10-Q
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

 

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2014

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission File Number 000-30929

 

 

KERYX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   13-4087132

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

750 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10022

(Address including zip code of principal executive offices)

(212) 531-5965

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer   x
Non-accelerated filer   ¨  (Do not check if smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company   ¨

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

There were 91,819,919 shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding as of July 30, 2014.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

KERYX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     1   

PART I

 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

  

Item 1

 

Financial Statements

     2   
 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2014 (unaudited) and December 31, 2013

     2   
 

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited)

     3   
 

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity for the six months ended June 30, 2014 (unaudited)

     4   
 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited)

     5   
 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)

     6   

Item 2

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

     12   

Item 3

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

     19   

Item 4

 

Controls and Procedures

     19   

PART II

 

OTHER INFORMATION

  

Item 1

 

Legal Proceedings

     20   

Item 1A

 

Risk Factors

     20   

Item 6

 

Exhibits

     35   


Table of Contents

SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain matters discussed in this report, including matters discussed under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “expect” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, those discussed under the captions “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this report, as well as other factors which may be identified from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, or in the documents where such forward-looking statements appear. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our:

 

    expectations for increases or decreases in expenses;

 

    expectations for the pre-clinical and clinical development, manufacturing, regulatory approval, and commercialization (including market acceptance) of ZerenexTM (ferric citrate) or any other products that we may acquire or in-license;

 

    expectations for incurring capital expenditures to expand our research and development and manufacturing capabilities;

 

    estimates regarding market size and projected growth, as well as our expectation of market acceptance of Zerenex;

 

    expectations for generating revenue or becoming profitable on a sustained basis;

 

    expectations or ability to enter into marketing and other partnership agreements;

 

    expectations or ability to enter into product acquisition and in-licensing transactions;

 

    expectations or ability to build our own commercial infrastructure to manufacture, market and sell our drug candidate;

 

    estimates of the sufficiency of our existing capital resources combined with future anticipated cash flows to finance our operating requirements, including expectations regarding the value and liquidity of our investments;

 

    expected losses; and

 

    expectations for future capital requirements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this report reflect our views and assumptions only as of the date that this report is signed. Except as required by law, we assume no responsibility for updating any forward-looking statements.

We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. In addition, with respect to all of our forward-looking statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

 

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Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

     June 30, 2014     December 31, 2013  
     (Unaudited)        

Assets

    

Current assets:

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 91,994      $ 55,696   

Short-term investment securities

     44,991        —     

Interest receivable

     136        —     

Other current assets

     1,155        1,232   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     138,276        56,928   

Property, plant and equipment, net

     1,048        349   

Goodwill

     3,208        3,208   

Other assets, net

     362        281   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 142,894      $ 60,766   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

   $ 17,226      $ 14,004   

Accrued compensation and related liabilities

     1,285        1,324   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     18,511        15,328   

Other liabilities

     78        38   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     18,589        15,366   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingencies

    

Stockholders’ equity:

    

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share (5,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding)

     —          —     

Common stock, $0.001 par value per share (130,000,000 shares authorized, 91,820,687 and 82,723,145 shares issued, 91,740,739 and 82,643,197 shares outstanding at June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively)

     92        83   

Additional paid-in capital

     599,854        485,014   

Treasury stock, at cost, 79,948 shares at June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively

     (357     (357

Accumulated deficit

     (475,284     (439,340
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

     124,305        45,400   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 142,894      $ 60,766   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

     Three months ended
June 30,
    Six months ended
June 30,
 
     2014     2013     2014     2013  

License revenue

   $ —        $ —        $ 10,000      $ 7,000   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

        

Research and development

     10,275        7,177        26,634        13,607   

General and administrative

     12,268        4,277        19,560        7,005   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     22,543        11,454        46,194        20,612   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating loss

     (22,543     (11,454     (36,194     (13,612

Interest and other income, net

     129        96        250        199   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss before income taxes

     (22,414     (11,358     (35,944     (13,413

Income taxes

     —          —          —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (22,414   $ (11,358   $ (35,944   $ (13,413
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per common share

   $ (0.24   $ (0.14   $ (0.40   $ (0.17
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per common share

     91,516,606        81,739,731        90,025,305        79,875,273   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity

for the six months ended June 30, 2014 (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share amounts)

 

     Common stock     Additional
paid-in
                           
        Treasury stock     Accumulated        
     Shares     Amount     Capital      Shares      Amount     deficit     Total  

Balance at December 31, 2013

     82,723,145      $ 83      $ 485,014         79,948       $ (357   $ (439,340   $ 45,400   

Changes during the period:

                

Issuance of common stock in public offering (net of offering costs of $7,525)

     7,935,000        8        107,524         —           —          —          107,532   

Issuance of restricted stock

     826,558        1        —           —           —          —          1   

Forfeiture of restricted stock

     (19,080     (— )*      —           —           —          —          (— )* 

Issuance of common stock in connection with exercise of options

     355,064        —       2,160         —           —          —          2,160   

Compensation in respect of options and restricted stock granted to employees, directors and third-parties

     —          —          5,156         —           —          —          5,156   

Net loss

     —          —          —           —           —          (35,944     (35,944
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at June 30, 2014

     91,820,687      $ 92      $ 599,854         79,948       $ (357   $ (475,284   $ 124,305   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

* Amount less than one thousand dollars.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

     Six months ended
June 30,
 
     2014     2013  

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

    

Net loss

   $ (35,944   $ (13,413

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash flows used in operating activities:

    

Stock compensation expense

     5,156        1,219   

Depreciation and amortization

     88        22   

Changes in assets and liabilities:

    

Decrease (increase) in other current assets

     77        (824

Increase in accrued interest receivable

     (136     (226

Increase in security deposits

     (186     —     

Decrease in other assets

     105        35   

Increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses

     3,222        4,186   

Decrease in accrued compensation and related liabilities

     (39     (405

Increase (decrease) in other liabilities

     40        (24
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

     (27,617     (9,430
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

    

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

     (786     (45

Investment in held-to-maturity short-term securities

     (45,271     (24,403

Proceeds from maturity of held-to-maturity short-term securities

     280        109   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (45,777     (24,339
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

    

Gross proceeds from public offerings

     115,057        80,393   

Offering costs related to public offerings

     (7,525     (5,640

Proceeds from exercise of options

     2,160        218   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

     109,692        74,971   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

     36,298        41,202   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

     55,696        14,677   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD

   $ 91,994      $ 55,879   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)

Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this report to “Keryx,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and our subsidiaries.

NOTE 1 - GENERAL

Basis of Presentation

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative therapies to market for patients suffering from renal disease. Most of our biopharmaceutical development and substantially all of our administrative operations during the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 were conducted in the United States of America.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they may not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. All adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, of a normal recurring nature and are necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements have been included. Nevertheless, these unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year or any other interim period.

Certain prior period amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements have been altered to conform to the current quarter presentation. As of June 30, 2014, the breakdown of stock-based compensation is presented in Note 3 – Stockholders’ Equity.

Except for 2009, we have incurred substantial operating losses since our inception, and expect to continue to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future and may never become profitable. As of June 30, 2014, we have an accumulated deficit of $475.3 million.

Our major sources of cash have been proceeds from various public and private offerings of our common stock, option and warrant exercises, interest income, and from the upfront and milestone payments from our Sublicense Agreement with Japan Tobacco Inc. (“JT”) and Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Torii”) and miscellaneous payments from our other prior licensing activities. We have not yet commercialized any drug candidate and cannot be sure if we will ever be able to do so. Even if we commercialize a drug candidate, we may not become profitable. Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including our ability to complete our development efforts, obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidate, successfully complete any post-approval regulatory obligations and successfully manufacture and commercialize our drug candidate alone or in partnership. We may continue to incur substantial operating losses even if we begin to generate revenues from our drug candidate, if approved.

We have completed a U.S.-based Phase 3 clinical program for Zerenex for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia (elevated phosphate levels) in patients with chronic kidney disease, or CKD, on dialysis, conducted pursuant to a Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. Our New Drug Application, or NDA, is currently under review by the FDA and was originally assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, goal date of June 7, 2014. On May 21, 2014, we received notice from the FDA that the PDUFA goal date was extended to September 7, 2014. In addition, in March 2014, we submitted a Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, with the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, seeking the approval of Zerenex as a treatment for hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD, including dialysis and non-dialysis dependent CKD, or NDD-CKD. Also in March 2014, the EMA validated our MAA, confirming that the submission is sufficiently complete to begin the formal review process.

We have also completed a U.S.-based Phase 2 study of Zerenex for the management of elevated serum phosphorus levels and iron deficiency anemia in subjects with Stage 3 to 5 NDD-CKD.

 

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In January 2014, we raised approximately $107.5 million, net of underwriting discounts and offering expenses of approximately $7.5 million, in an underwritten public offering. We have a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 filed and declared effective by the SEC in August 2013, which provides for the offering of up to $150 million of common stock and warrants in the aggregate. Subsequent to the underwritten public offering completed in January 2014, there remains approximately $34.9 million of our common stock and warrants available for sale on this shelf registration statement. See Note 3 for additional information.

In January 2014, our Japanese partner, JT and Torii, received manufacturing and marketing approval of ferric citrate from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Ferric citrate, launched in May 2014 and being marketed in Japan by JT’s subsidiary, Torii, under the brand name Riona®, is indicated as an oral treatment for the improvement of hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD, including dialysis and NDD-CKD. Under the license agreement with JT and Torii, Keryx received a non-refundable payment of $10.0 million in February 2014 for the achievement of the marketing approval milestone. Keryx will also receive royalty payments based on a tiered double-digit percentage of net sales of Riona® in Japan escalating up to the mid-teens, as well as up to an additional $55.0 million upon the achievement of certain annual net sales milestones. See Note 4 for additional information.

We currently expect that our existing capital resources combined with future anticipated cash flows will be sufficient to operate our business plan. The actual amount of cash that we will need to operate is subject to many factors, including, but not limited to, the timing and expenditures associated with the build-up of pre-launch/launch inventory and capacity expansion, the timing and expenditures associated with the respective regulatory review processes for our U.S. NDA and EU MAA filings, the timing and expenditures associated with pre-commercial/commercial activities related to Zerenex, and the timing, design and conduct of clinical trials for Zerenex. As a result of these factors, we may need to seek significant additional financings to provide the cash necessary to execute our current operations, including the commercialization of Zerenex.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market and trades under the symbol “KERX.”

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We treat liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less when purchased as cash and cash equivalents.

Investment Securities

We classify our short-term debt securities as held-to-maturity. Held-to-maturity securities are those securities in which we have the ability and intent to hold the security until maturity. Held-to-maturity securities are recorded at amortized cost, adjusted for the amortization or accretion of premiums or discounts. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted over the life of the related held-to-maturity security as an adjustment to yield using the effective interest method. Available-for-sale investment securities are recorded at fair value (see Note 2 – Fair Value Measurements). Other-than-temporary impairment charges are included in interest and other income, net, and unrealized gains (losses), if determined to be temporary, are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity.

The following table summarizes our investment securities at June 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013:

 

(in thousands)

   June 30, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Short-term investments (held to maturity):

     

Obligations of domestic governmental agencies (mature between July 2014 and January 2015)

   $ 44,991       $ —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total short-term investment securities

   $ 44,991       $ —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Revenue Recognition

We recognize license revenue in accordance with the revenue recognition guidance of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”). We analyze each element of our licensing agreement to determine the appropriate revenue recognition. The terms of the license agreement may include payments to us of non-refundable up-front license fees, milestone payments if specified objectives are achieved, and/or royalties on product sales. We

 

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recognize revenue from upfront payments over the period of significant involvement under the related agreements unless the fee is in exchange for products delivered or services rendered that represent the culmination of a separate earnings process and no further performance obligation exists under the contract. We recognize milestone payments as revenue upon the achievement of specified milestones only if (1) the milestone payment is non-refundable, (2) substantive effort is involved in achieving the milestone, (3) the amount of the milestone is reasonable in relation to the effort expended or the risk associated with achievement of the milestone, and (4) the milestone is at risk for both parties. If any of these conditions are not met, we defer the milestone payment and recognize it as revenue over the estimated period of performance under the contract.

For arrangements for which royalty revenue information becomes available and collectability is reasonably assured, we recognize revenue during the applicable period earned. When collectability is reasonably assured but a reasonable estimate of royalty revenue cannot be made, the royalty revenue is recognized in the quarter that the licensee provides the written report and related information to us.

