UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| (Mark One) | |
ý |
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 |
|
or |
|
o |
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to |
|
Commission file number: 0-19311
IDEC PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 33-0112644 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
|
3030 Callan Road, San Diego, California |
92121 |
|
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) |
(858) 431-8500
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.0005 par value
(Title of class)
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 ý No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes ý No o
As of June 30, 2002, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $5,202,590,172. (Based upon the "closing" price as reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market on June 28, 2002). This number is provided only for the purposes of this report and does not represent an admission by either the Registrant or any such person as to the status of such person.
As of January 31, 2003, the Registrant had 154,677,126 shares of its common stock, $0.0005 par value, issued and outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Registrant's Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 19, 2003 are incorporated by reference into Part III.
IDEC PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| PART I: | ||||
Item 1. |
Business |
1 |
||
Item 2. |
Properties |
37 |
||
Item 3. |
Legal Proceedings |
37 |
||
Item 4. |
Submission of Matters to a Vote of Stockholders |
38 |
||
PART II: |
||||
Item 5. |
Market for Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters |
39 |
||
Item 6. |
Selected Financial Data |
40 |
||
Item 7. |
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
41 |
||
Item 7A. |
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
49 |
||
Item 8. |
Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data |
50 |
||
Item 9. |
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
50 |
||
PART III: |
||||
Item 10. |
Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant |
51 |
||
Item 11. |
Executive Compensation |
51 |
||
Item 12. |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
51 |
||
Item 13. |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions |
51 |
||
Item 14. |
Controls and Procedures |
51 |
||
PART IV: |
||||
Item 15. |
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K |
52 |
||
Signatures and Certifications |
57 |
|||
Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule |
60 |
|||
Overview
IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the research, development, manufacture and commercialization of targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Our two commercial products, Rituxan® (rituximab) and Zevalin® (ibritumomab tiuxetan), are for use in the treatment of certain B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, or B-cell NHLs. B-cell NHLs currently afflict approximately 300,000 patients in the United States. We are also developing products for the treatment of cancer and various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis.
In November 1997, Rituxan became the first monoclonal antibody approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for a cancer therapy indication. Rituxan, marketed in the United States under a copromotion arrangement between us and Genentech, Inc., achieved U.S. net sales of $1.08 billion in 2002, compared to $779.0 million in 2001, an increase of 39%. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., or Roche, sells rituximab outside the United States, except in Japan where it copromotes Rituxan in collaboration with Zenyaku Kogyo Co. Ltd., or Zenyaku.
Under our copromotion arrangement with Genentech, we share responsibility with Genentech for selling and continued development of Rituxan in the United States. Continued development of Rituxan includes conducting supportive research and post-approval clinical studies on Rituxan and obtaining potential approval of Rituxan for additional indications. Genentech provides support functions for the commercialization of Rituxan including marketing, customer service, order entry, distribution, shipping and billing. Since September 1999, Genentech has been responsible for all worldwide manufacturing of Rituxan.
All U.S. sales of Rituxan and associated costs and expenses are recognized by Genentech and we record our share of the pretax copromotion profits on a quarterly basis. Our profit-sharing formula with Genentech has two tiers; we earn a higher percentage of the pretax copromotion profits at the upper tier once a fixed pretax copromotion profit level is met. The profit-sharing formula resets annually at the beginning of each year to the lower tier. We began recording our profit share at the higher percentage during the first quarter of both 2002 and 2001.
Rituxan, which is delivered intravenously, is approved as a treatment of relapsed or refractory low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL. Typically, treatment with Rituxan is administered as four weekly intravenous infusions over a 22-day period compared to other available therapies, such as chemotherapy, which are typically administered in repeated cycles for four to eight months. Because of its proven benefits and safety profile, we believe that Rituxan is a strong candidate for combination therapy, and we are currently researching its possible uses in this role.
In May 2001, we announced that the FDA approved a Supplemental Biological License Application, or sBLA, for Rituxan. The new product labeling allows for:
In June 1998, Roche, our European marketing partner for Rituxan, was granted marketing authorization for Rituximab in all European Union countries. In March 2002, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, or EMEA, approved the use of Rituximab in combination with standard
1
chemotherapy, or CHOP, to treat patients with intermediate/high grade NHL. In June 2001, Zenyaku, our Japanese marketing partner for Rituxan, was granted marketing authorization for Rituxan in Japan. Rituxan is the trade name in the United States, Canada and Japan for the compound Rituximab. Outside the United States, Canada and Japan, Rituximab is marketed as MabThera. In this Form 10-K, we refer to Rituximab, Rituxan and MabThera collectively as Rituxan, except where we have otherwise indicated.
Initial results of a Roche sponsored Phase II blinded, randomized, controlled study of Rituxan plus steroids alone or in combination with methotrexate or cyclophosphamide in rheumatoid arthritis were presented at the American College of Rheumatology Meeting in 2002. These results suggest that Rituxan had significant activity in rheumatoid arthritis. We, in conjunction with Genentech and Roche, are now pursuing Phase III trials and additional Phase II trials in this indication.
In February 2002, Zevalin became the first radioimmunotherapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of certain B-cell NHLs. Zevalin, which is delivered intravenously, is approved as a treatment for relapsed or refractory low-grade, follicular, or transformed B-cell NHL including patients with Rituxan refractory follicular NHL. We commenced selling Zevalin in April 2002 and achieved U.S. net sales of $13.7 million in 2002. We have retained all U.S. marketing and distribution rights to Zevalin and have granted marketing and distribution rights outside the U.S. to Schering Aktiengesellschaft, or Schering AG. In January 2001, the EMEA accepted for filing the Zevalin Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, submitted by Schering AG in the European Union. In March 2002, the "Summary of Product Characteristics" was approved by the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products, or CPMP, for the treatment of adult patients with Rituximab relapsed or refractory CD20+ follicular B-cell NHL. The CPMP's final approval is pending approval by the EMEA of our manufacturing facilities and fill/finish provider.
We also have four other antibodies in various stages of clinical development for treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer:
2
Roche that suggests Rituxan has significant activity in rheumatoid arthritis, we have decided to focus on Rituxan as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis instead of IDEC-151. IDEC-151 is being considered for development in various other autoimmune diseases.
We have two other products in clinical development for treatment of cancer:
Therapeutic Antibodies and the Immune System
The immune system is composed of specialized cells, including B cells and T cells, that function in the recognition, destruction and elimination of disease-causing foreign substances and virally infected or malignant cells. The role of these specialized cells is determined by receptors on the cell surface that govern the interaction of the cell with foreign substances and with the rest of the immune system. For example, each differentiated B cell of the immune system has a different antibody anchored to its surface that serves as a receptor to recognize foreign substances. This antibody then triggers the production of additional antibodies that, as circulating molecules, bind to and eliminate these foreign substances. Each foreign substance, such as tumor cell, virus or bacteria, is individually identifiable by structures on its surface known as antigens, which serve as binding sites for the specific antibodies. T cells play more diverse roles, including the identification and destruction of virally infected or malignant cells.
A variety of technologies have been developed to produce antibodies as therapeutic agents. These include hybridoma technology and molecular biology techniques such as gene cloning and expression, which can now be applied to the generation, selection and production of hybrid monoclonal antibody varieties known as chimeric and humanized antibodies, as well as strictly human antibodies. Chimeric antibodies are constructed by combining portions of non-human species, typically mouse antibodies, with human antibodies. In these applications, the portion of the antibody responsible for antigen binding, which we refer to as the variable region, is taken from a non-human antibody and the remainder of the antibody, which we refer to as the constant region, is taken from a human antibody. Compared to mouse-derived monoclonal antibodies, chimeric antibodies generally exhibit lower immunogenicity, which is the tendency to trigger an often adverse immune response such as a human anti-mouse antibody, or HAMA response. Chimeric antibodies are also cleared more slowly from the body and function more naturally in the human immune system. Humanized antibodies can be constructed by grafting several small pieces of a murine antibody's variable region onto a constant region framework provided by a human antibody. This process, known as CDR-grafting, reduces the amount of foreign materials in the antibody, rendering it closer to a human antibody. However, the construction of humanized antibodies by CDR-grafting requires complex computer modeling, and the properties of the resulting antibody are not completely predictable and may, in fact, still trigger a HAMA response.
