written notice to BIAL if such notice is given after the first NDA approval in the United States. If our termination request occurs prior to the first NDA approval in the United States, we will have to pay BIAL a termination fee except under certain conditions specified in the agreement.

Results of Operations for Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

Revenue

Product Sales, net

In April 2017, the FDA approved INGREZZAeffect for the treatment of TD. INGREZZA became available for prescriptionyears in late April 2017. Net product sales were $116.6 million forwhich the year ended December 31, 2017 with no similar net product sales during 2016 or 2015.

Milestones and License Fees

The following table summarizes our collaboration revenue during the periods presented:

   Year Ended
December 31,
 
   2017   2016   2015 
   (In millions) 

Revenues under collaboration agreements:

      

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Inc.

  $15.0   $   $19.8 

AbbVie, Inc.

   30.0    15.0     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues

  $45.0   $15.0   $19.8 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

During 2017, we recognized $15.0 million in development event-based payments resulting from Mitsubishi Tanabe’s initiation of Phase II/III development of INGREZZA in TD in Asia. During October 2017, AbbVie’s NDA submission for elagolix in endometriosis was accepted as filed by the FDA. This NDA filing acceptance generated a $30.0 million milestone event payment to us.

During 2016, we recognized $15.0 million in event-based revenue under our collaboration agreement with AbbVie as a result of AbbVie initiating Phase III clinical studies of elagolix in patients with uterine fibroids.

During 2015, we entered into our collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe for the development and commercialization of our VMAT2 inhibitor INGREZZA for movement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets. Payments from Mitsubishi Tanabe under this agreement included an up-front license fee of $30 million. During 2015, we recorded revenues of $19.8 million related to the up-front license fee.

Operating Expenses

Cost of Product Sales

Cost of product sales was $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Product sold during the year ended December 31, 2017 included drug product that was previously charged to research and development expense prior to FDA approval of INGREZZA for TD. This minimal cost drug product had a positive impact on our cost of product sales and related product gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2017. We will continue to have a lower cost of product sales that excludes the cost of the API that was produced prior to FDA approval until we manufacture API and sell INGREZZA that includes this newly manufactured API. We expect that this will be the case for the near-term and as a result, our cost of product sales in the near-term will be less than we anticipate it will be in future periods. No similar cost of product sales was recognized during 2016 or 2015.

Research and Development

Our R&D expenditures include costs related to preclinical and clinical trials, scientific personnel, equipment, consultants, sponsored research, share-based compensation and allocated facility costs. We do not

track fully burdened R&D costs separately for each of our drug candidates. We review our R&D expenses by focusing on four categories: external development, personnel, facility and depreciation, and other. External development expenses consist of costs associated with our external preclinical and clinical trials, including pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Personnel expenses include salaries and wages, share-based compensation, payroll taxes and benefits for those individuals involved in ongoing research and development efforts. Other R&D expenses mainly represent lab supply expenses, scientific consulting expenses and other expenses.

The following table presents our total R&D expenses by category during the periods presented:

   Years Ended December 31, 
   2017   2016   2015 
   (In millions) 

External development expense:

      

VMAT2

  $20.9   $32.4   $29.3 

CRF

   3.9    2.5    3.3 

Other

   3.4    1.0    1.2 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total external development expense

   28.2    35.9    33.8 

R&D personnel expense

   42.2    34.1    32.8 

R&D facility and depreciation expense

   5.8    6.3    6.0 

Other R&D expense

   45.6    18.0    8.9 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total research and development expense

  $121.8   $94.3   $81.5 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

R&D expense increased by $27.5 million, from $94.3 million in 2016 to $121.8 million in 2017. This increase in R&D expense was primarily driven by the $30 million paid to BIAL to in-license opicapone. Approximately $8.1 million of the increase in R&D expense was due to higher R&D personnel related expense, offset by a decrease in VMAT2 spending due to the wind down of the Phase III clinical program and NDA preparation activities related to INGREZZA for TD during 2016.

R&D expense increased from $81.5 million in 2015 to $94.3 million in 2016. This increase was primarily due to a $9.1 million increase in other R&D expenses related to efforts around our NDA filing of INGREZZA for TD, including $2.4 million for the related FDA filing fee and an increase in scientific consulting expense of approximately $6.6 million. Additionally, external development expenses related to our INGREZZA Phase III clinical program in TD and Phase II program in Tourette syndrome increased by $3.1 million from 2015 to 2016.

We expect ongoing research and development expenses in 2018 to be higher than 2017 levels due to increased headcount in research and development, increased clinical trial activity, and post-marketing studies of INGREZZA for TD.

Sales, General and Administrative

Sales, general and administrative expense increased to $169.9 million for 2017 compared with $68.1 million during the same period in 2016. The $101.8 million increase in sales, general and administrative expense is primarily due to the launch of our commercial efforts for INGREZZA in April 2017 and is primarily due to higher personnel related costs (increased by $56.7 million), with share-based compensation costs accounting for $8.2 million of this increase in personnel costs. Additionally, external costs related to market research, patient support, commercial launch activities and other professional services were $36.6 million higher for 2017 when compared to 2016.

Sales, general and administrative expenses were $68.1 million in 2016 compared to $32.5 million in 2015. The $35.6 million increase in general and administrative expense from 2015 to 2016 was primarily due to higher

personnel related costs associated with an increase in headcount to support our commercial launch preparations for INGREZZA in TD (increased by $13.5 million). Additionally, external costs related to market research, commercial launch preparation and other professional services were $20.2 million higher for 2016 when compared to 2015.

We expect our general and administrative expenses in 2018 to increase significantly from 2017 expense levels due to having a full year of commercialization activities related to INGREZZA for TD.

Interest Expense

As discussed above, during May 2017, we issued $517.5 million of convertible debt which resulted in $19.5 million in interest expense during 2017. $11.8 million of which relates to amortization of debt discount and debt acquisition costs. The remaining $7.7 million relates to the stated interest of which $6.2 million was paid in cash during the year. There was no related interest expense in 2016 or 2015.

We expect our 2018 interest expense to increase significantly from 2017 expense levels due to having a full year of convertible debt outstanding.

Net Loss

Our net loss for 2017 was $142.5 million, or $1.62 net loss per common share, our net loss for 2016 was $141.1 million, or $1.63 net loss per common share, and our net loss for 2015 was $88.9 million, or $1.05 net loss per common share.

Our net loss was fairly consistent from 2016 to 2017. Operating expenses increased by $130.6 million from 2016 to 2017 primarily due to the in-licensing of opicapone and the costs associated with the commercial launch of INGREZZA for TD. This increase in operating expenses was offset by a $146.6 million increase in revenue from 2016 to 2017, primarily driven by sales of INGREZZA.

The increase in our net loss from 2015 to 2016 was primarily a result of higher overall expenses associated with INGREZZA clinical activities and commercial launch preparations. In addition, revenue for 2016 decreased by $4.8 million due to the $19.8 million in revenue recognized from the up-front license fee from Mitsubishi Tanabe in 2015 being greater than the $15.0 million milestone payment received from AbbVie during 2016.

For 2018, although we anticipate significantly higher sales, we expect to have a net loss due to higher operating expenses to execute our clinical programs and and higher general and administrative expenses as we continue to execute on our commercialization plan for INGREZZA in TD. Ongoing operational R&D expenses (costs excluding the in-licensing fee of $30 million for opicapone) for 2018differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is established for deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets, including net operating losses and tax credits, will not be higher than 2017 levels duerealized. We periodically re-assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets based on various factors including our historical earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, and forecasts of future operating results and utilization of net operating losses and tax credits prior to increased headcounttheir expiration. Significant judgment is required in researchmaking this assessment and, development and increased clinical trial activity. Revenueto the extent that a reversal of any portion of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets is expecteddeemed appropriate, a tax benefit will be recognized against our income tax provision in the period of such reversal. Prior to increase in 2018 due to an anticipated event-based payment from AbbVie under2020, we recorded a valuation allowance that fully offset our collaboration agreement,deferred tax assets. On December 31, 2020, based on our evaluation of various factors, such as our achievement of a cumulative three-year income position as of December 31, 2020, as well as anticipated increased product salesour consideration of INGREZZA in TD.

Liquidityforecasts of future operating results and Capital Resources

At December 31, 2017, our cash, cash equivalents, and investments totaled $763.3 million compared with $350.8 million at December 31, 2016.

Net cash used in operating activities during 2017 was $94.3 million compared to $106.2 million in 2016. The net loss from 2017 increased by $1.4 million over 2016 levels but included an increase in non-cash share based compensation expense of $14.1 million and the non-cash impact of the amortization of debt discount associated with the Senior Convertible Notes during 2017 of approximately $10.9 million.

Net cash used in operating activities during 2016 was $106.2 million compared to $38.0 million in 2015. The $68.2 million change in cash flows from operating activities is primarily due to an increase in net loss of approximately $52.2 million. In addition, during 2015, we received $30.0 million from Mitsubishi Tanabe as an upfront licensing payment; of which approximately $10.2 million was accounted for as deferred revenue.

Net cash used in investing activities was $250.9 million in 2017 and $195.8 million in 2015 as compared to $112.9 millionutilization of net cash provided by investing activities in 2016. The fluctuation in net cash used in investing activities resulted primarily from the timing differences in investment purchases, salesoperating losses and maturities, and the fluctuationtax credits prior to their expiration, we released substantially all of our portfolio mix between cash equivalentsvaluation allowance against our deferred tax assets and short-term investment holdings. The average term to maturity in our investment portfolio is less than one year.

Net cash provided by financing activities during 2017 was $516.6 million compared to $2.4 million and $277.0 million in 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase in cash provided by financing activities from 2016 to 2017 was primarily due to net proceeds of approximately $502.8 million from our offering of senior convertible debt in May 2017. Cash provided by financing activities during 2015 included approximately $270.7 million from our public offering of common stock in February 2015. During 2017, 2016 and 2015 stock option exercises yielded approximately $13.9 million, $2.4 million and $6.3 million, respectively, in cash proceeds.

Equity Financing. In February 2015, we completed recorded

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a public offering of common stock in which we sold 8.0 million shares of our common stock at an offering price of $36.00 per share. The shares were sold pursuant to a shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The net proceeds generated from this transaction, after underwriting discounts and commissions and offering costs, were approximately $270.7 million.

Shelf Registration Statement. In February 2017, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement which immediately became effective by rule of the SEC. For so long as wecorresponding income tax benefit. We continue to satisfy the requirementsmaintain a valuation allowance against our California state deferred tax assets.

Additional Information
Refer to be deemed a well-known seasoned issuer, this shelf registration statement allows us to issue an unlimited number of securities from time to time. As of December 31, 2017, we had not sold any securities under this shelf registration statement.

Convertible Debt. In May 2017, we issued $517.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% Convertible Senior Notes due May 2024 (2024 Notes). Debt issuance costs of approximately $14.7 million were primarily comprised of initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions, legal, accounting, and other professional fees, a portion of which was capitalized and are recorded as a reduction to long-term debt and is being amortized as interest expense using the effective interest method over the seven-year term of the 2024 Notes. The remaining debt issuance costs were allocated as a component of equity in additional paid-in capital.

The 2024 Notes will be convertible into cash, shares of common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of common stock based on an initial conversion rate, subject to adjustment, of 13.1711 shares per $1,000 principal amount of the 2024 Notes (which represents an initial conversion price of approximately $75.92 per share). The 2024 Notes will mature on May 15, 2024, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. PriorNote 1 to the closeconsolidated financial statements for information on accounting pronouncements that have impacted or are expected to materially impact our consolidated financial condition, results of business on the business day immediately preceding January 15, 2024, the 2024 Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Thereafter, the 2024 Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders at any time up until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding May 15, 2024. We may not redeem the 2024 Notes prior to May 15, 2021. Onoperations, or after this date, at our election, we may redeem all, or any portion, of the 2024 Notes for cash if the last reported sales price of our common stock, for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day immediately preceding the date which we send the related redemption notice, is more than 130% of the conversion price of the 2024 Notes in effect on each applicable trading day.

flows.

Factors That May Affect Future Financial Condition and Liquidity

We anticipate increases in expenditures as we execute on our commercialization plan for INGREZZA and continue our R&D activities. Because of our limited financial resources, our strategies to develop some of our programs include collaborative agreements with major pharmaceutical companies and sales of our securities in both public and private offerings. Our collaborative agreements typically include a partial recovery of our research costs through license fees, contract research funding and milestone revenues. Our collaborators are also financially and managerially responsible for clinical development and commercialization. In these cases, the estimated completion date would largely be under the control of the collaborator. We cannot forecast, with any degree of certainty, which other proprietary products or indications, if any, will be subject to future collaborative arrangements, in whole or in part, and how such arrangements would affect our capital requirements.

Our in-license, research and clinical development agreements are generally cancelable with written notice within 180 days or less. In addition to the minimum annual payments due under certain in-license and research agreements, including a $30 million upfront license fee paid to BIAL in February 2017, we may be required to pay up to approximately $132 million in milestone payments, plus sales royalties, in the event that all scientific research, development and commercialization milestones under these agreements are achieved.

From time to time, we may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. On December 1, 2015, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai) filed a complaint against us in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York:Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai v. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., Case No. 1:15-cv-09414. In the complaint, Mount Sinai alleges that we, by entering into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize next-generation GnRH antagonists, breached our license agreement with Mount Sinai dated August 27, 1999 (Mount Sinai License). Mount Sinai is seeking unspecified monetary damages, future sublicensing fees and attorney’s fees. In January 2016, we filed a motion to dismiss this complaint in its entirety. In June 2016, the Court denied the motion in part and granted the motion in part, ruling that while Mount Sinai could continue its lawsuit against us, there was no requirement for us to obtain Mount Sinai’s consent prior to licensing the next-generation GnRH antagonists to AbbVie. In July 2016, we filed our answer denying Mount Sinai’s allegations, and filed counterclaims against Mount Sinai alleging patent misuse, non-infringement of Mount Sinai’s patents, and that Mount Sinai’s patents that are subject to the Mount Sinai License are invalid. Mount Sinai has filed a motion to dismiss our counterclaims and affirmative defenses. We believe that we have meritorious defenses to the claims made in the complaint and intend to vigorously defend ourselves against such claims, but we are not able to predict the ultimate outcome of this action, or estimate any potential loss.

We lease our office and research laboratories under an operating lease with an initial term that expires at the end of 2029.

As of December 31, 2017, the total estimated future annual minimum lease payments under our non-cancelable operating lease obligations are as follows(in thousands):

   Payment
Amount
 

Year ending:

  

2018

  $7,368 

2019

   7,589 

2020

   7,844 

2021

   8,079 

2022 and thereafter

   74,000 
  

 

 

 

Total future minimum lease payments

  $104,880 
  

 

 

 

As discussed above, the 2024 Notes (face value of $517.5 million) will mature on May 15, 2024, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. We may not redeem the 2024 Notes prior to May 15, 2021. On or

after this date, at our election, we may redeem all, or any portion, of the 2024 Notes under certain circumstances. The 2024 Notes do not contain any financial or operating covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the issuance of other indebtedness or the issuance or repurchase of securities by us. There are customary events of default with respect to the 2024 Notes, including that upon certain events of default, 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the 2024 Notes will automatically become due and payable.

The funding necessary to execute our business strategies is subject to numerous uncertainties, which may adversely affect our liquidity and capital resources. Marketing of approved pharmaceuticals and completion of clinical trials may take several years or more, but the length of time generally varies substantially according to the type, complexity, novelty and intended use of a product candidate. It is also important to note that if a clinical candidate is identified, the further development of that candidate can be halted or abandoned at any time due to a number of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, funding constraints, safety or a change in market demand.

The nature and efforts required to develop our product candidates into commercially viable products include research to identify a clinical candidate, preclinical development, clinical testing, FDA approval and commercialization. For eachIn the pharmaceutical industry, total R&D spend for a drug candidate that successfully completes all stages of R&D and is commercialized total R&D spending in the pharmaceutical industry may exceed $2 billion. Additionally, the stages of research and developmentFurther, it can take in excess of ten years to complete all stages of R&D for eacha drug candidate.

We test our potential product candidates in numerous preclinical studies to identify disease indications for which our product candidates may show efficacy. We may conduct multiple clinical trials to cover a variety of indications for each product candidate. As we obtain results from trials, we may elect to discontinue clinical trials for certain product candidates or for certain indications in order to focus our resources on more promising product candidates or indications. The duration and the cost of clinical trials may vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of differences arising during the clinical trial protocol, including, among others, the following:

we or the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities may suspend the trials;

we may discover that a product candidate may cause harmful side effects;

patient recruitment and enrollment may be slower or more difficult than expected; and

patients may drop out of the trials.

For each of our programs, we periodically assess the scientific progress and merits of the programs to determine if continued R&D is economically viable. Certain of our programs have been terminated due to the lack of scientific progress and lack of prospects for ultimate commercialization. Because of the uncertainties associated with R&D of these programs, we may not be successful in achieving commercialization. As such, the ultimate timeline and costs to commercialize a product cannot be accurately estimated.

Our in-license, research and clinical development agreements are generally cancellable with written notice within 180 days or less. We may be required to pay up to $8.5 billion in milestone payments, plus sales royalties, in the event that all scientific research, development and commercialization milestones under these agreements are achieved.
Other than INGREZZA, which has been approved by the FDAFDA-approved for the treatment of TD,tardive dyskinesia; ONGENTYS, which has been FDA-approved as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson’s disease patients; ORILISSA (partnered with AbbVie), which has been FDA-approved for the management of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women; and ORIAHNN (partnered with AbbVie), which has been FDA-approved for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women, our product candidates have not yet achieved FDA regulatory approval, which is required before we can market them as therapeutic products in the United States.U.S. In order to proceed to subsequent clinical trial stages and to ultimately achieve regulatory approval, the FDA must conclude that our clinical data establish safety and efficacy. We must satisfy the requirements of similar regulatory authorities in foreign countries in order to market products in those countries. The results from preclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of results in later
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clinical trials. It is possible for a candidate to show promising results in clinical trials, but subsequently fail to establish sufficient safety and efficacy data necessary to obtain regulatory approvals.

As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, among others, the duration and completion costs of our R&D projects, clinical trials, and post-marketing studies are difficult to estimate and are subject to considerable

variation. Our inability to complete our R&D projects in a timely manner or our failure to enter into collaborative agreements, when appropriate, could significantly increase our capital requirements and could adversely impact our liquidity. These uncertainties could force us to seek additional, external sources of financing from time to time in order to continue with our business strategy. Our inability to raise additional capital, or to do so on terms reasonably acceptable to us, would jeopardize the future success of our business.

We currently have limited experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. If we fail to maintain successful marketing, sales, and reimbursement capabilities, or fail to enter into successful arrangements with third parties, our product revenues may suffer. We also may be required to make further substantial expenditures if unforeseen difficulties arise in other areas of our business. In particular, our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

the commercial success of INGREZZA, ONGENTYS, ORILISSA, and/or ORIAHNN;

debt service obligations on the 2024 Notes;
continued scientific progress in our R&D and clinical development programs;

the magnitude and complexity of our R&Dresearch and development programs;

progress with preclinical testing and clinical trials;

the time and costs involved in obtaining regulatory approvals;

the costs involved in filing and pursuing patent applications, and enforcing patent claims;

claims, or engaging in interference proceedings or other patent litigation;

competing technological and market developments;

the establishment of additional collaborations and strategic alliances;

developments related to on-goingany future litigation;

the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;

the cost of manufacturing facilities and of commercialization activities and arrangements;arrangements, including manufacturing of our product candidates; and

the cost of product in-licensing and any possible acquisitions.

