e10vq
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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þ |
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QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2005
or
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o |
|
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition
period from to
Commission File Number:
000-50679
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(Exact Name of Corporation as Specified in Its Charter)
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|
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
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77-0487658
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
149 Commonwealth Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(650) 327-3270
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months
(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has
been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of
the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
On November 8, 2005 there were 22,704,102 shares of common stock outstanding at a par value $.001
per share.
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)
|
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|
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December 31, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(See Note 1) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
5,930 |
|
|
$ |
1,412 |
|
Short-term investments |
|
|
31,471 |
|
|
|
28,399 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
838 |
|
|
|
830 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets |
|
|
38,239 |
|
|
|
30,641 |
|
Long-term investments |
|
|
9,486 |
|
|
|
3,549 |
|
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
55 |
|
Other assets |
|
|
47 |
|
|
|
76 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
47,772 |
|
|
$ |
34,321 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
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Liabilities and stockholders equity |
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Current liabilities: |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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Accounts payable |
|
$ |
550 |
|
|
$ |
833 |
|
Accrued clinical expenses |
|
|
655 |
|
|
|
1,426 |
|
Other accrued liabilities |
|
|
619 |
|
|
|
397 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities |
|
|
1,824 |
|
|
|
2,656 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obligations under capital lease, long-term |
|
|
|
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
1,824 |
|
|
|
2,701 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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Commitments |
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Stockholders equity: |
|
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|
|
|
|
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Preferred stock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock |
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
23 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
101,361 |
|
|
|
101,027 |
|
Notes receivable from stockholders |
|
|
(184 |
) |
|
|
(184 |
) |
Deferred compensation |
|
|
(1,718 |
) |
|
|
(808 |
) |
Deficit accumulated during the development stage |
|
|
(53,472 |
) |
|
|
(68,318 |
) |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
|
(62 |
) |
|
|
(120 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholders equity |
|
|
45,948 |
|
|
|
31,620 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
|
$ |
47,772 |
|
|
$ |
34,321 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
See accompanying notes.
2
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
Period from |
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
inception |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
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|
(May 13, 1998) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
to September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development* |
|
$ |
3,098 |
|
|
$ |
4,521 |
|
|
$ |
7,244 |
|
|
$ |
12,560 |
|
|
$ |
52,448 |
|
General and administrative* |
|
|
1,160 |
|
|
|
960 |
|
|
|
3,278 |
|
|
|
3,093 |
|
|
|
18,241 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
4,258 |
|
|
|
5,481 |
|
|
|
10,522 |
|
|
|
15,653 |
|
|
|
70,689 |
|
Interest and other income, net |
|
|
203 |
|
|
|
278 |
|
|
|
346 |
|
|
|
842 |
|
|
|
2,600 |
|
Other expense |
|
|
(34 |
) |
|
|
(20 |
) |
|
|
(47 |
) |
|
|
(35 |
) |
|
|
(229 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(4,089 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,846 |
) |
|
$ |
(68,318 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.18 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.23 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.60 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.66 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares used in computing basic and
diluted net loss per share |
|
|
22,532 |
|
|
|
22,621 |
|
|
|
17,058 |
|
|
|
22,597 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
*Includes non-cash stock-based
compensation of the following: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
$ |
(141 |
) |
|
$ |
53 |
|
|
$ |
118 |
|
|
$ |
(68 |
) |
|
$ |
3,954 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
355 |
|
|
|
180 |
|
|
|
1,185 |
|
|
|
646 |
|
|
|
4,638 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-cash stock-based compensation |
|
$ |
214 |
|
|
$ |
233 |
|
|
$ |
1,303 |
|
|
$ |
578 |
|
|
$ |
8,592 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
See accompanying notes.
3
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
inception |
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
(May 13, 1998) |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
to September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Operating activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(10,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,846 |
) |
|
$ |
(68,318 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
58 |
|
Amortization of deferred compensation, net of reversals |
|
|
1,252 |
|
|
|
496 |
|
|
|
8,253 |
|
Expense related to stock issued for services
or in conjunction with license agreement |
|
|
51 |
|
|
|
81 |
|
|
|
572 |
|
Interest accrued on convertible promissory notes |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
104 |
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
(507 |
) |
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
(830 |
) |
Other assets |
|
|
(19 |
) |
|
|
(29 |
) |
|
|
(76 |
) |
Accounts payable |
|
|
659 |
|
|
|
283 |
|
|
|
833 |
|
Accrued liabilities |
|
|
(39 |
) |
|
|
547 |
|
|
|
1,829 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
(8,815 |
) |
|
|
(13,456 |
) |
|
|
(57,575 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchases of property and equipment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(59 |
) |
|
|
(113 |
) |
Purchases of short-term and long-term investments |
|
|
(38,214 |
) |
|
|
(21,120 |
) |
|
|
(139,828 |
) |
Maturities of short-term investments |
|
|
3,955 |
|
|
|
30,071 |
|
|
|
107,761 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
|
|
(34,259 |
) |
|
|
8,892 |
|
|
|
(32,180 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of cash paid for
issuance costs |
|
|
49,025 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
49,101 |
|
Proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock, net of cash
paid for issuance costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40,378 |
|
Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes payable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,543 |
|
Proceeds from repayment of stockholder notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100 |
|
Proceeds from issuance of capital leases, net of short-term portion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
|
|
49,025 |
|
|
|
46 |
|
|
|
91,167 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents |
|
|
5,951 |
|
|
|
(4,518 |
) |
|
|
1,412 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents, at beginning of period |
|
|
10,073 |
|
|
|
5,930 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents, at end of period |
|
$ |
16,024 |
|
|
$ |
1,412 |
|
|
$ |
1,412 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
See accompanying notes.
4
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (the Company or Corcept) was incorporated in the state
of Delaware on May 13, 1998, and its facilities are located in Menlo Park, California. Corcept is a
pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of drugs for the treatment of severe psychiatric
and neurological diseases.
The Companys primary activities since incorporation have been establishing its offices,
recruiting personnel, conducting research and development, performing business and financial
planning, raising capital, and overseeing clinical trials. Accordingly, the Company is considered
to be in the development stage.
In the course of its development activities, the Company has sustained operating losses and
expects such losses to continue for at least the next several years. The Company plans to continue
to finance its operations through the sale of its equity and debt securities. The Companys ability
to continue as a going concern is dependent upon successful execution of its financing strategy
and, ultimately, upon achieving profitable operations.
The accompanying unaudited balance sheet as of September 30, 2005 and statements of operations
for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2005 and 2004 have been prepared in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial
information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly,
they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States for complete financial statements. In the opinion of
management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for
a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month and nine-month
periods ended September 30, 2005 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected
for the year ending December 31, 2005 or any other period. These financial statements and notes
should be read in conjunction with the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2004
included in the Companys Form 10-K. The accompanying balance sheet as of December 31, 2004 has
been derived from audited financial statements at that date.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ
materially from those estimates.
Cost accruals for clinical trials are based upon estimates of work completed under service
agreements, milestones achieved, patient enrollment and past experience with similar contracts. The
Companys estimates of work completed and associated cost accruals include its assessments of
information received from third-party contract research organizations and the overall status of
clinical trial activities. The estimates are updated on a recurring basis as new information
becomes available. Any changes in estimates are recorded in the period of the change.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred for Company-sponsored research and
development activities. These costs include direct expenses (including nonrefundable payments to
third parties) and research-related overhead expenses, as well as the cost of funding clinical
trials and the contract development of second-generation compounds, and are expensed as incurred.
Costs to acquire technologies and materials that are utilized in research and development and that
have no alternative future use are expensed when incurred.
5
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation related to employee stock options using the
intrinsic value method prescribed in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, Accounting for
Stock Issued to Employees (APB 25), as amended, and has adopted the disclosure-only alternative
of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation (SFAS 123), as amended by SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
Transition and Disclosure (SFAS 148). Options granted to nonemployees are accounted for in
accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 96-18, Accounting for Equity Instruments That
Are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring or in Conjunction with Selling, Goods or Services
(EITF 96-18), and are periodically remeasured as such instruments are earned.
The information set forth below regarding pro forma net loss prepared in accordance with SFAS
123 has been determined as if the Company had accounted for employee stock options under the fair
value method proscribed by SFAS 123. The resulting effect on net loss pursuant to SFAS 123 is not
likely to be representative of the effects in future years, due to the adoption of SFAS 123R and
the inclusion in subsequent years of additional grants and years of vesting.
The Company estimates the fair value of these options at the date of grant in accordance with
SFAS 123, which allows non-public companies to use the minimum value option pricing model and
requires the use of a model such as the Black-Scholes option pricing model for options granted by
public companies. The Company has estimated the fair value of options granted prior to February
10, 2004, the date of filing of the Companys Form S-1, using the minimum value option pricing
model and has used the Black-Scholes option pricing model for determining the fair value of options
granted on and after that date.
As required under SFAS 123, as amended by SFAS 148, the following pro forma net loss
presentation reflects the amortization of the fair value of the stock option grants as expense. For
purposes of this disclosure, the fair value of the stock options is amortized to expense over the
options vesting periods using the graded-vesting method.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in Thousands, except per share data) |
|
Net lossas reported |
|
$ |
(4,089 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,846 |
) |
Add back: Amortization of deferred
compensation related to stock
awards to employees |
|
|
400 |
|
|
|
181 |
|
|
|
1,400 |
|
|
|
689 |
|
Deduct: Stock-based employee
compensation expense determined
under SFAS 123 |
|
|
(805 |
) |
|
|
(556 |
) |
|
|
(2,218 |
) |
|
|
(1,997 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma net loss |
|
$ |
(4,494 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,598 |
) |
|
$ |
(11,041 |
) |
|
$ |
(16,154 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As reported basic and diluted |
|
$ |
(0.18 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.23 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.60 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.66 |
) |
Pro forma basic and diluted |
|
$ |
(0.20 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.25 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.65 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.71 |
) |
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment (SFAS 123R), which is a
revision of SFAS 123. SFAS 123R supersedes APB 25 and amends FASB Statement No. 95, Statement of
Cash Flows. SFAS 123R addresses the accounting for transactions in which an enterprise receives
employee services in exchange for (a) equity instruments of the enterprise or (b) liabilities that
are based on the fair value of the enterprises equity instruments or that may be settled by the
issuance of such equity instruments. SFAS 123R eliminates the ability to account for share-based
compensation transactions using APB 25, and generally would require, instead, that such
transactions be accounted for using a fair-value based method. In accordance with SFAS 123R,
companies will be required to recognize an expense for compensation cost related to share-based
payment arrangements with employees, including stock options and employee stock purchase plans.
SFAS 123R originally required adoption for interim or annual periods beginning after June 15, 2005.
In April 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a release that amends the
compliance dates. Under the
SECs new rule, the Company will be required to apply Statement 123R as of January 1, 2006.
Early adoption will be permitted in periods in which financial statements have not yet been issued.
