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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

21. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Manufacturing Obligations

The Company has entered into long-term contractual arrangements from time to time for the provision of goods and services.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

The Company entered into a development, commercial manufacturing, and supply agreement in June 2018 and, subsequently, entered into the first and second amendments in May 2019 and July 2020, respectively, with Thermo, formerly Brammer Bio MA, LLC (collectively, the “Thermo Agreements”). Pursuant to the terms of the Thermo Agreements, the Company had

access to substantially all of the facility’s eight clean room suites for the Company’s gene therapy programs, subject to certain minimum and maximum volume limitations. The Company determined that the Thermo Agreements contained a lease because the Company had the right to direct the use of the facility and related equipment therein. The lease on four of the eight dedicated clean room suites at Thermo commenced during 2020 and the remaining four commenced during 2021, which is when the dedicated clean room suites became available for use by the Company.

In October 2021, the Company executed a third amendment (the “Third Amendment”) that modified the terms of the Thermo Agreements, which significantly decreased the Company’s right of use of the facility’s capacity and reduced the fixed and in-substance fixed payments due over the remaining term of the agreement. The modification was accounted for as a lease termination, resulting in: (i) the derecognition of ROU assets of $23.4 million and lease liabilities of $20.1 million, (ii) the recognition of $24.4 million research and development expense, inclusive of a loss of $3.3 million due to the lease termination and $21.1 million of accelerated amortization of nonrefundable advance payments made to Thermo that were previously recorded as other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Under the Third Amendment, the Thermo Agreements will expire on December 31, 2028, or earlier if certain conditions are met. The Company has the ability to extend the term with an 18-months’ notice and an agreement between the two parties. The Company also has the ability to terminate the Thermo Agreements prior to expiration, subject to the payment of additional financial consideration. Further, the Company has committed to guaranteed purchases under the Third Amendment on a take-or-pay basis regardless of whether services or goods are ordered. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not satisfy the total guaranteed purchase requirements in the fiscal year 2022 and, as a result, recognized a loss of approximately $54.0 million, which was classified as research and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2022, with the outstanding liability reflected as accrued contract manufacturing costs within accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022. No similar losses were incurred in 2023 or 2021.

In March 2023, the Company executed a fourth amendment (the “Fourth Amendment”) that modified the terms of the Thermo Agreements. The Fourth Amendment removed the previous minimum batch purchase commitment of $54.7 million per annum and associated fee for the remaining term of the Thermo Agreements. In connection with the elimination of such commitment and fee, the Amendment implemented a fee of up to $60.0 million, to be paid in three installments of $20.0 million each by March 1, 2024, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2025, respectively, unless waived in part as described below. The Company will recognize the first $20.0 million installment due March 1, 2024 as a nonrefundable advance payment over the term of the agreement as the Company believes it will receive future benefit from this contract. As the Company has yet to obtain regulatory approval to produce commercial supply of ELEVIDYS at Thermo manufacturing facilities as of December 31, 2023, it recognized approximately $2.6 million as research and development expense during the year ended December 31, 2023 related to this nonrefundable advanced payment.

The second and third payment installments, which are associated with the years ending December 31, 2024 and 2025, will be waived if the Company meets certain minimum purchase thresholds under the Fourth Amendment. As of December 31, 2023, the Company believes it is probable that the minimum purchase thresholds will be met in the normal course of business throughout the term of the agreement and, therefore, no liabilities were recorded related to the second or third payment installments.

Catalent, Inc.

The Company entered into a manufacturing collaboration agreement and, subsequently, entered into a manufacturing and supply agreement with Catalent, formerly Paragon Biosciences, Inc. in October 2018 and February 2019, respectively (collectively, the “Catalent Agreements”). Pursuant to the terms of the Catalent Agreements, Catalent agreed to provide the Company with two dedicated clean room suites and an option to reserve two additional clean room suites for its gene therapy programs, subject to certain minimum and maximum volume limitations. In September 2019, the Company exercised the option to gain access to the two additional clean room suites. The Catalent Agreements will expire on December 31, 2024. The Company has the ability to terminate the Catalent Agreements prior to expiration, subject to the payment of additional financial consideration. The Company determined that the Catalent Agreements contained a lease because the Company had the right to direct the use of the facility and related equipment therein. The lease on all four dedicated clean room suites at Catalent commenced during 2020, which is when the dedicated clean room suites became available for use by the Company.

In March 2021, the Company modified the terms of the Catalent Agreements. The modification decreased the Company’s right of use of certain dedicated clean room suites and reduced the fixed and in-substance fixed payments due over the remaining term of the agreement. The modification was accounted for as a partial lease termination, resulting in the derecognition of ROU assets of $22.8 million and lease liabilities of $20.0 million and the recognition of a loss of $2.8 million, which was included in research and development expense for the year ended December 31, 2021.

