Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) 10-Q2024 Q2 Quarterly report

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2023, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, or the 2023 Form 10-K, filed with the SEC. The results of operations for the interim period shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or the full year. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023, has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2023-07 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim reporting periods beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that adoption of ASU 2023-07 will have on our financial statement disclosures.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nxera may be entitled to receive potential future payments of up to $2.6 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones and would be entitled to receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product.

In connection with the successful completion of a long-term toxicity program for NBI-1117568 in April 2024, we paid Nxera a milestone of $15.0 million, which was expensed as research and development (R&D) in the second quarter of 2024. NBI-1117568 is a first-in-class, orally active, highly selective investigational M4 agonist in Phase 2 development as a potential treatment for schizophrenia.

Unless earlier terminated, the agreement will continue on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis until the date on which the royalty term for such licensed product has expired in such country. On a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis, royalty payments would commence on the first commercial sale of a licensed product and terminate on the later of (i) the expiration of the last patent covering such licensed product in such country, (ii) a number of years from the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country and (iii) the expiration of regulatory exclusivity for such licensed product in such country.

With respect to NBI-1065845 and NBI-1065846, we and Takeda will equally share in the operating profits and losses. Takeda retains the rights to opt-out of the profit-sharing arrangements, pursuant to which Takeda would be entitled to receive potential future payments upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones with respect to such compounds and receive royalties on the future net sales of such compounds (in lieu of equally sharing in the operating profits and losses). Takeda may elect to exercise such opt-out right for such compound immediately following the completion of a second Phase 2 clinical trial for such compound, or, under certain circumstances related to the development and commercialization activities to be performed by us, before the initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial for such compound.

Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda may be entitled to receive potential future payments of up to $1.9 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones and would be entitled to receive royalties on the future net sales of any royalty-bearing product.

In connection with the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical study for NBI-1070770 as a potential treatment for major depressive disorder in April 2024, we paid Takeda a milestone of $7.5 million, which was expensed as R&D in the second quarter of 2024.

Under the terms of the agreement, Idorsia may be entitled to receive potential future payments of up to $1.7 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones and would be entitled to receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product.

In connection with entering the agreement in 2019, we purchased approximately 1.4 million shares (at $14.196 per share) of Xenon common stock (the 2019 Xenon Shares). The 2019 Xenon Shares were recorded at a fair value of $14.1 million after considering Xenon’s stock price and certain transfer restrictions that were applicable to the shares on the measurement date.

In connection with the achievement of a development milestone in 2021, we purchased approximately 0.3 million shares (at $19.9755 per share) of Xenon common stock (the 2021 Xenon Shares). The 2021 Xenon Shares were recorded at a fair value of $4.6 million after considering Xenon’s stock price and certain transfer restrictions that were applicable to the shares on the measurement date.

In connection with the achievement of a development milestone in 2022, we purchased approximately 0.3 million shares (at $31.855 per share) of Xenon common stock (the 2022 Xenon Shares). The 2022 Xenon Shares were recorded at a fair value of $7.7 million after considering Xenon’s stock price on the measurement date.

Under the terms of the agreement, Xenon may be entitled to receive potential future payments of up to $1.7 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones and would be entitled to receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product. Xenon retains the right to elect to co-develop one product in a major indication, pursuant to which Xenon would receive a mid-single digit percentage increase in royalties earned on the future net sales of such product in the United States and we and Xenon would equally share in the development costs of such product in the applicable indication, except where such development costs relate solely to the regulatory approval of such product outside the United States.

In connection with the 2019 Voyager Agreement, we purchased approximately 4.2 million shares (at $11.9625 per share) of Voyager common stock (the 2019 Voyager Shares), which are subject to certain transfer, beneficial ownership, and voting restrictions for a period of up to three years from the effective date of the 2023 Voyager Agreement (defined below). The 2019 Voyager Shares were recorded at a fair value of $54.7 million after considering Voyager’s stock price and certain transfer restrictions that were applicable to the shares on the measurement date.

In connection with the selection of a development candidate under the FA program pursuant to our collaboration with Voyager in February 2024, we paid Voyager a milestone of $5.0 million, which was expensed as R&D in the first quarter of 2024.

Under the terms of the 2019 Voyager Agreement, Voyager may be entitled to receive potential future payments of up to $1.3 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones and would be entitled to receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product, subject to certain co-development and co-commercialization rights retained by Voyager.

In connection with the 2023 Voyager Agreement, we paid Voyager $175.0 million upfront, including a purchase of approximately 4.4 million shares (at $8.88 per share) of Voyager common stock (the 2023 Voyager Shares), which are subject to certain transfer, beneficial ownership, and voting restrictions for a period of up to three years from the effective date of the 2023 Voyager Agreement. We accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition as the set of acquired assets did not constitute a business. In addition, as part of the collaboration, Jude Onyia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences, was appointed to Voyager's board of directors. Dr. Onyia (or another individual designated by us) will be nominated for election to Voyager's board of directors annually for a maximum duration of 10 years from the effective date of the 2023 Voyager Agreement. As a result, our equity investment in Voyager became subject to the equity method of accounting, and Voyager became a related party, following our purchase of the 2023 Voyager Shares, after which, together with the 2019 Voyager Shares, we owned approximately 19.9% of the voting stock of Voyager. We elected the fair value option to account for our equity investment in Voyager as we believe it creates greater transparency regarding the investment's fair value at future reporting dates. The 2023 Voyager Shares were recorded at a fair value of $31.3 million after considering Voyager’s stock price on the measurement date. The remaining $143.9 million of the purchase price, which includes certain transaction-related costs, was expensed as in-process research and development in the first quarter of 2023 as the license had no foreseeable alternative future use.

We recognized unrealized losses of $12.0 million and $4.5 million, respectively, for the second quarter and first six months of 2024 and unrealized gains of $32.1 million and $41.3 million, respectively, for the second quarter and first six months of 2023 on our equity investment in Voyager. As of June 30, 2024, the fair value (Level 1) of our equity investment in Voyager was $67.8 million.

In connection with the selection of a development candidate under the GBA1 program pursuant to our collaboration with Voyager in April 2024, we paid Voyager a milestone of $3.0 million, which was expensed as R&D in the second quarter of 2024.

Under the terms of the 2023 Voyager Agreement, Voyager may be entitled to receive potential future payments of up to $6.1 billion upon the achievement of certain event-based milestones and would be entitled to receive royalties on the future net sales of any collaboration product, subject to certain co-development and co-commercialization rights retained by Voyager.

Our operating leases that have commenced have terms that expire beginning 2025 through 2036 and consist of office space and research and development laboratories, including our corporate headquarters. Certain of these lease agreements contain clauses for renewal at our option. As we were not reasonably certain to exercise any of these renewal options at commencement of the associated leases, no such options were recognized as part of our right-of-use (ROU) assets or operating lease liabilities.

The construction of the campus facility is phased. The first phase of construction, consisting of two buildings relating to office space, was completed in December 2023 and resulted in the recognition of ROU assets and operating lease liabilities totaling $199.0 million and $189.8 million, respectively.

As we continue to occupy our new campus facility, certain of our existing leased properties will be marketed for sublease when we determine there is excess leased capacity. Certain of these subleases contain both lease and non-lease components. Sublease income is recognized as an offset to operating expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Income related to non-lease components is recognized in operating expenses as a reduction to costs we incur in relation to the primary lease.

Corporate ROU assets that are actively being marketed for sublease in connection with excess leased capacity are tested for impairment individually when the cash flows related to the ROU asset are determined to be independent from the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Corporate ROU assets are otherwise tested for impairment on a consolidated level with consideration given to all cash flows of the company as corporate functions do not generate cash flows and are funded by revenue-producing activities at lower levels of the entity.

On May 2, 2017, we completed a private placement of $517.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 2.25% fixed-rate convertible senior notes due May 15, 2024 (the 2024 Notes) and entered into the 2017 Indenture with respect to the 2024 Notes. Interest on the 2024 Notes was due semi-annually on May 15 and November 15 of each year.

In 2020, we repurchased $136.2 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $186.9 million in cash. In 2022, we repurchased $210.8 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for an aggregate repurchase price of $279.0 million in cash.

On or after January 15, 2024, holders of the 2024 Notes had the ability to convert the 2024 Notes at any time until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding May 15, 2024. In January 2024, we provided notice to the holders of the 2024 Notes electing to settle all conversions of the 2024 Notes which occur on or after January 15, 2024 in cash. Consequently, the embedded conversion option of the 2024 Notes (the conversion feature) required bifurcation and separate accounting from the 2024 Notes as it no longer qualified for the equity scope exception under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Upon bifurcation of the conversion feature, we recorded a derivative liability at a fair value of $126.6 million (Level 3) and a corresponding debt discount that was accreted over the remaining term of the 2024 Notes using the straight-line method. Subsequent changes in the fair value of the derivative liability and accretion of the associated debt discount were recorded in other income (expense), net in our condensed consolidated statements of income.

During the second quarter of 2024, holders of the 2024 Notes converted $169.8 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes for $308.2 million in cash, reflecting a conversion premium of $138.4 million calculated based on the per share volume-weighted average price (VWAP) for each of the 30 consecutive trading days during the observation period (as more fully described in the 2017 Indenture). The 2024 Notes were settled in full upon maturity on May 15, 2024.

