(1)
|
Each $ increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $ per share would increase (decrease) each of cash, marketable securities, available for sale and prepaid expenses and other current assets, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Each increase of shares in the number of shares offered by us would increase each of cash, marketable securities, available for sale and prepaid expenses and other current assets, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming that the assumed public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each decrease of shares in the number of shares offered by us would decrease each of cash, marketable securities, available for sale and prepaid expenses and other current assets, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming that the assumed public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
|
The number of shares of common stock shown above is based on shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2013. This number excludes:
·
|
260,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2013, at a weighted-average exercise price of $7.12 per share; and
|
·
|
4,462,426 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2013 at a weighted-average exercise price of $5.14 per share.
|
DILUTION
If you invest in our common stock, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution to the extent of the difference between the public offering price of our common stock in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after the offering.
Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share is determined by dividing our total tangible assets, less total liabilities, by the actual number of outstanding shares of our common stock. The historical net tangible book value (deficit) of our common stock as of September 30, 2013 was $(7.9) million, or $(0.43) per share.
After giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock offered by us at an assumed public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus), after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2013 would have been approximately $ million, or $ per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $ per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $ per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering at the assumed public offering price. The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:
Assumed public offering price per share
|
|
|
|
Net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of September 30, 2013
|
|
$ |
(0.43 |
) |
Increase per share attributable to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dilution per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
Each $ increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $ per share would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by approximately $ million, or approximately $ per share, and the dilution per share to new investors by approximately $ per share, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. An increase of shares in the number of shares offered by us would increase our as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by approximately $ million, or $ per share, and the dilution per share to new investors would be $ per share, assuming that the assumed public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, a decrease of shares in the number of shares offered by us would decrease our as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by approximately $ million, or $ per share, and the dilution per share to new investors would be $ per share, assuming that the assumed public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
|
|
If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase up to additional shares of common stock at the assumed public offering price of $ per share, the as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering would be $ per share, representing an increase in net tangible book value of $ per share to existing stockholders and immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $ per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering at the assumed public offering price.
The above discussion and table are based on 18,376,363 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2013 and excludes:
·
|
260,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2013, at a weighted-average exercise price of $7.12 per share; and
|
·
|
4,462,426 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2013 at a weighted-average exercise price of $5.14 per share.
|
To the extent that options or warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2013 have been or are exercised, investors purchasing shares in this offering could experience further dilution.
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK
Our common stock is listed for quotation on the OTC QB under the trading symbol “RTRX” (“DGTE” prior to December 17, 2012). There has been limited trading in our shares since they became eligible for trading on the OTC QB during the third quarter of 2008. In connection with this offering, we intend to list our shares on the NASDAQ .
The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the high and low bid prices of our common stock on the OTC QB. The following table sets forth the high and low bid prices for our common stock for the periods indicated as reported by the OTC QB (“N/A” indicates no trading during such period). The below quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission, and may not represent actual transactions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year 2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
5.78 |
|
|
$ |
3.00 |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
9.99 |
|
|
$ |
4.75 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$ |
7.25 |
|
|
$ |
4.50 |
|
Fourth Quarter (through December 13, 2013)
|
|
$ |
9.00 |
|
|
$ |
5.25 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$ |
3.00 |
|
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
$ |
0.90 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of December 16, 2013, we had approximately 290 holders of record of our common stock.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion includes forward-looking statements about our business, financial condition and results of operations, including discussions about management’s expectations for our business. These statements represent projections, beliefs and expectations based on current circumstances and conditions and in light of recent events and trends, and you should not construe these statements either as assurances of performance or as promises of a given course of action. Instead, various known and unknown factors are likely to cause our actual performance and management’s actions to vary, and the results of these variances may be both material and adverse. A description of material factors known to us that may cause our results to vary, or may cause management to deviate from its current plans and expectations, is set forth under “Risk Factors.” See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
The following discussion should also be read in conjunction with our audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, and unaudited pro forma combined financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
We are a development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, acquisition and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of serious, catastrophic or rare diseases. We are developing SyntocinonTM Nasal Spray in the U.S. to assist initial postpartum milk ejection, and for the treatment of Schizophrenia and Autism. Syntocinon Nasal Spray is currently marketed by Novartis and Sigma-Tau in Europe and other countries for aiding milk let-down. In addition, we are developing RE-034, a synthetic hormone analogue that is composed of the first 24 amino acids of the 39 amino acids contained in ACTH for the treatment of IS and NS. We are developing RE-024, a novel small molecule, as a potential treatment for PKAN. Also, we are developing sparsentan, formerly known as RE-021, a dual acting receptor antagonist of angiotensin and endothelin receptors, for the treatment of FSGS. We also have several additional programs in preclinical development, including RE-001, a therapy for the treatment of DMD.
Our results of operations discussed below reflect our operations during the period in which we are in development stage and starting up our operations. As a result, these results should not be considered indicative of our anticipated results of operations on a going forward basis.
Restatement of December 31, 2012 Financial Statements
On September 13, 2013, we determined that we were required to file an amendment to our audited consolidated financial statement for the year ended December 31, 2012 included in our Transitional Report on Form 10-K. We determined, after consultation with our board of directors and our independent registered public accounting firm that it would be necessary to restate our December 31, 2012 consolidated financial statements to include disclosures of certain agreements that we entered into subsequent to the date of the balance sheet and corrections to our accounting for proceeds received in a financing transaction we completed in February 2013. The addition of these footnote disclosures in our December 31, 2012 consolidated financial statements had no impact on our balance sheet, or related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders' (deficit) equity, loss per share or cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2012. On September 16, 2013, we amended our Transition Report on Form 10-K for the transition period from March 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012, as filed with the SEC on June 13, 2013, solely for the purpose of amending Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data to include disclosure and a footnote to our financial statements relating to events that occurred after the conclusion of the period covered by the original filing. The disclosure below reflects the changes made in such amendment. We further determined that it would be necessary for us to restate our March 31, 2013 condensed consolidated financial statements to include the same disclosures in these financial statements that we were required to make in our December 31, 2012 financial statements, and to correct our accounting for the allocation of $360,000 in proceeds we received in the financing transaction we completed in February 2013.
Financial Overview
The following discussion summarizes the key factors our management believes are necessary for an understanding of our financial statements.
Compensation and Related Costs
Our compensation and related costs consist primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation. We expect our compensation and related costs to increase as we expand our research and development programs and general and administrative activities.
Professional Fees
Professional fees consist of expenses for outside professional services, including legal, human resource, audit, tax and accounting services.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses represent costs incurred to conduct research of our proprietary product candidates. We expense all research and development costs as they are incurred. Our research and development expenses consist of employee salaries and related benefits, including stock-based compensation, third-party contract costs relating to research, manufacturing, preclinical studies, clinical trial activities, laboratory consumables, and allocated facility costs.
At any point in time, we typically have various early stage research and drug discovery projects. Our internal resources, employees and infrastructure are not directly tied to any one research or drug discovery project and are typically deployed across multiple projects. As such, we do not maintain information regarding these costs incurred for these early stage research and drug discovery programs on a project-specific basis.
We routinely engage vendors and service providers for scientific research, clinical trial, regulatory compliance, manufacturing and other consulting services. To date, such engagements have been generally based on pre-determined prices or rates. We also make grants to research and non-profit organizations to conduct research which may lead to new intellectual properties that we may subsequently license under separately negotiated license agreements. Such grants may be funded in lump sums or installments.
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2012 and the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013. The internal costs include personnel, facility costs, laboratory consumables and discovery and research related activities associated with our pipeline. The external program costs reflect external costs attributable to our clinical development candidates and preclinical candidates selected for further development. Such expenses include third-party contract costs relating to manufacturing, clinical trial activities, translational medicine and toxicology activities.
|
|
Nine months ended September 30,
|
|
|
Year ended December 31,
|
|
|
For the period from March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31,
|
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
External service provider costs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sparsentan
|
|
$ |
877,298 |
|
|
$ |
109,205 |
|
|
$ |
176,450 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
RE-024
|
|
|
390,477 |
|
|
|
45,568 |
|
|
|
124,635 |
|
|
|
- |
|
General
|
|
|
215,681 |
|
|
|
132,116 |
|
|
|
240,034 |
|
|
|
94,454 |
|
Other product candidates
|
|
|
144,528 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
258,940 |
|
Total external service providers costs:
|
|
|
1,627,984 |
|
|
|
286,889 |
|
|
|
541,119 |
|
|
|
353,394 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Internal personnel costs:
|
|
|
485,829 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Total research and development
|
|
$ |
2,113,813 |
|
|
$ |
286,889 |
|
|
$ |
541,119 |
|
|
$ |
353,394 |
|
We expect our research and development expenses will increase in the future as we progress our product candidates, advance our discovery research projects into the preclinical stage and continue our early stage research. The process of conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials necessary to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time consuming. We may never succeed in achieving marketing approval for any of our product candidates. The probability of success of each product candidate may be affected by numerous factors, including preclinical data, clinical data, competition, manufacturing capability and commercial viability.
Most of our product development programs are at an early stage; therefore, the successful development of our product candidates is highly uncertain and may not result in approved products. Completion dates and completion costs can vary significantly for each product candidate and are difficult to predict. Given the uncertainty associated with clinical trial enrollments and the risks inherent in the development process, we are unable to determine the duration and completion costs of current or future clinical trials of our product candidates or if and to what extent we will generate revenues from the commercialization and sale of any of our product candidates. We anticipate that we and our strategic alliance partners will make determinations as to which programs to pursue and how much funding to direct to each program on an ongoing basis in response to the scientific and clinical success of each product candidate, as well as an ongoing assessment as to each product candidate’s commercial potential. We will need to raise additional capital or may seek additional strategic alliances in the future in order to complete the development and commercialization of our product candidates.
Selling, General and Administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist of rent, depreciation and amortization, settlement charges, travel and entertainment, recruiting, insurance, business development, advertising, and other operating expenses. We expect to incur additional expenses as a result of operating as a public company, including costs to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to companies listed on a national securities exchange and costs related to compliance and reporting obligations pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. In addition, as a public company, we expect to incur increased expenses related to additional insurance, investor relations and other increases related to needs for additional human resources and professional services.
Other Expenses
Other expenses consist of charges from the change in fair value of derivative financial instruments, interest income and expense, charges from transactions denominated in foreign currencies, realized gains and losses on the sale of marketable securities, and registration payment income and expense.
License Agreements
Novartis
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with Novartis and Novartis AG pursuant to which Novartis and Novartis AG agreed to grant us an exclusive, perpetual, and royalty-bearing license for the manufacture, development and commercialization of Syntocinon and related intranasal products in the United States. Under the license, Novartis and Novartis AG are obligated to transfer to us certain information that is necessary for or related to the development or commercialization of Syntocinon. We are responsible for conducting research and preclinical, clinical and other development of Syntocinon at our own expense, and must use commercially reasonably efforts to develop Syntocinon in the United States.
As consideration for the license, we paid to Novartis and Novartis AG a $5 million upfront fee and are required to make substantial payments upon the achievement of certain milestones. Should we commercialize Syntocinon, we will be obligated to pay Novartis and Novartis AG a 20% royalty on net sales of such products. We are also required to pay annual maintenance fees to Novartis and Novartis AG. The license agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry.
Ligand
In February 2012, we entered into an agreement pursuant to which Ligand agreed to grant us a worldwide license for the development, manufacture and commercialization of sparsentan, an ARB and ERA which we are initially using in connection with the treatment of FSGS. Under the license agreement, Ligand granted us a sublicense under certain of its patents and other intellectual property in connection with the development and commercialization of sparsentan. Under the license agreement, Ligand is obligated to transfer to us certain information, records, regulatory filings, materials and inventory controlled by Ligand and relating to or useful for developing sparsentan. We must use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize sparsentan in specified major market countries and other countries in which we believe it is commercially reasonable to develop and commercialize such products.
As consideration for the license, we are required to make substantial payments payable upon the achievement of certain milestones totaling up to $106.9 million. Should we commercialize sparsentan or any products containing any of these compounds, we will be obligated to pay to Ligand an escalating annual royalty between 10% and 20% of net sales of all such products. In the event that we desire to enter into a license arrangement with respect to any licensed compound under the license agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company will have a right of first negotiation and Ligand will have a right of second negotiation with respect to any such license arrangement for a licensed compound. The license agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry. Through September 30, 2013, we made payments to Ligand of $2.55 million under the license agreement.
Central Nervous System License
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement, which we refer to as the “Weg License Agreement,” with Stuart Weg, MD, pursuant to which Dr. Weg agreed to grant us an exclusive worldwide license for the manufacture, development and distribution of products to be developed for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. As consideration for the license, we are required to pay Dr. Weg an upfront fee, which amount included a $250,000 payment prior to the execution of the Weg License Agreement, as well as certain maintenance and sublicensing fees. We are also obligated to pay Dr. Weg certain royalties on sales of FDA-approved products.
The Weg License Agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry.
The Weg License Agreement will continue in perpetuity unless terminated by us or by Dr. Weg. We may terminate the agreement at any time by giving written notice to Dr. Weg. Dr. Weg may terminate the agreement due to our uncured material breach of the agreement.
Results of Operations
Three month period ended September 30, 2013 compared to the three month period ended September 30, 2012
Revenue. We had no revenues during the three month period ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.
Operating Expenses. Our operating expenses for the three month period ended September 30, 2013 were $5.2 million compared to $8.5 million for the three month period ended September 30, 2012 which represents a decrease of $3.3 million, or 39%. The expense decrease was principally attributable to a decrease in our compensation and related costs in the amount of $4.6 million as well as a decrease in our professional fees in the amount of $0.7 million, offset by an increase in our research and development expenses in the amount of $1.3 million and an increase in our selling, general and administrative costs in the amount of $0.7 million. Included in the decrease in our compensation and related costs is a decrease in stock based compensation to employees of $4.8 million and an increase in cash compensation to employees of approximately $200,000 due to an increase in the number of employees. Included in the decrease in our professional fees is a decrease in stock based compensation to non-employees of $0.6 million and a decrease in cash compensation to professionals of approximately $100,000 due to a decrease in consulting fees. Included in selling, general and administrative costs are settlement charges in the amount of $300,000 and an increase in cash expenditures of approximately $300,000 due to an increase in travel and related expenses associated with business development.
Other Expenses. Other expense for the three month period ended September 30, 2013 was $5.7 million compared to other expense of $20,712 for the three month period ended September 30, 2012, which represents an increase of $5.7 million. The increase was primarily attributable to loss from the change in fair value of derivative financial instruments of $5.8 million a decrease in interest income of $6,049, offset by a realized gain on the sale of marketable securities of $59,737 and a decrease in interest expense of $26,761. Included in other income is registration payment income of $360,000 relating to a waiver we received for previous liquidated damages and expense of $360,000 from allocating the waiver of the original registration payment from the February 14, 2013 registration rights agreement as a charge to income.
Net Loss. Our net loss for the three month period ended September 30, 2013 was $10.9 million compared to $8.5 million for the three month period ended September 30, 2012.
Nine month period ended September 30, 2013 compared to the nine month period ended September 30, 2012
Revenue. We had no revenues during the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.
Operating Expenses. Our operating expenses for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 were $12.5 million compared to $16.8 million for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012 which represents a decrease of $4.3 million, or 26%. The expense decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in our compensation and related costs in the amount of $6.6 million as well as a decrease in our professional fees in the amount of $3.4 million, offset by an increase in our research and development expenses in the amount of $1.8 million, an increase in our selling, general and administrative costs in the amount of $3.8 million and an increase in our technology license fee in the amount of $100,000. Included in the decrease in our compensation and related costs is a decrease in stock based compensation to employees of $7.7 million and an increase in cash compensation to employees of approximately $1 million due to an increase in the number of employees. Included in the decrease in our professional fees is a decrease in stock based compensation to non-employees of $4.4 million and an increase in cash compensation to professionals of approximately $1 million due to an increase in consulting and legal fees associated with business development. Included in selling, general and administrative costs are settlement charges in the amount of $2.6 million and an increase in cash expenditures of approximately $1.2 million due to an increase in travel and related expenses associated with business development.
Other Expenses. Other expenses for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 was $8.2 million compared to $54,778 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012 which represents an increase of $8.1 million. The expense increase was primarily attributable to the expense from the change in fair value of derivative financial instruments of $8.2 million, a decrease in interest income of $15,772, an increase in loss on transactions denominated in foreign currencies of $3,873, offset by a realized gain on the sale of marketable securities of $59,737 and a decrease in interest expense of $28,996. Included in other income is registration payment income of $360,000 related to the waiver we received for previous liquidated damages and expense of $360,000 from allocating the waiver of the original registration payment from the February 14, 2013 registration rights agreement as a charge to income.
Net Loss. Our net loss for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 was $20.7 million compared to $16.8 million for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012.
