MeiraGTx Holdings plc (MGTX) FY 2021 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of financial condition and operating results together with our financial statements and the related notes appearing in this Form 10-K. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Form 10-K, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many important factors, including those set forth in the section of this Form 10-K captioned “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Form 10-K, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis. For convenience of presentation some of the numbers have been rounded in the text below.
Overview
We are a vertically integrated, clinical stage gene therapy company with six programs in clinical development and a broad pipeline of preclinical and research programs. We have core capabilities in viral vector design and optimization and gene therapy manufacturing, as well as a potentially transformative gene regulation technology. Led by an experienced management team, we have taken a portfolio approach by licensing, acquiring and developing technologies that give us depth across both product candidates and indications. Our initial focus is on three distinct areas of unmet medical need: ocular, including inherited retinal diseases and large degenerative ocular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and severe forms of xerostomia. Though initially focusing on the eye, central nervous system and salivary gland, we intend to expand our focus in the future to develop additional gene therapy treatments for patients suffering from a range of serious diseases.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands in 2018, and prior to that, we commenced operations as MeiraGTx Limited, a private limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales in 2015. Our discussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Since our formation, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to developing our technology platform, establishing our viral vector manufacturing facilities and our cGMP plasmid and DNA production facility and developing manufacturing processes, advancing the product candidates in our ophthalmology, salivary gland and neurodegenerative disease programs, building our intellectual property portfolio, organizing and staffing our company, developing our business plan, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. To date, we have financed our operations primarily with cash on hand and proceeds from the sales of our Series A ordinary shares, Convertible Preferred C Shares and ordinary shares. Through December 31, 2021, we received gross proceeds of approximately $446.0 million from sales of our ordinary shares, Series A ordinary shares and convertible preferred C shares and $130.0 million from the collaboration, option and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Janssen”), one of the Janssen Pharmaceuticals Companies of Johnson & Johnson (the “Collaboration Agreement”). As of December 31, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents of $137.7 million, as well as $22.4 million in receivables due from Janssen in the first quarter of 2022 in connection with the Collaboration Agreement.
We are a clinical stage company and have not generated any product revenues to date. We have six clinical programs and a pipeline of preclinical programs. Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $79.6 million and $58.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $340.6 million. We do not expect to generate revenue from sales
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of any products for several years, if at all. Under the Collaboration Agreement, we received an upfront payment in the amount of $100.0 million in March 2019 and a milestone payment in the amount of $30.0 million in December 2021. Additionally, pursuant to the Collaboration Agreement, we are eligible to receive research and development funding and additional potential milestone payments and royalties.
Our total operating expenses were $110.9 million and $78.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. While we expect our operating expenses to continue to increase in connection with our ongoing development activities related to our product candidates, including the ongoing Phase 3 Lumeos clinical trial of botaretigene sparoparvovec for the treatment of patients with XLRP and the initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial of AAV-RPE65 for the treatment of retinal dystrophy associated with mutations in the RPE65 gene, we believe that certain of these increases will be partially offset by the research funding in connection with the Collaboration Agreement. In addition, we expect to continue incurring increasing costs associated with our clinical activities for AAV-hAQP1 for the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia and xerostomia associated with Sjogren’s syndrome. We expect to file an IND application for AAV-GAD in the first half of 2022. We also incurred expenses during the year ended December 31, 2021 and expect to continue to incur expenses related to research activities in additional therapeutic areas to expand our pipeline, developing our potentially transformative gene regulation technology, hiring additional personnel in manufacturing, research, clinical operations, quality and other functional areas, and associated cash and share-based compensation expense, as well as the further development of internal manufacturing capabilities and capacity and other associated costs including the management of our intellectual property portfolio.
As a result of these anticipated expenditures and the acquisition, development and startup of our new Shannon, Ireland manufacturing facilities, we raised net proceeds of $81.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 from an at-the market offering and a public offering of our ordinary shares. We will require additional capital in the future, which we may raise through equity offerings, debt financings, marketing and distribution arrangements and other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements or other sources to enable us to complete the development and potential commercialization of our product candidates. Furthermore, we expect to continue incurring costs associated with being a public company. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative effect on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. In addition, attempting to secure additional financing may divert the time and attention of our management from day-to-day activities and harm our product candidate development efforts. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on acceptable terms, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate certain of our research and development programs.
