In February 2013, Scilex Pharma became a party to a product development agreement (as amended, the “Product Development Agreement”) with Itochu and Oishi Koseido Co., Ltd. (“Oishi,” and together with Itochu, the “Developers”), pursuant to which the Developers will manufacture and supply lidocaine tape products, including ZTlido and SP-103 (the “Products”), for Scilex Pharma. The Developers initially developed and have intellectual property rights relating to the Products. Pursuant to the Product Development Agreement, Scilex Pharma acquired an exclusive right to develop and commercialize the Products worldwide except for Japan. The Developers are responsible for sourcing and supplying lidocaine for development and commercialization purposes.

Pursuant to the Product Development Agreement, Scilex Pharma is required to make aggregate royalty payments between 25% and 35% to the Developers based on net profits. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, Scilex Pharma made royalty payments in the amount of $8.3 million and $2.3 million. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, Scilex Pharma had ending balances of accrued royalty payables of $2.4 million and $2.2 million, respectively. Total royalty expense recorded within cost of revenue was $8.5 million and $4.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Net profits are defined as net sales, less cost of goods and marketing expenses. Net sales are defined as total gross sales of any Product, less all applicable deductions, to the extent accrued, paid or allowed in the ordinary course of business with respect to the sale of such Product, and to the extent that they are in accordance with GAAP. If Scilex Pharma were to sublicense the licensed technologies, the Developers will receive the same proportion of any sublicensing fees received therefrom. The Product Development Agreement will continue in full force and effect until October 2, 2028, the date that is ten years from the date of the first commercial sale of ZTlido. The Product Development Agreement will renew automatically for subsequent successive one-year renewal periods unless Scilex Pharma or the Developers terminate it upon 6-month written notice.

On February 16, 2017, Scilex Pharma entered into a Commercial Supply Agreement (as amended, the “Supply Agreement”) with the two Developers to provide commercial supply of ZTlido and SP-103 to Scilex Pharma. The Supply Agreement contains standard terms regarding term, termination, payment, product quality and supply. In addition, the agreement provides additional terms regarding the calculation and amount of marketing expenses that may be deducted from net sales for purposes of determining the amount of net profit under the Product Development Agreement.

In the normal course of business, the Company may be named as a defendant in one or more lawsuits. Other than the following four lawsuits, the Company is not a party to any outstanding material litigation and management is not aware of any legal proceedings that, individually or in the aggregate, are deemed to be material to the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

From time to time the Company may become involved in various legal proceedings, including those that may arise in the ordinary course of business.

On February 23, 2021, the Company filed an action (the “Action”) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC and Hisamitsu America, Inc., two manufacturers of over-the-counter (“OTC”) lidocaine patch products, alleging, among other things, false and deceptive advertising and unfair competition under the Lanham Act and California state laws by those companies regarding their respective OTC patch products. This lawsuit sought, among other relief, damages and an injunction enjoining the defendants from continuing to make false or misleading statements of fact about their respective OTC lidocaine patch products. The defendants filed motions to dismiss, which narrowed slightly the Company’s claims, but which motions the court largely rejected. Discovery was proceeding. On January 26 and February 2, 2024, Scilex Pharma entered into two separate settlement agreements and mutual releases with the two manufacturers that resolve the Action. The terms of those agreements are confidential.

On March 12, 2021, Scilex Pharma and Sorrento (the “Plaintiffs”) filed an action (the “Former Employee Action”) in the Delaware Court of Chancery against the former President of Scilex Pharma, Anthony Mack, and Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Virpax”, together with Mr. Mack, the “Defendants”), a company founded and then headed by Mr. Mack, alleging, among other things, breach by Mr. Mack of a restrictive covenant agreement with Sorrento related to his sale of his Scilex Pharma stock to Sorrento, tortious interference with that agreement by Virpax, breach of Mr. Mack’s fiduciary duties to Scilex Pharma, aiding and abetting of that breach by Virpax, and misappropriation of Scilex Pharma’s trade secrets by Mr. Mack and Virpax. Such lawsuit sought, among other relief, damages and various forms of injunctive relief. The case was tried from September 12, 2022 to September 14, 2022. On September 1, 2023, the court found in favor of the Plaintiffs on all but three counts deemed to have been waived. In its 95-page opinion, the court instructed the parties to submit supplemental briefing on the appropriate remedy to implement its rulings. On October 18, 2023, the Plaintiffs submitted a supplemental brief on remedies. On November 29, 2023, Defendants submitted a supplemental brief on remedies. On December 21, 2023, the Plaintiffs submitted a supplemental reply brief on remedies. On February 26, 2024, the Company and Virpax entered into a term sheet regarding a mutual release and settlement agreement, pursuant to which the parties have agreed to resolve the ongoing disputes. On February 29, 2024, the Company and Virpax entered into a definitive settlement agreement, which provides for, among other things, that Virpax will be obligated to make the following payments to the Company to settle the Former Employee Action: (i) $3.5 million (the “Initial Payment”) by two business days after the Effective Date (as defined therein); (ii) $2.5 million by July 1, 2024 and (iii) to the extent any of the following drug candidates are ever sold, royalty payments of (a) 6% of annual Net Sales (as defined therein) of Epoladerm; (b) 6% of annual Net Sales of Probudur and (c) 6% of annual Net Sales of Envelta during the Royalty Term (as defined therein). The Company and Virpax provide mutual releases of all claims that exist as of the Effective Date, whether known or unknown, arising from any allegations set forth in the Former Employee Action. Plaintiffs’ release relates to claims against Virpax only, which does not affect its claims against Mr. Mack. Plaintiffs have not released Mr. Mack, and litigation against him remains ongoing. Plaintiffs’ release as to Virpax is conditioned upon Virpax’s Initial Payment.

