e10vq
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
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QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2006,
or
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o |
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For transition period from .
Commission File Number 001-31918
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware
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04-3072298 |
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(State or other jurisdiction of
Incorporation or organization)
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification
Number) |
345 Vassar Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
(Address of principal executive offices)
(617) 679-5500
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes
þ No
o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer,
or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of accelerated filer and large accelerated filer in
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.) Yes o No þ
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers classes of common stock, as of
the latest practicable date.
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Common Stock, par value $.001 per share
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18,195,614 |
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Class
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Outstanding as of November 7, 2006 |
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
FORM 10-Q
INDEX
Idera, Amplivax, IMO and Targeted Immune Therapy are our trademarks. IMOxine® and
GEM® are our registered trademarks. All other trademarks and service marks appearing in this
quarterly report are the property of their respective owners.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This quarterly report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included or incorporated in
this report regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, future revenues,
projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. The
words believes, anticipates, estimates, plans, expects, intends, may, projects,
will, and would and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We cannot guarantee
that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our
forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking
statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause our actual results to differ
materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements. These important factors
include those set forth below under Part II- Item 1A. Risk Factors. These factors and the other
cautionary statements made in this quarterly report should be read as being applicable to all
related forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this quarterly report. In addition, any
forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of the date that this quarterly report
is filed with the SEC and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any
subsequent date. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. We
disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
2
PART I FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
ITEM 1. UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)
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PRO FORMA |
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SEPTEMBER 30, |
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SEPTEMBER 30, |
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DECEMBER 31, |
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2006 |
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2006 |
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2005 |
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Note 16 |
Assets |
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Current assets: |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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$ |
1,764,012 |
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$ |
5,144,461 |
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$ |
984,766 |
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Short-term investments |
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6,298,087 |
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6,298,087 |
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7,390,903 |
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Receivables |
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168,922 |
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168,922 |
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175,905 |
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Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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373,548 |
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373,548 |
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498,347 |
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Total current assets |
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8,604,569 |
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11,985,018 |
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9,049,921 |
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Property and equipment, net |
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365,852 |
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365,852 |
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418,684 |
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Deferred financing costs |
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353,327 |
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353,327 |
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520,692 |
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Restricted Cash |
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619,551 |
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Total Assets |
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$ |
9,323,748 |
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$ |
13,323,748 |
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$ |
9,989,297 |
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Liabilities and Stockholders Equity |
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Current liabilities: |
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Accounts payable |
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$ |
1,126,932 |
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$ |
1,126,932 |
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$ |
536,371 |
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Accrued expenses |
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1,114,052 |
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1,114,052 |
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1,338,048 |
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Current portion of capital lease |
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6,519 |
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6,519 |
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6,519 |
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Current portion of deferred revenue |
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1,502,537 |
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1,502,537 |
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2,171,287 |
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Total current liabilities |
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3,750,040 |
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3,750,040 |
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4,052,225 |
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Long term 4% convertible notes payable |
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5,032,750 |
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5,032,750 |
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5,032,750 |
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Capital lease |
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4,889 |
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4,889 |
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10,321 |
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Deferred revenue, net of current portion |
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300,464 |
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300,464 |
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1,229,451 |
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Stockholders equity: |
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Preferred stock, $0.01 par value |
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Authorized 5,000,000 shares Series A
convertible preferred stock Designated
1,500,000 shares |
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Issued and outstanding 655 shares |
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7 |
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7 |
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7 |
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Common stock, $0.001 par value |
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Authorized40,000,000 shares |
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Issued and outstanding 17,412,328, 18,193,578
and 13,927,631 shares at September 30, 2006
actual, September 30, 2006 pro forma and
December 31, 2005 actual, respectively |
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17,412 |
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18,194 |
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13,928 |
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Additional paid-in capital |
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325,015,277 |
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329,014,495 |
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312,729,992 |
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Accumulated deficit |
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(324,797,017 |
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(324,797,017 |
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(313,000,200 |
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Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
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(74 |
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(74 |
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(11,341 |
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Deferred compensation |
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(67,836 |
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Total stockholders equity (deficit) |
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235,605 |
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4,235,605 |
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(335,450 |
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Total Liabilities and Stockholders Equity (Deficit) |
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$ |
9,323,748 |
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$ |
13,323,748 |
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$ |
9,989,297 |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
3
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
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THREE MONTHS ENDED |
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NINE MONTHS ENDED |
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SEPTEMBER 30, |
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SEPTEMBER 30, |
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2006 |
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2005 |
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2006 |
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2005 |
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Alliance revenue |
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$ |
572,144 |
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$ |
544,778 |
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$ |
1,829,523 |
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$ |
1,027,528 |
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Operating expenses: |
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Research and development |
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3,008,696 |
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2,260,584 |
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9,659,283 |
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7,182,326 |
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General and administrative |
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1,395,497 |
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1,232,920 |
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3,975,003 |
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3,781,934 |
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Total operating expenses |
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4,404,193 |
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3,493,504 |
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13,634,286 |
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10,964,260 |
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Loss from operations |
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(3,832,049 |
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(2,948,726 |
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(11,804,763 |
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(9,936,732 |
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Other income (expense): |
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Investment income, net |
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119,676 |
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106,793 |
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326,373 |
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257,088 |
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Interest expense |
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(106,529 |
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(107,816 |
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(317,935 |
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(145,533 |
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Net loss |
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(3,818,902 |
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(2,949,749 |
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(11,796,325 |
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(9,825,177 |
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Accretion of preferred stock dividends |
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(164 |
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(164 |
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(492 |
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(492 |
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Net loss applicable to common stockholders |
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$ |
(3,819,066 |
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$ |
(2,949,913 |
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$ |
(11,796,817 |
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$ |
(9,825,669 |
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Basic and diluted net loss per share (Note 5) |
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$ |
(0.22 |
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$ |
(0.21 |
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$ |
(0.74 |
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$ |
(0.71 |
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Basic and diluted net loss per share
applicable to common stockholders (Note 5) |
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$ |
(0.22 |
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$ |
(0.21 |
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$ |
(0.74 |
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$ |
(0.71 |
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Shares used in computing basic and diluted
loss per common share (see Note 4 regarding
the reverse stock split) |
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17,222,795 |
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13,889,380 |
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16,043,086 |
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13,880,346 |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
4
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
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NINE MONTHS ENDED |
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SEPTEMBER 30, |
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2006 |
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2005 |
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Cash Flows From Operating Activities: |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(11,796,325 |
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$ |
(9,825,177 |
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Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities |
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Loss on disposal of property and equipment |
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2,134 |
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Stock-based compensation |
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696,576 |
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149,236 |
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Depreciation and amortization expense |
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283,266 |
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212,652 |
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Issuance of common stock for services rendered |
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18,824 |
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27,352 |
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Non-cash interest expense |
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84,385 |
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71,148 |
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Changes in operating assets and liabilities |
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Accounts receivable |
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6,983 |
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117,833 |
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Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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124,799 |
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(412,168 |
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Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
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282,179 |
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(382,767 |
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Deferred revenue |
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(1,597,737 |
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3,256,430 |
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Net cash used in operating activities |
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(11,897,050 |
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(6,783,327 |
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Cash Flows From Investing Activities: |
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Purchase of available for sale securities |
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(15,746,839 |
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(9,908,536 |
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Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities |
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5,545,000 |
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7,600,000 |
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Proceeds from maturity of available-for-sale securities |
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11,325,000 |
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5,000,000 |
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Purchase of property and equipment |
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(82,146 |
) |
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(206,512 |
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Net cash provided by investing activities |
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1,041,015 |
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2,484,952 |
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Cash Flow From Financing Activities: |
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Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes payable |
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5,032,750 |
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Sale of common stock and warrants, net of issuance costs |
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11,547,819 |
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Issuance costs from financing |
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(386,480 |
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Payments on capital lease |
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(5,432 |
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(1,630 |
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Proceeds from exercise of common stock options and warrants |
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92,894 |
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72,348 |
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Net cash provided by financing activities |
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11,635,281 |
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4,716,988 |
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Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
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779,246 |
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418,613 |
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Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period |
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984,766 |
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5,021,860 |
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Cash and cash equivalents, end of period |
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$ |
1,764,012 |
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$ |
5,440,473 |
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Supplemental Disclosure of Non-cash Financing and Investing Activities: |
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Issuance of warrants for financing |
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$ |
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$ |
219,385 |
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Deferred compensation relating to issuance of stock options |
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$ |
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$ |
72,000 |
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Accretion of Series A convertible preferred stock dividends |
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$ |
(492 |
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$ |
(492 |
) |
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Issuance of stock for services |
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$ |
18,824 |
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$ |
27,352 |
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Cash paid for interest |
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$ |
92,106 |
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$ |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
5
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2006
(UNAUDITED)
(1) Organization
Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Idera or the Company) (AMEX: IDP) is a biotechnology company
engaged in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics that modulate immune responses
through Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) for the treatment of multiple diseases. The Company is
developing proprietary DNA- and RNA- based compounds that modulate TLRs and are targeted to TLR7,
TLR8 or TLR9. The Company believes that these immune modulatory oligonucleotides, or IMO
compounds, are broadly applicable to large and growing markets where significant unmet medical
needs exist, including oncology, asthma and allergies, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases and
vaccine adjuvants. The Companys lead drug candidate is IMO-2055, which is also referred to as
HYB2055 or IMOxine®. IMO-2055 is a synthetic DNA-based compound, which acts as an agonist for TLR9
and triggers the activation and modulation of the immune system. IMO-2055 is currently in a Phase 2
clinical trial as a monotherapy for renal cell carcinoma and a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in
combination with chemotherapy agents for solid tumors. The Company has selected another TLR9
agonist, IMO-2125, as a lead compound for development for the treatment of infectious diseases.
Idera is also collaborating with Novartis International Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., or Novartis, to
develop treatments for asthma and allergies using other of the Companys TLR9 agonist compounds.
Idera is also developing a new class of compounds which act as
antagonists to TLRs. The Companys IMO compounds targeted to
TLR7 and TLR8 and the Companys new class of compounds are in the discovery stage.
Based on its current operating plan, the Company believes that its existing cash, cash
equivalents and short-term investments, including the proceeds from its November 2006 sale of
common stock, which resulted in $4.0 million in gross proceeds, will be sufficient to fund
operations through June 2007. As more fully described in Note 13(b), in March 2006, the Company
secured a purchase commitment from an investor to purchase up to a total of $9.8 million of the
Companys common stock during the period from June 24, 2006 through December 31, 2006 in up to
three drawdowns made by the Company, at its discretion, at a minimum price of $5.12 per share (see
Note 13(b) and 16). The Company received $3.5 million in July 2006 and $4.0 million in November
2006 in gross proceeds from the sale of common stock under the purchase commitment. If the Company
elects to sell the remaining $2.3 million of its common stock in the remaining drawdown, the
Company expects that the proceeds from such sales would enable the Company to pursue its clinical
and preclinical development programs and continue operations through August 2007. The Companys
actual cash requirements will depend on many factors, including particularly the scope and pace of
its research and development efforts and its success in entering into strategic alliances. On June
29, 2006, the Company effected a one-for-eight reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding
common stock. All share and per share information herein reflects this reverse stock split.