The Company plans to adopt SFAS 123R on January 1, 2006.
6
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued
Statement 123R permits public companies to adopt its requirements using one of two methods:
|
1. |
|
A modified prospective method in which compensation cost is recognized
beginning with the effective date (a) based on the requirements of Statement 123R for
all share-based payments granted after the effective date and (b) based on the
requirements of Statement 123 for all awards granted to employees prior to the effective
date of Statement 123R that remain unvested on the effective date. |
|
|
2. |
|
A modified retrospective method which includes the requirements of the modified
prospective method described above, but also permits entities to restate, based on the
amounts previously recognized under Statement 123 for purposes of pro forma disclosures,
either (a) all prior periods presented or (b) prior interim periods of the year of
adoption. |
The Company is in the process of assessing the appropriate transition method and the impact
that this statement may have on its future financial condition and results of operations. As a part
of that assessment, the Company plans to review the option pricing model that it uses to determine
fair value and the assumptions that are used as inputs, including the expected volatility of the
price of our stock, projected employee turnover and the expected term of options from the date of
grant to the expected date of exercise. To date, in preparing the disclosures presented above in
accordance with SFAS 123, the Company has used the full 10 year contractual life of the options as
the expected term. Because the Companys stock was not publicly traded until the initial public
offering in April 2004, the stock volatility factor used to date as an assumption in calculating
the fair value of stock options granted to employees after the filing of the Companys Form S-1 for
the SFAS 123 footnote disclosures has been 70%, which the Company believes is a reasonable
representation of the stock volatility for newly-public companies in its industry and stage of
development. As the Company prepares to adopt SFAS 123R management will be reviewing all
assumptions used in the fair value calculation and may determine that changes in these assumption
are appropriate.
In May 2005, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released Statement of Financial
Accounting Standard (SFAS) No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Correctionsa replacement of APB
Opinion No. 20 and FASB Statement No. 3, (FAS 154). FAS 154 requires retrospective application to
prior periods financial statements for any change in accounting principle, unless it is
impracticable to determine either the period-specific effects or the cumulative effect of the
change. The statement defines retrospective application as the application of a different
accounting principle to prior accounting periods as if that principle had always been used or as
the adjustment of previously issued financial statements to reflect a change in the reporting
entity. The statement also requires that a change in depreciation, amortization, or depletion
method for long-lived, non-financial assets be accounted for as a change in accounting estimate
affected by a change in accounting principle. The statement carries forward without change the
guidance contained in Accounting Principles Board Opinion 20 for reporting the correction of an
error in previously issued financial statements and a change in accounting estimate. The Company
will be required to adopt FAS 154 for any accounting changes or corrections of errors on or after
January 1, 2006. The Company does not expect the adoption of FAS 154 to have a material impact on
its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Reclassification
Certain data in the Statement of Cash Flows for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2004
have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.
2. Acquisition of Fixed Assets under Capital Lease
During 2005, the Company acquired office equipment and furniture with estimated total market
values of approximately $60,000 under leases that, for accounting purposes, are classified as
capital leases. The leases are payable over varying terms ranging from 39 to 60 months at regular
monthly payments totaling approximately $1,400. The estimated principal portion of payments under
these leases within the next year is classified as short-term, with the remaining balance
classified as long-term.
3. Commitments
During the quarter ended March 31, 2005, the Company signed amendments to its master agreement
with a contract research organization to assist in the conduct of two clinical trials to be
performed in Europe, to be conducted through the first half of 2007. One of these trials commenced
in May and the other commenced in August 2005. The total contractual commitment for these trials,
which is denominated primarily in Euros, is expected to be approximately $7.5 million in U.S.
Dollars based on actual costs incurred to date and the remaining contractual commitments converted
using the foreign exchange rate as of September 30,
2005.Approximately 4.3 million of the
Euro-denominated commitments under these contracts had not
been incurred as of September 30,
7
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued
2005, which is equivalent to approximately $5.2 million based on
the exchange rate at that date. The costs of these trials may vary depending upon the nature of the
services being rendered, as well as the change in the foreign exchange rates at the time such
payments become due. The timing of payments for these trials will depend upon various factors
including the pace of site selection, patient enrollment and other trial activities. These trials
are being conducted under the master agreement with the vendor that provides for termination by the
Company with forty-five days notice.
In April 2005, the Company signed an amendment to the master agreement with another one of its
clinical research organizations for the conduct of an additional clinical trial to be performed in
the United States, which commenced early in the second quarter of 2005. The total contractual
commitment for this trial, to be conducted over a two-year period, is expected to be $1.7 million.
The timing of payments for this trial will depend upon various factors including the pace of site
selection, patient enrollment and other trial activities. This trial is being conducted under the
master agreement with the vendor that provides for termination by the Company with thirty days
notice.
On May 23, 2005, the Company entered into a lease agreement for office space at a cost of
approximately $14,250 per month, which is subject to increases each January based on increases in
the landlords operating expenses for the property. The lease is for an initial term of 30 months
with a commencement date of July 1, 2005 and provides the Company with an option to extend for an
additional year.
4. Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss is comprised of net loss and the change in unrealized gains and losses on
available-for-sale securities. The following table presents the components of comprehensive loss
for the periods presented. All figures are in thousands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in Thousands) |
|
Net loss as reported |
|
$ |
(4,089 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,846 |
) |
Change in unrealized gain (loss) |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
(14 |
) |
|
|
(27 |
) |
|
|
(58 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehensive net loss |
|
$ |
(4,083 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,237 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,250 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,904 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5. Net Loss Per Share
The Company follows the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 128,
Earnings Per Share. Basic and diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by
the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period less outstanding shares
subject to repurchase. Outstanding shares subject to repurchase are not included in the computation
of basic net loss per share until the Companys time-based repurchase rights have lapsed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in Thousands, except per share data) |
|
Net loss (numerator) |
|
$ |
(4,089 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,223 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,846 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares used in computing historical basic and diluted net loss per
share (denominator) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted-average common shares outstanding |
|
|
22,686 |
|
|
|
22,703 |
|
|
|
17,363 |
|
|
|
22,697 |
|
Less weighted-average shares subject to repurchase |
|
|
(154 |
) |
|
|
(82 |
) |
|
|
(305 |
) |
|
|
(100 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator for basic and diluted net loss per share |
|
|
22,532 |
|
|
|
22,621 |
|
|
|
17,058 |
|
|
|
22,597 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per share applicable to common stockholders |
|
$ |
(0.18 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.23 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.60 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.66 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE COMPANY)
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued
The Company has excluded the impact of common stock equivalents, from the calculation of
diluted net loss per common share because all such securities are antidilutive for all periods
presented. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2004, the Company excluded approximately
3.5 million shares that represent the impact of all convertible preferred stock from January 1,
2004 through the conversion of these shares into common stock on April 19, 2004, the effective date
of the initial public offering of the Companys common stock. In addition, for all periods
presented, the Company excluded additional shares that might have been issued under stock option
grants.
The following table presents information on securities outstanding as of the end of each
period that could potentially dilute the per share data in the future. All data is in thousands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
Shares subject to repurchase |
|
|
145 |
|
|
|
73 |
|
Stock options outstanding |
|
|
974 |
|
|
|
1,286 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
1,119 |
|
|
|
1,359 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. Stock-based compensation
During the second quarter of 2005 and the third quarter of 2004, upon the change in status of
employees who worked in a development function to consultants, the Company recorded a reversal of
approximately $250,000 and $230,000, respectively, of previously reported stock-based compensation
expense, which represents the difference between the expense recorded under the graded-vesting
method and the expense that would have been recorded based upon the rights to options that vested
during the service of these individuals as employees. Certain of the options previously granted to
these individuals will continue to vest as the individuals provide consulting services to the
Company. The fair value of options to be vested and earned after the employees change in status
will be charged to expense as such options are earned over the remaining vesting periods using the
straight-line method.
7. Subsequent Events
On October 19, 2005, the Company signed an agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) in
which Lilly has agreed to support the Companys proof of concept clinical study evaluating the
ability of CORLUX®, a GR-II antagonist, to mitigate weight gain associated with the use of
olanzapine. Under the agreement, Lilly will supply olanzapine and pay
for the study. This study will be conducted in healthy male
volunteers.
9
MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Forward-Looking Information
This Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
should be read in conjunction with the Factors that May Affect Future Results section of Part I
of this Form 10-Q. This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended. All statements contained in this Form 10-Q other than statements of historical
fact are forward-looking statements. When used in this report or elsewhere by management from time
to time, the words believe, anticipate, intend, plan, estimate, expect, and similar
expressions indicate forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is
not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements made in this Form 10-Q include statements about:
|
|
|
the progress of our research, development and clinical programs and timing of the
introduction of CORLUX and future product candidates; |
|
|
|
|
estimates of the dates by which we expect to report results of our clinical trials; |
|
|
|
|
our ability to market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance for CORLUX or
other future product candidates; |
|
|
|
|
uncertainties associated with obtaining and enforcing patents; |
|
|
|
|
our estimates for future performance; and |
|
|
|
|
our estimates regarding our capital requirements and our needs for additional financing. |
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and
uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. For a more detailed discussion of such
forward-looking statements and the potential risks and uncertainties that may impact upon their
accuracy, see the Factors that May Affect Future Results and Overview sections of this
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. These
forward-looking statements reflect our view only as of the date of this report. Except as required
by law, we undertake no obligations to update any forward looking statements. Accordingly, you
should also carefully consider the factors set forth in other reports or documents that we file
from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
OVERVIEW
We are a pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of medications for the treatment of
severe psychiatric and neurological diseases. Since our inception in May 1998, we have been
developing our lead product, CORLUX®, targeted for the treatment of the psychotic
features of psychotic major depression, or PMD, under an exclusive patent license from Stanford
University. The United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has granted fast track status
to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD.
We have completed the analysis of our first two large, double-blind trials, and, in September and
October 2004, we initiated two Phase III clinical trials in the United States to support a planned
New Drug Application, or NDA. Both of these trials are covered by Special Protocol Assessments, or
SPAs, from the FDA. Additionally, in the second quarter of 2005, we initiated a third Phase III
clinical trial in Europe and a clinical study in the United States to evaluate the safety and
tolerability of retreatment with CORLUX. We initiated an additional retreatment study in Europe in
August 2005.
In October 2005, we announced that we had signed an agreement with Eli Lilly and Company, or
Lilly in which Lilly has agreed to support our proof of concept clinical study evaluating the
ability of CORLUX® to mitigate weight gain associated with the use of olanzapine. This
study will be conducted with healthy male volunteers. We expect to report the results of this study
sometime in the first half of 2006. In September 2005, we announced our plans to close enrollment
in our Phase II clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CORLUX in improving cognition
in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers disease due to a slower than expected pace of
enrollment. The study had enrolled 80 patients; it was designed to enroll 160. We expect to report
the results of this trial in the first quarter of 2006.
