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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

(Mark One)

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016

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 number 0-32405

 

 

SEATTLE GENETICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		91-1874389
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

21823 30^th Drive SE

Bothell, Washington 98021

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code): (425) 527-4000

 

 

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 whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every

Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer		x		Accelerated filer		¨
Non-accelerated filer		¨  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)		Smaller reporting company		¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

As of October 21, 2016, there were 141,552,646 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

 

 

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Seattle Genetics, Inc.

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q

For the Quarter Ended September 30, 2016

INDEX

 

				Page
		PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
Item 1.		Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements			3
		Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets			3
		Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss			4
		Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows			5
		Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements			6
Item 2.		Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations			13
Item 3.		Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk			24
Item 4.		Controls and Procedures			26
		PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1A.		Risk Factors			27
Item 5.		Other Information			49
Item 6.		Exhibits			50
SIGNATURES					51
EXHIBIT INDEX					52

 

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1.

Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

Seattle Genetics, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except par value)

 

		September 30, 2016				December 31, 2015
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents		$	131,029			$	102,255
Short-term investments			460,766				547,396
Accounts receivable, net			65,121				52,930
Inventories			71,645				56,963
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			15,743				11,515
Total current assets			744,304				771,059
Property and equipment, net			54,715				49,598
Long-term investments			40,094				63,060
Other non-current assets			10,799				11,378
Total assets		$	849,912			$	895,095
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		$	95,321			$	88,031
Current portion of deferred revenue			30,487				46,235
Total current liabilities			125,808				134,266
Long-term liabilities
Deferred revenue, less current portion			59,000				71,249
Deferred rent and other long-term liabilities			2,814				3,669
Total long-term liabilities			61,814				74,918
Commitments and contingencies (note 6)
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 5,000 shares authorized; none issued			0				0
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 250,000 shares authorized; 141,505 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2016 and 139,674 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015			142				140
Additional paid-in capital			1,673,835				1,613,383
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)			215				(683	)
Accumulated deficit			(1,011,902	)			(926,929	)
Total stockholders’ equity			662,290				685,911
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		$	849,912			$	895,095

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

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Seattle Genetics, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

		Three months ended September 30,								Nine months ended September 30,
		2016				2015				2016				2015
Revenues
Net product sales		$	70,117			$	59,059			$	194,981			$	163,040
Collaboration and license agreement revenues			23,974				15,311				64,148				51,918
Royalty revenues			12,224				9,702				53,743				28,367
Total revenues			106,315				84,072				312,872				243,325
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales			7,427				6,625				20,272				17,775
Cost of royalty revenues			3,748				3,473				10,470				9,286
Research and development			92,711				70,790				271,136				219,922
Selling, general and administrative			34,841				29,684				97,870				92,148
Total costs and expenses			138,727				110,572				399,748				339,131
Loss from operations			(32,412	)			(26,500	)			(86,876	)			(95,806	)
Investment income			660				62				1,903				176
Net loss		$	(31,752	)		$	(26,438	)		$	(84,973	)		$	(95,630	)
Net loss per share—basic and diluted		$	(0.23	)		$	(0.21	)		$	(0.61	)		$	(0.76	)
Shares used in computation of net loss per share—basic and diluted			140,928				127,667				140,369				125,693
Comprehensive loss:
Net loss		$	(31,752	)		$	(26,438	)		$	(84,973	)		$	(95,630	)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities available for sale			(146	)			3				891				44
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)			(7	)			(9	)			7				(9	)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)			(153	)			(6	)			898				35
Comprehensive loss		$	(31,905	)		$	(26,444	)		$	(84,075	)		$	(95,595	)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

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Seattle Genetics, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

 

		Nine months ended September 30,
		2016				2015
Operating activities
Net loss		$	(84,973	)		$	(95,630	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities
Share-based compensation			37,045				28,720
Depreciation and amortization			13,270				10,760
Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts			4,318				1,009
Deferred rent and other long-term liabilities			(855	)			(727	)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable, net			(12,191	)			(24,250	)
Inventories			(14,682	)			(1,064	)
Prepaid expenses and other assets			(4,219	)			2,945
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			8,367				(633	)
Deferred revenue			(27,997	)			(35,377	)
Net cash used in operating activities			(81,917	)			(114,247	)
Investing activities
Purchases of securities available for sale			(443,333	)			(177,064	)
Proceeds from maturities of securities available for sale			549,500				280,200
Proceeds from sales of securities available for sale			0				30,005
Purchases of property and equipment			(18,885	)			(9,026	)
Purchase of cost-method investment			(0	)			(5,000	)
Net cash provided by investing activities			87,282				119,115
Financing activities
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock			0				526,618
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan			23,409				25,661
Net cash provided by financing activities			23,409				552,279
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			28,774				557,147
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			102,255				56,927
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period		$	131,029			$	614,074

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

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Seattle Genetics, Inc.

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

1. Summary of significant accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of Seattle Genetics, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively “Seattle Genetics” or the “Company”). All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Management has determined that the Company operates in one segment: the development and sale of pharmaceutical products on its own behalf or in collaboration with others. Substantially all of the Company’s assets and revenues are related to operations in the United States; however, the Company also has subsidiaries in Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The condensed consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2015 were derived from audited financial statements not included in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or GAAP, for unaudited condensed consolidated financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments consisting of normal recurring adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position and results of its operations, as of and for the periods presented.

Unless indicated otherwise, all amounts presented in financial tables are presented in thousands, except for per share and par value amounts.

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as filed with the SEC.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of the Company’s operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Non-cash investing activities

The Company had $4.3 million and $5.4 million of accrued capital expenditures as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Accrued capital expenditures have been treated as a non-cash investing activity and, accordingly, have not been included in the statement of cash flows until such amounts have been paid in cash.

Other non-current assets

Other non-current assets include a $5.0 million non-controlling investment in a privately-held company that is accounted for under the cost method of accounting. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of the investment if significant adverse events or circumstances indicate a possible impairment. As of September 30, 2016, no impairment in value has been observed.

Long-term incentive plans

In May and July of 2016, the Company established two Long-Term Incentive Plans, or the First LTIP and the Second LTIP, respectively. The First LTIP provides eligible employees with the opportunity to receive a performance-based incentive comprised of a cash payment and stock options. The Second LTIP provides eligible employees with the opportunity to receive a performance-based incentive comprised of a cash payment and a restricted stock unit award. The payment of the cash, commencement of the vesting of the stock options, and grant and commencement of vesting of the restricted stock units under the LTIPs are contingent upon the achievement of pre-determined regulatory milestones. The Company will record compensation expense for the LTIPs over the estimated service period for each milestone once the achievement of the milestone is considered probable in accordance with the provisions of ASC 450, Contingencies. At each reporting date, the Company assesses whether achievement of a milestone is considered probable, and if so, records compensation expense based on the portion of the service period elapsed to date with respect to that milestone, with a cumulative catch-up, net of estimated forfeitures. The Company will recognize remaining compensation

 

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expense with respect to a milestone, if any, through the end of the estimated service period. As of September 30, 2016, the estimated value to be delivered in cash and stock options for employees currently eligible under the First LTIP was approximately $20.7 million. As of September 30, 2016, the estimated value to be delivered in cash and restricted stock units for employees currently eligible under the Second LTIP was approximately $20.9 million. No compensation expense has been recorded to date under the LTIPs. The total potential value to be delivered under the LTIPs is expected to change in the future for several reasons, including the addition of more eligible employees to the LTIPs.

Revenue Recognition

The Company’s revenues are comprised of ADCETRIS net product sales, amounts earned under its collaboration and licensing agreements and royalties. Revenue recognition is predicated upon persuasive evidence of an agreement existing, delivery of products or services being rendered, amounts payable being fixed or determinable, and collectibility being reasonably assured.

Net product sales

The Company sells ADCETRIS through a limited number of pharmaceutical distributors in the U.S. and Canada. Customers order ADCETRIS through these distributors and the Company typically ships product directly to the customer. The Company records product sales when title and risk of loss pass, which generally occurs upon delivery of the product to the customer. Product sales are recorded net of estimated government-mandated rebates and chargebacks, distribution fees, estimated product returns and other deductions. Accruals are established for these deductions and actual amounts incurred are offset against applicable accruals. The Company reflects these accruals as either a reduction in the related account receivable from the distributor, or as an accrued liability depending on the nature of the sales deduction. Sales deductions are based on management’s estimates that consider payer mix in target markets and experience to date. These estimates involve a substantial degree of judgment.

Government-mandated rebates and chargebacks: The Company has entered into a Medicaid Drug Rebate Agreement, or MDRA, with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This agreement provides for a rebate based on covered purchases of ADCETRIS. Medicaid rebates are invoiced to the Company by the various state Medicaid programs. The Company estimates Medicaid rebates based on a variety of factors, including its experience to date. The Company has also completed a Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, agreement under which certain U.S. government purchasers receive a discount on eligible purchases of ADCETRIS. The Company has entered into a Pharmaceutical Pricing Agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, which enables certain entities that qualify for government pricing under the Public Health Services Act, or PHS, to receive discounts on their qualified purchases of ADCETRIS. Under these agreements, distributors process a chargeback to the Company for the difference between wholesale acquisition cost and the applicable discounted price. As a result of the Company’s direct-ship distribution model, it can determine the entities purchasing ADCETRIS and this information enables the Company to estimate expected chargebacks for FSS and PHS purchases based on each entity’s eligibility for the FSS and PHS programs. The Company also reviews historical rebate and chargeback information to further refine these estimates.

Distribution fees, product returns and other deductions: The Company’s distributors charge a volume-based fee for distribution services that they perform for the Company. The Company allows for the return of product that is within 30 days of its expiration date or that is damaged. The Company estimates product returns based on its experience to date. In addition, the Company considers its direct-ship distribution model, its belief that product is typically not held in the distribution channel, and the expected rapid use of the product by healthcare providers. The Company provides financial assistance to qualifying patients that are underinsured or cannot cover the cost of commercial coinsurance amounts through SeaGen Secure. SeaGen Secure is available to patients in the U.S. and its territories who meet various financial and treatment need criteria. Estimated contributions for commercial coinsurance under SeaGen Secure are deducted from gross sales and are based on an analysis of expected plan utilization. These estimates are adjusted as necessary to reflect the Company’s actual experience.

Collaboration and license agreement revenues

The Company has developed a proprietary technology for linking cytotoxic agents to monoclonal antibodies called antibody- drug conjugates, or ADCs. This proprietary technology is the basis of ADC collaborations that the Company has entered into in the ordinary course of its business with a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Under these ADC collaboration agreements, the Company grants its collaborators research and commercial licenses to the Company’s technology and provides technology transfer services, technical advice, supplies and services for a period of time.

If there are continuing performance obligations, the Company uses a time-based proportional performance model to recognize revenue over the Company’s performance period for the related agreement. Collaboration and license agreements are evaluated to determine whether the multiple elements and associated deliverables can be considered separate units of accounting. To date, the pre-commercial

 

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deliverables under the Company’s collaboration and license agreements have not qualified as separate units of accounting. The assessment of multiple element arrangements requires judgment in order to determine the appropriate point in time, or period of time, that revenue should be recognized. The Company believes that the development period in each agreement is a reasonable estimate of the performance obligation period of such agreement. Accordingly, all amounts received or due, including any upfront payments, maintenance fees, development and regulatory milestone payments and reimbursement payments, are recognized as revenue over the performance obligation periods of each agreement. These performance obligation periods typically range from one to three years. The agreements with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda, and Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, or Genentech, have performance obligation periods of ten and seventeen years, respectively. All of the remaining performance obligation periods for our active collaborations are currently expected to be completed in four years or less. When no performance obligations are required of the Company, or following the completion of the performance obligation period, such amounts are recognized as revenue when collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, all amounts received or due other than sales-based milestones and royalties are classified as collaboration and license agreement revenues as they are earned. Sales-based milestones and royalties are recognized as royalty revenue as they are reported to the Company.

The Company’s collaboration and license agreements include contractual milestones. Generally, the milestone events contained in the Company’s collaboration and license agreements coincide with the progression of the collaborators’ product candidates from development, to regulatory approval and then to commercialization and fall into the following categories.

Development milestones in the Company’s collaborations may include the following types of events:

 

•

Designation of a product candidate or initiation of preclinical studies. The Company’s collaborators must undertake significant preclinical research and studies to make a determination of the suitability of a product candidate and the time from those studies or designation to initiation of a clinical trial may take several years.

 

•

Initiation of a phase 1 clinical trial. Generally, phase 1 clinical trials may take one to two years to complete.

 

•

Initiation of a phase 2 clinical trial. Generally, phase 2 clinical trials may take one to three years to complete.

 

•

Initiation of a phase 3 clinical trial. Generally, phase 3 clinical trials may take two to six years to complete.

Regulatory milestones in the Company’s collaborations may include the following types of events:

 

•

Filing of regulatory applications for marketing approval such as a Biologics License Application in the United States or a Marketing Authorization Application in Europe. Generally, it may take up to twelve months to prepare and submit regulatory filings.

 

•

Receiving marketing approval in a major market, such as in the United States, Europe, Japan or other significant countries. Generally it may take up to three years after a marketing application is submitted to obtain approval for marketing and pricing from the applicable regulatory agency.

Commercialization milestones in the Company’s collaborations may include the following types of events:

 

•

First commercial sale in a particular market, such as in the United States, Europe, Japan or other significant countries.

 

•

Product sales in excess of a pre-specified threshold. The amount of time to achieve this type of milestone depends on several factors, including, but not limited to, the dollar amount of the threshold, the pricing of the product, market penetration of the product and the rate at which customers begin using the product.

The Company’s ADC collaborators are solely responsible for the development of their product candidates and the achievement of milestones in any of the categories identified above is based solely on the collaborators’ efforts.

In the case of the Company’s ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda, the Company may be involved in certain development activities; however, the achievement of milestone events under the agreement is primarily based on activities undertaken by Takeda.

The process of successfully developing a product candidate, obtaining regulatory approval and ultimately commercializing a product candidate is highly uncertain and the attainment of any milestones is therefore uncertain and difficult to predict. In addition, since the Company does not take a substantive role or control the research, development or commercialization of any products generated by its ADC collaborators, the Company is not able to reasonably estimate when, if at all, any milestone payments or royalties may be payable to the Company by its ADC collaborators. As such, the milestone payments associated with its ADC collaborations involve a substantial degree of uncertainty and risk that they may never be received. Similarly, even in those collaborations where the Company may have an active role in the development of the product candidate, such as the Company’s ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda, the attainment of a milestone is based on the collaborator’s activities and is generally outside the direction and control of the Company.

 

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The Company generally invoices its collaborators and licensees on a monthly or quarterly basis, or upon the completion of the effort or achievement of a milestone, based on the terms of each agreement. Deferred revenue arises from amounts received in advance of the culmination of the earnings process and is recognized as revenue in future periods when the applicable revenue recognition criteria have been met. Deferred revenue expected to be recognized within the next twelve months is classified as a current liability.

Royalty revenues and cost of royalty revenues

Royalty revenues primarily reflect amounts earned under the ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda. These royalties include sales royalties, which are based on a percentage of Takeda’s net sales at rates that range from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties based on sales volume, and commercial sales-based milestones. Takeda bears a portion of third-party royalty costs owed on its sales of ADCETRIS. This amount is included in royalty revenue in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Cost of royalty revenues reflects amounts owed to the Company’s third party licensors related to Takeda’s sales of ADCETRIS. These amounts are recognized in the quarter in which Takeda reports its sales activity to the Company, which is the quarter following the related sales. Royalty revenues also include amounts earned in connection with the Company’s ADC collaborations.

Recent accounting pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The standard requires entities to recognize revenue through an evaluation that includes identification of the contract, identification of the performance obligations, determination of the transaction price, allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations, and recognition of revenue as the entity satisfies the performance obligations. In August 2015, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date”, which defers the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to the Company’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018. The FASB has continued to issue accounting standards updates to clarify and provide implementation guidance related to Revenue from Contracts with Customers, including “ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contract with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations”, “ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing”, and “ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients.” The Company is currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In January 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments: Overall.” The standard addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. The standard will become effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In February 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2016-02, Leases.” The standard requires entities to recognize in the consolidated balance sheet a liability to make lease payments and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The standard will become effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In March 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standard Update entitled “ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation.” The standard is intended to simplify certain elements of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax impact, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The standards will become effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In June 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standard Update entitled “ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments: Credit Losses”. The objective of the standard is to provide information about expected credit losses on financial instruments at each reporting date, and to change how other than temporary impairments on investments securities are recorded. The standard will become effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

2. Net loss per share

Basic and diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The Company excluded all restricted stock units and options to purchase common stock from the

 

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calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share as such securities are anti-dilutive for all periods presented. The weighted-average number of restricted stock units and options to purchase common stock that have been excluded from the number of shares used to calculate basic and diluted net loss per share totaled 13,272,000 and 11,625,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and 12,714,000 and 11,743,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

3. Investments

Investments consisted of available-for-sale securities as follows (in thousands):

 

		Amortized cost				Gross unrealized gains				Gross unrealized losses				Fair value
September 30, 2016
U.S. Treasury securities		$	500,640			$	230			$	(10	)		$	500,860
Contractual Maturities
Due in one year or less		$	234,819											$	234,889
Due in one to two years			265,821												265,971
Total		$	500,640											$	500,860
		Amortized cost				Gross unrealized gains				Gross unrealized losses				Fair value
December 31, 2015
U.S. Treasury securities		$	611,128			$	1			$	(673	)		$	610,456
Contractual Maturities
Due in one year or less		$	532,823											$	532,418
Due in one to two years			78,305												78,038
Total		$	611,128											$	610,456

The Company classifies investments maturing within one year of the reporting date as short-term investments. Investments are presented in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as follows (in thousands):

 

		September 30, 2016				December 31, 2015
Short-term investments		$	460,766			$	547,396
Long-term investments			40,094				63,060
Total		$	500,860			$	610,456

The aggregate estimated fair value of the Company’s investments with unrealized losses was as follows (in thousands):

 

		Period of continuous unrealized loss
		12 Months or less								Greater than 12 months
		Fair value				Gross unrealized losses				Fair value				Gross unrealized losses
September 30, 2016
U.S. Treasury securities		$	65,180			$	(10	)		$	NA			$	NA
December 31, 2015
U.S. Treasury securities		$	605,457			$	(673	)		$	NA			$	NA

 

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4. Fair value

The Company holds short-term and long-term available-for-sale securities that are measured at fair value which is determined on a recurring basis according to a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs and assumptions used, and the valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described as follows:

 

Level 1:

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2:

Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3:

Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

The determination of a financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on an assessment of the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company considers observable data to be market data which is readily available, regularly distributed or updated, reliable and verifiable, not proprietary, and provided by independent sources that are actively involved in the relevant market.