The Company does not expect to generate significant additional funds internally until it
successfully completes development and obtains marketing approval for products, either alone or in
collaborations with third parties, which the Company expects will take a number of years. In
addition, it has no other committed external sources of funds. As a result, in order for the
Company to continue to pursue its clinical and preclinical development programs and continue its
operations beyond June 2007, or August 2007 if it draws down all of the funds pursuant to the
purchase commitment described above, the Company must raise additional funds from debt or equity
financings or from collaborative arrangements with biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies. There
can be no assurance that the requisite funds will be available in the necessary time frame or on
terms acceptable to the Company. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient funds, the Company
may be required to delay, scale back or significantly curtail its operating plans and possibly
relinquish rights to portions of the Companys technology or products. In addition, increases in
expenses or delays in clinical development may adversely impact the Companys cash position and
require further cost reductions. No assurance can be given that the Company will be able to operate
profitably on a consistent basis, or at all, in the future.
(2) Unaudited Interim Financial Statements
The accompanying unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein have
been prepared by the Company in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for
interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in
financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been
condensed or omitted pursuant to such
6
rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal
recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim period results have
been included. The Company believes that its disclosures are adequate to make the information
presented not misleading. Interim results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended
September 30, 2006 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year
ended December 31, 2006. For further information, refer to the financial statements and footnotes
thereto included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2005, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2006.
(3) Reclassification and Additional Disclosures
Prior to the third quarter of 2006, patent costs have been classified as research and
development expense. Commencing with this quarterly report of Form 10-Q, these costs will be
included in general and administrative expense. In addition, prior to 2006, stock compensation
expense was shown separately in the statement of operations. Beginning in 2006, stock compensation
expense is included in research and development expense and general and administrative expense. The
prior period consolidated financial statements have been reclassified in order to conform with the
current presentation.
(4) Reverse Stock Split
At the close of business on June 29, 2006, the Company effected a one-for-eight reverse stock
split of its issued and outstanding common stock and fixed the number of authorized shares of its
common stock at 40,000,000. As a result of the reverse stock split, each share of common stock
outstanding at the close of business on June 29, 2006 automatically converted into one-eighth of
one share of common stock. All share and per share information herein reflects this reverse stock
split.
The reverse stock split reduced the number of outstanding shares of common stock from
approximately 133.8 million shares to approximately 16.7 million shares, subject to reduction for
fractional shares that were paid for in cash. Additionally, the reverse stock split resulted in
proportionate adjustments to (i) the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of
the Companys Series A convertible preferred stock, (ii) the number of shares of common stock
issuable upon conversion of the Companys 4% convertible subordinated notes due April 30, 2008,
(iii) the number of shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options and warrants
outstanding on June 29, 2006 and the exercise price of such options and warrants, and (iv) the
number of shares issuable under the Companys stock incentive plans, including the Companys 2005
Stock Incentive Plan, 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, 1995 Director Stock Option Plan, and 1995 Employee
Stock Purchase Plan. The reverse stock split did not alter the par value of the common stock, which
is $0.001 per share, or modify any voting rights or other terms of the common stock.
Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, dated as of December 10, 2001, between the Company and
Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent, as amended (the Rights Agreement), as a result of
the reverse stock split, the number of Rights (as defined in the Rights Agreement) associated with
each share of common stock was automatically proportionately adjusted so that (i) eight Rights were
then associated with each outstanding share of common stock and (ii) so long as the Rights are
attached to the common stock, eight Rights (subject to further adjustment pursuant to the
provisions of the Rights Agreement) shall be deemed to be delivered for each share of common stock
issued or transferred by the Company in the future.
(5) Net Loss per Common Share
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(3,818,902 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,949,749 |
) |
|
$ |
(11,796,325 |
) |
|
$ |
(9,825,177 |
) |
Accretion of preferred stock dividends |
|
|
(164 |
) |
|
|
(164 |
) |
|
|
(492 |
) |
|
|
(492 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Numerator for basic and diluted loss per share
applicable to common shareholders |
|
$ |
(3,819,066 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,949,913 |
) |
|
$ |
(11,796,817 |
) |
|
$ |
(9,825,669 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator for basic and diluted loss per share (Note 4) |
|
|
17,222,795 |
|
|
|
13,889,380 |
|
|
|
16,043,086 |
|
|
|
13,880,346 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss per share basic and diluted: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.22 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.21 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.74 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.71 |
) |
Accretion of preferred stock dividends |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share applicable to common stockholders |
|
$ |
(0.22 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.21 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.74 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.71 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
Basic net loss per common share is computed using the weighted average number of shares of
common stock outstanding during the period. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006
and 2005, diluted net loss per share of common stock is the same as basic net loss per share of
common stock, as the effects of the Companys potential common stock equivalents are antidilutive.
Total antidilutive securities were 7,542,234 and 4,930,245 at September 30, 2006 and 2005,
respectively. These antidilutive securities include stock options, warrants, convertible debt
instruments and convertible preferred stock and are not included in the Companys calculation of
diluted net loss per common share.
(6) Cash Equivalents and Investments
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less when
purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2006 and December 31,
2005 consisted of cash and money market funds. On September 30, 2006, certain certificates of
deposit which had maturity dates of less than 90 days at the time of purchase were also included as
cash equivalents.
The Company accounts for investments in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards (SFAS) No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities.
Management determines the appropriate classification of marketable securities at the time of
purchase. In accordance with SFAS No. 115, investments that the Company does not have the positive
intent to hold to maturity are classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair market
value. Unrealized gains and losses associated with available-for-sale investments are recorded in
Accumulated other comprehensive loss on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The
amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts, and any realized gains and losses and declines
in value judged to be other than temporary, and interest and dividends are included in Investment
income, net on the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for all available-for-sale
securities. The Company had no held-to-maturity investments, as defined by SFAS No. 115, at
September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific
identification method. The Company had no realized gains or losses for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2006 and 2005. There were no losses or permanent declines in value included in
investment income for any securities in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and
2005.
The Company had no long-term investments as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005.
Available-for-sale securities are classified as short-term regardless of their maturity date as if
the Company considers them available to fund operations within one year of the balance sheet date.
Auction securities are highly liquid securities that have floating interest or dividend rates that
reset periodically through an auctioning process that sets rates based on bids. Issuers include
municipalities, closed-end bond funds and corporations. These securities can either be debt or
preferred shares. The Companys short-term available-for-sale investments at market value consisted
of the following at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Corporate bonds due in one year or less |
|
$ |
299,121 |
|
|
$ |
2,102,432 |
|
Government bonds due in one year or less |
|
|
1,068,726 |
|
|
|
2,484,975 |
|
Short term notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
901,820 |
|
Certificates of deposit |
|
|
300,240 |
|
|
|
|
|
Auction securities |
|
|
4,630,000 |
|
|
|
1,901,676 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
6,298,087 |
|
|
$ |
7,390,903 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7) Property and Equipment
At September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, net property and equipment at cost consisted of
the following:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Leasehold improvements |
|
$ |
444,186 |
|
|
$ |
424,500 |
|
Laboratory equipment and other |
|
|
1,990,410 |
|
|
|
1,927,950 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total property and equipment, at cost |
|
|
2,434,596 |
|
|
|
2,352,450 |
|
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization |
|
|
2,068,744 |
|
|
|
1,933,766 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property and equipment, net |
|
$ |
365,852 |
|
|
$ |
418,684 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation expense, which includes amortization of assets recorded under capital leases, was
approximately $31,000 and $42,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005,
respectively, and $135,000 and $114,000 for the nine months
8
ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively. In the first half of 2005, the Company wrote
off unused property and equipment that had a cost of approximately $109,000 resulting in a loss of
approximately $2,000.
(8) Stock-Based Compensation
The Company adopted SFAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment, on January 1, 2006. This statement
requires the Company to recognize all share-based payments to employees in the financial statements
based on their fair values. Under SFAS No. 123R, the Company is required to record compensation
expense over an awards vesting period based on the awards fair value at the date of grant. The
Company has elected to adopt SFAS No. 123R on a modified prospective basis; accordingly, the
financial statements for periods prior to January 1, 2006, will not include compensation cost
calculated under the fair value method. The Companys policy is to charge the fair value of stock
options as an expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.
Prior to January 1, 2006, the Company applied Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No.
25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and therefore, recorded the intrinsic value of
stock-based compensation as an expense. The following table illustrates the pro forma effect on net
income and earnings per share if the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of
SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, to stock-based employee compensation for
the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended |
|
|
Nine months ended |
|
|
|
September 30, 2005 |
|
|
September 30, 2005 |
|
Net loss applicable to common stockholders, as reported |
|
$ |
(2,949,913 |
) |
|
$ |
(9,825,669 |
) |
Less: stock-based compensation expense included in reported net loss |
|
|
121,198 |
|
|
|
149,236 |
|
Add: stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair
value based method for all awards |
|
|
(266,851 |
) |
|
|
(719,595 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma net loss applicable to common stockholders, as adjusted for
the effect of applying SFAS No. 123 |
|
$ |
(3,095,566 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,396,028 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per share applicable to common stockholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As reported |
|
$ |
(0.21 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.71 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma |
|
$ |
(0.22 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.75 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As explained in Note 9, prior to adopting SFAS 123R on January 1, 2006, the Company recorded
changes in the intrinsic value of its repriced options in its Statement of Operations, including
approximately $121,000 and $149,000 of stock compensation expense for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2005, which is shown in the above table. In accordance with SFAS 123R, the
Company no longer includes changes in the intrinsic value of its repriced options in its Statement
of Operations.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, the Company included charges of
approximately $213,000 and $697,000, respectively, in its Statement of Operations. These charges
represent the stock compensation expense computed in accordance with SFAS 123R. There were no
corresponding charges included in the Statement of Operations during the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2005. The adoption of SFAS 123R had no effect on cash flows during the first
nine months of 2006. The adoption of SFAS 123R decreased basic and diluted earnings per share by
$0.01 and $0.05, respectively, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006.
The Companys stock compensation plans include the 1995 Stock Option Plan, the 1995 Director
Stock Option Plan, the 1995 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 1997 Stock Incentive Plan and the
2005 Stock Incentive Plan, all of which have been approved by the Companys stockholders. Pursuant
to the terms of the plan, no additional options are being granted under the 1995 Stock Option Plan.
Options to purchase a total of 3,037,500 shares of common stock may be granted under the other
stockholder approved plans. The Company has also granted options to purchase shares of Common Stock
pursuant to agreements that were not approved by stockholders.
Under the Companys stock option and incentive plans, options may be granted to directors,
officers and employees. Stock option grants generally vest ratably over three to four years and
expire within ten years after the date of grant. Stock options granted under the 1995 Director
Stock Option Plan vest in one year.
