Edgewise Therapeutics, Inc. (EWTX) Business
This page reproduces the company's own Item 1 Business text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Informational only - not investment advice. See Disclaimer.
Item 1. Business
Overview
Our mission is to discover new medicines that improve the lives of people facing serious muscle disease.
At Edgewise, we appreciate the life-limiting impact of serious muscle diseases. Our science-driven culture places patients first as we start with their unmet needs and then work towards developing therapies to help address the significant challenges of serious muscle diseases. Guided by our holistic drug discovery approach to targeting the muscle as an organ, we have combined our foundational expertise in muscle biology and small molecule engineering to build our proprietary, muscle focused drug discovery platform. Our platform utilizes custom-built high throughput and translatable systems that measure integrated muscle function in whole organ extracts to identify small molecule precision medicines regulating key proteins in muscle tissue, initially focused on addressing rare neuromuscular and cardiac diseases. We have developed and characterized a library of novel sarcomere modulators exhibiting a broad range of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties regulating disease-related muscle biology. Based on the results of our drug discovery platform, we are advancing multiple clinical-stage programs in muscular dystrophies and severe cardiac diseases, as well as a number of preclinical programs.
Muscular Dystrophy
Our muscular dystrophy program includes sevasemten, our most advanced product candidate, an orally administered allosteric, selective, fast myofiber (type II) myosin small molecule inhibitor designed to address contraction-induced muscle injury, the root cause of dystrophinopathies including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) and Becker muscular dystrophy (Becker). Both of these disorders are rare and often debilitating diseases, and we estimate that in the US, EU-5, and Japan there are approximately 35,000 individuals living with Duchenne and 12,000 individuals living with Becker. There are currently no approved therapies for individuals with Becker.
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As a selective fast myosin inhibitor, sevasemten presents a novel mechanism of action designed to selectively limit injurious stress caused by lack of dystrophin by moderating fast skeletal muscle myosin force development and thereby compensating for the absence of functional dystrophin. We believe sevasemten has potential therapeutic utility as either a standalone or combination therapy for patients suffering from rare muscular dystrophies, if approved. Sevasemten is currently being studied in multiple late-stage clinical trials in Becker and Duchenne, including an ongoing pivotal cohort in patients with Becker.
The FDA granted sevasemten Fast Track designation for the treatment of Duchenne in February 2024, and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for the treatment of Duchenne and Becker and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) for the treatment of Duchenne in November 2023. The FDA previously granted Fast Track designation for the investigation and development of sevasemten for the treatment of Becker.
Cardiovascular
Early in the founding of Edgewise, we identified a unique set of cardiovascular molecules as part of a skeletal muscle counter-screen. We initiated our cardiovascular program with EDG-7500 identified as our lead candidate, a molecule with unique characteristics. EDG-7500 is a novel oral, selective, cardiac sarcomere modulator (CSM), specifically designed to slow early contraction velocity and address impaired cardiac relaxation associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) without impacting systolic function. EDG-7500 is currently being studied in a multipart Phase 2 trial in both obstructive HCM (oHCM) and nonobstructive HCM (nHCM). In 2023, we identified a second cardiac sarcomere modulator, EDG-15400, which is currently in a Phase 1 trial of healthy adults with the future disease target of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Preclinical
In addition, our EDG-003 discovery program is exploring candidates with unique properties to address cardiometabolic diseases. We believe our muscle-focused discovery program offer substantial opportunities for us to expand into other severe muscle diseases for which there are limited or no approved treatments.
Our Pipeline
Using our proprietary drug discovery platform, we are developing a pipeline of precision medicine product candidates that target key muscle proteins and modulators to address a broad array of muscle diseases. We have retained global development and commercialization rights to all of our programs. Our current pipeline is summarized below.
