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Significant agreements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Significant agreements  
Significant agreements

9. Significant agreements

For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized revenue for its collaborations with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Ionis”), Genentech, Inc. (“Genentech”), and the Dementia Discovery Fund (“DDF”). The following table summarizes the revenue recognized in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss from these arrangements (in thousands):

Three Months 

Ended 

March 31, 

    

2023

    

2022

Collaboration revenues

    

  

    

  

Ionis

$

2,784

$

2,314

Genentech

2,112

1,474

Dementia Discovery Fund

 

 

72

Total collaboration revenues

$

4,896

$

3,860

Novartis Collaboration Agreement

On March 27, 2023, the Company and Novartis entered into a collaboration and license agreement (the “Novartis Collaboration Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties will perform research and discovery activities under a mutually agreed upon research plan during a research term of up to a specified number of years per target program to generate compounds incorporating optimized Bicycle constructs directed to two specified targets, under the oversight of a joint steering committee. The Company granted Novartis a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable (subject to certain restrictions) license under the Company’s intellectual property solely for Novartis to perform its research activities under each collaboration program during the research term (the “Novartis Research License”). For each collaboration program, Novartis may elect to progress compounds arising from activities under the research programs (“Licensed Compounds”) into further preclinical development of potential products directed to the target of such collaboration program. At a specified point, the Company will grant Novartis an exclusive, royalty-bearing, sublicensable, license under certain of the Company’s intellectual property to develop, manufacture, and commercialize such Licensed Compound, subject to certain limitations. Novartis also has certain limited substitution rights for each target, and Novartis may extend the initial research term by one year by electing to make an additional payment. On a target-by-target basis, if Novartis elects to progress development candidates directed to such target into further clinical

development, Novartis will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and seek regulatory approval in certain major markets for products containing Licensed Compounds directed to the applicable target.

 

Novartis agreed to pay a nonrefundable upfront payment to the Company of $50.0 million, which was received in April 2023. During the research term, upon achievement of a specified discovery milestone for the first target program, Novartis will make a one-time payment to the Company in the low single digit millions. On a target-by-target basis, if Novartis elects to progress one or more candidate compounds into further development and obtain an exclusive license for commercialization, Novartis will be required to pay a candidate selection fee for the first such Licensed Compound progressed by Novartis that incorporates a radionuclide, and for the first such Licensed Compound that does not incorporate a radionuclide, in each case in the mid-teen millions. Upon declaring a candidate, Novartis will be responsible for all future development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities. On a target-by-target basis, Novartis will be required to pay to the Company additional development and regulatory/first commercial sale milestones of up to $210.0 million for each of the first radionuclide product and non-radionuclide product directed to the applicable target upon the achievement of specified milestones, or $840.0 million in the aggregate if Novartis successfully achieves all such milestone events for both a radionuclide and a non-radionuclide product in each of the targets. In addition, the Company is eligible to receive tiered sales milestones based on the achievement of specified levels of net sales of such products totaling up to $200.0 million in the aggregate per product, or $800.0 million in the aggregate if Novartis successfully commercializes both a radionuclide and a non-radionuclide product in each of the target programs. In addition, (i) the Company is eligible to receive, on a therapeutic product-by-therapeutic product basis, tiered royalties on net sales of products by Novartis, its affiliates or sublicensees at percentages ranging from the high single digits to the very low double digits, subject to standard reductions and offsets in certain circumstances, and a royalty floor, and (ii) the Company is eligible to receive low single digit royalties on net sales of diagnostic products on a diagnostic product-by-diagnostic product basis and a low single digit percentage of sublicensing income on diagnostic products. Royalties will be payable under the Novartis Collaboration Agreement on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis, commencing on the first commercial sale of each product in a country, until the latest of (a) the expiration of the last valid claim of certain patents licensed by Company to Novartis, (b) a specified number of years following first commercial sale of such product, and (c) expiration of all data and regulatory exclusivity for such product in the applicable country.

 

The Novartis Collaboration Agreement will remain in force on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis, unless earlier terminated by either party, until the expiration of the obligation for Novartis to make royalty payments to Company for such product in such country, and will terminate in its entirety on the expiration of all such royalty payment obligations in all countries. Either party may terminate the agreement upon 60 days’ written notice for the other party’s uncured material breach, or upon the other party’s insolvency. In addition, Novartis may terminate the Collaboration Agreement (i) in its entirety or on a product-by-product or target-by-target basis for any reason upon 90 days’ written notice to Company, and (ii) on a target-by-target basis on 30 days’ written notice if Novartis determines that a safety or regulatory issue exists which would have a material adverse effect on the development, manufacture, or commercialization of any product with respect to a given target. The Company may terminate the Novartis Collaboration Agreement, (a) on a target-by-target basis upon 30 days’ prior written notice if Novartis has not yet declared a development candidate for such target by the sixth anniversary of the commencement of research activities for such target and (b) if Novartis or any of its affiliates or sublicensees challenges the validity or enforceability of any of the patents in the Company’s licensed intellectual property.

Accounting Analysis

Upon the execution of the Novartis Collaboration Agreement, the Company identified the following performance obligations:

(i)Two combined performance obligations comprised of the Novartis Research License and the related research and development services during the research term for the first and second targets

(ii)Two material rights associated with certain limited substitution rights with respect to the first and second targets

(iii)Two material rights associated with the option to progress development candidates that incorporate a radionuclide with respect to the first and second target

(iv)Two material rights associated with the option to progress development candidates that do not incorporate a radionuclide with respect to the first and second target

The Company concluded that certain rights that require the payment of additional consideration, which approximates the standalone selling of the underlying services to be provided, do not provide the customer with a material right and therefore, are not considered as performance obligations at the inception of the arrangement. The Company’s participation in the joint steering committee was assessed as immaterial in the context of the contract.

The Company has concluded that the Novartis Research License is not distinct from the research and development services as Novartis cannot obtain the benefit of the research license without the Company performing the research and development services. The services incorporate proprietary technology and unique skills and specialized expertise, particularly as they relate to constrained peptide technology that is not available in the marketplace. As a result, for each target, the research license has been combined with the research and development services into a single performance obligation.