Level 1 investments, which include investments that are valued based on quoted market prices in active markets, consisted of U.S. Treasury securities. The Company did not hold any Level 2 or 3 investments as of September 30, 2016 or December 31, 2015 and did not transfer any investments between Levels 1, 2 and 3 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2016.

The following table presents the Company’s available-for-sale securities by level within the fair value hierarchy for the periods presented (in thousands):

 

		Fair value measurement using:
		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)				Other observable inputs (Level 2)				Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)				Total
As of September 30, 2016
Cash Equivalents—U.S. Treasury securities		$	18,503			$	0			$	0			$	18,503
Short-term investments—U.S. Treasury securities			460,766				0				0				460,766
Long-term investments—U.S. Treasury securities			40,094				0				0				40,094
Total		$	519,363			$	0			$	0			$	519,363
		Fair value measurement using:
		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)				Other observable inputs (Level 2)				Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)				Total
As of December 31, 2015
Short-term investments—U.S. Treasury securities		$	547,396			$	0			$	0			$	547,396
Long-term investments—U.S. Treasury securities			63,060				0				0				63,060
Total		$	610,456			$	0			$	0			$	610,456

 

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5. Inventories

The following table presents the Company’s inventories of ADCETRIS (in thousands):

 

		September 30, 2016				December 31, 2015
Raw materials		$	64,414			$	50,501
Work in process			2,494				1,693
Finished goods			4,737				4,769
Total		$	71,645			$	56,963

The Company capitalizes ADCETRIS inventory costs. ADCETRIS inventory that is deployed into clinical, research or development use is charged to research and development expense when it is no longer available for use in commercial sales. The Company does not capitalize manufacturing costs for any of its product candidates.

6. Legal matters

The Company is involved in various legal proceedings in the normal course of its business. The Company does not expect any current legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Legal fees incurred as a result of the Company’s involvement in legal procedures are expensed as incurred.

 

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Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Forward-Looking Statements

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. All statements other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of these provisions, including those relating to future events or our future financial performance and financial guidance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “project,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “intend” or “continue,” the negative of terms like these or other comparable terminology, and other words or terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. These statements are only predictions. All forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are based on information available to us on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements except as required by law. Any or all of our forward-looking statements in this document may turn out to be incorrect. Actual events or results may differ materially. Our forward-looking statements can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. We discuss many of these risks, uncertainties and other factors in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in greater detail under the heading “Item 1A—Risk Factors.” We caution investors that our business and financial performance are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties.

Overview

Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer. Our marketed product ADCETRIS^®, or brentuximab vedotin, is now approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the European Commission for three indications, encompassing several settings for the treatment of relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or sALCL. ADCETRIS is commercially available in 65 countries around the world, including in the United States, Canada, members of the European Union and Japan. We are collaborating with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda, to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS on a global basis. Under this collaboration, Seattle Genetics retains commercial rights for ADCETRIS in the United States and its territories and in Canada, and Takeda has commercial rights in the rest of the world.

Beyond our current labeled indications, we and Takeda have a broad development strategy for ADCETRIS evaluating its therapeutic potential in earlier lines of therapy for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma or mature T-cell lymphoma, or MTCL, including sALCL, and in other CD30-expressing malignancies. We and Takeda are currently conducting three phase 3 clinical trials of ADCETRIS: ALCANZA, ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2. The specifics of these clinical trials are as follows:

ALCANZA. This is a phase 3 randomized trial comparing single agent ADCETRIS to either methotrexate or bexarotene in 131 patients with CD30-expressing cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, or CTCL, who have previously failed at least one systemic therapy. In August 2016, we reported that the ALCANZA trial met its primary endpoint and showed that treatment with ADCETRIS resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the rate of objective response lasting at least four months (ORR4) versus the control arm as assessed by an independent review committee (p-value <0.0001). The key secondary endpoints specified in the protocol for the ALCANZA trial, including complete response rate, progression-free survival, or PFS, and reduction in the burden of symptoms during treatment, were all statistically significant in favor of the ADCETRIS arm. The safety profile associated with ADCETRIS from the ALCANZA trial was generally consistent with the existing prescribing information. An abstract has been accepted for an oral presentation of the full ALCANZA data set at the American Society of Hematology, or ASH, annual meeting to be held in December 2016, and we plan to submit a supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, to the FDA in the first half of 2017 to seek approval for a new indication in the ALCANZA treatment setting.

ECHELON-1. This is a phase 3 randomized trial evaluating the frontline standard of care, ABVD (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine), versus ADCETRIS plus AVD (removing bleomycin from the regimen) in newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients. The primary endpoint of this trial is modified PFS, per independent review facility assessment. We completed target patient enrollment of approximately 1,300 patients in this trial during October 2015, and expect to report data in 2017.

ECHELON-2. This is a phase 3 randomized trial evaluating the frontline standard of care, CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone) versus ADCETRIS plus CHP (removing vincristine from the regimen) in newly diagnosed MTCL patients. The primary endpoint of this trial is PFS, per independent review facility assessment. We expect to complete enrollment of approximately 450 patients in this trial during 2016, and to report data in the 2017 to 2018 timeframe. ECHELON-2 is a required post-approval study to convert the approval of ADCETRIS in the United States from accelerated approval to regular approval in its currently approved relapsed sALCL indication; however, we believe, based on prior discussions with the FDA, that positive results from either the ECHELON-1 or the ECHELON-2 trial could form the basis for such a conversion.

 

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All of these trials are being conducted under Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, agreements with the FDA and pursuant to scientific advice from the European Medicines Agency. An SPA is an agreement with the FDA regarding the design of the clinical trial, including size and clinical endpoints, to support an efficacy claim in a Biologics License Application, or BLA, submission to the FDA if the trial achieves its primary endpoints.

We are also advancing the development of SGN-CD33A, or vadastuximab talirine. A phase 3 clinical trial, called the CASCADE trial, was initiated in the second quarter of 2016 based on data from our ongoing phase 1 clinical trial. The CASCADE trial is evaluating SGN-CD33A in combination with hypomethylating agents, or HMAs, in previously untreated older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, who are not candidates for intensive induction chemotherapy. We are also evaluating SGN-CD33A broadly across multiple lines of therapy in patients with myeloid malignancies, including in ongoing phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for newly diagnosed or relapsed AML patients and for previously untreated myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, patients.

In addition, in collaboration with Astellas Pharma, Inc., or Astellas, we are developing ASG-22ME, or enfortumab vedotin. In October 2016, we reported interim data at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress from a phase 1 dose-escalation trial of ASG-22ME in patients with previously treated metastatic urothelial cancer, including those who had received prior checkpoint inhibitors. At the recommended phase 2 dose, ASG-22ME demonstrated an objective response rate of 59 percent in 10 of 17 patients (all partial responses) and was generally well-tolerated. We are working with Astellas to define next steps for ASG-22ME, including potential later stage trials and discussions with regulatory agencies.

Our clinical-stage pipeline also includes five other antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, programs consisting of SGN-CD19A, or denintuzumab mafodotin, ASG-15ME, SGN-LIV1A, SGN-CD19B, and SGN-CD123A, and an immuno-oncology agent called SEA-CD40, which is based on our sugar-engineered antibody, or SEA, technology. In addition, we have multiple preclinical and research-stage programs that employ our proprietary technologies, including SGN-CD352A and SGN-CD48A, two preclinical ADC product candidates, as well as SGN-2FF, a small molocule immuno-oncology agent, that we expect to enter clinical trials in the near future. We recently decided to discontinue development of SGN-CD70A, an ADC targeted to CD70, based on a portfolio review and evaluation of clinical data of SG-CD70A in renal cell carcinoma and CD70-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

We have collaborations for our ADC technology with a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd., or AbbVie; Bayer Pharma AG, or Bayer; Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., or Celldex; Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, or Genentech; GlaxoSmithKline LLC, or GSK; Pfizer, Inc., or Pfizer; PSMA Development Company LLC, a subsidiary of Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc., or Progenics; and Takeda. In addition, we have entered into a 50/50 co-development agreement with Astellas for the development of ADCs, including ASG-22ME. We also have an ADC co-development agreement with Genmab A/S, or Genmab, and a collaboration with Unum Therapeutics, Inc., or Unum, to develop and commercialize novel antibody-coupled T-cell receptor, or ACTR, therapies incorporating our antibodies for the treatment of cancer.

Our ongoing research, development and commercial activities will require substantial amounts of capital and may not ultimately be successful. Over the next several years, we expect that we will incur substantial expenses, primarily as a result of activities related to the commercialization of ADCETRIS, and the continued development of ADCETRIS and SGN-CD33A. Our other product candidates are in relatively early stages of development; SGN-CD33A and our other product candidates will require significant further development, financial resources and personnel to pursue and obtain regulatory approval and develop into commercially viable products, if at all. Our commitment of resources to the continuing development, regulatory and commercialization activities for ADCETRIS and the research, continued development and manufacturing of our product candidates may require us to raise substantial amounts of additional capital and our operating expenses will fluctuate as a result of such activities. In addition, we may incur significant milestone payment obligations to certain of our licensors as our product candidates progress through clinical trials towards potential commercialization.

We recognize revenue from ADCETRIS product sales in the United States and Canada. Our future ADCETRIS product sales will be difficult to accurately predict from period to period. In this regard, our product sales have varied, and may continue to vary, significantly from period to period and may be affected by a variety of factors. Such factors include the incidence rate of new patients in ADCETRIS’ approved indications, customer ordering patterns, the overall level of demand for ADCETRIS, the duration of therapy for patients receiving ADCETRIS, and the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for ADCETRIS is available from government and other third-party payers. Obtaining and maintaining appropriate coverage and reimbursement for ADCETRIS is increasingly challenging due to, among other things, the attention being paid to healthcare cost containment and other austerity measures in the U.S. and worldwide, as well as increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to pharmaceutical drug pricing practices. We also believe that the level of our current ADCETRIS sales in the United States has been attributable to the incidence flow of patients eligible for treatment with ADCETRIS, which can vary significantly from period to period. Moreover, we

 

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believe that the incidence rate in ADCETRIS’ approved indications is relatively low, particularly when compared to many other oncology indications. For these and other reasons, we expect that our ability to accelerate ADCETRIS sales growth, if at all, will depend primarily on our ability to continue to expand ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use. Our efforts to continue to expand ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use will continue to require additional time and investment in clinical trials to complete and may not be successful. Our ability to successfully commercialize ADCETRIS and to continue to expand its labeled indications of use are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In particular, negative or inconclusive results in our ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 trials would negatively impact, or preclude altogether, our ability to obtain regulatory approval in the frontline Hodgkin lymphoma, and frontline MTCL indications, respectively, either of which could limit our sales of, and the commercial potential of, ADCETRIS. We also expect that amounts earned from our collaboration agreements, including royalties, will continue to be an important source of our revenues and cash flows. These revenues will be impacted by future development funding and the achievement of development, clinical and commercial success by our collaborators under our existing collaboration and license agreements, including our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda, as well as by entering into potential new collaboration and license agreements. Our results of operations may vary substantially from year to year and from quarter to quarter and, as a result, we believe that period to period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful and should not be relied upon as being indicative of our future performance.

Financial summary

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, total revenues increased to $312.9 million, compared to $243.3 million for the same period in 2015. This increase was driven primarily by increased ADCETRIS net product sales and royalty revenues. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, royalty revenues included a one-time $20.0 million milestone payment triggered by Takeda exceeding $200 million in annual net sales of ADCETRIS in its territory during 2015. Net product sales of ADCETRIS were $195.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, compared to $163.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, total costs and expenses increased to $399.7 million, compared to $339.1 million for the same period in 2015. This primarily reflects increases in our investment in SGN-CD33A and increased ADCETRIS collaboration activities for product supply to Takeda, as well as investment in our growing pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage programs. As of September 30, 2016, we had $631.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments, and $662.3 million in total stockholders’ equity.

Results of operations

Three months and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015

Net product sales

We sell ADCETRIS in the U.S. and Canada. Our net product sales were as follows:

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Net product sales		$	70,117			$	59,059				19	%		$	194,981			$	163,040				20	%

The increase in net product sales for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 over the comparable periods in 2015 primarily resulted from an increase in sales volume in the 2016 periods and, to a lesser extent, from the effect of price increases instituted since the 2015 periods. The increase in sales volume in 2016 was primarily driven by increased use of ADCETRIS across multiple lines of therapy for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma including the post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or auto-HSCT, consolidation indication and for treatment of other CD30-expressing malignancies. ADCETRIS received approval from the FDA in 2011 for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of auto-HSCT or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not auto-HSCT candidates, and for the treatment of patients with sALCL, after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. In August 2015, ADCETRIS was approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma at high risk of relapse or progression as post-auto-HSCT consolidation.

While we continue to expect modest growth in ADCETRIS sales in 2016 as compared to 2015, our ability to accelerate the rate of ADCETRIS sales growth in future periods, if at all, will be primarily dependent on our ability to continue to expand ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use. Our efforts to expand ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use will continue to require additional time and investment in clinical trials to complete and may not be successful.

We sell ADCETRIS through a limited number of pharmaceutical distributors. Customers order ADCETRIS through these distributors and we typically ship product directly to the customer. We record product sales when title and risk of loss pass, which generally occurs upon delivery of the product to the customer. Product sales are recorded net of estimated government-mandated

 

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rebates and chargebacks, distribution fees, estimated product returns and other deductions. These are generally referred to as gross-to-net deductions. Accruals are established for these deductions and actual amounts incurred are offset against applicable accruals. We reflect these accruals as either a reduction in the related account receivable from the distributor, or as an accrued liability depending on the nature of the sales deduction. Sales deductions are based on our estimates that consider payer mix in target markets and our experience to date. These estimates involve a substantial degree of judgment.

Government-mandated rebates and chargebacks: We have entered into a Medicaid Drug Rebate Agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This agreement provides for a rebate to participating states based on covered purchases of ADCETRIS. Medicaid rebates are invoiced to us by the various state Medicaid programs. We estimate Medicaid rebates based on a variety of factors, including our experience to date. We also have completed our Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, agreement under which certain U.S. government purchasers receive a discount on eligible purchases of ADCETRIS. We have entered into a Pharmaceutical Pricing Agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services which enables certain entities that qualify for government pricing under the Public Health Services Act, or PHS, to receive discounts on their qualified purchases of ADCETRIS. Under these agreements, distributors process a chargeback to us for the difference between wholesale acquisition cost and the applicable discounted price. As a result of our direct-ship distribution model, we can identify the entities purchasing ADCETRIS and this information enables us to estimate expected chargebacks for FSS and PHS purchases based on each entity’s eligibility for the FSS and PHS programs. We also review actual rebate and chargeback information to further refine these estimates.

Distribution fees, product returns and other deductions: Our distributors charge a volume-based fee for distribution services that they perform for us. We allow for the return of product that is within 30 days of its expiration date or that is damaged. We estimate product returns based on our experience to date. In addition, we consider our direct-ship distribution model, our belief that product is typically not held in the distribution channel, and the expected rapid use of the product by healthcare providers. We provide financial assistance to qualifying patients that are underinsured or cannot cover the cost of commercial coinsurance amounts through SeaGen Secure. SeaGen Secure is available to patients in the U.S. and its territories who meet various financial and treatment need criteria. Estimated contributions for commercial coinsurance under SeaGen Secure are deducted from gross sales and are based on an analysis of expected plan utilization. These estimates are adjusted as necessary to reflect our actual experience.

Gross-to-net deductions, net of related payments and credits, are summarized as follows (in thousands):

 

		Rebates and chargebacks				Distribution fees, product returns and other				Total
Balance as of December 31, 2015		$	7,111			$	2,359			$	9,470
Provision related to current period sales			53,518				4,746				58,264
Adjustment for prior period sales			(818	)			(53	)			(871	)
Payments/credits for current period sales			(46,626	)			(3,471	)			(50,097	)
Payments/credits for prior period sales			(4,654	)			(809	)			(5,463	)
Balance as of September 30, 2016		$	8,531			$	2,772			$	11,303

Mandatory government discounts are the most significant component of our total gross to net deductions and the discount percentage has been increasing. These discount percentages increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 over the comparable periods in 2015 as a result of price increases we instituted that exceeded the rate of inflation, and to a lesser extent, as a result of an increase in sales eligible for government mandated rebates or chargebacks. Generally, the change in government prices is limited to the rate of inflation. We expect future gross-to-net deductions to fluctuate based on the volume of purchases eligible for government mandated discounts and rebates, as well as changes in the discount percentage which is impacted by potential future price increases, the rate of inflation, and other factors.

Collaboration and license agreement revenues

Our proprietary ADC technologies are the basis of our ADC collaborations that we have entered into in the ordinary course of business with a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Under these ADC collaboration agreements, we grant our collaborators research and commercial licenses to our technology and typically provide technology transfer services, technical advice, supplies and services for a period of time.

If there are continuing performance obligations, we use a time-based proportional performance model to recognize revenue over our performance period for the related agreement. Collaboration and license agreements are evaluated to determine whether the multiple elements and associated deliverables can be considered separate units of accounting. To date, the pre-commercial deliverables under our collaboration and license agreements have not qualified as separate units of accounting. The assessment of multiple element arrangements requires judgment in order to determine the appropriate point in time, or period of time, that revenue

 

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should be recognized. We believe that the development period in each agreement is a reasonable estimate of the performance obligation period of such agreement. Accordingly, all amounts received or due, including any upfront payments, maintenance fees, development and regulatory milestone payments and reimbursement payments, are recognized as revenue over the performance obligation periods of each agreement. These performance obligation periods typically range from one to three years. The agreements with Takeda and Genentech have performance obligation periods of ten and seventeen years, respectively. All of the remaining performance obligation periods for our active collaborations are currently expected to be completed in four years or less. When we have no further performance obligations or following the completion of the performance obligation period, such amounts are recognized as revenue when collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, all amounts received or due other than sales-based milestones and royalties are classified as collaboration and license agreement revenues as they are earned. Sales-based milestones and royalties are recognized as royalty revenue as they are reported to us.

Our collaboration and license agreements include contractual milestones. Generally, the milestone events contained in our collaboration and license agreements coincide with the progression of the collaborators’ product candidates from development to regulatory approval and then to commercialization.

Development milestones in our collaborations may include the following types of events:

 

•

Designation of a product candidate or initiation of preclinical studies. Our collaborators must undertake significant pre-clinical research and studies to make a determination of the suitability of a product candidate and the time from those studies or designation to initiation of a clinical trial may take several years.

 

•

Initiation of a phase 1 clinical trial. Generally, phase 1 clinical trials may take one to two years to complete.

 

•

Initiation of a phase 2 clinical trial. Generally, phase 2 clinical trials may take one to three years to complete.

