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Item 1.
Description of Business.
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements
regarding our business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects. Words such as expects,
anticipates, intends, plans,
believes, seeks, estimates
and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended
to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the
exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in
this Annual Report. Additionally, statements concerning future
matters such as the development or regulatory approval of new
products, enhancements of existing products or technologies,
revenue and expense levels and other statements regarding
matters that are not historical are forward-looking
statements.
Although forward-looking statements in this Annual Report
reflect the good faith judgment of our management, such
statements can only be based on facts and factors currently
known by us. Consequently, forward-looking statements are
inherently subject to risks and uncertainties and actual results
and outcomes may differ materially from the results and outcomes
discussed in or anticipated by the forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences in
results and outcomes include without limitation those discussed
under the heading Risk Factors below, as well as
those discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report. Readers are
urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual
Report. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any
forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or
circumstance that may arise after the date of this Annual
Report. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the
various disclosures made in this Annual Report, which attempt to
advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may
affect our business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects.
Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development
and commercialization of recombinant human enzymes for the drug
delivery, palliative care, oncology, and infertility markets.
Our operations to date have been limited to organizing and
staffing the Company, acquiring, developing and securing its
technology and undertaking product development for our existing
products and for a limited number of product candidates. In June
2005, we launched our first product,
Cumulasetm,
a product used for in vitro fertilization, and transitioned
from a development-stage organization to a commercial entity.
Our offices and research facilities are located at 11588
Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 17, San Diego, California
92121. Our telephone number is (858) 794-8889 and our
e-mail address is
info@halozyme.com. Additional information about Halozyme
can be found on our website, at www.halozyme.com, and in
our periodic and current reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies of our current and
periodic reports filed with the SEC are available at the SEC
Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, and online at www.sec.gov
and our website at www.halozyme.com.
Technology
Our technology is based on recombinant human PH20 (rHuPH20), a
human synthetic version of hyaluronidase that degrades
hyaluronic acid, a space-filling, gel-like substance that is a
major component of tissues throughout the body, such as skin and
cartilage. The PH20 enzyme is a naturally occurring enzyme that
digests hyaluronic acid to temporarily break down the gel,
thereby facilitating the penetration and diffusion of other
drugs and fluids that are injected under the skin or in the
muscle. It also degrades the cumulus matrix surrounding oocytes
(eggs) facilitating in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Bovine and ovine-derived hyaluronidases have been used in
multiple therapeutic areas, including in vitro
fertilization and ophthalmology, where an FDA-approved bovine
version was used as a drug delivery agent to enhance dispersion
of local anesthesia for over 50 years. Despite the multiple
potential therapeutic
applications for hyaluronidase, there are problems with existing
and potential animal-derived product offerings, including:
Impurity: Most such commercial enzyme preparations are
crude extracts from cattle testes and are typically 1-10% pure.
Prion disease: Cattle testes are an organ with the
highest concentration of hyaluronidase, but also with the
highest levels of a protein implicated in the development of
neurodegenerative disorders associated with prion disease.
Immunogenicity: Hyaluronidases can also be found in
bacteria, leeches, certain venoms, and marine organisms. Such
preparations, in addition to bovine and ovine, are non-human,
and may elicit immune reactions, possess endotoxin, or have some
of the same defects as slaughterhouse derivations.
As an alternative to the existing animal-derived drugs, our
proprietary technology, as evidenced by our exclusive license
with the University of Connecticut of the patent covering the
DNA sequence that encodes human hyaluronidase, may both expand
existing markets and create new ones. Gaps in existing
hyaluronidase offerings may create demand for our solution, and
provide new market opportunities. Our objective is to apply our
products under development to key markets in multiple
therapeutic areas, beginning with the in vitro
fertilization (IVF) and palliative care markets.
Strategy
Our objective is to develop and commercialize our first enzyme,
recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20), as a medical device,
drug enhancement agent, and therapeutic drug. Key aspects of our
corporate strategy include the following:
Continue to commercialize
Cumulasetm
through our distributors;
Begin to commercialize
Hylenextm
through our distributor;
Initiate Phase I/ IIa trials for our oncology developmental
product,
Chemophasetm; and
Conduct proof of concept clinical studies with our
Enhanzetm
Technology.
Product Development Programs
We have multiple product candidates targeting several
indications in various stages of development. The following
table summarizes our lead clinical product and pipeline
candidates:
Product
Indication (Brief Description)
Development Status
Cumulase
In vitro fertilization
Marketed
Hylenex
Agent for drug and fluid infusion
NDA Approved
Chemophase
Chemoadjuvant for superficial bladder cancer
Phase I
Enhanzed Products
Agent for enhanced drug delivery
Pre-Clinical
HTI-101
Inflammation, oncology
Pre-Clinical
HTI-201
Inflammation, oncology
Research
HTI-401
Central nervous system trauma and wound healing
Research
Cumulase
Cumulase is an ex vivo (used outside of the body) formulation of
rHuPH20 to replace the bovine enzyme currently used for the
preparation of oocytes (eggs) prior to IVF during the
process of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in
which the enzyme is an essential component. The enzyme strips
away the hyaluronic acid that surrounds the oocyte. This allows
the clinician to then perform the ICSI procedure, injecting the
sperm into the oocyte. The FDA considers hyaluronidase IVF
products to be medical devices subject to 510(k) approval and we
filed our 510(k) application during September 2004. We received
a CE (European
Conformity) Mark for Cumulase in December 2004, which allows the
Company to market Cumulase in the European Union. We received
FDA clearance in April 2005. We launched Cumulase in the
European Union and in the United States in June 2005. We believe
the total ICSI market consists of an estimated 500,000
intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles worldwide in 2005
(Source: CDC, 2001; ESHRE, 2002).
