NASDAQ: AVTX
Avalo Therapeutics, Inc.CIK 0001534120 · SIC 2834 · Pharmaceutical Preparations
We are a clinical stage biotechnology company fully dedicated to developing IL-1β-based treatments for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Our lead product candidate, abdakibart (AVTX-009), an anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody (“mAb”) is in a Phase 2 clinical trial for hidradenitis suppurativa… About this business →
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Latest financial statements
From 10-Q filed Aug 6, 2026 (period ending Jun 30, 2026). As printed on the EDGAR/iXBRL face — not generated by the model.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
| Description | Three months ended June 30, 2026 | Three months ended June 30, 2025 | Six months ended June 30, 2026 | Six months ended June 30, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating expenses: | ||||
| Research and development | 23,418 | 14,074 | 37,466 | 23,195 |
| General and administrative | 8,099 | 5,242 | 14,953 | 10,789 |
| Total operating expenses | 31,517 | 19,316 | 52,419 | 33,984 |
| Loss from operations | (31,517) | (19,316) | (52,419) | (33,984) |
| Other (expense) income: | ||||
| Change in fair value of derivative liability | (1,010) | (2,530) | (530) | (2,150) |
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | (6,574) | — | (6,574) | — |
| Interest income, net | 2,761 | 1,097 | 3,564 | 2,244 |
| Total other (expense) income, net | (4,823) | (1,433) | (3,540) | 94 |
| Loss before taxes | (36,340) | (20,749) | (55,959) | (33,890) |
| Income tax expense | 18 | 16 | 29 | 24 |
| Net loss | (36,358) | (20,765) | (55,988) | (33,914) |
| Net loss per share of common stock, basic and diluted | (0.83) | (1.92) | (1.75) | (3.18) |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding | 43,602,044 | 10,829,760 | 31,919,388 | 10,673,200 |
| Comprehensive loss: | ||||
| Net loss | (36,358) | (20,765) | (55,988) | (33,914) |
| Other comprehensive loss: | ||||
| Unrealized loss on investments, net | (577) | (34) | (651) | (34) |
| Comprehensive loss | (36,935) | (20,799) | (56,639) | (33,948) |
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
| Description | June 30, 2026 (unaudited) | December 31, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Assets | ||
| Current assets: | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 85,382 | 15,858 |
| Short-term investments | 314,894 | 82,478 |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 7,607 | 6,913 |
| Restricted cash, current portion | 49 | 37 |
| Total current assets | 407,932 | 105,286 |
| Long-term investments | 71,878 | — |
| Property and equipment, net | 288 | 460 |
| Goodwill | 10,502 | 10,502 |
| Restricted cash, net of current portion | 183 | 210 |
| Total assets | 490,783 | 116,458 |
| Liabilities, mezzanine equity and stockholders’ equity | ||
| Current liabilities: | ||
| Accounts payable | 3,347 | 137 |
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 17,783 | 12,803 |
| Total current liabilities | 21,130 | 12,940 |
| Royalty obligation | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Deferred tax liability, net | 463 | 434 |
| Derivative liability, non-current | 18,530 | 18,000 |
| Other long-term liabilities | — | 35 |
| Total liabilities | 42,123 | 33,409 |
| Mezzanine equity: | ||
| Series D Preferred Stock—$0.001 par value; 0 and 1 share of Series D Preferred Stock authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively; 0 and 1 share of Series D Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | — | — |
| Series E Preferred Stock—$0.001 par value; 0 and 1 share of Series E Preferred Stock authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively; 0 and 1 share of Series E Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | — | — |
| Stockholders’ equity: | ||
| Common stock—$0.001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025; 52,900,692 and 18,512,757 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | 53 | 18 |
| Series C Preferred Stock—$0.001 par value; 4,085 and 34,326 shares of Series C Preferred Stock authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively; 4,085 and 18,792 shares of Series C Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | — | — |
| Series C-1 Preferred Stock—$0.001 par value; 4,295 and 0 shares of Series C-1 Preferred Stock authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively; 4,295 and 0 shares of Series C-1 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | — | — |
| Additional paid-in capital | 953,700 | 531,485 |
| Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income | (583) | 68 |
| Accumulated deficit | (504,510) | (448,522) |
| Total stockholders’ equity | 448,660 | 83,049 |
| Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and stockholders’ equity | 490,783 | 116,458 |
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
(Amounts in thousands)
| Description | Six months ended June 30, 2026 | Six months ended June 30, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | ||
| Net loss | (55,988) | (33,914) |
| Adjustments to reconcile net cash used in operating activities: | ||
| Depreciation and amortization | 34 | 269 |
| Stock-based compensation | 8,880 | 5,959 |
| Accretion of available-for-sale investments, net | (524) | (146) |
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | 6,574 | — |
| Contingent consideration paid pursuant to AlmataBio Transaction | (4,813) | — |
| Change in fair value of derivative liability | 530 | 2,150 |
| Deferred taxes | 29 | 24 |
| Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | (694) | 2,422 |
| Accounts payable | 3,210 | 2,083 |
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 5,130 | 292 |
| Lease liability, net | (47) | 14 |
| Net cash used in operating activities | (37,679) | (20,847) |
| Investing activities | ||
| Purchases of investments | (353,801) | (70,860) |
| Sales and maturities of investments | 49,381 | — |
| Net cash used in investing activities | (304,420) | (70,860) |
| Financing activities | ||
| Proceeds from sale of common stock and pre-funded warrants in an underwritten public offering, gross | 431,315 | — |
| Transaction costs paid pursuant to sale of common stock and pre-funded warrants in an underwritten public offering | (26,403) | — |
| Proceeds from exercise of stock options | 7,409 | — |
| Cash paid related to withholding shares to satisfy RSU tax withholding obligations | (779) | (509) |
| Proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan, net of cash paid related to withholding shares to satisfy tax withholding obligations | 66 | 40 |
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | 411,608 | (469) |
| Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 69,509 | (92,176) |
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | 16,105 | 134,696 |
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | 85,614 | 42,520 |
| Supplemental disclosures of non-cash activities | ||
| Issuance of common stock pursuant to AlmataBio Milestone Buyout Option | 1,761 | — |
Amounts as printed on the EDGAR/iXBRL face — (In thousands, except per share data); (In thousands, except share and per share data); (Amounts in thousands). Labels, columns, and figures are the filing face, not a GAAP stencil. Interactive statements & notes on EDGAR ↗
About Avalo Therapeutics, Inc.
