SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark one)
| x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.
OR
| ¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
for the transition period from to .
Commission File No. 001-16537
ORASURE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Delaware | 36-4370966 | |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 220 East First Street | ||
| Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | 18015 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(610) 882-1820
(Registrants 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, $.000001 par value per share
(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 x No ¨
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 Registrants 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. x
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes x No ¨
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by nonaffiliates, computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the Registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter (June 30, 2003): $266,719,016
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the Registrants classes of common stock, as of March 1, 2004: 44,260,931 shares.
Documents Incorporated by Reference:
Portions of the Registrants Definitive Proxy Statement for the 2004 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.
| Page | ||||
| PART I | ||||
| ITEM 1. | 1 | |||
| ITEM 2. | 32 | |||
| ITEM 3. | 32 | |||
| ITEM 4. | 32 | |||
| PART II | ||||
| ITEM 5. | 33 | |||
| ITEM 6. | 34 | |||
| ITEM 7. | Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
35 | ||
| ITEM 7A. | 49 | |||
| ITEM 8. | 50 | |||
| ITEM 9. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
50 | ||
| ITEM 9A. | 50 | |||
| PART III | ||||
| ITEM 10. | 51 | |||
| ITEM 11. | 51 | |||
| ITEM 12. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
51 | ||
| ITEM 13. | 51 | |||
| ITEM 14. | 51 | |||
| PART IV | ||||
| ITEM 15. | Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K |
52 | ||
Statements contained in this Report regarding future events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results could be quite different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect our results are discussed more fully under the Sections entitled, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors, in Item 1 and elsewhere in this Report. Although forward-looking statements help to provide complete information about us, readers should keep in mind that forward-looking statements may not be reliable. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements.
Our business principally involves the development, manufacture, marketing and sale of oral fluid specimen collection devices using our proprietary oral fluid technologies, as well as other diagnostic products including immunoassays and other in vitro diagnostic tests that are used on other specimen types, and other medical devices. Our diagnostic products include tests which are processed in a laboratory and tests which are performed on a rapid basis at the point of care. These products are sold in the United States and internationally to various clinical laboratories, hospitals, clinics, community-based organizations and other public health organizations, distributors, government agencies, physicians offices, and commercial and industrial entities.
In vitro diagnostic testing is the process of analyzing oral fluid, blood, urine and other bodily fluids or tissue for the presence of specific substances or markers for infectious diseases, drugs of abuse or other conditions. In vitro diagnostic tests are performed outside the body, in contrast to in vivo tests, which are performed directly on or within the body. The substance or marker that a diagnostic test is intended to detect is generally referred to as an analyte.
Immunodiagnostic testing is the leading method of in vitro testing for antigens and antibodies. When an infectious disease caused by pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi, or other substances are present, the body responds by producing an antibody. Substances that stimulate production of antibodies are generally referred to as antigens. An antibody binds specifically with an antigen in a lock-and-key fashion that initiates a biochemical reaction to attempt to neutralize and, ultimately, eliminate the antigen. The ability of an antibody to bind with a specific antigen provides the basis for immunodiagnostic testing.
Our Company was formed in May 2000 under Delaware law solely for the purposes of combining two companies, STC Technologies, Inc. (STC or STC Technologies) and Epitope, Inc. (Epitope), and changing the state of incorporation of Epitope from Oregon to Delaware. STC Technologies and Epitope were merged into our Company on September 29, 2000 (the Merger). Our principal offices are located at 220 East First Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, and our telephone number is (610) 882-1820.
Additional information about us can be found on our website. Our website address is www.orasure.com. We make available free of charge through a link provided at such website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments to those Reports. These Reports are made available as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our Internet website and the information contained in or connected to that website are not intended to be incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
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Products
The following is a summary of our principal products and their existing and pending approvals/clearances by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and commercial status:
| Product |
Description |
FDA Approval Status |
Commercial Status | |||
| OraQuick® |
A rapid, point-of-care test for antibodies to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) that can be visually read at the point of care in approximately 20 minutes. | Finger-stick whole bloodPre-market application (PMA) approved by FDA in November 2002. CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988) waived in January 2003. | Marketed
| |||
| Venipuncture whole bloodPMA supplement approved by FDA in September 2003. | Marketed | |||||
| HIV-2PMA supplement initially filed with FDA in June 2003; resubmitted with additional data in December 2003. | Pending | |||||
| Oral fluidPMA supplement filed with FDA in September 2003. | Pending | |||||
| PlasmaPMA supplement filed with FDA in September 2003. | Pending | |||||
| OraSure® |
Oral fluid collection device for the detection of antibodies to HIV-1 in an oral fluid sample in a laboratory setting. | PMA approved by FDA in December 1994.