Hylenex
Hylenex is a human recombinant formulation of rHuPH20 to
facilitate the absorption and dispersion of other injected drugs
or fluids. When injected under the skin or in the muscle,
hyaluronidase can digest the hyaluronic acid gel, allowing for
temporarily enhanced penetration and dispersion of other
injected drugs or fluids. We filed a New Drug Application
(NDA) in March 2005 and we received approval of our Hylenex
NDA in December 2005.
Advanced subcutaneous infusion (ASI): Hylenex facilitates
subcutaneous delivery of fluids up to one liter without the need
for intraveneous access, a procedure known as ASI. Importantly,
ASI for fluid replacement in terminal patients may be achieved
with limited or no need for nursing assistance. Over
1.1 million subcutaneous fluid infusions are performed per
year with hospice patients alone (Source: Company estimates
based on National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization data,
2001). In addition, over 500 million infusion bags are
utilized annually in the United States, some of which could
potentially convert to ASI using Hylenex, giving rise to
additional market potential (Source: B. Braun, 2003).
INFUSE-LR Study: During January 2006, we completed the
INcreased Flow Utilizing
Subcutaneously-Enabled Lactated
Ringers clinical trial, or INFUSE-LR study, which
was designed to determine the subcutaneous
(Sub-Q) infusion flow
rate of Lactated Ringers solution with and without
Hylenex, determine the
Sub-Q infusion flow
rate dose response to Hylenex over one order of magnitude of
dose, and assess safety and tolerability. This prospective,
double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, within-subject,
dose-comparison study enrolled 54 volunteer subjects who
received Sub-Q
infusions simultaneously in both upper arms through 24 gauge
catheters. Key results from the study included:
The use of Hylenex compared to placebo preceding
Sub-Q infusion, under
gravity flow, to accelerate the flow rate was assessed. Hylenex
accelerated flow versus placebo in every subject studied, and by
an overall mean ratio of approximately four-fold. The overall
mean flow rate for
Sub-Q infusion with
Hylenex was 464 mL/hr versus 118 mL/hr with placebo
(p<0.0001).
The faster flow rates did not result in an increase in edema. A
total of 94% of subjects had moderate or severe arm edema with
placebo compared to 17% with Hylenex (p < 0.0001).
In the study, there were no serious or severe adverse events
(AE). Based on the AE profile, Hylenex was at least as well
tolerated as placebo.
Local anesthesia and other small molecule drugs: A
natural extension of Hylenex may be applying this technology,
used as a spreading factor for local anesthetics around the eye,
to other areas of the body. For example, lidocaine and
bupivacaine are administered for most minor surgical operations
requiring local anesthesia and we believe that the dispersion
rates of these local anesthetics might be improved through a
combination with Hylenex.
Chemophase
Chemophase, our lead oncology product candidate, is an
investigative chemoadjuvant designed to enhance the transport of
chemotherapeutic agents to tumor tissue, increasing diffusion in
tissues without affecting vascular permeability. Chemophase is
being developed for potential use in the treatment of patients
with various solid tumor malignancies. Many solid tumor types
(e.g., colon, breast, prostate) accumulate hyaluronic acid,
creating a barrier to the effective penetration of current or
future chemotherapeutics. Previous clinical trials of bovine
(bull) PH20 in patients showed some promise in enhancing
chemotherapy regimens using adjunctive systemic hyaluronidase in
previously chemo-refractory patients.
Furthermore, we have observed significant reduction of tumor
interstitial fluid pressure following the administration of
rHuPH20 in solid tumors grown in mice. Tumor interstitial
pressure is widely believed to be an important factor limiting
the access of cytostatic regimens to solid tumors. By digesting
the hyaluronic acid gel, Chemophase may reduce interstitial
pressure in the tumor and promote more effective delivery of
chemotherapy throughout the tumor, as it does under the skin in
the case of Hylenex. This could potentially lead to increased
patient survival and extend the product lifecycles of many
commonly used chemotherapeutic agents.
As we continue development of an intravenous formulation of
rHuPH20, we hope to realize time and cost savings by leveraging
our current manufacturing process and toxicology package to
support a clinical program for a local oncology application.
During June 2005, we submitted an investigational new drug
application (IND) in order to begin clinical testing
of our Chemophase product candidate in superficial bladder
cancer. We received authorization to initiate clinical testing
of Chemophase in August 2005, and we commenced patient
enrollment in our initial clinical protocol under this IND in
October 2005. In March 2006, we completed enrollment in our
Chemophase Phase I clinical trial.
Each year there are approximately 63,000 new cases of urinary
bladder cancer in the United States (Source: American Cancer
Society, 2005). Approximately 70% of these new cases are
superficial bladder cancer (Source: AUA Bladder
Cancer Guidelines Panel, 1999). There are approximately 500,000
prevalent cases of urinary bladder cancer (Source: NCI SEER
Cancer Statistics Review, 2002) in the United States.
Approximately 30% of treated patients have a recurrence within
12 months (Source: Southwest Oncology Group Study, 1995).
