COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Technology License and Other Commitments We have licensed from third parties the rights to use certain technologies and information in our research processes as well as in any other products we may develop. In accordance with the related license or technology agreements, we are required to make certain fixed payments to the licensor or a designee of the licensor over various agreement terms. Many of these agreement terms are consistent with the remaining lives of the underlying intellectual property that we have licensed. As of December 31, 2022, our commitments over the next five years to make fixed and cancellable payments under existing license agreements were not material. Legal Matters From time to time, we may be a party to litigation, arbitration or other legal proceedings in the course of our business, including the matters described below. The claims and legal proceedings in which we could be involved include challenges to the scope, validity or enforceability of patents relating to our products or product candidates, and challenges by us to the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents held by others. These include claims by third parties that we infringe their patents or breach our license or other agreements with such third parties. The outcome of any such legal proceedings, regardless of the merits, is inherently uncertain. In addition, litigation and related matters are costly and may divert the attention of our management and other resources that would otherwise be engaged in other activities. If we were unable to prevail in any such legal proceedings, our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition could be adversely affected. Our accounting policy for accrual of legal costs is to recognize such expenses as incurred. Patent Infringement Lawsuits In March 2022, we filed separate lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against (1) Pfizer, Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC, collectively referred to as Pfizer, and (2) Moderna, Inc. and its subsidiaries ModernaTX, Inc., and Moderna US, Inc., collectively referred to as Moderna. The lawsuits seek damages for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,246,933, or ‘933 Patent, in Pfizer’s and Moderna’s manufacture and sale of their messenger RNA, or mRNA, COVID-19 vaccines. The patent relates to the Company’s biodegradable cationic lipids that are foundational to the success of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. We are seeking judgment that each of Pfizer and Moderna is infringing the ‘933 Patent, as well as damages adequate to compensate for the infringement, but in no event less than a reasonable royalty for the unlicensed uses made of our patented lipids by Pfizer and Moderna, together with interest and costs as may be awarded by the court. As stated in the filed complaints, we are not seeking injunctive relief in these lawsuits. On May 23, 2022, Moderna filed a partial motion to dismiss, asserting an affirmative defense under Section 1498(a). We responded on May 27, 2022, opposing their motion arguing Moderna had significant non-government sales and the government contract ended in April 2022. Moderna responded on June 13, 2022, requesting a partial motion to dismiss those claims for sales under Section 1498(a). On May 27, 2022, Pfizer filed an answer to our complaint, denying the allegations, and asserting invalidity and non-infringement defenses. In addition, Pfizer added BioNTech SE to the suit and added counter-claims seeking a declaratory judgment that our patent is invalid and a second claim alleging that our patent is invalid due to patent misuse. We believe their defenses and counter-claims have no merit and responded on June 10, 2022, with substantive arguments as to the validity of our claims and the lack of merit of their patent misuse claim. On July 12, 2022, we filed an additional lawsuit against each of Pfizer and Moderna seeking damages for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,382,979, or ‘979 patent, in Pfizer’s and Moderna’s manufacture and sale of their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The parties agreed to combine the two patents in one lawsuit, separately against each of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. On February 8, 2023, we received notification from the U.S. Patent Office that a third patent would issue on February 28, 2023, as U.S. Patent No. 11,590,229, or ‘229 patent, which we also believe Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines infringe upon. On February 15, 2023, we filed a motion with the court to add this patent to the existing cases against Pfizer and Moderna, and on April 26, 2023, the court held a hearing and denied Moderna’s partial motion to dismiss those claims for sales under Section 1498(a), our motion to add the ‘229 patent to the then current lawsuits as well as a motion filed by Moderna to add certain invalidity arguments made by Pfizer in our case to supplement Moderna’s invalidity arguments previously made. On May 26, 2023, we filed additional lawsuits against Pfizer and Moderna in Delaware seeking damages for infringing the ‘229 patent. In addition to this patent, we added U.S. Patent Nos. 11,633,479 and 11,633,480 in the recently filed suits against both Pfizer and Moderna and also U.S. Patent No. 11,612,657 against Pfizer only. On August 9, 2023, a Markman hearing was held in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to consider the meaning of three disputed terms as used in the ’933 and ’979 patents. On August 21, 2023, the court issued an order construing two of the three terms, and deferred a ruling on the third term pending an evidentiary hearing, which was held on January 4, 2024 with the final ruling pending. Subsequently, we and Moderna jointly agreed to final judgment of non-infringement of two of our patents, and such judgment was entered by the court on August 30, 2023, and on September 7, 2023, we appealed the claim construction ruling to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the initial lawsuit against Moderna. The claim construction ruling did not affect one of the patents in the lawsuit filed against Moderna on May 26, 2023, and that case is going forward on a schedule to be set by the court. The two separate suits against Pfizer are ongoing subject to the ruling on the third claim term, and in September 2023, we and Pfizer agreed to consolidate the 2022 and 2023 lawsuits in one case, which will require moving the trial date from November 2024 to the first half of 2025, with the final schedule to be determined by the court. Indemnifications In connection with license agreements we may enter with companies to obtain rights to intellectual property, we may be required to indemnify such companies for certain damages arising in connection with the intellectual property rights licensed under the agreements. Under such agreements, we may be responsible for paying the costs of any litigation relating to the license agreements or the underlying intellectual property rights, including the costs associated with certain litigation regarding the licensed intellectual property. We are also a party to a number of agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, which contain typical provisions that obligate us to indemnify the other parties to such agreements upon the occurrence of certain events, including litigation or other legal proceedings. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors for expenses, judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, and settlement amounts paid in connection with any threatened, pending or completed litigation proceedings, including, for example, the recently closed government investigation, in which an officer or director was, is or will be involved as a party, on account of such person’s status as an officer or director, or by reason of any action taken by the officer or director while acting in such capacity, subject to certain limitations. These indemnification costs are charged to selling, general and administrative expense. Our maximum potential future liability under any such indemnification provisions is uncertain. We have determined that the estimated aggregate fair value of our potential liabilities under all such indemnification provisions is minimal and had not recorded any liability related to such indemnification provisions as of December 31, 2022 or 2021.