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Our Strategy
Our vision is to improve the lives of patients and families suffering from severe muscle diseases by building the world’s leading muscle-focused biopharmaceutical company. Key components of our strategy to achieve this vision include:
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| ● | Engaging comprehensively with patients, their families and their physicians to develop trusted relationships, transparent communications, and become a leader in the rare muscle disease communities we serve. By positioning ourselves as a trusted partner that moves with thoughtful urgency, we will continue to work to understand the needs of patients in order to inform our development of sevasemten, EDG-7500, EDG-15400, and other programs for severe muscle diseases. We continue to seek to better appreciate the burden of disease from the patient perspective, understand the current standard of care and unmet needs in managing the disease and learn what is most meaningful to patients. |
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| ● | Leveraging clinical and regulatory precedents and our extensive experience in severe muscle diseases to rapidly advance sevasemten through clinical development in muscular dystrophies. Sevasemten is an orally administered small molecule designed to prevent contraction-induced muscle damage in dystrophinopathies including Duchenne and Becker. Sevasemten presents a novel mechanism of action designed to selectively limit the exaggerated muscle damage caused by the absence or loss of functional dystrophin. By minimizing the progressive muscle damage that leads to functional impairment, sevasemten has the potential to benefit a broad range of patients suffering from debilitating neuromuscular disorders. Its unique mechanism of action provides the potential to establish sevasemten as a foundational therapy in dystrophinopathies, either as a single agent therapy or in combination with available therapies and those in development. |
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| ● | Leveraging our deep expertise in muscle-disease therapeutics to expand our pipeline, advancing EDG-7500 into the clinic for the treatment of HCM and other diseases of diastolic dysfunction. EDG-7500 is a first-in-class oral, selective, cardiac sarcomere modulator intended for the treatment of both oHCM and nHCM. The compound is designed to slow early contraction velocity and improve impaired cardiac relaxation. This novel mechanism is anticipated to have a broad therapeutic index that may facilitate reach to an expanded HCM market, beyond what is covered by current standard of care. |
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| ● | Investing in our precision medicine drug discovery platform to fuel the development of novel targeted therapies to expand our pipeline into additional skeletal and cardiac muscle diseases. Building upon our success in designing small molecule inhibitors of fast skeletal myosin, we are leveraging our proprietary drug discovery platform and capabilities to create precision medicines for muscle diseases with high levels of unmet need. In addition to sevasemten, EDG-7500, and EDG-15400, we are also advancing our preclinical program, EDG-003, directed to cardiometabolic targets. |
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| ● | Integrating our scientific expertise, development capabilities and growing network of patient advocacy groups and collaborators to develop novel therapies addressing muscle diseases with the highest unmet need. Our company was founded based on an in-depth understanding of muscle disease and integrative physiology, coupled with our strong drug discovery capabilities and a desire to improve the lives of patients with severe muscle diseases. In addition to this expertise, we have established a growing network of key stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, healthcare professionals, key opinion leaders, research institutions, regulators and payors, to ensure our efforts remain guided by the needs of patients suffering from severe muscle diseases. We will continue to work closely with these collaborators to inform our development programs and strategies to potentially bring transformational therapies to these communities as we build a patient-centric organization. |
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| ● | Opportunistically evaluating strategic collaborations and asset acquisition opportunities to accelerate development and commercialization timelines as well as potentially expand our pipeline within our core therapeutic areas. We have retained global development and commercialization rights to all of our programs |
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| and intend to maximize their commercial opportunity across global markets. We plan to collaborate on product candidates that we believe have promising utility in disease areas or patient populations that are better served by the resources or specific expertise of other biopharmaceutical companies. We currently intend to build a focused commercial organization in the United States to market any of our drug candidates that are approved. Outside the United States, we will evaluate strategic opportunities to maximize the commercial potential of our product candidates with collaborators whose development and commercial capabilities complement our own. We will also evaluate select external opportunities to strategically expand our pipeline. |
Our Proprietary Drug Discovery Platform
Our precision medicine muscle platform enables the discovery and development of therapies with disease modifying potential
Muscle is the most abundant tissue in the body. Skeletal muscle alone accounts for 40% to 50% of body mass. In addition to being critical for the regulation of contraction driving the production of force, skeletal muscle also serves as an endocrine organ regulating metabolism and neuronal activities as well as the production of systemic mediators of growth, inflammation and regeneration. Skeletal muscle’s physiological role impacts multiple organ systems and is a complex mix of redundancies and feedback loops that require an intricate knowledge of muscle at a whole-body level in order to successfully develop drugs for muscle diseases.