 

•

Initiation of a phase 3 clinical trial. Generally, phase 3 clinical trials may take two to six years to complete.

Regulatory milestones in our collaborations may include the following types of events:

 

•

Filing of regulatory applications for marketing approval such as a BLA in the United States or a Marketing Authorization Application in Europe. Generally, it may take up to twelve months to prepare and submit regulatory filings.

 

•

Receiving marketing approval in a major market, such as in the United States, Europe, Japan or other significant countries. Generally it may take up to three years after a marketing application is submitted to obtain approval for marketing and pricing from the applicable regulatory agency.

Commercialization milestones in our collaborations may include the following types of events:

 

•

First commercial sale in a particular market, such as in the United States, Europe, Japan or other significant countries.

 

•

Product sales in excess of a pre-specified threshold. The amount of time to achieve this type of milestone depends on several factors, including, but not limited to, the dollar amount of the threshold, the pricing of the product, market penetration of the product and the rate at which customers begin using the product.

Our ADC collaborators are solely responsible for the development of their product candidates and the achievement of milestones in any of the categories identified above is based solely on the collaborators’ efforts.

In the case of our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda, we may be involved in certain development activities; however, the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestone events under the agreement is primarily based on activities undertaken by Takeda.

The process of successfully developing a product candidate, obtaining regulatory approval and ultimately commercializing a product candidate is highly uncertain and the attainment of any milestones is therefore uncertain and difficult to predict. In addition, since we do not take a substantive role or control the research, development or commercialization of any products generated by our ADC collaborators, we are not able to reasonably estimate when, if at all, any milestone payments or royalties may be payable to us by our ADC collaborators. As such, the milestone payments associated with our ADC collaborations involve a substantial degree of uncertainty and risk that they may never be received. Similarly, even in those collaborations where we may have an active role in the development of the product candidate, such as our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda, the attainment of a milestone is based on the collaborator’s activities and is generally outside our direction and control.

We generally invoice our collaborators and licensees on a monthly or quarterly basis, or upon the completion of the effort or achievement of a milestone, based on the terms of each agreement. Any deferred revenue arising from amounts received in advance of the culmination of the earnings process is recognized as revenue in future periods when the applicable revenue recognition criteria have been met. Deferred revenue expected to be recognized within the next twelve months is classified as a current liability.

 

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Collaboration and license agreement revenues by collaborator are summarized as follows:

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
Collaboration and license agreement revenue by collaborator ($ in thousands)		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Takeda		$	12,087			$	5,368				125	%		$	34,530			$	11,930				189	%
AbbVie			8,780				7,054				24	%			19,274				24,903				(23	%)
Other			3,107				2,889				8	%			10,344				15,085				(31	%)
Total		$	23,974			$	15,311				57	%		$	64,148			$	51,918				24	%

Collaboration revenues earned under our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015, primarily driven by an increase in the earned portion of reimbursement funding under the ADCETRIS collaboration. The higher reimbursement primarily reflects a decrease in clinical trial costs related to activity performed by Takeda as the ALCANZA and ECHELON-1 studies advanced, and an increase in drug product supply activities to Takeda.

Changes in revenues recognized from our AbbVie and other collaboration agreements, which include our ADC collaborations and our co-development collaborations, reflect the timing of development milestones and licensing fees. Our collaboration and license agreement revenues are impacted by the term and duration of our collaboration agreements and by progress-dependent milestones, annual maintenance fees and reimbursement of materials and support services. Collaboration and license agreement revenues may vary substantially from year to year and quarter to quarter depending on the progress made by our collaborators with their product candidates, the level of support we provide to our collaborators, specifically to Takeda under our ADCETRIS collaboration, the timing of milestones achieved and our ability to enter into additional collaboration and co-development agreements. We continue to expect our collaboration and license agreement revenues to increase in 2016 as compared to 2015, primarily from an increase in development funding from Takeda resulting from development and product supply activities expected to be performed by us under the ADCETRIS collaboration. We have a significant balance of deferred revenue, representing prior payments from our collaborators that have not yet been recognized as revenue. This deferred revenue will be recognized as revenue in future periods using a time-based approach as we fulfill our performance obligations.

Collaboration Agreements

Takeda

Our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda provides for the global co-development of ADCETRIS by the companies and the commercialization of ADCETRIS by Takeda in its territory. We received an upfront payment and have received and are entitled to receive progress-dependent milestone payments based on Takeda’s achievement of certain events related to ADCETRIS development. Additionally, the companies equally co-fund the cost of development activities conducted under the collaboration. We recognize as collaboration revenue the upfront payment, progress-dependent development and regulatory milestone payments, and net development cost reimbursement payments from Takeda over the ten-year development period of the collaboration, which began in December 2009. When the performance of development activities under the collaboration results in us making a reimbursement payment to Takeda, the effect is to reduce the amount of collaboration revenue that we record. We also receive reimbursement for the cost of drug product supplied to Takeda for its use and, in some cases, pay Takeda for drug product they supply to us. The earned portion of net collaboration payments is reflected as a component of collaboration and license agreement revenues.

As of September 30, 2016, future potential milestone payments to us under the ADCETRIS collaboration could total approximately $165 million. Of the remaining amount, up to approximately $7 million relates to the achievement of development milestones, up to approximately $118 million relates to the achievement of regulatory milestones and up to approximately $40 million relates to the achievement of a commercial milestone. To date, $70 million in milestones have been achieved as a result of regulatory and commercial progress by Takeda.

Astellas Co-development Agreement

In January 2007, we entered into an agreement with Astellas to jointly research, develop and commercialize ADCs for the treatment of several types of cancer. The collaboration encompasses combinations of our ADC technology with fully-human antibodies developed by Astellas to proprietary cancer targets.

 

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Under the collaboration agreement, we and Astellas are co-funding all development and commercialization costs for ASG-22ME and ASG-15ME, and will share in any profits that may come from these product candidates if successfully commercialized on a 50/50 basis. Costs associated with co-development activities are included in research and development expense.

Astellas is developing another ADC product candidate on its own, subject to paying us annual maintenance fees, milestones, royalties and support fees for research and development services and material provided under the collaboration agreement. Amounts received for product candidates being developed solely by Astellas are recognized as revenue.

ADC Collaboration Agreements

We have other active collaborations with a number of companies to allow them to use our proprietary ADC technology. Under our ADC collaborations, which we enter into in the ordinary course of business, we typically receive or are entitled to receive upfront cash payments, progress-dependent milestones and royalties on net sales of products incorporating our ADC technology, as well as annual maintenance fees and support fees for research and development services and materials provided under the agreements. These amounts are recognized as revenue as they are realized, or over the performance obligation period of the agreements during which we provide limited support to the collaborator. Our ADC collaborators are responsible for development, manufacturing and commercialization of any ADC product candidates that result from the collaborations and are solely responsible for the achievement of the potential milestones under these collaborations.

As of September 30, 2016, our ADC collaborations and co-development agreements had generated more than $350 million, primarily in the form of upfront payments. Total milestone payments to us under our current ADC collaboration and co-development agreements could total up to approximately $3.4 billion if all potential product candidates achieved all of their milestone events. Of this amount, approximately $0.5 billion relates to the achievement of development milestones, approximately $1.3 billion relates to the achievement of regulatory milestones and approximately $1.6 billion relates to the achievement of commercial milestones. Since we do not control the research, development or commercialization of any of the products that would generate these milestones, we are not able to reasonably estimate when, if at all, any milestone payments or royalties may be payable by our collaborators. Successfully developing a product candidate, obtaining regulatory approval and ultimately commercializing it is a significantly lengthy and highly uncertain process which entails a significant risk of failure. In addition, business combinations, changes in a collaborator’s business strategy and financial difficulties or other factors could result and have resulted in a collaborator abandoning or delaying development of its product candidates. As such, the milestone payments associated with our ADC collaborations and co-development agreements involve a substantial degree of risk and may never be received. Accordingly, we do not expect, and investors should not assume, that we will receive all of the potential milestone payments described above and it is possible that we may never receive any significant milestone payments under these agreements.

Unum Therapeutics Collaboration

We have a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Unum to develop and commercialize novel ACTR therapies incorporating our antibodies for cancer. We and Unum will initially develop two ACTR product candidates that combine Unum’s ACTR technology with our antibodies, and we have an option to expand the collaboration to include a third ACTR product candidate upon payment of an additional fee. Unum is obligated to conduct preclinical research and clinical development activities through phase 1 and we are obligated to provide funding for these activities. The agreement calls for us to work together to co-develop and jointly fund programs after phase 1 unless either company opts out. Costs associated with co-development activities are included in research and development expense.

We and Unum would co-commercialize any successfully developed product candidates and share any profits 50/50 on any co- developed programs in the United States. We retain exclusive commercial rights outside of the United States, paying Unum a royalty that is a high single digit to mid-teens percentage of ex-U.S. sales, if any. The potential future licensing and progress-dependent milestone payments to Unum under the collaboration may total up to $615 million across all three ACTR programs, payment of which is triggered by the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones.

Royalty Revenues and Cost of Royalty Revenues

Royalty revenues primarily reflect royalties paid to us by Takeda under the ADCETRIS collaboration. These royalties include commercial sales-based milestones and sales royalties. The royalty rate paid by Takeda is calculated as a percentage of Takeda’s net sales of ADCETRIS, ranges from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties depending on sales volumes, and resets annually. Takeda bears a portion of third-party royalty costs owed on sales of ADCETRIS in its territory. This amount is included in our royalty revenues. Cost of royalty revenues reflect amounts owed to our third-party licensors related to the sale of ADCETRIS in Takeda’s territory.

 

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Our royalty revenues and cost of royalty revenues were as follows ($ in thousands):

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Royalty revenues		$	12,224			$	9,702				26	%		$	53,743			$	28,367				89	%
Cost of royalty revenues		$	3,748			$	3,473				8	%		$	10,470			$	9,286				13	%

Royalty revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2016 increased from the comparable period in 2015 primarily as a result of an increase in sales volumes of ADCETRIS by Takeda in its territory, and to a lesser extent, as a result of favorable foreign exchange rates. Royalty revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 increased from the comparable period in 2015 primarily as a result of a one-time $20.0 million milestone payment in the first quarter of 2016 triggered by Takeda’s achieving more than $200 million in annual net sales of ADCETRIS in its territory, and to a lesser extent, an increase in sales volumes of ADCETRIS by Takeda in its territory. Takeda’s international sales of ADCETRIS are converted to U.S. dollars for purposes of determining the amount of royalties payable to us and therefore, our royalty revenues are subject to foreign exchange rate volatility.

Cost of royalty revenues fluctuates based on the amount of net sales of ADCETRIS by Takeda in its territories. The increases in cost of royalty revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the 2015 periods reflect the increase in sales volumes by Takeda in its territory. We expect that cost of royalties will increase in 2016 as compared to 2015, primarily as a result of increased commercialization efforts by Takeda in its territory.

Cost of Sales

ADCETRIS cost of sales includes manufacturing costs of product sold, third-party royalty costs, amortization of technology license costs, and distribution and other costs.

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
Cost of sales ($ in thousands)		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Cost of sales		$	7,427			$	6,625				12	%		$	20,272			$	17,775				14	%

Cost of sales increased during the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the same periods in 2015 primarily due to increased sales volumes. We continue to expect cost of sales to increase in 2016 as compared to 2015, primarily due to anticipated increases in sales volumes.

Research and development

Our research and development expenses are summarized as follows:

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
Research and development ($ in thousands)		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Research (1)		$	14,509			$	12,716				14	%		$	45,368			$	62,189				(27	%)
Development and contract manufacturing			39,184				25,384				54	%			106,150				68,789				54	%
Clinical (1)			39,018				32,690				19	%			119,618				88,944				34	%
Total research and development expenses		$	92,711			$	70,790				31	%		$	271,136			$	219,922				23	%

 

(1)	The cost of pharmacology and toxicology studies from the 2015 periods have been reclassified from Clinical to Research to conform to our fiscal 2016 classification in the above table.

Research expenses include personnel, occupancy and laboratory expenses, technology access fees associated with the discovery and identification of new monoclonal antibodies and related technologies, and the development of novel classes of stable linkers and cell-killing agents for our ADC technology. Research expenses also include research activities associated with our product candidates, such as preclinical translational biology and in vitro and in vivo studies, and investigational new drug, or IND-enabling pharmacology and toxicology studies. The increase in research expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015 primarily reflects increases in staffing and laboratory costs to support our pipeline. The decrease in research expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015 is primarily the result of a $25.0 million

 

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technology access fee related to the initiation of our collaboration agreement with Unum in June of 2015, offset partially by technology access fees paid in 2016 as we advanced product candidates in our pipeline and an increase in cost reimbursements to Unum under our collaboration agreement.

Development and contract manufacturing expenses include personnel and occupancy expenses, external contract manufacturing costs for the scale up and pre-approval manufacturing of drug product used in research and our clinical trials, and costs for drug product supplied to our collaborators. Development and contract manufacturing expenses also include quality control and assurance activities, and storage and shipment of our product candidates. The increase in development and contract manufacturing expenses during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the same periods in 2015 primarily reflects increased drug product supplied to Takeda, and to a lesser extent, increases in staffing and other costs to support our growing pipeline of product candidates, and cost reimbursements to Astellas under our collaboration agreement.

Clinical expenses include personnel, travel, occupancy costs, and external clinical trial costs including costs for clinical sites, clinical research organizations, contractors and regulatory activities associated with conducting human clinical trials. The increase in clinical expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015 is primarily driven by an increase in staffing, and to a lesser extent, clinical trial activity related to SGN-CD33A and our other product candidates. The increase in clinical expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015 reflects increased clinical trial activity related to our product candidates, primarily SGN-CD33A, and to a lesser extent, related to increases in staffing.

We utilize our employee and infrastructure resources across multiple development projects as well as our discovery and research programs directed towards identifying monoclonal antibodies and new classes of stable linkers and cell-killing agents for our ADC program. We track human resource efforts expended on many of our programs for purposes of billing our collaborators for time incurred at agreed upon rates and for resource planning. We do not account for actual costs on a project-by-project basis as it relates to our infrastructure, facility, employee and other indirect costs. We do, however, separately track significant third-party costs including clinical trial costs, manufacturing costs and other contracted service costs on a project-by-project basis.

The following table shows expenses incurred for research, contract manufacturing of our product candidates and clinical and regulatory services provided by third parties as well as pre-commercial milestone payments for in-licensed technology for ADCETRIS and each of our clinical-stage product candidates. The table also presents other third-party costs and overhead consisting of personnel, facilities and other indirect costs not directly charged to these development programs.

 

		Three months ended September 30,								Nine months ended September 30,								Five years ended September 30, 2016
Development program ($ in thousands)		2016				2015				2016				2015
ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin)		$	18,438			$	15,901			$	55,216			$	38,880			$	281,908
SGN-CD33A			9,416				4,503				31,422				10,045				70,182
Other clinical stage programs			7,537				4,473				21,360				14,802				115,318
Total third-party costs			35,391				24,877				107,998				63,727				467,408
Other costs and overhead			57,320				45,913				163,138				156,195				758,163
Total research and development		$	92,711			$	70,790			$	271,136			$	219,922			$	1,225,571

Third-party costs for ADCETRIS increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015 primarily as a result of an increase in drug product supplied to Takeda. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016 third-party clinical trial costs also increased as compared to the same period in 2015 as we evaluated the use of ADCETRIS in other lines of therapy.

Third-party costs for SGN-CD33A increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015 primarily due to an increase in clinical trial and drug resupply costs as we initiated additional phase 1/2 studies earlier in 2016 and incurred costs related to the CASCADE trial, which began enrolling patients in the second quarter of 2016.

The increase in third-party costs of our other clinical stage programs during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015 reflects the continued investment in our other pipeline products, which are primarily in phase 1 clinical trials.

Other costs and overhead include third-party costs of our other preclinical programs and costs associated with personnel and facilities. These costs increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015 primarily as a result of increases in staffing levels and the expansion of our facilities to accommodate our growth. The increase in other costs and overhead for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was partially offset by a $25.0 million technology access fee related to the initiation of our collaboration agreement with Unum incurred in the second quarter of 2015.

 

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Our expenditures on our current preclinical and clinical development programs and on our future preclinical and clinical development programs are subject to numerous uncertainties in timing and cost to completion. In order to advance our product candidates toward commercialization, the product candidates are tested in numerous preclinical safety, toxicology and efficacy studies. We then conduct clinical trials for those product candidates that take several years or more to complete. The length of time varies substantially based upon the type, complexity, novelty and intended use of a product candidate. Likewise, in order to expand ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use, we are required to conduct additional extensive clinical studies. The cost of clinical trials may vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of a variety of factors, including:

 

•

the number of patients required in our clinical trials;

 

•

the length of time required to enroll trial participants;

 

•

the number and location of sites included in the trials;

 

•

the costs of producing supplies of the product candidates needed for clinical trials and regulatory submissions;

 

•

the safety and efficacy profile of the product candidate;

 

•

the use of clinical research organizations to assist with the management of the trials; and

 

•

the costs and timing of, and the ability to secure, regulatory approvals.

We continue to anticipate that our total research and development expenses in 2016 will increase as compared to 2015 due to increased clinical trial expenses for ADCETRIS related to studies to evaluate other potential uses of ADCETRIS, one of which is a required post-approval confirmatory study, and as a result of increased clinical trial expenses and other amounts incurred to continue the development of our product candidates, primarily SGN-CD33A and SGN-CD19A. Certain ADCETRIS development activities, including some clinical studies, will be conducted by Takeda, the costs of which are not reflected in our research and development expenses. Because of these and other factors, expenses will fluctuate based upon many factors, including the degree of collaborative activities, timing of manufacturing campaigns, numbers of patients enrolled in our clinical trials and the outcome of each clinical trial.

The risks and uncertainties associated with our research and development projects are discussed more fully in Part II, Item 1A—Risk Factors. As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, we are unable to determine with any degree of certainty the duration and completion costs of our research and development projects, anticipated completion dates or when and to what extent we will receive cash inflows from the commercialization and sale of ADCETRIS in any additional approved indications or of any of our product candidates.

Selling, general and administrative

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
Selling, general and administrative ($ in thousands)		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Selling, general and administrative		$	34,841			$	29,684				17	%		$	97,870			$	92,148				6	%

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015 primarily due to increases in staffing levels. Increases in expenses for the nine month period ended September 30, 2016 were partially offset by a decrease in legal expenses during the comparable period in 2015 as certain legal matters were settled in 2015.

We continue to anticipate that selling, general and administrative expenses will increase in 2016 as compared to 2015 as we continue our commercial activities in support of the commercialization of ADCETRIS, as well as our support of general operations.