We have licensed from third parties the rights to use certain technologies and information in our research processes as well as in any other products we may develop. In accordance with the related license or technology agreements, we are required to make certain fixed payments to the licensor or a designee of the licensor over various agreement terms. Many of these agreement terms are consistent with the remaining lives of the underlying intellectual property that we have licensed. As of December 31, 2022, our commitments over the next five years to make fixed and cancellable payments under existing license agreements were not material.

From time to time, we may be a party to litigation, arbitration or other legal proceedings in the course of our business, including the matters described below. The claims and legal proceedings in which we could be involved include challenges to the scope, validity or enforceability of patents relating to our products or product candidates, and challenges by us to the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents held by others. These include claims by third parties that we infringe their patents or breach our license or other agreements with such third parties. The outcome of any such legal proceedings, regardless of the merits, is inherently uncertain. In addition, litigation and related matters are costly and may divert the attention of our

management and other resources that would otherwise be engaged in other activities. If we were unable to prevail in any such legal proceedings, our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition could be adversely affected. Our accounting policy for accrual of legal costs is to recognize such expenses as incurred.

In March 2022, we filed separate lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against (1) Pfizer, Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC, collectively referred to as Pfizer, and (2) Moderna, Inc. and its subsidiaries ModernaTX, Inc., and Moderna US, Inc., collectively referred to as Moderna. The lawsuits seek damages for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,246,933, or ‘933 Patent, in Pfizer’s and Moderna’s manufacture and sale of their messenger RNA, or mRNA, COVID-19 vaccines. The patent relates to the Company’s biodegradable cationic lipids that are foundational to the success of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

We are seeking judgment that each of Pfizer and Moderna is infringing the ‘933 Patent, as well as damages adequate to compensate for the infringement, but in no event less than a reasonable royalty for the unlicensed uses made of our patented lipids by Pfizer and Moderna, together with interest and costs as may be awarded by the court. As stated in the filed complaints, we are not seeking injunctive relief in these lawsuits.