Also have FDA 510(k) clearance for use of this device in detecting cocaine and cotinine (an indicator of nicotine) in oral fluid. |
Marketed
Marketed | |||
| Intercept® |
Oral fluid collection device, along with nine related immunoassays, for oral fluid drug testing in a laboratory setting. | Collection deviceFDA 510(k) cleared in 2000. | Marketed | |||
| Used to detect the following drugs in an oral fluid sample: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, methamphetamines, PCP, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and methadone. | Nine drug assaysFDA 510(k) cleared during 2000-2001.
|
Marketed
| ||||
| Histofreezer®-Rx |
A cryosurgical (freezing) system for the removal of warts and other benign skin lesions, marketed primarily to the physicians office market. | Nine indicationsFDA 510(k) cleared during 1991 1999. | Marketed | |||
| Histofreezer®-OTC (Freeze Off) |
Sold under the Freeze Off and Compound W® tradenames in the over-the-counter market in the U.S. for the cryosurgical removal of common and plantar warts. | Two indicationsFDA 510(k) cleared in February 2003. | Marketed | |||
| UPlink® |
A rapid, point-of-care oral fluid drug detection system. | 510(k) application filed with FDA in September 2003. | Pending | |||
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In addition to the above products, we also sell certain immunoassay tests and reagents for insurance risk assessment, substance abuse testing and forensic toxicology applications; an oral fluid Western blot HIV-1 confirmatory test approved by the FDA for confirming positive HIV-1 test results obtained from the use of our OraSure® device; and the FDA 510(k) cleared Q.E.D.® saliva alcohol test.
OraQuick® Rapid Test
OraQuick® is our rapid test platform designed to test an oral fluid, whole blood (i.e., both fingerstick and venipuncture) or plasma sample for the presence of various antibodies or analytes. The device uses a porous flat pad to collect an oral fluid specimen. After collection, the pad is inserted into a vial containing a pre-measured amount of developer solution and allowed to develop. When whole blood or plasma is to be tested, a loop collection device is used to collect a drop of blood or plasma and mix it in the developer solution, after which the collection pad is inserted into the solution. In all cases, the specimen and solution then flow through the testing device where test results are observable in approximately 20 minutes. The OraQuick® device is a screening test and requires a confirmation test where an initial positive result is obtained.
Our first product utilizing this technology is the OraQuick® rapid HIV-1 antibody test, a rapid test for the presence of antibodies against HIV-1. On November 7, 2002, we received premarket approval of this test from the FDA for detecting HIV-1 in finger-stick whole blood samples. This FDA approval is based on data from clinical studies we performed using finger-stick whole blood specimens, which indicate that the OraQuick® test has sensitivity of 99.6% and specificity of 100%. Sensitivity is a measure of the accuracy for detecting positive specimens, and specificity is a measure of the accuracy for identifying negative specimens.
As a result of this FDA approval, the OraQuick® test is available for use by nearly 40,000 locations in the United States certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments of 1988, or CLIA, to perform moderately complex diagnostic tests. Additionally, in January 2003, we received a waiver under CLIA for OraQuick® which permits the use of this test by approximately 140,000 additional sites in the United States not certified under CLIA to perform moderately complex tests, such as outreach clinics, community-based organizations and physicians offices.
On September 5, 2003, we received FDA approval for use of the OraQuick® test in detecting HIV-1 antibodies in venipuncture whole blood samples. We believe this claim will help us further penetrate the hospital market where venipuncture whole blood samples are routinely taken from patients.
