Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Collaboration Agreement

v2.4.0.6
Collaboration Agreement
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Collaboration Agreement [Abstract]  
COLLABORATION AGREEMENT
3. COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

On December 20, 2009, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, OncoGenex Technologies, entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., or Teva, for the development and global commercialization of custirsen (and related compounds), a pharmaceutical compound designed to inhibit the production of clusterin, a protein we believe is associated with cancer treatment resistance, or the Licensed Product. Under the Collaboration Agreement, Teva paid us upfront payments in the aggregate amount of $50 million, acquired $10 million of our common stock at a premium under a separate Stock Purchase Agreement and agreed to pay up to $370 million upon the achievement of developmental and commercial milestones and royalties at percentage rates ranging from the mid-teens to mid-twenties on net sales, depending on aggregate annual net sales of the Licensed Product. We do not expect to receive any payments from Teva resulting from the achievement of developmental or commercial milestones or royalties in 2013.

Under the Stock Purchase Agreement, Teva’s $10 million equity investment in us was made at a 20% premium to a thirty-day average closing price, resulting in the issuance of 267,531 of our common shares purchased at a price of $37.38 per share. The 20% share premium was included as consideration for the custirsen license and was included in Collaboration Revenue in 2009.

In connection with the Collaboration Agreement and pursuant to the terms of agreements between us and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Isis, relating to custirsen, we paid Isis $10 million which was recorded as research and development expense in 2009. We also paid approximately $0.3 million to the University of British Columbia, or UBC, pursuant to the terms of their license agreement relating to custirsen, which has been recorded as research and development expense in 2009. Pursuant to the terms of the agreements, we anticipate that we would be required to pay third parties 31% of any milestone payments that are not based on a percentage of net sales of the Licensed Product. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, we anticipate we will pay royalties to third-parties of 4.88% to 8.00% of net sales, unless our royalties are adjusted for competition from generic compounds, in which case royalties to third parties will also be subject to adjustment on a country-by-country basis. Certain third-party royalties are tiered based on the royalty rate received by us. Minimum royalty rates payable by us assume certain third-party royalties are not paid at the time that the Licensed Product is marketed due to the expiration of patents held by such third parties. Maximum royalty rates assume all third-party royalty rates currently in effect continue in effect at the time the Licensed Product is marketed. We do not expect to make any royalty payments to Isis in 2013. Teva has the exclusive worldwide right and license to develop and commercialize products containing custirsen and related compounds. We have an option to co-promote any Licensed Product in the United States and Canada.

 

Teva is responsible for all costs relating to product commercialization including costs incurred in relation to our co-promotion option, except for start-up costs in advance of commercialization.

On March 6, 2012, OncoGenex Technologies and Teva entered into an amendment to the Collaboration Agreement, or the Collaboration Agreement Amendment. Under the Collaboration Agreement Amendment, OncoGenex Technologies and Teva revised the clinical development plan, or Amended Clinical Development Plan, under which the following three Phase 3 clinical trials have been initiated:

 

   

The SYNERGY Trial: The Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate a survival benefit for custirsen in combination with first-line docetaxel treatment in patients with castrate resistant prostate cancer, or CRPC.

 

   

The AFFINITY Trial: The Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate a survival benefit for custirsen in combination with cabazitaxel treatment as second-line chemotherapy in patients with CRPC.

 

   

The ENSPIRIT Trial: The Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate a survival benefit for custirsen in combination with docetaxel treatment as second-line chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC.

Teva will be responsible for conducting any other trials and development work necessary to obtain required regulatory approvals. We may assume some of these activities if assigned by the joint steering committee. Teva will be responsible for all such costs. The joint steering committee will oversee the development and regulatory approval of any Licensed Product. We may terminate our participation in the joint steering committee at any time.

Funding responsibilities for the Clinical Development Plan are allocated as follows:

 

   

We were required to spend $30 million in direct and indirect development costs such as full-time equivalent, or FTE, reimbursement for time incurred by OncoGenex personnel for the benefit of the custirsen development plan, such contribution to be funded by the upfront payment provided by Teva as an advanced reimbursement for our Development Expenses. As of December 31, 2012, we had spent the entire $30 million related to the development of custirsen, and

 

   

Teva will fund all other expenses under the Clinical Development Plan.

The Collaboration Agreement will remain in effect, on a country-by-country basis, until the expiration of the obligation of Teva to pay royalties on sales of the Licensed Product in such country (or earlier termination under its terms). After the completion of all three Phase 3 clinical trials set forth in the Clinical Development Plan, or upon early termination due to a material adverse change in our patent rights related to custirsen or safety issues or “futility” as defined in the Collaboration Agreement, Teva may terminate the Collaboration Agreement at its sole discretion upon three months’ notice if notice is given prior to regulatory approval of a Licensed Product and upon six months’ notice if notice is given after such regulatory approval. If Teva terminates the Collaboration Agreement for any reasons other than an adverse change in custirsen patent rights, safety issues or “futility” determination as previously described, it will remain responsible for paying for any remaining costs of all three Phase 3 clinical trials, except for specified development expenses that are our responsibility. Either party may terminate the Collaboration Agreement for an uncured material breach by the other party, unless such breach is not curable, in which case the agreement may not be terminated unless the other party fails to use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent a similar subsequent breach. Either party also may terminate the Collaboration Agreement upon the bankruptcy of either party. If the Collaboration Agreement is terminated by us for other than an uncured material breach by Teva, we will pay Teva a royalty on sales of Licensed Products. The percentage rates of such royalties (which are in the single digits) vary depending on whether termination occurs prior to the first regulatory approval in the United States or a primary European Market or after one of these approvals. These royalties would expire on a country-by-country basis on the earlier of ten years after the first commercial sale of a Licensed Product or certain thresholds related to generic competition.

In the event of a change of control of OncoGenex, within 90 days of the change of control, Teva may terminate the joint steering committee at its sole discretion, terminate the co-promotion option at its sole discretion if the option has not been exercised by us or, if exercised, but not yet executed by us, or terminate the co-promotion option if in its commercially reasonable opinion co-promotion with our successor would be materially detrimental to Teva’s interests.

Revenue under the Teva agreement for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 was $5.1 million and $1.3 million, respectively. The entire amount receivable at March 31, 2013 of $5.1 million represents unbilled expense reimbursements from Teva. Consequently, we are exposed to a significant concentration of credit risk. Per the Collaboration Agreement with Teva, the first quarter unbilled expense reimbursements were invoiced in April 2013.