We also rely on trade secrets and other unpatented proprietary information to protect our products and commercial position, particularly with respect to our products with limited or no patent protection, such as Erwinaze.
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• | JZP-258. We have U.S. patents and patent applications that relate to our product candidate JZP-258. These patents expire December 2033. |
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• | JZP-385. Through the acquisition of Cavion in 2019, we obtained a portfolio of U.S. and non-U.S. patents and patent applications, including rights relating to compositions and methods of using JZP-385. The portfolio includes a U.S. composition of matter patent relating to JZP-385, which expires in 2027. |
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• | JZP-458. We obtained worldwide rights from Pfenex, including Pfenex’s patent rights relating to JZP-458, in 2016 to develop and commercialize multiple early-stage hematology product candidates, including a license to a U.S. process patent relating to JZP-458, which expires in 2026. |
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• | Lurbinectedin. In December of 2019, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with PharmaMar pursuant to which we obtained exclusive U.S. development and commercialization rights to lurbinectedin, including a license to a U.S. composition of matter patent, which expires in 2024. |
In addition, we have rights to a number of trademarks and service marks, and pending trademark and service mark applications, in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world to further protect the proprietary position of our products. For furthera discussion of the challenges we face in obtaining or maintaining patent and/or trade secret protection, see the risk factors under the heading “Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Government Regulation
As a global pharmaceutical company, our activities are subject to extensive regulation in the U.S., the EU and other countries where we do business. Regulatory requirements encompass the entire life cycle of pharmaceutical products, from research and development activities to marketing approval, manufacturing, labeling, packaging, adverse event and safety reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, sale, pricing and reimbursement, recordkeeping, distribution, importing and exporting. Regulations differ from country to country and are constantly evolving.
Testing and Approval of Pharmaceutical Products
We are not permitted to market a product in a country until we receive approval from the relevant regulatory authority, such as the FDA in the U.S. and the EC or the competent authorities of the EU member states. An application for marketing approval must contain information generated by the applicant, also called a sponsor, demonstrating the quality, safety and efficacy of the product candidate, including data from preclinical and clinical trials, proposed product packaging and labeling and information pertaining to product formulation and the manufacture and analytical testing of the API and the finished product.
In the U.S., the FDA reviews and, if warranted, approves applications for marketing approval. The process for obtaining marketing approval in the U.S. for a drug or biologic product candidate generally includes:
conducting preclinical laboratory and animal testing and submitting the results to the FDA in an investigational new drug, or IND, application requesting approval to test the product candidate in human clinical trials;
conducting adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the product candidate in the desired indication;
submitting an NDA, supplemental NDA, or sNDA, or BLA, as appropriate, to the FDA seeking approval for a specific indication; and
completing inspections by the FDA of the facilities where the product candidate is manufactured, analyzed and stored to demonstrate compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, and any requested FDA audits of the clinical trial sites that generated the data supporting the application.
Human clinical trials conducted before approval of a product generally proceed in three sequential phases, although the phases may overlap. In Phase 1, the initial introduction of the product candidate in humans, the product candidate is typically tested to assess metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacological actions and side effects associated with increasing doses. Phase 2 usually involves clinical trials in a limited patient population to determine the effectiveness of the product candidate for a particular indication or indications, dosage tolerance and optimum dosage and to identify common adverse effects and safety risks. If a product candidate demonstrates evidence of effectiveness and an acceptable safety profile in Phase 2, Phase 3 clinical trials are undertaken to obtain additional information about clinical efficacy and safety in a larger number of patients. Clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with specific protocols, as well as FDA requirements related to conducting the trials and recording and reporting the results, commonly referred to as good clinical practices, to ensure that the resulting data are credible and accurate and that the trial participants are adequately protected. The FDA enforces good clinical practices through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, clinical investigators and trial sites.
Once an NDA, sNDA or BLA has been compiled and submitted, the FDA performs an initial review before it accepts the application for filing. The FDA may refuse to file an application and/or request additional information before acceptance. Once accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth review of the application. Under the current goals and policies agreed to by the FDA under PDUFA for a new molecular entity, the FDA has ten months from the filing decision in which to complete its initial review of a standard application and respond to the applicant, and eight months for a priority application. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates, and in certain circumstances, the PDUFA goal date may be extended. For example, in December 2018, the FDA determined that a submission we made during the course of discussions regarding draft labeling in solriamfetol constituted a major amendment to the NDA, resulting in a three-month extension of the PDUFA goal date to March 20, 2019.
The FDA also has various programs, including Fast Track, Priority Review, Breakthrough Therapy and Accelerated Approval (Subpart H and E), that are intended to expedite the process for reviewing certain applications and/or provide for approval on the basis of surrogate endpoints or restricted distribution. Generally, products may be eligible for one or more of these programs if they are intended for serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions, have potential to address unmet medical needs, or may provide meaningful benefit over existing treatments. For example, the FDA granted Vyxeos
Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations and also granted Priority Review with respect to our NDA for Vyxeos for the treatment of t-AML and AML-MRC that was approved in August 2017. In addition, a priority review voucher, or PRV such as the PRV that we acquired in May 2018, may be used to obtain priority review by the FDA for one of our future regulatory submissions. We have used the PRV we acquired in May 2018 to obtain priority review for our JZP-258 NDA, which is under review by the FDA.
During its review of an application, the FDA evaluates whether the product demonstrates the required level of safety and efficacy for the indication for which approval is sought and also conducts the inspections and audits described above. The FDA may also refer an application to an advisory committee, typically a panel of clinicians, for review, evaluation and a non-binding recommendation as to whether the application should be approved. When the FDA completes its evaluation, it issues either an approval letter or a complete response letter. A complete response letter generally outlines what the FDA considers to be the deficiencies in the application and may indicate that substantial additional testing or information is required in order for the FDA to approve the product. If and when identified deficiencies have been addressed to the FDA’s satisfaction inafter a review of the resubmission of the application, or if the decision is reversed through an administrative appeal, the FDA will issue an approval letter.
Even if a product is approved, the approval may be subject to limitations based on the FDA’s interpretation of the data submitted in the application. For example, as a condition of approval, the FDA may require the sponsor to agree to certain post-marketing commitments,requirements, such as conducting Phase 4, or post-approval, clinical trials to gain additional safety data or to document a clinical benefit in the case of products approved under Accelerated Approval regulations. The FDA’s approval of the BLA for Erwinaze includes a number of post-marketing commitments related to the manufacture of Erwinaze.and requirements. Several post-marketing commitments and requirements were also mandated by the FDA in connection with its approvalsapproval of Defitelio, including the requirement that we conduct a clinical trial to analyze the safety of defibrotide versus best supportive care in the prevention of VOD in adult and pediatric patients, and its approval of Vyxeos, including the requirement that we conduct a safety study to characterize infusion-related reactions in patients treated with Vyxeos and a clinical trial to determine dosing to minimize toxicity in patients with moderate and severe renal impairment.
In addition, if the FDA determines that a REMS is necessary to ensure that the benefits of the product outweigh the risks, a sponsor may be required to include a proposed REMS (either as part of the application or after approval), which may include a patient package insert or a medication guide to provide information to consumers about the product’s risks and benefits; a plan for communication to healthcare providers; or conditions on the product’s prescribing or distribution referred to as elements to assure safe use. Xyrem is required to have a REMS. For more discussion regarding the Xyrem REMS, see the risk factors under the headings “The distribution and sale of Xyremour oxybate products are subject to significant regulatory restrictions,
including the requirements of a REMS, and these regulatory requirements subject us to risks and uncertainties, any of which could negatively impact sales of Xyrem and if approved, JZP-258” and “Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
The EU and many individual countries have regulatory structures similar to the U.S. for conducting preclinical and clinical testing and applying for marketing approval or authorization, although specifics may vary widely from country to country. Clinical trials in the EU must be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the EU Clinical Trials Directive, which may be replaced with the new EU Clinical Trials Regulation in 2019,2022, and applicable good clinical practice standards. In the EU, there are several procedures for requesting marketing authorization which can be more efficient than applying for authorization on a country-by-country basis. There is a “centralized” procedure allowing submission of a single marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA. If the EMA issues a positive opinion, the EC will grant a centralized marketing authorization that is valid in all EU member states and three of the four European Free Trade Association countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The centralized procedure is mandatory for certain medicinal products, including orphan medicinal products and biotechnology-derived medicinal products, and optional for others. There is also a “decentralized” procedure allowing companies to file identical applications to several EU member states simultaneously for product candidates that have not yet been authorized in any EU member state and a “mutual recognition” procedure allowing companies that have a product already authorized in one EU member state to apply for that authorization to be recognized by the competent authorities in other EU member states. The UK’s planned withdrawal from the EU on January 31, 2020, commonly referred to as Brexit, has, however, created significant uncertainty concerning the future relationship between the UK and the EU, and theEU. The impact of Brexit on the on-going validity in the UK of current EU authorizations for medicinal products, whether granted through the centralized procedure, decentralized procedure, or mutual recognition, and on the future process for obtaining or maintaining marketing authorization for pharmaceutical products manufactured or sold in the UK is unknown.
The maximum timeframe for the evaluation of an application in the EU under the centralized procedure is 210 days, subject to certain exceptions.exceptions and clock stops. An initial marketing authorization granted in the EU is valid for five years, with renewal subject to re-evaluation of the risk-benefit profile of the product. Once renewed, the authorization is usually valid for an unlimited period unless the national competent authority or the EC decides on justified grounds to proceed with one additional five-year renewal.
In the EU, if an applicant can demonstrate that comprehensive data on the efficacy and safety of the product under normal conditions of use cannot be provided due to certain specified objective and verifiable reasons, products may be granted marketing authorization “under exceptional circumstances”.circumstances.” A marketing authorization granted under exceptional
circumstances is valid for five years, subject to an annual reassessment of conditions imposed by the EC. The marketing authorization in the EU for Defitelio was granted under exceptional circumstances because it was not possible to obtain complete information about the product due to the rarity of the disease and because ethical considerations prevented conducting a study directly comparing Defitelio with best supportive care or a placebo. As a result, the marketing authorization requires us to comply with a number of post-marketing obligations, including obligations relating to the manufacture of the drug substance and finished product, the submission of data concerning patients treated with the product collected through a third-party patient registry and the establishment of a multi-center, multinational and prospective observational patient registry to investigate the long-term safety, health outcomes and patterns of utilization of Defitelio during normal use. We are in the process of conducting the post-authorization study in the EU to provide further data on long-term safety, health outcomes and patterns of utilization of Defitelio in normal use.
Similar to the use of REMS in the U.S. to ensure that the benefits of a product outweigh its risks, in the EU and other countries we are required and may, in the future in relation to new products, be required to agree to post-marketing obligations in the marketing authorization for our products, to include a patient package insert or a medication guide to provide information to consumers about the product’s risks and benefits, to implement a plan for communication to healthcare providers, and to impose restrictions on the product’s distribution. For example, the marketing authorization in the EU for Vyxeos requires us to comply with certain manufacturing-related post-approval commitments.
After approval, certain changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, making certain manufacturing changes, modifying a REMS, or making certain additional labeling claims, are subject to further regulatory review and approval. Obtaining approval for a new indication generally requires that additional clinical studies be conducted to demonstrate that the product is safe and effective for the new intended use. Such regulatory reviews can result in denial or modification of the planned changes, or requirements to conduct additional tests or evaluations that can substantially delay or increase the cost of the planned changes.
Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products
The manufacturing process for pharmaceutical products is highly regulated, and regulators may shut down manufacturing facilities that they believe do not comply with regulations. We and the third party suppliers of our products are subject to cGMP, which are extensive regulations governing manufacturing processes, stability testing, recordkeeping and quality
standards as defined by the FDA, the EC, the EMA, competent authorities of EU member states and other regulatory authorities. The FDA also periodically inspects manufacturing facilities and the sponsor’s and manufacturer’s records related to manufacturing, and assesses compliance with cGMP. Following such inspections, the FDA may issue notices on Form FDA 483 and warning letters. For example, the FDA issued a warning letter to PBL, ourthe Erwinaze manufacturer, in January 2017 indicating that it was not satisfied with PBL’s responses to a Form 483 issued to PBL and citing significant violations of cGMP for finished pharmaceuticals and significant deviations from cGMP for APIs. As recently as August 2018, the FDA conducted an inspection of the PBL manufacturing facility and issued an FDA Form 483 to PBL citing observations related to items referenced in the existing warning letter as well as other manufacturing practices, including data and records management. In addition to Form FDA 483 notices and warning letters, failure to comply with the statutory and regulatory requirements may result in suspension of manufacturing, product seizure, withdrawal of the product from the market, administrative, civil and criminal penalties, among other enforcement remedies both in the U.S. and in non-U.S. countries.
In the EU, a manufacturing authorization is required to manufacture medicinal products, and the manufacturing authorization holder must comply with various requirements set out in applicable EU laws, regulations and guidance. These requirements include compliance with EU cGMP standards when manufacturing products and their APIs, including APIs manufactured outside of the EU with the intention of importing them into the EU. In this regard, in the UK, where PBL’s manufacturing facilities are located, PBL is subject to inspections conducted by the MHRA. Following a site inspection of PBL by the MHRA in December 2017, MHRA issued an inspection report listing several major findings, including major deficiencies and failures by PBL to comply with cGMP. In addition to inspection reports, manufacturers and marketing authorization holders may be subject to civil, criminal or administrative sanctions, including suspension of manufacturing authorization, in cases of non-compliance with the EU or EU member states’ requirements applicable to manufacturing.
Sales and Marketing of Pharmaceutical Products
Advertising and Promotional Activities
The FDA regulates advertising and promotional activities for products in the U.S., requiring advertising, promotional materials and labeling to be truthful and not misleading, and products to be marketed only for their approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The FDA actively investigates allegations of off-label promotion in order to enforce regulations prohibiting these types of activities. The FDA routinely issues informal and more formal communications such as untitled letters or warning letters interpreting its authority over these matters. While such communications may not be considered final agency decisions, many companies may decide not to contest the agency’s
interpretations so as to avoid disputes with the FDA, even if they believe the claims they were making to be truthful, not misleading and otherwise lawful.
In the EU, the advertising and promotion of our products are subject to laws governing promotion of medicinal products, interactions with physicians, misleading and comparative advertising and unfair commercial practices. For example, applicable laws require that promotional materials and advertising in relation to medicinal products comply with the product’s Summary of Product Characteristics, or SmPC, as approved by the competent authorities in connection with a marketing authorization approval. The SmPC is the document that provides information to physicians concerning the safe and effective use of the product. Promotional activity that does not comply with the SmPC is considered off-label and is prohibited in the EU. Other applicable laws at the EU level and in the individual EU member states also apply to the advertising and promotion of medicinal products, including laws that prohibit the direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription-only medicinal products and further limit or restrict the advertising and promotion of our products to the general public and to health care professionals. Violations of the rules governing the promotion of medicinal products in the EU could be penalized by administrative measures, fines and imprisonment.
Anti-FraudFraud and Abuse
We are also subject to numerous anti-fraudfraud and abuse laws and regulations globally. In the U.S., there are a variety of federal and state laws restricting certain marketing practices in the pharmaceutical industry pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws and false claims laws. Our sales, marketing, patient support and medical activities may be subject to scrutiny under these laws. The U.S. federal healthcare program anti-kickback statuteAnti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving anything of value to induce (or in return for) the referral of business, including the purchase, recommendation or prescription of a particular drug reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid or other federally financed healthcare programs. The statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical companies on one hand and patients, prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers on the other. Violations of the federal anti-kickback statute may be punished by civil and criminal fines, imprisonment, and/or exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs.
The federal civil False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment of federal funds, or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a false claim paid. The government may assert that a claim resulting from a violation of the federal anti-kickback statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim. Although there are a number of statutory exemptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain common manufacturer business arrangements and activities from prosecution and administrative sanction, the exemptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and are subject to regulatory revision or changes in interpretation by the U.S Department of Justice, or DOJ, and the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG. Practices or arrangements that involve remuneration may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exemption or safe harbor. Violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute may be established without providing specific intent to violate the statute, and may be punishable by civil,
criminal, and administrative fines and penalties, damages, imprisonment, and/or exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs.
The federal civil False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment of federal funds, or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a false claim paid. A claim resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim. The False Claims Act also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of themselves and the federal government alleging violations of the statute and to share in any monetary recovery. Violations of the False Claims Act may result in significant financial penalties (on(including mandatory penalties on a per claim or statement basis), treble damages and exclusion from participation in federal health care programs.
Pharmaceutical companies are subject to other federal false claim and statements laws, some of which extend to non-government health benefit programs. For example, the healthcare fraud provisions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HIPAA, impose criminal liability for, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any health care benefit program, including private third party payors, or falsifying or covering up a material fact or making any materially false or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for health care benefits, items or services. Violations of HIPAA fraud provisions may result in criminal, civil and administrative penalties, fines and damages, including exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs.
The majority of individual states also have statutes or regulations similar to the federal anti-kickback law and the False Claims Act, which apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs, or, in several states, apply regardless of the payor. Other states restrict whether and when pharmaceutical companies may provide meals to health care professionals or engage in other marketing-related activities, and certain states and cities require identification or licensing of sales representatives.
Other Post-Approval Pharmaceutical Product Regulation
Safety Reporting/Pharmacovigilance
The FDA, the EMA and other governmental authorities track information on side effects and adverse events reported during clinical studies and after marketing approval. We are required to file periodic safety update reports with the authorities concerning adverse events. If, upon review, an authority determines that any events and/or reports indicate a trend or signal, they can require a change in a product label, restrict sales and marketing, require post-approval safety studies, require a labor intensive collection of data regarding the risks and benefits of marketed products and ongoing assessments of those risks and benefits and/or require or conduct other actions, potentially including withdrawal or suspension of the product from the market. For example, if the EMA has concerns that the risk-benefit profile of a product has changed, it can, following an investigation procedure, adopt an opinion advising that the existing marketing authorization for the product be varied or suspended and requiring the marketing authorization holder to conduct
post-authorization safety studies. The opinion is then submitted for approval by the EC. Also, from time to time, the FDA issues drug safety communications on its adverse event reporting system based on its review of reported adverse events.
The FDA and the competent authorities of the EU member states on behalf of the EMA also periodically inspect our records related to safety reporting. Following such inspections, the FDA may issue notices on FDA Form 483 and warning letters that could cause us to modify certain activities. An FDA Form 483 notice, if issued, can list conditions the FDA investigators believe may have violated relevant FDA regulations or guidance. Failure to adequately and promptly correct the observation(s) can result in a warning letter or other regulatory enforcement action. Similarly, the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee may propose to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use that the marketing authorization holder be required to take specific steps. Non-compliance in all cases can lead to the variation, suspension or withdrawal of marketing authorization or imposition of financial penalties or other enforcement measures.
Sunshine Act and Transparency Laws
The Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires extensive tracking of payments and transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals and ownership interests held by physicians and their families, and provides for reporting to the federal government and public disclosure of these data. Beginning in 2022, reporting will also be required of information regarding payments and transfers of value provided to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives. A number of states now require pharmaceutical companies to report expenses relating to the marketing and promotion of pharmaceutical products and to report gifts and payments to individual physicianshealthcare providers in the states. Government agencies and private entities may inquire about our marketing practices or pursue other enforcement activities based on the disclosures in those public reports. Other states restrict when pharmaceutical companies may provide meals to prescribers or engage in other marketing-related activities.
Outside the U.S., interactions between pharmaceutical companies and physicians are also governed by strict laws, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. The provision of benefits
or advantages to physicians to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products, which is prohibited in the EU, is governed by the national anti-bribery laws of the EU member states, as described below in “Business—Government Regulation—Anti-Corruption Legislation” in this Part I, Item 1. Violation of these laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment. Certain EU member states require that payments made to physicians be publicly disclosed. Moreover, agreements with physicians must often be the subject of prior notification and approval by the physician’s employer, his/her competent professional organization, and/or the competent authorities of the individual EU member states. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
Controlled Substance Regulations
A drug product approved by the FDA may be subject to scheduling as a controlled substance under the CSA depending on the drug’s potential for abuse. Controlled substances that are pharmaceutical products are subject to a high degree of regulation under the CSA, which establishes, among other things, certain registration, manufacturing quotas, security, recordkeeping, reporting, import, export and other requirements administered by the DEA. The DEA classifies controlled substances into five schedules. Schedule I substances by definition have a high potential for abuse, have no currently “accepted medical use” in the U.S., lack accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and may not be prescribed, marketed or sold in the U.S. Pharmaceutical products approved for use in the U.S. may be listed as Schedule II, III, IV or V, with Schedule II substances considered to present the highest potential for abuse or dependence and Schedule V substances the lowest relative risk of abuse. The active ingredientAPI of Xyrem, sodium oxybate, is regulated by the DEA as a Schedule I controlled substance.substance, and Xyrem as an FDA-approved drug product, is regulated as a Schedule III controlled substance. We expect thatThe API of Sunosi, solriamfetol, will be subject to scheduling under the CSA, which will need to be completed after any NDA approval and before commercial launch.is regulated as a Schedule IV controlled substance. Individual states also impose similar requirements for controlled substances.
The DEA limits the quantity of certain Schedule I controlled substances that may be manufactured and procured in the U.S. in any given calendar year through a quota system and, as a result, quotas from the DEA are required in order to manufacture and package sodium oxybate and Xyrem in the U.S. Accordingly, we require DEA quotas for Siegfried, our U.S.‑based sodium oxybate supplier, to procure sodium oxybate and for Patheon, our U.S.-based Xyrem supplier, to obtain the sodium oxybate from Siegfried in order to manufacture and supply us with Xyrem. Xyrem manufactured at our plant in Ireland enters the U.S. as a Schedule III drug and thus does not require a manufacturing quota.
As a Schedule III drug, Xyrem is also subject to DEA and state regulations relating to manufacturing, storage, distribution and physician prescription procedures, including limitations on prescription refills. In addition, the third parties who perform our clinical and commercial manufacturing, distribution, dispensing and clinical studies for Xyrem are required to maintain necessary DEA registrations and state licenses. The DEA periodically inspects facilities for compliance with its rules and regulations.
Other Regulations
There are many other requirements and restrictions in the U.S. and elsewhere imposed on pharmaceutical companies and their activities, including those related to the posting of information relating to clinical studies and their outcomes, the export and importation of products, required authorizations for distributors, the identification or licensing of sales representatives, restrictions on the ability of manufacturers to offer co-pay support to patients for certain prescription drugs, implementation of required compliance programs or marketing codes of conduct, protection of the environment, taxation and work safety. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in civil, criminal or administrative sanctions.
Anti-Corruption Legislation
Our business activities outside of the U.S. are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct or rules of other countries in which we operate, including the UK Bribery Act of 2010, or the UK Bribery Act. The FCPA and similar anti-corruption laws in other countries generally prohibit the offering, promising, giving, or authorizing others to give anything of value, either directly or indirectly, to U.S. or non-U.S. government officials in order to improperly influence any act or decision, secure an improper advantage, or obtain or retain business. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the company and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. The UK Bribery Act prohibits giving, offering, or promising bribes to any person, including UK and non-UK government officials and private persons, as well as requesting, agreeing to receive, or accepting bribes from any person. In addition, under the UK Bribery Act, companies that carry on a business or part of a business in the UK may be held liable for bribes given, offered or promised to any person, including UK and non-UK government officials and private persons in any country, by employees and persons associated with the company in order to obtain or retain business or a business advantage for the company. Liability is strict, with no element of a corrupt state of mind, but a defense of having in place adequate procedures designed to prevent bribery is available. As described above, our business is heavily regulated and therefore involves significant interaction with government officials in many countries. Additionally, in certain countries, the health care providers who prescribe pharmaceuticals are employed by their government, and the
purchasers of pharmaceuticals are government entities; therefore, our dealings with these prescribers and purchasers may be subject to the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act and similar laws. Recently the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and the DOJ have increased their FCPA enforcement activities with respect to pharmaceutical companies. In addition, under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, private individuals who report to the SEC original information that leads to successful enforcement actions may be eligible for a monetary award.We engage in ongoing efforts designed to ensure our compliance with these laws, including due diligence, training, policies, procedures, and internal controls. However, there is no certainty that all employees and third party business partners (including our distributors, wholesalers, agents, contractors, and other partners) will comply with anti-bribery laws. In particular, we do not control the actions of our suppliers and other third party agents, although we may be liable for their actions. Violation of these laws may result in civil or criminal sanctions, which could include monetary fines, criminal penalties, and disgorgement of past profits.
Data Protection and Privacy
We are also subject to data protection and privacy laws and regulations governing the processing ofglobally, which may place restrictions on our ability to transfer, access and use personal data.data across our business. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data security is subject to increasing focus and continues to evolve. For example,There has been increased attention to privacy and data security issues that could potentially affect our business, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which became effective inwent into effect on May 25, 2018 introduced new data protection requirements for all individuals within the EU and the European Economic Area, or EEA. It also addresses the exportimposes penalties up to 4% of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas. Substantial fines may be imposed for violations of GDPR.annual global turnover. In addition, certain EU member states have adopted more stringent data protection standards, which add to the complexity of processing personal datalaws and regulations enacted in the EU. TheUnited States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, including the new California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, effective beginningwhich went into effect January 1, 2020, mirrorsincreases potential enforcement and litigation activity. In order to manage these evolving risks, we have adopted a number of the key provisions in the GDPR.
There are legal mechanismsglobal privacy program including certification to facilitate the transfer of personal data from the EEA and Switzerland to the U.S., including the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. “Privacy Shield.” U.S.-based companies may certify compliance with the Privacy Shield principles or they may rely on other authorized mechanisms to transfer personal data. Certification for our U.S.-based subsidiaries under the Privacy Shield was approved in 2017. The EC, in its second annual review of the Privacy Shield, concluded that the U.S. continues to ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield. The U.S. Department of Commerce has strengthened the certification process and introduced new oversight procedures and will increase pressure on companies to comply with Privacy Shield. In addition, the privacy and data security landscape in the EU continues to remain in flux as the final decision on UK’s withdrawal from the EU may require organizations to revisit the way they transfer personal data from and to the UK.
In the U.S., healthcare providers who prescribe our products and research institutions that we collaborate with are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA. Although we are not directly subject to HIPAA other than with respect to providing certain employee benefits, we could potentially be subject to criminal penalties if we, our affiliates or our agents
knowingly obtain or disclose individually identifiable health information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA.Programs.
Marketing Exclusivity
The Hatch-Waxman Act
The marketing approval process described above for the U.S. is premised on the applicant being the owner of, or having obtained a right of reference to, all of the data required to prove the safety and effectiveness of a drug product. This type of marketing application, sometimes referred to as a “full” or “stand-alone” NDA, is governed by Section 505(b)(1) of the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA. A Section 505(b)(1) NDA contains full reports of investigations of safety and effectiveness, which includes the results of preclinical and clinical trials, together with detailed information on the manufacture and composition of the product, in addition to other information. As an alternative, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or the Hatch-Waxman Act, provides two abbreviated approval pathways for certain drug products.
The first path, under Section 505(b)(2) of the FDCA, usually is used for the approval of a product that is similar, but not identical, to a previously-approved brand-name product, referred to as the reference listed drug, or RLD. Under this path, the applicant is permitted to rely to some degree on the FDA’s finding that the RLD is safe and effective and must submit its own product-specific data on safety and effectiveness only to the extent necessary to bridge the differences between the products. The second abbreviated path established under the Hatch-Waxman Act is for the approval of generic drugs. Section 505(j) of the FDCA permits the submission of an ANDA for a generic version of an approved, brand-name drug. Generally, an ANDA must contain data and information showing that the proposed generic product and the RLD (i) have the same active ingredient, in the same strength and dosage form, to be delivered via the same route of administration, (ii) are intended for the same uses, and (iii) are bioequivalent. This data and information are provided instead of data and information independently demonstrating the proposed generic product’s safety and effectiveness.
The Hatch-Waxman Act requires an ANDA or a Section 505(b)(2) NDA applicant to certify that there are no patents listed for that product in the Orange Book, or that for each Orange Book-listed patent either the listed patent has expired, the listed patent will expire on a particular date and approval is sought after patent expiration, or the listed patent is invalid or will not be infringed by the manufacture, use or sale of the new product. A certification that approval is sought after patent expiration is called a “Paragraph III Certification.” A certification that the new product will not infringe the RLD’s Orange Book-listed patents, or that such patents are invalid, is called a “Paragraph IV Certification.” If a relevant patent covers an approved method of use, an ANDA or Section 505(b)(2) NDA applicant can also file a statement, called, in the case of an ANDA, a “section viii statement,” that the application does not seek approval of the method of use covered by the listed patent. With such a statement, the applicant must “carve out” the protected method of use (typically an indication and related material) from the proposed product’s labeling. If the applicant makes a Paragraph III Certification, the ANDA or the Section 505(b)(2) NDA will not be approved until the listed patents claiming the RLD have expired.
If the applicant has provided a Paragraph IV Certification to the FDA, the applicant must also send a notice of that certification to the NDA holder and the relevant patent holders once the FDA accepts the ANDA or the Section 505(b)(2) NDA for filing. The NDA and patent holders then have 45 days to initiate a patent infringement lawsuit. Filing the lawsuit triggers an automatic stay on FDA’s approval of the ANDA or the Section 505(b)(2) NDA until the earliest of 30 months after the NDA holder’s receipt of the notice of Paragraph IV Certification, expiration of the patent, certain settlements of the lawsuit, or a
decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the applicant. The FDA may issue tentative approval of an application if the application meets all conditions for approval but cannot receive effective approval because the 30-month stay or aanother period of regulatory exclusivity has not expired. If an ANDA or Section 505(b)(2) NDA is approved before conclusion of any relevant patent litigation, the applicant can choose to launch the product, but does so “at risk” of being liable for damages, and potentially treble damages, if the RLD sponsor or patent holder ultimately prevails in patent litigation.
Under the Hatch-Waxman Act, newly approved drugs and indications may benefit from statutory periods of non-patent marketing exclusivity that can potentially delay review or approval of an ANDA or Section 505(b)(2) application. For example, the Hatch-Waxman Act provides five-year marketing exclusivity to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity, meaning a drug containing an active moiety that the FDA has not previously approved. During this period, the FDA cannot accept for review an ANDA or a Section 505(b)(2) NDA for a product containing the same moiety, except that an application containing a Paragraph IV Certification may be submitted after four years, which may trigger the litigation and stay described above. The Hatch-Waxman Act also provides three years of marketing exclusivity with the approval of an NDA, including a Section 505(b)(2) NDA, for a product containing a previously-approved moiety but that incorporates a change (such as a new indication, dosage form or strength) from an approved product with the same moiety, if the change required clinical data from new investigations that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant. This three-year exclusivity does not preclude submission of the ANDA or Section 505(b)(2) NDA for such a product, but prevents the FDA from giving final approval to such product.