Enhanzed Products
Enhanzetm
Technology, a proprietary drug enhancement system using
Halozymes first approved enzyme, rHuPH20, is the
companys broader technology opportunity that can
potentially lead to proprietary partnerships with other
pharmaceutical companies. When co-formulated with other
injectable drugs, Enhanze Technology may act as a
molecular machete to facilitate the penetration and
dispersion of these drugs by temporarily opening flow channels
under the skin. Molecules as large as 200 nanometers may pass
freely through the perforated extracellular matrix, which
recovers its normal density within approximately 24 hours,
leading to a drug delivery platform which does not permanently
alter the architecture of the skin. Halozyme is seeking
partnerships with pharmaceutical companies that market drugs
requiring or benefiting from injection via the subcutaneous or
intramuscular routes that could benefit from this technology.
Other Research Products
Our other research products include HTI-101, 201, and 401 and
are being investigated for potential use in oncology,
inflammation, and central nervous system trauma and wound
healing.
Sales and Marketing
Cumulase
Our sales and marketing strategy in the IVF market consists of a
multi-channel approach that targets patients, clinicians,
suppliers, and regulators. We are currently seeking to raise
public awareness of the current risk of using animal-derived
products in IVF applications among industry professionals and
the general public through direct contact with target audiences,
advertising in trade journals, presentations and booths at
conferences and trade shows, mass mailings, Web initiatives, and
brand-building efforts such as press releases and other public
relations efforts. Direct contact could include communicating
with key advocacy groups, meeting with regulatory officials, and
attending specialty conferences.
One of the highest impact target audiences is the Society for
Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), which is the leading
organization of professionals dedicated to the practice of
assisted reproductive technologies in the United States. The
organization includes over 370 members, which represents over
95% of the IVF clinics in the nation, and sponsors a
highly-attended annual conference and exhibitor program.
Likewise, the European Society of Human Reproduction and
Embryology (ESHRE) is the leading non-profit organization
for IVF in Europe and also sponsors an annual meeting. We plan
on using efficacy and safety data to recruit key thought leaders
and practitioners from this organization to help promote the use
of Cumulase over existing preparations.
There are approximately eight known suppliers of IVF reagents
and media, including micromanipulation media that contain
hyaluronidase preparations. All of these suppliers sell
animal-derived enzymes, and may benefit from having the
opportunity to supply clinics with a human recombinant
hyaluronidase. We are seeking to establish non-exclusive
distribution agreements with a subset of these suppliers to
serve the worldwide marketplace. We have signed worldwide
distribution agreements with MediCult AS (MediCult), a
Denmark-based distributor with strengths in the European market
and MidAtlantic Diagnostics, Inc. (MidAtlantic), a New
Jersey-based distributor with strengths in the United States
market. These agreements are non-exclusive distribution
agreements, having five-year terms with renewal options for an
additional two or three years, and granting each of our
distributors the right to purchase Cumulase from us and resell
it to end users. Currently, we are selling to both MediCult and
MidAtlantic.
Hylenex
The sales and marketing strategy for Hylenex consists of
building a strong clinical foundation with post marketing
trials. Post-marketing clinical trials are ongoing to explore
the potential of Hylenex in a variety of situations, since
limited or no data with Hylenex exist in most situations in
which our partner will market it. Clinical trials have inherent
risk, and it is possible that not all trials will meet their
endpoints. Examples of the trials include the completed
INFUSE-LR study and the ongoing INFUSE-Morphine study, which is
designed to determine the time to maximal blood levels of
morphine after subcutaneous administration with and without
Hylenex, maximal blood levels after intravenous administration
of morphine, and to assess safety and tolerability. In addition,
we plan to educate clinicians about the potential benefits of
Hylenex by engaging key opinion leaders and enrolling clinical
Centers of Excellence.
During August 2004, we signed an Exclusive Distribution
Agreement (the Distribution Agreement) with Baxter
Healthcare Corporation (Baxter) to market,
distribute and sell Hylenex in the United States and Puerto Rico.
During March 2005, we entered into a Development and Supply
Agreement (the Supply Agreement) and a First
Amendment to the existing Distribution Agreement with Baxter.
Under the terms of the agreements we will supply Baxter with the
active pharmaceutical ingredient, and Baxter will fill and
finish Hylenex and hold it for subsequent distribution. The
Supply Agreement provides for additional product development
opportunities that the parties may mutually decide to pursue. In
addition, Baxter has a right of first refusal on certain product
line extensions and select new products. The First Amendment
provides for specific and consistent definitions among the
Supply Agreement and Distribution Agreement and modifies various
covenants of Baxter relating to the definition of marketing and
incremental sales costs, including a cap on the annualized
amount of marketing and incremental sales costs to be solely
paid by Baxter. In the event that both parties agree in advance
to incur combined marketing and incremental sales costs in
excess of the cap, such excess marketing and incremental sales
costs shall be shared equally. Currently, the parties anticipate
that combined marketing and incremental sales costs for 2006
will be in excess of the cap. As such, it is possible that
aggregate revenues from sales of Hylenex will be less than our
portion of these shared additional marketing and incremental
sales costs.
Competition
Cumulase
A key clinical selling point for Cumulase is that it may
eliminate the risk of animal pathogen transmission and toxicity
inherent in slaughterhouse preparations. The competing enzymes
are of animal origin, creating an opportunity for Halozyme to
enter the market with a recombinant human enzyme alternative.
The leading IVF suppliers are CooperSurgical, Irvine Scientific,
and Cook Ob/ Gyn (all three of these companies produce bovine
products) in the US, and MediCult (ovine product) and Vitrolife
(bovine product) outside the US.
Cumulase is priced at a premium to the animal-derived products
sold by these leading IVF suppliers, which may make market
penetration difficult.
