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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

10. Commitments and Contingencies

Manufacturing Agreements—The Company is party to manufacturing agreements with vendors to manufacture DKN‑01, its lead product candidate, for use in clinical trials. As of September 30, 2020, there were $381 noncancelable commitments under these agreements.

License and Service Agreement—On January 3, 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”), a shareholder, to grant a license to the Company for certain intellectual property rights relating to pharmaceutically active compounds that may be useful in the treatment of bone healing, cancer and, potentially, other medical conditions. As defined in the license agreement, the Company would be required to pay royalties to Lilly based upon a percentage in the low single digits of net sales of developed products, if and when achieved. However, there can be no assurance that clinical or commercialization success of developed products will occur, and no royalties have been paid or accrued through September 30, 2020.

License Agreement—On May 28, 2015, the Company entered into a license agreement with Lonza Sales AG (“Lonza”), pursuant to which Lonza granted the Company a world-wide, non-exclusive license for certain intellectual property relating to a gene expression system for manufacturing DKN‑01. As defined in the license agreement, the Company would be required to pay royalties to Lonza based on a percentage in the low single digits of net sales of DKN‑01, if and when achieved. However, there can be no assurance that clinical or commercialization success will occur, and no royalties have been paid or accrued through September 30, 2020.

Legal Proceedings—At each reporting date, the Company evaluates whether or not a potential loss amount or a potential range of loss is probable and reasonably estimable under the provisions of the authoritative guidance that addresses accounting for contingencies. The Company expenses as incurred the costs related to its legal proceedings.

A patent covering the TRX518 antibody and its uses in methods of inducing or enhancing an immune response in a subject was granted in 2013 to the Company by the European Patent Office (EPO). Three notices of opposition to this patent were filed: two by major pharmaceutical companies and a third by an individual, possibly on behalf of a major pharmaceutical company. At the conclusion of the opposition proceedings before the Opposition Division of the EPO, the Opposition Division issued a decision indicating that the Company’s patent was maintained with modified claims that differ from the claims as originally granted. These narrowed claims cover the TRX518 antibody and uses of the TRX518 antibody in methods of inducing or enhancing an immune response in a subject. The Company filed an appeal of the decision of the Opposition Division seeking to obtain broader claims that more closely reflect the claims as granted in the patent. A hearing before the EPO Boards of Appeal took place on September 16, 2020, which resulted in the Boards of Appeal dismissing the appeal and maintaining the Decision of the Opposition Division. A written Decision by the Boards of Appeal was issued on September 25, 2020.

 

In 2016, a patent covering the use of the TRX518 antibody in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent for treating cancer was granted to the Company by the EPO. In March 2017, notices of opposition to this patent were filed at the EPO by ten different entities, including several major pharmaceutical companies. Oral proceedings at the EPO took place on December 4 and 5, 2018. At the conclusion of the oral proceedings, the Opposition Division decided that the patent should be revoked in its entirety on the ground that the claims as granted contained added matter. Subsequently, the Opposition Division issued an interlocutory decision restating its conclusion that the claims as granted contained added matter and revoking the patent. The Company has filed an appeal of the decision of the Opposition Division seeking to obtain a reversal of the Opposition Division’s decision on added matter. The EPO Board of Appeal has not yet scheduled the appeal hearing.

In December of 2019, a patent covering the use of the TRX518 antibody in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent, gemcitabine, for treating a colon tumor or adenocarcinoma of the colon, was granted to the Company by the EPO. A Notice of Opposition was filed against the patent by a single opponent, Sanofi, on September 25, 2020. The EPO issued a Communication on October 9, 2020 setting a deadline of February 9, 2021 for the Patentee to file a response to the Notice of Opposition. Oral proceedings at the EPO have not yet been scheduled.

 

Indemnification Agreements—In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its board of directors that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is, in many cases, unlimited. To date, the Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications. The Company is not aware of any claims under indemnification arrangements, and it has not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in its condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2020 or December 31, 2019.