We are seeking FDA approval for certain other claims for OraQuick®. We have completed the necessary clinical trials and filed for FDA approval for use of the OraQuick® device to detect antibodies to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Type 2 (HIV-2), a second type of the HIV virus. We have taken this action in anticipation of obtaining access to an HIV-2 patent license, either through an arrangement with a third party or directly with the holder of the HIV-2 patents. Although we believe the addition of an FDA-approved HIV-2 claim would enhance the versatility of our OraQuick® test and allow us to more fully implement a strategy to sell OraQuick® internationally, there is no assurance that we will receive FDA approval of an HIV-2 claim or be able to obtain access to an HIV-2 patent license.
We have also completed the required clinical trials and submitted an application for FDA approval of oral fluid and plasma claims in September 2003. Although there is no assurance that we will receive approval of these claims, we believe that an OraQuick® device approved for detecting antibodies to both HIV-1 and 2 in fingerstick and venipuncture whole blood, oral fluid and plasma samples, will provide a significant competitive advantage in the market for rapid HIV testing in the United States.
In April 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new four-part initiative for HIV testing and diagnosis, which is intended to increase the use of rapid HIV testing as part of routine medical care. Under this program, the CDC purchased 250,000 OraQuick® devices during 2003 and placed a second order for an additional 250,000 devices for delivery in 2004.
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The OraQuick® device is also being used in the CDCs Mother-Infant Rapid Intervention at Delivery Project (MIRIAD) to test pregnant women in five U.S. metropolitan areas. The goal of this project is to identify those individuals who would benefit from the administration of nevirapine, a drug used to reduce mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission. In September 2003, the CDC reported that, based on data from the MIRIAD study, the use of the OraQuick® test at the point of care provided test results four times faster than when the OraQuick® test was used in a laboratory setting. As a result, the study found that rapid HIV-1 testing enables healthcare professionals to determine the HIV status of a mother and administer antiretroviral drugs to both mother and child more quickly than traditional laboratory tests, thereby reducing the chances of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Finally, the OraQuick® device has been selected for use in the CDCs LIFE Initiative, an international effort to address the AIDS epidemic in certain African countries. This initiative focuses on areas such as preventing mother-to-child transmission, secondary transmitted disease prevention, HIV prevention for youth, and blood safety systems.
OraSure®/Intercept® Collection Devices
Our OraSure® oral fluid collection device is used in conjunction with screening and confirmatory tests for HIV-1 antibodies and other analytes. This device consists of a small, treated cotton-fiber pad on a nylon handle that is placed in a persons mouth for two to five minutes. The device collects oral mucosal transudate (OMT), a serum-derived fluid that contains higher concentrations of certain antibodies and analytes than saliva. As a result, OMT testing is a highly accurate method for detecting HIV-1 infection and other analytes.
We believe that oral fluid testing has several significant advantages over blood or urine-based systems for infectious disease testing, for both health care professionals and the individuals being tested. These advantages include eliminating the risk of needle-stick accidents, providing a noninvasive collection technique, requiring minimal training to administer, providing rapid and efficient collection in almost any setting, and reducing the cost of administration by a trained health care professional.
We have received premarket approval from the FDA to sell the OraSure® collection device for use with a laboratory-based enzyme immunoassay (EIA) screening test for HIV-1 antibody detection. This EIA screening test has been approved by the FDA for use with our OraSure® device and is manufactured and sold by bioMerieux, Inc. (BMX).
HIV-1 antibody detection using the OraSure® collection device involves three steps:
| | Collection of an oral fluid specimen using the OraSure® device; |
| | Screening of the specimen for HIV-1 antibodies at a laboratory with an EIA screening test approved by the FDA for use with the OraSure® device; and |
| | Laboratory confirmation of any positive screening test results with our oral fluid Western Blot HIV-1 confirmatory test (described below). |
A trained health care professional then conveys test results and provides appropriate counseling to the individual who was tested. We have also received FDA 510(k) clearance for use of the OraSure® collection device with EIAs to test for cocaine and cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) in oral fluid specimens primarily for insurance risk assessment purposes.