3
All human cells express a broad variety of surface antigens which are cell surface markers and can be used to differentiate one cell type from another. Monoclonal antibodies may be used to bind to specific subsets of human cells and may act to deplete, to suppress or to up-regulate the activity of the targeted cells. Indeed, the high specificity of monoclonal antibodies enables them to selectively act against many different types of cells, including cells involved in the immune response (B cells and T cells), other normal cell types which may be involved in disease such as macrophages, neutrophils and endothelial cells, or specific tumor cells. Depletion of diseased cells or suppression of disease-causing activities may be possible by using antibodies that attach to specific antigens on the surface of target cells. Monoclonal antibodies may also be used to bind to molecules, for example, cytokines, which serve as soluble mediators of immune system cell activity. By neutralizing these molecules, monoclonal antibodies may be used to alter immune cell activity or cell migration, which exists in many inflammatory conditions.
Diseases of the Immune System
As with other cell types in the body, B cells and T cells may become malignant and develop into immune system tumors, such as B-cell NHLs. B-cell NHLs are cancers of the immune system that currently afflict approximately 300,000 patients in the United States. Treatment alternatives for B-cell NHL patients include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and, more recently, Rituxan and Zevalin. Rituxan is approved for use in low grade or follicular, relapsed or refractory CD20-positive B-cell NHL. Zevalin is approved for use in relapsed or refractory low grade, follicular, or transformed B-cell NHL, including patients with Rituxan refractory follicular NHL. B-cell NHLs are diverse with respect to prognosis and treatment, and are generally classified into one of three groups (low, intermediate or high grade) based on histology and clinical features. We estimate that approximately half of the 300,000 patients afflicted with B-cell NHL in the United States have low grade or follicular disease. Patients with low grade lymphomas have a fairly long life expectancy from the time of diagnosis, with a median survival of 6.6 years, despite the fact that low grade NHLs are almost always incurable. Intermediate and high grade lymphomas are more rapidly growing forms of these cancers which, in some cases, may be curable with early, aggressive chemotherapy. New diagnoses of NHLs in the United States are estimated to be 53,400 in 2003. In the United States, more than 85% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are of B-cell origin; the remainder are of T-cell origin.
Owing to the fluid nature of the immune system, low grade B-cell lymphomas are usually widely disseminated and characterized by multiple tumors at various sites throughout the body upon first presentation. Treatment courses with chemotherapy or radiation therapy often result in a limited number of remissions for patients with low grade B-cell lymphomas. The majority of patients in remission will relapse and ultimately die either from their cancer or from complications of conventional therapy. Fewer patients achieve additional remissions following relapse and those remissions are generally of shorter duration as the tumors become increasingly resistant to subsequent courses of chemotherapy. Therapeutic product development efforts for these cancers have focused on both improving treatment results and minimizing the toxicities associated with standard treatment regimens. Immunotherapies with manageable toxicity and demonstrated efficacy, such as Rituxan and Zevalin, might be expected to reduce treatment and hospitalization costs associated with side effects or opportunistic infections, which can result from the use of chemotherapy.
Psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, asthma, allergic rhinitis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, ITP and multiple sclerosis, or MS, are autoimmune or inflammatory diseases that require ongoing therapy and afflict millions of patients in the United States. Autoimmune disease occurs when the patient's immune system goes awry, initiating a cascade of events that results in an attack by the patient's immune system against otherwise healthy tissue and often includes inflammation of the involved tissue. Autoimmune diseases have typically been treated with products such as immunosuppressive agents and corticosteroids. These therapies are limited for several
4
reasons, including their lack of specificity and side effect profiles. Despite recent approvals of targeted biologic therapies there remains a significant need for safe and effective agents to treat these debilitating diseases.
Technology
We develop products for the management of immune system cancers and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Our antibody products bind to specific subsets of human immune system cells or to soluble mediators of immune cell activity, and act to deplete or to alter the activity of these cells. The products are administered intravenously and target cells or soluble mediators located in easily accessible compartments of the body, specifically the blood, the lymphatic fluid and the synovial fluid. For treatment of B-cell NHLs, our products target a cell surface marker known as CD20 which is present only on B cells but not on B-cell precursors. These products act to reduce total B-cell levels, including both malignant and normal B cells. The depletion of normal B cells observed in clinical experience to date has been only temporary, with regeneration occurring within months from the unaffected B-cell precursors. We believe that Rituxan provides therapeutic alternatives and can complement certain existing treatments of various B-cell NHLs. We also believe that our radioimmunotherapeutic agent, Zevalin, will provide an additional alternative for the treatment of certain B-cell NHLs.
Due to their specificity and affinity for cell surface receptors, monoclonal antibodies are an attractive means by which to treat autoimmune diseases. Attachment of monoclonal antibodies to specific cell surface receptors can be used to suppress aberrant and unwanted immune activity. Historically, however, the use of monoclonal antibodies as an ongoing therapy has been limited by the body's rejection of the murine components of the antibodies. Murine monoclonal antibodies, which are structurally different from human antibodies, tend to trigger adverse immune reactions when used as therapies. These reactions include a HAMA response in which the patient's immune system produces antibodies against the therapeutic antibody, thus limiting its effectiveness.
We have developed the following proprietary technologies for use with and in the development of our products:
5
Our Products and Product Candidates
Rituxan, our first product, and Zevalin, our second product approved for marketing in the United States, as well as our other primary products under development, address immune system disorders, such as lymphomas and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In addition, we have discovered other product candidates through the application of our technology platform. The products either commercialized or in clinical development by our partners and us are described in the following table.
6
We have retained exclusive marketing rights in the United States for all of our products except Rituxan.
| |
Indication |
Status |
Development/Marketing Partners |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rituxan | Certain B-cell NHLs | U.S., Canada, European Union, and Japan: Approved | Genentech (U.S. copromotion) Roche (worldwide except U.S. and Japan) Zenyaku and Roche (Japan) |
|||
Rheumatoid arthritis |
Phase II; beginning implementation of Phase III |
Genentech (U.S. copromotion) Roche (worldwide except U.S.) |
||||
Zevalin |
Certain B-cell NHLs (radioimmunotherapy) |
U.S.: Approved European Union: MAA accepted for filing |
Schering AG (worldwide except U.S.) |
|||
PRIMATIZED Anti-CD23 (IDEC-152) |
Allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis |
Phase I/II |
Seikagaku Corporation (worldwide except North, Central and South America) |
|||
CLL |
Phase I |
Seikagaku Corporation (worldwide except North, Central and South America) |
||||
PRIMATIZED Anti-CD80 (Anti-B7.1) (IDEC-114) |
NHL and various autoimmune diseases |
Phase I/II |
Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation (Asia) |
|||
PRIMATIZED Anti-CD4 (IDEC-151) (Clenoliximab) |
Various autoimmune diseases |
Phase II |
IDEC has worldwide rights |
|||
Humanized Anti-CD40L (IDEC-131) |
Various autoimmune diseases |
Phase II (on hold) |
Eisai Co., Ltd. (Europe and Asia) |
|||
IDEC-160 |
Solid tumors |
Phase I |
Shinyaku (Asia) |
|||
IDEC-201 |
Glioma |
Phase I/II |
Biogen and IDEC share worldwide rights |
Rituxan
Rituxan is a genetically engineered, chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody designed to harness the patient's own immune mechanisms to destroy normal and malignant B cells. In November 1997, Rituxan was approved in the United States for treatment of various B-cell NHLs. We market Rituxan in the United States with Genentech under a copromotion arrangement. Roche sells rituximab outside the United States, except in Japan where it copromotes Rituxan in collaboration with Zenyaku. Outside the United States, Canada and Japan, rituximab is marketed as MabThera.