Based on our cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2021 and the research funding and milestone payments we expect to receive under the Collaboration Agreement, we estimate that such funds will be sufficient to enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through the second quarter of 2023. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources.” Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development of our product candidates, any future product candidates, our platform and technology and because the extent to which we may enter into collaborations with third parties for development of any of our product candidates is unknown, we are unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenses associated with completing the research and development of our product candidates.
Adequate additional funds may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a shareholder. Any future debt financing or preferred equity or other financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends and may require the issuance of warrants, which could potentially dilute your ownership interests.
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If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances, or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce, or terminate our product development programs or any future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with drug development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when or if we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Even if we are able to generate revenue from product sales, we may not become profitable. If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce or terminate our operations.
Highlights and Recent Developments
Recent Clinical Development Highlights and Anticipated 2022 Milestones
Botaretigene Sparoparvovec (AAV-RPGR) for the Treatment of XLRP:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | MeiraGTx, in collaboration with Janssen, is dosing and enrolling patients in the Phase 3 Lumeos clinical trial of botaretigene sparoparvovec. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We received a $30 million payment from Janssen for a clinical milestone in the Phase 3 Lumeos trial of botaretigene sparoparvovec. |
AAV-hAQP1 for the Treatment of Grade 2/3 Radiation-Induced Xerostomia:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We reported positive preliminary data from the Phase 1 AQUAx clinical trial in December 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Clinically meaningful improvements in xerostomia symptoms and disease burden in two validated Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) measures were demonstrated. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | 6 of the 7 participants through 90-day assessments following treatment achieved clinically meaningful improvement in symptoms using both the McMaster Global Rate of Change PRO and the Xerostomia Questionnaire. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | One participant with the maximum response evaluable at 12 months has now reached 24 months and the same level of response/xerostomia symptom improvement was maintained. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | AAV-hAQP1 appears safe and well-tolerated at each dose tested. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We completed treatment of patients in all four cohorts of the unilateral dose escalation (n=12) Phase 1 AQUAx trial in the fourth quarter of 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Four cohorts of dose escalating bilateral treatment (n=12) were added to the protocol to further assess potential efficacy. Treatment of all bilateral patients was completed in the first quarter of 2022. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Based on the safety and efficacy profile of AAV-hAQP1 in the AQUAx Phase 1 study and regulatory precedent, we intend to initiate a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study evaluating two active doses of AAV-hAQP1 by the end of 2022. |
Riboswitch Gene Regulation Platform:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We presented data from our proprietary riboswitch gene regulation platform in December 2021 demonstrating regulation of multiple therapeutic genes in multiple tissues in vitro and in vivo, as well as in vivo models showing dose responsive physiological effects indicative of potential therapeutic activity. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Transformative riboswitch technology platform has unprecedented dynamic range of greater than 5,000-fold. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Proprietary technology platform allows precise and specific control of gene therapy expression levels via dose-response to orally delivered small molecules. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
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| ● | We have developed a library of novel small molecules that tightly regulate aptamer driven cassettes with drug properties designed specifically for the regulation of different genes in different tissues. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | This technology is applicable to the control of any gene in the context of any vector, including both gene editing and RNA editing. |
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AAV-GAD for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We anticipate filing an IND in the coming weeks, with material that has been manufactured with our proprietary manufacturing process at our cGMP manufacturing facility in London. |
AAV-CNGB3 and AAV-CNGA3 for the Treatment of ACHM:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | With partner Janssen, we expect to initiate later stage clinical studies in 2022 for both AAV-CNGB3 and AAV-CNGA3 for the treatment of ACHM associated with mutations in the CNGB3 and CNGA3 genes. |
Manufacturing and Process Development:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We successfully manufactured cGMP material for six different clinical programs, including three for Janssen-partnered programs, highlighting the breadth and expertise of our manufacturing and quality infrastructure. |
Components of Our Results of Operations
License Revenue
Our license revenue consisted of the amortization of the upfront and milestone payments we received in connection with the Collaboration Agreement.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses since inception have consisted primarily of general and administrative costs and research and development costs.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and other related costs, including share-based compensation, for personnel in our executive, finance, legal, business development and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include legal fees relating to intellectual property and corporate matters; professional fees for accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services; insurance costs; travel expenses; and office facility-related expenses, which include direct depreciation costs.