Source: Item 1 (Business) from the 10-K filed March 23, 2026. Description as filed by the company with the SEC.
Item 1. Business.
Overview
We are a clinical stage biotechnology company fully dedicated to developing IL-1β-based treatments for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Our lead product candidate, abdakibart (AVTX-009), an anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody (“mAb”) is in a Phase 2 clinical trial for hidradenitis suppurativa (“HS”). We are also exploring additional opportunities to make an impact in prevalent indications that have significant remaining unmet needs.
Our current focus is on completing the Phase 2 (“LOTUS”) trial evaluating abdakibart (AVTX-009) in HS, preparing for the anticipated topline data readout in the second quarter of 2026, and planning for our Phase 3 trial(s).
Our Strategy
Our strategy for increasing stockholder value includes:
•Advancing our pipeline through development to regulatory approval—notably and in the near term, by completing our Phase 2 LOTUS trial in HS, preparing to initiate our pivotal trial(s) pending the readout of the Phase 2 LOTUS trial results and considering further indication expansion for abdakibart (AVTX-009);
•Acquiring or in-licensing rights to and/or developing targeted, complementary differentiated preclinical and clinical stage compounds that treat immune-mediated inflammatory disease; and
•Opportunistically out-licensing rights to compounds, indications or geographies.
Pipeline - Overview, Competition, and Intellectual Property
We are advancing a pipeline that emphasizes a high-value and potentially best-in-class and best-in-disease biologics for immune mediated inflammatory diseases.
Read full description ↓
The following table summarizes certain key information about our lead product candidate:
Abdakibart (AVTX-009): Anti-IL-1β mAb targeting inflammatory diseases.
Our lead product candidate, abdakibart (AVTX-009), is a high affinity, highly potent humanized IgG mAb designed to specifically inhibit IL-1β and block downstream inflammatory pathways. Abdakibart (AVTX-009) is a humanized monoclonal antibody (IgG4) that binds to interleukin-1β (“IL-1β”) with high affinity and neutralizes its activity. IL-1β is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases. It activates immune cells that generate proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-17. Dysregulated IL-1β signaling is a major driver of inflammation, contributing to the progression of autoimmune disorders. IL-1β inhibition has proven effective in multiple immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Abdakibart (AVTX-009) has previously been referred to as FL-101 and LY2189102, when rights in it were held by Leap Therapeutics (previously Flame Biosciences) and Eli Lilly and Company, respectively. Abdakibart (AVTX-009) is currently being studied in the LOTUS Phase 2 trial in participants with HS. In October 2025, we announced that we completed enrollment in the Phase 2 LOTUS trial and expect to report topline data in the second quarter of 2026.
Phase 2 LOTUS Trial
The LOTUS trial (NCT06603077) is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group Phase 2 trial with two abdakibart (AVTX-009) dosing regimens to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of abdakibart (AVTX-009) in approximately 250 adults with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa. Subjects were randomized (1:1:1) to receive either one of two dosing regimens of abdakibart (AVTX-009) or placebo during a 16-week treatment phase. The primary efficacy endpoint is the proportion of subjects achieving Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response 75 (HiSCR75) at Week 16. Secondary objectives include but are not limited to: the proportion of patients achieving HiSCR50 and HiSCR90 as well as
change from baseline in: International HS Severity Score System (IHS4), draining fistula count, abscess and inflammatory nodule (AN) count, and patients achieving at least a 30% reduction on a numerical rating scale in Patient's Global Assessment of Skin Pain (PGA Skin Pain). We are the study sponsor and current trial site locations include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Australia, Turkey, and Slovakia.
Development Opportunity in HS
IL-1β is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases. IL-1β activates immune cells that generate proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-17. Dysregulated IL-1β signaling is a major driver of inflammation, contributing to the progression of autoimmune disorders.
IL-1β inhibition has proven effective in multiple immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. IL-1β also has a well-established class safety and tolerability profile supported by ILARIS® (canakinumab), an IL-1β blocker approved for use in multiple indications.
HS is a chronic, progressive, often debilitating inflammatory skin disease that causes painful nodules, abscesses, and tunnels to form under the skin. Areas commonly affected by HS include the nape of the neck, breasts, chest, armpits, abdomen, buttocks and anus, groin and genitals, and inner thighs. If not adequately or promptly treated, the chronic inflammation characteristic of HS may progress to tissue destruction and permanent scarring. HS typically first presents in late adolescence or early adulthood and is estimated to affect 0.7–1.2% of the U.S. population, though some sources suggest the prevalence may be as high as 2–4%.
There is a substantial unmet need for more effective and durable treatment options in HS. Currently approved biologics for HS (adalimumab (anti-TNF-α), secukinumab (anti-IL-17A), and bimekizumab (dual anti-IL-17A/F)) achieve HiSCR50 (an efficacy measure) only ~50% of the time, with more stringent thresholds (HiSCR75/90) achieved in even fewer individuals. Long-term disease control remains a challenge with established biologics and an area of uncertainty with newer agents (secukinumab and bimekizumab), as data on sustained efficacy are still emerging. In addition, people with HS often have comorbidities that can limit access to current treatment options.
There were an estimated 3.4 million people in the United States with HS in 2024 with such number expected to rise to 3.5 million by 2035. Additionally, it is estimated that HS affects approximately 1-4% of the population worldwide. Of the 3.4 million people who were estimated to have HS in the United States in 2024, only approximately 1.0 million were diagnosed and treated, with this number projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2035. The global HS market is expected to grow to >$10 billion by 2035.
Legacy Programs
We are not currently pursuing the clinical development of the following legacy programs and are exploring strategic alternatives for them.
Quisovalimab (AVTX-002): Quisovalimab is fully human mAb, directed against human LIGHT (Lymphotoxin-like, exhibits Inducible expression, and competes with HSV Glycoprotein D for Herpesvirus Entry Mediator, a receptor expressed by T lymphocytes; also referred to as TNFSF14).
•AVTX-006: AVTX-006 is a dual mTORc1/c2 small molecule inhibitor.
•AVTX-008: AVTX-008 is a fully human B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator agonist fusion protein.
•AVTX-913: AVTX-913 is a nucleotide prodrug for the treatment of a mitochondrial disorder and is a preclinical asset.
