Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Significant Strategic Collaborations

v3.23.2
Significant Strategic Collaborations
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Significant Strategic Collaborations

 

4. Significant Strategic Collaborations

 

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. ( together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, “Takeda”)

 

In October 2017, the Company granted to Takeda the right to grant a non-exclusive sublicense to certain patents related to the Company’s PolyXen technology that were previously exclusively licensed to Takeda in connection with products related to the treatment of blood and bleeding disorders. Royalty payments of approximately $0.7 million and $1.3 million were recorded as revenue by the Company during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, respectively, and approximately $0.4 million and $0.8 million were recorded as revenue by the Company during the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively. These payments are based on single digit royalties on net sales of certain covered products. The Company’s policy is to recognize royalty payments as revenue when they are reliably measurable, which is upon receipt of reports from Takeda. The Company receives these reports in the quarter subsequent to the actual sublicensee sales. At the time the revenue was received, there were no remaining performance obligations and all other revenue recognition criteria were met.

 

CLS Therapeutics Ltd. (“CLS”)

 

On April 26, 2022, the Company entered into an Exclusive Sublicense Agreement (the “Sublicense Agreement”) with CLS pursuant to which the Company received an exclusive license, under certain patent rights and know-how owned or controlled by CLS, to develop and commercialize pharmaceutical products and methods incorporating DNase enzyme for use in treatment of cancer (the “Sublicensed Products”). Under the terms of the Sublicense Agreement, the Company will have sole responsibility for, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to, among other things, research, develop and obtain marketing approval for the Sublicensed Products in the U.S. and certain European markets, and to commercialize such Sublicensed Products in the relevant market once marketing approval is obtained.

 

Concurrent with the Sublicense Agreement, the Company entered into an Exclusive License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with CLS, pursuant to which the Company received an exclusive license under certain patent rights and know-how owned or controlled by CLS to develop and commercialize pharmaceutical products and methods incorporating DNase in conjunction with CAR T therapies (the “Licensed Products”). Under the terms of the License Agreement, the Company will have sole responsibility for, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to, among other things, research, develop and obtain marketing approval for the Licensed Products in the U.S. and certain European markets, and to commercialize such Licensed Products in the relevant market once marketing approval is obtained.

 

Volition Collaboration

 

On August 2, 2022, the Company announced a research and development collaboration with Belgian Volition SARL Limited (“Volition”) to develop NETs-targeted adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. The collaboration is an early exploratory program to evaluate the potential combination of Volition’s Nu.Q® technology Test and the Company’s DNase-Armored CAR T platform to develop proprietary adoptive cell therapies potentially targeting multiple types of solid cancers. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Volition will fund a research program and the two parties will share proceeds from commercialization or licensing of any products arising from the collaboration. Subsequent to the quarter end, the Company entered into the first Collaborator Statement of Work as part of this collaboration with Volition.

 

Catalent Pharma Solutions LLC (“Catalent”)

 

On June 30, 2022, the Company entered into a Statement of Work (the “SOW”) with Catalent to outline the general scope of work, timeline, and pricing pursuant to which Catalent will provide certain services to the Company to perform cGMP manufacturing of the Company’s recombinant protein, Human DNase I. The parties agreed to enter into a Master Services Agreement (“MSA”) that will contain terms and conditions to govern the project contemplated by the SOW and that will supersede the addendum to the SOW containing Catalent’s standard terms and conditions. In addition, in the event of any conflict between the project-specific terms and conditions set forth in the SOW and the MSA, the MSA terms and conditions shall govern. The estimated total cost of the project contemplated by the SOW is expected to be up to approximately $5 million (exclusive of certain fees and potential alternatives) for the manufacturing services over the course of the term of the project with each phase of the project invoiced separately in connection with the commencement of such phase. Unless earlier amended or terminated, the manufacturing services contemplated by the SOW are currently targeted to be completed by the first half of 2024. The SOW is terminable by the Company at any time with 30 days’ prior written notice to Catalent. The SOW also contains customary provisions related to, among other things, confidentiality, warranties, intellectual property and indemnification. The Company has paid Catalent approximately $1.8 million through June 30, 2023, of which $0.9 million and $0.3 million has been recognized as an advance payment and is included in prepaid expenses and other as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

 

Scripps Research

 

On March 17, 2023, the Company and Scripps Research entered into a Research Funding and Option Agreement (the “Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to provide Scripps Research an aggregate of up to $938,000 to fund research relating to advancing the pre-clinical development of the Company’s DNase oncology platform technology. The research funding is payable by the Company to Scripps Research on a monthly basis in accordance with a negotiated budget, which provides for an initial payment of approximately $78,000 on the date of the Agreement and subsequent monthly payments of approximately $78,000 over a 12-month period. Under the Agreement, the Company has the option to acquire a worldwide exclusive license to Scripps Research’s rights in the Technology or Patent Rights (as defined in the Agreement), as well as a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferrable license to make and use TSRI Technology (as defined in the Agreement) solely for the Company’s internal research purposes during the performance of the research program contemplated by the Agreement.

 

Unless earlier terminated, the term of the Agreement continues from the date of the Agreement for fifteen (15) months. The Agreement may be terminated by the Company with 30 days advance written notice to Scripps Research beginning six (6) months after the Effective Date (as defined in the Agreement) or by Scripps Research if the Company fails to make timely payments due under the Agreement, subject to 30 days’ written notice to cure such nonpayment. The Agreement may further be terminated by either party in the event of the other party’s uncured failure to perform any obligations under the Agreement or the bankruptcy of the other party.

 

The Company has paid Scripps Research approximately $0.3 million under this agreement through June 30, 2023, of which approximately $37,000 has been recognized as an advance payment and is included in prepaid expenses and other as of June 30, 2023.

 

Other Agreements

 

The Company has also entered into various research, development, license and supply agreements with Serum Institute of India (“Serum Institute”), PJSC Pharmsynthez (“Pharmsynthez”) and SynBio LLC (“SynBio”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Pharmsynthez. The Company and its collaborative partners continue to engage in research and development activities with no resultant commercial products through June 30, 2023. No amounts were recognized as revenue related to the Serum Institute, Pharmsynthez or SynBio agreements during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.