In assessing whether the various options under the Novartis Collaboration Agreement represent material rights, the Company considered the additional consideration the Company would be entitled to upon option exercise and the standalone selling price of the underlying goods and services. For the material rights identified above the Company concluded that each of the options provided Novartis with a discount that it otherwise would not have received.

The total transaction price was initially determined to be $50.0 million, consisting of the $50.0 million upfront fee. The Company utilizes the most likely amount method to determine the amount of variable consideration to be received. Variable consideration for development milestones not subject to option exercises was fully constrained as a result of the uncertainty regarding whether any of the milestones will be achieved. Additional consideration to be paid to the Company upon the exercise of options by Novartis are excluded from the transaction price as they relate to option fees and milestones that can only be achieved subsequent to the exercise of an option.

The transaction price was allocated to the performance obligations based on the relative estimated standalone selling prices of each performance obligation. The estimated standalone selling prices for the combined performance obligations for each of the targets were based on the nature of the services to be performed and estimates of the associated effort and costs of the services, adjusted for a reasonable profit margin for what would be expected to be realized under similar contracts. The estimated standalone selling price for the material rights was determined based on the fees Novartis would pay to exercise the options, the estimated value of the underlying goods and services, and the probability that Novartis would exercise the options. Based on the relative standalone selling prices, the allocation of the transaction price to the separate performance obligations is as follows (in thousands):

Allocation of 

Performance Obligations

    

Transaction Price

Two combined performance obligations for the first and second targets

$

18,008

Two material rights associated with limited substitution rights

 

2,466

Two material rights associated with options to progress development candidates incorporating radionuclides

 

19,684

Two material rights associated with options to progress development candidates not incorporating radionuclides

9,842

$

50,000

The Company will recognize revenue related to amounts allocated to the first and second target combined performance obligations as the underlying services are performed using a proportional performance model over the period of service using input-based measurements of total full-time equivalent efforts and external costs incurred to date as a percentage of total full-time equivalent efforts and expected external costs, which best reflects the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligations. The amounts allocated to the material rights are recorded as deferred revenue

and the Company will commence revenue recognition upon exercise of or upon expiry of the respective option. The Company anticipates that the first and second target combined performance obligations will be satisfied over a period of approximately three years, and the remaining material rights will be exercised or expire within approximately six years from contract execution.

The Company did not recognize any revenue in connection with the Novartis Collaboration Agreement in either of the three months ended March 31, 2023 or 2022. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company recorded deferred revenue of $50.5 million and zero, respectively, in connection with the Novartis Collaboration Agreement.

Ionis Agreements

Ionis Evaluation and Option Agreement

On December 31, 2020 (the “Effective Date”), the Company entered into an Evaluation and Option Agreement (the “Evaluation and Option Agreement”) with Ionis. Under the terms of the Evaluation and Option Agreement, the Company agreed to transfer Bicycles (the “Option Materials”) to Ionis in order to evaluate a particular application of the Company’s technology platform for a period of up to four months (the “Evaluation Period”). Ionis paid the Company a non-refundable $3.0 million option fee in January 2021.

At any point during the term of the agreement and continuing through 30 days after the expiration of the Evaluation Period, Ionis had the option (the “Ionis Option”) to obtain an exclusive license to the Company’s intellectual property for the purpose of continued research, development, manufacture and commercialization of products within a particular application of the Company’s platform technology. The upfront payment of $3.0 million was fully creditable against the upfront payment to be paid upon the execution of a license agreement.

The Company concluded that the only performance obligation was a material right for the option to obtain an exclusive license. All other promises under the Evaluation and Option Agreement were immaterial in the context of the contract. The Company accounted for the $3.0 million payment as deferred revenue as of December 31, 2020. On July 9, 2021, the Ionis Option was exercised upon the parties’ entry into a collaboration and license agreement as contemplated by the Evaluation and Option Agreement. The Company determined that the Ionis Option exercise constituted a continuation of the existing arrangement. Therefore, the $3.0 million in deferred revenue under the Evaluation and Option Agreement was included in the transaction price of the collaboration and license agreement.

Ionis Collaboration Agreement

Following the exercise by Ionis of the Ionis Option granted pursuant to the Evaluation and Option Agreement, on July 9, 2021, the Company and Ionis entered into a collaboration and license agreement (the “Ionis Collaboration Agreement”). Pursuant to the Ionis Collaboration Agreement, the Company granted to Ionis a worldwide exclusive license under the Company’s relevant technology to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize products incorporating Bicycle peptides directed to the protein coded by the gene TFRC1 (transferrin receptor) (“TfR1 Bicycles”) intended for the delivery of oligonucleotide compounds directed to targets selected by Ionis for diagnostic, therapeutic, prophylactic and preventative uses in humans. Ionis will maintain exclusivity to all available targets unless it fails to achieve specified development diligence milestone deadlines. If Ionis fails to achieve one or more development diligence milestone deadlines, the Company has the right to limit exclusivity to certain specific collaboration targets, subject to the payment by Ionis of a low-single-digit million dollar amount per target as specified in the Ionis Collaboration Agreement. Each party will be responsible for optimization of such TfR1 Bicycles and other research and discovery activities related to TfR1 Bicycles, as specified by a research plan, and thereafter Ionis will be responsible for all future research, development, manufacture and commercialization activities. The Company will perform research and discovery activities including a baseline level of effort for a period of three years for no additional consideration. The parties will negotiate a commercially reasonable rate if additional research activities are agreed to be performed. For certain research and discovery activities that the Company is responsible for performing, the Company may use the assistance of a contract research organization (“CRO”). The Company has retained certain rights, including the right to use TfR1 Bicycles for all non-oligonucleotide therapeutic purposes.

The activities under the Ionis Collaboration Agreement are governed by a joint steering committee (“JSC”) with an equal number of representatives from the Company and Ionis. The JSC will oversee the performance of the research and development activities. Upon first commercial sales of a licensed product, the JSC will have no further responsibilities or authority under the Ionis Collaboration Agreement.