Licensing and Partnerships
Eli Lilly License Agreement
Abdakibart (AVTX-009) is subject to a world-wide exclusive license from Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”) (the “Lilly License Agreement”), as well as an agreement under which AlmataBio, Inc. (“AlmataBio”) purchased rights to the compound from Leap Therapeutics, Inc. (“Leap” and the “Leap Agreement”). We obtained the rights to abdakibart (AVTX-009), including the Lilly License Agreement and Leap Agreement, pursuant to our acquisition of AlmataBio in the first quarter of 2024 (the “AlmataBio Transaction”). We are responsible for the development and commercialization of the program.
We are required to pay Lilly up to $70 million based on the achievement of specified development and regulatory milestones. Upon commercialization, we are required to pay sales-based milestones aggregating up to $650 million payable to Lilly and up to $70 million to Leap.
Additionally, we are required to pay royalties to Lilly of between 5% and 15% of Avalo or its sublicensees’ annual net sales, beginning on first commercial sale of a licensed product in a given territory and expiring on a country-by-country basis, on the latest of (a) the tenth (10th) anniversary of the date of the first commercial sale, (b) the expiration of the last-to-expire licensed patent in the given country, or (c) the expiration of any data exclusivity period for the licensed product in the given territory.
We have not paid any milestones, royalties or any other amounts under the Lilly License Agreement or the Leap Agreement as of the date of this report. Additionally, there are no annual or maintenance fees payable under the Lilly License Agreement or the Leap Agreement.
The Lilly License Agreement remains in effect until the expiration of the last-to-expire royalty term of any licensed products. Each party may terminate for cause, and though we may terminate at our sole discretion by giving one-hundred twenty (120) days’ prior written notice to Lilly, all licenses and rights granted pursuant to the agreement shall automatically terminate and revert to Lilly. There are no termination or expiration provisions under the Leap Agreement.
AlmataBio Transaction
Pursuant to the AlmataBio Transaction, we paid $7.5 million to the former AlmataBio stockholders upon the initial closing of the private placement investment, which closed on March 28, 2024. Further, a portion of the consideration for the AlmataBio Transaction includes development milestones to the former AlmataBio stockholders including $5.0 million due upon the first patient dosed in a Phase 2 trial in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa for abdakibart (AVTX-009) and $15.0 million due upon the first patient dosed in a Phase 3 trial for abdakibart (AVTX-009), both of which are payable in cash or our stock at the election of the former AlmataBio stockholders, subject to the terms and conditions of the definitive merger agreement. In October 2024, the first development milestone was met and we paid $5.0 million in cash.
Intellectual Property Overview
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for the technology and know-how upon which our product candidates are based, to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties and to prevent third parties from infringing our proprietary rights.
We own a combination of in-licensed intellectual property rights, including patent applications, know-how and trademarks, and, in certain cases, regulatory exclusivity rights, if we receive marketing approval for abdakibart (AVTX-009) to develop and commercialize our product candidates covered by patents and patent applications. Our intellectual property portfolio includes patent applications with claims directed to compositions of matter, including compounds, pharmaceutical formulations of compounds, and methods of use of such compounds, or a combination of these claims. We also rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how, including manufacturing and formulation know-how, as well as confidentiality agreements and other contractual protections, to protect aspects of our technology and product candidates that may not be patentable or that we elect not to patent. Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of a compound for a specific indication, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for a limited patent term extension, also called marketing exclusivity, under U.S. patent term extension provisions including under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 and related statutory authority, and similar patent term extensions or supplementary protection may be available in other countries for particular patents in our portfolio including, where applicable, Supplementary Protection Certificates (“SPCs”) in Europe (including the EU and the UK).
When possible, we plan to augment our portfolio of product candidates by focusing on the development of new biologics which have not previously received FDA approval. Upon approval by the FDA, new biologics are entitled to marketing exclusivity in the United States with respect to generic drug competition for a maximum period of five years from the date of FDA approval, even if the related patents have expired. Similarly, upon approval by the FDA, biologics are entitled to reference product exclusivity, also called regulatory exclusivity, for a period of twelve years from the date of FDA approval, even if the related patents have expired.
If we receive marketing approval for abdakibart (AVTX-009), we expect to receive biologics reference product exclusivity in the United States, which may provide twelve years of regulatory exclusivity in the United States from the date of FDA approval and a period of regulatory data protection, as well as a minimum of 9 years, and potentially up to 11 years based certain criteria as required, of regulatory exclusivity legislation in Europe , the scope and duration of which is jurisdiction-specific and may be subject to legislative or regulatory change. As the composition of matter patent covering abdakibart (AVTX-009) expired in February 2026, we plan to primarily rely on biologics regulatory exclusivity for abdakibart (AVTX-009); however, the table
below sets forth details of patent applications related to abdakibart (AVTX-009) that might provide additional protection that we consider material:
Jurisdiction Owned/Licensed Status Expiration Date Protection Type
United States Non-Provisional Owned Pending 2045 Methods of Treating HS
Worldwide (PCT) Owned Pending 2045 Methods of Treating HS
United States Non-Provisional Owned Pending 2045 Formulations
Worldwide (PCT) Owned Pending 2045 Formulations
Manufacturing
We do not have any manufacturing facilities. We currently utilize, and expect to continue to utilize third-party contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to, among other things, supply and manufacture raw materials, components, parts and consumables, and to perform quality testing for our preclinical and clinical supply for all of our biologic product candidates. We currently rely on a single CDMO to manufacture clinical supply for abdakibart (AVTX-009). Further, we rely on and expect to continue to rely on such CDMOs to produce our biologic candidates in accordance with applicable regulations, including manufacturing activities performed in accordance with FDA’s current good manufacturing practices (“cGMP”) regulations, and similar regulations and standards in other jurisdictions. The manufacture of biological products is subject to extensive cGMP regulations, which impose various procedural and documentation requirements and also govern record keeping, production processes and controls, personnel and quality control.
Sales and Marketing
Given our stage of development as a company, we have limited resources dedicated to sales, distribution and marketing. To successfully commercialize any products that may result from our development programs, we will need to further develop sales and marketing capabilities, either on our own or with third parties in the respective jurisdictions where marketing approval has been obtained. We may retain or partner with third parties for commercialization rights and to develop sales and marketing capabilities. If we develop our own sales force, we may complement it with co‑promotion agreements with partners in and outside of the United States.