The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model and expensed over the requisite service period on a straight-line basis. The
following assumptions apply to the options granted for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and
2005:
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
2006 |
|
2005 |
Weighted average expected term (years) |
|
|
5.9 |
|
|
|
6.0 |
|
Weighted average expected volatility |
|
|
88.3 |
% |
|
|
75.0 |
% |
Weighted average dividend per share |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average risk free interest rate |
|
|
4.5 |
% |
|
|
3.9 |
% |
Weighted average fair value of options granted per share |
|
$ |
3.53 |
|
|
$ |
3.33 |
|
Effective January 1, 2006, the Company modified the assumptions used to determine the fair
value of options granted in accordance with SFAS No. 123R and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
No. 107. The assumptions used to determine the fair values of options granted after January 1, 2006
are based on the following:
(i) |
|
The expected term represents the period of time that the options are expected to be
outstanding. Where appropriate in accordance with SAB 107, the Company utilized the midpoint
between the vesting date and the contractual term in determining the expected term of options
that met the criteria for using this method under SAB 107. The expected term of options that
do not meet the SAB 107 criteria is based on historical experience with exercise and
post-vesting employment termination behavior. |
(ii) |
|
The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Companys closing stock
price on the last trading day of each calendar month for a period equal to the expected term
of the option. |
(iii) |
|
The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rate with a maturity date that
corresponds with the expected term of the option. |
Stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 is summarized as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average |
|
Aggregate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted Average |
|
Remaining |
|
Intrinsic |
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
Exercise Price |
|
Life in Years |
|
Value |
Outstanding, December 31, 2005 |
|
|
2,548,180 |
|
|
$ |
5.71 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Granted |
|
|
84,000 |
|
|
|
4.71 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercised |
|
|
(13,878 |
) |
|
|
4.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Terminated |
|
|
(571,720 |
) |
|
|
6.34 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding, September 30, 2006 |
|
|
2,046,582 |
|
|
|
5.51 |
|
|
|
5.99 |
|
|
$ |
28,026 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercisable, September 30, 2006 |
|
|
1,474,815 |
|
|
|
5.87 |
|
|
|
4.89 |
|
|
|
26,089 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of September 30, 2006, there was $1.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost
related to unvested stock-based compensation arrangements. That cost is expected to be recognized
over a weighted-average period of 2.5 years.
Additional information on option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 is as
follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine Months |
|
|
ended |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
2006 |
Total fair value of shares vested |
|
$ |
709,262 |
|
Total intrinsic value of options exercised |
|
|
11,989 |
|
(9) Stock-Based Compensation Related to Repriced Options
In September 1999, the Companys Board of Directors authorized the repricing of options to
purchase 656,478 shares of common stock to $4.00 per share, which represented the market value of
the common stock on the date of the repricing. Prior to the adoption of SFAS 123R, these options
were subject to variable plan accounting which required the Company to re-measure the intrinsic
value of the repriced options, through the earlier of the date of exercise, cancellation or
expiration, at each reporting date. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2005,
the Company recognized an expense of approximately $121,000 and $149,000, respectively, as stock
compensation relating to these repriced options as a result of an increase in the intrinsic value
of these options between December 31, 2004 and September 30, 2005. In accordance with SFAS 123R,
the Company no longer includes changes in the intrinsic value of repriced options in its statement
of operations.
10
(10) Related Party Transactions
During the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and in connection with the purchase commitment
discussed in Note 13, the Company paid one of the its directors a commission of $487,500 which
represented 5% of the amount available to the Company under the purchase commitment.
In the nine months ended September 30, 2005, the Company paid Pillar Investment Limited, which
is controlled by a director of the Company, approximately $264,000 in cash and issued warrants to
purchase 70,684 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.12 per share as fees in
connection with Pillar Investment Limited acting as the placement agent for the sale of the 4%
convertible subordinated notes in May 2005 discussed in Note 12. The warrants have a Black-Scholes
value of approximately $219,000.
(11) Comprehensive Income
The following table includes the components of comprehensive income for the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended September 30, |
|
|
Nine months ended September 30, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(3,818,902 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,949,749 |
) |
|
$ |
(11,796,325 |
) |
|
$ |
(9,825,177 |
) |
Other comprehensive income |
|
|
3,903 |
|
|
|
173 |
|
|
|
11,267 |
|
|
|
12,982 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive loss |
|
$ |
(3,814,999 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,949,576 |
) |
|
$ |
(11,785,058 |
) |
|
$ |
(9,812,195 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other comprehensive income represents the net unrealized gains on available-for-sale investments.
(12) Notes Payable
On May 24, 2005, the Company sold approximately $5.0 million in principal amount of 4%
convertible subordinated notes due April 30, 2008 (the 4% Notes). Interest on the 4% Notes is
payable semi-annually in arrears on April 30 and October 30 and at maturity or conversion. The
Company has the option to pay interest on the 4% Notes in cash or in shares of the Companys common
stock at the then current market value of the Companys common stock. Holders of the 4% Notes may
convert, at any time prior to maturity, the principal amount of the 4% Notes (or any portion
thereof) into shares of the Companys common stock at a conversion price of $7.12 per share. The
Company may cause the principal amount of the 4% Notes to be converted into shares of the Companys
common stock at the then current conversion price if the volume weighted average of the closing
sales prices of the Companys common stock for 10 consecutive trading days is equal to at least
$8.96 per share. If the Company conducts a financing resulting in greater than $10.0 million in
gross proceeds, the Company may elect to convert the 4% Notes into shares of the Companys common
stock at the then current conversion price if the purchase price paid by the new investors in the
financing (on a common stock equivalent basis) is greater than the then current conversion price of
the 4% Notes. Holders of the 4% Notes may demand that the Company redeem the 4% Notes upon a change
in control, a merger with an independent company, or a change in the Companys listing status.
The Company capitalized its financing costs associated with the sale of the 4% Notes and is
amortizing them over the term of the notes. These costs include the Black-Scholes value of the
warrants, legal expenses and miscellaneous costs attributable to the placement of the notes.
(13) Private Financing
(a) Private Financing
On March 24, 2006, the Company raised approximately $9.8 million in gross proceeds from a
private placement to institutional investors. In the private placement, the Company sold for a
purchase price of $3.52 per share 2,769,886 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase
2,077,414 shares of common stock. The warrants to purchase common stock have an exercise price of
$5.20 per share and will expire if not exercised on or prior to September 24, 2011. The warrants
may be exercised by cash payment only and are exercisable any time on or after September 24, 2006.
After March 24, 2010, the Company may redeem the warrants for $0.08 per warrant share following
notice to the warrant holders if the volume weighted average of the closing sales price of the
common stock exceeds 300% of the warrant exercise price for the 15-day period preceding the notice.
The Company may exercise its right to redeem the warrants by providing 20 days prior written notice
to the holders of the warrants. The net proceeds to the Company from the offering, excluding the
proceeds of any future exercise of the warrants, total approximately $8.9 million. The Company has
filed a
11
registration statement covering the resale of the common stock and the common stock issuable
upon exercise of the warrants, which has been declared effective.
(b) Financing Commitment
On March 24, 2006, the Company secured a purchase commitment from an investor to purchase from
the Company up to $9.8 million of the Companys common stock during the period from June 24, 2006
through December 31, 2006 in up to three drawdowns made by the Company at the Companys discretion.
In July 2006, the Company accessed $3.5 million of this purchase commitment and sold 683,593 shares
of common stock at a price of $5.12 per share and in November 2006, the Company accessed $4.0
million of this purchase commitment and sold 781,250 shares of common stock at a price of $5.12 per
share. If the Company elects to draw down any of the remaining $2.3 million in exchange for
newly-issued shares of the Companys common stock, the price at which such shares shall be issued
will be equal to the greater of (a) 80% of the volume weighted average closing price during a
five-day pricing period preceding the date that the Company notifies the investor of the sale and
(b) a floor price of $5.12 per share. No drawdown may occur within 45 days of any other drawdown,
and no single drawdown may exceed $4.0 million. Based on the floor price, a maximum of 439,453
additional shares of common stock could be issued under the purchase commitment. The Company is not
obligated to sell any of the remaining $2.3 million of common stock available under the purchase
commitment and there are no minimum commitments or minimum use penalties. The purchase commitment
does not contain any restrictions on the Companys operating activities, automatic pricing resets
or minimum market volume restrictions. The agent fees and other costs directly related to securing
the commitment amounted to approximately $0.9 million. If the Company sells the entire $9.8 million
of its common stock pursuant to the purchase commitment, the net proceeds to the Company, excluding
the proceeds of any future exercise of the warrants, will be approximately $8.9 million. As part of
the arrangement, the Company issued warrants to the investor to purchase 761,718 shares of common
stock at an exercise price of $5.92 per share. The warrants are exercisable by cash payment only.
The warrants are exercisable at any time on or prior to September 24, 2011. On or after March 24,
2010, Idera may redeem the warrants for $0.08 per warrant share following notice to the warrant
holders if the closing sales price of the common stock exceeds 250% of the warrant exercise price
for 15 consecutive trading days prior to the notice. The Company may exercise its right to redeem
the warrants by providing at least 30 days prior written notice to the holders of the warrants.
(c) Amendment to Rights Agreement
On March 24, 2006, in connection with the private financing described above, the Company
entered into an amendment (Amendment No. 2) to the Rights Agreement, dated as of December 10,
2001, as amended (the Rights Agreement), between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as
Rights Agent. Amendment No. 2 modifies the definition of Exempted Persons that are excluded from
the definition of Acquiring Person under the Rights Agreement to provide that Baker Brothers
Investments, together with its affiliates and associates (the Baker Entities), will be an
Exempted Person under the Rights Agreement until such time as the Baker Entities beneficially own
more than 4,375,000 shares of the Companys common stock (subject to adjustment) or less than 14%
of the common stock then outstanding.
(14) Novartis Collaboration
On May 31, 2005, the Company entered into a research collaboration and option agreement and a
license, development and commercialization agreement with Novartis International Pharmaceutical
Ltd. to discover, develop and potentially commercialize immune-modulatory oligonucleotides that are
TLR9 agonists and that are identified as potential treatments for asthma and allergies. Under the
terms of the agreements, Novartis paid the Company a $4.0 million license fee in July 2005. In
addition to the $4.0 million upfront payment, Novartis agreed to fund substantially all research
activities and make milestone payments to Idera upon the achievement of clinical development,
regulatory approval and cumulative net sales milestones. If Novartis elects to exercise its option
to develop and commercialize licensed IMOs in the initial collaboration disease areas, Novartis is
potentially obligated to pay the Company up to $132.0 million in milestone payments. Novartis is
also obligated to pay the Company a royalty on net sales of all products, if any, commercialized by
Novartis, its affiliates and sublicensees. The Company is recognizing the $4.0 million upfront
payment as revenue over the two-year term of the research collaboration. If specific conditions are
met, Novartis may choose to expand the collaboration to use identified immune modulatory
oligonucleotides for additional human diseases, other than oncology and infectious diseases, which
will be subject to agreed upon milestone payments.
(15) Subsequent Event
On October 31, 2006, the Company entered into a lease agreement for laboratory and office
space located in Cambridge, MA. The term of the lease commences on May 15, 2007 and expires on
June 1, 2014, with one five-year renewal option exercisable by the
12
Company. The Company intends to move its operations from its current facility to the new facility
in May 2007. As part of the lease, the Company was required to restrict approximately $620,000
for a security deposit. The initial annual rent expense will amount to $1.2 million, subject to
escalation during each year of the lease term. Total payments over the seven year term of the lease
are approximately $9.0 million.
(16) Pro Forma Balance Sheet
In November 2006, the Company drew down $4.0 million of the purchase commitment through the
sale of 781,250 shares of common stock at a price of $5.12 per share (see Note 13(b)). The
unaudited pro forma balance sheet as of September 30, 2006 reflects the receipt on November 6, 2006
of approximately $4.0 million of gross proceeds from the second drawdown under the commitment.