Hylenex
Some commercial pharmacies now compound hyaluronidase
preparations for institutions and physicians. However, there are
some concerns with using a compounded sterile product.
Compounded preparations are not FDA-approved products. Some
compounding pharmacies do not test every batch of product for
drug concentration, sterility, and lack of pyrogens. In
addition, other manufacturers have FDA approved products for use
as spreading agents, including ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(ISTA), with an ovine (ram) hyaluronidase,
Vitrase®,
Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., with a bovine
(bull) hyaluronidase,
Amphadasetm,
and Primapharm, Inc. also with a bovine hyaluronidase,
Hydasetm.
The FDA has determined that Amphadase, Hydase, Hylenex and
Vitrase are distinct new chemical entities and hence afforded
five years of market exclusivity. The five year market
exclusivity precludes identical new chemical entity products
from being marketed for a period of five years. As each of these
products are established as distinctly different new chemical
entities the marketing exclusivity granted does not prohibit the
marketing of the products. In addition, we anticipate that
Hylenex will be priced at a significant premium to the
animal-derived hyaluronidases currently in the marketplace. This
anticipated price premium may slow market adoption of Hylenex
and make market penetration difficult.
Patents and Proprietary Rights
Our success will depend in part on our ability to obtain patent
protection for our inventions, to preserve our trade secrets and
to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third
parties. Our strategy is to actively pursue patent protection in
the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions for
technology that we believe to be proprietary and that offers a
potential competitive advantage for our inventions. Our patent
portfolio includes six issued patents and a number of pending
patent applications. We believe our patent position surrounding
recombinant human hyaluronidases and their methods of
manufacture presents a barrier to entry for potential
competitors looking to utilize these hyaluronidases.
In addition to patents, we rely on trade secrets and proprietary
know-how. We seek protection of these trade secrets and
proprietary know-how, in part, through confidentiality and
proprietary information agreements. Our policy is to require our
employees, directors, consultants and advisors, outside
scientific collaborators and sponsored researchers, other
advisors and other individuals and entities to execute
confidentiality agreements upon the start of employment,
consulting or other contractual relationships with us. These
agreements provide that all confidential information developed
or made known to the individual or entity during the course of
the relationship is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to
third parties except in specific circumstances. In the case of
employees and some other parties, the agreements provide that
all inventions conceived by the individual will be our exclusive
property. Despite the use of these agreements and our efforts to
protect our intellectual property, there will always be a risk
for unauthorized use or disclosure of information. Furthermore,
our trade secrets may otherwise become known to, or be
independently developed by, our competitors.
We also file trademark applications to protect the names of our
products. These applications may not mature to registration and
may be challenged by third parties. We are pursuing trademark
protection in a number of different countries around the world.
Development and Manufacturing
We have signed a commercial supply agreement with Avid
Bioservices, Inc. (Avid), a contract manufacturing
organization, to produce bulk recombinant enzyme product for
clinical and commercial use. Avid will manufacture the active
pharmaceutical ingredient under commercial good manufacturing
practices for commercial scale production and will provide
support for chemistry, manufacturing and controls sections for
any FDA regulatory filings. We have not established and may not
be able to establish arrangements with additional manufacturers
for these ingredients or products should the existing supplies
become unavailable or
in the event that Avid is unable to adequately perform its
responsibilities. Difficulties in our relationship with Avid or
delays or interruptions in Avids supply of its
requirements could limit or stop its ability to provide
sufficient quantities of our products, on a timely basis, for
clinical trials and commercial sales, which would have a
material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
In the event that any of our product candidates are used in
clinical trials or receive the necessary regulatory approval for
commercialization, we rely on third parties to prepare, package
and fill and finish the products prior to their distribution. If
we are unable to locate third parties to perform these functions
on terms that are economically acceptable to us, the progress of
clinical trials could be delayed or even suspended and the
commercialization of approved product candidates could be
delayed or prevented. We currently utilize a third party to fill
and finish Cumulase. We also utilize Baxter Pharmaceutical
Solutions (BPS), a subsidiary of Baxter Healthcare Corporation,
to fill and finish Hylenex. Baxter has only limited experience
manufacturing Hylenex batches and we rely on its ability to
successfully manufacture Hylenex batches according to product
specifications. Any delays or interruptions in Baxters
ability to manufacture Hylenex batches could limit its ability
to provide sufficient quantities of our Hylenex product, on a
timely basis, for commercial sales, which would have a material
adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Research and Development Activities
Our research and development expenses consist primarily of costs
associated with the development and manufacturing of our product
candidates, compensation and other expenses for research and
development personnel, supplies and materials, costs for
consultants and related contract research, facility costs,
amortization and depreciation. We charge all research and
development expenses to operations as they are incurred.
Historically, our research and development activities were
primarily focused on the development of our Cumulase and Hylenex
products, but we are also developing our Chemophase product
candidate, and have recently completed patient enrollment in a
Phase I clinical trial for Chemophase. Our industry is
subject to rapid technological advancements, developing industry
standards and new product introductions and enhancements. As a
result, our success depends, in large part, on our ability to
develop and commercialize products.
Our research and development expenditures in fiscal 2005 and
2004 totaled approximately $10.2 million and
$6.5 million, respectively. Research and development
expenditures in fiscal 2005 were primarily related to the
development of our Cumulase and Hylenex products, and our
Chemophase product candidate. In fiscal 2004, our research and
development expenditures were primarily related to the
development of our Cumulase and Hylenex products. We anticipate
that we will have significant research and development expenses
in the future in connection with the development of product
candidates.