The Hatch-Waxman Act also permits a patent term extension of up to five years (but not beyond 14 years from the date of approval) for an NDA, including a Section 505(b)(2) NDA, that is approved for a product that contains an active ingredient that has not previously been approved. The extension, which compensates for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process, is generally equal to the sum of one-half the time between the effective date of an IND application and the submission date of an NDA, and all of the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application. It is available for only one patent for a given product, and it must be a patent that claims the product or a method of using or manufacturing the product. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves applications for patent term extension.
Orphan Drug and Other Exclusivities
Some jurisdictions, including the U.S., may designate drugs or biologics for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. The FDA grants orphan drug designation to drugs or biologics intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is one that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., or more than 200,000 individuals, but for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the product and making it available in the U.S. for the disease or condition will be recovered from U.S. sales of the product. Orphan drug designation does not shorten the duration of the regulatory review process or lower the approval standards, but can provide important benefits, including consultation with the FDA. If a product is approved for its orphan designated use, it may be entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which blocks the FDA from approving for seven years any other application for a product that is the same drug for the same indication. If there is a previously-approved product that is the same drug for the same indication, orphan drug designation requires the sponsor to provide a plausible hypothesis of clinical superiority over the approved product, whereas orphan drug exclusivity requires the sponsor to actually demonstrate clinical superiority. Clinical superiority can be established by way of greater efficacy, greater safety, or making a major contribution to patient care. Additionally, a later product can be approved if the sponsor holding orphan drug exclusivity consents, or cannot adequately supply the market. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent approval of another sponsor’s application for different indications or uses of the same drug, or for different drugs for the same indication. Defibrotide has been granted orphan drug exclusivity by the FDA to treat and prevent VOD until March 2023. Vyxeos has been granted orphan drug exclusivity by the FDA for the treatment of AML until August 2024.
Biologic products approved under a BLA are subject to the BPCIA, which authorizes an abbreviated approval pathway for a biological product that is “biosimilar” to an already approved biologic, or reference product. The BPCIA provides periods of exclusivity that protect a reference product from competition by biosimilars. The FDA may not accept a biosimilar application for review until four years after the date of first licensure of the reference product, and the biosimilar cannot be licensed until 12 years after the reference product was first licensed. We believe that Erwinaze, which was approved under a BLA in November 2011, is subject to an exclusivity period that will prevent approval of a biosimilar in the U.S. into November 2023.
Under certain circumstances, the exclusivity periods applicable to drugs and biologics and the patent-related protections applicable to drugs may be eligible for a six-month extension if the sponsor submits pediatric data that fairly respond to a written request from the FDA for such data. This exclusivity may be granted even if the data does not support a pediatric indication. We will consider seeking pediatric exclusivity for our products whenever appropriate. For example, in response to a written request from the FDA, we conducted a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of Xyrem in children and adolescents aged seven to 17 who have narcolepsy with cataplexy, and submitted study results in a supplement to the Xyrem NDA, seeking approval for this indication. In October 2018, FDA approved the sNDA and notified us that we had been
granted pediatric exclusivity, extending by six months the preclusive effect of our Orange Book-listed patents for Xyrem, that have not been invalidated, as well as the three-year regulatory exclusivity period granted to the Xyrem pediatric indication because of the clinical studies that were necessary for approval of the sNDA.
In the EU, orphan drug designation may be granted to products that can be used to treat life-threatening diseases or chronically debilitating conditions with an incidence of no more than five in 10,000 people or that, for economic reasons, would be unlikely to be developed without incentives. Orphan designated medicinal products are entitled to a range of benefits during the development and regulatory review process and ten years of market exclusivity in all EU member states upon approval. Similar toAs in the U.S., a similar medicinal product with the same orphan indication may be approved, notwithstanding orphan product exclusivity, if the exclusivity holder gives consent or if the manufacturer of the original orphan medicinal product is unable to supply sufficient quantities. Marketing authorization may also be granted to a similar medicinal product with the same orphan indication if the similar product is deemed safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior to the original orphan medicinal product. The period of market exclusivity granted in relation to the original orphan medicinal product may, in addition, be reduced to six years if it can be demonstrated on the basis of available evidence that the original orphan medicinal product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity. Defibrotide has been granted orphan drug designation by the EC and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to treat and prevent VOD, by the Commonwealth of Australia-Department of Health for the treatment of VOD and by the EC for the prevention of aGvHD. Vyxeos has been granted orphan drug designation by the EC until August 2028.
Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Government and Private Payors and Patient Access
Pricing and Reimbursement
Successful commercialization of our products depends in significant part on adequate financial coverage and reimbursement from third party payors, including governmental payors (such as the Medicaid and Medicare programs in the U.S.), managed care organizations and private health insurers. Third party payors decide which drugs will be reimbursed and establish reimbursement and co-pay levels and conditions for reimbursement. Third party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services by examining their cost effectiveness, as demonstrated in pharmacoeconomic and/or clinical studies, in addition to their safety and efficacy. In some cases, for example, third party payors try to encourage the use of less expensive products, when available, through their prescription benefits coverage and reimbursement, co-pay and prior authorization policies. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the price or reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product once coverage is approved. Third party payors may require prior approval before covering a specific product, or may require patients and health care providers to try other covered products first. Third party payors may also limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the approved products for a particular indication. In many instances,For certain categories of products, third party payors, now requireprincipally through contracted pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, negotiate rebates with some drug manufacturers in exchange for including a specific productinclusion of products on their formularies. Informularies in specific positions or coverage criteria. Beginning in the past,third quarter of 2019, we have not enteredbeen entering into such arrangementsagreements with third party payorscertain PBMs to provide rebates for any of our products. The increasing pressure of the pharmaceuticalproducts where coverage environment may lead uswas provided and products were listed in certain formulary positions, among other conditions. We expect to do soenter into additional agreements in the future.2020.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that is administered by the states for low‑income and disabled beneficiaries. Medicare is a federal program that is administered by the federal government covering individuals age 65 and over as well as those with certain disabilities. Medicare Part B pays physicians who administer our products. Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, as a condition of having federal funds being made available to the states for our drugs under Medicare Part B, we are required to pay a rebate to each state Medicaid program for our covered outpatient drugs that are dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries and paid for by a state Medicaid program. Medicaid rebates are based on pricing data we report on a monthly and quarterly basis to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, the federal agency that administers the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, several state Medicaid supplemental rebate programs and other governmental pricing programs. These data include the average manufacturer price and, in the case of innovator products, the best price for each drug which, in general, represents the lowest price available from the manufacturer to any entity in the U.S. in any pricing structure, calculated to include all applicable sales and associated rebates, discounts and other price concessions. For the federal government to determine Medicare Part B payments to physicians, we are required to provide average sales price, or ASP, information for certain of our products to the CMS on a quarterly basis. The average sales priceASP is calculated based on a statutorily defined formula as well as regulations and interpretations of the statute by CMS. This information is used to compute Medicare payment rates, with rates for Medicare Part B drugs outside the hospital outpatient setting and in the hospital outpatient setting consisting of ASP plus a specified percentage. If we become aware that our reporting for a prior quarter was incorrect, or has changed as a result of recalculation of the pricing data, we are obligated to resubmit the corrected data for up to three years after those data originally were due.
Federal law requires that any company that participates in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program also participate in the Public Health Service’s 340B program, or the 340B program, in order for federal funds to be available for the manufacturer’s drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. The 340B program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, requires participating manufacturers to agree to charge statutorily defined covered entities no more than the 340B “ceiling price” for the manufacturer’s covered drugs used in an outpatient setting. These 340B covered entities include a variety of community health clinics and other entities that receive health services grants from the Public Health Service, as well as hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients. The 340B ceiling price is calculated using a statutory formula, which is based on the average manufacturer price and rebate amount for the covered outpatient drug as calculated under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, and in general, products subject to Medicaid price reporting and rebate liability are also subject to the 340B ceiling price calculation and discount requirement. A new regulation regarding the calculation of the 340B ceiling price and the imposition of civil monetary penalties on manufacturers that knowingly and intentionally overcharge covered entities became effective on January 1, 2019. We also are required to report our 340B ceiling prices to HRSA also has announced that it will begin to implementon a ceiling price reporting requirement related to the 340B program during the first quarter of 2019.quarterly basis. In addition, legislation may be introduced that, if passed, would further expand the 340B program to additional covered entities or would require participating manufacturers to agree to provide 340B discounted pricing on drugs used in an inpatient setting.
In order to be eligible to have our products paid for with federal funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased by certain federal agencies and grantees, we also participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, pricing program. Under this program, we are obligated to make our products available for procurement on an FSS contract under which we must comply with standard government terms and conditions and charge a price to certain federal agencies that is no higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price, or FCP. The FCP is based on the non-
federalnon-federal average manufacturer price, or Non-FAMP, which we calculate and report to the VA on a quarterly and annual basis. We also participate in the Tricare Retail Pharmacy program, under which we pay quarterly rebates on utilization of innovator products that are dispensed through the Tricare Retail Pharmacy network to Tricare beneficiaries. The rebates are calculated as the difference between the annual Non-FAMP and FCP. Pricing and rebate calculations vary across products and programs, are complex, and are often subject to interpretation by us, governmental or regulatory agencies and the courts.courts, which can change and evolve time.
In addition, in the U.S., drug pricing by pharmaceutical companies is currently, and is expected to continue to be, under close scrutiny, including with respect to companies that have increased the price of products after acquiring those products from other companies. There are numerous ongoing efforts at the federal and state level seeking to indirectly or directly regulate drug prices to reduce overall healthcare costs using tools such as price ceilings, value-based pricing and increased transparency and disclosure obligations. The House Oversight Committee of the 116th Congress has announced an investigation into the actions of a number of pharmaceutical companies in raising prescription drug prices in the U.S. Several states have passed or are considering legislation that requirespurports to require companies to report proprietary pricing information. For example, in 2017, California adopted a prescription drug price transparency state bill requiring advance notice and an explanation for price increases of certain drugs that exceed a specified threshold. Similar bills have been previously introduced at the federal level and additional legislation could be introduced this year.
Similar to what is occurring in the U.S., political, economic and regulatory developments outside of the U.S. are also subjecting the healthcare industry to fundamental changes and challenges. Pressure by governments and other stakeholders on prices and reimbursement levels continue to exist. In various EU member states we expect to be subject to continuous cost-cutting measures, such as lower maximum prices, lower or lack of reimbursement coverage and incentives to use cheaper, usually generic, products as an alternative. Health technology assessment, or HTA, of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU member states, including countries representing major markets. The HTA process, which is governed by the national laws of these countries, is the procedure according to which the assessment of the public health impact, therapeutic impact and the economic and societal impact of use of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country is conducted. HTA generally compares attributes of individual medicinal products, as compared with other treatment options available on the market. The outcome of HTA regarding specific medicinal products will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU member states. On January 31, 2018, the EC adopted a proposal for an HTA regulation intended to boost cooperation among EU member states in assessing health technologies, including new medicinal products. The proposal provides that EU member states will be able to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU. Individual EU member states will continue to be responsible for assessing non-clinical (e.g., economic, social and ethical) aspects of health technologies, and making decisions on pricing and reimbursement.
In the EU, our products are marketed through various channels and within different legal frameworks. The making available or placing on the EU market of unauthorized medicinal products is generally prohibited. However, the competent authorities of the EU member states may exceptionally and temporarily allow and reimburse the supply of such unauthorized products, either on a named patient basis or through a compassionate use process, to individual patients or a group of patients with a chronically or seriously debilitating disease or whose disease is considered to be life-threatening, and who cannot be treated satisfactorily by an authorized medicinal product. Such reimbursement may no longer be available if authorization for named patient or compassionate use programs expire or areis terminated or if marketing authorization is granted for the product.
In othersome EU member states, authorization and reimbursement policies may also delay commercialization of our products, or may adversely affect our ability to sell our products on a profitable basis. After initial price and reimbursement approvals, reductions in prices and changes in reimbursement levels can be triggered by multiple factors, including reference pricing systems and publication of discounts by third party payors or authorities in other countries. In the EU, prices can be reduced further by parallel distribution and parallel trade, or arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced EU member states.
For more information, see the risk factors under the headings “Adequate coverage and reimbursement from third party payors may not be available for our products, which could diminish our sales or affect our ability to sell our products profitably,” “The pricing of pharmaceutical products has come under increasing scrutiny as part of a global trend toward healthcare cost containment and resulting changes in healthcare law and policy may impact our business in ways that we cannot currently predict, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition” and “If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines” fines, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Patient Assistance Programs
We have various patient assistance programs to help patients access our products, including patient assistance programs, which include co-pay coupons for certain of our products, services that help patients determine their insurance coverage for our products, and a free product program. We also make grants to independent charitable foundations that help financially needy patients with their premium, and co-pay and co-insurance obligations. There has been enhanced scrutiny of company-sponsored patient assistance
programs, including insurance premium and co-pay assistance programs and donations to third-party charities that provide such assistance, as well as reimbursement support offerings.
The OIG has established guidelines that permitfor pharmaceutical manufacturers towho make donations to charitable organizations providing co-pay assistance to Medicare patients,patients. Such donations are unlikely to run afoul of the anti-kickback laws provided that suchthe organizations receiving donations, among other things, are bona fide charities, are entirely independent of and not controlled by the manufacturer, provide aid to applicants on a first-come basis according to consistent financial criteria, and do not link aid to use of a donor’s product. In 2016 and 2017, we received subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts requesting documents related to our support of charitable organizations that provide financial assistance to Medicare patients. In April 2018,2019, we reached anfinalized our civil settlement agreement in principle with the DOJ on a proposal for a civil settlement of potential claims by the DOJ in the amount of $57.0 million, subject to accrual of interest on the settlement amount from the date of the agreement in principle, negotiation of a definitive settlement agreement and other contingencies, which we expect will include entryOIG, and entered into a corporate integrity agreement requiring us to maintain our ongoing corporate compliance program and obligating us to implement or continue, as applicable, a set of defined corporate integrity activities to ensure compliance with OIG’s policies around charitable contributions for a period of five years from the OIG. For more information, see Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies—Legal Proceedingseffective date of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.corporate integrity agreement.
U.S. Healthcare Reform
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which we refer to together as the Healthcare Reform Act, was intended to expand healthcare coverage within the U.S., primarily through the imposition of health insurance mandates on employers and individuals, the provision of subsidies to eligible individuals enrolled in plans offered on the health insurance exchanges, and the expansion of the Medicaid program. This law has substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers and significantly impacts the pharmaceutical industry. Changes that may affect our business include those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, reimbursement changes, benefits for patients within a coverage gap in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program (commonly known as the “donut hole”), rules regarding prescription drug benefits under the health insurance exchanges, changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, expansion of the 340B program, and fraud and abuse and enforcement. These changes have impacted previously existing government healthcare programs and have resulted in the development of new programs, including Medicare payment for performance initiatives and improvementsinitiatives.
Certain provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act have been subject to the physician quality reporting system and feedback program.
Since the November 2016 U.S. election, President Trump and the U.S. Congress have made numerousjudicial challenges, as well as efforts to repeal or amend the Healthcare Reform Act. Such “repeal and replace” efforts have failedreplace them or to date. However, additional legislative changes toalter their interpretation or regulatory changes under the Healthcare Reform Act remain possible. In this regard,implementation. For example, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, signed into law in December 2017, includes a provision repealing, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment, commonly referred to as the “individual mandate,” imposed by the Healthcare Reform Act on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year. Additional legislative changes, regulatory changes, and judicial challenges related to the Healthcare Reform Act remain possible. The nature and extent of any additional legislative orchanges, regulatory changes, or judicial challenges to the Healthcare Reform Act are uncertain at this time.
Employees
As of February 19, 2019,18, 2020, we had approximately 1,3601,620 employees worldwide. We consider our employee relations to be good.
Environment, Health and Safety
Our operations are subject to complex and increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the countries where we operate and, in particular, in Italy and Ireland where we have manufacturing facilities. Our manufacturing activities involve the controlled storage, use and disposal of chemicals and solvents. Environmental and health and safety authorities in Italy and Ireland administer laws governing, among other matters, the emission of pollutants into the air (including the workplace), the discharge of pollutants into bodies of water, the storage, use, handling and disposal of hazardous substances, the exposure of persons to hazardous substances, and the general health, safety and welfare of employees and members of the public. In certain cases, such laws, directives and regulations may impose strict liability for pollution of the environment and contamination resulting from spills, disposals or other releases of hazardous substances or waste. Costs, damages and/or fines may result from the presence, investigation and remediation of such contamination at properties currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by us or at off-site locations, including where we have arranged for the disposal of hazardous substances or waste. In addition, we may be subject to third party claims, including for natural resource damages, personal injury and property damage, in connection with such contamination.
About Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc was formed under the laws of Ireland (registered number 399192) as a private limited liability company in March 2005 under the name Azur Pharma Limited and was subsequently re-registered as a public limited company under the name Azur Pharma Public Limited Company, or Azur Pharma, in October 2011. On January 18, 2012, the businesses of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Azur Pharma were combined in a merger transaction, in connection with which Azur Pharma was re-named Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc and we became the parent company of and successor to Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Our predecessor, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was incorporated in California in March 2003 and was reincorporated in Delaware in January 2004.
Available Information
The mailing address of our headquarters is Fifth Floor, Waterloo Exchange, Waterloo Road, Dublin 4, Ireland, and our telephone number at that location is 353-1-634-7800. Our website is www.jazzpharmaceuticals.com.
We file or furnish pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as applicable, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K,10‑K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports, proxy statements and other information electronically with the SEC. Through a link on our website, we make copies of our periodic and current reports, amendments to those reports, proxy statements and other information available, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. 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.10‑K.
We have identified the following risks and uncertainties that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations. Our business could be harmed by any of these risks. The trading price of our ordinary shares could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. In assessing these risks, you should also refer to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K,10‑K, including our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
Risks Related to XyremOur Lead Products and Our Other Marketed ProductsProduct Candidates
Xyrem is our largest selling product, and ourOur inability to maintain or increase sales of Xyremfrom our sleep therapeutic area would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Our current business is substantially dependent on Xyrem® (sodium oxybate) oral solution, is the only product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and marketed in the U.S. for the treatment of both cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness, or EDS, in adult and pediatric patients with narcolepsy. Xyrem is our largest selling product, and our financial results are significantly influenced by sales of Xyrem, which accounted for 75% and 74% of our net product sales for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Our future plans assume thatXyrem. A significant decline in sales of Xyrem will increase, but there is no guarantee that we can maintain sales of Xyrem at or near current levels, or that Xyrem sales will continue to grow. We have periodically increased the price of Xyrem, most recently in January 2019, and there is no guarantee that price adjustments we have taken or may take in the future will not negatively affect Xyrem sales volumes and revenues from Xyrem.
Our ability to maintain or increase Xyrem product sales is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The most important of these risks and uncertainties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our sales of and revenue from Xyrem, are discussed in more detail in this Part I, Item 1A and include those related to:
the introduction of new products in the U.S. market that compete with, or otherwise disrupt the market for, Xyrem in the treatment of cataplexy and/or EDS in narcolepsy;
the introduction of a generic version of Xyrem in the U.S. market before the entry dates specified in our settlements with the abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, filers or on terms that are different from those contemplated by the settlement agreements;
increased pricing pressure from, changes in policies by, or restrictions on reimbursement imposed by, third party payors, including pressure to agree to discounts, rebates or other restrictive pricing terms for Xyrem;
changes in healthcare laws and policy, including changes in requirements for patient assistance programs, rebates, reimbursement and coverage by federal healthcare programs, and changes resulting from increased scrutiny on pharmaceutical pricing and risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, programs by government entities;
changes to or uncertainties around our Xyrem REMS, or any failure to comply with our REMS obligations to the satisfaction of the FDA;
challenges to our intellectual property around Xyrem, including the possibility of new ANDA or new drug application, or NDA, filers or new post-grant patent review proceedings;
operational disruptions at the Xyrem central pharmacy;
any supply or manufacturing problems, including any problems with our sole source Xyrem active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, provider;
continued acceptance of Xyrem by physicians and patients, including as a result of negative publicity that surfaces from time to time; and
changes to our label, including new safety warnings or changes to our boxed warning, that further restrict how we market and sell Xyrem.
If sales of Xyrem were to decline significantly, we might needcause us to reduce our operating expenses or seek to raise additional funds, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects, including on our ability to acquire, in-license or develop new products in the future to grow our business. While our future plans assume that sales of Xyrem will increase, there is no guarantee that we can maintain sales of Xyrem at or near current levels, or that Xyrem sales will continue to grow. Our ability to maintain or increase Xyrem product
The
sales is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties as discussed in greater detail below, including those related to the introduction of authorized generic and generic versions of sodium oxybate and/or new products for treatment of cataplexy and/or excessive daytime sleepiness, or EDS, in narcolepsy in the U.S. market, increased pricing pressure from, changes in policies by, or restrictions on reimbursement imposed by, third party payors, challenges to our intellectual property around Xyrem, and continued acceptance of Xyrem by physicians and patients.
As for other products and product candidates in our sleep and neuroscience therapeutic area, we obtained approval of Sunosi® (solriamfetol) in 2019 in the U.S. and in January 2020 in the European Union, or EU, for the treatment of EDS associated with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from our investment in Sunosi is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including market acceptance of Sunosi; our ability, in a competitive retail pharmacy market, to differentiate Sunosi from other products that are prescribed to treat excessive sleepiness in patients with OSA or EDS in patients with narcolepsy; the availability of adequate formulary positions and pricing and adequate coverage and reimbursement by government programs and other third party payors, including the impact of future coverage decisions by payors; restrictions on permitted promotional activities based on any additional limitations on the labeling for the product that may be required by the FDA in the future and any such limitations that may be required by the European Commission, or the EC, or other regulatory authority on any approved labeling;and our ability to satisfy the FDA’s post-marketing requirements.
We also submitted a new drug application, or NDA, in January 2020 for marketing approval of JZP-258, an oxybate product candidate that contains 92%, or approximately 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams per day, less sodium than Xyrem, for the treatment of cataplexy and EDS in narcolepsy patients seven years of age and older. Our future plans assume that, if approved, JZP-258 may be prescribed to patients as a safer and clinically superior alternative to Xyrem as well as being prescribed to patients who may otherwise be ineligible to take Xyrem based on its high sodium content. Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from our investment in JZP-258 is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including delay or failure in obtaining approval of JZP-258; our receipt of approval for narrower indications than sought or burdens in the approved label; obtaining FDA approval of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS; obtaining and maintaining adequate coverage and reimbursement for JZP-258; the introduction of new products in the U.S. market that competescompete with JZP-258 in the treatment of cataplexy and/or EDS in narcolepsy, including generic or authorized generic versions of sodium oxybate or new sodium oxybate products; and acceptance of JZP-258 by payors, physicians and patients.
If we are unable to successfully commercialize Sunosi and/or JZP-258 (if approved), or if sales of Sunosi and JZP-258 do not reach the levels we expect, our anticipated revenue from our sleep therapeutic area will be negatively affected, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
The introduction of new products in the U.S. market that compete with, or otherwise disruptsdisrupt the market for, Xyremour oxybate products and product candidates would adversely affect sales of Xyrem.our oxybate products and product candidates.
While Xyrem is currently the only product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and marketed in the U.S. for the treatment of both cataplexy and EDS in both adult and pediatric patients with narcolepsy, we and others have launched and may in the future launch products as treatment optionsthat are competitive with or disrupt the market for Xyrem.
For example, in cataplexy and/or EDS in narcolepsy, including other branded sodium oxybate products and other new and existing branded market entrants. In addition,the future, we expect Xyrem willto face competition from generics and authorized generics. We expect that the approval and launch of any other sodium oxybate or alternative product that treats narcolepsy, or the launch of an authorized generic product, or AG Product, or otherand generic versionversions of Xyrem, couldsodium oxybate. Nine companies have a material adverse effect on our sales of and revenues from Xyrem and on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
With respect to generic and authorized generic competition, nine companies sent us notices that they had filed abbreviated new drug applications, or ANDAs, with the FDA seeking approval to market a generic version of Xyrem, and we have filed and settled patent lawsuits against each of them, asserting that such generic products would violate our patents covering Xyrem. As of October 2018, we have settled patent litigation with all nine companies. To date, the FDA has approved or tentatively approved four of these ANDAs, and we believe that it is likely that the FDA will approve or tentatively approve some or all of the others. In our patent litigation settlement with the first filer, West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC)PLC and now known as Hikma in the U.S.), or West-Ward,Hikma, we granted West-WardHikma the right to sell an authorized generic product, or AG Product, with royalties back to us, in the U.S. beginning on January 1, 2023, or earlier under certain circumstances. These include circumstances related to the licensing or market entry of another generic sodium oxybate product, a final decision that all unexpired claims of the Xyrem patents are invalid and/or unenforceable, or a substantial reduction in Xyrem net sales over specified periods of time. West-WardHikma has a right to elect to continue to sell the West-WardHikma AG Product for a total of up to five years. We also granted West-WardHikma a license to launch its own generic sodium oxybate product as early as six months after it has the right to sell the West-WardHikma AG Product, but if it elects to begin sellinglaunch its own generic product, it cannot continueHikma will no longer have the right to sell the West-WardHikma AG Product. In our settlements with Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, or Amneal, Lupin Inc., or Lupin, and Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., or Par, we granted each party the right to sell a limited volume of an AG Product in the U.S. beginning on July 1, 2023, or earlier under certain circumstances, including events relatedand ending on December 31, 2025, with royalties back to us. AG Products will be distributed through the acceleration of West-Ward’s AG Product launch date, the earlier launch of another party’s AG Product, the launch of another generic sodium oxybate product or a final decision that all unexpired claims of thesame REMS as Xyrem patents are invalid and/or unenforceable.and, if approved, JZP 258. We also granted each of Amneal, Lupin and Par a license to launch its own generic sodium oxybate product under its ANDA on or after December 31, 2025, or earlier under certain circumstances, including events relatedthe circumstance where Hikma elects to the launch of another generic sodium oxybate product or a final decision that all unexpired claims of the Xyrem patents are not infringed, or are invalid and/or unenforceable. If an acceleration event occurs, then each of Amneal, Par and Lupin will have the option to elect to market its AG Product until December 31, 2025, but will not be entitled to market its AG Product and its own generic sodium oxybateproduct. If Amneal, Lupin or Par elects to launch its own generic product simultaneously. Underunder such circumstance, it will no longer have the terms of our settlement agreements, we are entitledright to receive royalty and other revenue based on sales ofsell an AG Products.Product. In our settlements with each of the other five ANDA filers, we granted each a license to launch its own generic sodium oxybate product under its ANDA on or after December 31, 2025, or earlier under certain circumstances, including the launch of anothercircumstances where Hikma launches its own generic sodium oxybate product.
In order to The actual timing of the launch aof an AG Product or generic sodium oxybate product an ANDA filer must obtainis uncertain because the launch dates of the AG
Products and maintain FDA approval of its ANDA. In January 2017, the FDA approved West-Ward’s ANDA and tentatively approved two additional ANDAs for generic sodium oxybate products and we believe that it is likely that the FDA will approve or tentatively approve the additional ANDAs that have been filed.under our settlement agreements are subject to acceleration under certain circumstances.
Any ANDA holder launching an AG Product or another generic sodium oxybate product will independently establish the price of the AG Product and/or its own generic sodium oxybate product. Generic competition often results in decreases in the prices at which branded products can be sold. After any introduction of a generic product, whether or not it is an AG Product, a significant percentage of the prescriptions written for Xyrem maywill likely be filled with the generic product. Certain U.S. state laws allow for, and in some instances in the absence of specific instructions from the prescribing physician mandate, the dispensing of generic products rather than branded products when a generic version is available. This would result in reduction in sales of, and revenue from, Xyrem, although we would continue to receive royaltyroyalties and other revenue based on sales of an AG Product in
accordance with the terms of our settlement agreements. For more information on the impact of generic competition, see the risk factors under the heading “Adequate coverage and reimbursement from third party payors may not be available for our products, which could diminish our sales or affect our ability to sell our products profitably” and “The pricing of pharmaceutical products has come under increasing scrutiny as part of a global trend toward healthcare cost containment and resulting changes in healthcare law and policy may impact our business in ways that we cannot currently predict, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition” in this Part I, Item 1A.
It is possible that additional companies may file ANDAs seeking to market a generic version of Xyrem which could lead to additional patent litigation or challenges with respect to Xyrem. Such patent litigation or challenges could potentially trigger acceleration of the launch dates in our settlement agreements. Foragreements if, for example, the launch dates in our settlement agreements would be accelerated if a new ANDA filerpatents covering Xyrem were to obtain a final decision prior to January 1, 2023 that all unexpired claims of the Xyrem patents are invalid and/or unenforceable.invalidated. Alternatively, the launch dates in our settlement agreements could be accelerated if a new ANDA filer were to obtain FDA approval for its sodium oxybate product, and launch its generic product through a generic sodium oxybate REMS before the entry dates specified in our settlement agreements, if, for example, we are unable to obtain an injunction or because that party launches “at risk” of being held liable for damages for patent infringement.agreements. It is also possible that we could enter into a settlement agreement with a future ANDA filer that would permit such filer to enter the market on or prior to the launch date(s) in our settlement agreements. If a company launches a generic or authorized generic sodium oxybate product in any of these scenarios, except in limited circumstances related to an “at risk” launch, the launch date for West-Ward’sHikma’s AG Product would be accelerated to a date on or prior to the date of such entry, which could lead to acceleration of the other settling ANDA filers’ AG Product and generic sodium oxybate product launch dates as described above. For further discussion of Xyrem-related patent matters, see the risk factors under the heading “Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” in this Part 1, Item 1A.
Another circumstance that could trigger acceleration of West-Ward’sHikma’s launch date for an AG Product, which would also accelerate Amneal, Lupin and Par’s launch dates for their AG Products and ultimately could lead to acceleration of the other settling ANDA filers’ launch dates for their generic sodium oxybate products, is a substantial reduction in Xyrem net sales. Such a reduction could occur under various circumstances, including if we introduce, or a third party introduces, a product to treat EDS or cataplexy in narcolepsy that leads to a substantial decline in Xyrem net sales prior to January 1, 2023. For example, we are developing JZP-258, an oxybate product candidate that contains 90% less sodium than Xyrem. Given the well-accepted relationship between dietary sodium and blood pressure as well as published hypertension guidelines underscoring that excessive consumption of sodium is independently associated with an increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and other adverse outcomes, we believe that lower sodium intake would be beneficial for patients. JZP-258 is being developed for the treatment of both cataplexy and EDS in narcolepsy as well as for other conditions, and, subject to the results of our Phase 3 clinical trial in narcolepsy, we expect to file an NDA for approval of this product by as early as the end of 2019. Other companies may similarly develop a sodium oxybate product for treatment of narcolepsy, using an alternative formulation or a different delivery technology, and seek approval in the U.S. using an NDA approval pathway under Section 505(b)(2) and referencing the safety and efficacy data for Xyrem, which could lead to additional patent litigation or challenges.Xyrem. We are aware that a company called Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc, or Avadel, is conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial of a once-nightly formulaformulation of sodium oxybate which uses its proprietary technology for the treatment of EDS and cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy, and that Avadel has indicated that it intends to seek approval using the Section 505(b)(2) approval pathway. Approvalpathway referencing the safety and successful commercializationefficacy data for Xyrem. Xyrem may also face competition from new branded entrants to treat EDS in narcolepsy such as pitolisant. Other companies have announced that they have product candidates in various phases of development to treat the symptoms of narcolepsy, such as Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.’s reboxetine.