The $620,000 facility lease security deposit discussed in Note 15 is included in non-current
assets in the accompanying pro forma balance sheet at September 30, 2006.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
GENERAL
We are engaged in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics that modulate immune
responses through Toll-like Receptors, or TLRs, for the treatment of multiple diseases. We are
developing proprietary DNA- and RNA-based compounds that modulate TLRs and are targeted to TLR7,
TLR8 or TLR9. We believe that these immune modulatory oligonucleotide, or IMO, compounds are
broadly applicable to large and growing markets where significant unmet medical needs exist,
including oncology, asthma and allergies, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases and vaccine
adjuvants. IMO-2055, our lead drug candidate, is a synthetic DNA-based compound, which acts as an
agonist for TLR9 and triggers the activation and modulation of the immune system. IMO-2055 is
currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial as a monotherapy for renal cell carcinoma and a Phase 1/2
clinical trial in combination with chemotherapy agents for solid tumors. We have selected another
TLR9 agonist, IMO-2125, as a lead compound for development for the treatment of infectious
diseases. We are also collaborating with Novartis to develop treatments for asthma and allergies
using other of our TLR9 agonist compounds. We are also developing a new class of compounds which act
as antagonists to TLRs. Our IMO compounds targeted
to TLR7 and TLR8 and our new
class of compounds which
act as antagonists to TLRs are in the discovery stage.
Since 2003, we have devoted substantially all of our research and development efforts to our
IMO technology and products and expect to continue that focus in future years. These IMO research
and development efforts have resulted in over 150 patents and patent applications world wide.
Although we are no longer developing our antisense technologies in-house, we have maintained over
300 key patents and patent applications in this area and will continue to seek additional
collaborators to develop our antisense technologies. In order to commercialize our therapeutic
products, we need to address a number of technological challenges and to comply with comprehensive
regulatory requirements.
APPLICATION OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
This managements discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is
based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial
statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts
of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting
period. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates and judgments, including those
related to revenue recognition. Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical
experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances,
the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these
estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
We regard an accounting estimate or assumption underlying our financial statements as a
critical accounting estimate where (i) the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due
to the level of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the
susceptibility of such matters to change; and (ii) the impact of the estimates and assumptions on
financial condition or operating performance is material.
13
Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005. Not
all of these significant accounting policies, however, fit the definition of critical accounting
estimates. We believe that our accounting policies relating to revenue recognition, as described
under the caption Item 7. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations Critical Accounting Policies in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2005, fit the definition of critical accounting estimates and judgments.
STOCK BASED COMPENSATION
On January 1, 2006, we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123R,
Share-Based Payment. This statement requires us to recognize all share-based payments to
employees in the financial statements based on their fair values. We have chosen to adopt SFAS 123R
on a modified prospective basis and the statement of operations does not include compensation costs
calculated under the fair value method of SFAS 123R in the first nine months of 2005. Since the
adoption of this new guidance there have been no significant changes in the quantity or types of
instruments used in stock-based compensation programs, nor have there been any significant changes
in the terms of existing stock-based compensation arrangements and no material cumulative
adjustments were recorded in the first nine months of 2006.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, we included charges of
approximately $213,000 and $697,000, respectively, in our statement of operations, which represent
the stock compensation expense computed in accordance with SFAS 123R. There were no corresponding
charges included in the statement of operations during the three and nine months ended September
30, 2005. We expect that the stock based compensation charges in our statement of operations for
the remainder of 2006 will be similar to the charges included in the first nine months of 2006 with
no corresponding charges in 2005. However, the amount of future charges cannot be forecasted
precisely since it is dependent, in part, on future stock option grants and other factors which
cannot be accurately predicted at this time.
Prior to adopting SFAS 123R on January 1, 2006, we recorded changes in the intrinsic value of
our repriced options in our Statement of Operations, including charges of $121,000 in the three
months ended September 30, 2005 and $149,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as a
result of increases in the intrinsic value of the repriced options during these periods. In
accordance with SFAS 123R, we no longer include changes in the intrinsic value of our repriced
options in our statement of operations.
As of September 30, 2006, there was $1.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost
related to unvested stock-based compensation arrangements. That cost is expected to be recognized
over a weighted-average period of 2.5 years.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2006 and 2005
Alliance Revenue
Total alliance revenue increased by $27,000, or 5%, from $545,000 for the three months ended
September 30, 2005 to $572,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and increased by
$802,000, or 78%, from $1,028,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 to $1,830,000 for
the nine months ended September 30, 2006. The increase in revenues between the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 and the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was primarily due to license fees
we recognized under our collaboration agreement with Novartis, which we entered into in May 2005.
In July 2005, we received from Novartis a $4,000,000 upfront fee in connection with the execution
of the agreement. We are recognizing this $4,000,000 fee over two years that commenced on the date
that we entered into the agreement with the balance being recorded as deferred revenue. Our
revenues for both periods were comprised of revenue earned under various collaboration and
licensing agreements for research and development, including reimbursement of third-party expenses,
license fees, sublicense fees, and royalty payments.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses increased by $748,000, or 33%, from $2,261,000 for the three
months ended September 30, 2005 to $3,009,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and
increased by 2,477,000 or 34%, from $7,182,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 to
$9,659,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2006. The increase in the three months ended
September 30, 2006 was primarily attributable to manufacturing and IND-enabling safety study
expenses associated with our
14
pre-IND lead infectious disease compound, IMO-2125, increased expenditures for our Phase 1/2
clinical trial of IMO-2055 in combination with chemotherapy agents started in October 2005, costs
associated with the formation of our Oncology Clinical Advisory Board, and increased compensation
expense attributable, in part, to our adoption of SFAS 123R. These increases were partially offset
by decreases in research and other IMO-2055 expenses. The increase in the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 was primarily attributable to costs relating to manufacturing and IND-enabling
safety study costs associated with IMO-2125, Phase 1/2 clinical trial expenses for IMO-2055, Phase
2 clinical trial expenses for IMO-2055 and related nonclinical safety study costs, costs associated
with the formation of our Oncology Clinical Advisory Board and increased stock-based compensation
attributable, in part, to our adoption of SFAS 123R. In the nine months ended September 30, 2005,
we had expenses for manufacturing IMO-2055 that led to a corresponding decrease in expenses in the
nine months ended September 30, 2006. This is because IMO-2055 manufactured and expensed during the
2005 period was utilized during the 2006 period and there was no IMO-2055 manufactured and expensed
in 2006.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended |
|
|
Nine months ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Increase |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Increase |
|
(In thousands) |
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
(Decrease) |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
(Decrease) |
|
IMO-2055 External
Development Expense |
|
$ |
839 |
|
|
$ |
853 |
|
|
|
(2 |
%) |
|
$ |
2,624 |
|
|
$ |
2,770 |
|
|
|
(5 |
%) |
Other Drug Development Expense |
|
|
1,213 |
|
|
|
298 |
|
|
|
307 |
% |
|
|
3,708 |
|
|
|
1,140 |
|
|
|
225 |
% |
Basic Discovery Expense |
|
|
957 |
|
|
|
1,110 |
|
|
|
(14 |
%) |
|
|
3,327 |
|
|
|
3,272 |
|
|
|
2 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Research and Development
Expense |
|
$ |
3,009 |
|
|
$ |
2,261 |
|
|
|
33 |
% |
|
$ |
9,659 |
|
|
$ |
7,182 |
|
|
|
34 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the preceding table, research and development expense is set forth in the following three
categories:
IMO-2055 External Development Expenses. These expenses include external expenses that we have
incurred in connection with IMO-2055, our lead compound being developed for oncology applications
under the name IMOxine. These external expenses reflect payments to independent contractors and
vendors for drug development trials and studies conducted after the initiation of IMO-2055 clinical
trials and drug manufacturing and related costs but exclude internal costs such as payroll and
overhead. Since the date we commenced clinical development of IMO-2055, we have incurred
approximately $9.8 million in external expenses in connection with IMO-2055. The decrease in
IMO-2055 expenses in the three months ended September 30, 2006 compared to the same period in 2005
was primarily attributable to lower Phase 2 trial expenses as we approach full enrollment of Stage
A of our Phase 2 clinical trial and to a decrease in drug supply expenses as a result of the
manufacture and expense recognition of IMO-2055 during the third quarter of 2005 but not during the
third quarter of 2006. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in our Phase 1/2
clinical trial expenses and an increase in additional nonclinical safety studies of IMO-2055. The
decrease in IMO-2055 expenses in the nine months ended September 30, 2006 was primarily
attributable to our manufacture of IMO-2055 in the nine months ended September 30, 2005, as
explained above, partially offset by increases in 2006 of nonclinical studies of IMO-2055 and our
Phase 1/2 clinical trial expenses of IMO-2055.
In October 2004, we commenced patient recruitment for an open label, multi-center Phase 2
clinical trial of IMO-2055 as a monotherapy in patients with metastatic or recurrent clear cell
renal carcinoma. The primary endpoint of the trial is to determine the tumor response, measured by
the increase or decrease in size, by a standard approach referred to as RECIST, which stands for
Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Secondary objectives include safety, duration of
response, time to progression, survival through 12 months after the last dose, and the effect of
the treatment on quality of life. The trial was designed as a two-stage trial. Stage A of the
trial provided for the evaluation of IMO-2055 at two dose levels, 0.16 mg/kg and 0.64 mg/kg,
administered by weekly subcutaneous injection. Based on tumor response rates experience with drugs
in clinical use for kidney cancer as of the initiation date for our Phase 2 trial, the statistical
design for Stage A of the trial required 23 patients for each dose level. We originally planned to
recruit a minimum of 46 patients who had previously failed one prior therapy for the treatment of
metastatic or recurrent clear cell renal carcinoma, who we refer to as second-line patients. We
expected a low number of treatment-naïve patients, and the original protocol did not specify a
target enrollment for treatment-naïve patients. In October 2005, in response to a higher than
expected enrollment rate of treatment-naïve patients in the Phase 2 trial, we submitted to the FDA
a protocol amendment that provides for enrollment of up to 46 treatment-naïve patients in the first
stage of the trial, in addition to the 46 second-line patients provided for by the original study
design. In November 2006, we further amended the protocol to allow us
to study additional
immune system parameters. Recruitment has been slower than projected because of the recent approval of the two new
therapies, Sutent® and Nexavar®, for treatment of the same patient population. We expect to
complete enrollment for Stage A of the trial by the
15
end of 2006. Since we cannot predict how long patients will remain on IMO-2055 treatment, we
cannot estimate when we will have final results for Stage A of the trial. Decisions with regard to
Stage B of the trial will depend on Stage A results.
In October 2005, we initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of IMO-2055 in combination with the
chemotherapy agents Gemzar® and carboplatin at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at
Georgetown University Medical Center. We enrolled eight refractory solid tumor patients in the
original Phase 1 part of the trial. We are seeking to enroll 12 to 18 additional refractory solid
tumor patients in the amended Phase 1 portion of the trial to evaluate the safety of the
combination. If successful, we plan to use Phase 1 data for dose selection for the subsequent Phase
2 portion of the trial as first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer patients.