Our laboratory studies show that the Rituxan antibody binds to the CD20 antigen on B cells and activates a group of proteins known as complement, leading to normal and malignant B-cell destruction. Additionally, we believe that the Rituxan antibody, when bound to the CD20 antigen, recruits macrophages and natural killer cells to attack the B cells. Rituxan can also directly induce apoptosis or programmed cell death. Through these and other mechanisms, the antibody utilizes the body's immune defenses to lyse, or rupture, and deplete B cells. B cells have the capacity to regenerate from early precursor cells that do not express the CD20 antigen. The depletion of normal B cells observed in clinical experience to date has been only temporary, with normal B-cell regeneration back to baseline levels typically occurring within nine to twelve months.
7
Rituxan in Malignant Diseases
Rituxan was the first monoclonal antibody approved in the United States for a cancer therapy indication. Rituxan is unique in the treatment of B-cell NHLs due to its specificity for the antigen CD20, which is expressed only on normal and malignant B cells and not on precursor B cells or other tissues of the body. Rituxan's mechanism of action utilizes the body's own immune system as compared to conventional lymphoma therapies, including experimental radioimmunotherapies. These properties of Rituxan also allow its use in patients where chemotherapy is either poorly tolerated or ineffective in inducing disease remissions. Rituxan is easily administered as outpatient therapy by personnel trained in the use of chemotherapies. A standard course of Rituxan therapy consists of four intravenous infusions given on days one, eight, 15 and 22, whereas chemotherapy is given typically in repeating cycles for up to four to eight months. In May 2001, the FDA approved our sBLA relating to the use of Rituxan in expanded dosing, including retreatment, times eight dosing for the treatment of B-cell NHL, including bulky disease. The sBLA also amended our package insert to update safety information. In addition, a Dear Healthcare Provider letter was sent to physicians to enhance their understanding of adverse events that may be associated with Rituxan use.
Rituxan is indicated for single agent use in relapsed or refractory, low grade or follicular CD20-positive B-cell NHLs, which comprise approximately half of the B-cell NHLs in the United States. Ongoing or completed Phase II studies suggest that Rituxan may also be useful in combination with chemotherapy in low grade or follicular, relapsed or refractory, CD20-positive B-cell NHLs, and as a single agent or in combination with various chemotherapies in the treatment of other forms of B-cell NHLs and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL. In relapsed or chemotherapy-refractory low grade B-cell NHLs, which to date have proven to be incurable, Rituxan provides a means to induce remissions of disease in some patients without subjecting the patient to the toxicity and duration of therapy that are typical of chemotherapy regimens.
In a Phase III clinical trial, Rituxan, given as a single agent to patients with relapsed or refractory, low grade or follicular CD20-positive B-cell NHL, induced partial or complete responses to therapy (using the response criteria as defined in the IDEC protocol) of 48% of patients on an intent-to-treat basis, which represented 80 of 166 patients. Of the 80 responding patients, tumor shrinkage greater than 50% was verified over at least two independent observations 28 days apart; 10 were complete responses, or 6%, and 70 were partial responses, or 42%. The median duration of response, which is the time from response onset to first determination of tumor regrowth, in the 80 responders was 11.6 months. Retrospective analysis of patient subgroups in the Phase III Rituxan trial showed responses in patients with poor prognostic features, and who generally respond poorly to chemotherapy regimes, such as age greater than 60, extranodal disease, prior relapse from autologous bone marrow transplant, or relapse or failure of anthracycline-containing regimens. In newly diagnosed aggressive B-cell NHLs, termed Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma, a study has demonstrated significantly improved response rates, complete response rates, disease free survival and overall survival with the addition of Rituxan to combination chemotherapy.
There are standard response criteria for solid tumor cancers, CLL, Hodgkin's disease and acute myelogenous leukemia, but until recently, none for B-cell NHL. As a result, clinical response rates in B-cell NHL may vary depending on which criterion is being applied. One of the protocol-defined requirements for scoring a complete response in the Rituxan pivotal trial was that all measurable lesions shrink to less than 1x1cm. Using this conservative criterion, we reported an overall response rate of 48% with a 6% complete response rate, referred to as a CR rate. Based on a paper published by Cheson, et al. in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the lymphoma experts have now standardized the response criteria in NHL. Prior to the Cheson paper and the subsequent standardization, our protocol definition of overall response rate and complete response rates were based on our investigators and our own criteria. Exploratory analysis applying the new International Workshop NHL Response Criterion
8
Standards for NHL to our Rituxan Phase III trial shows an overall response rate of 56% with a CR rate of 32%.
In December 1999, we announced updated information on the results of a Phase II Rituxan retreatment study presented at the American Society of Hematology Conference, or ASH conference. This Phase II study in patients with low grade or follicular, CD20-positive B-cell NHL was conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of Rituxan in patients who had relapsed or were refractory to prior chemotherapy, but had responded previously to Rituxan. From the analyses of the study, patients who responded to one regimen of Rituxan may be retreated with additional courses of Rituxan without impairment of bone marrow function, or myelosuppression, or development of an immune response, or antibodies, to chimeric antibody therapy, a response called human anti-chimeric antibody, or HACA. Of 60 patients treated, 57 were considered evaluable for efficacy. The overall response rate using our protocol was 40%, with 6 out of 57, or 11%, achieving complete responses and 17 out of 57, or 30%, achieving partial responses. The overall safety profile seen with retreatment was similar to what was reported for the initial treatment with Rituxan.
The most common adverse events associated with Rituxan, based on our clinical trial experience, are infusion-related, consisting mainly of mild to moderate flu-like symptoms, for example, fever, chills and rigors, that occur in the majority of patients during the first infusion. Other events which occur with less frequency include nausea, rashes, fatigue and headaches. More serious events include hypotension, wheezing, tumor lysis syndrome, rare pulmonary events including pneumonitis and bronchiolitis obliterans, mucocutaneous reactions, angina or arrhythmia. Though infusion related symptoms are usually limited in duration to the period of infusion and decrease with subsequent infusions, rare serious infusion and non-infusion events have resulted in fatalities.
In an effort to identify expanded applications for Rituxan, we, in conjunction with Genentech and Roche, have supported several Rituxan post-marketing trials including:
Additionally, clinical trials are ongoing in other B-cell malignancies such as CLL and lymphoproliferative disorders associated with solid organ transplant therapies.
Rituxan with CHOP Chemotherapy and Rituxan Maintenance
At the ASH conference in December 2000, a Rituxan presentation was given during the plenary session based on the Coiffier et al. study entitled "MabThera (Rituximab or Rituxan) plus CHOP is superior to CHOP Alone in Elderly Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Interim Results of a Randomized GELA Trial." At the ASH conference in December 2001, results were presented on all 400 previously untreated elderly patients randomized into two arms of the study comparing standard CHOP, a common chemotherapy regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone, given every three weeks for eight cycles, versus standard CHOP, with Rituxan given day one of each cycle of CHOP. This data was also published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2002.
After a median follow-up of two years, Coiffier et al. found a significant improvement in event-free survival for the Rituxan plus CHOP arm versus the CHOP alone treated arm (57% versus 37%, respectively). Event-free survival was defined as ongoing survival without events including disease
9
progression or relapse, death or initiation of new alternative treatment. Overall survival was increased from 57% in the CHOP alone arm to 70% in the Rituxan plus CHOP arm. Complete response rate (disappearance of all detectable signs of cancer) increased from 63% in the CHOP alone arm to 76% in the Rituxan plus CHOP arm.
Approximately 10% of patients in the Rituxan plus CHOP arm experienced Grade 3/4 infusion-related events. As seen in prior studies with Rituxan, these events were generally limited to the first infusion of Rituxan and were reversible.