Overall Competitive Climate and Regulatory Risks
Competition
We face, and will continue to face, intense competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as numerous academic and research institutions and governmental agencies, both in the United States and abroad. We compete, or will compete, with existing and new products being developed by our competitors. Some of these competitors are pursuing the development of pharmaceuticals that target the same diseases and conditions that our research and development programs target or might target. Some of these competitors also have greater resources and more experience than we do in research and development and marketing. Competitors may have a variety of drugs in development or awaiting FDA approval that could reach the market and become established before we have an approved product to sell. Our competitors may also develop alternative therapies that could limit the market for any approved drugs that we may develop. Many of our competitors are using technologies or methods different or similar to ours to identify and validate drug targets and to discover novel small compound drugs.
In particular, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that develop and/or market products targeting IL-1β or the indications we are pursuing, including HS, are likely to represent substantial competition.
As of the date of this report, and to our knowledge, there are two companies with approved anti-IL-1β antibodies (Novartis AG or “Novartis” and Changchun GeneScience Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. or “GenSci”) and we are one of three additional companies with novel, non-biosimilar antibodies specifically targeting IL-1β in clinical development worldwide (Sunshine Guojian Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, or “Sunshine Guojian”, and TavoTek), inclusive of all approved indications and indications in development. There are additional companies developing and/or marketing known or investigational therapeutic agents that target IL-1β and/or IL-1α through interactions with IL-1 receptors, engineered bispecific antibodies, or through adjacent mechanistic targets (such as IL-1RAP and NLRP3).
Worldwide, several companies currently market TNF alpha inhibitors (such as AbbVie Inc., or “AbbVie”, and additional companies marketing biosimilars) and IL-17 inhibitors (such as Novartis and UCB) for HS. As of the date of this report, six additional companies have ongoing or completed phase 3 development programs in HS with IL-17 inhibitors (Moonlake Immunotherapies, Inc.), JAK inhibitors (Incyte Corporation, AbbVie), BTK inhibitors (Novartis), and dual IL-1α/β inhibitors (AbbVie). There are multiple additional companies pursuing phase 2, phase 1, and preclinical development programs in HS.
Competition in the inflammatory disease market is intense. We face competition from many large pharmaceutical companies. There are numerous other companies that have commercialized or are developing treatments for HS and inflammatory diseases that we will compete with, including AbbVie, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, UCB and others. Many of our competitors and their collaborators may have significantly greater experience than we do in the following:
•identifying and validating targets;
•screening compounds against targets;
•preclinical and clinical trials of potential pharmaceutical products; and
•obtaining FDA and other regulatory clearances.
In addition, many of our competitors and their collaborators have substantially greater advantages in the following areas:
•capital resources;
•research and development resources;
•manufacturing capabilities; and
•sales and marketing resources.
Smaller companies might also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through proprietary research discoveries and collaborative arrangements with large pharmaceutical and established biotechnology companies.
Regulatory
There is no guarantee that our products will obtain regulatory approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. The FDA approval process is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Prior to submitting a new drug application (“NDA”) or biologics license application (“BLA”), the FDA approval process typically involves the following: preclinical laboratory and animal testing, submission of an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application, and human clinical trials to establish safety and efficacy. Human clinical trials typically include: Phase 1 studies to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the drug, generally in normal, healthy volunteers (although for biologics and certain serious or inflammatory diseases, first-in-human studies may be conducted in patients); Phase 2 studies to evaluate safety and efficacy, as well as appropriate doses; these studies are typically conducted in patient volunteers who suffer from the particular disease condition that the drug is designed to treat; and Phase 3 studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the product at specific doses in one or more larger pivotal trials.
As a biologics-focused company, our product candidates are subject to additional regulatory scrutiny, including requirements related to manufacturing process validation, product consistency, immunogenicity, and ongoing comparability assessments, and the FDA may require extensive chemistry, manufacturing and controls (“CMC”) data both before and after approval. Because biologics are derived from living systems, changes to manufacturing processes, facilities or suppliers may require additional regulatory review or approval.
Upon submission of an NDA or BLA, the FDA reviews the application, which potentially involves an FDA advisory committee review, and typically inspects manufacturing facilities and clinical study sites. The FDA has substantial discretion in the approval process and may require additional clinical studies, new or modified endpoints, expanded safety data, or longer follow-up periods as a condition to approval, even if earlier trials produce favorable results. Even if the FDA approves a product, it may impose post-approval requirements, such as risk evaluation and mitigation strategies, post-marketing studies or enhanced pharmacovigilance obligations, or withdraw approval if safety or efficacy issues arise.
We are currently conducting clinical development programs, including Phase 2 clinical trials, and success in earlier-stage trials does not ensure that later-stage trials will be successful or that regulatory approval will be obtained. The FDA may determine that additional studies are required prior to advancing to later-stage trials or submitting an NDA or BLA.
The processes for obtaining marketing approvals in foreign countries, along with subsequent compliance with applicable statutes and regulations, require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Regulatory approval in foreign jurisdictions is generally independent of FDA approval and may require additional clinical data, different endpoints, or separate manufacturing inspections. Regulatory authorities in the European Union, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions may apply standards that differ from those of the FDA, and clinical trial data generated in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by
regulatory authorities in another. Delays or failures in obtaining foreign regulatory approvals could adversely affect the timing and scope of any potential commercialization outside the United States.
Government Regulation and Product Approval
Government authorities in the United States and in other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacturing, packaging, storage, recordkeeping, labeling, advertising, promotion, distribution, marketing, import and export, pricing, and government contracting related to biological products such as those we are developing.
United States Government Regulation
In the United States, the FDA regulates biologics under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), the Public Health Service Act, and its implementing regulations. The process of obtaining marketing approvals and subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable United States requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval, may subject an applicant to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, such as the FDA’s refusal to approve a pending NDA or BLA, withdrawal of an approval, imposition of a clinical hold or study termination, issuance of Warning Letters or Untitled Letters, mandated modifications to promotional materials or issuance of corrective information, product recalls, consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, product seizures or detentions, refusal to allow product import or export, total or partial suspension, restriction, or imposition of other requirements relating to production or distribution, injunctions, consent decrees, fines, debarment from government contracts and refusal of future orders under existing contracts, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, FDA debarment, restitution, disgorgement or civil or criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment (and, in certain cases, the imposition of compliance obligations pursuant to settlements or similar arrangements).
Clinical Development in the U.S.