We believe that our existing capital resources, together withfunds generated by anticipated INGREZZA net product sales and investment income and future payments due under our strategic alliances, will be sufficient to satisfy our current and projected funding requirements for at least the next 12twelve months. However, we cannot guarantee that our existing capital resources and anticipated revenues will be sufficient to conduct and complete all of our research and development programs or commercialization activities as planned.

The spread of COVID-19, which has caused a broad impact globally, may materially affect us economically. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, the pandemic is currently resulting in disruption of global financial markets. This disruption, if sustained or recurrent, could make it more difficult for us to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could materially affect our business and the value of our common stock.
We may require additional funding to effectively commercialize INGREZZA, to continue our research and product development programs, to conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials, for operating expenses, to pursue regulatory approvals for our product candidates, for the costs involved in filing and prosecuting patent applications and enforcing or defending patent claims, if any, the cost of product in-licensing and any possible acquisitions, and we may require additional funding to establish manufacturing and marketing capabilities in the future. We may seek to access the public or private
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equity markets whenever conditions are favorable. For example, we have an effective shelf registration statement on file with the SEC which allows us to issue an unlimited number of shares of our securities from time to time. In addition, during the second quarter of 2017, we issued $517.5 million of convertible debt in May 2017 and we have previously financed capital purchases and may continue to pursue opportunities to obtain additional debt financing in the future. In November 2020, we entered into separate, privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of the 2024 Notes to repurchase $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. At December 31, 2020, $381.3 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes remained outstanding. We may also seek additional funding through strategic alliances or other financing mechanisms. We cannot assure you that adequate funding will be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all. In addition, COVID-19 pandemic is currently resulting in disruption of global financial markets. This disruption, if sustained or recurrent, could make it more difficult for us to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity. Any additional equity financings will be dilutive to our stockholders and any additional debt may involve operating covenants that may restrict our business. If adequate funds are not available through these means, we may be required to curtail significantly one or more of our research or development programs or obtain funds through arrangements with collaborators or others. This may require us to relinquish rights to certain of our technologies, products or product candidates. To the extent that we are unable to obtain third-party funding for such expenses, we expect that increased expenses will result in increased cash flow losses from operations. We cannot assure you that we will successfully develop our products under development or that our approved products will generate revenues sufficient to enable us to earn a profit.

Contractual Obligations
The following table presents our contractual obligations at December 31, 2020.
(in millions)Total20212022202320242025 and
Thereafter
2024 Notes and related interest (1)
$411.5 $8.7 $8.6 $8.6 $385.6 $— 
Operating leases (2)
159.6 12.3 14.9 15.5 16.0 100.9 
Total contractual obligations$571.1 $21.0 $23.5 $24.1 $401.6 $100.9 
(1) In May 2017, we completed a private placement of $517.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes scheduled to mature on May 15, 2024, unless earlier converted, redeemed, or repurchased. We may not redeem the 2024 Notes prior to May 15, 2021. On or after this date, at our election, we may redeem all, or any portion, of the 2024 Notes under certain circumstances. The 2024 Notes do not contain any financial or operating covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the issuance of other indebtedness or the issuance or repurchase of securities by us. There are customary events of default with respect to the 2024 Notes, including that upon certain events of default, 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the 2024 Notes will automatically become due and payable. Amounts for the 2024 Notes and related interest in the table above assume that the 2024 Notes will be held until maturity. In November 2020, we entered into separate, privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of the 2024 Notes to repurchase $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. At December 31, 2020, $381.3 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes remained outstanding.
(2) We lease our corporate headquarters, which consist of laboratory and office space located San Diego, California, under various operating lease agreements. In addition to minimum rental commitments, these operating leases may require us to pay additional amounts for taxes, insurance, maintenance and other operating expenses. The non-cancelable lease terms for these operating leases expire at various dates between 2025 and 2031 and do not include renewal options. Amounts for operating leases presented in the table above reflect future minimum rental commitments under non-cancelable operating leases as of December 31 for each of the periods presented.

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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk on our short-term investments. The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal while at the same time maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. To achieve this objective, we invest in highly liquid and high qualityhigh-quality government and other debt securities. To minimize our exposure due to adverse shifts in interest rates, we invest in short-term securities and ensure that the maximum average maturity of our investments does not exceed 12twelve months. If a 10%1% change in interest rates were to have occurred on December 31, 2017,2020, this change would not have had a material effect on the fair value of our investment portfolio as of that date. Due to the short holding period of our investments, we have concluded that we do not have a material financial market risk exposure.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014 the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes all existing revenue recognition requirements, including most industry-specific guidance. This new standard requires a company to recognize revenue when it transfers goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the company expects to receive for those goods or services. The FASB subsequently issued amendments to ASU No. 2014-09 that have the same effective date

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Item 8. Financial Statements and transition date. These new standards became effective for us on January 1, 2018, and will be adopted using the modified retrospective method through a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, directly to retained earnings as of that date. We have performed a review of these new standards as compared to our current accounting policies for customer contracts and collaborative relationships. As of December 31, 2017, we have not identified any accounting changes that would materially impact the amount of reported revenues with respect to our product revenues. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on historical revenue recorded for our two collaboration agreements. This ongoing evaluation is dependent upon the resolution of certain questions relating to the application of the new revenue recognition guidance for collaboration agreements which will ultimately determine the impact, if any, the adoption of this standard may have on the consolidated financial statements.

We expect the accounting for contingent milestone payments to be the most significant change in accounting for our license and collaboration agreements. Topic 605 provides guidance specific to the accounting for milestone payments, including the ability to defer the recognition of any milestones until received and, if certain criteria are met, the ability to recognize milestone payments as revenue when received. However, Topic 606 does not contain guidance specific to milestone payments, thereby requiring potential milestone payments to be considered in accordance with the overall model of Topic 606. As a result, revenues from contingent milestone payments may be recognized earlier under Topic 606 than under Topic 605, based on an assessment of the probability of achievement of the milestone and the likelihood of a significant reversal of such milestone revenue at each reporting date. This assessment may result in recognizing milestone revenue before the milestone event has been achieved. In addition, Topic 606 changes guidance regarding the accounting for variable consideration received from licensees, which may impact the estimation of, and determination of the timing of, the related revenue recognition.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 Leases. This update amends the current accounting guidance for lease transactions. Under the new guidance, a lessee will be required to recognize both assets and liabilities for any leases in excess of twelve months. Additionally, certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures will also be required in the financial statements. We are required to adopt this new guidance beginning in 2019 and early adoption is permitted. We are in the process of determining the effects the adoption of this update will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash”, which clarifies the presentation of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statements of cash flows. Under the ASU, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents are included with cash and cash equivalents

Supplementary Data

when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts presented on the statements of cash flows. The ASU is intended to reduce diversity in practice in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. The ASU requires that the statement of cash flows explain the change in total cash and equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts. The ASU also requires a reconciliation between the total of cash and equivalents and restricted cash presented on the statement of cash flows and the cash and equivalents balance presented on the balance sheet. The ASU was effective for us on January 1, 2018. We do not expect the adoption of the ASU will have a material effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Information required by this item is contained in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Interest Rate Risk.” Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 8.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

INDEX TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page

67

68

69

70

71

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the shareholdersShareholders and the boardBoard of directorsDirectors of

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, the related consolidated statements of operationsincome and comprehensive loss,income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 20172020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as ofat December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017,2020, in conformity with USU.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 13, 20185, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Adoption of New Accounting Standard
ASU No. 2016-02
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases effective January 1, 2019, due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and the related amendments.
Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the USU.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures includeincluded examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates.
63


Reserves for government rebates related to product sales
Description of the MatterThe Company sells drugs to specialty pharmacies and specialty distributors in the U.S. (collectively, “customers”). As described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company recognizes revenues for sales of INGREZZA to its customers after deducting management’s estimates of reserves, including drug coverage gap rebates, it will provide under government rebate programs (“government rebates”). Estimated government rebates are presented within accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Auditing the estimates of government rebates was complex and judgmental due to the level of uncertainty involved in management’s assumptions used in the measurement process. In particular, management was required to estimate, for product that remains in the distribution channel at December 31, 2020, the portion of product that is expected to be subject to a government rebate and the applicable contractual government rebate percentage by forecasting the revenue, the payor type underlying the revenue and the applicable rebate amount for the payor type.
How We Addressed the Matter in Our AuditWe tested the Company’s internal controls over management’s process for estimating the portion of product that is expected to be subject to a government rebate for product that remains in the distribution channel at December 31, 2020, including controls over management’s forecast of revenue and the accuracy of data used in the calculation.
To test management’s estimate of government rebate reserves our audit procedures included, among others, evaluating the methodologies used, testing the significant assumptions discussed above and testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used by the Company in its analyses. Specifically, we compared the significant assumptions to third-party reports used by the Company to estimate product remaining in the distribution channel at December 31, 2020. In addition, we compared the underlying government rebate percentages used in the Company’s analyses to those published by the applicable government entity. We assessed the historical accuracy of management’s rebate estimates, tested payments of rebates and performed a sensitivity analysis of significant assumptions to evaluate the changes in the rebate allowance that would result from changes in the assumptions.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1992.

San Diego, California

February 13, 2018

5, 2021

64


NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except for par value and share totals)

   December 31, 
   2017  2016 
ASSETS   

Current assets:

   

Cash and cash equivalents

  $254,712  $83,267 

Short-term investments, available-for-sale

   261,217   224,083 

Accounts receivable

   31,127    

Other current assets

   7,863   3,092 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total current assets

   554,919   310,442 

Property and equipment, net

   10,811   6,271 

Long-term investments, available-for-sale

   247,361   43,490 

Restricted cash

   4,500   4,883 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total assets

  $817,591  $365,086 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   

Current liabilities:

   

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

  $53,520  $26,182 

Current portion of deferred rent

      470 

Current portion of cease-use liability

   62   236 

Current portion of deferred gain on sale of real estate

   731   3,526 

Other current liabilities

   113    
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

   54,426   30,414 

Deferred gain on sale of real estate

   8,043   7,372 

Deferred revenue

   10,231   10,231 

Deferred rent

   3,135   1,462 

Convertible senior notes

   369,618    

Cease-use liability

      617 

Other liabilities

      113 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

   445,453   50,209 

Commitments and contingencies

   

Stockholders’ equity:

   

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding

       

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 220,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding shares were 88,793,903 and 86,883,300 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively

   89   87 

Additional paid-in capital

   1,572,765   1,371,432 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

   (1,850  (318

Accumulated deficit

   (1,198,866  (1,056,324
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

   372,138   314,877 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

  $817,591  $365,086 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 December 31,
(in millions, except per share data)20202019
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$187.1 $112.3 
Debt securities available-for-sale (amortized cost $612.4 million at December 31, 2020 and $557.3 million at December 31, 2019)613.9 558.2 
Accounts receivable157.1 126.6 
Inventories28.0 17.3 
Other current assets30.1 16.6 
Total current assets1,016.2 831.0 
Debt securities available-for-sale (amortized cost $226.7 million at December 31, 2020 and $299.3 million at December 31, 2019)227.1 299.7 
Right-of-use assets82.8 74.3 
Equity securities38.2 55.9 
Property and equipment, net44.6 41.9 
Deferred tax assets319.4 
Restricted cash3.2 3.2 
Other long-term assets3.2 
Total assets$1,734.7 $1,306.0 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities$168.7 $141.3 
Convertible senior notes408.8 
Other current liabilities17.8 15.2 
Total current liabilities186.5 565.3 
Convertible senior notes317.9 
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities94.4 86.7 
Other long-term liabilities9.7 17.1 
Total liabilities608.5 669.1 
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 5.0 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and 2019
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 220.0 shares authorized; issued and outstanding shares were 93.5 million and 92.3 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively0.1 0.1 
Additional paid-in capital1,849.7 1,768.1 
Accumulated other comprehensive income1.8 1.4 
Accumulated deficit(725.4)(1,132.7)
Total stockholders’ equity1,126.2 636.9 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$1,734.7 $1,306.0 
See accompanying notes.

notes to consolidated financial statements.

65


NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(In thousands, except net loss per share data)

   Year Ended December 31, 
   2017  2016  2015 

Revenues:

    

Product sales, net

  $116,626  $  $ 

Milestones and license fees

   45,000  $15,000  $19,769 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total revenues

   161,626   15,000   19,769 

Operating expenses:

    

Cost of product sales

   1,254       

Research and development

   121,827   94,291   81,491 

Sales, general and administrative

   169,906   68,081   32,480 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

   292,987   162,372   113,971 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Loss from operations

   (131,361  (147,372  (94,202

Other income:

    

Deferred gain on real estate

   2,124   3,423   3,325 

Interest expense

   (19,523      

Investment income, net

   6,238   2,838   1,928 

Other (expense) income, net

   (20  21   20 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total other income

   (11,181  6,282   5,273 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net loss

  $(142,542 $(141,090 $(88,929
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net loss per common share:

    

Basic

  $(1.62 $(1.63 $(1.05
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Diluted

  $(1.62 $(1.63 $(1.05
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Shares used in the calculation of net loss per common share:

    

Basic

   88,089   86,713   84,496 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Diluted

   88,089   86,713   84,496 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Other comprehensive loss:

    

Net loss

  $(142,542 $(141,090 $(88,929

Net unrealized (losses) gains on available-for-sale securities

   (1,532  659   (700
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Comprehensive loss

  $(144,074 $(140,431 $(89,629
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS INCOME
AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except per share data)202020192018
Revenues:
Product sales, net$994.1 $752.9 $409.6 
Collaboration revenue51.8 35.2 41.6 
Total revenues1,045.9 788.1 451.2 
Operating expenses:
Cost of sales10.1 7.4 4.9 
Research and development275.0 200.0 155.8 
Acquired in-process research and development164.5 154.3 4.8 
Selling, general and administrative433.3 354.1 248.9 
Total operating expenses882.9 715.8 414.4 
Operating income163.0 72.3 36.8 
Other (expense) income:
Interest expense(32.8)(32.0)(30.5)
Unrealized loss on restricted equity securities(17.7)(13.0)
Loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes(18.4)
Investment income and other, net12.6 19.2 15.5 
Total other expense, net(56.3)(25.8)(15.0)
Income before (benefit from) provision for income taxes106.7 46.5 21.8 
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes(300.6)9.5 0.7 
Net income407.3 37.0 21.1 
Unrealized gain (loss) on debt securities available-for-sale0.4 3.4 (0.1)
Comprehensive income$407.7 $40.4 $21.0 
Net income per share, basic$4.38 $0.40 $0.23 
Net income per share, diluted$4.16 $0.39 $0.22 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic93.1 91.6 90.2 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted97.8 95.7 95.4 
See accompanying notes.

notes to consolidated financial statements.

66


NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

(In thousands)

  Common Stock     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
(Loss) Gain
  Accumulated
Deficit
  Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 
  Shares  Amount  Additional
Paid
in Capital
    

BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2014

  76,466  $76  $1,035,205  $(277 $(826,305 $208,699 

Net loss

              (88,929  (88,929

Unrealized losses on investments

           (700     (700

Share-based compensation

        28,392         28,392 

Issuance of common stock for restricted share units vested

  503   1            1 

Issuance of common stock for option exercises

  1,308   1   6,303         6,304 

Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs

  7,986   8   270,679         270,687 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2015

  86,263  $86  $1,340,579  $(977 $(915,234 $424,454 

Net loss

              (141,090  (141,090

Unrealized losses on investments

           659      659 

Share-based compensation

        28,464         28,464 

Issuance of common stock for restricted share units vested

  284                

Issuance of common stock for option exercises

  336   1   2,389         2,390 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2016

  86,883  $87  $1,371,432  $(318 $(1,056,324 $314,877 

Net loss

              (142,542  (142,542

Unrealized gains on investments

           (1,532     (1,532

Share-based compensation

        42,522       42,522 

Issuance of common stock for restricted share units vested

�� 562   1            1 

Issuance of common stock for option exercises

  1,349   1   13,863         13,864 

Equity component of convertible debt, net of issuance costs

        144,948         144,948 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2017

  88,794  $89  $1,572,765  $(1,850 $(1,198,866 $372,138 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common StockAdditional
Paid-In Capital
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated DeficitTotal Stockholders’ Equity
(in millions)Shares$
Balances at December 31, 201788.8 $0.1 $1,572.8 $(1.9)$(1,198.8)$372.2 
Net income— — — — 21.1 21.1 
Unrealized loss on debt securities available-for-sale— — — (0.1)(0.1)
Share-based compensation expense— — 58.1 — 58.1 
Issuance of common stock for vested restricted stock units0.4 — — — — 
Issuance of common stock for stock option exercises1.6 — 29.5 — 29.5 
Balances at December 31, 201890.8 $0.1 $1,660.4 $(2.0)$(1,177.7)$480.8 
Net income— — — — 37.0 37.0 
Unrealized gain on debt securities available-for sale— — — 3.4 — 3.4 
Share-based compensation expense— — 75.3 — — 75.3 
Cumulative-effect adjustment to equity due to adoption of ASU 2016-02— — — — 8.0 8.0 
Issuance of common stock for vested restricted stock units0.4 — — — — — 
Issuance of common stock for stock option exercises1.0 — 27.3 — — 27.3 
Issuance of common stock for employee stock purchase plan0.1 — 5.1 — — 5.1 
Balances at December 31, 201992.3 $0.1 $1,768.1 $1.4 $(1,132.7)$636.9 
Net income— — — — 407.3 407.3 
Unrealized gain on debt securities available-for-sale, net of tax— — — 0.4 — 0.4 
Share-based compensation expense— — 100.0 — — 100.0 
Equity component of repurchased convertible senior notes, net— — (47.5)— — (47.5)
Issuance of common stock for vested restricted stock units0.5 — — — — — 
Issuance of common stock for stock option exercises0.6 — 23.5 — — 23.5 
Issuance of common stock for employee stock purchase plan0.1 — 5.6 — — 5.6 
Balances at December 31, 202093.5 $0.1 $1,849.7 $1.8 $(725.4)$1,126.2 
See accompanying notes.

notes to consolidated financial statements.