Year ended December 31, 2012
Revenue. We had no revenue during the year ended December 31, 2012
Operating Expenses. Operating expenses were approximately $30.26 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, which consisted of:
·
|
compensation and related costs of approximately $18.13 million which included approximately 2,048,000 shares of vested incentive shares granted to members and employees amounting to approximately $16.01 million;
|
·
|
professional fees of approximately $9.04 million which included
|
·
|
approximately 194,000 shares of vested incentive shares granted to consultants and direct transfers of shares to consultants by members amounting to approximately $6.40 million for services rendered;
|
·
|
research and development fees of approximately $0.52 million related to Retrophin’s drug (sparsentan and RE-024) candidate for the treatment of FSGS and PKAN and evaluation of potential new technologies;
|
·
|
legal expense of approximately $0.91 million related to licensing and production acquisition, employment and consulting agreements and general corporate work;
|
·
|
consulting fees of approximately $0.83 million related to outsourcing management roles;
|
·
|
contracted services of approximately $0.11 million; and
|
·
|
accounting fees of approximately $0.26 million related to general accounting and audit work, (iii) twelve months rent expense of approximately $0.1 million;
|
·
|
license fee of approximately $1.70 million;
|
·
|
depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $0.12 million related to the Ligand licensing agreement;
|
·
|
had debt expense of $0.56 million; and
|
·
|
the remaining balance of $0.61 million is related to travel and entertainment, advertising and other operating expenses.
|
Other Expenses. Other expenses for the year ended December 31, 2012 were as follows: (i) approximately $0.003 million, which is related to a loss in foreign exchange in a vendor payment, (ii) approximately $0.022 million, which related to $0.2 million note receivable with an interest rate of 12% per annum offset by approximately $0.106 million of interest expense relate to a $0.900 million and $0.030 note payable with an interest rate of 12% and 15%, respectively, per annum.
Net Loss. For the year ended December 31, 2012, our net loss from operations was approximately $30.26 million.
March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011
Revenue. We had no revenue during the period from March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011.
Operating Expenses. Operating expenses were approximately $3.27 million for the period from March 11, 2011 through December 31, 2011, which consisted of:
·
|
compensation and related costs of approximately $2.23 million which included approximately 431,000 shares of vested incentive shares granted to members and employees amounting to approximately $1.72 million;
|
·
|
professional fees of approximately $0.91 million which included:
|
·
|
approximately 60,000 shares of vested incentive shares granted to consultants amounting to approximately $0.26 million for services rendered;
|
·
|
research and development fees of approximately $0.35 million related to Retrophin’s drug (RE-001 ) candidate for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy;
|
·
|
legal expense of approximately $0.10 million related to formation of the company, employment and consulting agreements and general corporate work; and
|
·
|
consulting fees of approximately $0.20 million related to outsourcing management roles;
|
·
|
nine months rent expense of approximately $0.06 million; and
|
·
|
the remaining balance of $0.07 million is related to travel and entertainment, depreciation, advertising and other operating expenses.
|
Other Expenses. Other operating expenses for the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011 were approximately $0.005 million, which is related to a loss in foreign exchange in a vendor payment.
Income Taxes. As a limited liability company, we were treated as a partnership for the purposes of U.S. federal and most applicable state and local income tax during the start-up period from March 11, 2011 through September 21, 2012. Accordingly, no provision has been made for U.S. federal and state income taxes in the accompanying financial statements for such period, since all items of income or loss were required to be reported on the income tax returns of the members, who are responsible for any taxes thereon.
Net Loss. For the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011, our net loss was approximately $3.27 million.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Management believes that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. Therefore we will either need additional equity or debt financing, or enter into strategic alliances on products in development, to sustain our operations until we can achieve profitability and positive cash flows from operating activities, if ever.
Our continued operations will depend on whether we can successfully raise additional funds through equity and/or debt financing. Such additional funds may not become available on acceptable terms, if at all, and we cannot assure you that any additional funding we do obtain will be sufficient to meet our needs in the long term. Since inception, through September 30, 2013, we had raised approximately $40.2 million through capital contributions and notes payable from Retrophin shareholders and related parties.
Since inception through September 30, 2013, we have incurred a net loss of approximately $54 million, including stock-based compensation charge of approximately $26 million for the period from March 11, 2011 (inception) to September 30, 2013. At September 30, 2013, we had a working capital deficit of approximately $10 million; however, the working capital deficit includes a derivative liability of approximately $22.2 million for warrants issued in financing transactions. Our accumulated deficit amounted to $54,301,348 at September 30, 2013.
Since our inception in 2011, we have generated losses from operations and we anticipate that we will continue to generate losses from operations for the foreseeable future. As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, our stockholders’ deficit was $5,804,374 and $3,407,815, respectively. Our net loss from operations for the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011, for the year ended December 31, 2012 and for the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2012 were approximately $3.27 million, $30.26 million and $33.52 million, respectively. Our net loss for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 was $20,689,236 compared to $16,812,669 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012. Net cash used in operating activities were $0.79 million, $2.74 million and $3.52 million for the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011, for the year ended December 31, 2012 and for the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2012, respectively. Net cash used in operating activities was $9,442,442 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 compared to $2,088,811 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012. Operations since inception have been funded entirely with the proceeds from equity and debt financings. As of September 30, 2013, we had cash of $13,409,825. We will continue to fund operations from cash on hand and through the similar sources of capital previously described. We can give no assurance that such capital will be available to us on favorable terms or at all. If we are unable to raise additional funds in the future on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be forced to curtail our desired development. In addition we could be forced to delay or discontinue product development, and forego attractive business opportunities. Any additional sources of financing will likely involve the sale of our equity securities which will have a dilutive effect on our stockholders.
In January 2013, we sold common stock in certain private placement transactions for aggregate proceeds of $816,664. In February, 2013, we sold common stock and warrants in a private placement transaction for aggregate proceeds of $9,137,787. In August, 2013, we sold common stock and warrants in a private placement transaction for aggregate proceeds of $24,891,303.
In the second quarter of 2013, the Company, its Chief Executive Officer, MSMB CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LP (“MSMB Capital LP”), a Delaware limited partnership, MSMB CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC (“MSMB Capital LLC”), a Delaware limited liability company, MSMB HEALTHCARE LP (“MSMB Healthcare”), a Delaware limited partnership, MSMB HEALTHCARE INVESTORS LLC (“MSMB Investors”), a Delaware limited liability company, MSMB HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT LLC (“MSMB Management” and, together with MSMB Capital LP, MSMB Capital LLC, MSMB Healthcare and MSMB Investors, the “MSMB Entities”), a Delaware limited liability company became parties to a series of agreements to settle up to $2,284,511 of liabilities owed to certain investors in the MSMB Entities which had invested in the Company and objected to the number of shares of common stock in the Company that they received as a distribution from such funds. Because the Company was a party to these settlements, it applied the accounting guidance provided in ASU 2013-04 (“ASU 2013-04”). This guidance requires companies to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements as the sum of the amount that the entity has (a) contractually agreed to pay and (b) any additional amounts that the entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. Company management believes such liabilities are the obligation of the MSMB Entities and concurrent with the execution and payment of such settlement agreements, the Company entered into indemnification agreements and received promissory notes from the MSMB Entities, whereby the MSMB Entities jointly and severally agreed to pay the Company the principal amount of $2,284,511, plus interest at an annualized rate of 5% as reimbursement of payments that the Company made to settle a portion of the agreements. The Company paid $593,111 of these settlements in the second quarter on behalf of the MSMB Entities and had outstanding liabilities of $1,691,400 as of September 30, 2013, which the Company has paid. The Chief Executive Officer also agreed to deliver or cause to be delivered 47,128 shares of common stock to one of the counter parties as a separate component of one of these agreements. Accordingly, the Company does not believe it is required to record a liability for the shared-based component of this specific agreement during the third quarter ended September 30, 2013. There is uncertainty as to whether the MSMB Entities will have sufficient liquidity to repay the Company or fund the indemnification agreements should it become necessary.
On August 29, 2013, the Company entered into and paid an additional settlement agreement for $300,000 due following execution of the agreement.
Sponsored Research Agreements
St. Jude Sponsored Research Agreement
Effective October 1, 2013, we entered into the SRA with St. Jude, pursuant to which St. Jude will undertake a research program with respect to RE-024. As consideration for the research program, we are obligated to pay an aggregate of $780,674 in fees to St. Jude on a specified timeline, of which $195,168 has been paid as of the date hereof. Pursuant to the SRA, we granted St. Jude a non-exclusive, royalty-free research license to any compounds or products that we provide to St. Jude in connection with the research program, solely for academic research purposes. St. Jude is not permitted to license or sublicense such compounds or products or commercially exploit them in any manner. The SRA will continue for a period of two years unless earlier terminated (i) by St. Jude if we fail to meet our material obligations under the agreement and do not cure such failure, (ii) by us if the principal investigator for the research program is unable to supervise the research program and is not satisfactorily replaced by St. Jude, or (iii) by us if St. Jude fails to meet its material obligations under the agreement and does not cure such failure.
UCSD Sponsored Research Agreement
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of its San Diego Campus (“UCSD”), pursuant to which UCSD will undertake research projects related to a study on oxytocin. As consideration for the research program, we are obligated to pay an aggregate of approximately $1.6 million in fees to UCSD on a specified timeline, of which $0 has been paid as of the date hereof. This agreement will continue until completion of the projects, unless earlier terminated by either party (i) due to a material uncured breach of such agreement by the other party or (ii) for any reason by giving written notice to the other party.
License Agreement Obligations
Our license agreements with Novartis and Novartis AG and Dr. Weg require us to make annual maintenance and milestone payments to the counterparties thereto.
At this time, we do not have sufficient capital to cover operating costs for the next twelve month period.
These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. These condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of assets or the classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
Funding Requirements
We believe that our available cash and short-term investments as of the date of this filing, together with the net proceeds of this offering, will be sufficient to fund our anticipated level of operations for at least the next 12 months. Our future financing requirements will depend on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. Factors affecting our financing requirements include, but are not limited to:
·
|
the rate of progress and cost of our clinical trials, preclinical studies and other discovery and research and development activities;
|
·
|
the timing of, and costs involved in, seeking and obtaining marketing approvals for our products, and in maintaining quality systems standards for our products;
|
·
|
our ability to manufacture sufficient quantities of our products to meet expected demand;
|
·
|
the costs of preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights, including litigation costs and the results of this litigation;
|
·
|
our ability to enter into collaboration, licensing or distribution arrangements and the terms and timing of these arrangements;
|
·
|
the potential need to expand our business, resulting in additional payroll and other overhead expenses;
|
·
|
the potential need to acquire, by acquisition or in-licensing, other products or technologies; and
|
·
|
the emergence of competing technologies or other adverse market or technological developments.
|
Future capital requirements will also depend on the extent to which we acquire or invest in additional complementary businesses, products and technologies. We currently have no understandings, commitments or agreements relating to any of these types of transactions.
At this time, we do not have sufficient capital to cover operating costs for the next twelve month period.
These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. These condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of assets or the classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods set forth below:
|
|
For the nine months ended September 30,
|
|
|
For the year ended |
|
|
For the period from
March 11, 2011
(inception) through
|
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
December 31, 2012
|
|
|
December 31, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities
|
|
$ |
(9,442,442 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,088,811 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,736,739 |
) |
|
$ |
(785,747 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(6,670,416 |
) |
|
|
(1,569,018 |
) |
|
|
(1,699,593 |
) |
|
|
(12,872 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
29,511,295 |
|
|
|
3,649,965 |
|
|
|
4,437,667 |
|
|
|
808,672 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash
|
|
|
13,398,437 |
|
|
|
(7,864 |
) |
|
|
1,335 |
|
|
|
10,053 |
|
Cash, beginning of period
|
|
|
11,388 |
|
|
|
10,053 |
|
|
|
10,053 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash, end of period
|
|
$ |
13,409,825 |
|
|
$ |
2,189 |
|
|
$ |
11,388 |
|
|
$ |
10,053 |
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Operating activities used approximately $2.74 million of cash during the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to $0.79 million from the period March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011, the increase of approximately $1.95 million was primarily the result of the increase in net loss of approximately $27.07 million due to the significant expenses we incurred mainly for stock base compensation, compensation expense, and professional fees, offset by a non-cash charge increase of approximately $22.51 million as well as a net change of approximately $2.61 million in our accounts payable and accrued expenses. Non-cash charges consisted of stock base compensation granted to employees and consultants for services render in the amount of approximately $20.43 million. The net change in our operating assets and liabilities was primarily the result of accrued compensation expense.
Operating activities used approximately $9.4 million of cash during the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 compared $2.1 million for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012. The increase of $7.4 million was the result of a decrease in non-cash charges of $3.8 million, a net change in operating assets and liabilities of $283,187 and an increase in net loss of $3.9 million. Included in cash flows from operating activities is a registration payment obligation expense and reversal of the registration payment obligation liability of $360,000.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2012 was approximately $1.70 million, compared to approximately $0.13 million from the period March 11, 2011 through December 31, 2011. The increase of approximately $1.57, million was primarily the result of $1.17 million to purchase intangible assets, primarily related sublicense from Ligand of the technology used in sparsentan.
Cash used in investing activities for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 was $6.7 million compared to $1.6 million for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012. The increase of $5.1 million was primarily the result of repayment of a technology license liability of $1.3 million, a net purchase of marketable securities of $3.1 million, payments to secure exclusivity rights of certain licenses of $2.3 million, an increase in the purchase of fixed assets of $13,772, and an increase in our security deposit of $40,000, offset by a decrease in the purchase of intangible assets of $1.2 million, payments made on loans to stockholder of $399,329, and a decrease in a related party note receivable of $2,800.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2012, financing activities provided approximately $4.44 million, compared to proceeds of approximately $0.8 million from the period March 11, 2011 through December 31, 2011. The increase of approximately $3.6 million was primarily a result of an increase of approximately $2.7 million of proceeds from the private sale of our equity securities and approximately $0.9 million of proceeds from related parties’ notes payable.
For the nine month period ended September 30, 2013, cash provided by financing activities was $29,511,295 compared to $3,649,965 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2012. The increase of $25,861,330 was primarily a result of an increase of $28,590,254 in proceeds received from the private sale of our equity securities, offset by a registration payment of $946,196, and a decrease in activities associated with related party notes payable of $1,782,728.
2013 Private Placements
In January 2013, we sold an aggregate of 272,221 shares of common stock at $3.00 per share in certain private placement transactions, for an aggregate purchase price of $816,664 in cash. The issuance of such shares of common stock was not registered under the Securities Act as such issuance was exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
On February 14, 2013, we closed a private placement of 3,045,929 shares of our common stock, at a purchase price of $3.00 per share, or $9,137,787 in the aggregate, and Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,597,969 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $3.60 per such share underlying any warrant. We incurred fees of $678,986 in relation to the financing. The issuance of the shares of common stock in such private placement was not registered under the Securities Act as such issuance was exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
On August 15, 2013, we closed a private placement and sold 5,531,401 shares of our common stock, at a purchase price of $4.50 per share, or $24,891,303 in the aggregate, and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,765,701 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $6.00 per share underlying each warrant. We incurred fees of $2,811,313 in relation to the financing. The issuance of the shares of common stock in such private placement was not registered under the Securities Act as such issuance was exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
We entered into registration rights agreements concurrently with the closings of the February 2013 and August 2013 private placements, each of which required us to file a registration statement on Form S-1 within 30 days of the closing date of the transaction and cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 60 days thereafter. Each registration rights agreement provides for the payment of certain liquidated damages at the rate of 2% of the gross proceeds per month for each in which we are not in compliance with such agreement, not exceeding 10% of gross proceeds in the aggregate. As described elsewhere herein, we were not in compliance with the registration payment arrangement for the February 2013 registration rights agreement and therefore recorded $360,000 as registration payment obligation treated as a reduction of the proceeds received in the February financing transaction.
We and the investors in the February 2013 private placement entered into the amended registration rights agreement, pursuant to which we paid an aggregate fee to such investors of $2.5 million. Additionally, we paid $103,425 to an investor to whom we sold shares in the January 2013 private placement and who participated in the August 2013 private placement. We recorded the aggregate amount of the payments made to the investors by to allocating approximately $360,000 to the waiver of the original registration payment obligation taken as a charge to operations and the remaining amount of $2,238,681 is treated as reduction of the proceeds received in the August 2013 private placement.
On September 13, 2013, we submitted a resale registration statement on Form S-1 to the SEC on a confidential basis. On December 6, 2013, the SEC declared the resale registration statement effective prior to the expiration of the contractually defined time period.
Subsequent Events
On October 1, 2013 we entered into a building lease for approximately 4,232 square feet of office space located in Cambridge, MA under which we are responsible for approximately $216,000 of annual base rent plus rent escalations, common area maintenance, insurance, and real estate taxes.
On December 1, 2013, we entered into a lease for approximately 2,500 square feet of office space located in San Diego, CA that expires in February, 2017. We are responsible for approximately $70,500 of annual base rent plus rent escalations, common area maintenance, insurance, and real estate taxes.
On December 6, 2013, our board of directors established a compensation policy for our non-employee directors pursuant to which each non-employee director shall receive $100,000 annually, which amount shall be comprised of not more than $25,000 in cash, with the remainder paid in the form of options to purchase shares of our common stock. Each non-employee director may, at his discretion, determine to receive less than $25,000 annually in the form of cash, in which case such amount will be paid to such director in the form of options to purchase additional shares of our common stock. In accordance with such policy, in December 2013, we issued options to purchase 51,000 shares of common stock to four non-employee directors. Such options vest immediately and are exercisable over a ten year period at an exercise price of $8.70 per share.