Obtaining FDA marketing approval for a new product may take many years and require the expenditure of substantial financial resources. For the FDA to determine that a product is safe and effective for the proposed indication, the product must first undergo testing in animals (nonclinical studies). The data generated from nonclinical studies is used to support the filing of an Investigational New Drug application (“IND”), which must become effective before human clinical studies may begin.
Clinical development involves the administration of the investigational product to healthy volunteers or patients under the supervision of qualified investigators, generally physicians not employed by or under the trial sponsor’s control, in accordance with good clinical practice (“GCP”) requirements, which include the requirement that all patients provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical trial. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria and the parameters to be used to monitor subject safety and assess efficacy. Each protocol, and any subsequent amendments to the protocol, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Furthermore, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an IRB for each institution at which the clinical trial will be conducted to ensure that the risks to individuals participating in the clinical trials are minimized and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the informed consent form that must be provided to each clinical trial subject or his or her legal representative, and must monitor the clinical trial until completed. There also are requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical trials and completed clinical trial results to public registries.
A sponsor that wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside of the U.S. may, but need not, obtain FDA authorization to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. If a foreign clinical trial is not conducted under an IND, the sponsor may submit data from the clinical trial to the FDA in support of a BLA. The FDA will accept a well‑designed and well‑conducted foreign clinical study not conducted under an IND if the study was conducted in accordance with GCP requirements, and the FDA is able to validate the data through an onsite inspection if deemed necessary.
Clinical trials are generally conducted in three sequential phases, which may overlap or be combined:
•Phase 1: Studies in a small number of subjects with the primary purpose of assessing the metabolism, pharmacologic action, side effect tolerability and safety of the product candidate, generally in normal, healthy volunteers but sometimes for certain biologics and serious diseases, in patients;
•Phase 2: Studies generally designed to evaluate proof of concept and determine the dosing regimen(s) for subsequent investigations, and further assess safety and PK/PD in patients who have the particular disease condition that the drug is designed to treat. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials; and
•Phase 3: Studies in an expanded patient population to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally conducted at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical
trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of an investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for labeling and product approval.
Post‑approval trials, sometimes referred to as Phase 4 clinical trials, may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the performance of Phase 4 clinical trials as a condition of approval of a BLA.
Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials, among other information, must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies or animal or in vitro testing that suggest a significant risk for human subjects and any clinically important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure. Additionally, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or committee. This group provides authorization for whether a trial may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the trial.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and also must develop additional information about the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (“CMC”) for the investigational product as well as finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements and, as applicable, demonstrate process consistency and comparability as manufacturing scales.
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act (“PREA”), as amended, a BLA or supplement to a BLA must contain data to assess the safety and efficacy of the biological product for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of pediatric data or full or partial waivers. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any biological product for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted. A sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a drug that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration must submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan (“PSP”) within 60 days of an end‑of‑Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 study. The initial PSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information, and any request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from pediatric studies along with supporting information. The FDA and the sponsor must reach an agreement on the PSP. A sponsor can submit amendments to an agreed‑upon initial PSP at any time if changes to the pediatric plan need to be considered based on data collected from preclinical studies, early phase clinical trials and/or other clinical development programs.
The preparation of an NDA or BLA requires the expenditure of substantial funds and the commitment of substantial resources. Additionally, at the time of an NDA or BLA submission a user fee is required to be paid unless the product has orphan drug designation (“ODD”) or another waiver or reduction applies. The FDA conducts a preliminary administrative review upon receipt of the NDA or BLA submission and decides whether to accept the NDA or BLA submission. If the application is not accepted for review by the FDA through a “refuse-to-file” determination, the Sponsor of the application must resolve the deficiencies and resubmit the application, restarting the review clock.
After evaluating the NDA or BLA and all related information, including if there is an advisory committee recommendation, and inspection reports regarding the manufacturing or laboratory facilities and clinical trial sites, the FDA may issue an approval letter, or, in some cases, a complete response letter (“CRL”). A CRL generally contains a statement of specific conditions that must be met to secure final approval of the NDA or BLA and may require additional clinical or nonclinical studies, or other information. Even with submission of this additional information, the FDA may decide that the NDA or BLA does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. The FDA will not approve an application until issues identified in any complete response letters have been addressed. Even if such data and information are submitted, the FDA may decide that the application does not satisfy the criteria for approval. Failure to respond to a complete response letter may be considered by the FDA as a request to withdraw the application. If and when those conditions have been met to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA may issue an approval letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications.
Even if the FDA approves a new product, the approval may be limited to specific disease states, patient populations and dosages, and the indications for use may otherwise be limited. The FDA may also require that contraindications, warnings, or precautions be included in the product labeling. The FDA may prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of post-market studies or surveillance programs. After approval, many types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, certain manufacturing changes and additional labeling claims, are subject to further testing requirements and FDA review and approval.
FDA Review Process
Following completion of clinical trials, the data are analyzed to assess whether the investigational product is safe and effective for the proposed indicated use or uses. The results of preclinical studies and clinical trials are then submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA, along with proposed CMC and manufacturing information to ensure product quality and other relevant data. The BLA is a request for approval to market the biologic for one or more specified indications and must contain preclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, efficacy,, purity and potency for a biologic candidate. The application may include both negative and ambiguous results of preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as positive findings. Data may come from company‑sponsored clinical trials intended to test the safety and efficacy of a product’s use or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational product to the satisfaction of the FDA. FDA approval of a BLA must be obtained before a biologic may be marketed in the U.S.
Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) as amended, each BLA must be accompanied by a user fee. The FDA adjusts the PDUFA user fees on an annual basis. Fee waivers or reductions are available in certain circumstances, including a waiver of the application fee for the first application filed by a small business. Additionally, no user fees are assessed on BLAs for products designated as orphan drugs, unless the product also includes a non‑orphan indication.
The FDA reviews all submitted BLAs before it accepts them for filing, and may request additional information rather than accepting the BLA for filing. The FDA must make a decision on accepting a BLA for filing within 60 days of receipt, and such decision could include a refusal to file by the FDA. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in‑depth review of the BLA. Under the goals and policies agreed to by the FDA under PDUFA, the FDA has 10 months from the filing date in which to complete its initial review of an original BLA and respond to the applicant, and six months from the filing date of an original BLA designated for priority review. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates for standard and priority BLAs, and the review process is often extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification.