Our activities to date have included:
|
|
|
product development; |
|
|
|
|
designing, funding and overseeing clinical trials; |
|
|
|
|
regulatory affairs; and |
|
|
|
|
intellectual property prosecution and expansion. |
10
Historically, we have financed our operations and internal growth primarily through private
placements of our preferred stock and the public sale of common stock rather than through
collaborative or partnership agreements. Therefore, we have no research funding or collaborative
payments payable to us. The loan we received from one research institution was converted into
common stock on June 30, 2004.
We are in the development stage and have incurred significant losses since our inception
because we have not generated any revenue, and do not expect to generate any revenue for the
foreseeable future. As of September 30, 2005 we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $68.3
million. Our historical operating losses have resulted principally from our research and
development activities, including clinical trial activities for CORLUX, discovery research,
non-clinical activities such as toxicology and carcinogenicity studies, manufacturing process
development and regulatory activities, as well as general and administrative expenses. We expect to
continue to incur net losses over at least the next two years as we complete our CORLUX clinical
trials, apply for regulatory approvals, expand development of GR-II antagonists for new
indications, acquire and develop treatments in other therapeutic areas, establish sales and
marketing capabilities and expand our operations.
Our business is subject to significant risks, including the risks inherent in our research and
development efforts, the results of our CORLUX clinical trials, uncertainties associated with
obtaining and enforcing patents, our investment in manufacturing set-up, the lengthy and expensive
regulatory approval process and competition from other products. Our ability to successfully
generate revenues in the foreseeable future is dependent upon our ability, alone or with others, to
develop, obtain regulatory approval for, manufacture and market our lead product.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2005 and 2004
Research and development expenses. Research and development expenses include the personnel
costs related to our development activities including non-cash stock-based compensation, as well as
the costs of pre-clinical studies, clinical trial preparations, enrollment and monitoring expenses,
regulatory costs and the costs of manufacturing development.
Research and development expenses increased 46% to $4.5 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2005, from $3.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2004. For the nine
months ended September 30, 2005, research and development expenses increased 73% to $12.6 million
from $7.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004. The net increases in expenses
between years reflect clinical trial cost increases of $1.9 million and $6.0 million, respectively,
for the current quarter and year-to-date periods, primarily related to Phase III clinical trial
expenses for PMD. In addition, for the current quarter and year-to-date period, there was a
reduction of approximately $500,000 and $1.0 million, respectively, in expenses for our discovery
research program due to the successful conclusion of a program focusing on the discovery of new
chemical entities that will be available for future development. During the three months ended
September 30, 2005 as compared to the same quarter of 2004, decreases in staffing costs were offset
by changes in stock-based compensation. Additionally, decreases in pre-clinical studies and the
production and testing of clinical supplies were offset by increases in clinical consulting costs.
During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2005 as compared to the same period of 2004,
increases in pre-clinical studies, personnel, clinical consulting and infrastructure costs, were
partially offset by the decrease in stock-based compensation costs and in production and testing of
clinical supplies.
Research and development expenses discussed above for the three- and nine-month periods ended
September 30, 2005 included stock based compensation charges related to option grants to
individuals performing these functions of approximately $54,000 and $182,000, respectively, as
compared with charges of approximately $93,000 and $351,000 for the same periods in 2004. In
addition, during the third quarter of 2004 and the second quarter of 2005, upon the change in
status of employees who worked in a development function to consultants, we recorded reversals of
approximately $230,000 and $250,000, respectively, of previously reported stock-based compensation
expense, which represents the difference between the expense recorded under the graded-vesting
method and the expense that would have been recorded based upon the rights to options that vested
during the service of these individuals as employees. Approximately $16,000 of non-cash
compensation expense related to individuals performing research and development activities is
expected to be amortized to expense during the remainder of 2005.
11
Below is a summary of our research and development expenses by major project (excluding stock
based compensation):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
Project |
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD |
|
$ |
2,476 |
|
|
$ |
4,051 |
|
|
$ |
4,997 |
|
|
$ |
11,081 |
|
CORLUX for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimers disease |
|
|
182 |
|
|
|
362 |
|
|
|
420 |
|
|
|
844 |
|
Drug discovery research |
|
|
580 |
|
|
|
56 |
|
|
|
1,713 |
|
|
|
702 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total research and development expense (excluding
stock-based compensation) |
|
$ |
3,238 |
|
|
$ |
4,469 |
|
|
$ |
7,130 |
|
|
$ |
12,627 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We expect that research and development expenditures will increase substantially during the
remainder of 2005 and subsequent years due to the continuation and expansion of the clinical
development of CORLUX for PMD, the initiation of trials of CORLUX for other indications and
additional study expenditures for new GR-II antagonists and other pharmaceutical candidates. These
increases will be partially offset by savings from the cessation of enrollment in the Alzheimers
study that was announced in September 2005.
Many factors can affect the cost and timing of our trials including inconclusive results
requiring additional clinical trials, slow patient enrollment, adverse side effects among patients,
insufficient supplies for our clinical trials and real or perceived lack of effectiveness or safety
of our trials. In addition, the development of all of our products will be subject to extensive
governmental regulation. These factors make it difficult for us to predict the timing and costs of
the further development and approval of our products.
General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of
the costs of administrative personnel and related facility costs along with legal, accounting and
other professional fees.
General and administrative decreased 17% to $1.0 million for the three months ended September
30, 2005, from $1.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2004. Decreases in stock based
compensation of $175,000 and legal expenses of $70,000 were partially offset by increases
attributable to market research and staffing.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, general and administrative expenses decreased 6%
to $3.1 million from $3.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004. Decreases in stock
based compensation of $540,000 and legal expenses of $120,000 were partially offset by increases
attributable to staffing ($180,000), professional fees ($120,000) and insurance ($80,000).
General and administrative expenses for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30,
2005 included stock-based compensation expense related to option grants to individuals performing
these functions of approximately $180,000 and $640,000, respectively, as compared with $355,000 and
$1.2 million for the same periods in 2004. This decrease was due to the decelerating scale of
expense recognition under the graded-vesting method. Approximately $150,000 of non-cash
compensation expense related to individuals performing general and administrative activities is
expected to be amortized to expense during the remainder of 2005.
We expect that general and administrative expenses will increase during the remainder of 2005
and subsequent years due to additional personnel, higher support costs for our commercialization
efforts, costs associated with growth in our market research activities, and expanded operational
infrastructure. An increase in general and administrative expenses is also expected to accompany
our infrastructure growth associated with our public company reporting activities. These increases
will be partially offset during the remainder of 2005 by decreases in non-cash stock-based
compensation due to the decelerating scale of amortization of existing deferred compensation under
the graded-vesting method.
Interest and other income, net. Interest and other income, net, increased to approximately
$280,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2005 and $840,000 for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005 from approximately $200,000 and $350,000, respectively, for the same periods in
2004. The increases were principally attributable to investment earnings on higher average cash,
cash equivalents, and investments balances during the three- and nine-month periods ended September
30, 2005 as compared to the same periods in 2004, due to the investment of net proceeds from our
IPO in April 2004 and higher rates of interest in 2005.
Other expense. Other expense was $20,000 and $35,000, respectively, for the three- and
nine-month periods ended September 30, 2005, compared to $34,000 and $47,000, respectively, for the
same periods in 2004. The expense in 2005 represents state tax and interest expense on the
capitalized leases. The expense in 2004 included state tax and interest expense on our convertible
note payable to the Institute for the Study of Aging. The note was converted into common stock in
June 2004.
12
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We have incurred operating losses since inception, and at September 30, 2005 we had a deficit
accumulated during the development stage of $68.3 million. Since our inception, we have relied
primarily on the proceeds from private placements and public offering of our equity securities to
fund our operations.
At September 30, 2005, we had a balance in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of
$33.4 million, compared to $46.9 million at December 31, 2004. Net cash used in operating
activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $13.5 million as compared with $8.8
million for the nine months ended June 30, 2004. The use of cash in each period was primarily a
result of net losses associated with our research and development activities and amounts incurred
to develop our administrative infrastructure. The primary component of cash used in operating
activities was the continuation of multiple Phase III clinical trials begun in the second half of
2004 and in early 2005. We expect cash used in operating activities to continue to increase
substantially during the remainder of 2005 and later years due to the continuation and expansion of
clinical trials, research activities and general and administrative expenses.
We believe that our current cash and investment balances and interest thereon will be
sufficient to complete our currently planned clinical trials reflected in the Overview section of
this Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation, to
conduct appropriate development studies and to satisfy our other anticipated cash needs for
operating expenses through 2006. However, we cannot be certain that additional funding will not be
required during this 15-month period and, if required, will be available on acceptable terms, or at
all. Further, any additional equity financing may be dilutive to stockholders, and debt financing,
if available, may involve restrictive covenants. If adequate funds are not available, we may be
required to delay, reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more of our research or development
programs or to obtain funds through collaborations with others that are on unfavorable terms or
that may require us to relinquish rights to certain of our technologies or products, including
potentially our lead product, that we would otherwise seek to develop on our own.
Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments
During the quarter ended March 31, 2005, the Company signed amendments to its master agreement
with a contract research organization to assist in the conduct of two clinical trials to be
performed in Europe, to be conducted through the first half of 2007. One of these trials commenced
in May and the other commenced in August 2005. The total contractual commitment for these trials,
which are denominated primarily in Euros, is expected to be approximately $7.5 million based on
actual costs incurred to date and the remaining contractual commitments converted using the foreign
exchange rate as of September 30, 2005. Approximately 4.3 million of the Euro-denominated
commitments under these contracts had not been incurred as of September 30, 2005, which is
equivalent to approximately $5.2 million based on the exchange rate at that date. The costs of
these trials may vary depending upon the nature of the services being rendered, as well as the
change in the foreign exchange rates at the time such payments are due. The timing of payments for
these trials will depend upon various factors including the pace of site selection, patient
enrollment and other trial activities. These trials are being conducted under the master agreement
with the vendor that provides for termination by the Company with forty-five days notice.
In April 2005, the Company signed an amendment to the master agreement with another one of its
clinical research organizations for the conduct of an additional clinical trial to be performed in
the United States, which commenced early in the second quarter of 2005. The total contractual
commitment for this trial, to be conducted over a two year period, is expected to be $1.7 million.
The timing of payments for this trial will depend upon various factors including the pace of site
selection, patient enrollment and other trial activities. This trial is being conducted under the
master agreement with the vendor that provides for termination by the Company with thirty days
notice.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We believe there have been no significant changes in our critical accounting estimates during
the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to what was previously disclosed in our Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.
Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make
estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses. We
base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be
reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about
the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.
Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Stock-based compensation. Stock-based compensation arises from the granting of stock
options to employees and directors, as well as to non-employees.
13
Deferred stock-based compensation related to option grants to employees and directors
represents the difference between the exercise price of an option and the deemed fair value of our
common stock on the date of the grant. Given the absence of an active market for our common stock
prior to the time of our initial public offering in April 2004, management was required to estimate
the fair value of our common stock based on a variety of company and industry-specific factors for
the purpose of measuring the cost of the transaction and properly reflecting it in our financial
statements. Since our initial public offering, all stock option grants have been at the closing
price for the stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market as of the date of grant. Deferred compensation is
included as a reduction of stockholders equity and is being amortized to expense over the vesting
period of the underlying options, generally five years. Our policy is to use the graded-vesting
method for recognizing compensation costs for fixed employee awards. We amortize the deferred
stock-based compensation of employee options on the graded-vesting method over the vesting periods
of the applicable stock options. The graded-vesting method provides for vesting of portions of the
overall awards at interim dates and results in greater vesting in earlier years than the
straight-line method. Upon termination of employment, the difference between the expense recorded
under the graded-vesting method and the expense that would have been recorded based upon the
vesting of the related option is required to be reversed upon such termination.
In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standard Board, or FASB, issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment, or SFAS 123R, which is a
revision of SFAS123. SFAS 123R supersedes APB 25 and amends FASB Statement No. 95, Statement of
Cash Flows. SFAS 123R addresses the accounting for transactions in which an enterprise receives
employee services in exchange for (a) equity instruments of the enterprise or (b) liabilities that
are based on the fair value of the enterprises equity instruments or that may be settled by the
issuance of such equity instruments. SFAS 123R eliminates the ability to account for share-based
compensation transactions using APB 25, and generally would require, instead, that such
transactions be accounted for using a fair-value based method. In accordance with SFAS 123R,
companies will be required to recognize an expense for compensation cost related to share-based
payment arrangements, including stock options and employee stock purchase plans. SFAS 123R
originally required adoption for interim or annual periods beginning after June 15, 2005. In April
2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, issued a release that amends the compliance
dates. Under the SECs new rule, we will be required to apply SFAS 123R as of January 1, 2006.
Early adoptions will be permitted in periods in which financial statements have not been issued. We
plan to adopt SFAS 123R on January 1, 2006.
Statement 123R permits public companies to adopt its requirements using one of two methods:
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A modified prospective method in which compensation cost is recognized
beginning with the effective date (a) based on the requirements of Statement 123R for
all share-based payments granted after the effective date and (b) based on the
requirements of Statement 123 for all awards granted to employees prior to the effective
date of Statement 123R that remain unvested on the effective date. |
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A modified retrospective method which includes the requirements of the modified
prospective method described above, but also permits entities to restate, based on the
amounts previously recognized under Statement 123 for purposes of pro forma disclosures,
either (a) all prior periods presented or (b) prior interim periods of the year of
adoption. |
We plan are in the process of assessing the appropriate transition method and the impact that
this statement may have on our future financial condition and results of operations. As a part of
that assessment, we plan to review the option pricing model that we use to determine fair value and
all assumptions that are used as inputs, including the expected volatility of the price of our
stock, projected employee turnover and the expected term of options from the date of grant to the
expected date of exercise. To date, in preparing the disclosures required under Statement of
Financial Standard 123, or SFAS 123, that are contained in the footnotes to our financial
statements included in Item 1 of this Form 10-Q and in Item 8 of our Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004, we used the full 10 year contractual life of the options as the expected term.
Because our stock was not publicly traded until our initial public offering in April 2004, the
stock volatility factor used to date for the SFAS 123 footnote disclosures has been 70%, which we
believe is a reasonable representation of the stock volatility for newly-public companies in our
industry and stage of development. As we prepare to adopt SFAS 123R, we will review these factors
and may determine that a change in these assumptions would be appropriate.
Accrual of Costs for Research and Development Activities. We recorded accruals for
estimated costs of research, preclinical and clinical studies and manufacturing development of
approximately $700,000 as of December 31, 2004 and $1.4 million as of September 30, 2005. The
related costs are a significant component of our research and development expenses. We make
significant judgments and estimates in determining the accrual balance in each reporting period.
Accrued clinical trial costs are based on estimates of the work completed under the service
agreements, milestones achieved, patient enrollment and past experience with similar contracts. Our
estimate of the work completed and associated costs to be accrued includes our assessment of the
information received from our third-party contract research organizations and the overall status of
our clinical trial activities. In the past, we have not experienced any material deviations between
accrued clinical trial expenses and actual clinical trial expenses. However, actual
services performed, number of patients enrolled and the rate of patient enrollment may vary
from our estimates, resulting in adjustments to clinical trial expense in future periods.
14
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
See discussion above under the caption Critical Accounting Estimates Stock-based
compensation regarding the adoptions of SFAS 123R in December 2004.
FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS
In addition to other information in this report, the following factors should be considered
carefully in evaluating our company. If any of the risks or uncertainties described in this Form
10-Q or in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 actually occurs, our
business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The
risks and uncertainties described in this Form 10-Q are not the only ones facing the company.
Additional risks and uncertainties of which we are unaware or currently deem immaterial may also
become important factors that may harm our business.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have incurred losses since inception and anticipate that we will incur continued losses for the
foreseeable future.
We are a development stage company with no current source of product revenue. We have a
limited history of operations and have focused primarily on clinical trials, and if the outcome of
our clinical trials supports it, we plan to seek FDA regulatory clearance to market CORLUX for the
treatment of the psychotic features of PMD. Historically, we have funded our operations primarily
from the sale of our equity securities. We have incurred losses in each year since our inception in
1998. As of September 30, 2005, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $68.3 million. We do
not know when or if we will generate product revenue. We expect our research and development
expenses to increase in connection with the planned clinical trials and other development
activities for CORLUX and for other product candidates. We expect to incur significant expenses
related to the commercialization of CORLUX. As a result, we expect that our losses will increase
for the foreseeable future. We are unable to predict the extent of any future losses or whether or
when we will become profitable.
We will depend heavily on the success of our lead product, CORLUX, which is still in development.
If we are unable to commercialize CORLUX, or experience significant delays in doing so, we may be
unable to generate revenues and our stock price may decline.
We have invested a significant portion of our time and financial resources since our inception
in the development of CORLUX. We currently do not have any commercial products and we anticipate
that for the foreseeable future our ability to generate revenues and achieve profitability will be
solely dependent on the successful development, approval and commercialization of CORLUX. We plan
to conduct at least two Phase III clinical trials in the United States for CORLUX for the treatment
of the psychotic features of PMD before submitting an application for FDA approval. One Phase III
trial commenced in September 2004 and another trial began in October 2004. Both of these trials are
covered by Special Protocol Assessments from the FDA. Additionally, in the second quarter of 2005,
we initiated a third Phase III trial in Europe. While we expect that the initial results of one of
the two U.S.-based trials will be reported before the end of the first half of 2006 and that the
initial results of the other U.S. based trial and the European trial will be reported before the
end of 2006, we cannot assure you that this will occur. Even though we have SPAs covering the
U.S.-based Phase III trials, we may decide, or the FDA may require us, to pursue additional
clinical trials or other additional studies on CORLUX. If we are unable to successfully conclude
our clinical development program and obtain regulatory approval for CORLUX for the treatment of the
psychotic features of PMD, we may be unable to generate revenue and our stock price may decline.
Many factors could harm our efforts to develop and commercialize CORLUX, including
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negative, inconclusive or otherwise unfavorable results from our pre-clinical or clinical development programs; |
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changes or delays in our clinical development program; |
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rapid technological change making CORLUX obsolete; |
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increases in the costs of our clinical trials; |
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an inability to obtain, or delay in obtaining, regulatory approval for the
commercialization of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD; |
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an inability to manufacture CORLUX or the active ingredient in CORLUX in commercial
quantities and at an acceptable cost; and |
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political concerns relating to other uses of mifepristone that could limit the market
acceptance of CORLUX. |
15
Our clinical trials may not demonstrate that CORLUX is safe and effective. If our clinical trials
of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD do not demonstrate safety and
efficacy, or if the clinical trials are delayed or terminated, our business will be harmed.
To gain regulatory approval from the FDA to market CORLUX, our pivotal clinical trials must
demonstrate the safety and efficacy of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD.
Clinical development is a long, expensive and uncertain process and is subject to delays. Favorable
results of preclinical studies and initial clinical trials of CORLUX are not necessarily indicative
of the results we will obtain in later clinical trials. While we have obtained favorable results in
some of our clinical trials, these results have not been sufficient to support an application for
FDA approval. The pivotal clinical trials we are currently conducting may not demonstrate that
CORLUX is safe or effective.
In addition, data obtained from clinical trials are susceptible to varying interpretations,
which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. To obtain marketing approval, we may
decide, or the FDA or other regulatory authorities may require us, to pursue additional clinical,
pre-clinical or manufacturing studies. These studies could significantly delay the approval and
commercialization of CORLUX and would require us to commit significant additional financial
resources. Even after we conduct these additional clinical trials, we may not receive regulatory
approval to market CORLUX.
Many other factors could delay or result in termination of our clinical trials, including:
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negative or inconclusive results; |
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slow patient enrollment; |
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patient noncompliance with the protocol; |
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adverse medical events or side effects among patients during the clinical trials; |
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FDA inspections of our clinical operations; and |
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real or perceived lack of effectiveness or safety of CORLUX. |
In addition to our clinical trials, we plan to conduct carcinogenicity studies, toxicology
tests and other studies in support of our planned NDA to market CORLUX for the treatment of the
psychotic features of PMD. We cannot assure you that these studies and tests will produce results
that support our planned NDA, and these studies and tests may delay commercialization of CORLUX.
We depend on clinical investigators and clinical sites to enroll patients in our clinical trials
and other third parties to manage the trials and to perform related data collection and analysis,
and, as a result, we may face costs and delays outside of our control.
We rely on clinical investigators and clinical sites to enroll patients and other third
parties to manage our trials and to perform related data collection and analysis. However, we may
not be able to control the amount and timing of resources that the clinical sites that conduct the
clinical testing may devote to our clinical trials. For example, we reported on September 26, 2005
that due to a slower than anticipated pace of patient enrollment, we had revised the date by which
we expect to report the results of one of the three Phase III trials we are conducting to evaluate
CORLUX® for the treatment of the psychotic features of Psychotic Major Depression (PMD).
We now expect to report results from our 06 trial in the second half of 2006. There can be no
assurance that the steps we are taking to increase the pace of enrollment will be successful.
If our clinical investigators and clinical sites fail to enroll a sufficient number of
patients in our clinical trials or fail to enroll them on our planned schedule, we will be unable
to complete these trials or to complete them as planned, which could delay or prevent us from
obtaining regulatory approvals for CORLUX.
We have contracted with Scirex Corporation (Scirex), PPD Development, LP, (PPD), and i3
Research, an Ingenix Company (i3), to monitor clinical site performance and to perform investigator
supervision, data collection and analysis in our Phase III clinical trials. In addition, we expect
to use approximately 70 clinical sites in our Phase III clinical trials. Approximately 50 sites are
currently active and the rest are in the process of being qualified and negotiating contracts to
conduct clinical testing. We may not be able to maintain these relationships with Scirex, PPD or i3
or to establish relationships with qualified clinical sites without undue delays or excessive
expenditures. Any delay in contracting with qualified clinical sites to conduct our clinical
testing may delay the completion of our Phase III clinical trials or the commercialization of
CORLUX.
