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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

10. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Product Development Agreement

 

In February 2013, Scilex Pharma became a party to a product development agreement (as amended, the “Product Development Agreement”) with two parties (the “Developers”), one of which is ITOCHU CHEMICAL FRONTIER Corporation (“Itochu”), pursuant to which the Developers will manufacture and supply lidocaine tape products, including ZTlido and SP-103 (the “Products”), for Scilex Pharma. The Developers initially developed, and have intellectual property rights relating to, the Products. Pursuant to the Product Development Agreement, Scilex Pharma acquired an exclusive right to develop and commercialize the Products worldwide except for Japan. The Developers are responsible for sourcing and supplying lidocaine for development and commercialization purposes.

 

Pursuant to the Product Development Agreement, Scilex Pharma is required to make aggregate royalty payments between 25% and 35% to the Developers based on net profits. During the year ended December 31, 2022, Scilex Pharma made royalty payments in the amount of $2.3 million. As of December 31, 2022, Scilex Pharma had ending balances of accrued royalty payables of $2.2 million. Net profits are defined as net sales, less cost of goods and marketing expenses. Net sales are defined as total gross sales of any Product, less all applicable deductions, to the extent accrued, paid or allowed in the ordinary course of business with respect to the sale of such Product, and to the extent that they are in accordance with U.S. GAAP. If Scilex Pharma were to sublicense the licensed technologies,

the Developers will receive the same proportion of any sublicensing fees received therefrom. The Product Development Agreement will continue in full force and effect until October 2, 2028, the date that is ten years from the date of the first commercial sale of ZTlido. The Product Development Agreement will renew automatically for subsequent successive one-year renewal periods unless Scilex Pharma or the Developers terminate it upon 6-month written notice.

 

On February 16, 2017, Scilex Pharma entered into a Commercial Supply Agreement (as amended, the “Supply Agreement”) with the two Developers to provide commercial supply of ZTlido and SP-103 to Scilex Pharma. The Supply Agreement contains standard terms regarding term, termination, payment, product quality and supply. In addition, the agreement provides additional terms regarding the calculation and amount of marketing expenses that may be deducted from net sales for purposes of determining the amount of net profit under the Product Development Agreement.

 

Exclusive Distribution Agreement

 

In August 2015, Scilex Pharma entered into an Exclusive Distribution Agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) to appoint an exclusive third-party logistics distribution provider (the “Distributor”) and as an authorized distributor of record of ZTlido in the United States, its territories, possessions and commonwealths for an agreed schedule of fees, subject to a 3% annual adjustment. The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of three years following the first shipment of FDA-approved Product to a commercial customer and shall automatically renew for additional terms of one year each, unless written notice of termination is given by either party at least 30 days prior to the end of the initial term or any renewal term. In the event of Product recalls, Scilex Pharma is solely responsible for all Product recalls, except in the event where the recalls arise from the Distributor’s negligence or willful misconduct. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, Scilex Pharma will be responsible for delivery of Product to and from the Distributor’s facility, including all costs, expenses and risk of loss associated with such delivery. From late 2018 to early 2022, ZTlido was sold, and title was transferred, to the Distributor for distribution and sale to wholesalers for a fee of between 1% to 2% which was recorded as a gross-to-net sales adjustment. As the Company continues to expand the commercialization of ZTlido, it has expanded its direct distribution network to national and regional distributors and pharmacies since the beginning of April 2022. The Company currently holds all necessary wholesaler licenses and commenced selling directly to the main distributor customers as well as pharmacies in April 2022.

 

Sales Operations Services

 

In January 2016, Scilex Pharma entered into a project agreement with a vendor to provide sales operations services and detailing services, which was subsequently superseded by a new project agreement entered into in September 2018 (the “Project Agreement”). In connection with the detailing services, the Project Agreement provides that the vendor will provide Scilex Pharma with full-time sales representatives who shall detail the Product by making calls pursuant to a call plan on targets. These sales representatives are to be managed by field talent managers and a national project director, each of whom will also be provided by the vendor. In connection with the sales operation services, the vendor will provide certain services required for the initial implementation and ongoing operation of the sales force.

 

On July 1, 2020, Scilex Pharma and the vendor entered into a work order in which the parties agreed to convert substantially all of the sales representatives allocated under the Project Agreement to become employees of Scilex Pharma. The vendor continued to provide sales operations services, fleet management services and sample accountability services. The work order was in effect until June 30, 2022 and was extended for one year upon the mutual agreement of both parties. Either party may terminate the work order with 90 days’ notice. Scilex Pharma paid

an implementation fee of $59.0 thousand and will pay fixed monthly fees of $63.7 thousand to $65.8 thousand for ongoing services.

 

The Company recognized an expense of $0.9 million, $1.9 million, and $10.5 million within selling, general and administrative expenses for services performed for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, including implementation fees, fixed monthly fees and pass-through costs.