Investment income

 

		Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
Investment income ($ in thousands)		2016				2015				% Change				2016				2015				% Change
Investment income		$	660			$	62				965	%		$	1,903			$	176				981	%

Investment income reflects amounts earned on our investments in U.S. Treasury securities. Investment income increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the comparable periods in 2015 due to higher average investment balances following our public offering in September 2015, which resulted in net proceeds to us of approximately $526.6 million.

 

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Liquidity and capital resources

 

Selected balance sheet and cash flow data ($ in thousands)		September 30, 2016				December 31, 2015
Cash, cash equivalents and investments		$	631,889			$	712,711
Working capital			618,496				636,793
Stockholders’ equity			662,290				685,911
		Nine months ended September 30,
		2016				2015
Cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities		$	(81,917	)		$	(114,247	)
Investing activities			87,282				119,115
Financing activities			23,409				552,279

Our combined cash, cash equivalents and investment securities decreased during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 from the balance at December 31, 2015, primarily reflecting our net loss for the period.

The change in net cash used in operating activities is primarily related to our net loss, working capital fluctuations and changes in our non-cash expenses, all of which are highly variable. The change in cash provided by investing activities primarily reflects differences between the proceeds received from sale and maturity of our investments and amounts reinvested. Net cash provided by financing activities resulted from the proceeds of stock option exercises and our employee stock purchase plan, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, primarily resulted from the net proceeds from the sale of common stock in an underwritten public offering totaling $526.6 million.

We have financed the majority of our operations through the issuance of equity securities, through collections from commercial sales of ADCETRIS and by amounts received pursuant to product collaborations and our ADC collaborations. To a lesser degree, we have also financed our operations through royalty revenues and interest earned on cash, cash equivalents and investment securities. These financing and revenue sources have historically allowed us to maintain adequate levels of cash and investments.

Our cash, cash equivalents and investments are held in a variety of non-interest bearing bank accounts and interest-bearing instruments subject to investment guidelines allowing for holdings in U.S. government and agency securities, corporate securities, taxable municipal bonds, commercial paper and money market accounts. Our investment portfolio is structured to provide for investment maturities and access to cash to fund our anticipated working capital needs. However, if our liquidity needs should be accelerated for any reason in the near term, or investments do not pay at maturity, we may be required to sell investment securities in our portfolio prior to their scheduled maturities, which may result in a loss. As of September 30, 2016, we had $591.8 million held in cash reserves or investments scheduled to mature within the next twelve months.

At our currently planned spending rates we believe that our financial resources, together with product and royalty revenues from sales of ADCETRIS and the fees, milestone payments and reimbursements we expect to receive under our existing collaboration and license agreements, will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next twelve months. Changes in our spending rate may occur that would consume available capital resources sooner, such as increased development, manufacturing and clinical trial expenses in connection with our expanding pipeline programs, including several phase 3 trials, or our undertaking of additional programs or business activities, including entry into strategic business transactions. Further, in the event of a termination of the ADCETRIS collaboration agreement with Takeda, we would not receive development cost sharing payments or milestone payments or royalties for the development or sale of ADCETRIS in Takeda’s territory, and we would be required to fund all ADCETRIS development and commercial activities. Any of these factors could lead to a need for us to raise additional capital.

We expect to make additional capital outlays and to increase operating expenditures over the next several years as we hire additional employees, support our preclinical development, manufacturing and clinical trial activities for ADCETRIS and our other pipeline programs, and expand internationally, as well as commercialize ADCETRIS and position ADCETRIS for potential additional regulatory approvals. As a result of these expenditures, we may need to raise significant amounts of additional capital. In addition, we actively evaluate various strategic transactions on an ongoing basis, including licensing or otherwise acquiring complementary products, technologies or businesses, and we may require significant additional capital in order to complete or otherwise provide funding for those acquisitions. We may seek additional funding through some or all of the following methods: corporate collaborations, licensing arrangements and public or private debt or equity financings. We do not know whether additional capital will be available when needed, or that, if available, we will obtain financing on terms favorable to us or our stockholders. If we are unable to raise additional funds when we need them, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more of our development programs, which may adversely affect our business and operations.

 

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Commitments

Our future minimum contractual commitments were reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as filed with the SEC.

There have been no material changes from the contractual commitments previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recent accounting pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The standard requires entities to recognize revenue through an evaluation that includes identification of the contract, identification of the performance obligations, determination of the transaction price, allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations, and recognition of revenue as the entity satisfies the performance obligations. In August 2015, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date”, which defers the effective dates of ASU 2014-09 to our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018. The FASB has continued to issue accounting standards updates to clarify and provide implementation guidance related to Revenue from Contracts with Customers, including “ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contract with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations”, “ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing”, and “ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients.” We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In January 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall.” The standard addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. The standard will become effective for us beginning January 1, 2018. We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In February 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update entitled “ASU 2016-02, Leases.” The standard requires entities to recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The standard will become effective for us beginning January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In March 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standard Update entitled “ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation.” The standard is intended to simplify certain elements of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax impact, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. The standards will become effective for us beginning on January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

In June 2016, FASB issued an Accounting Standard Update entitled “ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments: Credit Losses”. The objective of the standard is to provide information about expected credit losses on financial instruments at each reporting date, and to change how other than temporary impairments on investments securities are recorded. The standard will become effective for us beginning on January 1, 2020 with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.

 

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio. We do not have any derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio. We currently have holdings in U.S. Treasury securities. A summary of our investment securities follows (in thousands):

 

		September 30, 2016				December 31, 2015
Short-term investments		$	460,766			$	547,396
Long-term investments			40,094				63,060
Total		$	500,860			$	610,456

 

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We have estimated the effect on our investment portfolio of a hypothetical increase in interest rates by one percent to be a reduction of $2.4 million in the fair value of our investments as of September 30, 2016. In addition, a hypothetical decrease of 10% in the effective yield of our investments would reduce our expected investment income by less than $0.3 million over the next twelve months based on our investment balance at September 30, 2016.

Foreign Currency Risk

Most of our revenues and expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars and as a result, we have not experienced significant foreign currency transaction gains and losses to date. Our commercial sales in Canada are denominated in Canadian Dollars. We also had other transactions denominated in foreign currencies during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, primarily related to contract manufacturing and ex-U.S. clinical trial activities, and we expect to continue to do so. Our royalties from Takeda are derived from its sales of ADCETRIS in multiple countries and in multiple currencies that are converted into U.S. dollars for purposes of determining the amount of royalties payable to us. Our primary exposure is to fluctuations in the Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar and Swiss Franc. We do not anticipate that foreign currency transaction gains or losses will be significant at our current level of operations. However, transaction gains or losses may become significant in the future as we continue to expand our operations internationally. We have not engaged in foreign currency hedging to date; however, we may do so in the future.

 

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Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

(a) Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) prior to the filing of this quarterly report. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report, our disclosure controls and procedures were, in design and operation, effective.

(b) Changes in internal control over financial reporting. There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2016 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

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Part II. Other Information

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the following risk factors, in addition to the other information contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes. If any of the events described in the following risk factors occurs, our business, operating results and financial condition could be seriously harmed. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of factors that are described below and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Risks Related to Our Business

Our near-term prospects are substantially dependent on ADCETRIS. If we and/or Takeda are unable to effectively commercialize ADCETRIS for the treatment of patients in its approved indications and to continue to expand its labeled indications of use, our ability to generate significant revenue or potentially achieve profitability will be adversely affected.

ADCETRIS^®, or brentuximab vedotin, is now approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the European Commission for three indications, encompassing several settings for the treatment of relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or sALCL. ADCETRIS is our only product approved for marketing and our ability to generate revenue from product sales and potentially achieve profitability is substantially dependent on our continued ability to effectively commercialize ADCETRIS for the treatment of patients in its approved indications and our ability to continue to expand its labeled indications of use. We may not be able to fully realize the commercial potential of ADCETRIS for a number of reasons, including:

 

•

we may not be able to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals to market ADCETRIS for any additional indications, including for relapsed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, or CTCL, frontline Hodgkin lymphoma or mature T-cell lymphoma, or MTCL, or to otherwise continue to expand its labeled indications of use;

 

•

negative or inconclusive results in our ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 phase 3 trials would negatively impact, or preclude altogether, our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commercialize ADCETRIS in the frontline Hodgkin lymphoma and frontline MTCL indications, respectively, either of which could limit our sales of, and the commercial potential of, ADCETRIS;

 

•

our failure to obtain regulatory approval and commercialize ADCETRIS in the ALCANZA treatment setting notwithstanding the positive data we reported from our ALCANZA trial, which would also limit our sales of, and the commercial potential of, ADCETRIS;

 

•

results from our required post-approval study, the ECHELON-2 trial, may fail to verify the clinical benefit of ADCETRIS in relapsed sALCL, which could result in the withdrawal of approval of ADCETRIS in the relapsed sALCL indication and which could negatively impact our potential future product sales for the relapsed sALCL indication;

 

•

new competitive therapies, including immuno-oncology agents such as PD-1 inhibitors (e.g., nivolumab and pembrolizumab), have been approved by regulatory authorities (as in the case of nivolumab) or may be submitted in the near term to regulatory authorities for approval in ADCETRIS’ labeled indications in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma, and these competitive products could negatively impact our commercial sales of ADCETRIS;

 

•

our commercial sales of ADCETRIS could be lower than our projections due to a lower market penetration rate, increased competition for alternative products or a shorter duration of therapy in patients in ADCETRIS’ approved indications;

 

•

we may be unable to effectively commercialize ADCETRIS in any new indications for which we receive marketing approval, including in the most recently-approved indication for post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or auto-HSCT, consolidation treatment in classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients with high risk of relapse or progression;

 

•

there may be additional changes to the label for ADCETRIS, including ADCETRIS’ boxed warning, that further restrict how we market and sell ADCETRIS, including as a result of data collected from our required post-approval study, or as the result of adverse events observed in that study or in other studies, including in the post-approval confirmatory studies that Takeda is required to conduct as a condition to the conditional marketing authorization of ADCETRIS by the European Commission or in investigator-sponsored studies;

 

•

we may not be able to establish or demonstrate in the medical community the safety and efficacy of ADCETRIS and its potential advantages over and side effects compared to existing and future therapeutics;

 

•

physicians may be reluctant to prescribe ADCETRIS until results from our required post-approval study is available or other long term efficacy and safety data exist;

 

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•

the estimated incidence rate of new patients in ADCETRIS’ approved indications may be lower than our projections;

 

•

there may be adverse results or events reported in any of the clinical trials that we and/or Takeda are conducting or may in the future conduct for ADCETRIS;

 

•

we may be unable to continue to effectively market, sell and distribute ADCETRIS;

 

•

ADCETRIS may receive adverse reimbursement and coverage policies from government and private payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and other plan administrators, or may be subject to pricing pressures enacted by industry organizations or state and federal governments, including as a result of increased scrutiny over drug-pricing strategies by pharmaceutical companies or otherwise;

 

•

the relative price of ADCETRIS may be higher than alternative treatment options;

 

•

there may be changed or increased regulatory restrictions;

 

•

we may not have adequate financial or other resources to effectively commercialize ADCETRIS; and

 

•

we may not be able to obtain adequate commercial supplies of ADCETRIS to meet demand or at an acceptable cost.

In December 2009, we entered into an agreement with Takeda to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS, under which we have commercial rights in the United States and its territories and Canada, and Takeda has commercial rights in the rest of the world. The success of this collaboration and the activities of Takeda will significantly impact the commercialization of ADCETRIS in countries other than the United States and in Canada. In October 2012, Takeda announced that it had received conditional marketing authorization for ADCETRIS from the European Commission for patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma or relapsed sALCL, and has since obtained marketing approvals for ADCETRIS in many other countries. Conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission includes obligations to provide additional clinical data at a later stage to confirm the positive benefit-risk balance. In July 2016, Takeda announced that it had received marketing authorization for ADCETRIS from the European Commission for the treatment of adult patients with CD30 positive Hodgkin lymphoma at increased risk of relapse or progression following autologous stem cell transplant. We cannot control the amount and timing of resources that Takeda dedicates to the commercialization of ADCETRIS, or to its marketing and distribution, and our ability to generate revenues from ADCETRIS product sales by Takeda depends on Takeda’s ability to achieve market acceptance of, and to otherwise effectively market, ADCETRIS for its approved indications in its territory.

We believe that the level of our ongoing ADCETRIS sales in the United States is largely attributable to the incidence flow of patients eligible for treatment with ADCETRIS. We also believe that the incidence rate of new patients in ADCETRIS’ approved indications is relatively low, particularly when compared to many other oncology indications. For these and other reasons, we expect that our ability to accelerate ADCETRIS sales growth, if at all, will depend primarily on our ability to continue to expand ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use. Accordingly, we are exploring the use of ADCETRIS as a single agent and in combination therapy regimens earlier in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma and MTCL, including sALCL, and in a range of CD30-expressing hematologic malignancies, including relapsed CTCL. This will continue to require additional time and investment in clinical trials and there can be no assurance that we and/or Takeda will obtain and maintain the necessary regulatory approvals to market ADCETRIS for any additional indications. In particular, negative or inconclusive results in our ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 trials would negatively impact, or preclude altogether, our ability to obtain regulatory approval in the frontline Hodgkin lymphoma and frontline MTCL, indications, respectively, either of which could limit our sales of, and the commercial potential of, ADCETRIS. In addition, although we reported in August 2016 that the ALCANZA trial evaluating ADCETRIS in patients with relapsed CTCL met its primary endpoint demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in the rate of objective response lasting at least four months and we plan to submit a supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, to the FDA to seek approval for a new indication in the ALCANZA treatment setting, there can be no assurance that the FDA will accept our planned sBLA for filing or that we will ultimately obtain approval of our planned sBLA in a timely manner or at all. Our failure to obtain regulatory approval and commercialize ADCETRIS in the ALCANZA treatment setting would also limit our sales of, and the commercial potential of, ADCETRIS. In addition, while ADCETRIS product sales grew from 2013 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2015, and our future plans assume that sales of ADCETRIS will increase, we cannot assure you that, even with the August 2015 expansion to the prescribing label for ADCETRIS, which now includes post-auto-HSCT consolidation treatment in classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients with high risk of relapse or progression, we can maintain sales of ADCETRIS at or near current levels, or that ADCETRIS sales will continue to grow. We and Takeda have formed a collaboration with Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., or Ventana, under which Ventana is working to develop, manufacture and commercialize a molecular companion diagnostic test with the goal of identifying patients who might respond to treatment with ADCETRIS based on CD30 expression levels in their tissue specimens. However, Ventana may not be able to successfully develop and obtain regulatory approval for a molecular companion diagnostic that may be required by regulatory authorities to support regulatory approval of ADCETRIS in other CD30-expressing malignancies in a timely manner or at all. Even if we and Takeda receive the required regulatory approvals to market ADCETRIS for any additional indications or in additional jurisdictions, we and Takeda may not be able to effectively commercialize ADCETRIS, including for the reasons set forth above. Our

 

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ability to grow ADCETRIS product sales in future periods is also dependent on price increases and we periodically increase the price of ADCETRIS. Price increases on ADCETRIS and negative publicity regarding drug pricing and price increases generally, whether on ADCETRIS or products distributed by other pharmaceutical companies, could negatively affect market acceptance of, and sales of, ADCETRIS. In any event, we cannot assure you that price increases we have taken or may take in the future will not in the future negatively affect ADCETRIS sales.

Our operating results are unpredictable and may fluctuate. If our operating results are below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, the trading price of our stock could decline.

Our operating results are difficult to predict and may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year. We have only been commercializing ADCETRIS since August 2011 and although we provide sales guidance for ADCETRIS from time to time, you should not rely on ADCETRIS sales results in any period as being indicative of future performance. Such guidance is based on assumptions that may be incorrect or that may change from quarter to quarter. Sales of ADCETRIS have, on occasion, been below the expectations of securities analysts and investors and have been below prior period sales, and sales of ADCETRIS in the future may also be below prior period sales, our own guidance and/or the expectations of securities analysts and investors. To the extent that we do not meet our guidance or the expectations of analysts or investors, our stock price may be adversely impacted, perhaps significantly. We believe that our quarterly and annual results of operations may be affected by a variety of factors, including:

 

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customer ordering patterns for ADCETRIS, which may vary significantly from period to period;

 

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the overall level of demand for ADCETRIS including the impact of any competitive products and the duration of therapy for patients receiving ADCETRIS;

 

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the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for ADCETRIS is available from government and health administration authorities, private health insurers, managed care programs and other third-party payers;

 

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changes in the amount of deductions from gross sales, including government-mandated rebates, chargebacks and discounts that can vary because of changes to the government discount percentage, including increases in the government discount percentage resulting from price increases we have taken or may take in the future, or due to different levels of utilization by entities entitled to government rebates and discounts and changes in patient demographics;

 

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increases in the scope of eligibility for customers to purchase ADCETRIS at the discounted government price or to obtain government-mandated rebates on purchases of ADCETRIS;

 

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changes in our cost of sales;

 

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the incidence rate of new patients in ADCETRIS’ approved indications;

 

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the timing, cost and level of investment in our sales and marketing efforts to support ADCETRIS sales;

 

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the timing, cost and level of investment in our research and development activities involving ADCETRIS and our product candidates, including possible future in-licensing activities; and

 

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expenditures we will or may incur to conduct required post-approval studies for ADCETRIS and acquire or develop additional technologies, product candidates and products.

In addition, from time to time, we enter into licensing and collaboration agreements with other companies that include development funding and significant upfront and milestone payments, and we expect that amounts earned from our collaboration agreements will continue to be an important source of our revenues. Accordingly, our revenues will also depend on development funding and the achievement of development and clinical milestones under our existing collaboration and license agreements, including, in particular, our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda, as well as entering into potential new collaboration and license agreements. These upfront and milestone payments may vary significantly from quarter to quarter and any such variance could cause a significant fluctuation in our operating results from one quarter to the next.

Further, changes in our operations, such as increased development, manufacturing and clinical trial expenses in connection with our expanding pipeline programs, including several phase 3 trials, or our undertaking of additional programs, business activities or entry into strategic business transactions, may also cause significant fluctuations in our expenses. In addition, we measure compensation cost for stock-based awards made to employees at the grant date of the award, based on the fair value of the award, and recognize the cost as an expense over the employee’s requisite service period. As the variables that we use as a basis for valuing these awards change over time, including our underlying stock price, the magnitude of the expense that we must recognize may vary significantly. Additionally, we have implemented long-term incentive plans for our employees, and the incentives provided under these plans are contingent upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones. Costs of performance-based compensation under our long-term incentive plans are not recorded as an expense until the achievement of the applicable milestones is deemed probable of being met, which may result in large fluctuations to the expense we must recognize in any particular period.