A collection device that is substantially similar to the OraSure® device is sold under the name, Intercept®, and is used to collect OMT for oral fluid drug testing. We have received FDA 510(k) clearance to use the Intercept® collection device with laboratory-based EIAs to test for drugs of abuse commonly identified by the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) as the NIDA-5 (i.e., cannabinoids (marijuana), cocaine, opiates, amphetamines/methamphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP)), and for barbiturates, methadone and benzodiazepines. Each of these EIAs is also FDA 510(k) cleared for use exclusively with the Intercept® device.
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We believe that the Intercept® device has several advantages over competing urine and other drugs of abuse testing products, including its lower total testing cost, its non-invasive nature, safety, mobility and accuracy, the ease of maintaining a chain-of-custody, the treatment of test subjects with greater dignity, no requirement for specially-prepared collection facilities, and difficulty of sample adulteration. The availability of an oral fluid test is intended to allow our customers to test for drug impairment on demand, eliminate scheduling costs and inconvenience, and thereby streamline the testing process.
Histofreezer® and Freeze Off
The Histofreezer® cryosurgical removal system is a low-cost alternative to liquid nitrogen and other methods for removal of warts and other benign skin lesions by physicians. The Histofreezer® product mixes two environmentally friendly cryogenic gases in a small aerosol canister. When released, these gases are delivered to a specially designed foam bud, cooling the bud to 50°C. The frozen bud is then applied to the wart or lesion for 15 to 40 seconds (depending on the type of lesion) creating localized destruction of the target area by freezing. We have received 510(k) clearance for use of the Histofreezer® product to remove common warts and eight other types of benign skin lesions.
In February 2003, we received FDA 510(k) clearance to market and sell the Histofreezer® product in the retail or over-the-counter market for the removal of common and plantar warts only. This product is being distributed under the name Freeze Off by MedTech Holdings, Inc., the owner of the Compound W® line of wart removal products.
Immunoassay Tests and Reagents
We develop and sell immunoassay tests in two formats, known as MICRO-PLATE and AUTO-LYTE®, to meet the specific needs of our customers.
In a MICRO-PLATE kit, the sample to be tested is placed into a small plastic receptacle, called a microwell, along with the reagents. The result of the test is determined by the color of the microwell upon completion of the reaction. Controlling the reaction involves the use of a variety of reagents by laboratory personnel. Test results are analyzed by any of a variety of commercially available laboratory instruments, which we may also provide to our laboratory customers. MICRO-PLATE tests can be performed on commonly used instruments and can detect drugs in urine, serum, and sweat specimens. MICRO-PLATE tests are also used as part of the Intercept® product line to detect drugs of abuse in oral fluid specimens.
AUTO-LYTE® tests are sold in the form of bottles of liquid reagents. These reagents are run on commercially available laboratory-based automated analytical instruments, which are manufactured by a variety of third parties. AUTO-LYTE® is typically used in high volume, automated, commercial reference insurance laboratories to detect certain drugs or chemicals in urine. Test results are produced quickly, allowing for high throughput.
Whenever possible, we enter into multi-year sales agreements with our customers. These agreements generally are entered into with a laboratory that has agreed to purchase a minimum number of tests over a two-to-five-year period. We also offer these customers the option of a reagent rental agreement under which we sell the tests at an increased price over a fixed period of time, which includes an additional equipment charge in exchange for providing the customer with the required analytical laboratory equipment. We obtain this equipment from third party vendors.
Western Blot HIV-1 Confirmatory Test
We sell an oral fluid Western Blot HIV-1 confirmatory test that received premarket approval from the FDA in 1996. This test uses the original specimen collected with the OraSure® oral fluid collection device to confirm
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positive results of initial oral fluid HIV-1 EIA screening tests. The oral fluid Western Blot HIV-1 confirmatory test is marketed under an exclusive arrangement with BMX.
Q.E.D.® Saliva Alcohol Test
Our Q.E.D.® saliva alcohol test is an on-site, cost-effective test device that is an alternative to breath or blood alcohol testing. The test is a quantitative, saliva-based method for the detection of ethanol, and has been cleared for sale by the FDA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). In 1998, the product also received a CLIA waiver.
Each Q.E.D.® test kit contains a collection stick that is used to collect a sample of saliva and a disposable detection device that displays results in a format similar to a thermometer. The Q.E.D.® device is easy to operate and instrumentation is not required to read the result. The product has a testing range of 0 to 0.145% blood alcohol, and produces results in approximately two minutes.