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with UCSD pursuant to which UCSD will undertake research projects related to a study on oxytocin. As consideration for the research program, we are obligated to pay an aggregate of approximately $1.6 million in fees to UCSD on a specified timeline, of which $0 has been paid as of the date hereof. This agreement will continue until completion of the projects, unless earlier terminated by either party (i) due to a material uncured breach of such agreement by the other party or (ii) for any reason by giving written notice to the other party.
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with Novartis and Novartis AG pursuant to which Novartis and Novartis AG agreed to grant us an exclusive, perpetual, and royalty-bearing license for the manufacture, development and commercialization of Syntocinon and related intranasal products in the United States. Under the license, Novartis and Novartis AG are obligated to transfer to us certain information that is necessary for or related to the development or commercialization of Syntocinon. We are responsible for conducting research and preclinical, clinical and other development of Syntocinon at our own expense, and must use commercially reasonably efforts to develop Syntocinon in the United States.
As consideration for the license, we paid to Novartis and Novartis AG a $5 million upfront fee and are required to make substantial payments upon the achievement of certain milestones. Should we commercialize Syntocinon, we will be obligated to pay Novartis and Novartis AG a 20% royalty on net sales of such products. We are also required to pay annual maintenance fees to Novartis and Novartis AG. The license agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry.
On December 12, 2013, we entered into the Weg License Agreement pursuant to which Dr. Weg agreed to grant us an exclusive worldwide license for the manufacture, development and distribution of products to be developed for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. As consideration for the license, we are required to pay Dr. Weg an upfront fee, which amount included a $250,000 payment prior to the execution of the Weg License Agreement, as well as certain maintenance and sublicensing fees. We are also obligated to pay Dr. Weg certain royalties on sales of FDA-approved products.
The Weg License Agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry.
On December 12, 2013, we announced our intention to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Kyalin Biosciences, Inc., or Kyalin, in a transaction that is expected to close by December 31, 2013 and in connection therewith, we hired Srinivas Rao, M.D., Ph.D., the Founder and President of Kyalin.
On December 16, 2013, we announced that we had withdrawn our proposal to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Transcept. The Company no longer owns any shares of Transcept’s common stock.
On December 16, 2013, we entered into the Shkreli Employment Agreement (as further described below) pursuant to which Mr. Shkreli will continue to serve as our Chief Executive Officer and we will pay Mr. Shkreli an annual base salary in the amount of $300,000 (subject to adjustments at the discretion of the Board after each anniversary of the Effective Date), and, at the sole discretion of our board of directors, an annual bonus award based upon specific goals and performance metrics.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the balance sheet and reported amounts of expenses for the periods presented. Judgments must also be made about the disclosure of contingent liabilities. Accordingly, actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. We believe the following discussion addresses the accounting policies that are necessary to understand and evaluate our reported financial results.
Share-Based Payments
We adopted authoritative accounting guidance which establishes standards for share-based transactions in which we receive consultants or employee’s services in exchange for equity instruments, such as stock incentive awards. These authoritative accounting standards require that we expense the fair value of stock awards, as measured on the awards’ grant date.
If factors change and we employ different assumptions in the application of the relevant accounting guidance in future periods, the compensation expense that we record may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the current period. There is a high degree of subjectivity involved when using fair value to estimate share-based compensation. Consequently, there is a risk that our estimates of the fair values of our share-based compensation awards on the grant dates may bear little resemblance to the actual values realized upon the vesting, expiration, early termination or forfeiture of those share-based payments. Stock incentive awards options may expire worthless or otherwise result in zero value as compared to the fair values originally estimated on the grant date and reported in our financial statements. Alternatively, value may be realized from these instruments that are significantly in excess of the fair values originally estimated on the grant date and reported in our financial statements.
Income Taxes
We follow FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent management concludes it is more likely than not that the asset will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.
The standard addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. Under FASB ASC 740, we may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the tax authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. FASB ASC 740 also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes, accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. At the date of adoption, and as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company does not have a liability for unrecognized tax uncertainties.
Our policy is to record interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions as income tax expense. As of and for the nine month period ended September 30, 2013 and the fiscal year end December 31, 2012, we had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
Impairment of long-lived assets
The Company periodically reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable in accordance with ASC 360-10, “Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”. The Company recognizes an impairment loss when the sum of expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. The amount of impairment is measured as the differences between the discounted future cash flow or estimated fair value and the book value of the underlying asset.
Derivative Instruments
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then revalued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company calculates the fair value of the financial instruments using a probability-weighted Black-Scholes option pricing model, which is comparable to the Binomial Lattice options pricing model at inception and on each subsequent valuation date. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period.
Registration Payment Arrangement
The Company accounted for registration rights agreements in accordance with ASC 825-20, “Registration Payment Arrangements.” ASC 825-20 addresses an issuer’s accounting for registration payment arrangements. This pronouncement specifies that the contingent obligation to make future payments or otherwise transfer consideration under a registration payment arrangement, whether issued as a separate agreement or included as a provision of a financial instrument, should be separately recognized and accounted for as a contingency in accordance with ASC 450-20 “Loss Contingencies”.
Net loss per share
Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented as required by FASB ASC 260, (“Earnings Per Share”).
Patents
The Company capitalized external cost, such as filing fees and associated attorney fees, incurred to obtain issued patents and patent applications pending. The Company expense cost associated with maintaining and defending patents subsequent to their issuance in the period incurred. The Company amortizes patent cost once issued on a straight-line basis over the estimate useful lives of the patents. The Company assess the potential impairment to all capitalized patent cost when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of our patent may not be recoverable. The Company accounts for patent costs in accordance with ASC Topic 350, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” (“ASC 350”) and ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations” (“ASC 805”).
Financial Instruments and Fair Value
ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” (“ASC Topic 820”) establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC Topic 820 are described below:
Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;
Level 2 – Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; and
Level 3 – Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.
In estimating the fair value of the Company’s marketable securities available-for-sale, the Company used quoted prices in active markets.
In estimating the fair value of the Company’s derivative liabilities, the Company used a probability-weighted Black-Scholes option pricing model.
Financial assets with carrying values approximating fair value include cash as well as marketable securities, deposits on license agreements, prepaid expenses and other current assets. Financial liabilities with carrying values approximating fair value include accounts payable and accrued expenses.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2013, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Updated (“ASU”) 2013-04 “Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Amount at the Reporting Date is Fixed”). The guidance in this update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2013 with early adoption permitted. The guidance in this update requires companies to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements as the sum of the amount the entity has (a) contractually agreed to pay, and (b) any additional amounts that the entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The Company early adopted this guidance in the second quarter of 2013.
Except as noted above, we have evaluated recent accounting pronouncements and their adoption has not had or is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or operations.
Emerging Growth Company Critical Accounting Policy Disclosure
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the 2012 JOBS Act. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. As an emerging growth company, we can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We evaluated the effectiveness of our “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of September 30, 2013, which we refer to as the “Evaluation Date,” and have concluded that as of the Evaluation Date, our disclosure controls were not effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to our management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Internal Controls
As of December 31, 2012, we identified certain matters that constitute a material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, specific material weaknesses include the fact that we (i) have experienced difficulty in generating data in a form and format that facilitates the timely analysis of information needed to produce accurate financial reports, (ii) have experienced difficulty in applying complex accounting and financial reporting and disclosure rules required under GAAP and the SEC reporting regulations, and (iii) have limited segregation of duties.
We have taken certain steps in an effort to correct these material weaknesses, including, among other things hiring of a Chief Financial Officer who has significant experience with publicly held companies, hiring a controller to further segregate duties within the Company, appointing Cornelius (“Neal”) E. Golding, who has more than 44 years of experience in finance and accounting, as an independent member of our board of directors and will also serve as the Chairman of the Audit Committee of our board of directors.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
In connection with the closing of the 2012 Merger, Marcum LLP Certified Public Accountants, the independent registered public accounting firm for former Retrophin, our predecessor, prior to the 2012 Merger, became the independent registered public accounting firm for us. On October 29, 2012, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC acknowledging the dismissal of Michael F. Cronin CPA as our independent registered public accounting firm due to the requirements of the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board that lead and concurring reviewer partners cannot audit the same company for more than five consecutive years. Required disclosures in such Current Report on Form 8-K relating to our dismissal of the former accountant as required under Item 4.01, including the former accountants’ letter of response to such dismissal, is incorporated herein by reference. The decision to appoint Marcum LLP was recommended, and subsequently approved, by our board of directors in connection with the 2012 Merger.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Our primary exposure to market risk is related to changes in interest rates. As of September 30, 2013, we had cash and short-term investments of approximately $13.4 million, consisting of money market funds, U.S. treasuries and certificates of deposit. This exposure to market risk is interest rate sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates, particularly because our investments are in short-term marketable securities. Our short-term investments are subject to interest rate risk and will fall in value if market interest rates increase. Due to the short-term duration of our investment portfolio and the low risk profile of our investments, an immediate 10 percent change in interest rates would not have a material effect on the fair market value of our portfolio. We have the ability to hold our short-term investments until maturity, and therefore we would not expect our operations results or cash flows to be affected by any significant degree by the effect of a change in market interest rates on our investments. We carry our investments based on publicly available information. We do not currently have any hard to value investment securities or securities for which a market is not readily available or active.
We are not subject to significant credit risk as this risk does not have the potential to materially impact the value of our assets and liabilities.
CORPORATE HISTORY
We were incorporated as Desert Gateway, Inc., an Oklahoma corporation, on February 8, 2008. Desert Gateway was originally a wholly owned subsidiary of American Merchant. In a 2008 reorganization of American Merchant, each share of outstanding common stock of American Merchant was converted into one share of Desert Gateway, while all of American Merchant’s operating assets, liabilities and tax attributes (including accumulated losses and net operating losses) carried forward to another subsidiary of American Merchant in a downstream merger with such other subsidiary. Accordingly, American Merchant is not considered a predecessor company of the Company for accounting or legal purposes. Following the 2008 reorganization, Desert Gateway re-domiciled to Delaware. Since inception and until Desert Gateway’s merger with Retrophin in December 2012 (as described below), Desert Gateway had no existing operations, and its sole purpose was to locate and consummate a merger or acquisition with a private entity.
On December 12, 2012, Desert Gateway completed a merger, in which the former Retrophin became a wholly-owned subsidiary and the principal operating subsidiary of the Company.
On February 14, 2013, we changed our name to “Retrophin, Inc.” through a short-form merger pursuant to Section 253 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, with its then wholly owned subsidiary, and our predecessor, former Retrophin, with us continuing as the surviving corporation following the merger. On April 1, 2013, our Board of Directors determined to change our fiscal year from a fiscal year ending in February of each year to a fiscal year ending on December 31 of each year.
BUSINESS
Overview
We are a development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, acquisition and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of serious, catastrophic or rare diseases. We are developing SyntocinonTM Nasal Spray in the U.S. to assist initial postpartum milk ejection, and for the treatment of Schizophrenia and Autism. Syntocinon Nasal Spray is currently marketed by Novartis and Sigma-Tau in Europe and other countries for aiding milk let-down. In addition, we are developing RE-034, a synthetic hormone analogue that is composed of the first 24 amino acids of the 39 amino acids contained in ACTH for the treatment of IS and NS. We are developing RE-024, a novel small molecule, as a potential treatment for PKAN. Also, we are developing sparsentan, formerly known as RE-021, a dual acting receptor antagonist of angiotensin and endothelin receptors, for the treatment of FSGS. We also have several additional programs in preclinical development, including RE-001, a therapy for the treatment of DMD.
The following summarizes the status of our product candidates and preclinical programs, each of which will be described and discussed in further detail below under “—Our Product Candidates and Preclinical Programs.”
·
|
SyntocinonTM Nasal Spray. (oxytocin nasal spray, USP).
|
o
|
Syntocinon Nasal Spray in Milk Let-Down. We intend to reintroduce Syntocinon to the U.S. market to assist initial postpartum milk ejection from the breasts. Disruption of oxytocin plays an important role in preventing the release of milk from the lactating breast. Numerous psychological and chemical stressors have been implicated in the inhibition of oxytocin release in new mothers resulting in impaired milk-ejection. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of milk let-down in the U.S. We believe that reintroduction of intranasal oxytocin would provide a convenient therapy for new mothers suffering from lactation deficiency.
|
o
|
Syntocinon Nasal Spray in Schizophrenia. We intend to develop Syntocinon as a potential treatment for Schizophrenia. Current pharmaceutical treatment is limited to powerful antipsychotics with serious side effects and compliance problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one percent of Americans suffer from Schizophrenia. Over the past four years, three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, independent proof-of-concept Schizophrenia trials were held. In all three trials, patients were highly symptomatic despite receiving therapeutic doses of an atypical antipsychotic. We believe that the findings of these studies suggest that intranasal oxytocin administered as an adjunct to subjects’ antipsychotic drugs will improve positive and negative symptoms. We are partially funding a Phase 2 clinical study regarding the effects of oxytocin on the treatment of Schizophrenia which is currently enrolling patients and we expect approximately 143 patients to be enrolled. We expect results from this trial in the third quarter of 2014.
|
o
|
Syntocinon Nasal Spray in Autism Spectrum Disorders. We also plan to develop Syntocinon for the potential treatment of symptoms in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Approximately one in fifty children in the U.S. suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorders according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Risperidone and aripiprazole are the only approved treatments for the behavioral disturbances associated with Autism. Common adverse effects from these drugs include weight gain, sedation, and extrapyramidal symptoms. Recent small clinical studies suggest that oxytocin may improve social cognition and quality of life in patients with Autism. We believe that these studies support the development of Syntocinon for this indication. We intend to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study of Syntocinon for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders in 2014.
|
·
|
RE-034 (Tetracosactide Zinc).
|
o
|
RE-034 in Infantile Spasms. IS, also known as West syndrome, is one the most common forms of epileptic encephalopathies of childhood. IS is considered a catastrophic form of epilepsy due to the difficulty in controlling seizures and normalization of electroencephalography in addition to strong association with sequelae of developmental delay and mental retardation. Commercially available ACTH formulations that are substantially similar to RE-034 have been shown to be efficacious in the cessation of IS. We intend to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial of RE-034 for the treatment of IS in 2014.
|
o
|
RE-034 in Nephrotic Syndrome. We intend to initiate studies of RE-034 for the treatment of NS. Long-term conventional immunosuppression therapies have been used effectively to induce remission of proteinuria, however, many patients with NS will relapse after remission or are resistant to primary and secondary treatments. Commercially available ACTH formulations that are substantially similar to RE-034 have been shown to successfully induce remission in patients with NS. We intend to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial of RE-034 for the treatment of NS in 2014.
|
·
|
RE-024. We are developing RE-024, a novel small molecule, as a potential treatment for PKAN (Pantothenate Linase Associated Neurodegeneration). PKAN is the most common form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). Classic PKAN is a genetic disorder that is typically diagnosed in the first decade of life. Consequences of PKAN include dystonia, dysarthria, rigidity, retinal degeneration, and severe digestive problems. PKAN is estimated to affect 1 to 3 per million people. PKAN typically manifests in childhood with a profound, progressive dystonia and is usually lethal. There are currently no viable treatment options for patients with PKAN. RE-024 is a phosphopantothenate prodrug replacement therapy with the goal of restoring the supply of this operative substrate in PKAN patients. A Phase 1 clinical trial of RE-024 is expected to begin in December 2013 or January 2014 under an emergency IND.
|
·
|
Sparsentan. Sparsentan is an investigational therapeutic agent which acts as both a potent angiotensin receptor blocker, or ARB, which is a type of drug that modulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and is typically used to treat hypertension, diabetic nephropathy and congestive heart failure, as well as a selective endothelin receptor antagonist, or ERA, which is a type of drug that blocks endothelin receptors, preferential for endothelin receptor type A. We have secured a license to sparsentan, an ARB and ERA which we are initially using in connection with the treatment of FSGS from Ligand and Bristol-Myers Squibb. We are developing sparsentan as a treatment for FSGS, and other nephropathies. We are currently enrolling patients for a Phase 2 clinical study of sparsentan for the treatment of FSGS and we expect approximately 100 patients to be enrolled.
|
Our Strategy
Our goal is to become a leading biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of serious, catastrophic or rare diseases. In order to achieve our goal, we intend to:
·
|
Expand our product pipeline by pursuing additional acquisitions of pharmaceutical products that have a profound impact on patients’ lives. We believe that there are multiple drugs for treating life-threatening diseases that may be neglected by other pharmaceutical companies. We believe that we can acquire certain of these niche products to achieve increased sales.
|
·
|
Focus on developing products to treat orphan or severe diseases. We focus on novel, life-saving orphan drug candidates in order to take advantage of our competitive strengths. We believe that drug development for orphan drug markets is particularly attractive because relatively small clinical trials can provide meaningful information regarding patient response and safety. Furthermore, the path to regulatory approval and commercial success for orphan drugs is less risky for an effective therapy, as compared to non-orphan drugs. Though we do not currently have any orphan drug designated product candidates, we expect to seek orphan drug designations from the FDA for RE-034, sparsentan, RE-024 and RE-001. However, there can be no assurance that the FDA will grant orphan status for such product candidates. Finally, we believe that our capabilities are well suited to the orphan drug market and represent distinct competitive advantages. Our management team and scientific staff, including Horacio Plotkin, our Chief Medical Officer, Andrew Vaino, our Vice President of Scientific Affairs, and Steve Eby, our Vice President of Global Strategy and Program Management, focus significantly on finding and developing treatments for orphan diseases and have significant experience and expertise in drug technologies.
|
·
|
Develop a sustainable pipeline by employing disciplined decision criteria. We seek to build a sustainable product pipeline by employing multiple therapeutic approaches and by developing or acquiring orphan drug candidates. We employ disciplined decision criteria to assess drug candidates, favoring drug candidates that have undergone at least some clinical study. Our decision to license a drug candidate will also depend on the scientific merits of the technology: the costs of the transaction and other economic terms of the proposed license; the amount of capital required to develop the technology; and the economic potential of the drug candidate, should it be commercialized. We believe this strategy minimizes our clinical development risk and allows us to accelerate the development and potential commercialization of current and future drug candidates. We intend to pursue regulatory approval for a majority of our drug candidates in multiple indications.
|
·
|
Evaluate the commercialization strategies on a product-by-product basis to maximize the value of each. As we move our drug candidates through development toward regulatory approval, we will evaluate several options for each drug candidate’s commercialization strategy. These options include building our own internal sales force; entering into joint marketing partnerships with other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, whereby we jointly sell and market the product; and out-licensing our products, whereby other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies sell and market our product and pay us a royalty on sales. Our decision will be made separately for each product and will be based on a number of factors including capital necessary to execute on each option, size of the market and terms of potential offers from other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
|
Our Product Candidates and Preclinical Programs
The following table summarizes the status of our product candidates and preclinical programs, each of which will be described and discussed in further detail below.