The following table presents a summary of charges recognized in connection with the bifurcation of the conversion feature of the 2024 Notes and conversions of the 2024 Notes by holders during the first six months of 2024.

Neurocrine Biosciences is a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs, but few options. We are dedicated to discovering and developing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, neuroendocrine and neuropsychiatric disorders. The company’s diverse portfolio includes U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, chorea associated with Huntington's disease, endometriosis and uterine fibroids in collaboration with AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), as well as a diversified portfolio of multiple compounds in mid- to late-phase clinical development across our core therapeutic areas.

In the pharmaceutical industry, it can take a significant amount of time and capital resources to successfully complete all stages of research and development and commercialize a product candidate, which ultimate length of time and spend required cannot be accurately estimated as it varies substantially according to the type, complexity, novelty and intended use of a product candidate.

On February 8, 2022, we entered into a lease agreement for a four-building campus facility to be constructed in San Diego, California, including a six-year option for the construction of a fifth building. This campus facility, comprised of office space and research and development laboratories, now serves as our corporate headquarters.

The construction of the campus facility is phased. The first phase of construction, consisting of two buildings relating to office space, was completed in December 2023. As we continue to occupy our new campus facility, we will sublease certain of our existing leased premises when we determine there is excess leased capacity.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although our forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of our management, these statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known by us. Consequently, these forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believes,” “expects,” “hopes,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “intends,” “estimates,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “continue,” “seeks,” “proforma,” or “anticipates,” or other similar words (including their use in the negative), or by discussions of future matters such as the development of new products, technology enhancements, possible changes in legislation and other statements that are not historical. These statements include but are not limited to statements under the captions “Risk Factors,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” as well as other sections in this report. You should be aware that the occurrence of any of the events discussed under the heading in Part II titled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report could substantially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition and that if any of these events occurs, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or a part of the value of your shares of our common stock.

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports required by the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the timelines specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and in reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

An evaluation was also performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of any changes to our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

From time to time, we may become subject to legal proceedings or claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. We currently believe that none of the claims or actions pending against us is likely to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Given the unpredictability inherent in litigation, however, we cannot predict the outcome of these matters.

Our ability to produce INGREZZA revenues consistent with expectations ultimately depends on our ability to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA and secure adequate third-party reimbursement. Our experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products began with INGREZZA’s approval in 2017, when we hired our sales force and established our distribution and reimbursement capabilities, all of which are necessary to successfully commercialize our current and future products. We have continued to invest in our commercial infrastructure and distribution capabilities since the launch of INGREZZA, including the recent expansion of our psychiatry and long-term care sales teams, which we announced in June 2024. While our team members and consultants have experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, we may face difficulties related to managing the rapid growth of our personnel and infrastructure, and there can be no guarantee that we will be able to maintain the personnel, systems, arrangements and capabilities necessary to continue to successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any product candidate approved by the FDA, or equivalent foreign authorities, in the future.

The commercial success of INGREZZA or any of our other products will depend upon the acceptance of those products as safe and effective by the medical community and patients.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are subject to rapid and intense technological change. We face, and will continue to face, competition in the development and marketing of our products and product candidates from academic institutions, government agencies, research institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Developments by others (including the development of generic equivalents) may render our product candidates or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.

Before obtaining regulatory approval for the sale of any of our potential products, we must subject these product candidates to extensive preclinical and clinical testing to demonstrate their safety and efficacy for humans. Clinical trials are expensive, time consuming and may take years to complete and the outcomes are uncertain.

These risks and uncertainties impact all of our clinical programs and any of the clinical, regulatory or operational events described above could change our planned clinical and regulatory activities. For example, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, together with sanctions imposed on Russia, caused us to suspend all planned clinical trial activities in Russia and Ukraine. As a result, our planned clinical development timelines for valbenazine and luvadaxistat were significantly delayed while we identified and operationalized alternative clinical trial sites, which we have now done. Additionally, any of these events described above could result in suspension of a program and/or obviate any filings for necessary regulatory approvals.

In addition, late-stage clinical trials are often conducted with patients having the most advanced stages of disease. During the course of treatment, these patients can die or suffer other adverse medical effects for reasons that may not be related to the pharmaceutical agent being tested but which can nevertheless adversely affect clinical trial conduct, completion and results. Any failure or substantial delay in completing clinical trials for our product candidates may severely harm our business.

Only a small number of research and development programs ultimately result in commercially successful drugs.

As of June 30, 2024, we had approximately 1,500 full-time employees. Although we have substantially increased the size of our organization, we may need to add additional qualified personnel and resources, especially with the recent increase in the size of our sales force. Our current infrastructure may be inadequate to support our development and commercialization efforts and expected growth. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on our organization, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain and integrate additional employees and implement and expand managerial, operational and financial systems and may be costly and take time away from running other aspects of our business, including development and commercialization of our product candidates. For example, we recently implemented a new company-wide enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to streamline certain existing business, operational, and financial processes. This project has required and may continue to require investment of capital and human resources, the re-engineering of processes of our business, and the attention of many employees who would otherwise be focused on other aspects of our business. Any disruptions, delays, or deficiencies in the implementation or design of the ERP system could adversely affect the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting or our ability to accurately maintain our books and records, provide accurate, timely and reliable reports on our financial and operating results, or otherwise operate our business. Any of these consequences could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We are highly dependent on the principal members of our management, commercial and scientific staff. The loss of any of these people could impede the achievement of our objectives, including the successful commercialization of INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any product candidate approved by the FDA in the future, including crinecerfont. Furthermore, recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel to perform research and development work in the future, along with personnel with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, is critical to our success. We may be unable to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among biotechnology, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, universities and non-profit research institutions for experienced scientists and individuals with experience marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. We may face particular retention challenges in light of the recent rapid growth in our personnel and infrastructure and the perceived impact of those changes upon our corporate culture. In addition, we rely on a significant number of consultants to assist us in formulating our research and development strategy and our commercialization strategy. Our consultants may have commitments to, or advisory or consulting agreements with, other entities that may limit their availability to us.

The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of process controls required to consistently produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), the finished drug product and packaging in sufficient quantities while meeting detailed product specifications on a repeated basis. Manufacturers of pharmaceutical products may encounter difficulties in production, such as difficulties with production costs and yields, process controls and validation, quality control and quality assurance, including testing of stability, impurities and impurity levels and other product specifications by validated test methods, compliance with strictly enforced U.S., state and non-U.S. regulations, and disruptions or delays caused by man-made or natural disasters, pandemics or epidemics, or other business interruptions. We depend on a limited number of suppliers for the production and packaging of INGREZZA and its API. If our third-party suppliers for INGREZZA encounter these or any other manufacturing, quality or compliance difficulties, we may be unable to meet commercial demand for INGREZZA, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize INGREZZA.

Our ability to continue to commercialize INGREZZA successfully or any of our other products will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available. The continuing efforts of government and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of healthcare and the price of prescription drugs through various means may impact our revenues. These payors’ efforts could decrease the price that we receive for any products we may develop and sell in the future.

Assuming we obtain coverage for a given product by a third-party payor, the resulting reimbursement rates may not be adequate or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover all or a significant portion of the out-of-pocket cost of our products. Coverage decisions may depend upon clinical and economic standards that disfavor new drug products when more established or lower cost therapeutic alternatives are already available or subsequently become available regardless of whether they are approved by the FDA for that particular use. Coverage decisions by payors for our competitors' products may also impact coverage for our products.

Government authorities and other third-party payors are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs, such as by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Further, no uniform policy requirement for coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party payors in the U.S. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. In addition, communications from government officials, media outlets, and others regarding healthcare costs and pharmaceutical pricing could have a negative impact on our stock price, even if such communications do not ultimately impact coverage or reimbursement decisions for our products.

There may also be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs or indications, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. In addition, we could also be subject to amendments in our rebate agreements with pharmaceutical benefit managers that require us to pay larger rebate amounts or modify our formulary position, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future. For example, government authorities could make a decision that adversely impacts the status of one of our products, which could impact the eligibility and/or the amount of government reimbursement for that product.

As a pharmaceutical manufacturer, we are subject to various federal statutes and regulations requiring the reporting of price data and the subsequent provision of concessions to certain purchasers/payors, including state Medicaid programs. Federal agencies issue guidance to manufacturers related to the interpretation of laws and regulations, and this guidance has changed and may change or be updated over time. In interpreting these laws, regulations and guidance, manufacturers may make reasonable assumptions to fill gaps, and these reasonable assumptions may need to be updated upon issuance of additional agency guidance.

If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may be unable to successfully commercialize INGREZZA or any of our other products, or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval in the future. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition. Further, a majority of our current revenue is derived from federal healthcare program payors, including Medicare and Medicaid. Thus, changes in government reimbursement policies, government negotiation of the price of any of products, reductions in payments and/or our suspension or exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Further, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of physician telehealth services rapidly increased, fueled by an unprecedented expansion of coverage and reimbursement for telehealth services across public and private insurers. The limitations that telehealth places on the ability to conduct a thorough physical examination may impact the ability of providers to screen for movement disorders, leading to fewer patients being diagnosed and/or treated.

Outside the United States, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary significantly by country, and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific products and therapies. The EU provides options for EU Member States to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. An EU Member State may approve a specific price for the medicinal product, it may refuse to reimburse a product at the price set by the manufacturer or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market.

To obtain reimbursement for our products in some European countries, including some EU Member States, we may be required to compile additional data comparing the cost-effectiveness of our products to other available therapies. The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU Member States, including those representing the larger markets. The HTA process is the procedure to assess therapeutic, economic and societal impact of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country. The outcome of an HTA will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. The extent to which pricing and reimbursement decisions are influenced by the HTA of the specific medicinal product currently varies between EU Member States. In December 2021, Regulation No 2021/2282 on HTA, amending Directive 2011/24/EU, was adopted in the EU. This regulation, which entered into force in January 2022 will apply as of January 2025. The regulation will permit EU Member States to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU to identify promising technologies early, and continuing voluntary cooperation in other areas. Individual EU Member States will continue to be responsible for assessing non-clinical (e.g., economic, social, ethical) aspects of health technologies, and making decisions on pricing and reimbursement. If we are unable to maintain favorable pricing and reimbursement status in EU Member States for product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval, any anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for those products in the EU could be negatively affected.

In light of the fact that the UK has left the EU, Regulation No 2021/2282 on HTA will not apply in the UK. However, the MHRA is working with UK HTA bodies and other national organizations, such as the Scottish Medicines Consortium, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group, to introduce new pathways supporting innovative approaches to the safe, timely and efficient development of medicinal products.

Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors and we may need to raise additional capital to fund our business plan and our future research, development, commercial and manufacturing efforts.

Effective January 1, 2022, legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the option to deduct research and development expenses for tax purposes in the year incurred and requires taxpayers to capitalize and subsequently amortize such expenses over five years for research activities conducted in the U.S. and over 15 years for research activities conducted outside the U.S. Unless the U.S. Department of the Treasury issues regulations that narrow the application of this provision to a smaller subset of our research and development expenses or the provision is deferred, modified, or repealed by Congress, we expect a material decrease in our cash flows from operations and an offsetting similarly sized increase in our net deferred tax assets over these amortization periods. The actual impact of this provision will depend on multiple factors, including the amount of research and development expenses we will incur and whether we conduct our research and development activities inside or outside the U.S.

Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use certain pre-change federal tax attributes such as research and development tax credits to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. Based on completed Section 382 analysis done annually, we do not believe we have experienced any previous ownership changes, but the determination is complex and there can be no assurance we are correct. Furthermore, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control.

The market prices for securities of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies historically have been highly volatile, and the market for these securities has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, negatively affected the stock market and investor sentiment and resulted in significant volatility, as has the applicability of the Medicare drug price negotiation provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. Furthermore, especially as we and our market capitalization have grown, the price of our common stock has been increasingly affected by quarterly and annual comparisons with the valuations and recommendations of the analysts who cover our business. If our results do not meet these analysts’ forecasts, the expectations of our investors or the financial guidance we provide to investors in any period, which is based on assumptions that may be incorrect or that may change from quarter to quarter, the market price of our common stock could decline. Over the course of the last 12 months, the price of our common stock has ranged from approximately $99 per share to approximately $150 per share.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of health pandemics or epidemics, which could also cause significant disruption in the operations of third-party manufacturers, CROs and other third parties upon whom we rely. As a result, we may experience disruptions that could severely impact our supply chain, ongoing and future clinical trials and commercialization of INGREZZA or any of our other products. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented a remote work model for all employees except certain key essential members involved in business-critical activities. Our employees have resumed in-person interactions and have returned to the office under flexible work guidelines. However, a remote work model may nevertheless need to be reinstated at some point in the future. The effects of a remote and flexible work model may negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business and delay our clinical programs and timelines, the magnitude of which will depend on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. Remote work may also create increased risks to our information technology systems and data, as more of our employees utilize network connections, computers and devices outside our premises or network, including working at home, while in transit and in public locations. In addition, we may face several challenges or disruptions upon a return back to the workplace, including re-integration challenges by our employees and distractions to management related to such transition. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

In addition, clinical site initiation and patient enrollment may be delayed due to concerns for patient safety. Some patients may not be able to comply with clinical trial protocols and our ability to recruit and retain patients, principal investigators and site staff may be hindered, which would adversely impact our clinical trial operations.

The business and financial condition of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are affected by the efforts of government and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of healthcare and to lower drug prices. In the U.S., comprehensive drug pricing legislation enacted by the Federal government implements, for the first time, government control over the pricing of certain prescription pharmaceuticals. Moreover, in some foreign jurisdictions, pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is also subject to government control. Additionally, other federal and state laws impose obligations on manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, among others, related to disclosure of new drug products introduced to the market and increases in drug prices above a specified threshold.