In December 2001, we announced updated information on the results of a Phase II study assessing the safety and effectiveness of Rituxan used in combination with CHOP chemotherapy, in low grade or follicular B-cell NHL. The overall response rate using the IDEC protocol, in the Phase II study was 100% in 35 evaluable patients with 22 patients, or 63%, achieving complete responses and 13 patients, or 37%, achieving partial responses. The median duration of response was 63.6+ months with progression-free survival not reached after a median observation time of 65.1+ months. Twenty-one patients, or 60%, are still in remission beyond 46+ months and up to 86.3+ months.
Dr. John Hainsworth reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2002 results of a study he and colleagues conducted using Rituxan monotherapy with maintenance in patients with newly diagnosed low grade NHL. A total of 62 patients were enrolled, and 60 patients completed an initial four-week course of Rituxan and were assessable for response. Patients with stable disease or response went on to receive additional four-week courses of Rituxan every six months for two years. The overall response rate after initial therapy was 47%, which increased to 73% with 37% complete responses. The median progression-free survival was 34 months. Furthermore, the investigators noted that there was no apparent cumulative or additional toxicities seen with the maintenance therapy.
Swiss investigators conducted a randomized trial in patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed indolent NHL. Patients who achieved a response or stable disease after an initial standard course of Rituxan were randomized to either observation or additional Rituxan maintenance, administered on a schedule of a single dose every two months for a total of four additional doses. Two hundred patients were enrolled, and 151 patients were eligible for randomization. Results of the study were updated at the 2002 ASH conference. The median time to treatment failure in newly diagnosed patients was 36 months compared to 18.4 months for the maintenance arm compared to observation. In relapsed patients, the median time to treatment failure was 14 months compared to 11 months.
A large, randomized controlled cooperative Phase III trial by the National Cancer Institute, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, the Cancer and Leukemia Group B and the Southwest Oncology Group is examining whether the addition of Rituxan administered on a maintenance regimen (four infusions every six months for two years) to the CHOP or CHOP/Rituxan responders will improve cure rates, or long-term remission, in individuals over the age of 60 years with intermediate/high grade B-cell NHL. Enrollment on this trial was completed in July 2001, with 632 patients accrued. Initial results may be presented at the 2003 ASH conference.
Rituxan in Autoimmune Diseases
In 2001, Stasi et al. published data on the use of Rituxan in patients with chronic ITP. Of the 25 patients treated, an overall response rate of 52% was observed, with 20% of patients achieving a complete response (defined as a platelet count of greater than 100,000). Seven patients (28%) had sustained responses of six months or longer.
Two abstracts presented at the ASH conference in December 2001 also explored the safety and efficacy of Rituxan in patients with ITP. A Phase I/II evaluated ITP patients who had failed corticosteroid therapy and had platelet counts less than 75,000. Of all 20 patients enrolled, 25% responded with duration of five to 11 months. Of the ten post-spenectomy patients, 40% responded.
10
Response was defined as platelet counts greater than 100,000 (Saleh et al). Another Phase II study enrolled 21 patients of which 14 were followed for greater than 10 weeks. Of these 14 patients, 57% responded, with a 45% response rate among the 11 patients who were post-splenectomy. Response was defined as a platelet count greater than 50,000. First infusion-related events were experienced by eight of 21 patients (Cooper et al).
At the American College of Rheumatology Meeting in 2000, Edwards et al. presented results of a small open label study that evaluated the impact of B-lymphocyte depletion produced by Rituxan in patients with erosive rheumatoid arthritis. The authors concluded that B-cell depletion showed promise as a safe and effective therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Initial results of a Roche sponsored Phase II blinded, randomized, controlled study of Rituxan alone or in combination with methotrexate or cyclophosphamide in rheumatoid arthritis were presented at the American College of Rheumatology Meeting in 2002. These results suggest that Rituxan had significant activity in rheumatoid arthritis. We, in conjunction with Genentech and Roche, are now pursuing Phase III trials and additional Phase II trials in this indication.
Zevalin
Due to the sensitivity of B-cell tumors to radiation, radiation therapy has historically played, and continues to play, an important role in the management of B-cell lymphomas. Radiation therapy currently consists of external beam radiation focused on isolated areas of the body or areas with high tumor burden and, more recently, the Zevalin therapeutic regimen. Zevalin, our radioimmunotherapy product approved for treatment of certain B-cell NHL, delivers targeted immunotherapy by means of injectable radiation to target sites expressing the CD20 antigen, such as lymphatic B-cell tumors. The Zevalin therapeutic regimen is sold as one product and consists of two kits: an imaging kit for use with indium-111 and a therapeutic kit for use with yttrium-90.
In clinical testing, the Zevalin antibody, which is the murine parent of Rituxan, radiolabeled with the isotope indium-111 was used to estimate the radiation absorbed dose to normal organs from the subsequently administered therapeutic product, which uses the isotope yttrium-90. The gamma emission of the indium is detectable outside the body, thereby allowing the physician to determine the biodistribution of the antibody in the patient. The companion yttrium-90 isotope provides targeted radiation therapy by emitting a high-energy beta particle that is absorbed by surrounding tumors, leading to tumor destruction. Our objective with Zevalin is to provide an effective, systemic radioimmunotherapy in an outpatient setting.
The Zevalin therapeutic regimen includes two doses of Rituxan one week apart, to deplete peripheral blood B cells and improve Zevalin biodistribution. The first dose of Rituxan is followed by indium-111-Zevalin. Gamma camera images are then obtained at two to 24 hours, 48 to 72 hours, and an optional image at 90 to 120 hours. These images are obtained to confirm expected biodistribution. If acceptable biodistribution is demonstrated, the second dose of Rituxan is followed by yttrium-90-Zevalin. Yttrium-90, which is supplied by MDS Canada Inc., formerly MDS Nordion Inc., or MDS Canada, is attached to the antibody at the radiopharmacy just prior to the therapeutic infusion in the patient. The entire regimen, therefore, can be completed on an outpatient basis in approximately one week.
Other radioisotopes, such as iodine-131, emit both beta and gamma radiation and, depending on state and institutional regulations, may require that the patient be hospitalized and isolated in a lead-shielded room for several days. If administered as an outpatient therapy, extensive radiation safety precautions are necessary to limit radiation exposure to family members and the general public. In contrast, the beta particle emitted by yttrium-90 is absorbed by tissue immediately adjacent to the antibody and is concentrated at the antibody target. This short penetrating radiation supports the use of Zevalin in outpatient therapy with minimal radiation precautions for the patient.
11
As the basis for our BLA approved by the FDA on February 19, 2002, we completed two multi-center pivotal Phase III studies of Zevalin in the treatment of relapsed or refractory, low grade, follicular or CD20-positive transformed B-cell NHL.
Final results for these two studies were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2002. The first, randomized controlled study conducted compares Zevalin plus Rituxan, to Rituxan alone in 143 patients with relapsed or refractory, low grade, follicular or transformed CD20-positive B-cell NHL. Patients receiving Zevalin plus Rituxan showed an overall response rate of 80%, compared to an overall response rate of 56% in patients receiving Rituxan alone. Fifty-six percent of patients enrolled in the study were refractory to their last course of chemotherapy, i.e., they did not achieve a response or had a time to progression of less than six months with their most recent course of chemotherapy. Thirty-four percent of the Zevalin patients achieved complete responses to therapy, compared to 20% of Rituxan patients. The median time to progression for all patients in the Zevalin arm versus the Rituxan arm was 10.6 months and 10.1 months, respectively. The median time to progression in patients with follicular NHL, which represents the majority of patients, was 15.0 months versus 10.2 months, respectively. Finally median time to progression in patients who achieved a complete response was 24.7 months versus 13.2 months, respectively. Thirty-six percent of the patients on the Zevalin arm who attained a complete response remain in remission at three to four years following treatment.