 

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For these and other reasons, it is difficult for us to accurately forecast future sales of ADCETRIS, collaboration and license agreement revenues, royalty revenues, or future profits or losses. As a result, our operating results in future periods could be below our guidance or the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, perhaps substantially.

Reports of adverse events or safety concerns involving ADCETRIS could delay or prevent us from obtaining or maintaining regulatory approval, or could negatively impact sales of ADCETRIS.

Reports of adverse events or safety concerns involving ADCETRIS could interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials of ADCETRIS, including the ongoing FDA-required ADCETRIS post-approval confirmatory study as well as the post-approval confirmatory studies that Takeda is required to conduct as a condition to the conditional marketing authorization of ADCETRIS by the European Commission. For example, during 2013 concerns regarding pancreatitis caused an investigator conducting an independent study involving ADCETRIS to temporarily halt enrollment in the trial and to amend the eligibility criteria and monitoring for the trial. Subsequently, we have revised our prescribing information to add pancreatitis as a known adverse event. In addition, reports of adverse events or safety concerns involving ADCETRIS could result in regulatory authorities denying or withdrawing approval of ADCETRIS for any or all indications, including the use of ADCETRIS for the treatment of patients in its approved indications. There are no assurances that patients receiving ADCETRIS will not experience serious adverse events in the future. Further, there are no assurances that patients receiving ADCETRIS with co-morbid diseases not previously studied, such as autoimmune diseases, will not experience new or different serious adverse events in the future.

Adverse events may negatively impact the sales of ADCETRIS. We may be required to further update the ADCETRIS prescribing information, including boxed warnings, based on reports of adverse events or safety concerns or implement a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, which could adversely affect ADCETRIS’ acceptance in the market, make competition easier or make it more difficult or expensive for us to distribute ADCETRIS. For example, the prescribing information for ADCETRIS includes pancreatitis, impaired hepatic function, impaired renal function, pulmonary toxicity, and gastrointestinal complications as known adverse events as well as a boxed warning related to the risk that JC virus infection resulting in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, and death can occur in patients receiving ADCETRIS. Further, based on the identification of future adverse events, we may be required to further revise the prescribing information, including ADCETRIS’ boxed warning, which could negatively impact sales of ADCETRIS or adversely affect ADCETRIS’ acceptance in the market.

Even though we have obtained approval to market ADCETRIS in three indications, we are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and review, including post-approval requirements that could result in the withdrawal of ADCETRIS from the market for certain indications if such requirements are not met.

ADCETRIS is approved for treating patients in one indication under accelerated approval regulations in the U.S. and approval with conditions in two indications in Canada, which allow for approval of products for cancer or other serious or life threatening illnesses based on a surrogate endpoint or on a clinical endpoint other than survival or irreversible morbidity. Under these types of approvals, we are subject to certain post-approval requirements pursuant to which we are conducting an additional confirmatory phase 3 trial to verify and describe the clinical benefit of ADCETRIS. Our failure to complete this required post-approval study, or to confirm a clinical benefit during this post-approval study, could result in the withdrawal of approval of ADCETRIS in the relapsed sALCL indication in the U.S. and both indications in Canada, which would seriously harm our business. In addition, we are subject to extensive ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review from applicable regulatory agencies, such as continued adverse event reporting requirements and the requirement to have some of our promotional materials pre-cleared by the FDA. There may also be additional post-marketing obligations, all of which may result in significant expense and limit our ability to commercialize ADCETRIS in the United States, Canada or potentially other jurisdictions. Similarly, the conditional marketing authorization of ADCETRIS for two indications by the European Commission includes obligations to provide additional clinical data at a later time to confirm the results of the two pivotal studies. Takeda’s failure to provide these additional clinical data or to confirm the results of the pivotal studies, could result in the European Commission withdrawing approval of ADCETRIS in the European Union, which would negatively impact anticipated royalty revenue from ADCETRIS sales by Takeda in the European Union and could adversely affect our results of operations.

Under the FDA’s accelerated approval regulations, the labeling, packaging, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising and promotion of ADCETRIS for the treatment of patients with relapsed sALCL, the indication that has received accelerated approval and not yet converted to regular approval, is subject to extensive regulatory requirements all of which may result in significant expense and limit our ability to commercialize ADCETRIS for the relapsed sALCL indication. We and the manufacturers of ADCETRIS are also required to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, regulations, which include requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation. Further, regulatory agencies must approve these manufacturing facilities before they can be used to manufacture ADCETRIS, and these facilities are subject to ongoing regulatory inspections. In addition, regulatory agencies subject an approved product, its manufacturer and the manufacturer’s facilities to continual review and inspections. The subsequent discovery of previously unknown problems with

 

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ADCETRIS, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facilities where ADCETRIS is manufactured, may result in restrictions on the marketing of ADCETRIS, up to and including withdrawal of ADCETRIS from the market. If our manufacturing facilities or those of our suppliers fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, such noncompliance could result in regulatory action and additional costs to us. Failure to comply with applicable FDA and other regulatory requirements may subject us to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:

 

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issuance of Form FDA 483 notices or Warning Letters by the FDA or other regulatory agencies;

 

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imposition of fines and other civil penalties;

 

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criminal prosecutions;

 

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injunctions, suspensions or revocations of regulatory approvals;

 

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suspension of any ongoing clinical trials;

 

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total or partial suspension of manufacturing;

 

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delays in commercialization;

 

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refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications submitted by us or Takeda;

 

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refusals to permit drugs to be imported into or exported from the United States;

 

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restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; and

 

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product recalls or seizures.

The policies of the FDA and other regulatory agencies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent or delay regulatory approval of ADCETRIS in any additional indications or further restrict or regulate post-approval activities. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of adverse government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we or Takeda might not be permitted to market ADCETRIS and our business would suffer.

The successful commercialization of ADCETRIS and product candidates will depend in part on the extent to which governmental authorities and health insurers establish adequate coverage and reimbursement levels and pricing policies.

Successful sales of ADCETRIS and any future products will depend, in part, on the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for our products will be available from government and health administration authorities, private health insurers and other third-party payors. To manage healthcare costs, many governments and third-party payors increasingly scrutinize the pricing of new products and require greater levels of evidence of favorable clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness before extending coverage. In light of such challenges to prices, we cannot be sure that we will achieve and continue to have coverage available for ADCETRIS and any other product candidate that we commercialize and, if available, that the reimbursement rates will be adequate. If we are unable to obtain adequate levels of coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates, their marketability will be negatively and materially impacted.

Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. In addition, obtaining and maintaining adequate coverage and reimbursement status is time-consuming and costly. Third-party payors may deny coverage and reimbursement status altogether of a given drug product, or cover the product but may also establish prices at levels that are too low to enable us to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Further, one payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. Because the rules and regulations regarding coverage and reimbursement change frequently, in some cases at short notice, even when there is favorable coverage and reimbursement, future changes may occur that adversely impact the favorable status.

The unavailability or inadequacy of third-party coverage and reimbursement could have a material adverse effect on the market acceptance of ADCETRIS and any of our future products and the future revenues we may expect to receive from those products. In addition, we are unable to predict what additional legislation or regulation relating to the healthcare industry or third-party coverage and reimbursement may be enacted in the future, or what effect such legislation or regulation would have on our business.

 

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Clinical trials are expensive and time consuming, may take longer than we expect or may not be completed at all, and their outcome is uncertain.

We are currently conducting multiple clinical trials for ADCETRIS and our product candidates and we plan to commence additional trials of ADCETRIS and our product candidates in the future. We are also conducting multiple clinical trials for our product candidate SGN-CD33A, including the CASCADE trial, which is a Phase 3 clinical trial designed to evaluate SGN-CD33A in combination with hypomethylating agents, or HMAs, in previously untreated older acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, patients. We initiated the CASCADE trial based on encouraging interim data presented at the December 2015 American Society of Hematology annual meeting from a cohort of a phase 1 trial that evaluated SGN-CD33A in combination with HMAs. While the interim phase 1 data may be promising, SGN-CD33A has never been evaluated in a randomized trial with other active agents and we cannot be certain that the design of, or data collected from, the CASCADE trial will be adequate to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of vadastuximab talirine for the treatment of patients with AML, or will otherwise be sufficient to support FDA or any foreign regulatory approvals. Each of our clinical trials requires the investment of substantial expense and time and the timing of the commencement, continuation and completion of these clinical trials may be subject to significant delays relating to various causes, including scheduling conflicts with participating clinicians and clinical institutions, difficulties in identifying and enrolling patients who meet trial eligibility criteria, failure of patients to complete the clinical trial, delays in accumulating the required number of clinical events for data analyses, delay or failure to obtain institutional review board, or IRB, approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective site, and shortages of available drug supply. For example, the ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 trials are designed to continue until a specified number of events designated for each trial have occurred (i.e. progressions or deaths). If events do not occur at the rate which was anticipated in one or both of these trials, the final data analysis could be delayed beyond the predicted ranges or we may choose to complete the trial with fewer events than planned, which would impact the power of the trial based on the original statistical analysis plan. We may also undertake additional discussions with regulatory authorities or amend the protocol, and we cannot predict the outcome of those discussions or whether we would be able to reach agreement with the regulatory authorities. Should this situation occur, there could be a delay in our ability to obtain data from the trial or impact the ability of the trial to support approval of ADCETRIS for the specific indication studied in the trial. Additionally, patient enrollment is a function of many factors, including the size of the patient population, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the trial, the existence of competing clinical trials and the availability of alternative or new treatments. Many of our future and ongoing ADCETRIS clinical trials are being or will be coordinated with Takeda, which may delay the commencement or affect the continuation or completion of these trials. From time to time, we have experienced enrollment-related delays in clinical trials and we will likely continue to experience similar delays in our current and future trials. We depend on medical institutions and clinical research organizations, or CROs, to conduct some of our clinical trials in compliance with Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, and to the extent they fail to enroll patients for our clinical trials, fail to conduct our trials in accordance with GCP, or are delayed for a significant time in achieving full enrollment, we may be affected by increased costs, program delays or both, which may harm our business. In addition, we conduct clinical trials in foreign countries which may subject us to further delays and expenses as a result of increased drug shipment costs, additional regulatory requirements and the engagement of foreign CROs, as well as expose us to risks associated with less experienced clinical investigators who are unknown to the FDA, different standards of medical care, and foreign currency transactions insofar as changes in the relative value of the U.S. dollar to the foreign currency where the trial is being conducted may impact our actual costs.

Clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with FDA or other applicable foreign government guidelines and are subject to oversight by the FDA, other foreign governmental agencies and IRBs at the medical institutions where the clinical trials are conducted. In addition, clinical trials must be conducted with supplies of our product candidates produced under cGMP and other requirements in foreign countries, and may require large numbers of test patients. We, the FDA or other foreign governmental agencies could delay, suspend, halt or modify our clinical trials of ADCETRIS or any of our product candidates, as well as any related special protocol assessment, or SPA, agreements, for numerous reasons, including:

 

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ADCETRIS or the applicable product candidate may have unforeseen adverse side effects, including fatalities, or a determination may be made that a clinical trial presents unacceptable health risks;

 

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deficiencies in the conduct of the clinical trial, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements, GCP or clinical protocols;

 

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deficiencies in the clinical trial operations or trial sites resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold;

 

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the time required to determine whether ADCETRIS or the applicable product candidate is effective may be longer than expected;

 

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fatalities or other adverse events arising during a clinical trial due to medical problems that may not be related to clinical trial treatments;

 

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ADCETRIS or the applicable product candidate may not appear to be more effective than current therapies;

 

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the quality or stability of ADCETRIS or the applicable product candidate may fall below acceptable standards;

 

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our inability to produce or obtain sufficient quantities of ADCETRIS or the applicable product candidate to complete the trials;

 

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our inability to reach agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs and trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

 

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our inability to obtain IRB approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective site;

 

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lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial, including the incurrence of unforeseen costs due to enrollment delays, requirements to conduct additional trials and studies and increased expenses associated with the services of our CROs and other third parties;

 

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our inability to recruit and enroll patients to participate in clinical trials for reasons including competition from other clinical trial programs for the same or similar indications; or

 

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our inability to retain patients who have initiated a clinical trial but may be prone to withdraw due to side effects from the therapy, lack of efficacy or personal issues, or who are lost to further follow-up.

In addition, we may experience significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after promising results in earlier trials, including unexpected adverse events that may occur when our product candidates are combined with other therapies. Negative or inconclusive clinical trial results could adversely affect our ability to market ADCETRIS or expand into other indications. In particular, negative or inconclusive results in our ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 trials would negatively impact or preclude altogether, our ability to obtain regulatory approval in the frontline Hodgkin lymphoma and frontline MTCL indications, respectively, either of which could limit our sales of, and the commercial potential of, ADCETRIS. In addition, clinical trial results are frequently susceptible to varying interpretations that may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approvals. For example, although we reported that our ALCANZA trial met its primary endpoint and we plan to submit an sBLA to the FDA to seek approval for a new indication in the ALCANZA treatment setting, regulatory agencies, including the FDA, or their advisors, may disagree with our interpretations of data from the ALCANZA trial and may not approve the expansion of ADCETRIS’ labeled indications of use based on the results of the ALCANZA trial or any other of our clinical trials. Adverse medical events, including patient fatalities that may be attributable to ADCETRIS during a clinical trial, could cause a trial to be redone or terminated. Further, some of our clinical trials may be overseen by an independent data monitoring committee, or IDMC, and an IDMC may determine to delay or suspend one or more of these trials due to safety or futility findings based on events occurring during a clinical trial.

We face intense competition and rapid technological change, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing competing products before or more successfully than we do.

New competitive therapies, including immuno-oncology agents such as PD-1 inhibitors (e.g., nivolumab and pembrolizumab) have been approved by regulatory authorities (as in the case of nivolumab) or may be submitted in the near term to regulatory authorities for approval in ADCETRIS’ labeled indications in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma, and these competitive products could negatively impact our commercial sales of ADCETRIS. In addition to the PD-1 inhibitors, compelling data have been presented involving several developing technologies, including novel cell-based therapies such as CAR modified T-cell therapies, and we are aware of multiple investigational agents that are currently being studied, including Pfizer’s crizotinib, Takeda’s alistertib, AbbVie’s ibrutinib, and Gilead’s idelalisib, which, if successful, may compete with ADCETRIS in the future. In addition, there are many existing approaches used in the treatment of patients in ADCETRIS’ three approved indications, including auto-HSCT, combination chemotherapy, and other therapeutic regimens, all of which represent competition for ADCETRIS.

With respect to our SGN-CD33A product candidate, the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation for AbbVie’s venetoclax and MEI Pharma’s pracinostat. If approved, venetoclax and pracinostat could be competitive with SGN-CD33A. With respect to our ASG-22ME product candidate, there are several potential competitive therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., atezolizumab).

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are highly competitive and subject to significant and rapid technological change. We are aware of many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that are actively engaged in research and development in areas related to antibody therapy or that are otherwise developing various approaches to cancer and autoimmune disease therapy. Some of these competitors have successfully commercialized antibody products or are developing or testing product candidates that do or may in the future compete directly with our product candidates. For example, we believe that companies including AbbVie, Affimed, Agios, Amgen, Bayer, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eisai, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, ImmunoGen, Infinity, Karyopharm, Merck, MEI Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda, Teva, and Xencor are developing and/or marketing products or technologies that may compete with ours, and some of these companies, including AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CytomX, Genentech, ImmunoGen, Mersana, Roche and Pfizer, have ADC technology. Other potential competitors include large, fully integrated pharmaceutical companies and more established biotechnology companies that have significant resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, testing, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing. Also, academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and marketing. It is possible that these competitors will succeed in developing technologies that are more effective than ADCETRIS, SGN-CD33A or our other product candidates or that would render our technology obsolete or noncompetitive. We anticipate that we will face increased competition in the future as new companies enter our market and scientific developments surrounding other cancer therapies continue to accelerate.

 

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ADCETRIS and our product candidates may face competition from biosimilars, which may have an adverse impact on future sales.

In the United States, the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, or BPCIA, created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are demonstrated to be “highly similar” or “biosimilar” to or “interchangeable” with an FDA-approved biological product. This pathway allows competitors to reference the FDA’s prior approvals regarding innovative biological products and data submitted with a BLA to obtain approval of a biosimilar application 12 years after the time of approval of the innovative biological product. The 12-year exclusivity period runs from the initial approval of the innovator product and not from approval of a new indication. In addition, the 12-year exclusivity period does not prevent another company from independently developing a product that is highly similar to the innovative product, generating all the data necessary for a full BLA and seeking approval. Exclusivity only assures that another company cannot rely on the FDA’s prior approvals in approving a BLA for an innovator’s biological product to support the biosimilar product’s approval. Further, under the FDA’s current interpretation, it is possible that a biosimilar applicant could obtain approval for one or more of the indications approved for the innovator product by extrapolating clinical data from one indication to support approval for other indications.

The BPCIA is complex and only beginning to be interpreted and implemented by the FDA. The FDA approved the first biosimilar product in the United States in May 2015. In the European Union, the European Commission has granted marketing authorizations for several biosimilars pursuant to a set of general and product class-specific guidelines for biosimilar approvals issued since 2005. We are aware of many pharmaceutical and biotechnology and other companies that are actively engaged in research and development of biosimilars or interchangeable products. It is possible that these competitors will succeed in developing a biosimilar or interchangeable product for ADCETRIS, SGN-CD33A or our other product candidates. We anticipate that we will face increased biosimilar competition in the future as new companies enter our market and scientific developments surrounding other cancer therapies continue to accelerate. We cannot predict to what extent the entry of biosimilars or other competing products will impact future sales of ADCETRIS, SGN-CD33A or our other product candidates.

We are subject to various state and federal healthcare related laws and regulations that may impact our business and could subject us to significant fines and penalties.

Our operations may be directly or indirectly subject to various state and federal healthcare laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, federal civil and criminal false claims laws, HIPAA/HITECH, the federal civil monetary penalties statute, and the federal transparency requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively PPACA. These laws may impact, among other things, the sales, marketing and education programs for ADCETRIS.

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons and entities from knowingly and willingly soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Several courts have interpreted the statute’s intent requirement to mean that if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of federal healthcare covered business, the statute has been violated. Additionally, PPACA amended the intent requirement of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and prohibits many arrangements and practices that are lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. Penalties for violations of the federal Anti- Kickback Statute include criminal penalties and civil sanctions such as fines, imprisonment and possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs.

The federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the civil False Claims Act, prohibit, among other things, persons or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim to, or the knowing use of false statements to obtain payment from or approval by the federal government, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs, or knowingly making, using, or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim or to avoid, decrease, or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. PPACA provides that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act. Suits filed under the civil False Claims Act, known as “qui tam” actions, can be brought by any individual on behalf of the government and such individuals, commonly known as “whistleblowers,” may share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. The filing of qui tam actions has caused a number of pharmaceutical, medical device and other healthcare companies to have to defend a civil False Claims Act action. When an entity is determined to have violated the civil False Claims Act, it may be required to pay up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus civil penalties for each separate false claim.