Products Under Development
UPT and UPlink® Development
During 2003 and several prior years, much of our research and development efforts were focused on our Up-Converting Phosphor Technology (UPT) and the first UPT application expected to be commercialized, our UPlink® rapid, point-of-care system for detecting drugs of abuse in oral fluid.
Up-Converting Phosphor Technology. UPT is a proprietary label detection platform that uses phosphor particles to detect minute quantities of various substances. UPT utilizes the same particle shell that is coated onto a television screen, but the internal chemistry of the particle has been changed. These changes result in a particle that is excited by infrared light as compared to an ultraviolet light source for television screens. With assistance from our research partners, we have developed phosphorescent particles that up-convert infrared light to visible light, which we believe may be a label technology with broad applications.
Phosphor particles have been used for decades in television screens and in fluorescent light bulbs. When high energy ultraviolet light strikes the phosphor-coated area in a screen or bulb, it excites the particles and low energy visible colored light is produced. Our patented improvements on this base technology employ chemical changes inside the phosphor particles so that low energy infrared light can be used to produce a high energy visible colored signal and is the basis for UPT. This use of infrared light to create a colored signal is called up-conversion as opposed to down-conversion, which occurs in phosphors designed to be used with ultraviolet light.
The use of infrared light to excite the phosphor particles and produce a visible light signal creates what we believe is an important competitive advantage for the technology in biological systems, especially human clinical diagnostics. Existing enzyme or fluorescent-based assays employ visible or ultraviolet light to generate the signals from the enzyme substrate or fluorescent molecules used as reporter signals in these systems. The disadvantage of using light in the visible or ultraviolet portion of the spectrum is that often molecules in the cells or samples for analysis can also produce background interference from these excitation sources. When this occurs, a non-specific signal is generated which dilutes or obscures the signal of interest for the diagnostic test being administered. Because up-conversion does not occur in nature, biological samples and specimens will not produce light and, therefore, will not cause background interference when excited by infrared light.
We believe that UPT has the potential to overcome some of the limitations of other diagnostic detection methods and offers features not commercially available today. The fact that UPT testing produces zero background interference dramatically increases the potential sensitivity of any test system. In addition, we believe that UPT offers the following other key competitive features:
| | Ability to multiplex or detect biological markers for several substances simultaneously through the use of phosphor particles having various colors; |
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| | Applicability to a variety of instrument platforms; and |
| | Compatibility with alternative testing matrices such as oral fluid, blood or others. |
We have reached certain important milestones in the development of UPT, including improving the manufacturing process to produce UPT particles, working to optimize UPT particle coating techniques, producing four colors of UPT particles to permit multiplexing, demonstrating initial feasibility for the use of UPT particles in infectious disease and limited DNA detection applications, and developing an UPlink® collector, test cassette, and analyzer for use in testing oral fluid for drugs of abuse (as described below).
Although we believe that UPT may have several potential applications for in vitro diagnostics, we have not yet completed development of UPT or fully explored these potential UPT applications. We also have not determined which applications to pursue or the manner in which these opportunities will be pursued, if at all. Additional research and development will be required to determine the full potential of the UPT label technology, including with respect to the potential limits on the level of detection of this technology. In addition, we believe we may need to enter into partnering arrangements with other entities and devote substantial funds and other resources to exploit fully the potential of UPT.
UPlink®. UPlink® is our first UPT-based product application under development. UPlink® is designed to be a rapid, pointof-care system utilizing a collector, lateral flow test cassette, and analyzer (including software), that can quickly provide instrument-read results on a variety of samples, including oral fluid, blood, serum, urine and stool samples.
In April 2002, we received FDA 510(k) clearance for the UPlink® system to detect opiates in oral fluid. This is the only point-of-care oral fluid drug test system to receive FDA clearance. The UPlink® analyzer has also been certified by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (i.e., UL approval) as meeting certain standards required for the sale of electrical and light-emitting equipment internationally. Although an opiates-only UPlink® detection system has no commercial potential, we have developed an UPlink® detection system for the full NIDA-5 panel of tests cocaine, methamphetamines/amphetamines, PCP, opiates and marijuana which we believe can be commercialized. In September 2003, we submitted an application for FDA 510(k) clearance of an UPlink® system for the full NIDA-5 panel of tests. We plan initially to distribute this product through Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA (as discussed below) in the roadside testing market in Europe and other countries. Subject to receipt of FDA clearance and the completion of additional market research, we eventually intend to market this system directly in the workplace and criminal justice markets in the United States.