On June 22, 2022, the Company filed a complaint against Aveva Drug Delivery Systems, Inc. (“Aveva”), Apotex Corp., and Apotex, Inc. (together, “Apotex”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (the “ZTlido Patent Litigation”) alleging infringement of certain Orange Book listed patents covering ZTlido (the “ZTlido Patents”). The ZTlido Patent Litigation was initiated following the submission by Apotex, in accordance with the procedures set out in the Hatch-Waxman Act, of an abbreviated new drug application (“ANDA”). Apotex’s ANDA seeks approval to market a generic version of ZTlido prior to the expiration of the ZTlido Patents and alleges that the ZTlido Patents are invalid, unenforceable, and/or not infringed. The Company is seeking, among other relief, an order that the effective date of any FDA approval of Apotex’s ANDA be no earlier than the expiration of the asserted patents listed in the Orange Book, the latest of which expires on May 10, 2031, and such further and other relief as the court may deem appropriate. Apotex is subject to a 30-month stay preventing it from selling a generic version of ZTlido during that time. The stay should expire no earlier than November 11, 2024. The two Apotex entities were recently dismissed from the litigation without prejudice, as they no longer have an interest in the generic product that Aveva

seeks to market. Trial in the ZTlido Patent Litigation has been scheduled for July 8, 2024. The Company cannot make any predictions about the final outcome of this matter or the timing thereof.

On November 6, 2023, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. (“Takeda”) filed a complaint against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “GLOPERBA Patent Litigation”) alleging that the Company’s filing with the FDA of an application for approval of a proposed revision to the product label for its GLOPERBA product infringed certain Orange Book listed patents covering Takeda’s colchicine product, Colcrys® (the “Colcrys Patents”). Takeda is seeking an order that the effective date of any FDA approval of the Company’s labeling revision be no earlier than the expiration date of the asserted patents listed in the Orange Book, and such further and other relief as the court may deem appropriate. The filing of the complaint subjects the Company to a 30-month stay, preventing it from selling GLOPERBA under a revised label (but not from selling GLOPERBA under its current label) during that time. The Company cannot make any predictions about the final outcome of this matter or the timing thereof. The stay could last as long as until May 6, 2026, unless the litigation is resolved before that time. As of December 31, 2023, the Company accrued $0.5 million with respect to the GLOPERBA Patent Litigation.

The Company leases administrative and research and development facilities under various non-cancelable lease agreements. Facility leases generally provide for periodic rent increases and may include options to extend. As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s leases have remaining lease terms of approximately 0.7 to 3.8 years. The terms of the Company’s leases, ranging from 3 to 5 years, include extension options that were not reasonably certain to be exercised. Many of the Company’s leases are subject to variable lease payments. Variable lease payments are recognized in the period in which the obligations for those payments are incurred, are not included in the measurement of the ROU assets or lease liabilities, and are immaterial. Additionally, the Company subleases certain properties to third parties. Sublease income is recognized on a straight-line basis and is immaterial.

As the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company calculates the associated lease liability and corresponding ROU asset upon lease commencement using a discount rate based on a credit-adjusted secured borrowing rate commensurate with the term of the lease. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has no finance leases.

In April 2023, the Company modified the lease term for its principal executive offices located in Palo Alto, California. The modification extended the lease term for an additional three years, with the lease term expiring in September 2027. As a result of the modification, the Company recognized additional ROU assets and corresponding lease liabilities of $2.5 million.

Lease expense was $1.1 million, $0.5 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and was primarily comprised of operating lease costs. The lease expense also included variable lease costs and sublease income, which were immaterial for the periods presented.

Supplemental quantitative information related to leases includes the following:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2023			2022
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases (in thousands)	$	(1,021	)	$	(746	)
Weighted average remaining lease term in years — operating leases		3.6			1.8
Weighted average discount rate — operating leases		11.1	%		11.8	%

Approximate future minimum lease payments under operating leases were as follows (in thousands):


Year Ended December 31,	Amount
2024	$	1,042
2025		916
2026		944
2027		724
Total lease payments		3,626
Less imputed interest		(630	)
Total lease liabilities		2,996
Less current portion of lease liability		759
Lease liability, net of current portion	$	2,237