On May 23, 2022, Moderna filed a partial motion to dismiss, asserting an affirmative defense under Section 1498(a). We responded on May 27, 2022, opposing their motion arguing Moderna had significant non-government sales and the government contract ended in April 2022. Moderna responded on June 13, 2022, requesting a partial motion to dismiss those claims for sales under Section 1498(a).

On May 27, 2022, Pfizer filed an answer to our complaint, denying the allegations, and asserting invalidity and non-infringement defenses. In addition, Pfizer added BioNTech SE to the suit and added counter-claims seeking a declaratory judgment that our patent is invalid and a second claim alleging that our patent is invalid due to patent misuse. We believe their defenses and counter-claims have no merit and responded on June 10, 2022, with substantive arguments as to the validity of our claims and the lack of merit of their patent misuse claim.

On July 12, 2022, we filed an additional lawsuit against each of Pfizer and Moderna seeking damages for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,382,979, or ‘979 patent, in Pfizer’s and Moderna’s manufacture and sale of their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The parties agreed to combine the two patents in one lawsuit, separately against each of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech.

On February 8, 2023, we received notification from the U.S. Patent Office that a third patent would issue on February 28, 2023, as U.S. Patent No. 11,590,229, or ‘229 patent, which we also believe Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines infringe upon. On February 15, 2023, we filed a motion with the court to add this patent to the existing cases against Pfizer and Moderna, and on April 26, 2023, the court held a hearing and denied Moderna’s partial motion to dismiss those claims for sales under Section 1498(a), our motion to add the ‘229 patent to the then current lawsuits as well as a motion filed by Moderna to add certain invalidity arguments made by Pfizer in our case to supplement Moderna’s invalidity arguments previously made.

On May 26, 2023, we filed additional lawsuits against Pfizer and Moderna in Delaware seeking damages for infringing the ‘229 patent. In addition to this patent, we added U.S. Patent Nos. 11,633,479 and 11,633,480 in the recently filed suits against both Pfizer and Moderna and also U.S. Patent No. 11,612,657 against Pfizer only.

On August 9, 2023, a Markman hearing was held in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to consider the meaning of three disputed terms as used in the ’933 and ’979 patents. On August 21, 2023, the court issued an order construing two of the three terms, and deferred a ruling on the third term pending an evidentiary hearing, which was held on January 4, 2024 with the final ruling pending. Subsequently, we and Moderna jointly agreed to final judgment of non-infringement of two of our patents, and such judgment was entered by the court on August 30, 2023, and on September 7, 2023, we appealed the claim construction ruling to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the initial lawsuit against Moderna. The claim construction ruling did not affect one of the patents in the lawsuit filed against Moderna on May 26, 2023, and that case is going forward on a schedule to be set by the court.

The two separate suits against Pfizer are ongoing subject to the ruling on the third claim term, and in September 2023, we and Pfizer agreed to consolidate the 2022 and 2023 lawsuits in one case, which will require moving the trial date from November 2024 to the first half of 2025, with the final schedule to be determined by the court.

In connection with license agreements we may enter with companies to obtain rights to intellectual property, we may be required to indemnify such companies for certain damages arising in connection with the intellectual property rights licensed under the agreements. Under such agreements, we may be responsible for paying the costs of any litigation relating to the license agreements or the underlying intellectual property rights, including the costs associated with certain litigation regarding the licensed intellectual property. We are also a party to a number of agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, which contain typical provisions that obligate us to indemnify the other parties to such agreements upon the occurrence of

certain events, including litigation or other legal proceedings. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors for expenses, judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, and settlement amounts paid in connection with any threatened, pending or completed litigation proceedings, including, for example, the recently closed government investigation, in which an officer or director was, is or will be involved as a party, on account of such person’s status as an officer or director, or by reason of any action taken by the officer or director while acting in such capacity, subject to certain limitations. These indemnification costs are charged to selling, general and administrative expense.

Our maximum potential future liability under any such indemnification provisions is uncertain. We have determined that the estimated aggregate fair value of our potential liabilities under all such indemnification provisions is minimal and had not recorded any liability related to such indemnification provisions as of December 31, 2022 or 2021.