For example, in August 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA, which, among other things: (1) directs the Secretary of the HHS to negotiate the price of certain high-expenditure, single-source drugs and biologics covered under Medicare; (2) redesigns the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit to lower patient out-of-pocket costs and increase manufacturer liability; and (3) requires drug manufacturers to pay rebates on drugs whose prices increase greater than the rate of inflation. The IRA also extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in the ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025 and beginning in 2025, eliminates the “donut hole” under the Medicare Part D program and creates a new, permanent cap on beneficiary out-of-pocket spending, in addition to a newly established manufacturer discount program. The IRA permits HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. HHS has issued and updated and will continue to issue and update guidance as these programs are implemented. These provisions took effect progressively beginning in 2023. On August 29, 2023, HHS announced the list of the first 10 drugs that will be subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare drug price negotiation program is currently subject to legal challenges. It is currently uncertain how the IRA will be implemented over time; however, it is likely to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry and prescription drug pricing.

While the IRA drug price negotiation program targets high-expenditure drugs that have been on the market for several years without generic or biosimilar competition, we believe we will qualify for the small biotech exception from negotiation that is set to expire in 2029.

Our designation as a “specified small manufacturer” under the new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount program and our expected qualification under the small biotech exception for purposes of the Medicare drug price negotiation program are subject to various requirements and there is no assurance that we will continue to qualify for these exemptions in the future. The loss or potential loss of these exemptions, including as a result of a third party acquiring us, could have an adverse impact on our business.

Prior to the IRA’s enactment, the most significant recent federal legislation impacting the pharmaceutical industry occurred in March 2010, when the ACA was signed into law. The ACA was intended to broaden access to health insurance and reduce the number of uninsured individuals, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms.

Other legislative changes have been adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which began in 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will remain in effect until 2032. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals and cancer treatment centers, increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.

At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, on January 5, 2024, the FDA approved Florida’s SIP proposal to import certain drugs from Canada for specific state healthcare programs. It is unclear how this program will be implemented, including which drugs will be chosen, and whether it will be subject to legal challenges in the United States or Canada. Other states have also submitted SIP proposals that are pending review by the FDA. Any such approved importation plans, when implemented, may result in lower drug prices for products covered by those programs. Further, certain states through legislation have created a state PDAB to help control costs of drugs for that state. The functions of the PDABs vary by state, and may include among other things, recommending or setting upper limits on the price the state pays for certain drugs, performing drug affordability reviews, and advising state lawmakers on additional ways to reduce the state’s drug spending. It is possible that the actions taken by the PDABs may result in lower prices for certain drug products sold in their states.

Because of the substantial length of time and expense associated with bringing new products through the development and regulatory approval processes in order to reach the marketplace, the pharmaceutical industry places considerable importance on obtaining patent and trade secret protection for new technologies, products and processes. Accordingly, we intend to seek patent protection for our proprietary technology and compounds. However, we face the risk that we may not obtain any of these patents and that the breadth of claims we obtain, if any, may not provide adequate protection of our proprietary technology or compounds. Additionally, if our employees, commercial collaborators or consultants use generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to develop our proprietary technology and compounds, it may impact our ability to obtain or successfully defend certain intellectual property rights.

We also rely upon unpatented trade secrets and improvements, unpatented know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position, which we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality agreements with our commercial collaborators, employees and consultants. We also have invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and some, but not all, of our commercial collaborators and consultants. However, if our employees, commercial collaborators or consultants breach these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach, and our trade secrets may otherwise become known or independently discovered by our competitors.

We expect that there will continue to be a number of federal and state proposals to implement additional government controls over the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals. In addition, increasing emphasis on reducing the cost of healthcare in the U.S. will continue to put pressure on the pricing and reimbursement of prescription pharmaceuticals. For example, in response to the Biden administration’s October 2022 executive order, on February 14, 2023, HHS released a report outlining three new models for testing by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation which will be evaluated on their ability to lower the cost of drugs, promote accessibility, and improve quality of care. It is unclear whether the models will be utilized in any health reform measures in the future.

In addition, certain jurisdictions outside of the U.S., including the EU, have instituted price ceilings on specific products and therapies, as described further in the risk factor titled “Government and third-party payors may impose sales and pharmaceutical pricing controls on our products or limit coverage and/or reimbursement for our products or impose policies and/or make decisions regarding the status of our products that could limit our product revenues and delay sustained profitability.”

Our business operations and activities may be directly, or indirectly, subject to various federal and state healthcare laws, including without limitation, fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, data privacy and security laws, as well as transparency laws regarding payments or other items of value provided to healthcare providers. These laws may restrict or prohibit a wide range of business activities, including, but not limited to, research, manufacturing, distribution, pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. These laws may impact, among other things, our current activities with principal investigators and research subjects, as well as current and future sales, marketing, patient co-payment assistance and education programs.

