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License Agreements
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Text Block [Abstract]  
License Agreements

9. License Agreements

Agreements with UHN

Fabry License Agreement—  

On January 27, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement with UHN, pursuant to which UHN granted the Company an option to enter into an exclusive license under the UHN intellectual property related to Fabry disease in accordance with the pre-negotiated licensing terms. On November 4, 2016, the Company exercised its option and entered into a license agreement with UHN, pursuant to which UHN granted the Company an exclusive worldwide license under certain intellectual property rights and a non-exclusive worldwide license under certain know-how, in each case subject to certain retained rights, to develop, commercialize and sell products for use in the treatment of Fabry disease. UHN also granted the Company an exclusive option, exercisable for a period of three years following the execution of the agreement, to obtain a license under certain improvements to the licensed intellectual property rights as well as an option to negotiate a license under certain other improvements. The Company elected not to exercise such option and the option has expired in accordance with its terms.

Under this agreement, the Company paid an option fee of CAD $20, an upfront license fee of CAD $75, plus the annual license maintenance fee for the first year. Thereafter, the Company is also required to pay UHN future annual license maintenance fees until the first sale of a licensed product in certain markets. The Company is also obligated to make future milestone payments in an aggregate amount of up to CAD $2,450 upon the achievement of specified milestones as well as royalties on a country-by-country basis of a low to mid-single-digit percentage of annual net sales of licensed products and a lower single-digit royalty percentage in certain circumstances. Additionally, the Company has agreed to pay a low double-digit royalty percentage of all sublicensing revenue.

The agreement requires the Company to meet certain performance milestones within specified timeframes. UHN may terminate the agreement if the Company fails to meet these performance milestones despite using commercially reasonable efforts and the Company is unable to reach agreement with UHN on revised timeframes. The Company’s royalty obligation expires on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis upon the latest to occur of the expiration or termination of the last valid claim under the licensed intellectual property rights in such country, the tenth anniversary of the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country and the expiration of any applicable regulatory exclusivity in such country.

Unless terminated earlier, the agreement expires upon the expiration of the Company’s royalty obligation for all licensed products. UHN can terminate the agreement if the Company fails to make any payments within a specified period after receiving written notice of such failure, or in the event that the Company fails to obtain or maintain insurance. Either the Company or UHN may terminate the license agreement in the event of a material breach by the other party and failure to cure such breach within a certain period of time. The Company can voluntarily terminate the agreement with prior notice to UHN.

For the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded research and development expense related to this agreement with UHN of $415 and $0, respectively, which consists of reimbursable funded study trial costs. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded research and development expense related to this agreement with UHN of $741 and $0, respectively, which consists of reimbursable funded study trial costs. No milestone or maintenance fees were incurred related to the Fabry license agreement in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.

Interleukin 12 License Agreement—  

On January 27, 2016, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with UHN, pursuant to which UHN granted the Company a license to certain patent rights for the commercial development, manufacture, distribution and use of any products or processes resulting from development of those patent rights related to Interleukin 12. Upon execution of this agreement, the Company paid an upfront license fee of CAD $264. In addition, as part of the initial consideration for the license, the Company issued to UHN 1,161,665 shares of the Company’s common stock. The fair value of the shares issued to UHN of $480 and the upfront fee was expensed upon the execution of the agreement. In addition, the Company agreed to pay UHN up to $2,000 upon the closing of an IPO if certain criteria are met. This obligation was considered a derivative instrument and was initially recorded at fair value of $49. The Company is also required to pay UHN future annual license maintenance fees of CAD $50 on each anniversary of the effective date of the license agreement prior to expiration or termination and potential future milestone payments of up to CAD $19,275 upon the achievement of specified clinical and regulatory milestones. The Company also agreed to pay UHN royalties of a low single-digit percentage of net sales of licensed products sold by the Company. If the Company grants any sublicense rights under the license agreement, the Company has agreed to pay UHN a low double-digit royalty percentage of any sublicense income received by the Company.

The agreement requires the Company to meet certain diligence requirements based upon specified milestones. The agreement expires on the later of the date the last patent rights expire in the last country or ten years from the date of first sale. UHN can terminate the agreement if the Company fails to make any payments within a specified period after receiving written notice of such failure, or in the event that the Company fails to obtain or maintain insurance. The Company can voluntarily terminate the agreement with prior notice to UHN. Either the Company or UHN may terminate the license agreement in the event of a material breach by the other party and failure to cure such breach within a certain period of time.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded research and development expense related to this agreement with UHN of $38 and $41, respectively, which consists of license maintenance fees. No license maintenance fees were recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. No milestone fees were incurred related to the IL-12 license agreement in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.