We believe that our approach can overcome many of the obstacles facing skeletal and cardiac muscle drug discovery and development that have resulted in a lack of disease modifying therapies for inherited muscle disorders. Our proprietary drug discovery platform leverages our expertise in the following areas to facilitate the efficient discovery of novel therapies for neglected muscle disorders:
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| 1. | intimate familiarity with skeletal and cardiac muscle biophysics and integrated physiology providing a unique understanding of the complex integrative relationship between skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction, transcriptional regulation and vascular/nervous/metabolic system feedback in disease; |
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| 2. | bespoke high-throughput whole muscle extract assays and functional modulator identification combined with biophysical and selectivity screening systems that are tailored to measure integrated muscle function enabling rapid first-in-class drug candidate identification; |
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| 3. | proven in-house medicinal chemists and discovery scientists who can identify and design precision medicines that bind to unique allosteric sites on specific muscle targets; and |
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| 4. | deep expertise in advanced animal models of human genetic muscle diseases to identify novel biomarkers using cutting-edge proteomics and single cell transcriptomics. |
We have coupled our deep understanding of the complexities of muscle physiology with cutting-edge drug discovery expertise to create a new generation of small molecule precision medicines for the treatment of severe and debilitating muscle conditions arising from defects in the skeletal and cardiac muscle systems.
Our Programs
Sevasemten for Treatment of Patients with Duchenne and Becker
Overview
We are developing a muscle fiber stabilizing therapy that represents a novel mechanistic approach designed to address the root cause of dystrophin deficient muscular dystrophies. Sevasemten, our most advanced product candidate, is an orally administered, allosteric, selective, fast myofiber (type II) myosin inhibitor that is designed to be inactive against slow myofiber (type I) myosin present in both skeletal muscle and the heart. Type II myosin inhibition prevents
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muscle damage via a blockade of the biophysical stress response during normal muscle contractile activity thus stabilizing the muscle and protecting the muscle from damage. As such, it is a potentially complementary approach to dystrophin replacement strategies which stabilize muscle through the re-expression of a truncated but not fully functional dystrophin.
Absence of dystrophin in Duchenne and truncated availability of dystrophin in Becker causes muscle fiber membrane stress when muscles contract, leading to myofiber damage, which is referred to as contraction-induced muscle injury.
By enhancing muscle stability and decreasing muscle damage, we believe sevasemten has the potential to improve outcomes across Becker and Duchenne patients when used as a single agent or in combination with other available therapies.
Sevasemten: A fast myofiber (type II) myosin inhibitor designed to protect against contraction-induced muscle injury
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Disease Background
Duchenne and Becker are marked by an absence (Duchenne) or truncation (Becker) of the dystrophin protein resulting from mutations in the dystrophin gene. Approximately 65% of mutations of the Duchenne gene are deletions of one or several exons, the coding sections of an RNA transcript, or the DNA encoding it, that are ultimately translated into dystrophin protein. Approximately 10% of mutations are duplications of exons and approximately 15% are single point mutations. Dystrophin provides a structural link between the contractile elements (actin and myosin filaments) of the sarcomere and the basement membrane of the myofibers (muscle cell). Absence of dystrophin leads to myofiber membrane stress during normal sarcomere contraction resulting in an influx of calcium through the myofiber membrane resulting in hypercontraction, irreversible sarcomeric collapse and myofiber degeneration. Myofiber regeneration is possible but appears to fail over time as Duchenne/Becker patients get older and the muscle stem cell (satellite cell) machinery is exhausted. Fatty and fibrotic tissue then accumulate and replace normal muscle contractile tissue thus compromising function such that patients have progressive and permanent muscle weakness. Circumventing the loss of dystrophin’s structural function may prevent myofiber damage and preserve skeletal muscle function in Duchenne/Becker.
Duchenne and Becker are classified as orphan diseases in the United States and Europe. We estimate that Duchenne occurs in approximately one in every 3,500 to 5,000 live male births and that the patient population is approximately 12,000 to 15,000 in the United States and approximately 25,000 in Europe. For Becker we estimate there are about 6,000 patients with Becker in the United States and 12,000 in the United States, EU-5, and Japan.