Although we have made significant progress with respect to the development of the UPlink® rapid point-of-care drugs of abuse detection system, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in commercializing this product. Assuming FDA 510(k) clearance is obtained, we do not expect to receive significant amounts of revenues from this product until at least the second half of 2004 or in subsequent years.
In March 2000, we signed a research and development agreement with Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA (Dräger), a European manufacturer and supplier of medical and safety technology products for health care and industrial applications. This agreement provided for the development of the UPlink® system for rapid detection of drugs of abuse in oral fluid. After completion of all research and development activities, Dräger has the option to become our exclusive distributor of this product in Europe and certain other countries to law enforcement officials for rapidly assessing whether an operator or passenger in a motor vehicle is under the influence of one or more drugs of abuse (the roadside market) and ultimately to certain military, criminal justice, and workplace testing markets. We received a non-refundable fee from Dräger under the agreement and will receive additional fees upon achievement of certain technical milestones. We expect Dräger to exercise its option and to commercially launch the UPlink® system in the roadside market in Europe by April 2004.
In September 2000, we signed a research and development agreement with Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (Meridian), a medical diagnostics company. Under this agreement, we intended to develop a range of UPlink®
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point-of-care tests for the rapid detection of parasites, and gastrointestinal and upper respiratory diseases. Development of one test, for detection of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), has been substantially completed. However, due to development delays and certain other events, we terminated our agreement with Meridian in 2003.
We are participating in the second year of a $4.2 million, four-year grant for research and development of saliva/oral fluid-based diagnostic technologies, awarded by the National Institutes of Health (the NIH) to the University of Pennsylvania. The grant covers basic research in the following three main areas:
| | New technologies for collecting bacterial/viral protein and nucleic acid samples from the human mouth; |
| | The combination of the University of Pennsylvanias microfluidic processing technology with our UPT technology for sample preparation; and |
| | The detection of viral or bacterial markers. |
The research plan under the grant contemplates achieving these goals through the use of our UPlink® rapid detection system.
Our portion of funding under the grant was approximately $400,000 in the first year and is expected to be approximately $350,000 in the second year, and if the grant is renewed by the NIH as we expect, approximately $350,000 to $400,000 each year thereafter. Payments under the grant are subject to availability of funding from the NIH and satisfactory progress of the research and development project.
OraQuick® Platform
We believe that OraQuick® has significant potential as a point-of-care testing platform for physicians offices, hospitals, and other markets. We believe that OraQuick® provides a platform technology that can be modified for detection of a variety of infectious diseases in addition to HIV, such as viral hepatitis and certain sexually transmitted diseases.
OraSure®/Intercept® Applications
Oral mucosal transudate, or OMT, contains many constituents found in blood and serum, although in lower concentrations. We believe the OraSure® and Intercept® devices are a platform technology with a wide variety of potential applications, where laboratory testing is available. For example, the OraSure® device may be useful for the collection of a variety of antibodies or markers for infectious diseases or conditions in addition to HIV-1, such as antibodies to viral hepatitis. We also believe these devices may be useful for the collection of DNA in oral fluid.