Agreement with BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (“BioMarin”)

On August 31, 2017, the Company entered into a license agreement with BioMarin, pursuant to which BioMarin granted the Company an exclusive worldwide license under certain intellectual property rights owned or controlled by BioMarin to develop, commercialize and sell products for use in the treatment of Pompe disease. As consideration for this agreement, the Company paid an upfront license fee of $500 in cash and issued 233,765 shares of Series B Preferred Stock to BioMarin at the time of our Series B Preferred Stock financing in January 2018. Both the upfront cash payment of $500 and the value of the shares Series B Preferred Stock issued of $500 were recorded as research and development expense during the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company is also obligated to make future milestone payments of up to $13,000 upon the achievement of certain specified milestones and agreed to pay BioMarin royalties of a low single-digit percentage of net sales of licensed products sold by the Company or its affiliates covered by patent rights in a relevant country. No milestone fees related to the license were recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.

Unless terminated earlier, the agreement expires upon the expiration of the Company’s royalty obligation for all licensed products throughout the world. BioMarin and the Company can terminate the agreement in the event of a material breach by the other party and failure to cure such breach within a certain period of time. The Company may terminate the agreement at will upon written notice to BioMarin. BioMarin has the right to terminate the agreement upon the Company’s bankruptcy or insolvency, or in the event of any challenge or opposition to the licensed patent rights or related actions brought by the Company or its affiliates or sublicensees, or if the Company, its affiliates or sublicensees knowingly assist a third-party in challenging or otherwise opposing the licensed patent rights, except as required under a court order or subpoena.

Agreement with GenStem Therapeutics, Inc. (“GenStem”)

On October 2, 2017, the Company entered into a license agreement with GenStem, pursuant to which GenStem granted the Company an exclusive worldwide license, subject to certain retained rights, under certain intellectual property rights owned or controlled by GenStem to develop, commercialize and sell products for use in the treatment of cystinosis. Under this agreement, the Company paid an upfront license fee of $1,000 and is required to make payments upon completion of certain milestones up to an aggregate of $16,000. In November 2019, the Company made a payment of $2,000 in connection with the dosing of the first patient in the investigator-sponsored Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AVR-RD-04 in cystinosis in the United States.  The next anticipated payment under this Agreement is $2,000, which would become due following the dosing of the first patient in the first pivotal clinical trial of AVR-RD-04 in cystinosis in the United States. The Company also agreed to pay GenStem a tiered mid to high single-digit royalty percentage on annual net sales of licensed products as well as a low double-digit percentage of sublicense income received from certain third-party licensees. The Company’s royalty obligation expires on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis on the eleventh anniversary of the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country or the expiration of the last valid claim under the licensed patent rights covering such licensed product in such country, whichever is later. Unless terminated earlier, the agreement expires upon the expiration of the Company’s royalty obligation for all licensed products throughout the world. GenStem and the Company can terminate the agreement in the event of a material breach by the other party and failure to cure such breach within a certain period of time. The Company may terminate the agreement at will upon the specified prior written notice to GenStem. No milestone fees related to the license were recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.

Agreement with Lund University Rights Holders

On November 17, 2016, the Company entered into a license agreement with affiliates of Lund University, along with certain other relevant rights holders that may be added from time to time, pursuant to which such rights holders granted to the Company an exclusive worldwide license, subject to certain retained rights, under certain intellectual property rights to develop, commercialize and sell products in any and all uses relevant to Gaucher disease. As consideration for the license, the Company is required to make payments in connection with the achievement of certain milestones up to an aggregate of $550. The agreement expires on the latest of (i) the twentieth anniversary of the end of a certain research project the Company is funding pursuant to an agreement with Lund University, (ii) the expiration of the term of any patent filed on the licensed rights that covers a licensed product, (iii) the expiration of any applicable marketing exclusivity right and (iv) such time that neither the Company nor any sublicensees, partners or contractors are commercializing a licensed product. Either the Company or the rights holders acting together may terminate the license agreement if the other such party commits a material breach and fails to cure such breach within a certain period of time, or if the other party enters into liquidation, becomes insolvent, or enters into composition or statutory reorganization proceedings. No milestone fees related to the license were recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.