67


NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

   Years Ended December 31, 
   2017  2016  2015 

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

    

Net loss

  $(142,542 $(141,090 $(88,929

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

    

Depreciation and amortization

   2,400   1,453   1,009 

Gain on sale of assets, net

   (2,104  (3,431  (3,334

Cease-use expense

   (544  (584  (85

Amortization of debt issuance costs

   848       

Amortization of debt discount

   10,937       

Deferred revenues

         10,231 

Deferred rent

   1,203   (294  (16

Amortization of premiums on investments

   1,756   3,520   6,032 

Non-cash share-based compensation expense

   42,522   28,464   28,392 

Change in operating assets and liabilities:

    

Accounts receivable

   (31,127      

Inventory

   (1,024      

Other current assets

   (3,747  1,791   (489

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   27,338   4,398   9,841 

Cease-use liability

   (247  (300  (610

Other liabilities

      (108  (39
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

   (94,331  (106,181  (37,997

CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

    

Purchases of investments

   (583,408  (298,776  (449,052

Sales/maturities of investments

   339,088   415,826   255,123 

Deposits and restricted cash

   383   (92  40 

Proceeds from sales of property and equipment

   7   13   9 

Purchases of property and equipment

   (6,940  (4,108  (1,934
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

   (250,870  112,863   (195,814

CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

    

Issuance of common stock

   13,865   2,390   276,992 

Proceeds from issuance of senior convertible notes, net

   502,781       
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

   516,646   2,390   276,992 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

   171,445   9,072   43,181 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year

   83,267   74,195   31,014 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year

  $254,712  $83,267  $74,195 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES

    

Interest paid

  $6,242  $  $ 

Taxes paid

  $  $  $ 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income$407.3 $37.0 $21.1 
Reconciliation of net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Share-based compensation expense100.0 75.3 58.1 
Depreciation8.6 7.4 4.0 
Amortization of debt discount20.0 18.9 17.6 
Amortization of debt issuance costs1.4 1.4 1.3 
Change in fair value of equity securities17.7 13.0 
Deferred income taxes (including benefit from valuation allowance release)(310.7)
Loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes18.4 
Other3.7 (1.2)1.0 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable(30.5)(69.2)(25.1)
Inventories(10.7)(6.4)(3.5)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities26.9 54.0 24.2 
Other assets and liabilities, net(23.6)16.8 2.7 
Net cash provided by operating activities228.5 147.0 101.4 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchases of debt securities available-for-sale(735.5)(797.2)(545.9)
Sales and maturities of debt securities available-for-sale750.5 669.7 327.8 
Purchases of equity securities(68.9)
Purchases of property and equipment(10.9)(14.7)(24.8)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities4.1 (211.1)(242.9)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Issuances of common stock under benefit plans29.1 32.4 29.5 
Partial repurchase of convertible senior notes(186.9)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities(157.8)32.4 29.5 
Change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash74.8 (31.7)(112.0)
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period115.5 147.2 259.2 
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period$190.3 $115.5 $147.2 
Supplemental Disclosure:
Non-cash capital expenditures$1.4 $1.0 $2.3 
Right-of-use assets acquired through operating leases$12.8 $77.1 $
Cash paid for interest$11.6 $11.6 $11.6 
Cash paid for income taxes$15.3 $0.5 $
See accompanying notes.

notes to consolidated financial statements.

68


NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

December 31, 2017

NOTE 

1. ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business Activities.Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (the, or Neurocrine, the Company, we, our or Neurocrine)us, was incorporated in California in 1992 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1996. The Company discovers and develops innovative and life-changing pharmaceuticals, in diseases with high unmet medical needs through its novel research and development (R&D) platform focused on neurological, psychological, and endocrine based diseases and disorders. In April 2017, the Company received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for INGREZZA® (valbenazine), a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor for the treatment of TD. The Company’s three lead late-stage clinical programs are elagolix, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist for women’s health that is partnered with AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), INGREZZA for Tourette syndrome and opicapone, a highly-selective catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Neurocrine Continental, Inc., is a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The CompanyNeurocrine. We also has twohave 2 wholly-owned Irish subsidiaries, Neurocrine Therapeutics, Ltd. and Neurocrine Europe, Ltd. both of which were formed in December 2014 bothand are inactive.

We are a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and delivering life-changing treatments for patients with serious, challenging and under-addressed neurological, endocrine and psychiatric disorders. Our diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, Parkinson’s disease, endometriosis*, uterine fibroids* and clinical programs in multiple therapeutic areas. For nearly three decades, we specialize in targeting and interrupting disease-causing mechanisms involving the interconnected pathways of which are inactive.

the nervous and endocrine systems. (*in collaboration with AbbVie Inc.)

Principles of Consolidation.The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Neurocrine as well as itsour wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company does not have any significant interests in any variable interest entities. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates.The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, (GAAP)or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Industry Segment and Geographic Information. We operate in a single industry segment – the discovery, development and marketing of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of neurological, endocrine and psychiatric-based diseases and disorders. We had no foreign-based operations during any of the years presented.
Reclassifications. Certain amounts in prior year periods have been reclassified to conform with the presentation adopted in the current year.
Cash Equivalents. The Company considersWe consider all highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into cash and have an original maturity of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Short-Term and Long-Term Investments Available-for-Sale. Certain investments are classified as available-for-sale and, in accordance with authoritative guidance, are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses reported in other comprehensive loss. The amortized cost of debt securities in this category is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. Such amortization and accretion is included in investment income. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in other income or expense. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Interest and dividends on securities classified as available-for-sale are included in investment income.

Concentration of Credit Risk. Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivables. The Company has established guidelines to limit its exposure to credit risk by placing investments with high credit quality financial institutions, diversifying its investment portfolio and placing investments with maturities that maintain safety and liquidity.

Inventory. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or estimated net realizable value. The Company currently uses actual costing to determine the cost basis for its inventory. Inventory is valued on a first-in, first-out basis and consists primarily of third-party manufacturing costs. The Company capitalizes inventory costs associated with its products upon regulatory approval when, based on management’s judgment, future commercialization is considered probable and the future economic benefit is expected to be realized; otherwise, such costs are expensed.

Prior to FDA approval of INGREZZA, all costs related to its manufacturing were charged to research and development expense in the period incurred. At December 31, 2017, the Company’s physical inventory included active pharmaceutical product that had been produced prior to FDA approval of INGREZZA and accordingly has no cost basis as the cost associated with producing this material was expensed rather than capitalized in accordance with authoritative guidance. Additionally, manufacturing of bulk drug product, finished bottling and other labeling activities that occurred post FDA approval are included in the inventory value at December 31, 2017.

The Company provides reserves for potential excess, dated or obsolete inventory based on an analysis of forecasted demand compared to quantities on hand and any firm purchase orders, as well as product shelf life. To date, the Company has determined that such reserves are not required.

Cost of Product Sales. Cost of product sales consists of third-party manufacturing costs, transportation and freight, and indirect overhead costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of INGREZZA. Cost of product sales may also include period costs related to certain inventory manufacturing services, inventory adjustment charges as well as manufacturing variances. A significant portion of the cost of producing the product sold during the year ended December 31, 2017 was expensed as R&D prior to the Company’s New Drug Application (NDA) approval for INGREZZA and therefore is not included in the cost of product sales during this period.

Accounts Receivable.Accounts receivable are recorded net of customer allowances for prompt payment discounts, chargebacks and any allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company estimatesWe estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts based on existing contractual payment terms, actual payment patterns of itsour customers and individual customer circumstances. To date, the Company has determined that an allowance for doubtful accounts has not been material.

Debt Securities. Debt securities consist of investments in certificates of deposit, corporate debt securities, and securities of government-sponsored entities. We classify debt securities as available-for-sale. Debt securities available-for-sale are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income or loss, net of tax. We exclude accrued interest from both the fair value and amortized cost basis of debt securities. A debt security is placed on nonaccrual status at the time any principal or interest payments become 90 days delinquent. Interest accrued but not required.

Advertising Expense.received for a debt security placed on nonaccrual status is reversed against interest income.

Interest income includes amortization of purchase premium or discount. Premiums and discounts on debt securities are amortized using the effective interest rate method. Gains and losses on sales of debt securities are recorded on the trade date in investment income and other, net, and determined using the specific identification method.
Allowance for Credit Losses. For debt securities available-for-sale in an unrealized loss position, we first assess whether we intend to sell, or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to fair value through earnings. For debt securities available-for-sale that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, we evaluate whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In connection withmaking this assessment, we consider the FDA approvalextent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes in interest rates, and commercial launchany changes to the rating of INGREZZAthe security by a rating agency, among other factors. If this
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assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security is compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists and an allowance for credit losses is recorded, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Any impairment that has not been recorded through an allowance for credit losses is recognized in 2017, the Company began to incur advertising costs. Advertising costs are expensed when services are performedother comprehensive income or goods are delivered. The Company incurred $10.1loss, as applicable.
Accrued interest receivables on debt securities available-for-sale totaled $3.7 million in advertising costs in 2017 related to its marketed product, INGREZZA. No advertising costs were capitalized as prepaid expenses at December 31, 2017.

2020. We do not measure an allowance for credit losses for accrued interest receivables. For the purposes of identifying and measuring an impairment, accrued interest is excluded from both the fair value and amortized cost basis of the debt security. Uncollectible accrued interest receivables associated with an impaired debt security are reversed against interest income upon identification of the impairment. NaN accrued interest receivables were written off during 2020, 2019 or 2018.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments. We record cash equivalents, debt securities available-for-sale and equity securities at fair value based on a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and our own assumptions (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of the following three levels:
Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active or inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that reflect our own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability when there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.
Investments in debt securities available-for-sale are classified as Level 2 and carried at fair value. We estimate the fair value of debt securities available-for-sale by utilizing third-party pricing services. These pricing services utilize industry standard valuation models, including both income and market-based approaches, for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly, to estimate fair value. Such inputs include market pricing based on real-time trade data for similar instruments, issuer credit spreads, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes and other observable inputs. We validate valuations obtained from third-party pricing services by understanding the models used, obtaining market values from other pricing sources, and analyzing data in certain instances.
Investments in equity securities of certain companies that are subject to holding period restrictions longer than one year are classified as Level 3 and carried at fair value using an option pricing valuation model. The most significant assumptions within the option pricing valuation model are the stock price volatility, which is based on the historical volatility of similar companies, and the discount for lack of marketability related to the term of the restrictions.
The carrying amounts of accounts receivable and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values due to their short-term maturities.
There were no transfers between levels in the fair value hierarchy during 2020 or 2019.
Inventory. Inventory is valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. We determine the cost of inventory using the standard-cost method, which approximates actual cost based on the first-in, first-out method. We assess the valuation of our inventory on a quarterly basis and adjust the value for excess and obsolete inventory to the extent management determines that the cost cannot be recovered based on estimates about future demand. Inventory costs resulting from these adjustments are recognized as cost of sales in the period in which they are incurred. When future commercialization is considered probable and the future economic benefit is expected to be realized, based on management’s judgment, we capitalize pre-launch inventory costs prior to regulatory approval.
Property and Equipment.Property and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets using the straight-line method. Equipment is depreciated over an average estimated useful life of three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the remaining lease term.

Industry Segment Depreciation expense was $8.6 million for 2020, $7.4 million for 2019 and Geographic Information. The Company operates in a single industry segment – the discovery, development and marketing of therapeutics$4.0 million for the treatment of neurological and endocrine based diseases and disorders. The Company had no foreign based operations during any of the years presented. All revenue is generated in the United States.

2018.

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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. The Company reviewsWe review long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. If indicators of impairment exist, the Company assesseswe assess the recoverability of the affected long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets can be recovered through undiscounted future operating cash flows. If the carrying amount is not recoverable, the Company measureswe measure the amount of any impairment by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the present value of the expected future cash flows associated with the use of the asset.

Fair Value

Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue when the customer obtains control of Financial Instruments. Certainpromised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services. Revenue is recognized using a five-step model: (i) identify contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenues when (or as) we satisfy the performance obligation. We only apply the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that we will collect the consideration we are entitled to in exchange for the goods or services we transfer to the customer.
Product Sales, Net. In the U.S., our product sales, net consist of sales of INGREZZA, primarily to specialty pharmacy providers and a specialty distributor, and sales of ONGENTYS, primarily to wholesale distributors. We recognize product sales, net when the customer obtains control of our product, which occurs at a point in time, typically upon delivery of our product to the customer.
Revenues from product sales are recorded net of reserves established for applicable discounts and allowances that are offered within contracts with our customers, payors and other third parties. Such estimates are based on information received from external sources (such as written or oral information obtained from our customers with respect to their period-end inventory levels and sales to end-users during the reporting period), as supplemented by management’s judgement. Our process for estimating reserves established for these variable consideration components does not differ materially from historical practices. The transaction price, which includes variable consideration reflecting the impact of discounts and allowances, may be subject to constraint and is included in the net sales price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of the amount of the cumulative revenue recognized will not occur in a future period. Actual amounts may ultimately differ from our estimates. If actual results vary, we adjust these estimates, which could have an effect on earnings in the period of adjustment.
Our significant categories of sales discounts and allowances are as follows:
Product Discounts. Product discounts are based on payment terms extended to our customers at the time of sale, which include incentives offered for prompt payment. We maintain a reserve for product discounts based on our historical experience, including the timing of customer payments. To date, actual product discounts have not differed materially from our estimates.
Government Rebates. We are obligated to pay rebates for mandated discounts under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. The liability for such rebates consists of invoices received for claims from prior quarters that remain unpaid, or for which an invoice has not been received, and estimated rebates for the current applicable reporting period. Such estimates are based on actual historical rebates by state, estimated payor mix, state and federal regulations and relevant contractual terms, as supplemented by management’s judgement. Our rebate accrual calculations require us to project the magnitude of our sales, by state, that will be subject to these rebates. There is a significant time-lag in our receiving rebate notices from each state (generally, several months or longer after a sale is recognized). Estimated rebates are recorded as a reduction of revenue in the period the related sale is recognized. To date, actual government rebates have not differed materially from our estimates.
Chargebacks. The difference between the list price, or the price at which we sell our products to our customers, and the contracted price, or the price at which our customers sell our products to qualified healthcare professionals, is charged back to us by our customers. In addition to actual chargebacks received, we maintain a reserve for chargebacks based on estimated contractual discounts on product inventory levels on-hand in our distribution channel. To date, actual chargebacks have not differed materially from our estimates.
Payor and Pharmacy Rebates. We are obligated to pay rebates as a percentage of sales under payor and pharmacy contracts. We estimate these rebates based on actual historical rebates, contractual rebate percentages, sales made through the payor channel and purchases made by pharmacies. To date, actual payor and pharmacy rebates have not differed materially from our estimates.
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Co-payment Assistance. We offer financial instruments, including cashassistance to qualified patients with prescription drug co-payments required by insurance. We accrue for copay assistance based on estimated claims and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable,the cost per claim we expect to receive associated with inventory that remains in the distribution channel at period end. To date, actual copay assistance has not differed materially from our estimates.
Distributor and accrued liabilities,Other Fees. In connection with the sales of our products, we pay distributor and other fees to certain customers that provide us with inventory management, data and distribution services, which are carried at cost, which management believes approximatesgenerally recorded as a reduction of revenue. To the extent we can demonstrate a separable benefit and fair value becausefor these services, we classify the associated costs in selling, general and administrative expenses. These costs are typically known at the time of sale, resulting in minimal adjustments subsequent to the period of sale.
Product Returns. For INGREZZA, we offer our customers product return rights primarily limited to errors in shipment and damaged product. We do not permit returns of INGREZZA for expiring or expired product. Accordingly, we have limited return risk resulting from INGREZZA product sales and therefore do not record an associated returns allowance. For ONGENTYS, we offer our customers product return rights primarily limited to errors in shipment, damaged product, and expiring or expired product, provided it is within a specified period around the product expiration date, as set forth in the associated distribution agreement. Once product is returned, it is destroyed. Where actual returns history is not available, we estimate the associated returns allowance based on benchmarking data for similar products and industry experience. We record this estimate as a reduction of revenue in the period the related sale is recognized. To date, actual product returns have not differed materially from our estimates.
Collaboration Revenues. We have entered into collaboration and licensing agreements under which we license certain rights to our product candidates to third parties. The terms of these arrangements typically include payment to us of one or more of the short-term maturityfollowing: non-refundable, up-front license fees; development, regulatory, and/or commercial milestone payments; and royalties on net sales of these instruments. Convertible senior notes were recordedlicensed products.
Licenses of Intellectual Property. If the license to our intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, we recognize revenue from non-refundable, up-front fees allocated to the license when the license is transferred to the customer and the customer is able to use and benefit from the license. For licenses that are bundled with other promises, we use judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the estimated valueappropriate method of measuring progress for purposes of recognizing revenue from non-refundable, up-front fees. We evaluate the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjust the measure of performance and related revenue recognition.
Milestone Payments. At the inception of each arrangement that includes developmental, regulatory or commercial milestone payments, we evaluate whether achieving the milestones is considered probable and estimate the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a similar non-convertible instrument onsignificant revenue reversal would not occur, the date of issuance and accretes to

face value of the notes overassociated milestone is included in the seven year term. The fair valuetransaction price. Milestone payments that are not within our control, such as approvals from regulators or where attainment of the 2024 Notesspecified event is dependent on the development activities of a third party, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received or the specified event occurs. Revenue is recognized from the satisfaction of performance obligations in the amount billable to the customer.

Royalty Revenues. For arrangements that include sales-based royalties, including milestone payments based on the level of sales, and the license is deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate, we recognize revenue at the later of (i) when the related sales occur, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). Each quarterly period, sales-based royalties are recorded based on estimated utilizing market quotationsquarterly net sales of the associated collaboration products. Differences between actual results and estimated amounts are adjusted for in the period in which they become known, which typically follows the quarterly period in which the estimate was made. To date, actual royalties received have not differed materially from an over-the-counter trading market. Asour estimates.
Concentration of Credit Risk. Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. We have established guidelines to limit our exposure to credit risk by diversifying our investment portfolio and by placing investments with high credit quality financial
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institutions and maturities that maintain safety and liquidity. To date, we have not experienced any credit losses and do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk in relation to these financial instruments.
We are also subject to credit risk from our accounts receivable related to our product sales. Our two largest customers represented approximately 86% of our product revenues for both 2020 and 2019, and the significant majority of our accounts receivable balances at December 31, 2017,2020 and 2019. For 2018, our three largest customers represented approximately 93% of our product revenue and substantially all of our accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2018. To date, we have not experienced any significant losses with respect to the fair value approximated 128 percentcollection of these accounts receivable.
Cost of Sales. Cost of sales includes third-party manufacturing, transportation, freight and indirect overhead costs associated with the face principal amountmanufacture and distribution of INGREZZA and ONGENTYS, royalty fees on net sales of ORILISSA and ORIAHNN, and adjustments for excess and obsolete inventory to the convertible senior notes.

extent management determines that the cost cannot be recovered based on estimates about future demand.

Research and Development Expenses.R&D expenses consist primarily of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits and share-based compensation charges for those individuals involved in ongoing R&D efforts; as well as scientific contractorconsulting fees, preclinical and clinical trial costs, R&D facilities costs, laboratory supply costs and depreciation of scientific equipment. All such costs are charged to R&D expense as incurred. These expenses result from the Company’sour independent R&D efforts, as well as efforts associated with collaborations, in-licenses and in-licensing arrangements. In addition,third-party funded research arrangements, including event based milestones.
Asset Acquisitions. We account for acquisitions of an asset or group of assets that do not meet the Company fundsdefinition of a business using the cost accumulation method, whereby the cost of the acquisition, including certain transaction costs, is allocated to the assets acquired on the basis of their relative fair values. No goodwill is recognized in an asset acquisition. Intangible assets that are acquired in an asset acquisition for use in R&D at other companiesactivities which have no alternative future use are expensed as in-process research and research institutions under agreements, whichdevelopment, or IPR&D, on the acquisition date. Future costs to develop these assets are generally cancelable. The Company reviews and accrues clinical trial expenses based on work performed, which relies on estimates of total costs incurred based on patient enrollment, completion of patient studies and other events. The Company follows this method since reasonably dependable estimates of the costs applicablerecorded to various stages of a research agreement or clinical trial can be made. Accrued clinicalR&D expense as they are incurred.
Advertising Expense. Advertising costs are subjectexpensed when services are performed, or goods are delivered. We incurred advertising costs related to revisions as trials progress. Revisions are charged to expense in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known.