Syntocinon Nasal Spray
Syntocinon (oxytocin nasal spray, USP) is our product candidate for aiding milk let-down and for the treatment of Schizophrenia and Autism. Syntocinon is currently sold in Europe and other countries by Novartis and Sigma-Tau to aid mothers experiencing problems with milk let-down. Oxytocin is a nonapeptide hormone synthesized by the brain and released by the pituitary gland.
Oxytocin administration is known to have peripheral and central effects in humans. Commercially available intravenous oxytocin, sold under the brand name Pitocin and generically, is currently used in obstetrics for the induction of labor and postpartum hemorrhaging. Oral dosing of oxytocin is not a viable administration route given that polypeptides are inactivated in the gastroinstinal tract and liver. Nasal administration of oxytocin overcomes this therapeutic barrier. Intranasal oxytocin has been used to facilitate the milk let-down reflex. In addition, preclinical evidence suggests that oxytocin has a critical role in the regulation of brain-mediated processes that are involved in neuropsychiatric disorders. Clinical studies suggest that oxytocin may have positive effects on the treatment of symptoms in patients with Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Syntocinon Nasal Spray was an FDA-approved product for aiding milk let-down. Syntocinon Nasal Spray was voluntarily withdrawn from sale by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, or Novartis, in 1997 for commercial reasons. On December 12, 2013, we secured a royalty-bearing license from Novartis to the U.S. rights for Syntocinon Nasal Spray, including the intellectual property to develop, manufacture, and sell the product in the United States.
Syntocinon Nasal Spray in Milk Let-Down
We intend to reintroduce Syntocinon to the U.S. market to assist initial postpartum milk ejection from the breasts. Disruption of oxytocin plays an important role in preventing the release of milk from the lactating breast. Numerous psychological and chemical stressors have been implicated in the inhibition of oxytocin release in new mothers resulting in impaired milk-ejection. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of milk let-down in the U.S. We believe that reintroduction of intranasal oxytocin would provide a convenient therapy for new mothers suffering from lactation deficiency.
Syntocinon Nasal Spray in Schizophrenia
We intend to develop Syntocinon as a potential treatment for Schizophrenia. Current pharmaceutical treatment is limited to powerful antipsychotics with serious side effects and compliance problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one percent of Americans suffer from Schizophrenia. Over the past four years, three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, independent proof-of-concept Schizophrenia trials were held. In all three trials, patients were highly symptomatic despite receiving therapeutic doses of an atypical antipsychotic. We believe that the findings of these studies suggest that intranasal oxytocin administered as an adjunct to subjects’ antipsychotic drugs will improve positive and negative symptoms. We are partially funding a Phase 2 clinical study regarding the effects of oxytocin on the treatment of Schizophrenia which is currently enrolling patients and we expect approximately 143 patients to be enrolled. We expect results from this trial in the third quarter of 2014.
In 2010, the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, conducted a randomized, double-blind, crossover study of intranasal oxytocin in 19 schizophrenia patients with residual symptoms despite being on a stable dose of at least one antipsychotic. Patients received three weeks of daily intranasal oxytocin (titrated to 40 IU twice a day) and placebo adjunctive to their antipsychotics. In the 15 patients who completed all the study visits, it was demonstrated that oxytocin significantly reduced scores on the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, or PANSS, (p < .001) and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (p < .001) compared with placebo at the three-week end point. No benefit was seen at the early time points. Oxytocin was well tolerated and produced no adverse effects based upon patient reports or laboratory analysis.
In 2011, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled study testing the effects of twice daily intranasal oxytocin treatment for 14 days on psychotic symptoms and social cognition in patients with schizophrenia. PANSS scores declined significantly and several social cognition measures improved significantly or nearly significantly in oxytocin (N=11) but not placebo (N=9) recipients. The study suggests that, in addition to reducing classic psychotic symptoms, oxytocin may diminish certain social cognition deficits that are not improved by current antipsychotic medications.
In 2012, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, conducted an eight-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and tolerability of oxytocin intranasal spray given as an adjuvant to risperidone in patients with schizophrenia. The study enrolled forty patients aged 18-50 years with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who were on a stable dose of risperidone for a minimum of 1 month, and who were chronically partially responsive to antipsychotic monotherapy. The trial demonstrated that intranasal oxytocin as an adjunct to risperidone tolerably and efficaciously improves positive symptoms of schizophrenia. In addition, effects on negative and total psychopathology scores were statistically significant, but were deemed likely to be clinically insignificant.
Syntocinon Nasal Spray in Autism Spectrum Disorders
We also plan to develop Syntocinon for the potential treatment of symptoms in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Approximately one in fifty children in the U.S. suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorders according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Risperidone and aripiprazole are the only approved treatments for the behavioral disturbances associated with Autism. Common adverse effects from these drugs include weight gain, sedation, and extrapyramidal symptoms. Recent small clinical studies suggest that oxytocin may improve social cognition and quality of life in patients with Autism. We believe that these studies support the development of Syntocinon for this indication. We intend to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study of Syntocinon for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders in 2014.
RE-034 (Tetracosactide Zinc)
RE-034 is a synthetic hormone analog of the first 24 amino acids of the 39 amino acids contained in ACTH, formulated together with zinc. RE-034 exhibits the same physiological actions as endogenous ACTH by binding to all five melanocortin receptors (MCR), resulting in its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In 2014, we plan to submit an Investigational New Drug application, or IND, for RE-034 for the treatment of IS and NS to the FDA.
RE-034 in Infantile Spasms
IS, also known as West syndrome, is one the most common forms of epileptic encephalopathies of childhood. IS is considered a catastrophic form of epilepsy due to the difficulty in controlling seizures and normalization of electroencephalography in addition to strong association with sequelae of developmental delay and mental retardation. Commercially available ACTH formulations that are substantially similar to RE-034 have been shown to be efficacious in the cessation of IS. We intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of RE-034 for the treatment of IS in 2014.
RE-034 in Nephrotic Syndrome
We intend to initiate studies of RE-034 for the treatment of NS. Long-term conventional immunosuppression therapies have been used effectively to induce remission of proteinuria however, many patients with NS will relapse after remission or are resistant to primary and secondary treatments. Commercially available ACTH formulations that are substantially similar to RE-034 have been shown to successfully induce remission in patients with NS. We intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of RE-034 for the treatment of NS in 2014.
RE-024 for the treatment of PKAN
We are developing RE-024, a novel small molecule, as a potential treatment for PKAN. PKAN is the most common form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. Classic PKAN is a genetic disorder that is typically diagnosed in the first decade of life. Consequences of PKAN include dystonia, dysarthria, rigidity, retinal degeneration, and severe digestive problems. PKAN is estimated to affect 1 to 3 per million people. PKAN typically manifests in childhood with a profound, progressive dystonia and is usually lethal. There are currently no viable treatment options for patients with PKAN. RE-024 is a phosphopantothenate prodrug replacement therapy with the goal of restoring the supply of this operative substrate in PKAN patients.
PKAN is caused by a genetic downregulation of the enzyme pantothenate kinase (PANK), via a mutation in the pantothenate kinase-2 gene. PANK is responsible for the conversion of pantothenic acid to 4’phosphopantothenic acid, a precursor to Coenzyme A (CoA) in the brain. Because PANK is required for the production of CoA, animals or humans with downregulated PANK are unable to produce as much CoA as needed, which gives rise to the pathogenesis of PKAN. CoA is involved in a range of important biochemical functions, including the citric acid cycle, steroid biosynthesis, and histone and tubulin acetylation. Retrophin’s approach seeks to improve neurological outcomes by directly replacing in the brain a molecule missing from PKAN sufferers.
The reaction catalyzed by PANK is depicted in Figure 1.
Missing enzyme in PKAN
Figure 1: Reaction catalyzed by PANK
RE-024 is a preclinical investigational program. Retrophin is in the process of synthesizing a focused library of pantothenate phosphate prodrugs. We began in vitro testing of these molecules in 2013. Phase 1 clinical studies are expected to begin in 2014, and, with strong Phase 1/2 data, an NDA filing could occur as early as 2016.
SPARSENTAN
We are developing sparsentan as a treatment for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and other nephropathies. Sparsentan is an investigational therapeutic agent which acts as both a potent angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), which is a type of drug that modulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and is typically used to treat hypertension, diabetic nephropathy and congestive heart failure, as well as a selective endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), which is a type of drug that blocks endothelin receptors, preferential for endothelin receptor type A.
Sparsentan is an endothelin receptor blocker that is specific to endothelin receptor type A (ETA) and it is not predicted to have the complications of drugs that block endothelin receptor type B ( ETB). The stimulation of ETB mitigates relaxation of the wall of the arteries. When the endothelin binds to the ETB receptors, fluid loss occurs through an increase in the volume of urine produced, which is associated with sodium loss in the urine, which results in lower blood pressure. A blockade of ETB will therefore lead to fluid retention (edema) and a risk of increased blood pressure. Sparsentan is designed to block ETA rather than ETB, which results in less risk of edema as a side effect of the treatment.
Sparsentan in FSGS
We intend to develop sparsentan as a treatment for FSGS. FSGS is a leading cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) and NS. There are no FDA-approved treatments for FSGS and the off-label armamentarium is limited to ARBs, steroids, and immunosuppressant agents which are only effective for some patients. We estimate that there are at least 40,000 FSGS patients in the United States, which we believe could result in potential annual revenue of greater than $1 billion/year for sparsentan.
We believe that FSGS as an indication would be eligible to receive orphan drug status from both the FDA and the EMEA. FSGS is similar to over a dozen other rare, but severe, nephropathies and glomerulopathies for which Sparsentan could serve a critical role. Retrophin believes that a drop in proteinuria could serve as a primary endpoint in a pivotal clinical study and that FDA approval could be received on the basis of a single, small pivotal trial.
RE-001 for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe form of muscular dystrophy characterized by rapid progression of muscle degeneration, eventually leading to loss of ambulation and death. DMD affects one in 3,500 males and is the most prevalent of the muscular dystrophies. DMD is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene, causing a downregulation of the dystrophin protein required for muscle cell structure. There is no known cure for DMD.
RE-001 is designed to be a recombinant, modified form of micro-utrophin, a protein similar to the dystrophin protein that is missing in the muscles of DMD patients. RE-001 is designed as micro-utrophin fused to a cell-penetrating peptide known as TAT, which is believed to allow for delivery of the modified form of utrophin into muscle cells, where it is needed for structural support. Pre-clinical studies of RE-001 in “mdx” mice (an animal model for DMD), resulted in reduced creatine kinase excretion, a marker of muscle damage, as well as increased muscle function and lifespan. Retrophin plans to develop RE-001 to treat DMD in humans.
Licenses and Royalties
Novartis License
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with Novartis and Novartis AG pursuant to which Novartis and Novartis AG agreed to grant us an exclusive, perpetual, and royalty-bearing license for the manufacture, development and commercialization of Syntocinon and related intranasal products in the United States. Under the license, Novartis and Novartis AG are obligated to transfer to us certain information that is necessary for or related to the development or commercialization of Syntocinon. We are responsible for conducting research and preclinical, clinical and other development of Syntocinon at our own expense, and must use commercially reasonably efforts to develop Syntocinon in the United States.
As consideration for the license, we paid to Novartis and Novartis AG a $5 million upfront fee and are required to make substantial payments upon the achievement of certain milestones. Should we commercialize Syntocinon, we will be obligated to pay Novartis and Novartis AG a 20% royalty on net sales of such products. We are also required to pay annual maintenance fees to Novartis and Novartis AG.
The license agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry. The license agreement will continue in perpetuity unless terminated by us or by Novartis and Novartis AG.
Ligand License
In February 2012, we entered into an agreement pursuant to which Ligand agreed to grant us a worldwide license for the development, manufacture and commercialization of sparsentan, an ARB and ERA which we are initially using in connection with the treatment of FSGS. Under the license agreement, Ligand granted us a sublicense under certain of its patents and other intellectual property in connection with the development and commercialization of sparsentan. Under the license agreement, Ligand is obligated to transfer to us certain information, records, regulatory filings, materials and inventory controlled by Ligand and relating to or useful for developing sparsentan. We must use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize sparsentan in specified major market countries and other countries in which we believe it is commercially reasonable to develop and commercialize such products.
As consideration for the license, we are required to make substantial payments payable upon the achievement of certain milestones totaling up to $106.9 million. Should we commercialize sparsentan or any products containing any of these compounds, we will be obligated to pay to Ligand an escalating annual royalty between 10% and 20% of net sales of all such products. Through September 30, 2013, we made payments to Ligand of $2.55 million under the license agreement.
In the event that we desire to enter into a license arrangement with respect to any licensed compound under the license agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company will have a right of first negotiation and Ligand will have a right of second negotiation with respect to any such license arrangement for a licensed compound.
The license agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry.
The license agreement will continue until neither party has any further obligations to make payments under the agreement and is expected to continue for approximately 10 to 20 years. Ligand may also terminate the license agreement due to (i) our insolvency, (ii) our material uncured breach of the agreement, (iii) our failure to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize sparsentan as described above or (iv) certain other conditions. We may terminate the license agreement due to a material uncured breach of the agreement by Ligand.
Central Nervous System License
On December 12, 2013, the we entered into the Weg License Agreement with Stuart Weg, MD, pursuant to which Dr. Weg agreed to grant us an exclusive worldwide license for the manufacture, development and distribution of products to be developed for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. As consideration for the license, we are required to pay Dr. Weg an upfront fee, which amount included a $250,000 payment prior to the execution of the Weg License Agreement, as well as certain maintenance and sublicensing fees. We are also obligated to pay Dr. Weg certain royalties on sales of FDA-approved products.
The Weg License Agreement contains other customary clauses and terms as are common in similar agreements in the industry.
The Weg License Agreement will continue in perpetuity unless terminated by us or by Dr. Weg. The Company may terminate the agreement at any time by giving written notice to Dr. Weg. Dr. Weg may terminate the agreement due to the Company’s uncured material breach of the agreement.
Research Agreements
St. Jude Sponsored Research Agreement
Effective October 1, 2013, we entered into a sponsored research agreement with St. Jude, pursuant to which St. Jude will undertake a research program with respect to RE-024. As consideration for the research program, we are obligated to pay an aggregate of $780,674 in fees to St. Jude on a specified timeline, of which $195,168 has been paid as of the date hereof. Pursuant to this agreement, we granted St. Jude a non-exclusive, royalty-free research license to any compounds or products that we provide to St. Jude in connection with the research program, solely for academic research purposes. St. Jude is not permitted to license or sublicense such compounds or products or commercially exploit them in any manner. This agreement will continue for a period of two years unless earlier terminated (i) by St. Jude if we fail to meet our material obligations under the agreement and do not cure such failure, (ii) by us if the principal investigator for the research program is unable to supervise the research program and is not satisfactorily replaced by St. Jude, or (iii) by us if St. Jude fails to meet its material obligations under the agreement and does not cure such failure.