Under the Ionis Collaboration Agreement, Ionis made a non-refundable upfront payment of $31.0 million in addition to the $3.0 million already paid under the Option and Evaluation Agreement. Additionally, Ionis is obligated to reimburse the Company on a pass-through basis for expenses incurred in connection with research and discovery activities performed by a CRO. If Ionis is at risk of failing to achieve a specified development diligence milestone deadline, it can make up to three separate payments of a mid-single-digit million dollar amount to extend the development diligence milestone deadlines. On a collaboration target-by-collaboration target basis, Ionis will be required to make a low-single-digit million dollar payment upon acceptance of an investigational new drug application (“IND”) for the first product directed to such collaboration target (provided that Ionis will have a high single-digit million dollar credit to be applied towards the IND acceptance fee for four collaboration targets, or for exclusivity payments for certain targets if specified development diligence milestones deadlines are not achieved), and Ionis will be required to make milestone payments upon the achievement of specified development and regulatory milestones of up to a low double-digit million dollar amount per collaboration target. In addition, the Company is eligible to receive up to a low double-digit million dollar amount in cumulative sales milestone payments. The Company is also entitled to receive tiered royalty payments on net sales at percentages in the low single digits, subject to certain standard reductions and offsets. Royalties will be payable, on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis, until the latest of the expiration of specified licensed patents covering such product in such country, ten years from first commercial sale of such product in such country, or expiration of marketing exclusivity for such product in such country.

In December 2021, the Company and Ionis entered into an amendment to the Ionis Collaboration Agreement (the “Ionis Amendment”). Ionis paid the Company $1.6 million and the Company agreed to perform additional research services utilizing its proprietary phage screening technology to identify and optimize new product candidates that target the TfR1 receptor. The Company will perform the additional research services for an initial six-month period, which was extended in August 2022 for an additional three months, in exchange for consideration of $0.8 million. In October 2022, Ionis exercised an option it had for the Company to perform additional research services for an additional six months in exchange for the remaining consideration of $0.8 million.

Either party may terminate the Ionis Collaboration Agreement for the uncured material breach of the other party or in the case of insolvency. Ionis may terminate the Ionis Collaboration Agreement for convenience on specified notice periods depending on the development stage of the applicable target, either in its entirety or on a target-by-target basis.

Ionis Share Purchase Agreement

Concurrently with the execution of the Ionis Collaboration Agreement on July 9, 2021, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement (the “Ionis Share Purchase Agreement”) with Ionis, pursuant to which Ionis purchased 282,485 of the Company’s ordinary shares (the “Ionis Shares”) at a price per share of $38.94, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $11.0 million.

Pursuant to the terms of the Ionis Share Purchase Agreement, Ionis agreed that until January 9, 2023, it would not, without the Company’s prior written consent and subject to certain conditions and exceptions, among other things, directly or indirectly acquire additional shares of the Company’s outstanding equity securities, seek or propose a tender or exchange offer, merger or other business combination involving the Company, solicit proxies or consents with respect to any matter, or undertake other specified actions related to the potential acquisition of additional equity interests in the Company. The Share Purchase Agreement also provided that, subject to limited exceptions, Ionis could not sell any of the Ionis Shares until July 2022.

The Company determined the fair value of the Ionis Shares to be $7.6 million, based on the closing price of the Company’s ADSs of $31.11 per ADS on the date of the Ionis Share Purchase Agreement, less a discount for lack of marketability associated with resale restrictions applicable to the Ionis Shares, which was recorded as a component of

shareholders’ equity. The Company concluded that the premium paid by Ionis under the Ionis Share Purchase Agreement represents additional consideration for the goods and services to be provided under the Ionis Collaboration Agreement. As such, the total premium of $3.4 million was included in the transaction price under the Ionis Collaboration Agreement.

Accounting analysis

Upon execution of the Ionis Collaboration Agreement, the Company identified the following promises in the arrangement: i) a worldwide exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize products incorporating TfR1 Bicycles intended for the delivery of oligonucleotide compounds directed to targets selected by Ionis for diagnostic, therapeutic, prophylactic and preventative uses in humans; ii) research and discovery activities to customize and optimize such TfR1 Bicycles; iii) four material rights associated with options to obtain credits to be applied towards the IND acceptance fee for four collaboration targets.

The Company’s participation in the JSC was deemed immaterial in the context of the contract. The Company has concluded that the exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize products is not distinct from the research and development services as Ionis cannot obtain the intended benefit of the license without the Company performing the agreed upon research and discovery services, including the optimization of such TfR1 Bicycles. The services incorporate proprietary technology, unique skills and specialized expertise to optimize Bicycles that are not available in the marketplace. As a result, the exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize products has been combined with the research and discovery activities into a single performance obligation. The Company concluded that the low-single-digit million dollar payments upon acceptance of an IND (and payment to extend the exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize a product candidate for certain specific collaboration targets if Ionis fails to achieve specified development diligence milestone deadlines) is a customer option, as Ionis has the contractual right to choose to make the payment in exchange for the continued exclusive right to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize the product candidate, and the Company is not presently obligated to provide, and does not have a right to consideration, for the additional goods or services prior to Ionis’s exercise of the option. In assessing whether the options under the Ionis Collaboration Agreement represent material rights, the Company considered the additional consideration the Company would be entitled to upon the option exercise and the standalone selling price of the underlying goods and services. For the material rights identified above, the Company concluded that each of the options to obtain credits provided Ionis with a discount that it otherwise would not have received without entering into the Ionis Collaboration Agreement.

The total transaction price was initially determined to be $38.0 million, consisting of the $31.0 million up front payment, the $3.0 million payment under the Option and Evaluation Agreement that was credited against the total upfront payment payable pursuant to the Ionis Collaboration Agreement, the $3.4 million premium paid under the Ionis Share Purchase Agreement, and an estimated $0.6 million for the reimbursement of CRO costs. Additional variable consideration including development diligence milestone deadline extension payments, development and regulatory milestone payments, sales milestone payments and royalty payments was fully constrained as a result of the uncertainty regarding whether any of the milestones will be achieved.