Becker Muscular Dystrophy
Becker is a rare, genetic, life-shortening, debilitating and degenerative neuromuscular disorder. Genetic mutations in the dystrophin gene result in contraction-induced muscle damage, which is the primary driver of irreversible muscle loss and impaired motor function. The disease predominantly affects males, with functional decline beginning at any age. Once that muscle loss occurs, the decline in function is irreversible and continues throughout the individual's life. Currently, there are no approved therapies on the market to treat Becker.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne, a severe degenerative muscle disorder, is the most common type of muscular dystrophy with a median life expectancy of around 30 years. Genetic mutations in the dystrophin gene result in contraction-induced muscle injury, which is the primary driver of irreversible muscle loss and impaired motor function. While there are approved therapies on the market aimed to treat the disease, there remains a high unmet need for additional therapies.
Current Treatments for Duchenne and Becker and their Limitations
There is no cure for Becker and no approved therapies on the market to treat the disease.
For Duchenne, there is also no cure and for most patients, there are no satisfactory symptomatic or disease-modifying treatments. Standard of care in Duchenne includes physical therapy to maintain mobility and prevent contractures, bracing and surgery for scoliosis, medical treatment for cardiomyopathy and heart failure, respiratory therapies for ventilatory impairment, psychosocial management to support behavior and learning, glucocorticoid regimens and exon skipping therapies.
Glucocorticoids
The chronic and ongoing damage state seen in Duchenne is one of the targets of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid treatment with either prednisone or EMFLAZA (deflazacort), the current standard-of-care for Duchenne, has been shown to temporarily improve muscle strength, prolong the period of ambulation, and slow functional decline, including upper limb and respiratory function, characteristic of the disease. In October 2023, the FDA granted AGAMREE (vamorolone), a novel steroid therapy, approval in Duchenne patients aged 2 years and older, and Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has commercialized this product in the United States following its North America exclusive
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license deal with Santhera. The modest chronic benefit of steroids is weighed against the risks, and treatment is often discontinued after loss of ambulation. Sustained glucocorticoid dosing in young Duchenne patients is associated with side effects including weight gain which could lead to obesity, Cushingoid features, excessive growth of hair on the body, adverse behavior changes, growth impairment, delayed puberty, immune suppression, adrenal suppression, fractures and cataracts. In Becker, glucocorticoids are not often used because of these side effects.
Exon Skipping Therapies
There are four exon skipping drugs which are marketed under an accelerated approval pathway from the FDA: EXONDYS 51 (eteplirsen), AMONDYS 45 (casimersen) and VYONDYS 53 (golodirsen), which are naked phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) approved for the treatment of Duchenne patients amenable to Exon 51, Exon 45 and Exon 53 skipping, respectively, and are marketed by Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., and VILTEPSO (vitolarsen), a naked PMO approved for the treatment of Duchenne patients amenable to Exon 53 skipping, which is marketed by Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. A significant limitation of exon skipping approaches for Duchenne is the fact that each PMO has been developed for skipping of a specific exon and their use is limited to a sub-set of mutations and hence only used in a subpopulation of Duchenne patients (e.g., Exon 51 skipping is feasible in only up to 13% of all Duchenne patients). An aggregate of approximately 29% of Duchenne patients are amenable to treatment with these therapies. The FDA labels for all four drugs state that a clinical benefit has not yet been established and that continued approval may be contingent upon the verification of such clinical benefit in confirmatory clinical trials. In May 2024, Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. announced that no statistical significance in function was observed between the treatment group and the placebo group in VILTEPSO’s confirmatory study, which may affect VILTEPSO’s accelerated FDA approval. In November 2025, Sarepta announced that AMONDYS 45 and VYONDYS 53 missed their primary endpoint in the confirmatory study. This result may affect its drugs’ accelerated FDA approval. As all exon-skipping therapies result in the re-expression of a truncated dystrophin protein, the best treatment outcome that Duchenne patients can expect is a Becker-like disease phenotype.
In addition, Translarna® (ataluren), a small molecule intended to promote ribosomal read-through to overcome the nonsense (stop) pathogenic mutations in Duchenne, was conditionally approved in the European Union and Brazil for ambulatory patients aged 2 years and older with Duchenne resulting from a nonsense mutation in the dystrophin gene. However, in March 2025, the European Commission adopted the negative opinions issued by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the renewal of conditional marketing authorization of Translarna. While this action effectively removes Translarna’s marketing authorization in the European Economic Area, individual countries within the EU can leverage existing legislation to allow continued use of Translarna. Phase 3 trials have not confirmed clinical efficacy and Translarna® is not approved for treating Duchenne in the United States.