We expect that, if approved, JZP-258, will face competition similar to that described above for Xyrem, including from generic or Avadel’sauthorized generic sodium oxybate formulation,product or any other new non-genericbranded entrants in narcolepsy such as Avadel. Avadel has announced that it has obtained an orphan drug designation from the FDA for its once-nightly sodium oxybate formulation. To obtain orphan drug exclusivity upon approval, Avadel will have to show clinical superiority to Xyrem and possibly to JZP-258, if approved. If the FDA approves Avadel’s product and grants it orphan drug exclusivity before we obtain approval for JZP-258, there is a risk that JZP-258 will not be approvable for a narcolepsy indication for seven years unless it can establish clinical superiority to Avadel’s product. We cannot predict the timing of Avadel’s submission or other producthow the FDA will evaluate any clinical superiority arguments that either company may make, but a delay in approval or inability to obtain approval for JZP-258 could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Moreover, non-oxybate products intended for the treatment of EDS or cataplexy in narcolepsy, patientsincluding new market entrants, even if not directly competitive with Xyrem or JZP-258 (if approved), could negatively impact our ability to maintainhave the effect of changing treatment regimens and growpayor or formulary coverage of Xyrem or JZP-258 in favor of other products, and indirectly materially and adversely affect sales of Xyrem.
Although, as noted above, Xyrem is currently the only(and if approved, JZP-258). Examples of such new market entrants include our product, Sunosi, and pitolisant, a drug that was approved by the FDA and marketed in the U.S.August 2019 for the treatment of cataplexy associatedEDS in adult patients with narcolepsy we are awareand became commercially available in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2019, and that has also been approved and marketed in Europe to treat adult patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. In addition, prescribers often prescribe brandedstimulants or generic medications for cataplexy before prescribing or instead of prescribing Xyrem, and that payors often require patients to try such medications before they will cover Xyrem, even if they are not labeled for this use. For example, prescribers often treat mild cataplexy with drugs that have not been approved by the FDA for this indication, including tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. These drugs have known side effects, including for example, somnolence or insomnia, that can be problematic for patients with narcolepsy. We are also aware that branded or generic stimulants may be prescribed off labelwake-promoting agents for treatment of EDS, in narcolepsy. Wake-promoting agents Provigil® (modafinil) and Nuvigil® (armodafinil), and their generic equivalents are labeledanti-depressants for treatment of EDS in narcolepsy and other conditions, and may be used in conjunction with or instead of Xyrem. Prescribers often prescribe these medicationscataplexy, before prescribing or instead of prescribing Xyrem, and payors often require patients to try such medications before they will cover Xyrem. Examples of such products are described in “Business—Competition” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
It is possibleWe expect that additional brandedthe approval and launch of an AG Product or other generic products may be introduced to treat symptoms of narcolepsy that will also be prescribed before or insteadversion of Xyrem or that payors will require patients to try before they will cover Xyrem. For example, Harmony Biosciences LLC, or Harmony, has exclusive U.S. rights to seek approvalcould have a material adverse effect on our sales of and commercialize pitolisant, a drug that has already been approved in Europe to treat adult patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. Published datarevenues from Xyrem and prescribing patterns in the EU suggest that pitolisant would likely be appropriately used in patients with less severe cataplexyon our business, financial condition, results of operations and
than those treated with Xyrem. While pitolisant is not currently approved in the U.S., Harmony has established an expanded access program for pitolisant, received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations from the FDA and, in February 2019, announcedgrowth prospects. We also expect that the FDA had accepted for filing with priority review its pitolisant NDA.
Non-oxybate products intended for the treatmentapproval and launch of EDSany other sodium oxybate (including JZP-258 or cataplexy inAvadel’s once-nightly sodium oxybate formulation) or alternative product that treats narcolepsy even if not directly competitive withcould have a material adverse effect on our sales of and revenues from Xyrem, which could have the effectadditional impact of changing treatment regimens and payor coveragepotentially triggering acceleration of Xyrem, which could materially and adversely affect salesmarket entry of Xyrem.AG Products or other generic sodium oxybate products under our ANDA litigation settlement agreements.
The distribution and sale of Xyremour oxybate products are subject to significant regulatory restrictions, including the requirements of a REMS, and these regulatory requirements subject us to risks and uncertainties, any of which could negatively impact sales of Xyrem.Xyrem and if approved, JZP-258.
The active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, of Xyrem, sodium oxybate, is the sodium salt of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB, a central nervous system depressant known to be associated with facilitated sexual assault as well as with respiratory depression and other serious side effects. As a result, the FDA requires that we maintain a REMS with elements to assure safe use, or ETASU, for Xyrem to help ensure that the benefits of the drug in the treatment of cataplexy and EDS in narcolepsy outweigh the serious risks of the drug. The REMS imposes extensive controls and restrictions on the sales and marketing of Xyrem that we are responsible for implementing. For example, under the Xyrem REMS, all of the Xyrem sold in the U.S. must be dispensed and shipped directly to patients or caregivers through a central pharmacy, and may not be stocked in retail pharmacies. Physicians and patients must complete an enrollment process prior to fulfillment of Xyrem prescriptions, and each physician and patient must receive materials concerning the serious risks associated with Xyrem before the physician can prescribe, or a patient can receive, the product. The central certified pharmacy must monitor and report instances of patient or prescriber behavior giving rise to a reasonable suspicion of abuse, misuse or diversion of Xyrem, and maintains enrollment and prescription monitoring information in a central database. Any failure to complydemonstrate our substantial compliance with our REMS obligations, or a determination by the FDA that the Xyrem REMS is not meeting its goals, could result in enforcement action by the FDA, lead to changes in our Xyrem REMS obligations, negatively affect sales of Xyrem, result in additional costs and expenses for us and/or require us to invest a significant amount of resources, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
While Similarly, we believe that the Xyrem REMS has met its goal of mitigating the risks of serious adverse outcomes resulting from inappropriate prescribing, misuse, abuse and diversion of Xyrem, we cannot guaranteeexpect that the FDA will agree or that the Xyremrequire approval of a REMS will continue to do sofor JZP-258, and a delay in the future. We are required to prepareobtaining such approval could delay our anticipated launch of JZP-258, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and submit regular assessments of the Xyrem REMS, and thegrowth prospects.
The FDA has stated that it will evaluate the Xyrem REMS on an ongoing basis and will require modifications as may be appropriate. We cannot predict whether the FDA will request, seek to require or ultimately require modifications to, or impose additional requirements on, the Xyrem REMS, including in connection with the submission of applications for new oxybate products including JZP-258, new oxybate indications, or the introduction of authorized generics, or to accommodate generics, or whether the FDA will approve modifications to the Xyrem REMS that we consider warranted in connection with the submission of applications for new oxybate products.products including JZP-258. Any modifications approved, required or rejected by the FDA could change the safety profile of Xyrem, and have a significant negative impact in terms of product liability, public acceptance of Xyrem as a treatment for cataplexy and EDS in narcolepsy, and prescribers’ willingness to prescribe, and patients’ willingness to take, Xyrem, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our Xyrem business. Modifications approved, required or rejected by the FDA could also make it more difficult or expensive for us to distribute Xyrem, make distribution easier for sodium oxybate competitors, disrupt continuity of care for Xyrem patients and/or negatively affect sales of Xyrem.
In October 2018, the FDA approved a modification to the Xyrem REMS in connection with our submission of our pediatric supplemental NDA to include information for pediatric patients and their caregivers. We are in the process of implementing the October 2018 modification to the Xyrem REMS. We have also submitted and expect to continue to submit ongoing assessments as required by the FDA. However, we cannot guarantee that our implementation and ongoing assessments will be completed on our expected timing or be satisfactory to the FDA, or that the Xyrem REMS will satisfy the FDA’s expectations in its evaluation of the Xyrem REMS on an ongoing basis.
We depend on outside vendors, including the central certified pharmacy, to implement the requirements of the Xyrem REMS. We have an exclusive agreement with Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, Inc., the central pharmacy for Xyrem, which expires on July 1, 2019, but we expect to exercise our right to extend the agreement for an additional year. The agreement may be terminated by either party at any time without cause on 180 days’ prior written notice to the other party. If the central pharmacy fails to meet the requirements of the Xyrem REMS applicable to the central pharmacy or otherwise does not fulfill its contractual obligations to us, provides timely notice that it wantsmoves to terminate our agreement, refuses or fails to adequately serve patients, or fails to promptly and adequately address operational challenges or challenges in implementing REMS modifications, the fulfillment of Xyrem prescriptions and our sales would be adversely affected. If we change to a new central pharmacy, new contracts might be required with government payors and other insurers who pay for Xyrem, and the terms of any new contracts could be less favorable to us than current agreements. In addition, any new central pharmacy would need to be registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, and certified and would also need to implement
the particular processes, procedures and activities necessary to distribute Xyrem under the Xyrem REMS. Transitioning to a new pharmacy could result in product shortages, which would negatively affect sales of Xyrem, result in additional costs and expenses for us and/or take a significant amount of time, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
A generic version of a drug subject to a REMS with ETASU is required to have the same REMS as the brand drug, and generics and brands are mandated to use a single shared system REMS. However, the FDA may waive this requirement for a single shared system and approve an ANDA with a separate REMS with differing but comparable aspects of ETASU under certain circumstances. In its approval of West-Ward’sHikma’s ANDA, the FDA waived the requirement of a single shared REMS requirement,between the brand drug and generic versions, approving West-Ward’sHikma’s ANDA with a generic sodium oxybate REMS onseparate from the conditionXyrem REMS, except for the requirement that the generic sodium oxybate REMS program pharmacies contact the Xyrem REMS by phone to verify and report certain information. The generic sodium oxybate REMS was approved with the condition that it be open to all future sponsors of ANDAs or NDAs for sodium oxybate products. In connection with the waiver, FDA issued a statement that it considers the generic sodium oxybate REMS to have the same ETASU as the Xyrem REMS and operationalizes those elements in a comparable manner to achieve the same level of safety as the Xyrem REMS. However, the generic sodium oxybate REMS, unlike the Xyrem REMS, permits multiple certified pharmacies and multiple databases that are connected via an electronic “switch” system. The generic sodium oxybate REMS also requires the certified pharmacies in its system to contact the Xyrem REMS program to verify that the patient has no other active prescriptions for Xyrem that overlap with the generic prescription to be filled and to identify any patient and prescriber disenrollments from the Xyrem system for suspected abuse, misuse and diversion.
We were not involved in development of the generic sodium oxybate REMS and were not consulted regarding any features of this REMS. A sodium oxybate distribution system that is less restrictive than the Xyrem REMS, such as the generic sodium oxybate REMS, which provides that generic sodium oxybate products and potentially new sodium oxybate products approved under a Section 505(b)(2) NDA approval pathway could be distributed through multiple pharmacies, could increase the risks associated with sodium oxybate distribution. Because patients, consumers and others may not differentiate generic sodium oxybate from Xyrem or differentiate between the different REMS programs, any negative outcomes, including risks to the public, caused by or otherwise related to a separate sodium oxybate REMS, could have a significant negative impact in terms of product liability, our reputation and good will, public acceptance of Xyrem as a treatment for cataplexy and EDS in narcolepsy, and prescribers’ willingness to prescribe, and patients’ willingness to take, Xyrem, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our Xyrem business.
We may face pressure to further modify the Xyrem REMS or to license or share intellectual property pertinent to the Xyrem REMS, including proprietary data required for the safe distribution of sodium oxybate, in connection with the FDA’s approval of the generic sodium oxybate REMS or otherwise. Our settlement agreements with ANDA filers do not directly impact the FDA’s waiver of the single shared system REMS requirement, any other ANDA or NDA filer’s ability to develop and implement the generic sodium oxybate REMS for its generic sodium oxybate product, or our ability to take any action with respect to the safety of the generic sodium oxybate REMS. We cannot predict the outcome or impact on our business of any future action that we may take with respect to the FDA’s waiver of the single shared system REMS requirement, its approval and tentative approval of generic versions of Xyremsodium oxybate or the consequences of distribution of sodium oxybate through the generic sodium oxybate REMS approved by the FDA or another separate REMS.
REMS programs have increasingly drawn public scrutiny from the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and the FDA, with allegations that such programs are used as a means of improperly blocking or delaying competition. TheIn December 2019, as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, the U.S. Congress for example, has introduced proposedpassed legislation aimed at preventingknown as the Creating and Restoring Equal Access To Equivalent Samples Act, or CREATES. CREATES is intended to prevent companies from using REMS and other restricted distribution programs as a means to deny potential competitors access to product samples needed for bioequivalence testing. The FDA has stated that it will seekare reasonably necessary to coordinate withconduct testing in support of an application that references a listed drug or biologic, and provides such potential competitors a potential private right of action if the FTC in identifying and publicizing practices the FTC findsinnovator fails to be anticompetitive and has further stated thattimely provide samples upon request. CREATES also grants the FDA has concerns related to the role of REMS programs in delayingadditional authority regarding approval of generic products. For example, in May 2018, FDA published a list of companies that it said had potentially been blocking access to the samples of their branded products including one of our subsidiaries that sells FazaClo® (clozapine, USP) through a REMS program. with REMS.
It is possible that the FTC, the FDA, other governmental authorities or other third parties could claim that, or launch an investigation into whether, we are using our REMS programs in an anticompetitive manner or have engaged in other anticompetitive practices. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act further states that a REMS ETASU shall not be used by an NDA holder to block or delay generic drugs or drugs covered by an application under Section 505(b)(2) from entering the market. In its 2015 letter approving the Xyrem REMS, the FDA expressed concern that we were aware that the Xyrem REMS could have the effect of blocking or delaying generic competition. We cannot predict whether we would face a government investigation or a complaint by a third party premised on a claim that the Xyrem REMS is blocking competition, or the outcome or impact of any such claim.
Pharmaceutical companies, including their agents and employees, are required to monitor adverse events occurring during the use of their products and report them to the FDA. The patient counseling and monitoring requirements of the Xyrem REMS provide more extensive information about adverse events experienced by patients taking Xyrem, including deaths, than is generally available for other products that are not subject to similar REMS requirements. As required by the FDA and other regulatory agencies, the adverse
event information that we collect for Xyrem is regularly reported to the FDA and could result in the FDA requiring changes to Xyrem labeling, including additional warnings or additional boxed warnings, or requiring us to take other actions that could have an adverse effect on patient and prescriber acceptance of Xyrem. As required by the FDA, Xyrem’s current labeling includes a boxed warning regarding the risk of central nervous system depression and misuse and abuse.
Any failure to demonstrate our substantial compliance with the REMS or any other applicable regulatory requirements to the satisfaction of the FDA or another regulatory authority could result in such regulatory authorities taking actions in the future which could have a material adverse effect on Xyrem sales and therefore on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. For more information, see the risk factor under the heading “In addition to those specifically described in other risk factors, we are subject to significant ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight, which may result in significant additional expense and limit our ability to commercialize our products” in this Part I, Item 1A.
While Xyrem remains our largest product, our success also depends on our ability to effectively commercialize products outside our other products.sleep and neuroscience therapeutic area.
In addition to Xyrem and our other sleep and neuroscience products and product candidates, we are commercializing a portfolio of products, including our other lead marketed products, Defitelio, Erwinaze Defitelio and Vyxeos, and we are making significant investments in maximizing the value and therapeutic reach of Defitelio and Vyxeos by conducting additional research and development activities, which include generating additional supportive clinical data and seeking regulatory approval for new indications, as appropriate. OurVyxeos. An inability to effectively commercialize our lead marketed productsDefitelio and Vyxeos and to maximize their potential where possible through successful research and development activities, and an inability to retain marketing rights to Erwinaze after 2020, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Erwinaze
Erwinaze® (asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi) is a treatment approved in the U.S. and in certain markets in Europe (where it is marketed as Erwinase®) for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, who have developed hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase. Erwinaze is licensed from, and manufactured by, a single source, Porton Biopharma Limited, or PBL, a company that is wholly owned by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. Our license and supply agreement with PBL, which includes our license for Erwinaze, expires on December 31, 2020. We and PBL had been engaged in discussions related to entry into a replacement agreement to extend the term of our commercial relationship with respect to Erwinaze past 2020, but we did not reach agreement. Unless we and PBL enter into a new agreement, we will lose our license to Erwinaze after December 31, 2020, other than our right to sell certain Erwinaze inventory for a post-termination sales period of 12 months. In such event, we may not be able to replace the product sales we would lose from Erwinaze, which in 2018 totaled $174.7 million, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects would be materially adversely affected. In addition, we cannot predict whether uncertainty related to rights to, and availability of, Erwinaze after 2020 will impact sales of and revenues from this product.
A continuing and significant challenge to our ability to maintain sales of Erwinaze and a barrier to increasing sales is PBL’s inability to consistently supply product adequate to meet market demand. PBL’s product quality and manufacturing issues have resulted, and continue to result, in supply disruptions, and our need for PBL to minimize or avoid additional supply disruptions due to capacity constraints, production delays, quality or regulatory challenges and other manufacturing difficulties. In addition, we have incurred and continue to incur significant internal and external costs and expenses as a result of these issues, including due to managing the increased need for regulatory and customer interaction. See the discussion regarding Erwinaze supply issues in the risk factor under the heading “Delays or problems in the supply of our products for sale or our for use in clinical trials, loss of our single source suppliers or failure to comply with manufacturing regulations could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects” in this Part I, Item 1A.
Our ability to maintain sales of Erwinaze is also subject to a number of additional challenges, including the following as well as other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this Part I, Item 1A:
the limited population of patients with ALL, and the incidence of hypersensitivity reactions to E. coli-derived asparaginase within that population;
the development of new asparaginase treatments or treatment protocols for ALL that may not include asparaginase-containing regimens and prescribers’ use of alternate methods to address hypersensitivity reactions;
the failure to obtain regulatory approval from the FDA or UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, to release batches of Erwinaze requiring batch-specific approval due to quality and manufacturing issues;
difficulties with obtaining and maintaining favorable pricing and reimbursement arrangements;
potential competition from future biosimilar products;
PBL’s ability to meet the manufacturing post-marketing commitments imposed by the FDA in connection with its approval of our biologics license application, or BLA;
our failure to comply with obligations under our agreement with PBL resulting in PBL claiming an uncured material breach; and
our need to apply for and receive marketing authorizations, through the European Union’s, or EU’s, mutual recognition procedure or otherwise, in certain additional countries if we decide to launch promotional efforts in those countries.
If we fail to maintain revenue from sales of Erwinaze, our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
To expand our asparaginase franchise beyond Erwinaze, we are pursuing activities related to the development of improved asparaginase products for patients with ALL or other hematological malignancies. Several of our external research and development collaborations are focused on these efforts, including our agreement with Pfenex, Inc. which includes worldwide rights to develop and commercialize multiple early-stage hematology product candidates and an option to negotiate a license for a recombinant pegaspargase product candidate, and our agreement with XL-protein GmbH, or XLp, for rights to use XLp’s PASylation® technology to extend the plasma half-life of selected asparaginase product candidates. If these activities are unsuccessful, our growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
Defitelio
Defitelio®(defibrotide sodium) is a product approved in the U.S. in 2016 for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with hepatic veno-occlusive disease, or VOD, also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, with renal or pulmonary dysfunction following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or HSCT, and in Europe in 2013 (where it is marketed as Defitelio®(defibrotide)) for the treatment of severe VOD in adults and children undergoing HSCT therapy.
Our ability to maintain and successfully and sustainably grow sales of and to realize the anticipated benefits from our investment in Defitelio®(defibrotide sodium) is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the following as well as other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this Part I, Item 1A:
the continued acceptance of Defitelio in the U.S., the EU and other countries by hospital pharmacy and therapeutics committees in the U.S., the EUand other countries; the continued availability of favorable pricing and adequate coverage and reimbursement by government programs and third party payors;
;the limited experience of, and need to educate, physicians in recognizing, diagnosing and treating hepatic veno-occlusive disease, or VOD, particularly in adults;
the possibility that physicians recognizing VOD symptoms may not initiate or may delay initiation of treatment while waiting for those symptoms to improve, or may terminate treatment before the end of the recommended dosing schedule;
our ability to successfully maintain or grow sales of Defitelio in Europe and other non-U.S. countries, including our ability to obtain marketing approval in new countries;
delays or problems in the supply or manufacture of the product;
the limited size of the population of VOD patients who are indicated for treatment with Defitelio (particularly if changes in HSCT hematopoietic stem cell transplantation treatment protocols reduce the incidence of VOD diagnosis);
our ability to meet the post-marketing commitmentsdiagnosis and requirements imposed by the FDA in connection with its approval of our NDA and by the European Commission, or EC, in connection with its marketing authorization granted “under exceptional circumstances”; and
our ability to maintain favorable pricing and reimbursement approvals across Europe, particularly in countries that represent significant markets.
To expand the potentialdemand for Defitelio). If sales of Defitelio our clinical development strategy generally focuses ondo not reach the preventionlevels we expect, our
anticipated revenue from the product will be negatively affected and treatmentour business, financial condition, results of serious diseases associated with endothelial cell damage, including an ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in prevention of VOD in high-risk patients following HSCT, ongoing Phase 2 trials in prevention of acute Graft versus Host Disease following allogeneic HSCT,operations and planned Phase 2 trials in the treatment of transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy and the prevention of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy-, or CAR-T-, associated neurotoxicity. In addition to clinical trials we are sponsoring, there are more than 20 investigator-sponsored trials ongoing in the U.S. and EU to evaluate defibrotide in multiple conditions. If these development activities are unsuccessful, our growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
BecauseIn addition, because VOD is an ultra-rare disease, we have experienced inter-quarter variability in our Defitelio sales, which makes Defitelio sales difficult to predict from period to period. As a result, Defitelio sales results or trends in any period may not necessarily be indicative of future performance. If
Erwinaze
Erwinaze® (asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi), which is approved to treat a limited population of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, who have developed hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase, is licensed from, and manufactured by, a single source, Porton Biopharma Limited, or PBL, a company that is wholly owned by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. Our license and supply agreement with PBL, which includes an exclusive right to market, sell or distribute Erwinaze, an exclusive license to Erwinaze trademarks, and a non-exclusive license to PBL’s manufacturing know-how, will expire on December 31, 2020. Unless we and PBL enter into a new agreement, we will lose our licensed rights to exclusively market Erwinaze effective December 31, 2020, other than our right to sell certain Erwinaze inventory for a post-termination sales period of Defitelio do12 months and certain other post-termination rights, including but not reach the levelslimited to intellectual property and data ownership. In such event, we expect, our anticipated revenue frommay not be able to replace the product sales we would be negatively affected, which could have a material adverse effect onlose from Erwinaze, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Erwinaze and a barrier to increasing sales is PBL’s inability to consistently supply product that meets specifications in quantities that are adequate to meet market demand, as discussed elsewhere in these risk factors. Such supply instability will continue to adversely impact our ability to generate sales of and revenues from Erwinaze and our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be materially adversely affected. Other challenges facing Erwinaze include the limited population of patients with ALL, and the incidence of hypersensitivity reactions to E. coli-derived asparaginase within that population; the development and/or approval of new asparaginase treatments or treatment protocols for ALL that may not include asparaginase-containing regimens and prescribers’ use of alternate methods to address hypersensitivity reactions; difficulties with obtaining and maintaining favorable pricing and reimbursement arrangements; and potential competition from future biosimilar products.
Vyxeos
Vyxeos® (daunorubicin and cytarabine) liposome for injection is a product approved in the U.S. in 2017 and in Europe in August 2018 (where it is marketed as Vyxeos® 44 mg/100 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion) for the treatment of adults with newly-diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia, or t-AML, or acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, with myelodysplasia-related changes, or AML-MRC. We made a significant investment in Vyxeos through the acquisition of Celator Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2017. Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from our investment in Vyxeos® (daunorubicin and cytarabine) liposome for injection by successfully and sustainably growing sales is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the following as well as other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this Part I, Item 1A:
our ability to differentiate Vyxeos from other liposomal chemotherapies and generically available chemotherapy combinations with which physicians and treatment centers are more familiar;
the acceptance of Vyxeosby hospital pharmacy and therapeutics committees in the U.S., the EU and other countries by hospital pharmacy and therapeutics committees and the availability of favorable pricing and adequate coverage and reimbursement by government programs and third party payors;
delays or problems in the supply or manufacture of the product, including the ability of the third parties upon which we rely to manufacture Vyxeos and its APIs to manufacture sufficient quantities in accordance with applicable specifications;
countries; the increasing complexity of the acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, landscape requiring changes in patient identification and treatment selection, including diagnostic tests and monitoring that clinicians may find challenging to incorporate;
the use of new and novel compounds in AML that are either used off-label or are only approved for use in combination with other agents and that have not been tested in combination with Vyxeos;
the limited size of the population of high-risk AML patients who may potentially be indicated for treatment with Vyxeos, particularly given Vyxeos; the ongoing clinical trials by other companies with the same patient population; and
our ability to meet the post-marketing commitments and requirements imposed by the FDA in connection with its approvalavailability of our NDA and by the EC in connection with its marketing authorization.
Our U.S. launch of Vyxeos is still at an early stage. The lack of prescriber usage data from U.S. commercialization of Vyxeos makes Vyxeos sales difficult to predict from period to period, and sales results or trends in any period may not necessarily be indicative of future performance. Following receipt of marketing authorization from the EC in late 2018, as part of our rolling launch of Vyxeos in the EU, we are in the process of makingadequate coverage, pricing and reimbursement submissions. If we experienceapprovals, competition from new and existing products and potential competition from products in development; and delays or unforeseen difficulties in obtaining favorable pricing and reimbursement, planned launchesproblems in the affected EU member states would be delayed, which could negatively impact anticipated revenue.
To expand the potentialsupply or manufacture of Vyxeos, our clinical development strategy is designed to target potential new patient segments across the AML landscape, to pursue indications related to myelodysplastic syndrome and to generate clinical data on Vyxeos when used in combination with other therapeutic agents. We are pursuing this strategy by sponsoring clinical trials, working with cooperative groups who are conducting clinical trials and partnering with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate potential treatment options for hematologic malignancies, with a near-term focus on Vyxeos. In addition, there are multiple investigator-sponsored trials ongoing. If these development activities are unsuccessful, our growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
If sales of Vyxeos do not reach the levels we expect, our anticipated revenue from the product will be negatively affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
For a discussion of the risks inherent in implementing our research and clinical development strategy with respect to Defitelio and Vyxeos, see the discussion in the risk factor under the heading “Conducting clinical trials is costly and time-consuming, and the outcomes are uncertain. A failure to prove that our product candidates are safe and effective in clinical trials, or to generate data in clinical trials to support expansion of the therapeutic uses for our existing products, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects” in this Part I, Item 1A.
We face substantial competition from other companies, including companies with larger sales organizations and more experience working with large and diverse product portfolios.
Our products compete, and our product candidates may in the future compete, with currently existing therapies, including generic drugs, product candidates currently under development by us and others and/or future product candidates, including new chemical entities that may turn out to be safer or more effective or more convenient than our products. Any products that we develop may be commercialized in competitive markets, and our competitors, which include large global pharmaceutical companies and small research-based companies and institutions, may succeed in developing products that render our products obsolete or noncompetitive.
We Many of our competitors, particularly large pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, have substantially greater financial, operational and human resources than we do. Smaller or earlier stage companies may also face competition,prove to be significant competitors, particularly through focused development programs and collaborative arrangements with large, established companies. In addition, many of our competitors deploy more personnel to market and sell their products than we do, and we compete with other companies to recruit, hire, train and retain pharmaceutical sales and marketing personnel. If our sales force and sales support organization are not appropriately resourced and sized to adequately promote our products, the commercial potential of our current and any future products may inbe diminished. In any event, the future face additional competition, from manufacturers of generic drugs. Certain U.S. state laws allow for, and in some instances in the absence of specific instructions from the prescribing physician
mandate, the dispensing of generic products rather than branded products when a generic version is available. Generic competition often results in decreases in the prices at which branded products can be sold.
The commercial potential of our current products and any future products may be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop or acquire and commercialize generic or branded products that are safer or more effective, have fewer side effects, are easier to administermore convenient or are less expensive than our products.
For a discussiondescription of specific risks relating to the launch of newcompetition that our lead marketed products that treat cataplexy and/and most advanced product candidates face or EDS in narcolepsy, including generic versions of Xyrem or other sodium oxybate products,may face, see the discussion in “Business—Competition” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the risk
factor under the heading “The introduction of a new productproducts in the U.S. market that competescompete with, or otherwise disruptsdisrupt the market for, Xyremour oxybate products and product candidates would adversely affect sales of Xyrem” our oxybate products and product candidates” in this Part I, Item 1A. We expect that the approval and launch of any other sodium oxybate or alternative product that treats narcolepsy, or the launch of an AG Product or other generic version of Xyrem, could have a material adverse effect on our sales of and revenues from Xyrem and on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
While there is currently no direct competition to Erwinaze to treat ALL patients with hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase, other companies have developed or are developing new treatments for ALL. Some new asparaginase treatments could reduce the rate of hypersensitivity in patients with ALL, and new treatment protocols are being developed for ALL that may not include asparaginase-containing regimens, including some for the treatment of relapsed or refractory ALL patients. We have experienced frequent intermittent shortages of the product that have impacted prescribing habits for Erwinaze, including prescribers’ use of alternate methods to address hypersensitivity reactions. The development of these new treatments could negatively impact our ability to maintain, and potentially in the future grow, sales of Erwinaze in patient populations where the benefit of an asparaginase-containing regimen is not well established. As a biologic product, Erwinaze also faces potential competition from biosimilar products.
While there is currently no direct competition to Defitelio to treat severe VOD, changes in the types of conditioning regimens used as part of HSCT may affect the incidence rate of VOD and demand for Defitelio.