UCSD Sponsored Research Agreement
On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of its San Diego Campus (“UCSD”), pursuant to which UCSD will undertake research projects related to a study on oxytocin. As consideration for the research program, we are obligated to pay an aggregate of approximately $1.6 million in fees to UCSD on a specified timeline, of which $0 has been paid as of the date hereof. This agreement will continue until completion of the projects, unless earlier terminated by either party (i) due to a material uncured breach of such agreement by the other party or (ii) for any reason by giving written notice to the other party.
Intellectual Property
We have secured a royalty-bearing license from Novartis to the U.S. rights for Syntocinon Nasal Spray, including the intellectual property to develop, manufacture, and sell the product in the United States. We have also secured a license to sparsentan, an ARB and ERA which we are initially using in connection with the treatment of FSGS from Ligand and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
We have licenses to three issued U.S. patents covering sparsentan, which will currently expire in 2020-2023 before any patent term extension. We have filed one application covering RE-024 in the United States, and a PCT counterpart filing has been made. There are three pending U.S. patent applications covering sparsentan and there are issued patents or pending applications covering sparsentan in the following foreign jurisdictions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. The sparsentan patents and patent applications relate to method of use, and the RE-024 application is for composition of matter. We do not own or license any issued or pending applications for patents covering Syntocinon, RE-034 or RE -001. In jurisdictions which permit such, we will seek patent term extensions, for example as provided for in the Hatch-Waxman Act in the United States, where possible for certain of our patents. We plan to pursue additional patents in and outside of the United States covering additional therapeutic uses of sparsentan from these existing applications. In addition, we will pursue patent protection for any new discoveries or inventions made in the course of our development of sparsentan.
If we obtain marketing approval for sparsentan or other drug candidates in the United States or in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, we may be eligible for regulatory protection, such as five years of new chemical entity exclusivity, seven years of orphan drug exclusivity and as mentioned below, up to five years of patent term extension potentially available in the United States under the Hatch-Waxman Act, 8 to 11 years of data and marketing exclusivity potentially available for new drugs in the European Union, up to five years of patent extension in Europe (Supplemental Protection Certificate), and eight years of data exclusivity potentially available in Japan. There can be no assurance that we will qualify for any such regulatory exclusivity, or that any such exclusivity will prevent competitors from seeking approval solely on the basis of their own studies. See “Government Regulations” below.
Our goal is to obtain, maintain and enforce patent protection for our products, formulations, processes, methods and other proprietary technologies, preserve our trade secrets, and operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of other parties, both in the United States and in other countries. Our policy is to actively seek to obtain, where appropriate, the broadest intellectual property protection possible for our current product candidates and any future product candidates, proprietary information and proprietary technology through a combination of contractual arrangements and patents, both in the United-States and abroad. However, even patent protection may not always afford us with complete protection against competitors who may seek to circumvent our patents. Our proprietary rights may not adequately protect our intellectual property and potential products, and if we cannot obtain adequate protection of our intellectual property and potential products, we may not be able to successfully market our potential products.
We will depend upon the skills, knowledge and experience of our scientific and technical personnel, as well as that of our advisors, consultants and other contractors, none of which is patentable. To help protect our proprietary know-how, which is not patentable, and inventions for which patents may be difficult to obtain or enforce, we will in the future rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect our interests. To this end, we plan to require all of our employees, consultants, advisors and other contractors to enter into confidentiality agreements that prohibit the disclosure of confidential information and, where applicable, require disclosure and assignment to us of the ideas, developments, discoveries and inventions important to our business.
Manufacturing
We intend to continue to use our financial resources to accelerate development of our drug candidates rather than diverting resources to establish our own manufacturing facilities. We intend to meet our pre-clinical and clinical trial manufacturing requirements by establishing relationships with third-party manufacturers and other service providers to perform these services for us. We do not have any long-term agreements or commitments for these services.
Should any of our drug candidates obtain marketing approval, we anticipate establishing relationships with third-party manufacturers and other service providers in connection with the commercial production of our products. We have some flexibility in securing other manufacturers to produce our drug candidates; however, our alternatives may be limited due to proprietary technologies or methods used in the manufacture of some of our drug candidates.
Sales and Marketing
We currently have no commercial infrastructure. In order to commercialize our clinical drug candidates if and when they are approved for sale in the United States or elsewhere, we will need to build marketing, sales and distribution capabilities.
We may be subject to various federal and state laws pertaining to health care “fraud and abuse,” including anti-kickback laws and false claims laws. Anti-kickback laws make it illegal for a prescription drug manufacturer to solicit, offer, receive, or pay any remuneration in exchange for, or to induce, the referral of business, including the purchase or prescription of a particular drug. Due to the breadth of the statutory provisions and the absence of guidance in the form of regulations and very few court decisions addressing industry practices, it is possible that our practices might be challenged under anti-kickback or similar laws. False claims laws prohibit anyone from knowingly and willingly presenting, or causing to be presented for payment to third-party payors (including Medicare and Medicaid) claims for reimbursed drugs or services that are false or fraudulent, claims for items or services not provided as claimed, or claims for medically unnecessary items or services. Our activities relating to the sale and marketing of our products may be subject to scrutiny under these laws.
Pricing and Reimbursement
A portion of our future end-user demand for our drugs is for patients covered under Medicaid, Medicare and other government-related programs such as TRICARE and the Veterans Administration, or the VA. As required by Federal regulations, we will need to provide rebates and discounts in connection with these programs. As a result of Medicaid rebates, we may not generate any net sales with respect to Medicaid sales, but we do generate net sales with respect to Medicare sales, TRICARE sales and sales made to the VA.
In addition, it is possible that future legislation in the United States and other jurisdictions could be enacted which could potentially impact the reimbursement rates for the products we are developing and may develop in the future and also could further impact the levels of discounts and rebates paid to federal and state government entities. Any legislation that impacts these areas could impact, in a significant way, our ability to generate revenues from sales of products that, if successfully developed, we bring to market.
Competition
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are intensely competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Most of our competitors are larger than us and have substantially greater financial, marketing and technical resources than we have. If our business strategy is successful, we likely will attract additional competition.
The development and commercialization of new products to treat orphan diseases is highly competitive, and we expect considerable competition from major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical companies. As a result, there are, and will likely continue to be, extensive research and substantial financial resources invested in the discovery and development of new orphan drug products. Our potential competitors include, but are not limited to, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Novartis, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi, BioMarin, Sarepta, Vertex, and Jazz-Pharmaceuticals.
There are also many companies, both public and private, including well-known pharmaceutical companies, which are engaged in the development of products for certain of the applications being pursued by Retrophin, such as Schizophrenia, Autism Spectrum Disorders, IS, NS, PKAN, FSGS and DMD.
For example, in June, 2013, Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. entered into an agreement with Novartis to license Synacthen and Synacthen Depot, which may be used for IS and NS.
Clinical studies of Deferiprone as a potential treatment for PKAN, sponsored by ApoPharma Inc. and TIRCON (“Treat Iron-Related Childhood-Onset Neurodegeneration”), have been reported. Additionally, we believe that TIRCON is working on a possible treatment for PKAN using pantethine derivatives.
There are also clinical studies underway evaluating possible treatments for FSGS. For example, Sanofi (Genzyme) is engaged in a Phase 2 clinical study of Fresolimumab to treat FSGS, and Sunnybrook Medical Center has announced plans for a Phase 2 clinical study of Rituxan to treat FSGS. Also, Fibrogen is developing an anti-Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) antibody as a possible treatment for FSGS. The following biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are working on developing potential treatments for DMD and have products which are currently in or have completed the following clinical stages: GlaxoSmithKline/Prosensa and Santhera/Takeda (Phase 3); Acceleron Pharma/Shire, Sarepta Therapeutics, Phrixus, Prosensa and PTC Therapeutics (Phase 2); and Sarepta Therapeutics and Tivorsan Pharmaceuticals and possibly others (Preclinical). Additionally, several FDA approved drugs for other indications are being tested in clinical trials for DMD, including prednisone, sildenafil citrate (sold under the trademark Viagra, among others) and IGF-1.
We are an early stage company with no history of operations. Many of our competitors have substantially more resources than we do, including both financial and technical. In addition, many of our competitors have more experience than us in pre-clinical and clinical development, manufacturing, regulatory and global commercialization. We are also competing with academic institutions, governmental agencies and private organizations that are conducting research in the field of orphan diseases.
Our competition will be determined in part by the potential indications for which drugs are developed and ultimately approved by regulatory authorities. Additionally, the timing of market introduction of some of our potential products or our competitors’ products may be an important competitive factor. Accordingly, the speed with which we can develop products, complete pre-clinical testing, clinical trials, approval processes, and supply commercial quantities to market are expected to be important competitive factors. We expect that competition among products approved for sale will be based on various factors, including product efficacy, safety, reliability, availability, price, reimbursement, and patent position.
Clinical Testing of Our Products in Development
Each of our products in development, and likely all future drug candidates we develop, will require extensive pre-clinical and clinical testing to determine the safety and efficacy of the product applications prior to seeking and obtaining regulatory approval. This process is expensive and time consuming. In completing these trials, we are dependent upon third-party consultants, consisting mainly of investigators and collaborators, who will conduct such trials.
We and our third-party consultants conduct pre-clinical testing in accordance with Good-Laboratory Practices, or GLP, and clinical testing in accordance with Good Clinical Practice standards, or GCP, which are international ethical and scientific quality standards utilized for pre- clinical and clinical testing, respectively. GCP is the standard for the design, conduct, performance, monitoring, auditing, recording, analysis and reporting of clinical trials, and is required by the FDA to be followed in conducting clinical trials.
Government Regulations
United States — Marketed Products
In the United States, the FDA regulations govern the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, labeling, storage, record-keeping, approval, sale, distribution, advertising and promotion of our products.
The FDA may withdraw product approval for non-compliance with regulatory requirements or if safety or efficacy problems occur after the product reaches the market. The FDA also has the power to require changes in labeling or to prevent further marketing of a product based on the results of post-marketing programs.
The facilities, procedures, and operations of our contract manufacturers must be determined to be adequate by the FDA before a new drug application (an “NDA”) or supplemental new drug application (“sNDA”) is approved. Additionally, manufacturing facilities are subject to inspections by the FDA for compliance with current good manufacturing practices, licensing specifications, and other FDA regulations on an on-going basis. Vendors that supply our finished products or components used to manufacture, package and label products are subject to similar regulations and periodic inspections.
Following such inspections, the FDA may issue notices on Form 483 and issue Warning Letters that could cause us to modify certain activities identified during the inspection. The FDA generally issues a Form 483 notice at the conclusion of an FDA inspection and lists conditions the FDA investigators believe may violate cGMP or other FDA regulations. FDA guidelines specify that a Warning Letter be issued only for violations of “regulatory significance” for which the failure to adequately and promptly achieve correction may be expected to result in an enforcement action.
In addition, the FDA imposes a number of complex regulatory requirements on entities that advertise and promote pharmaceuticals, including but not limited to, standards and regulations for direct-to-consumer advertising, payments to physicians, off-label promotion, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities and promotional activities involving the internet.
Failure to comply with FDA and governmental regulations can result in fines, unanticipated compliance expenditures, recall or seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production and/or distribution, suspension of the FDA’s review of NDAs or sNDAs, injunctions, disqualification from participation in government reimbursement programs and criminal prosecution. Any of these actions or events could have a material adverse effect on us both financially and reputationally.
United States — Drug Candidates
FDA Process
The research, development, testing, manufacture, labeling, promotion, advertising, distribution and marketing, among other things, of drug products are extensively regulated by governmental authorities in the United States and other countries. In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”), and its implementing regulations. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements may subject us to administrative or judicial sanctions, such as FDA refusal to approve pending NDAs, warning letters, fines, civil penalties, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions and/or criminal prosecution.
Drug Approval Process.
None of our drug product candidates may be marketed in the United States until the drug has received FDA approval. The steps required before a drug may be marketed in the United States generally include the following:
·
|
Completion of extensive pre-clinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies in accordance with the FDA’s GLP regulations;
|
·
|
Completion of extensive pre-clinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies in accordance with the FDA’s GLP regulations;
|
·
|
Submission to the FDA of an IND for human clinical testing, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin;
|
·
|
Performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the drug for each proposed indication;
|
·
|
Submission to the FDA of an NDA after completion of all pivotal clinical trials;
|
·
|
Satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, and finished drug product are produced and tested to assess compliance with cGMPs; and
|
·
|
FDA review and approval of the NDA prior to any commercial marketing or sale of the drug in the United States.
|
The development and approval process requires substantial time, effort and financial resources, and we cannot be certain that any approvals for our product candidates will be granted on a timely basis; if at all.
Expedited Review and Approval.
The FDA has various programs, including Fast Track, priority review and accelerated approval, which are intended to expedite or simplify the process for reviewing drugs, and/or to provide for approval on the basis of surrogate endpoints. Even if a drug qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the drug no longer meets the conditions for qualification or that the time period for FDA review or approval will be shortened. Generally, drugs that may be eligible for these programs are those for serious or life- threatening conditions, those with the potential to address unmet medical needs, and those that offer meaningful benefits over existing treatments. For example, Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development, and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious diseases and fill an unmet medical need. Priority review is designed to give drugs that offer major advances in treatment or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists an initial review within 6 months as compared to a standard review time of 12 months. Although Fast Track and priority review do not affect the standards for approval, the FDA will attempt to facilitate early and frequent meetings with a sponsor of a Fast Track designated drug and expedite review of the application for a drug designated for priority review. Accelerated approval provides an earlier approval of drugs to treat serious diseases, and that fill an unmet medical need based on a surrogate endpoint, which is a laboratory measurement or physical sign used as an indirect or substitute measurement representing a clinically meaningful outcome. As a condition of approval, the FDA may require that a sponsor of a drug receiving accelerated approval perform post-marketing clinical trials.
Orphan Drug Designation
The FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA grants Orphan drug designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Other than guidance concerning the non-clinical laboratory studies and clinical investigations necessary for approval of an NDA, orphan drug status does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. The FDA may grant orphan drug status to multiple competing product candidates targeting the same indications. However, an orphan drug that subsequently receives the first FDA approval is entitled to a seven year period of market exclusivity during which the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication, except in very limited circumstances.
Patent Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity.
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of our drugs, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND, and the submission date of an NDA, plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug is eligible for the extension and the extension must be applied for prior to expiration of the patent. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or the USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration. In the future, we intend to apply for restorations of patent term for some of our currently owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond their current expiration date, depending on the expected length of clinical trials and other factors involved in the submission of the relevant NDA.
Data and market exclusivity provisions under the FDCA also can delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for another version of such drug where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement. The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example, for new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the conditions associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs or 505(b)(2) NDAs for drugs containing the original active agent. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA: however, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the pre-clinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
Foreign Regulation
In addition to regulations in the United States, we will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain approval by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials and approval of foreign countries or economic areas, such as the European Union, before we may market products in those countries or areas. The approval process and requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from place to place, and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval.
Other Laws and Regulatory Processes
We are subject to a variety of financial disclosure and securities trading regulations as a public company in the United States, including laws relating to the oversight activities of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and, if our capital stock becomes listed on a national securities exchange, we will be subject to the regulations of such exchange on which our shares are traded. In addition, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, the SEC, and other bodies that have jurisdiction over the form and content of our accounts, our financial statements and other public disclosure are constantly discussing and interpreting proposals and existing pronouncements designed to ensure that companies best display relevant and transparent information relating to their respective businesses.
Our present and future business has been and will continue to be subject to various other laws and regulations. Various laws, regulations and recommendations relating to safe working conditions, laboratory practices, the experimental use of animals, and the purchase, storage, movement, import and export and use and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances used in connection with our research work are or may be applicable to our activities. Certain agreements entered into by us involving exclusive license rights or acquisitions may be subject to national or supranational antitrust regulatory control, the effect of which cannot be predicted. The extent of government regulation, which might result from future legislation or administrative action, cannot accurately be predicted.
Employees
As of the date of this report, we employed 22 employees, each of whom is full-time and five consultants provide significant assistance to us. To successfully develop our drug candidates, we must be able to attract and retain highly skilled personnel. We anticipate hiring up to 15 additional full-time employees devoted to development activities and up to 5 additional full-time employees for general and administrative activities over the next few years. In addition, we intend to use clinical research organizations and third parties to perform our clinical studies and manufacturing.
Organization and Consolidated Subsidiaries.
We do not have any active subsidiaries and all of our assets and operations are maintained by Retrophin.
Property
We lease our principal executive offices, which are located at 777 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10017.
We also lease 4,232 square feet of office space located in Cambridge, MA and approximately 2,500 square feet of office space located in San Diego, CA.
Legal Proceedings
We have no material proceedings pending nor are we aware of any pending investigation or threatened litigation by any third party.
MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth the name, age, and position of our directors and officers as of the date of this prospectus. Executive officers are elected annually by our board of directors. Each executive officer holds his office until he resigns, is removed by the board, or his successor is elected and qualified. Directors are elected annually by our stockholders at the annual meeting. Each director holds his office until his successor is elected and qualified or his earlier resignation or removal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Martin Shkreli
|
|
30
|
|
Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Panoff
|
|
43
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Horacio Plotkin, M.D.
|
|
48
|
|
Chief Medical Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen Aselage
|
|
62
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Richardson
|
|
59
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cornelius E. Golding
|
|
65
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jeffrey Paley, M.D.
|
|
46
|
|
Director
|
MARTIN SHKRELI has served as the Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company since December 17, 2012. Previously, Mr. Shkreli was the founder of Retrophin, LLC (the predecessor of our predecessor, Retrophin, Inc.) and served as the President of our predecessor since its formation. Mr. Shkreli is also the founder and managing partner of MSMB Capital Management, a New York hedge fund firm founded in 2006 that manages a variety of partnerships. Prior to MSMB, Mr. Shkreli was employed at Intrepid Capital Management from 2004 to 2006 and previously at Cramer Berkowitz & Co, both of which are hedge fund firms based in New York. Mr. Shkreli is an experienced biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry investor, particularly in businesses with orphan drugs. Mr. Shkreli received his BBA from Baruch College. Mr. Shkreli was selected as a director because of his business and professional experience, including but not limited to his leadership of Retrophin in the early stages, private and public financings and a successful track record of identifying drug assets.
MARC PANOFF has served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company since May 20, 2013. Prior to joining the Company and beginning in February 2012, Mr. Panoff served as a Senior Partner and Vice President of Finance at GroupM North America, the world’s number one media investment management group. From January 2006 to February 2012, Mr. Panoff served as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of Neurologix, Inc., a publicly traded company that was engaged in the research and development of proprietary treatments for the brain and central nervous system, primarily utilizing gene therapies. From July 2004 to January 2006, Mr. Panoff served as Chief Financial Officer of Nephros, Inc., a publicly traded medical device developer. Mr. Panoff received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and his Masters in Business Administration from Arizona State University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant in New York State.
HORACIO PLOTKIN, M.D. has served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Company since May 13, 2013. Prior to joining the Company and beginning in 2012, Dr. Plotkin served as the Executive Medical Director of Clinical Research at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on delivering life-transforming therapies for patients suffering from ultra-rare, severe, and life-threatening disorders. From 2010-2011, Dr. Plotkin served as Senior Medical Director of Clinical Research at Enobia Phanna, Corp., a private biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies to treat patients with ultra-rare and life-threatening genetic metabolic disorders, which was acquired by Alexion Pharmaceuticals on December 28, 2011. From 2008 to 2011, Dr. Plotkin served as Medical Director of Clinical Research at Genzyme Corporation, a biotechnology company, where Dr. Plotkin led his team to the approval of a treatment for Pompe disease. Dr. Plotkin will continue to serve as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Nebraska School of Medicine, a position he has held since 2007. Dr. Plotkin earned his M.D. from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine in 1987.
STEPHEN ASELAGE has served as a director of the Company since December 17, 2012. Previously, Mr. Aselage was a director of our predecessor, Retrophin, Inc., since October 2012. Prior to joining Retrophin, Mr. Aselage served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at BioMarin, a biotechnology company, from December 2009 through September 2012. And from June 2005 to December 2009, Mr. Aselage served as BioMarin’s Senior Vice President of Global Commercial Development. From February 2004 to June 2005, Mr. Aselage served as Executive Vice President of Global Commercial Operations at Cell Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on cancer therapeutics. From September 2003 to January 2004, Mr. Aselage served as Senior Vice President of North American Sales and Marketing for Genzyme Corporation, a biotechnology company, following Genzyme’s acquisition of Sangstat Medical Corporation where he had worked since February 1999. While at Sangstat, Mr. Aselage restructured the company’s sales, marketing and medical affairs groups. From 1996 through 1999, Mr. Aselage served as Director of Sales and Marketing at Advanced Tissue Sciences, a biotechnology company. Earlier in his career, Mr. Aselage held a variety of sales and sales management positions at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies including Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals (now Sanofi-Aventis), Genentech, Inc., and Bristol Laboratories, a biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Aselage holds a B.S. in biology from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Aselage was selected as a director because of his business and professional experience, including but not limited to his leadership of BioMarin in drug commercialization, private and public financings and a successful turnaround of multiple businesses.
STEVE RICHARDSON has been a director of the Company since December 17, 2012. Previously, Mr. Richardson was a Manager of Retrophin, LLC (the predecessor of Retrophin, Inc.) since June 2011. Mr. Richardson is a Senior Advisor to The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, a position he has held since early 2009. Previously Mr. Richardson spent over 30 years with American Express, most recently as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Talent Officer, where he served as a key advisor for major business transformation and enterprise-wide organizational change and restructuring. Mr. Richardson served as a Board member of United Way Worldwide from 2008 to 2010 and is currently a Senior Advisor to the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force, a task force focused on identifying, developing and promoting a second generation of corporate policies and practices that support the ambition, work and life needs of highly qualified talent across the divides of gender, generation and culture. Mr. Richardson was selected as a director due to his extensive experience in overseeing and advising growing companies and substantial experience in business transformation, global general management and recruiting talented management.
CORNELIUS E. GOLDING has served as a director of the Company since October 1, 2013. Previously, Mr. Golding was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, where, among other responsibilities, he oversaw the corporate investment portfolio, a position he held from August 1994 to his retirement in September 2003. Previously, from 1981 to 1994, Mr. Golding served in various management and executive positions at Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, including Senior Vice President and Comptroller, Vice President and Comptroller and Vice President-Internal Audit. Prior to joining Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, Mr. Golding served as the Vice President of Ideal Mutual Insurance Company in 1979 and as the Assistant Controller of AIG, a position he held from December 1979 to March 1980. From 1974 to 1979 Mr. Golding served in various positions at Crum & Forster, including Assistant Controller and from 1972 to 1974 Mr. Golding was employed by the Robert Stigwood Organization. Prior to 1972, Mr. Golding worked for the independent accounting firm of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) as an auditor. Mr. Golding serves on the Board of Directors of United Automobile Insurance Group where he is a member of the Corporate Governance Committee, Audit Committee and Investment Committee, and as Trustee of the John A. Forster Trust. Mr. Golding previously served on the Board of Directors of Neurologix, Inc. where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Golding previously served on the Board of Directors of Somerset Hills Bancorp and National Atlantic Holding Corporation. Mr. Golding is a retired CPA and a member of the American Institute of CPAs and a member of the New York State Society of CPAs. A graduate of St. John Fisher College, Mr. Golding holds an MBA from Fairleigh Dickenson University. Mr. Golding is also a graduate of the Advanced Education Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
JEFFREY PALEY, M.D. has served as a director of the Company since November 15, 2013. Since 2003, Dr. Paley has served as the founder of Access Medical Associates, PC, a clinical medical practice that provides comprehensive adult primary care services and acute care, and the founder and chief executive officer of Crimson Biomedical Consulting, a company which provides consulting services to financial institutions regarding healthcare investment decisions. Dr. Paley currently serves as a director of Kellbenx, a privately held, venture backed, biotechnology company. Dr. Paley holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School. Dr. Paley was selected as a director because of his professional and medical experience.
Composition of the Board of Directors
Our bylaws provide that the size of our board of directors will be determined from time to time by resolution of our board of directors. Our board of directors currently consists of five directors, four of whom qualify as independent directors under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and NASDAQ.
Director Independence
Our securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or on any inter-dealer quotation system which has a requirement that a majority of directors be independent. We previously evaluated independence by the standards for director independence set forth in the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules.
Under these rules, a director is not considered to be independent if he or she is also an executive officer or employee of the corporation. As a result, Mr. Shkreli would not be considered independent because he serves as an executive officer of the Company. Our other directors, Messrs. Aselage, Golding, Paley and Richardson, would be considered independent under these rules.
Rule 5605 of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, or the NASDAQ Listing Rules, requires that independent directors compose a majority of a listed company’s board of directors within one year of listing. In addition, the NASDAQ Listing Rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation, and nominating and corporate governance committees be independent and that audit committee members also satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(a)(2), a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of our board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee: (1) accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries; or (2) be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries. Beginning in 2014, in addition to satisfying general independence requirements under the NASDAQ Listing Rules, members of a compensation committee of a listed company must also satisfy additional independence requirements set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(d)(2). In order to be considered independent for purposes of NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(d)(2), a member of a compensation committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the compensation committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee, accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries. Additionally, the board of directors of the listed company must consider whether the compensation committee member is an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries and, if so, must determine whether such affiliation would impair the director’s judgment as a member of the compensation committee.
In December 2013, our board of directors undertook a review of the composition of our board of directors the independence of each director. Based upon information requested from and provided by each director concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations, including family and other relationships, including those relationships described under “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” our board of directors determined that none of Messrs. Aselage, Golding, Paley and Richardson has a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is “independent” as that term is defined under 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Listing Rules. Mr. Shkreli is not considered independent because he currently serves as our chief executive officer. Our board of directors also determined that each member of the audit, compensation and talent development, and nominating and corporate governance committees satisfy the independence standards for such committees established by the SEC and the NASDAQ Listing Rules, as applicable. In making these determinations on the independence of our directors, our board of directors considered the relationships that each such non-employee director has with our company and all other facts and circumstances our board of directors deemed relevant in determining independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director.
Board Leadership Structure and the Role of the Board in Risk Oversight
Board Leadership Structure
Our bylaws provide our board of directors with flexibility to combine or separate the positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in accordance with its determination that utilizing one or the other structure would be in our best interests. At the current time, we do not have a Chairman of the Board. Our board of directors believes that oversight of our company is the responsibility of our board of directors as a whole, and this responsibility can be properly discharged without a Chairman. Our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shkreli, facilitates communications between members of our board of directors and works with our senior management in the preparation of the agenda for each board meeting. All of our directors are encouraged to make suggestions for board of director's agenda items or pre-meeting materials.
Our board of directors has concluded that our current leadership structure is appropriate at this time. However, our board of directors will continue to periodically review our leadership structure and may make such changes in the future as it deems appropriate.
Our independent directors will meet alone in executive session at no less than four regular meetings of our board of directors each year. Any of the non-employee members of our board may call additional executive sessions of the independent directors at any time, and any non-employee member of our board may call an executive session at the request of a majority of the independent directors. The purpose of these executive sessions is to promote open and candid discussion among non-employee directors.
Role of the Board in Risk Oversight
We face a number of risks, including those described under the caption “Risk Factors” contained elsewhere in this prospectus. Our board of directors believes that risk management is an important part of establishing, updating and executing on the company’s business strategy. Our board of directors, as a whole and at the committee level, has oversight responsibility relating to risks that could affect the corporate strategy, business objectives, compliance, operations, and the financial condition and performance of the company. Our board of directors focuses its oversight on the most significant risks facing the company and on its processes to identify, prioritize, assess, manage and mitigate those risks. Our board of directors and its committees receive regular reports from members of the company’s senior management on areas of material risk to the company, including strategic, operational, financial, legal and regulatory risks. While our board of directors has an oversight role, management is principally tasked with direct responsibility for management and assessment of risks and the implementation of processes and controls to mitigate their effects on the company.
The audit committee, as part of its responsibilities, oversees the management of financial risks, including accounting matters, liquidity and credit risks, corporate tax positions, insurance coverage, and cash investment strategy and results. The audit committee is also responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to the performance of the company’s internal audit function, if required, and its independent registered public accounting firm, as well as our systems of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. The compensation and talent development committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation and overall compensation and benefit strategies, plans, arrangements, practices and policies. The nominating and corporate governance committee oversees the management of risks associated with our overall compliance and corporate governance practices, and the independence and composition of our board of directors. These committees provide regular reports, on at least a quarterly basis, to the full board of directors.
Committees of the Board
Immediately prior to our listing on the NASDAQ , our board of directors will have established a standing audit committee, compensation and talent development committee and nominating and corporate governance committee. The composition and responsibilities of each committee are described below. Members serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our board.
Audit Committee
The audit committee is responsible for assisting our board of directors in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, the qualifications and independence of our independent auditors, and our internal financial and accounting controls. The audit committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention (including termination) and oversight of our independent auditors, and our independent auditors report directly to the audit committee. The audit committee also prepares the audit committee report that the SEC requires to be included in our annual proxy statement.
The members of the audit committee are Messrs. , and Mr. serves as chair of the audit committee. All members of the audit committee qualify as an independent director under the corporate governance standards of the NASDAQ Listing Rules and the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as such term is currently defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. The audit committee has adopted a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the SEC and the NASDAQ Listing Rules, which we will post on our website upon completion of this offering.
Compensation and Talent Development Committee
The compensation and talent development committee approves the compensation objectives for the company, approves the compensation of the chief executive officer and approves or recommends to our board of directors for approval the compensation for other executives. The compensation and talent development committee reviews all compensation components, including base salary, bonus, benefits and other perquisites.
The members of the compensation and talent development committee are Messrs. , and Mr. serves as chair of the compensation and talent development committee. Each member of the compensation and talent development committee is a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the rules promulgated under the Exchange Act, each is an outside director as defined by Section 162(m) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, and each is an independent director as defined by the NASDAQ Listing Rules, including NASDAQ Listing 5605(d)(2). The compensation and talent development committee has adopted a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the SEC and the NASDAQ Listing Rules, which we will post on our website upon completion of this offering.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for making recommendations to our board of directors regarding candidates for directorships and the structure and composition of our board and the board committees. In addition, the nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for developing and recommending to our board corporate governance guidelines applicable to the company and advising our board on corporate governance matters.
The members of the nominating and corporate governance committee are Messrs. , and Mr. serves as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Each member of the nominating and corporate governance committee is a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the rules promulgated under the Exchange Act and an independent director as defined by the NASDAQ Listing Rules. The nominating and corporate governance committee has adopted a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the NASDAQ Listing Rules, which we will post on our website upon completion of this offering.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors including those officers responsible for financial reporting. Upon completion of this offering, we will post the code of business conduct and ethics on our website. We intend to disclose future amendments to the code or any waivers of its requirements on our website to the extent permitted by the applicable rules and exchange requirements.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the members of our compensation and talent development committee has ever been an officer or employee of the company. None of our executive officers serves, or has served during the last three year, as a member of the board of directors, compensation and talent development committee or other board committee performing equivalent functions of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as one of our directors or on our compensation and talent development committee.
Compensation of Directors
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, we did not pay any compensation to any of our non-employee directors.
On December 6, 2013, our board of directors established a compensation policy for our non-employee directors pursuant to which each non-employee director shall receive $100,000 annually, which amount shall be comprised of not more than $25,000 in cash, with the remainder paid in the form of options to purchase shares of our common stock. Each non-employee director may, at his discretion, determine to receive less than $25,000 annually in the form of cash, in which case such amount will be paid to such director in the form of options to purchase additional shares of our common stock. In accordance with such policy, on December 16, 2013, each of Messrs. Aselage and Golding and Dr. Paley elected to receive $25,000 in cash and were accordingly each awarded options to purchase shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $ . Mr. Richardson elected to receive all of such compensation in the form of options, and accordingly was awarded options to purchase shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $ .
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth all cash compensation paid by the Company for the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. The table below sets forth the positions and compensation for each officer and director of the Company.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
|
|
Name and Principal Position
|
Fiscal Year
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
|
Stock Awards
($)(1)
|
|
|
Option Awards
($)(1)
|
|
|
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings
($)
|
|
|
All Other Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
Martin Shkreli, Chief
Executive Officer and
Director (2)
|
2012
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
565,231 |
|
|
|
14,444,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
15,259,331 |
|
2011
|
|
|
187,500 |
|
|
|
34,900 |
|
|
|
1,608,300 |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
1,830,700 |
|
Stephen Aselage, Director (2)
|
2012
|
|
|
83,333 |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
2,000,000. |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,083,333 |
|
2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
Steven Richardson, Director (2)
|
2012
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Robert Wilson, former Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (3)
|
2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
- |
|
2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
Gary Lyons, former Director (3)
|
2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
|
(1) Amounts reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of stock awards computed in accordance with FASB ASC 718 and are not necessarily an indication of which named executive officers received the most gains from previously granted equity awards.
(2) The compensation data for Messrs, Shkreli, Aselage and Richardson prior to December 12, 2012 reflects compensation paid by our predecessor, Retrophin, Inc., formerly known as Retrophin, LLC.
(3) Prior to December 12, 2012, Robert Wilson served as the principal executive officer of Desert Gateway and, prior to December 17, 2012, Robert Wilson and Gary Lyons served as directors of Desert Gateway. Desert Gateway did not paid its officers and directors any salary or consulting fees in fiscal years 2011 and 2012.
Compensation Arrangements
Mr. Shkreli received an annual base salary of $250,000 pursuant to an employment agreement with our predecessor, former Retrophin. Mr. Shkreli received a bonus of $34,900 for fiscal 2011 and a bonus of $565,231 for fiscal 2012. Mr. Shkreli’s bonus for 2012 included a payment of $250,000 in connection with his performance. In addition to the $250,000 of base salary and $250,000 of performance bonus in 2012, the Company reclassified $407,900 in stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2012, of which approximately $93,000 related to expenses that should have been classified as operating expense. Of the remaining $315,231, we determined that our write-off in 2012 of a $210,000 note due from a related party that Mr. Shkreli managed prior to our merger with Desert Gateway should be deemed to be a bonus to him. Also, we determined that payments that we made prior to our merger with Desert Gateway in the amount of $105,231 were for operating expenses of the aforementioned related party and should be deemed to be a bonus to Mr. Shkreli. Mr. Shkreli did not receive direct payments in connection with the $315,000 in charges described in the prior two sentences, and elected for the Company to treat these payments as compensation.
