Nature of Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Disclosure Text Block
Nature of Business	1. Nature of Business Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Ironwood” or the “Company”) is a gastrointestinal (“GI”) healthcare company dedicated to advancing the treatment of GI diseases and redefining the standard of care for GI patients. The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative GI product opportunities in areas of significant unmet need, leveraging its demonstrated expertise and capabilities in GI diseases. LINZESS^® (linaclotide), the Company’s commercial product, is the first product approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “U.S. FDA”) in a class of GI medicines called guanylate cyclase type C agonists (“GC-C agonists”) and is indicated for adult men and women suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (“IBS-C”) or chronic idiopathic constipation (“CIC”). LINZESS is available to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C or CIC in the United States (the “U.S.”) and Mexico and to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C in Japan and China. Linaclotide is available under the trademarked name CONSTELLA^® to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C or CIC in Canada, and to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C in certain European countries. The Company has strategic partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to support the development and commercialization of linaclotide throughout the world. The Company and its partner, AbbVie Inc. (together with its affiliates, “AbbVie”), began commercializing LINZESS in the U.S. in December 2012. Under the Company’s collaboration for North America with AbbVie, total net sales of LINZESS in the U.S., as recorded by AbbVie, are reduced by commercial costs incurred by each party, and the resulting amount is shared equally between the Company and AbbVie. Additionally, development costs are shared equally between the Company and AbbVie. The Company and AbbVie are exploring ways to enhance the clinical profile of LINZESS by studying linaclotide in additional indications, populations and formulations to assess its potential to treat various conditions. Outside of the U.S., the Company earns royalties as a percentage of net sales of products containing linaclotide as an active ingredient by the Company’s collaboration partners. AbbVie has an exclusive license from the Company to develop and commercialize linaclotide in all countries other than China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan and the countries and territories of North America (the “AbbVie License Territory”). In addition, AbbVie has exclusive rights to commercialize linaclotide in Canada as CONSTELLA and in Mexico as LINZESS. Astellas Pharma Inc. (“Astellas”), the Company’s partner in Japan, has an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize linaclotide in Japan. AstraZeneca AB (together with its affiliates) (“AstraZeneca”), the Company’s partner in China, has the exclusive right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize products containing linaclotide in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) (the “AstraZeneca License Territory”). The Company has a collaboration and license option agreement (the “COUR Collaboration Agreement”) with COUR Pharmaceutical Development Company, Inc. (“COUR”), a biotechnology company developing novel immune-modifying nanoparticles to treat autoimmune diseases. The COUR Collaboration Agreement grants the Company an option to acquire an exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize, in the U.S., products containing CNP-104, a potential treatment for primary biliary cholangitis, a rare autoimmune disease targeting the liver. The Company is also advancing IW-3300, a GC-C agonist, for the potential treatment of visceral pain conditions, including interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and endometriosis. The Company was incorporated in Delaware on January 5, 1998 as Microbia, Inc. On April 7, 2008, the Company changed its name to Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. To date, the Company has dedicated a majority of its activities to the research, development and commercialization of linaclotide, as well as to the research and development of its other product candidates.

Nature of Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

1. Nature of Business

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Ironwood” or the “Company”) is a gastrointestinal (“GI”) healthcare company dedicated to advancing the treatment of GI diseases and redefining the standard of care for GI patients. The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative GI product opportunities in areas of significant unmet need, leveraging its demonstrated expertise and capabilities in GI diseases.

LINZESS^® (linaclotide), the Company’s commercial product, is the first product approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “U.S. FDA”) in a class of GI medicines called guanylate cyclase type C agonists (“GC-C agonists”) and is indicated for adult men and women suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (“IBS-C”) or chronic idiopathic constipation (“CIC”). LINZESS is available to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C or CIC in the United States (the “U.S.”) and Mexico and to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C in Japan and China. Linaclotide is available under the trademarked name CONSTELLA^® to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C or CIC in Canada, and to adult men and women suffering from IBS-C in certain European countries.

The Company has strategic partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to support the development and commercialization of linaclotide throughout the world.

The Company and its partner, AbbVie Inc. (together with its affiliates, “AbbVie”), began commercializing LINZESS in the U.S. in December 2012. Under the Company’s collaboration for North America with AbbVie, total net sales of LINZESS in the U.S., as recorded by AbbVie, are reduced by commercial costs incurred by each party, and the resulting amount is shared equally between the Company and AbbVie. Additionally, development costs are shared equally between the Company and AbbVie. The Company and AbbVie are exploring ways to enhance the clinical profile of LINZESS by studying linaclotide in additional indications, populations and formulations to assess its potential to treat various conditions.

Outside of the U.S., the Company earns royalties as a percentage of net sales of products containing linaclotide as an active ingredient by the Company’s collaboration partners. AbbVie has an exclusive license from the Company to develop and commercialize linaclotide in all countries other than China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan and the countries and territories of North America (the “AbbVie License Territory”). In addition, AbbVie has exclusive rights to commercialize linaclotide in Canada as CONSTELLA and in Mexico as LINZESS. Astellas Pharma Inc. (“Astellas”), the Company’s partner in Japan, has an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize linaclotide in Japan. AstraZeneca AB (together with its affiliates) (“AstraZeneca”), the Company’s partner in China, has the exclusive right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize products containing linaclotide in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) (the “AstraZeneca License Territory”).

The Company has a collaboration and license option agreement (the “COUR Collaboration Agreement”) with COUR Pharmaceutical Development Company, Inc. (“COUR”), a biotechnology company developing novel immune-modifying nanoparticles to treat autoimmune diseases. The COUR Collaboration Agreement grants the Company an option to acquire an exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize, in the U.S., products containing CNP-104, a potential treatment for primary biliary cholangitis, a rare autoimmune disease targeting the liver.

The Company is also advancing IW-3300, a GC-C agonist, for the potential treatment of visceral pain conditions, including interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and endometriosis.

The Company was incorporated in Delaware on January 5, 1998 as Microbia, Inc. On April 7, 2008, the Company changed its name to Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. To date, the Company has dedicated a majority of its activities to the research, development and commercialization of linaclotide, as well as to the research and development of its other product candidates.