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Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation  
Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation

 

1. Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation

 

Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Tortola, British Virgin Islands in September 2013. The Company is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio of innovative, late-stage product candidates targeting neurologic diseases, including rare disorders. The Company’s product candidates are small molecules based on two distinct mechanistic platforms—calcitonin gene-related peptide (“CGRP”) receptor antagonists and glutamate modulators—which the Company believes have the potential to significantly alter existing treatment approaches across a diverse set of neurological indications with high unmet need in both large markets and orphan indications. The most advanced product candidate from the Company’s CGRP receptor antagonist platform is rimegepant, which the Company is developing for the acute treatment of migraine and for which it intends to initiate two Phase 3 clinical trials in the second half of 2017. The most advanced product candidate from the Company’s glutamate modulation platform is trigriluzole, which the Company is developing for the treatment of ataxias with an initial focus on spinocerebellar ataxia (“SCA”). The Company has received both orphan drug designation and fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for trigriluzole in SCA, and the Company began a Phase 2/3 clinical trial in SCA in December 2016. The Company’s second most advanced product candidate from its glutamate modulation platform is BHV-0223, which the Company is developing for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“ALS”), a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The Company has received orphan drug designation from the FDA for BHV-0223 in ALS.

 

The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry, including, but not limited to, development by competitors of new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations and the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations. Product candidates currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval, prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize significant revenue from product sales.

 

The Company has historically outsourced all of the research and clinical development for its programs under a master services agreement (the “MSA”) with Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“BPI”). BPI was incorporated in the state of Delaware in July 2013. The three founders of BPI, each of whom beneficially owned one-third of the equity of BPI prior to the Company’s acquisition of BPI on December 31, 2016 (see Note 15), are shareholders of the Company and also serve as the Company’s Chairman of the board of directors, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Medical Officer, respectively (see Note 15). BPI is a contract research organization (“CRO”) whose only customer is the Company. Since its incorporation, substantially all of the operations of BPI have been performed in service to the Company under the terms of the MSA, and substantially all of the funding for the operations of BPI was provided by the Company. The Company has determined that (i) it has the authority to direct the activities of BPI that most significantly impact the economics of the entity and (ii) the equity at risk in BPI is insufficient to finance its operations. As a result, the Company is deemed to have had a variable interest in BPI, and BPI is deemed to be a variable interest entity (“VIE”) of which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, since the date of the Company’s incorporation in September 2013, the Company has consolidated the results of BPI. Upon original consolidation, the Company applied purchase accounting by recording the fair values of BPI’s assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which were determined to be zero because BPI had not yet commenced any operations. For the three months ended March 2016, 100% of the equity in BPI was reflected as a net loss attributable to non-controlling interest on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. On December 31, 2016, the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of BPI (see Note 16), and as a result, for periods subsequent to the acquisition, the Company no longer reports any non-controlling interest related to BPI.

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (‘‘GAAP’’) and include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries after elimination of all significant intercompany accounts and transactions.

 

Stock Split

 

In October 2016, the Company effected a 500-for-one stock split of its issued and outstanding common shares. Accordingly, all share and per share amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect this stock split.

 

Initial Public Offering

 

On May 3, 2017, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 relating to its initial public offering of its common shares (the “IPO”) was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The IPO closed on May 9, 2017 and the Company issued and sold 9,900,000 common shares at a public offering price of $17.00 per share (see note 17) for net proceeds of $152,889 after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $11,781 and other offering expenses of approximately $3,630. Upon the closing of the IPO, all convertible preferred shares then outstanding converted into an aggregate of 9,358,560 common shares. In addition, on May 9, 2017, the underwriters of the IPO fully exercised their option to purchase additional shares, and on May 11, 2017, the Company issued and sold 1,485,000 additional common shares for additional net proceeds of $23,478 after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $1,767. Thus, the aggregate net proceeds to the Company from the IPO, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering costs, were $176,367.

 

In connection with the completion of its IPO, the Company issued an additional aggregate of 1,883,523 common shares to BMS and AstraZeneca in satisfaction of obligations to contingently issue equity securities pursuant to the license agreements (see Note 12) for no additional consideration.

 

Also in connection with the completion of its IPO in May 2017, the Company amended its memorandum and articles of association to authorize the issuance of up to 200,000,000 no par value common shares and 10,000,000 no par value undesignated preferred shares.

 

Going Concern

 

In accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40), management must evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. This evaluation initially does not take into consideration the potential mitigating effect of management’s plans that have not been fully implemented as of the date the financial statements are issued. When substantial doubt exists under this methodology, management evaluates whether the mitigating effect of its plans sufficiently alleviates substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The mitigating effect of management’s plans, however, is only considered if both (1) it is probable that the plans will be effectively implemented within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, and (2) it is probable that the plans, when implemented, will mitigate the relevant conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued.  Generally, to be considered probable of being effectively implemented, the plans must have been approved before the date that the financial statements are issued.

 

Through March 31, 2017, the Company has funded its operations primarily with proceeds from sales of preferred and common shares and borrowings under a credit agreement. The Company has incurred recurring losses since its inception, including net losses of $18,753 and $2,986 during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition, as of March 31, 2017, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $94,209. The Company expects to continue to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future. As of June 16, 2017, the issuance date of these consolidated financial statements, the Company expects that its cash of $52,286 as of March 31, 2017, together with the $176,367 of net cash proceeds received from the Company’s IPO, will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses, capital expenditure requirements and debt service payments for at least 15 months from the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements, and as a result, there is not substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued.  The future viability of the Company beyond that point is dependent on its ability to raise additional capital to finance its operations.

 

To execute its business plans, the Company will need substantial funding to support its continuing operations and pursue its growth strategy. Until such time as the Company can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, it expects to finance its operations through the sale of public or private equity, debt financings or other capital sources, including collaborations with other companies or other strategic transactions.  The Company may not be able to obtain financing on acceptable terms, or at all. The terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of the Company’s shareholders. If the Company is unable to obtain funding, the Company could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate some or all of its research and development programs, product portfolio expansion or commercialization efforts, which could adversely affect its business prospects.