 

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The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing, or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items, or services. Similar to the Anti-Kickback Statute, PPACA amended the intent requirement of the criminal healthcare fraud statutes such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or intent to violate it.

HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, governs certain types of individuals and entities with respect to the conduct of certain electronic healthcare transactions and the security and privacy of protected health information.

The federal civil monetary penalties statute imposes penalties against any person or entity that, among other things, is determined to have presented or caused to be presented a claim to a federal health program that the person knows or should know is for an item or service that was not provided as claimed or is false or fraudulent.

The federal transparency requirements under PPACA, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, require certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to annually report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals, and physician ownership and investment interests.

There are foreign and state law equivalents of these laws and regulations, such as anti-kickback, false claims, and data privacy and security laws, to which we are currently and/or may in the future, be subject. We may also be subject to state laws that require manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures. Many of these state laws differ from each other in significant ways, thus complicating compliance efforts.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, prohibits companies and individuals from engaging in specified activities to obtain or retain business or to influence a person working in an official capacity. Under the FCPA, it is illegal to pay, offer to pay, or authorize the payment of anything of value to any foreign government official, governmental staff members, political party or political candidate in an attempt to obtain or retain business or to otherwise influence a person working in an official capacity. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls.

The FDA and other governmental authorities also actively investigate allegations of off-label promotion activities in order to enforce regulations prohibiting these types of activities. If we are found to have promoted an approved product, including ADCETRIS, for off-label uses we may be subject to significant liability, including civil and administrative financial penalties and other remedies as well as criminal financial penalties and other sanctions. Even when a company is not determined to have engaged in off-label promotion, the allegation from government authorities or market participants that a company has engaged in such activities could have a significant impact on the company’s sales, business and financial condition. The U.S. government has also required companies to enter into complex corporate integrity agreements and/or non-prosecution agreements that impose significant reporting and other burdens on the affected companies.

In order to comply with these laws, we have implemented a comprehensive compliance program to actively identify, prevent and mitigate risk through the implementation of compliance policies and systems and by promoting a culture of compliance. Although we take our obligation to maintain our compliance with these various laws and regulations seriously and our compliance program is designed to prevent the violation of these laws and regulations, if we are found to be in violation of any of the laws and regulations described above or other applicable state and federal healthcare laws, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, imprisonment, diminished profits and future earnings, exclusion from government healthcare reimbursement programs and/or the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and growth prospects. Any action against us for violation of these laws or regulations, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. Moreover, achieving and sustaining compliance with applicable federal, state and foreign healthcare laws is costly and time-consuming for our management.

 

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As we expand our operations internationally, we will be subject to an increased risk of conducting activities in a manner that violates applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws. We are also subject to foreign laws and regulations covering data privacy and the protection of health-related and other personal information. These laws and regulations could create liability for us or increase our cost of doing business, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

We are expanding our operations internationally, and we currently have subsidiaries in the U.K., Switzerland and Canada. Though we are at an early stage with our international expansion, our business activities outside of the United States are subject to the FCPA, which is described above, and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we currently and may in the future operate, including the U.K. Bribery Act. The U.K. Bribery Act prohibits giving, offering, or promising bribes to any person, including non-U.K. government officials and private persons, as well as requesting, agreeing to receive, or accepting bribes from any person. In addition, under the U.K. Bribery Act, companies which carry on a business or part of a business in the U.K. may be held liable for bribes given, offered or promised to any person, including non-U.K. government officials and private persons, by employees and persons associated with such company in order to obtain or retain business or a business advantage for such company. In the course of expanding our operations internationally, we will need to establish and expand business relationships with various third parties, such as independent contractors, distributors, vendors, advocacy groups and physicians, and we will interact more frequently with foreign officials, including regulatory authorities and physicians employed by state-run healthcare institutions who may be deemed to be foreign officials under the FCPA, U.K. Bribery Act or similar laws of other countries that may govern our activities. Any interactions with any such parties or individuals where compensation is provided that are found to be in violation of such laws could result in substantial fines and penalties and could materially harm our business. Furthermore, any finding of a violation under one country’s laws may increase the likelihood that we will be prosecuted and be found to have violated another country’s laws. If our business practices outside the United States are found to be in violation of the FCPA, U.K. Bribery Act or other similar laws, we may be subject to significant civil and criminal penalties which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and growth prospects. We are also subject to foreign laws and regulations covering data privacy and the protection of health-related and other personal information. In this regard, European Union member states and other foreign jurisdictions, including Switzerland, have adopted data protection laws and regulations which impose significant compliance obligations. Failure to comply with these laws could lead to government enforcement actions and significant penalties against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

We have a history of net losses. We expect to continue to incur net losses and may not achieve profitability for some time, if at all.

We have incurred substantial net losses in each of our years of operation. We have incurred these losses principally from costs incurred in our research and development programs and from our selling, general and administrative expenses. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts on research and development, including amounts for conducting required post-approval and other clinical trials of, and seeking additional regulatory approvals for, ADCETRIS as well as commercializing ADCETRIS for the treatment of patients in its three approved indications. In addition, we expect to make substantial expenditures to further develop and potentially commercialize SGN-CD33A and our other product candidates. Accordingly, we expect to continue to incur net losses and may not achieve profitability for some time, if at all. Although we recognize revenue from ADCETRIS product sales and we continue to earn amounts under our collaboration agreements, our revenue and profit potential is unproven and our limited commercialization history makes our future operating results difficult to predict. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. If we are unable to achieve and sustain profitability, the market value of our common stock will likely decline.

If we or our collaborators are not able to obtain or maintain required regulatory approvals, we or our collaborators will not be able to commercialize our product candidates.

The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, marketing and distribution of drug products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries, which regulations differ from country to country. Neither we nor our collaborators are permitted to market our product candidates in the United States or foreign countries until we obtain marketing approval from the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities, and we or our collaborators may never receive regulatory approval for the commercial sale of any of our product candidates. In addition, part of our strategy is to continue to explore the use of ADCETRIS earlier in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma and MTCL and in other CD30-expressing malignancies, including CTCL, and we are currently conducting multiple clinical trials for ADCETRIS. However, we and/or Takeda may be unable to obtain or maintain any regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of ADCETRIS for any additional indications. Obtaining marketing approval is a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process and approval is never assured, and we have only limited experience in preparing and submitting the applications necessary to gain regulatory approvals. Further, the FDA and other foreign regulatory agencies have substantial discretion in the approval process, and determining when or whether regulatory approval will be obtained for any product candidate we develop, including any regulatory approvals for the potential commercial sale of ADCETRIS in additional indications or in any additional territories. In this regard, even if we believe the data collected from clinical trials of

 

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ADCETRIS and our product candidates are promising, such data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA or any other foreign regulatory authority. In addition, the FDA or their advisors may disagree with our interpretations of data from preclinical studies and clinical trials. In this regard, based on the positive data we reported from the ALCANZA trial, we plan to submit an sBLA to the FDA to seek approval for a new indication in the ALCANZA treatment setting. Even if the FDA accepts our planned sBLA for filing, the FDA may disagree with our interpretations of the data from the ALCANZA trial and/or may otherwise determine not to approve our planned sBLA in a timely manner or at all. Moreover, even though our ALCANZA, ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 trials are being conducted under SPA agreements with the FDA, this is not a guarantee or indication of approval, and we cannot be certain that the design of, or data collected from, any of our current or potential future clinical trials that were or are being conducted under SPAs with the FDA will be sufficient to support FDA approval. Further, a SPA agreement is not binding on the FDA if public health concerns unrecognized at the time the SPA agreement is entered into become evident, other new scientific concerns regarding product safety or efficacy arise, new drugs are approved in the same indication, or if we have failed to comply with the agreed upon trial protocols. In addition, a SPA agreement may be changed by us or the FDA on written agreement of both parties, and the FDA retains significant latitude and discretion in interpreting the terms of a SPA agreement and the data and results from the applicable clinical trial. For example, even though we believe that the data from the ALCANZA trial are supportive of approval of ADCETRIS in the ALCANZA treatment setting, our SPA with the FDA covering the ALCANZA trial is not a guarantee or indication of approval of ADCETRIS in the ALCANZA treatment setting (or in any other indication). Regulatory agencies also may approve a product candidate for fewer indications than requested or may grant approval subject to the performance of post-approval studies or REMS for a product candidate. Similarly, regulatory agencies may not approve the labeling claims that are necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of ADCETRIS in additional indications, including any indications in the ALCANZA treatment setting.

In addition, changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may occur and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols and/or related SPA agreements to reflect these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit our clinical trial protocols to IRBs for reexamination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial. In addition, as part of the U.S. Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, the FDA has a goal to review and act on a percentage of all regulatory submissions in a given time frame. However, the FDA does not always meet its PDUFA targeted action dates and if the FDA were to fail to meet a PDUFA targeted action date in the future for ADCETRIS, including in connection with our planned sBLA submission to seek approval to market ADCETRIS in the ALCANZA treatment setting, the commercialization of ADCETRIS in any additional indications could be delayed or impaired. Due to these and other factors, ADCETRIS could take a significantly longer time to gain regulatory approvals in any additional indications than we expect or may never gain additional regulatory approvals, which could delay or eliminate any potential product revenue from sales of ADCETRIS in any additional indications, which could significantly delay or prevent us from achieving profitability.

We depend on collaborative relationships with other companies to assist in the research and development of ADCETRIS and for the development and commercialization of product candidates utilizing or incorporating our technologies. If we are not able to locate suitable collaborators or if our collaborators do not perform as expected, this may negatively affect our ability to commercialize ADCETRIS, develop other product candidates and/or generate revenues through technology licensing, or may otherwise negatively affect our business.

We have established and intend to continue to establish collaborations with third parties to develop and market ADCETRIS and some of our current and future product candidates. For example, we entered into a collaboration agreement with Takeda in December 2009 that granted Takeda rights to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS outside of the United States and Canada. In addition, we have entered into a 50/50 co-development agreement with Astellas for the development of ADCs, including ASG-22ME. We also have ADC collaborations with AbbVie, Bayer, Celldex, Genentech, GSK, Pfizer, Progenics, and Takeda, and an ADC co-development agreement with Genmab. In addition, we have entered into a collaboration agreement with Unum to develop and commercialize novel antibody-coupled T-cell receptor, or ACTR, therapies incorporating our antibodies for cancer. Our dependence on collaborative arrangements to assist in the development and commercialization of ADCETRIS and for the development and commercialization of product candidates utilizing or incorporating our technologies subjects us to a number of risks, including:

 

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we are not able to control the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators or co-development partners devote to the development or commercialization of products and product candidates utilizing or incorporating our technologies, or to their marketing and distribution;

 

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disputes may arise between us and our collaborators or co-development partners that result in the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of the applicable products and product candidates or that result in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management’s attention and resources;

 

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with respect to collaboration and co-development arrangements under which we have an active role, such as our ADCETRIS collaboration and our 50/50 co-development agreement with Astellas, we may have differing opinions or priorities than our collaborators or co-development partners, or we may encounter challenges in joint decision making, which may result in the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of the applicable products and product candidates, including ADCETRIS and ASG-22ME;

 

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our current and potential future collaborators and co-development partners may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product candidate for clinical testing;

 

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significant delays in the development of product candidates by current and potential collaborators and co-development partners could allow competitors to bring products to market before product candidates utilizing or incorporating our technologies are approved and impair the ability of current and potential future collaborators and co-development partners to effectively commercialize these product candidates;

 

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our relationships with our collaborators and co-development partners may divert significant time and effort of our scientific staff and management team and require the effective allocation of our resources to multiple internal, collaborative and co-development projects;

 

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our current and potential future collaborators and co-development partners may not be successful in their efforts to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner, or at all;

 

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our current and potential future collaborators and co-development partners may receive regulatory sanctions relating to other aspects of their business that could adversely affect the development, approval or commercialization of the applicable products or product candidates;

 

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our current and potential future collaborators and co-development partners may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in such a way as to invite litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation;

 

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business combinations or significant changes in a collaborator’s or co-development partner’s business strategy may adversely affect such party’s willingness or ability to complete its obligations under any arrangement;

 

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a collaborator or co-development partner could independently move forward with competing products, therapeutic approaches or technologies to develop treatments for the diseases targeted by us or our collaborators or co-development partners that are developed by such collaborator or co-development partner either independently or in collaboration with others, including our competitors;

 

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our current and potential collaborators and co-development partners may experience financial difficulties; and

 

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our collaborations and co-development agreements may be terminated, breached or allowed to expire, or our collaborators or co-development partners may reduce the scope of our agreements with them, which could have material adverse effect on our financial position by reducing or eliminating the potential for us to receive technology access and license fees, milestones and royalties, and/or reimbursement of development costs, and which could require us to devote additional efforts and to incur the additional costs associated with pursuing internal development and commercialization of the applicable products and product candidates.

If our collaborative or co-development arrangements are not successful as a result of any of the above factors, or any other factors, then our ability to advance the development and commercialization of the applicable products and product candidates and to otherwise generate revenue from these arrangements and to become profitable will be adversely affected, and our business and business prospects may be materially harmed. In particular, if Takeda were to terminate the ADCETRIS collaboration, we would not receive milestone payments, co-funded development payments or royalties for the sale of ADCETRIS outside the United States and Canada. As a result of such termination, we may have to engage another collaborator to complete the ADCETRIS development process and to commercialize ADCETRIS outside the United States and Canada, or to complete the development process and undertake commercializing ADCETRIS outside the United States and Canada ourselves, either of which could significantly delay the continued development and commercialization of ADCETRIS and increase our costs. In turn, this could significantly harm our financial position, adversely affect our stock price and require us to incur all the costs of developing and commercializing ADCETRIS, which are now being co-funded by Takeda.

In the future, we may not be able to locate third-party collaborators or co-development partners to develop and market products and product candidates utilizing or incorporating our technologies, and we may lack the capital and resources necessary to develop and market these products and product candidates alone.

Healthcare law and policy changes may have a material adverse effect on us.

In March 2010, the PPACA became law in the United States. PPACA substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers and significantly affects the pharmaceutical industry. Among the provisions of PPACA of

 

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greatest importance to the pharmaceutical industry include increased Medicaid rebates, expanded Medicaid eligibility, extension of Public Health Service eligibility, annual fees payable by manufacturers and importers of branded prescription drugs, annual reporting of financial relationships with physicians and teaching hospitals, and a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Many of these provisions have had the effect of reducing the revenue generated by our sales of ADCETRIS and will have the effect of reducing any revenue generated by sales of any future commercial products we may have. Further, there have been judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of PPACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to PPACA in the future.

In addition, we anticipate that PPACA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and an additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for ADCETRIS or any future approved product, which may harm our business. For example, increased discounts, rebates or chargebacks may be mandated by governmental or private insurers or fee caps and pricing pressures enacted by industry organizations or state and federal governments, any of which could significantly affect the revenue generated by sales of our products, including ADCETRIS. In addition, drug- pricing strategies by pharmaceutical companies have recently come under increased scrutiny. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed bills designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. We expect further federal and state proposals and healthcare reforms to continue to be proposed to control increasing healthcare costs and to control the rising cost of prescription drugs. These proposals, if implemented, could limit the price for ADCETRIS or any future approved products. Commercial opportunity could be negatively impacted by legislative action that controls pricing, mandates price negotiations, or increases government discounts and rebates. For example, in March 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, proposed to conduct a demonstration project that would reduce the Medicare payment rates for most Part B drugs for approximately half of all providers. If implemented, this project could potentially limit our ability to change pricing for ADCETRIS and all drugs reimbursed under Medicare Part B. Implementation could negatively impact future revenue from sales of ADCETRIS.

Also, price increases on ADCETRIS and negative publicity regarding drug pricing and price increases generally, whether on ADCETRIS or products distributed by other pharmaceutical companies, could negatively affect market acceptance of, and sales of, ADCETRIS. In addition, although ADCETRIS is approved in the European Union, Japan and other countries outside of the United States, government austerity measures or further healthcare reform measures and pricing pressures in other countries could adversely affect demand and pricing for ADCETRIS, which would negatively impact anticipated royalty revenue from ADCETRIS sales by Takeda.

Other legislative changes have also been proposed and adopted since PPACA was enacted. The Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to recommend to Congress proposals in spending reductions. The Joint Select Committee did not achieve a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, following passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, will remain in effect through 2025 unless additional congressional action is taken. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. In addition, legislation has been proposed to shorten the period of biologic data and market exclusivity granted by the FDA. If such legislation is enacted, we may face competition from biosimilars of ADCETRIS or any future approved products earlier than otherwise would have occurred.

We cannot predict what healthcare reform initiatives may be adopted in the future. Further federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory developments are likely, and we expect ongoing initiatives to increase pressure on drug pricing, which could have a negative impact on our revenue or sales of ADCETRIS or any future approved products.

To date, we have depended on a small number of collaborators for a substantial portion of our revenue. The loss of any one of these collaborators or changes in their product development or business strategy could result in a material decline in our revenue.

We have collaborations with a limited number of companies. To date, a substantial portion of our revenue has resulted from payments made under agreements with our corporate collaborators, and although ADCETRIS sales currently comprise a greater proportion of our revenue, we expect that a portion of our revenue will continue to come from corporate collaborations. Even though ADCETRIS received regulatory approval in the United States, our revenues will still depend in part on Takeda’s ability and willingness to market the approved product outside of the United States and Canada. The loss of our collaborators, especially Takeda, changes in product development or business strategies of our collaborators, or the failure of our collaborators to perform their obligations under their agreements with us for any reason, including paying license or technology fees, milestone payments, royalties or reimbursements, could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance. Payments under our existing and future collaboration agreements are also subject to significant fluctuations in both timing and amount, which could cause our revenue to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors and cause a decrease in our stock price.

 

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We are dependent upon a small number of distributors for a significant portion of our net sales, and the loss of, or significant reduction or cancellation in sales to, any one of these distributors could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

In the United States and Canada, we sell ADCETRIS through a limited number of pharmaceutical distributors. Customers order ADCETRIS through these distributors. We generally receive orders from distributors and ship product directly to the customer. We do not promote ADCETRIS to these distributors and they do not set or determine demand for ADCETRIS; however, our ability to effectively commercialize ADCETRIS will depend, in part, on the performance of these distributors. Although we believe we can find alternative distributors on relatively short notice, the loss of a major distributor could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We currently rely on third-party manufacturers and other third parties for production of our drug products and our dependence on these manufacturers may impair the continued development and commercialization of ADCETRIS.