We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we increase our personnel headcount to support increased research and development activities. We have also incurred and expect to continue to incur increased expenses associated with being a public company, including costs of accounting, audit, legal, regulatory and tax-related services associated with maintaining compliance with Nasdaq and SEC requirements; director and officer insurance costs; and investor and public relations costs.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for our research activities, including our discovery efforts, and the development of our product candidates, and include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and travel of our research and development personnel; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | expenses incurred in connection with third-party vendors that conduct clinical and preclinical studies and manufacture the drug product for the clinical trials and preclinical activities; |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | acquisition of in process research and development; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | costs associated with clinical and preclinical activities including costs related to facilities, supplies, rent, insurance, certain legal fees, share-based compensation, and depreciation; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | expenses incurred with the development and operation of our manufacturing facilities. |
We expense research and development costs as incurred.
Research and development activities are central to our business model. We expect that our research and development expenses will continue to increase substantially for the foreseeable future as we initiate additional preclinical and clinical trials of our existing product candidates, including the ongoing Phase 3 Lumeos trial of botaretigene sparoparvovec for the treatment of patients with XLRP and the initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial of AAV-RPE65 for the treatment of retinal dystrophy associated with mutations in the RPE65 gene, and continue to discover and develop additional product candidates. Certain of these increases in research and development costs will be partially offset by the research funding provided in connection with the Collaboration Agreement we entered into in January 2019. In addition, we expect to continue incurring increasing research and development costs associated with our clinical activities for AAV-hAQP1 for the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia and xerostomia associated with Sjogren’s syndrome.
We cannot determine with certainty the duration and costs of future clinical trials of our product candidates or any other product candidate we may develop or if, when, or to what extent we will generate revenue from the commercialization and sale of any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. We may never succeed in obtaining marketing approval for any product candidate. The duration, costs and timing of clinical trials and development of our existing product candidates or any other product candidate we may develop will depend on a variety of factors, including:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | the scope, rate of progress, expense and results of clinical trials of our existing product candidates, as well as of any future clinical trials of other product candidates and other research and development activities that we may conduct; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | uncertainties in clinical trial design and patient enrollment rates; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
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| ● | the actual probability of success for our product candidates, including the safety and efficacy, early clinical data, competition, manufacturing capability and commercial viability; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | significant and changing government regulation and regulatory guidance; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | the timing and receipt of any marketing approvals; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | the expense of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights. |
A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of a product candidate could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate. For example, if the FDA or another U.S. or foreign regulatory authority were to require us to conduct clinical trials beyond those that we anticipate will be required for the completion of clinical development of a product candidate, or if we experience significant delays in our clinical trials due to patient enrollment or other reasons, we would be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of clinical development.
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Other non-operating income (expense)
Other non-operating income (expense) includes the following:
Foreign currency (loss) gain
Our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, which is our reporting currency. The financial position and results of operations of our subsidiaries MeiraGTx UK II Limited, MeiraGTx Ireland DAC, MeiraGTx Netherlands B.V., MeiraGTx B.V. and MeiraGTx Belgium are measured using the foreign subsidiaries’ local currency as the functional currency. These entities’ cash accounts holding U.S. dollars and intercompany payables and receivables are remeasured based upon the exchange rate at the date of remeasurement with the resulting gain or loss included in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. Expenses of such subsidiaries have been translated into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Assets and liabilities have been translated at the rates of exchange on the consolidated balance sheet date. The resulting translation gain and loss adjustments are recorded directly as a separate component of shareholders’ equity and as other comprehensive loss on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss.