With respect to Vyxeos, there are a number of alternative established therapies in AML. A key consideration in the treatment of AML patients is the patient’s suitability for chemotherapy. The AML patient population studied in the Vyxeos Phase 3 clinical trial supporting our NDA included fit patients, or those deemed able to tolerate intensive induction chemotherapy. The existing options for the treatment of newly-diagnosed t-AML and AML-MRC in fit patients include cytarabine in combination with an anthracycline (i.e., daunorubicin), known as 7+3. In addition, we are aware of several other products that have been recently approved by the FDA or are in development as treatment options for newly diagnosed AML patients eligible for intensive chemotherapy, such as targeted agents (e.g. midostaurin, enasidenib and ivosidenib), immunotherapies (e.g., gemtuzumab ozogamicin and CAR-T‑cell therapy), and agents disrupting leukemia cell survival (e.g., glasdegib). We are also aware of the use of venetoclax, an AML treatment recently approved by the FDA. Some of the patient populations being studied for, or treated by, these products overlap with the patient population studied in the Vyxeos Phase 3 clinical trial supporting our NDA. The existence of established treatment options and the development of competing products for the treatment of newly-diagnosed t-AML or AML-MRC could negatively impact our ability to successfully commercialize Vyxeos and achieve the level of sales we expect.
Many of our competitors, particularly large pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, have substantially greater financial, operational and human resources than we do. They can spend more on, and have more expertise in, research and development, regulatory, manufacturing, distribution and sales and marketing activities. As a result, our competitors may obtain FDA or other regulatory approvals for their product candidates more rapidly than we can and may market their products more effectively than we do. Smaller or earlier stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through focused development programs and collaborative arrangements with large, established companies.
We have a relatively small number of sales representatives compared with most other pharmaceutical companies with marketed products. Each of our sales representatives is responsible for a territory of significant size. Many of our competitors deploy more personnel to market and sell their products than we do. In particular, we compete with companies with extensive sales, marketing and promotional experience in hematology/oncology markets, and our failure to compete effectively in this area could negatively affect sales of our hematology/oncology products. If our sales force and sales support organization are not appropriately resourced and sized to adequately promote our products, the commercial potential of our current and any future products may be diminished.
The growth of our current products and the launch of any future products may require expansion of our sales force and sales support organization, and we may need to commit significant additional funds, management and other resources to such growth. We may not be able to expand in a timely or cost-effective manner, or we may not have the financial resources to achieve the necessary growth. We also compete with other companies to recruit, hire, train and retain pharmaceutical sales and marketing personnel, and excessive turnover in such personnel could negatively affect sales of our products.
Adequate coverage and reimbursement from third party payors may not be available for our products, which could diminish our sales or affect our ability to sell our products profitably.
In both U.S. and non-U.S. markets, our ability to successfully commercialize and achieve market acceptance of our products depends in significant part on adequate financial coverage and reimbursement from third party payors. Third party payors, includeincluding governmental payors (such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the U.S.), managed care organizations and private health insurers. Without third party payor support,reimbursement, patients may not be able to obtain or afford prescribed medications duemedications. In addition, reimbursement guidelines and incentives provided to barriersprescribing physicians by third party payors may have a significant impact on the prescribing physicians’ willingness and ability to access, includingprescribe our products. The demand for, and the inability to affordprofitability of, our products could be materially harmed if the medication.Medicaid program, Medicare program, other federal healthcare program, or other third party commercial payors in the U.S. or elsewhere deny reimbursement for our products, limit the indications for which our products will be reimbursed, or provide reimbursement only on unfavorable terms.
Third party payors’ reimbursement practices are complex, vary widely from payor to payor and can impose time-consuming burdens for patients and prescribing physicians. As part of the overall trend toward cost containment, third party payors often require prior authorization for, and require reauthorization for continuation of, prescription products or impose step edits, which require prior use of another medication, usually a generic or preferred brand, prior to approving coverage for a new or more expensive product. Such restrictive conditions for reimbursement and an increase in reimbursement-related activities can extend the time required to fill prescriptions and may discourage patients from seeking treatment. For example, we are experiencing increasingly restrictive conditions for reimbursement required by some third party payors for Xyrem, which have extended the time required to fill some prescriptions and could continue to do so in the future and which may have a material effect on the overall level of reimbursement coverage for Xyrem. We cannot predict actions that third party payors may take, or whether they will limit the access and level of reimbursement for our products or refuse to provide any approvals or coverage. From time to time, third party payors have refused to provide reimbursement for our products, and others may do so in the future.
Reimbursement guidelines and incentives provided to prescribing physicians by third party payors may have a significant impact on the prescribing physicians’ willingness to prescribe our products. For example, the U.S. federal government follows a Medicare severity diagnosis-related group, or MS-DRG, payment system for certain inpatient hospital services provided under Medicare, which some states also use for Medicaid. The MS-DRG system entitles a hospital to a fixed reimbursement based on discharge diagnoses rather than actual costs incurred in providing inpatient treatment, thereby increasing the incentive for the facility to limit or control expenditures for many healthcare products. For our hematology/oncology products, all of which are used primarily or exclusively in the inpatient hospital setting, there may not be sufficient reimbursement under the relevant MS-DRG to fully cover the cost of our products. In addition, in 2017 CMS approved, and reauthorized in 2018, a New Technology Add-on Payment, or NTAP, for Defitelio, and in 2018, approved an NTAP for Vyxeos. An NTAP is in addition to the MS-DRG-based reimbursement that hospitals receive. NTAP designations are reviewed by CMS on a yearly basis, and we cannot guarantee that CMS will continue the NTAP designation. If the NTAPs for Vyxeos or Defitelio are not renewed, the relevant MS-DRG may not fully cover the cost of our products.
In addition, a significant portion of our revenue from our hematology/oncology products, particularly Erwinaze and Vyxeos, is obtained through government payors, including Medicare and Medicaid, and any failure to qualify for or receive adequate reimbursement under those programs, including as a result of legislative changes to these programs, would have a material adverse effect on revenues from such products. Significant attention has been paid to legislation proposing federal rebates on Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage utilization for drugs issued to certain groups of lower income beneficiaries and the desire to change the provisions that treat these dual-eligible patients differently from traditional Medicare patients. Any such changes could have a negative impact on revenues from sales of our affected products. Any failure to cover our products appropriately, in addition to legislative and regulatory changes and others that may occur in the future, could impact our ability to maximize revenues in the federal marketplace.
On February 6, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, published a proposed rule in the Federal Register proposing to modify the scope of the discount safe harbor to carve out discounts or rebates provided to pharmacy benefit managers, or other third party organizations known as PBMs, which are tasked with administering prescription drug programs for large employers, health plans and government programs, for patients receiving benefits under Medicare Part D or a managed Medicaid plan. While the potential impact of such a rule is still unclear, the potential disruption to the marketplace could have the practical effect of limiting our ability, in some instances, to effectively negotiate with PBMs for access to our products for patients. Medicaid and other governmental programs are described under the heading “Business—Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Government and Private Payors and Patient Access” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a discussion of specific risks relating to our reporting and payment obligations to government payors, see the risk factor under the heading “If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines” in this Part I, Item 1A. Third party payors outside the federal government are also increasingly considering new metrics as the basis for reimbursement rates, including those used by federal government payors such as average net sales price, average manufacturer price and actual acquisition cost. It is not possible to predict the impact of these evolving reimbursement mechanics on the willingness of payors to cover our products.
Third party payors increasingly examine the cost effectivenesscost-effectiveness of pharmaceutical products, in addition to their safety and efficacy, when making coverage and reimbursement decisions. We may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic and/or clinical studies in order to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of our products. Even with such studies, our products may be considered less safe, less effective or less cost-effective than other products, and third party payors may not provide and maintain coverage and reimbursement for our products. If our competitors offer their products at prices that provide purportedly lower treatment costs than our products, or otherwise suggest that their products are safer, more effective or more cost-effective than our products, this may result in a greater level of access for their products relative to our products, which would reduce our sales and harm our results of operations. In some cases, for example, third party payors try to encourage the use of less expensive generic products through their prescription benefits coverage and reimbursement and co-pay policies. Because some of our products compete in a market with both branded and generic products, obtaining and maintaining access and reimbursement coverage for our products may be more challenging than for products that are new chemical entities for which no therapeutic alternatives exist.
A small number of thirdThird party pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, and payors and PBMs have market power and negotiating leverage tocan limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the approved products for a particular indication, and to exclude drugs from their formularies in favor of competitor drugs or alternative treatments, or place drugs on formulary tiers with higher patient co-pay obligations, and/or to mandate stricter utilization criteria. Formulary exclusion effectively encourages patients and providers to seek alternative treatments, make a complex and time-intensive request for medical exemptions, or pay 100% of the cost of a drug. In addition, in many instances, certain PBMs and third party payors and PBMs may also exert negotiating leverage by requiring incremental rebates, discounts or other concessions from manufacturers in order to maintain their formulary position.positions, which could result in higher gross to net deductions for affected products. In the past,this regard, we have not enteredstarted to enter into such arrangementsagreements with third party payorsPBMs and payor accounts regarding formulary coverage for any of our products. The increasing pressure of the pharmaceutical coverage environment may require us to do so in the future, which could have a negative impact on our revenue from Xyrem.
Specifically,Xyrem and Sunosi, but we are experiencing increasing pressure from third party payorscannot guarantee that we will be able to agree to discounts, rebates orcoverage terms with other restrictive pricing terms for Xyrem. As our business becomes more complex, we may needPBMs and other third party payors.
Payors could decide to enter into rebate agreements in order to ensure that patients continue to have access to Xyrem, and to support the long-term success of our sleep franchise, which might result in lower net revenues for Xyrem.
If solriamfetol, our product candidate for the treatment in adult patients in EDS associated with obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, and EDS associated with narcolepsy, is approved by the FDA, the product will enter a competitive retail pharmacy market of branded and generic products. Any delays or unforeseen difficulties in obtaining access or reimbursement approvals could delay or prevent our commercial launch and our ability to receive a return on our investment in solriamfetol. Third party payors couldexclude Sunosi from formulary coverage lists, impose stepsstep edits that require patients to try alternative, including generic, treatments before authorizing payment for solriamfetol, exclude solriamfetol from formulary coverage lists,Sunosi, limit the types of diagnoses for which coverage will be provided or demand rebates, discounts, exclusivity or other concessions for solriamfetol and potentially our other products. Additionally, at launch, many payors impose a moratorium on coverage for products while the payor makes a coverage decision. These potential utilization management strategies could limit patient access to solriamfetol and depress therapy adherence rates. We cannot predict market acceptance of, and our ability to obtain adequate formulary positions, access to and reimbursement coverage for solriamfetol. An inability to obtain or maintain adequate formulary positions could increase patient cost-sharing for solriamfetolSunosi and cause some patients to determine not to use Sunosi. Any delays or unforeseen difficulties in obtaining access or reimbursement approvals could limit patient access, depress therapy adherence rates, and adversely impact our product.ability to successfully launch Sunosi. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining broad coverage for solriamfetol,Sunosi, our anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for an approved solriamfetol productSunosi could be negatively affected. We anticipate similar payor coverage risks with respect to JZP-258, if approved.
In many countries outside the U.S., procedures to obtain price approvals, coverage and reimbursement can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval. Many European countries periodically review their reimbursement of medicinal products, which could have an adverse impact on reimbursement status. In addition, if approved, new products indicated for the treatment of symptoms of narcolepsy, like solriamfetol or pitolisant, could impact access to Xyrem, particularly for newly diagnosed narcolepsy patients, if, for example, payors impose a step edit requiring a narcolepsy patient to try solriamfetol before authorizing payment for Xyrem. For more information on solriamfetol, see the risk factor under the heading “Our future success depends on our ability to successfully developwe expect that legislators, policymakers and obtain and maintain regulatory approvalhealthcare insurance funds in the U.S.EU member states will continue to propose and Europe for our late-stage product candidatesimplement cost-containing measures, such as lower maximum prices, lower or lack of reimbursement coverage and if approved,incentives to successfully launch and commercialize those product candidates.”use cheaper, usually
generic, products as an alternative to branded products, to keep healthcare costs down. Moreover, in this Part I, Item 1A.
The demand for, and the profitability of, our products could be materially harmed if the Medicaid program, Medicare program or other third party payors in the U.S. or elsewhere denyorder to obtain reimbursement for our products limitin some European countries, including some EU member states, we may be required to compile additional data comparing the indications for whichcost-effectiveness of our products will be reimbursed, or provide reimbursement only on unfavorable terms. Weto other available therapies. If we are unable to predict what additional legislation, regulations or policies, if any, relating to third party coveragemaintain favorable pricing and reimbursement may be enactedapprovals in EU member states that represent significant markets, our anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for our products in the futureEU could be negatively affected. For example, the EC granted marketing authorization for Vyxeos in August 2018 and for Sunosi in January 2020, and, as part of our rolling launches of Vyxeos and Sunosi in Europe, we are making pricing and reimbursement submissions in European countries. If we experience setbacks or what effect such legislation, regulations unforeseen difficulties in obtaining favorable pricing and reimbursement approvals, planned launches in the affected EU member states would be delayed, which could negatively impact anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for Vyxeos and/or policies would have on our business.Sunosi.
The pricing of pharmaceutical products has come under increasing scrutiny as part of a global trend toward healthcare cost containment and resulting changes in healthcare law and policy may impact our business in ways that we cannot currently predict, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the healthcare industry in the U.S. to fundamental changes, particularly given the current atmosphere of mounting criticism of prescription drug costs in the U.S. We expect there will
continue to be legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could impact our ability to sell our products profitably. TheFor example, we anticipate that the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and regulators may adopt or accelerate adoption of new healthcare policies and reforms intended to curb healthcare costs, such as federal and state controls on government-funded reimbursement for drugs (including Medicare, Medicaid) and commercial health plans, new or increased requirements to pay prescription drug rebates and penalties to government health care programs, and additional pharmaceutical cost transparency bills that aim to require drug companies to justify their prices through required disclosures. Additionally, proposals made part of proposed legislation and executive rule-making seek to utilize an “international pricing index” as a benchmark to determine the costs and potentially limit the reimbursement of drugs under Medicare Part B to more closely align with international drug prices. If the U.S. were to move to such a pricing system that were to apply to any of our products, our revenues from U.S. sales of such products could decrease.
Legislative and regulatory proposals that have recently been considered include the potential authorization of prescription drug importation from other countries, legislative proposals to limit the terms of patent litigation settlements with generic sponsors, and proposals to define certain conduct around patenting and new product development as unfair competition. All such considerations may adversely affect our business and industry in ways that we cannot accurately predict.
There is also ongoing activity related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, together, the Healthcare Reform Act. The Healthcare Reform Act has substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers. These changes have impacted previously existing government healthcare programs and have resulted in the development of new programs, including Medicare payment-for-performance initiatives. Additional legislativeSome of the provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act have yet to be fully implemented, and regulatory changes remain possible and appear likely. Their nature and extent are uncertain and they will becertain provisions have been subject to judicial and other challenges. For example, while “repeal and replace”Congressional challenges, as well as efforts by President Trump and the U.S. Congress have failed,current presidential administration to repeal or replace certain aspects of the Healthcare Reform Act have been changed legislatively, such asand to alter the repeal of the requirement that certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year make a tax-based shared responsibility payment commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” In addition, there have been delays in the implementation of key provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act including the excise tax on generous employer-based health plans.and related laws. We expect that the Healthcare Reform Act as currently enactedand its implementation, efforts to repeal or as it may be amended inreplace, or invalidate, the future,Healthcare Reform Act or portions thereof and other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future could have a material adverse effect on our industry generally and on our ability to maintain or increase sales of our products.
Some states have elected not to expand their Medicaid programs by raising the income limit to 133% of the federal poverty level, as is permitted under the Healthcare Reform Act. For each state that does not choose to expand its Medicaid program, there may be fewer insured patients overall, which could impact our sales, business and financial condition. Where Medicaid patients receive insurance coverage under any of the new options made available through the Healthcare Reform Act, the possibility exists that manufacturers may be required to pay Medicaid rebates on drugs used under these circumstances, a decision that could impact our revenues. For details of the changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program and the Public Health Service’s 340B program, or the 340B program, see “Business—Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Government and Private Payors and Patient Access” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the risk factor under the heading “If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines” in this Part I, Item 1A. The U.S. Congress could enact additional legislation that further increases Medicaid drug rebates or other costs and charges associated with participating in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program.
In addition to the Healthcare Reform Act, we anticipate that the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, regulators and the private sector will continue to consider and may adopt healthcare policies and reforms intended to curb healthcare costs. These cost containment measures may include federal and state controls on government-funded reimbursement for drugs, new or increased requirements to pay prescription drug rebates to government health care programs, additional pharmaceutical cost transparency bills that aim to require drug companies to justify their prices through required disclosures, controls on healthcare providers, challenges to the pricing of drugs, or limits or prohibitions on reimbursement for specific products through other means, requirements to try less expensive products or generics before a more expensive branded product, expansion of use of managed care systems in which healthcare providers contract to provide comprehensive healthcare for a fixed cost per person, and public funding for cost effectiveness research, which may be used by government and private third party payors to make coverage and payment decisions. For example, several states have passed laws or are considering legislation aimed at increasing transparency relating to drug pricing, and other states may do so in the future.
There also continue to be legislative proposals to amend U.S. laws to allow the importation into the U.S. of prescription drugs, which have not been subject to U.S. regulatory oversight. The potential importation of such prescription drugs could pose significant safety concerns for patients, increase the risk of counterfeit products becoming available in the market, and have a negative impact on prescription drug prices in the U.S.
If healthcare policies or reforms intended to curb healthcare costs are adopted or if we experience negative publicity with respect to pricing of our products or the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs generally, the prices that we charge for our products, including Xyrem, may be affected, our commercial opportunity may be limited and/or our revenues from sales of our products may be negatively impacted. We have periodically increased the price of Xyrem, most recently in January 2019,2020, and may do so againthere is no guarantee that we will be able to make similar price adjustments in the future.future or that price adjustments we have taken or may take in the future will not negatively affect Xyrem sales volumes and revenues from Xyrem. We also have made and may in the future make similar price increases on our other products. There is no guarantee that such price adjustmentsincreases will not negatively affect our reputation and our ability to secure and maintain reimbursement coverage for our products, which could limit the prices that we charge for our products, including Xyrem, limit the commercial opportunities for our products and/or negatively impact revenues from sales of our products.
If we become the subject of any future government investigation or U.S. Congressional hearing with respect to drug pricing or other business practices, we could incur significant expense and could be distracted from operation of our business and execution of our strategy. Any such investigation or hearing could also result in reduced market acceptance and demand for our products, could harm our reputation and our ability to market our products in the future, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. For more information, see Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies—Legal Proceedings of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the risk factor under the heading “In addition to those specifically described in other risk
factors, we are subject to significant ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight, which may result in significant additional expense and limit our ability to commercialize our products” in this Part I, Item 1A.
In many countries outside the U.S., procedures to obtain price approvals, coverage and reimbursement can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval. The process of maintaining pricing and reimbursement approvals is complex and varies from country to country. Many European countries periodically review their reimbursement of medicinal products, which could have an adverse impact on reimbursement status. We cannot predict the outcome of any periodic reviews required to maintain pricing and reimbursement approvals across Europe. In addition, orphan products that have a significant impact on patient survival, such as Defitelio, may be budgeted on a local rather than national level. The balance of all of these factors will determine our ability to maintain favorable pricing and reimbursement approvals across Europe. Furthermore, after initial pricing and reimbursement approvals, reductions in prices and changes in reimbursement levels can be triggered by multiple factors, including reference pricing systems and publication of discounts by third party payors or authorities in other countries. In the EU, prices can be reduced further by parallel distribution and parallel trade, or arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced countries. If we are unable to maintain favorable pricing and reimbursement approvals in countries that represent significant markets, especially where a country’s reimbursed price influences other countries, our anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for our products in the EU could be negatively affected.
In August 2018, the EC granted marketing authorization for Vyxeos, and, as part of our rolling launch of Vyxeos in the EU, we are in the process of making pricing and reimbursement submissions in EU member states. If we experience delays or unforeseen difficulties in obtaining favorable pricing and reimbursement approvals, planned launches in the affected EU member states would be delayed, which could negatively impact anticipated revenue from Vyxeos. If we are unable to obtain favorable pricing and reimbursement approvals in the EU member states that represent significant potential markets, our anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for Vyxeos in the EU could be negatively affected.
In various EU member states we expect to be subject to continuous cost-cutting measures, such as lower maximum prices, lower or lack of reimbursement coverage and incentives to use cheaper, usually generic, products as an alternative. Health Technology Assessment, or HTA, of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU member states, including those representing the larger markets. The HTA process, which is governed by the national laws of these countries, is the procedure according to which the assessment of the public health impact, therapeutic impact and the economic and societal impact of use of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country is conducted. The outcome of HTA regarding specific medicinal products will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU member states. The extent to which pricing and reimbursement decisions are influenced by the HTA of the specific medicinal product currently varies between EU member states.
In the EU, our products are marketed through various channels and within different legal frameworks. In certain EU member states, reimbursement for unauthorized products may be provided through national named patient programs. Such reimbursement may no longer be available if authorization for named patient programs expire or are terminated or when marketing authorization is granted. In other EU member states, authorization and reimbursement policies may also delay commercialization of our products, or may adversely affect our ability to sell our products on a profitable basis.
We expect that legislators, policymakers and healthcare insurance funds in the EUEurope will continue to propose and implement cost-containing measures to keep healthcare costs down. SuchThese measures could include limitations on the prices we will be able to charge for our products or the amountslevel of reimbursement available for these products from governmental agenciesauthorities or third party payors, may increase the tax obligations on pharmaceutical companies, or may facilitate the introduction of generic competition with respect to our products.payors. Further, an increasing number of EU member statesEuropean and other foreign countries use prices for medicinal products established in other countries as “reference prices” to help determine the price of the product in their own territory. Consequently, a downward trend in prices of medicinal products in some countries could contribute to similar downward trends elsewhere. Moreover, in order to obtain reimbursement for our products in some countries, including some EU member states, we may be required to conduct clinical trials that compare the cost-effectiveness of our products to other available therapies. There can be no assurance that our products will obtain favorable reimbursement status in any country. Any cost containment measures, including those listed above, or other healthcare system reforms that are adopted, could negatively affect our growth prospects in Europe.
In addition to access, coverage and reimbursement, the commercial success of our products depends upon their market acceptance by physicians, patients, third party payors and the medical community.
If physicians do not prescribe our products, we cannot generate the revenues we anticipate from product sales. Market acceptance of each of our products by physicians, patients, third party payors and the medical community depends on:
the clinical indications for which a product is approved and any restrictions placed upon the product in connection with its approval, such as a REMS, patient registry requirements or labeling restrictions;
the prevalence of the disease or condition for which the product is approved and its diagnosis;
the severity of side effects;effects and other risks in relation to the benefits of our products;
acceptance by physicians and patients of each product as a safe and effective treatment;
availability of sufficient product inventory to meet demand, particularly with respect to Erwinaze;
physicians’ decisions relating to treatment practices based on availability of product, particularly with respect to Erwinaze;
perceived advantages over alternative treatments;
relative convenience and ease of administration;
with respect to Xyrem, physician and patient assessment of the burdens associated with obtaining or maintaining the certifications required under the Xyrem REMS;
the cost of treatment in relation to alternative treatments, including generic products; and
the availability of financial or other assistance for patients who are uninsured or underinsured.
Because of our dependence upon market acceptance of our products, any adverse publicity associated with harm to patients or other adverse events resulting from the use or misuse of any of our products or any similar products distributed by other companies, including generic versions of our products, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. For example, from time to time, there is negative publicity about illicit GHB and its effects, including with respect to illegal use, overdoses, serious injury and death. Because sodium oxybate, the API in Xyrem, is a derivative of GHB, Xyrem sometimes also receives negative mention in publicity relating to GHB. JZP-258 includes the same API as Xyrem, but uses a different mixture of salts. Patients, physicians and regulators may therefore view Xyrem or JZP 258, if approved, as the same as or similar to illicit GHB. In addition, there are regulators and some law enforcement agencies that oppose the prescription and use of Xyrem, and potentially other oxybate products generally because of itstheir connection to GHB. Xyrem’s label includes information about adverse events from GHB.
For additional discussion about payor acceptance, see the risk factor under the heading “Adequate coverage and reimbursement from third party payors may not be available for our products, which could diminish our sales or affect our ability to sell our products profitably” in this Part I, Item 1A.
Delays or problems in the supply of our products for sale or for use in clinical trials, loss of our single source suppliers or failure to comply with manufacturing regulations could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of process controls required to consistently produce the API and the finished product in sufficient quantities while meeting detailed product specifications on a repeated basis. We and our suppliers 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 U.S., state and non-U.S. regulations. In addition, we and our suppliers are subject to the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, requirements, DEA regulations and equivalent rules and regulations prescribed by non-U.S. regulatory authorities. We have cGMP responsibilities for the products we manufacture in our facilities and also have oversight responsibilities for the manufacturing conducted by our third party suppliers operating under contract. If we or any of our suppliers encounter manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties with respect to any of our products, we may be unable to obtain or maintain regulatory approval or meet commercial demand for such products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In addition, thewe could be subject to enforcement action by regulatory authorities for our failure of any of our suppliers to comply with cGMP or other ruleswith respect to the products we manufacture in our facilities as well as for our failure to adequately oversee compliance with cGMP by any of our third party suppliers operating under contract. Moreover, failure to comply with applicable legal and regulations while manufacturing products onregulatory requirements subjects us and our behalf could result insuppliers to possible regulatory action, directed atincluding restrictions on supply or shutdown, which may adversely affect our or a supplier’s ability to supply the adequacy of our oversight of our contract suppliers, which could result in enforcement actions against us by the FDA and other regulatory entities. ingredients or finished products we need.
We have a manufacturing and development facility in Ireland where we manufacture Xyrem and development-stage oxybate products, including JZP-258, and a manufacturing plant in Italy where we produce the defibrotide drug substance. We currently do not have our own commercial manufacturing or packaging capability for our other products, product candidates or
their APIs. As a result, our ability to develop and supply products in a timely and competitive manner depends primarily on third party suppliers being able to meet our ongoing commercial and clinical trial needs for API, other raw materials, packaging materials and finished products. For details of our arrangements with our suppliers, see “Business—Manufacturing” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In part due to the limited market size for our products and product candidates, we have a single source of supply for most of our marketed products, product candidates and their APIs. We are the sole supplier of the defibrotide compound. We have a single source for sodium oxybate, the API for Xyrem, for Erwinaze, for the finished vial form of Defitelio and for Vyxeos. Single sourcing puts us at risk of interruption in supply in the event of manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties. There is no guarantee that our suppliers can or will continue to supply on a timely basis, or at all, the quantities of API or finished product that we need. If one of our suppliers fails or refuses to supply us for any reason, it would take a significant amount of time and expense to implement and execute the necessary technology transfer to, and to qualify, a new supplier. The FDA and similar international or national regulatory bodies must approve manufacturers of the active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients and
certain packaging materials used in our products. The loss of one of our suppliers could require us to obtain regulatory clearance in the form of a “prior approval supplement” and to incur validation and other costs associated with the transfer of the API or product manufacturing process. We believe that it could take up to two years, or longer in certain cases, to qualify a new supplier, and we may not be able to obtain APIs or finished products from new suppliers on acceptable terms and at reasonable prices, or at all. If there are delays in qualifying new suppliers or facilities or a new supplier is unable to meet FDA’s or similar international regulatory body’s requirements for approval, there could be a shortage of the affected products for the marketplace or for use in clinical studies, or both, which could negatively impact our anticipated revenues and could potentially cause us to breach contractual obligations with customers or to violate local laws requiring us to deliver the product to those in need.
Erwinaze is licensed from, and manufactured for us by, a single source, PBL. The Erwinaze BLA includes a number of post-marketing commitments relatedA continuing and significant challenge to the manufacturemaintaining sales of Erwinaze and a barrier to increasing sales is PBL’s inability to consistently supply product that meets specifications in quantities that are adequate to meet market demand. All Erwinaze that PBL has been able to supply is currently completely absorbed by PBL.
demand for the product, and erratic supply patterns have prevented us from meeting patient demand in some markets or from being able to expand to new markets or indications. As a consequence, there is no product inventory that can be used to absorb supply disruptions resulting from quality, manufacturing, regulatory or other issues. PBL has experienced and continues to experience product quality and manufacturing issues that have resulted, and continue to result, in disruptions in our ability to supply markets from time to time and have caused, and may in the future cause, us to implement batch-specific, modified product use instructions. We experienced limited product availability of Erwinaze and supply disruptions globally in 2019 and may experience continued supply disruptions in 2020. In January 2017,addition, the FDA has issued a warning letter and FDA Forms 483 to PBL indicating that it was not satisfied with PBL’s response to the FDA Form 483 issued to PBL in March 2016 and citing, among other things, significant violations of cGMP for finished pharmaceuticals and significant deviations from cGMP for APIs. In March 2017,We cannot predict whether the required remediation activities by PBL filed a response to the warning letterin connection with the FDA. In August 2018, the FDA conducted an inspection of the PBL manufacturing facility and issued an FDA Form 483 to PBL citing observations related to items referenced in the warning letter as well as other manufacturing practices, including data and records management. PBL continues to address the issues identified by the FDA in theits prior warning letter and has submitted its response to the August 2018 Form 483.
In the United Kingdom, or UK, whereFDA Forms 483 will further strain PBL’s manufacturing facilities are located,capacity or otherwise further adversely affect Erwinaze supply.
As capacity constraints and supply disruptions continue, whether as a result of continued quality or manufacturing challenges at PBL, is subjectregulatory issues or an inability to similar inspections conducted byenforce our contractual rights, we will be unable to build product inventory, our ability to supply the MHRA. Following a site inspection of PBL by MHRA in December 2017, MHRA issued an inspection report listing several major findings, including major deficienciesmarket will continue to be compromised and failures by PBLphysicians’ decisions to comply with cGMP.use Erwinaze will continue to be negatively impacted. In January 2018, PBL filed a response to the report with the MHRA.
Inabilityaddition, any inability to comply with regulatory requirements of the FDA, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, or other competent authorities in the EU member states in which Erwinaze is subject to marketing authorization,authorizations, including any failure by PBL to correct the violations and deviations referenced above to the satisfaction of the FDA, and MHRA,or failure to meet regulatory specifications for the product, could further adversely affect Erwinaze supply, particularly in light of the ongoing limitedhistorical limitations on the supply of Erwinaze, and could result in enforcement actions by the FDA, the MHRA or other EU member states’ competent authorities (including the issuance of the local equivalents of FDA Form 483s or warning letters), the approval of the FDA or other competent authorities being suspended, varied, or revoked, product release being delayed or suspended, including potentially the FDA refusing admission of Erwinaze in the U.S., or product being seized or recalled. Any of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our sales of, and revenues from, Erwinaze and further limit our future maintenance and potential growth of the market for this product. We have incurred and continue to incur significant internal and external costs and expenses as a result of these issues, including due to managing the increased need for regulatory and customer interaction. In addition, if the FDA or any non-U.S. regulatory authority mandates any changes to the specifications for Erwinaze, we may face challenges having product produced to meet such specifications, and PBL may increase its price to supply Erwinaze meeting such specifications, which may result in additional costs to us or a delay in supply and may decrease any profit we would otherwise achieve with Erwinaze.