The second pivotal study evaluated the safety and efficacy of Zevalin in follicular NHL patients who are refractory to Rituxan, i.e., who did not achieve a response or had a time to progression of less than six months with their most recent course of Rituxan. Under the new International Workshop NHL Response Criterion Standards for NHL, the overall response rate was 74% who responded to treatment with Zevalin, with 15% of those individuals achieving a complete response to therapy. Seventy-four percent of these patients had sizable tumors (greater than 5cm in single diameter) and 82% were chemotherapy-resistant to at least one prior chemotherapy treatment. The dosimetry results obtained in the second Phase III trial concluded that the Zevalin biodistribution and estimated radiation absorbed dose to normal body organs were not affected by prior treatment with Rituxan.
In both studies, toxicity associated with Zevalin treatment was primarily reductions in blood-cell counts. Patients with impaired bone marrow reserve, as indicated by lower baseline platelet counts, or evidence of significant bone marrow damage from prior therapy, as well as patients with greater involvement of the bone marrow with lymphoma, were more likely to experience such toxicity. Decreased blood counts resulted in hospitalizations for infection in 7% of patients and life-threatening bleeding in less than 1%. Approximately 50% of patients experience generally mild, reversible infusion reactions, such as chills, fever, throat irritation and nausea, with a lower incidence on the second treatment day. These reactions are consistent with those seen with Rituximab therapy as single-agent therapy and the incidence of infusion reactions was similar between the two arms in the randomized trial.
Additional areas of investigation include repeated treatment with Zevalin, as well as, incorporation into high-dose treatment strategies that employ autologous stem cell rescue. Investigators at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN are evaluating whether planned Zevalin retreatment is feasible and potentially efficacious. Preliminary results were presented at the 2002 ASH conference. In addition, separate investigators at the City of Hope in Duarte, CA; Northwestern University in Chicago, IL and the Mayo Clinic presented data from Phase I trials that high doses of Zevalin could be administered safely in combination with chemotherapy as part of a myeloablative stem cell transplantation program. These interim results were also presented at the 2002 ASH conference.
We expect that Rituxan and Zevalin will become complementary products for the management of B-cell NHLs. Most B-cell NHLs are treated today in community-based group practices. Rituxan fits nicely into the community practice, as no special equipment, training or licensing is required for its administration or for management of treatment-related side effects. Rituxan has shown activity even in
12
patients refractory to chemotherapy and is indicated for this use, so that it provides a viable option for the community-based oncologist prior to referral of the patient to a medical center for treatment with the more aggressive therapy, Zevalin. By contrast, all radioimmunotherapies will be administered by nuclear medicine specialists or radiation oncologists at medical or cancer centers that are equipped for the handling, administration and disposal of radioisotopes. Also, the nuclear medicine department, but not the community-based practice, has the specialized equipment and governmental licenses that are required for use of radioisotopes.
We believe that referral patterns will develop for treatment of B-cell NHL patients with radioimmunotherapies at medical centers after initial treatment options, such as Rituxan or frontline chemotherapy, are no longer effective. This trend is further reinforced by the observation made by us, and by others working in the field, of the substantial clinical activity of radioimmunotherapies in patients with relapse disease. Thus Zevalin is positioned as a complementary product to Rituxan used throughout the course of a patient's disease, providing an alternative for both the patient and the healthcare professional to conventional chemotherapies.
PRIMATIZED Anti-CD23 (IDEC-152)
In December 1994, we entered into a collaboration with Seikagaku Corporation, or Seikagaku, aimed at the development of PRIMATIZED anti-CD23 antibodies for the potential treatment of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and other allergic conditions. Antibodies against the CD23 receptor on various white blood cells inhibit the production of immune system molecules called immunoglobulin class E, or IgE, which are known to trigger allergic conditions. At the same time, anti-CD23 antibodies do not affect the production of other immunoglobulins, which are the patient's own antibodies responsible for granting protective immunity to infectious agents. Thus, PRIMATIZED anti-CD23 antibodies may provide a unique new approach to treating chronic illnesses such as allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. This effort has resulted in the identification of a PRIMATIZED antibody lead candidate, IDEC-152, which underwent preclinical testing, process development and manufacturing of clinical material during 1999. We filed an Investigational New Drug Application, or IND, for IDEC-152 in November 1999 and began a Phase I clinical trial in allergic asthma in February 2000 to evaluate its safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics. In March 2001 the results of the Phase I trial were presented at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. A total of 30 patients entered the trial with 24 receiving IDEC-152 and six receiving a placebo. The safety trial was favorable, with adverse events in patients who received IDEC-152 being very similar to those of placebo patients. Substantial prolonged reductions in IgE levels were noted in IDEC-152 patients. Based on the results of this trial, a Phase I/II trial in allergic asthma and a Phase II pilot study in seasonal allergic rhinitis have been initiated. In March 2003, data from the Phase II pilot study in allergic rhinitis was presented, demonstrating that IDEC-152 was safe and well tolerated. Treatment resulted in a notable reduction in total and allergen specific IgE levels, however, no significant effect on clinical symptom scores was observed. In September 2002, we initiated a Phase I study in CLL.
PRIMATIZED Anti-CD80 (Anti-B7.1) (IDEC-114)
The CD80 antigen is expressed on the surface of follicular and other lymphoma cells. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that IDEC-114 has antitumor activity against lymphoma cell lines that express CD80. Based on these results, in February 2002, we initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of multiple doses of IDEC-114 in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. In December 2002, we announced interim results from this study showing that IDEC-114 was well tolerated and responses were observed in patients treated with the higher doses. Additionally, in December 2002, we initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial with IDEC-114 in combination with Rituxan to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of multiple doses of
13
IDEC-114 administered in combination with Rituxan in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.
In September 2001, we entered into an extension of our research and development collaboration with Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation, or Mitsubishi, formerly Mitsubishi-Tokyo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which focuses on the development of PRIMATIZED antibodies directed at the CD80 antigen. The CD80 antigen appears on the surface of antigen-presenting cells and is involved in the interaction of these cells with T cells in triggering a cascade of immune system responses. Antibodies directed at the CD80 antigens may block this cascade and, therefore, may be useful in preventing unwanted immune responses in various inflammatory and chronic autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis and MS. We have completed four studies of IDEC-114 in psoriasis. Based on the favorable results of the Phase I and Phase I/II studies, in 2001 we initiated two Phase II clinical trials with IDEC-114 in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. In September 2002, we announced the results of our two Phase II psoriasis clinical trials with IDEC-114 and that the results did not support further development in this indication. Studies in other autoimmune indications are being considered.
PRIMATIZED Anti-CD4 (IDEC-151)
IDEC-151 was selected as our lead PRIMATIZED anti-CD4 antibody for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In a Phase I portion of a Phase I/II study of 32 patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, the results of which were announced in late November 1997, IDEC-151 displayed no CD4 cell depletion and no infusion-related adverse events. Under the terms of an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline, we are obligated to pay GlaxoSmithKline royalties on sales by us, our affiliates and licensees on certain PRIMATIZED anti-CD4 products. In August 2000, we initiated a Phase II trial of this antibody in combination with methotrexate in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. This trial was completed in 2002. Based upon initial results of a Phase II study of Rituxan in rheumatoid arthritis by Roche that suggests Rituxan has significant activity in rheumatoid arthritis, we have decided to focus on Rituxan as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis instead of IDEC-151. IDEC-151 is being considered for development in various other autoimmune diseases.