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Other comprehensive income (loss) includes the following:
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)
Expenses of subsidiaries have been translated into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Assets and liabilities have been translated at the rates of exchange on the consolidated balance sheet date. The resulting translation gain and loss adjustments are recorded directly as a separate component of shareholders’ equity and as other comprehensive loss on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgements that affect the reporting amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgements, including those related to license and collaboration revenue, share-based compensation and accrued expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgements about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from our sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions.
While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in the notes to our financial statements appearing in this Form 10-K, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.
Collaboration Arrangements
We evaluate our collaborative arrangements pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 808, Collaborative Arrangements (“ASC 808”) and ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). We consider the nature and contractual terms of collaborative arrangements and assess whether the arrangement involves a joint operating activity pursuant to which we are an active participant and are exposed to significant risks and rewards with respect to the arrangement. If we are an active participant and exposed to significant risks and rewards with respect
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to the arrangement, we account for the arrangement as a collaboration under ASC 808. To date, we have entered into two separate collaboration agreements, both of which are with Janssen, which were determined to be within the scope of ASC 808.
ASC 808 does not address recognition or measurement matters related to collaborative arrangements. Payments between participants pursuant to a collaborative arrangement that are within the scope of other authoritative accounting literature on income statement classification are accounted for using the relevant provisions of that literature. If the payments are not within the scope of other authoritative accounting literature, the income statement classification for the payments is based on an analogy to authoritative accounting literature or if there is no appropriate analogy, a reasonable, rational and consistently applied accounting policy election. Payments received from a collaboration partner to which this policy applies may include upfront payments in respect of a license of intellectual property, development and commercialization-based milestones, and royalties.
Revenue Recognition
Arrangements with collaborators may include licenses to intellectual property, research and development services, manufacturing services for clinical and commercial supply, and participation on joint steering committees. We evaluate the promised goods or services to determine which promises, or group of promises, represent performance obligations. In contemplation of whether a promised good or service meets the criteria required of a performance obligation, we consider the stage of development of the underlying intellectual property, the capabilities and expertise of the customer relative to the underlying intellectual property, and whether the promised goods or services are integral to or dependent on other promises in the contract. When accounting for an arrangement that contains multiple performance obligations, we must develop judgmental assumptions, which may include market conditions, reimbursement rates for personnel costs, development timelines and probabilities of regulatory success to determine the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract.
When we conclude that a contract should be accounted for as a combined performance obligation and recognized over time, we must then determine the period over which revenue should be recognized and the method by which to measure revenue. We generally recognize revenue using a cost-based input method.
The Collaboration Agreement is accounted for under ASC 808, however, as ASC 808 does not address recognition or measurement matters such as determining the appropriate unit of accounting or when the recognition criteria are met, we account for the consideration received from Janssen in accordance with ASC 606. In accordance with ASC 606, we recognize revenue when the customer or collaborator obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that we determine are within the scope of ASC 606, we perform the following five steps:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| i. | identify the contract(s) with a customer; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ii. | identify the performance obligations in the contract; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| iii. | determine the transaction price; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| iv. | allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations within the contract; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| v. | recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. |
We only apply the five-step model to contracts when we determine that it is probable we will collect the consideration we are entitled to in exchange for the goods or services we transfer to the customer.
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At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be by analogy within the scope of ASC 606, we assess the goods or services promised within the contract to determine whether each promised good or service is a performance obligation. The promised goods or services for our arrangements typically consist of a license to our intellectual property and research, development and manufacturing services. We may provide options to additional items in such arrangements, which are accounted for as separate contracts when the customer elects to exercise such options, unless the option provides a material right to the customer. Performance obligations are promises in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer that (i) the customer can benefit from on its own or together with other readily available resources, and (ii) is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. Goods or services that are not individually distinct performance obligations are combined with other promised goods or services until such combined group of promises meet the requirements of a performance obligation.
We determine transaction prices based on the amount of consideration we expect to receive for transferring the promised goods or services in the contract. Consideration may be fixed, variable, or a combination of both. At contract inception for arrangements that include variable consideration, we estimate the probability and extent of consideration we expect to receive under the contract utilizing either the most likely amount method or expected amount method, whichever best estimates the amount expected to be received. We then consider any constraints on the variable consideration and include in the transaction price variable consideration to the extent it is deemed probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved.