Revenue Recognition.

Product Sales, Net. The Company’s net product sales consist of U.S. sales of INGREZZA and are recognized when (i) persuasive evidenceONGENTYS of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred$64.8 million for 2020, $40.6 million for 2019 and title$20.5 million for 2018.

Share-Based Compensation. We grant stock options to the productpurchase our common stock to eligible employees and associated risk of loss has passeddirectors and also grant certain employees restricted stock units, or RSUs, and performance-based restricted stock units, or PRSUs. Additionally, we allow employees to the customer, (iii) the price is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collectability is reasonably assured.

INGREZZA was approved by the FDA on April 11, 2017 and the Company commenced shipments of INGREZZA to select pharmacies (SPs) and a select distributor (SD) in late April 2017. The SPs dispense product to a patient based on the fulfillment of a prescription and the SD sells product to government facilities, long-term care pharmacies or in-patient hospital pharmacies. The Company’s agreements with SPs and SDs provide for transfer of title to the product at the time the product is delivered to the SP or SD. In addition, except for limited circumstances, the SPs and SDs have no right of product return to the Company.

The Company has determined it can reasonably estimate its sales allowances at the time title and risk of loss transfers to the SP or SD. Therefore, the Company records revenue when the product is delivered to the SPs or SD, which is an approach frequently referred to as the “sell-in” revenue recognition model.

The Company recognizes revenue from product sales net of the following allowances:

Distribution Fees: Distribution fees include fees paid to the SPs and SD for data, prompt payment discounts and other off-invoice discounts. Distribution fees are recorded as an offset to gross revenue based on contractual terms at the time revenue from the sale is recognized.

Government Rebates: Government rebates include mandated discounts under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Rebates are amounts owed after the final dispensing of the product to a benefit plan participant and result from contractual agreements with, or statutory requirements pertaining to, Medicaid and Medicare benefit providers. The allowance for rebates is based on statutory discount rates, expected utilization and expected trends in net reimbursement. Expected utilization of rebates is based on prescription level detail provided by the SPs that includes insurer amounts for each prescription filled during the period as well as the limited amount of product that is in the SPs warehouse at period end.

Chargebacks: Chargebacks are discounts that relate to contracts with government and other entities purchasing from the SD at a discounted price. The SD charges back to the Company the difference between the price initially paid by the SD and the discounted price paid to the SD by these entities. Chargebacks are recorded as an offset to gross revenue at the time revenue from the product sale is recognized based on known and expected SD sales to these entities.

Co-Payment Assistance: The Company offers co-payment assistance to commercially insured patients meeting certain eligibility requirements. Co-payment assistance is recorded as an offset to gross revenue at the time revenue from the product sale is recognized based on expected and actual program participation. Expected program participation is based on prescription level detail provided by the SPs that includes copay amounts for each prescription filled during the period as well as the limited amount of product that is in the SPs warehouse at period end.

Product Returns: The Company offers the SPs and SD limited product return rights for damages and shipment errors provided it is within a very limited period after the original shipping date as set forth in the applicable individual distribution agreement. The Company does not allow product returns for product that has been dispensed to a patient or for drug expiration. The Company receives real-time shipping reports and inventory reports from the SPs and SD and has the ability to control the amount of product that is sold to the SPs and SD. It is also able to make a reasonable estimate of potential product returns due to the limited time-frame allowed for the SPs and SD to process returns due to shipment error or damaged product.

Collaborative Research and Development Agreements.

Since 2011, the Company has followed the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) for Revenue Recognition – Multiple-Element Arrangements, if applicable, to determine the recognition of revenue under license and collaboration agreements. The ASC provides guidance relating to the separation of deliverables includedparticipate in an arrangement into different units of accounting and the allocation of consideration to the units of accounting. The evaluation of multiple-element arrangements requires management to make judgments about (i) the identification of deliverables, (ii) whether such deliverables are separable from the other aspects of the contractual relationship, (iii) the estimated selling price of each deliverable, and (iv) the expected period of performance for each deliverable.

To determine the units of accounting under a multiple-element arrangement, the Company evaluates certain separation criteria, including whether the deliverables have stand-alone value, based on the relevant facts and circumstances for each arrangement. The selling prices of deliverables under an arrangement may be derived using vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE), third-party evidence,employee stock purchase plan, or a bestESPP.

We estimate of selling price (BESP), if VSOE or third-party evidence is not available. For most pharmaceutical licensing and collaboration agreements, BESP is utilized. Establishing BESP involves judgment and considers multiple factors, including market conditions and company-specific factors, including those factors contemplated in negotiating the agreements, as well as internally developed models that include assumptions related to market opportunity, discounted cash flows, estimated development costs, probability of success and the time needed to commercialize a product candidate pursuant to the agreement. In validating the BESP, the Company considers whether changes in key assumptions used to determine the BESP will have a significant effect on the allocation of the arrangement consideration between the multiple deliverables. The allocated consideration for each unit of accounting is recognized over the related obligation period in accordance with the applicable revenue recognition criteria.

If there are deliverables in an arrangement that are not separable from other aspects of the contractual relationship, they are treated as a combined unit of accounting, with the allocated revenue for the combined unit recognized in a manner consistent with the revenue recognition applicable to the final deliverable in the combined unit. Payments received prior to satisfying the relevant revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying balance sheets and recognized as revenue when the related revenue recognition criteria are met.

The Company typically receives up-front payments when licensing its intellectual property, which often occurs in conjunction with an R&D agreement. The Company will recognize revenue attributed to the license upon delivery, provided that the license has stand-alone value.

Milestones are recognized when earned, as evidenced by written acknowledgment from the collaborator or other persuasive evidence that the milestone has been achieved, provided that the milestone event is substantive.

A milestone event is generally considered to be substantive if its achievability was not reasonably assured at the inception of the agreement. The Company assesses whether a milestone is substantive at the inception of each agreement.

Share-Based Compensation. The Company estimates the fair value of stock options and shares to be issued under the ESPP using the Black-Scholes option pricingoption-pricing model on the date of grant. Restricted stock units are valued based on the closing price of the Company’sour common stock on the date of grant. The fair value of equity instruments expected to vest are recognized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, which is generally three to four years; however, certain provisions in the Company’sour equity compensation plans provide for shorter vesting periods under certain circumstances. The fair value of shares to be issued under the ESPP are recognized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the purchase period, which is generally six months. Additionally, the Company haswe granted certain performance-based equity awardsPRSUs that vest upon the achievement of certain pre-defined Company-specific performancepredefined company-specific performance-based criteria. Expense related to these performance-based equity awardsPRSUs is generally recognized ratably over the expected performance period once the pre-defined performance basedpredefined performance-based criteria for vesting becomes probable.

Investment

Income Net. InvestmentTaxes. Our income tax benefit (provision) is computed under the asset and liability method. Significant estimates are required in determining our income tax benefit (provision). Some of these estimates are based on interpretations of existing tax laws or regulations. We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the difference between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their respective financial reporting amounts (temporary differences) at enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is established for deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets, including net operating losses and tax credits, will not be realized. We periodically re-assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets based on various factors including our historical earnings experience by
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taxing jurisdiction, and forecasts of future operating results and utilization of net operating losses and tax credits prior to their expiration. Significant judgment is comprisedrequired in making this assessment and, to the extent that a reversal of interest and dividends earnedany portion of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets is deemed appropriate, a tax benefit will be recognized against our income tax provision in the period of such reversal. Prior to 2020, we recorded a valuation allowance that fully offset our deferred tax assets. On December 31, 2020, based on cash, cash equivalents and investmentsour evaluation of various factors, such as our achievement of a cumulative three-year income position as of December 31, 2020, as well as gainsour consideration of forecasts of future operating results and utilization of net operating losses realizedand tax credits prior to their expiration, we released substantially all of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets and recorded a corresponding income tax benefit. Refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for more information.
We recognize tax benefits from activityuncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities based on the technical merits of the position. An adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period could have a material impact on the Company’s investment portfolio. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the investment income was $6.2 million, $2.8 million and $1.9 million, respectively and primarily consistedresults of interest income.

operations for that period.

Net LossIncome Per Share. The Company computes basicBasic net lossincome per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is based uponcomputed using the weighted average number of common shares and potentially dilutive securities (common share equivalents)shares outstanding during the period. Common share equivalentsperiod, including the potentially dilutive shares resulting from the conversion of the 2024 Notes and excluding the effect of stock options and restricted stock outstanding determinedfor periods when their effect is anti-dilutive, using the treasury stock method, are comprised of sharesmethod.
Convertible debt instruments that may be issuedsettled entirely or partly in cash (such as the 2024 Notes) may, in certain circumstances where the borrower has the ability and intent to settle in cash, be accounted for under the Company’streasury stock option agreements or convertible debt. Common share equivalents aremethod. We issued the 2024 Notes with a combination settlement feature, which we have the ability and intent to use upon conversion of the 2024 Notes, to settle the principal amount of debt for cash and the excess of the principal portion in shares of our common stock. As a result, of the approximately 5.0 million shares underlying the 2024 Notes at December 31, 2020, only the shares required to settle the excess of the principal portion would be considered dilutive under the treasury stock method. Further, approximately 0.2 million PRSUs were excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share as the performance condition has not been achieved. In loss periods, basic net loss per share and diluted net loss per share calculationare identical because of their anti-dilutive effect.

Due to the Company’s net loss position in 2017, 2016 and 2015, approximately 3.4 million, 3.8 million and 4.1 million, respectively, of common share equivalents related to outstanding restricted stock units and employee options were excluded from the dilutedotherwise dilutive potential common shares outstanding. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016become anti-dilutive and 2015, there were employee stock options, calculated on a weighted average basis, to purchase 0.4 million, 0.4 million, and 0.1 million shares of our common stock with an exercise price greater than the average market price of the underlying common shares.

Additionally, during May 2017 the Company issued $517.5 million of convertible debt which under certain circumstances may convert to common shares outstanding. If converted, this $517.5 million of convertible debt would represent approximately 6.8 million common shares.

Impact of are therefore excluded.

Recently IssuedAdopted Accounting Standards.

In May 2014 the FASB issuedPronouncements.

ASU 2016-13.On January 1, 2020, we adopted Accounting Standards Update, (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customersor ASU, 2016-13,Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 606), which supersedes all existing revenue recognition requirements, including most industry-specific guidance. This new standard requires a company to recognize revenue when it transfers goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the company expects to receive for those goods or services. The FASB subsequently issued amendments to ASU No. 2014-09 that have the same effective date and transition date. These new standards became effective for us326): Measurement of Credit Losses on January 1, 2018, and will be adopted Financial Instruments,using the modified retrospective method throughtransition method. For debt securities available-for-sale, the standard requires an investor to determine whether a decline in the fair value below the amortized cost basis of the investment is due to credit-related factors. Credit-related impairment is recognized as an allowance for credit loss on the balance sheet with a corresponding adjustment to earnings. Credit losses are limited to the amount by which the investment’s amortized cost basis exceeds its fair value and may be subsequently reversed if conditions change. Any impairment that is not credit related is recognized in other comprehensive income or loss, as applicable, net of applicable taxes.
The adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not result in a cumulative-effect adjustment if any, directly to retained earnings as of that date.earnings. The Company has performed a review of these new standards as comparedcomparative prior period information continues to our current accounting policies for customer contracts and collaborative relationships. As of December 31, 2017, the Company has not identified any accounting changes that would materially impact the amount ofbe reported revenues with respect to our product revenues. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on historical revenue recorded for our two collaboration agreements. This ongoing evaluation is

dependent upon the resolution of certain questions relating to the application of the new revenue recognition guidance for collaboration agreements which will ultimately determine the impact, if any, the adoption of this standard may have on the consolidated financial statements.

The company expectsunder the accounting for contingent milestone payments to be the most significant changestandards in accounting for its license and collaboration agreements. Topic 605 provides guidance specific to the accounting for milestone payments, including the ability to defer the recognition of any milestones until received and, if certain criteria are met, the ability to recognize milestone payments as revenue when received. However, Topic 606 does not contain guidance specific to milestone payments, thereby requiring potential milestone payments to be considered in accordance with the overall model of Topic 606. As a result, revenues from contingent milestone payments may be recognized earlier under Topic 606 than under Topic 605, based on an assessment of the probability of achievement of the milestone and the likelihood of a significant reversal of such milestone revenue at each reporting date. This assessment may result in recognizing milestone revenue before the milestone event has been achieved. effect during those periods.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements.
ASU 2019-12.In addition, Topic 606 changes guidance regarding the accounting for variable consideration received from licensees, which may impact the estimation of, and determination of the timing of, the related revenue recognition.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02 Leases. This update amends the current accounting guidance for lease transactions. Under the new guidance, a lessee will be required to recognize both assets and liabilities for any leases in excess of twelve months. Additionally, certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures will also be required in the financial statements. The Company is required to adopt this new guidance beginning inDecember 2019, and early adoption is permitted. The Company’s lease for its corporate headquarters is subject to this new guidance and the process of determining the impact of the adoption of this update will have on its consolidated financial statements is ongoing.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows2019-12,Income Taxes (Topic 230)740): Restricted Cash”Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, which clarifiessimplifies the presentationaccounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application of restricted cashTopic 740. ASU 2019-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted in any interim period for which financial statements have not yet been made available for issuance. We are currently evaluating the effect ASU 2019-12 will have on our condensed consolidated financial statements and restricted cash equivalentsrelated disclosures.

ASU 2020-06. In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06,Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting
74


for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity, which simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible instruments, and amends existing earnings-per-share, or EPS, guidance by requiring that an entity use the if-converted method when calculating diluted EPS for convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We plan to adopt ASU 2020-06 effective January 1, 2022 and are currently evaluating the effect ASU 2020-06 will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
2. License and Collaboration Agreements
Under the terms of the following license and collaboration agreements, we may be required to make milestone payments upon achievement of certain development and regulatory activities of up to $8.5 billion and pay royalties on future sales, if any, of commercial products resulting from these agreements.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. We entered into an exclusive license agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda, which became effective in July 2020, to develop and commercialize certain compounds in Takeda’s early to mid-stage psychiatry pipeline. Specifically, Takeda granted us an exclusive license to the following seven assets: (i) NBI-1065844 (TAK-831) for schizophrenia, (ii) NBI-1065845 (TAK-653) for treatment-resistant depression, (iii) NBI-1065846 (TAK-041) for anhedonia (which together with the NBI-1065845 are referred to as the Phase II Ready Assets), and (iv) four non-clinical stage assets, or the Non-Clinical Assets.
NBI-1065844 is deemed a royalty-bearing product under the license agreement pursuant to which we will be responsible for all costs and expenses associated with the development, manufacture, and commercialization of such asset, subject to certain exceptions, and Takeda will be eligible to receive development and commercial milestones and royalties with respect to such asset, or a Royalty-Bearing Product, and Takeda will retain the right to opt-in to a profit sharing arrangement pursuant to which we and Takeda will equally share in the statementsoperating profits and losses related to such asset, subject to certain exceptions, in lieu of cash flows. Under this ASU, restricted cashreceiving milestones and restricted cash equivalents are includedroyalties, or a Profit-Share Product. Subject to specified conditions, Takeda may elect to exercise such opt-in right for NBI-1065844 before we initiate a Phase III clinical trial. Each of the Phase II Ready Assets is deemed a Profit-Share Product and Takeda will retain the right to opt-out of the profit-sharing arrangement for such asset pursuant to which such asset would become a Royalty-Bearing Product. Takeda may elect to exercise such opt-out rights with cashrespect to a Phase II Ready Asset immediately following the completion of the second Phase II clinical trial for such Phase II Ready Asset. In addition, under certain circumstances related to the development and cash equivalents when reconcilingcommercialization activities to be performed by us, Takeda may elect to opt-out of the beginning-of-periodprofit-sharing arrangement for a Profit-Share Product before the initiation of a Phase III clinical trial for such product.
Each of the Non-Clinical Assets will be Royalty-Bearing Products pursuant to which we will be responsible for all costs and end-of-period total amounts presentedexpenses associated with the development, manufacture, and commercialization of such assets, subject to certain exceptions.
In connection with the agreement, we paid Takeda $120.0 million upfront, which, including certain transaction related costs, was expensed as in-process research and development, or IPR&D, in the third quarter of 2020. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Takeda may also be entitled to receive additional payments of up to $1.9 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones associated with Royalty-Bearing Products, as well as receive royalties on the statementsfuture net sales of cash flows. This ASU is intendedRoyalty-Bearing Products. On a country-by-country and product-by-product basis, royalty payments would commence on the first commercial sale of a Royalty-Bearing Product and terminate on the later of (i) the expiration of the last patent covering such Royalty-Bearing Product in such country, (ii) a number of years from the first commercial sale of such Royalty-Bearing Product in such country and (iii) the expiration of regulatory exclusivity for Royalty-Bearing Product in such country.
Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.In May 2020, we entered a collaboration and licensing agreement with Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, or Idorsia, to reduce diversitylicense the global rights to NBI-827104 (ACT-709478), a potent, selective, orally active and brain penetrating T-type calcium channel blocker, in practiceclinical development for the treatment of a rare pediatric epilepsy. The agreement also includes a research collaboration to discover and identify additional novel T-type calcium channel blockers as development candidates.
75