Stock-Based Compensation

We recognize all share-based payments to employees and to non-employee directors for service on our board of directors as compensation expense in the consolidated financial statements based on the grant date fair values of such payments. Stock-based compensation expense recognized each period is based on the value of the portion of share-based payment awards that is ultimately expected to vest during the period. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

For share-based payments to consultants and other third-parties, compensation expense is determined at the “measurement date.” The expense is recognized over the vesting period of the award. Until the measurement date is reached, the total amount of compensation expense remains uncertain. We record compensation expense based on the fair value of the award at the reporting date. The awards to consultants and other third-parties are then revalued, or the total compensation is recalculated based on the then current fair value, at each subsequent reporting date.

Income Taxes

As of June 30, 2014, we have U.S. net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $433.5 million which expire from 2019 through 2033. We have established a 100% valuation allowance against our net deferred tax assets due to our history of pre-tax losses and the likelihood that the deferred tax assets will not be realizable. Due to our historical equity transactions, the utilization of certain tax loss carryforwards may be subject to annual limitations imposed by Internal Revenue Code Section 382 relating to the change of control provisions.

We are not aware of any unrecorded tax liabilities which would materially impact our financial position or our results of operations.

Net Loss Per Share

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the losses allocable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share does not reflect the effect of shares of common stock to be issued upon the exercise of stock options, as their inclusion would be anti-dilutive for all periods presented. The options outstanding as of June 30, 2014 and 2013, which are not included in the computation of net loss per share amounts, were 5,123,576 and 4,044,100, respectively.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss is the same as net loss for all periods presented.

Segment Reporting

We operate in only one reportable segment: the Products segment.

 

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Impairment of Goodwill

Goodwill is reviewed for impairment annually, or when events arise that could indicate that an impairment exists. We test for goodwill impairment using a two-step process. The first step compares the fair value of the reporting unit with the unit’s carrying value, including goodwill. When the carrying value of the reporting unit is greater than fair value, the unit’s goodwill may be impaired, and the second step must be completed to measure the amount of the goodwill impairment charge, if any. In the second step, the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is compared with the carrying amount of the unit’s goodwill. If the carrying amount is greater than the implied fair value, the carrying value of the goodwill must be written down to its implied fair value. As of December 31, 2013, management concluded that there was no impairment of our goodwill. For the period ending June 30, 2014, management determined that there were no impairment indicators that would trigger a goodwill impairment analysis.

NOTE 2 - FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

We measure certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis in the financial statements. The hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of inputs, or assumptions, used in the determination of fair value and requires financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

 

    Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities;

 

    Level 2 – inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices that are directly or indirectly observable; and

 

    Level 3 – unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

We review investment securities for impairment and to determine the classification of the impairment as temporary or other-than-temporary. Losses are recognized in our consolidated statement of operations when a decline in fair value is determined to be other-than-temporary. We review our investments on an ongoing basis for indications of possible impairment. Once identified, the determination of whether the impairment is temporary or other-than-temporary requires significant judgment.

The following table provides the fair value measurements of applicable financial assets as of June 30, 2014:

 

                                                                 
     Financial assets at fair value
as of June 30, 2014
 

(in thousands)

   Level 1      Level 2      Level 3  

Money market funds (1)

   $ 61,047       $ —         $ —     

Obligations of domestic governmental agencies (held-to-maturity) (2)

     44,991         —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 106,038       $ —         $ —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) Included in cash and cash equivalents on our consolidated balance sheet. The carrying amount of money market funds approximates fair value.
(2) Amortized cost approximates fair value.

NOTE 3 - STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Common Stock

On January 22, 2014, we announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering, whereby we sold 7,935,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $14.50 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $115.1 million. Net proceeds from this offering were approximately $107.5 million, net of underwriting discounts and offering expenses of approximately $7.5 million. The shares were sold under a Registration Statement (No. 333-190353) on Form S-3, filed by us with the SEC. This shelf registration statement on Form S-3, filed and declared effective by the SEC in August 2013, provides for the offering of up to $150 million of common stock and warrants in the aggregate. Subsequent to this underwritten public offering, there remains approximately $34.9 million of our common stock and warrants available for sale on this shelf registration statement. We may offer the securities under our shelf registration statement from time to time in response to market conditions or other circumstances if we believe such a plan of financing is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders.

 

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Equity Incentive Plans

Total shares available for the issuance of stock options or other stock-based awards under our stock option and incentive plans were 642,731 shares at June 30, 2014.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes stock option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2014:

 

     Number
of shares
   
Weighted-

average
exercise price
     Weighted-
average
contractual
term
     Aggregate
intrinsic
value
 
                  (in years)         

Outstanding at December 31, 2013

     3,845,370      $ 5.75         6.2       $ 28,361,438   

Granted

     1,678,050        14.32         

Exercised

     (355,064     6.08          $ 3,360,617   
          

 

 

 

Forfeited

     (44,780     9.91         

Expired

     —          —           
  

 

 

         

Outstanding at June 30, 2014

     5,123,576      $ 8.50         7.0       $ 35,462,229   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Vested and expected to vest at June 30, 2014

     5,042,671      $ 8.45         7.0       $ 35,157,574   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Exercisable at June 30, 2014

     2,676,004      $ 5.47         5.1       $ 26,523,370   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Upon the exercise of stock options, we issue new shares of our common stock. As of June 30, 2014, 192,500 options issued to employees and 50,000 options issued to consultants are unvested, milestone-based options.

Restricted Stock

Certain employees, directors and consultants have been awarded restricted stock under our incentive plans. The time-vesting restricted stock grants vest primarily over a period of three years. The following table summarizes restricted share activity for the six months ended June 30, 2014:

 

     Number of
shares
    Weighted
average
grant date 
fair value
     Aggregate
intrinsic
value
 

Outstanding at December 31, 2013

     1,420,930      $ 5.27       $ 18,401,044   

Granted

     826,558        14.07      

Vested

     (259,970     5.64       $ 3,554,154   
       

 

 

 

Forfeited

     (19,080     8.40      
  

 

 

      

Outstanding at June 30, 2014

     1,968,438      $ 8.89       $ 30,274,576   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of June 30, 2014, 455,000 and 200,000 shares of restricted stock issued to employees and consultants, respectively, are unvested, milestone-based shares.

On September 14, 2009, we entered in an employment agreement with Ron Bentsur, our Chief Executive Officer, which was amended on January 13, 2012, and further amended on June 11, 2013. The agreement, as amended, terminates on May 20, 2015, subject to certain early termination events. As of June 30, 2014, Mr. Bentsur has been granted a total of 750,000 shares of restricted stock based on the achievement of certain milestone awards described in his employment agreement. In addition, as of June 30, 2014, Mr. Bentsur has the opportunity to earn certain milestone awards as follows:

(1) 500,000 shares of fully vested common stock will be granted to Mr. Bentsur, upon the first to occur of (a) our first commercial sale of Zerenex in the U.S. off an approved NDA, (b) our receipt of the first royalty upon the commercial sale of Zerenex in the U.S. by a partner to whom we have sold exclusive or non-exclusive commercial rights, or (c) our complete outlicensing of the entire product rights of Zerenex in the U.S.

 

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(2) 100,000 shares of restricted stock will be granted to Mr. Bentsur upon each event of our outlicensing Zerenex in a foreign market, other than Japan, resulting in a greater than $10 million non-refundable cash payment to us with a gross deal value to us of at least $50 million. Such restricted stock will vest in equal installments over each of the first three anniversaries of the date of grant, provided that Mr. Bentsur remains an employee during such vesting period.

Stock-Based Compensation

We incurred $2,604,000 and $638,000 of non-cash compensation expense related to equity incentive grants during the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $5,156,000 and $1,219,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The following table reflects stock-based compensation expense for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

                                                                                                   

Stock-Based Compensation

   Three months ended June 30,      Six months ended June 30,  
(in thousands)    2014      2013      2014      2013  

Research and development

   $ 266       $ 243       $ 1,070       $ 434   

General and administrative

     2,338         395         4,086         785   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

   $         2,604       $         638       $         5,156       $         1,219   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The fair value of stock options granted is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes pricing model. The expected term of options granted is derived from historical data and the expected vesting period. Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of our common stock. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield for a period consistent with the expected term of the option in effect at the time of the grant. We have assumed no expected dividend yield, as dividends have never been paid to stock or option holders and will not be paid for the foreseeable future.

 

                                                                                                   

Black-Scholes Option Valuation Assumptions

   Three months ended June 30,      Six months ended June 30,  
     2014      2013      2014      2013  

Risk-free interest rates

     2.0%         0.7%         2.0%         0.6%   

Dividend yield

     —           —           —           —     

Volatility

     102.7%         103.4%         103.8%         102.7%   

Weighted-average expected term

         6.0 years             3.3 years             6.0 years             3.8 years   

The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 was $11.86 and $5.24 per option, respectively, and for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 was $11.57 and $3.43 per option. We used historical information to estimate forfeitures within the valuation model. As of June 30, 2014, there was $18.5 million and $12.6 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options and restricted stock, respectively, which is expected to be recognized over weighted-average periods of 2.6 years and 2.5 years, respectively. These amounts do not include, as of June 30, 2014, 242,500 options outstanding and 655,000 shares of restricted stock outstanding which are milestone-based and vest upon certain corporate milestones, such as FDA approval of our drug candidate and change in control. Stock-based compensation will be measured and recorded if and when it is probable that the milestone will occur.

NOTE 4 - LICENSE AGREEMENTS

In September 2007, we entered into a Sublicense Agreement with JT and Torii, JT’s pharmaceutical business subsidiary, under which JT and Torii obtained the exclusive sublicense rights for the development and commercialization of ferric citrate in Japan, which is being developed in the U.S. under the trade name Zerenex. JT and Torii are responsible for the future development and commercialization costs in Japan. Effective as of June 8, 2009, we entered into an Amended and Restated Sublicense Agreement (the “Revised Agreement”) with JT and Torii, which, among other things, provided for the elimination of all significant on-going obligations under the sublicense agreement.

In January 2014, JT and Torii received manufacturing and marketing approval of ferric citrate from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Ferric citrate, launched in May 2014 and being marketed in Japan by JT’s subsidiary, Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., under the brand name Riona®, is indicated as an oral treatment for the improvement of hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD. Under the terms of the license agreement with JT and Torii, Keryx received a non-refundable payment of $10.0 million in February 2014 for the achievement of the marketing approval milestone. As a result, we recorded license revenue of $10.0 million in accordance with our revenue

 

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recognition policy, which is included in the six months ended June 30, 2014. Keryx will also receive royalty payments based on a tiered double-digit percentage of net sales of Riona® in Japan escalating up to the mid-teens, as well as up to an additional $55.0 million upon the achievement of certain annual net sales milestones. In accordance with our revenue recognition policy, royalty revenues will be recognized in the quarter that JT and Torii provide their written report and related information to us regarding sales of Riona®, which generally will be one quarter following the quarter in which the underlying sales by JT and Torii occurred.

NOTE 5 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On February 1, 2013, a lawsuit was filed against us and our chief executive officer on behalf of a putative class of all of our shareholders (other than the defendants) who acquired our shares between June 1, 2009 and April 1, 2012. Smith v. Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:13-CV-0755-TPG (S.D.N.Y.). On February 26, 2013, a substantially similar lawsuit was filed against us and our chief executive officer as well as our chief financial officer. Park v. Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:13-CV-1307-TPG (S.D.N.Y.). On June 10, 2013, the Court entered an Order consolidating the two lawsuits and appointing a lead plaintiff. The case was styled In re Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 1:13-CV-0755-KBF (S.D.N.Y.). On July 10, 2013, the lead plaintiff filed a Consolidated Amended Complaint that, in substance, repeated the claims alleged in the consolidated lawsuits. The Consolidated Amended Complaint asserted claims against (i) us for alleged violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and (ii) our chief executive officer for alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5. The claims in the Consolidated Amended Complaint were premised on general allegations that we and the individual defendant participated directly or indirectly in the preparation and/or issuance of purportedly false and misleading earnings reports, SEC filings, press releases, and other public statements, which allegedly caused our stock to trade at artificially inflated prices. On August 26, 2013, we filed a motion to dismiss the Consolidated Amended Complaint. On February 14, 2014, the Court entered an Opinion and Order granting the motion to dismiss. The Court entered Judgment for the Defendants on February 24, 2014. The lead plaintiff did not appeal the Judgment and this matter is now concluded.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this report to “Keryx,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and our subsidiaries.

The following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements about our plans and expectations of what may happen in the future. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and our results could differ materially from the results anticipated by our forward-looking statements as a result of many known or unknown factors, including, but not limited to, those factors discussed in “Risk Factors.” See also the “Special Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” set forth at the beginning of this report.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements, and the related footnotes thereto, appearing elsewhere in this report, and in conjunction with management’s discussion and analysis and the audited consolidated financial statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

OVERVIEW

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative therapies to market for patients suffering from renal disease. We are developing ZerenexTM (ferric citrate), an oral, ferric iron-based compound. We have completed a U.S.-based Phase 3 clinical program for Zerenex for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia (elevated phosphate levels) in patients with chronic kidney disease, or CKD, on dialysis, conducted pursuant to a Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. Our New Drug Application, or NDA, is currently under review by the FDA and was originally assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, goal date of June 7, 2014. On May 21, 2014, we received notice from the FDA that the PDUFA goal date was extended to September 7, 2014. In addition, in March 2014, we submitted a Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, with the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, seeking the approval of Zerenex as a treatment for hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD, including dialysis and non-dialysis dependent CKD, or NDD-CKD. Also in March 2014, the EMA validated our MAA, confirming that the submission is sufficiently complete to begin the formal review process.

 

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We have also completed a U.S.-based Phase 2 study of Zerenex for the management of elevated serum phosphorus levels and iron deficiency anemia in subjects with Stage 3 to 5 NDD-CKD.

Currently, our only drug candidate is Zerenex. We may engage in business development activities that include seeking strategic relationships for Zerenex, as well as evaluating compounds and companies for in-licensing or acquisition. To date, we have not received approval for the sale of any drug candidate in any market. Therefore, we have not generated any product sales from any drug candidate. We have generated, and expect to continue to generate, revenue from the sublicensing of rights to Zerenex in Japan to our Japanese partner, JT and Torii.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

ZerenexTM (ferric citrate)

In April 2014, we announced that the EMA has determined that our MAA seeking the approval of Zerenex as a treatment for hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD, including dialysis- and non-dialysis-dependent CKD, is valid. Validation of the MAA confirms that the submission is sufficiently complete to begin the formal review process. In July 2014, as part of the standard review process, we received Day 120 questions from the EMA related to our MAA. The EMA’s review of the application will follow the centralized marketing authorization procedure. If approved by the EMA, Zerenex will receive marketing authorization in all 27-member states of the European Union, as well as in Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

In May 2014, we received notice from the FDA that the PDUFA goal date for Zerenex was extended to September 7, 2014.

In July 2014, we announced the publication of results from the long-term pivotal Phase 3 study of Zerenex in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

In July 2014, we completed the long-term open label extension, or OLE, study for Zerenex in dialysis-dependent CKD patients. Patients who had participated in and successfully completed the long-term pivotal Phase 3 study were eligible for enrollment in the 48-week OLE study, providing for cumulative exposure to Zerenex of up to two years. Patients in the OLE study (n=168) were titrated to achieve and maintain serum phosphorus levels within a range of 3.5 to 5.5 mg/dL, with a maximum daily dose of 12 grams per day of Zerenex. Data from this study showed that Zerenex effectively controlled serum phosphorus within the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative, or KDOQI, guidelines suggested range of 3.5 to 5.5 mg/dL and increased iron in patients, as measured by transferrin saturation and serum ferritin levels. Additionally, use of IV iron and erythropoiesis stimulating agents, or ESAs, decreased over the course of this extension study, with 85% of patients not receiving any IV iron in the last 12 weeks of the study. Importantly, the safety profile observed in the OLE study was consistent with that seen in the long-term pivotal Phase 3 study and there were no clinically meaningful changes in liver enzymes or aluminum levels over the course of the study. We plan to submit the full data from the OLE study as an abstract to a major medical meeting.

GENERAL CORPORATE

We have devoted substantially all of our efforts to the identification, in-licensing, development and partnering of drug candidates, and have incurred negative cash flow from operations each year since our inception. We have spent, and expect to continue to spend, substantial amounts in connection with implementing our business strategy, including our product development efforts, our clinical trials, pre-commercial/commercial, partnership and licensing activities. We have not yet commercialized a drug candidate and cannot be sure if we will ever be able to do so. Even if we commercialize a drug candidate, we may not become profitable. Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including our ability to complete our development efforts, obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidate, successfully complete any post-approval regulatory obligations and successfully manufacture and commercialize our drug candidate. We may continue to incur substantial operating losses even if we begin to generate revenues from our drug candidate.

Our license revenues consist of license fees and milestone payments arising from our agreement with JT and Torii. We recognize license revenue in accordance with the revenue recognition guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or the Codification. We analyze each element of our licensing agreement to determine the appropriate revenue recognition. The terms of the license agreement may include payment to us of non-refundable up-front license fees, milestone payments if specified objectives are achieved, and/or

 

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royalties on product sales. We recognize revenue from upfront payments over the period of significant involvement under the related agreements unless the fee is in exchange for products delivered or services rendered that represent the culmination of a separate earnings process and no further performance obligation exists under the contract. We recognize milestone payments as revenue upon the achievement of specified milestones only if (1) the milestone payment is non-refundable, (2) substantive effort is involved in achieving the milestone, (3) the amount of the milestone is reasonable in relation to the effort expended or the risk associated with the achievement of the milestone, and (4) the milestone is at risk for both parties. If any of these conditions are not met, we defer the milestone payment and recognize it as revenue over the estimated period of performance under the contract.

For arrangements for which royalty revenue information becomes available and collectability is reasonably assured, we recognize revenue during the applicable period earned. When collectability is reasonably assured but a reasonable estimate of royalty revenue cannot be made, the royalty revenue is recognized in the quarter that the licensee provides the written report and related information to us. Based on our agreement with JT and Torii, and in accordance with our revenue recognition policy, royalty revenues will be recognized in the quarter that JT and Torii provide their written report and related information to us regarding sales of Riona®, which generally will be one quarter following the quarter in which the underlying sales by JT and Torii occurred.

We have not earned any revenues from the commercial sale of any drug candidate.

Our research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries and related personnel costs, including stock-based compensation, fees paid to consultants and outside service providers for clinical and laboratory development, manufacturing, including pre-launch inventory, regulatory, facilities-related and other expenses relating to the design, development, manufacture, testing, and enhancement of our drug candidates and technologies, as well as expenses related to in-licensing of new product candidates. We expense our research and development costs as they are incurred.

Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related expenses, including stock-based compensation, for executive, finance, sales, marketing and other administrative personnel, recruitment expenses, professional fees and other corporate expenses, including investor relations, legal activities, pre-commercial activities and facilities-related expenses.

Our results of operations include non-cash compensation expense as a result of the grants of stock options and restricted stock. Compensation expense for awards of options and restricted stock granted to employees and directors represents the fair value of the award recorded over the respective vesting periods of the individual awards. The expense is included in the respective categories of expense in the consolidated statements of operations. We expect to continue to incur significant non-cash compensation expenses.

For awards of options and restricted stock to consultants and other third-parties, compensation expense is determined at the “measurement date.” The expense is recognized over the vesting period of the award. Until the measurement date is reached, the total amount of compensation expense remains uncertain. We record compensation expense based on the fair value of the award at the reporting date. The awards to consultants and other third-parties are then revalued, or the total compensation is recalculated based on the then current fair value, at each subsequent reporting date. This results in a change to the amount previously recorded in respect of the equity award grant, and additional expense or a reversal of expense may be recorded in subsequent periods based on changes in the assumptions used to calculate fair value, such as changes in market price, until the measurement date is reached and the compensation expense is finalized.

In addition, certain options and restricted stock issued to employees, consultants and other third-parties vest upon the achievement of certain milestones, therefore the total expense is uncertain until the milestone is met.

Clinical trials are lengthy and expensive. Even though our trials demonstrated that Zerenex is effective in treating certain diseases or conditions, there is no guarantee that we will be able to record commercial sales of Zerenex in the future. In addition, we expect losses to continue as we continue to fund the development of Zerenex, including, but not limited to, new drug application submissions, building of inventory, pre-commercial activities, ongoing and additional clinical trials, and the potential acquisition and development of additional drug candidates in the future. As we continue our development efforts, we may enter into additional third-party collaborative agreements and may incur additional expenses, such as licensing fees and milestone payments. In addition, we are continuing to establish the

 

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commercial infrastructure required to manufacture, market and sell Zerenex following approval, if any, by the FDA or regulatory authorities of other countries, which will result in us incurring additional expenses. As a result, our quarterly results may fluctuate and a quarter-by-quarter comparison of our operating results may not be a meaningful indication of our future performance.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Three months ended June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013

License Revenue. There was no license revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013. We will receive royalty payments based on a tiered double-digit percentage of net sales of Riona® in Japan escalating up to the mid-teens, and we anticipate recognizing royalty revenue during the third quarter of 2014 for sales made by Torii in the second quarter of 2014. We may also receive up to an additional $55 million upon the achievement of certain annual net sales milestones.

Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses increased by $3,098,000 to $10,275,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $7,177,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2013. The increase in research and development expenses was due primarily to a $2,954,000 increase in research and development expenses related to our Zerenex program, including costs associated with manufacturing of pre-launch inventory and capacity expansion. The three months ended June 30, 2014, included $266,000 of stock-based compensation expense. We expect our research and development expenses in 2014 to increase due to the continued build-up of pre-launch inventory and capacity expansion for Zerenex, the expected initiation of a pivotal Phase 3 study for Zerenex in NDD-CKD patients, and anticipated additional milestone payments to Panion.

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses increased by $7,991,000 to $12,268,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $4,277,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2013. The increase was primarily related to a $3,239,000 increase in pre-commercial activities and associated personnel costs in preparation for the potential commercialization of Zerenex. Stock-based compensation expense increased by $1,943,000 to $2,338,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $395,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2013, due to the recording of the fair value of equity awards granted to general and administrative personnel and directors, which are expensed over the vesting periods of the individual awards. We expect our general and administrative costs to increase in 2014 related to pre-launch preparations and the potential launch of Zerenex following marketing approval.

Interest and Other Income, Net. Interest and other income, net, increased by $33,000 to $129,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $96,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2013. The increase was due to a higher level of invested funds in our investment portfolio following our January 2014 public offering.

Six months ended June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013

License Revenue. License revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was $10.0 million due to the recognition of a non-refundable milestone payment in January 2014 related to JT and Torii’s achievement of marketing approval in Japan. License revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was $7.0 million due to the recognition of a non-refundable milestone payment received in January 2013 from JT and Torii following their filing of their NDA with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for marketing approval of ferric citrate in Japan. We will also receive royalty payments based on a tiered double-digit percentage of net sales of Riona® in Japan escalating up the mid-teens, and we anticipate recognizing royalty revenue during the third quarter of 2014 for sales made by Torii in the second quarter of 2014. We may also receive up to an additional $55 million upon the achievement of certain annual net sales milestones.

Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses increased by $13,027,000 to $26,634,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $13,607,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2013. The increase in research and development expenses was due primarily to a $12,106,000 increase in research and development expenses related to our Zerenex program, including costs associated with manufacturing of pre-launch inventory and capacity expansion and the submission of our MAA filing. The six months ended June 30, 2014, also includes a $2.0 million one-time milestone payment to Panion & BF Biotech, Inc., the licensor of Zerenex, for JT and Torii’s achievement of the Japanese marketing approval milestone in January 2014. The six months ended June 30, 2014,

 

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included $1,070,000 of stock-based compensation expense. We expect our other research and development expenses in 2014 to increase due to the continued build-up of pre-launch inventory and capacity expansion for Zerenex, the expected initiation of a pivotal Phase 3 study for Zerenex in NDD-CKD CKD patients, and anticipated additional milestone payments to Panion.

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses increased by $12,555,000 to $19,560,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $7,005,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2013. The increase was primarily related to a $5,434,000 increase in pre-commercial activities and associated personnel costs in preparation for the potential commercialization of Zerenex. Stock-based compensation expense increased by $3,301,000 to $4,086,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $785,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2013, due to the recording of the fair value of equity awards granted to general and administrative personnel and directors, which are expensed over the vesting periods of the individual awards. We expect our general and administrative costs to increase in 2014 related to pre-launch preparations and the potential launch of Zerenex following marketing approval.

Interest and Other Income, Net. Interest and other income, net, increased by $51,000 to $250,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to $199,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2013. The increase was due to a higher level of invested funds in our investment portfolio following our January 2014 public offering.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Our major sources of cash have been proceeds from various public and private offerings of our common stock, option and warrant exercises, interest income, and from the upfront and milestone payments from our sublicense agreement with JT and Torii and miscellaneous payments from our other prior licensing activities. We have not yet commercialized a drug candidate and cannot be sure if we will ever be able to do so. Even if we commercialize a drug candidate, we may not become profitable. Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including our ability to complete our development efforts, obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidate, successfully complete any post-approval regulatory obligations and successfully manufacture and commercialize our drug candidate. We may continue to incur substantial operating losses even if we begin to generate revenues from our drug candidate.

On January 22, 2014, we announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering, whereby we sold 7,935,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $14.50 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $115.1 million. Net proceeds from this offering were approximately $107.5 million, net of underwriting discounts and offering expenses of approximately $7.5 million. The shares were sold under a Registration Statement (No. 333-190353) on Form S-3, filed by us with the SEC. This shelf registration statement on Form S-3, filed and declared effective by the SEC in August 2013, provides for the offering of up to $150 million of common stock and warrants in the aggregate. Subsequent to this underwritten public offering, there remains approximately $34.9 million of our common stock and warrants available for sale on this shelf registration statement. We may offer the securities under our shelf registration statement from time to time in response to market conditions or other circumstances if we believe such a plan of financing is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders.

In January 2014, our Japanese partner, JT and Torii, received manufacturing and marketing approval of ferric citrate from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Ferric citrate, launched in May 2014 and being marketed in Japan by JT’s subsidiary, Torii, under the brand name Riona®, is indicated as an oral treatment for the improvement of hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD, including dialysis and NDD-CKD. Under the license agreement with JT and Torii, Keryx received a non-refundable payment of $10.0 million in February 2014 for the achievement of the marketing approval milestone. Keryx will also receive royalty payments based on a tiered double-digit percentage of net sales of Riona® in Japan escalating up to the mid-teens, as well as up to an additional $55.0 million upon the achievement of certain annual net sales milestones.

As of June 30, 2014, we had $137.1 million in cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and interest receivable, an increase of $81.4 million from December 31, 2013. We currently expect that our existing capital resources combined with future anticipated cash flows will be sufficient to operate our business plan. The actual amount of cash that we will need to operate is subject to many factors, including, but not limited to, the timing and expenditures associated with the build-up of pre-launch/launch inventory and capacity expansion, the timing and expenditures associated with the respective regulatory review processes for our U.S. NDA and EU MAA filings, the

 

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timing and expenditures associated with pre-commercial/commercial activities related to Zerenex, and the timing, design and conduct of clinical trials for Zerenex. As a result of these factors, we may need to seek significant additional financings to provide the cash necessary to execute our current operations, including the commercialization of Zerenex.

Net cash used in operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was $27.6 million, as compared to $9.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013. This increase in net cash used in operating activities was primarily related to increased Zerenex development and pre-commercial expenditures.

For the six months ended June 30, 2014, net cash used in investing activities was $45.8 million, as compared to $24.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013. The increase in net cash used in investing activities was primarily due to our investments in held-to-maturity short-term securities following our public offering of common stock in January 2014.

For the six months ended June 30, 2014, net cash provided by financing activities was $109.7 million as compared to $75.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013. The increase was primarily related to $107.5 million of net proceeds received from our public offering of common stock in January 2014, as compared to $74.8 million of net proceeds received from our public offering of common stock in January 2013.

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

We have not entered into any transactions with unconsolidated entities whereby we have financial guarantees, subordinated retained interests, derivative instruments or other contingent arrangements that expose us to material continuing risks, contingent liabilities, or any other obligations under a variable interest in an unconsolidated entity that provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support, or engages in leasing, hedging, or research and development services on our behalf.

OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS

In March 2014, we entered into a sublease for approximately 10,395 square feet of leased office space in Boston, Massachusetts, with a term through December 31, 2015.

As of June 30, 2014, we have the following operating lease obligations, which include our office leases in New York and Boston.

 

                                                                                                                            
     Payment due by period  
Contractual obligations    Total      Less than 1
year
     1-3
years
     3-5
years
     More than
5 years
 

Operating leases

   $ 3,056,000       $ 1,489,000       $ 1,567,000       $ —         $ —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 3,056,000       $ 1,489,000       $ 1,567,000       $ —         $ —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the applicable period. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We define critical accounting policies as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties and which may potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. In applying these critical accounting policies, our management uses its judgment to determine the appropriate assumptions to be used in making certain estimates. These estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. Our critical accounting policies include the following:

 

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Stock Compensation. We have granted stock options and restricted stock to employees, directors and consultants, as well as warrants to other third parties. For employee and director grants, the value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes model takes into account volatility in the price of our stock, the risk-free interest rate, the estimated life of the option, the closing market price of our stock and the exercise price. We base our estimates of our stock price volatility on the historical volatility of our common stock and our assessment of future volatility; however, these estimates are neither predictive nor indicative of the future performance of our stock. For purposes of the calculation, we assumed that no dividends would be paid during the life of the options and warrants. The estimates utilized in the Black-Scholes calculation involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment. In addition, we are required to estimate the expected forfeiture rate and only recognize expense for those equity awards expected to vest. As a result, if other assumptions had been used, our recorded stock-based compensation expense could have been materially different from that reported. In addition, because some of the options and warrants issued to employees, consultants and other third-parties vest upon the achievement of certain milestones, the total expense is uncertain.

Total compensation expense for options and restricted stock issued to consultants is determined at the “measurement date.” The expense is recognized over the vesting period for the options and restricted stock. Until the measurement date is reached, the total amount of compensation expense remains uncertain. We record stock-based compensation expense based on the fair value of the equity awards at the reporting date. These equity awards are then revalued, or the total compensation is recalculated based on the then current fair value, at each subsequent reporting date. This results in a change to the amount previously recorded in respect of the equity award grant, and additional expense or a reversal of expense may be recorded in subsequent periods based on changes in the assumptions used to calculate fair value, such as changes in market price, until the measurement date is reached and the compensation expense is finalized.

Accruals for Clinical Research Organization and Clinical Site Costs. We make estimates of costs incurred in relation to external clinical research organizations, or CROs, and clinical site costs. We analyze the progress of clinical trials, including levels of patient enrollment, invoices received and contracted costs when evaluating the adequacy of the amount expensed and the related prepaid asset and accrued liability. Significant judgments and estimates must be made and used in determining the accrued balance and expense in any accounting period. We review and accrue CRO expenses and clinical trial study expenses based on work performed and rely upon estimates of those costs applicable to the stage of completion of a study. Accrued CRO costs are subject to revisions as such trials progress to completion. Revisions are charged to expense in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known. With respect to clinical site costs, the financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation and vary from contract to contract. Payments under these contracts may be uneven, and depend on factors such as the achievement of certain events, the successful recruitment of patients, and the completion of portions of the clinical trial or similar conditions. The objective of our policy is to match the recording of expenses in our financial statements to the actual services received and efforts expended. As such, expense accruals related to clinical site costs are recognized based on our estimate of the degree of completion of the event or events specified in the specific clinical study or trial contract.

Revenue Recognition. We recognize license revenue in accordance with the revenue recognition guidance of the Codification. We analyze each element of our licensing agreement to determine the appropriate revenue recognition. The terms of the license agreement may include payment to us of non-refundable up-front license fees, milestone payments if specified objectives are achieved, and/or royalties on product sales. We recognize revenue from upfront payments over the period of significant involvement under the related agreements unless the fee is in exchange for products delivered or services rendered that represent the culmination of a separate earnings process and no further performance obligation exists under the contract. We recognize milestone payments as revenue upon the achievement of specified milestones only if (1) the milestone payment is non-refundable, (2) substantive effort is involved in achieving the milestone, (3) the amount of the milestone is reasonable in relation to the effort expended or the risk associated with achievement of the milestone, and (4) the milestone is at risk for both parties. If any of these conditions are not met, we defer the milestone payment and recognize it as revenue over the estimated period of performance under the contract.

For arrangements for which royalty revenue information becomes available and collectability is reasonably assured, we recognize revenue during the applicable period earned. When collectability is reasonably assured but a reasonable estimate of royalty revenue cannot be made, the royalty revenue is recognized in the quarter that the licensee provides the written report and related information to us.

 

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We recognize other revenues at the time such fees and payments are earned.

Accounting for Pre-Approval Inventory Expenditures. Pre-approval inventory expenditures are recorded as research and development expenses as incurred. The capitalization of inventory for our product candidate will commence when it is probable that our product will be approved for commercial marketing.

Accounting Related to Goodwill. As of June 30, 2014, there was approximately $3.2 million of goodwill on our consolidated balance sheet. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment annually, or when events arise that could indicate that an impairment exists. We test for goodwill impairment using a two-step process. The first step compares the fair value of the reporting unit with the unit’s carrying value, including goodwill. When the carrying value of the reporting unit is greater than fair value, the unit’s goodwill may be impaired, and the second step must be completed to measure the amount of the goodwill impairment charge, if any. In the second step, the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is compared with the carrying amount of the unit’s goodwill. If the carrying amount is greater than the implied fair value, the carrying value of the goodwill must be written down to its implied fair value.

We are required to perform impairment tests annually, at December 31, and whenever events or changes in circumstances suggest that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. For all of our acquisitions, various analyses, assumptions and estimates were made at the time of each acquisition that were used to determine the valuation of goodwill and intangibles. In future years, the possibility exists that changes in forecasts and estimates from those used at the acquisition date could result in impairment indicators.

Accounting For Income Taxes. In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves management estimation of our actual current tax exposure and assessment of temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities. We must then assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent we believe that recovery is not likely, we must establish a valuation allowance. To the extent we establish a valuation allowance or increase this allowance in a period, we must include an expense within the tax provision in the consolidated statement of operations. Significant management judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets. We have fully offset our deferred tax assets with a valuation allowance. Our lack of earnings history and the uncertainty surrounding our ability to generate taxable income prior to the reversal or expiration of such deferred tax assets were the primary factors considered by management in maintaining the valuation allowance.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal while maximizing our income from investments and minimizing our market risk. We currently invest in government and investment-grade corporate debt in accordance with our investment policy, which we may change from time to time. The securities in which we invest have market risk. This means that a change in prevailing interest rates, and/or credit risk, may cause the fair value of the investment to fluctuate. For example, if we hold a security that was issued with a fixed interest rate at the then-prevailing rate and the prevailing interest rate later rises, the fair value of our investment will probably decline. As of June 30, 2014, our portfolio of financial instruments consists of cash equivalents and short-term interest bearing securities, including government debt and money market funds. The average duration of all of our held-to-maturity investments held as of June 30, 2014, was less than 12 months. Due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments, we believe there is no material exposure to interest rate risk, and/or credit risk, arising from our portfolio of financial instruments.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As of June 30, 2014, management carried out, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in applicable rules and forms. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of June 30, 2014, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

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Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended June 30, 2014, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our company have been detected.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We, and our subsidiaries, are not a party to, and our property is not the subject of, any material pending legal proceedings, except as stated below.

On February 1, 2013, a lawsuit was filed against us and our chief executive officer on behalf of a putative class of all of our shareholders (other than the defendants) who acquired our shares between June 1, 2009 and April 1, 2012. Smith v. Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:13-CV-0755-TPG (S.D.N.Y.). On February 26, 2013, a substantially similar lawsuit was filed against us and our chief executive officer as well as our chief financial officer. Park v. Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:13-CV-1307-TPG (S.D.N.Y.). On June 10, 2013, the Court entered an Order consolidating the two lawsuits and appointing a lead plaintiff. The case was styled In re Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 1:13-CV-0755-KBF (S.D.N.Y.). On July 10, 2013, the lead plaintiff filed a Consolidated Amended Complaint that, in substance, repeated the claims alleged in the consolidated lawsuits. The Consolidated Amended Complaint asserted claims against (i) us for alleged violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and (ii) our chief executive officer for alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5. The claims in the Consolidated Amended Complaint were premised on general allegations that we and the individual defendant participated directly or indirectly in the preparation and/or issuance of purportedly false and misleading earnings reports, SEC filings, press releases, and other public statements, which allegedly caused our stock to trade at artificially inflated prices. On August 26, 2013, we filed a motion to dismiss the Consolidated Amended Complaint. On February 14, 2014, the Court entered an Opinion and Order granting the motion to dismiss. The Court entered Judgment for the Defendants on February 24, 2014. The lead plaintiff did not appeal the Judgment and this matter is now concluded.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the following risks and uncertainties. If any of the following occurs, our business, financial condition and/or operating results could be materially harmed. These factors could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

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Risks related to our business

We have a limited operating history and have incurred substantial operating losses since our inception. We expect to continue to incur losses in the future and may never become profitable.

We have a limited operating history. You should consider our prospects in light of the risks and difficulties frequently encountered by early stage companies. In addition, we have incurred substantial operating losses since our inception and expect to continue to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future and may never become profitable. As of June 30, 2014, we had an accumulated deficit of $475.3 million. As we continue our research and development and pre-commercial efforts, we will incur increasing losses. We may continue to incur substantial operating losses even if we begin to generate revenues from our drug candidate, Zerenex (ferric citrate).

We have not yet commercialized any drug candidate and cannot be sure that we will ever be able to do so. Even if we commercialize Zerenex, or a future drug candidate, we may not become profitable. Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including our ability to complete our development efforts, obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidate, successfully complete any post-approval regulatory obligations and successfully manufacture and commercialize our drug candidate.

Risks associated with our product development efforts

If we do not receive regulatory approvals to market our product candidate in a timely manner, or at all, our business will be materially harmed and our stock price may be adversely affected.

We are developing Zerenex (ferric citrate), an oral, ferric iron-based compound that has the capacity to bind to phosphate and form non-absorbable complexes. We have completed a U.S.-based Phase 3 clinical program for Zerenex for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia (elevated phosphate levels) in patients with chronic kidney disease, or CKD, on dialysis, conducted pursuant to a Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, agreement with the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the Company’s New Drug Application, or NDA, was submitted to the FDA for review in August 2013. On October 7, 2013, the FDA accepted for review the NDA that we submitted for Zerenex. We subsequently received the Filing Review Notification, also referred to as the Day 74 letter, which designated a standard 10-month review timeline and a FDA Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, goal date of June 7, 2014, which is the date by which the FDA intended to complete its review and issue a determination. On May 21, 2014, we received notice from the FDA that the PDUFA goal date was extended to September 7, 2014.

In May 2011, we announced positive Scientific Advice from the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, for the development of Zerenex for the management and control of serum phosphorus in CKD patients undergoing dialysis, and in non-dialysis dependent CKD patients. The Scientific Advice from the EMA indicates that our successful Phase 3 program in dialysis in the U.S., in conjunction with safety data generated from other clinical studies with Zerenex, will be considered sufficient to support a European marketing authorization application, or MAA, to the EMA for the indication in CKD patients on dialysis. The Scientific Advice also provided us with a regulatory path forward in the non-dialysis dependent CKD setting in Europe. As a result, we believe that since our Phase 3 program in dialysis, and Phase 2 study in non-dialysis dependent CKD, in the U.S. were successful, we will not need to conduct any additional clinical trials to assess the safety or efficacy of Zerenex in order to obtain European approval in CKD, including the dialysis and non-dialysis dependent CKD settings. Accordingly, in March 2014, we submitted a MAA with the EMA for both dialysis and NDD-CKD, which was validated by the EMA in March 2014. Scientific Advice is legally non-binding and is based on the current scientific knowledge, which may be subject to future changes. Many companies which have been provided with positive Scientific Advice by the EMA have ultimately failed to obtain approval of an MAA for their drugs. Additionally, even if the primary endpoint in a Phase 3, or other pivotal, clinical trial is achieved, the Scientific Advice does not guarantee approval. The EMA may raise issues of safety, study conduct, bias, deviation from the protocol, statistical power and analyses, patient demographics, patient completion rates, changes in scientific or medical parameters or internal inconsistencies in the data prior to making its final decision, which may delay or prevent EMA approval of Zerenex.

Obtaining approval of a NDA and MAA by the FDA and EMA, respectively, is highly uncertain and like many product candidates, we may fail to obtain the respective approvals even though our NDA for Zerenex has been filed and accepted for review by the FDA and our MAA has been validated by the EMA. The NDA and MAA review processes are extensive, lengthy, expensive and uncertain, and the FDA and/or EMA may delay, limit or deny approval of Zerenex for many reasons, including:

 

    we may not be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the respective regulatory authority that Zerenex is safe and effective for any indication;

 

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    the data arising from the clinical trials, including the Phase 3 results for dialysis patients and our recent Phase 2 results for non-dialysis dependent CKD, the development program or the NDA and/or MAA for Zerenex may not be satisfactory to the FDA and/or EMA;

 

    the respective regulatory authority may disagree with the number, design, size, conduct or implementation of our clinical trials or conclude that the data fails to meet statistical or clinical significance;

 

    the respective regulatory authority may not find the data from preclinical and clinical studies sufficient to demonstrate that Zerenex’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks;

 

    the respective regulatory authority may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials, and may reject conclusions from preclinical studies or clinical trials, or determine that primary or secondary endpoints from clinical trials were not met, or reject safety conclusions from such studies;

 

    the respective regulatory authority may not accept data generated at one or more of our clinical trial sites;

 

    the respective regulatory authority may determine that we did not properly oversee our clinical trials or follow the regulatory authority’s advice or recommendations in conducting our clinical trials;

 

    an advisory committee, if convened by the respective regulatory authority, may recommend against approval of our application or may recommend that the respective regulatory authority require, as a condition of approval, additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, limitations on approved labeling or distribution and use restrictions, or even if an advisory committee, if convened, makes a favorable recommendation, the respective regulatory authority may still not approve Zerenex;

 

    data and analyses submitted to the FDA and/or EMA in response to questions raised during the respective review processes may not be satisfactory to the respective regulatory authority, and this may lead to significant delays in the approval of Zerenex or to the rejection of the Zerenex NDA and/or MAA; and

 

    the respective regulatory authority may identify deficiencies in the chemistry, manufacturing and controls, or CMC, sections of our NDA and/or MAA, our manufacturing processes, facilities or analytical methods or those of our third party contract manufacturers, and this may lead to significant delays in the approval of Zerenex or to the rejection of the Zerenex NDA and/or MAA.

Additionally, our March 2014 MAA submission to the EMA was our first MAA filing in Europe. During the regulatory review process, regulatory agencies will typically ask questions of drug sponsors, such as the Day 120 questions which we recently received from the EMA. To date, in both the NDA review process by the FDA and the MAA review process by the EMA, we have endeavored to answer all such questions in a timely and complete fashion; however, we cannot assure you that our answers to such questions were, and will continue to be, complete and to the satisfaction of the regulatory agencies. If certain questions asked have not been fully and satisfactorily answered by us, approval of our filings may be delayed, or the filings may be rejected.

We have conducted two Phase 3 clinical trials initiated in May 2010 and September 2010 for Zerenex as a treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with end-stage renal disease pursuant to a SPA agreement with the FDA. Many companies which have been granted SPAs have ultimately failed to obtain final approval to market their drugs. Since we are seeking approval for Zerenex under a SPA, based on protocol designs negotiated with, and agreed to by, the FDA, we may be subject to enhanced scrutiny. Regardless of the success of our Phase 3 clinical trials, a SPA does not guarantee approval. The FDA may raise issues of safety, study conduct, bias, deviation from the protocol, statistical power and analyses, patient demographics, patient completion rates, changes in scientific or medical parameters or internal inconsistencies in the data prior to making its final decision. The FDA may also seek the guidance of an outside advisory committee prior to making its final decision. Additionally, the regulatory approval of new therapies, and other clinical trial results from potential competitors in our proposed indication, could invalidate our SPA agreement, or require us to conduct additional, expensive clinical trials in order to obtain regulatory approval.

Accordingly, we may not receive the regulatory approvals needed to market Zerenex. Any failure or delay in completion of the development program or the FDA and/or EMA review processes would delay or foreclose commercialization of Zerenex and severely harm our business and financial condition.

If we are unable to successfully complete our clinical trial programs, or if such clinical trials take longer to complete than we project, our ability to execute our current business strategy will be adversely affected.

Whether or not and how quickly we complete our clinical trials is dependent in part upon the rate at which we are able to engage clinical trial sites and, thereafter, the rate of enrollment of patients, and the rate we collect, clean, lock and analyze the clinical trial database. Patient enrollment is a function of many factors, including the size of the

 

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patient population, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the study, the existence of competitive clinical trials, and whether existing or new drugs are approved for the indication we are studying. We are aware that other companies are currently conducting or planning clinical trials that seek to enroll patients with the same disease that we are studying. If we experience delays in identifying and contracting with sites and/or in patient enrollment in our clinical trial programs, we may incur additional costs and delays in our development programs, and may not be able to complete our clinical trials in a cost-effective or timely manner or at all. In addition, conducting multi-national studies adds another level of complexity and risk. As a result, we may be subject to events affecting countries outside the U.S.

Negative or inconclusive results from the clinical trials we conduct or unanticipated adverse medical events could cause us to have to repeat or terminate the clinical trials. For example, in May 2012, we abandoned our development efforts and terminated our license for KRX-0401 (perifosine) following negative results from the Phase 3 trial. We may also opt to change the delivery method, formulation or dosage which could affect efficacy results for the drug candidate. Accordingly, we may not be able to complete our current or future clinical trials within an acceptable time frame, if at all.

Pre-clinical testing and clinical development are long, expensive and uncertain processes. If our drug candidate does not receive the necessary regulatory approvals, we will be unable to commercialize our drug candidate, Zerenex.

We have not received, and may never receive, regulatory approval for the commercial sale of any drug candidate. We may need to conduct significant additional research and human testing before we receive product approvals with the FDA, EMA or with regulatory authorities of other countries. Pre-clinical testing and clinical development are long, expensive and uncertain processes. Satisfaction of regulatory requirements typically depends on the nature, complexity and novelty of the product. It requires the expenditure of substantial resources. Data obtained from pre-clinical and clinical tests can be interpreted in different ways, which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. The FDA, EMA or a regulatory authority of another country, as applicable, may pose additional questions or request further toxicological, drug-drug interaction, pre-clinical or clinical data or substantiation. For example, while ferric citrate is a Generally Recognized as Safe, or GRAS, substance in the U.S., and the FDA and EMA have not requested us to conduct a two-year carcinogenicity study in animals, there is no assurance that the FDA, EMA or some other regulatory authority will not ask us to conduct such a study in order to obtain regulatory approval. In addition, the FDA and EMA have not requested us to conduct reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity and single-dose toxicity studies and we are referencing such studies from the published scientific literature in our regulatory submissions. However, we can provide no assurance that the FDA or EMA will not ask us to conduct additional studies. Similarly, while the results of drug-drug interaction studies conducted in vitro were submitted in the NDA and the MAA, during the NDA review process, the FDA requested that we conduct additional in-vitro drug-drug interaction studies. While we believe that we completed the requested in-vitro studies in a timely manner, and submitted the studies to the FDA prior to the target PDUFA date, we cannot assure you that such studies were completed to the satisfaction of the FDA. In addition, while no requests have been made by the FDA or EMA for in-vivo (human) drug-drug interaction studies, we cannot assure you that the FDA or EMA will not request such studies in the future. During its review, the FDA has also asked us several questions to clarify components of our CMC submission, to which we have submitted responses. While we believe that we have answered these questions sufficiently, we cannot assure you that the FDA will not have additional questions that could negative impact the NDA review. We also recently received Day 120 questions from the EMA on our MAA. We will be working on responses to the EMA’s questions and intend to submit such responses expeditiously, but we cannot assure you that we will answer these questions to the EMA’s satisfaction or that the EMA will not have additional questions as part of the MAA review. Consequently, it may take us many years to complete the testing of our drug candidate and failure can occur at any stage of this process. Negative, inconclusive, or insufficient results or medical events during a pre-clinical or clinical trial could cause us to delay or terminate our development efforts. Furthermore, interim results of preclinical or clinical studies do not necessarily predict their final results, and acceptable results in early studies might not be obtained in later studies.