While employed by former Retrophin, Mr. Shkreli received a total of 1,475,425 incentive units subject to vesting. Pursuant to Mr. Shkreli’s award agreements, such unvested units immediately vested upon the Company’s merger with Desert Gateway.
Grants of Stock Awards
On March 31, 2011, the Company granted 1,608,300 incentive shares to Mr. Shkreli, which vested on the final day of each calendar quarter over three years commencing on June 30, 2011. On September 11, 2012, the Company accelerated the vesting of 938.175 of the shares issued to Mr. Shkreli.
In January 2012, the Company granted 801,600 incentive shares to Mr. Shkreli, which vested on the final day of each calendar quarter over three years, commencing on March 31, 2012. On September 11, 2012, the Company immediately vested Mr. Shkreli’s 28,185 unvested incentive shares for continuing services. On December 11, 2012, Mr. Shkreli’s 573,015 remaining unvested incentive shares were vested immediately in connection with the 2012 Merger.
All of such grants of incentive shares were originally issued as Class B incentive units of our predecessor, Retrophin, LLC, that represented a profits interest up through the date of former Retrophin’s conversion to a C Corporation on September 20, 2012. Prior to former Retrophin’s conversion to a corporation, shares granted as incentive shares were subject to certain conditions at the time of grant, which specified that the upon the occurrence of certain events, former Retrophin had the right to repurchase all vested incentive shares owned by such incentive shareholder. This repurchase option was rescinded upon former Retrophin’s conversion to a corporation.
Employment Agreements
Shkreli Employment Agreement
On December 16, 2013, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Shkreli Employment Agreement”) with Martin Shkreli, pursuant to which Mr. Shkreli will continue to serve as our Chief Executive Officer.
In accordance with the terms of the Shkreli Employment Agreement, Mr. Shkreli will be paid (i) a base salary in the amount of $300,000 (subject to adjustments at the discretion of the Board after each anniversary of the Effective Date), and (ii) at the sole discretion of the board, an annual bonus award based upon specific goals and performance metrics. Mr. Shkreli will also be awarded options to purchase One Million Eighty Thousand (1,080,000) shares of restricted common stock of the Company, a pro rata portion of which will vest quarterly during the 3 years following the Effective Date. In the event of a change of control of the Company, all of Mr. Shkreli’s unvested options shall immediately vest.
The Shkreli Employment Agreement contemplates that Mr. Shkreli’s employment will be for a three-year term and may be automatically extended for successive three-year periods unless (i) Mr. Shkreli gives notice of non-extension to us no later than one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the expiration of the Agreement or (ii) Mr. Shkreli is terminated.
In the event Mr. Shkreli employment is terminated by Mr. Shkreli for good reason (as such term is defined in the Shkreli Employment Agreement), then Mr. Shkreli will be entitled to continue to receive his annual base salary, any unpaid bonus and health insurance coverage on the same terms as made available to our employees for a period of twelve (12) months following such termination. If Mr. Shkreli’s employment is terminated other than for good reason, Mr. Shrekli will forfeit any unvested stock options that he received and will not be entitled to severance or any additional payments.
If Mr. Shkreli’s employment is terminated for cause (as such term is defined in the Shkreli employment Agreement) then Mr. Shkreli will not be entitled to any further payments of any kind, except for payment of base salary plus reimbursement of certain expenses.
In the event that Mr. Shkreli is no longer employed by us, any options that have not vested prior to the date of termination will be immediately cancelled and not subject to further vesting.
Plotkin Employment Agreement
On April 24, 2013, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Plotkin Employment Agreement”) with Horacio Plotkin, M.D., pursuant to which Dr. Plotkin serves as the Chief Medical Officer of the Company starting on May 13, 2013.
In accordance with the terms of the Plotkin Employment Agreement, Dr. Plotkin will be paid (i) a base salary in the amount of $350,000 (subject to adjustments at the discretion of the Board after each anniversary of the Effective Date), and (ii) at the sole discretion of the board, an annual bonus award of up to 50% of Dr. Plotkin’s then applicable base salary. Following the Effective Date, Dr. Plotkin will receive $20,000 in connection with signing the Plotkin Employment Agreement with the Company. Dr. Plotkin will also be awarded options to purchase 120,000 shares of restricted common stock of the Company, a pro rata portion of which will vest quarterly during the 3 years following the Effective Date.
The Plotkin Employment Agreement contemplates that Dr. Plotkin’s employment will be for a one-year term and may be automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless (i) Dr. Plotkin gives notice of non-extension to the Company no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Agreement, (ii) Dr. Plotkin is terminated or (iii) the Company delivers notice to Dr. Plotkin no later than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the Agreement.
In the event Dr. Plotkin’s employment is terminated (i) by the Company without cause (as such term is defined in the Plotkin Employment Agreement) or (ii) by Dr. Plotkin’s resignation following a material breach of a material term of the Plotkin Employment Agreement by the Company which has not been cured within 10 days following notice thereof, then Dr. Plotkin will be entitled to a severance payment in an amount equal to $60,000 plus reimbursement of certain expenses. If Dr. Plotkin chooses to resign for reasons other than a material breach of the Plotkin Employment Agreement by the Company then Dr. Plotkin will forfeit any unvested stock grants or stock options that he received and will not be entitled to severance or any additional payments.
If Dr. Plotkin’s employment is terminated for cause then Dr. Plotkin will not be entitled to any further payments of any kind, except for payment of base salary plus reimbursement of certain expenses.
In the event that Dr. Plotkin is no longer employed by the Company, any options that have not vested prior to the date of termination will be immediately cancelled and not subject to further vesting.
Panoff Employment Agreement
On May 7, 2013, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Panoff Employment Agreement”) with Marc Panoff, pursuant to which Mr. Panoff serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company starting on May 20, 2013.
In accordance with the terms of the Panoff Employment Agreement, Mr. Panoff will be paid (i) a base salary in the amount of $230,000 (subject to adjustments at the discretion of the Board after each anniversary of the Effective Date), and (ii) at the sole discretion of the Board, an annual bonus award of up to 50% of Mr. Panoff s then applicable base salary. Mr. Panoff will also be granted 120,000 units of restricted common stock of the Company, a pro rata portion of which will vest quarterly during the 3 years following the execution of the Panoff Employment Agreement.
The Panoff Employment Agreement contemplates that Mr. Panoff s employment will be for a one-year term and may be automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless (i) Mr. Panoff gives notice of non-extension to the Company no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Agreement, (ii) Mr. Panoff is terminated or (iii) the Company delivers notice to Mr. Panoff no later than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the Agreement.
In the event Mr. Panoff s employment is terminated (i) by the Company without cause (as such term is defined in the Panoff Employment Agreement) or (ii) by Mr. Panoff s resignation following a material breach of a material term of the Panoff Employment Agreement by the Company which has not been cured within 10 days following notice thereof, then Mr. Panoff will be entitled to a severance payment in an amount equal to $40,000 plus reimbursement of certain expenses. If Mr. Panoff chooses to resign for reasons other than a material breach of the Panoff Employment Agreement by the Company then Mr. Panoff will forfeit any unvested stock grants or stock options that he received and will not be entitled to severance or any additional payments.
If Mr. Panoff’s employment is terminated for cause then Mr. Panoff will not be entitled to any further payments of any kind, except for payment of base salary plus reimbursement of certain expenses.
In the event that Mr. Panoff is no longer employed by the Company, any units of restricted stock that have not vested prior to the date of termination will be immediately cancelled and not subject to further vesting.
As of June 30, 2013, the Company and Mr. Panoff entered into an amendment to the Panoff Employment Agreement, pursuant to which the initial vesting of a pro rata portion of the restricted common stock granted under the Panoff Employment Agreement was changed from June 30, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information known to us about the beneficial ownership of our common stock at December 16, 2013, as adjusted to reflect the sale of the shares of common stock in this offering, by:
·
|
each of our named executive officers;
|
·
|
each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock; and
|
·
|
all of our executive officers and directors as a group.
|
Unless otherwise noted below, the address of each beneficial owner listed on the table is c/o Retrophin, Inc., 777 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10017. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the persons and entities named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws. The table is based upon information supplied by officers, directors and principal stockholders and Schedules 13G or 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.
In computing the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we deemed outstanding shares of common stock subject to options or warrants held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of December 16, 2013. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.
The percentages below prior to the offering are based on 18,381,363 shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 16, 2013. The percentages below after the offering are based on shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering, which gives effect to the issuance of shares of common stock in this offering. Ownership information assumes no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option.
|
|
Shares Beneficially Owned Prior to Offering
|
|
|
Beneficial Ownership After Offering
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Officers and Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Martin Shkreli, Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
|
|
3,295,615 |
(1) |
|
|
18.06 |
% |
|
|
3,295,615 |
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Panoff, Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
121,650 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
121,650 |
|
|
|
|
|
Horatio Plotkin, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
|
|
|
33,300 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
33,300 |
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen Aselage, Director
|
|
|
274,034 |
(3) |
|
|
1.50 |
% |
|
|
274,034 |
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Richardson, Director
|
|
|
117,620 |
(4) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
117,620 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cornelius E. Golding, Director
|
|
|
12,000 |
(5) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
12,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Jeffrey Paley, M.D., Director
|
|
|
83,665 |
(6) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
83,665 |
|
|
|
|
|
All directors and executive officers as a group
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.59 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5% Stockholders
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sabby Healthcare Volatility Master Fund, Ltd.
|
|
|
1,561,834 |
(7) |
|
|
8.56 |
% |
|
|
1,561,834 |
|
|
|
|
|
RRC Bio Fund, LP
|
|
|
1,725,006 |
(8) |
|
|
9.46 |
% |
|
|
1,725,006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Perceptive Life Sciences Master Fund Ltd
|
|
|
1,575,005 |
(9) |
|
|
8.63 |
% |
|
|
1,575,005 |
|
|
|
|
|
QVT Fund V LP
|
|
|
1,285,857 |
(10) |
|
|
7.05 |
% |
|
|
1,285,857 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Less than 1%, unless otherwise specified.
|
(1)
|
Includes an aggregate of 473,687 shares of common stock held by MSMB Healthcare LP and MSMB Healthcare Investors LLC. Mr. Shkreli is the managing member of MSMB Healthcare Investors LLC, which is the general partner of MSMB Healthcare LP. Mr. Shkreli disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by MSMB Healthcare LP and MSMB Healthcare Investors LLC. Includes 90,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options which have vested or will vest within 60 days of the date hereof.
|
(2)
|
Includes 30,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options which have vested or will vest within 60 days of the date hereof.
|
(3)
|
Includes 12,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options which have vested or will vest within 60 days of the date hereof.
|
(4)
|
Includes 15,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options which have vested or will vest within 60 days of the date hereof.
|
(5)
|
Includes 12,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options which have vested or will vest within 60 days of the date hereof.
|
(6)
|
Includes 12,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options which have vested or will vest within 60 days of the date hereof.
|
(7)
|
Represents the stockholder’s beneficial ownership of 9.99% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock, as the Warrants held by such investor are subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership limitation. Notwithstanding any restrictions on such beneficial ownership limitations, the number of shares reported hereunder includes (i) 833,334 shares of common stock and (ii) 416,667 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants to purchase our common stock. Sabby Management, LLC shares voting and investment power with respect to these shares on behalf of this stockholder. As manager of Sabby Management, LLC, Hal Mintz also shares voting and investment power on behalf of this stockholder. Each of Sabby Management, LLC and Hal Mintz disclaim beneficial ownership over the securities covered by this prospectus except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein.
|
(8)
|
James Silverman shares voting and investment power with respect to the shares held by this stockholder.
|
(9)
|
Joseph Edelman shares voting and investment power with respect to the shares held by this stockholder.
|
(10)
|
Quintessence Fund L.P., QVT Fund IV LP, QVT Fund V LP and Fourth Avenue Capital Partners LP, together with their affiliates (and any other persons or entities whose beneficial ownership of common stock may be aggregated with them for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) (collectively, the “QVT Affiliates”), are collectively subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership limitation with respect to the Warrants held by the QVT Affiliates. This beneficial ownership limitation prohibits the QVT Affiliates from acquiring shares of common stock upon conversion of the warrants to purchase our common stock held by the QVT Affiliates to the extent that, upon such exercise, the number of shares of common stock then beneficially owned by the QVT Affiliates would exceed 9.99% of the total number of shares of common stock then issued and outstanding. As a result of such ownership limitation. Fourth Avenue Capital Partners LP is currently the beneficial owner of only 182,876 shares of common stock, consisting of (i) 144,446 shares of common stock and (ii) 38,430 warrants exercisable pursuant to the aforementioned beneficial ownership limitation.
|
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
2012 Merger
On December 12, 2012, in connection with the 2012 Merger, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company acquired former Retrophin, our predecessor, in a transaction valued at approximately $13,585,300, based on the $2.50 closing price of our common stock on the OTC QB on such date.
Martin Shkreli. Prior to the 2012 Merger, Mr. Shkreli, our Chief Executive Officer and one of our directors, was the President and a director of our predecessor, and directly or indirectly held an aggregate of 611,384 vested and unvested shares, or approximately 65.31%, of the then outstanding shares of common stock, whether vested or unvested, and 46,241 shares, or approximately 29.74%, of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, of our predecessor. Mr. Shkreli obtained his current positions with the Company in connection with the 2012 Merger. In addition, as of the closing of the 2012 Merger, in which each share of common stock and Series A Preferred Stock of our predecessor were converted into five shares and seven shares, respectively, of our common stock, Mr. Shkreli became the beneficial owner, either directly or indirectly through entities controlled by him, of 3,380,607 shares of our common stock, with a value of approximately $8,451,518, based on the closing price of our common stock on the OTC QB on December 12, 2012, the date of the Merger Agreement for the 2012 Merger.
Stephen Aselage. Prior to the 2012 Merger, Mr. Aselage, one of our directors, held the same position with our predecessor, and held 50,000 vested and unvested shares, or approximately 5.34%, of the then outstanding shares of common stock, whether vested or unvested, and 1,600 shares, or approximately 1.03%, of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, of our predecessor. Mr. Aselage obtained his current position with the Company in connection with the 2012 Merger. In addition, as of the closing of the 2012 Merger, upon the conversion of his shares of our predecessor into shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the 2012 Merger, Mr. Aselage became the holder of 261,200 shares of our common stock, with a value of approximately $653,000, based on the closing price of our common stock on the OTC QB on December 12, 2012, the date of the Merger Agreement for the 2012 Merger.
Steven Richardson: Prior to the 2012 Merger, Mr. Richardson, one of our directors, was a director of our predecessor, and held 14,361 vested and unvested shares, or approximately 1.53%, of the then outstanding shares of common stock, whether vested or unvested, and 3,750 shares, or approximately 2.41%, of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, of our predecessor. Mr. Richardson obtained his current position with the Company in connection with the 2012 Merger. In addition, as of the closing of the 2012 Merger, upon the conversion of his shares of our predecessor into shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the 2012 Merger, Mr. Richardson became the holder of 98,055 shares of our common stock, with a value of approximately $245,138, based on the closing price of our common stock on the OTC QB on December 12, 2012, the date of the Merger Agreement for the 2012 Merger.
Private Placements
On February 14, 2013, the Company completed a private placement transaction (the “February 2013 Private Placement”), pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 12, 2013, by and among the Company and certain purchasers, including Mr. Shkreli. In such private placement transaction, Mr. Shkreli purchased 120,000 shares of our common stock and Warrants to purchase up to 60,000 shares of our common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $360,000. In connection with the closing of the February 2013 Private Placement, the Company also entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with such purchasers, including Mr. Shkreli, pursuant to which the Company agreed to register all of the shares of common stock, and shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants, sold in the February 2013 Private Placement.
On August 15, 2013, the Company completed a private placement transaction (the “August 2013 Private Placement”), pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 14, 2013, by and among the Company and certain purchasers, including Mr. Shkreli, Mr. Panoff, Mr. Plotkin, Mr. Aselage and Mr. Richardson. In such private placement transaction, (i) Mr. Shkreli purchased 5,556 shares of our common stock and Warrants to purchase up to 2,778 shares of our common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, (ii) Mr. Panoff purchased 1,100 shares of our common stock and Warrants to purchase up to 550 shares of our common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,950, (iii) Mr. Plotkin purchased 2,200 shares of our common stock and Warrants to purchase up to 1,100 shares of our common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $9,900, (iv) Mr. Aselage purchased 556 shares of our common stock and Warrants to purchase up to 278 shares of our common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,500 and (v) Mr. Richardson purchased 1,110 shares of our common stock and Warrants to purchase up to 555 shares of our common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,995. In connection with the closing of the August 2013 Private Placement, the Company also entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with such purchasers, including Mr. Shkreli, Mr. Panoff, Mr. Plotkin, Mr. Aselage and Mr. Richardson, pursuant to which the Company agreed to register all of the shares of common stock, and shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants, sold in the August 2013 Private Placement.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary describes our capital stock and the material provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws. Because the following is only a summary, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. For a complete description, you should refer to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is part.