In connection with the exercise of the option, we paid Idorsia $45.0 million upfront, which we expensed as IPR&D in the classificationsecond quarter of 2020. Further, as part of the research collaboration, we provided Idorsia with an incremental $7.2 million in funding, which we recorded as a prepaid asset and presentationis being expensed over the two-year research collaboration term.
Pursuant to the terms of changes in restricted cashthe agreement, upon the achievement of certain development and regulatory milestones, Idorsia may be entitled to receive additional payments of up to $365.0 million with respect to NBI-827104 and $620.0 million with respect to the development candidates. Idorsia may also be entitled to receive additional payments of up to $750.0 million upon the achievement of certain commercial milestones, as well as receive royalties on the statementfuture net sales of cash flows. This ASU requiresany collaboration product. Further, we will be responsible for all manufacturing, development and commercialization costs of any collaboration product.
Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In December 2019, we entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc., or Xenon, to identify, research, and develop sodium channel inhibitors, including clinical candidate NBI-921352 (XEN901) and three preclinical candidates, which compounds we will have the exclusive right to further develop and commercialize under the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement.
We will be solely responsible, at our sole cost and expense, for all development and manufacturing of the compounds and any pharmaceutical product that contains a compound, subject to Xenon’s right to elect to co-fund the statementdevelopment of cash flows explainone product in a major indication and thus receive a mid-single digit percentage increase in royalties owed on the changenet sales of such product in total cashthe U.S. If Xenon exercises such option, the parties will share equally all reasonable and equivalentsdocumented costs and amounts generally describedexpenses incurred in connection with the development of such product in the applicable indication, except costs and expenses that are solely related to the development of such product for regulatory approval outside the U.S.
In connection with the agreement, we paid Xenon $30.0 million upfront and purchased $20.0 million of Xenon’s common stock at $14.196 per share, representing approximately 1.4 million shares. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Xenon may also be entitled to receive additional payments of up to $1.7 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones, as restricted cashwell as receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product.
We accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition as the set of acquired assets did not constitute a business. Our equity investment in Xenon was recorded at a fair value of $14.1 million after considering Xenon’s stock price on the date of closing and certain lock-up and voting provisions applicable to the acquired shares. The remaining $36.2 million of the purchase price, which includes the applicable transaction costs, was expensed as IPR&D in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.We entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., or restricted cash equivalents when reconcilingVoyager, which became effective in March 2019, to develop and commercialize four programs using Voyager’s proprietary gene therapy platform. The four programs consist of the beginning-of-periodNBIb-1817 (VY-AADC) program for Parkinson’s disease, the Friedreich’s ataxia program and end-of-period total amounts. This ASUthe rights to two undisclosed programs.
In connection with the agreement, we paid Voyager $115.0 million upfront and purchased $50.0 million of Voyager’s common stock at $11.9625 per share, representing approximately 4.2 million shares. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Voyager may also requiresbe entitled to receive additional payments of up to $1.7 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones, as well as receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product.
Pursuant to development plans agreed to by us and Voyager, unless Voyager exercises its co-development and co-commercialization rights as provided for in the agreement, we will be responsible for all development costs. Further, upon the occurrence of a reconciliationspecified event for each program, we will assume responsibility for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities of such program.
We accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition as the set of acquired assets did not constitute a business. Our equity investment in Voyager was recorded at a fair value of $54.7 million after considering Voyager’s stock price on the date of closing and certain lock-up and voting provisions applicable to the acquired shares. The remaining $113.1 million of the purchase price, which includes the applicable transaction costs, was expensed as in-process research and development, or IPR&D, in the first quarter of 2019.
76


In June 2019, we entered into an amendment to the collaboration and license agreement with Voyager. Under the terms of the amendment, we paid Voyager $5.0 million upfront to obtain rights outside the U.S. to the Friedreich’s ataxia program in connection with the early return of those rights to Voyager pursuant to a restructuring of Voyager’s gene therapy relationship with Sanofi Genzyme. The upfront payment was expensed as IPR&D in the second quarter of 2019.
On February 2, 2021, we notified Voyager of our termination of the NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease program. The effective date of this termination will be August 2, 2021. The termination does not apply to any other development program other than NBIb-1817 for Parkinson’s disease, and our collaboration and license agreement with Voyager will otherwise continue in effect.
BIAL – Portela & Ca, S.A.We acquired the U.S. and Canada rights to ONGENTYS® from BIAL in the first quarter of 2017. We launched ONGENTYS in the U.S. in September 2020, after receiving FDA approval for ONGENTYS as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult Parkinson's disease patients in April 2020. FDA approval for ONGENTYS for Parkinson’s disease resulted in a $20.0 million event-based payment to BIAL, which we expensed as R&D in the second quarter of 2020. We further recognized R&D expense of $10.0 million in each 2019 and 2018 in connection with BIAL’s achievement of certain regulatory event-based milestones related to then ongoing development of ONGENTYS. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, BIAL may also be entitled to receive additional payments of up to $75.0 million upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones.
Under the terms of the agreement, we are responsible for the commercialization of ONGENTYS in the U.S. and Canada. Further, we rely on BIAL for the commercial supply of ONGENTYS. Upon our written request prior to the estimated expiration of the term of a licensed product, the parties shall negotiate a good faith continuation of BIAL’s supply of such licensed product after the term. After the term, and if BIAL is not supplying a certain licensed product, we shall pay BIAL a trademark royalty based on the net sales of such licensed product.
Upon commercialization of ONGENTYS, we determined certain annual sales forecasts. In the event we fail to meet the minimum sales requirements for a particular year, we would be obligated to pay BIAL an amount equal to the difference between the total of cashactual net sales and equivalents and restricted cash presented on the statement of cash flows and the cash and equivalents balance presented on the balance sheet. This ASU was effectiveminimum sales requirements for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material effect on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS

such year.

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Mitsubishi Tanabe). DuringIn March 2015, the Companywe entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, or MTPC, for the development and commercialization of INGREZZA for movement disorders in Japan and other select Asian markets. Payments
Since inception of the agreement, we have recognized revenue of $19.8 million associated with the delivery of a technology license and existing know-how and $15.0 million associated with the achievement of a certain event-based milestone. We further recognized revenue of $2.7 million in 2020 and $0.9 million in 2019 in connection with the ongoing KINECT-HD study, a placebo-controlled Phase III study of valbenazine in adult Huntington’s disease patients with chorea. In accordance with our continuing performance obligations, $6.7 million of the $30.0 million upfront payment received from MTPC is being deferred and will be recognized as revenue over the ongoing study period using an input method according to costs incurred to-date relative to estimated total costs associated with the study.
Pursuant to the Company under thisterms of the agreement, include an up-front license feewe may also be entitled to receive additional payments of $30 million, up to $85$70.0 million in development and commercializationupon the achievement of certain event-based payments,milestones, receive payments for the manufacture of certain pharmaceutical products, andas well as receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product sales in select territories in Asia.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mitsubishi TanabeMTPC is responsible for all third-party development, marketing, and commercialization costs in Japan and other select Asian markets with the exception of a single Huntington’s chorea clinical trial to be performed by the Company, at an estimated cost of approximately $12 million, should Mitsubishi Tanabe request the clinical trial. The Company willand we would be entitled to a percentage of sales of INGREZZA in Japan and other select Asian markets for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights.

Under the terms of the Company’s agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe, Further, the collaboration effort between the parties to advance INGREZZA towards commercialization in Japan and other select Asian markets is governed by a joint steering committee and joint development committeecommittees with representatives from both parties.

77


AbbVie Inc. In June 2010, we entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie Inc., or AbbVie, to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation gonadotropin-releasing factor, or GnRH, antagonists and collectively, GnRH Compounds, for women’s and men’s health.
AbbVie received approval for ORILISSA for the Companymanagement of moderate to severe endometriosis pain in women from the FDA in July 2018 and Mitsubishi Tanabe. There are no performance, cancellation, termination or refund provisionsHealth Canada in October 2018. In May 2020, AbbVie received FDA approval for ORIAHNN for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women. We recognized sales-based royalties on AbbVie net sales of ORILISSA and ORIAHNN of $19.2 million in 2020, $14.3 million in 2019 and $1.6 million in 2018.
FDA approval for ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids resulted in the agreement that would haveachievement of a material financial consequence to$30.0 million event-based milestone, which we recognized as collaboration revenue in the Company. The Company does not directly control when event-based payments will be achieved or when royalty payments will begin. Mitsubishi Tanabe may terminatesecond quarter of 2020. In 2019, we recognized collaboration revenue of $20.0 million in connection with the FDA’s acceptance of AbbVie’s NDA submission for the approval of ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids. In 2018, we recognized collaboration revenue of $40.0 million in connection with the FDA’s approval for ORILISSA for endometriosis.
Since inception of the agreement, at its discretion upon 180 days’ written notice to the Company. In such event, all INGREZZA product rights for Japan and other select Asian markets would revert to the Company.

The Company has identified the following deliverables associated with the Mitsubishi Tanabe agreement: INGREZZA technology license and existing know-how, development activities to be performed as part of the collaboration, and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The respective standalone value from each of these deliverables has been determined by applying the BESP method and the revenue was allocated based on the relative selling price method with revenue recognition timing to be determined either by delivery or the provision of services.

As discussed above, the BESP method required the use of significant estimates. The Company used an income approach to estimate the selling price for the technology license and an expense approach for estimating development activities and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The development activities and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products are expected to be delivered throughout the duration of the agreement. The technology license and existing know-how was delivered on the effective date of the agreement.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized $15 million in development event-based payments resulting from Mitsubishi Tanabe’s initiation of Phase II/III development of INGREZZA in TD in Asia. No revenue was recognized under the Mitsubishi Tanabe agreement for the year ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Companywe have recognized revenue under this agreement of $19.8$75.0 million associated with the delivery of a technology license and existing know-how. In accordanceknow-how and $165.0 million associated with our continuing performance obligations, $10.2 millionthe achievement of the $30 million up-front payment is being deferred and recognized in future periods. Undercertain event-based milestones. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, there is no general obligationwe may also be entitled to return the up-front payment for any non-contingent deliverable.

AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie). In June 2010, the Company announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie, to develop and commercialize elagolix and all next-generation GnRH antagonists (collectively, GnRH Compounds) for women’s and men’s health. AbbVie made an upfront payment of $75 million and has agreed to makereceive additional development and regulatory event-based payments of up to $480$366.0 million upon the achievement of which $75 million has been earned to date, and up to an additional $50 million in commercialcertain event-based payments. The Company has assessed event-based payments under the revised authoritative guidance for research and development milestones and determined that event-based payments prior to commencement of a Phase III clinical study, as defined in the agreement, meet the definition of a milestone in accordance with authoritative guidance as (1) they are events that can only be achieved in part on the Company’s past performance, (2) there is substantive uncertainty at the date the arrangement was entered into that the event will be achieved and (3) they result in additional payments being due to the Company. Development and regulatory event-based payments subsequent to the commencement of a Phase III clinical study, however, currently do not meet these criteria as their achievement is based on the performance of AbbVie. As of December 31, 2017, approximately $455 million remains outstanding in future event-based payments under the agreement as the performance is based solely on AbbVie. However, none of the remaining event-based payments meet the definition of a milestone in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance.

milestones.

Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie is responsible for all third-party development, marketing, and commercialization costs. The Company will beWe are entitled to a percentage of worldwide sales of GnRH Compounds for the longer of ten years or the life of the related patent rights. AbbVie may terminate the collaboration at its discretion upon 180 days’ written notice to the Company. In such event, the Company would be entitled to

specified payments for ongoing clinical development and related activities and all GnRH Compound product rights would revert to the Company. During 2017, event-based revenue of $30.0 million was recognized based on AbbVie’s NDA submission for elagolix in endometriosis being accepted as filed by the FDA. During 2016, event-based revenue of $15.0 million was recognized related to AbbVie’s initiation of Phase III development of elagolix in uterine fibroids. No revenue was recognized during 2015 under this collaboration agreement.

NOTE

3. INVESTMENTS

Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses reported in comprehensive loss. The amortized cost of debt securities in this category is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. Such amortization and accretion is included in investment income. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in other income or expense. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Interest and dividends on securities classified as available-for-sale are included in investment income.

Investments at December 31, 2017 and 2016 consisted of the following (in thousands):

   Years Ended
December 31,
 
   2017   2016 

Certificates of deposit

  $   $960 

Commercial paper

   75,362    49,245 

Corporate debt securities

   414,815    204,436 

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   18,401    12,932 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investments

  $508,578   $267,573 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following is a summary of investments classified as available-for-sale securities (in thousands):

   Contractual
Maturity
(in years)
   Amortized
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains(1)
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses(1)
  Aggregate
Estimated
Fair
Value
 

December 31, 2016:

         

Classified as current assets:

         

Certificates of deposit

   Less than 1   $960   $   $  $960 

Commercial paper

   Less than 1    49,280    3    (38  49,245 

Corporate debt securities

   Less than 1    168,548    3    (117  168,434 

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   Less than 1    5,448        (4  5,444 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total short-term available-for-sale securities

    $224,236   $6   $(159 $224,083 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Classified as non-current assets:

         

Corporate debt securities

   1 to 2   $36,149   $   $(147 $36,002 

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   1 to 2    7,506        (18  7,488 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total long-term available-for-sale securities

    $43,655   $   $(165 $43,490 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 
Debt Securities

   Contractual
Maturity
(in years)
   Amortized
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains(1)
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses(1)
  Aggregate
Estimated
Fair
Value
 

December 31, 2017:

         

Classified as current assets:

         

Commercial paper

   Less than 1   $75,396   $1   $(35 $75,362 

Corporate debt securities

   Less than 1    178,776        (400  178,376 

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   Less than 1    7,503        (24  7,479 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total short-term available-for-sale securities

    $261,675   $1   $(459 $261,217 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Classified as non-current assets:

         

Corporate debt securities

   1 to 2   $237,749   $   $(1,310 $236,439 

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   1 to 2    11,004        (82  10,922 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total long-term available-for-sale securities

    $248,753   $   $(1,392 $247,361 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

(1)Unrealized gains and losses are included in other comprehensive loss.

The following table presents grosssummarizes the amortized cost, unrealized gain and loss recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), allowance for credit losses, and fair value of debt securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2020, aggregated by major security type and contractual maturity:

(in millions)Contractual
Maturity
Amortized
Cost
Unrealized
Gain
Unrealized
Loss
Allowance for Credit LossesFair
Value
Commercial paperWithin 1 year$82.2 $$$$82.2 
Corporate debt securitiesWithin 1 year299.3 1.4 300.7 
Securities of government-sponsored entitiesWithin 1 year230.9 0.1 231.0 
$612.4 $1.5 $$$613.9 
Corporate debt securities1 to 2 years$144.8 $0.4 $$$145.2 
Securities of government-sponsored entities1 to 2 years81.9 0.1 (0.1)81.9 
$226.7 $0.5 $(0.1)$$227.1 
The following table summarizes the amortized cost, unrealized gain and loss recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income, and fair value of debt securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2019, aggregated by major security type and contractual maturity:
(in millions)Contractual
Maturity
Amortized
Cost
Unrealized
Gain
Unrealized
Loss
Fair
Value
Commercial paperWithin 1 year$144.5 $$$144.5 
Corporate debt securitiesWithin 1 year270.5 0.5 271.0 
Securities of government-sponsored entitiesWithin 1 year142.3 0.4 142.7 
$557.3 $0.9 $$558.2 
Corporate debt securities1 to 2 years$250.5 $0.5 $(0.1)$250.9 
Securities of government-sponsored entities1 to 2 years48.8 48.8 
$299.3 $0.5 $(0.1)$299.7 
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The following table summarizes debt securities available-for-sale in an unrealized loss position for thosewhich an allowance for credit losses has not been recorded at December 31, 2020, aggregated by major security type and length of time in a continuous unrealized loss position:
Less Than 12 Months12 Months or LongerTotal
(in millions)Fair
Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair
Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair
Value
Unrealized
Loss
Securities of government-sponsored entities$95.0 $(0.1)$$$95.0 $(0.1)
At December 31, 2020, our security portfolio consisted of 148 securities related to investments in debt securities available-for-sale, investments thatof which 30 securities were in an unrealized loss position.
Our investments in corporate debt securities in an unrealized loss position as ofat December 31, 20172020 are of high credit quality (rated A or higher). Unrealized losses on these investments were primarily due to changes in interest rates. We do not intend to sell these investments and 2016,it is not more likely than not that we will be required to sell these investments before recovery of their amortized cost basis.
The following table summarizes debt securities available-for-sale in an unrealized loss position at December 31, 2019, aggregated by investment categorymajor security type and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position (in thousands):

   Less Than 12 Months  12 Months or Greater  Total 
   Estimated
Fair  Value
   Unrealized
Losses
  Estimated
Fair  Value
   Unrealized
Losses
  Estimated
Fair  Value
   Unrealized
Losses
 

December 31, 2016:

          

Commercial paper

  $43,781   $(38 $   $  $43,781   $(38

Corporate debt securities

   185,243    (261  9,144    (3  194,387    (264

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   12,932    (22         12,932    (22
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $241,956   $(321 $9,144   $(3 $251,100   $(324
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

December 31, 2017:

          

Commercial paper

  $62,602   $(35 $   $  $62,602   $(35

Corporate debt securities

   386,728    (1,660  28,087    (50  414,815    (1,710

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   10,922    (82  7,479    (24  18,401    (106
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $460,252   $(1,777 $35,566   $(74 $495,818   $(1,851
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE position:

Less Than 12 Months12 Months or LongerTotal
(in millions)Fair
Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair
Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair
Value
Unrealized
Loss
Corporate debt securities$186.1 $(0.1)$$$186.1 $(0.1)
4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy has been established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1:

Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets;

Level 2:

Inputs include quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets and/or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active near the measurement date; and

Level 3:

Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.
Value Measurements

The Company classifies its cash equivalents and available for sale investments within Level 1 or Level 2. The fair value of the Company’s high quality investment grade corporate debt securities is determined using proprietary valuation models and analytical tools. These valuation models and analytical tools use market pricing or prices for similar instruments that are both objective and publicly available, including matrix pricing or reported trades, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids and/or offers. The Company did not reclassify any investments between levels in the fair value hierarchy during the years endedInvestments at December 31, 2017 and 2016.

The Company’s assets2020, which arewere measured at fair value on a recurring basis, asconsisted of the following:

Fair Value Measurements Using
(in millions)Fair ValueLevel 1Level 2Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and money market funds$187.1 $187.1 $$
Total cash and cash equivalents187.1 187.1 
Restricted cash:
Certificates of deposit3.2 3.2 
Total restricted cash3.2 3.2 
Debt securities available-for-sale:
Commercial paper82.2 82.2 
Corporate debt securities445.9 445.9 
Securities of government-sponsored entities312.9 312.9 
Total debt securities available-for-sale841.0 841.0 
Equity securities:
Equity securities–biotechnology industry38.2 38.2 
Total equity securities38.2 38.2 
Total recurring fair value measurements$1,069.5 $190.3 $841.0 $38.2 
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Investments at December 31, 2017 and 20162019, which were determinedmeasured at fair value on a recurring basis, consisted of the following:
Fair Value Measurements Using
(in millions)Fair ValueLevel 1Level 2Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and money market funds$112.3 $112.3 $$
Total cash and cash equivalents112.3 112.3 
Restricted cash:
Certificates of deposit3.2 3.2 00
Total restricted cash3.2 3.2 00
Debt securities available-for-sale:
Commercial paper144.5 0144.5 0
Corporate debt securities521.9 0521.9 0
Securities of government-sponsored entities191.5 0191.5 0
Total debt securities available-for-sale857.9 0857.9 0
Equity securities:
Equity securities–biotechnology industry55.9 0055.9 
Total equity securities55.9 0055.9 
Total recurring fair value measurements$1,029.3 $115.5 $857.9 $55.9 
The following table presents a reconciliation of equity securities, which were measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3):
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Beginning balance$55.9 $$
Purchases68.9 
Unrealized loss included in earnings(17.7)(13.0)
Ending balance$38.2 $55.9 $
At December 31, 2020, the inputs described above (in millions):

      Fair Value Measurements Using 
   Carrying
Value
  Quoted Prices in
Active  Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
  Significant  Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable  Inputs
(Level 3)
 

December 31, 2016:

     

Classified as current assets:

     

Cash and money market funds

  $73.6  $73.6  $  $ 

Certificates of deposit

   1.0   1.0       

Commercial paper

   49.2      49.2    

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   5.4      5.4    

Corporate debt securities

   178.1      178.1    
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Subtotal

   307.3   74.6   232.7    

Classified as long-term assets:

     

Certificates of deposit

   4.9   4.9       

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   7.5      7.5    

Corporate debt securities

   36.0      36.0    
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total

   355.7   79.5   276.2    

Less cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

   (88.1  (78.5  (9.6   
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total investments

  $267.6  $1.0  $266.6  $ 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

December 31, 2017:

     

Classified as current assets:

     

Cash and money market funds

  $170.2  $170.2  $  $ 

Commercial paper

   159.9      159.9    

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   7.5      7.5    

Corporate debt securities

   178.4      178.4    
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Subtotal

   516.0   170.2   345.8    

Classified as long-term assets:

     

Cash and money market funds

   1.5   1.5   

Certificates of deposit

   3.0   3.0       

Securities of government-sponsored entities

   10.9      10.9    

Corporate debt securities

   236.4      236.4    
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total

   767.8   174.7   593.1    

Less cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

   (259.2  (174.6  (84.6   
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total investments

  $508.6  $0.1  $508.5  $ 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

discount for lack of marketability used in the valuation analysis of equity securities ranged from 15.0% to 34.0% (weighted average of 24.8%). The discount for lack of marketability was weighted by the relative fair value of the Company’s outstanding 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2024 (the 2024 Notes) at December 31, 2017, calculated utilizing market quotations from an over-the-counter trading marketinstruments. A significant increase (decrease) in the discount for these notes (Level 2), was approximately $662.1 million. The carryinglack of marketability in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value of the 2024 Notes is discussed in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statementsmeasurement. Unrealized gains and losses on equity securities are included in this Annual Report .