In November 2022, the Company further modified certain terms of the Catalent Agreements which extended the term of the agreement through December 31, 2028, which represents a modification of the existing embedded lease over certain clean room suites. The modification resulted in the recognition of additional ROU assets and lease liabilities of $19.2 million, as well as reclassification of $3.9 million between long-term and short-term manufacturing deposits. The modification also removed certain fixed payments due over the remaining term of the agreement. Further, in order to maintain the Company's dedicated clean room suites, it has committed to guaranteed purchases under the Amendment on a take-or-pay basis regardless of whether services or goods are ordered. As of December 31, 2023, the Company believes it is probable that the guaranteed purchase requirements will be met in the normal course of business throughout the term of the Catalent Agreements.

Aldevron, LLC

The Company entered into a clinical and commercial supply agreement in December 2018, as subsequently amended in June 2020, with Aldevron LLC (“Aldevron”) for the supply of plasmid DNA to fulfill its needs for gene therapy clinical trials and commercial supply (collectively, the “Aldevron Agreements”). Pursuant to the terms of the Aldevron Agreements, Aldevron agreed to reserve a certain amount of manufacturing capacity on a quarterly basis. In return, the Company is required to make advance payments to Aldevron related to the manufacturing capacity. The term of the Aldevron Agreements will expire on December 31, 2026. The Company has the option to extend the term of the Aldevron Agreements by one year if the Company delivers a written notice of its intention to extend to Aldevron no later than June 1, 2025. Both parties have the right to early terminate without additional penalty. The Company has determined that the Aldevron Agreements do not contain an embedded lease because it does not convey the right to control the use of Aldevron’s facility or related equipment therein.

The following table presents non-cancelable contractual obligations arising from long-term contractual arrangements, including obligations related to leases embedded in certain supply agreements:

 

 

 

As of
December 31, 2023

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

2024

 

$

1,032,159

 

2025

 

 

150,767

 

2026

 

 

106,984

 

2027

 

 

77,640

 

2028

 

 

72,280

 

Thereafter

 

 

 

Total manufacturing commitments

 

$

1,439,830

 

Other Funding Commitments

The Company has several on-going clinical trials in various clinical trial stages. Its most significant clinical trial expenditures are to contract research organizations (“CROs”). The CRO contracts are generally cancellable at the Company’s option. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has approximately $580.0 million in cancellable future commitments based on existing CRO contracts. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized approximately $112.2 million, $78.7 million and $47.9 million, respectively, for expenditures incurred by CROs.

Litigation

In the normal course of business, the Company from time to time is named as a party to various legal claims, actions and complaints, which have included and may include matters involving securities, employment, intellectual property, arising from the use of therapeutics utilizing its technology, or others. The Company records a loss contingency reserve for a legal proceeding when it considers the potential loss probable and it can reasonably estimate the amount of the loss or determine a probable range of loss. The Company provides disclosure when it considers a loss reasonably possible or when it determines that a loss in excess of a reserve is reasonably possible. The Company provides an estimate of such reasonably possible losses or an aggregate range of such reasonably possible losses, unless the Company believes that such an estimate cannot be made. The Company has not recorded any material accruals for loss contingencies, and in management's opinion, no material range of loss is estimable for the matters described below as of December 31, 2023.

On September 15, 2020, REGENXBIO INC. (“Regenx”) and the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (“U-Penn”) filed a lawsuit against the Company and Sarepta Therapeutics Three, LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The plaintiffs assert patent infringement of U.S. Patent No. 10,526,617 (“the ‘617 Patent”) under 35 U.S.C.§§ 271(a)-(c) based on Sarepta’s alleged direct or indirect manufacture and use of the patented cultured host cell technology allegedly used to make adeno-associated virus (“AAV”) gene therapy products, including SRP-9001 (approved June 22, 2023 in the U.S. as ELEVIDYS®). Specifically, the Complaint essentially includes the allegation that Sarepta’s use, and the use by its contract manufacturers on its behalf, of a host cell containing a recombinant acid molecule that encodes a capsid protein having at least 95% amino acid identity to AAVrh10 infringes the ‘617 Patent asserted by Regenx. Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief, a judgment of infringement and willful infringement, damages that are no less than a reasonable royalty (treble damages), attorneys’ fees and costs, and such other relief as the court deems just and proper. On January 5, 2024, the Court granted Sarepta’s motion for summary judgment on the grounds that the asserted claims of Regenx’s ‘617 Patent are invalid because they cover patent-ineligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. On January 12, 2024, the Court entered judgment and closed the case and Plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