We then allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on the relative standalone selling price and recognize as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) control is transferred to the customer and the performance obligation is satisfied. For performance obligations which consist of licenses and other promises, we utilize judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress. We evaluate the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjust the measure of performance and related revenue recognition.
We record amounts as accounts receivable when the right to consideration is deemed unconditional. When consideration is received, or such consideration is unconditionally due, from a customer prior to transferring goods or services to the customer under the terms of a contract, a contract liability is recorded as deferred revenue.
Amounts received prior to satisfying the revenue recognition criteria are recognized as deferred revenue in our consolidated balance sheet. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as deferred revenue – related party, current. Amounts not expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as deferred revenue – related party.
Income Taxes
Since we have recurring losses and a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets, there was no tax expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
As of December 31, 2021, we had federal and state net operating losses (“NOLs”) in the United States of approximately $73.6 million and $73.3 million, respectively, and carryforward tax losses in the UK of approximately $164.3 million which are available to reduce future taxable income. The U.S. federal and state NOLs incurred prior to January 1, 2018 in the amount of approximately $6.8 million and $6.7 million, respectively, will begin to expire in 2036. The U.S. NOLs incurred after December 31, 2017 and the UK carryforward tax losses will be indefinitely carried forward. As of December 31, 2021, we also had orphan drug and research and development credits in the U.S. in the amount of $6.7 million, which will begin to expire in 2036 and research and development credits in the UK in the amount of $1.5 million, which can be carried forward indefinitely.
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Research and Development
Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. These costs include, but are not limited to, employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and travel of our research and development personnel; expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations and investigative sites that conduct clinical and preclinical studies and manufacture the drug product for the clinical studies and preclinical activities; acquisition of in-process research and development; facilities; supplies; rent, insurance, certain legal fees, stock-based compensation, depreciation and other costs associated with clinical and preclinical activities and regulatory operations. Research funding under collaboration agreements and refundable research and development credits / tax credits received are recorded as an offset to these costs.
Costs for certain development activities, such as outside research programs funded by us, are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks with respect to their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual arrangements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in the financial statements as prepaid or accrued research and development expense, as the case may be.
Share-Based Compensation
Options
We grant share options to employees, non-employee members of our board of directors and non-employee consultants as compensation for services performed. Employee and non-employee members of the board of directors’ awards of share-based compensation are accounted for in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, or ASC 718. ASC 718 requires all share-based payments to employees and non-employee directors, including grants of share options, to be recognized in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss based on their grant date fair values. The grant date fair value of share options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option valuation model.
Using this model, fair value is calculated based on assumptions with respect to (i) the fair value of our ordinary shares on the grant date; (ii) expected volatility of our ordinary share price, (iii) the periods of time over which employees and members of our board of directors are expected to hold their options prior to exercise (expected term), (iv) expected dividend yield on our ordinary shares, and (v) risk-free interest rates.
Our ordinary shares were not traded on a public exchange prior to our IPO in June 2018. Therefore, we believe that our future volatility will differ materially during the expected term from the volatility that would be calculated from our historical share prices to date. Consequently, expected volatility is based on an analysis of guideline companies in accordance with ASC 718. The expected dividend yield is zero as we have never paid dividends and do not currently anticipate paying any in the foreseeable future. Risk-free interest rates are based on quoted U.S. Treasury rates for securities with maturities approximating the option’s expected term.
Restricted Share Units
The Company grants restricted share units (“RSUs”) to employees, non-employee members of our board of directors and non-employee consultants as compensation for services performed. Awards of RSUs are accounted for in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, or ASC 718. ASC 718 requires all share-based payments to employees and non-employee directors, including grants of RSUs, to be recognized in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss based on their grant date fair values. The grant date fair value of RSUs is determined using the closing market price of the Company’s ordinary shares on the date of grant.
