Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Significant Strategic Drug Development Collaborations

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Significant Strategic Drug Development Collaborations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Receivables [Abstract]  
Significant Strategic Drug Development Collaborations
4. Significant Strategic Drug Development Collaborations

Baxter Healthcare SA and Baxter Healthcare Corporation

In August 2005, the Company entered into an exclusive research, development, license and supply agreement with Baxter Healthcare SA (“Baxter SA”) and Baxter Healthcare Corporation (together referred to as “Baxter”) to develop products with an extended half-life of certain proteins and molecules using the Company’s patent protected PolyXen® technology whereby polysialyic acid (“PSA” – a chain of polysialic acids) is chemically conjugated with Baxter’s proprietary molecule(s) to create a new generation of drugs to treat the failure of blood to coagulate in the therapeutic treatment of blood and bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia. The lead candidate in this collaboration is a longer-acting form of a full length recombinant Factor VIII (“rFVIII”) protein. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company is entitled to research and development funding and is responsible for providing Baxter with a transfer of the Company’s proprietary technology and supplying its requirements for PSA. Related to research and development service fees, approximately $5 million has been paid and recognized as revenue in periods prior to 2012, with no amounts recognized during December 31, 2013 and 2012.

During December 2006, the Company entered into a supply agreement with Baxter and Serum Institute, where Baxter can either directly or indirectly obtain a supply of PSA from Serum Institute on a cost basis. Baxter is responsible for all clinical development, regulatory and commercialization expenses. The agreement is terminable by both parties under customary conditions. The agreement was amended in September 2010 to provide for a change in the milestone schedules and options for further extending the regulatory milestone deadlines. Commensurate with the 2010 amendment, the bulk of research activities were transferred to Baxter to be further pursued in-house. The Company does not have any continuing obligations related to the provision for research activities under the amended agreement.

The Company is entitled to certain amounts in total development, regulatory, sales and deadline extension receipts, of which $3 million was received and recognized as revenue in periods prior to 2012, and $1 million was received and recognized as revenue during the year ended December 31, 2013 as the Company’s continued performance or future obligations are considered inconsequential or perfunctory. No amounts were recognized as revenue during the year ended December 31, 2012. The Company is also entitled to royalties ranging from 2.0% to 3.5% on potential net sales varying by country of sale. The Company’s right to receive these royalties in any particular country will expire upon the later of ten years after the first commercial sale of the product in that country or the expiration of patent rights in that particular country.

This agreement was most recently amended in January 2014, resulting in increased development, regulatory, sales and deadline extension receipts, restructured target deadlines and royalty receipts on potential net sales. The Company is entitled to $18 million in development receipts, $16 million in regulatory receipts and $66 million in sales target receipts, which are contingent on the performance of Baxter. In connection with this amendment, Baxter SA also made a $10 million equity investment in the Company. Refer to Note 15, Subsequent Events, for additional information.

SynBio LLC

In August, 2011, SynBio LLC (“SynBio”) and the Company entered into a stock subscription and collaborative development of pharmaceutical products agreement (the “Co-Development Agreement”). The Company granted an exclusive license to SynBio to develop pharmaceutical products using certain molecule(s) based on SynBio’s technology and the Company’s proprietary technology (PolyXen®, OncoHist™ and ImuXen®) that prolongs the active life and/or improves the pharmacokinetics of certain therapeutic proteins and peptides (as well as conventional drugs). In return, SynBio granted an exclusive license to the Company to use the pre-clinical and clinical data generated by SynBio in certain agreed products and engage in the development of commercial candidates.

SynBio and the Company are each responsible for funding their own company’s research activities. There are no milestone or other research-related payments due under the agreement other than fees for the supply of each company’s respective research supplies based on their technology, which, when provided, are due to mutual convenience and not representative of an ongoing or recurring obligation to supply research supplies. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recognized $0 and $100,000 in supply service revenues respectively, in connection with the Co-Development Agreement. Most recently, similar to the Company’s agreement with Baxter, Serum Institute has agreed to directly provide the research supplies to SynBio, where the Company is not liable for any failure to supply the research supplies as a result of any act or fault of Serum Institute’s. Upon successful commercialization of any resultant products, the Company would receive royalties of 10% of sales in certain territories and pay royalties of 10% to SynBio for sales outside those certain territories. Through December 31, 2013, the Company and SynBio continue to engage in research and development activities with no resultant commercial products. Aside from the supply service revenue noted previously, no revenue was recognized by the Company related to the Co-Development Agreement for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

SynBio is a related party of the Company, with a share ownership of 45.3% as of December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Serum Institute of India Limited

In the period from 2004 through 2011, the Company entered into and amended certain license and supply agreements with Serum Institute. The original license agreement with Serum Institute was a collaborative Development and Manufacturing Arrangement (“DMA”) to develop agreed upon potential commercial product candidates using the Company’s PolyXen® technology. Serum Institute then endeavored to further develop the potential commercial product candidates and eventually initiate pre-clinical and clinical trials at their own cost. The agreement was amended in 2011, resulting in the surrender of development rights for 14 potential commercial product candidates in 2012, which were vested to Serum Institute under the terms of the previous agreements, back to the Company. In consideration of Serum Institute’s surrender of the development rights and certain changes to future shared license revenue and royalty rates of commercialized products, the Company issued Serum Institute 2.88 million new shares of common stock with a fair value of approximately $1.1 million at the time of issuance. This acquisition of the rights to the 14 potential commercial product candidates was accounted for as an acquisition of IPR&D and immediately expensed as the transaction was not part of a business combination. Accordingly, approximately $1.1 million is included in research and development expenses in the statement of operations during the year ended December 31, 2012 related to this IPR&D.

Following the 2011 amendment, Serum Institute retained an exclusive license to use the Company’s PolyXen® technology to research and develop one potential commercial product, Polysialylated Erythropoietin (“PSA-EPO”). Serum Institute will be responsible for conducting all pre-clinical and clinical trials required to achieve regulatory approvals within the certain predetermined territories at Serum Institute’s own expense. The royalty payment schedule based on net revenues on the future commercial sales of PSA-EPO under the DMA was also modified as a result of the 2011 amendment. Royalty payments ranging from 2% to 8% are payable by Serum Institute to the Company for net sales to certain customers in the Serum Institute sales territory. Royalty payments of up to 25% are payable by the Company to Serum Institute for net sales received by the Company over the term of the license. No royalty revenue or expense was recognized by the Company related to the Serum Institute arrangement for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012. There are no milestone or other research-related payments due under the DMA. Through December 31, 2013, the Company and Serum Institute continue to engage in research and development activities with no resultant commercial products.

Also during 2012, Serum Institute subscribed for 800,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for net proceeds of $421,163. Serum Institute is a related party of the Company, with a share ownership of 10.6% as of December 31, 2013 and 2012.