The transaction price was allocated to the performance obligations based on the relative estimated standalone selling prices of each performance obligation. The estimated standalone selling price of the Ionis combined licenses and research and discovery performance obligation was based on the nature of the licenses to be delivered, as well as the services to be performed and estimates of the associated effort and costs of the services, adjusted for a reasonable profit margin for what would be expected to be realized under similar contracts. The estimated standalone selling price for the material rights was determined based on the estimated value of the underlying goods and services, and the probability that Ionis would exercise the option. Based on the relative standalone selling price, the allocation of the transaction price to the separate performance obligations is as follows (in thousands):

Allocation of 

Performance Obligations

    

Transaction Price

Combined licenses and research and discovery performance obligation

$

34,100

Four material rights associated with credits for IND Acceptance fees

 

3,900

$

38,000

The Company is recognizing revenue related to amounts allocated to the combined licenses and research and discovery performance obligation using a proportional performance model over the period of service using input-based measurements including total full-time equivalent effort and CRO costs incurred to date as a percentage of total full-time equivalent effort and CRO costs expected, which best reflects the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The amount allocated to the material rights is recorded as deferred revenue and the Company commences revenue recognition upon exercise of or upon expiry of the respective option. The Company anticipates that the combined licenses and research and discovery performance obligation will be satisfied over a period of three years and anticipates the material rights may be exercisable or may expire after approximately four years from contract execution.

The Company concluded that the Ionis Amendment will be accounted for as a separate contract, as the services are distinct from the Ionis Collaboration Agreement, and the price of the contract increased by an amount of consideration that reflects the Company’s standalone selling price. The Company concluded that the option does not contain a material right. The Company recognized the $0.8 million associated with the services in the initial six-month period as revenue as the underlying services were performed using a proportional performance model over the period of service using input-based measurements of total full time equivalent efforts and external costs incurred to date as a percentage of total expected full time equivalent efforts and expected external costs, which best reflects the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. As the option to perform additional research services for an additional six months does not contain a material right, the Company accounted for Ionis’ exercise of the option in October 2022 as a separate contract. The Company is recognizing the $0.8 million associated with the services for the additional six-month period as revenue as the underlying services are performed using a proportional performance model over the period of service using input-based measurements of total full time equivalent efforts and external costs incurred to date as a percentage of total expected full time equivalent efforts and expected external costs, which best reflects the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation.

For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized revenue of $2.8 million and $2.3 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the Company recorded deferred revenue of $19.1 million and $21.5 million, respectively, in connection with the Ionis Collaboration Agreement, Ionis Amendment, and Ionis Evaluation and Option Agreement.

Genentech Collaboration Agreement

On February 21, 2020, the Company entered into a Discovery Collaboration and License Agreement, as amended from time to time, with Genentech (the “Genentech Collaboration Agreement”). The collaboration is focused on the discovery and development of Bicycle peptides directed to biological targets selected by Genentech and aimed at developing up to four potential development candidates against multiple immuno-oncology targets suitable for Genentech to advance into further development and commercialization.

Under the terms of the Genentech Collaboration Agreement, the Company received a $30.0 million upfront, non-refundable payment. The initial discovery and optimization activities are focused on utilizing the Company’s phage screening technology to identify product candidates aimed at two immuno-oncology targets (“Genentech Collaboration Programs”), which may also include additional discovery and optimization of Bicycles as targeting elements for each Genentech Collaboration Program (each a “Targeting Arm”). Genentech also had the option to nominate up to two additional immuno-oncology targets (each, an “Expansion Option”) as additional Genentech Collaboration Programs, which may also include an additional Targeting Arm for each Expansion Option. Genentech exercised the Expansion Options in October 2021 and June 2022, respectively. Genentech paid to the Company an expansion fee of $10.0 million for each Expansion Option. Genentech also has rights, under certain limited circumstances, to select an alternative target to be the subject of a Genentech Collaboration Program, in some cases subject to payment of an additional target selection fee.

If Genentech elects for the Company to perform discovery and optimization services for certain Targeting Arms, the Company will be entitled to receive an additional advance payment for the additional research services. Genentech exercised its right to select a Targeting Arm for one of the initial Genentech Collaboration Programs at the inception of the arrangement, and for the first Expansion Option in October 2021, which entitled the Company to additional payments of $1.0 million each. If a Targeting Arm achieves specified criteria in accordance with the research plan, Genentech will be required to pay a further specified amount in the low single digit millions for each such Targeting Arm as consideration for the additional services to be provided.

The Company granted to Genentech a non-exclusive research license under the Company’s intellectual property solely to enable Genentech to perform any activities under the agreement. The activities under the Genentech Collaboration Agreement are governed by a joint research committee (“JRC”) with representatives from each of the Company and Genentech. The JRC will oversee, review and recommend direction of each Genentech Collaboration Program, achievement of development criteria, and variations of or modifications to the research plans.

After the Company performs the initial discovery and optimization activities in accordance with an agreed research plan and achieves specified criteria, Genentech will have the option to have the Company perform initial pre-clinical development and optimization activities in exchange for an additional specified milestone payment in the mid-single digit millions for each Genentech Collaboration Program (the “LSR Go Option”). Upon completion of such initial pre-clinical development and optimization activities for each Genentech Collaboration Program, Genentech will have the option to obtain an exclusive license to exploit any compound developed under such Genentech Collaboration Program in exchange for an additional specified payment in the mid to high single digit millions for each of the initial two Genentech Collaboration Programs and each of the two Expansion Option Genentech Collaboration Programs (the “Dev Go Option”).