Before approving a BLA, the FDA generally will conduct a pre‑approval inspection of the manufacturing facilities for the new product to determine whether they comply with cGMP requirements. The FDA will not approve the product unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. The FDA also may audit data from clinical trials to ensure compliance with GCP requirements. In certain circumstances, the FDA may require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) to assure the safe use of the product. If the FDA concludes a REMS is needed, the sponsor of the BLA must submit a proposed REMS, and the FDA will not approve the BLA without an approved REMS. A REMS could include medication guides, physician communication plans or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools.
After the FDA evaluates a BLA, it will issue an approval letter or a complete response letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the biologic with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A complete response letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete and the application will not be approved in its present form. A complete response letter usually describes all of the specific deficiencies in the BLA identified by the FDA. The complete response letter may require additional clinical data, additional pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial(s) and/or other significant and time‑consuming requirements related to clinical trials, preclinical studies or manufacturing. If a complete response letter is issued, the applicant may either resubmit the BLA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application. Even if such data and information are submitted, the FDA may decide that the BLA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
Data obtained from a development program is not always conclusive and may be susceptible to varying interpretations, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. The FDA may not grant approval on a timely basis, or at all. We may encounter difficulties or unanticipated costs in our efforts to secure necessary governmental approvals, which could delay or preclude us from marketing any approved product candidates. The FDA may limit the indications for use or place other conditions on any approvals that could restrict the commercial opportunity of the approved product.
FDA Post‑Approval Considerations
Drugs manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approval are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to recordkeeping, manufacturing, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, advertising and promotion, and reporting of adverse experiences with the product and drug shortages. During the approval process, the FDA and the sponsor may agree that specific studies or clinical trials should be conducted as post-marketing commitments or post-marketing requirements as a condition of approval of a BLA. The FDA may withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product becomes available in the market. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
•restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product or product recalls;
•fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical studies;
•refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;
•product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products;
•consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs;
•mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information;
•the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases and other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or
•injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
After approval, many changes to the approved product, such as manufacturing changes and adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to FDA review and approval. There are also annual user fee requirements for marketed products and application fees for supplemental applications with clinical data. Additionally, the FDA strictly regulates the labeling, advertising and promotion of products under an approved BLA. The FDA and other agencies enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off‑label uses, and a company that improperly markets or promotes off‑label uses may be subject to significant liability, including criminal and civil penalties under the FDCA and False Claims Act, exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, debarment from government contracts, refusal of future orders under existing contracts and mandatory compliance programs under corporate integrity agreements or deferred prosecution agreements.
Coverage and Reimbursement
The success of our product candidates, if approved, depends on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for our product candidates, nor can we accurately estimate the potential revenue from them. Similarly, we cannot assure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we may develop.
Patients who are provided medical treatment for their conditions generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors is critical to new product acceptance.
Government authorities and other third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs and treatments they will cover and the amount of reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement by a third-party payor may depend upon a number of factors, including the third-party payor’s determination that use of a product is:
•a covered benefit under its health plan;
•safe, effective and medically necessary;
•appropriate for the specific patient;
• cost-effective; and
•neither experimental nor investigational.
In the United States, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for products exists among third-party payors. As a result, obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval of a product from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of our products on a payor-by-payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained. In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by CMS. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new medicine will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Even if we obtain coverage for a given product, the resulting reimbursement payment rates might not be adequate for us to achieve or sustain profitability or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Additionally, third-party payors may not cover, or provide adequate reimbursement for, long-term follow-up evaluations required following the use of product candidates, once approved. Patients are unlikely to use our product candidates, once approved, unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of their cost. There is significant uncertainty related to insurance coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. It is difficult to predict at this time what third-party payors will decide with respect to the coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates.
Net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for any product candidate that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. In addition, many pharmaceutical manufacturers must calculate and report certain price reporting metrics to the government, such as average sales price and best price. Penalties may apply in some cases when such metrics are not submitted accurately and timely. Further, these prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by
government healthcare programs. Payment methodologies may be subject to changes in healthcare legislation and regulatory initiatives.
Moreover, increasing efforts by governmental and other third-party payors in the United States and abroad to cap or reduce healthcare costs may cause such organizations to limit both coverage and the level of reimbursement for newly approved products and, as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for our product candidates. There has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs.
At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.
We expect that healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize our products. Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether existing regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals or clearances of our product candidates, if any, may be.
In addition, in some foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the European Union provides options for its Member States to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies. A Member State may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our product candidates. Historically, products launched in the European Union do not follow price structures of the United States and generally prices tend to be significantly lower.
Other Healthcare Laws and Compliance Requirements
Pharmaceutical companies are subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which they conduct their business that may constrain the financial arrangements and relationships through which we research, as well as sell, market and distribute any products for which we obtain marketing authorization. Arrangements with third-party payors and customers can expose pharmaceutical manufactures to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the federal False Claims Act (FCA) which may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which companies research, sell, market and distribute pharmaceutical products. In addition, transparency laws and patient privacy laws can apply to the activities of pharmaceutical manufactures. The applicable federal, state and foreign healthcare laws and regulations that can affect a pharmaceutical company’s operations include without limitation:
•The federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order or recommendation of any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, or other federal healthcare programs. A person or entity can be found guilty of violating the statute without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. Violations are subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment, and exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA or federal civil monetary penalties. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, but such exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and require strict compliance in order to offer protection;
•The federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the FCA, and civil monetary penalty laws, which prohibit any person or entity from, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false, fictitious or fraudulent claim for payment to, or approval by, the federal government or knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used a false record or statement, including providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label, material to a false or fraudulent claim to the federal government. As a result of a modification made by the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, a claim includes “any request or demand” for money or property presented to the federal government. In addition, manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery;
•The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which created federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private) and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false statements in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity can be found guilty of violating HIPAA without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it;
•HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), and their respective implementing regulations, which impose, among other things, specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information held by covered entities and their business associates as well as their covered subcontractors. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions;
•The federal legislation commonly referred to as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created under the ACA, and its implementing regulations, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to CMS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians, other licensed care professionals and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members;
•Federal government price reporting laws, which require us to calculate and report complex pricing metrics in an accurate and timely manner to government programs;
•Federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers; and
Additionally, we are subject to state and foreign equivalents of each of the healthcare laws and regulations described above, among others, some of which may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of the payor. Many U.S. states have adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act, and may apply to our business practices, including, but not limited to, research, distribution, sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental payors, including private insurers. In addition, some states have passed laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the April 2003 Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and/or the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. Several states also impose other marketing restrictions or require pharmaceutical companies to make marketing or price disclosures to the state and require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives. State and foreign laws, including for example the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, which became effective May 2018 also govern the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement we could be subject to penalties. Finally, there are state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform, especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations with respect to certain laws. Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare
providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. Prohibitions or restrictions on sales or withdrawal of future marketed products could materially affect our business in an adverse way. Changes in regulations, statutes or the interpretation of existing regulations could impact our business in the future by requiring, for example: (i) changes to our manufacturing arrangements; (ii) additions or modifications to product labeling; (iii) the recall or discontinuation of our products; or (iv) additional record-keeping requirements. If any such changes were to be imposed, they could adversely affect the operation of our business. Ensuring our business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws, as well as responding to possible investigations by government authorities, can be time- and resource-consuming and can divert a company’s attention from the business.