Humanized Anti-CD40L (IDEC-131)
In December 1995, we entered into a research and development collaborative agreement with Eisai Co., Ltd., or Eisai. The collaboration focuses on developing a humanized antibody against the CD40 ligand (also known as CD154). This antigen is an essential immune system trigger for B-cell activation
14
and antibody production. Potential target indications include antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases such as ITP and T-cell-mediated diseases such as MS. The development of our humanized anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody, IDEC-131, is based on technology that we licensed from Dartmouth College, where researchers have shown that the binding of CD40L to its CD40 receptor on B cells is essential for proper immune system function. These researchers generated anti-CD40L antibodies that blocked this T-cell and B-cell interaction and halted disease progression in a variety of animal models of disease characterized by abnormal or unwanted immune response. Moreover, when researchers ended the animals' anti-CD40L treatments, the animals' antibody-producing capacity returned to normal levels, but their disease remained suppressed. Treatment with the anti-CD40L antibodies appeared to have reset the animals' immune systems and restored a normal immune response. Under the collaborative agreement, we have agreed to develop with Eisai a humanized anti-CD40L antibody. This effort has resulted in the identification of the humanized anti-CD40L antibody lead candidate, IDEC-131, which underwent preclinical testing, process development and manufacturing of clinical trial material in early 1997. We successfully completed a Phase I clinical trial in SLE with IDEC-131 in early 1999, which demonstrated an overall favorable safety profile. In the first quarter of 2000, we completed a Phase II clinical trial with IDEC-131 in patients with SLE that demonstrated a favorable safety profile. However, the response rates in this Phase II trial, versus a significant placebo effect, did not support continued development of IDEC-131 in SLE. In 2001, we initiated a Phase II study in patients with chronic, refractory ITP, and a separate Phase II study in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. This latter trial was completed in 2002 and presentation of results is anticipated in 2003. We also commenced a Phase II trial in Crohn's disease in 2001. In June 2002, all clinical trials of IDEC-131 were placed on clinical hold because of the occurrence of a possible safety signal related to thromboembolism. We are currently working with the FDA to remove the clinical hold status.
IDEC-160
In September 2002, we entered into a license agreement with Shinyaku under which we in-licensed IDEC-160, an orally-active small-molecule. IDEC-160 is being initially developed by Shinyaku as a treatment for solid cancers, including colorectal, non-small cell lung and prostate cancer. Small molecule drugs are pharmaceutical compounds that enter cells and target specific biochemical events that result in disease or otherwise offer avenues to disease treatment. Because of their ability to reach cancerous cells deep within tumors, such drugs are often better suited than antibodies as treatments against solid tumors. Shinyaku has initiated two dose-escalating Phase I trials in the United States in patients with solid tumors. We plan to begin Phase II trials in the fourth quarter of 2003.
IDEC-201
In January 2003, we entered into a collaboration agreement with Biogen under which we in-licensed three products, including IDEC-201. IDEC-201 is an interferon beta gene delivery system using a replication defective recombinant adenovirus vector. We will complete an ongoing Phase I/II study in patients with glial tumors that was begun by our licensor, Biogen. Biogen has future rights to participate in development and commercialization of IDEC-201.
Strategic Alliances
We have entered into strategic partnering arrangements for many of our product development programs. Our entitlement to funding under the arrangements depends on achieving product
15
development objectives related to development, clinical trial results, regulatory approvals and other factors. These arrangements include:
Genentech, Inc.
In March 1995, we entered into a collaborative agreement with Genentech for the clinical development and commercialization of our anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, Rituxan, for the treatment of certain B-cell NHLs. Concurrent with the collaborative agreement, we also entered into an expression technology license agreement with Genentech for a proprietary gene expression technology developed by us and a preferred stock purchase agreement providing for various equity investments in us that have been made by Genentech.
We are copromoting Rituxan with Genentech in the United States. Our collaborative agreement with Genentech provides two independent mechanisms by which either party may purchase or sell its rights in the copromotion territory from or to the other party. Upon the occurrence of specified events that constitute a change of control in us, Genentech may elect to present an offer to us to purchase our copromotion rights. We must then accept Genentech's offer or purchase Genentech's copromotion rights for an amount scaled (using the profit sharing ratio between the parties) to Genentech's offer. Under a second mechanism, after a specified period of commercial sales and upon a specified number of years of declining copromotion profits or if Genentech files for U.S. regulatory approval on a competitive product during a limited period of time, either party may offer to purchase the other party's copromotion rights. The offeree may either accept the offer price or purchase the offeror's copromotion rights at the offer price scaled to the offeror's share of copromotion profits. Under the terms of our Supply Agreement with Genentech, Genentech assumed worldwide manufacturing obligations for Rituxan beginning in September 1999.
Genentech has granted Roche exclusive marketing rights outside of the United States, except in Japan where Roche copromotes Rituxan in collaboration with Zenyaku. Outside the United States, Canada and Japan, Roche has elected to market rituximab under the trade name MabThera. We receive royalties from Genentech on sales of Rituxan outside the United States, except Canada, by Roche and Zenyaku. Royalties on sales of Rituxan in Canada are received directly from Roche.
Eisai Co., Ltd.
In December 1995, we entered into a collaborative development agreement and a license agreement with Eisai aimed at the development and commercialization of humanized and PRIMATIZED anti-CD40L antibodies. Under the terms of these agreements, we may receive milestone payments totaling up to $12.5 million and research and development support payments totaling up to $25.0 million, subject to the attainment of product development objectives and satisfaction of other criteria to be agreed upon between us and Eisai. We have recognized revenues totaling $31.5 million under our agreements with Eisai through December 31, 2002. Eisai received exclusive rights in Asia and Europe to develop and market products resulting from the collaboration, with us receiving royalties on eventual product sales by Eisai. At any time, Eisai may terminate the development agreement by giving us 60 days' written notice based on a reasonable determination that the products do not justify continued development or marketing.
Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation
In September 2001, we entered into an extension of our collaborative agreement with Mitsubishi, which originally expired in 1996, for the development of a PRIMATIZED anti-CD80 (anti-B7.1) antibody. Additionally, we have an ongoing license agreement with Mitsubishi that was entered into in November 1993. Under the terms of these agreements, we may receive milestone payments totaling up to $22.0 million, subject to the attainment of product development objectives, as well as certain
16
research and development support payments. We have recognized revenues totaling $17.8 million under our agreements with Mitsubishi through December 31, 2002. Under the license agreement, we granted Mitsubishi an exclusive license in Asia to manufacture, use and sell PRIMATIZED anti-CD80 (anti-B7.1) antibody products. We will receive royalties on sales by Mitsubishi of any developed products. Mitsubishi may terminate the license at any time upon 30 days' written notice, only after completion of Phase II clinical trials or for certain protocol changes in planned clinical trials for IDEC-114.
Seikagaku Corporation
In December 1994, we entered into a collaborative development agreement and a license agreement with Seikagaku aimed at the development and commercialization of therapeutic products based on our PRIMATIZED anti-CD23 antibodies. Under the terms of these agreements, we may receive milestone and research and development support payments totaling up to $26.0 million, subject to the attainment of product development objectives, as well as reimbursement for certain other research and development expenses incurred under our PRIMATIZED anti-CD23 antibody development program. We have recognized revenues totaling $18.1 million under these agreements through December 31, 2002. Under the license agreement, Seikagaku received exclusive rights worldwide, except North, Central and South America, to all products emerging from the collaboration. We will receive royalties on any eventual product sales by Seikagaku. At any time, Seikagaku may terminate the development agreement and the license agreement by giving us 30 days' written notice based on a reasonable determination that the products do not justify continued development or marketing.
Schering Aktiengesellschaft
In June 1999, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement and a supply agreement with Schering AG aimed at the development and commercialization of our radioimmunotherapy Zevalin. Under the terms of these agreements, we may receive milestone and research and development support payments totaling up to $47.5 million, subject to the attainment of product development objectives. We have recognized $34.7 million under these agreements through December 31, 2002. Under these agreements, Schering AG received marketing and distribution rights to Zevalin outside the United States, and we will receive royalties on eventual product sales by Schering AG. Under the terms of a separate supply agreement, we are obligated to meet Schering AG's clinical and commercial requirements for Zevalin. Schering AG may terminate these agreements for any reason.
Manufacturing
From our inception, we have focused on establishing and maintaining a leadership position in cell culture techniques for antibody manufacturing. Cell culture is a method for manufacturing of clinical and commercial grade protein products by reproducible techniques at various scales, up to many kilograms of antibody. Our manufacturing technology is based on the suspension culture of mammalian cells in stainless steel vessels. Suspension culture fermentation provides greater flexibility and more rapid production of the large amounts of antibodies required for product commercialization and pivotal trials. We believe that our current manufacturing facility is one of a limited number approved for any type of mammalian cell fermentation, for example, the process used in Rituxan. Our current manufacturing facility has been approved by the FDA for the commercial manufacture of certain components of Rituxan and Zevalin.