Gene Therapy for Duchenne
The lack of dystrophin in patients with Duchenne has long been a target for adeno-associated virus (AAV) based gene therapy but the limited packaging capacity of AAV vectors (4.7 kilo-bases) and the large size of the dystrophin gene (2.2 mega-bases, 400 times bigger than the AAV vector itself) remain a challenge to delivering a fully functional dystrophin protein to patients. As such, the field has shifted to the use of miniaturized dystrophin or microdystrophin expression cassettes that yield a smaller, less complete version of the dystrophin protein as the therapeutic payload; current constructs express truncated dystrophin proteins that are 20% to 30% of the normal size of the full-length dystrophin protein. Recently, several gene therapies designed to produce a minidystrophin or microdystrophin have progressed into clinical development. However, it is estimated that between 20% to 60% of patients have antibodies against AAV due to naturally acquired infections. These antibodies prevent them from receiving AAV gene therapy due to pre-existing AAV immunity to the capsid, the protein shell of the virus used for delivery, which can lead to severe and potentially deadly immune response. The duration of activity and utility/safety of these approaches in older patients is also an open question. The question around whether gene expression can persist lifelong after a single vector administration is an area of debate across many disorders including dystrophinopathies. The long-term persistence of transgene expression is exacerbated by growth/turnover of skeletal muscle and preexisting or recall immune responses to the AAV vector capsid and/or to the transgene product itself, which can interfere with therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, this limited durability is problematic because re-administration after the first dose is currently not possible.
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In June 2023, the FDA approved Sarepta’s Biologics License Application seeking accelerated approval of their microdystrophin gene therapy, Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec), for the treatment of ambulant individuals with Duchenne between the ages of four to five years. In June 2024, the FDA granted Elevidys full approval for the treatment of ambulatory individuals aged 4 years and older, and accelerated approval for the treatment of non-ambulatory individuals aged 4 years and older. However, in November 2025, the FDA revised the Elevidys indication to limit to ambulatory individuals 4 years or older and added black box warnings about risks of acute and fatal liver injuries.
Other companies focused on developing genetic based therapies for Duchenne that target dystrophin mechanisms include Solid Biosciences Inc., Genethon, Dyne Therapeutics, Avidity Biosciences, REGENXBIO, Wave Life Sciences, and Entrada Therapeutics. Gene editing treatments that are in preclinical development are also being pursued by Vertex and Sarepta Therapeutics.
Delivery of minidystrophin or microdystrophin to muscles in Duchenne has been shown to be sufficient to reform the larger complex of proteins that make up the dystroglycan complex. However, the truncated nature of the shortened dystrophin protein does not appear to be capable of providing complete protection against contraction injury. As a result, we believe that the best potential therapeutic outcome is inducing a severe Becker-like phenotype (the shortest documented dystrophin protein in Becker is 50% of normal) where patients would still have significant residual skeletal muscle impairment and will thus continue to have a high degree of unmet need. What is clear is that gene therapies currently in development for Duchenne do not represent a cure for the disease.
Non-Dystrophin Therapies
Italfarmaco Group has developed a nonsteroidal histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor to reduce inflammation and slow muscle loss in patients with Duchenne. Satellos Bioscience, Inc. is developing an orally administered small molecule drug designed to address deficits in muscle repair and regeneration and announced functional data from a Phase 1b trial in adult patients with Duchenne in May 2025.
We believe that each of the therapeutic approaches outlined above currently have significant limitations, and that there continues to be a high unmet medical need for new disease-modifying therapies for the treatment of patients with Duchenne. Moreover, with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry’s almost exclusive focus on Duchenne, little attention has been paid to drug development in Becker where there are no approved therapies for patients.