 

On June 20, 2023, Regenx and U-Penn commenced a second patent infringement lawsuit against Sarepta and its contract manufacturer, Catalent asserting patent alleged infringement of U. S. Patent No. 11,680,274 (“the ’274 Patent”). In the second lawsuit, Regenx and U-Penn allege that Sarepta and Catalent’s manufacture, use and commercial launch of ELEVIDYS® (formerly/also known as SRP-9001) infringe the ’274 Patent. Sarepta answered the complaint on August 10, 2023, and a case schedule has been set

with a trial commencing on November 17, 2025. On February 21, 2024, Sarepta submitted a petition for Inter Partes Review for filing with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the USPTO. The petition seeks to invalidate the ‘274 Patent.

 

On July 13, 2021, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. (“Nippon Shinyaku” or “NS”) filed a lawsuit against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. NS asserts a claim for breach of contract arising from Sarepta filing seven petitions for Inter Partes Review (“IPR Petitions”) with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the USPTO in which Sarepta sought to invalidate certain NS patents concerning exon 53 skipping technology (U.S. Patent Nos. 9,708,361, 10,385,092, 10,407,461, 10,487,106, 10,647,741, 10,662,217, and 10,683,322, respectively, and collectively the “NS Patents”). In addition, NS asserts claims for patent infringement and willful infringement of each of the NS Patents allegedly arising from Sarepta’s activities, including the sale of, its exon 53 skipping product, VYONDYS 53 (golodirsen). NS further seeks a determination of non-infringement by NS alleged to arise from NS’s activities, including the sale of, its exon 53 skipping product, Viltepso (viltolarsen) and invalidity of certain patents licensed to the Company from UWA (U.S. Patent Nos. 9,994,851, 10,227,590, and 10,266,827, collectively the “UWA Patents”). In its complaint, NS is seeking legal fees and costs, an unspecified amount of monetary relief (treble damages) attributed to Sarepta’s alleged infringement, and such other relief as the court deems just and proper. In January 2022, the PTAB granted institution of all claims of all NS Patents in response to Sarepta’s IPR Petitions and determined that Sarepta has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success in proving that the NS Patents are unpatentable. NS filed a motion for preliminary injunction solely seeking Sarepta’s withdrawal of the IPR Petitions, which was ultimately granted after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded to the district court on February 8, 2022. Sarepta subsequently withdrew the IPRs, which were terminated on June 14, 2022. On December 27, 2021, the district court partially granted and denied the motion to dismiss by Sarepta and ordered NS to file a Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”), which it did on January 14, 2022. In the SAC, NS maintains all claims of the original complaint of July 13, 2021, except a determination of non-infringement of the UWA Patents. On January 28, 2022, Sarepta filed its answer to the SAC, with defenses and counterclaims against NS and NS Pharma Inc. that include infringement of the UWA Patents allegedly arising from their activities concerning, including the sale of, its exon 53 skipping product, Viltepso (viltolarsen) and breach of contract. Sarepta is also seeking a determination of invalidity of the NS Patents. In its counterclaim complaint, Sarepta is seeking an award of relief in its defenses to NS’ allegations, a judgment of breach of contract, a determination of invalidity of the NS Patents, a judgment of infringement and willful infringement of the UWA Patents, legal fees and costs, an unspecified amount of monetary relief (treble damages) attributable to NS’ alleged infringement, and such other relief as the court deems just and proper. UWA has since been joined as a Plaintiff in Sarepta’s counterclaims against NS. On August 14, 2023, the Court granted cross motions to amend the pleadings, allowing Sarepta to add a counterclaim against NS for inequitable conduct, and NS to add counterclaims against Sarepta for inequitable conduct and Walker Process fraud. The parties have since stipulated to the dismissal of certain claims and defenses, including (1) NS’s claims of infringement of the ’361 Patent and claims 5 and 10 of the ’322 Patent; and (2) Sarepta’s non-infringement defenses to the remainder of the asserted NS Patents, except to the non-withdrawn claims of the ‘322 patent. Briefing on the parties’ summary judgment and Daubert motions was completed on January 26, 2024. A trial is scheduled to commence on May 13, 2024.

 

On or about June 5, 2023, Sarepta initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against Nippon Shinyaku in Japan, alleging that NS’s production, sales and offers to sell Viltepso infringe Sarepta’s Japanese Patent No. 6406782. NS filed its preliminary answer on July 13, 2023. Thereafter, the Court set an initial case schedule, with a final hearing set for July 11, 2024.