 

Litigation

 

In the normal course of business, the Company may be named as a defendant in one or more lawsuits. Other than the following three lawsuits, the Company is not a party to any outstanding material litigation and management is not aware of any legal proceedings that, individually or in the aggregate, are deemed to be material to the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

 

From time to time the Company may become involved in various legal proceedings, including those that may arise in the ordinary course of business.

 

Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC and Hisamitsu America, Inc. Litigation

 

On February 23, 2021, the Company filed an action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC and Hisamitsu America, Inc., two manufacturers of OTC lidocaine patch products, alleging, among other things, false and deceptive advertising and unfair competition under the Lanham Act and California state laws by those companies regarding their respective OTC patch products (the “Sanofi-Aventis & Hisamitsu Litigation”). This lawsuit seeks, among other relief, damages and an injunction enjoining the defendants from continuing to make false or misleading statements of fact about their respective OTC lidocaine patch products. The defendants have filed motions to dismiss, which have narrowed slightly the Company's claims, but which motions the court has largely rejected. Discovery is proceeding. The case is currently scheduled for trial to begin on July 24, 2023. The Company cannot make any predictions about the outcome in this matter or the timing thereof.

 

Former Employee Litigation

 

On March 12, 2021, the Company filed an action in the Delaware Court of Chancery against Anthony Mack, former President of Scilex Pharma, and Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Virpax”), a company now headed by Mr. Mack, alleging, among other things, breach by Mr. Mack of his non-compete agreement with the Company, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference by Virpax with that non-compete agreement (the “Former Employee Litigation”). This lawsuit seeks, among other relief, damages and an injunction enjoining Mr. Mack from further violating his non-compete agreement and enjoining Virpax from tortiously interfering with Mr. Mack’s non-compete agreement. The case was tried from September 12, 2022 to September 14, 2022. Post-trial briefing and closing arguments have been concluded and the case is under submission to the Court. The Company cannot make any predictions about the outcome in this matter or the timing thereof.

 

ZTlido Patent Litigation

 

On June 22, 2022, the Company filed a complaint against Aveva Drug Delivery Systems, Inc., Apotex Corp., and Apotex, Inc. (together, “Apotex”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (the “ZTlido Patent Litigation”) alleging infringement of certain Orange Book listed patents covering ZTlido (the “ZTlido Patents”). The ZTlido Patent Litigation was initiated following the submission by Apotex, in accordance with the procedures set out

in the Hatch-Waxman Act, of an ANDA. Apotex’s ANDA seeks approval to market a generic version of ZTlido prior to the expiration of the ZTlido Patents and alleges that the ZTlido Patents are invalid, unenforceable, and/or not infringed. The Company is seeking, among other relief, an order that the effective date of any FDA approval of Apotex’s ANDA be no earlier than the expiration of the asserted patents listed in the Orange Book, the latest of which expires on May 10, 2031, and such further and other relief as the court may deem appropriate. Apotex is subject to a 30-month stay preventing it from selling a generic version of ZTlido during that time. The stay should expire no earlier than November 11, 2024. Trial in the ZTlido Patent Litigation has not yet been scheduled. The Company cannot make any predictions about the final outcome of this matter or the timing thereof.

 

Operating Leases

 

The Company leases administrative and research and development facilities under various non-cancelable lease agreements. Facility leases generally provide for periodic rent increases and may include options to extend. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s leases have remaining lease terms of approximately 1.6 to 1.9 years. The term of the Company’s leases does not include extension options that were not reasonably certain to be exercised from its lease terms, ranging from 3 to 5 years. Many of the Company’s leases are subject to variable lease payments. Variable lease payments are recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments are incurred, are not included in the measurement of the right-of-use assets or lease liabilities and are immaterial. Additionally, the Company subleases certain properties to third parties. Sublease income is recognized on a straight-line basis and is immaterial.

 

As the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company calculates the associated lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset upon lease commencement using a discount rate based on a credit-adjusted secured borrowing rate commensurate with the term of the lease. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has no finance leases.

 

The components of lease expense were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Operating lease cost*

 

$

469

 

 

$

623

 

 

$

904

 

* Inclusive of variable lease costs, sublease income, and impairment, which were immaterial

for the periods presented.

 

Supplemental quantitative information related to leases includes the following:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating cash flows from operating leases

 

$

(746

)

 

$

(654

)

ROU assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities

 

$

320

 

 

$

 

Weighted average remaining lease term in years — operating leases

 

 

1.8

 

 

 

2.8

 

Weighted average discount rate — operating leases

 

 

11.8

%

 

 

12.2

%

 

In June 2022, the Company entered into a new non-cancelable lease agreement for an administrative facility in Palo Alto. The lease includes annual rent increases and the option to extend. The term of the new lease is 26 months and the Company does not expect to exercise the extension option at the end of the lease.

 

Approximate future minimum lease payments under operating leases were as follows (in thousands):

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

Amount

 

2023

 

$

872

 

2024

 

 

703

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2027

 

 

 

Total lease payments

 

 

1,575

 

Less imputed interest

 

 

(165

)

Total lease liabilities

 

 

1,410

 

Less current portion of lease liability

 

 

745

 

Lease liability, net of current portion

 

$

665