All Erwinaze that PBL has been able to supply is currently completely absorbed by demand for the product. As a consequence, there is no product inventory that can be used to absorb supply disruptions resulting from quality, manufacturing, regulatory or other issues. PBL has experienced and continues to experience product quality and manufacturing issues that have resulted, and continue to result, in disruptions in our ability to supply markets from time to time and have caused, and may in the future cause, us to implement batch-specific, modified product use instructions. We cannot predict whether the required remediation activities by PBL in connection with its January 2017 FDA warning letter, the December 2017 MHRA report or the August 2018 FDA Form 483 will further strain PBL’s manufacturing capacity or otherwise further adversely affect Erwinaze supply. As capacity constraints and supply disruptions continue, whether as a result of continued quality or manufacturing challenges at PBL, regulatory issues or otherwise, we will be unable to build product inventory, our ability to supply the market will continue to be compromised and physicians’ decisions to use Erwinaze will continue to be negatively impacted.
If PBL’s quality, manufacturing or regulatory issues persist and supply disruptions continue, our agreement with PBL only gives us the right to engage a backup supplier for Erwinaze in very limited circumstances, such as following termination of the agreement by us due to uncured material breach or the cessation of manufacturing by our supplier. If we are required to engage a backup or alternative supplier, the transfer of technical expertise and manufacturing process to the backup or alternative supplier would be difficult, costly and time-consuming, might not be successful and would increase the likelihood of a delay or disruption in manufacturing or exacerbate the supply shortage. If we continue to fail to obtain a sufficient supply of Erwinaze from PBL, our sales of and revenues from Erwinaze, our future maintenance and potential growth of the market for this product, our reputation and our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects would continue to be materially adversely affected.
The API in Defitelio is derived from porcine DNA. If our porcine DNA supplier experiences safety or other issues that impact its ability to supply porcine materials to us as needed, we may not be able to find alternative suppliers in a timely fashion, which could negatively impact our supply of Defitelio.
Vyxeos is manufactured by Baxter Oncology GmbH, or Baxter, which is a sole source supplier from a single site location. Given that our Vyxeos launch is at an early stage, there is limited experience with the complex manufacturing process relating to Vyxeos. Baxter manufactured batches that were used in the Phase 3 clinical trial for Vyxeos; there have since beenhas experienced batch failures due to mechanical, component and other issues in the production of Vyxeos, and batches have been produced that have otherwise not been in compliance with applicable specifications. We are continuing to work with Baxter to address manufacturing complexities.complexities related to Vyxeos. Moreover, the proprietary technology that supports the manufacture of Vyxeos is not easily transferable. Consequently, engaging an alternate manufacturer may be difficult, costly and time-consuming. If we fail to obtain a sufficient supply of Vyxeos in accordance with applicable specifications on a timely basis, for any reason or due to manufacturing or regulatory challenges, our sales of and revenues from Vyxeos, our future maintenance and potential growth of the market for this product, our ability to conduct ongoing and future clinical trials of Vyxeos, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, while the APIs in Vyxeos, daunorubicin and cytarabine, are available from a number of suppliers, certain suppliers have received warning letters from the FDA. As a result, we have qualified other suppliers for each API, and we provided the qualification data to the FDA. If the FDA restricts importation of API from either supplier, and we are unable to qualify API from additional suppliers in a timely manner, or at all, our ability to successfully commercialize Vyxeos and generate sales of this product at the level we expect and to conduct ongoing and future clinical trials of Vyxeos could be materially and adversely affected.
To
In addition, in order to conduct our ongoing and any future clinical trials of, complete marketing authorization submissions for, and potentially launch our other product candidates, we also need to have sufficient quantities of product manufactured. For example, Siegfried USA, LLC, or Siegfried, is currently our sole supplier of both the API and finished product for our development activities involving solriamfetol, and we expect that Siegfried will manufacture and supply solriamfetol drug product for commercial sale if solriamfetol receives regulatory approval. If Siegfried does not or is not able to supply us with solriamfetol for any reason, it may take time and resources to implement and execute the necessary technology transfer to another provider, and such delay could negatively impact our anticipated revenues from solriamfetol.
We or our suppliers may not be able to produce sufficient supplies of our product candidates in a timely manner or in accordance with applicable specifications. If any of our suppliers fail or refuse to comply with their obligations to us under our supply and manufacturing arrangements, we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition,Moreover, to obtain approval from the FDA approvalor a similar international or national regulatory body of any product candidate, we or our supplier or suppliers for that product must obtain approval by the FDAapplicable regulatory body to manufacture and supply product, in some cases based on qualification data provided to the FDAapplicable body as part of our NDAregulatory submission. Any delay in generating, or failure to generate, data required in connection with submission of the chemistry, manufacturing and controls or CMC, portions of any NDAregulatory submission could negatively impact our ability to meet our anticipated submission dates, and therefore our anticipated timing for obtaining FDA or similar international or national regulatory body approval, or our ability to obtain FDAregulatory approval at all. In addition, any failure of us or a supplier to obtain approval by the FDAapplicable regulatory body to manufacture and supply product or any delay in receiving, or failure to receive, adequate supplies of a product on a timely basis or in accordance with applicable specifications could negatively impact our ability to successfully launch and commercialize products and generate sales of products at the levels we expect.
Our manufacturing facilities and manufacturing facilities of our suppliers have been and are subject to periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, the DEA, the Italian Health Authority and other regulatory authorities, including state authorities and similar authorities in other jurisdictions, to confirm compliance with cGMP and other requirements. We and our third party suppliers must continually expend time, money and effort in production, recordkeeping and quality assurance and control to ensure that our products and product candidates meet applicable specifications and other requirements for product safety, efficacy and quality. Failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements subjects us and our suppliers to possible legal or regulatory action, including restrictions on supply or shutdown, which may adversely affect our or a supplier’s ability to supply the ingredients or finished products we need. Moreover, our or our third party suppliers’ facilities could be damaged by fire, flood, earthquake, power loss, telecommunication and information system failure, terrorism or similar events. Any of these events could cause a delay or interruption in manufacturing and potentially a supply shortage of our products, which could negatively impact our anticipated revenues.
Risks Related to Growth of Our Product Portfolio and Research and Development
Our future success depends on our ability to successfully develop and obtain and maintain regulatory approval in the U.S. and Europe for our late-stage product candidates and, if approved, to successfully launch and commercialize those product candidates.
In furtheranceThe testing, manufacturing and marketing of our growth strategy, we have madeproducts require regulatory approvals, including approval from the FDA and are making significant investmentssimilar bodies in Europe and other countries. Obtaining marketing approval is a number of product candidates, including solriamfetollengthy, expensive and JZP-258.uncertain process and approval is never assured. Our inability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for our product candidates in the U.S. and Europe and if approved, to successfully commercialize new products that are approved would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Solriamfetol
We are seekingIn January 2020, we submitted to the FDA our NDA for JZP-258. Delay or failure in obtaining approval of JZP-258 could have a negative impact on our ability to recoup our research and development costs and to successfully commercialize JZP-258, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In December 2019, Pharma Mar, S.A., the company from whom we obtained exclusive U.S. development and commercialization rights to lurbinectedin, submitted an NDA to the FDA in the U.S.December 2019 for accelerated approval of lurbinectedin for relapsed small cell lung cancer, and Europe for solriamfetol as a treatment to improve wakefulness and reduce EDS in adult patients with narcolepsy or OSA. TheFebruary 2020, the FDA accepted our solriamfetol new drug application, orthe NDA for filing with a standard reviewpriority review. Delay or failure in early 2018 and the current Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, date is March 20, 2019. We submitted a solriamfetol marketing authorization application, or MAA, to the EMA in the fourth quarter of 2018. We cannot predict whether our NDA or MAA will be approved in a timely manner, or at all, or, in the case of our NDA for solriamfetol, the results of labeling discussions with the FDA. If we fail to obtain approval for solriamfetol in the U.S. and EU, or if the FDA or EC requires product labeling that negatively impacts patient, physician or payor acceptance of the product, our growth prospects could be materially adversely affected.
If approved, solriamfetol will face competition from existing and future products that treat EDS in adult patients with narcolepsy or OSA in a competitive retail pharmacy market of branded and generic products. In particular, we will need to successfully differentiate solriamfetol from other branded and generic treatments for EDS in patients with narcolepsy with which physicians are more familiar, including stimulants, wake-promoting agents, such as Provigil and Nuvigil, and generic versions of stimulants and wake-promoting agents. We are also aware that stimulants and wake-promoting agents are prescribed for patients to treat excessive sleepiness in OSA. Solriamfetol, if approved by the FDA, will likely face competition from this genericized market. In addition, we are aware of several other products in development as potential treatments for excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy or OSA, including, for example, pitolisant, mazindol, modafinil combinations and Avadel’s once-nightly sodium oxybate formulation.
In addition to uncertainties related to obtaining regulatory approval of solriamfetol and potential competition,lurbinectedin could have a negative impact on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits fromreceive a return on our investment in solriamfetol is subject to a number of risksthat product candidate and uncertainties, including the following as well as other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this Part I, Item 1A:
our ability to successfully launch and grow sales of any approved solriamfetol product in the U.S. and EU;
potential launch delays after any approval, including due to the need for DEA scheduling review which will need to be completed after NDA approval, if any, but before commercial launch;
the availability of adequate formulary positions and pricing and adequate coverage and reimbursement by third party payors, including government programs, including the impact of any delays in coverage decisions by payors;
restrictions on permitted promotional activities based on limitations on the approved labeling for the product required by the FDA or the EC;
market acceptance for an approved solriamfetol product, particularly by OSA physicians;
delays or problems in the supply or manufacture of an approved solriamfetol product; and
our ability to satisfy post-marketing commitments and requirements, if any, imposed by the FDA in connection with its approval of our NDA and by the EC in connection with its marketing authorization.
If sales of an approved solriamfetol product do not reach the levels we expect, or we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for solriamfetol in a timely manner, or at all, our anticipated revenue from an approved solriamfetol product will be negatively affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
JZP-258
JZP-258We are pursuing activities related to the development of improved asparaginase products for patients with ALL or other hematological malignancies. Several of our external research and development collaborations are focused on these efforts, including our agreement with Pfenex, Inc., or Pfenex. Among the product candidates in collaboration with Pfenex is an oxybateJZP-458, a recombinant Erwinia asparaginase product candidate, that contains 90% less sodium than Xyrem. Givenfor the well-accepted relationship between dietary sodiumpotential treatment of ALL and blood pressurelymphoblastic lymphoma who have hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase. We also have clinical development efforts focused on expanding the potential of Defitelio, Vyxeos and Sunosi, as well as published hypertension guidelines, we believe that lower sodium intake would be beneficial for patients. We have conducted a Phase 3 clinical trial of JZP-258 in patients development efforts focused on JZP-385 for the treatment of cataplexyessential tremor. Because combination regimens and EDSthe continual generation of new data have become particularly important in narcolepsy andAML, if we are conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia, a chronic neurological disorder that is primarily characterized by EDS. Subjectunable to theinitiate multiple combination studies, safely combine Vyxeos with novel agents, or if efficacy results of our Phase 3 clinical trial in narcolepsy, we expect to submit an NDA to the FDA for JZP-258 by as early as the end of 2019. Any failure or delay in successfully completing necessary clinical trials and conducting other activities, including CMC activities, that are required to complete our planned NDA submission and obtain regulatory approval could materially and adversely affectdo not meet clinicians’ expectations, our growth prospects.
Avadel has announced that it has obtained an orphan drug designation from the FDA for its once-nightly sodium oxybate formulation for the treatment of EDS and cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy. To obtain orphan drug exclusivity upon approval, Avadel will have to show clinical superiority to Xyrem, or, if applicable, clinical superiority to JZP-258. However, if the FDA approves Avadel’s product and grants it orphan drug exclusivity before we obtain approval for JZP-258, there is a risk that JZP-258 will not be approvable for seven years unless it can establish clinical superiority to Avadel’s product. We cannot predict the timing of the two submissions or how FDA will evaluate any clinical superiority arguments that either company may make, but a delay in our ability to obtain approval for JZP-258, if at all,prospects could be detrimental to our business.
For a discussion of the risks inherent in product development and regulatory approval, see the discussions in the risk factors under the headings “Conducting clinical trials is costly and time-consuming, and the outcomes are uncertain. A failure to prove that our product candidates are safe and effective in clinical trials, or to generate data in clinical trials to support expansion of the therapeutic uses for our existing products, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects” and “The regulatory approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us or our partners from obtaining and maintaining approvals for the commercialization of some or all of our product candidates” in this Part I, Item 1A. affected. If we are not successful in the clinical development of these and other futureour product candidates, if we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates in a timely manner, or at all, or if sales of an approved product do not reach the levels we expect, our anticipated revenue from our product candidates would be negatively affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We may not be able to successfully identify and acquire or in-license additional products or product candidates to grow our business, and, even if we are able to do so, we may otherwise fail to realize the anticipated benefits of these acquisitions.transactions.
In addition to continued investment in our research and development pipeline, we intend to grow our business by acquiring or in-licensing, and developing, including with collaboration partners, additional products and product candidates that we believe are highly differentiated and have significant commercial potential. Future growth throughHowever, we may be unable to identify or consummate suitable acquisition or in-licensing will depend upon the availabilityopportunities, and this inability could impair our ability to grow our business. Other companies, many of suitable productswhich may have substantially greater financial, sales and product candidatesmarketing resources, compete with us for acquisition or in-licensing on acceptable prices, terms and conditions.
these opportunities. Even if appropriate opportunities are available, we may not be able to successfully identify them, or we may not have the financial resources necessary to pursue them. Other companies, many
Even if we are able to successfully identify and acquire, in-license or develop additional products or product candidates, we may not be able to successfully manage the risks associated with integrating any products or product candidates into our portfolio or the risks arising from anticipated and unanticipated problems in connection with an acquisition or in-licensing. WeFurther, while we seek to mitigate risks and liabilities of potential acquisitions and in-licensing transactions through, among other things, due diligence, there may be risks and liabilities that such due diligence efforts fail to discover, that are not be abledisclosed to realize the anticipated benefits for a variety of reasons, including if:
us, or that we are unable to obtain and maintain adequate funding to complete the development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize an acquired product candidate;
a product candidate proves not to be safe or effective in later clinical trials;
a product fails to reach its forecasted commercial potential as a result of pricing pressures or for any other reason;
we experience negative publicity regarding actual or potential future price increases for that product or otherwise; or
the integration of a product or product candidate gives rise to unforeseen difficulties and expenditures.
inadequately assess. Any failure to identifyin identifying and managemanaging these risks, liabilities and uncertainties effectively, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, product and product candidate acquisitions, create other uncertainties and risks, particularly when the acquisition takes the form of a merger or other business consolidation. Our business acquisitionsconsolidation, have required, and any similar future transactions will also require, significant efforts and expenditures, including with respect to transition activities and integrating the acquired business with our historical business.integration activities. We may encounter unexpected difficulties, or incur unexpectedsubstantial costs, in connection with potential acquisitions and similar transactions, which include:
high acquisition costs;
the need to incur substantial debt or engage in dilutive issuances of equity securities to pay for acquisitions;
the potential disruption of our historical core business;
the strain on, and need to continue to expand, our existing operational, technical, financial and administrative infrastructure;
the difficulties in integrating acquired products and product candidates into our portfolio;
the difficulties in assimilating employees and corporate cultures;
the failure to retain key managers and other personnel;
the challenges in controlling additional costs and expenses in connection with and as a result of any acquisition;
the need to write down assets or recognize impairment charges;
the diversion of our management’s attention to integration of operations and corporate and administrative infrastructures; and
any unanticipated liabilities for activities of or related to the acquired business or its operations, products or product candidates.
If anyAs a result of these or other factors, impair our abilityproducts or product candidates we acquire, or obtain licenses to, integratemay not produce the revenues, earnings or otherwise manage anbusiness synergies that we anticipated, acquired business efficientlyor in-licensed product candidates may not result in regulatory approvals, and successfully, weacquired or licensed products may be required to spend time or money on integration activities that otherwise would be spent on the development and expansion of our business. Resulting operating inefficiencies could increase costs and expenses more than we planned, could negatively impact the market price of our ordinary shares and could otherwise distract us from the execution of our strategy.not perform as expected. Failure to maintain effectivemanage effectively our growth through acquisitions or in-licensing transactions could adversely affect our growth prospects, business, results of operations and financial controls and reporting systems and procedures during and after integration of an acquired business could also impact our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements.condition.
Conducting clinical trials is costly and time-consuming, and the outcomes are uncertain. A failure to prove that our product candidates are safe and effective in clinical trials, or to generate data in clinical trials to support expansion of the therapeutic uses for our existing products, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
As a condition to regulatory approval, each product candidate must undergo extensive and expensive preclinical studies and clinical trials to demonstrate to a statistically significant degree that the product candidate is safe and effective. The results at any stage of the development process may lack the desired safety, efficacy or pharmacokinetic characteristics. Results of limited preclinical studies, including studiesIf the FDA determines that the safety or efficacy data submitted for the NDAs for JZP-258 or lurbinectedin, or to be submitted in animal models,the planned biologics license application, or BLA, for JZP-458, do not warrant marketing approval, we may not predict the results of human clinical trials. Similarly, results from earlybe required to conduct additional clinical trials, may notwhich could be predictive of results obtained in latercostly and larger clinical trials, and later clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy of our product candidates despite successful initial clinical testing.time-consuming. Even if we believe we have successfully completed testing, the FDA or any equivalent non-U.S. regulatory agency may determine our data is not sufficiently compelling to warrant marketing approval for the indications sought, if at all, and may require us to engage in additional clinical trials or provide further analysis which may be costly and time-consuming. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry, including us, have suffered significant setbacks in clinical trials, even in advanced clinical trials after showing positive results in preclinical studies or earlier clinical trials. If a product candidate fails at any stage of development or the data is otherwise not sufficient for regulatory approval, we will not be able to commercialize it and receive any return on our investment in that product candidate.
If the FDA determines that our safety or efficacy data for solriamfetol or, after NDA submission, JZP-258 do not warrant marketing approval, we may be required to conduct additional clinical trials, which could be costly and time-consuming, or we may not be able to commercialize solriamfetol or JZP-258, in which event we would not receive any return on our investments in these product candidates. The FDA may also require product labeling that negatively impacts patient, physician or payor acceptance of the product. For more information, see the risk factor under the heading “Our future success depends on our ability to successfully develop and obtain and maintain regulatory approval in the U.S. and Europe for our late-stage product candidates and, if approved, to successfully launch and commercialize those product candidates” in this Part I, Item 1A.
Any adverse events or other data generated during the course of clinical trials of our product candidates and/or clinical trials related to additional indications for our commercialized products could result in action by the FDA or a non-U.S. regulatory agency, which may restrict our ability to sell, or adversely affect sales of, currently marketed products, or such events or other data could otherwise have a material adverse effect on a related commercial product, including with respect to its safety profile. Any failure or delay in completing such clinical trials could materially and adversely affect the maintenance and growth of the markets for the related marketed products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and overall growth prospects.
In addition to issues relating to the results generated in clinical trials, clinical trials can be delayed or halted for a variety of reasons, including:
difficulty identifying, recruiting or enrolling eligible patients, often based on the number of clinical trials, particularly in hematology and oncology, with enrollment criteria targeting the same patient population;
difficulty identifying a clinical development pathway, including viable indications and appropriate clinical trial protocol design, particularly where there is no applicable regulatory precedent;
delays or failures in obtaining regulatory authorization to commence a trial because of safety concerns of regulators relating to our product candidates or similar product candidates of our competitors or failure to follow regulatory guidelines;
delays or failures in obtaining clinical materials and manufacturing sufficient quantities of the product candidate for use in trials;
delays or failures in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective study sites;
delays or failures in obtaining approval of our clinical trial protocol from an institutional review board, known as an ethics committee in Europe, to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective study site;
delays or failures in recruiting patients to participate in a clinical trial;
failure of our clinical trials and clinical investigators, including contract research organizations or other third parties assisting us with clinical trials, to be in compliancesatisfactorily perform their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines and comply with the FDA and other regulatory agencies’ requirements, commonly referred to asincluding good clinical practices;
unforeseen safety issues;
inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment;
difficulty monitoring multiple study sites;
failure of our third party clinical trial managers to satisfactorily perform their contractual duties, comply with regulations or meet expected deadlines; or
insufficient funds to complete the trials.
We rely on contract research organizations and other third parties, such as cooperative groups, to assist us in designing, coordinating, managing, monitoring and otherwise conducting clinical trials with our product candidates. If we, contract research organizations assisting us with clinical trials, other third parties conducting clinical trials with our product candidates, or our trial sites fail to comply with applicable good clinical practices, the clinical data generated in these clinical trials may be deemed unreliable, and the FDA and/or other global regulatory agencies may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. In addition, clinical trials must be conducted with product candidates produced under the FDA’s cGMP regulations and similar regulations outside of the U.S. Our failure, or the failure of our product suppliers, to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat or redesign clinical trials, which would delay the completion of clinical trials and the regulatory approval process.
If third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties under their agreements with us, if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised due to failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, including dosing requirements, or regulatory requirements, or if they otherwise fail to comply with clinical trial protocols or meet expected deadlines, our clinical trials may not meet regulatory requirements. If our clinical trials do not meet regulatory requirements or if these third parties need to be replaced, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated. If any of these events occur, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates or generate additional clinical data in support of these products.
The regulatory approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us or our partners from obtaining and maintaining approvals for the commercialization of some or all of our product candidates.
We are not permitted to market a pharmaceutical product in the U.S. or in the EU member states until we receive approval from the FDA or a marketing authorization from the EC or the competent authorities of the EU member states, as applicable. Submission of an application for marketing authorization does not assure approval for marketing in any jurisdiction, and we may encounter significant difficulties or costs in our efforts to obtain approval to market products.
Although PDUFA provides a ten-month deadline for the FDA to review a new drug application, or a six-month deadline for priority review, there is no guarantee that the FDA will meet that deadline, and the FDA can extend a PDUFA action date under certain circumstances. If the FDA fails to meet PDUFA targeted action dates established for any of our product candidates, the commercialization of the affected product candidate could be delayed or impaired. In the first quarter of 2018, the FDA accepted our NDA for solriamfetol for filing with a standard review. In December 2018, the FDA determined that a submission we made during the course of discussions regarding draft labeling for solriamfetol constituted a major amendment to the NDA, resulting in a three-month extension of the PDUFA goal date to March 20, 2019, to provide time for a full review of the submission. However, if the FDA fails to meet the PDUFA target action date for our solriamfetol NDA submission, requires significant labeling restrictions as described below or requires product labeling that negatively impacts patient, physician or payor acceptance of the product, our ability to commercialize solriamfetol in the U.S. could be delayed or impaired. We also submitted an MAA to the EMA in November 2018 for solriamfetol as a treatment to improve wakefulness and reduce EDS in adult patients with narcolepsy (with or without cataplexy) or OSA. We cannot predict whether we will be able to obtain approval of our NDA for solriamfetol in the U.S. or our marketing authorization in the EU in a timely manner and on what terms, or at all.
Moreover, the redemption of a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher may not result in faster review or approval compared to products considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and, in any event, does not assure ultimate approval by FDA. Any delay or failure in obtaining approval of a product candidate, or receipt of approval for narrower indications than sought, can have a negative impact on our ability to recoup or research and development costs and to successfully commercialize that product and on our financial performance.
If the FDA, the EC or the competent authorities of the EU member states determine that our quality, safety or efficacy data do not warrant marketing approval for a product candidate such as JZP-258, we could be required to conduct additional clinical trials as a condition to receiving approval, which could be costly and time-consuming and could delay or preclude the approval of our application. Any delay or failure in obtaining approval of a product candidate, our receipt of approval for narrower indications than sought, or burdens in an approved label such as a boxed warning, could have a negative impact on our ability to recoup our research and development costs and to successfully commercialize that product, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
In May 2018, we purchased a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher for $110.0 million, which we redeemed in connection with the submission of our NDA for JZP-258 in January 2020. However, the redemption of our rare pediatric disease priority review voucher may not result in faster review or approval for JZP-258 compared to products considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and, in any event, does not assure ultimate approval of JZP-258 by FDA. For example, the FDA could determine that our application is not sufficient to support approval with the label we have requested, and require amendments or additional data, which could delay or preclude the approval of our NDA.
Even if we receive approval itof a product, regulatory authorities may be subject toimpose significant labeling restrictions or requirements, including limitations on the dosing of the product, requirements around the naming or strength of a product, restrictions on indicated uses for which we may market the product, the imposition of a boxed warning or other warnings and precautions, such asand/or the requirement for a REMS to ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks or the imposition of a boxed warning included in the
labeling for the product. A boxed warning is the strongest type of warning that the FDA can require for a drug product and warns prescribers that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or even life-threatening adverse effects.risks. The FDA requires a REMS and a boxed warning for Xyrem, and similar restrictions could be imposed on other products in the future.
For example, we expect that the FDA will require a REMS for approval of JZP-258. Regulatory authorities may also impose post-marketing obligations as part of their approval. Post-marketing obligationsapproval, which may lead to additional costs and burdens associated with commercialization of the drug, and may pose a risk to maintaining approval of the drug. We are subject to certain post-marketing requirements and commitments in connection with the approval of certain of our products, including Defitelio, Erwinaze, DefitelioVyxeos and Vyxeos. For example, for Defitelio, in the U.S. the FDA imposed several post-marketing commitments and requirements in connection with its approval, including the requirement that we conduct a clinical trial to analyze the safety of defibrotide versus best supportive care in the prevention of VOD in adult and pediatric patients, and in the EU marketing authorization was granted under exceptional circumstances and requires us to comply with a number of post-marketing obligations, including a study to provide further data on long-term safety, health outcomes and patterns of utilization of Defitelio in normal use. Similarly, the FDA imposedSunosi. These post-marketing requirements in connection with its approval of our NDA for Vyxeos, including the requirement that we conduct aand commitments include satisfactorily conducting multiple post-marketing clinical trials and safety study to characterize infusion-related reactions in patients treated with Vyxeos and a clinical trial to determine dosing to minimize toxicity in patients with moderate and severe renal impairment, and the marketing authorization in the EU also requires us to comply with certain manufacturing-related post-approval commitments.studies. In the event that we are unable to comply with our post-marketing obligations imposed as part of the marketing approvals in the U.S. or EU, our approval may be varied, suspended or revoked, product supply may be delayed and our sales of and revenues from our products could be materially adversely affected.
A significant proportion of the regulatory framework in the UK is derived from EU laws. For that reason, the results of the formal procedure of withdrawal from the EU, initiated by the UK in March 2017, could materially change the regulatory regime applicable to our operations, including with respect to the approval of our product candidates, as there is significant uncertainty concerning the future relationship between the UK and the EU. For a further discussion, see the risks under the heading “The UK’s planned withdrawal from the EU, commonly referred to as Brexit, may have a negative effect on global economic conditions, financial markets and our business” in this Part I, Item 1A.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.
Our commercial success depends in part on obtaining, maintaining and defending intellectual property protection for our products and product candidates, including protection of their use and methods of manufacturing and distribution. Our ability to protect our products and product candidates from unauthorized making, using, selling, offering to sell or importation by third parties depends on the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or have adequately protected trade secrets that cover these activities.
The patent position of pharmaceutical companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex and often changing legal, regulatory and factual questions. The degree of protection to be afforded by our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example:
our patent applications, or those of our licensors or partners, may not result in issued patents;
others may independently develop similar or therapeutically equivalent products without infringing our patents, or those of our licensors, such as products that are not covered by the claims of our patents, or for which we do not have adequate exclusive rights under our license agreements;
our issued patents, or those of our licensors or partners, may be held invalid or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges by third parties or may be vulnerable to legal challenges as a result of changes in applicable law;
we or our licensors or partners might not have been the first to invent or file, as appropriate, subject matters covered by our issued patents or pending patent applications or those of our licensors or partners;
competitors may manufacture products in countries where we have not applied for patent protection or that have a different scope of patent protection or that do not respect our patents; or
others may be issued patents that prevent the sale of our products or require licensing and the payment of significant fees or royalties.
We have patents covering manyPatent enforcement generally must be sought on a country-by-country basis, and issues of our productspatent validity and infringement may be judged differently in Europe and other parts of the world where patent laws operate differently and provide a different scope of protection than in the U.S.countries. For example, in the EU, approval of a generic pharmaceutical product can occur independently of whether the reference brand product is covered by patents, and enforcement of such patents generally must await approval and an indication that the generic product is being offered for sale. Patent enforcement generally must be sought on a country-by-country basis, and issues of patent validity and infringement may be judged differently in different countries.
We own a portfolio of U.S. and non-U.S. patents and patent applications and have licensed rights to a number of issued patents and patent applications that cover or relate to our products and product candidates, including Xyrem, Defitelio, Vyxeos and solriamfetol. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the U.S. and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property.property portfolio. Even if we are able to obtain patents covering our products and product candidates, any patent may be challenged, and potentially invalidated or held unenforceable, including through patent litigation or through patent office procedures that permit challenges to patent validity. Patents can also be circumvented, potentially including by FDA approval of an ANDA or Section 505(b)(2) application that avoids infringement of our intellectual property.
Xyrem is covered by patents covering its manufacture, formulation, distribution system and method of use, and we have U.S. patents that extend to 2033. We have settled patent litigation with nine companies seeking to introduce generic versions of Xyrem in the U.S. by granting those companies licenses to launch their generic products (and in certain cases, an authorized generic version of Xyrem) in advance of the expiration of the last of our patents. Notwithstanding our Xyrem patents and settlement agreements, additional third parties may also attempt to introduce generic versions of Xyrem or other sodium oxybate products for treatment of cataplexy and/or EDS in narcolepsy that design around our patents or assert that our patents are invalid or otherwise unenforceable. If these efforts are successful, then thatSuch third partyparties could launch a generic or 505(b)(2) product referencing Xyrem before the dates provided in our patents or settlement agreements.
For example, we have several method of use patents listed in the FDA’s publication “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,” or the Orange Book, that expire in 2033 that cover instructions ontreatment methods included in the Xyrem package insert and Xyrem REMSlabel related to a drug-drug interaction, or DDI, with divalproex sodium. Although the FDA has stated, in granting a Citizen Petition we submitted in 2016, that it would not approve any sodium oxybate ANDA referencing Xyrem that does not include the portions of the currently approved Xyrem package insertlabel related to the DDI patents, we cannot predict whether a future ANDA filer, or a company that files a Section 505(b)(2) application for a drug referencing Xyrem, may pursue regulatory strategies to avoid infringing our DDI patents notwithstanding the FDA’s response to the Citizen Petition, or whether any such strategy would be successful. Likewise, we cannot predict whether we will be able to maintain the validity of these patents or will otherwise obtain a judicial determination that a generic or other sodium oxybate product, its package insert or the generic sodium oxybate REMS or another separate REMS will infringe any of our patents or, if we prevail in proving infringement, whether a court will grant an injunction that prevents a future ANDA filer or other company introducing a different sodium oxybate product from marketing its product, or instead require that party to pay damages in the form of lost profits or a reasonable royalty.