In September 1999, we transferred all worldwide manufacturing activities for bulk Rituxan to Genentech. Since the transfer of bulk Rituxan manufacturing to Genentech and prior to receiving FDA approval for Zevalin in February 2002, we have been using our available manufacturing capacity for production of specification-setting lots and commercial inventory of the Zevalin antibody and for
17
production of clinical material for our other products under development. We currently manufacture our own commercial requirements of the antibody for Zevalin. Zevalin has multiple components that require successful coordination among several third-party contract manufacturers and suppliers. We have no fill/finish experience or capacity and we do not have manufacturing experience or facilities for small molecule manufacturing, chelates or radioisotopes and, therefore, we are dependent on outside contractors and suppliers to meet these needs. In 2001, we entered into an agreement with DSM Pharmaceuticals to meet our commercial manufacturing demands for the fill/finish of Zevalin bulk product. In 2002, we entered in an agreement with Baxter Pharmaceutical Solutions LLC to perform fill/finish operations for commercial quantities of Zevalin. In 1999, we entered into an agreement, which we have subsequently amended, with MDS Canada for the development and supply of the radioisotope yttrium-90 used with our Zevalin product. Under the terms of the agreement, as amended, MDS Canada has agreed to supply, with certain exceptions, the yttrium-90 required to meet the clinical and commercial needs in the United Sates and Canada for Zevalin and selected other products under development. The initial term of the agreement expires five years following commercialization of Zevalin. We have agreed to guarantee MDS Canada a minimum purchase level of yttrium-90 over the duration of the initial term. In addition, MDS Canada has agreed to establish a new manufacturing facility to meet our yttrium-90 supply needs. Upon completion of this facility, MDS Canada can transition supply of yttrium-90 from its existing facilities to the new facility. To secure our minimum purchase commitments and in connection with MDS Canada's agreement to establish a new manufacturing facility, we have agreed to make periodic payments into an escrow account. As of December 31, 2002, we have paid $22.5 million into this escrow fund. The agreement may be terminated by either party upon the bankruptcy of, or a material breach by, the other party. In addition, we can terminate the agreement following our satisfaction of the minimum purchase commitments, or earlier if we agree to forfeit a portion of the funds in the escrow account. Further, MDS Canada cannot terminate the agreement until five years following the date that its new manufacturing facility is established and capable of producing yttrium-90.
We are currently constructing a large-scale manufacturing facility on an 87-acre site in Oceanside, California that we anticipate using to commercialize our products currently in clinical trials if they are approved by the FDA. We believe that there is a limited manufacturing capacity in our market for production of biologics products. We expect the first phase of the new facility to be mechanically completed in 2004, followed by commissioning and validation in 2005 and 2006. This facility will allow us to better control the manufacture of our products, thus reducing our reliance on contract manufacturers, as well as to reduce commercial supply risk. We also have a facility, adjacent to our 87-acre site in Oceanside, to be used potentially for the manufacture of the Zevalin bulk antibody, drug supply for certain of our clinical trials and drug supply for any potential product launches prior to 2005. We are currently performing validation activities and we anticipate the facility will be equipped and in operation by mid-2003.
Sales and Marketing Strategy
We currently depend on the successful marketing and sales of Rituxan for much of our anticipated revenue. Rituxan is marketed and sold in the United States under a copromotion agreement with Genentech. Genentech currently has a sales and marketing staff dedicated to Rituxan. To fulfill our duties under the copromotion agreement, we also have a marketing staff and a sales organization with experience primarily in oncology therapy and who, until we received approval from the FDA for Zevalin, were dedicated exclusively to the commercialization of Rituxan. We rely heavily on Genentech to supply marketing support services for Rituxan including customer service, order entry, shipping, billing, customer reimbursement assistance, managed care sales support, medical information and sales training.
18
Zevalin is our first product to be solely marketed by us in the United States. We have expanded our sales and marketing staff to support the distribution of Zevalin in the United States. Our sales efforts are focused primarily on specialist physicians in private practice or at major medical centers in the United States with expertise in oncology, hematology and/or nuclear medicine. In general, we sell Zevalin to radiopharmacies that radiolabel, or combine, the Zevalin antibody with indium-111 and yttrium-90 and then distribute the finished product to hospitals or licensed treatment facilities for administration. We use common pharmaceutical company marketing techniques, including sales representatives calling on individual physicians, medical education programs, professional symposia, promotional materials and public relations.
We have limited marketing support service experience and, therefore, we will be dependent on outside contractors to meet those needs. We currently have a contract with a third-party logistics distributor to provide customer service, order entry, shipping, billing, customer reimbursement assistance and managed care sales support.
Outside North America, we have adopted a strategy to pursue collaborative arrangements with established pharmaceutical companies for marketing, distribution and sale of our products.
Patents and Proprietary Technology
The biopharmaceutical field is characterized by a large number of patent filings. A substantial number of patents have already been issued to other biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies. Particularly in the monoclonal antibody and recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, fields, competitors may have filed applications for, or have been issued patents and may obtain additional patents and proprietary rights relating to, products or processes competitive with or similar to our products or processes. Moreover, United States and foreign country patent laws are distinct and the interpretations thereunder unique to each country. Thus, patentability, validity and infringement issues for the same technology or inventions may be resolved differently in different jurisdictions. We cannot assure you that patents do not exist in the United States or in foreign countries or that patents will not be issued that would harm our ability to market our products. Accordingly, we expect that commercializing our products may require licensing and/or cross-licensing of patents with other companies or institutions in the field. We cannot assure you that the licenses, which might be required for our processes or products, will be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. The ability to license any of these patents and the likelihood of successfully contesting the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents are uncertain and the related costs may be significant. If we are required to acquire rights to valid and enforceable patents but cannot do so at a reasonable cost, our ability to manufacture or market our products will be harmed.
We are the assignee of several issued U.S. patents, numerous patent applications and corresponding foreign patents and patent applications. Other patents or applications owned by third parties have been exclusively licensed, as in the case of anti-CD40L core technology licensed from Dartmouth College, or non-exclusively licensed by us.
We have several issued U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications, and numerous corresponding foreign counterparts directed to anti-CD20 antibody technology, including Rituxan and Zevalin. We have been granted patents covering Rituxan by the European Patent Office. Genentech, our collaborative partner for Rituxan, has secured an exclusive license to three U.S. patents and counterpart U.S. and foreign patent applications assigned to Xoma Corporation that relate to chimeric antibodies against the CD20 antigen. Genentech has granted to us a non-exclusive sublicense to make, have made, use and sell Rituxan under these patents and patent applications. We, along with Genentech, share the cost of any royalties due to Xoma in the Genentech/IDEC Pharmaceuticals copromotion territory on sales of Rituxan.
19
We have also filed for worldwide patent protection on our PRIMATIZED antibody technology. We have received several U.S. patents claiming various aspects of the PRIMATIZED antibody technology. These patents generically cover our PRIMATIZED antibody technology as well as PRIMATIZED antibodies to specific antigen targets.
We are aware of several third-party patents and patent applications which, to the extent they issue as patents and are successfully asserted against us, may significantly impair our ability to make, use, offer to sell, sell and import our products.
We have filed numerous trademark and service mark applications in the United States, Canada and in certain international markets. PRIMATIZED, Rituxan, Zevalin and IDEC Pharmaceuticals are registered trademarks in the United States. We also have trademark applications pending for other marks.
We also rely upon unpatented trade secrets, and we cannot assure you that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose such technology, or that we can meaningfully protect such rights. We require our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisers to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements provide that all confidential information developed or made known to the individual during the course of the individual's relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. In the case of our employees, the agreement provides that all inventions conceived by such employees shall be our exclusive property. There can be no assurance, however, that these agreements will provide meaningful protection or adequate remedies for our trade secrets in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of such information.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses were $93.6 million in 2002, $86.3 million in 2001 and $68.9 million in 2000, of which approximately 97% in 2002, 89% in 2001 and 78% in 2000, was sponsored by us and the remainder of which was funded pursuant to product development collaboration arrangements.