On a Genentech Collaboration Program by Genentech Collaboration Program basis, if Genentech elects to obtain exclusive development and commercialization rights and pays the applicable LSR Go Option and Dev Go Option fees, Genentech will be required to make milestone payments to the Company upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory, and initial commercialization milestones for products arising from each collaboration program, totaling up to $200.0 million. Specifically, the Company is eligible for additional development milestones totaling up to $65.0 million, as well as regulatory milestones of up to $135.0 million for each collaboration program. In addition, the Company is also eligible to receive up to $200.0 million in sales milestone payments on a Genentech Collaboration Program-by-Genentech Collaboration Program basis. In addition, to the extent any of the product candidates covered by the licenses conveyed to Genentech are commercialized, the Company would be entitled to receive tiered royalty payments on net sales at percentages ranging from the mid-single to low double-digits, subject to certain standard reductions and offsets. Royalties will be payable, on a product by product and country by country basis, until the later of the expiration of specified licensed patents covering such product in such country, or ten years from first commercial sale of such product in such country.

Accounting analysis

Upon the execution of the Genentech Collaboration Agreement, the Company has identified the following performance obligations:

(i)Research license, and the related research and development and preclinical services through LSR Go for a first Genentech Collaboration Program (Genentech Collaboration Program #1);
(ii)Research license, and the related research and development and preclinical services through LSR Go for a second Genentech Collaboration Program with a specified Targeting Arm (Genentech Collaboration Program #2);
(iii)Material right associated with an option to a specified Targeting Arm for Genentech Collaboration Program #1;
(iv)Two material rights associated with the LSR Go Option for Genentech Collaboration Program #1 and Genentech Collaboration Program #2, which includes research services to be provided through the Dev Go Option and an option to receive an exclusive license;
(v)Material rights associated with certain limited substitution rights with respect to a limited number of collaboration targets;
(vi)Two material rights related to each Genentech Expansion Option, which upon exercise include the services for an additional immuno-oncology target through the LSR Go Option, an LSR Go Option which includes the services to be provided through the Dev Go Option and an option to receive an exclusive license, limited substitution rights, and an option to select a specified Targeting Arm.

The Company concluded that certain substitution rights that require the payment of additional consideration, which approximate the standalone selling price of the underlying services to be provided, do not provide the customer with a material right and therefore, are not considered as performance obligations and are accounted for as separate contracts upon exercise, if ever. The Company’s participation in the JRC was assessed as immaterial in the context of the contract.

The Company has concluded that the research license is not distinct from the research and development services as Genentech cannot obtain the benefit of the research license without the Company performing the research and development services. The services incorporate proprietary technology and unique skills and specialized expertise, particularly as it relates to constrained peptide technology that is not available in the marketplace. As a result, for each research program, the research license has been combined with the research and development services into a single performance obligation. In addition, the Company concluded that the Dev Go Option is not distinct or separately exercisable from the LSR Go Option, as the customer cannot benefit from the Dev Go Option unless and until the LSR Go Option is exercised.

In assessing whether the various options under the Genentech Collaboration Agreement represent material rights, the Company considered the additional consideration the Company would be entitled to upon the option exercise, the standalone selling price of the underlying goods, services, and additional options. For the material rights identified above the Company concluded that each of the options provided Genentech with a discount that it otherwise would not have received.

The total transaction price was initially determined to be $31.0 million, consisting of the $30.0 million upfront fee and the additional $1.0 million for Genentech’s selection of a new Targeting Arm at inception. The Company utilizes the most likely amount method to determine the amount of research and development funding to be received. Additional consideration to be paid to the Company upon the exercise of options by Genentech and subsequent milestones are excluded from the transaction price as they relate to option fees and milestones that can only be achieved subsequent to the exercise of an option. In addition, other variable consideration for development milestones not subject to option exercises was fully constrained, as a result of the uncertainty regarding whether any of the milestones will be achieved. In March 2021, the Company achieved specified criteria in accordance with the research plan under the Genentech Collaboration agreement and therefore updated its estimate of the variable consideration to include an additional $2.0 million, that is no longer constrained. The arrangement consideration was increased to $33.0 million.

The transaction price was allocated to the performance obligations based on the relative estimated standalone selling prices of each performance obligation. The estimated standalone selling prices for the Genentech Collaboration Programs was based on the nature of the services to be performed and estimates of the associated effort and costs of the services, adjusted for a reasonable profit margin for what would be expected to be realized under similar contracts. The estimated standalone selling price for the material rights was determined based on the fees Genentech would pay to exercise the options, the estimated value of the underlying goods and services, and the probability that Genentech would

exercise the option and any underlying options. Based on the relative standalone selling price, the initial allocation of the transaction price to the separate performance obligations is as follows (in thousands):

Allocation of 

Performance Obligations

    

Transaction Price

Genentech Collaboration Program #1 Performance Obligation

$

4,019

Genentech Collaboration Program #2 Performance Obligation

 

8,037

Specified Targeting Arm Material Right Arm for Genentech Collaboration Program #1

 

352

Two material rights associated with the LSR Go Option for Collaboration Programs #1 and #2

 

12,400

Material rights associated with limited substitution rights

1,187

Two material rights for Expansion Options

7,005

$

33,000


The Company is recognizing revenue related to amounts allocated to the Genentech Collaboration Program #1 and #2 Performance Obligations as the underlying services are performed using a proportional performance model over the period of service using input-based measurements of total full-time equivalent efforts and external costs incurred to date as a percentage of total full-time equivalent efforts and external costs expected, which best reflects the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The amount allocated to the material rights is recorded as deferred revenue and the Company will commence revenue recognition upon exercise of or upon expiry of the respective option. The Company anticipates that the Genentech Collaboration Performance Program #1 and #2 obligations will be performed over a period of approximately two to three years, and the material rights will be exercised or expire within approximately four years from contract execution. In April 2023, Genentech notified the Company of its intent to terminate Genentech Collaboration Program #1, effective June 3, 2023, and approximately $6.2 million of deferred revenue allocated to the material right associated with the LSR Go Option for Collaboration Program #1 will be recognized in the second quarter of 2023.