General
We currently have authorized capital stock of 120,000,000 shares, of which 100,000,000 shares are designated as common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 20,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 1,000 shares are designated as Class A Preferred, par value $0.001 per share. As of December 16, 2013, 18,381,363 shares of our common stock and 0 shares of our preferred stock were issued and outstanding. As of December 16, 2013, there were 290 holders of record of our common stock.
Common Stock
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on matters on which our stockholders vote. There are no cumulative voting rights. Subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by our board of directors, out of funds that we may legally use to pay dividends. Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all shares of our Common Stock that are present in person or represented by proxy.
Holders representing fifty percent (50%) of our Common Stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, are necessary to constitute a quorum at any meeting of our stockholders. A vote by the holders of a majority of our outstanding shares is required to effectuate certain fundamental corporate changes such as liquidation, merger or an amendment to our Articles of Incorporation. If we liquidate or dissolve, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in our assets once our debts and any liquidation preference owed to any then-outstanding preferred stockholders are paid. Our certificate of incorporation does not provide our common stock with any redemption, conversion or preemptive rights.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These rights, preferences and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of our company or other corporate action. Upon consummation of this offering, no shares of preferred stock will be outstanding, and we have no present plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Warrants
As of September 30, 2013, we had outstanding warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 4,462,876 shares of common stock.
Registration Rights
We are party to a pair of registration rights agreements. The first is a registration rights agreement, as amended, with the purchasers in the February Private Placement. The second is a registration rights agreement with the purchasers in the August Private Placement.
February 2013 Registration Rights Agreement, as Amended
On February 14, 2013, in connection with the closing of the February Private Placement, we entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the purchasers in the February Private Placement, which sets forth the rights of such purchasers to have their shares of common stock purchased in the February Private Placement and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants registered with the SEC for public resale. On December 6, 2013, the SEC declared effective the Registration Statement covering the shares of common stock purchased in the February Private Placement and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
We have agreed to use reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such Registration Statement until all of the securities covered by such Registration Statement have or may be sold by investors under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions. If we fail to maintain the effectiveness of such Registration Statement as required for specified time periods, we are required pay to the holders of registrable securities, on the date of each such event and on each monthly anniversary thereof until the applicable event is cured, partial liquidated damages equal to 2.0% of the aggregate purchase price paid by such purchaser in the February Private Placement, up to a maximum of 10.0% of such aggregate purchase price. If we fail to pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this section in full within seven days after the date payable, we will pay interest thereon at a rate of 18% per annum (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to such purchaser, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full.
August 2013 Registration Rights Agreement
On August 15, 2013, in connection with the closing of the August 15, 2013 private placement (the “August Private Placement”), We entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the purchasers in the August Private Placement, which sets forth the rights of such purchasers to have their shares of common stock purchased in the August Private Placement and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants registered with the SEC for public resale. On December 6, 2013, the SEC declared effective the Registration Statement covering the shares of common stock purchased in the August Private Placement and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
We have agreed to use reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such Registration Statement until all of the securities covered by such Registration Statement have or may be sold by investors under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions. If we fail to maintain the effectiveness of such Registration Statement as required for specified time periods, we are required pay to the holders of registrable securities, on the date of each such event and on each monthly anniversary thereof until the applicable event is cured, partial liquidated damages equal to 2.0% of the aggregate purchase price paid by such purchaser in the August Private Placement, up to a maximum of 10.0% of such aggregate purchase price. If we fail to pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this section in full within seven days after the date payable, we will pay interest thereon at a rate of 18% per annum (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to such purchaser, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and Delaware Law
Some provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.
These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of our company or other corporate action.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits persons deemed “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly-held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock.
Exchange Listing
Our common stock is not currently listed on any national securities exchange. Prior to this offering, our common stock has been quoted on the OTC QB market under the symbol “RTRX.” We intend to apply to have our common stock approved for listing on the NASDAQunder the trading symbol “RTRX”.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Standard Registrar & Transfer Co. Inc. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 12528 South 1840 East, Draper, UT 84020, and its telephone number is (801) 571-8844.
UNDERWRITING
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, dated , 2014, between us and, as the representative of the underwriters named below and the sole book-running manager of this offering, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the respective number of shares of common stock shown opposite its name below:
Underwriter
|
Number of Shares
|
|
|
Total
|
|
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers’ certificates and legal opinions and approval of certain legal matters by their counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters will purchase all of the shares of common stock if any of them are purchased. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the nondefaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated. We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and certain of their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The underwriters have advised us that, following the completion of this offering, they currently intend to make a market in the common stock as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriters are not obligated to do so, and the underwriters may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the common stock, that you will be able to sell any of the common stock held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.
The underwriters are offering the shares of common stock subject to their acceptance of the shares of common stock from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
Commission and Expenses
The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the shares of common stock to the public at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to certain dealers, which may include the underwriters, at that price less a concession not in excess of $ per share of common stock. The underwriters may allow, and certain dealers may reallow, a discount from the concession not in excess of $ per share of common stock to certain brokers and dealers. After the offering, the initial public offering price, concession and reallowance to dealers may be reduced by the representative. No such reduction will change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
The following table shows the public offering price, the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us in connection with this offering. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Without
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
|
|
|
With
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
|
|
|
Without
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
|
|
|
With
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Public offering price
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Proceeds to us, before expenses
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $ . We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriters for approximately $ for their FINRA counsel fee. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110, this reimbursed fee is deemed underwriting compensation for this offering.
Determination of Offering Price
The initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined by negotiations between us and the representative. Among the factors to be considered in these negotiations will be prevailing market conditions, our financial information, market valuations of other companies that we and the underwriters believe to be comparable to us, estimates of our business potential, the present state of our development and other factors deemed relevant.
We offer no assurances that the initial public offering price will correspond to the price at which the common stock will trade in the public market subsequent to the offering or that an active trading market for the common stock will develop and continue after the offering.
Listing
We intend to apply to have our common stock approved for listing on under the trading symbol “RTRX”.
Stamp Taxes
If you purchase shares of common stock offered in this prospectus, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus.
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate ofshares from us at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to specified conditions, to purchase a number of additional shares proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment as indicated in the table above. This option may be exercised only if the underwriters sell more shares than the total number set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
No Sales of Similar Securities
We, our officers, directors and holders of all or substantially all our outstanding capital stock and other securities have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:
·
|
sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-l(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or
|
·
|
otherwise dispose of any shares of common stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of common stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially, or
|
·
|
publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of.
|
This restriction terminates after the close of trading of the common stock on and including the 90th day after the date of this prospectus.
may, in its sole discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the 90-day period release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements. There are no existing agreements between the underwriters and any of our shareholders who will execute a lock-up agreement, providing consent to the sale of shares prior to the expiration of the lock-up period.
Stabilization
The underwriters have advised us that they, pursuant to Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and certain persons participating in the offering may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.
“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock or purchasing shares of our common stock in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares.
“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional shares of our common stock. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares of our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the common stock. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriter’s purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the common stock originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.
Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, any of the activities may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriters may also engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available by e-mail or on the web sites or through online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of shares of common stock for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ web sites and any information contained in any other web site maintained by any of the underwriters is not part of this prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other Activities and Relationships
The underwriters and certain of their affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and certain of their affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and certain of their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the underwriters or their respective affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the common stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered hereby. The underwriters and certain of their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
NOTICE TO INVESTORS
Australia
This prospectus is not a disclosure document for the purposes of Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of
Australia, or Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this prospectus in Australia:
You confirm and warrant that you are either:
·
|
a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;
|
·
|
a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to the company which complies with the requirements of section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made; or
|
·
|
a “professional investor” within the meaning of section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act.
|
To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this prospectus is void and incapable of acceptance.
You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the shares issued to you pursuant to this prospectus for resale in Australia within 12 months of those shares being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.
European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive, each referred to herein as a Relevant Member State, with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State, referred to herein as the Relevant Implementation Date, no offer of any securities which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus has been or will be made to the public in that Relevant Member State other than any offer where a prospectus has been or will be published in relation to such securities that has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the relevant competent authority in that Relevant Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, an offer of such securities may be made to the public in that Relevant Member State:
·
|
to any legal entity which is a “qualified investor” as defined in the Prospectus Directive;
|
·
|
to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives of the underwriters for any such offer; or
|
·
|
in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,
|
provided that no such offer of securities shall require the Company or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the securities, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Hong Kong
No securities have been offered or sold, and no securities may be offered or sold, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32) of Hong Kong. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance.
This prospectus has not been registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this prospectus may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this prospectus and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.
Japan
The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended), or FIEL, and the Initial Purchaser will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means, unless otherwise provided herein, any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Singapore
This prospectus has not been and will not be lodged or registered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or the invitation for subscription or purchase of the securities may not be issued, circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to the public or any member of the public in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person as defined under Section 275(2), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
·
|
a corporation (which is not an accredited investor as defined under Section 4A of the SFA) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or
|
·
|
a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor,
|
shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the Offer Shares under Section 275 of the SFA except:
·
|
to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than $200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA;
|
·
|
where no consideration is given for the transfer; or
|
·
|
where the transfer is by operation of law.
|
Switzerland
The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This prospectus has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this prospectus will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, or FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, referred to herein as the Order, and/or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated. Each such person is referred to herein as a Relevant Person.
This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following summary describes the material U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common stock acquired in this offering by Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income and estate taxes and does not deal with foreign, state and local consequences that may be relevant to Non-U.S. Holders in light of their particular circumstances, nor does it address U.S. federal tax consequences other than income and estate taxes. Special rules different from those described below may apply to certain Non-U.S. Holders that are subject to special treatment under the Code such as financial institutions, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, broker-dealers and traders in securities, U.S. expatriates, “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, persons that hold our common stock as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or integrated investment or other risk reduction strategy, partnerships and other pass-through entities, and investors in such pass-through entities. Such Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the U.S. federal, state, local and other tax consequences that may be relevant to them. Furthermore, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code, and Treasury regulations, rulings and judicial decisions thereunder as of the date hereof, and such authorities may be repealed, revoked or modified, perhaps retroactively, so as to result in U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences different from those discussed below. We have not requested a ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with such statements and conclusions. This discussion assumes that the Non-U.S. Holder holds our common stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment).
The following discussion is for general information only and is not tax advice. Persons considering the purchase of our common stock pursuant to this offering should consult their own tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of our common stock in light of their particular situations as well as any consequences arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction, including any state, local or foreign tax consequences.
For the purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a beneficial owner of common stock that is neither a U.S. Holder, a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its place of organization or formation), nor an entity that is treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (regardless of its place of organization or formation). A “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (b) a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (c) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source or (d) a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
The discussion below assumes that a Non-U.S. Holder’s investment in our common stock is not effectively connected with a trade or business conducted in the United States by a Non-U.S. holder or, if a tax treaty applies to the Non-U.S. Holder, that its investment is not attributable to a United States permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder.
Distributions
Although we do not anticipate that we will make any distributions on our common stock in the foreseeable future, to the extent we make distributions on our common stock out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. tax purposes and will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. To obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will be required to provide us with a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN, or successor form, certifying the Non-U.S. Holder’s entitlement to benefits under that treaty. In the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is an entity, Treasury regulations and the relevant tax treaty provide rules to determine whether, for purposes of determining the applicability of a tax treaty, dividends will be treated as paid to the entity or to those holding an interest in that entity. If a Non-U.S. Holder holds stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on the holder’s behalf, the holder will be required to provide appropriate documentation to such agent. The holder’s agent will then be required to provide certification to us or our paying agent, either directly or through other intermediaries. If a Non-U.S. Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax under an income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder should contact its tax advisor regarding the possibility of obtaining a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for a refund with the IRS.
To the extent distributions on our common stock, if any, exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, they will constitute a non-taxable return of capital and will first reduce the Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted basis in our common stock, but not below zero, and then will be treated as gain and taxed in the same manner as gain realized from a sale or other disposition of common stock as described in the next section. If it cannot be determined at the time a distribution is made whether the distribution will exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, then the distribution will be subject to withholding at the rate applicable to ordinary dividends. However, a Non-U.S. Holder may seek a refund of these amounts from the IRS if it is subsequently determined that the distribution did, in fact, exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
Gain on Disposition of Our Common Stock
Subject to the discussion below, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to gain realized on a sale or other disposition of our common stock unless (a) the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual and is present in the United States for 183 or more days in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other conditions are met, or (b) we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” within the meaning of Code Section 897(c)(2) at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding such disposition or such holder’s holding period. In general, we would be a United States real property holding corporation if interests in U.S. real estate comprised (by fair market value) at least half of our business assets. We believe that we are not, and do not anticipate becoming, a United States real property holding corporation. Even if we are treated as a United States real property holding corporation, gain realized by a Non-U.S. Holder on a disposition of our common stock will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax so long as (1) the Non-U.S. Holder owned, directly, indirectly and constructively, no more than five percent of our common stock at all times within the shorter of (i) the five-year period preceding the disposition or (ii) the holder’s holding period and (2) our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market. There can be no assurance that our common stock will qualify as regularly traded on an established securities market.
If you are an individual Non-U.S. Holder described in (a) above, you will be required to pay a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which gain may be offset by certain U.S. source capital losses (even though you are not considered a resident of the United States). Non-U.S. Holders should consult any applicable income tax or other treaties that may provide for different rules.
Information Reporting Requirements and Backup Withholding
Generally, we must report information to the IRS with respect to any dividends we pay on our common stock including the amount of any such dividends, the name and address of the recipient, and the amount, if any, of tax withheld. A similar report is sent to the holder to whom any such dividends are paid. Pursuant to tax treaties or certain other agreements, the IRS may make its reports available to tax authorities in the recipient’s country of residence.
Dividends paid by us (or our paying agents) to a Non-U.S. Holder may also be subject to U.S. backup withholding. U.S. backup withholding generally will not apply to a Non-U.S. Holder who provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or otherwise establishes an exemption. The current backup withholding rate is 28%.
Under current U.S. federal income tax law, U.S. information reporting and backup withholding requirements generally will apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock effected by or through a U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, except that information reporting and such requirements may be avoided if the holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing Non-U.S. Holder status or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, U.S. information reporting and backup withholding requirements will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a Non-U.S. Holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker. Information reporting and backup withholding requirements may, however, apply to a payment of disposition proceeds if the broker has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that the holder is, in fact, a U.S. person. For information reporting purposes, certain brokers with substantial U.S. ownership or operations will generally be treated in a manner similar to U.S. brokers.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. A holder subject to backup withholding should contact the holder’s tax advisor regarding the possibility of obtaining a refund or a tax credit and any associated requirements to provide information to the IRS or other relevant tax authority.
FATCA Withholding
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, imposes a 30% withholding tax on certain types of payments made to “foreign financial institutions” and certain other non-U.S. entities unless certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification requirements are satisfied.
As a general matter, FATCA imposes a 30% withholding tax on dividends on, and gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock if paid to a foreign entity unless either (i) the foreign entity is a “foreign financial institution” that undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) the foreign entity is not a “foreign financial institution” and identifies certain of its U.S. investors, or (iii) the foreign entity otherwise is excepted under FATCA.
Pursuant to the delayed effective dates provided for in the final regulations, the required withholding does not begin until July 1, 2014, with respect to dividends on our common stock and January 1, 2017, with respect to gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock.
If withholding is required under FATCA on a payment related to our common stock, investors that otherwise would not be subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) generally will be required to seek a refund or credit from the IRS to obtain the benefit of such exemption or reduction (provided that such benefit is available). Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect of FATCA in their particular circumstances.
Federal Estate Tax
An individual Non-U.S. Holder who is treated as the owner of, or has made certain lifetime transfers of, an interest in our common stock will be required to include the value thereof in his or her gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes, and may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise, even though such individual was not a citizen or resident of the United States at the time of his or her death.
THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME AND ESTATE TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. IT IS NOT TAX ADVICE. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF OUR COMMON STOCK, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAW.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of our common stock offered hereby will be passed upon by Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, New York, New York. Covington & Burling LLP, New York, New York, is counsel to the underwriters in connection with this offering.
EXPERTS
The audited consolidated financial statements of Retrophin, Inc., our predecessor, and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s deficiency and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2012 and the periods from March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2012 and March 11, 2011 (inception) through December 31, 2011, and related footnotes appearing in this registration statement, have been so included in reliance on the Report of Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We file reports and other information with the SEC. We have also filed a registration statement on Form S-1, including exhibits, with the SEC with respect to the shares being offered in this offering. This prospectus is part of the registration statement, but it does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement or exhibits. For further information with respect to us and our common stock, we refer you to the registration statement and to the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or any other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and in each instance, we refer you to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. Each of these statements is qualified in all respects by this reference. You may inspect any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C 20549, on any business day during the hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. and copies of any such materials may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the Internet site is http://www.sec.gov.
RETROPHIN, INC.
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS