Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

NMBA Related License Agreement

v3.19.3
NMBA Related License Agreement
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
NMBA Related License Agreement

(5)

NMBA Related License Agreement

In June 2017, the Company acquired the exclusive global rights to two novel neuromuscular blocking agents, or NMBAs, and a proprietary reversal agent from Cornell University, or Cornell. The NMBAs and reversal agent are referred to herein as the NMBA Related Compounds. The NMBA Related Compounds include one novel intermediate-acting NMBA that has initiated Phase I clinical trials and two other agents, a novel short-acting NMBA, and a rapid-acting reversal agent specific to these NMBAs.

The transaction was accounted for as an asset acquisition, with the total cost of the acquisition of $766 allocated to acquired IPR&D. The Company recorded an upfront payment obligation of $350, as well as operational liabilities and acquisition-related costs of $416, primarily consisting of reimbursement to Cornell for specified past patent, legal and pre-clinical costs.

In addition, the Company is obligated to make: (i) an annual license maintenance fee payment until the first commercial sale of the NMBA Related Compounds; and (ii) milestone payments upon the achievement of certain milestones, up to a maximum, for each NMBA, of $5,000 for U.S. regulatory approval and commercialization milestones and $3,000 for European regulatory approval and commercialization milestones. The Company is also obligated to pay Cornell royalties on net sales of the NMBA Related Compounds at a rate ranging from low to mid-single digits, depending on the applicable NMBA Related Compounds and whether there is a valid patent claim in the applicable country, subject to an annual minimum royalty amount. Further, the Company will reimburse Cornell ongoing patent costs related to prosecution and maintenance of the patents related to the Cornell patents for the NMBA Related Compounds.

The Company accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition based on an evaluation of the accounting guidance (ASC Topic 805) and considered the early clinical stage of the novel and unproven NMBA Related Compounds. The Company concluded that the acquired IPR&D of Cornell did not constitute a business as defined under ASC 805 due to the incomplete nature of the inputs and the absence of processes from a market participant perspective. Substantial additional research and development will be required to develop any NMBA Related Compounds into a commercially viable drug candidate, including completion of pre-clinical testing and clinical trials, and, if such clinical trials are successful, application for regulatory approvals and manufacturing repeatability and scale-up. There is risk that a marketable compound may not be well tolerated and may never be approved.

Acquired IPR&D in the asset acquisition was accounted for in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 730, “Research and Development.” At the date of acquisition, the Company determined that the development of the projects underway at Cornell had not yet reached technological feasibility and that the research in process had no alternative future uses.  Accordingly, the acquired IPR&D was charged to expense in the Combined Statements of Operations on the acquisition date. The acquired IPR&D charge is expected to be deductible over a 15-year period for income tax purposes.