Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LICENSED TECHNOLOGY

v3.22.1
LICENSED TECHNOLOGY
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
LICENSED TECHNOLOGY

NOTE 4 – LICENSED TECHNOLOGY

 

On November 4, 2018, we entered into a license agreement with REGENXBIO Inc. (“REGENXBIO”) to obtain rights to an exclusive worldwide license (subject to certain non-exclusive rights previously granted for MPS IIIA), with rights to sublicense, to REGENXBIO’s NAV AAV9 vector for gene therapies for treating MPS IIIA, MPS IIIB, CLN1 Disease and CLN3 Disease. Consideration for the rights granted under the original agreement included fees totaling $180 million and a running royalty on net sales, including: (i) an initial fee of $20 million, $10 million of which was due to REGENXBIO shortly after the effective date of the agreement, and $10 million of which was to be due on the first anniversary of the effective date of the agreement in November 2019, (ii) annual fees totaling up to $100 million, payable in $20 million annual installments beginning on the second anniversary of the effective date (the first of which was to remain payable if the agreement were terminated before the second anniversary in November 2020), (iii) sales milestone payments totaling $60 million, and (iv) royalties payable in the low double digits to low teens on net sales of products covered under the agreement. The license was being amortized over the life of the patent of eight years. On November 1, 2019, we entered into an amendment of the original license agreement. The amended agreement replaced the $10 million payment due on November 4, 2019 with a $3 million payment due on November 4, 2019 and an additional $8 million payment (which included $1 million of interest) that would have been due no later than April 1, 2020. That $8 million payment that had been scheduled to be paid by April 1, 2020 and the $20 million payment that had been due to be paid on November 4, 2020 were both recorded as payable to licensor on the consolidated balance sheet. The Company disputed that it was responsible for the $8 million and $20 million payments, and those payments were the subject of an arbitration between the Company and REGENXBIO as noted below.

 

Prior to the April 1, 2020 deadline, we engaged REGENXBIO in discussions in an attempt to renegotiate the financial terms of the agreement, but we were unable to reach an agreement, and we did not make the $8 million payment due by April 1, 2020. On April 17, 2020, REGENXBIO sent us a written demand for the $8 million fee, payable within a 15-day cure period after receipt of the demand letter. The license terminated on May 2, 2020, when the 15-day period expired. We considered the status of our discussions with REGENXBIO in March 2020 as a potential indicator of impairment in accordance with ASC 360-10-35-21. Our impairment test indicated that the carrying value of the license agreement exceeded its fair value and we recorded a $32.9 million non-cash impairment charge during the three months ended March 31, 2020.

 

 

On May 25, 2020, we filed an arbitration claim with the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) alleging that REGENXBIO materially breached the license agreement prior to termination and seeking, among other things, a declaration that as a result of REGENXBIO’s material breach, we were not responsible for payments totaling $28 million (which would otherwise have been due in 2020) plus accrued interest. REGENXBIO disputed our arbitration claim and filed a counterclaim seeking payment of the $28 million plus interest, which REGENXBIO argued remained due. An arbitration hearing before a tribunal of three AAA arbitrators was held on March 8 and March 9, 2021. On July 13, 2021, the tribunal found in favor of REGENXBIO in connection with the parties’ arbitration claims and counterclaims. The tribunal awarded REGENXBIO $28.0 million plus interest.

 

On August 9, 2021, we filed a second arbitration claim with the AAA asserting that a settlement had been reached before the tribunal’s award in the first arbitration was issued. On September 14, 2021, REGENXBIO filed its answer, a counterclaim seeking attorney fees and costs, and a request for permission to file a case dispositive motion. A preliminary hearing was held on November 1, 2021, during which the AAA tribunal set timetables for discovery and for REGENXBIO’s filing of its case dispositive motion. Those timetables were formalized in a procedural order issued by the tribunal on November 8, 2021. Under the schedule set by the tribunal, REGENXBIO’s opening brief in support of its case dispositive motion was filed on November 8, 2021, briefing was scheduled to be completed on December 29, 2021, and oral argument was scheduled for January 14, 2022. REGENXBIO had also filed suit in the New York State Supreme Court Commercial Division seeking enforcement of the original arbitration award, and we had requested that the Court stay that proceeding until the second arbitration was complete. Oral argument on our request for a stay was set for March 10, 2022.

 

On November 12, 2021, we entered into a settlement agreement (“Settlement Agreement”) with REGENXBIO to resolve all current disputes between the parties including the aforementioned AAA arbitration and New York State Supreme Court action. In accordance with the Settlement Agreement, we agreed to pay REGENXBIO a total of $30 million, payable as follows: (1) $20 million that was paid in November 2021 after execution of the Settlement Agreement, (2) $5 million on the first anniversary of the effective date of the Settlement Agreement, and (3) $5 million upon the earlier of: (i) the third anniversary of the effective date of the Settlement Agreement or (ii) the closing of a Strategic Transaction, as defined in the Settlement Agreement. Under the Settlement Agreement’s terms, the prior license agreement between the parties is not reinstituted, and any future license agreement would need to be negotiated separately and require consideration in addition to the consideration set forth in the Settlement Agreement.

 

As of December 31, 2021, we have recorded the payable to licensor in the balance sheet based on the present value of the remaining payments due to REGENXBIO under the Settlement Agreement. As of December 31, 2021, we have also recorded $5 million of restricted cash within prepaid expenses, other current assets and restricted cash in the balance sheet that serves as collateral for the payment owed to REGENXBIO on the first anniversary of the effective date of the Settlement Agreement. The accounting for the Settlement Agreement resulted in a $6.7 million gain on settlement with licensor in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the year ended December 31, 2021 and a $6.7 million non-cash gain on settlement with licensor in the statement of cash flows during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

On May 15, 2015, we acquired Abeona Therapeutics LLC, which had an exclusive license through Nationwide Children’s Hospital to the AB-101 and AB-102 patent portfolios for developing treatments for patients with Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A and Type B. The license is amortized over the life of the license of 20 years.

 

Licensed technology consists of the following:

 

    December 31,
2021
    December 31,
2020
 
Licensed technology   $ 2,156,000     $ 2,156,000  
Less accumulated amortization     772,000       656,000  
Licensed technology, net   $ 1,384,000     $ 1,500,000  

 

 

The aggregate estimated amortization expense for intangible assets remaining as of December 31, 2021 is as follows:

 

         
2022   $ 116,000  
2023     116,000  
2024     117,000  
2025     117,000  
2026     117,000  
Thereafter     801,000  
Total   $ 1,384,000  

 

Amortization on licensed technology was $116,000 and $1.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.