Safety signals detected during clinical studies and pre-clinical animal studies, such as the gastrointestinal bleeding and liver toxicities that have been seen in some high-dose, ferric citrate canine studies, may require us to perform additional safety studies or analyses, which could delay the development of the drug or lead to a decision to discontinue development of the drug. We have submitted to the FDA and EMA data from our short-term and long-term rat and canine pre-clinical studies for Zerenex. While the FDA and EMA have reviewed the data from these studies and we have conducted our Phase 3 clinical program for CKD patients on dialysis, and Phase 2 study in non-dialysis

 

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dependent CKD patients, we can provide no assurance that the FDA or EMA will not raise any safety concerns in the future from these studies. Drug candidates in the later stages of clinical development may fail to show the desired traits of safety and efficacy despite positive results in earlier clinical testing. Moreover, the risk remains that the safety and efficacy data from our pivotal Phase 3 program for dialysis dependent CKD patients may be insufficiently persuasive for the approval of the drug, or may raise safety concerns that may prevent approval of the drug, for the indication sought. The risk also remains that a clinical program conducted by one of our partners may raise efficacy or safety concerns that may prevent approval of the drug. In addition, qualitative, quantitative and statistical interpretation of any of the prior pre-clinical and clinical safety and efficacy data of our drug candidate may be viewed as flawed by the FDA, EMA or any other regulatory agency. In addition, there can be no assurance that safety and/or efficacy concerns from the prior data were not overlooked or misinterpreted by us or our consultants, which in subsequent, larger studies might appear and prevent approval of such drug candidate. In addition, top-line results reported on completed clinical trials, such as those from our long-term open label extension, or OLE, study for Zerenex in dialysis-dependent CKD patients, are based on a preliminary analysis of then available data (both safety and efficacy) and there is the risk that such findings and conclusions could change following a more comprehensive review of the data by a regulatory authority. For example, in January 2013, we announced successful top-line results from our long-term Phase 3 study of Zerenex for the treatment of elevated serum phosphorus levels, or hyperphosphatemia, in patients with ESRD on dialysis. Updated results from the study were presented in June 2013 at the World Congress of Nephrology. We can provide no assurance that our findings and conclusions from our long-term Phase 3 study of Zerenex or from our long-term OLE study for Zerenex in dialysis-dependent CKD patients will not change following a more comprehensive review of the data by a regulatory authority.

Clinical trials have a high risk of failure. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry, including biotechnology companies, have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after achieving what appeared to be promising results in earlier trials. We experienced such a setback with our Phase 3 KRX-0401 (perifosine) results in April 2012, and we can provide no assurance that we will not experience such setbacks with Zerenex or any other drug candidate we develop. If we experience delays in the testing or approval process for our existing drug candidate or if we need to perform more or larger clinical trials than originally planned, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our drug candidate may be materially impaired. In addition, we have limited experience in conducting and managing the clinical trials necessary to obtain regulatory approval in the U.S. and abroad. Accordingly, we may encounter unforeseen problems and delays in the approval process. Although we engage, from time to time, clinical research organizations with experience in conducting regulatory trials, errors in the conduct, monitoring, data capture and analysis, and/or auditing could potentially invalidate the results.

Because all of our proprietary technologies are licensed or sublicensed to us by third parties, termination of these license rights would prevent us from developing and commercializing Zerenex.

We do not own our drug candidate, Zerenex. We have licensed and sublicensed the rights, patent or otherwise, to Zerenex from a third party, Panion & BF Biotech, Inc., or Panion, who in turn licenses certain rights to Zerenex from one of the inventors of Zerenex. The license agreement with Panion requires us to meet development milestones and imposes development and commercialization due diligence requirements on us. In addition, under the agreement, we must pay royalties based on a mid-single digit percentage of net sales of product resulting from the licensed technologies (including Zerenex) and pay the patent filing, prosecution and maintenance costs related to the license. If we do not meet our obligations in a timely manner or if we otherwise breach the terms of our license agreement (including upon certain insolvency events), Panion could terminate the agreement, and we would lose the rights to Zerenex. In addition, if Panion breaches its agreement with the inventor from whom it licenses rights to Zerenex, Panion could lose its license, which could impair or delay our ability to develop and commercialize Zerenex. From time to time, we may have disagreements with our licensors or collaborators, or they and/or we may have disagreements with the original inventors, regarding the terms of our agreements or ownership of proprietary rights, which could lead to delays in the research, development and commercialization of our current, and any future, drug candidate, could require or result in litigation or arbitration, which would be time-consuming and expensive, or could lead to the termination of a license, or force us to negotiate a revised or new license agreement on terms less favorable than the original. In addition, in the event that the owners and/or licensors of the rights we license were to enter into bankruptcy or similar proceedings, we could potentially lose our rights to our drug candidates or our rights could otherwise be adversely affected, which could prevent us from developing or commercializing our drug candidates. Finally, our rights to develop and commercialize Zerenex, whether ourselves or with third parties, are subject to and limited by the terms and conditions of our licenses to Zerenex and the licenses and sublicenses we grant to others.

 

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We rely on third parties to manufacture and analytically test our drug candidate. If these third parties do not successfully manufacture and test our drug candidate, our business will be harmed.

We have limited experience in manufacturing products for clinical or commercial purposes. We intend to continue, in whole or in part, to use third parties to manufacture and analytically test our drug candidate for use in clinical trials and for future sales. We may not be able to enter into future contract agreements with these third-parties on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Our ability to conduct clinical trials, manufacture and commercialize our drug candidate will depend on the ability of such third parties to manufacture our drug candidate on a large scale at a competitive cost and in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, and other regulatory requirements, including requirements from federal, state and local environmental and safety regulatory agencies and foreign regulatory requirements, if applicable. Prior to approval, the FDA must review and approve our validation studies for drug substance and drug product. Significant scale-up of manufacturing may result in unanticipated technical challenges and may require additional validation studies that the FDA must review and approve. Contract manufacturers often encounter difficulties in scaling up production, including problems involving raw material supplies, production yields, technical difficulties, scaled-up product characteristics, quality control and assurance, shortage of qualified personnel, capacity constraints, changing priorities within the contract manufacturers, compliance with FDA and foreign regulations, environmental compliance, production costs and development of advanced manufacturing techniques and process controls. Any of these difficulties, if they occur, and are not overcome to the satisfaction of the FDA or other regulatory agency, could lead to significant delays and possibly the termination of the development program for our drug candidate, particularly given that some of the third parties we employ in the manufacturing process are single source providers. These risks become more acute as we scale up for commercial quantities, where a reliable source of raw material supplies and drug substance and drug product processes become critical to commercial success. For example, given the large quantity of materials required for Zerenex production and the large quantities of Zerenex that will be required for commercial success, the commercial viability of Zerenex, if approved, will also depend on adequate supply of starting materials that meet quality, quantity and cost standards and the ability of our contract manufacturers to produce drug substance and drug product in large scale. Failure to achieve this level of supply can jeopardize and prevent the successful commercialization of the product. Moreover, issues that may arise in our current transition to commercial batch sizes with our third party manufacturers of Zerenex can lead to significant delays in our development timelines.

Our third-party manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time required by us to successfully produce and market our drug candidate. In addition, our contract manufacturers will be subject to ongoing periodic and unannounced inspections by the FDA and corresponding foreign governmental agencies to ensure strict compliance with cGMP, as well as other governmental regulations and corresponding foreign standards. While we periodically audit our contractors for adherence to regulatory requirements, and are ultimately held responsible for their regulatory compliance, we cannot assure you that unforeseen changes at these contractors will not occur that could change their regulatory standing. The same issues apply to contract analytical services which we use for quality, impurity and release testing of our drug candidate. We are required by law to have adequate control over raw materials, components and finished products furnished by our third-party manufacturers, which we establish by contract and through periodic oversight, but unforeseen circumstances could affect our third-party manufacturers’ compliance with applicable regulations and standards. As we continue to scale up production, we continue to develop analytical tools for ferric citrate drug substance and drug product testing. Failure to develop effective analytical tools could result in regulatory or technical delay or could jeopardize our ability to obtain FDA approval. Moreover, even with effective analytical methods available, there is no assurance that we will be able to analyze all the raw materials and qualify all impurities to the satisfaction of the FDA, possibly requiring additional analytical studies, analytical method development, or preclinical studies, which could significantly delay our ability to receive regulatory approval for our drug candidate. Additionally, changes in the analytical specifications required by the FDA or other regulatory authority, such as United States Pharmacopeial Convention standards, from time to time, could delay our ability to receive regulatory approval for our drug candidate. Switching or engaging multiple third-party contractors to produce our drug substance or drug product may be difficult and time consuming because the number of potential manufacturers may be limited and the process by which multiple manufacturers make the drug substance or drug product must meet established specifications at each manufacturing facility. It may be difficult and time consuming for us to find and engage replacement or multiple manufacturers quickly and on terms acceptable to us, if at all. For Zerenex, the loss of any of our drug substance or drug product manufacturers would result in significant additional costs and delays in our development program. Moreover, if we need to add or change manufacturers after commercialization, the FDA and corresponding foreign regulatory agencies must approve any new manufacturers in advance, which will involve testing and additional inspections to ensure compliance with FDA and foreign regulations and standards.

 

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If we do not establish or maintain manufacturing, drug development and marketing arrangements with third parties, we may be unable to commercialize our products.

We do not possess all of the capabilities to fully commercialize our product on our own. From time to time, we may need to contract with additional third parties, or renew or revise contracts with existing third parties, to:

 

    manufacture our product candidate;

 

    assist us in developing, testing and obtaining regulatory approval for and commercializing our compound and technologies; and

 

    market and distribute our drug product.

We can provide no assurance that we will be able to successfully enter into agreements with such third parties on terms that are acceptable to us, if at all. If we are unable to successfully contract with third parties for these services when needed, or if existing arrangements for these services are terminated, whether or not through our actions, or if such third parties do not fully perform under these arrangements, we may have to delay, scale back or end one or more of our drug development programs or seek to develop or commercialize our product independently, which could result in significant delays. Furthermore, such failure could result in the termination of license rights to our product. If these manufacturing, development or marketing agreements take the form of a partnership or strategic alliance, such arrangements may provide our collaborators with significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to the development and commercialization of our product. We cannot predict the form or scope that any such collaboration might take, and we may pursue other strategic alternatives if terms or proposed collaborations are not attractive. To the extent that we rely on third parties to research, develop or commercialize our product, we are unable to control whether such product will be scientifically or commercially successful. Additionally, if these third parties fail to perform their obligations under our agreements with them or fail to perform their work in a satisfactory manner, in spite of our efforts to monitor and ensure the quality of such work, we may face delays in achieving the business or regulatory milestones required for commercialization of our current, and any future, drug candidate.

Our reliance on third parties, such as clinical research organizations, or CROs, may result in delays in completing, or a failure to complete, clinical trials if such CROs fail to perform under our agreements with them.

In the course of product development, we engage CROs and other vendors to conduct and manage clinical studies and to assist us in guiding our products through the FDA review and approval process. If the CROs or applicable vendors fail to perform their obligations under our agreements with them or fail to perform clinical trials in a satisfactory or timely manner, we may face significant delays in completing our clinical trials, submitting our regulatory filings, or approval, as well as the commercialization of one or more drug candidates. Furthermore, any loss or delay in obtaining contracts with such entities may also delay the completion of our clinical trials and the market approval of drug candidate(s).

Other Risks Related to Our Business

If we are unable to develop adequate sales, marketing or distribution capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to perform some of these functions, we will not be able to commercialize our product effectively.

In the event our drug candidate is approved by the FDA and or EMA, we may conduct our own sales and marketing effort to support the drug. We currently have limited experience in sales, marketing or distribution. To directly market and distribute any product, we must build and train a sales and marketing organization with appropriate technical expertise and distribution capabilities. We are attempting to build and train such a sales and marketing organization on our own to commercialize Zerenex in the U.S. For some market opportunities, we may want or need to enter into co-promotion or other licensing arrangements with larger pharmaceutical or biotechnology firms in order to increase the commercial success of our product. We may not be able to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities of our own or enter into such arrangements with third parties in a timely manner or on acceptable terms. To the extent that we enter into co-promotion or other licensing arrangements, our product revenues are likely to be lower than if we directly marketed and sold our product, and some or all of the revenues we receive will depend upon the efforts of third parties, and these efforts may not be successful. Additionally, building marketing and distribution capabilities may be more expensive and time consuming than we anticipate, requiring us to divert capital from other intended purposes or preventing us from building our marketing and distribution capabilities to the desired levels.

 

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Even if we obtain regulatory approval to market Zerenex, if it fails to achieve market acceptance, we may never record meaningful revenues.