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Restricted Shares
In connection with certain employment, service and research agreements, we have granted restricted ordinary shares as compensation. The shares are recognized in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss based on their grant date fair values. Compensation cost relating to share grants with service-based graded vesting schedules is recognized based on the vesting schedule.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||||
| | | (in thousands) | |||||||
| License revenue - related party | | $ | 37,701 | | $ | 15,563 | | $ | 22,138 |
| Operating expenses: | | | | | | | |||
| General and administrative | | | 43,765 | | | 44,207 | | | (442) |
| Research and development | | 67,128 | | 33,910 | | 33,218 | |||
| Total operating expenses | | 110,893 | | 78,117 | | 32,776 | |||
| Loss from operations | | (73,192) | | (62,554) | | (10,638) | |||
| Other non-operating income (expense) | | | | | | | |||
| Foreign currency (loss) gain | | (6,293) | | 3,426 | | (9,719) | |||
| Interest income | | 212 | | 1,275 | | (1,063) | |||
| Interest expense | | (288) | | (139) | | (149) | |||
| Net loss | | | (79,561) | | | (57,992) | | | (21,569) |
| Other comprehensive income (loss): | | | | | | | | | |
| Foreign currency translation gain (loss) | | | 2,226 | | | (3,103) | | | 5,329 |
| Total comprehensive loss | | $ | (77,335) | | $ | (61,095) | | $ | (16,240) |
License Revenue
License revenue was $37.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $15.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase represents the increased amortization of the $100.0 million upfront payment as well as amortization of the $30.0 million milestone payment received in connection with the Collaboration Agreement.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were $43.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $44.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease of $0.4 million was primarily due to a decrease in share-based compensation of $1.3 million and payroll and payroll related costs of $0.8 million, which was partially offset by increases in insurance of $0.3 million, facility costs of $0.9 million, professional fees of $0.2 million and $0.3 of other general and administrative expenses.
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Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (in millions):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||||
| Gross research and development expenses | $ | 141.5 | $ | 96.6 | $ | 44.9 | |||
| Janssen reimbursements | | (69.0) | | (57.4) | | (11.6) | |||
| Tax incentive reimbursement | | (5.4) | | (5.3) | | (0.1) | |||
| Research and development expenses | | $ | 67.1 | | $ | 33.9 | | $ | 33.2 |
Gross research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased $44.9 million as compared to the prior year primarily due to an increase of $21.8 million in research and clinical trial costs related to our ophthalmology, neurology, gene regulation and salivary gland programs, $7.6 million in manufacturing of our clinical trial materials, $10.3 million in payroll and payroll related costs, $3.6 million in depreciation, $1.8 million in rent and facility costs, $3.7 million in share-based compensation and $2.2 million in other research costs, which was partially offset by a decrease of $6.2 million in acquired research and development costs.
Reimbursements under the Collaboration Agreement for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased $11.6 million as compared to the prior year primarily due to an increase in activity in the programs licensed under the Collaboration Agreement.
Tax incentive reimbursement for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased $0.1 million as compared to the prior year primarily due to the increase in allowable research and development costs.
Foreign Currency (Loss) Gain
Foreign currency loss was $6.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to a gain of $3.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change of $9.7 million was primarily due to a weakening of the pound sterling and euro against the U.S. dollar and an increase in the amounts due from foreign subsidiaries in 2021.
Interest Income
Interest income was $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease was due to a lower average cash balance and lower interest rates during 2021.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) – Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss)
Foreign currency translation adjustments resulted in a translation gain of $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to a translation loss of $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change in the amount of $5.3 million was primarily due to a strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the pound sterling and euro during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since our inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we used $10.5 million in cash flows from operations. We did not generate positive cash flows from operations during the year and there are no assurances that we will generate positive cash flows in the future. Additionally, there are no assurances that we will be successful in obtaining an adequate level of financing for the development and
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commercialization of our product candidates. We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance the preclinical and clinical development of our product candidates. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative costs will increase in connection with conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates, building out internal capacity to have products manufactured to support preclinical studies and clinical trials, expanding our intellectual property portfolio, and providing general and administrative support for our operations. In addition, on August 4, 2020 we entered into agreements to acquire the buildings for our second cGMP viral vector manufacturing facility and our first cGMP plasmid and DNA production facility in Shannon, Ireland to expand our manufacturing and supply chain capabilities. We closed on the acquisition of the first building in August 2020 and closed on the second building in January 2021. As a result of these incurred and expected expenses we will need additional capital to fund our operations, which we may obtain from additional equity or debt financings, collaborations, licensing arrangements, or other sources.