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements will comply with applicable healthcare laws may involve substantial costs. While our interactions with healthcare professionals, including our speaker programs and other arrangements have been structured to comply with these laws and related guidance, it is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices, business practices of our vendors or consultants, or a rogue employee’s activities, may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws. For example, we maintain a patient assistance program to help eligible patients afford our products. These and other types of programs have become the subject of governmental scrutiny, and numerous organizations, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, have been subject to litigation, enforcement actions and settlements related to their patient assistance programs. If our operations or activities or those of our vendors are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other applicable governmental regulations, we may be subject to, without limitation, significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate.

A company may not promote “off-label” uses for its drug products. An off-label use is the use of a product for an indication that is not described in the product’s FDA-approved label in the U.S. or for uses in other jurisdictions that differ from those approved by the applicable regulatory agencies. Physicians, on the other hand, may prescribe products for off-label uses. Although the FDA and other regulatory agencies do not regulate a physician’s choice of drug treatment made in the physician’s independent medical judgment, they do restrict promotional communications from companies or their sales force with respect to off-label uses of products for which marketing clearance has not been issued. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s FDA approved labeling. A company that is found to have promoted off-label use of its product may be subject to significant liability, including civil and criminal sanctions.

Remote work has become more common and has increased risks to our information technology systems and data, as more of our employees work from home, utilizing network connections, computers and devices outside our premises, including at home, while in transit or in public locations.

Additionally, natural disasters, public health pandemics or epidemics, terrorism, war and geopolitical conflicts, and telecommunication and electrical failures may result in damage to or the interruption or impairment of key business processes, or the loss or corruption of confidential information, including intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal data.

Future or past business transactions (such as acquisitions or integrations) could expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as our systems could be negatively affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated entities’ systems and technologies. Furthermore, we may discover security issues that were not found during due diligence of such acquired or integrated entities, and it may be difficult to integrate companies into our information technology environment and security program.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or modify our business activities (including our clinical trial activities) to try to protect against security incidents.

We rely on third-party service providers and technologies to operate critical business systems to process sensitive information in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, data center facilities, encryption and authentication technology, employee email and other functions. We also rely on third-party service providers to provide other products, services, parts, or otherwise to operate our business, including clinical trial sites and investigators, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and consultants. Our ability to monitor these third parties’ information security practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. If our third-party service providers or CROs experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences. In addition, supply-chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity, and we cannot guarantee that third parties’ infrastructure in our supply chain or our third-party partners’ supply chains have not been compromised or otherwise subject to a security incident. While we may be entitled to damages if our third-party service providers fail to satisfy their privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such award.

Although to our knowledge we, or the third parties upon who we rely, have not experienced a security incident or disruption to date that is material to us, we and our vendors have been, either directly or indirectly, the target of cybersecurity incidents and expect them to continue. While we have implemented security measures designed to protect our data security and information technology systems, such measures may not prevent such events. Furthermore, while we have implemented and are planning to implement redundancies designed to avoid interruptions to our operations, not all potential events can be anticipated and interruptions to our operations could lead to decreased productivity.

Our contracts, with for example third parties or CROs, may not contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations. We also cannot be sure that our insurance coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect us from or to mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.

In addition to any patent protection, we rely on forms of regulatory exclusivity to protect our products such as orphan drug designation. A product candidate that receives orphan drug designation can benefit from a streamlined regulatory process as well as potential commercial benefits following approval. Currently, this designation provides market exclusivity in the U.S. for seven years and EU for 10 years if a product is the first such product approved for such orphan indication. This market exclusivity does not, however, pertain to indications other than those for which the drug was specifically designated in the approval, nor does it prevent other types of drugs from receiving orphan designations or approvals in these same indications. Further, even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the product is clinically superior to the orphan product or a market shortage occurs.

In the EU, orphan exclusivity may be reduced to six years if the drug no longer satisfies the original designation criteria or can be lost altogether if the marketing authorization holder consents to a second orphan drug application or cannot supply enough drug, or when a second applicant demonstrates its drug is “clinically superior” to the original orphan drug.

From time to time, we may become involved in disputes, claims and lawsuits relating to our business operations. In particular, we may face claims related to the safety of our products, intellectual property matters, employment matters, tax matters, commercial disputes, competition, sales and marketing practices, environmental matters, personal injury, insurance coverage and acquisition or divestiture-related matters. Any dispute, claim or lawsuit may divert management’s attention away from our business, we may incur significant expenses in addressing or defending any dispute, claim or lawsuit, and we may be required to pay damage awards or settlements or become subject to equitable remedies that could adversely affect our operations and financial results.