Since Xyrem’s regulatory exclusivity has expired in the EU, we are aware that generic or hybrid generic applications have been approved by various EU regulatory authorities, and additional generic or hybrid generic applications may be submitted and approved. We cannot predict whether our licensee in the EU will be able to enforce our existing European patents against generic or hybrid generic filers in the EU.
For a discussion regarding the risks associated with our ANDA litigation settlement agreements, the potential launch of AG Products or other generic versions of Xyrem, or the approval and launch of other sodium oxybate or other products that compete with Xyrem, as well as other risks and challenges we face with respect to Xyrem, see the risk factors under the headings “Risks Related to Xyrem and the Our Other Marketed Products” and “We have incurred and may in the future incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patents, other intellectual property rights and related matters, and we may be unable to protect our rights to, or commercialize, our products” in this Part I, Item 1A.
We also currently rely on trade secretssecret protection for several of our products, including Erwinaze and other unpatented proprietaryDefitelio. Trade secret protection does not protect information or inventions if another party develops that information or invention independently, and establishing that a competitor developed a product through trade secret misappropriation rather than through legitimate means may be difficult to prove. Trade secret protection also requires that information be secret and subject to reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy, and this requirement may come into conflict with requirements to provide information to protect our productsemployees, consultants, business partners, and their commercial position, particularly with respect to our products with limited or no patent protection, such as Erwinaze, which has no patent protection.regulatory bodies. We seek to protect our trade secrets and other unpatented proprietary information in part through confidentiality and invention agreements with our employees, consultants, advisors and partners. Nevertheless, our employees, consultants, advisors and partners may unintentionally or willfully disclose our proprietary information to competitors, and we may not have adequate remedies for such disclosures. EnforcingMoreover, if a claim that a third party illegally obtaineddispute arises with our employees, consultants, advisors or is using anypartners over the ownership of rights to inventions, including jointly developed intellectual property, we could lose patent protection or the confidentiality of our inventionsproprietary information, and possibly also lose the ability to pursue the development of certain new products or trade secrets would be expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outsideproduct candidates.
In some instances, we also rely on regulatory exclusivity to protect our commercial position. In addition to relying on trade secret protection,For example, Erwinaze was granted orphan drug exclusivity by the FDA for the treatment of ALL in the U.S. for a seven-year period from its FDA approval, which had precluded approval of another product with the same principal molecular structure for the same indication until November 2018. As a biologic product approved under a BLA, Erwinaze is also subject to the U.S. Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, or BPCIA. We believe that Erwinaze isBPCIA, and accordingly should be protected by exclusivity that prevents approval of a biosimilar in the U.S. through late 2023 under the BPCIA. However, interpretation of regulatory exclusivity under the BPCIA may evolve over time based on FDA issuance of guidance documents, proposed regulations or decisions made by the FDA in the course of considering specific applications. In addition, the BPCIA exclusivity period does not prevent another company from independently developing a product that is highly similar to Erwinaze, generating all the
data necessary for a full BLA and seeking approval. BPCIA exclusivity only assures that another company cannot rely on the FDA’s prior approvals of Erwinaze to support the biosimilar product’s approval. As a result, it is possible that a potential competing drug product might obtain FDA approval before the expected BPCIA exclusivity period has expired, which would adversely affect our sales of Erwinaze.Erwinaze if we are able to maintain our marketing rights to that product. In the EU, the regulatory data protection that provides an exclusivity period for Erwinase has lapsed. Any new marketing authorizations for Erwinase in other EU member states will not receive any regulatory data protection. If a biosimilar product to Erwinaze is approved as interchangeable to Erwinaze in the U.S. or in other countries where Erwinaze is sold, a significant percentage of the prescriptions that would have been written forcould be filled by Erwinaze, if commercially available, may be filled with the biosimilar version, resulting in a loss in sales of Erwinaze, and there may be a decrease in the price at which Erwinaze can be sold. Competition from a biosimilar product to Erwinaze could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Our research and development collaborators may have rights to publish data and other information to which we have rights. In addition, we sometimes engage individuals or entities to conduct research that may be relevant to our business. While the ability of these individuals or entities to publish or otherwise publicly disclose data and other information generated during the course of their research is subject to contractual limitations, these contractual provisions may be insufficient or inadequate to protect our trade secrets and may impair our patent rights. If we do not apply for patent protection prior to such publication, or if we cannot otherwise maintain the confidentiality of our innovations and other confidential information, then our ability to obtain patent protection or protect our proprietary information may be jeopardized. Moreover, a dispute may arise with our employees, consultants, advisors or partners over the ownership of rights to inventions, including jointly developed intellectual property. Such disputes, if not successfully resolved, could lead to a loss of rights and possibly prevent us from pursuing certain new products or product candidates.
We have incurred and may in the future incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patents, other intellectual property rights and related matters, and we may be unable to protect our rights to, or commercialize, our products.
Our ability, and that of our partners, to commercialize any approved products will depend, in part, on our ability to obtain patents, enforce those patents and operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. If we choose to go to court to stop a third party from infringing our patents, our licensed patents or our partners’ patents, that third party has the right to ask the court or an administrative agency to rule that these patents are invalid and/or should not be enforced. These lawsuits and administrative proceedings are expensive and consume time and other resources, and we may not be successful in these proceedings or in stopping infringement. In addition, the inter partes review, or IPR, process under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act permits any person, whether they are accused of infringing the patent at issue or not, to challenge the validity of certain patents. As a result, many types of entities, including ANDA filers, have challenged valuable pharmaceutical patents through the IPR process, and six of our Orange Book-listed patents for Xyrem were invalidated through this process.
There is a risk that a court orproceeding before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or PTAB, of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,Office.
There is a risk that a court or USPTO,the PTAB could decide that our patents or certain claims in our patents are not valid or infringed, and that we do not have the right to stop a third party from using the inventions covered by those claims, as happened with the decision of the PTAB that certainsix of our patent claimspatents covering the Xyrem REMS, are invalid.which were invalidated through the IPR process and delisted from the Orange Book. In addition, even if we prevail in establishing that another product infringes a valid claim of one of our patents, a court may determine that we can be compensated for the infringement in damages, and refuse to issue an injunction. As a result, we may not be entitled to stop another party from infringing our patents for their full term. For more information, see the risk factors under the headings “Risks Related to Xyrem and Our Other Marketed Products” and “It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights, and we may not be able to ensure their protection” in this Part I, Item 1A. Lawsuits or proceedings we may file in the future, or our defense against any lawsuits or other proceedings that may be brought against us, may not costly and time-consuming and may not be successful in stopping the infringement of our patents.
Litigation involving patent matters is frequently settled between the parties, rather than continuing to a court ruling, and we have settled patent litigation with all nine Xyrem ANDA filers. The FTC has publicly stated that, in its view, certain types of agreements between branded and generic pharmaceutical companies related to the settlement of patent litigation or the manufacture, marketing and sale of generic versions of branded drugs violate the antitrust laws and has commenced investigations and brought actions against some companies that have entered into such agreements. In particular, the FTC has expressed its intention to take aggressive action to challenge settlements that include an alleged transfer of value from the brand company to the generic company (so-called “pay for delay” patent litigation settlements). The U.S. Congress and state legislatures have also identified pharmaceutical patent settlements as potential impediments to callgeneric competition and have introduced, and in states like California passed, legislation to regulate them. Third party payors have also challenged such settlements on legislators to pass stronger laws prohibiting such settlements.the grounds that they increase drug prices. Because there is currently no precise legal standard with respect to the lawfulness of such settlements, there could be extensive litigation over whether any settlement that we have entered into or might enter into in the future constitutes a reasonable and lawful patent settlement. Parties to such settlement agreements in the U.S. are required by law to file the agreements with the FTC and the U.SU.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, for review. Accordingly, we have submitted our ANDA litigation settlement agreements to the FTC and the DOJ for review. We may receive formal or informal requests from the FTC regarding our ANDA litigation settlements, and there is a risk that the FTC may commence a
formal investigation or action against us, or a third party may initiate civil litigation regarding such settlements, which could divert the attention of management and cause us to incur significant costs, regardless of the outcome. Any claim or finding that we or our business partners have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations could be costly to us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
A third party may claim that we or our manufacturing or commercialization partners are using inventions covered by the third party’s patent rights, or that we or such partners are infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating other intellectual property rights, and may go to court to stop us from engaging in our normal operations and activities, including making or selling our products. Such lawsuits are costly and could affect our results of operations and divert the attention of management and development personnel. There is a risk that a court could decide that we or our partners are infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating third party patent or other intellectual property rights, which could be very costly to us and have a material adverse effect on our business.
In the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, like other industries, it is not always clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of products or methods. The coverage of patents is subject to interpretation by the courts, and the interpretation is not always uniform. If we are sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that our products or methods do not infringe the patent claims of the relevant patent and/or that the patent claims are invalid or unenforceable, which we may not be able to do.
Because some patent applications in the U.S. may be maintained in secrecy until the patents are issued, because patent applications in the U.S. and many non-U.S. jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after their priority date, and because publications in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that others have not filed patent applications for inventions covered by our or our licensors’ issued patents or pending applications, or that we or our licensors were the first inventors.
Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent and other intellectual property litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations. For further discussion of our Xyrem-related patent matters, see the risk factors under the headings “Risks Related to Xyrem and Our Other Marketed Products” and “Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” and Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies—Legal Proceedings of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We have substantially expanded our international footprint and operations, and we may expand further in the future, which subjects us to a variety of risks and complexities which, if not effectively managed, could negatively affect our business.
We are headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and have multiple offices in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Italy and other countries in Europe. Our headcount has grown to approximately 1,360 as of February 2019. This includes employees in 15 countries in North America and Europe, a European commercial presence, a complex distribution network for products in Europe and additional territories, and manufacturing facilities in Italy and Ireland. We may further expand our international operations into other countries in the future, either organically or by acquisition. While we have management and other personnel with substantial international experience, conductingConducting our business in multiple countries subjects us to a variety of risks and complexities that may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects. These risks and complexities include:prospects, including:
the diverse regulatory, financial and legal requirements in the countries where we are located or do business, including those related to data security and the use of, or access to, commercial and personal information, taxation, trade laws, including tariffs, export quotas, custom duties or other trade restrictions, and any changes to those requirements;
challenges inherent in efficiently managing employees in diverse geographies, including the need to adapt systems, policies, benefits and compliance programs to differing labor and employment law and other regulations, as well as maintaining positive interactions with our unionized employees;
costs of, and liabilities for, our international operations, products or product candidates; and
fluctuationspublic health risks, such as the recent spread in currency rates.China of coronavirus in early 2020 and potential related effects on supply chain, travel and employee health and availability.
In addition, as a result of our international expansion, our business and corporate structure has become substantially more complex. Significant management time and effort is required to effectively manage the increased complexity of our company, and there can be no guarantee that we will effectively manage the increasedincreasing, global complexity of our business without experiencing operating inefficiencies or control deficiencies. Our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
The UK’s planned withdrawal from the EU, commonly referred to as Brexit, may have a negative effect on global economic conditions, financial marketscould increase our cost of doing business, reduce our gross margins or otherwise negatively impact our business and our business.financial results.
Brexit has createdwill continue to create significant uncertainty concerning the future relationship between the UK and the EU, particularly if the recent UK withdrawswithdrawal from the EU withoutin January 2020 is followed by a ratified withdrawal agreement in place. Fromfailure to agree to a regulatory perspective, there is uncertainty about which lawsfuture trading relationship between the EU and regulations will apply. Athe UK. Since a significant portion of the regulatory framework in the UK is derived from EU laws. However, it is unclear which EU laws, the UK will decide to replace or replicate in connection with its withdrawal from the EU. In particular,Brexit could materially impact the regulatory regime applicable to our operations, including with respect to the development, manufacture, importation, approval and commercialization of our product candidates may change, potentially significantly, and the impact on the process for obtaining or maintaining marketing authorization for pharmaceutical products manufactured or sold in the UK is otherwise unknown.
A basic requirement related to the grant of a marketing authorization for a medicinal product in the EU is the requirement that the applicant be established inor the EU. Following withdrawal of the UK from the EU, marketing authorizations previously granted to applicants established in the UK through the centralized, mutual recognition or decentralized procedures may no longer be valid. Moreover, depending upon the exact terms of the UK's withdrawal,For example, there is a risk that the scope of a marketing authorization for a medicinal product granted by the EC pursuant to the centralized procedure, or by the competent authorities of other EU member states through the decentralized or mutual recognition procedures, wouldwill not encompass the UK. In that circumstance,these circumstances, a separate authorization granted by the UK competent authorities wouldwill be required to place medicinal products on the UK market.
In addition, the laws and regulations that will apply after the UK withdraws from the EU may have implications for manufacturing sites that hold certifications issued by the UK competent authorities. Our capabilityour ability to rely on theseUK manufacturing sites for products intended for the EU market will depend on the terms of the UK's withdrawaltrade agreements concluded between the EU and the UK in the coming months and, potentially, on the ability to obtain relevant exemptions under EU law to supply the EU market with products manufactured at UK-certified sites. There is also the risk that if batch release and quality control testing sites for our products are located only in the UK, manufacturers will need to use sites in other EU member states.states to manufacture products for supply to the EU market. All of these changes, if they occur, could increase our costs and otherwise adversely affect our business.
Brexit has also given rise to calls for the governments of other EU member states to consider withdrawal from the EU. These developments, or the perception that they could occur, have had and may continue to have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, including by significantly reducing global market liquidity or restricting the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. In addition, currency exchange rates for the British Pound and the euro with respect to each other and to the U.S. dollar have already been, and may be continue to be, negatively affected by Brexit. Should this foreign exchange volatility continue or be exacerbated by UK’s withdrawal from the EU, itBrexit, which could cause volatility in our quarterly financial results.
We have an office in Oxford, England, which is focused on commercialization of our products outside of the U.S. We do not know to what extent, or when, the UK’s recent withdrawal from the EU or any other future changes to membership in the EU will impact our business, particularly our ability to conduct international business from a base of operations in the UK. The UK could lose the benefits of global trade agreements negotiated by the EU on behalf of its members, possibly resulting in increased trade barriers, which could make doing business in Europe more difficult and/or costly. Moreover, in the U.S., tariffs on certain U.S. imports have recently been imposed, and the EU and other countries have responded with retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. exports. We cannot predict what effects these and potential additional tariffs will have on our business, including in the context of escalating global trade and political tensions. However, these tariffs and other trade restrictions, whether resulting from the UK’s withdrawal from the EU or
otherwise, could increase our cost of doing business, reduce our gross margins or otherwise negatively impact our business and our financial results.
If we fail to attract, retain and motivate key personnel or to retain the members of our executive management team, our operations and our future growth may be adversely affected.
Our success and our ability to grow depend in part on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified personnel. We are highly dependent uponpersonnel, including our executive management team and other critical personnel, all of whom work on many complex matters that are essential to our success.team. We do not carry “key person” insurance. The loss of services and institutional knowledge of one or more additional members of our executive management team or other key personnel could delay or prevent the successful completion of some of our vital activities. Any employee may terminate his or her employment at any time without notice or with only short noticeactivities and without cause or good reason. The resulting loss of institutional knowledge may negatively impact our operations and future growth.
In addition, changes in our organization as a result of executive management transition may have a disruptive impact on our ability to implement our strategy. Until we integrate new personnel, and unless they are able to succeed in their positions, we may be unable to successfully manage and grow our company we will need additional personnel. Competition for qualified personnel in the pharmaceutical industry is intense. Ifbusiness. In any event, if we are unable to attract, retain and motivate quality individuals, including in our researchor if there are delays, or if we do not successfully manage personnel and development operations, which are continuing to expand,executive management transitions, our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be adversely affected.
We also depend on the unique abilities, industry experience and institutional knowledge of the members of our board of directors to efficiently set company strategy and effectively guide our executive management team. We cannot be certain that future board turnover will not negatively affect our business.
Significant disruptions of information technology systems or data security breaches could adversely affect our business.
We are increasingly dependent on information technology systems and infrastructure to operate our business. In the ordinary course of our business, we collect, store, process and transmit large amounts of confidential information, including intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information. It is critical that we do so in a secure manner to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of such information. We have also outsourced some of our operations (including parts of our information technology infrastructure) to a number of third party vendors who may have, or could gain, access to our confidential information. In addition, many of those third parties, in turn, subcontract or outsource some of their responsibilities to third parties.
Our information technology systems, and those of our vendors, are large and complex and store large amounts of confidential information. The size and complexity of these systems make them potentially vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, third party vendors and/or business partners, or from cyber-attacks by malicious third parties. Attacks of this natureare increasing in frequency, persistence, sophistication and intensity, and are being conducted by sophisticated and organized groups and individuals with a wide range of motives (including, but not limited to, industrial espionage) and expertise, including organized criminal groups, “hacktivists,” nation states and others. In addition to the extraction of important information, such attacks could include the deployment of harmful malware, ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, social engineering and other means to affect service reliability and threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our information. Although the aggregate impact on our operations and financial condition has not been material to date, we and our vendors have been the target of events of this nature and expect them to continue.
Significant disruptions of our, our third party vendors’ and/or business partners’ information technology systems or security breaches could adversely affect our business operations and/or result in the loss, misappropriation, and/or unauthorized access, use or disclosure of, or the prevention of access to, confidential information (including trade secrets or other intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information), and could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us. Any such event that leads to unauthorized access, use or disclosure of personal information, including personal information regarding our patients or employees, could harm our reputation, compel us to comply with federal and/or state breach notification 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 the privacy and security of personal information, which could disrupt our business, result in increased costs or loss of revenue, and/or result in significant legal and financial exposure. In addition, security breaches and other inappropriate access can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying them may further harm us. Moreover, the prevalent use of mobile devices to access confidential information increases the risk of security breaches. While we have implemented security measures to protect our information technology systems and infrastructure, there can be no assurance that such measures will prevent service interruptions or security breaches that could adversely affect our business. In addition, failure to maintain effective internal accounting controls related to security breaches and cybersecurity in general could impact our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements and subject us to regulatory scrutiny.
In addition to those specifically described in other risk factors, weWe are subject to significant ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight, which may result in significant additional expense and limit our ability to commercialize our products.
FDA and Equivalent Non-U.S. Regulatory Authorities
Our activities are subject to extensive regulation encompassing the entire life cycle of our products, from research and development activities to marketing approval (including specific post-marketing obligations), manufacturing, labeling, packaging, adverse event and safety reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, sale, pricing and reimbursement, recordkeeping, distribution, importing and exporting. These requirements apply both to us and to third parties we contract with to perform services and supply us with products. The failure by us or any of our third party partners, including our corporate development and collaboration partners, clinical trial sites, suppliers, distributors and our central pharmacy for Xyrem, to comply with
applicable requirements could subject us to administrative or judicial sanctions or other negative consequences, such as delays in approval or refusal to approve a product candidate, restrictions on our products, our suppliers, our other partners or us, the withdrawal, suspension or variation of product approval or manufacturing authorizations, untitled letters, warning letters, fines and other monetary penalties, unanticipated expenditures, product recall, withdrawal or seizure, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, interruption of manufacturing or clinical trials, operating restrictions, injunctions, suspension of licenses, civil penalties and/or criminal prosecution, any of which could result in a significant drop in our revenues from the affected products and harm to our reputation and could have a significant impact on our sales, business and financial condition.
We monitor adverse events resulting from the use of our products, as do the regulatory authorities, and we file periodic reports with the authorities concerning adverse events. The authorities review these events and reports, and if they determine
that any events and/or reports indicate a trend or signal, they can require a change in a product label, restrict sales and marketing and/or require or conduct other actions, potentially including variation, withdrawal or suspension of the product from the market,marketing authorization, any of which could result in reduced market acceptance and demand for our products, could harm our reputation and our ability to market our products in the future, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. The FDA and the competent authorities of the EU member states on behalf of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, also periodically inspect our records related to safety reporting. Following such inspections, the FDA may issue notices on FDA Form 483 and warning letters that could cause us to modify certain activities. The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee may propose to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use that the marketing authorization holder be required to take specific steps or advise that the existing marketing authorization be varied, suspended or revoked. Failure to adequately and promptly correct the observation(s) can result in further regulatory enforcement action, which could include the variation, suspension or withdrawal of marketing authorization or imposition of financial penalties or other enforcement measures. The failure to adequately address and promptly correct any matters identified by the FDA or other regulatory agencies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Erwinase,Erwinaze, defibrotide and Vyxeos are available on a named patient basis or through a compassionate use process in many countries where they are not commercially available. If any such country’s regulatory authorities determine that we are promoting such products without proper authorization, we could be found to be in violation of pharmaceutical advertising laws or the regulations permitting sales under named patient programs. In that case, we may be subject to financial or other penalties. Moreover, anyAny failure to maintain revenues from sales of Erwinase,Erwinaze, defibrotide and/or Vyxeos on a named patient basis and/or to generate revenues from commercial sales of these products exceeding historical sales on a named patient basis could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
The FDA, the competent authorities of the EU member states and other governmental authorities require advertising and promotional labelingmaterials to be truthful and not misleading, and products to be marketed only for their approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. Regulatory authorities actively investigate allegations of off-label promotion in order to enforce regulations prohibiting these types of activities. IfA determination that we are found to have promoted an approved product for off-label uses we may becould subject us to significant liability, including civil and administrative financial penalties and other remedies as well as criminal financial penalties, other sanctions and imprisonment. Even if we are not determined to have engaged in off-label promotion, an allegation that we have engaged in such activities could have a significant impact on our sales, business and financial condition. The U.S. government has also required companies to enter into complex corporate integrity agreements and/or non-prosecution agreements that impose significant reporting and other burdens on the affected companies. Failure to maintain a comprehensive and effective compliance program, and to integrate the operations of acquired businesses into a combined comprehensive and effective compliance program on a timely basis, could subject us to a range of regulatory actions and/or civil or criminal penalties that could affect our ability to commercialize our products and could harm or prevent sales of the affected products, or could substantially increase the costs and expenses of commercializing and marketing our products.
In the EU, the advertising and promotion of our products are also subject to EU member states’ laws governing promotion of medicinal products, including limitations on our promotional activities with health care professionals, advertising and promotion of our products to the general public, misleading and comparative advertising and unfair commercial practices. Violations of the rules governing the promotion of medicinal products in the EU could be penalized by administrative measures, fines and imprisonment. These laws may also impose limitations on our promotional activities with health care professionals.
Other Regulatory Authorities
We are also subject to regulation by other regional, national, state and local agencies, including the DEA, the DOJ, the FTC, the United States Department of Commerce, the Office of Inspector General or OIG, of the HHSU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG, and other regulatory bodies, as well as similar governmental authorities in those non-U.S. countries in which we commercialize our products.
We are subject to numerous anti-fraudfraud and abuse laws and regulations globally and our sales, marketing, patient support and medical activities may be subject to scrutiny under these laws and regulations. For example, the U.S. federal anti-kickback statute is broad and activities that involve providing anythingThese laws are described in “Business—Government Regulation” in Part I, Item 1 of value to those who prescribe, purchase, or recommend pharmaceutical products may be subject to scrutiny. Although there are a number of statutory exemptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain common manufacturer business arrangements and activities, the exemptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly, and practices or arrangements that involve remuneration may be subject to scrutiny if they do not clearly qualify for an exemption or safe harbor.this Annual Report on Form 10-K. While we maintain a comprehensive compliance program to try to ensure that our practices and the activities of our third-party contractors and employees fall within the scope of suchavailable statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors, regulators and enforcement agencies may disagree with our assessment or find fault with the conduct of our employees or contractors. In addition, existing regulations are subject to regulatory revision or changes in interpretation by the DOJ or OIG. Violations of the federal anti-kickback statute may be punished by civil and criminal fines, imprisonment, and/or exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs.
The federal civil False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, making a fraudulent claim for payment of federal funds or a false statement to get a false claim paid. The government may assert that a claim resulting from a violation of the federal anti-kickback statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim under the False Claims Act. Many companies have faced government investigations or lawsuits by whistleblowers who bring a qui tam action under the False Claims Act on behalf of themselves and the government for a variety of alleged improper marketing activities,
including providing free product to customers expecting that the customers would bill federal programs for the product, providing consulting fees, grants, free travel and other benefits to physicians to induce them to prescribe the company’s products, and inflating prices reported to private price publication services, which are used to set drug reimbursement rates under government healthcare programs. In addition, the government and private whistleblowers have pursued False Claims Act cases against pharmaceutical companies for causing false claims to be submitted as a result of the marketing of their products for unapproved uses. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies also are subject to other federal false claim laws, including federal criminal healthcare fraud and false statement statutes that extend to non-government health benefit programs. If we become the subject of a government False Claims Act or other investigation or whistleblower suit, we could incur substantial legal costs (including settlement costs) and business disruption responding to such investigation or suit, regardless of the outcome. Violations of
Public reporting under the False Claims Act may result in significant financial penalties (on a per claim or statement basis), treble damages and exclusion from participation in federal health care programs.
The majority of individual states also have statutes or regulations similar to the federal anti-kickback law and the False Claims Act, which apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs, or, in several states, apply regardless of the payor.
The Physician Payment Sunshine Act, or Sunshine, provisions currently requires us to track and report toother similar state laws, the federal government payments and transfersrequirements of value that we make to physicians and teaching hospitals and ownership interests held by physicians and their family, and provides for public disclosureswhich are discussed in “Business—Government Regulation” in Part I, Item 1 of these data. Public reporting under the Sunshine provisionsthis Annual Report on Form 10-K, has resulted in increased scrutiny of the financial relationships between industry, teaching hospitals, physicians and physicians.other healthcare providers. Such scrutiny may negatively impact our ability to engage with physicians on matters of importance to us. In addition, government agencies and private entities may inquire about our marketing practices or pursue other enforcement activities based on the disclosures in those public reports. For example, certain states require pharmaceutical companies to report expenses relating to the marketing and promotion of pharmaceutical products and gifts and payments to individual physicians, and/or restrict when and to what extent pharmaceutical companies may provide meals to prescribers or engage in other marketing related activities. If the data reflected in our reports are found to be in violation of any of the Sunshine provisions or any other U.S. federal, state or local laws or regulations that may apply, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the Sunshine provisions or similar requirements of state or local regulators, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages or fines.
Outside the U.S., interactions between pharmaceutical companies and physicians are also governed by strict laws, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. The provision of benefits or advantages to physicians to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products, which is prohibited in the EU, is governed by the national anti-bribery laws of the EU member states, as described below. Violation of these laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment. Certain EU member states require that payments made to physicians be publicly disclosed. Moreover, agreements with physicians must often be the subject of prior notification and approval by the physician’s employer, his/her competent professional organization, and/or the competent authorities of the individual EU member states. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
Xyrem is a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act, or CSA. Our suppliers, distributors, clinical sites and the central pharmacy for Xyrem are subject to DEA and state regulations relating to manufacturing, storage, distribution and physician prescription procedures, including limitations on prescription refills, and are required to maintain DEA registration and state licenses, when handling Xyrem and its API. The DEA periodically inspects facilities for compliance with its rules and regulations. Failure to comply with current and future regulations of the DEA, relevant state authorities or any comparable international requirements could lead to a variety of sanctions, including revocation or denial of renewal of DEA registrations, fines, injunctions, or civil or criminal penalties, could result in, among other things, additional operating costs to us or delays in shipments outside or into the U.S. and could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition. DEA quotas are required for any U.S. supplier to manufacture sodium oxybate or Xyrem. New oxybate market entrants, including generic products, may impact the amount of quota available in the U.S., and if, our suppliers cannot obtain the quotas that are needed on a timely basis, or at all, our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
We expect that solriamfetol will be subject to scheduling review under the CSA before it can be commercially launched. For a further discussion on controlled substance regulations, see the discussion under the heading “Business—Government
Regulation—Other Post-Approval Pharmaceutical Product Regulation—Controlled Substance Regulations” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We have various programs to help patients access our products, including patient assistance programs, which include co-pay coupons for certain of our products, services thatassistance to help patients determine their insurance coverage for our products, and a free product program. Co-pay coupon programs for commercially insured patients, including our program for Xyrem, have received negative publicity related to allegations regarding their use to promote branded pharmaceutical products over other less costly alternatives. In the past, payors brought class action lawsuits challenging the legality of manufacturer co-pay programs under a variety of federal and state laws and insurers have taken actions through their network pharmacies and PBMs to restrict manufacturer co-pay programs. In September 2014, the OIG issued a Special Advisory Bulletin warning manufacturers that they may be subject to sanctions under the federal anti-kickback statuteAnti-Kickback Statute and other laws if they do not take appropriate steps to exclude Medicare Part D beneficiaries from using co-pay coupons. It is possible that changes in insurer policies regarding co-pay coupons and/or the introduction and enactment of new legislation or regulatory action could restrict or otherwise negatively affect these patient support programs, which could result in fewer patients using affected products, including Xyrem, and therefore could have a material adverse effect on our sales, business and financial condition.
We have established programs to consider grant applications submitted by independent charitable organizations, including organizations that provide co-pay support to patients who suffer from the diseases treated by our drugs. The OIG has established guidelines that suggest that it is lawfulissued guidance for how pharmaceutical manufacturers tocan lawfully make donations to charitable organizations who provide co-pay assistance to Medicare patients, provided that such organizations, among other things, are bona fide charities, are entirely independent of and not controlled by the manufacturer, provide aid to applicants on a first-come basis according to consistent financial criteria, and do not link aid to use of a donor’s product. IfAlthough we have structured our programs to follow available guidance, if we or our vendors or donation recipients are deemed to fail to comply with relevant laws, regulations or evolving government guidance in the operation of these programs, such facts could be used as the basis for an enforcement action against us by the federal government.government or other enforcement agencies or private litigants.
In 2016 and 2017, we received subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts requesting documents related to our support of charitable organizations that provide financial assistance to Medicare patients. In April 2018,2019, we reached anfinalized our civil settlement agreement in principle with the DOJ on a proposal for a civil settlement of potential claims by the DOJ in the amount of $57.0 million, subject to accrual of interest on the settlement amount from the date of the agreement in principle, negotiation of a definitive settlement agreement and other contingencies. We expect any such settlement will involve entryOIG, and entered into a corporate integrity agreement which will impose significant costsrequiring us to maintain our ongoing corporate compliance program and operational burdens on our business. Moreover,obligating us to implement or continue, as applicable, a failure to comply withset of defined corporate integrity activities for a period of five years from the termseffective date of the corporate integrity agreement. In the event of a breach of the corporate integrity agreement, we could result in monetarybecome liable for payment of certain stipulated penalties or a reduction or elimination of coverage for our products by federal health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and state health care programs. If we do not reach a final settlement, or if we are unable to successfully negotiate and enter into a corporate integrity agreement, the outcome of this investigation could include an enforcement action against us. If the federal government were to file an enforcement action against us as a result of the investigation and could establish the elements of a violation of relevant laws, we could be subject to damages, fines and penalties, which could be substantial, along with other criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusionexcluded from participation in federal health care programs. Weprograms, which would expect to incur significant costs in connection with any enforcement action, regardless of the outcome.have a material adverse effect on our sales, business and financial condition.
