Organization and Description of Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization and Description of Business

1. Organization and Description of Business.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and subsidiary (collectively, the Company) is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing novel high-quality medicines for patients living with rare diseases and diseases that are difficult to treat. With exceptional patient focus, the Company is committed to developing and commercializing innovative first-in-class medicines that address rare neurological and epileptic diseases.

The Company’s New Drug Application for FIRDAPSE® (amifampridine) Tablets 10 mg for the treatment of adults with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) was approved in 2018 by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and FIRDAPSE® is commercially available in the United States as a treatment for adults with LEMS. Further, Canada’s national healthcare regulatory agency, Health Canada, approved the use of FIRDAPSE® for the treatment of adult patients in Canada with LEMS in 2020 and FIRDAPSE® is commercially available in Canada for the treatment of patients with LEMS through a license and supply agreement with KYE Pharmaceuticals. Finally, in the third quarter of 2022, the FDA approved the Company’s sNDA approving an expansion of the FIRDAPSE® label to include pediatric patients (ages six and older).

On December 17, 2022, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) for the acquisition of the United States rights to FYCOMPA® (perampanel) CIII, a prescription medication used alone or in combination with other medicines to treat focal onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in people with epilepsy aged four and older and with other medicines to treat primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in people with epilepsy aged 12 and older. The Company closed the acquisition of FYCOMPA® on January 24, 2023 and the Company is marketing FYCOMPA® in the United States.

In July 2023, the Company completed its acquisition from Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holdings (Santhera) of an exclusive license for North America for vamorolone, a potential treatment for patients suffering with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The license is for exclusive commercial rights in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as well as the right of first negotiation in Europe and Japan should Santhera pursue partnership opportunities. Additionally, the Company will hold North American rights for any future approved indications of vamorolone. Vamorolone has previously received FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations. Subsequent to quarter end, on October 26, 2023, AGAMREE® (vamorolone) was approved by the FDA for commercialization in the U.S. See Note 17 (Subsequent Events).

Since inception, the Company has devoted substantially all its efforts to business planning, research and development, recruiting management and technical staff, acquiring operating assets, raising capital, and selling its products. The Company incurred operating losses in each period from inception and started reporting operating income during the year ended December 31, 2019. The Company has been able to fund its cash needs to date through offerings of its securities and from revenues from sales of its products. See Note 15 (Stockholders’ Equity).

Capital Resources

Based on forecasts of available cash, the Company believes that it has sufficient resources to support the currently anticipated operations for at least the next 12 months from the date of this report.

The Company may raise funds in the future through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, corporate collaborations, governmental research grants or other means. The Company may also seek to raise new capital to fund additional business development activities, even if it has sufficient funds for its planned operations. Any sale by the Company of additional equity or convertible debt securities could result in dilution to the Company’s current stockholders. There can be no assurance that any required additional funding will be available to the Company at all or available on terms acceptable to the Company. Further, to the extent that the Company raises additional funds through collaborative arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to the Company’s drug candidates or grant sublicenses on terms that are not favorable to the Company. If the Company is not able to secure additional funding when needed, the Company may have to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more research and development programs, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business.

Risks and Uncertainties

There are numerous aspects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that have adversely affected the Company’s business since the beginning of the pandemic. The Company closely monitors the impact of the pandemic on all aspects of its business and takes steps, wherever possible, to lessen those impacts. However, the Company is unable to predict the impact that the coronavirus pandemic will have on its business in future periods.