In October 2021 and June 2022, respectively, Genentech exercised the first and second Expansion Options to add additional Genentech Collaboration Programs (Genentech Collaboration Program #3 and Genentech Collaboration Program #4) and paid to the Company an expansion fee of $10.0 million for each option. For the first Expansion Option, Genentech also elected for the Company to perform discovery and optimization services for a Targeting Arm, and the Company received an additional payment of $1.0 million for additional research services. The Company exercised judgment and concluded that the exercise of each Expansion Option, including the option to a specified Targeting Arm for the first Expansion Option, is accounted for as a continuation of an existing contract as the customer decided to purchase additional goods and services contemplated in the original contract. For the first Expansion Option, the additional arrangement consideration of $11.0 million received upon the option exercises and the $3.5 million originally allocated to the first Expansion Option material right of $3.5 million is allocated to the underlying goods and services associated with the first Expansion Option on the same basis as the initial allocation of the Genentech Collaboration Agreement. In December 2022, the Targeting Arm associated with the first Expansion Option achieved specified criteria in accordance with the research plan under the Genentech Collaboration Agreement and therefore the Company updated its estimate of variable consideration to include an additional $2.0 million, that is no longer constrained. The Company allocated the additional $2.0 million entirely to the Genentech Collaboration Program #3 and Targeting Arm services as the terms of the variable consideration relate specifically to the Company’s efforts in satisfying the performance obligation and allocating the variable consideration entirely to the performance obligation is consistent with the allocation objective in ASC 606. For the second Expansion Option, the additional arrangement consideration of $10.0 million received pursuant to the option exercise together with the $3.5 million originally allocated to the second Expansion Option material right is allocated to the underlying goods and services associated with the second Expansion option on the same basis as the initial allocation of the Genentech Collaboration Agreement. The Company is recognizing $8.4 million allocated to the Genentech Collaboration Program #3 and Targeting Arm services and $5.3 million allocated to the Genentech Collaboration Program #4 services as the underlying services are performed using a proportional performance model over the period of service of approximately two to three years for each program using input-based measurements of total full-time equivalent efforts and external costs incurred to date as a percentage of total full-time equivalent efforts and external costs expected, which best reflects the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligations. The amount allocated to the material rights associated with an LSR Go Options for Genentech Collaboration Program #3 and Genentech Collaboration #4 of $7.4 million and $7.4 million, respectively, limited

substitution material rights of $0.7 million and $0.7 million, respectively, and the material right associated with the option to select a Targeting Arm for Genentech Collaboration #4 of $0.1 million, are recorded as deferred revenue and the Company will commence revenue recognition upon exercise or expiry of each respective option which is expected to be within approximately four years of the Expansion Option exercise. Other variable consideration for development milestones not subject to option exercises was fully constrained as a result of the uncertainty regarding whether any of the milestones will be achieved.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized revenue of $2.1 million and $1.5 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company recorded $38.0 million and $39.3 million, respectively, of deferred revenue in connection with the Genentech Collaboration Agreement.

AstraZeneca Collaboration Agreement

In November 2016, the Company entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement (the “AstraZeneca Collaboration Agreement”) with AstraZeneca. The collaboration activities initially focused on two targets within respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, for which collaboration activities were terminated by AstraZeneca in October 2020 and March 2021, respectively. In May 2018, AstraZeneca made an irrevocable election to exercise an option to nominate four additional targets (“Additional Four Target Option”). As a result, AstraZeneca was entitled to obtain research and development services from the Company with respect to Bicycle peptides that bind to up to four additional targets, along with license rights to those selected targets, in exchange for an option fee of $5.0 million. After discovery and initial optimization of such Bicycle peptides, AstraZeneca is responsible for all research and development, including lead optimization and drug candidate selection. AstraZeneca has option rights, at drug candidate selection, which allow it to obtain development and exploitation license rights with regard to such drug candidate. Each research program is to continue for an initial period of three years, referred to as the research term, including one year for the Bicycle Research Term and two years for the AZ Research Term. AstraZeneca may extend the research term for each research program by 12 months (or 15 months, if needed to complete certain toxicology studies) or may shorten the research term for a research program if it is ceased due to a screening failure, a futility determination, or abandonment by AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca was obligated to fund two FTEs during the Bicycle Research Term, for each research program, based on an agreed upon FTE reimbursement rate. AstraZeneca has the option to obtain worldwide development and commercialization licenses associated with each designated drug candidate in return for a fee of $8.0 million per drug candidate, upon the selection of such drug candidate. AstraZeneca is required to make certain milestone payments to the Company upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. More specifically, for each research program, the Company is eligible to receive up to $29.0 million in development milestone payments and up to $23.0 million in regulatory milestone payments. The Company is also eligible for up to $110.0 million in commercial milestone payments, on a research program by research program basis. In addition, to the extent any of the drug candidates covered by the licenses conveyed to AstraZeneca are commercialized, the Company would be entitled to receive tiered royalty payments of mid-single digits based on a percentage of net sales, subject to certain reductions, including in certain countries where the licensed product faces generic competition. AstraZeneca may terminate the AstraZeneca Collaboration Agreement, entirely or on a licensed product by licensed product or country by country basis, for convenience.

Accounting analysis

Upon the execution of the Additional Four Target Option, the Company identified the following five performance obligations: (i) Research license and the related research and development services during the Bicycle Research Term for the third target (the “Target Three Research License and Related Services”); (ii) Material right associated with the development and exploitation license option for the third target (“Target Three Material Right”); (iii) Material right associated with the research services option, including the underlying development and exploitation license option for the fourth target (“Target Four Material Right”); (iv) Material right associated with the research services option, including the underlying development and exploitation license option for the fifth target (“Target Five

Material Right”); and (v) Material right associated with the research services option, including the underlying development and exploitation license option for the sixth target (“Target Six Material Right”).

