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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

NOTE 9 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

License Agreements

On March 26, 2015, the Company entered into an exclusive agreement with H. Lundbeck A/S (“Lundbeck”) for a worldwide perpetual licensing right related the research, development and commercialization of OV101. On May 10, 2019, the parties amended the license agreement.

 

Pursuant to the Lundbeck license agreement, as amended, the Company agreed to make milestone payments totaling up to $189.0 million upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory and sales milestones. The first payment of $1.0 million is due upon the successful completion of the first Phase 3 trial for a product in which OV101 is an active ingredient. In addition, the agreement calls for the Company to pay royalties for an initial term based on a low double-digit percentage of sales and provides for the reduction of royalties in certain limited circumstances.  As of December 31, 2019, none of these contingent payments were considered probable.

In December 2016, the Company entered into a license agreement with Northwestern University, or Northwestern, pursuant to which Northwestern granted us an exclusive, worldwide license to patent rights in certain inventions, or the Northwestern Patent Rights, which relate to a specific compound and related methods of use for such compound, along with certain Know-How related to the practice of the inventions claimed in the Northwestern Patents.  

Under the Northwestern agreement, the Company was granted exclusive rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize products utilizing the Northwestern Patent Rights for all uses. The Company has agreed that it will not use the Northwestern Patent Rights to develop any products for the treatment of cancer, but Northwestern may not grant rights in the technology to others for use in cancer. The Company also has an option, exercisable during the term of the agreement to an exclusive license under certain intellectual property rights covering novel compounds with the same or similar mechanism of action as the primary compound that is the subject of the license agreement.  Northwestern has retained the right, on behalf of itself and other non-profit institutions, to use the Northwestern Patent Rights and practice the inventions claimed therein for educational and research purposes and to publish information about the inventions covered by the Northwestern Patent Rights.  

Upon entry into the Northwestern agreement, the Company paid an upfront non-creditable one-time license issuance fee of $75,000, and is required to pay an annual license maintenance fee of $20,000, which will be creditable against any royalties payable to Northwestern following first commercial sale of licensed products under the agreement.  The Company is responsible for all ongoing costs of filing, prosecuting and maintaining the Northwestern Patents, but also has the right to control such activities using its own patent counsel.  In consideration for the rights granted to the Company under the Northwestern agreement, the Company is required to pay to Northwestern up to an aggregate of $5.3 million upon the achievement of certain development and regulatory milestones for the first product covered by the Northwestern Patents, and, upon commercialization of any such products, will be required to pay to Northwestern a tiered royalty on net sales of such products by the Company, its affiliates or sublicensees, at percentages in the low to mid single-digits, subject to standard reductions and offsets.  The Company’s royalty obligations continue on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis until the later of the expiration of the last-to-expire valid claim in a licensed patent covering the applicable product in such country and 10 years following the first commercial sale of such product in such country.  If the Company sublicenses a Northwestern Patent Right, it will be obligated to pay to Northwestern a specified percentage of sublicense revenue received by the Company, ranging from the high single digits to the low-teens.  

The Northwestern agreement requires that the Company use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize at least one product that is covered by the Northwestern Patent Rights.  

Unless earlier terminated, the Northwestern agreement will remain in force until the expiration of the Company’s payment obligations thereunder.  The Company has the right to terminate the agreement for any reason upon prior written notice or for an uncured material breach by Northwestern.  Northwestern may terminate the agreement for the Company’s uncured material breach or insolvency.

As of December 31, 2019, none of these contingent payments were considered probable.

 

Contingencies

Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. The Company is not currently involved in any legal matters arising in the normal course of business.

Under the terms of their respective employment agreements, each of our named executive officers is eligible to receive severance payments and benefits upon a termination without “cause” or due to “permanent disability,” or upon “resignation for good reason,” contingent upon the named executive officer’s delivery to the Company of a satisfactory release of claims, and subject to the named executive officer’s compliance with non-competition and non-solicitation restrictive covenants for two years following the termination date.

Pursuant to the Northwestern agreement, Northwestern granted the Company an exclusive license to certain patent rights and know-how, including a patent application covering a specified composition of matter (the “Patent Application”).  Northwestern previously entered into a license agreement with Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Catalyst”), dated August 27, 2009, pursuant to which Northwestern granted Catalyst rights under certain intellectual property rights covering a different composition of matter (the “Catalyst License”).  In addition, the Company is a party to a confidential disclosure agreement with Catalyst, dated September 16, 2016 (the “CDA”). On June 25, 2018, Catalyst sent a letter to Northwestern and the Company alleging, among other things, that Northwestern breached the Catalyst License by licensing the Patent Application to the Company. Catalyst’s letter also asserted that the Company had breached its obligations under the CDA by allegedly failing to disclose that the Company had a license to the Patent Application, and that a further breach would occur if the Company makes any use of information obtained under the CDA in connection with its development program arising from the rights granted under the license agreement.  Catalyst has asserted that the combined conduct of Northwestern and the Company gives rise to various claims, including breach of contract, fraud, and tortious interference. The Company believes that Catalyst’s claims are without merit and responded by letter dated June 28, 2018, which denies any and all liability to Catalyst, and further denies that Catalyst has been damaged in any way. On May 20, 2019, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement with Catalyst (the “Settlement Agreement”), pursuant to which Catalyst released the Company from any and all claims, known or unknown, arising from or related to the dispute between Catalyst and Northwestern, the license agreement, and/or the claims that Catalyst asserted against the Company in the June 25, 2018 letter.  Under the Settlement Agreement the Company retains all rights and privileges previously granted to the Company under the Northwestern license agreement.