We may also become subject to similar investigations by other state or federal governmental agencies or offices. Any additional investigationsoffices of our patient assistance programs or other business practices, maywhich could result in damages, fines, penalties or other criminal, civil or administrative sanctions or enforcement actions. Such investigations may also result inactions, as well as negative publicity, or other negative actions that could harm our reputation, impact our business practices, reducereduction in demand for, or patient access to, our products and/or reduce coverage of our products, including by federal health care programs and state health care programs. If any or all of these events occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price could be materially and adversely affected.
Our business activities outside of the U.S. are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we operate, including the UK Bribery Act of 2010, or the UK Bribery Act. Our heavily regulated business involves significant interaction with public officials, including officials of non-U.S. governments. Additionally, inIn certain countries, the health care providers who prescribe pharmaceuticals are employed by their government and the purchasers of pharmaceuticals are government entities; therefore, our dealings with these prescribers and purchasers may be subject to regulation under the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act. Recently the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, or SEC, and the DOJ have increased their FCPA enforcement activities with respect to pharmaceutical companies. In addition, under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, private individuals who report original information to the SEC that leads to successful enforcement actions may be eligible for a monetary award. There is no certainty that all employees and third party business partners (includingViolation of these laws by us or our distributors, wholesalers, agents, contractors, and other partners) will comply with anti-bribery laws. In particular, we do not control the actions of suppliers and other third party agents althoughfor which we may be liable for their actions. Violation of these laws may result
in civil or criminal sanctions, which could include monetary fines, criminal penalties, and disgorgement of past profits, which could have a material adverse impact on our business and financial condition.
Outside the U.S., interactions between pharmaceutical companies and physicians are also governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
Xyrem and Sunosi are controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act. Our suppliers, distributors, clinical sites and prescribers, as well as retail pharmacies for Sunosi and the central pharmacy for Xyrem, are subject to DEA and state regulations relating to manufacturing, storage, distribution and physician prescription procedures, including limitations on prescription refills, and are required to maintain DEA registration and state licenses, when handling these drugs and their APIs. The DEA periodically inspects facilities for compliance with its rules and regulations. Failure to comply with current and future regulations of the DEA, relevant state authorities or any comparable international requirements could lead to a variety of sanctions, including revocation or denial of renewal of DEA registrations, fines, injunctions, or civil or criminal penalties, could result in, among other things, additional operating costs to us or delays in shipments outside or into the U.S. and could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We are also subject to data protection and privacy laws and regulations governing the processing of personal data. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data security continues to evolve, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data security issues which may affectIf we or our business. Failurethird party partners fail to comply with currentapplicable data protection and futureprivacy laws and regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation that became effective in May 2018 and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 that will become effective beginning January 2020,we could result inbe subject to government enforcement actions (including the imposition ofand significant penalties),penalties against us, criminal and civil liability for us and our officers and directors, private litigation and/or adverse publicity that negatively affects our business. If we or our vendors fail to comply with applicable data privacy laws, or if the legal mechanisms we or our vendors rely upon for the transfer of personal data are ever deemed inadequate, we could be subject to government enforcement actions and significant penalties against us, andpublicity. In addition, our business could be adversely impacted if our ability to transfer personal data outside of the European Economic Area or Switzerland is restricted, which could adversely impact our operating results. In addition, although we are not directly subject to privacy and security requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HIPAA, other than with respect to providing certain employee benefits, we potentially could be subject to criminal penalties if we, our affiliates or our agents knowingly obtain or disclose individually identifiable health information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA.
Under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, agreements between branded pharmaceutical companies and potential generic competitors settling patent litigation must be submitted to the FTC and the DOJ for review. The FTC has publicly stated that, in its view, certain brand-generic settlement agreements violate the antitrust laws and has brought actions against some companies that have entered into such agreements. In particular, the FTC has expressed its intention to take aggressive action to challenge settlements that include an alleged transfer of value from the brand company to the generic company (so-called “pay for delay” patent litigation settlements) and to call on legislators to pass stronger laws prohibiting such settlements. Because there is currently no precise legal standard with respect to the lawfulness of such settlements, there could be extensive litigation over whether any settlement that we have entered into or might enter into in the future constitutes a reasonable and lawful patent settlement. We may receive formal or informal requests from the FTC regarding our Xyrem patent settlements, and there is a risk that the FTC may commence a formal investigation or action against us, or a third party may initiate civil litigation regarding such settlements, which could divert the attention of management and cause us to incur significant costs, regardless of the outcome. We cannot predict the outcome of any potential government investigation of any antitrust claims, including those described above, or the impact of any such claims.
In addition to those described in this and other risk factors, numerous federal, state and non-U.S. statutes and regulations govern the research, development, manufacturing and commercial activities relating to prescription pharmaceutical products, including preclinical testing, approval, production, labeling, sale, distribution, import, export, post-market surveillance, advertising, dissemination of information, promotion, marketing, and pricing to government purchasers and government healthcare programs. Any claim or finding that we or our business partners have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations could be costly to us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines.fines, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Our reporting and payment obligations underWe participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, the 340B program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, pricing program, the Tricare Retail Pharmacy program, and other governmentalhave obligations to report the average sales price for certain of our drugs to the Medicare program. All of these programs are described in more detail under the heading “Business—Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Government and Private Payors and Patient Access” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our failure to comply with these obligations could negatively impact our financial results.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, issued a final regulation, which became effective on April 1, 2016, to implement the changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program under the Healthcare Reform Act. The issuance of the final regulation, as well as any other regulations and coverage expansion by various governmental agencies relating to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, has increased and will continue to increase our costs and the complexity of compliance, has been and will continue to be time-consuming to implement, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, particularly if CMS challenges the approach we take in our implementation of the final regulation.
We also participate in the 340B program, which is described in more detail under the heading “Business—Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Government and Private Payors and Patient Access” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, issued a final regulation regarding the calculation of the 340B ceiling price and the imposition of civil monetary penalties on manufacturers that knowingly and intentionally
overcharge covered entities, which became effective on January 1, 2019. Implementation of this regulation could affect our obligations and potential liability under the 340B program in ways we cannot anticipate. HRSA also began to implement a ceiling price reporting requirement related to the 340B program during the first quarter of 2019. There is no guarantee that our submissions will not be found by HRSA to be incomplete or incorrect. In addition, legislation may be introduced that, if passed, would further expand the 340B program to additional covered entities or would require participating manufacturers to agree to provide 340B discounted pricing on drugs used in an inpatient setting.
We have obligations to report the average sales price for certain of our drugs to the Medicare program, as described in more detail under the heading “Business—Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Government and Private Payors and Patient Access” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Statutory or regulatory changes or CMS guidance could affect the average sales price calculations for our products and the resulting Medicare payment rate, and could negatively impact our results of operations.
Pricing and rebate calculations vary across products and programs, are complex, and are often subject to interpretation by us, governmental or regulatory agencies and the courts.courts, which can change and evolve over time. In the case of our Medicaid pricing data, if we become aware that our reporting for a prior quarter was incorrect, or has changed as a result of recalculation of the pricing data, we are obligated to resubmit the corrected data for up to three years after those data originally were due. Such restatements and recalculations increase our costs for complying with the laws and regulations governing the Medicaid Drug Rebate program and could result in an overage or underage in our rebate liability for past quarters. Price recalculations also may affect the ceiling price at which we are required to offer our products under the 340B program.
Civil monetary penalties can be applied if we are found to have knowingly submitted any false price or product information to the government, if we are found to have made a misrepresentation in the reporting of our average sales price, or if we fail to submit the required price data on a timely basis, or if we are found to have charged 340B covered entities more than the statutorily mandated ceiling price. Such conductCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, could also could be grounds for CMSdecide to terminate our Medicaid drug rebate agreement, in which case federal payments may not be available under Medicaid or Medicare Part B for our covered outpatient drugs. There is no guarantee that
Our failure to comply with our submissionsreporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program and other governmental programs could negatively impact our financial results. CMS issued a final regulation, which became effective on April 1, 2016, to implement the changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program under the Healthcare Reform Act. The issuance of the final regulation, as well as any other regulations and coverage expansion by various governmental agencies relating to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, has increased and will not be found by CMScontinue to increase our costs and the complexity of
compliance, has been and will continue to be incompletetime-consuming to implement, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, particularly if CMS challenges the approach we take in our implementation of the final regulation.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, or incorrect.HRSA, issued a final regulation regarding the calculation of the 340B ceiling price and the imposition of civil monetary penalties on manufacturers that knowingly and intentionally overcharge covered entities, which became effective on January 1, 2019. Implementation of this regulation could affect our obligations and potential liability under the 340B program in ways we cannot anticipate. We are also required to report the 340B ceiling prices for our covered outpatient drugs to HRSA, which then publishes them to 340B covered entities. Any charge by HRSA that we have violated the requirements of the program or the regulation could negatively impact our financial results. Further, any additional future changes to the definition of average manufacturer price and the Medicaid rebate amount under the Healthcare Reform Act or otherwise could affect our 340B ceiling price calculations and negatively impact our results of operations.
We participate inhave obligations to report the U.S. Departmentaverage sales price for certain of Veterans Affairs, Federal Supply Schedule,our drugs to the Medicare program. Statutory or FSS, pricing programregulatory changes or CMS guidance could affect the average sales price calculations for our products and the Tricare Retail Pharmacy program, as described in more detail under the heading “Business—Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement by Governmentresulting Medicare payment rate, and Private Payors and Patient Access” in Part I, Item 1Acould negatively impact our results of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. operations.
Pursuant to applicable law, knowing provision of false information in connection with price reporting under thesethe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FSS or Tricare Retail Pharmacy, or Tricare, programs can subject a manufacturer to civil monetary penalties. These program obligations also contain extensive disclosure and certification requirements.
If we overcharge the government in connection with our arrangements with FSS or Tricare, we are required to refund the difference to the government. Failure to make necessary disclosures and/or to identify contract overcharges can result in allegations against us under the False Claims Act and other laws and regulations. Unexpected refunds to the government, and responding to a government investigation or enforcement action, would be expensive and time-consuming, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Our business and operations could be negatively affected if we become subject to shareholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of our business strategy and impact our stock price.
Shareholder activism, which takes many forms and arises in a variety of situations, has been increasingly prevalent. If we become the subject of certain forms of shareholder activism, such as proxy contests, the attention of our management and our board of directors may be diverted from execution of our strategy. Such shareholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future strategy, adversely affect our relationships with business partners and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. Also, we may incur substantial costs, including significant legal fees and other expenses, related to activist shareholder matters. Our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any shareholder activism.
Product liability and product recalls could harm our business.
The development, manufacture, testing, marketing and sale of pharmaceutical products are associated with significant risks of product liability claims or recalls. Side effects or adverse events known or reported to be associated with, or manufacturing defects in, the products sold by us could exacerbate a patient’s condition, or could result in serious injury or impairment or even death. This could result in product liability claims against us and/or recalls of one or more of our products. In many countries, including in EU member states, national laws provide for strict (no-fault) liability which applies even where damages are caused both by a defect in a product and by the act or omission of a third party.
Product liability insurance coverage is expensive, can be difficult to obtain and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. Our product liability insurance may not cover all of the future liabilities we might incur in connection with the development, manufacture or sale of our products. In addition, we may not continue to be able to obtain
insurance on satisfactory terms or in adequate amounts. A successful claim or claims brought against us in excess of available insurance coverage could subject us to significant liabilities and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Such claims could also harm our reputation and the reputation of our products, adversely affecting our ability to market our products successfully. In addition, defending a product liability lawsuit is expensive and can divert the attention of key employees from operating our business.
Product recalls may be issued at our discretion or at the discretion of our suppliers, government agencies and other entities that have regulatory authority for pharmaceutical sales. Any recall of our products could materially adversely affect our business by rendering us unable to sell that product for some time and by adversely affecting our reputation. A recall could also result in product liability claims by individuals and third party payors. In addition, product liability claims could result in an investigation of the safety or efficacy of our products, our manufacturing processes and facilities, or our marketing programs conducted by the FDA, the EMA or the competent authorities of the EU member states. Such investigations could also potentially lead to a recall of our products or more serious enforcement actions, limitations on the therapeutic indications for which they may be used, or suspension, variation, or withdrawal of approval. Any such regulatory action by the FDA, the EC or the competent authorities of the EU member states could lead to product liability lawsuits as well.
Product liability insurance coverage is expensive, can be difficult to obtain and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. Our product liability insurance may not cover all of the future liabilities we might incur in connection with the development, manufacture or sale of our products. A successful claim or claims brought against us in excess of available insurance coverage could subject us to significant liabilities and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Such claims could also harm our reputation and the reputation of our products, adversely affecting our ability to market our products successfully.
We use hazardous materials in our manufacturing facilities, and any claims relating to the improper handling, storage, release or disposal of these materials could be time-consuming and expensive.
Our operations are subject to complex and increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the countries where we operate and, in particular, in Italy and Ireland where we have manufacturing facilities. Environmental and health and safety authorities in Italy and Ireland administer laws governing, among other matters, the emission of pollutants into the air (including the workplace), the discharge of pollutants into bodies of water, the storage, use, handling and disposal of hazardous substances, the exposure of persons to hazardous substances, and the general health, safety and welfare of employees and members of the public. Our manufacturing facilities are involved in the controlled storage, use and disposal of chemicals and solvents. Even if our safety procedures for handling and disposing of these hazardous materials comply with the standards prescribed by EU laws, we cannot completely eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from hazardous materials. If an accident or contamination involving pollutants or hazardous substances occurs, an injured party could seek to hold us liable for any damages that result and any liability could exceed the limits or fall outside the coverage of our insurance. We may not be able to maintain insurance with sufficient coverage on acceptable terms, or at all. In certain cases, laws may impose strict liability for pollution of the environment and contamination resulting from spills, disposals or other releases of hazardous substances or waste or any migration of such hazardous substances or waste. Costs, damages and/or fines may result from the presence, investigation and remediation of such contamination at properties currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by us or at off-site locations, including where we have arranged for the disposal of hazardous substances or waste. In addition, we may be subject to third party claims, including for natural resource damages, personal injury and property damage, in connection with such contamination.
We may incur significant costs to comply with current or future EU environmental laws.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Results
We have incurred substantial debt, which could impair our flexibility and access to capital and adversely affect our financial position.position, and our business would be adversely affected if we are unable to service our debt obligations.
As of December 31, 2018,2019, we had total indebtedness of approximately $1.8 billion, which included $651.0 million in outstanding term loanbillion. Our substantial indebtedness under a secured credit agreement that we entered into in June 2015 and subsequently amended in July 2016 and in June 2018, which we refer to as the amended credit agreement, $575.0 million of outstanding indebtedness under our 1.875% exchangeable senior notes due 2021, or the 2021 Notes, which were issued in August 2014, and $575.0 million of outstanding indebtedness under our 1.50% exchangeable senior notes due 2024, or the 2024 Notes, which were issued in August 2017 and which we refer to, together with the 2021 Notes, as the Exchangeable Senior Notes.
Our debt may:
limit our ability to borrow additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general business purposes;
limit our ability to use our cash flow or obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, investments or other general business purposes;
require us to use a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make debt service payments;
limit our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business and industry;industry, or our ability to take specified actions to take advantage of certain business opportunities that may be presented to us;
result in dilution to our existing shareholders in the event exchanges of the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes are settled in our ordinary shares;
place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our less leveraged competitors; and
increase our vulnerability to the impact of adverse economic and industry conditions.
Our ability to meet our debt service obligations will depend on our future performance, which will be subject to financial, business and other factors affecting our operations, many of which are beyond our control. If we do not have sufficient funds to meet our debt service obligations, we may be required to refinance or restructure all or part of our existing debt, sell assets, borrow more money or sell securities, none of which we can assure you that we would be able to do in a timely manner, or at all.
Covenants in our amended credit agreement restrict our business and operations in many ways and if we do not effectively manage our covenants, our financial conditions and results of operations could be adversely affected.
The amended credit agreement provides for a $667.7 million principal amount term loan due in June 2023 and a $1.6 billion revolving credit facility, with any loans under such revolving credit facility due in June 2023, subject to early mandatory repayments under certain circumstances. The amended credit agreement contains various covenants that, among other things, limit our ability and/or our restricted subsidiaries’ ability to:
incur or assume liens or additional debt or provide guarantees in respect of obligations of other persons;
issue redeemable preferred stock;
pay dividends or distributions or redeem or repurchase capital stock;
prepay, redeem or repurchase certain debt;
make loans, investments, acquisitions (including acquisitions of exclusive licenses) and capital expenditures;
enter into agreements that restrict distributions from our subsidiaries;
sell assets and capital stock of our subsidiaries;
enter into certain transactions with affiliates; and
consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of our assets to, another person.
The amended credit agreement also includes financial covenants that require us to maintain a maximum secured leverage ratio and a minimum interest coverage ratio. Our ability to comply with these financial covenants may be affected by events beyond our control. In addition, the covenants under the amended credit agreement could restrict our operations, particularly our ability to respond to changes in our business or to take specified actions to take advantage of certain business opportunities that may be presented to us. Our failure to comply with any of the covenants could result in a default under the amended credit agreement, which could permit the lenders to declare all or part of any outstanding borrowings to be immediately due and payable, or to refuse to permit additional borrowings under the revolving credit facility. A default under the amended credit agreement could also lead to a default under other debt agreements or obligations, including the indentures governing the Exchangeable Senior Notes.
In addition, the holders of the Exchangeable Senior Notes have the ability to require us to repurchase their notes for cash if we undergo certain fundamental changes, such as specified change of control transactions, our liquidation or dissolution, or the delisting of our ordinary shares from The Nasdaq Global Select Market. Moreover, upon exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes, unless we elect to deliver only our ordinary shares to settle such exchange, we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the Exchangeable Senior Notes. It is our intent and policy to settle the principal amount of the Exchangeable Senior Notes in cash upon exchange. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make any required repurchases of surrendered Exchangeable Senior Notes or to pay cash upon exchanges of the Exchangeable Senior Notes. Our failure to repurchase the Exchangeable Senior Notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the indentures governing the Exchangeable Senior Notes or to pay any cash payable on future exchanges of the Exchangeable Senior Notes as required by the indentures governing the Exchangeable Senior Notes would constitute a default under that indenture. A default under those indentures could also lead to a default under other debt agreements or obligations, including the amended credit agreement. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the related indebtedness, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and our business. In this regard, if we are unable to repay amounts under the amended credit agreement, the lenders under the amended credit agreement could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that debt, which would seriously harm our business.
We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our debt obligations.
Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our debt will depend on our future financial and operating performance, which is subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business and other factors beyond our control. We may be unable to maintain a level of positive cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal and interest on our debt.
If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our debt. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. In the absence of such cash flows and resources, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations. TheIn addition, if we are unable to repay amounts under our secured credit agreement that we entered into in June 2015 and subsequently amended, which we refer to as the amended credit agreement, restricts our ability to dispose of
assets, use the proceeds from any disposition of assets and refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to consummate or obtain proceeds from such dispositions, and any such proceeds may not be adequate to meet any debt service obligations then due.
In addition, our borrowingslenders under the amended credit agreement are,could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that debt, which would seriously harm our business.
Covenants in our amended credit agreement restrict our business and are expectedoperations in many ways and if we do not effectively manage our covenants, our financial conditions and results of operations could be adversely affected.
The amended credit agreement contains various covenants that, among other things, limit our ability and/or our restricted subsidiaries’ ability to:
incur or assume liens or additional debt or provide guarantees in respect of obligations of other persons;
pay dividends or distributions or redeem or repurchase capital stock;
prepay, redeem or repurchase certain debt;
make loans, investments, acquisitions (including acquisitions of exclusive licenses) and capital expenditures;
enter into agreements that restrict distributions from our subsidiaries;
sell assets and capital stock of our subsidiaries; and
consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of our assets to, continueanother person.
The amended credit agreement also includes certain financial covenants that require us to maintain a maximum secured leverage ratio and a minimum interest coverage ratio. Our failure to comply with any of the covenants could result in a default under the amended credit agreement, which could permit the lenders to declare all or part of any outstanding borrowings to be immediately due and payable, or to refuse to permit additional borrowings under the revolving credit facility. Moreover, our failure to repurchase our exchangeable senior notes at variable ratesa time when the repurchase is required by the indentures governing our exchangeable senior notes or to pay any cash payable on future exchanges of interest and expose usour exchangeable senior notes as required by those indentures would constitute a default under those indentures. A default under those indentures could also lead to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase,a default under other debt agreements or obligations, including the amended credit agreement. Likewise, a default under the amended
credit agreement could also lead to a default under other debt agreements or obligations, including the indentures governing our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even if the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income would decrease.exchangeable senior notes.
To continue to grow our business, we will need to commit substantial resources, which could result in future losses or otherwise limit our opportunities or affect our ability to operate and grow our business.
The scope of our business and operations has grown substantially since 2012, including through a series of transactions, including the business combination between Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.combinations and Azur Pharma Public Limited Company, which we refer to as the Azur Merger, and our acquisitions of EUSA Pharma Inc., Gentium S.r.l. and Celator Pharmaceuticals, Inc.acquisitions. To continue to grow our business over the longer term, we will needplan to commit substantial additional resources to our businessproduct acquisition and executionin-licensing, product development, clinical trials of our strategy. Our ongoing capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
the revenues from our commercial products, which may be affected by many factors, including the extent of competition for Xyrem or our other products;
the cost of acquiring and/or in-licensing any new productsproduct candidates and product candidates;
the costsexpansion of our commercial, operations;
the scope, rate of progress, results and costs of our development, and clinical activities;
the cost and timing of obtaining regulatory approvals and of compliance with laws and regulations;
the cost of preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing patent claimsmanufacturing and other intellectual property rights;
the cost of investigations, litigation and/or settlements related to regulatory oversight and third party claims;
the costs of integration activities related to any future strategic transactions we may engage in; and
the costs arising from changes in laws and regulations, including, for example, healthcare reform legislation.
Our strategy includes the expansion of our business through acquiring or in-licensing, and developing, additional products and product candidatesoperations. Acquisition opportunities that we believe are highly differentiatedpursue could materially affect our liquidity and have significant commercial potential. See capital resources and may require us to incur additional indebtedness, seek equity capital or both. In the risk factor under the heading “Weevent of adverse capital and credit market conditions, we may not be able to successfully identify and acquire or in-license additional products or product candidates to grow our business, and, even if we are able to do so, we may otherwise fail to realize the anticipated benefits of these acquisitions” in this Part I, Item 1A. We may be unable to expand our business if we do not have sufficient capital or cannot borrow or raise additional capital on attractive terms. Our substantial indebtedness may limitterms, or at all, which could prevent us from expanding our ability to borrow additional funds for acquisitions or to usebusiness and otherwise could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow or obtain additional financing for future acquisitions.business and growth prospects. In addition, if we use a substantial amount of our funds to acquire or in-license products or product candidates, we may not have sufficient additional funds to conduct all of our operations in the manner we would otherwise choose.
We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.
During the past several years, domestic and international financial markets have experienced extreme disruption from time to time, including, among other things, high volatility and significant variability in stock prices, which has caused uncertainty with regard to credit availability for many borrowers. We expect to opportunistically seek access to the capital and credit markets to supplement our existing cash balances, cash we expect to generate from operations and funds available under our revolving credit facility to satisfy our needs for working capital, capital expenditures and debt service requirements or to continue to grow our business over the longer term through product acquisition and in-licensing, product development and clinical trials of product candidates, and expansion of our commercial operations. In the event of adverse capital and credit market conditions, including as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU or as a result of tariffs and other trade restrictions potentially contributing to instability in the global financial markets, we may not be able to obtain capital market financing or credit on favorable terms, or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and growth prospects. Changes in our credit ratings issued by nationally recognized credit rating agencies could also adversely affect our cost of financing and have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
We have significant intangible assets and goodwill. Consequently, the future impairment of our intangible assets and goodwill may significantly impact our profitability.
Our intangible assets and goodwill are significant. As of December 31, 2018, we had recorded $3.7 billion of intangible assetssignificant and goodwill related to our past acquisitions. Intangible assets and goodwill are subject to an impairment analysis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. For example, in connection with entry into an asset purchase agreement in June 2018 to sell substantially all of the assets held by us related to Prialt® (ziconotide) intrathecal infusion, we recognized an impairment charge of $42.9 million in our consolidated statements of income in 2018, primarily related to the carrying balances of intangible assets. Additionally, goodwill and indefinite-lived assets are subject to an impairment test at least annually.
Events giving rise to impairment are an inherent risk in the pharmaceutical industry and cannot be predicted. Our results of operations and financial position in future periods could be negatively impacted should future impairments of intangible assets or goodwill occur.
Our financial results have been and may continue to be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
We have significant operations in Europe as well as in the U.S., but we report revenues, costs and earnings in U.S. dollars. Our primary currency translation exposure relates to our subsidiaries that have functional currencies denominated in the euro. Exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the euro have fluctuated and are likely to continue to fluctuate from period to period. Because our financial results are reported in U.S. dollars, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as the functional currency financial statements of non-U.S. subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars for reporting purposes. To the extent that revenue and expense transactions are not denominated in the functional currency, we are also subject to the risk of transaction losses. For example, because our Defitelio, Erwinase and ErwinaseVyxeos product sales outside of the U.S. and potential future sales of Vyxeos are or will be primarily denominated in the euro, our sales of those products have been and may continue to be adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. In this regard, when the U.S. dollar strengthens against a foreign currency, the relative value of sales made in the foreign currency decreases. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar weakens against a foreign currency, the relative value of such sales increases. Accordingly, increases in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies, primarily the euro, could adversely affect our foreign revenues, perhaps significantly. In addition, as we continue to expand our international operations, we will conduct more transactions in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, which could increase our foreign currency exchange risk. Given the volatility of exchange rates, as well as our expanding operations, there is no guarantee that we will be able to effectively manage currency transaction and/or translation risks. We userisks, which could adversely affect our operating results. Although we utilize foreign exchange forward contracts to manage currency risk primarily related to certain intercompany balances denominated in non-functional currencies. These foreign exchange forward contracts are not designated as hedges. Gains and losses on these derivative instruments are designedcurrencies, our efforts to offset gains and losses on the underlying balance sheet exposures. Fluctuations in foreignmanage currency exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Werisk may not be able to successfully maintainsuccessful.
Changes in our effective tax rates which could adversely affect our business and financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We are incorporated in Ireland and maintain subsidiaries in North America and a number of other foreign jurisdictions. As a result, our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various jurisdictions where we operate. Our effective tax rate may fluctuate depending on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the distribution of our profits or losses between the jurisdictions where we operate and changes to or differences in interpretation of tax laws. In addition, the tax laws of any jurisdiction in which we operate may change in the future, which could impact our effective tax rate. We are subject to reviews and audits by the U.S. Internal Revenue Services, or IRS, and other taxing authorities from time to time, and the IRS or other taxing authority may challenge our structure, transfer pricing arrangements and tax positions through an audit or lawsuit. Responding to or defending against challenges from taxing authorities could be expensive and consume time and other resources. If we are unsuccessful, we may be required to pay taxes for prior periods, interest, fines or penalties, and may be obligated to pay increased taxes in the future, any of which could require us to reduce our operating expenses, decrease efforts in support of our products or seek to raise additional funds. Any of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
In December 2015, we received proposed tax assessment notices, and, in October 2018, we received revised tax assessment notices from the French tax authorities for 2012 and 2013 and in December 2018, we received a proposed tax assessment notice for 2015, relating to certain transfer pricing adjustments. The notices propose additional French tax of approximately $43 million for 2012 and 2013 and approximately $4 million for 2015, including interest and penalties through the respective dates of the proposed assessments, translated at the foreign exchange rate at December 31, 2018. We disagree with the proposed assessments and are contesting them vigorously.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or U.S. Tax Act, was signed into law. The U.S. Tax Act made broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code. The U.S. Department of Treasury has issued limited regulations and other interpretive guidance under the U.S. Tax Act, and is expected to issue additional guidance, the impact of which is uncertain but could change the financial impacts that were recorded at December 31, 2018 or are expected to be recorded in future periods. Furthermore, the impact of this tax reform on certain holders of our ordinary shares could be adverse. Among other things, changes to the rules for determining a foreign corporation’s status as a controlled foreign corporation could have an adverse effect on U.S. persons who are treated as owning (directly or indirectly) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares. Investors should consult their own advisers regarding the potential application of these rules to their investments.
The IRS may not agree with the conclusion that we should be treated as a foreign corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes.
Although we are incorporated in Ireland, the IRS may assert that we should be treated as a U.S. corporation (and, therefore, a U.S. tax resident) for U.S. federal tax purposes pursuant to Section 7874 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, or the Code. For U.S. federal tax purposes, a corporation generally is considered a tax resident in the jurisdiction of its organization or incorporation. Because we are an Irish incorporated entity, we would be classified as a foreign corporation (and, therefore, a non-U.S. tax resident) under these rules. Section 7874 of the Code provides an exception under which a foreign incorporated entity may, in certain circumstances, be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes. Because we indirectly acquired all of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s assets through the acquisition of the shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. common
stock in the Azur Merger, the IRS could assert that we should be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes under Section 7874. The IRS continues to scrutinize transactions that are potentially subject to Section 7874, and has issued several sets of final and temporary regulations under Section 7874 since 2012. We do not expect these regulations to affect the U.S. tax consequences of the Azur Merger. Nevertheless, new statutory and/or regulatory provisions under Section 7874 of the Code or otherwise could be enacted that adversely affect our status as a foreign corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes, and any such provisions could have prospective or retroactive application to us, our shareholders, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and/or the Azur Merger.
Our U.S. affiliates’ ability to use their net operating losses to offset potential taxable income and related income taxes that would otherwise be due is limited under Section 7874 of the Code and could be subject to further limitations if we do not generate taxable income in a timely manner or if the “ownership change” provisions of Sections 382 and 383 of the Code result in further annual limitations.
Following certain acquisitions of a U.S. corporation by a foreign corporation, Section 7874 of the Code can limit the ability of the acquired U.S. corporation and its U.S. affiliates to utilize U.S. tax attributes such as net operating losses, or NOLs, to offset U.S. taxable income resulting from certain transactions. Based on the limited guidance available, this limitation applies to us. Our U.S. affiliates have a significant amount of NOLs. As a result of Section 7874 of the Code, after the Azur Merger, our U.S. affiliates have not been able and will continue to be unable, for a period of time, to utilize their U.S. tax attributes to offset their U.S. taxable income, if any, resulting from certain taxable transactions. While we expect to be able to fully utilize our U.S. affiliates’ U.S. NOLs prior to their expiration, as a result of this limitation, it may take our U.S. affiliates longer to use their NOLs.