Business Strategy
We have adopted a three-part growth strategy, pursuant to which we intend to leverage our extensive diagnostic experience in order to maximize the available opportunities from our existing products and technologies, and supplement our existing product pipeline through the strategic acquisition of other technologies and products. We intend to follow a disciplined approach to maximize the value of our business for the benefit of our stockholders. Specifically, our business strategy includes the following key elements:
| | We intend to maximize the sales potential of our existing product lines in the markets where they are currently sold. This would principally involve fully capitalizing on the potential market reach of our OraQuick®, OraSure®, Intercept®, Histofreezer® and Freeze Off products by investing in our sales and marketing efforts where appropriate, making product improvements and enhancements, and optimizing our distribution channels. |
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| | We intend to expand the use of our existing products and technology platforms into new applications and new markets. For example, we believe that both the OraQuick® and OraSure® product technologies are very flexible and could be used potentially for the detection of diseases or conditions other than HIV. We also expect to explore other potential applications for both the UPlink® and UPT technology platforms in the future, and to selectively expand the distribution of our established products into certain international markets. |
| | We will evaluate potential acquisitions that may provide new products and technology platforms to supplement our existing product pipeline. |
Research and Development
In 2003, our research and development activities focused on the continued development of the UPlink® analyzer, test cassette and collector, the development of the UPlink® drugs of abuse assays, DNA feasibility studies, clinical trials related to claims for venipuncture whole blood, HIV-2, oral fluid and plasma for our OraQuick® test, and improvements to certain of our existing products.
We supplement our own research and development activities by funding external research. We have funded research at Leiden University and certain other entities, and intend to continue funding external research.
Research and development expenses totaled approximately $8.0 million in 2003, $8.3 million in 2002 and $9.4 million in 2001. These expenses include the costs associated with research and development, regulatory affairs and clinical trials.
Sales and Marketing
We attempt to reach our major target markets through a combination of direct sales, strategic partnerships, and independent distributors. Our marketing strategy is to raise awareness of our products through a mix of trade shows, print advertising, and distributor promotions to support sales in each target market.
We market our products in the United States and internationally. Revenues attributable to customers in the United States amounted to $35.9 million, $28.1 million and $27.3 million in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. Revenues attributable to international customers amounted to $4.6 million, $3.9 million and $5.3 million, or 11%, 12% and 16% of our total revenues, in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.
Insurance Risk Assessment
We currently market the OraSure® oral fluid collection device for use in screening life insurance applicants in the United States and internationally to test for three of the most important underwriting risk factors: HIV-1, cocaine, and cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine). Devices are sold to insurance testing laboratories, including LabOne, Inc., Heritage Labs and Clinical Reference Laboratories. These laboratories in turn provide the devices to insurance companies, usually in combination with testing services.
We also maintain a direct sales force that promotes use of the OraSure® device directly to insurance companies for life insurance risk assessment. Insurance companies then make their own decision regarding which laboratory to use to supply their collection devices and testing services. Our OraSure® Western Blot confirmatory test is distributed through BMX to laboratories and is used to confirm oral fluid specimens that initially test positive for HIV-1.
Because insurance companies are in various stages of their adoption of the OraSure® device, there exists a wide range of policy limits where the product is being applied. Some insurance companies have chosen to extend their testing to lower policy limits where they did not test at all before, while others have used OraSure® to
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replace some of their blood and urine-based testing. In general, most of our insurance company customers use the OraSure® device in connection with life insurance policies having face amounts of up to $250,000, with some customers using the device for policies of up to $500,000 in amount. One large insurance customer uses the OraSure® device with policies having face amounts up to $3 million.
Our sales force continues to encourage additional insurance companies to use OraSure® and to extend the use of the product by existing customers. We believe there are several factors which will help expand the use of our device, including increasing acceptance of the reliability of oral fluid testing, the high quality of test results, the low cost of oral fluid testing relative to blood tests, the ease of use of the OraSure® device, and the development of new oral fluid assays for use with our OraSure® device for detecting substances or conditions that affect life insurance risk assessment.
We also sell our AUTO-LYTE® and MICRO-PLATE assays and reagents in the insurance testing market directly to laboratories, including LabOne, Heritage Labs, and Clinical Reference Laboratory.
Infectious Disease Testing
Our sales personnel market the OraSure® oral fluid collection device, separately and as a kit in combination with laboratory testing services (as described below), and the OraQuick® rapid HIV-1 antibody test directly to customers in the public health market for HIV-1 testing. This market consists of a broad range of clinics and laboratories and includes states, counties, and other governmental agencies, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colleges and universities, correctional facilities and the military. There are also a number of organizations in the public health market such as AIDS service organizations and various community-based organizations set up primarily for the purpose of encouraging and enabling HIV testing.
To better serve our public health customers, we have entered into agreements with LabOne and Heritage Labs to provide prepackaged OraSure® test kits, with prepaid laboratory testing and specimen shipping costs included. We also sell the OraSure® and OraQuick® devices in the international public health markets.