Even if Zerenex is approved for sale, it may not be commercially successful in the marketplace. Market acceptance of our drug product will depend on a number of factors, including:

 

    perceptions by members of the health care community, including physicians, of the safety and efficacy of our product candidate, including, but not limited to, the perception of the long-term effects of the potential absorption and/or accumulation of ferric iron or citrate resulting from the use of Zerenex;

 

    the marketing claims that the FDA will permit us to make in the labeling and advertising of Zerenex, including potential marketing claims related to the effect of Zerenex on iron storage parameters and on the reduction in the use of IV iron and ESAs;

 

    possible unfavorable effects of our drug product on safety and/or efficacy parameters in the labeling;

 

    the rates of adoption of our product by medical practitioners and the target populations for our product;

 

    the potential advantages that our product offers over existing treatment methods and competing products, including pharmacoeconomic benefits observed in clinical trials;

 

    the cost-effectiveness of our product relative to competing products, which may be exacerbated as existing treatments go off-patent;

 

    the pricing and pricing strategies for our product;

 

    the availability of government or third-party payor reimbursement for our product;

 

    the side effects or unfavorable publicity concerning our product or similar products; and

 

    the effectiveness of our sales, marketing and distribution efforts.

Because we expect sales of our product, if approved, to generate substantially all of our revenues in the long-term, the failure of our drug to find market acceptance would harm our business and could require us to seek additional financing or other sources of revenue. In addition, our estimates regarding market size and projected growth are based on third party studies, which while we believe them to be reasonable, may not prove to be accurate when Zerenex becomes available in the market. Some of the studies have also observed a slowdown of growth in the incidence of renal disease and patients on dialysis.

In addition, we can provide no assurance that Riona® will be successfully launched and marketed in Japan by our Japanese partner, Japan Tobacco, Inc. and Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

If our competitors develop and market products that are less expensive, more effective or safer than our drug product, or our drug product does not achieve market acceptance vis-à-vis existing treatments, our commercial opportunities may be reduced or eliminated.

The pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive. Our competitors include pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, as well as universities and public and private research institutions. In addition, companies that are active in different but related fields represent substantial competition for us. Many of our competitors have significantly greater capital resources, larger research and development staffs and facilities and greater experience in drug development, regulation, manufacturing and marketing than we do. These organizations also compete with us to recruit qualified personnel, attract partners for joint ventures or other collaborations, and license technologies that are competitive with ours. As a result, our competitors may be able to more easily develop technologies and products that could render our drug product obsolete or noncompetitive. To compete successfully in this industry we must identify novel and unique drugs or methods of treatment and then complete the development of those drugs as treatments in advance of our competitors.

Zerenex, if approved in the U.S., would have to compete with other FDA approved phosphate binders such as Renagel® (sevelamer hydrochloride) and Renvela® (sevelamer carbonate), both marketed by Genzyme Corporation (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanofi), PhosLo® (calcium acetate), marketed by Fresenius Medical Care, Fosrenol® (lanthanum carbonate), marketed by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc, and Velphoro® (sucroferric oxyhydroxide),

 

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marketed by Fresenius Medical Care North America, as well as over-the-counter calcium carbonate products such as TUMS® and metal-based options such as aluminum and magnesium. Our strategy to compete against these existing treatments depends in part on physicians and patients accepting that Zerenex is differentiated in the marketplace versus these FDA approved phosphate binders. In addition, we may have to compete against existing treatments on price, which becomes more challenging as generic versions of these existing treatments come to market. For example, an authorized generic of Renvela® was launched in the U.S. in April 2014 by Impax Laboratories, Inc. under a settlement agreement with Genzyme, a Sanofi company, whereby Genzyme agreed to grant Impax a license to sell an allotment of a specified number of bottles of an authorized generic version of Renvela® tablets. Impax is also pursuing approval of its pending Abbreviated New Drug Application for generic Renvela® with the FDA. In addition, a generic formulation of PhosLo® manufactured by Roxane Laboratories, Inc. was launched in the U.S. in October 2008. In addition, upon the expiration of its core patents, generic formulations of Fosrenol® may be launched. These generic formulations could have a material effect on the pricing of phosphate binders.

In addition, our commercial opportunities may be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and market products that are less expensive, more effective or safer than our drug product. Other companies have drug candidates in various stages of pre-clinical or clinical development to treat diseases for which we are also seeking to acquire and develop drug products. Some of these potential competing drugs are further advanced in development than our drug candidate and may be commercialized earlier. Even if we are successful in developing effective drugs, our product(s) may not compete successfully with products produced by our competitors.

If we lose our key personnel or are unable to attract and retain additional personnel, our operations could be disrupted and our business could be harmed.

As of July 30, 2014, we had 88 full and part-time employees. To successfully develop our drug candidate, we must be able to attract and retain highly skilled personnel. Our limited resources may hinder our efforts to attract and retain highly skilled personnel. In addition, if we lose the services of our current personnel, in particular, Ron Bentsur, our Chief Executive Officer and Greg Madison, our Chief Operating Officer, our ability to continue to execute on our business plan could be materially impaired. Although we have employment agreements with Mr. Bentsur and Mr. Madison, such agreements do not prevent either of them from terminating their respective employment with us.

Any acquisitions we make may require a significant amount of our available cash and may not be scientifically or commercially successful.

As part of our business strategy, we may effect acquisitions to obtain additional businesses, products, technologies, capabilities and personnel. If we make one or more significant acquisitions in which the consideration includes cash, we may be required to use a substantial portion of our available cash.

Acquisitions involve a number of operational risks, including:

 

    difficulty and expense of assimilating the operations, technology and personnel of the acquired business;

 

    our inability to retain the management, key personnel and other employees of the acquired business;

 

    our inability to maintain the acquired company’s relationship with key third parties, such as alliance partners;

 

    exposure to legal claims for activities of the acquired business prior to the acquisition;

 

    the diversion of our management’s attention from our core business; and

 

    the potential impairment of goodwill and write-off of in-process research and development costs, adversely affecting our reported results of operations.

The status of reimbursement from third-party payors for newly approved health care drugs is uncertain and failure to obtain adequate reimbursement could limit our ability to generate revenue.

Our ability to commercialize pharmaceutical products may depend, in part, on the extent to which reimbursement for the products will be available from:

 

    government and health administration authorities;

 

    private health insurers;

 

    managed care programs; and

 

    other third-party payors.

 

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Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of newly approved health care products. Third-party payors, including Medicare and Medicaid, are challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. Government and other third-party payors increasingly are attempting to contain health care costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement for new drugs and by refusing, in some cases, to provide coverage for uses of approved products for disease indications for which the FDA has not granted labeling approval. In 2003, Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which for the first time established prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, under Medicare Part D. Under this program, beneficiaries purchase insurance coverage from private insurance companies to cover the cost of their prescription drugs. However, third-party insurance coverage may not be available to patients for our product, if approved. If government and other third-party payors do not provide adequate coverage and reimbursement levels for our product, its market acceptance may be significantly reduced.

Health care reform measures could adversely affect our business.

The business prospects and financial condition of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are affected by the efforts of governmental and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of health care. In the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions there have been, and we expect that there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory proposals aimed at changing the health care system, such as proposals relating to the pricing of healthcare products and services in the U.S. or internationally, the reimportation of drugs into the U.S. from other countries (where they are then sold at a lower price), and the amount of reimbursement available from governmental agencies or other third party payors. For example, drug manufacturers are required to have a national rebate agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, in order to obtain state Medicaid coverage, which requires manufacturers to pay a rebate on drugs dispensed to Medicaid patients. On January 27, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, issued a proposed regulation covering the calculation of Average Manufacturer Price, or AMP, which is the key variable in the calculation of these rebates.

Furthermore, in the U.S., health care reform legislation titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA, was signed into law in March 2010. The impact of this legislation on our business is inherently difficult to predict as many of the details regarding the implementation of this legislation have not been determined. In a decision issued on June 29, 2012, the United States Supreme Court upheld the majority of PPACA. The Court’s decision allows implementation of key provisions impacting drug and device manufacturers to go forward. This includes PPACA changes to the Medicare Part D Program (including closing the “donut hole”), Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (including the definition of AMP), and expansion of the 340B Drug Discount Program. The decision also allows the FDA and CMS to continue with implementation efforts, including related to the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act and the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, both of which were enacted as part of the PPACA. Regulations to implement PPACA could result in a decrease in our stock price or limit our ability to raise capital or to obtain strategic partnerships or licenses. Government-financed comparative efficacy research could also result in new practice guidelines, labeling or reimbursement policies that discourages use of our product.

For example, in July 2010, CMS released its final rule to implement a bundled prospective payment system for end-stage renal disease facilities as required by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, or MIPPA. The final rule delayed the inclusion of oral medications without intravenous equivalents, such as phosphate binders, in the bundle until January 1, 2014; however, on January 3, 2013, the United States Congress passed legislation known as the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, delayed by two years the implementation of oral-only end-stage renal disease related drugs, including phosphate binders, in the bundled ESRD prospective payment system, until January 1, 2016. In April 2014, the United States Congress passed legislation known as Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which, among other things, delays by eight years the implementation of oral-only ESRD related drugs, including phosphate binders, in the bundled ESRD prospective payment system, until January 1, 2024. If phosphate binders are included in the bundle beginning in 2024, separate Medicare reimbursement will no longer be available for phosphate binders, as it is today under Medicare Part D. While it is too early to project the impact bundling may have on the phosphate binder industry, the impact could potentially cause dramatic price reductions for phosphate binders, which could significantly reduce the commercial potential of our drug candidate, if approved.

 

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On September 27, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 was enacted, giving the FDA enhanced post-market authority, including the authority to require post-marketing studies and post-marketing clinical trials related to serious risks, labeling changes based on new safety information, and compliance with risk evaluation and mitigation strategies approved by the FDA. The FDA’s exercise of this authority may result in delays or increased costs during the period of product development, clinical trials and regulatory review and approval, which may also increase costs related to complying with new post-approval regulatory requirements, and increase potential FDA restrictions on the sale or distribution of approved products. Finally, on July 9, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act was enacted to, among other things, renew the drug user fee program, expand the FDA’s inspection records access and require manufacturers to establish appropriate oversight and controls over their suppliers and the supply chain, including raw material suppliers and contract manufacturers, as a part of cGMP compliance.

We face product liability risks and may not be able to obtain adequate insurance.

The use of our drug candidate in clinical trials, and the future sale of any approved drug candidate and new technology, exposes us to liability claims. Although we are not aware of any historical or anticipated product liability claims against us, if we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to cease clinical trials of our drug candidate or limit commercialization of any approved product.

We intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the commercial sale of any approved products if marketing approval is obtained; however, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost. We also may not be able to obtain additional insurance coverage that will be adequate to cover product liability risks that may arise. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in:

 

    decreased demand for a product;

 

    injury to our reputation;

 

    our inability to continue to develop a drug candidate;

 

    withdrawal of clinical trial volunteers; and

 

    loss of revenues.

Consequently, a product liability claim or product recall may result in losses that could be material.

Our corporate compliance efforts cannot guarantee that we are in compliance with all potentially applicable regulations.

The development, manufacturing, pricing, sale, marketing, and reimbursement of our product(s), together with our general operations, are subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and other authorities within the U.S. and numerous entities outside of the U.S. We are a relatively small company with 88 full and part-time employees as of July 30, 2014. We also have significantly fewer employees than many other companies that have a product candidate in clinical development, and we rely heavily on third parties to conduct many important functions. While we believe that our corporate compliance program is sufficient to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, we cannot assure you that we are or will be in compliance with all potentially applicable regulations. If we fail to comply with any of these regulations we could be subject to a range of regulatory actions, including suspension or termination of clinical trials, the failure to approve a product candidate, issuance of an enforcement or warning letter, restrictions on our product or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of product(s) from the market, significant fines, or other sanctions or litigation.

Risks related to our financial condition

Our existing capital resources may not be adequate to finance our operating cash requirements for the length of time that we have estimated.

We currently expect that our existing capital resources combined with future anticipated cash flows will be sufficient to operate our business plan. The actual amount of cash that we will need to operate is subject to many factors, including, but not limited to, the timing and expenditures associated with the build-up of pre-launch/launch inventory and capacity expansion, the timing and expenditures associated with the respective regulatory review

 

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processes for our U.S. NDA and EU MAA filings, the timing and expenditures associated with pre-commercial/commercial activities related to Zerenex, and the timing, design and conduct of clinical trials for Zerenex. As a result of these factors, we may need to seek significant additional financings to provide the cash necessary to execute our current operations, including the commercialization of Zerenex.