Our agreements with clinical investigators and clinical sites for clinical testing and with
Scirex, PPD and i3 for trial management services place substantial responsibilities on these
parties, which could result in delays in, or termination of, our Phase III clinical trials if these
parties fail to perform as expected. For example, if any of our clinical trial sites fail to comply
with FDA-approved good clinical practices, we may be unable to use the data gathered at those
sites. If these clinical investigators, clinical sites or other third parties do not carry out
their contractual duties or obligations or fail to meet expected deadlines, or if the quality or
accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to their failure to adhere to our
clinical protocols or for other reasons, our Phase III clinical trials may be extended, delayed or
terminated, and we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize,
CORLUX.
16
The contracts for our European trials are denominated in Euros and we bear the currency rate
exposure for the cost of these trials.
We have engaged a contract research organization to assist in the conduct of our planned
clinical trials in Europe. The costs of these trials will be denominated in Euros, which the vendor
will convert into U.S. dollars for invoicing as costs are incurred on a monthly basis. Thus, we
bear some currency rate exposure for the costs of these trials. One of these trials commenced in
May and the other commenced in August 2005. These trials are expected to be conducted through the
first half of 2007. The timing of payments for these trials will depend upon various factors
including the pace of site selection, patient enrollment, and other trial activities. Both of the
European trials discussed here are being conducted under a master agreement that provides for
termination by us with forty-five days notice.
If we are unable to obtain or maintain regulatory approval, we will be limited in our ability to
commercialize our products, including CORLUX, and our business will be harmed.
The research, testing, manufacturing, selling and marketing of product candidates are subject
to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other
countries, which regulations differ from country to country. Obtaining and maintaining regulatory
approval typically is an uncertain process, is costly and takes many years. In addition, failure to
comply with the FDA and other applicable foreign and U.S. regulatory requirements may subject us to
administrative or judicially imposed sanctions. These include warning letters, civil and criminal
penalties, injunctions, product seizure or detention, product recalls, total or partial suspension
of production, and refusal to approve pending NDAs, or supplements to approved NDAs.
Regulatory approval of an NDA or NDA supplement is never guaranteed. Despite the time,
resources and effort expended, failure can occur at any stage. The FDA has substantial discretion
in the approval process for human medicines. The FDA can deny, delay or limit approval of a product
candidate for many reasons including:
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the FDA may not find that the candidate is safe; |
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the FDA may not find data from the clinical or preclinical testing to be sufficient; or |
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the FDA may not approve our or our third party manufacturers processes or facilities. |
Future governmental action or changes in FDA policy or personnel may also result in delays or
rejection of an NDA in the United States. In addition, because the only currently FDA-approved use
of mifepristone is the termination of pregnancy, we expect that the label for CORLUX will include
some limitations, including a warning that it should not be used by pregnant women.
If we receive regulatory approval for our product candidates, including CORLUX, we will also
be subject to ongoing FDA obligations and continued regulatory oversight and review, such as
continued safety reporting requirements; and we may also be subject to additional FDA
post-marketing obligations. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may not be
permitted to market our products.
Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may also be subject to
limitations on the indicated uses for which the medicine may be marketed or contain requirements
for potentially costly post-marketing follow-up studies. In addition, if the FDA approves any of
our product candidates, the labeling, packaging, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising,
promotion and record-keeping for the medicine will be subject to extensive regulatory requirements.
The subsequent discovery of previously
unknown problems with the medicine, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or
frequency, may result in restrictions on the marketing of the medicine, and could include
withdrawal of the medicine from the market.
Failure to obtain regulatory approval in foreign jurisdictions will prevent us from commercializing
our products abroad.
We intend to commercialize our products in international markets. Outside the United States,
we can commercialize a product only if we receive a marketing authorization and, in some cases,
pricing approval, from the appropriate regulatory authorities. This foreign regulatory approval
process includes all of the risks associated with the FDA approval process, and, in some cases,
additional risks. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing,
and the time required to obtain approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. We
have not taken any actions to obtain foreign approvals. We may not develop our products in the
clinic in order to obtain foreign regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all.
Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries, and
approval by one foreign regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in
other foreign countries or by the FDA. We may not be able to file for regulatory approvals and may
not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market.
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The fast track designation for the development program of CORLUX for the treatment of the
psychotic features of PMD may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval
process.
If a human medicine is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition
and the medicine demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition, the
sponsor of an Investigational New Drug Application, or IND, may apply for FDA fast
track designation for a particular indication. Marketing applications submitted by sponsors of
products in fast track development may qualify for expedited FDA review under the policies and
procedures offered by the FDA, but the fast track designation does not assure any such
qualification. Although we have obtained a fast track designation from the FDA for CORLUX for the
treatment of the psychotic features of PMD, we may not experience a faster development process,
review or approval compared to applications considered for approval under conventional FDA
procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw our fast track designation at any time. If we lose
our fast track designation, the approval process may be delayed. In addition, our fast track
designation does not guarantee that we will qualify for or be able to take advantage of the
expedited review procedures and does not increase the likelihood that CORLUX will receive
regulatory approval for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD.
Even if we receive approval for the marketing and sale of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic
features of PMD, it may never be accepted as a treatment for PMD.
Many factors may affect the market acceptance and commercial success of CORLUX for the
treatment of the psychotic features of PMD. Although there is currently no FDA-approved treatment
for PMD, there are two treatment approaches currently used by psychiatrists: Electroconvulsive
Therapy, or ECT, and combination medicinal therapy. Even if the FDA approves CORLUX for the
treatment of the psychotic features of PMD, physicians may not adopt CORLUX. Physicians will
recommend the use of CORLUX only if they determine, based on experience, clinical data, side effect
profiles and other factors, that it is preferable to other products or treatments then in use.
Acceptance of CORLUX among influential practitioners will be essential for market acceptance of
CORLUX.
Other factors that may affect the market acceptance and commercial success of CORLUX for the
treatment of the psychotic features of PMD include:
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the effectiveness of CORLUX, including any side effects, as compared to alternative treatment methods; |
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the product labeling or product insert required by the FDA for CORLUX; |
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the cost-effectiveness of CORLUX and the availability of insurance or other
third-party reimbursement, in particular Medicare and Medicaid, for patients using CORLUX; |
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the timing of market entry of CORLUX relative to competitive products; |
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the intentional restriction of distribution of CORLUX to physicians treating the target patient population; |
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the extent and success of our sales and marketing efforts; |
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the rate of adoption of CORLUX by physicians and by target patient population; and |
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negative publicity concerning CORLUX, RU-486 or mifepristone. |
The failure of CORLUX to achieve market acceptance would prevent us from generating meaningful
product revenue.
Public perception of the active ingredient in CORLUX, mifepristone or RU 486, may limit our ability
to market and sell CORLUX.
The active ingredient in CORLUX, mifepristone or RU 486, is used to terminate pregnancy. As a
result, mifepristone has been and continues to be the subject of considerable ethical and political
debate in the United States and elsewhere. Public perception of mifepristone may limit our ability
to engage alternative manufacturers and may limit the commercial acceptance of CORLUX by patients
and physicians. In addition, even though we intend to create measures to minimize the likelihood of
the prescribing of CORLUX to a pregnant woman, physicians may decline to prescribe CORLUX to a
woman simply to avoid altogether any risk of unintentionally terminating a pregnancy.
We have no manufacturing capabilities and we currently depend on third parties who are single
source suppliers to manufacture CORLUX. If these suppliers are unable to continue manufacturing
CORLUX and we are unable to contract quickly with alternative sources, our business will be harmed.
We currently have no experience in, and we do not own facilities for, manufacturing any
products. We have a contract with ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd., a manufacturer of the active
pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, of mifepristone and a contract with PharmaForm, L.L.C., a tablet
manufacturer for CORLUX. PharmaForm is a single source supplier to us for tablet manufacture. Our
agreement with PharmaForm is terminable by either party at any time. ScinoPharm is a single source
supplier, as well. Although
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have identified a potential second API manufacturer, we cannot
guarantee that we will enter into an agreement with them to manufacture API on terms acceptable to
us. Our agreement with ScinoPharm is terminable by either party at any time. If we are unable, for
whatever reason, to obtain the active pharmaceutical ingredient or CORLUX tablets from our contract
manufacturers, we may not be able to manufacture in a timely manner, if at all.
If our third party manufacturers of CORLUX fail to comply with FDA regulations or otherwise fail to
meet our requirements, our product development and commercialization efforts may be delayed.
We depend on third party manufacturers to supply the active pharmaceutical ingredient in
CORLUX and to manufacture CORLUX tablets. These suppliers and manufacturers must comply with the
FDAs current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, regulations and guidelines. Our suppliers and
manufacturers may encounter difficulties in achieving quality control and quality assurance and may
experience shortages of qualified personnel. Their failure to follow cGMP or other regulatory
requirements and to document their compliance with cGMP may lead to significant delays in the
availability of products for commercial use or clinical study or the termination or hold on a
clinical study, or may delay or prevent filing or approval of marketing applications for CORLUX.
Failure of our third party suppliers and manufacturers or us to comply with applicable
regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including fines, injunctions, civil
penalties, failure of regulatory authorities to grant marketing approval of our products, delays,
suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of products,
operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could harm our business. If the
operations of any current or future supplier or manufacturer were to become unavailable for any
reason, commercialization of CORLUX could be delayed and our revenue from product sales could be
reduced.
We may use a different third-party manufacturer to produce commercial quantities of CORLUX
than we are using in our clinical trials. The FDA may require us to conduct a study to demonstrate
that the tablets used in our clinical trials are equivalent to the final commercial product. If we
are unable to establish that the tablets are equivalent or if the FDA disagrees with the results of
our study, commercial launch of CORLUX would be delayed.
If we or others identify side effects after our products are on the market, we may be required to
perform lengthy additional clinical trials, change the labeling of our products or withdraw our
products from the market, any of which would hinder or preclude our ability to generate revenues.
If we or others identify side effects after any of our products are on the market:
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regulatory authorities may withdraw their approvals; |
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we may be required to reformulate our products, conduct additional clinical trials,
make changes in labeling of our products or implement changes to or obtain re-approvals of
our manufacturing facilities; |
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we may experience a significant drop in the sales of the affected products; |
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our reputation in the marketplace may suffer; and |
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we may become the target of lawsuits, including class action lawsuits. |
Any of these events could harm or prevent sales of the affected products or could increase the
costs and expenses of commercializing and marketing these products.
If CORLUX or future product candidates conflict with the patents of others or if we become involved
in other intellectual property disputes, we could have to engage in costly litigation or obtain a
license and we may be unable to commercialize our products.
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain adequate patent protection
for the use of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD and other potential uses
of GR-II antagonists. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, competitors may be
able to use our intellectual property and erode our competitive advantage.
