Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.3.1.900
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

In December 2009, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, OncoGenex Technologies, entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Teva for the development and global commercialization of custirsen (and related compounds). In December 2014, we and Teva agreed to terminate the Collaboration Agreement upon entry into a Termination Agreement. In April 2015, OncoGenex Technologies and Teva entered into the Termination Agreement, pursuant to which the Collaboration Agreement was terminated and we regained rights to custirsen. Pursuant to the Termination Agreement, Teva paid to us, as advanced reimbursement for certain continuing research and development activities related to custirsen, an amount equal to $27.0 million less approximately $3.8 million, which reduction represented a hold-back amount of $3.0 million and $0.8 million for certain third-party custirsen-related development expenses incurred by Teva between January 1, 2015 and the Closing Date. Pursuant to the Termination Agreement, one half of the then remaining amount will be paid to us six months after the Closing Date, one half of the then remaining amount will be paid to us nine months after the Closing Date and the entire then remaining amount will be paid to us 12 months after the Closing Date. As of December 31, 2015, the entire amount of the holdback had been almost fully deducted by Teva for certain custirsen-related costs incurred after the Closing Date. We received a nominal amount from the remaining hold-back in October 2015, representing one half of the then remaining amount six months from the Closing Date. We expect to receive only nominal amounts from the remaining hold-back as a result of us paying for certain pre-Closing Date custirsen-related development costs on behalf of Teva.

All licenses granted by us to Teva under the Collaboration Agreement were terminated as of the Closing Date.

In accordance with the Termination Agreement, Teva transferred certain third-party agreements for the ENSPIRIT study and custirsen development activities to us on the Closing Date. If any additional historical third-party agreements are discovered after the Closing Date and are used to conduct the ENSPIRIT study, then Teva will use commercially reasonable effort to assign such agreements to us and will be responsible for any costs invoiced under such agreements in excess of an aggregate of $0.1 million. We will be responsible for the initial $0.1 million of costs under such agreements.

Prior to the termination of the Collaboration Agreement, Teva made upfront payments in the aggregate amount of $50.0 million. Teva also acquired $10.0 million of our common stock at a premium under a separate Stock Purchase Agreement. We were required to contribute $30.0 million in direct and indirect costs towards the clinical development plan. We fulfilled our obligation to contribute $30.0 million towards the development of custirsen. Teva was required to and did fund all additional expenses under the clinical development plan through December 31, 2014, after which date we took over responsibility for future costs following termination of our Collaboration Agreement. We do not owe, to Teva, any development milestone payments or royalty payments on sales of custirsen, if any.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. and University of British Columbia

We are obligated to pay milestone payments of up to CAD $1.6 million and $7.75 million pursuant to license agreements with UBC and Ionis, respectively, upon the achievement of specified product development milestones related to apatorsen and OGX-225 and low to mid-single digit royalties on future product sales.

In addition, we are required to pay to Ionis up to 20% of all non-royalty revenue (defined to mean revenue not based on net sales of products) we receive from third parties. In May and November 2015, we received communications from Ionis requesting payment of 30% of the $23.2 million paid by Teva under the Termination Agreement, as well as 30% of any amounts paid by Teva upon release of the $3.0 million holdback amount. On January 5, 2016, Ionis filed a lawsuit and claims that OncoGenex Technologies is in breach of the license agreement for failing to pay Ionis a share of the advance reimbursement payment from Teva and other non-monetary consideration received from Teva in connection with the termination of the Collaboration Agreement. Ionis seeks damages in the amount of at least $10 million and a declaratory judgment that, based on OncoGenex Technologies’ alleged breach, Ionis has the right to terminate the license agreement. We do not believe that any payments are due to Ionis. Under the Ionis license agreement, no payment is due to Ionis on any consideration that we receive for the reimbursement for research and development activities. The amounts paid or payable by Teva under the Termination Agreement constitute an advanced reimbursement for certain continuing research and development activities related to custirsen and certain other antisense inhibitors of clusterin, and therefore, no payments are owed to Ionis. We intend to vigorously defend the lawsuit and, based on our preliminary review, we believe we have valid defenses.

Unless otherwise terminated, the Ionis agreements for custirsen and apatorsen will continue for each product until the later of 10 years after the date of the first commercial product sale, or the expiration of the last to expire of any patents required to be licensed in order to use or sell the product, unless OncoGenex Technologies abandons either custirsen or apatorsen and Ionis does not elect to unilaterally continue development. The Ionis agreement for OGX-225 will continue into perpetuity unless OncoGenex Technologies abandons the product and Ionis does not elect to unilaterally continue development.

To facilitate the execution and performance of our prior Collaboration Agreement with Teva, we amended the license agreement with Ionis and UBC, as it pertains to custirsen, in December 2009.