Our ability to use these NOLs to offset potential future taxable income and related income taxes that would otherwise be due is also dependent upon our generation of future taxable income before the expiration dates of the NOLs, and we cannot predict with certainty when, or whether, our U.S. affiliates will generate sufficient taxable income to use all of the NOLs. In addition, the use of NOLs to offset potential future taxable income and related income taxes that would otherwise be due is subject to annual limitations under the “ownership change” provisions of Sections 382 and 383 of the Code and similar state provisions, which may result in the expiration of additional NOLs before future utilization.
Future changesChanges to the tax laws under which we expect to be treated as a foreign corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes or to other tax laws relating to multinational corporations could adversely affect us.
The U.S. Congress, the EU, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, and other government agencies in jurisdictions where we and our affiliates do business have had an extended focus on issues related to the taxation of multinational corporations. One example is the OECD’s initiative in the area of “base erosion and profit shifting,” where payments are made between affiliates from a jurisdiction with high tax rates to a jurisdiction with lower tax rates. Some countries are beginning to implement legislation and other guidance to align their international tax rules with the OECD’s recommendation. As a result of the focus on the taxation of multinational corporations, the tax laws in Ireland, the U.S. and other countries in which we and our affiliates do business could change on a prospective or retroactive basis, and any such changes could adversely affect us.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or U.S. Tax Act, was signed into law. The U.S. Tax Act made broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code. The U.S. Department of Treasury has issued limited regulations and other interpretive guidance under the U.S. Tax Act, and is expected to issue additional guidance, the impact of which is uncertain but could change the financial impacts that were previously recorded or are expected to be recorded in future periods. Furthermore, the impact of this tax reform on certain holders of our ordinary shares could be adverse. Among other things, changes to the rules for determining a foreign corporation’s status as a controlled foreign corporation could have an adverse effect on U.S. persons who are treated as owning (directly or indirectly) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares. Investors should consult their own advisers regarding the potential application of these rules to their investments.
A substantial portion of our indebtedness bears interest at variable interest rates based on USD LIBOR and certain of our financial contracts are also indexed to USD LIBOR. Changes in the method of determining LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate, may adversely affect interest rates on our current or future indebtedness and may otherwise adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority, the authority that regulates the London Inter-bank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, announced that it intended to stop compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. The Alternative Reference Rates Committee, or ARRC, in the U.S. has proposed that the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or SOFR, is the rate that represents best practice as the alternative to the U.S. dollar, or USD, LIBOR for use in derivatives and other financial contracts that are currently indexed to USD LIBOR. ARRC has proposed a paced market transition plan to SOFR from USD LIBOR and organizations are currently working on industry-wide and company-specific transition plans as relating to derivatives and cash markets exposed to USD LIBOR. We have certain financial contracts, including the amended credit agreement and our interest rate swaps, that are indexed to USD LIBOR. Changes in the method of determining LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative
reference rate, may adversely affect interest rates on our current or future indebtedness. Any transition process may involve, among other things, increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that rely on LIBOR, reductions in the value of certain instruments or the effectiveness of related transactions such as hedges, increased borrowing costs, uncertainty under applicable documentation, or difficult and costly consent processes. We are monitoring this activity and evaluating the related risks, and any such effects of theThe transition away from LIBOR may result in increased expenses, may impair our ability to refinance our indebtedness or hedge our exposure to floating rate instruments, or may result in
difficulties, complications or delays in connection with future financing efforts, any of which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares
The market price of our ordinary shares has been volatile and may continue to be volatile in the future, and the value of your investment could decline significantly.
The market price for our ordinary shares has fluctuated significantly from time to time for example, varying between a high of $184.00 on June 20, 2018 and a low of $113.52 on December 24, 2018 during 2018. The market price of our ordinary shares is likely to continue to be volatile and subject to significant price and volume fluctuations in response to market, industry and other factors, including the risk factors described above. The stock market in general, including the market for life sciences companies, has experienced extreme price and trading volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In particular, negative publicity regarding pricing and price increases by pharmaceutical companies has negatively impacted, and may continue to negatively impact, the market for life sciences companies. These broad market and industry factors have harmed, and in the future may seriously harm, the market price of our ordinary shares, regardless of our operating performance.
Our share price may be dependent upon 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, the market price of our ordinary shares could decline. Our ability to meet analysts’ forecasts, investors’ expectations and our financial guidance is substantially dependent on our ability to maintain or increase sales of our marketed products. The risks and uncertainties associated with our ability to maintain or increase sales of our products include those discussed elsewhere in these risk factors. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market or significant price decline, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
In addition, the market price of our ordinary shares may decline if the effects of our strategic transactions including the Celator Acquisition and/or potential future acquisitions, on our financial or operating results are not consistent with the expectations of financial analysts or investors. The market price of our ordinary shares could also be affected by possible sales of our ordinary shares by holders of the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes who may view the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes as a more attractive means of equity participation in our company and by hedging or arbitrage trading activity involving our ordinary shares by the holders of the Exchangeable Senior Notes.our exchangeable senior notes.
We are subject to Irish law, which differs from the laws in effect in the U.S. and may afford less protection to holders of our securities.
It may not be possible to enforce court judgments obtained in the U.S. against us in Ireland based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal or state securities laws. In addition, there is some uncertainty as to whether the courts of Ireland would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal or state securities laws or hear actions against us or those persons based on those laws. We have been advised that the U.S. currently does not have a treaty with Ireland providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. Therefore, a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any U.S. federal or state court based on civil liability, whether or not based solely on U.S. federal or state securities laws, would not automatically be enforceable in Ireland.
As an Irish company, we are governed by the Irish Companies Act 2014, which differs in some material respects from laws generally applicable to U.S. corporations and shareholders, including, among others, differences relating to interested director and officer transactions, mergers, amalgamations and acquisitions, takeovers and shareholder lawsuits. Likewise, theThe duties of directors and officers of an Irish company are generally owed to the company only. Shareholders of Irish companies generally do not have a personal right of action against directors or officers of the company and may exercise such rights of action on behalf of the company only in limited circumstances. Accordingly, holders of our securities may have more difficulty protecting their interests than would holders of securities of a corporation incorporated in a U.S. jurisdiction.
Our articles of association, Irish law and the indentures governing the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes contain provisions that could delay or prevent a takeover of us by a third party.
Our articles of association could delay, defer or prevent a third party from acquiring us, despite the possible benefit to our shareholders, or otherwise adversely affect the price of our ordinary shares. For example, our articles of association:
impose advance notice requirements for shareholder proposals and nominations of directors to be considered at shareholder meetings;
stagger the terms of our board of directors into three classes;
require the approval of a supermajority of the voting power of the shares of our share capital entitled to vote generally at a meeting of shareholders to amend our articles of association; and
permit our board of directors to issue one or more series of preferred shares with rights and preferences, as our shareholders may determine by ordinary resolution.
In addition to our articles of association, several mandatory provisions of Irish law could prevent or delay an acquisition of us. For example, Irish law does not permit shareholders of an Irish public limited company to take action by written consent with less than unanimous consent, and the shareholder approval requirements for certain types of transactions differ from those in the U.S., and in some cases are greater, under Irish law. We are also subject to various provisions of Irish law relating to mandatory bids, voluntary bids, requirements to make a cash offer and minimum price requirements, as well as substantial acquisition rules and rules requiring the disclosure of interests in our shares in certain circumstances. Furthermore, the indentures governing the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes require us to repurchase the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes for cash if we undergo certain fundamental changes and, in certain circumstances, to increase the exchange rate for a holder of 2021 Notes or 2024 Notes.our exchangeable senior notes. A takeover of us may trigger the requirement that we purchase the Exchangeable Senior Notesour exchangeable senior notes and/or increase the exchange rate, which could make it more costly for a potential acquiror to engage in a business combination transaction with us.
These provisions, whether alone or together, may discourage potential takeover attempts, discourage bids for our ordinary shares at a premium over the market price or adversely affect the market price of, and the voting and other rights of the holders
of, our ordinary shares. These provisions, whether alone or together, could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for our shareholders to elect directors other than the candidates nominated by our board.
Future sales and issuances of our ordinary shares, securities convertible into our ordinary shares or rights to purchase ordinary shares or convertible securities could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our shareholders and could cause our share price to decline.
We expect to continue to opportunistically seek access to additional capital to license or acquire additional products, product candidates or companies to expand our operations or for general corporate purposes. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares, our shareholders may experience substantial dilution. We may sell ordinary shares, and we may sell convertible or exchangeable securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. If we sell such ordinary shares, convertible or exchangeable securities or other equity securities in subsequent transactions, existing shareholders may be materially diluted.
We have never declared or paid dividends on our capital stock and we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.
Other than funds we have allocated for the purposes of supporting our share repurchase program, we anticipate that we will retain all earnings, if any, to support our operations and our proprietary drug development programs, acquire or in-license additional products and product candidates, and pursue other opportunities. If we propose to pay dividends in the future, we mustWe do so in accordance with Irish law, which provides that distributions including dividend payments, share repurchases and redemptions be funded from ���distributable reserves.” In addition, our abilitynot currently plan to pay cash dividends on or repurchase our ordinary shares is restricted underin the terms of the amended credit agreement.foreseeable future. Any future determination as to the payment of dividends will, subject to Irish legal requirements, be at the sole discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, compliance with the terms of the amended credit agreement and other factors our board of directors deems relevant. Accordingly, holders of our ordinary shares must rely on increases in the trading price of their shares for returns on their investment in the foreseeable future. In addition, in the event that we pay a dividend on our ordinary shares, in certain circumstances, as an Irish tax resident company, some shareholders may be subject to withholding tax, which could adversely affect the price of our ordinary shares.
A transfer of our ordinary shares may be subject to Irish stamp duty.
In certain circumstances, the transfer of shares in an Irish incorporated company will be subject to Irish stamp duty, which is a legal obligation of the buyer. This duty is currently charged at the rate of 1.0% of the price paid or the market value of the shares acquired, if higher. Because our ordinary shares are traded on a recognized stock exchange in the U.S., an exemption from this stamp duty is available in respect of transfers by shareholders who hold our ordinary shares beneficially through brokers which in turn hold those shares through the Depository Trust Company, or DTC, to holders who also hold through DTC. However, a transfer by or to a record holder who holds our ordinary shares directly in his, her or its own name could be subject to this stamp duty. We, in our absolute discretion and insofar as the Irish Companies Act 2014 or any other applicable law permits, may, or may provide that a subsidiary of ours will, pay Irish stamp duty arising on a transfer of our ordinary shares on behalf of the transferee of such ordinary shares. If stamp duty resulting from the transfer of our ordinary shares which would otherwise be payable by the transferee is paid by us or any of our subsidiaries on behalf of the transferee, then in those circumstances, we will, on our behalf or on behalf of our subsidiary (as the case may be), be entitled to (i) seek reimbursement of the stamp duty from the transferee, (ii) set-off the stamp duty against any dividends payable to the transferee of those ordinary shares and (iii) claim a first and permanent lien on the ordinary shares on which stamp duty has been paid by us or our subsidiary for the amount of stamp duty paid. Our lien shall extend to all dividends paid on those ordinary shares.
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Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments |
There are no material unresolved written comments that were received from the SEC staff 180 days or more before the end of our 20182019 fiscal year relating to our periodic or current reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Our corporate headquarters are located in Dublin, Ireland, and our U.S. operations are located in Palo Alto, California, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ewing, New Jersey.
We lease approximately 45,000 square feet of office space in Dublin, Ireland. This lease expires in December 2036, with an option to terminate in December 2024 with no less than one year’s prior written notice and the payment of a termination fee, and a further option to terminate in December 2031 with no less than one year’s prior written notice. We own approximately 58,000 square foot of manufacturing and development facility in Athlone, Ireland, which is primarily used for the manufacture of Xyrem and development-stage products.
In Palo Alto, California, we occupy a total of approximately 143,000198,000 square feet of office space, 99,000 square feet of which is under a lease that expires in October 2029 orand has an option to terminate in October 2027 with no less than one year’s prior written notice and the Palo Alto Lease, and 44,000payment of a termination fee. The remaining 99,000 square feet of which is under a lease that expires in August 2019. We have an option to extend the term of the Palo Alto Lease twice for a period of five years eachJuly 2031 and an option to terminate in October 2027 with no less than one year’s prior written notice and the payment of a termination fee. In September 2017, we entered into an agreement to lease approximately 99,000 additional square feet of office space in Palo Alto, California. We expect to occupy this office space by the end of 2019. This lease has a term of 12 years from commencement, and we have an option to extend the termterms of the leaseboth leases twice for a period of five years each. We also have an option to terminate this lease in October 2029 with no less than one year’s prior written notice and the payment of a termination fee.
We occupy approximately 46,00060,000 square feet of office space in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under a lease that expires in April 2029, or the Philadelphia Lease. The Philadelphia Lease also provides for another 14,000 square feet, which we expect to occupy by the end of 2019. In addition, we have offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and elsewhere in Europe.2029. We occupy approximately 26,000 square feet of office space in Oxford, United Kingdom under a lease that expires in December 2027.April 2028. We own a manufacturing facility in Villa Guardia (Como), Italy, which is primarily used for the manufacture of Defitelio. The manufacturing facility is approximately 37,00045,000 square feet. We also lease approximately 34,000 square feet of office and laboratory space in Villa Guardia (Como), Italy under a lease that expires in December 2023. In addition, we have offices in Canada, France and elsewhere in Europe.
We believe that our existing properties are in good condition and suitable for the conduct of our business. As we continue to expand our operations, we may need to lease additional or alternative facilities.
The information requiredFrom time to be set forth under this Item 3time we are involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. We believe there is incorporated by reference to Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies—Legal Proceedingsno litigation pending that could have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our results of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.operations or financial condition.
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Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures. |
Not applicable.
PART II
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Item 5. | Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities |
Market Information
Our ordinary shares trade on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “JAZZ.”
Holders of Ordinary Shares
As of February 19, 2019,18, 2020, there were twothree holders of record of our ordinary shares. Because almost all of our ordinary shares are held by brokers, nominees and other institutions on behalf of shareholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of shareholders represented by these record holders.
Dividends
In 20182019 and 2017,2018, we did not declare or pay cash dividends on our common equity and we do not currently plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination as to the payment of dividends will, subject to Irish legal requirements, be at the sole discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, compliance with the terms of any current credit agreement and other factors our board of directors deems relevant.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
Except as previously reported in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, during the year ended December 31, 2018,2019, there were no unregistered sales of equity securities by us during the year ended December 31, 2018.2019.
Irish Law Matters
As we are an Irish incorporated company, the following matters of Irish law are relevant to the holders of our ordinary shares.
Irish Restrictions on Import and Export of Capital
Except as indicated below, there are no restrictions on non-residents of Ireland dealing in Irish domestic securities, which includes ordinary shares of Irish companies. Dividends and redemption proceeds also continue to be freely transferable to non-resident holders of such securities. The Financial Transfers Act, 1992 gives power to the Minister for Finance of Ireland to restrict financial transfers between Ireland and other countries and persons. Financial transfers are broadly defined and include all transfers that would be movements of capital or payments within the meaning of the treaties governing the member states of the European Union, or EU.Union. The acquisition or disposal of interests in shares issued by an Irish incorporated company and associated payments falls within this definition. In addition, dividends or payments on redemption or purchase of shares and payments on a liquidation of an Irish incorporated company would fall within this definition. At present the Financial Transfers Act, 1992 prohibits financial transfers involving the late Slobodan Milosevic and associated persons, Belarus, certain persons indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the late Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida, the Taliban of Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, Iraq, Côte d’Ivoire, Lebanon, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Somalia, Republic of Guinea, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Afghanistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, certain known terrorists and terrorist groups, countries that harbor certain terrorist groups and Ukraine without the prior permission of the Central Bank of Ireland.
Any transfer of, or payment in respect of, a share or interest in a share involving the government of any country that is currently the subject of United Nations sanctions, any person or body controlled by any of the foregoing, or by any person acting on behalf of the foregoing, may be subject to restrictions pursuant to such sanctions as implemented into Irish lawlaw.
Irish Taxes Applicable to U.S. Holders
WithholdingIrish Tax on Dividends. While we have no current plans to pay dividends, dividends on our ordinary shares would generally be subject to Irish Dividend Withholding Tax or DWT, at the standard rate of income tax (currently 20%25%), unless an exemption applies.
Dividends on our ordinary shares that are owned by residents of the U.S. and held beneficially through the Depositary Trust Company, or DTC, will not be subject to DWT provided that the address of the beneficial owner of the ordinary shares in the records of the broker is in the U.S.
Dividends on our ordinary shares that are owned by residents of the U.S. and held directly (outside of DTC) will not be subject to DWT provided that the shareholder has completed the appropriate Irish DWT form and this form remains valid. Such shareholders must provide the appropriate Irish DWT form to our transfer agent at least seven business days before the record date for the first dividend payment to which they are entitled.
If any shareholder who is resident in the U.S. receives a dividend subject to DWT, he or she should generally be able to make an application for a refund from the Irish Revenue Commissioners on the prescribed form.
While the U.S./Ireland Double Tax Treaty contains provisions regarding withholding, due to the wide scope of the exemptions from DWT available under Irish domestic law, it would generally be unnecessary for a U.S. resident shareholder to rely on the treaty provisions.
Income Tax on Dividends. Regardless of the availability of a DWT exemption, a shareholder who is neither resident nor ordinarily resident in Ireland generally has no additional liability to Irish income tax or to the universal social charge on a dividend from us unless that shareholder holds our ordinary shares through a branch or agency in Ireland through which a trade is carried on.
Irish Tax on Capital Gains. A shareholder who is neither resident nor ordinarily resident in Ireland and does not hold our ordinary shares in connection with a trade or business carried on by such shareholder in Ireland through a branch or agency should not be subject to Irish tax on capital gains on a disposal of our ordinary shares.
Capital Acquisitions Tax. Irish capital acquisitions tax, or CAT, is comprised principally of gift tax and inheritance tax. CAT could apply to a gift or inheritance of our ordinary shares irrespective of the place of residence, ordinary residence or domicile of the parties. This is because our ordinary shares are regarded as property situated in Ireland as our share register must be held in Ireland. The person who receives the gift or inheritance has primary liability for CAT.
CAT is levied at a rate of 33% above certain tax-free thresholds. The appropriate tax-free threshold is dependent upon (i) the relationship between the donor and the donee and (ii) the aggregation of the values of previous gifts and inheritances received by the donee from persons within the same category of relationship for CAT purposes. Gifts and inheritances passing between spouses are exempt from CAT. Our shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as to any tax consequences of holding our ordinary shares, including whether CAT is creditable or deductible in computing any domestic tax liabilities.
Stamp Duty. Irish stamp duty (if any) may become payable in respect of ordinary share transfers. However, a transfer of our ordinary shares from a seller who holds shares through Depository Trust Company, or DTC, to a buyer who holds the acquired shares through DTC will not be subject to Irish stamp duty. A transfer of our ordinary shares (i) by a seller who holds ordinary shares outside of DTC to any buyer or (ii) by a seller who holds the ordinary shares through DTC to a buyer who holds the acquired ordinary shares outside of DTC, may be subject to Irish stamp duty (currently at the rate of 1% of the price paid or the market value of the ordinary shares acquired, if greater). The person accountable for payment of stamp duty is the buyer or, in the case of a transfer by way of a gift or for less than market value, all parties to the transfer.
A shareholder who holds ordinary shares outside of DTC may transfer those ordinary shares into DTC without giving rise to Irish stamp duty provided that the shareholder would be the beneficial owner of the related book-entry interest in those ordinary shares recorded in the systems of DTC (and in exactly the same proportions) as a result of the transfer and at the time of the transfer into DTC there is no sale of those book-entry interests to a third party being contemplated by the shareholder. Similarly, a shareholder who holds ordinary shares through DTC may transfer those ordinary shares out of DTC without giving rise to Irish stamp duty provided that the shareholder would be the beneficial owner of the ordinary shares (and in exactly the same proportions) as a result of the transfer, and at the time of the transfer out of DTC there is no sale of those ordinary shares to a third party being contemplated by the shareholder. In order for the share registrar to be satisfied as to the application of this Irish stamp duty treatment where relevant, the shareholder must confirm to us that the shareholder would be the beneficial owner of the related book-entry interest in those ordinary shares recorded in the systems of DTC (and in exactly the same proportions) (or vice-versa) as a result of the transfer and there is no agreement being contemplated for the sale of the related book-entry interest or the ordinary shares or an interest in the ordinary shares, as the case may be, by the shareholder to a third party.
Performance Measurement Comparison (1)
The following graph shows the total shareholder return on the last day of each year of an investment of $100 in cash as if made on December 31, 20132014 in (i) our ordinary shares; (ii) the Nasdaq Composite Index; and (iii) the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index through December 31, 2018.2019. The shareholder return shown in the graph below is not necessarily indicative of future performance, and we do not make or endorse any predictions as to future shareholder returns.
COMPARISON OF FIVE YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN (2)
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(1) | 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 filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing. |
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(2) | Information used in the graph was obtained from Research Data Group, Inc. |
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table summarizes purchases of our ordinary shares made by or on behalf of us or any of our “affiliated purchasers” as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Exchange Act during each fiscal month during the three-month period ended December 31, 2018:2019:
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Total Number of Shares Purchased (1) | | Average Price Paid per Share (2) | | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (3) | | Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (4) |
October 1 - October 31, 2018 | 123,399 |
| | $ | 159.86 |
| | 123,000 |
| | $ | 86,074,483 |
|
November 1 - November 30, 2018 | 1,780,091 |
| | $ | 147.70 |
| | 1,780,091 |
| | $ | 143,189,015 |
|
December 1 - December 31, 2018 | 1,127,314 |
| | $ | 145.54 |
| | 1,127,314 |
| | $ | 379,137,805 |
|
Total | 3,030,804 |
| | $ | 147.39 |
| | 3,030,405 |
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|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Total Number of Shares Purchased (1) | | Average Price Paid per Share (2) | | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (3) | | Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (4) |
October 1 - October 31, 2019 | 57,300 |
| | $ | 122.96 |
| | 57,300 |
| | $ | 681,006,700 |
|
November 1 - November 30, 2019 | 555,852 |
| | $ | 136.45 |
| | 555,852 |
| | $ | 605,174,166 |
|
December 1 - December 31, 2019 | 183,345 |
| | $ | 149.49 |
| | 183,345 |
| | $ | 577,732,249 |
|
Total | 796,497 |
| | $ | 138.53 |
| | 796,497 |
| | |
_________________________
| |
(1) | This column includes ordinary shares that we reacquired in satisfaction of the exercise price of employee stock options upon exercise, but does not include ordinary shares that we withheld in order to satisfy minimum tax withholding requirements in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units. |
| |
(2) | Average price paid per share includes brokerage commissions. |
| |
(3) | The ordinary shares reported in this column above were purchased pursuant to our publicly announced share repurchase program. In November 2016, we announced that our board of directors authorized the use of up to $300 million to repurchase our ordinary shares. In November and December 2018, our board of directors increased the existing share repurchase program authorization by $320.0 million and $400.0 million, respectively, thereby increasing the total amount authorized for repurchase to $1.02 billion. This authorization has no expiration date.respectively. In October 2019, our board of |
directors authorized the additional repurchase of shares having an aggregate purchase price of up to $500.0 million, exclusive of any brokerage commissions. This authorization has no expiration date.
| |
(4) | The dollar amount shown represents, as of the end of each fiscal month, the approximate dollar value of ordinary shares that may yet be purchased under our publicly announced share repurchase program, exclusive of any brokerage commissions. As indicated in footnote (3), our board of directors increased the existing share repurchase program authorization in November and December 2018, and the amounts in this column give effect to those increases in the fiscal month approved. The timing and amount of repurchases will depend on a variety of factors, including the price of our ordinary shares, alternative investment opportunities, restrictions under our credit agreement, corporate and regulatory requirements and market conditions, and may be modified, suspended or otherwise discontinued at any time without prior notice. |
| |
Item 6. | Selected Financial Data |
The following selected consolidated financial data should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The selected consolidated financial data in this section is not intended to replace our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our future results.
We derived the consolidated statements of income data for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 2017 and 20162017 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 20182019 and 20172018 from the audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated statements of income data for the years ended December 31, 20152016 and 2014,2015, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2017, 2016 2015 and 20142015 are derived from audited consolidated financial statements not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.10‑K.
| | | Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, |
| 2018 | | 2017 | | 2016(1) | | 2015 | | 2014(2) | 2019 | | 2018 | | 2017 | | 2016(1) | | 2015 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (In thousands, except per share amounts) | (In thousands, except per share amounts) |
Consolidated Statements of Income Data: | Consolidated Statements of Income Data: | | | | | | | | | Consolidated Statements of Income Data: | | | | | | | | |
Revenues: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Product sales, net | $ | 1,869,473 |
| | $ | 1,601,399 |
| | $ | 1,477,261 |
| | $ | 1,316,819 |
| | $ | 1,162,716 |
| $ | 2,135,601 |
| | $ | 1,869,473 |
| | $ | 1,601,399 |
| | $ | 1,477,261 |
| | $ | 1,316,819 |
|
Royalties and contract revenues | 21,449 |
| | 17,294 |
| | 10,712 |
| | 7,984 |
| | 10,159 |
| 26,160 |
| | 21,449 |
| | 17,294 |
| | 10,712 |
| | 7,984 |
|
Total revenues | 1,890,922 |
| | 1,618,693 |
| | 1,487,973 |
| | 1,324,803 |
| | 1,172,875 |
| 2,161,761 |
| | 1,890,922 |
| | 1,618,693 |
| | 1,487,973 |
| | 1,324,803 |
|
Operating expenses: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cost of product sales (excluding amortization of intangible assets) | 121,544 |
| | 110,188 |
| | 105,386 |
| | 102,526 |
| | 117,418 |
| |
Cost of product sales (excluding amortization of acquired developed technologies) | | 127,930 |
| | 121,544 |
| | 110,188 |
| | 105,386 |
| | 102,526 |
|
Selling, general and administrative | 683,530 |
| | 544,156 |
| | 502,892 |
| | 449,119 |
| | 406,114 |
| 736,942 |
| | 683,530 |
| | 544,156 |
| | 502,892 |
| | 449,119 |
|
Research and development | 226,616 |
| | 198,442 |
| | 162,297 |
| | 135,253 |
| | 85,181 |
| 299,726 |
| | 226,616 |
| | 198,442 |
| | 162,297 |
| | 135,253 |
|
Intangible asset amortization | 201,498 |
| | 152,065 |
| | 101,994 |
| | 98,162 |
| | 126,584 |
| 354,814 |
| | 201,498 |
| | 152,065 |
| | 101,994 |
| | 98,162 |
|
Impairment charges | 42,896 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 31,523 |
| | 39,365 |
| — |
| | 42,896 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 31,523 |
|
Acquired in-process research and development | — |
| | 85,000 |
| | 23,750 |
| | — |
| | 202,626 |
| 109,975 |
| | — |
| | 85,000 |
| | 23,750 |
| | — |
|
Total operating expenses | 1,276,084 |
| | 1,089,851 |
| | 896,319 |
| | 816,583 |
| | 977,288 |
| 1,629,387 |
| | 1,276,084 |
| | 1,089,851 |
| | 896,319 |
| | 816,583 |
|
Income from operations | 614,838 |
| | 528,842 |
| | 591,654 |
| | 508,220 |
| | 195,587 |
| 532,374 |
| | 614,838 |
| | 528,842 |
| | 591,654 |
| | 508,220 |
|
Interest expense, net | (77,075 | ) | | (77,756 | ) | | (61,942 | ) | | (56,917 | ) | | (52,713 | ) | (72,261 | ) | | (77,075 | ) | | (77,756 | ) | | (61,942 | ) | | (56,917 | ) |
Foreign exchange gain (loss) | (6,875 | ) | | (9,969 | ) | | 3,372 |
| | 1,445 |
| | 8,683 |
| (5,811 | ) | | (6,875 | ) | | (9,969 | ) | | 3,372 |
| | 1,445 |
|
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt | (1,425 | ) | | — |
| | (638 | ) | | (16,815 | ) | | — |
| — |
| | (1,425 | ) | | — |
| | (638 | ) | | (16,815 | ) |
Income before income tax provision (benefit) and equity in loss of investees | 529,463 |
| | 441,117 |
| | 532,446 |
| | 435,933 |
| | 151,557 |
| 454,302 |
| | 529,463 |
| | 441,117 |
| | 532,446 |
| | 435,933 |
|
Income tax provision (benefit) | 80,162 |
| | (47,740 | ) | | 135,236 |
| | 106,399 |
| | 94,231 |
| (73,154 | ) | | 80,162 |
| | (47,740 | ) | | 135,236 |
| | 106,399 |
|
Equity in loss of investees | 2,203 |
| | 1,009 |
| | 379 |
| | — |
| | — |
| 4,089 |
| | 2,203 |
| | 1,009 |
| | 379 |
| | — |
|
Net income | 447,098 |
| | 487,848 |
| | 396,831 |
| | 329,534 |
| | 57,326 |
| 523,367 |
| | 447,098 |
| | 487,848 |
| | 396,831 |
| | 329,534 |
|
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (1 | ) | | (1,061 | ) | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (1 | ) |
Net income attributable to Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc | $ | 447,098 |
| | $ | 487,848 |
| | $ | 396,831 |
| | $ | 329,535 |
| | $ | 58,387 |
| $ | 523,367 |
| | $ | 447,098 |
| | $ | 487,848 |
| | $ | 396,831 |
| | $ | 329,535 |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net income attributable to Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc per ordinary share: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Basic | $ | 7.45 |
| | $ | 8.13 |
| | $ | 6.56 |
| | $ | 5.38 |
| | $ | 0.98 |
| $ | 9.22 |
| | $ | 7.45 |
| | $ | 8.13 |
| | $ | 6.56 |
| | $ | 5.38 |
|
Diluted | $ | 7.30 |
| | $ | 7.96 |
| | $ | 6.41 |
| | $ | 5.23 |
| | $ | 0.93 |
| $ | 9.09 |
| | $ | 7.30 |
| | $ | 7.96 |
| | $ | 6.41 |
| | $ | 5.23 |
|
Weighted-average ordinary shares used in per share calculations - basic | 59,976 |
| | 60,018 |
| | 60,500 |
| | 61,232 |
| | 59,746 |
| 56,749 |
| | 59,976 |
| | 60,018 |
| | 60,500 |
| | 61,232 |
|
Weighted-average ordinary shares used in per share calculations - diluted | 61,221 |
| | 61,317 |
| | 61,870 |
| | 63,036 |
| | 62,614 |
| 57,550 |
| | 61,221 |
| | 61,317 |
| | 61,870 |
| | 63,036 |
|