The Company concluded that the fourth, fifth and sixth targets available for selection were options. Upon exercise, AstraZeneca obtained a research license and the related research and development services and an option to a development and exploitation license. The Company has concluded that the research services option, including the underlying development and exploitation license options related to each respective target resulted in a material right as the option exercise fee related to the development and exploitation license contained a discount that AstraZeneca would not have otherwise received. The research license and the related research and development services related to the fourth, fifth and sixth targets were not performance obligations at the inception of the arrangement, as they were optional services that would be performed if AstraZeneca selected additional targets and they reflected their standalone selling prices and did not provide the customer with material rights. The Company’s participation in the joint steering committee was assessed as immaterial in the context of the contract.

The total transaction price was initially determined to be $5.7 million, consisting of the $5.0 million option exercise fee and research and development funding of an estimated $0.7 million. The research and development funding was provided based on the costs incurred to conduct the research and development services. The Company utilized the most likely amount method to determine the amount of research and development funding to be received. Additional consideration to be paid to the Company upon the exercise of the license options by AstraZeneca or upon reaching certain milestones was excluded from the transaction price as they related to option fees and milestones that can only be achieved subsequent to the license option exercise or are outside of the initial contact term.

The transaction price was allocated to the performance obligations based on the relative estimated standalone selling prices of each performance obligation. The estimated standalone selling prices for each Research License and Related Services obligation was primarily based on the nature of the services to be performed and estimates of the associated effort and costs of the services, adjusted for a reasonable profit margin for what would be expected to be realized under similar contracts. The estimated standalone selling price for the material rights was determined based on the fees AstraZeneca would pay to exercise the license options, the estimated value of the License Option using comparable transactions, and the probability that (i) AstraZeneca would opt into the target development, and (ii) the license options would be exercised by AstraZeneca. Based on the relative standalone selling price, the allocation of the transaction price to the separate performance obligations was as follows (in thousands):

Allocation of 

Performance Obligations

    

Transaction Price

Target Three Research License and Related Services

$

650

Target 3 Material Right

 

1,504

Target 4 Material Right

 

1,204

Target 5 Material Right

 

1,165

Target 6 Material Right

 

1,127

$

5,650

In June 2019, AstraZeneca selected a replacement target for the third target, and as such a new Research Term was started related to the Target Three Research License and Related Services. The total transaction price under the arrangement increased to $6.3 million for the additional research and development funding to be received. The Company recognized revenue related to amounts allocated to the Target Three Research License and Related Services as the underlying services were performed using a proportional performance model over the period of service using input-based measurements of total full-time equivalent effort incurred to date as a percentage of total full-time equivalent effort expected, which best reflected the progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The amount allocated to the material rights is recorded as deferred revenue and the Company commences revenue recognition upon exercise of or upon expiry of the option. The optional future research license and the related research and development services related to the fourth, fifth, and sixth targets reflect their standalone selling prices and do not provide the customer with a material right and, therefore, are not considered performance obligations and are accounted for as separate contracts. In October 2020, August 2021, and June 2022, AstraZeneca terminated the collaboration activities

related to the third target, sixth and fifth targets, respectively, and the deferred revenue related to the associated material rights was recognized.

For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized no revenue related to the Additional Four Target Option and related contracts. As of March 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the Company recorded $1.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively, of deferred revenue in connection with the Additional Four Target Option and related contracts.

Summary of Contract Assets and Liabilities

The following table presents changes in the balances of the Company’s contract assets and liabilities (in thousands):

Beginning Balance

Impact of

Ending Balance

January 1,

Exchange

March 31,

    

2023

    

Additions

    

Deductions

    

Rates

    

2023

Contract liabilities:

  

  

  

  

  

Deferred revenue

  

  

  

  

  

Novartis collaboration deferred revenue

$

$

50,000

$

$

467

$

50,467

Ionis collaboration deferred revenue

21,489

(2,784)

425

19,130

Genentech collaboration deferred revenue

39,308

(2,112)

829

38,025

AstraZeneca collaboration deferred revenue

 

1,076

 

 

23

 

1,099

Total deferred revenue

$

61,873

$

50,000

$

(4,896)

$

1,744

$

108,721

Beginning Balance

 

Impact of

Ending Balance

January 1,

Exchange

December 31,

    

2022

    

Additions

    

Deductions

    

Rates

    

2022

Contract liabilities:

  

  

  

  

  

Deferred revenue

  

  

  

  

  

Ionis collaboration deferred revenue

$

34,115

$

99

$

(9,347)

$

(3,378)

$

21,489

Genentech collaboration deferred revenue

34,436

12,000

(3,565)

(3,563)

39,308

DDF collaboration deferred revenue

 

428

 

 

(386)

 

(42)

 

AstraZeneca collaboration deferred revenue

 

2,361

 

 

(1,165)

 

(120)

 

1,076

Total deferred revenue

$

71,340

$

12,099

$

(14,463)

$

(7,103)

$

61,873

Contract assets represent research and development services which have been performed but have not yet been billed, and are reduced when they are subsequently billed. There were no contract assets at March 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022.

The Novartis deferred revenue balance at March 31, 2023 includes $32.3 million allocated to material rights that will commence revenue recognition when the respective options are exercised or when the options expire. The Ionis deferred revenue balance at March 31, 2023 includes $3.5 million allocated to material rights that will commence revenue recognition when the respective option is exercised or when the option expires. The Genentech deferred revenue balance at March 31, 2023 includes $27.9 million allocated to material rights that will commence revenue recognition when the respective option is exercised or when the option expires. The AstraZeneca deferred revenue balance as of March 31, 2023 includes $1.1 million allocated to the Target 4 Material Right, which will commence revenue recognition when the option is exercised at the end of AZ Research Term or when the option expires.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized the following revenues as a result of changes in the contract asset and the contract liability balances in the respective periods (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

March 31, 

2023

    

2022

Revenue recognized in the period from:

  

  

Revenue recognized based on proportional performance

$

4,896

$

3,819

Revenue recognized based on expiration of material rights

 

41

Total

$

4,896

$

3,860


Cancer Research UK

BT1718

On December 13, 2016, the Company entered into a Clinical Trial and License Agreement with Cancer Research Technology Limited (“CRTL”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cancer Research UK that Cancer Research UK’s commercial activities operate through, and Cancer Research UK (the “Cancer Research UK Agreement”). Pursuant to the Cancer Research UK Agreement, as amended in March 2017 and June 2018, Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development will sponsor and fund a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for BT1718, a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Cancer Research UK is responsible for designing, preparing, carrying out and sponsoring the clinical trial at its cost. The Company is responsible for supplying agreed quantities of GMP materials for the trial, the supply of which has been completed. In the event that additional quantities are needed, the Company will provide Cancer Research UK with all reasonable assistance to complete the arrangements necessary for the generation and supply of such additional GMP materials, but Cancer Research UK will be responsible for supplying and paying for such additional quantities of GMP materials.