Human Resources
As of February 28, 2006, we had 34 full-time
employees, including 24 engaged in research and clinical
development activities. Ten employees hold Ph.D. or M.D.
degrees. We currently anticipate hiring approximately five
additional employees by the end of 2006. We believe our
relationship with our employees is good.
Risks Related To Our Business
We have generated only minimal revenue from product sales
to date; we have a history of net losses and negative cash flow,
and we may never achieve or maintain profitability.
We have generated only minimal revenue from product sales to
date and may never generate significant revenues from future
product sales. Even if we do achieve significant revenues from
product sales, we expect to incur significant operating losses
over the next several years. We have never been profitable, and
we may never become profitable. Through December 31, 2005,
we have incurred aggregate net losses of $26,347,254.
We may need to raise funds in the next twelve months, and
there can be no assurance that such funds will be
available.
During the next twelve months we may need to raise additional
capital to complete the steps required to continue development
of our product candidates and to fund general operations. If we
engage in acquisitions of companies, products, or technology in
order to execute our business strategy, we may need to raise
additional capital. We may be required to raise additional
capital in the future through the public offering of securities,
collaborative agreements, private financings and various other
equity or debt financings, including calling outstanding
warrants to purchase our common stock.
Currently, warrants to purchase approximately 11.5 million
shares of our common stock are outstanding and this amount of
outstanding warrants may make us a less desirable candidate for
investment for some potential investors. Approximately
5.9 million of our outstanding warrants contain a call
feature that, potentially, may allow us to raise funds from the
holders of these warrants. If our common stock closes at a price
equal to or greater than $2.00 per share for twenty
consecutive trading days, we have the ability, at our sole
discretion, to call warrants exercisable for up to approximately
1,971,000 shares of common stock, provided that we have not
exercised a call right in the preceding three months. Upon such
a call, the holders of these warrants have thirty days to decide
whether to either exercise their warrants at a price of
$1.75 per share or receive $0.01 from us for each share of
common stock that is not exercised. If we need to raise funds in
the future and we wish to utilize this call right, we will not
be able to exercise the call right if we do not meet the minimum
closing price condition and, even if we meet this condition, we
cannot be sure of the amounts that will be raised by such a call
because some or all warrant holders may decide not to exercise
their warrants.
Considering our stage of development and the nature of our
capital structure, when we are required to raise additional
capital in the future, the additional financing may not be
available on favorable terms, or at all. If we are successful in
raising additional capital, a substantial number of additional
shares will be outstanding and would dilute the ownership
interest of our investors.
If we do not receive and maintain regulatory approvals for
our product candidates, we will not be able to commercialize our
products, which would substantially impair our ability to
generate revenues.
With the exception of the December 2004 receipt of a CE
(European Conformity) Mark and April 2005 FDA clearance for
Cumulase, and the December 2005 FDA approval for Hylenex, none
of our product candidates have received regulatory approval from
the FDA or from any similar national regulatory agency or
authority in any other country in which we intend to do
business. Approval from the FDA is necessary to manufacture and
market pharmaceutical products in the United States. Most other
countries in which we may do business have similar requirements.
In December 2005, we received FDA approval for Hylenex. Other
manufacturers have FDA approved products for use as spreading
agents, including ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ISTA),
with an ovine-derived hyaluronidase,
Vitrase®,
Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amphastar), with a
bovine-derived hyaluronidase,
Amphadasetm,
and Primapharm, Inc. also with a bovine-derived hyaluronidase,
Hydasetm.
The FDA has determined that Amphadase, Hydase, Hylenex and
Vitrase are each distinct new chemical entities and hence
afforded five years of market exclusivity. The five year market
exclusivity precludes identical new chemical entity products
from being marketed for a period of five years. For so long as
each of these products are established as distinctly different
new chemical entities the marketing exclusivity granted does not
prohibit the marketing of any of these products, including
Hylenex. If the FDA changes its earlier determination that
Hylenex is a distinct new chemical entity, our ability to market
Hylenex will be materially impaired.
The processes for obtaining FDA approval are extensive,
time-consuming and costly, and there is no guarantee that the
FDA will approve any NDAs that we intend to file with respect to
any of our product candidates, or that the timing of any such
approval will be appropriate for our product launch schedule and
other business priorities, which are subject to change. We have
not currently begun the NDA approval process for any of our
other potential products, and we may not be successful in
obtaining such approvals for any of our potential products.
We may not receive regulatory approvals for our product
candidates for a variety of reasons, including unsuccessful
clinical trials.
Clinical testing of pharmaceutical products is also a long,
expensive and uncertain process. Even if initial results of
pre-clinical studies or clinical trial results are promising, we
may obtain different results that fail to show the desired
levels of safety and efficacy, or we may not obtain FDA approval
for a variety of other reasons. The clinical trials of any of
our product candidates could be unsuccessful, which would
prevent us from obtaining regulatory approval and
commercializing the product. FDA approval can be delayed,
limited or not granted for many reasons, including, among others:
FDA officials may not find a product candidate safe or effective
enough to merit either continued testing or final approval;
FDA officials may not find that the data from pre-clinical
testing and clinical trials justify approval, or they may
require additional studies that would make it commercially
unattractive to continue pursuit of approval;
the FDA may not approve our manufacturing processes or
facilities, or the processes or facilities of our contract
manufacturers or raw material suppliers;
the FDA may change its formal or informal approval policies, act
contrary to previous guidance, or adopt new regulations; or
the FDA may approve a product candidate for indications that are
narrow or under conditions that place the product at a
competitive disadvantage, which may limit our sales and
marketing activities or otherwise adversely impact the
commercial potential of a product.