Our Approach
Sevasemten is an orally administered, investigational small molecule designed to selectively modulate fast muscle fiber contraction by modestly inhibiting fast skeletal muscle myosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). Sevasemten is highly selective for fast skeletal myosin as compared to cardiac or smooth muscle myosin. We believe sevasemten has the potential to overcome many of the obstacles facing other therapeutics in development for the treatment of dystrophinopathies based on the following key characteristics and data:
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| ● | Offers a novel approach for the treatment of severe muscle diseases by blocking the structural destabilization of skeletal myofibers. By protecting dystrophin deficient myofibers from degeneration, sevasemten’s mechanism of action is directed towards the underlying cause of muscle degeneration in Duchenne and Becker to reduce muscle damage, prevent downstream fibrosis, allow healthy muscle contraction, and enhance physical function. Moreover, since muscle damage induced by excessive exercise in normal volunteers can reduce muscle strength through the generation of edema and fiber disruption by up to 30%, we believe that elimination of muscle damage could increase muscle strength and ultimately function in a muscular dystrophy populations where continuous muscle damage is the driver of disease progression. |
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| ● | Highly selective for all fast type II myofibers, thus limiting the potential for serious off-target side effects. Our non-clinical toxicology package has not revealed any off-target or unexpected side effects, following systemic administration. |
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| ● | Targeted distribution into muscle tissue limits exposure to other organs. Sevasemten exhibits a high volume of distribution due to target-mediated partition into skeletal muscle. This reduces exposure of the compound to other organs such as the liver and kidney, limiting the chances of unexpected adverse effects. |
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| ● | Offers a mutation agnostic approach with the potential to be used for disorders resulting from genetic lesions in dystrophin or the dystroglycan complex. Sevasemten can potentially be used to treat all populations of Duchenne and Becker, as well as many forms of Limb Girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I/R9 (LGMD), a progressive, lethal myopathy that results from mutations of key proteins in the dystroglycan complex. |
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| ● | Provides a mechanistic approach to treat Duchenne that may provide additional functional benefits over genetic based therapeutics. DNA based gene therapies or RNA based exon skipping therapeutics are designed to produce a mini- or micro-dystrophin but not a full-length dystrophin protein; therefore, the best potential therapeutic outcome for these therapies might be a Becker-like phenotype where patients would still have significant skeletal muscle impairments and high degree of unmet need. |
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| ● | Offers a potential treatment option to patients, regardless of therapy background, immune background, age or weight. We are developing sevasemten to be used as a single agent therapy but it may also provide a synergistic or additive effect in combination with available therapies and therapies currently in development. Moreover, sevasemten may offer a disease modifying option for patients currently excluded from Phase 3 minidystrophin or microdystrophin gene therapy trials due to age (four to seven year old children) and those who have antibodies against AAV due to naturally acquired infections. |
We believe these characteristics uniquely position sevasemten as a potentially new standard of care for patients with Duchenne and Becker, either as a standalone or in combination with other therapies.
An illustration of sevasemten’s novel mechanism of action
Human skeletal muscle consists of three fiber types, “slow” type I and “fast” types IIa or IIx/d, defined by the specific myosin isoform that they express. Studies have shown that fast muscle fibers are more susceptible to injury in both healthy individuals and in Duchenne. Histological studies of young Duchenne patients document distinct fiber-type imbalances in the co-localization of fast and embryonic myosin, a marker of regenerating muscle fibers. Similar observations have also been made in all known mammalian models of Duchenne. The control and coordination of these fiber populations is a complex process, designed to maintain physical performance even under conditions of extreme
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environmental and metabolic stress. Under normal conditions, skeletal muscle contractile demand is much lower than at the maximal output. Maximal activation of muscle is painful, damaging and unproductive to sustained function. We have taken advantage of this flexibility to explore an alternative therapeutic strategy to protect susceptible type II skeletal muscle fibers.
When muscle fibers undergo damage, they release internal proteins such as CK and troponin into the blood. One of the troponin subunits, TnI has a different isoform for each type of striated muscle (fast, slow and cardiac) and can be used to explore the fiber-specific source of these proteins. We evaluated Duchenne and Becker patient plasma samples using high specificity assays for fast and slow myofiber TnI and observed that fast myofiber TnI (TnI2) plasma levels are higher than slow myofiber TnI (TnI1) levels, suggesting that fast myofibers are more susceptible to loss of dystrophin function during muscle contraction. Conversely, we observed that HVs had virtually no leak from fast muscles.
