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The Company and Basis of Presentation
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
The Company and Basis of Presentation The Company and Basis of Presentation
The Company

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. ("the Company” or "Esperion") is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company currently focused on bringing new medicines to patients that address unmet medical needs. The Company has developed and is commercializing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approved oral, once-daily, non-statin medicines for patients who are at risk for cardiovascular disease and are struggling with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol ("LDL-C"). Through commercial execution, international partnerships and collaborations and advancement of its pre-clinical pipeline, the Company continues to evolve into a leading global biopharmaceutical company.

The Company's lead products, NEXLETOL® (bempedoic acid) tablets and NEXLIZET® (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets, are oral, once-daily, non-statin medicines indicated to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization in adults who are unable to take recommended statin therapy (including those not taking a statin) with established cardiovascular disease ("CVD"), or at high risk for a CVD event but without established CVD, and to reduce LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia. The Company's products were approved by the FDA, European Medicines Agency ("EMA") and Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products ("Swissmedic") in 2020. The FDA approved expanded indications for NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET tablets in March 2024. The EMA approved expanded indications for NILEMDO® (bempedoic acid) tablets and NUSTENDI (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets in May 2024. In addition, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd ("Otsuka"), Esperion’s Japanese collaborator, announced that the primary endpoint of LDL-C reduction from baseline at Week 12 was achieved with statistical significance in the Phase 3 clinical trial in Japan for bempedoic acid as a treatment for hypercholesterolemia. Otsuka plans to file a New Drug Application ("NDA") in Japan in the second half of 2024, with expected approval and National Health Insurance ("NHI") pricing in 2025. The Company plans to file supplemental New Drug Applications for product approvals in Canada, Australia and Israel by the end of this year.

The Company completed a global cardiovascular outcomes trial ("CVOT"), —known as Cholesterol Lowering via BEmpedoic Acid, an ACL-inhibiting Regimen ("CLEAR") Outcomes. The trial was designed to evaluate whether treatment with bempedoic acid reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in patients who are statin averse and who have CVD or are at high risk for CVD. The Company initiated the CLEAR Outcomes CVOT in December 2016 and fully enrolled the study with nearly 14,000 patients in August 2019. The primary endpoint of the study was the effect of bempedoic acid on four types of major adverse cardiovascular events ("MACE") (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or coronary revascularization; also referred to as "four-component MACE"). CLEAR Outcomes was an event-driven trial and concluded once the predetermined number of MACE endpoints occurred. The study showed that bempedoic acid demonstrated significant cardiovascular risk reductions and significantly reduced the risk of heart attack and coronary revascularization as compared to placebo. These results were seen in a broad population of primary and secondary prevention patients who are unable to maximize or tolerate a statin. The proportions of patients experiencing adverse events and serious adverse events were similar between the active and placebo treatment groups. Bempedoic acid, contained in NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid) tablets and NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets, became the first LDL-C lowering therapy since statins proven to lower hard ischemic events, not only in those with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease ("ASCVD") but also in the large number of primary prevention patients for whom limited therapies exist.
On January 2, 2024, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH ("DSE") to amicably resolve and dismiss the commercial dispute then pending in the Southern District of New York ("Settlement Agreement"). Under the Settlement Agreement, DSE agreed to pay the Company an aggregate of $125 million, including (1) a $100-million payment within 15 business days of the effective date of the Settlement Agreement and (2) a $25-million payment received in the second quarter of 2024 after the EMA rendered a decision on the application that was filed with the EMA for a Type II(a) variation for the Company's oral non-statin products marketed as NILEMDO tablets and NUSTENDI tablets in Europe. The legal action pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has now been dismissed. Refer to Note 3 "Collaborations with Third Parties" and Note 5 "Commitments and Contingencies" for further information.
On January 18, 2024, the Company entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") with Jefferies LLC ("Jefferies"), as representative of several underwriters (the "Underwriters"), related to an underwritten public offering (the "January 2024 Offering") of 56,700,000 shares of Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, at a purchase price to the public of $1.50 per share. The Underwriters were also granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 8,505,000 shares of Common Stock, at the public offering price. On January 19, 2024, Jefferies gave notice to the Company of its election to exercise the option to purchase additional shares, in full. Giving effect to the exercise of Underwriters' option, the January Offering closed on January 23, 2024, with proceeds to the Company of approximately $90.7 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses of $7.1 million.
On March 22, 2024, the Company announced that the FDA approved new label expansions for NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET based on positive CLEAR Outcomes data that include indications for cardiovascular risk reduction and expanded LDL-C lowering in both primary and secondary prevention patients. In addition, the enhanced labels support the use of NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET either alone or in combination with statins. They also include new indications for primary hyperlipidemia, alone or in combination with a statin, and are now the only LDL-C lowering non-statin drugs indicated for primary prevention patients.