If the FDA does not approve our product candidates in a timely
fashion on commercially viable terms or we terminate development
of any of our product candidates due to difficulties or delays
encountered in the regulatory approval process, it will have a
material adverse impact on our business and we will be dependent
on the development of our other product candidates and/or our
ability to successfully acquire other products and technologies.
We may not receive regulatory approval of Chemophase, or any
other product candidates, in a timely manner, or at all.
In addition, we intend to market certain of our products, and
perhaps have certain of our products manufactured, in foreign
countries. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals in
foreign countries is subject to delay and failure for many of
the same reasons set forth above as well as for reasons that
vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
If our product candidates are approved by the FDA but do
not gain market acceptance, our business will suffer because we
may not be able to fund future operations.
Assuming that we obtain the necessary regulatory approvals, a
number of factors may affect the market acceptance of any of our
existing product candidates or any other products we develop or
acquire in the future, including, among others:
the price of our products relative to other therapies for the
same or similar treatments;
the perception by patients, physicians and other members of the
health care community of the effectiveness and safety of our
products for their prescribed treatments;
our ability to fund our sales and marketing efforts;
the degree to which the use of our products is restricted by the
product label approved by the FDA;
the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts; and
the introduction of generic competitors.
9
If our products do not gain market acceptance, we may not be
able to fund future operations, including the development or
acquisition of new product candidates and/or our sales and
marketing efforts for our approved products, which would cause
our business to suffer.
In addition, our ability to market and promote our product
candidates will be restricted to the labels approved by the FDA.
If the approved labels are restrictive, our sales and marketing
efforts may be negatively affected.
If we are unable to sufficiently develop our sales,
marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into agreements
with third parties to perform these functions, we will not be
able to commercialize products.
We may not be successful in marketing and promoting our existing
product candidates or any other products we develop or acquire
in the future. We are currently in the process of developing our
sales, marketing and distribution capabilities. However, our
current capabilities in these areas are very limited. In order
to commercialize any products successfully, we must internally
develop substantial sales, marketing and distribution
capabilities, or establish collaborations or other arrangements
with third parties to perform these services. We do not have
extensive experience in these areas, and we may not be able to
establish adequate in-house sales, marketing and distribution
capabilities or engage and effectively manage relationships with
third parties to perform any or all of such services. To the
extent that we enter into co-promotion or other licensing
arrangements, our product revenues are likely to be lower than
if we directly marketed and sold our products, and any revenues
we receive will depend upon the efforts of third parties, whose
efforts may not meet our expectations or be successful.
We have entered into non-exclusive distribution agreements with
MediCult AS, a Denmark-based distributor and MidAtlantic
Diagnostics, Inc., a New Jersey-based distributor, to market and
sell our Cumulase product. We have entered into an exclusive
sales and marketing agreement with Baxter Healthcare Corporation
(Baxter) to market and sell our Hylenex product
candidate in the United States and Puerto Rico. Baxter may also
market and sell Hylenex on an exclusive basis in the European
Union, if and when we seek and receive the applicable regulatory
approvals in Europe.
We depend upon the efforts of these third parties to promote and
sell our current products, but there can be no assurance that
the efforts of these third parties will meet our expectations or
result in any significant product sales.
If our sole contract manufacturer is unable to manufacture
our products, our product development and commercialization
efforts could be delayed or stopped.
We have signed a commercial supply agreement with Avid
Bioservices, Inc. (Avid), a contract manufacturing
organization, to produce bulk recombinant human hyaluronidase
for clinical trials and commercial use. Avid will produce the
active pharmaceutical ingredient used in each of Cumulase,
Hylenex and Chemophase under current Good Manufacturing
Practices for commercial scale production and will provide
support for the chemistry, manufacturing and controls sections
for FDA regulatory filings. If Avid does not maintain its status
as an FDA-approved manufacturing facility, or is unable to
manufacture the active pharmaceutical ingredient used in our
products and product candidates for any other reason, the
commercialization of our products and the development of our
product candidates will be delayed and our business will be
adversely affected. We have not established and may not be able
to establish arrangements with additional manufacturers for
these ingredients or products should the existing supplies
become unavailable or in the event that our sole contract
manufacturer is unable to adequately perform its
responsibilities. Any delays or interruptions in the supply of
materials by Avid could cause the delay of clinical trials and
could delay or prevent the commercialization of product
candidates that may receive regulatory approval. Such delays or
interruptions would have a material adverse effect on our
business and financial condition.
If we have problems with the third parties that prepare,
fill, finish, and package our product candidates for
distribution, our product development and commercialization
efforts for these candidates could be delayed or stopped.
In the event that any of our product candidates are used in
clinical trials or receive the necessary regulatory approval for
commercialization, we rely on third parties to prepare, fill,
finish, and package the products prior to their distribution. If
we are unable to locate third parties to perform these functions
on terms that are economically acceptable to us, the progress of
clinical trials could be delayed or even suspended and the
commercialization of approved product candidates could be
delayed or prevented. We currently utilize a third-party to
prepare, fill, finish, and package Cumulase. In addition, we
currently utilize a subsidiary of Baxter Healthcare Corporation
(Baxter) to prepare, fill, finish, and package
Hylenex under a development and supply agreement. Baxter has
only limited experience manufacturing Hylenex batches and we
rely on its ability to successfully manufacture Hylenex batches
according to product specifications. Any delays or interruptions
in Baxters ability to manufacture Hylenex batches could
have a material adverse impact on our business and financial
condition.