NOTE other income (expense), net.

5. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment, net, at December 31, 2017 and 2016 consisted of the following (in thousands):

   December 31, 
   2017  2016 

Tenant improvements

   2,019   1,530 

Furniture and fixtures

   1,303   942 

Equipment

   35,069   29,749 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 
   38,391   32,221 

Less accumulated depreciation

   (27,580  (25,950
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Property and equipment, net

  $10,811  $6,271 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

For each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, depreciation expense was $2.4 million, $1.5 million and $1.0 million, respectively. During 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized a gain of approximately $7,000, $8,000 and $9,000, respectively, related to disposal of capital equipment.

NOTE 6. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities at December 31, 2017 and 2016 consisted of the following (in thousands):

   December 31, 
   2017   2016 

Accrued employee related costs

  $24,901   $9,559 

Accounts payable

   5,648    5,085 

Accrued development costs

   4,799    5,543 

Other accrued liabilities

   18,172    5,995 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $53,520   $26,182 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE 7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

In December 2007, the Company closed the sale of its facility and associated real property for a purchase price of $109 million. Concurrent with the sale, the Company retired the entire $47.7 million in mortgage debt previously outstanding with respect to the facility and associated real property, and received cash of $61.0 million net of transaction costs and debt retirement.

Upon the closing of the sale of the facility and associated real property, the Company entered into a lease agreement (Lease) whereby it leased back for an initial term of 12 years its corporate headquarters comprised of two buildings located at 12790 El Camino Real (Front Building) and 12780 El Camino Real (Rear Building) in San Diego, California. The Company also entered into a series of lease amendments (Amendments), beginning in late 2008 through 2011, through which it was able to vacate the Front Building, but continue to occupy the Rear Building. The ultimate result of this real estate sale was a net gain of $39.1 million which was deferred in accordance with authoritative guidance. The Company recognized $2.1 million, $3.4 million and $3.3 million of the deferred gain during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company will recognize the remaining $8.8 million of the deferred gain on a straight-line basis over the amended Lease term which will expire at the end of 2029.

Convertible Senior Notes

During 2017, the Company entered into an amendment to extend the current term of the Lease through December 31, 2029 (Term Amendment). Under the Term Amendment, the Company reduced its base rental rate by approximately 8% and will continue to pay base annual rent (subject to an annual fixed percentage increase), plus a 3.5% annual management fee, property taxes and other normal and necessary expenses associated with the Lease such as utilities, repairs and maintenance. Certain incentives were included in the Term Amendment, including approximately $13.1 million in various tenant improvement allowances, three months of rent abatement, and a reduction in the required security deposit amount from $4.7 million to $3.0 million. In lieu of a cash security deposit, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. issued on the Company’s behalf a letter of credit in the amount of $3.0 million, which is secured by a deposit of equal amount with the same bank. The Company also has the right to extend the Lease for two consecutive ten-year terms as well as a right of first offer for future rental of adjacent office space owned by the landlord.

As of December 31, 2017, the Company had one sublease agreement for approximately 16,000 square feet of the Rear Building. This sublease is expected to result in approximately $0.1 million of rental income in 2018 with this sublease rental income being recorded as an offset to rent expense. The income generated under this sublease is lower than the Company’s financial obligation under the Lease for the Rear Building, as determined on a per square foot basis. Consequently, at the inception of a sublease, or in association with an amendment to a sublease, the Company is required to record a cease-use liability for the net present value of the estimated difference between the expected income to be generated under the sublease and future subleases and the Lease obligation over the remaining term of the Lease for the space that is occupied by the subtenant. As a result of the recent FDA approval for INGREZZA and the Term Amendment, the Company has determined that it will reoccupy the space at the conclusion of the sublease in March 2018. Additionally, during the first quarter of 2016, the Company terminated another previously existing sublease and began to reoccupy the related space to allow for expansion. These two sublease terminations resulted in reversal of cease use expense of approximately $0.5 million and $0.8 million during 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The following table sets forth changes to the accrued cease-use liability during 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):

   Years Ended
December 31,
 
   2017  2016 

Beginning balance

  $853  $1,983 

Change in estimate

   (544  (830

Payments

   (247  (300
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Ending balance

  $62  $853 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Rent Expense. Gross rent expense was approximately $5.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, and $6.0 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. For financial reporting purposes, the Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Accordingly, rent expense recognized in excess of rent paid is reflected as a liability in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Lease Commitments.The Company leases its office and research laboratories under an operating lease that expires at the end of 2029.

As of December 31, 2017, the total estimated future annual minimum lease payments under the Company’s non-cancelable building lease for the years ending after December 31, 2017 were as follows (in thousands):

   Payment Amount 

2018

  $7,368 

2019

   7,589 

2020

   7,844 

2021

   8,079 

2022 and thereafter

   74,000 
  

 

 

 

Total future minimum lease payments

  $104,880 
  

 

 

 

Product Liability. The Company’s business exposes it to liability risks from its potential drug products. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against the Company could result in payment of significant amounts of money and divert management’s attention from running the business. The Company may not be able to maintain insurance on acceptable terms, or the insurance may not provide adequate protection in the case of a product liability claim. To the extent that product liability insurance, if available, does not cover potential claims, the Company would be required to self-insure the risks associated with such claims. The Company believes that it carries reasonably adequate insurance for product liability claims.

Licensing and Research Agreements. The Company has entered into in-licensing agreements with various universities and research organizations, which are generally cancelable at the option of the Company with terms ranging from 0-180 days written notice. Under the terms of these agreements, the Company has received licenses to research tools, know-how and technology claimed in certain patents or patent applications. The Company is required to pay fees, milestones and/or royalties on future sales of products employing the technology or falling under claims of a patent, and some of the agreements require minimum royalty payments. Some of the agreements also require the Company to pay expenses arising from the prosecution and maintenance of the patents covering the in-licensed technology. The Company continually reassesses the value of the license agreements and cancels them when research efforts are discontinued on these programs. As of December 31, 2017, all in-licensed and research candidates are successfully developed, the Company may be required to pay milestone payments of approximately $132 million over the lives of these agreements, in addition to royalties on sales of the affected products at rates ranging up to 5%. Due to the uncertainties of the development process, the timing and probability of the milestone and royalty payments cannot be accurately estimated.

Litigation. From time to time, the Company may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. On December 1, 2015, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai) filed a complaint against the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai v. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., Case No. 1:15-cv-09414. In the complaint, Mount Sinai alleges that the Company, by entering into an exclusive worldwide collaboration with AbbVie to develop and commercialize next-generation GnRH antagonists, breached a license agreement with Mount Sinai dated August 27, 1999 (Mount Sinai License). Mount Sinai is seeking unspecified monetary damages, future sublicensing fees and attorney’s fees. In January 2016, the Company filed a motion to dismiss this complaint in its entirety. In June 2016, the Court denied the motion in part and granted the motion in part, ruling that while Mount Sinai could continue its lawsuit against the Company, there was no requirement by the Company to obtain Mount Sinai’s consent prior to licensing the next-generation GnRH antagonists to AbbVie. In July 2016, the Company filed its answer denying Mount Sinai’s allegations, and filed counterclaims against Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai filed a motion to dismiss the Company’s counterclaims and affirmative defenses, which the Court granted. A trial is anticipated to occur in the first half of 2018.The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses to the claims made in the complaint and intends to vigorously defend against such claims, but is not able to predict the ultimate outcome of this action, or estimate any potential loss.

The Company is not aware of any other proceedings or claims that it believes will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.

NOTE 8. CONVERTIBLE SENIOR NOTES

On May 2, 2017, the Companywe completed a private placement of $517.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2024, (2024 Notes)or the 2024 Notes, and entered into an indenture agreement, (2024 Indenture)or the 2024 Indenture, with respect to the 2024 Notes. The 2024 Notes accrue interest at a fixed rate of 2.25% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, beginning on November 15, 2017. The 2024 Notes mature on May 15, 2024. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Notes were approximately $502.8 million, after deducting commissions and the offering expenses payable by the Company.

us.

Holders of the 2024 Notes may convert the 2024 Notes at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding May 15, 2024, only under the following circumstances:

(i)during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on September 30, 2017 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of the Company’sour common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day;

(ii)during the five5 business-day period immediately after any five5 consecutive trading-day period (the ‘‘measurement period’’)period) in which the trading price (as defined in the 2024 Indenture) per $1,000 principal amount of the
80


2024 Notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the Company’sour common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day;

(iii)upon the occurrence of specified corporate events, including a merger or a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’sour assets; or

(iv)if the Company callswe call the 2024 Notes for redemption, until the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the redemption date.

On or after January 15, 2024, until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding May 15, 2024, holders may convert their 2024 Notes at any time.

Upon conversion, holders will receive the principal amount of their 2024 Notes and any excess conversion value, calculated based on the per share volume-weighted average price for each of the 30 consecutive trading days during the observation period (as more fully described in the 2024 Indenture). For both the principal and excess conversion value, holders may receive cash, shares of the Company’sour common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’sour common stock, at the Company’sour option.

It is the Company’sour intent and policy to settle conversions through combination settlement, which essentially involves repayment of an amount of cash equal to the “principal portion” and delivery of the “share amount” in excess of the principal portion in shares of common stock or cash. In general, for each $1,000 in principal, the “principal portion” of cash upon settlement is defined as the lesser of $1,000, and the conversion value during the 25-day observation period as described in the indenture for the notes. The conversion value is the sum of the daily conversion value which is the product of the effective conversion rate divided by 25 days and the daily volume weightedvolume-weighted average price, (VWAP)or VWAP, of the Company’sour common stock. The “share amount” is the cumulative “daily share amount” during the observation period, which is calculated by dividing the daily VWAP into the difference between the daily conversion value (i.e., conversion rate x daily VWAP) and $1,000.

The initial conversion rate for the 2024 Notes is 13.1711 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $75.92 per share of the Company’sour common stock. At the initial conversion rate, settlement of the 2024 Notes for shares of our common stock would approximate 5.0 million shares. The conversion rate will be subject to adjustment in some events but will not be adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. The initial conversion price of the 2024 Notes representsrepresented a premium of approximately 42.5% to the closing sale price of $53.28 per share of the Company’sour common stock on the NASDAQNasdaq Global Select Market on April 26, 2017, the date that the Companywe priced the private offering of the 2024 Notes.

In the event of conversion, holders would forgo all future interest payments, any unpaid accrued interest and the possibility of further stock price appreciation. Upon the receipt of conversion requests, the settlement of the 2024 Notes will be paid pursuant to the terms of the 2024 Indenture. In the event that all of the 2024 Notes are converted, the Companywe would be required to repay the $517.5 million inoutstanding principal value and any conversion premium in any combination of cash and shares of its common stock (at the Company’sour option).

Prior to May 15, 2021, the Company

We may not redeem the 2024 Notes.Notes prior to May 15, 2021. On or after May 15, 2021, the Companywe may redeem for cash all or part of the 2024 Notes if the last reported sale price (as defined in the 2024 Indenture) of the Company’sour common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading-day period ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date which the Company provideswe provide notice of redemption. The redemption price will equal the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the 2024 Notes being redeemed, plus (ii) accrued and unpaid interest, including additional interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the 2024 Notes.

If the Company undergoeswe undergo a fundamental change, as defined in the 2024 Indenture, subject to certain conditions, holders of the 2024 Notes may require the Companyus to repurchase for cash all or part of their 2024 Notes at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2024 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date. In addition, if a ‘‘make-whole fundamental change’’ (as defined in the 2024 Indenture) occurs prior to January 15, 2024, the Companywe will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert itstheir notes in connection with the make-whole fundamental change.

81


The 2024 Notes are the Company’sour general unsecured obligations that rank senior in right of payment to all of itsour indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the 2024 Notes, and equal in right of payment to the Company’sour unsecured indebtedness.

While the 2024 Notes

We are currently classified on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2017 as long-term, the future convertibility and resulting balance sheet classification of this liability will be monitored at each quarterly reporting date and will be analyzed dependent upon market prices of the Company’s common stock during the prescribed measurement periods. In the event that the holders of the 2024 Notes have the electionrequired to convert the 2024 Notes at any time during the prescribed measurement period, the 2024 Notes would then be considered a current obligation and classified as such.

Under current accounting guidance, an entity must separately account for the liability and equity components of convertible debt instruments (such as the 2024 Notes) thatNotes, as they may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion in a manner that reflects the issuer’sour economic interest cost. The liability component of the instrument was valued in a manner that reflects the market interest rate for a similar nonconvertible instrument at the date of issuance. The initial carrying value of the liability component of $368.3 million was calculated using a 7.5% assumed borrowing rate. The equity component of $149.2 million, representing the conversion option, was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the par value of the 2024 Notes and iswas recorded in additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet at the issuance date. That equity component is treated as a discount on the liability component of the 2024 Notes, which is amortized over the seven yearseven-year term of the 2024 Notes using the effective interest rate method. The equity component is not re-measured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification.

The Company At December 31, 2020, the remaining period over which the discount on the liability component will be amortized was approximately 3.4 years.

We allocated the total transaction costs of approximately $14.7 million related to the issuance of the 2024 Notes to the liability and equity components of the 2024 Notes based on their relative values. Transaction costs attributable to the liability component are amortized to interest expense over the seven-year term of the 2024 Notes, and transaction costs attributable to the equity component are netted with the equity component in stockholders’ equity.

The 2024 Notes do not contain any financial or operating covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the issuance of other indebtedness or the issuance or repurchase of securities by the Company.us. The 2024 Indenture contains customary events of default with respect to the 2024 Notes, including that upon certain events of default, 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the 2024 Notes will automatically become due and payable.

Debt,

In November 2020, we entered into separate, privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of the 2024 Notes to repurchase $136.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. We accounted for the partial repurchase of the 2024 Notes as a debt extinguishment. As a result, we attributed $130.7 million of the aggregate repurchase price to the liability component based on the fair value of the liability component immediately before extinguishment. The fair value of the liability component was calculated at settlement using a discounted cash flow analysis with a discount rate of 3.37%, which was the market rate for similar notes that have no conversion rights. The difference of $56.3 million between the fair value of the aggregate consideration remitted to certain holders of the 2024 Notes and the fair value of the liability component was attributed to the reacquisition of the equity component and recognized as a reduction to additional paid-in capital. The carrying amount of the liability of $112.4 million at settlement was recognized as a reduction to convertible senior notes and resulted in an $18.4 million loss on extinguishment.
The 2024 Notes, net of discounts and deferred financing costs, at December 31, 2017, consisted of the following:

Principal

  $517,500 

Deferred financing costs

   (9,652

Debt discount, net

   (138,230
  

 

 

 

Net carrying amount

  $369,618 
  

 

 

 

NOTE 9. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

 December 31,
(in millions)20202019
Principal$381.3 $517.5 
Deferred financing costs(4.0)(6.9)
Debt discount, net(59.4)(101.8)
Net carrying amount$317.9 $408.8 
The 2024 Notes were recorded at the estimated value of a similar non-convertible instrument on the date of issuance and accretes to the face value of the 2024 Notes over their seven-year term. The fair value of the 2024 Notes, which was estimated utilizing market quotations from an over-the-counter trading market (Level 2), was $514.3 million and $596.8 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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6. Other Balance Sheet Details
Inventories consisted of the following:
December 31,
(in millions)20202019
Raw materials$16.6 $14.1 
Work in process2.4 1.5 
Finished goods9.0 1.7 
Total inventories$28.0 $17.3 
Property and equipment, net, consisted of the following:
December 31,
(in millions)20202019
Tenant improvements$29.5 $26.3 
Scientific equipment39.2 33.5 
Computer equipment13.9 12.5 
Furniture and fixtures3.7 3.2 
86.3 75.5 
Less accumulated depreciation(41.7)(33.6)
Total property and equipment, net$44.6 $41.9 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consisted of the following:
December 31,
(in millions)20202019
Accrued employee related costs$38.2 $38.9 
Revenue-related reserves for discounts and allowances34.6 30.6 
Accrued development costs32.9 25.5 
Accrued Branded Prescription Drug Fee23.6 4.9 
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities39.4 41.4 
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities$168.7 $141.3 
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
December 31,
(in millions)20202019
Cash and cash equivalents$187.1 $112.3 
Restricted cash3.2 3.2 
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$190.3 $115.5 
83


7. Net Income Per Share
Net income per share was calculated as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except per share data)202020192018
Net income - basic and diluted$407.3 $37.0 $21.1 
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
Basic93.1 91.6 90.2 
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options2.4 2.6 3.2 
Restricted stock units0.5 0.4 0.6 
2024 Notes1.8 1.1 1.3 
Diluted97.8 95.7 95.4 
Net income per share:
Basic$4.38 $0.40 $0.23 
Diluted$4.16 $0.39 $0.22 
Shares which have been excluded from diluted per share amounts because their effect would have been anti-dilutive were 2.5 million, 2.1 million and 0.9 million for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Note 8. Share-Based Compensation Plans.
In May 2011, the Companywe adopted the Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, (theas amended, or the 2011 Plan) pursuant to which 17.0Plan. The 2011 Plan authorized 21 million shares of Company common stock are authorized for issuance. The 2011 Plan providesissuance and allowed for the grant of stock options, that qualify as incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), nonstatutory stock options,appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, (RSUs), stock appreciation rights,or RSUs, performance stock awards, performance-based restricted stock units, (PRSUs)or PRSUs, and certain other formsawards. During 2020, the 2011 Plan was merged into the 2020 Plan (defined below). As a result, there were 0 shares of equity compensation.