On May 22, 2024, the Company announced that the European Commission ("EC") approved the label update of both NILEMDO and NUSTENDI as treatments for hypercholesterolemia and to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. The EC’s decisions to update the labels of bempedoic acid and the bempedoic acid / ezetimibe fixed dose combination are based on the positive CLEAR Outcomes trial results and makes them the first and only LDL-C lowering treatments indicated for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. NILEMDO and NUSTENDI are approved to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with or at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

On June 27, 2024, the Company entered into a Royalty Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with OCM IP Healthcare Portfolio LP (“OMERS”), a limited partnership formed under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Purchaser”). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company sold to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser purchased for $304,656,180, a portion of the royalties payable on net sales of Bempedoic Acid (as defined in the License and Collaboration Agreement) and any other Licensed Products (as defined in the License and Collaboration Agreement) in the DSE Territory (as defined in the License and Collaboration Agreement) pursuant to the License and Collaboration Agreement dated January 2, 2019, between Daiichi Sankyo Europe GMBH and the Company, as amended (the “License and Collaboration Agreement” and such royalties being the “Royalty Interests”).

The Purchaser acquired 100% of the Royalty Interests until such time as the Purchaser has received an aggregate amount equal to 1.700x of the Purchase Price (equivalent to $517,915,506). Following receipt of such amount, 100% of all Royalty Interests will revert to the Company. The Purchase Agreement contains other customary terms and conditions, including representations and warranties, covenants and indemnification obligations in favor of each party. Refer to Note 9 "Sale of Future Royalties" for further information.

On June 27, 2024, the Company repurchased Revenue Interests outstanding under the Revenue Interest Purchase Agreement (the “RIPA”), dated effective as of June 26, 2019, as amended, by and among the Company, the purchasers party thereto (the “Purchasers”), and Eiger III SA LLC ("Oberland"), as the collateral agent and administrative agent (the “Purchaser Agent”), and satisfied all other Obligations (as defined in the RIPA) owed to the Purchasers and the Purchaser Agent by paying to the Purchaser Agent, for the benefit of the Purchasers, a payment in cash of $343,750,000 (the “Repurchase Consideration”). Following the payment of the Repurchase Consideration, (a) all Revenue Interests were deemed to have been repurchased and all Obligations, debts and liabilities of the Company under the RIPA and the Transaction Documents (as defined in the RIPA) were deemed to have been paid and satisfied in full, and automatically released, discharged and terminated, and the RIPA and all other Transaction Documents automatically terminated, and all liens, security interests and pledges in favor of, granted to or held by the Purchaser Agent to secure the Obligations under the Transaction Documents were automatically terminated and released. Refer to Note 10 "Liability Related to the Revenue Interest Purchase Agreement" for further information.

The Company's primary activities since incorporation have been conducting research and development activities, including nonclinical, preclinical and clinical testing, performing business and financial planning, recruiting personnel, raising capital, and commercializing its products. The Company received approval by the FDA in February 2020 to commercialize NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET in the U.S., and accordingly commenced principal operations on March 30, 2020 with the commercialization of NEXLETOL. The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties which include the need to successfully commercialize its products, research, develop, and clinically test therapeutic products; obtain regulatory approvals for its products; successfully manage relationships with its collaboration partners; expand its management, commercial and scientific staff; and finance its operations with an ultimate goal of achieving profitable operations.
The Company has sustained annual operating losses since inception and expects such losses to continue over the foreseeable future. While management believes current cash resources and future cash received from the Company's net product sales and collaboration agreements with DSE, Otsuka, and Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd ("DS"), entered into on January 2, 2019,
April 17, 2020 and April 26, 2021, respectively, will fund operations for the foreseeable future, management may continue to fund operations and advance the development of the Company's products and product candidates through a combination of collaborations with third parties, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements, debt financings, royalty-based financings, and private and public equity offerings or through other sources. If adequate funds are not available, the Company may not be able to continue the development of its current products or future product candidates, or to commercialize its current or future product candidates, if approved.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed interim financial statements are unaudited and were prepared by the Company in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the Company has made all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. Certain information and disclosures normally included in the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, but that is not required for interim reporting purposes, have been condensed or omitted. These condensed interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the notes thereto, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year, any other interim periods or any future year or period.