Other Drug Development Expenses. These expenses include internal and external expenses
associated with preclinical development of identified compounds in anticipation of advancing these
compounds into clinical development in addition to internal costs associated with products in
clinical development. The internal and external expenses associated with preclinical compounds
include payments to contract vendors for manufacturing and the related stability studies,
preclinical studies including animal toxicology and pharmacology studies and professional fees, as
well as payroll and overhead. The internal expenses associated with products in clinical
development include costs associated with our Oncology Clinical Advisory Board, payroll and
overhead. The increase in these expenses in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 was
primarily attributable to manufacturing and IND-enabling safety study costs associated with our
pre-IND lead infectious disease compound, IMO-2125, costs associated with the formation of our
Oncology Clinical Advisory Board and an increase in compensation costs attributable to the hiring
of additional employees and our adoption of SFAS 123R.
Our Oncology Clinical Advisory Board, which we referred to above, was recently formed to
advise us on the IMO-2055 clinical program. We plan to consider the recommendations of the
advisory board and determine which cancer indications to pursue based on the IMO-2055 mechanism of
action and clinical and preclinical data. Once we make this determination, we plan to develop
additional protocols for FDA review and plan to initiate one or more new trials commencing at the
earliest in 2007. If we were to commence such a trial or trials in 2007, our IMO-2055 expenses
would increase significantly commencing in 2007.
Basic Discovery Expense. These expenses include our internal and external expenses relating
to the continuing development of our IMO technology and research to identify additional compounds.
These expenses reflect payments for lab supplies, external research, professional fees, as well as,
payroll and overhead. The decrease in these expenses in the three months ended September 30, 2006
was primarily attributable to a decrease in external research as some of our collaborative
agreements were completed. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in compensation costs
attributable, in part, to our adoption of SFAS 123R. The increase in these expenses in the nine
months ended September 30, 2006 was primarily attributable to an increase in lab supplies and an
increase in allocation of overhead costs, as well as, an increase in compensation costs
attributable, in part, to our adoption of SFAS 123R. These decreases are partially offset by a
decrease in external research as some of our collaborative agreements were completed.
We do not know if we will be successful in developing IMO-2055 or any of our other product
candidates. At this time without knowing the results of our ongoing clinical trials of IMO-2055
and without having agreed upon a development strategy and pathway with the FDA, we cannot
reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing and costs of the efforts that will be necessary to
complete the remainder of the development of, or the period, if any, in which material net cash
inflows may commence from, IMO-2055. Moreover, the clinical development of IMO-2055 or any of our
other product candidates is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the
duration and cost of clinical trials, which vary significantly over the life of a project as a
result of unanticipated events arising during clinical development, including with respect to:
|
|
the number of clinical sites included in the trials; |
|
|
|
the length of time required to enroll suitable subjects; |
|
|
|
the number of subjects that ultimately participate in the trials; and |
|
|
|
the efficacy and safety results of our clinical trials and the number of additional required clinical trials.
|
|
|
|
General and Administrative Expenses |
General and administrative expenses increased by $162,000, or 13%, from $1,233,000 in the
three months ended September 30, 2005 to $1,395,000 in the three months ended September 30, 2006
and increased by $193,000, or 5%, from $3,782,000 in the nine
16
months ended September 30, 2005 to $3,975,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2006. The
increase in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 primarily reflects higher
compensation attributable, in part, to our adoption of SFAS 123R. The increase in the nine-month
period is partially offset by a decrease in corporate legal expenses.
Investment Income, net
Investment income increased by approximately $13,000, or 12%, from $107,000 in the three
months ended September 30, 2005 to $120,000 in the three months ended September 30, 2006 and
increased by $69,000, or 27%, from $257,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 to $326,000
in the nine months ended September 30, 2006. These increases resulted from higher interest rates.
The increases are also attributable to changes to our portfolio to include instruments with shorter
maturities resulting in lower premium amortization offsetting interest income in the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2006.
Interest Expense
Interest expense decreased by $1,000, or 1%, from $108,000 in the three months ended September
30, 2005 to $107,000 in the three months ended September 30, 2006 and increased by $172,000, or
118%, from $146,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 to $318,000 in the nine months
ended September 30, 2006. The increase for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 reflect
interest on our 4% convertible subordinated notes issued in May 2005 and amortization of deferred
financing costs associated with these notes.
Net Loss Applicable to Common Stockholders
As a result of the factors discussed above, our net loss applicable to common stockholders
amounted to $3,819,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $2,950,000 for
the three months ended September 30, 2005 and $11,797,000 for the nine months ended September 30,
2006, as compared to $9,826,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. We have incurred
losses of $64.6 million since January 1, 2001 and losses of $260.2 million prior to December 31,
2000 for a total of $324.8 million in losses through September 30, 2006. We expect to continue to
incur substantial operating losses in the future.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Sources of Liquidity
We require cash to fund our operating expenses, to make capital expenditures and to service
our debt. Historically, we have funded our cash requirements primarily through the following means:
equity and debt financing, license fees and research funding under collaborative and license
agreements, interest income and lease financings.
In March 2006, we raised approximately $9.8 million in gross proceeds from a private placement
to institutional investors. In the private placement, we sold for a purchase price of $3.52 per
share 2,769,886 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase 2,077,414 shares of common stock.
The warrants to purchase common stock have an exercise price of $5.20 per share, are fully
exercisable and will expire if not exercised on or prior to September 24, 2011. The warrants may be
exercised by cash payment only. The net proceeds to us from the offering, excluding the proceeds of
any future exercise of the warrants, totaled approximately $8.9 million.
In March 2006, we secured a purchase commitment from an investor to purchase from us up to
$9.8 million of our common stock during the period from June 24, 2006 through December 31, 2006 in
up to three drawdowns made by us at our discretion. In July 2006, we drew down $3.5 million of this
commitment through the sale of 683,593 shares of common stock at a price of $5.12 per share and on
November 6, 2006, we drew down $4.0 million of this commitment through the sale of 781,250 shares
of common stock at a price of $5.12 per share. If we elect to draw down the remaining $2.3
million of newly-issued shares of our common stock, the price will be equal to the greater of a)
80% of the volume weighted average closing price during a five-day pricing period preceding the
date that we notify the investor of the sale and b) $5.12 per share. No drawdown may occur within
45 days of any other drawdown. Based on the floor price, a maximum of 439,453 additional shares of
common stock could be issued under the purchase commitment. We are not obligated to sell any of the
remaining $2.3 million available under the purchase commitment and there are no minimum commitments
or minimum use penalties. The purchase commitment does not contain any restrictions on our
operating activities, automatic pricing resets or minimum market volume restrictions. The agent
fees and other costs directly related to securing the purchase commitment total approximately $0.9
million, which we paid in the nine months ended September 30, 2006. If we elect to sell the entire
$9.8 million of our common stock pursuant to the purchase commitment, the net proceeds to us,
excluding the proceeds of any future exercise of the warrants, will be approximately $8.9 million.
As part of the arrangement, we issued warrants to the investor to purchase 761,718 shares of our
common stock at an exercise price of $5.92 per share.
17
Cash Flows
As of September 30, 2006, we had approximately $8,062,000 in cash, cash equivalents and
short-term investments, a decrease of approximately $314,000 from December 31, 2005.
We used approximately $11,897,000 of cash for operating activities during the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, principally to fund our research and development expenses and our general
and administrative expenses. The $11,897,000 primarily consists of our net loss of $11,796,000 for
the period, as adjusted for non-cash stock-based compensation, the increase in our accrued expenses
and decreases in deferred revenue and prepaid expenses.
The net cash provided by investing activities during the first three quarters of 2006 of
$1,041,000 reflects our purchase of approximately $15,747,000 in securities offset by our sale of
$5,545,000 of securities and the proceeds of approximately $11,325,000 from securities that matured
between January 1, 2006 and September 30, 2006.
The net cash of approximately $11,635,000 provided by financing activities during the first
three quarters of 2006 reflects the approximately $9,750,000 in gross proceeds that we received
from the private placement to institutional investors in March 2006 and the $3,500,000 in gross
proceeds from the sale of common stock in July 2006 under our March 2006 purchase commitment offset
by the expenses associated with both the March 2006 private placement and the purchase commitment.
Net cash provided by financing activities also reflects approximately $93,000 we received from the
exercise of stock options during the nine months ended September 30, 2006.
Funding Requirements
We believe that, based on our current operating plan, our existing cash, cash equivalents and
short-term investments, including the proceeds from our November 2006 sale of common stock under
the March 2006 purchase commitment, which resulted in
$4.0 million in gross proceeds, are sufficient
to fund our operations through June 2007. If we sell the remaining $2.3 million under the purchase
commitment, we expect to have sufficient cash and investments to be able to pursue our clinical and
preclinical development programs and continue operations through August 2007.
We do not expect to generate significant additional funds internally until we successfully
complete development and obtain marketing approval for products, either alone or in collaboration
with third parties, which we expect will take a number of years. In addition, we have no committed
external sources of funds. As a result, in order for us to continue to pursue our clinical and
preclinical development programs and continue operations beyond June 2007, or August 2007 if we
draw down all of the funds pursuant to the purchase commitment, we must raise additional funds in
2007 from debt, equity financings or from collaborative arrangements with biotechnology or
pharmaceutical companies. There can be no assurance that the requisite funds will be available in
the necessary time frame or on terms acceptable to us. Should we be unable to raise sufficient
funds, we may be required to significantly curtail our operating plans and possibly relinquish
rights to portions of our technology or products. In addition, increases in expenses or delays in
clinical development may adversely impact our cash position and require further cost reductions. No
assurance can be given that we will be able to operate profitably on a consistent basis, or at all,
in the future.
We believe that the key factors that will affect our internal and external sources of cash
are:
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the success of our clinical and preclinical development programs; |
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the receptivity of the capital markets to financings by biotechnology companies; and |
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our ability to enter into strategic collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical
companies and the success of such collaborations. |
Contractual Obligations
We have contractual obligations in the form of employment agreements, operating leases and
consulting and collaboration agreements. On October 31, 2006, we entered into a lease agreement
for laboratory and office space located in Cambridge, MA. The term of the lease commences on May
15, 2007 and expires on June 1, 2014, with one five-year renewal option exercisable by the Company.
As part of the lease, we were required to restrict approximately $620,000 for a security deposit.
The initial annual rent
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expense will amount to $1.2 million, subject to escalation during each year of the lease term.
Total payments over the seven year term of the lease are approximately $9.0 million. We have
specified rights to sublease this facility. The Company intends to move its operations from its
current facility to the new facility in May 2007
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
As of September 30, 2006, we have no assets and liabilities related to non-dollar-denominated
currencies.
We maintain investments in accordance with our investment policy. The primary objectives of
our investment activities are to preserve principal, maintain proper liquidity to meet operating
needs and maximize yields. Although our investments are subject to credit risk, our investment
policy specifies credit quality standards for our investments and limits the amount of credit
exposure from any single issue, issuer or type of investments. We do not own derivative financial
investment instruments in our investment portfolio.
Based on a hypothetical ten percent adverse movement in interest rates, the potential losses
in future earnings, fair value of risk sensitive financial instruments, and cash flows are
immaterial, although the actual effects may differ materially from the hypothetical analysis.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Our management, with the participation
of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2006. The term disclosure controls and
procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and
other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed
by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms. Disclosure
controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure
that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits
under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the companys management, including its
principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions
regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter
how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives
and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of
possible controls and procedures. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures
as of September 30, 2006, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that,
as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance
level.
(b) Changes in Internal Controls. No change in our internal control over financial reporting
(as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act) occurred during the
fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2006 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
19
IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
PART II OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Investing in
our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider
the risks and uncertainties described below in addition to the other information included in this
quarterly report on Form 10-Q before purchasing our common stock. If any of the following risks
actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer,
possibly materially. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could fall, and you may
lose all or part of the money you paid to buy our common stock.