We do not currently have the internal ability to manufacture the drug products that we sell or need to conduct our clinical trials, and we therefore rely on corporate collaborators and contract manufacturing organizations to supply drug product for commercial supply and our IND-enabling studies and clinical trials. For the monoclonal antibody used in ADCETRIS, we have contracted with AbbVie for clinical and commercial supplies. For the drug linker used in ADCETRIS, we have contracted with Sigma Aldrich Fine Chemicals, or SAFC, for clinical and commercial supplies. We have multiple contract manufacturers for conjugating the drug linker to the antibody and producing the ADCETRIS product. For our ADC product candidates, multiple contract manufacturers, including AbbVie and SAFC, perform antibody and drug-linker manufacturing and several other contract manufacturers perform conjugation of the drug-linker to the antibody and fill/finish of the drug product. In addition, we rely on other third parties to perform additional steps in the manufacturing process, including shipping and storage of ADCETRIS and our product candidates. For the foreseeable future, we expect to continue to rely on contract manufacturers and other third parties to produce, vial and store sufficient quantities of ADCETRIS for use in our clinical trials and for commercial sale. If our contract manufacturers or other third parties fail to deliver ADCETRIS for clinical use or sale on a timely basis, with sufficient quality, and at commercially reasonable prices, and we fail to find replacement manufacturers or to develop our own manufacturing capabilities, we may be required to delay or suspend clinical trials or otherwise discontinue development, production and sale of ADCETRIS. Moreover, contract manufacturers have a limited number of facilities in which ADCETRIS can be produced and any interruption of the operation of those facilities due to events such as equipment malfunction or failure or damage to the facility by natural disasters or as the result of regulatory actions could result in the cancellation of shipments, loss of product in the manufacturing process, a shortfall in ADCETRIS supply, or the inability to sell our products in the U.S. or abroad. In addition, we have committed to provide Takeda with their needs of certain parts of the ADCETRIS supply chain for a limited period of time, which may require us to arrange for additional manufacturing supply. Moreover, we depend on outside vendors for the supply of raw materials used to produce ADCETRIS. If the third-party suppliers were to cease production or otherwise fail to supply us with quality raw materials and we were unable to contract on acceptable terms for these raw materials with alternative suppliers, our ability to have ADCETRIS manufactured to meet commercial and clinical requirements would be adversely affected.

Any failures or setbacks in our ADC development program would negatively affect our business and financial position.

ADCETRIS and our SGN-CD33A, ASG-22ME, SGN-CD19A, ASG-15ME, SGN-LIV1A, SGN-CD19B, and SGN-CD123A product candidates are all based on our ADC technology, which utilizes proprietary stable linkers and potent cell-killing synthetic agents. Our ADC technology is also the basis of our collaborations with AbbVie, Astellas, Bayer, Celldex, Genentech, GSK, Pfizer, and Progenics, and our co-development agreements with Takeda, Astellas, and Genmab. Although ADCETRIS has received marketing approval in the United States, Canada, the European Union, Japan and other countries, ADCETRIS is our first and only ADC product that has been approved for commercial sale in any jurisdiction. Any failures or setbacks in our ADC development program, including adverse effects resulting from the use of this technology in human clinical trials, could have a detrimental impact on the continued commercialization of ADCETRIS in its current or any potential future approved indications and on our internal product candidate pipeline, as well as our ability to maintain and/or enter into new corporate collaborations regarding our ADC technology, which would negatively affect our business and financial position.

Our current product candidates are in various stages of clinical development, and it is possible that none of these product candidates will ever become commercial products.

Our current product candidates are in various stages of clinical development, and other than SGN-CD33A, our product candidates are in relatively early stages of development. These product candidates will require significant further development, financial resources and personnel to obtain regulatory approval and develop into commercially viable products, if at all. We recently initiated a phase 3 clinical trial, called the CASCADE trial, which is designed to evaluate SGN-CD33A in combination with HMAs in previously untreated older AML patients. While the interim phase 1 data may be promising, SGN-CD33A has never been evaluated in a randomized trial with other active agents and we cannot be certain that the design of, or data collected from, the CASCADE trial will be adequate to

 

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demonstrate the safety and efficacy of SGN-CD33A for the treatment of patients with AML, or will otherwise be sufficient to support FDA or any foreign regulatory approvals. Currently, our other clinical-stage product candidates include six ADC programs, which consist of ASG-22ME, SGN-CD19A, ASG-15ME, SGN-LIV1A, SGN-CD19B, and SGN-CD123A, and an immuno-oncology agent called SEA-CD40, which is based on our sugar-engineered antibody, or SEA, technology. If a product candidate fails at any stage of development or we otherwise determine to discontinue development of that product candidate, we will not have the anticipated revenues from that product candidate to fund our operations, and we may not receive any return on our investment in that product candidate. Moreover, we still have only limited data from our phase 1 trials of our product candidates. As a result, we may conduct lengthy and expensive clinical trials of our product candidates only to learn that a product candidate is not an effective treatment or is not superior to existing approved therapies, or has an unacceptable safety profile, which could prevent or significantly delay regulatory approval for such product candidate. Due to the uncertain and time-consuming clinical development and regulatory approval process, we may not successfully develop any of our product candidates and it is possible that none of our current product candidates will ever become commercial products. In addition, we expect that much of our effort and many of our expenditures over the next few years will be devoted to the additional clinical development of and commercialization activities associated with ADCETRIS, which may restrict or delay our ability to develop our clinical and preclinical product candidates.

We may need to raise significant amounts of additional capital that may not be available to us.

We expect to make additional capital outlays and to increase operating expenditures over the next several years as we hire additional employees, support our preclinical development, manufacturing and clinical trial activities for ADCETRIS and our other pipeline programs, and expand internationally, as well as commercialize ADCETRIS and position ADCETRIS for potential additional regulatory approvals. As a result of these expenditures, we may need to raise significant amounts of additional capital. In addition, we actively evaluate various strategic transactions on an ongoing basis, including licensing or otherwise acquiring complementary products, technologies or businesses, and we may require significant additional capital in order to complete or otherwise provide funding for those acquisitions. We may seek additional funding through some or all of the following methods: corporate collaborations, licensing arrangements, and public or private debt or equity financings. We do not know whether additional capital will be available when needed, or that, if available, we will obtain financing on terms favorable to us or our stockholders. If we are unable to raise additional funds when we need them, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more of our development programs, which may adversely affect our business and operations. Our future capital requirements will depend upon a number of factors, including:

 

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the level of sales and market acceptance of ADCETRIS;

 

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the rate of progress and cost of the confirmatory post-approval study that we are required to conduct as a condition to the FDA’s accelerated approval of ADCETRIS in the relapsed sALCL indication;

 

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the time and costs involved in obtaining regulatory approvals of ADCETRIS in additional indications, if any;

 

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the size, complexity, timing, progress and number of our clinical programs;

 

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the timing, receipt and amount of milestone-based payments or other revenue from our collaborations or license arrangements, including royalty revenue generated from commercial sales of ADCETRIS by Takeda;

 

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the cost of establishing and maintaining clinical and commercial supplies of ADCETRIS;

 

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the costs associated with acquisitions or licenses of additional technologies, products, or companies, including licenses we may need to commercialize our products;

 

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the terms and timing of any future collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish;

 

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the potential costs associated with international, state and federal taxes; and

 

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competing technological and market developments.

In addition, changes in our spending rate may occur that would consume available capital resources sooner, such as increased development, manufacturing, and clinical trial expenses in connection with our expanding pipeline programs, including several phase 3 trials, or our undertaking of additional business activities or engaging in strategic business transactions. To the extent that we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. To the extent that we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements, we may be required to relinquish some rights to our technologies or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

During the past several years, domestic and international financial markets have experienced extreme disruption from time to time, including, among other things, high volatility and significant declines in stock prices and severely diminished liquidity and credit availability for both borrowers and investors. For example, on June 23, 2016, the electorate in the U.K. voted in favor of leaving the European Union (commonly referred to as “Brexit”). The withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union will take effect either on

 

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the effective date of the withdrawal agreement or, in the absence of agreement, two years after the United Kingdom provides a notice of withdrawal pursuant to the EU Treaty. The U.K. government has announced that it intends to deliver a notice of withdrawal by the end of March 2017. It is likely that the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union will involve a process of lengthy negotiations between the U.K and European Union member states to determine the future terms of the U.K.’s relationship with the European Union. This could lead to a period of considerable uncertainty, particularly in relation to global financial markets which in turn could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital. In any event, in the event of adverse capital and credit market conditions, we may not be able to obtain additional capital on favorable terms, or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and growth prospects.

We rely on license agreements for certain aspects of ADCETRIS and our ADC technology. Failure to maintain these license agreements or to secure any required new licenses could prevent us from continuing to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS and our product candidates.

We have entered into agreements with third-party commercial and academic institutions to license technology for use in ADCETRIS and our ADC technology. Currently, we have license agreements with Bristol-Myers Squibb and the University of Miami, among others. Some of these license agreements contain diligence and milestone-based termination provisions, in which case our failure to meet any agreed upon diligence requirements or milestones may allow the licensor to terminate the agreement. Many of our license agreements grant us exclusive licenses to the underlying technologies. If our licensors terminate our license agreements or if we are unable to maintain the exclusivity of our exclusive license agreements, we may be unable to continue to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS or our product candidates. Further, we have had in the past, and may in the future have, disputes with our licensors, which may impact our ability to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS or our product candidates or require us to enter into additional licenses. An adverse result in potential future disputes with our licensors may impact our ability to develop and commercialize ADCETRIS and our product candidates, or may require us to enter into additional licenses or to incur additional costs in litigation or settlement. In addition, continued development and commercialization of ADCETRIS and our product candidates will likely require us to secure licenses to additional technologies. We may not be able to secure these licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

If we are unable to enforce our intellectual property rights or if we fail to sustain and further build our intellectual property rights, we may not be able to successfully commercialize ADCETRIS or future products and competitors may be able to develop competing therapies.

Our success depends, in part, on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and successfully enforcing these patents and defending them against third-party challenges in the United States and other countries. We own multiple U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications for our technologies. We also have rights to issued U.S. patents, patent applications, and their foreign counterparts, relating to our monoclonal antibody, linker and drug-based technologies. Our rights to these patents and patent applications are derived in part from worldwide licenses from third parties. In addition, we have licensed certain of our U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications to third parties.

The standards that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and foreign patent offices use to grant patents are not always applied predictably or uniformly and can change. Consequently, our pending patent applications may not be allowed and, if allowed, may not contain the type and extent of patent claims that will be adequate to conduct our business as planned. Additionally, any issued patents we currently own or obtain in the future may have a shorter patent term than expected or may not contain claims that will permit us to stop competitors from using our technology or similar technology or from copying our products. Similarly, the standards that courts use to interpret patents are not always applied predictably or uniformly and may evolve, particularly as new technologies develop. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently modified some legal standards applied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in examination of U.S. patent applications, which may decrease the likelihood that we will be able to obtain patents and may increase the likelihood of challenges to patents we obtain or license. In addition, changes to the U.S. patent system have come into force under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the America Invents Act, including changes from a “first-to-invent” system to a “first to file” system, changes to examination of U.S. patent applications and changes to the processes for challenging issued patents. These changes include provisions that affect the way patent applications are being filed, prosecuted and litigated. For example, the America Invents Act enacted proceedings involving post-issuance patent review procedures, such as inter partes review, or IPR, and post-grant review and covered business methods. These proceedings are conducted before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or PTAB, of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. Each proceeding has different eligibility criteria and different patentability challenges that can be raised. In this regard, the IPR process permits any person (except a party who has been litigating the patent for more than a year) to challenge the validity of the patent on the grounds that it was anticipated or made obvious by prior art. As a result, non-practicing entities associated with hedge funds, pharmaceutical companies who may be our competitors and others have challenged certain valuable pharmaceutical U.S. patents based on prior art through the IPR process. A decision in such a proceeding adverse to our interests could result in the loss of valuable patent rights which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In any event, the America Invents Act and any other potential future changes to

 

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the U.S. patent system could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

We rely on trade secrets and other proprietary information where we believe patent protection is not appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets and other proprietary information are difficult to protect. We have taken measures to protect our unpatented trade secrets and know-how, including the use of confidentiality and assignment of inventions agreements with our employees, consultants and certain contractors. It is possible, however, that these persons may breach the agreements or that our competitors may independently develop or otherwise discover our trade secrets or other proprietary information. Our research collaborators may publish confidential data or other restricted information to which we have rights. If we cannot maintain the confidentiality of our technology and other confidential information in connection with our collaborations, then our ability to receive patent protection or protect our proprietary information may be impaired.

We may incur substantial costs and lose important rights or may not be able to continue to commercialize ADCETRIS or to commercialize any of our product candidates that may be approved for commercial sale as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property rights, and we may be required to obtain patent and other intellectual property rights from others.

We may face potential lawsuits by companies, academic institutions or others alleging infringement of their intellectual property. Because patent applications can take a few years to publish, there may be currently pending applications of which we are unaware that may later result in issued patents that adversely affect the continued commercialization of ADCETRIS or future commercialization of our product candidates in development. In addition, we are monitoring the progress of multiple pending patent applications of other organizations that, if granted, may require us to license or challenge their enforceability in order to continue commercializing ADCETRIS or to commercialize our product candidates that may be approved for commercial sale. As a result of the patent infringement lawsuits that have been filed or may be filed against us in the future by third parties alleging infringement by us of patent or other intellectual property rights, we may be required to pay substantial damages, including lost profits, royalties, treble damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, for past infringement if it is ultimately determined that our products infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights. Even if infringement claims against us are without merit, the results may be unpredictable. In addition, defending lawsuits takes significant time, may be expensive and may divert management’s attention from other business concerns. Further, we may be stopped from developing, manufacturing or selling our products until we obtain a license from the owner of the relevant technology or other intellectual property rights, or be forced to undertake costly design-arounds, if feasible. If such a license is available at all, it may require us to pay substantial royalties or other fees.

We are or may be from time to time involved in the defense and enforcement of our patent or other intellectual property rights in a court of law, USPTO interference, IPR, post-grant review or reexamination proceeding, foreign opposition proceeding or related legal and administrative proceeding in the United States and elsewhere. In addition, if we choose to go to court to stop a third party from infringing our patents, that third party has the right to ask the court to rule that these patents are invalid, not infringed and/or should not be enforced. Under the America Invents Act, a third party may also have the option to challenge the validity of certain patents at the PTAB, whether they are accused of infringing our patents or not, and certain entities associated with hedge funds, companies and other entities have challenged valuable pharmaceutical patents through the IPR process. These lawsuits and administrative proceedings are expensive and consume time and other resources, and we may not be successful in these proceedings or in stopping infringement. In addition, there is a risk that a court will decide that these patents are not valid or not infringed or otherwise not enforceable, or that the PTAB will decide that certain patents are not valid or should have a shorter term, and that we do not have the right to stop a third party from using the patented subject matter. Successful challenges to our patent or other intellectual property rights through these proceedings could result in a loss of rights in the relevant jurisdiction and may allow third parties to use our proprietary technologies without a license from us or our collaborators, which may also result in loss of future royalty payments. Furthermore, if such challenges to our rights are not resolved promptly in our favor, our existing business relationships may be jeopardized and we could be delayed or prevented from entering into new collaborations or from commercializing potential products, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, we may challenge the patent or other intellectual property rights of third parties and if we are unsuccessful in actions we bring against the rights of such parties, through litigation or otherwise, and it is determined that we infringe the intellectual property rights of such parties, we may be prevented from commercializing potential products in the relevant jurisdiction, or may be required to obtain licenses to those rights or develop or obtain alternative technologies, any of which could harm our business.

If we lose our key personnel or are unable to attract and retain additional qualified personnel, our future growth and ability to compete would suffer.

We are highly dependent on the efforts and abilities of the principal members of our senior management. Additionally, we have scientific personnel with significant and unique expertise in monoclonal antibodies, ADCs and related technologies. The loss of the services of any one of the principal members of our managerial or scientific staff may prevent us from achieving our business objectives.

 

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In addition, the competition for qualified personnel in the biotechnology field is intense, and our future success depends upon our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled scientific, technical and managerial employees. In order to commercialize ADCETRIS, we have been required to expand our workforce, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, clinical trials management, regulatory affairs, business development, sales and marketing. These activities required the addition of new personnel, including sales and marketing management, and the development of additional expertise by existing management personnel. We continue to face intense competition for qualified individuals from numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic and other research institutions. To the extent we are not able to retain these individuals on favorable terms or attract any additional personnel that may be required, our business may be harmed.

If we are unable to manage our growth, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.

We have experienced and expect to continue to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and in the scope of our operations. This growth places significant demands on our management, operational and financial resources, and our current and planned personnel, systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support our growth. To effectively manage our growth, we must continue to improve existing, and implement new, operational and financial systems, procedures and controls and must expand, train and manage our growing employee base, and there can be no assurance that we will effectively manage our growth without experiencing operating inefficiencies or control deficiencies. We expect that we may need to increase our management personnel to oversee our expanding operations, and recruiting and retaining qualified individuals is difficult. In addition, the physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and capital resources. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, or are unsuccessful in recruiting qualified management personnel, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.

Product liability and product recalls could harm our business, and we may not be able to obtain adequate insurance to protect us against product liability losses.

The current and future use of ADCETRIS by us and our corporate collaborators in clinical trials and the sale of ADCETRIS, expose us to product liability claims. These claims have and may in the future be made directly by consumers or healthcare providers or indirectly by pharmaceutical companies, our corporate collaborators or others selling such products. We may experience substantial financial losses in the future due to product liability claims. We have obtained product liability coverage, including coverage for human clinical trials and product sold commercially. However, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against all losses. If a successful product liability claim or series of claims is brought against us for uninsured liabilities or in excess of insured amounts, our assets may not be sufficient to cover such claims and our business operations could be impaired.

Product recalls may be issued at our discretion, or at the discretion of government agencies and other entities that have regulatory authority for pharmaceutical sales. Any recall of ADCETRIS could materially adversely affect our business by rendering us unable to sell ADCETRIS for some time and by adversely affecting our reputation.

Risks associated with operating in foreign countries could materially adversely affect our business.

We are expanding our operations internationally, and we currently have subsidiaries in the U.K., Switzerland and Canada. Consequently, we are, and will continue to be, subject to risks related to operating in foreign countries. Risks associated with conducting operations in foreign countries include:

 

•

diverse regulatory, financial and legal requirements, and any future changes to such requirements, in one or more countries where we are located or do business;

 

•

adverse tax consequences, including changes in applicable tax laws and regulations;

 

•

applicable trade laws, tariffs, export quotas, custom duties or other trade restrictions and any changes to them;

 

•

economic weakness, including inflation, or political or economic instability in particular foreign economies and markets;

 

•

compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad;

 

•

foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses or reduced revenues, and other obligations incident to doing business or operating in another country;

 

•

liabilities for activities of, or related to, our international operations;

 

•

workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States; and

 

•

laws and regulations relating to data security and the unauthorized use of, or access to, commercial and personal information.