To date, we own two issued U.S. patents and have exclusively licensed three issued U.S.
patents, in each case along with a number of corresponding foreign patents or patent applications.
We also have ten U.S. method of use patent applications for GR-II antagonists and three composition
of matter patent applications covering specific GR-II antagonists. We have applied, and will
continue to apply, for patents covering our product candidates as we deem appropriate.
Our patent applications and patents licensed or issued to us may be challenged by third
parties and our patent applications may not result in issued patents. For example, in an
inventorship dispute resolved in October 2004, McLean Hospital had alleged that it
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also had rights
to the technology that led to the patent for the use of GR-II antagonists to treat the psychotic
features of PMD. McLean Hospital was a prior employer of one of our founders, Dr. Alan Schatzberg
and it alleged that the invention of the technology underlying this patent was conceived by Dr.
Schatzberg and/or Dr. Anthony Rothschild while the two were employed by McLean Hospital. We
contended that the invention was actually conceived by Drs. Schatzberg and Belanoff while they were
employed by Stanford University and that the patent was appropriately assigned by them to Stanford
University. In October 2004, we announced a resolution of this issue in which we retained our
exclusive rights under the patent and which required us to make no additional payments under the
license, regardless of the resolution of the impending inventorship dispute. In January 2005, the
inventorship issue was resolved in favor of Stanford University.
In addition, Akzo Nobel has filed an observation in our exclusively licensed European patent
application with claims directed to PMD, in which Akzo Nobel challenges the claims of that patent
application. We have submitted a rebuttal to the European Patent Office that responds to the points
raised by Akzo. During prosecution of the U.S. patent for the use of CORLUX to treat the psychotic
features of PMD, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office considered issues similar to those raised by
Akzo and the U.S. patent was ultimately granted. We cannot assure you, however, that the European
Patent Office will reach the same conclusion. Should Akzos arguments persuade the European Patent
Office that the claims should not issue, we will not have the benefit of patent protection in
Europe for CORLUX to treat the psychotic features of PMD.
We have exclusively licensed three issued U.S. patents from Stanford University for the use of
GR-II antagonists in the treatment of PMD, cocaine-induced psychosis and early dementia, including
early Alzheimers disease. We bear the costs of protecting and defending the rights to these
patents. In order to maintain the exclusive license to these patents until their expiration, we are
obligated to make milestone and royalty payments to Stanford University. We are currently in
compliance with our obligations under these agreements. If we become noncompliant, we may lose the
right to commercialize CORLUX for the treatment of PMD and Alzheimers disease and our business
would be materially harmed.
Our presently pending and future patent applications may not issue as patents, and any patent
issued to us may be challenged, invalidated, held unenforceable or circumvented. For example, the
arguments presented by Akzo Nobel could be raised in the United States either before the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office or in a court of law. Furthermore, the claims in patents which have
been issued to us, or which may be issued to us in the future, may not be sufficiently broad to
prevent third parties from producing competing products. In addition, the laws of various foreign
countries in which we compete may not protect our intellectual property to the same extent as do
the laws of the United States. If we fail to obtain adequate patent protection for our proprietary
technology, our competitors may produce competing products based on our technology, which would
impair our ability to compete.
If a third party were successful in asserting an infringement claim against us, we could be
forced to pay damages and prevented from developing, manufacturing or marketing our potential
products. We do not have liability insurance for patent infringements. A third party could require
us to obtain a license to continue to use their intellectual property, and we may not be able to do
so on commercially acceptable terms, or at all. We believe that significant litigation will
continue in our industry regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. If we become
involved in litigation, it could consume a substantial portion of our resources. Regardless of the
merit of any particular claim, defending a lawsuit takes significant time, is expensive and diverts
managements attention from other business.
If we are unable to protect our trade secrets and proprietary information, our ability to compete
in the market could be diminished.
In addition to patents, we rely on a combination of confidentiality, nondisclosure and other
contractual provisions, laws protecting trade secrets and security measures to protect our trade
secrets and proprietary information. Nevertheless, these measures may not adequately protect our
trade secrets or other proprietary information. If they do not adequately protect our rights, third
parties could use our proprietary information, which could diminish our ability to compete in the
market. In addition, employees, consultants and others who participate in the development of our
products may breach their agreements with us regarding our trade secrets and other proprietary
information, and we may not have adequate remedies for the breach. We also realize that our trade
secrets may become known through means not currently foreseen. Notwithstanding our efforts to
protect our trade secrets and proprietary information, our competitors may independently develop
similar or alternative products that are equal or superior to our product candidates without
infringing on any of our proprietary information or trade secrets.
Our licensed patent covering the use of mifepristone to treat PMD is a method of use patent rather
than a composition of matter patent, which increases the risk that physicians will prescribe
another manufacturers mifepristone for the treatment of PMD rather than CORLUX.
We have an exclusive license from Stanford University to a patent covering the use of GR-II
antagonists, including mifepristone, targeted for the treatment of PMD. A method of use patent
covers only a specified use of a particular compound, not a particular composition of matter. All
of our issued patents and all but three of our 13 U.S. patent applications relate to use patents.
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Because none of our issued patents covers the composition of mifepristone or any other compound, we
cannot prevent others from commercializing mifepristone or any other GR-II antagonist. If others
receive approval to manufacture and market mifepristone or any other GR-II antagonist, physicians
could prescribe mifepristone or any other GR-II antagonist for PMD patients instead of CORLUX.
Although any such off-label use would violate our licensed patent, effectively monitoring
compliance with our licensed patent may be difficult and costly. In addition, if others develop a
treatment for PMD that works through a mechanism which does not involve the GR-II receptor,
physicians could prescribe that treatment instead of CORLUX.
If Stanford University were to terminate our CORLUX license due to breach of the license on
our part, we would not be able to commercialize CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features
of PMD.
Our efforts to discover, develop and commercialize new product candidates beyond CORLUX are at a
very early stage. If we fail to identify and develop additional uses for GR-II antagonists, we may
be unable to market additional products.
To develop additional sources of revenue, we believe that we must identify and develop
additional product candidates. We have only recently begun to expand our research and development
efforts toward identifying and developing product candidates in addition to CORLUX for the
treatment of the psychotic features of PMD. We own or have exclusively licensed issued U.S. patents
covering the use of GR-II antagonists to treat PMD, early dementia, mild cognitive impairment,
psychosis associated with cocaine addiction and weight gain following treatment with antipsychotic
medication, in addition to ten U.S. method of use patent applications covering GR-II antagonists
for the treatment of a number of other neurological and psychiatric disorders and three U.S.
composition of matter patent applications covering specific GR-II antagonists.
We may not develop product candidates for any of the indications or compounds covered by our
patents and patent applications. Typically, there is a high rate of attrition for product
candidates in preclinical and clinical trials, so our product development efforts may not lead to
commercially viable products. The use of GR-II antagonists may not be effective to treat these
conditions or any other indications. In addition, we could discover that the use of GR-II
antagonists in these patient populations has unacceptable side effects or is otherwise not safe.
We may elect to enter into collaboration arrangements with respect to one or more of our
product candidates. If we do enter into such an arrangement, we would be dependent on a
collaborative partner for the success of the product candidates developed under the arrangement.
Any future collaborative partner may fail to successfully develop or commercialize a product
candidate under a collaborative arrangement.
We only have experience with CORLUX and we may determine that CORLUX is not desirable for uses
other than for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD. In that event, we would have to
identify and may need to secure rights to a different GR-II antagonist. For example, we do not
intend to develop CORLUX for mitigation of the weight gain associated with the use of olanzapine,
even though we are conducting the proof of concept study described above. We may pursue other GR-II
antagonists for this use. These compounds developed pursuant to our discovery research program may
fail to generate commercially viable product candidates in spite of the resources we have dedicated
to the program. Even if product candidates are identified, we may abandon further development
efforts before we reach clinical trials or after expending significant expense and time conducting
clinical trials. Moreover, governmental authorities may enact new legislation or regulations that
could limit or restrict our development efforts. If we
are unable to successfully discover and commercialize new uses for GR-II antagonists, we may
be unable to generate sufficient revenue to support our operations.
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If we need additional capital sooner than anticipated, it could reduce our ability to compete.
We anticipate that our existing capital resources will be sufficient to enable us to complete
the clinical development of CORLUX, for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD. However,
our expectations are based on our currently planned clinical development program for PMD and our
current operating plan, which may change as a result of many factors, including:
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the costs and the timing of enrollment and results of our clinical trials; |
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changes in the exchange rate between the Euro and the U.S. Dollar; |
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the results of our research efforts and clinical trials; |
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the need to perform additional clinical trials; |
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the timing of the approval by the FDA, if any, to market CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD; |
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developments or disputes concerning patents or proprietary rights, including
announcements of claims of infringement, interference or litigation against us or our
licensors; |
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results; |
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changes in our growth rates; |
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the timing of commercialization of CORLUX and future product candidates; and |
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changes in the reimbursement policies of third-party insurance companies or government agencies. |
Consequently, we may need additional funding sooner than anticipated. We currently have no
credit facility or committed sources of capital. Our inability to raise capital would harm our
business and product development efforts.
In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic
considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating
plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible
debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in dilution to our then-existing
stockholders.
We may not be able to pursue all of our product research and development opportunities if we are
unable to secure adequate funding for these programs.
The costs required to start or continue many of the programs that our intellectual property
allow us to consider for further development are collectively greater that the funds currently
available to us. For example, we announced in 2004 that we had successfully discovered three series
of compounds that are specific GR-II antagonists but, unlike CORLUX, do not block the progesterone
receptor. Further development of these programs and others, including our Alzheimers program, may
be delayed or cancelled if we determine that such development may jeopardize our ability to
complete the clinical development of CORLUX for the treatment of PMD, as currently planned.
We may have substantial exposure to product liability claims and may not have adequate insurance to
cover those claims.
We may be subject to product liability or other claims based on allegations that the use of
our products has resulted in adverse effects or that our products are not effective, whether by
participants in our clinical trials or by patients using our products. A product liability claim
may damage our reputation by raising questions about our products safety or efficacy and could
limit our ability to sell a product by preventing or interfering with product commercialization. In
some cases, less common adverse effects of a pharmaceutical product are not known until long after
the FDA approves the product for marketing. The active ingredient in CORLUX is used to terminate
pregnancy. Therefore, necessary and strict precautions must be taken by clinicians using the
medicine in our clinical trials and, if approved by the FDA, physicians prescribing the medicine to
women with childbearing potential, to insure that the medicine is not administered to pregnant
women. The failure to observe these precautions could result in significant product claims.
We have only limited product liability insurance coverage, with limits customary for a
development stage company. We intend to expand our product liability insurance coverage to any
products for which we obtain marketing approval. However, this insurance may be prohibitively
expensive or may not fully cover our potential liabilities. Our inability to obtain adequate
insurance coverage at an acceptable cost could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of our
products. Defending a lawsuit could be costly and significantly divert managements attention from
conducting our business. If a third party successfully sues us for any injury caused by our
products, our liability could exceed our total assets.