Risks Relating to Our Financial Results and Need for Financing
We have incurred substantial losses and expect to continue to incur losses. We will not be
successful unless we reverse this trend.
We have incurred losses in every year since our inception, except for 2002 when our
recognition of revenues under a license and collaboration agreement resulted in us reporting net
income for that year. As of September 30, 2006, we had incurred operating losses of approximately
$324.8 million. We expect to continue to incur substantial operating losses in future periods.
These losses, among other things, have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our
stockholders equity, total assets and working capital.
We have received no revenues from the sale of drugs. To date, almost all of our revenues have
been from collaborative and license agreements. We have devoted substantially all of our efforts to
research and development, including clinical trials, and we have not completed development of any
drugs. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing drugs, we are
unable to predict the extent of any future losses, whether or when any of our products will become
commercially available, or when we will become profitable, if at all.
We will need additional financing, which may be difficult to obtain. Our failure to obtain
necessary financing or doing so on unattractive terms could adversely affect our discovery and
development programs and other operations.
We will require substantial funds to conduct research and development, including preclinical
testing and clinical trials of our drugs. We will also require substantial funds to conduct
regulatory activities and to establish commercial manufacturing, marketing and sales capabilities.
We believe that, based on our current operating plan, our existing cash, cash equivalents and
short-term investments, including the proceeds from our November 6, 2006 sale of common stock at a
price of $5.12 per share under a purchase commitment, which resulted in $4.0 million in gross
proceeds, will be sufficient to fund our operations through June 2007. In March 2006, we secured
the purchase commitment from an investor to purchase from us up to a total of $9.8 million of our
common stock during the period from June 24, 2006 through December 31, 2006 in up to three
drawdowns made by us at our discretion, at a minimum price of $5.12 per share. If we draw down the
$2.3 million remaining under this purchase commitment, we expect to have sufficient cash and
investments to be able to pursue our clinical and preclinical development programs and continue
operations through August 2007.
We will need to raise additional funds to operate our business beyond such time. We believe
that the key factors that will affect our ability to obtain additional funding are:
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the success of our clinical and preclinical development programs; |
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the receptivity of the capital markets to financings by biotechnology companies; and |
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our ability to enter into strategic collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical
companies and the success of such collaborations. |
Additional financing may not be available to us when we need it or may not be available to us
on favorable terms. We could be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborators or
others that may require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies, drug candidates or
drugs which we would otherwise pursue on our own. In addition, if we raise additional funds by
issuing equity securities, our then existing stockholders will experience dilution. The terms of
any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of existing stockholders. If we are
unable to obtain adequate funding on a timely basis or at all, we may be required to significantly
curtail one or more of our discovery or development programs. For example, we significantly
curtailed expenditures on our research and development programs during 1999 and 2000 because we did not have
sufficient funds available to advance these programs at planned levels.
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Risks Relating to Our Business, Strategy and Industry
We are depending heavily on the success of our lead drug candidate, IMO-2055, which is in clinical
development. If we are unable to commercialize this product, or experience significant delays in
doing so, our business will be materially harmed.
We are investing a significant portion of our time and financial resources in the development
of our lead drug candidate, IMO-2055. We anticipate that our ability to generate product revenues
will depend heavily on the successful development and commercialization of this product. The
commercial success of this product will depend on several factors, including the following:
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acceptable safety profile during the trial and during commercial use; |
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successful completion of clinical trials; |
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receipt of marketing approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, and
equivalent foreign regulatory authorities; |
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establishing commercial manufacturing arrangements with third-party manufacturers; |
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launching commercial sales of the product, whether alone or in collaboration with others; and |
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acceptance of the product in the medical community and with third-party payors. |
Our efforts to commercialize this product are at an early stage, as we are currently
conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with metastatic or recurrent clear cell renal
carcinoma. If we are not successful in commercializing this product, or are significantly delayed
in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.
If our clinical trials are unsuccessful, or if they are delayed or terminated, we may not be able
to develop and commercialize our products.
In order to obtain regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of our products, we are
required to complete extensive clinical trials in humans to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of
our drug candidates. We may not be able to complete any clinical trial of a potential product
within any specified time period. Moreover, clinical trials may not show our potential products to
be both safe and efficacious. In addition, we may not be able to obtain authority from any
regulatory agency to complete these trials or complete any other clinical trials. The FDA and
other regulatory authorities may not approve any of our potential products for any indication.
The results from preclinical testing of a drug candidate that is under development may not be
predictive of results that will be obtained in human clinical trials. In addition, the results of
early human clinical trials may not be predictive of results that will be obtained in larger scale,
advanced stage clinical trials. A failure of any of our clinical trials can occur at any stage of
testing. Further, there is to date little data on the long-term clinical safety of our lead
compounds under conditions of prolonged use in humans, or on any long-term consequences subsequent
to human use. Effects seen in preclinical studies, even if not observed in clinical trials, may
result in limitations or restrictions on our clinical trials. We may experience numerous unforeseen
events during, or as a result of, preclinical testing, nonclinical testing, or the clinical trial
process that could delay or inhibit our ability to receive regulatory approval or to commercialize
our products, including:
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we may not be able to supply an adequate quantity of drug candidate meeting the
required quality standards for use in clinical trials or other materials necessary for
conducting our clinical trials; |
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our preclinical tests, including toxicology studies, or clinical trials may produce
negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to
conduct additional preclinical testing or clinical trials or we may abandon projects that
we expect may not be promising; |
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the rate of enrollment or retention of patients in our clinical trials may be
less than expected; |
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we might have to suspend or terminate our clinical trials if the participating patients
experience serious adverse events or undesirable side effects or are exposed to
unacceptable health risks ; |
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regulators or institutional review boards may require that we hold, suspend or
terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory
requirements, including any issues identified through inspections of manufacturing or
clinical trial operations or clinical trial sites; |
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regulators may hold or suspend our clinical trials while collecting supplemental
information on, or clarification of, our clinical trials or other clinical trials,
including trials conducted in other countries or trials conducted by other companies; |
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the cost of our clinical trials may be greater than we
currently anticipate and/or we
may lack sufficient funding to continue clinical trials; and |
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the effects of our products may not be the desired effects or may include undesirable
side effects or the products may have other unexpected characteristics. |
As an example, in 1997, after reviewing the results from the clinical trial of GEM91, a first
generation antisense compound and our lead drug candidate at the time, we determined not to
continue the development of GEM91 and suspended clinical trials of this product candidate.
The rate of completion of clinical trials is dependent in part upon the rate of enrollment of
patients. We originally planned to recruit a minimum of 46 patients who had previously failed one
prior therapy, who we refer to as second-line patients, into the first stage of our Phase 2 trial
of IMO-2055 in renal cell carcinoma. As of October 2005, our enrollment of second-line patients was
less than anticipated, whereas the enrollment of treatment-naïve patients was more than expected.
As a result, we amended the trial protocol in October 2005 to accommodate statistical endpoints for
both treatment-naïve and second-line patients, thus extending the completion of the trial beyond
the time we expected. As a result, we are now seeking to enroll up to 92 patients in the first
stage of the trial, and we plan to continue patient recruitment into
the fourth quarter of 2006.
Recruitment has been slower than projected because of the recent approval of two new therapies,
Sutent® and Nexavar®,
for treatment of the same patient population. Patient accrual is a function of many
factors, including:
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the size of the patient population, |
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the proximity of patients to clinical sites, |
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the eligibility criteria for the study, |
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the nature of the study, |
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the existence of competitive clinical trials, and |
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the availability of alternative treatments. |
Our product development costs will increase if we experience delays in our clinical trials. We
do not know whether clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be
completed on schedule, if at all. Significant clinical trial delays also could allow our
competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to commercialize our
products.
Delays in commencing clinical trials of potential products could increase our costs, delay any
potential revenues and reduce the probability that a potential product will receive regulatory
approval.
Our drug candidates and our collaborators drug candidates will require preclinical and other,
nonclinical testing and extensive clinical trials prior to submission of any regulatory application
for commercial sales. We are currently conducting clinical trials with IMO-2055 in oncology and
plan to commence clinical trials of IMO-2125 in infectious disease in 2007. In conducting clinical
trials, we cannot be certain that any planned clinical trial will begin on time, if at all. Delays
in commencing clinical trials of potential products could increase our costs, delay any potential
revenues and reduce the probability that a potential product will receive regulatory approval.
Commencing clinical trials may be delayed for a number of reasons, including delays in:
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manufacturing sufficient quantities of drug candidate that satisfy the required
quality standards for use in clinical trials; |
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demonstrating sufficient safety to obtain regulatory approval for conducting a clinical trial; |
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reaching an agreement with any collaborators on all aspects of the clinical trial; |
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reaching agreement with contract research organizations, if any, and clinical trial
sites on all aspects of the clinical trial; |
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resolving any objections from the FDA or any regulatory authority on an IND application or
proposed clinical trial design; |
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obtaining institutional review board approval for conducting a clinical trial at a
prospective site; and |
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enrolling patients in order to commence the clinical trial. |
We face substantial competition which may result in others discovering, developing or
commercializing drugs before or more successfully than us.
The biotechnology industry is highly competitive and characterized by rapid and significant
technological change. We face, and will continue to face, intense competition from organizations
such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic and research institutions
and government agencies. Some of these organizations are pursuing products based on technologies
similar to our technologies. Other of these organizations have developed and are marketing
products, or are pursuing other technological approaches designed to produce products, that are
competitive with our product candidates in the therapeutic effect these competitive products have
on diseases targeted by our product candidates. Our competitors may discover, develop or
commercialize products or other novel technologies that are more effective, safer or less costly
than any that we are developing. Our competitors may also obtain FDA or other regulatory approval
for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours. As examples, the FDA recently
approved Sutent® and Nexavar® for use in renal cell carcinoma, which is the indication for which we
are evaluating IMO-2055 monotherapy in our Phase 2 trial. Two of our competitors are currently
evaluating TLR9 agonists in Phase 3 clinical trials.
Many of our competitors are substantially larger than we are and have greater capital
resources, research and development staffs and facilities than we have. In addition, many of our
competitors are more experienced than we are in drug discovery, development and commercialization,
obtaining regulatory approvals and drug manufacturing and marketing.
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We anticipate that the competition with our products and technologies will be based on a
number of factors including product efficacy, safety, availability and price. The timing of market
introduction of our products and competitive products will also affect competition among products.
We expect the relative speed with which we can develop products, complete the clinical trials and
approval processes and supply commercial quantities of the products to the market to be important
competitive factors. Our competitive position will also depend upon our ability to attract and
retain qualified personnel, to obtain patent protection or otherwise develop proprietary products
or processes and to secure sufficient capital resources for the period between technological
conception and commercial sales.
Because the products that we may develop will be based on new technologies and therapeutic
approaches, the market may not be receptive to these products upon their introduction.