In the ordinary course of our business, we process confidential and sensitive information, including personal data, proprietary and confidential business data, trade secrets, intellectual property, data we collect about clinical trial participants in connection with clinical trials, and sensitive third-party data, on our networks and in our data centers. We are subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws, orders, codes, regulations and regulatory guidance regarding privacy, data protection, information security and the processing of personal information (including clinical trial data), the number and scope of which are expanding, changing, subject to differing applications and interpretations, and may be inconsistent among jurisdictions. Our data processing activities may also subject us to other data privacy and security obligations, such as industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contracts and other obligations that govern the processing of data by us and by third parties on our behalf.

Laws regarding privacy, data protection, information security and the processing of personal data are becoming increasingly common in the U.S. at both the federal and state level. Additionally, in the past few years, numerous U.S. states—including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah—have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such rights may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA) (collectively, CCPA), requires businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices, and honor requests of California residents to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA allows for fines for noncompliance (up to $7,500 per intentional violation). Although some U.S. comprehensive privacy laws and the CCPA exempt some data processed in the context of clinical trials, these laws may increase compliance costs and potential liability with respect to other personal data we may maintain about California residents. Other states have also enacted data privacy laws and we expect more jurisdictions to pass similar laws in the future. These developments may further complicate compliance efforts, and may increase legal risk and compliance costs for us and the third parties upon whom we rely.

Additionally, HIPAA, as amended by HITECH, imposes specific requirements relating to the privacy, security, and transmission of individually identifiable health information.

Laws in Europe regarding privacy, data protection, information security and the processing of personal data have also been significantly reformed and continue to undergo reform. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) and the UK’s GDPR (UK GDPR) (collectively, GDPR) impose strict requirements for processing the personal data of individuals located, respectively, within the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK. The GDPR provides for enhanced data protection obligations for processors and controllers of personal data, including, for example, obligations relating to: processing health and other sensitive data; obtaining consent of individuals; providing notice to individuals regarding data processing activities; responding to data subject requests; taking certain measures when engaging third-party processors; notifying data subjects and regulators of data breaches; and implementing safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personal data. The GDPR impose substantial fines for breaches of data protection requirements. For example, under the GDPR, such fines can be up to four percent of global revenue or 20 million euros under the EU GDPR / 17.5 million pounds sterling under the UK GDPR, whichever is greater in either case, and also allow for private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests. The GDPR and other changes in laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of sensitive data, such as EU regulations governing clinical trial data and other healthcare data, could require us to change our business practices or lead to government enforcement actions, private litigation or significant penalties against us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We may be subject to additional foreign data laws. For example, in Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and various related provincial laws, as well as Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), may apply to our operations. As another example, the General Data Protection Law, Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais (LGPD) (Law No. 13,709/2018), may apply to our operations. The LGPD broadly regulates processing personal data of individuals in Brazil and imposes compliance obligations and penalties comparable to those of the EU GDPR. We also target customers in Asia and may be subject to new and emerging data privacy regimes in Asia, including Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act.

In the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the U.S. or other countries. Certain jurisdictions have enacted data localization laws and cross-border personal data transfers laws. For example, countries in the EEA and the UK have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the U.S. and other countries, whose privacy laws it generally believes are inadequate. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and UK to the U.S. in compliance with law, such as the EEA standard contractual clauses, the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers for to relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework), these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the U.S. If we cannot implement a valid compliance mechanism for cross-border personal data transfers or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we may face increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and injunctions against processing or transferring personal data from Europe or elsewhere. The inability to import personal data to the U.S. may significantly and negatively impact our business operations, including by limiting our ability to conduct clinical trial activities in Europe and elsewhere; limiting our ability to collaborate with parties subject to European and other data protection laws or requiring us to increase our personal data processing capabilities in Europe and/or elsewhere at significant expense. Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and UK to other jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators, individual litigants, and activist groups. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers out of Europe for allegedly violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.

Our employees and personnel may use generative AI technologies to perform some of their work, and the disclosure and use of personal information data in generative AI technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations. Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating generative AI. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and consumer lawsuits. Furthermore, any use of generative AI to develop our proprietary technology and compounds may also impact our ability to obtain or successfully defend certain intellectual property rights. If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages.

In addition to data privacy and security laws, we may contractually be subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups and, we are, or may become subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound by contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful. We publish privacy policies, marketing materials and other statements regarding data privacy and security. If these policies, materials or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators or other adverse consequences.

Our obligations related to data privacy and security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing in an increasingly stringent fashion and creating uncertainty. These obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be inconsistent among jurisdictions or in conflict. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources (including, without limitation, financial and time-related resources). These obligations may necessitate changes to our information technologies, systems and practices and those of any third parties that process personal data on our behalf. In addition, these obligations may even require us to change our business model.