The amendment to the license agreement with Ionis provides, among other things, that if we are subject to change of control with a third party, where the surviving company immediately following such change of control has the right to develop and sell the product, then (i) a milestone payment of $20.0 million will be due and payable to Ionis 21 days following the first commercial sale of the product in the United States; and (ii) unless such surviving entity had previously sublicensed the product and a royalty rate payable to Ionis by us has been established, the applicable royalty rate payable to Ionis will thereafter be the maximum amount payable under the license agreement. Any non-royalty milestone amounts previously paid will be credited toward the $20.0 million milestone if not already paid. As a result of the $10.0 million milestone payment payable to Ionis in relation to the Collaboration Agreement, the remaining amount owing in the event of change of control discussed above is a maximum of $10.0 million.

Lease Arrangements

We have an operating lease agreement for office space being used in Vancouver, Canada, which expires in September 2016.

The future minimum annual lease payments under the Vancouver lease is $62,000 in 2016.

 

In February 2015, we entered into an office lease with Grosvenor International (Atlantic Freeholds) Limited, or Landlord, pursuant to which we leased approximately 11,526 square feet located at 19820 North Creek Parkway, Bothell, Washington, 98011, commencing on February 15, 2015. The initial term of this lease will expire on April 30, 2018, with an option to extend the term for one approximately three-year period. Our monthly base rent for the premises will start at approximately $18,000 commencing on May 1, 2015 and will increase on an annual basis up to approximately $20,000. The Landlord has agreed to provide us with a construction allowance of approximately $0.1 million. We will be responsible for 17% of taxes levied upon the building during each calendar year of the term. We delivered to the Landlord a letter of credit in the amount of $0.2 million, in accordance with the terms if the lease, which the Landlord may draw upon for base rent or other damages in the event of our default under this lease. We had the option to rent an additional 8,054 square feet before August 1, 2015. In August 2015 we exercised our expansion option for an additional 2,245 square feet of office space which commenced on August 1, 2015.

The remaining future minimum annual lease payments under the terminated Bothell lease are as follows (in thousands):

 

2016

 

 

267

 

2017

 

 

281

 

2018

 

 

95

 

Total

 

$

643

 

 

Consolidated rent and operating expense relating to both the Vancouver, Canada and Bothell, Washington offices for years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $0.9 million, $2.8 million and $2.8 million, respectively.

 

In February 2015, we entered into a Lease Termination Agreement with BMR pursuant to which we and BMR agreed to terminate our lease, dated November 21, 2006, as amended, for the premises located at 1522 217th Place S.E. in Bothell, Washington, or Terminated Lease, effective March 1, 2015. Under the Lease Termination Agreement, we paid BMR a $2.0 million termination fee. We may also pay BMR an additional termination fee of $1.3 million if we (i) meet the primary endpoint for our phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of second line metastatic CRPC with custirsen and if we (ii) close a transaction or transactions pursuant to which we receive funding in an aggregate amount of at least $20.0 million. BMR drew approximately $0.1 million on our letter of credit with respect to its payment of deferred state sales tax and terminated the remaining balance of $0.2 million. BMR returned to us the security deposit under the Terminated Lease, less amounts deducted in accordance with the terms of the Terminated Lease, of $0.5 million.

With respect to the contingent payment of $1.3 million, we have assessed that the likelihood of meeting both contingent events is more likely than not. As a result, we have recognized the $1.3 million in lease termination liability on our balance sheet as at December 31, 2015.

Guarantees and Indemnifications

We indemnify our officers, directors and certain consultants for certain events or occurrences, subject to certain limits, while the officer or director is or was serving at its request in such capacity. The term of the indemnification period is equal to the officer’s or director’s lifetime.

The maximum amount of potential future indemnification is unlimited; however, we have obtained director and officer insurance that limits our exposure and may enable us to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. We believe that the fair value of these indemnification obligations is minimal. Accordingly, we have not recognized any liabilities relating to these obligations as of December 31, 2015.

We have certain agreements with certain organizations with which it does business that contain indemnification provisions pursuant to which it typically agrees to indemnify the party against certain types of third-party claims. We accrue for known indemnification issues when a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. There were no accruals for or expenses related to indemnification issues for any period presented.

Material Changes in Financial Condition

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Total Assets

 

$

58,209

 

 

$

56,291

 

Total Liabilities

 

 

20,769

 

 

 

22,232

 

Total Equity

 

 

37,440

 

 

 

34,059

 

 

The increase in assets at December 31, 2015 compared with December 31, 2014 was primarily due to an increase in cash as a result of the cash payment from Teva as an advance reimbursement for custirsen development costs associated with the Termination Agreement in 2015 and proceeds received from the financings under our purchase agreement with LPC. The decrease in liabilities at December 31, 2015 compared with December 31, 2014 is primarily due to lower clinical trial accruals associated with patient enrollment and treatment in the AFFINITY trial and our investigator sponsored trials evaluating apatorsen.