The Company granted Cancer Research UK a license to its intellectual property in order to design, prepare for, sponsor, and carry out the clinical trial. The Company retains the right to continue the development of BT1718 during the clinical trial. Upon the completion of the Phase I/IIa clinical trial, the Company has the right to obtain a license to the results of the clinical trial upon the payment of a milestone, in cash and ordinary shares, with a combined value in the mid six digit dollar amount. If such license is not acquired, or if it is acquired and the license is terminated and the Company decides to abandon development of all products that deliver cytotoxic payloads to the MT1 target antigen, the Company will assign or grant to CRTL an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the product on a revenue sharing basis (in which case the Company will receive tiered royalties of 70% to 90% of the net revenue depending on the stage of development when the license is granted). The Cancer Research UK Agreement contains additional future milestone payments upon the achievement of development and regulatory milestones, payable in cash and shares, with an aggregate total value of $50.9 million, as well as royalty payments based on a single digit percentage on net sales of products developed.

The Cancer Research UK Agreement can be terminated by either party upon an insolvency event, material breach of the terms of the contract, or upon a change in control (and the new controlling entity develops, sells or manufactures tobacco products or generates the majority of its profits from tobacco products or is an affiliate of such party). Cancer Research UK may also terminate the arrangement for safety reasons or if it determines that the objectives of the clinical trial will not be met. The Company was obligated to reimburse Cancer Research UK for certain costs if the Cancer Research UK agreement was terminated by Cancer Research UK prior to the completion of the dose escalation (Phase I) part of the clinical trial for an insolvency event of, or material breach by, the Company or upon termination for safety reasons or if Cancer Research UK determined that the objectives of the clinical trial would not be met, however, these reimbursement obligations expired unexercised upon the completion of the Phase I portion of the clinical trial in 2020. If the Company is subject to a change in control and the new controlling entity develops, sells or manufactures tobacco products or generates the majority of its profits from tobacco products or is an affiliate of such party prior to the last cycle of treatment under the Phase IIa clinical trial, the Company will reimburse Cancer Research UK in full for all costs paid or committed in connection with the clinical trial and no further license payments, where applicable, shall be due. In such case, Cancer Research UK will not be obliged to grant a license to the Company in

respect of the results of the clinical trial and the Company will assign or grant to CRTL an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the product without CRTL being required to make any payment to the Company.

The Company concluded that the costs incurred by Cancer Research UK is a liability in accordance with ASC 730, Research and Development, as certain payments are not based solely on the results of the research and development having future economic benefit. As such, the Company recorded a liability of $3.8 million and $3.6 million at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, which is recorded in other long-term liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The liability is recorded as incremental research and development expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

BT7401

In December 2019, the Company entered into a clinical trial and license agreement with Cancer Research Technology Limited and Cancer Research UK. Pursuant to the agreement, Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development will fund and sponsor development of BT7401, a multivalent Bicycle CD137 agonist, from current preclinical studies through the completion of a Phase IIa trial in patients with advanced solid tumors.

The Company granted to Cancer Research UK a license to the Company’s intellectual property in order to design, prepare for, sponsor, and carry out the clinical trial and all necessary preclinical activities to support the trial. The Company retains the right to continue the development of BT7401 during the clinical trial. Upon the completion of the Phase I/IIa clinical trial, the Company has the right to obtain a license to the results of the clinical trial upon the payment of a milestone, in cash and ordinary shares, with a combined value in the mid six digit dollar amount. If such license is not acquired, or if it is acquired and the license is terminated and the Company decides to abandon development of all products that contain BT7401 or all the pharmaceutically active parts of BT7401, CRTL may elect to receive an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the product on a revenue sharing basis (in which case the Company will receive tiered royalties of 55% to 80% of the net revenue depending on the stage of development when the license is granted) less certain costs, as defined by the agreement. The BT7401 Cancer Research UK agreement contains additional future milestone payments upon the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones, payable in cash, with an aggregate total value of up to $60.3 million for each licensed product, as well as royalty payments based on a single digit percentage on net sales of products developed, and sublicense royalties to the Cancer Research UK in the low double digit percentage of sublicense income depending on the stage of development when the license is granted.

The BT7401 Cancer Research UK agreement can be terminated by either party upon an insolvency event, material breach of the terms of the contract, or upon a change in control (and the new controlling entity develops, sells or manufactures tobacco products or generates the majority of its profits from tobacco products or is an affiliate of such party), or upon written notice by Cancer Research UK prior to the last cycle of treatment has been completed under the clinical trial. If the trial is terminated by the Company prior to the filing of a clinical trial authorization, or by Cancer Research UK for an insolvency event or a material breach by the Company prior to the start of a clinical trial, the Company will reimburse Cancer Research UK for certain costs paid or committed prior to the start of the clinical trial. In such case where the Company is subject to a change of control and the new controlling entity develops, sells or manufactures tobacco products or generates the majority of its profits from tobacco products or is an affiliate of such party, Cancer Research UK will not be obliged to grant a license to the Company in respect of the results of the clinical trial and CRTL may elect to receive an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the product without CRTL being required to make any payment to the Company. The Company concluded that the BT7401 Cancer Research UK arrangement does not represent a liability in accordance with ASC 730, Research and Development, as the payments are based solely on the results of the research and development having future economic benefit and risk of repayment is substantive and genuine, and as such there was no accounting impact for the three months ended March 31, 2023.