Regulation of Products by the FDA
The testing, manufacturing, labeling, advertising, promotion, export and marketing, among other things, of our two approved products and our proposed products are subject to extensive regulation by governmental authorities in the United States and other countries. In the United States, pharmaceutical products are regulated by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other laws, including, in the case of biologics, the Public Health Service Act. Our two approved products are regulated by the FDA as biologics and we believe our proposed products, with the exception of IDEC-160 which we believe will be regulated by the FDA as a drug, will also be regulated by FDA as biologics. Biologics require the submission of a Biologics License Application, or BLA, and approval by the FDA prior to being marketed in the United States. Drugs require the submission of a New Drug Application, or NDA. The regulatory approval process for a NDA is similar to the approval process for a BLA. Manufacturers of biologics and drugs may also be subject to state regulation. Failure to comply with FDA requirements, both before and after product approval, may subject us and/or our partners, contract manufacturers and suppliers to administrative or judicial sanctions, including FDA refusal to approve pending applications, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, fines, injunctions and/or criminal prosecution.
The steps required before a product may be approved for marketing in the United States generally include (i) preclinical laboratory tests and animal tests, (ii) the submission to the FDA of an IND for
20
human clinical testing, which must become effective before human clinical trials may commence, (iii) adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the product, (iv) the submission to the FDA of a BLA or NDA, (v) FDA review of the BLA or NDA and (vi) satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the product is made to assess compliance with cGMP. The testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort and financial resources and there can be no assurance that any approval will be granted on a timely basis, if at all.
Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluation of the product, as well as animal studies to assess the potential safety and efficacy of the product. The results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND, which must become effective before human clinical trials may be commenced. The IND will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA before that time raises concerns or questions about the conduct of the trials as outlined in the IND. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before clinical trials can proceed. There can be no assurance that submission of an IND will result in FDA authorization to commence clinical trials.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to healthy volunteers or patients under the supervision of qualified principal investigators. Further, each clinical study must be reviewed and approved by an independent Institutional Review Board.
Clinical trials typically are conducted in three sequential phases, but the phases may overlap. In Phase I, the initial introduction of the drug into human subjects, the drug is usually tested for safety (adverse effects), dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution, excretion and pharmacodynamics. Phase II usually involves studies in a limited patient population to (i) evaluate preliminarily the efficacy of the drug for specific, targeted indications, (ii) determine dosage tolerance and optimal dosage and (iii) identify possible adverse effects and safety risks. Phase III trials generally further evaluate clinical efficacy and test further for safety within an expanded patient population. There can be no assurance that Phase I, Phase II or Phase III testing will be completed successfully within any specific time period, if at all, with respect to any of our product candidates. Furthermore, we or the FDA may suspend clinical trials at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk.
The results of the preclinical studies and clinical studies, together with other detailed information, including information on the manufacture and composition of the product, are submitted to the FDA in the form of a BLA or NDA requesting approval to market the product. Before approving a BLA or NDA, the FDA will inspect the facilities at which the product is manufactured, and will not approve the product unless cGMP compliance is satisfactory. The FDA may deny a BLA if applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, require additional testing or information and/or require postmarketing testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of a product. Approval entails limitations on the indicated uses for which a product may be marketed. When approval is granted under the "accelerated approval" provisions of FDA's regulations, the BLA or NDA holder must conduct certain additional studies to verify the clinical benefit attributable to the product. Failure to conduct the required studies, or to comply with certain other conditions of accelerated approvals, may result, following a hearing, in FDA's withdrawing or modifying that part of the approval that was granted under the accelerated approval provisions. One of the indications for which Zevalin was approved was an accelerated approval, so if we fail to conduct the required studies or otherwise fail to comply with the conditions of accelerated approval, the FDA may take action to seek to withdraw that approval. Also, if we seek to make certain changes to an approved product, such as promoting or labeling a product for a new indication, making certain manufacturing changes, or changing manufacturers or suppliers of certain ingredients or components, we will need FDA review and approval before the change can be implemented.
21
BLA or NDA holders must continue to comply with FDA requirements after approval. For example, BLA or NDA holders are required to report certain adverse reactions to the FDA and to comply with certain requirements concerning advertising and promotional labeling for their products. Also, quality control and manufacturing procedures must continue to conform to cGMP regulations after approval, and the FDA periodically inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with cGMP. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, monies and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain cGMP compliance. In addition, discovery of problems, such as safety problems, may result in changes in labeling or restrictions on a product, manufacturer or BLA or NDA holder, including removal of the product from the market.
We will also be subject to a variety of regulations governing clinical trials and sales of our products outside the United States. Whether or not FDA approval has been obtained, approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries must be obtained prior to the commencement of marketing the product in those countries. The approval process varies from country to country and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval. At least initially, we intend, to the extent possible, to rely on foreign licensees to obtain regulatory approval for marketing our products in foreign countries.
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs intended to treat a "rare disease or condition," which generally is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting a BLA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are publicly disclosed by the FDA. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. If a product which has an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan exclusivity, i.e., the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years, except in certain very limited circumstances.
Rituxan, Zevalin and IDEC-152 have received orphan drug exclusivity in the United States. There can be no assurance, however, that competitors will not receive approval of other different drugs or biologics for treatment of the diseases for which Rituxan and Zevalin are approved and IDEC-152 is targeted.
Our Executive Officers
Information about our executive officers as of January 31, 2003 is set forth below:
| Name |
Age |
Titles |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William H. Rastetter, Ph.D. | 54 | Chairman, Chief Executive Officer | ||
| William R. Rohn | 59 | President and Chief Operating Officer | ||
| Paul C. Grint, M.D. | 45 | Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer | ||
| Nabil Hanna, Ph.D. | 59 | Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer | ||
| Wolfgang Berthold, Ph.D. | 55 | Senior Vice President, Biopharmaceutical Sciences | ||
| John M. Dunn | 51 | Senior Vice President, Legal and Compliance, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | ||
| Connie L. Matsui | 49 | Senior Vice President, Planning and Resource Development | ||
| Edward M. Rodriguez | 42 | Vice President, Finance and Controller | ||
| Michael E. Wiebe, Ph.D. | 60 | Vice President, Quality | ||
| Mark C. Wiggins | 47 | Vice President, Marketing and Business Development |
Dr. Rastetter was appointed our Chairman of the Board of Directors on May 22, 1996. He was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer in December 1986 and served as President from 1986 to 2002
22
and Chief Financial Officer from 1988 to 1993. Dr. Rastetter has served as one of our directors since 1986. From 1984 to 1986, he was Director of Corporate Ventures at Genentech. From 1982 to 1984, Dr. Rastetter served in a scientific capacity at Genentech, directing the Biocatalysis and Chemical Sciences groups. From 1975 to 1982, he held various faculty positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Rastetter is also a director of Argonaut Technologies, Inc. and Illumina, Inc. Dr. Rastetter received his S.B. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his M.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University.
Mr. Rohn joined us in August 1993 as Senior Vice President, Commercial and Corporate Development. Mr. Rohn was appointed Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations in April 1996. In May 1998, Mr. Rohn was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and in January 2002 was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining us, Mr. Rohn was employed by Adria Laboratories from 1984 until August 1993, most recently as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing with responsibilities for strategic and commercial partnerships as well as all sales and marketing functions in the United States. Prior to Adria, Mr. Rohn held marketing and sales management positions at Abbott Laboratories, Warren-Teed Pharmaceuticals, Miles Laboratories and Mead Johnson Laboratories. Mr. Rohn is also a director of Pharmacyclics, Inc. and Cerus Corporation. Mr. Rohn received a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University.
Dr. Grint joined us as Chief Medical Officer and Seni