We do not currently have any approved products and have never generated any revenue from product sales. We have historically financed our operations primarily through cash on hand and proceeds from the sale of our ordinary shares, series A ordinary shares and convertible preferred C shares. In March 2019 and December 2021, we received a $100.0 million upfront payment and a $30.0 million milestone payment, respectively, in connection with the Collaboration Agreement, which also provides us with research funding, and we are eligible to receive additional potential milestone payments and royalties.
Based on our current cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable – related party at December 31, 2021 and the research funding and milestone payments we expect to receive under the Collaboration Agreement, we estimate that we will be able to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through the second quarter of 2023. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect.
Cash Flows
We had $137.7 million and $209.5 million of cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for the period presented:
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | For the Years Ended December 31, | | ||||
| | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| | | (in thousands) | | ||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (10,530) | $ | (63,967) | |||
| Net cash used in investing activities | | (61,717) | | (37,020) | | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | | 1,708 | | 82,728 | | ||
| Decrease in cash | | $ | (70,539) | | $ | (18,259) | |
Operating Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2021, our cash used in operating activities of $10.5 million was primarily due to our net loss of $79.6 million as we incurred expenses associated with research activities on our clinical programs, manufacturing of our clinical trial materials, preclinical research programs and general and administrative expenses. The net loss included non-cash charges of $37.8 million, which consisted of $20.8 million of share-based compensation, $6.3 million of a foreign currency loss, $7.9 million of depreciation and amortization, $1.0 million of shares issued in connection with a license agreement, $1.0 million of shares issued in connection with an asset acquisition, $0.4 million of a fair value adjustment, $0.2 million of net change in right-of-use assets and liabilities, $0.1 million of amortization of interest on asset retirement obligations and $0.1 million of loss on disposal of equipment, furniture and fixtures. Additionally, operating assets, consisting of accounts receivable-related party, prepaid expenses, tax incentive
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receivable, other current assets and other assets, decreased by $17.3 million and operating liabilities, consisting of accounts payable, accrued expenses, and deferred revenue-related party, increased by $14.0 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, our cash used in operating activities of $64.0 million was primarily due to our net loss of $58.0 million as we incurred expenses associated with research activities on our clinical programs, manufacturing of our clinical trial materials, preclinical research programs and general and administrative expenses. The net loss included non-cash charges of $26.7 million, which consisted of $7.7 million for acquired research and development, $18.4 million of share-based compensation, $3.4 million of a foreign currency gain and $4.1 million of depreciation and amortization. Additionally, operating assets, consisting of accounts receivable-related party, prepaid expenses, tax incentive receivable, security deposits and other current assets, increased by $20.8 million and operating liabilities, consisting of accounts payable, accrued expenses, and deferred revenue-related party, decreased by $11.9 million.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $61.7 million consisted primarily of $8.9 million in payments for the acquisition of the second building and long-term lease of our manufacturing facility in Ireland, $6.5 million in connection with equity method and other investments and $46.3 million for purchases of property and equipment for our manufacturing, laboratory and process development facilities and buildout costs of our new facilities in Ireland.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $37.0 million consisted primarily of $14.0 million in payments for the acquisition of the first building and long-term lease for our manufacturing facilities in Ireland, $2.1 million for the purchase of an intangible asset and $20.9 million for purchases of property and equipment for our manufacturing, laboratory and process development facilities and buildout costs of our facilities in the UK and Ireland.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is primarily from the exercise of share options.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $82.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, which consisted primarily of gross proceeds of $87.0 million from an at-the market offering and a public offering of our ordinary shares, which was offset by $5.1 million in offering costs, as well as $0.8 million from the exercise of share options.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements under applicable SEC rules and do not have any holdings in variable interest entities.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), permits an “emerging growth company,” which we are, to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period.
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