Our forecast of the period of time through which our existing capital resources will be adequate to support our current operations is a forward-looking statement that involves risks and uncertainties. The actual amount of funds we will need to operate is subject to many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

    the timing and expenditures associated with the build-up of pre-launch/launch inventory and capacity expansion;

 

    the timing and expenditures associated with the respective regulatory review processes for our U.S. NDA and EU MAA filings;

 

    the timing and expenditures associated with pre-commercial/commercial activities related to Zerenex;

 

    the timing, design and conduct of, and results from, clinical trials for Zerenex;

 

    the timing of expenses associated with manufacturing and product development of Zerenex and those proprietary drug candidates that may be in-licensed, partnered or acquired;

 

    the timing of the in-licensing, partnering and acquisition of new product opportunities;

 

    the progress of the development efforts of parties with whom we have entered, or may enter, into research and development agreements;

 

    our ability to achieve our milestones under our licensing arrangement;

 

    the timing and expenses associated with capital expenditures to expand our manufacturing capabilities;

 

    the timing and expenses associated with building our own commercial infrastructure to manufacture, market and sell our drug candidate and those that may be in-licensed, partnered or acquired; and

 

    the costs involved in prosecuting and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights.

If our cash is insufficient to meet future operating requirements, we will have to raise additional funds. If we are unable to obtain additional funds on terms favorable to us or at all, we may be required to cease or reduce our operating activities or sell or license to third parties some or all of our intellectual property. If we raise additional funds by selling additional shares of our capital stock, the ownership interests of our stockholders will be diluted. If we need to raise additional funds through the sale or license of our intellectual property, we may be unable to do so on terms favorable to us, if at all.

Risks related to our intellectual property and third-party contracts

If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property, third parties may be able to use our intellectual property, which could adversely affect our ability to compete in the market.

Our commercial success will depend in part on our ability, and the ability of our licensors, to obtain and maintain patent protection on our drug product and technologies, and to successfully defend these patents against third-party challenges. The patent positions of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents has emerged to date. Accordingly, the patents we use may not be sufficiently broad to prevent others from practicing our technologies or from developing competing products. Furthermore, others may independently develop similar or alternative drug products or technologies or design around our patented drug product and technologies which may have an adverse effect on our business. If our competitors prepare and file patent applications in the U.S. that claim technology also claimed by us, we may have to participate in interference or derivation proceedings in front of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to determine priority of invention, which could result in substantial cost, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. Because of the extensive time required for development, testing and regulatory review of a potential product, it is possible that before we commercialize any of our products, any related patent may expire or remain in existence for only a short period following commercialization, thus reducing any advantage of the patent. The patents we use may be challenged or invalidated or may fail to provide us with any competitive advantage. As many of the patents we use are licensed or sublicensed from third parties, we may not be able to enforce such licensed patents against third party infringers without the cooperation of the patent owner and the licensor, which may not be forthcoming. In addition, we may not be successful or timely in obtaining any patents for which we submit applications.

 

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Additionally, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the U.S. In addition, in jurisdictions outside the U.S. where we have patent rights, we may be unable to prevent unlicensed parties from selling or importing products or technologies derived elsewhere using our proprietary technology.

We also rely on trade secrets and know-how to protect our intellectual property where we believe patent protection is not appropriate or obtainable. Trade secrets are difficult to protect. While we require our employees, licensees, collaborators and consultants to enter into confidentiality agreements, this may not be sufficient to adequately protect our trade secrets or other proprietary information. In addition, we share ownership and publication rights to data relating to our drug product and technologies with our research collaborators and scientific advisors. If we cannot maintain the confidentiality of this information, our ability to receive patent protection or protect our trade secrets or other proprietary information will be at risk.

The intellectual property that we own or have licensed relating to our drug candidate, Zerenex, is limited, which could adversely affect our ability to compete in the market and adversely affect the value of Zerenex.

The patent rights that we own or have licensed relating to Zerenex are limited in ways that may affect our ability to exclude third parties from competing against us if we obtain regulatory approval to market Zerenex. In particular:

 

    Composition of matter patents can provide protection for pharmaceutical products to the extent that the specifically covered compositions are key, non-interchangeable components of the pharmaceutical product. The first composition of matter and method patent relating to Zerenex in the United States (U.S. Patent No. 5,753,706) expires in February 2017. We cannot assure you that we can obtain any extension of the term of this patent for delays caused by FDA regulatory review (the maximum amount of term of extension available under the Patent Term Extension provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 156 would extend the term of this patent to February 2022). Upon expiration of U.S. Patent No. 5,753,706, competitors who obtain the requisite regulatory approval may potentially offer products with the same composition as our product, so long as the competitors do not infringe any other patents that we may hold, such as other composition of matter patents and/or method of use patents. We license additional composition of matter and use patents expiring in 2024 with independent claims covering forms of ferric citrate (the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, of Zerenex), pharmaceutical compositions that include the API, pharmaceutical compositions having ferric citrate in an amount effective to reduce serum phosphate levels, and methods of treating hyperphosphatemia and metabolic acidosis.

 

    Our methods of use patents only protect the product when used or sold for the claimed methods. However, these types of patents do not limit a competitor from making and marketing a product that is identical to our product that is labeled for an indication that is outside of our patented methods, or for which there is a substantial use in commerce outside of our patented methods.

 

    Our pending patent applications may not issue as patents and may not issue in all countries in which we develop, manufacture or potentially sell our product(s) or in countries where others develop, manufacture and potentially sell products using our technologies. Moreover, our pending patent applications, if issued as patents, may not provide additional protection for our product.

 

    Because any potential date for regulatory approval is currently unknown, it is possible that the life of these patents following regulatory approval will be minimal, even if the above-discussed Patent Term Extension is obtained.

Obtaining proof of direct infringement by a competitor for a method of use patent can be difficult because the competitors making and marketing a product may not engage in the patented use. Additionally, obtaining proof that a competitor contributes to, or induces, infringement of a patented method by another can be difficult because, for example, an off-label use of a product could prohibit a finding of contributory infringement. In addition, proving inducement of infringement requires proof of intent by the competitor. If we are required to defend ourselves against claims or to protect our own proprietary rights against others, it could result in substantial costs to us and the distraction of our management. An adverse ruling in any litigation or administrative proceeding could prevent us from marketing

 

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and selling Zerenex if we obtain regulatory approval, increase the risk that a generic version of Zerenex could enter the market to compete with Zerenex, limit our development and commercialization of Zerenex, or otherwise harm our competitive position and result in additional significant costs. In addition, any successful claim of infringement asserted against us could subject us to monetary damages or injunction, which could prevent us from making or selling Zerenex. We also may be required to obtain licenses to use the relevant technology. Such licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

Moreover, physicians may prescribe a competitive identical product for indications other than the one for which the product has been approved, or off-label indications, that are covered by the applicable patents. Although such off-label prescriptions may directly infringe or contribute to or induce infringement of method of use patents, such infringement is difficult to prevent or prosecute.

In addition, any limitations of our patent protection described above may adversely affect the value of our product candidate and may inhibit our ability to obtain a corporate partner at terms acceptable to us, if at all.

In addition to patent protection, we may utilize pediatric exclusivity or other provisions of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, as amended, or FDCA, such as new chemical entity exclusivity, or NCE, or new formulation exclusivity, to provide market exclusivity for a drug candidate.

In the U.S., the FDA has the authority to grant additional data protection for approved drugs where the sponsor conducts specified testing in pediatric or adolescent populations. If granted, this pediatric exclusivity provides an additional six months which are added to the term of data protection as well as to the term of a relevant patent, to the extent these protections have not already expired.

The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the U.S. to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a New Chemical Entity, or NCE. A drug is an NCE if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which consists of the molecule(s) or ion(s) responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for another version of such drug where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement. The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application (for example, for new indications, dosages, or strengths of an existing drug). This three-year exclusivity covers only the conditions associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs for drugs containing the original active agent. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or tentative approval of a full ANDA; however, an applicant submitting a full ANDA would be required to conduct sufficient studies to demonstrate that their generic product is bioequivalent to Zerenex.

We may also seek to utilize market exclusivities in other territories, such as in the EU.

We cannot assure that our drug candidate, Zerenex (ferric citrate), or any drug candidates we may acquire or in-license, will obtain such pediatric exclusivity, new chemical entity exclusivity or any other market exclusivity in the U.S., EU or any other territory, or that we will be the first to receive the respective regulatory approval for such drugs so as to be eligible for any market exclusivity protection.

Litigation or third-party claims could require us to spend substantial time and money defending such claims and adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our product.

We may be forced to initiate litigation to enforce our contractual and intellectual property rights, or we may be sued by third parties asserting claims based on contract, tort or intellectual property infringement. In addition, third parties may have or may obtain patents in the future and claim that Zerenex or any other technologies infringe their patents. If we are required to defend against suits brought by third parties, or if we sue third parties to protect our rights, we may be required to pay substantial litigation costs, and our management’s attention may be diverted from operating our business. In addition, any legal action against our licensor or us that seeks damages or an injunction of our commercial activities relating to Zerenex or other technologies could subject us to monetary liability, a temporary or

 

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permanent injunction preventing the development, marketing and sale of Zerenex or such technologies, and/or require our licensor or us to obtain a license to continue to use Zerenex or other technologies. We cannot predict whether our licensor or we would prevail in any of these types of actions or that any required license would be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Future sales or other issuances of our common stock could depress the market for our common stock.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, or the perception by the market that those sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline or could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through the sale of equity in the future.

On August 2, 2013, we filed with the SEC a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-190353), which the SEC declared effective on August 16, 2013, providing for the offering of up to $150 million of our common stock and warrants to purchase our common stock. Subsequent to the underwritten public offering that was completed on January 23, 2014, there remains approximately $34.9 million of our common stock and warrants available for sale on this shelf registration statement.

Future issuances of common stock could depress the market for our common stock.

If we make one or more significant acquisitions in which the consideration includes stock or other securities, our stockholders’ holdings may be significantly diluted. In addition, stockholders’ holdings may also be diluted if we enter into arrangements with third parties permitting us to issue shares of common stock in lieu of certain cash payments upon the achievement of milestones.

Our stock price can be volatile, which increases the risk of litigation, and may result in a significant decline in the value of your investment.

The trading price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include:

 

    developments concerning our drug candidate, including the safety and efficacy results from clinical trials and regulatory filings and approvals;

 

    announcements of technological innovations by us or our competitors;

 

    introductions or announcements of new products by us or our competitors;

 

    announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments involving us or our competitors;

 

    changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;

 

    actual or anticipated variations in quarterly or annual operating results;

 

    expectations regarding our financial condition;

 

    expiration or termination of licenses, research contracts or other collaboration agreements;

 

    developments relating to our intellectual property and those of our competitors, including but not limited to, the commercialization of generic products;

 

    expectations or investor speculation regarding the strength of our intellectual property position, or the availability of regulatory exclusivity;

 

    conditions or trends in the regulatory climate and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries;

 

    changes in the market valuations of similar companies;

 

    negative comments and sentiment in the media; and

 

    additions or departures of key personnel.

In addition, equity markets in general, and the market for biotechnology and life sciences companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies traded in those markets. These broad market and industry factors may materially affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our development and operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could cause us to incur substantial costs to defend such claims and divert management’s attention and resources, which could seriously harm our business.

 

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Certain anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law could make a third-party acquisition of us difficult. This could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common stock.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, or control us. These factors could limit the price that certain investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation allows us to issue preferred stock without the approval of our stockholders. The issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of our common stock or could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of such holders. In certain circumstances, such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock. Our amended and restated bylaws eliminate the right of stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders, which could make it more difficult for stockholders to effect certain corporate actions. Any of these provisions could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control.

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

The exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index are included with this report.

 

  3.1    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., as amended, filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, filed on August 12, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference.
  3.2    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, filed on March 26, 2002, and incorporated herein by reference.
  3.3    Amendment Number 2 to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., dated July 24, 2007, filed as Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, filed on August 9, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
  3.4    Amendment Number 3 to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. dated June 18, 2013, filed as Exhibit 3.4 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013, filed on August 2, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.1†    Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Third Amended and Restated Directors Equity Compensation Plan.
31.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
31.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
32.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
32.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
101    Interactive data files pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

    KERYX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Date: August 7, 2014

    By:  

/s/ James F. Oliviero, CFA

      Chief Financial Officer
      Principal Financial and Accounting Officer

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

The following exhibits are included as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q:

 

10.1†    Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Third Amended and Restated Directors Equity Compensation Plan.
31.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
31.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
32.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
32.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated August 7, 2014.
101    Interactive data files pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.