The commercial success of any of our products for which we may obtain marketing approval from
the FDA or other regulatory authorities will depend upon their acceptance by the medical community
and third-party payors as clinically useful, cost-effective and safe. Many of the products that we
are developing are based upon technologies or therapeutic approaches that are relatively new and
unproven. The FDA has not granted marketing approval to any products based on IMO technology or
TLR9 agonists, and no such products are currently being marketed. As a result, it may be more
difficult for us to achieve regulatory approval or market acceptance of our products. In addition,
if products based upon TLR technology being developed by our competitors have negative preclinical
or clinical trial results or otherwise are viewed negatively, such events could negatively impact
the perception of our TLR technology and market acceptance of our products. Our efforts to educate
the medical community on these potentially unique approaches may require greater resources than
would be typically required for products based on conventional technologies or therapeutic
approaches. The safety, efficacy, convenience and cost-effectiveness of our products as compared to
competitive products will also affect market acceptance.
Competition for technical and management personnel is intense in our industry, and we may not be
able to sustain our operations or grow if we are unable to attract and retain key personnel.
Our success is highly dependent on the retention of principal members of our technical and
management staff, including Sudhir Agrawal and Robert Karr. Dr. Agrawal serves as our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Karr serves as our President. Dr. Agrawal has
made significant contributions to the field of antisense technology, and has led the development of
IMO Technology. He is named as an inventor on over 230 patents and patent applications worldwide.
Dr. Karr has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Drs. Agrawal and Karr provide us
leadership for management, research and development activities. The loss of either Dr. Agrawals or
Dr. Karrs services would be detrimental to our ongoing scientific progress and the execution of
our business plan.
We are a party to an employment agreement with Dr. Agrawal for a term ending on October 19,
2008, subject to annual renewals. This agreement may be terminated by us or Dr. Agrawal for any
reason or no reason at any time upon notice to the other party. We do not carry key man life
insurance for Dr. Agrawal.
We are a party to an employment agreement with Dr. Karr for a term ending on December 5, 2007,
subject to annual renewals. This agreement may be terminated by us or Dr. Karr for any reason or no
reason at any time upon notice to the other party. We do not carry key man life insurance for Dr.
Karr.
Our future growth will require hiring a significant number of qualified technical and
management personnel. Recruiting and retaining such personnel in the future will be critical to our
success. There is intense competition from other companies and research and academic institutions
for qualified personnel in the areas of our activities. If we are not able to continue to attract
and retain, on acceptable terms, the qualified personnel necessary for the continued development of
our business, we may not be able to sustain our operations or grow.
Regulatory Risks
We may not be able to obtain marketing approval for products resulting from our development
efforts.
All of the products that we are developing or may develop in the future will require
additional research and development, extensive preclinical studies and clinical trials and
regulatory approval prior to any commercial sales. This process is lengthy, often taking a number
of years, is uncertain and is expensive. Since our inception, we have conducted clinical trials of
a number of compounds. In 1997, we determined not to continue clinical development of GEM91, our
lead product candidate at the time. Currently, we are conducting clinical trials of IMO-2055.
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We may need to address a number of technological challenges in order to complete development
of our products. Moreover, these products may not be effective in treating any disease or may prove
to have undesirable or unintended side effects, unintended alteration of the immune system over
time, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude our obtaining regulatory approval or
prevent or limit commercial use.
We are subject to comprehensive regulatory requirements, with which compliance is costly and
time-consuming; if we fail to comply with these requirements, we could be subject to adverse
consequences and penalties.
The testing, manufacturing, labeling, advertising, promotion, export and marketing of our
products are subject to extensive regulation by governmental authorities in Europe, the United
States and elsewhere throughout the world.
In general, submission of materials requesting permission to conduct clinical trials may not
result in authorization by the FDA or any equivalent foreign regulatory agency to commence clinical
trials. Further, permission to continue ongoing trials may be withdrawn by the FDA or other
regulatory agency at any time after initiation, based on new information available after the
initial authorization to commence clinical trials. In addition, submission of an application for
marketing approval to the relevant regulatory agency following completion of clinical trials may
not result in the regulatory agency approving the application if applicable regulatory criteria are
not satisfied, and may result in the regulatory agency requiring additional testing or information.
Any regulatory approval of a product may contain limitations on the indicated uses for which
the product may be marketed or requirements for costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to
monitor the safety or efficacy of the product. Any product for which we obtain marketing approval,
along with the facilities at which the product is manufactured, any post-approval clinical data and
any advertising and promotional activities for the product will be subject to continual review and
periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory agencies.
Both before and after approval is obtained, violations of regulatory requirements may result
in:
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the regulatory agencys delay in approving, or refusal to approve, an application for approval of a product; |
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restrictions on such products or the manufacturing of such products; |
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withdrawal of the products from the market; |
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warning letters; |
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voluntary or mandatory recall; |
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fines; |
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suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals; |
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product seizure; |
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refusal to permit the import or export of our products; |
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injunctions or the imposition of civil penalties; and |
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criminal penalties. |
We have only limited experience in regulatory affairs and our products are based on new
technologies; these factors may affect our ability or the time we require to obtain necessary
regulatory approvals.
We have only limited experience in filing the applications necessary to gain regulatory
approvals. Moreover, the products that result from our research and development programs will
likely be based on new technologies and new therapeutic approaches that have not been extensively
tested in humans. The regulatory requirements governing these types of products may be more
rigorous than for conventional drugs. As a result, we may experience a longer regulatory process in
connection with obtaining regulatory approvals of any product that we develop.
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Risks Relating to Collaborators
We need to establish collaborative relationships in order to succeed.
An important element of our business strategy includes entering into collaborative
relationships for the development and commercialization of products based on our discoveries. We
face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Moreover, these arrangements are
complex to negotiate and time-consuming to document. We may not be successful in our efforts to
establish collaborative relationships or other alternative arrangements.
The success of collaboration arrangements will depend heavily on the efforts and activities of
our collaborators. Our collaborators will have significant discretion in determining the efforts
and resources that they will apply to these collaborations. The risks that we face in connection
with these collaborations include the following:
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disputes may arise in the future with respect to the ownership of rights to technology
developed with collaborators; |
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disagreements with collaborators could delay or terminate the research, development or
commercialization of products, or result in litigation or arbitration; |
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we may have difficulty enforcing the contracts if one of our collaborators fails to
perform; |
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our collaborators may terminate their collaborations with us, which could make it
difficult for us to attract new collaborators or adversely affect the perception of us in
the business or financial communities; |
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collaborators have considerable discretion in electing whether to pursue the development
of any additional drugs and may pursue technologies or products either on their own or in
collaboration with our competitors that are similar to or competitive with our technologies
or products that are the subject of the collaboration with us; and |
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our collaborators may change the focus of their development and commercialization
efforts. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically have re-evaluated their
priorities following mergers and consolidations, which have been common in recent years in
these industries. The ability of our products to reach their potential could be limited if
our collaborators decrease or fail to increase spending relating to such products. |
Given these risks, it is possible that any collaborative arrangements into which we enter may
not be successful. In May 2005, we entered into collaborative arrangements with Novartis involving
our IMO technology for application in asthma and allergies. Previous collaborative arrangements to
which we were a party with F. Hoffmann-La Roche and G.D. Searle & Co., involving our antisense
technology, were terminated prior to the development of any product. The failure of any of our
collaborative relationships could delay our drug development or impair commercialization of our
products.
Risks Relating to Intellectual Property
If we are unable to obtain patent protection for our discoveries, the value of our technology and
products will be adversely affected.
Our patent positions, and those of other drug discovery companies, are generally uncertain and
involve complex legal, scientific and factual questions.
Our ability to develop and commercialize drugs depends in significant part on our ability to:
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obtain patents; |
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obtain licenses to the proprietary rights of others on commercially reasonable terms; |
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operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others; |
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prevent others from infringing on our proprietary rights; and |
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protect trade secrets. |
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We do not know whether any of our patent applications or those patent applications that we
in-license will result in the issuance of any patents. Our issued patents and those that may issue
in the future, or those licensed to us, may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, and the
rights granted thereunder may not provide us proprietary protection or competitive advantages
against competitors with similar technology. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop
similar technologies or duplicate any technology developed by us. Because of the extensive time
required for development, testing and regulatory review of a potential product, it is possible
that, before any of our products can be commercialized, any related patent may expire or remain in
force for only a short period following commercialization, thus reducing any advantage of the
patent.
Because patent applications in the United States and many foreign jurisdictions are typically
not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all, and because publications
of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries, neither we nor our
licensors can be certain that we or they were the first to make the inventions claimed in issued
patents or pending patent applications, or that we or they were the first to file for protection of
the inventions set forth in these patent applications.
Third parties may own or control patents or patent applications and require us to seek licenses,
which could increase our development and commercialization costs, or prevent us from developing or
marketing products.
We may not have rights under some patents or patent applications related to our products.
Third parties may own or control these patents and patent applications in the United States and
abroad. Therefore, in some cases, to develop, manufacture, sell or import some of our products, we
or our collaborators may choose to seek, or be required to seek, licenses under third-party patents
issued in the United States and abroad or under patents that might issue from United States and
foreign patent applications. In such an event, we would be required to pay license fees or
royalties or both to the licensor. If licenses are not available to us on acceptable terms, we or
our collaborators may not be able to develop, manufacture, sell or import these products.
We may lose our rights to patents, patent applications or technologies of third parties if our
licenses from these third parties are terminated. In such an event, we might not be able to develop
or commercialize products covered by the licenses.
We are party to six license agreements in the field of antisense technology under which we
have acquired rights to patents, patent applications and technology of third parties. Under these
licenses we are obligated to pay royalties on net sales by us of products or processes covered by a
valid claim of a patent or patent application licensed to us. We also are required in some cases to
pay a specified percentage of any sublicense income that we may receive. These licenses impose
various commercialization, sublicensing, insurance and other obligations on us. Our failure to
comply with these requirements could result in termination of the licenses. These licenses
generally will otherwise remain in effect until the expiration of all valid claims of the patents
covered by such licenses or upon earlier termination by the parties. The issued patents covered by
these licenses expire at various dates ranging from 2006 to 2022. If one or more of these licenses
is terminated, we may be delayed in our efforts, or be unable, to develop and market the products
that are covered by the applicable license or licenses.
We may become involved in expensive patent litigation or other proceedings, which could result in
our incurring substantial costs and expenses or substantial liability for damages or require us to
stop our development and commercialization efforts.
There has been substantial litigation and other proceedings regarding patent and other
intellectual property rights in the biotechnology industry. We may become a party to various types
of patent litigation or other proceedings regarding intellectual property rights from time to time
even under circumstances in which we are not practicing and do not intend to practice any of the
intellectual property involved in the proceedings. For instance, in 2002, 2003, and 2005, we became
involved in interference proceedings declared by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or
USPTO, for certain of our antisense and ribozyme patents. All of these interferences have since
been resolved. We are neither practicing nor intending to practice the intellectual property that
is associated with any of these interference proceedings.
The cost to us of any patent litigation or other proceeding, including the interferences
referred to above, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. Some of our competitors may
be able to sustain the cost of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because
of their substantially greater financial resources. If any patent litigation or other proceeding is
resolved against us,
we or our collaborators may be enjoined from developing, manufacturing, selling or importing our
drugs without a license from the other party and we may be held liable for significant damages. We
may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially acceptable terms or at all.
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Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other
proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace.
Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time.
Risks Relating to Product Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales and Reliance on Third Parties
Because we have limited manufacturing experience, we are dependent on third-party manufacturers to
manufacture products for us. If we cannot rely on third-party manufacturers, we will be required to
incur significant costs and devote significant efforts to establish our own manufacturing
facilities and capabilities.