Biomarkers of fast fiber turnover are elevated in Becker and Duchenne
Using high-throughput screens of type II fast skeletal muscle myofibrils, we identified a novel structural class of myosin ATPase inhibitors that we optimized for potency, selectivity, physiochemical properties and PK, leading to the synthesis of sevasemten. Sevasemten acts to protect dystrophic muscle from breakdown by modulating contraction in susceptible fast muscle fibers. Our goal is to reduce contraction of susceptible muscle fibers by five to twenty percent. We believe that the reduced muscle breakdown will result in potential preservation or enhancement of physical function in Duchenne patients.
Regulating myofiber contraction in Duchenne patients is not a novel concept. Dantrolene, an inhibitor of the ryanodine receptor that modulates both fast and slow skeletal myofiber contraction was used in a small clinical trial in 1991 in Duchenne patients. Treatment was associated with a 3-fold reduction in CK and a trend favoring attenuation of decreases in function. While it is approved for treatment of malignant hyperthermia and chronic spasticity, it is not approved or used in Duchenne. Chronic treatment with dantrolene has been associated with drowsiness and the potentially serious side effect of idiosyncratic fatal hepatotoxicity, limiting its broad use. We anticipate that the high potency, fast fiber targeting and low projected dose of sevasemten will limit unwanted side effects. Moreover, stabilization of the sarcomere with sevasemten via direct decreases in contractile stress potentially provides greater muscle protection than secondary inhibition of calcium release via the ryanodine receptor.
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Preclinical Data
With sevasemten, preclinically, we demonstrated that treatment protects muscle in short- and long-term assays in both mouse and dog models with muscular dystrophy.
Sevasemten Clinical Plan
To date, we have completed a Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers and a small cohort of individuals with Becker, ARCH, a Phase 1, open-label, dose escalation, single-site trial of 12 ambulatory adults with Becker, and CANYON, a Phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in adults and adolescents with Becker. Through MESA, an open label extension trial in individuals with Becker, 36-month data is available for individuals previously enrolled in ARCH and 18-month data is available for individuals previously enrolled in CANYON. GRAND CANYON, a pivotal adult cohort within CANYON, is currently ongoing. For Duchenne, LYNX, a Phase 2 trial in children with Duchenne, and FOX, a Phase 2 trial in children and adolescents with Duchenne previously treated with gene therapy, remain ongoing.
An updated overview of our near-term clinical development plan for sevasemten in Becker and Duchenne is shown below:
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Phase 1 Clinical Trial
In October 2020, we initiated a Phase 1 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single and multiple ascending-dose clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and PK of sevasemten in adult HVs (Phase 1a) and adults with Becker (Phase 1b), to address potential differences in safety, tolerability and PK in the background of dystrophic muscle.
In the first-in-human single ascending dose (SAD) trial, oral doses of sevasemten (0.5, 1.5, 5, 15, 45, 90 and 135 mg) or matching placebo were administered to 57 HVs. The most common adverse events (AEs) were dizziness and somnolence, which were seen at Grade 1 (on the Division of AIDS AE Grading Scale) except in the single dose cohort of 135 mg, where Grade 2 somnolence and dizziness were observed. The multiple ascending dose (MAD) trial enrolled 40 participants of whom 30 were randomized to sevasemten and 10 were randomized to placebo. Cohorts B1 and B2 received a suspension with a 4-day loading dose of sevasemten once-daily followed by 10 days at half of this dose (B1: 10 mg/5 mg, B2: 20 mg/10 mg). Cohorts B3 to B5 did not receive a loading dose and were administered a 20 mg suspension (B3) or a solid dosage form at doses of 20 mg (B4) and 40 mg (B5) daily for 14 days.
Phase 1b enrolled seven adult males with Becker who were randomized to active (n=5) or placebo (n=2). Sevasemten was administered at a dose of 20 mg once daily, in solid dosage form taken with food for 14 days. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability, and secondary endpoints were PK, including tissue concentrations, and, importantly, multiple biomarkers of muscle damage in the setting of dystrophic muscle. Sevasemten was well tolerated in Becker subjects. Seven of the seven subjects enrolled in the Phase 1b cohort experienced Treatment Emergent AEs and all were Grade 1. There were no AEs of special interest, no SAEs, and no discontinuations due to AEs. There were no AEs due to clinically significant abnormal vital signs, ECG or laboratory assessments. All participants that received either sevasemten or placebo experienced Grade 1 dizziness with 2 of 5 participants that received sevasemten reporting somnolence.