Our inability to attract, hire and retain key management
and scientific personnel, and to recruit qualified independent
directors, could negatively affect our business.
Our success depends on the performance of key management and
scientific employees with biotechnology experience. Given our
small staff size and programs currently under development, we
depend substantially on our ability to hire, train, retain and
motivate high quality personnel, especially our scientists and
management team in this field. In addition, we rely on the
expertise and guidance of independent directors to develop
business strategies and to guide our execution of these
strategies. Due to changes in the regulatory environment for
public companies over the past few years, the demand for
independent directors has increased and it may be difficult for
us, due to competition from both like-sized and larger
companies, to recruit qualified independent directors.
Furthermore, if we were to lose key management personnel,
particularly Jonathan Lim, M.D., our chief executive
officer, or Gregory Frost, Ph.D., our chief scientific
officer, then we would likely lose some portion of our
institutional knowledge and technical know-how, potentially
causing a substantial delay in one or more of our development
programs until adequate replacement personnel could be hired and
trained. For example, Dr. Frost has been with us from soon
after our inception, and he possesses a substantial amount of
knowledge about our development efforts. If we were to lose his
services, we would experience delays in meeting our product
development schedules. We have not entered into any retention or
other agreements specifically designed to motivate officers or
other employees to remain with Halozyme other than standard
agreements relating to the vesting of stock options that every
optionee of Halozyme must enter into as a condition of receiving
an option grant.
We do not have key man life insurance policies on the lives of
any of our employees, including Dr. Lim and Dr. Frost.
If actual future payments for allowances, discounts,
returns and rebates exceed the estimates we made at the time of
the sale of our products, our financial position, results of
operations and cash flows may be negatively impacted.
We recognize product revenue net of estimated allowances for
discounts, returns and rebates. Such estimates are inherently
difficult because we have limited experience selling our
products and any judgments that we make relating to discounts,
returns and rebates are subjective. We will accept the return of
our product that is damaged in accordance with our return goods
policy and procedures. We may also give credits for expired
product. Actual results may differ significantly from our
estimated allowances for discounts, returns and rebates. Any
changes in estimates and assumptions based upon actual results
may have an impact on our results of operations and/or financial
condition. In addition, our financial position, results of
operations and cash flows may be negatively impacted if actual
future payments for discounts, returns and rebates exceed the
estimates we made at the time of the sale of our products.
Risks Related To Our Stock
Future sales of shares of our common stock upon the
exercise of currently outstanding securities or pursuant to our
universal shelf registration statement may negatively affect our
stock price.
As a result of our January 2004 private financing transaction,
we issued warrants to private investors for the purchase of
10,461,943 shares of common stock at purchase prices
ranging from $0.77 to $1.75 per share. Currently,
approximately 8.2 million shares of common stock remain
issuable upon the exercise of these warrants. As a result of our
October 2004 financing transaction, we issued warrants for the
purchase of 2,709,542 shares of common stock. The exercise
of these warrants could result in significant dilution to
stockholders at the time of exercise which could negatively
affect our stock price.
As a result of our December 2005 financing transaction, we
issued 10,000,000 shares of common stock to certain
institutional and accredited investors for $17.5 million in
gross proceeds, or $1.75 per share. These shares were sold
under our universal shelf registration statement in a registered
direct offering. We currently have the ability, from time to
time, to offer and sell up to $32.5 million of additional
equity or debt securities under this universal shelf
registration statement. Sales of substantial amounts of shares
of our common stock or other securities under our universal
shelf registration statement could lower the market price of our
common stock and impair the Companys ability to raise
capital through the sale of equity securities. In the future, we
may issue additional options, warrants or other derivative
securities convertible into Halozyme common stock.
Our stock price is subject to significant
volatility.
We participate in a highly dynamic industry, which often results
in significant volatility in the market price of common stock
irrespective of company performance. As a result, our closing
high and low stock prices during the twelve months ended
February 28, 2006 were $3.07 and $1.50, respectively. We
expect our stock price to continue to be subject to significant
volatility and, in addition to the other risks and uncertainties
described elsewhere in this report, any of the following factors
may lead to a significant drop in our stock price:
general negative conditions in the healthcare industry;
general negative conditions in the financial markets;
the failure, for any reason, to obtain FDA approval for any of
our products;
for those products that are approved by the FDA, the failure of
the FDA to approve such products in a timely manner consistent
with the FDAs historical approval process;
the suspension of our Chemophase clinical trial due to safety or
patient tolerability issues;
our failure, or the failure of our third-party partners, to
successfully commercialize products approved by the FDA;
our failure, or the failure of our third-party partners, to
generate product revenues anticipated by investors;
problems with our sole API contract manufacturer or our sole
fill and finish manufacturer for Hylenex;
the exercise of our right to redeem certain outstanding warrants
to purchase our common stock; and
the sale of additional debt and/or equity securities by us.
Trading in our stock has been limited, so investors may
not be able to sell as much stock as they want to at prevailing
market prices.
During the ninety-day period ending February 28, 2006, our
average daily trading volume was approximately
193,000 shares. If limited trading in our stock continues,
it may be difficult for stockholders to sell their shares in the
public market at any given time at prevailing prices.
Our decision to redeem outstanding warrants may drive down
the market price of our stock.