In June 2002, we entered into an agreement under which Abbott Laboratories was appointed as the co-exclusive distributor of the OraQuick® rapid HIV-1 antibody test in the United States, focusing primarily on the hospital and physicians office markets. We intended to primarily target our direct sales to the public health and criminal justice markets, the military, the CDC and other agencies. Because Abbott failed to meet its minimum purchase commitments under the Agreement, we asserted that the agreement terminated in 2003. Abbott disputed our right to terminate, and this dispute was submitted to binding arbitration for resolution. The arbitrator found that the agreement did not terminate and will continue. In addition, consistent with the arbitrators rulings we notified Abbott that its distribution rights were converted from co-exclusive to non-exclusive. For a further discussion of this dispute with Abbott Laboratories, see the Section of this Annual Report entitled, Legal Proceedings.
We are in the process of recruiting and intend to deploy a small sales force that will provide direct access to and marketing support for the hospital market for our OraQuick® test and possibly other products. We also intend to seek one or more distributors to help penetrate the physicians office market with our OraQuick® test.
Substance Abuse Testing
Our substance abuse testing products are marketed into the workplace testing, forensic toxicology, criminal justice, and drug rehabilitation markets, primarily through direct sales and laboratory distributors. The forensic toxicology market consists of 250 300 laboratories including federal, state and county crime laboratories, medical examiner laboratories, and reference laboratories. The criminal justice market consists of a wide variety of entities in the criminal justice system that require drug screening, such as pre-trial services, parole and probation officials, police forces, drug courts, prisons, drug treatment programs and community/family service programs.
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We have entered into agreements for the distribution of Intercept® collection devices and associated MICRO-PLATE assays for drugs-of-abuse testing in the workplace testing market in the United States and Canada through several laboratory distributors, including LabOne, Quest Diagnostics, Clinical Reference Laboratory and NWT, Inc., and internationally for workplace and forensic toxicology testing through Bio-Rad Laboratories, Altrix HealthCare, plc, and other distributors. We assist our laboratory customers in customizing their testing services by selling them equipment required to test oral fluid specimens collected with the Intercept® device.
We also distribute our Q.E.D.® saliva alcohol test primarily through various distributors. The markets for alcohol testing are relatively small and fragmented with a broad range of legal and procedural barriers to entry. Markets range from law enforcement testing to workplace testing of employees in safety sensitive occupations. The Q.E.D.® test has been successfully adopted by end users in the petroleum, heavy construction, trucking, and retail industries because it is a cost-effective, portable, easy-to-administer, quantitative testing method. Typical usage situations include pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable-cause, and return-to-duty testing.
Cryosurgical Systems
Most of our Histofreezer® sales occur in the United States to distributors that, in turn, resell the product to more than 150,000 primary care physicians and podiatrists in the United States. Major U.S. distributors include Cardinal Healthcare, McKesson HBOC, Physicians Sales & Service, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Henry Schein. Internationally, we established a sales office in Reeuwijk, The Netherlands, and we are selling the Histofreezer® product through a dealer network in more than 20 countries worldwide. We have also commenced sales of Freeze Off, a product similar to Histofreezer®, in the over-the-counter market in the U.S. pursuant to a distribution agreement with MedTech Holdings, Inc., the owner of the Compound W® line of wart removal products.
International Markets
We sell a number of our products into international markets primarily through distributors with knowledge of their local markets. Principal markets include physicians offices, insurance risk assessment, substance abuse, public health, and laboratory testing.
We assist our international distributors in registering the products and obtaining required regulatory approvals in each country, and we provide training and support materials. Our international marketing program includes direct assistance to distributors in arranging for laboratory services, cooperation from screening test manufacturers, and performance of Western Blot confirmatory tests when necessary.
Significant Products and Customers
Several different products have contributed significantly to our financial performance, accounting for 15% or more of total revenues during the past three years. The OraSure® and Intercept® oral fluid collection devices, Histofreezer® and Freeze Off products, immunoassay tests and reagents, and OraQuick® rapid HIV-1 antibody test accounted for total revenues of approximately $14.5 million, $10.8 million, $6.6 million