The Company also issuescommon stock optionsremaining available for future grant under the Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Inducement2011 Plan.

In May 2018, we adopted the 2018 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, (Inducement Plan) to certain employees. During 2017 and 2015, 410,000 and 120,000 stock options, respectively, and during 2017 and 2015, 12,500 and 50,000 RSUs, respectively, were grantedor ESPP, pursuant to the Inducement Plan. The Company did not grant any options or RSUs pursuant to the Inducement Plan during 2016. These stock option grants have a four year vesting period and the RSUs have a three year cliff vesting period. The Company currently has approximately 0.4 million in stock options and RSUs outstanding under this Inducement Plan.

As of December 31, 2017, approximately 6.3which 0.3 million shares of common stock remained availableare authorized for the future grant of awards under the 2011 Plan. Only share awards made under the 2011 Plan that are subsequently cancelled due to forfeiture or expiration are returned to the share pool available for future grants.

The Company issues new shares upon the exercise of stock options, the issuance of stock bonus awards and vesting of RSUs and PRSUs, and has 14.1issuance. At December 31, 2020, 0.2 million shares of common stock reservedremain available for suchfuture grant under the 2018 ESPP.

In May 2020, we adopted the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2020 Plan. The 2020 Plan authorized 3.3 million shares of common stock for issuance and allows for the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, RSUs, performance stock awards, PRSUs and certain other awards. The 2011 Plan was merged into the 2020 Plan and, as ofa result, all remaining shares in the 2011 Plan were transferred into the 2020 Plan. At December 31, 2017.

Vesting Provisions2020, 8.2 million shares of common stock remain available for future grant under the 2020 Plan.

Share-Based Compensation.Compensation Expense. The effect of share-based compensation expense on our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income by line-item follows:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Selling, general and administrative expense$66.3 $49.5 $31.9 
Research and development expense33.7 25.8 26.2 
Total share-based compensation expense$100.0 $75.3 $58.1 
Share-based compensation expense by award-type follows:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Stock options$47.5 $36.5 $35.4 
RSUs44.2 30.5 21.9 
PRSUs5.3 5.6 
ESPP3.0 2.7 0.8 
Total share-based compensation expense$100.0 $75.3 $58.1 
84


At December 31, 2020, unrecognized share-based compensation expense by award-type and the weighted-average period over which such expense is expected to be recognized, as applicable, were as follows:
(dollars in millions)Unrecognized ExpenseWeighted-Average Recognition Period
Stock options$86.2 2.3 years
RSUs$99.5 2.3 years
Stock Options. Typically, stock options generally have terms from seven to ten years from the date of grant,a ten-year term and generally vest over a three to four-year period. The maximum contractual term for all options granted from the 2011 Plan is ten years. RSUs granted under the 2011 Plan generally have vesting periods of four years. PRSUs granted under the 2011 Plan vest based on the achievement of certain pre-defined Company-specific performance criteria and expire four to five years from the grant date.

Share-Based Compensation. The compensation cost that has been included in the statement of comprehensive loss for all share-based compensation arrangements is as follows (in thousands):

   Years Ended December 31, 
   2017   2016   2015 

Sales, general and administrative expense

  $27,951   $16,770   $15,281 

Research and development expense

   14,571    11,694    13,111 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Share-based compensation expense

  $42,522   $28,464   $28,392 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Authoritative guidance requires that cash flows resulting from tax deductions in excess of the cumulative compensation cost recognized for options exercised be classified as cash inflows provided by financing activities and cash outflows used in operating activities. Due to the Company’s net tax loss position, no tax benefits have been recognized in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Stock Options. The exercise price of allstock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 wasis equal to the closing price of the Company’sour common stock on the date of grant. We estimate the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model on the date of grant. The estimatedBlack-Scholes option-pricing model incorporates various and highly sensitive assumptions including expected volatility, term and interest rates. The weighted-average grant-date fair values of stock options granted were $45.67, $41.74 and $43.42 for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The fair value of each stock option award granted was determinedestimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing valuation model with the following weighted-average assumptions:
Year Ended December 31,
202020192018
Risk-free interest rate1.4 %2.4 %2.5 %
Expected volatility of common stock48.5 %54.8 %59.5 %
Dividend yield0.0 %0.0 %0.0 %
Expected option term5.3 years5.4 years4.7 years
The weighted-average valuation assumptions for option grants during the three years ended December 31, 2017:

   Years Ended December 31, 
   2017  2016  2015 

Risk-free interest rate

   2.0  1.4  1.7

Expected volatility of common stock

   58  60  66

Dividend yield

   0.0  0.0  0.0

Expected option term

   5.7 years   5.6 years   6.6 years 

The Company estimates the fair value of stock options using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model on the date of grant. The fair value of equity instruments are recognized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model incorporates various and highly sensitive assumptions including expected volatility, expected term and interest rates. were determined as follows:

The expected volatility of common stock is estimated based on the historical volatility of the Company’sour common stock over the most recent period commensurate with the estimated expected term of the Company’sour stock options.
The expected option term is estimated based on historical experience as well as the status of the employee. For example, directors and officers have a longer expected option term than all other employees.
The risk-free interest rate for periods within the contractual life of thea stock option is based upon observed interest rates appropriate for the expected term of the Company’sour employee stock options. The Company has never
We have not historically declared or paid dividends and has no plansdo not intend to do so in the foreseeable future.

The Company’s determination of fair value is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as a number of assumptions that require judgment. The weighted-average fair values of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model, were $25.11, $21.49 and $23.24, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s stock options as of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and of changes in options outstanding under the plans during the three years ended December 31, 2017 is as follows (in thousands, except for weighted average exercise price data):

   2017   2016   2015 
   Options  Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
   Options  Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
   Options  Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
 

Outstanding at January 1

   6,112  $20.01    5,507  $15.63    5,750  $9.31 

Granted

   1,807   46.55    1,077   40.19    1,159   37.21 

Exercised

   (1,353  10.41    (341  7.60    (1,315  5.01 

Canceled

   (210  43.05    (131  34.35    (87  46.08 
  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Outstanding at December 31

   6,356  $28.83    6,112  $20.01    5,507  $15.63 
  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Options outstanding at December 31, 2017 have a weighted average remaining contractual term of 6.7 years.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 share-based compensation expenseactivity related to stock options was $28.2 million, $18.4 million and $13.6 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, there was

follows:

approximately $44.0 million of unamortized compensation cost related to stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average remaining vesting period of approximately 2.7 years. As of December 31, 2017, there were approximately 4.2 million options exercisable with a weighted average exercise price of $21.22 and a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 5.7 years.
(in millions, except weighted average data)Number of
Stock Options
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual TermAggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at December 31, 20196.1 $52.62 
Granted1.3 $103.44 
Exercised(0.6)$43.90 
Canceled$
Outstanding at December 31, 20206.8 $62.98 6.4 years$235.4 
Exercisable at December 31, 20204.7 $49.80 5.5 years$218.2 

The total intrinsic value which is the amount by which the exercise price was exceeded by the sale price of the Company’s common stock on the date of sale, of stock option exercisesoptions exercised during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016,2020, 2019 and 20152018 was $61.4$40.2 million, $13.2$64.3 million and $43.6 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, the total intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable was $309.9 million and $234.9$117.0 million, respectively. Cash received from stock option exercises for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016during 2020, 2019 and 20152018 was $13.9$23.5 million, $2.4$27.3 million and $6.3$29.5 million, respectively.

Restricted Stock Units.Typically, RSUs vest over a four-year period. The fair value of RSUs is based on the closing sale price of the Company’sour common stock on the date of issuance. For the year ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, share-based compensation expense relatedRSUs may be subject to RSUs was $13.9 million, $8.3 million, and $6.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, there was approximately $30.0 million of unamortized compensation cost related to RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average remaining vesting period of approximately 2.7 years.

The total intrinsic value of RSUs converted into common shares during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $14.9 million, $12.2 million, and $5.7 million, respectively. The RSUs,deferred delivery arrangement at the election of eligible employees, may be subjectemployees.

85


A summary of activity related to deferred delivery arrangement. RSUs follows:
(in millions, except weighted average data)Number of
RSUs
Weighted-Average Grant Date
Fair Value
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual TermAggregate Intrinsic Value
Unvested at December 31, 20191.4 $74.77 
Granted0.7 $102.92 
Released(0.5)$67.86 
Canceled(0.1)$84.95 
Unvested at December 31, 20201.5 $89.60 1.3 years$147.5 
The total intrinsicfair value of RSUs outstanding at December 31, 2017that vested during 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $83.8$49.7 million, based on the Company’s closing stock price on that date.

A summary of the status of the Company’s RSUs as of December 31, 2017, 2016$36.1 million and 2015 and of changes in RSUs outstanding under the plans for the three years ended December 31, 2017 is as follows (in thousands, except for weighted average grant date fair value per unit):

   2017   2016   2015 
   Number of
Units
  Weighted Average
Grant Date Fair
Value per Unit
   Number of
Units
  Weighted Average
Grant  Date Fair
Value per Unit
   Number of
Units
  Weighted Average
Grant  Date Fair
Value per Unit
 

Outstanding at January 1

   883  $29.33    910  $24.23    669  $15.01 

Granted

   588   47.21    326   36.73    448   33.62 

Cancelled

   (41  40.62    (69  32.50    (16  20.83 

Converted into common shares

   (350  24.19    (284  20.71    (191  14.24 
  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Outstanding at December 31

   1,080  $40.30    883  $29.33    910  $24.23 
  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

$35.5 million, respectively.

Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company granted approximately 230,000 and 50,000 PRSUs respectively, that vest based on the achievement of certain pre-definedpredefined Company-specific performance criteria and expire approximately four to five years from the grant date. No PRSUs were granted during the year ended December 31, 2017. The fair value of PRSUs is estimated based on the closing sale price of the Company’sour common stock on the date of grant. Expense recognition for PRSUs commences when attainment of the performance basedperformance-based criteria is determined to be probable. During 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized approximately $0.4 million, $1.8 million and $8.8 million in expense
A summary of activity related to PRSUs. PRSUs follows:
(in millions, except weighted average data)Number of
PRSUs
Weighted-Average Grant Date
Fair Value
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual TermAggregate Intrinsic Value
Unvested at December 31, 20190.3 $59.62 
Granted0.2 $102.90 
Released(0.1)$82.04 
Canceled(0.2)$45.67 
Unvested at December 31, 20200.2 $102.90 2.2 years$15.8 
At December 31, 2017, the total2020, unrecognized estimatedshare-based compensation expense related to thesefor PRSUs was $7.5$17.0 million. The total intrinsicfair value of PRSUs converted intothat vested during 2020 was $13.5 million. NaN PRSUs vested during 2019 or 2018.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Under the ESPP, eligible employees may purchase shares of our common shares during the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2015 was $8.8 million and $14.9 million, respectively. No PRSUs were converted into common shares during 2016. The total intrinsic value of PRSUs outstandingstock at December 31, 2017 was $16.3 milliona discount semi-annually based on a percentage of their annual compensation. The discounted purchase price is equal to the Company’s closinglower of 85% of (i) the market value per share of the common stock price on that date.

NOTE 10. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Equity Financing

In February 2015, the Company completed a publicfirst day of the offering period or (ii) the market value per share of common stock in whichon the Company sold approximately 8.0 million sharespurchase date.

Note 9. Income Taxes
Components of its common stock at an offering price of $36.00 per share. income tax expense for continuing operations were as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Current:
Federal$$$(0.1)
State10.1 9.5 0.8 
Total current taxes10.1 9.5 0.7 
Deferred:
Federal(287.5)
State(23.2)
Total deferred taxes(310.7)
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes$(300.6)$9.5 $0.7 
86


The net proceeds generatedprovision for income taxes on earnings subject to income taxes differs from this transaction, after underwriting discounts and commissions and offering costs, were approximately $270.7 million.

NOTE 11. BIAL AGREEMENT

In February 2017, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with BIAL – Portela & CA, S.A. (BIAL) for the development and commercialization of opicapone for the treatment of human diseases and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company is responsible for the management and cost of all opicapone development and commercialization activities in the United States and Canada.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Company paid BIAL an upfront license fee of $30 million, which was expensed in the first quarter of 2017 as in process research and development. The Company may also be required to pay up to an additional $115 million in milestone payments associated with the regulatory approval and net sales of products containing opicapone. Prior to FDA approval of opicapone, the Company may be required to pay up to $20 million in milestones based on certain regulatory and clinical results and FDA acceptance of the Company’s NDA filing for opicapone. Upon commercialization of opicapone, the Company has agreed to determine certain annual sales forecasts. In the event that the Company fails to meet the minimum sales requirements for a particular year, the Company will be required to pay BIAL an amount correspondingstatutory federal rate due to the difference between the actual net sales and the minimum sales requirements for such year, and if the Company fails to meet the minimum sales requirements for any two years, BIAL may terminate the agreement.

The agreement, unless terminated earlier, will continue on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis until a generic product in respectfollowing:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Federal income taxes at 21% for 2020, 2019, 2018$22.4 $9.8 $4.6 
State income tax, net of federal benefit5.5 4.0 0.4 
Non-deductible expenses0.6 0.8 0.4 
Branded prescription drug fee4.9 3.7 
Share-based compensation expense(6.7)(12.8)(9.8)
Officer compensation3.7 3.1 0.9 
Change in tax rate3.3 (4.1)(0.2)
Expired tax attributes1.1 1.2 13.9 
Research credits(39.0)(10.4)(13.5)
Change in valuation allowance(296.3)13.9 4.3 
Other(0.1)0.3 (0.3)
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes$(300.6)$9.5 $0.7 
Significant components of such licensed product under the agreement is sold in a country and salesour deferred tax assets as of such generic product are greater than a specified percentage of total sales of such licensed product in such country. Upon the Company’s written request prior to the estimated expiration of the term in respect of a licensed product, the parties shall negotiate a good faith continuation of BIAL’s supply of such licensed product after the term. After the term, and if BIAL is not supplying a certain licensed product, the Company shall pay BIAL a trademark royalty based on the net sales of such licensed product. Either party may terminate the agreement earlier if the other party materially breaches the agreement and does not cure the breach within a specified notice period, or upon the other party’s insolvency. BIAL may terminate the agreement if the Company fails to use commercially reasonable efforts or fails to file an NDA for a licensed product by a specified date or under certain circumstances involving a change of control of the Company. In certain circumstances where BIAL elects to terminate the agreement in connection with the Company’s change of control, BIAL shall pay the Company a termination fee. The Company may terminate the agreement at any time for any reason upon six months written notice to BIAL if prior to the first NDA approval in the United States, and upon nine months written notice to BIAL if such notice is given after the first NDA approval in the United States. If the Company’s termination request occurs prior to the first NDA approval in the United States, the Company will have to pay BIAL a termination fee except under certain conditions specified in the agreement.

NOTE 12. CONCENTRATION RISK

The Company does not currently have any of its own manufacturing facilities, and therefore it depends on an outsourced manufacturing strategy for the production of INGREZZA for commercial use and for the production of its product candidates for clinical trials. The Company has contracts in place with one third-party manufacturer that is approved for the commercial production of INGREZZA’s capsules and one third-party manufacturer that is approved for the production of INGREZZA’s active pharmaceutical ingredient. Although

there are potential sources of supply other than the Company’s existing suppliers, any new supplier would be required to qualify under applicable regulatory requirements.

The Company has entered into distribution agreements with a limited number of SPs and SDs, and all of the Company’s product sales are to these customers. The Company’s three largest customers represented 99% of the Company’s product revenue for the year ended December 31, 20172020 and substantially all of the Company’s accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2017.

NOTE 13. INCOME TAXES

2019 are listed below.

 December 31,
(in millions)20202019
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating losses$111.4 $181.3 
Research and development credits109.6 71.9 
Capitalized research and development24.7 28.0 
Share-based compensation expense29.8 22.9 
Operating lease assets25.2 23.3 
Intangible assets86.7 49.3 
Other23.9 18.5 
Total deferred tax assets411.3 395.2 
Deferred tax liabilities:
Convertible senior notes(13.8)(24.1)
Operating lease liabilities(19.9)(18.2)
Other(8.4)(6.9)
Total deferred tax liabilities(42.1)(49.2)
Net of deferred tax assets and liabilities369.2 346.0 
Valuation allowance(49.8)(346.0)
Net deferred tax assets$319.4 $
At December 31, 2017,2020, our deferred tax assets were primarily the Company hadresult of federal net operating loss carry forwards, capitalized research costs, acquired intangible assets and tax credit carryforwards. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, we recorded a valuation allowance of $49.8 million and $346.0 million, respectively, against our gross deferred tax asset balance.
At each reporting date, management considers new evidence, both positive and negative, that could affect its assessment of the future realizability of our deferred tax assets. At December 31, 2020, in part because we achieved three years of cumulative pretax income, management determined there is sufficient positive evidence to conclude that it is more likely than not deferred tax assets of $362.7$319.4 million are realizable. Accordingly, we recorded a net valuation release of $296.3 million on the basis of management’s assessment. The remaining valuation allowance of $49.8 million consists primarily of state net operating loss and credit carryforwards for which management cannot conclude it is more likely than not to be realized. The release of the valuation allowance is reported under continuing operations as a benefit to income tax expense.
87


At December 31, 2020, we had federal and state income tax net operating loss carryforwards of $518.2 million and deferred tax liabilities of $31.8 million. Due$340.8 million, respectively. The federal net operating losses will begin to uncertainties surrounding the Company’s abilityexpire in 2028, unless previously utilized.
California net operating losses will begin to generate future taxable income, a full valuation has been established to offsetexpire in 2028 unless previously utilized and the net deferredoperating losses related to other states will begin to expire in 2026.
In addition, we have federal and California R&D tax assetscredit carryforwards of $92.1 million and liabilities. $56.4 million, respectively. A portion of the federal R&D tax credit carryforwards expired in 2020. The remaining federal R&D tax credits will continue to expire beginning in 2021, unless previously utilized. The California R&D tax credits carry forward indefinitely.
Additionally, the future utilization of the Company’sour net operating loss and R&D tax credit carry forwardscarryforwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to an annual limitation, pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Sections 382 and 383, as a result of ownership changes that could occur in the future. The Company has determined that noNo ownership changes have occurred through December 31, 2016 and is currently evaluating whether any ownership changes occurred through December 31, 2017.

At December 31, 2017, the Company had Federal and state income tax net operating loss carry forwards of approximately $978.7 million and $535.3 million, respectively. 2020.

The Federal tax loss carry forwards will begin to expire in 2021, unless previously utilized.

The California net operating loss carry forwards will begin to expire in 2018 and net operating loss carry forwards related to other states will begin to expire in 2027.

In addition, the Company has Federal and California R&D tax credit carry forwards of $48.2 million and $34.6 million, respectively. The Federal R&D tax credit carry forwards begin expiring in 2018 and will continue to expire unless utilized. The California R&D tax credit carryforwards carry forward indefinitely. The Company also has Federal Alternative Minimum Tax credit carryforwards of approximately $100,000.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the 2017 Tax Act) was enacted reducing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% which is effective on January 1, 2018. The carrying value of the Company’s deferred tax assets is also determined by the enacted U.S. corporate income tax rate. Consequently, any changes in the U.S. corporate income tax rate have impacted the carrying value of the Company’s deferred tax assets. Under the new corporate income tax rate of 21%, deferred income taxes decreased but there is a corresponding decrease to the valuation allowance. Therefore, the 2017 Tax Act is expected to have no impact on the Company’s 2017 earnings. In accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin 118, as of December 31, 2017, the Company has not completed its accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act; however, the Company has made a reasonable estimate of the effects on its existing deferred tax balances.

Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are listed below. A valuation allowance of $330.9 million and $463.5 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, has been recognized to offset net deferred tax assets as realization of such assets is uncertain. Amounts are shown as of December 31 as of each respective year (in thousands):

   2017  2016 

Deferred tax assets:

   

Net operating losses

  $238,500  $309,100 

Research and development credits

   47,500   38,800 

Capitalized research and development

   47,500   80,200 

Share-based compensation expense

   14,600   17,400 

Deferred revenue

   2,800   4,300 

Deferred gain on sales leaseback

   2,100   3,800 

Intangibles

   1,700   4,800 

Cease-use expense

      300 

Fixed assets

      400 

Other

   8,000   4,400 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total deferred tax assets

   362,700   463,500 

Deferred tax liabilities:

   

Convertible debt

   (31,300   

Fixed assets

   (500   
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total deferred tax liabilities

   (31,800   
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net of deferred tax assets and liabilities

   330,900   463,500 

Valuation allowance

   (330,900  (463,500
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net deferred tax assets

  $  $ 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

The provision for income taxes on earnings subject to income taxes differs from the statutory Federal rate at December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, due to the following (in thousands):

   2017  2016  2015 

Federal income taxes at 35%

  $(49,889 $(49,383 $(31,126

State income tax, net of Federal benefit

   (4,013  2   2 

Tax effect on non-deductible expenses

   433   (321  172 

Share-based compensation expense

   (19,589  (5,077  201 

Officer compensation

   2,163       

Change in tax rate

   154,415      10,773 

Expired tax attributes

   2,998   6,708   5,594 

Research credits

   (8,352  (6,511  (6,638

Change in valuation allowance

   (79,966  53,414   15,029 

Uncertain tax positions

   2,756   957   5,940 

Other

   (956  211   53 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
  $  $  $ 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Under the FASB’s accounting guidance related to uncertain tax positions, among other things, the impact of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax return must be recognized at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. Additionally, the guidance provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition.

The Company’sOur policy is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company had no accrualInterest and penalties related to income tax matters were not material for interest2020, 2019 or penalties on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2017 or December 31, 2016, and has not recognized interest and/or penalties in the statement of comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

The Company is2018.

We are subject to taxation in the United StatesU.S. and various state jurisdictions. The Company’sOur tax years for 19982001 (federal) and 20022008 (California) and forward are subject to examination by the United Statesfederal and Californiastate tax authorities due to the carry forwardcarryforward of unutilized net operating losses and R&D tax credits.

The following table summarizes the

A summary of activity related to our unrecognized tax benefits (in thousands):

   2017   2016  2015 

Balance as of the beginning of the year

  $34,112   $33,074  $23,854 

Increases related to prior year tax positions

       260   6,636 

Increases related to current year tax positions

   3,291    2,211   2,584 

Expiration of the statute of limitations for the assessment of taxes

       (1,433   
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance as of the end of the year

  $37,403   $34,112  $33,074 
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

The Company, under authoritative guidance,follows:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202020192018
Balance at January 1$63.9 $54.8 $37.4 
(Decrease) increase related to prior year tax positions(5.7)0.3 6.1 
Increase related to current year tax positions3.9 9.5 11.7 
Settlements related to prior year tax positions(0.2)
Expiration of the statute of limitations for the assessment of taxes(1.1)(0.7)(0.4)
Balance at December 31$60.8 $63.9 $54.8 
We excluded those deferred tax assets that are not more likely than notmore-likely-than-not to be sustained under the technical merits of the tax position. TheseSuch unrecognized tax benefits totaled $3.3total $3.9 million for current year tax positions, as reflected in the tabular rollforwardtable above.

As of

At December 31, 2017, the Company2020, we had $30.7$53.9 million of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized and realized, would affect the effective tax rate.

Inrate, subject to the next twelve months, the Company doesvaluation allowance. We do not expect a significant change in theirour unrecognized tax benefits.

NOTE 14. RETIREMENT PLAN

The Company hasbenefits in the next twelve months.

Note 10. Leases
We have operating leases for our office and laboratory facilities, including our corporate headquarters, with terms that expire from 2025 through 2031. We have 2 options to extend the term of the operating lease for our corporate headquarters for a period of ten years each. However, as we were not reasonably certain to exercise either of those options at lease commencement, neither option was recognized as part of the associated operating lease right-of-use, or ROU, asset or liability. In connection with our operating leases, in lieu of cash security deposits, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., issued letters of credit on our behalf, which are secured by deposits totaling $3.2 million.
Our operating lease cost was $10.1 million for 2020 and $8.1 million for 2019. Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities was $8.6 million for 2020 and $7.7 million for 2019.
88


Our operating leases had a weighted-average remaining lease term of approximately 10.3 years and 11.2 years at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and a weighted-average discount rate of 5.6% and 5.8% at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Approximate future minimum lease payments under operating leases were as follows:
(in millions)December 31,
2020
Year ending December 31, 2021$10.7 
Year ending December 31, 202212.4 
Year ending December 31, 202312.7 
Year ending December 31, 202413.1 
Year ending December 31, 202513.5 
Thereafter77.5 
Total operating lease payments139.9 
Less accreted interest35.2 
Total operating lease liabilities104.7 
Less current operating lease liabilities10.3 
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities$94.4 
Note 1: Amounts presented in the table above exclude $19.7 million of non-cancelable future minimum lease payments for operating leases that have not yet commenced.
Note 2: Current operating lease liabilities are included in other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Note 11. Retirement Plan
We have a 401(k) defined contribution savings plan, (401(k) Plan).or the 401(k) Plan. The 401(k) Plan is for the benefit of all qualifying employees and permits voluntary contributions by employees up to 60% of base salary limited by the IRS-imposed maximum. Employer contributions were $1.1$6.7 million, $0.6$4.9 million, and $0.4$1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015,2018, respectively.

NOTE 15. SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

The following is a


89


Note 12. Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
A summary of theour quarterly results follows:
(in millions, except per share data)First
Quarter
Second
Quarter
Third
Quarter
Fourth
Quarter
Year Ended December 31, 2020:    
Total revenues$237.1 $302.4 $258.5 $247.9 
Total operating expenses (1)
$178.2 $225.8 $302.8 $176.1 
Net income (loss) (1)
$37.4 $79.6 $(57.6)$347.9 
Net income (loss) per share, basic (1)
$0.40 $0.86 $(0.62)$3.72 
Net income (loss) per share, diluted (1)
$0.39 $0.81 $(0.62)$3.58 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic92.6 93.0 93.3 93.5 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted97.0 98.2 93.3 97.2 
Year Ended December 31, 2019:
Total revenues$138.4 $183.5 $222.1 $244.1 
Total operating expenses (2)
$239.4 $149.1 $132.0 $195.3 
Net (loss) income (2)
$(102.1)$51.3 $53.8 $34.0 
Net (loss) income per share, basic (2)
$(1.12)$0.56 $0.59 $0.37 
Net (loss) income per share, diluted (2)
$(1.12)$0.54 $0.56 $0.35 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic91.1 91.4 91.9 92.2 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted91.1 94.8 96.1 97.2 
(1) In connection with the payment of the Companyupfront fee pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement with Idorsia, we recorded a charge of $46.0 million, accounted for as IPR&D, in the years ended December 31, 2017second quarter of 2020. In connection with the payment of the upfront fee pursuant to our collaboration with Takeda, we recorded a charge of $118.5 million, accounted for as IPR&D, in the third quarter of 2020.
(2) In connection with the payment of the upfront fee pursuant to our collaboration and 2016(unaudited,license agreement with Voyager, we recorded a charge of $113.1 million, accounted for as IPR&D, in thousands, exceptthe first quarter of 2019. In the second quarter of 2019, we entered into an amendment to the collaboration and license agreement with Voyager, pursuant to which we paid Voyager $5.0 million upfront, accounted for per share data):

   Year Ended December 31,  Year  Ended
December 31
 
   First
Quarter
  Second
Quarter
  Third
Quarter
  Fourth
Quarter
  

2016:

      

Revenues

  $15,000  $  $  $  $15,000 

Operating expenses

   35,857   41,828   38,436   46,251   162,372 

Net loss

   (19,264  (40,280  (36,887  (44,659  (141,090

Net loss per share:

      

Basic and Diluted

  $(0.22 $(0.46 $(0.43 $(0.51 $(1.63

Shares used in the calculation of net loss per share:

      

Basic and Diluted

   86,497   86,694   86,784   86,874   86,713 

2017:

      

Revenues

  $  $6,335  $60,774  $94,517  $161,626 

Operating expenses

   79,932   63,603   66,769   82,683   292,987 

Net (loss) income

   (78,326  (59,985  (11,125  6,894   (142,542

Net (loss) income per share:

      

Basic

  $(0.90 $(0.68 $(0.13 $0.08  $(1.62

Diluted

  $(0.90 $(0.68 $(0.13 $0.07  $(1.62

Shares used in the calculation of net (loss) income per share:

      

Basic

   87,283   88,063   88,325   88,665   88,089 

Diluted

   87,283   88,063   88,325   92,659   88,089 
as IPR&D, to obtain outside the U.S. rights to the Friedreich’s ataxia program. In connection with the payment of the upfront fee pursuant to our collaboration with Xenon, we recorded a charge of $36.2 million, accounted for as IPR&D, in the fourth quarter of 2019.

ITEM 9.CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

90


Item 9. Changes and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Not applicable.

ITEM 9A.CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the timelines specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and in reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

As required by SEC Rule 13a-15(b), we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the year covered by this report. Based on the foregoing, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

91


Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Internal control over financial reporting refers to the process designed by, or under the supervision of, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and effected by our board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and includes those policies and procedures that:

(1)    Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;

(2)    Provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorization of our management and directors; and

(3)    Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Internal control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving financial reporting objectives because of its inherent limitations. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. Internal control over financial reporting also can be circumvented by collusion or improper management override. Because of such limitations, there is a risk that material misstatements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal control over financial reporting. However, these inherent limitations are known features of the financial reporting process. Therefore, it is possible to design into the process safeguards to reduce, though not eliminate, this risk. Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the company.

Management has used the framework set forth in the report entitled Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013 framework) published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), known as COSO, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Based on this assessment, management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017.2020. Ernst & Young, LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, which is included herein.

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during our most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

92


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, the related consolidated statements of operationsincome and comprehensive loss, stockholders’income, stockholders‘ equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017,2020, and the related notes and our report dated February 13, 20185, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
San Diego, California

February 13, 2018

5, 2021

ITEM 9B.OTHER INFORMATION

93


Item 9B. Other Information
None.

94


PART III

ITEM 10.DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of December 31, 2017.2020. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and to all of our other officers, directors, employees and agents. The code of ethics is available at the Corporate Governance section of the Investors page on our website at www.neurocrine.com. We intend to disclose future amendments to, or waivers from, certain provisions of our code of ethics on the above website within four business days following the date of such amendment or waiver.

ITEM 11.EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information found on, or accessible through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 11. Executive Compensation
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of December 31, 2017.2020. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12.SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of December 31, 2017.2020. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13.CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of December 31, 2017.2020. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of December 31, 2017.2020. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

95


PART IV

ITEM 15.EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(a) Documents filed as part of this report.

1. List of Financial Statements. The following are included in Item 8 of this report:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 20172020 and 2016

2019

Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive LossIncome for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015

2018

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015

2018

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015

2018

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (includes unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Data)

2. List of all Financial Statement schedules. All schedules are omitted because they are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the Financial Statements or notes thereto.

3. List of Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K. See part (b) below.

(b) Exhibits.The following exhibits are filed as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this report:

Exhibit

Number

Description

3.1
3.1Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 5, 2018
3.2Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 5, 2018
4.1
3.3Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 4, 2020
3.4Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 28, 2020
4.1Description:
4.2Reference:Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-03172)
4.2Description:
4.3Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 2, 2017
4.3Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 2, 2017
10.1**4.4Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 7, 2020
10.2**
21.1Description:
23.1Description:
96


31.1Description:
31.2Description:
32***Description:
101.INSDescription:Inline XBRL Instance Document. – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its officers and directors(5)XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
101.SCHDescription:Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CALDescription:Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEFDescription:Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LABDescription:Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PREDescription:Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
104Description:Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL with applicable taxonomy extension information contained in Exhibit 101)
10.3**Employment Agreement dated May 26, 2015 between the Company and Eric Benevich(6)
10.4
Collaboration and License Agreements:
10.1*Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on July 29, 2010
10.2*Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on October 31, 2011
10.3*Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on April 30, 2015
10.4*Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 25, 2017
10.5*Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 7, 2019
10.6Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 7, 2019
10.7Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 7, 2019
10.8Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on July 29, 2019
10.510.9**Description:
10.6Reference:Second AmendmentIncorporated by reference to Amended and Restated Lease betweenExhibit 10.3 of the Company and Kilroy Realty, L.P., dated October 12, 2017(9)
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 3, 2020
10.7Letter of Credit dated December  3, 2007, issued by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. for the benefit of Kilroy Realty, L.P., as amended on November 20, 2014 and June 19, 2017(10)
10.8**Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective August  1, 2007 between the Company and Kevin C. Gorman, Ph.D.(11)

97


Exhibit

Number

Description

10.9License agreement dated August 27, 1999 between the Company and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York(12)
10.10**Amended
Related Agreements:
10.11**Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective August  23, 2007 between the Company and Dimitri E. Grigoriadis, Ph.D.(14)
10.12**
10.10+
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective August  14, 2007 between the Company and Haig Bozigian, Ph.D.(15)
10.13**Description:
10.14**Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 30, 2018
10.11+
Description:
10.15*Collaboration Agreement datedReference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 15, 2010, by and between Abbott International Luxembourg S.a.r.l. and the Company as amended on August 31, 2011(18)
1, 2015
10.16**Form of Amendment to Employment Agreement for executive officers(19)
10.17**
10.12+
Description:
10.18**Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 13, 2018
10.13+
Description:
10.19*Collaboration and License Agreement dated March  31, 2015 between Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation and the Company(21)
10.20*First Amendment to Collaboration and License Agreement Dated August 31, 2011 between the Company and Abbott International Luxemburg S.a.r.l.(22)
10.21*Amended and Restated Product Agreement dated June 27, 2017 by and between Patheon UK Limited and the Company(23)
10.22*Commercial Packaging Agreement dated December  12, 2016, by and between AndersonBrecon Inc., d/b/a PCI of Illinois, and Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.(24)
10.23*Master Manufacturing Services Agreement dated November  28, 2016, by and between Patheon UK Limited and Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.(25)
10.24*Product Agreement dated November  28, 2016, by and between Patheon UK Limited and Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.(26)
10.25*License Agreement dated February 9, 2017 between BIAL– Portela  & CA, S.A. and the Company(27)
10.26**Employment Agreement effective November 29, 2017 between the Company and Matt Abernethy
21.1Subsidiaries of the Company
23.1Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
31.1Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Reference:

Exhibit

Number

Description

31.2Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
32***Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section  906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INSXBRL Instance Document.
101.SCHXBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

(1)Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (RegistrationNo. 333-03172)
(2)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 2, 2017
(3)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K filed on May 2, 2017
(4)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on July 29, 2015
10.14+
Description:
(5)Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 30, 2018
10.15+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 3, 2020
10.16+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 3, 2020
Agreements with Officers and Directors:
10.17+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 3, 2007
10.18+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.32 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 11, 2008
10.19+
Description:
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 6, 2020
10.20+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 14, 2017
10.21+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 13, 2018
10.22+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 1, 2017
98


(6)
10.23+
Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.310.2 of the Company’s AnnualQuarterly Report on Form 10-K10-Q filed on February 14, 2017July 29, 2019
(7)
Agreements Related to Real Property:
10.24Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 18, 2012
(8)
10.25Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 3, 2017
(9)
10.26Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 1, 2017
(10)
10.27Description:
Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 10, 2007; Exhibit 10.5 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 9, 2015; and Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 3, 2017
(11)Incorporated by reference
10.28Description:
(12)Reference:Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on July 26, 2013
(13)November 4, 2019Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 11, 2008
(14)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.36 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 11, 2008
(15)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.37 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 11, 2008
(16)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 24, 2017
(17)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 1, 2015

(18)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on July 29, 2010
(19)+Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.32 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 10, 2011Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
(20)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on July 29, 2015
(21)*Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on April 30, 2015
(22)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on October 31, 2011
(23)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 1, 2017
(24)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 25, 2017
(25)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 25, 2017
(26)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 25, 2017
(27)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 25, 2017
*Confidential treatment has been granted with respect to certain portions of the exhibit.
**Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.Certain portions of the exhibit have been omitted because the omitted information is not material and would likely cause competitive harm if publicly disclosed.
***These certifications are being furnished solely to accompany this annual report pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and are not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.
Except as specifically noted above, the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K have a Commission File Number of 000-22705.

Except as specifically noted above, the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K have a Commission File Number of 000-22705.

(c) Financial Statement Schedules.See Item 15(a)(2) above.

99


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.
A Delaware Corporation(Registrant)
By:

/s/ Kevin C. Gorman

Kevin C. Gorman
Chief Executive Officer
Date:February 5, 2021
By:
/s/ Matthew C. Abernethy
Matthew C. Abernethy
Chief Financial Officer
Date:February 5, 2021

Date: February 13, 2018

100


POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Kevin C. Gorman and Matthew C. Abernethy, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution for him or her, and in his or her name in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power of authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and any of them, his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

indicated as of February 5, 2021:

Signature

Title

Date

/s/ Kevin C. Gorman

Kevin C. Gorman

Chief Executive Officer

and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

February 13, 2018

/s/ MatthewKevin C. Abernethy

MatthewGorman

Chief Executive Officer and Director
Kevin C. Abernethy

Gorman, Ph.D.

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and AccountingExecutive Officer)

February 13, 2018

/s/ William H. Rastetter

William H. Rastetter

s
/ Matthew C. Abernethy

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Chief Financial Officer
Matthew C. AbernethyFebruary 13, 2018(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ Gary A. Lyons

Gary A. Lyons

William H. Rastetter

Director

Chairman of the Board of Directors
William H. Rastetter, Ph.D.February 13, 2018

/s/ George J. Morrow

George J. Morrow

Gary A. Lyons

Director

Gary A. LyonsFebruary 13, 2018

/s/ Corinne H. Nevinny

Corinne H. Nevinny

George J. Morrow

Director

George J. MorrowFebruary 13, 2018

/s/ Richard F. Pops

Richard F. Pops

Leslie V. Norwalk

Director

Leslie V. NorwalkFebruary 13, 2018

/s/ Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr.

Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr.

Richard F. Pops

Director

Richard F. PopsFebruary 13, 2018

/s/ Stephen A. Sherwin

Director
Stephen A. Sherwin,

M.D.

Director

February 13, 2018
/s/ Shalini Sharp
Director
Shalini Sharp

104

101