We may have the ability to redeem certain outstanding warrants,
under certain conditions, that may be exercised for
approximately 5.9 million shares of common stock. The
redemption price for these warrants is $0.01 per share, but
the warrant holders have the opportunity to exercise their
warrants prior to redemption at the price of $1.75 per
share. If we decide to redeem any portion of our outstanding
warrants in the future, some selling security holders may choose
to sell outstanding shares of common stock in order to finance
the exercise of the warrants prior to their redemption. This
pattern of selling may result in a reduction of our common
stocks market price.
Risks Related To Our Industry
Compliance with the extensive government regulations to
which we are subject is expensive and time consuming, and may
result in the delay or cancellation of product sales,
introductions or modifications.
Extensive industry regulation has had, and will continue to
have, a significant impact on our business. All pharmaceutical
companies, including Halozyme, are subject to extensive,
complex, costly and evolving regulation by the federal
government, principally the FDA and, to a lesser extent, the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and
foreign and state government agencies. The Federal Food, Drug
and Cosmetic Act, the Controlled Substances Act and other
domestic and foreign statutes and regulations govern or
influence the testing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling,
storing, record keeping, safety, approval, advertising,
promotion, sale and distribution of our products. Under certain
of these regulations, Halozyme and its contract suppliers and
manufacturers are subject to periodic inspection of its or their
respective facilities, procedures and operations and/or the
testing of products by the FDA, the DEA and other authorities,
which conduct periodic inspections to confirm that Halozyme and
its contract suppliers and manufacturers are in compliance with
all applicable regulations. The FDA also conducts pre-approval
and post-approval reviews and plant inspections to determine
whether our systems, or our contract suppliers and
manufacturers processes, are in compliance with current
good manufacturing practices and other FDA regulations. If we,
or our contract supplier, fail these inspections, we may not be
able to commercialize our product in a timely manner without
incurring significant additional costs, or at all.
In addition, the FDA imposes a number of complex regulatory
requirements on entities that advertise and promote
pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to, standards and
regulations for
direct-to-consumer
advertising, off-label promotion, industry-sponsored scientific
and educational activities, and promotional activities involving
the Internet.
We are dependent on receiving FDA and other governmental
approvals prior to manufacturing, marketing and shipping our
products. Consequently, there is always a risk that the FDA or
other applicable governmental authorities will not approve our
products, or will take post-approval action limiting or revoking
our ability to sell our products, or that the rate, timing and
cost of such approvals will adversely affect our product
introduction plans or results of operations.
Our suppliers and sole manufacturer are subject to
regulation by the FDA and other agencies, and if they do not
meet their commitments, we would have to find substitute
suppliers or manufacturers, which could delay the supply of our
products to market.
Regulatory requirements applicable to pharmaceutical products
make the substitution of suppliers and manufacturers costly and
time consuming. We have no internal manufacturing capabilities
and are, and expect to be in the future, entirely dependent on
contract manufacturers and suppliers for the manufacture of our
products and for their active and other ingredients. The
disqualification of these manufacturers and suppliers through
their failure to comply with regulatory requirements could
negatively impact our business because the delays and costs in
obtaining and qualifying alternate suppliers (if such
alternative suppliers are available, which we cannot assure)
could delay clinical trials or otherwise inhibit our ability to
bring approved products to market, which would have a material
adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We may be required to initiate or defend against legal
proceedings related to intellectual property rights, which may
result in substantial expense, delay and/or cessation of the
development and commercialization of our products.
We rely on patents to protect our intellectual property rights.
The strength of this protection, however, is uncertain. For
example, it is not certain that:
our patents and pending patent applications cover products
and/or technology that we invented first;
we were the first to file patent applications for these
inventions;
others will not independently develop similar or alternative
technologies or duplicate our technologies;
any of our pending patent applications will result in issued
patents; and
any of our issued patents, or patent pending applications that
result in issued patents, will be held valid and infringed in
the event the patents are asserted against others.
We currently own or license several U.S. patents and also
have pending patent applications. There can be no assurance that
our existing patents, or any patents issued to us as a result of
such applications, will provide a basis for commercially viable
products, will provide us with any competitive advantages, or
will not face third-party challenges or be the subject of
further proceedings limiting their scope or enforceability.
We may become involved in interference proceedings in the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to determine the priority
of our inventions. In addition, costly litigation could be
necessary to protect our patent position. We also rely on
trademarks to protect the names of our products. These
trademarks may be challenged by others. If we enforce our
trademarks against third parties, such enforcement proceedings
may be expensive. We also rely on trade secrets, unpatented
proprietary know-how and continuing technological innovation
that we seek to protect with confidentiality agreements with
employees, consultants and others with whom we discuss our
business. Disputes may arise concerning the ownership of
intellectual property or the applicability or enforceability of
these agreements, and we might not be able to resolve these
disputes in our favor.
In addition to protecting our own intellectual property rights,
third parties may assert patent, trademark or copyright
infringement or other intellectual property claims against us
based on what they believe are their own intellectual property
rights. If we become involved in any intellectual property
litigation, we may be required to pay substantial damages,
including but not limited to treble damages, for past
infringement if it is ultimately determined that our products
infringe a third-partys intellectual property rights. Even
if infringement claims against us ar
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Description
Level 2 quotes
Charts
News
Profile
Balance Sheet
Income Statement
Cash Flow Statement
Insiders
SEC Filings
Analyst Recommendation
Earnings Report
Historical Prices
Recent Material Events
Key executives
Comments