The failure to comply with any of these laws or regulatory requirements subjects companies to possible legal or regulatory action. Depending on the circumstances, failure to meet applicable regulatory requirements can result in significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in federal and state funded healthcare programs, contractual damages and the curtailment or restricting of our operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws. Any action for violation of these laws, even if successfully defended, could cause a pharmaceutical company to incur significant legal expenses and divert management’s attention from the operation of the business.
Healthcare Reform and Other Regulatory Changes
In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and likely will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system directed at broadening the availability of healthcare, improving the quality of healthcare, and containing or lowering the cost of healthcare.
For example, in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, each as amended, collectively known as the ACA was enacted in the United States. The ACA includes measures that have significantly changed, and are expected to continue to significantly change, the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers. The ACA contained a number of provisions, including those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, reimbursement adjustments and changes to fraud and abuse laws. Among the provisions of the ACA of greatest importance to the pharmaceutical industry are that the ACA:
•subjects biological products to potential competition by biosimilars;
•made several changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, including increasing pharmaceutical manufacturers’ rebate liability; and
•extended a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations.
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Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted include the following:
•The Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year. Subsequent legislation extended the 2% reduction which remains in effect through 2031.
•On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.
•On April 13, 2017, CMS published a final rule that gives states greater flexibility in setting benchmarks for insurers in the individual and small group marketplaces, which may have the effect of relaxing the essential health benefits required under the ACA for plans sold through such marketplaces.
•On May 23, 2019, CMS published a final rule to allow Medicare Advantage Plans the option of using step therapy for Part B drugs beginning January 1, 2020.
•On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, which eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024. These laws and regulations may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding and otherwise affect the prices we may obtain for any of our product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the frequency with which any such product candidate is prescribed or used.
•Further, on May 30, 2018, the Right to Try Act, was signed into law. The law, among other things, provides a federal framework for certain patients to access certain investigational new drug products that have completed a Phase 1 clinical trial and that are undergoing investigation for FDA approval. Under certain circumstances, eligible patients can seek treatment without enrolling in clinical trials and without obtaining FDA permission under the FDA expanded access program. There is no obligation for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to make its drug products available to eligible patients as a result of the Right to Try Act.
•The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) includes several provisions that may impact our business to varying degrees, including provisions that reduce the out-of-pocket spending cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries from $7,050 to $2,000 starting in 2025, thereby effectively eliminating the coverage gap; impose new manufacturer financial liability on certain drugs under Medicare Part D, allow the U.S. government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D price caps for certain high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar competition; require companies to pay rebates to Medicare for certain drug prices that increase faster than inflation; and delay until January 1, 2032 the implementation of the HHS rebate rule that would have limited the fees that pharmacy benefit managers can charge. Further, under the IRA, orphan drugs are exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only if they have one orphan designation and for which the only approved indication is for that disease or condition. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, this restriction was eliminated; and effective for the 2028 initial price applicability year, all orphan drugs, regardless of the number of orphan drug designations or indications, are exempt from the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. Although the effects of the IRA on our business and the healthcare industry in general are not yet known, we are taking into consideration the potential impact of the IRA on our development and commercialization activities. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The effects of the IRA on our business and the healthcare industry in general is not yet known.
The costs of prescription drugs and biological products have also been the subject of considerable discussion in the United States. At a federal level, President Trump reversed some of President Biden’s executive orders including rescinding Executive Order 14087 entitled “Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Americans." President Trump may issue new executive orders designed to impact prescription product pricing. A number of these and other proposed measures may require authorization through additional legislation to become effective. Congress and the Trump administration have indicated that they will continue to seek new legislative measures to control prescription product costs.
On April 15, 2025, the Trump Administration published Executive Order 14273, “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First,” which generally directs the federal government to take measures to reduce drug prices, including eliminating the so-called “pill penalty” under the Inflation Reduction Act that creates a distinction between small molecule and large molecule products for purposes of determining when a drug may be eligible for drug price negotiation. On May 12, 2025, the Trump Administration published Executive Order 14297, “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients” which generally, among other things, directs the federal government to establish and communicate most-favored-nation (“MFN”) price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations. Further, the Executive Order directs the federal government to support regulatory paths to allow direct-to-patient sales for companies that meet these targets. It also states that the Administration will take additional aggressive action (for example, examining whether marketing approvals should be modified or rescinded or opening the door for individual drug importation waivers) should manufacturers fail to offer American consumers the MFN lowest price or otherwise meet the Administration’s pricing objectives. It also directs the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to “take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in any act, policy, or practice that may be unreasonable or discriminatory or that may impair United States national security . . . including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.” Notably, a similar “Most Favored Nation” pricing rule enacted under the first Trump Administration was subject to an injunction resulting from judicial challenges to the rule, which was formally rescinded by the former Biden Administration in August 2021. We cannot predict whether, when, or in what form the current Executive Orders or related agency actions will be implemented, challenged, modified, delayed or enjoined.
On December 19, 2025, CMS released two proposed rules that would incorporate MFN pricing principles into federal reimbursement for prescription drugs. The first proposal, the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing Model (“GLOBE”) for Medicare Part B, would require manufacturers of specified single source drugs and sole source biologics to pay incremental rebates based on international benchmark prices, with participation triggered for products meeting CMS’s spending and eligibility criteria. The second proposal, the Guarding U.S. Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (“GUARD”) model for Medicare Part D, would similarly mandate manufacturer rebates for qualifying sole source drugs where the Medicare net price exceeds an MFN benchmark derived from international reference pricing methodologies. As proposed, GLOBE would begin a five year performance period on October 1, 2026 and GUARD would begin its performance period in 2027. These proposals will likely be subject to legal challenges that could delay their implementation or modify their impact on manufacturer pricing and revenue. Additionally, in November 2025, CMS introduced the GENErating cost Reductions for U.S. Medicaid (“GENEROUS”) Model, a voluntary MFN framework for manufacturers participating in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Although it is voluntary, the GENEROUS Model could also impact the drug pricing landscape for manufacturers.