We have limited manufacturing experience and no commercial scale manufacturing capabilities.
In order to continue to develop our products, apply for regulatory approvals and ultimately
commercialize products, we need to develop, contract for or otherwise arrange for the necessary
manufacturing capabilities.
We currently rely upon third parties to produce material for preclinical and clinical testing
purposes and expect to continue to do so in the future. We also expect to rely upon third parties
to produce materials that may be required for the commercial production of our products.
There are a limited number of manufacturers that operate under the FDAs current good
manufacturing practices regulations capable of manufacturing our products. As a result, we may have
difficulty finding manufacturers for our products with adequate capacity for our needs. If we are
unable to arrange for third-party manufacturing of our products on a timely basis, or to do so on
commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to complete development of our products or market
them.
Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks to which we would not be subject if we
manufactured products ourselves, including:
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the possibility of breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party because of factors beyond our control, |
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the possibility of termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party, based
on its own business priorities, at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us, |
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the potential that any such third-party manufacturer will develop know-how owned by such
third party in connection with the production of our products that is necessary for the
manufacture of our products, and |
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reliance upon third-party manufacturers to assist us in preventing inadvertent disclosure
or theft of our proprietary knowledge. |
We purchased oligonucleotides for preclinical and clinical testing from Avecia Biotechnology
at a preferential price under a supply agreement, which expired in March 2004. We have continued to
purchase all of the oligonucleotides we are using in our ongoing clinical trials and preclinical
testing from Avecia. The terms of the agreement have been extended until such time as a new
agreement is negotiated. If Avecia determines not to accept any purchase order for oligonucleotides
or we are unable to enter into a new manufacturing arrangement with Avecia or a new contract
manufacturer on a timely basis or at all, our ability to supply the product needed for our clinical
trials could be materially impaired. The services of multiple third-party manufactures are utilized
to accomplish the final portion of the manufacturing process.
We have no experience selling, marketing or distributing products and no internal capability to do
so.
If we receive regulatory approval to commence commercial sales of any of our products, we will
face competition with respect to commercial sales, marketing and distribution. These are areas in
which we have no experience. To market any of our products directly, we would need to develop a
marketing and sales force with technical expertise and with supporting distribution capability. In
particular, we would need to recruit a large number of experienced marketing and sales personnel.
Alternatively, we could engage a pharmaceutical or other healthcare company with an existing
distribution system and direct sales force to assist us. However, to the extent we entered into
such arrangements, we would be dependent on the efforts of third parties. If we are unable to
establish sales and distribution capabilities, whether internally or in reliance on third parties,
our business would suffer materially.
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If third parties on whom we rely for clinical trials do not perform as contractually required or as
we expect, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our products and
our business may suffer.
We do not have the ability to independently conduct the clinical trials required to obtain
regulatory approval for our products. We depend on independent clinical investigators, contract
research organizations and other third-party service providers in the conduct of the clinical
trials of our products and expect to continue to do so. For example, we have contracted with
PAREXEL International to manage our Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-2055 in renal cell carcinoma. We
rely heavily on these parties for successful execution of our clinical trials, but do not control
many aspects of their activities. We are responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials
is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the trial.
Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as good clinical
practices, for conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials to assure that data and reported
results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial
participants are protected. Our reliance on third parties that we do not control does not relieve
us of these responsibilities and requirements. Third parties may not complete activities on
schedule or may not conduct our clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or our
stated protocols. The failure of these third parties to carry out their obligations could delay or
prevent the development, approval and commercialization of our products. If we seek to conduct any
of these activities ourselves in the future, we will need to recruit appropriately trained
personnel and add to our infrastructure.
If we are unable to obtain adequate reimbursement from third-party payors for any products that we
may develop or acceptable prices for those products, our revenues and prospects for profitability
will suffer.
Most patients will rely on Medicare and Medicaid, private health insurers and other
third-party payors to pay for their medical needs, including any drugs we may market. If
third-party payors do not provide adequate coverage or reimbursement for any products that we may
develop, our revenues and prospects for profitability will suffer. Congress recently enacted a
limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients in the Medicare Prescription Drug and
Modernization Act of 2003. While the program established by this statute may increase demand for
our products, if we participate in this program, our prices will be negotiated with drug
procurement organizations for Medicare beneficiaries and are likely to be lower than we might
otherwise obtain. Non-Medicare third-party drug procurement organizations may also base the price
they are willing to pay on the rate paid by drug procurement organizations for Medicare
beneficiaries.
A primary trend in the United States healthcare industry is toward cost containment. In
addition, in some foreign countries, particularly the countries of the European Union, the pricing
of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing
negotiations with governmental authorities can take six to twelve months or longer after the
receipt of regulatory marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval
in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost
effectiveness of our product candidates or products to other available therapies. The conduct of
such a clinical trial could be expensive and result in delays in commercialization of our products.
Third-party payors are challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, and
many third-party payors limit reimbursement for newly-approved healthcare products. In particular,
third-party payors may limit the indications for which they will reimburse patients who use any
products that we may develop. Cost control initiatives could decrease the price we might establish
for products that we may develop, which would result in lower product revenues to us.
We face a risk of product liability claims and may not be able to obtain insurance.
Our business exposes us to the risk of product liability claims that is inherent in the
manufacturing, testing and marketing of human therapeutic drugs. Although we have product liability
and clinical trial liability insurance that we believe is adequate, this insurance is subject to
deductibles and coverage limitations. We may not be able to obtain or maintain adequate protection
against potential liabilities. If we are unable to obtain insurance at acceptable cost or otherwise
protect against potential product liability claims, we will be exposed to significant liabilities,
which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial position. These liabilities
could prevent or interfere with our commercialization efforts.
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Risks Relating to an Investment in Our Common Stock
Our corporate governance structure, including provisions in our certificate of incorporation, our
by-laws, our stockholder rights plan and Delaware law, may prevent a change in control or
management that stockholders may consider desirable.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and our certificate of incorporation,
by-laws and stockholder rights plan contain provisions that might enable our management to resist a
takeover of our company or discourage a third party from attempting to take over our company. These
provisions include:
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a classified board of directors; |
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limitations on the removal of directors; |
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limitations on stockholder proposals at meetings of stockholders; |
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the inability of stockholders to act by written consent or to call special meetings; and |
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the ability of our board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of
preferred stock without stockholder approval. |
These provisions could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in
control of us or a change in our management that stockholders may consider favorable or beneficial.
These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other
stockholders to elect directors and take other corporate actions. These provisions could also limit
the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.
Our stock price has been and may in the future be extremely volatile. In addition, because an
active trading market for our common stock has not developed, our investors ability to trade our
common stock may be limited. As a result, investors may lose all or a significant portion of their
investment.
Our stock price has been volatile. During the period from January 1, 2005 to September 30,
2006, the closing sales price of our common stock, as adjusted to reflect the one-for-eight reverse
split of our common stock effected on June 29, 2006, ranged from a high of $6.48 per share to a low
of $2.36 per share. The stock market has also experienced significant price and volume
fluctuations, and the market prices of biotechnology companies in particular have been highly
volatile, often for reasons that have been unrelated to the operating performance of particular
companies. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including:
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results of clinical trials of our product candidates or those of our competitors; |
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the regulatory status of our product candidates; |
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failure of any of our product candidates, if approved, to achieve commercial success; |
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the success of competitive products or technologies; |
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regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; |
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developments or disputes concerning patents or other proprietary rights; |
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the departure of key personnel; |
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variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us; |
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our cash resources; |
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the terms of any financing conducted by us; |
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changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; |
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market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors and issuance of new or
changed securities analysts reports or recommendations; and |
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general economic, industry and market conditions. |
In addition, our common stock has historically been traded at low volume levels and may
continue to trade at low volume levels. As a result, any large purchase or sale of our common stock
could have a significant impact on the price of our common stock and it may be difficult for
investors to sell our common stock in the market without depressing the market price for the common
stock or at all.
As a result of the foregoing, investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above the
price they paid for such shares. Investors in our common stock must be willing to bear the risk of
fluctuations in the price of our common stock and the risk that the value of their investment in
our stock could decline.
We may be unable to repay our 4% convertible subordinated notes when due or to repurchase the
convertible subordinated notes if we are required to do so under the terms of our agreement with
the holders of the 4% convertible subordinated notes.
In May 2005, we sold approximately $5.0 million in principal amount of 4% convertible
subordinated notes. On April 30, 2008, the entire outstanding principal amount of our 4%
convertible subordinated notes will become due and payable, unless the notes are converted to
common stock prior to expiration. In addition, we may be required to redeem all or part of the
convertible subordinated notes prior to the final maturity date if specified events occur. We may
not have sufficient funds or may be unable to arrange for additional financing to pay the amount
due under the convertible subordinated notes at maturity or to pay the price to repurchase the
convertible subordinated notes. Any future borrowing arrangements or debt agreements to which we
may become a party may restrict or prohibit us from repaying or repurchasing the convertible
subordinated notes. If we are prohibited from repaying or repurchasing the convertible subordinated
notes, we could try to obtain the consent of lenders under those arrangements, or we could attempt
to refinance the indebtedness that contains the restrictions. If we could not obtain the necessary
consents or refinance the indebtedness, we would be unable to repay or repurchase the convertible
subordinated notes. Any such failure would constitute an event of default under the agreement with
the holders of the 4% convertible subordinated notes, which could, in turn, constitute a default
under the terms of any future indebtedness.
You may suffer additional dilution if we issue additional shares to the investor under the Common
Stock Purchase Agreement.
In March 2006, we entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with an investor. Under this
agreement, we secured a purchase commitment from the investor to purchase from us up to a total of
$9.8 million of our common stock during the period from June 24, 2006 through December 31, 2006 in
up to three drawdowns made by us, at our discretion. In July 2006, we drew down $3.5 million and in
November 2006, we drew down $4.0 million of this commitment through the sale of 683,593 and 781,250
shares of common stock, respectively. It is anticipated that we will draw down the remaining $2.3
million in December 2006 through the sale of additional shares of common stock. In each drawdown,
the shares of common stock will be sold at a price equal to 80% of the volume weighted average of
the closing prices of the common stock on the five trading days preceding the drawdown notice, but
such purchase price in no event will be less than a floor price of $5.12 per share. Based on this
floor price, a maximum of 439,453 additional shares of common stock could be issued with respect to
the remaining $2.3 million of common stock available under the purchase commitment. We are not
obligated to sell any of the remaining $2.3 million of common stock available under the purchase
commitment and there are no minimum commitments or minimum use penalties. If we issue shares of our
common stock to the investor pursuant to the purchase commitment, our then existing stockholders
will experience dilution.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS.
The list of Exhibits filed as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are set forth on the
Exhibit Index immediately preceding such Exhibits, and is incorporated herein by this reference.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized.
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IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC |
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Date: November 13, 2006
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/s/ Sudhir Agrawal |
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Sudhir Agrawal |
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Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Scientific Officer and Director |
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(Principal Executive Officer) |
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Date: November 13, 2006
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/s/ Robert G. Andersen |
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Robert G. Andersen Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations |
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(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit Index
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Exhibit No. |
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10.1
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Amendment No. 1 to Purchase Agreement between the Company and Biotech Shares Ltd., dated July 10, 2006. |
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31.1
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Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted
pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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31.2
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Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted
pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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32.1
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Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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32.2
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Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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