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We have no sales and marketing staff and will need to develop sales and marketing capabilities to
successfully commercialize CORLUX and any future uses of GR-II antagonists.
Our employees have limited experience in marketing or selling pharmaceutical products and we
currently have no sales and marketing staff. To achieve commercial success for any approved
product, we must either develop a sales and marketing force or enter into arrangements with others
to market and sell our products. We currently plan to establish a small, specialty sales force to
market and sell CORLUX in the United States for the treatment of the psychotic features of PMD.
However, our sales and marketing efforts may not be successful or cost-effective. In the event that
the commercial launch of CORLUX is delayed due to FDA requirements or other reasons, we may
establish a sales and marketing force too early relative to the launch of CORLUX. This may be
expensive, and our investment would be lost if the sales and marketing force could not be retained.
If our efforts to develop a sales and marketing force are not successful, cost-effective and
timely, we may not achieve profitability.
We will need to increase the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in
managing growth.
As we expand our research and development efforts and develop a sales and marketing
organization, we expect to experience growth, which may strain our operations, product development
and other managerial and operating resources. Future growth will impose significant added
responsibilities on members of management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain and
integrate additional employees. To date, we have relied on a small management team, including a
number of part-time contributors. Our future financial performance and our ability to compete
effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. To that
end, we must be able to:
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manage our research and development efforts effectively; |
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manage our clinical trials effectively; |
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integrate additional management, administrative and sales and marketing personnel; |
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expand the size and composition of our management team; |
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develop our administrative, accounting and management information systems and controls; and |
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hire and train additional qualified personnel. |
We may not be able to accomplish these tasks, and our failure to accomplish any of them could
harm our business.
If we are unable to obtain acceptable prices or adequate reimbursement for our products from
third-party payors, we will be unable to generate significant revenues.
There is significant uncertainty related to the availability of insurance coverage and
reimbursement for newly approved medications. The commercial success of our medications in both
domestic and international markets is dependent on whether third-party coverage and reimbursement
is available for the ordering of our medications by the medical profession for use by their
patients. Medicare, Medicaid, health maintenance organizations and other third-party payors are
increasingly attempting to contain healthcare costs by limiting both coverage and the level of
reimbursement of new medicines, and, as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment
for our medications. The continuing efforts of government and third-party payors to contain or
reduce the costs of health care may limit our revenues. Our dependence on the commercial success of
CORLUX alone makes us particularly susceptible to any cost containment or reduction efforts.
Accordingly, even if CORLUX or future product candidates are approved for commercial sale, unless
government and other third-party payors provide adequate coverage and reimbursement for our
products, physicians may not prescribe them. We intend to sell CORLUX directly to hospitals if we
receive FDA approval. As a result, we will need to obtain approval from hospital formularies to
receive wide-spread third-party reimbursement. If we fail to obtain that approval, we will be
unable to generate significant revenues.
In some foreign markets, pricing and profitability of prescription pharmaceuticals are subject
to government control. In the United States, we expect that there will continue to be federal and
state proposals for similar controls. Also, the trends toward managed health care in the United
States and proposed legislation intended to reduce the cost of government insurance programs could
significantly influence the purchase of health care services and products and may result in lower
prices for our products or the exclusion of our products from reimbursement programs.
We face competition from companies with substantial financial, technical and marketing resources,
which could limit our future revenues from the commercialization of CORLUX for the treatment of the
psychotic features of PMD.
If approved for commercial use, CORLUX as a treatment for PMD will compete with established
treatments, including ECT and combination medicinal therapy.
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Combination medicinal therapy consists of the use of antipsychotic and antidepressant
medicines, not currently approved for the treatment of PMD. The antipsychotics are prescribed for
off-label use by physicians to treat the psychotic features of PMD, which is the clinical target of
CORLUX. Antipsychotics include Bristol-Myers Squibbs Abilify, Novartis Clozaril, Pfizers Geodon
and Navane, Ortho-McNeils Haldol, Janssen Pharmaceuticas Risperdal, AstraZenecas Seroquel,
GlaxoSmithKlines Stelazine and Thorazine, Mylans thioridazine, Schering Corporations Trilafon
and Eli Lillys Zyprexa. CORLUX may not compete effectively with these established treatments. We
are aware of one ongoing clinical trial conducted by the pharmaceutical division of Akzo Nobel, for
a new medicine for the treatment of PMD. This new medicine is a GRII antagonist, the commercial use
of which would be covered by our patent. As discussed above, Akzo Nobel has filed an observation in
our exclusively licensed European patent application with claims directed to PMD, in which Akzo
Nobel challenges the claims of that patent application. We are not aware of any public disclosures
of any company, other than Akzo Nobel, regarding the development of new medicinal products to treat
PMD. Our present and potential competitors include major pharmaceutical companies, as well as
specialized pharmaceutical firms, universities and public and private research institutions.
Moreover, we expect competition to intensify as technical advances are made. These competitors,
either alone or with collaborative parties, may succeed with the development and commercialization
of medicinal products that are superior to and more cost-effective than CORLUX. Many of our
competitors and related private and public research and academic institutions have greater
experience, more financial resources and larger research and development staffs than we do. In
addition, many of these competitors, either alone or together with their collaborative partners,
have significantly greater experience than we do in developing human medicines, obtaining
regulatory approvals, manufacturing and commercializing products.
Accordingly, CORLUX may not be an effective competitor against established treatments and our
present or potential competitors may succeed in developing medicinal products that are superior to
CORLUX or render CORLUX obsolete or non-competitive. If we are unable to establish CORLUX as a
superior and cost-effective treatment for PMD, or any future use, we may be unable to generate the
revenues necessary to support our business.
Rapid technological change could make our products obsolete.
Pharmaceutical technologies have undergone rapid and significant change and we expect that
they will continue to do so. Any products and processes that we develop may become obsolete or
uneconomical before we recover any or all expenses incurred in connection with their development.
Rapid technological change could make our products obsolete or uneconomical.
If we lose our key personnel or are unable to attract and retain additional skilled personnel, we
may be unable to pursue our product development and commercialization efforts.
We depend substantially on the principal members of our management and scientific staff,
including Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D., our Chief Executive Officer, and Robert L. Roe, M.D., our
President. We do not have agreements with any of our executive officers that provide for their
continued employment with us or employment insurance covering any of our key personnel. Any officer
or employee can terminate his or her relationship with us at any time and work for one of our
competitors. The loss of these key individuals could result in competitive harm because we could
experience delays in our product research, development and commercialization efforts without their
expertise.
Our ability to operate successfully and manage our potential future growth depends
significantly upon retaining key research, technical, sales, marketing, managerial and financial
personnel, and attracting and retaining additional highly qualified personnel in these areas. We
face intense competition for such personnel from numerous companies, as well as universities and
nonprofit research organizations in the highly competitive northern California business area.
Although we believe that we have been successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel to
date, we may not be able to attract and retain sufficient qualified personnel in the future. The
inability to attract and retain these personnel could result in delays in the research, development
and commercialization of our potential products.
If we acquire other GR-II antagonists or other technologies or potential products, we will incur a
variety of costs and may never realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition.
If appropriate opportunities become available, we may attempt to acquire other GR-II
antagonists, particularly GR-II antagonists that do not terminate pregnancy. We may also be able to
acquire other technologies or potential products that are complementary to our operating plan. We
currently have no commitments, agreements or plans for any acquisitions. The process of acquiring
rights to another GR-II antagonist or any other potential product or technology may result in
unforeseen difficulties and expenditures and may
absorb significant management attention that would otherwise be available for ongoing
development of our business. In addition, we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of any
acquired potential product or technology. Future acquisitions could dilute our stockholders
ownership interest in us and could cause us to incur debt, expose us to future liabilities and
result in amortization or other expenses related to goodwill and other intangible assets.
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The occurrence of a catastrophic disaster or other similar events could cause damage to our or our
manufacturers facilities and equipment, which could require us to cease or curtail operations.
Because our executive offices are located in the San Francisco Bay Area and our current
manufacturers are located in earthquake-prone areas, our business is vulnerable to damage from
various types of disasters or other similarly disruptive events, including earthquake, fire, flood,
power loss and communications failures. In addition, political considerations relating to
mifepristone may put us and our manufacturers at increased risk for terrorist attacks, protests or
other disruptive events. If any disaster or other similar event were to occur, we may not be able
to operate our business and our manufacturers may not be able to produce our products. Our
insurance may not be adequate to cover, and our insurance policies may exclude coverage for, our
losses resulting from disasters or other business interruptions.
Risks Related to Our Stock
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile.
We cannot assure you that an active trading market for our common stock will exist at any
time. Holders of our common stock may not be able to sell shares quickly or at the market price if
trading in our common stock is not active. During the 52-week period ended November 8, 2005, our
average daily trading volume has been approximately 56,000 shares and our price has ranged from
$7.00 to $3.41. The trading price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be
subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our
control, including:
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actual or anticipated timing and results of our clinical trials; |
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actual or anticipated regulatory approvals of our products or of competing products; |
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changes in laws or regulations applicable to our products or our competitors products; |
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changes in the expected or actual timing of our development programs or our
competitors potential development programs; |
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actual or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results; |
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announcements of technological innovations by us, our collaborators or our competitors; |
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new products or services introduced or announced by us or our competitors; |
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changes in financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts; |
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conditions or trends in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries; |
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changes in the market valuations of similar companies; |
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announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic
partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments; |
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additions or departures of key personnel; |
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disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents,
litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection for our technologies; |
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developments concerning our collaborations; |
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trading volume of our common stock; and |
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sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders. |
In addition, the stock market in general, the Nasdaq Stock Market and the market for
technology companies in particular have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have
often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Further,
there has been particular volatility in the market prices of securities of biotechnology and life
sciences companies. These broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of
our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of
volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against
companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and
diversion of managements attention and resources.
Securities analysts may not continue to provide or initiate coverage of our common stock or may
issue negative reports, and this may have a negative impact on our common stocks market price.
Securities analysts currently covering our common stock may discontinue, research coverage.
Additional securities analysts may elect not to provide research coverage of our common stock. A
lack of research coverage may adversely affect our common stocks market price. The trading market
for our common stock may be affected in part by the research and reports that industry or financial
analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of the analysts who elects to cover us
downgrades our stock, our stock price
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would likely decline rapidly. If one or more of these
analysts ceases coverage of our company, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn
could cause our stock price to decline. In addition, rules mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002, and a global settlement reached in 2003 between the SEC, other regulatory analysts and a
number of investment banks will lead to a number of fundamental changes in how analysts are
reviewed and compensated. In particular, many investment banking firms will be required to contract
with independent financial analysts for their stock research. It may be difficult for companies
such as ours with smaller market capitalizations to attract independent financial analysts that
will cover our common stock. This could have a negative effect on our market price.
A sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may cause the price of our common
stock to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could harm
the market price of our common stock. As additional shares of our common stock become available for
resale in the public market, the supply of our common stock will increase, which could decrease the
price. Following the expiration in October 2004 of lock-up arrangements between our stockholders
and the underwriters associated with our initial public offering and subject to applicable volume
and other resale restrictions, substantially all of the shares of our common stock are eligible for
sale.
Our officers, directors and principal stockholders control a majority of our common stock and will
be able to significantly influence corporate actions.
As of November 8, 2005, our officers, directors and principal stockholders control a majority
of our common stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, will be able to
significantly influence all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election
of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. The interests
of this group of stockholders may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of other
stockholders and may prevent or delay a change in control. This concentration of ownership may have
the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and might adversely affect the market
price of our common stock. In addition, this significant concentration of share ownership may
adversely affect the trading price of our common stock because investors often perceive
disadvantages to owning stock in companies with controlling stockholders.
We may incur increased costs as a result of recently enacted and proposed changes in laws and
regulations.
Recently enacted and proposed changes in the laws and regulations affecting public companies,
including the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and regulations of the SEC and the
Nasdaq Stock Market, have and will continue to result in increased costs to us. The new rules could
make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director
and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage
or incur higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. The impact of these events could also
make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of
directors, or our board committees, or as executive officers. At present, we cannot predict or
estimate the amount of the additional costs related to these new rules and regulations or the
timing of such costs.
Because we have been a public company for a short time, we have limited experience complying with
public company obligations, including recently enacted changes in securities laws and regulations.
Compliance with these requirements will increase our costs and require additional management
resources, and we still may fail to comply.
We are a small company with limited resources. Until April 2004, we operated as a private
company, not subject to many of the requirements applicable to public companies.
As directed by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC adopted rules requiring
public companies to include a report of management on the companys internal controls over
financial reporting in their annual reports on Form 10-K. In addition, the independent registered
public accounting firm auditing the companys financial statements must attest to and report on
managements assessment of the effectiveness of the companys internal controls over financial
reporting. This requirement may first apply to our annual report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year
ending December 31, 2006. Uncertainty exists regarding our ability to comply with these
requirements by applicable deadlines. If we are unable to complete the required assessment as to
the adequacy of our internal control reporting or if our independent registered public accounting
firm is unable to provide us with an unqualified report
as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting as the required
deadline and future year ends, investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial
reporting.
Changes in or interpretations of accounting rules and regulations, such as expensing of stock
options, could result in unfavorable accounting charges or require us to change our compensation
policies.
Accounting methods and policies for business and marketing practices of pharmaceutical
companies, including policies regarding expensing employee stock options, are subject to further
review, interpretation and guidance from relevant accounting
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authorities, including the SEC. For
example, to date, we have not been required to record stock-based compensation charges if an
employees stock option exercise price equals or exceeds the fair value of our common stock at the
date of grant. However, in December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board adopted
Financial Accounting Standard 123(R), Share Based Payment. This statement, which we plan to adopt
in the first quarter of 2006, requires the recording of expense for the fair value of stock options
granted. As a result, our operating expenses could increase. We rely heavily on stock options to
compensate existing employees and attract new employees. Because we will be required to expense
stock options on a fair-value basis, we may then choose to reduce our reliance on stock options as
a compensation tool. If we reduce our use of stock options, it may be more difficult for us to
attract and retain qualified employees. If we did not reduce our reliance on stock options, our
reported losses would increase. Although we believe that our accounting practices are consistent
with current accounting pronouncements, changes to or interpretations of accounting methods or
policies in the future may require us to reclassify, restate or otherwise change or revise our
financial statements.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter and bylaws and under Delaware law may make an acquisition
of us or a change in our management more difficult, even if an acquisition or a management change
would be beneficial to our stockholders.
Provisions in our charter and bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition of us or a change in
our management. Some of these provisions divide our board into three classes with only a portion of
our directors subject to election at each annual meeting, allow us to issue preferred stock without
any vote or further action by the stockholders, require advance notification of stockholder
proposals and nominations of candidates for election as directors and prohibit stockholders from
acting by written consent. In addition, a supermajority vote of stockholders is required to amend
our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by our
Chairman, President or the board of directors and that the authorized number of directors may be
changed only by resolution of the board of directors. These provisions may prevent or delay a
change in our board of directors or our management, which is appointed by our board of directors.
In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section
203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 may prohibit large stockholders, in
particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, from merging or combining with
us. These provisions in our charter, bylaws and under Delaware law could reduce the price that
investors might be willing to pay for shares of our common stock in the future and result in the
market price being lower than it would be without these provisions.
ITEM 3 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES
Market Risk
The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal while at the same
time maximizing the income we receive from our investments without significantly increasing risk of
loss. As of September 30, 2005, our cash and cash equivalents consisted primarily of money market
funds maintained at major U.S. financial institutions, and the short-term and long-term investments
consist of corporate debt securities and U.S. government obligations. To minimize our exposure to
interest rate market risk, we have limited the maturities of our investments to less than two years
with an average maturity not to exceed one year. Due to the short-term nature of these instruments,
a 1% increase or decrease in market interest rates would not have a material adverse impact on the
total value of our portfolio as of September 30, 2005.
Currency Risk
As of December 31, 2004, we had engaged a contract research organization to begin the
preparatory work for the initiation of one of our planned clinical trials in Europe and were in
discussions with them regarding proposals for a second European clinical trial. The costs of these
trials are denominated in Euros, which the vendor will convert into U.S. dollars for invoicing as
costs are incurred on a monthly basis. Thus, we bear some currency rate exposure for the costs of
these trials. During the first quarter of 2005, we executed amendments to this agreement for the
conduct of these trials that included Euro-denominated commitments of approximately 5.9 million
Euros, of which 4.3 million Euros had not been expended or accrued as of September 30, 2005. The
unexpended Euro amount as of September 30, 2005 is equivalent to approximately $5.2 million, using
the exchange rate as of that date. A 1% increase or decrease in the currency rate of exchange
between the U.S. Dollar and the Euro would have an impact of approximately $50,000 on the
unexpended cost of these trials. One of these trials commenced in May
and the other commenced in August 2005. These trials are expected to
be conducted through the first half of 2007. The timing
of payments for these trials will depend upon various factors including the pace of site selection,
patient enrollment, and other trial activities. Both of the European trials discussed here are
being conducted under a master agreement that provides for termination by us with forty-five days
notice.
27
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. Based on their evaluation as of September
30, 2005, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded that our
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) were sufficiently effective to ensure that the information
required to be disclosed by us in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and Form 10-Q.
Changes in internal controls. There were no changes in our internal controls over financial
reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2005 that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on the effectiveness of controls. Our management, including our chief executive
officer and chief financial officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or
our internal controls will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well
conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of
the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that
there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their
costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can
provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the
Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in
decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake.
Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of
two or more people or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls
also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can
be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential
future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or
the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent
limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and
not be detected. Accordingly, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide
reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of our disclosure control system are met
and, as set forth above, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded,
based on their evaluation, that our disclosure controls and procedures were sufficiently effective
as of September 30, 2005 to provide reasonable assurance that the objectives of our disclosure
control system were met.
28
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are not currently involved in any material legal proceedings.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
(d) Proceeds from Sale of Registered Securities.
On April 19, 2004, we completed an initial public offering of 4,500,000 shares of our common
stock. The shares of common stock sold in the offering were registered under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, on a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the Registration Statement) (Reg. No.
333-112676) that was declared effective by the SEC on April 14, 2004. The offering commenced on
April 14, 2004. After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated
offering expenses described above, we received net proceeds from the offering of approximately
$49.0 million. During the quarter ended September 30, 2005, approximately $2.5 million of the net
proceeds was used for research and development activities and approximately $800,000 was used for
general and administrative activities. Between the effective date of the Registration Statement
and September 30, 2005, approximately $19.6 million of the net proceeds was used for research and
development activities and approximately $4.7 million was used for general and administrative
activities. The remaining proceeds from the offering have been placed in temporary investments of
marketable securities for future use as needed.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not applicable.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
None
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
In October 2005, Joseph K Belanoff, M.D., our Chief Executive Officer, and Robert L. Roe,
M.D., our President, adopted stock trading plans for trading of our common stock in accordance with
Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. In November 2005, Alan F. Schatzberg,
M.D., one of our Directors, adopted a stock trading plan for trading of our common stock in
accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. With the adoption of the
stock trading plans, shares will be sold from time to time over a 12-month period, beginning
November 2005.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
The exhibits listed on the accompanying index to exhibits are filed or incorporated by
reference (as stated therein) as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
29
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED
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Date: November 14, 2005
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/s/ Joseph K. Belanoff |
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Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D.
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Chief Executive Officer |
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Date: November 14, 2005
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/s/ Fred Kurland |
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Fred Kurland
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Chief Financial Officer |
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(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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30
Exhibit Index
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Exhibit |
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Number |
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Description of Document |
31.1
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Certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D. |
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31.2
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Certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of Fred Kurland. |
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32.1
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Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D. |
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32.2
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Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of Fred Kurland. |
31
exv31w1
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION
I, Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D., certify that:
1. |
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I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2005 of
Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated; |
2. |
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Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
covered by this report; |
3. |
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Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in
this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report; |
4. |
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The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have: |
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(a) |
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designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls
and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information
relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
prepared; |
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(b) |
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[Paragraph omitted pursuant to SEC Release 33-8238]; |
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(c) |
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evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and
presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and |
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(d) |
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disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the
registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control
over financial reporting; and |
5. |
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The registrants other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent
evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the
audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
function): |
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(a) |
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all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of
internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect
the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and |
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(b) |
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any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who
have a significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting. |
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/s/ Joseph K. Belanoff |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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November 14, 2005 |
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exv31w2
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION
I, Fred Kurland, certify that:
1. |
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I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2005 of
Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated; |
2. |
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Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
covered by this report; |
3. |
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Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in
this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report; |
4. |
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The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have: |
|
(a) |
|
designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls
and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information
relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
prepared; |
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(b) |
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[Paragraph omitted pursuant to SEC Release 33-8238]; |
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(c) |
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evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and
presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and |
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(d) |
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disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the
registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control
over financial reporting; and |
5. |
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The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent
evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the
audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
function): |
|
(a) |
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all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of
internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect
the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and |
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(b) |
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any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who
have a significant role in the registrants internal controls over financial reporting. |
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/s/ Fred Kurland |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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November 14, 2005 |
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exv32w1
Exhibit 32.1
Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (the Company) on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2005, as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on the date hereof (the Report), I, Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D., Chief Executive Officer
of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
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(1) |
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The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
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(2) |
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The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material
respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. |
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/s/ Joseph K. Belanoff |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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November 14, 2005 |
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exv32w2
Exhibit 32.2
Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (the Company) on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2005, as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on the date hereof (the Report), I, Fred Kurland, Chief Financial Officer of the
Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
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(1) |
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The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
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(2) |
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The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material
respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. |
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/s/ Fred Kurland |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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November 14, 2005 |
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