In addition, at the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations similar to those under consideration at the federal level, as well as laws designed to control pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic product pricing, including restrictions on pricing or reimbursement at the state government level, limitations on discounts to patients, marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, restrictions or other limitations on patient assistance, and, in some cases, policies to encourage importation from other countries (subject to federal approval) and bulk purchasing. Certain states are also pursuing
cost containment efforts through Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (“PDABs”) and similar entities. While many PDABs have been granted authority to promote drug price transparency and reporting, some states have granted PDABs more expansive authority, including to set Upper Payment Limits (UPLs) on select, high price drugs. The adoption and implementation of UPLs may put downward pressure on drug prices and impact our company’s future revenues.
Exclusivity and Approval of Competing Products
Approval of Biosimilars and Biologic Exclusivity
The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (“BPCIA”) created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are demonstrated to be “biosimilar” or “interchangeable” with an FDA-licensed reference biological product. Biosimilarity is established by demonstrating that there are no clinically meaningful differences between the biological product and its reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency. This determination is typically based on analytical studies, animal studies, and in some cases, clinical studies. Interchangeability requires that a product is biosimilar to the reference product and must further show that it is expected to produce the same clinical results in any given patient. For products administered multiple times, the reference biologic and the interchangeable biologic must be able to be switched or alternated without increasing safety risks or compromising efficacy compared to exclusive use of the reference biologic.
A product designated as biosimilar or interchangeable to an FDA-approved reference biological product may rely on the FDA’s prior determination of safety and effectiveness for that reference product. This reliance can reduce both the cost and time required to obtain market approval. However, due to the larger and more complex structures of biological products and the intricate manufacturing processes involved, the biosimilar pathway remains challenging to implement.
Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar cannot be submitted to the FDA until four years after the reference product was first licensed. Furthermore, the FDA cannot approve a biosimilar until 12 years after the reference product's initial approval. During this 12-year exclusivity period, a competing product may still be marketed if the FDA approves a full BLA containing the applicant’s own preclinical and clinical trial data demonstrating safety, purity, and potency. Additionally, the BPCIA provides certain exclusivity periods for biosimilars designated as interchangeable products. State pharmacy laws govern whether FDA-approved interchangeable products can be readily substituted for the reference product .
Pediatric Exclusivity
Pediatric exclusivity is another type of non‑patent regulatory and marketing exclusivity in the United States and, if granted, provides for the attachment of an additional six months of marketing protection to the term of any existing regulatory exclusivity, including the non‑patent exclusivity period described above. This six-month exclusivity may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric study in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a study.
Foreign Regulation
In order to market any product outside of the United States, we would need to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding biologic and drug development, approval and commercialization. The approval process varies by country and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval in other countries might differ from and be longer than that required to obtain FDA approval. Regulatory approval in one country does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may negatively impact the regulatory process in others. The processes for obtaining marketing approvals in foreign countries, along with subsequent compliance with applicable statutes and regulations, require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
European Union Drug Approval Process
To obtain a marketing authorization for a medicinal product, including a biologic,in the European Union, we may submit marketing authorization applications (“MAAs”) either under the so‑called centralized, decentralized, mutual recognition or national authorization procedures.
Centralized procedure
The centralized procedure provides for the grant of a single marketing authorization following a favorable opinion by the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) that is valid in all European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The centralized procedure is compulsory for medicines produced by specified biotechnological processes, products designated as orphan medicinal products, and products with a new active substance indicated for the treatment of specified diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders or autoimmune diseases and other immune
dysfunctions and viral diseases. The centralized procedure is optional for products that represent a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation, or whose authorization would be in the interest of public health.
National authorization procedures
There are also three other possible routes to authorize medicinal products in several European Union countries, which are available for investigational medicinal products that fall outside the scope of the centralized procedure.
•National authorization procedure. This procedure involves submitting an MAA to an individual EU country’s competent authority for approval. Each EU Member State has its own national authorization procedures.
•Decentralized procedure. Using the decentralized procedure, an applicant may apply for simultaneous authorization in more than one European Union country of medicinal products that have not yet been authorized in any European Union country and that do not fall within the mandatory scope of the centralized procedure.
•Mutual recognition procedure. In the mutual recognition procedure, a medicine is first authorized in one European Union Member State, in accordance with the national procedures of that country. Following this, further marketing authorizations can be sought from other European Union countries in a procedure whereby the countries agree to recognize the validity of the original, national marketing authorization.
In the European Union, new products authorized for marketing (i.e., reference products) qualify for eight years of data exclusivity and an additional two years of market exclusivity upon marketing authorization. The data exclusivity period prevents generic applicants from relying on the preclinical and clinical trial data contained in the dossier of the reference product when applying for a follow-on marketing authorization in the EU during a period of eight years from the date on which the reference product was first authorized in the EU. The market exclusivity period prevents a successful follow-on applicant from commercializing its product in the EU until ten years have elapsed from the initial authorization of the reference product in the EU. The ten‑year market exclusivity period can be extended to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies.
Employees and Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2025, we had 33 employees, all of whom were full-time. 18 of our employees are primarily engaged in research and development activities. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
We believe that our future success largely depends upon our ability to scale and to attract and retain highly skilled and qualified personnel. We believe that we provide our employees with competitive salaries and bonuses, opportunities for equity ownership, and an employment package that promotes well-being across all aspects of their lives, including health care, retirement planning and paid time off. We believe that much of our success is rooted in the variety of backgrounds represented in our teams and our commitment to inclusion. We focus on extending our inclusion initiatives across our entire workforce.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware in 2011 and commenced operations in the second quarter of 2011. We completed our initial public offering in October 2015. Our principal executive offices are located at 1500 Liberty Ridge Drive, Suite 321, Wayne, PA 19087, and our phone number is (410) 522-8707. Our website address is www.avalotx.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this report. We have included our website address in this report solely as an inactive textual reference.
Available Information
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), are available free of charge on our website at www.avalotx.com as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing such material to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that includes our reports, proxy statements and other information.