 

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For example, since a significant proportion of the regulatory framework in the U.K. is derived from European Union directives and regulations, Brexit could materially change the regulatory regime applicable to our operations and those of our collaborators, including with respect to marketing authorizations for ADCETRIS and our product candidates. We may also face new regulatory costs and challenges as result of Brexit that could have a material adverse effect on our operations. Depending on the terms of Brexit, the U.K. could lose the benefits of global trade agreements negotiated by the European Union on behalf of its members, which may result in increased trade barriers which could make our doing business in Europe more difficult. In addition, currency exchange rates for the British Pound and the Euro with respect to each other and the U.S. dollar have already been affected by Brexit. Should this foreign exchange volatility continue, it could cause volatility in our quarterly financial results. In any event, we cannot predict to what extent these changes will impact our business or results of operations, or our ability to conduct operations in Europe.

These and other risks described elsewhere in these risk factors associated with expanding our international operations could materially adversely affect our business.

Our operations involve hazardous materials and are subject to environmental, health and safety controls and regulations.

We are subject to environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the use of hazardous materials, and we spend considerable time complying with such laws and regulations. Our business activities involve the controlled use of hazardous materials and although we take precautions to prevent accidental contamination or injury from these materials, we cannot completely eliminate the risk of using these materials. In the event of an accident or environmental discharge, we may be held liable for any resulting damages, which may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If any of our facilities are damaged or our clinical, research and development or other business processes are interrupted, our business could be seriously harmed.

We conduct most of our business in a limited number of facilities in a single geographical location in Bothell, Washington. Damage or extended periods of interruption to our corporate, development or research facilities due to fire, natural disaster, power loss, communications failure, unauthorized entry or other events could cause us to cease or delay development of some or all of our product candidates or interrupt the sales process for ADCETRIS. Although we maintain property damage and business interruption insurance coverage on these facilities, our insurance might not cover all losses under such circumstances and our business may be seriously harmed by such delays and interruption.

If we experience a significant disruption in our information technology systems or breaches of data security, our business could be adversely affected.

We rely on information technology systems to keep financial records, maintain laboratory, patient and corporate records, communicate with staff and external parties and operate other critical functions. Our information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to disruption due to breakdown, malicious intrusion and computer viruses. If we were to experience a prolonged system disruption in the information technology systems, it could result in the delay of development of our product candidates or the coordination of our sales activities, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, in order to maximize our information technology efficiency, we have physically consolidated our primary corporate data and computer operations. This concentration, however, exposes us to a greater risk of disruption to our internal information technology systems. Although we maintain offsite back-ups of our data, if operations at our facilities were disrupted, it may cause a material disruption in our business if we are not capable of restoring function on an acceptable timeframe.

In addition, our information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to data security breaches—whether by employees or others—which may expose sensitive data to unauthorized persons. Such data security breaches could lead to the loss of trade secrets or other intellectual property, or could lead to the public exposure of personal information (including sensitive personal information) of our employees, patients, customers and others, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, a security breach or privacy violation that leads to disclosure or modification of or prevents access to patient information, including personally identifiable information or protected health information, could harm our reputation, compel us to comply with federal and/or state breach notification laws, subject us to mandatory corrective action, require us to verify the correctness of database contents and otherwise subject us to liability under laws and regulations that protect personal data, resulting in increased costs or loss of revenue. If we are unable to prevent such security breaches or privacy violations or implement satisfactory remedial measures, our operations could be disrupted, and we may suffer loss of reputation, financial loss and other regulatory penalties because of lost or misappropriated information, including sensitive patient data. In addition, these breaches and other inappropriate access can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying them may lead to increased harm of the type described above.

 

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Increasing use of social media could give rise to liability.

We are increasingly relying on social media tools as a means of communications. To the extent that we continue to use these tools as a means to communicate about ADCETRIS and our product candidates or about the diseases that ADCETRIS and our product candidates are intended to treat, there are significant uncertainties as to either the rules that apply to such communications, or as to the interpretations that health authorities will apply to the rules that exist. As a result, despite our efforts to comply with applicable rules, there is a significant risk that our use of social media for such purposes may cause us to nonetheless be found in violation of them. Such uses of social media could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may engage in strategic transactions that increase our capital requirements, dilute our stockholders, cause us to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities and subject us to other risks.

We actively evaluate various strategic transactions on an ongoing basis, including licensing or otherwise acquiring complementary products, technologies or businesses. Any potential acquisitions may entail numerous risks, including increased operating expenses and cash requirements, assimilation of operations and products, retention of key employees, diversion of our management’s attention and uncertainties in our ability to maintain key business relationships of the acquired entities. In addition, if we undertake acquisitions, we may spend significant amounts, issue dilutive securities, assume or incur significant debt obligations, incur large one-time expenses and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense and write-offs. Moreover, we may not be able to locate suitable acquisition opportunities and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technology or products that may be important to the development of our business. Even if appropriate opportunities are available, we may not be able to successfully identify them or we may not have the financial resources necessary to pursue them, and if pursued, we may be unable structure and execute transactions in the anticipated timeframe, or at all. Other pharmaceutical companies, many of which may have substantially greater financial, marketing and sales resources, compete with us for these opportunities.

Even if we are able to successfully identify and acquire complementary products, technologies or businesses, we cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully manage the risks associated with integrating acquired products, technologies or businesses or the risks arising from anticipated and unanticipated problems in connection with an acquisition transaction. Further, while we seek to mitigate risks and liabilities of potential acquisitions through, among other things, due diligence, there may be risks and liabilities that such due diligence efforts fail to discover, that are not disclosed to us, or that we inadequately assess. Any failure in identifying and managing these risks and uncertainties effectively would have a material adverse effect on our business. Additionally, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of such transactions, including the possibility that expected synergies and accretion will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time frame.

Legislative actions and potential new accounting pronouncements are likely to impact our future financial position or results of operations.

Future changes in financial accounting standards may cause adverse, unexpected revenue fluctuations and affect our financial position or results of operations. New pronouncements and varying interpretations of pronouncements have occurred with frequency in the past and are expected to occur again in the future and as a result we may be required to make changes in our accounting policies. Those changes could adversely affect our reported revenues and expenses, future profitability or financial position. Compliance with new regulations regarding corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses. As a result, we intend to invest all reasonably necessary resources to comply with evolving standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from science and business activities to compliance activities.

 

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Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our stock price is volatile and our shares may suffer a decline in value.

The market price of our stock has in the past been, and is likely to continue in the future to be, very volatile. During the third quarter of 2016, our closing stock price fluctuated between $40.15 and $56.57 per share. As a result of fluctuations in the price of our common stock, you may be unable to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for them. The market price of our common stock may be subject to substantial volatility in response to many risk factors listed in this section, and others beyond our control, including:

 

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the level of ADCETRIS sales in the United States, Canada, the European Union, Japan and other countries in which Takeda has received approval by relevant regulatory authorities;

 

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announcements regarding the results of discovery efforts and preclinical, clinical and commercial activities by us, or those of our competitors;

 

•

announcements of FDA or foreign regulatory approval or non-approval of ADCETRIS, or specific label indications for or restrictions, warnings or limitations in its use, or delays in the regulatory review or approval process, including in connection with our planned sBLA submission to the FDA to seek approval of ADCETRIS in the ALCANZA treatment setting;

 

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announcements regarding the results of the clinical trials we and/or Takeda are conducting or may in the future conduct for ADCETRIS, including our ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 phase 3 trials;

 

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announcements regarding, or negative publicity concerning, adverse events associated with the use of ADCETRIS;

 

•

issuance of new or changed analysts’ reports and recommendations regarding us or our competitors;

 

•

termination of or changes in our existing collaborations or licensing arrangements, especially our ADCETRIS collaboration with Takeda or establishment of new collaborations or licensing arrangements;

 

•

our entry into material strategic transactions including licensing or acquisition of products, businesses or technologies;

 

•

actions taken by regulatory authorities with respect to our product candidates, our clinical trials or our regulatory filings;

 

•

our raising of additional capital when we need it and the terms upon which we may raise any additional capital;

 

•

market conditions for equity investments in general, or the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries in particular;

 

•

developments or disputes concerning our proprietary rights;

 

•

share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;

 

•

changes in government regulations; and

 

•

economic or other external factors.

The stock markets in general, and the markets for biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks in particular, have historically experienced significant volatility that has often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. For example, negative publicity regarding drug pricing and price increases by pharmaceutical companies has negatively impacted, and may continue to negatively impact, the markets for biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks. Likewise, as a result of Brexit, the financial markets could experience significant volatility that could also negatively impact the markets for biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks. These broad market fluctuations have adversely affected and may in the future adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. In the past, class action or derivative litigation has often been instituted against companies whose securities have experienced periods of volatility in market price. Any such litigation brought against us could result in substantial costs, which would hurt our financial condition and results of operations and divert management’s attention and resources, which could result in delays of our clinical trials or our development and commercialization efforts.

Substantial future sales of shares of our common stock or equity-related securities could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

        Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock into the public market, including sales by members of our management or board of directors or entities affiliated with such members, could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity or equity-related securities. We are unable to predict the effect that such sales may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock. As of October 21, 2016, we had 141,552,646 shares of common stock outstanding, all of which shares are eligible for sale in the public market, subject in some cases to the volume limitations and manner of sale and other requirements under Rule 144. In addition, we may issue a substantial number of shares of our common stock or equity- related securities, including convertible debt, to meet our capital needs, including in connection with funding acquisition or licensing opportunities, capital expenditures or product development costs, which issuances could be substantially dilutive and could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Likewise, future issuances by us of our common stock upon

 

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the exercise, conversion or settlement of equity-based awards or other equity-related securities would dilute existing stockholders’ ownership interest in our company and any sales in the public market of these shares, or the perception that these sales might occur, could also adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Moreover, we have in the past and may in the future grant rights to some of our stockholders that require us to register the resale of our common stock or other securities on behalf of these stockholders and/or facilitate public offerings of our securities held by these stockholders, including in connection with potential future acquisition or capital-raising transactions. For example, in connection with our September 2015 public offering of common stock, we entered into a registration rights agreement with entities affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors LP, or the Baker Entities, that together, based on information available to us, collectively beneficially owned approximately 31.2% of our common stock as of October 21, 2016. Under the registration rights agreement, if at any time and from time to time the Baker Entities demand that we register their shares of our common stock for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, we would be obligated to effect such registration. On October 12, 2016, pursuant to the registration rights agreement, we registered for resale, from time to time, up to 44,059,594 shares of our common stock held by the Baker Entities. Our registration obligations under the registration rights agreement cover all shares now held or hereafter acquired by the Baker Entities, will continue in effect for up to ten years, and include our obligation to facilitate certain underwritten public offerings of our common stock by the Baker Entities in the future. If the Baker Entities, by its exercise of these registration and/or underwriting rights in the future, or otherwise, sell a large number of our shares, or the market perceives that the Baker Entities intend to sell a large number of our shares, including in connection with our October 2016 registration of shares held by the Baker Entities for resale, this could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. We have also filed registration statements to register the sale of our common stock reserved for issuance under our equity incentive and employee stock purchase plans. Accordingly, these shares will be able to be freely sold in the public market upon issuance as permitted by any applicable vesting requirements.

Our existing stockholders have significant control of our management and affairs.

Our executive officers and directors and holders of greater than five percent of our outstanding voting stock, together with entities that may be deemed affiliates of, or related to, such persons or entities, beneficially owned approximately 70.1% of our voting power as of October 21, 2016. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, may be able to control our management and affairs and matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions, such as mergers, consolidations or the sale of substantially all of our assets. Consequently, this concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, including a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us or discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control, which might affect the market price of our common stock.

Anti-takeover provisions could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us.

Our Board of Directors has the authority to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock and to determine the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, of those shares without any further vote or action by the stockholders, which authority could be used to adopt a “poison pill” that could act to prevent a change of control of Seattle Genetics that has not been approved by our Board of Directors. The rights of the holders of common stock may be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any preferred stock that may be issued in the future. The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of Seattle Genetics without further action by the stockholders and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. Further, certain provisions of our charter documents, including provisions eliminating the ability of stockholders to take action by written consent and limiting the ability of stockholders to raise matters at a meeting of stockholders without giving advance notice, may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control or management of Seattle Genetics, which could have an adverse effect on the market price of our stock. In addition, our charter documents provide for a classified board, which may make it more difficult for a third party to gain control of our Board of Directors. Similarly, state anti-takeover laws in Delaware and Washington related to corporate takeovers may prevent or delay a change of control of Seattle Genetics.

 

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Item 5.

Other Information

On October 26, 2016, upon the approval of the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors, we entered into amended and restated employment agreements, or the Amended Employment Agreements, with each of Clay Siegall, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Todd E. Simpson, our Chief Financial Officer, Eric L. Dobmeier, our Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Drachman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Jean Liu, our General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, or, collectively, our Named Executive Officers. The Amended Employment Agreements replaced the employment agreements that we previously entered into with such Named Executive Officers, or the Prior Employment Agreements. Each Named Executive Officer’s Amended Employment Agreement contains the same terms as in his or her Prior Employment Agreement, except that the accelerated vesting benefits provided for under his or her Prior Employment Agreement now apply to all equity awards held by the Named Executive Officer (unless specifically provided otherwise in the applicable equity award agreement) instead of only to stock options and restricted stock awards, as was the case under his or her Prior Employment Agreement. The Amended Employment Agreements do not contain any other material changes from the Prior Employment Agreements. The foregoing description of the Amended Employment Agreements is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended Employment Agreements, which are filed as Exhibits 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7 and 10.9 to this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.

 

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Item 6. Exhibits

 

Exhibit				Incorporation By Reference
Number		Exhibit Description		Form		SEC File No.		Exhibit		Filing Date
3.1		Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Seattle Genetics, Inc.		10-Q		000-32405		3.1		11/07/2008
3.2		Certificate of Amendment of Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Seattle Genetics, Inc.		8-K		000-32405		3.3		05/26/2011
3.3		Amended and Restated Bylaws of Seattle Genetics, Inc.		8-K		000-32405		3.1		11/25/2015
4.1		Specimen Stock Certificate.		S-1/A		333-50266		4.1		02/08/2001
4.2		Investor Rights Agreement dated July 8, 2003 among Seattle Genetics, Inc. and certain of its stockholders.		10-Q		000-32405		4.3		11/07/2008
4.3		Registration Rights Agreement, dated September 10, 2015, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and the persons listed on Schedule A attached thereto.		8-K		000-32405		10.1		9/11/2015
10.1+†		Ninth Amendment to Development and Supply Agreement, effective as of August 23, 2016 between AbbVie Inc. and Seattle Genetics, Inc.		—		—		—		—
10.2*+		Seattle Genetics, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan for SGN-CD33A		—		—		—		—
10.3*+		Form of Notice of Grant and Stock Unit Agreement for Seattle Genetics, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan for SGN-CD33A under the Seattle Genetics, Inc. Amended and Restated 2007 Equity Incentive Plan		—		—		—		—
10.4*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Clay Siegall		—		—		—		—
10.5*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Todd Simpson		—		—		—		—
10.6*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Eric Dobmeier		—		—		—		—
10.7*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Jonathan Drachman		—		—		—		—
10.8*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Vaughn Himes		—		—		—		—
10.9*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Jean Liu		—		—		—		—
10.10*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Darren Cline		—		—		—		—
31.1+		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).		—		—		—		—
31.2+		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).		—		—		—		—
32.1+		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.		—		—		—		—
32.2+		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.		—		—		—		—
101.INS+		XBRL Instance Document.		—		—		—		—
101.SCH+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.		—		—		—		—
101.CAL+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—
101.DEF+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—
101.LAB+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—
101.PRE+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—

 

+	Filed herewith.

*	Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

†	Pursuant to a request for confidential treatment, portions of this Exhibit have been redacted from the publicly filed document and have been furnished separately to the Securities and Exchange Commission as required by Rule 24b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

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Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

SEATTLE GENETICS, INC.
By:		/s/ TODD E. SIMPSON
		Todd E. Simpson
		Duly Authorized and Chief Financial Officer
		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

Date: October 27, 2016

 

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Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit				Incorporation By Reference
Number		Exhibit Description		Form		SEC File No.		Exhibit		Filing Date
3.1		Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Seattle Genetics, Inc.		10-Q		000-32405		3.1		11/07/2008
3.2		Certificate of Amendment of Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Seattle Genetics, Inc.		8-K		000-32405		3.3		05/26/2011
3.3		Amended and Restated Bylaws of Seattle Genetics, Inc.		8-K		000-32405		3.1		11/25/2015
4.1		Specimen Stock Certificate.		S-1/A		333-50266		4.1		02/08/2001
4.2		Investor Rights Agreement dated July 8, 2003 among Seattle Genetics, Inc. and certain of its stockholders.		10-Q		000-32405		4.3		11/07/2008
4.3		Registration Rights Agreement, dated September 10, 2015, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and the persons listed on Schedule A attached thereto.		8-K		000-32405		10.1		9/11/2015
10.1+†		Ninth Amendment to Development and Supply Agreement, effective as of August 23, 2016 between AbbVie Inc. and Seattle Genetics, Inc.		—		—		—		—
10.2*+		Seattle Genetics, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan for SGN-CD33A		—		—		—		—
10.3*+		Form of Notice of Grant and Stock Unit Agreement for Seattle Genetics, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan for SGN-CD33A under the Seattle Genetics, Inc. Amended and Restated 2007 Equity Incentive Plan		—		—		—		—
10.4*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Clay Siegall		—		—		—		—
10.5*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Todd Simpson		—		—		—		—
10.6*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Eric Dobmeier		—		—		—		—
10.7*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Jonathan Drachman		—		—		—		—
10.8*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Vaughn Himes		—		—		—		—
10.9*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Jean Liu		—		—		—		—
10.10*+		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated October 26, 2016, between Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Darren Cline		—		—		—		—
31.1+		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).		—		—		—		—
31.2+		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).		—		—		—		—
32.1+		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.		—		—		—		—
32.2+		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.		—		—		—		—
101.INS+		XBRL Instance Document.		—		—		—		—
101.SCH+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.		—		—		—		—
101.CAL+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—
101.DEF+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—
101.LAB+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—
101.PRE+		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.		—		—		—		—

 

+	Filed herewith.

*	Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

†	Pursuant to a request for confidential treatment, portions of this Exhibit have been redacted from the publicly filed document and have been furnished separately to the Securities and Exchange Commission as required by Rule 24b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

52