Overall, the findings for the Phase 1 clinical trial with sevasemten provide compelling evidence for sevasemten as a potentially disease modifying treatment for muscular dystrophies. Both in HVs and Becker patients, sevasemten was well tolerated and achieved muscle concentrations well above those predicted to demonstrate efficacy based on preclinical disease models of Duchenne. Moreover, sevasemten led to a robust, significant reduction in key biomarkers of muscle damage, driving CK, TNNI2, myoglobin and AST to either normal or near normal levels observed in healthy volunteers after only two weeks of sevasemten dosing.
ARCH Open Label Data
In December 2021, we initiated our ARCH open label, single-center trial of sevasemten in 12 adults with Becker, including all seven participants from our Phase 1b first-in-human trial (following a 3-month washout). ARCH was designed to evaluate the safety, PK, changes in biomarkers of muscle damage such CK and fast skeletal muscle troponin I, measures of function with North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA)/North Star Assessment for Limb-Girdle Type Muscular Dystrophies(NSAD), time function tests and patient-reported outcomes. The schematic below outlines the overall trial design. ARCH was designed to monitor patients for two years and was completed in March 2024.
ARCH Trial Design – 24 Months
The patients in ARCH had significant functional impairment and evidence of decreased muscle mass at baseline. All individuals had a decreased ability to perform functional measures such as the 10-meter walk-run or rise from floor,
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decreased creatinine that is derived directly from muscle, decreased lean body mass on DXA, and elevated CK consistent with ongoing muscle damage, all consistent with decreased muscle mass and function. NSAA scores for these individuals ranged from 4 to 31.
At 24 months, sevasemten continued to be well tolerated following escalation to the 20 mg dose, after initially receiving a 10 mg and 15 mg doses. An overview of the AEs observed up to the 12 and 24-month timepoints can be seen in the table below.
Summary Table of AEs Observed in ARCH (at the 24 Month Timepoint)
*not associated with dizziness
Significant decreases in key biomarkers of muscle damage including CK and TNNI2 were observed in participants treated with sevasemten.
Sevasemten Leads to Sustained Decrease in Key Biomarkers of Muscle Damage After 24 Months of Treatment
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As seen in the figure below, during two years of sevasemten treatment, participants’ NSAA scores stabilized and continued to diverge relative to functional declines reported across multiple Becker natural history studies, in which two-year mean decreases of 2.4 NSAA points were reported.
In ARCH, Sevasemten Demonstrated Stabilization of Function with Trends Toward Improvement at two years
The positive results from the two-year ARCH trial support the hypothesis that a reduction in contraction-induced muscle damage in muscular dystrophies, associated with sevasemten administration, has the potential to preserve and improve muscle function while preventing disease progression in dystrophinopathies.
Observations from ARCH identified key factors, including the optimal dosing strategy of sevasemten, for the design of a potentially registrational trial in Becker. Through MESA, our open label extension trial, following 36 months of treatment for patients previously enrolled in ARCH, we observed sustained disease stabilization. Notably, NSAA scores for participants who rolled over from ARCH remained stable, relative to expected functional declines seen in multiple Becker natural history studies, reinforcing prior ARCH findings.
In ARCH, Open Label Data In Becker Demonstrated Sustained Disease Stabilization At Three Years
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Phase 2 Clinical Trial in Becker (CANYON trial and GRAND CANYON cohort)
In July 2022, we initiated our CANYON Phase 2 clinical trial of sevasemten, a multi-center, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, assessing the effect of sevasemten over a 12-month period on safety, PK, biomarkers of muscle damage (e.g., CK, troponins, myoglobin), and functional measures in individuals with Becker aged 12 years and above. This placebo-controlled trial successfully recruited 69 individuals at 16 sites in the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
In September 2023, based on the positive observations from the ARCH trial, we amended the CANYON trial and initiated GRAND CANYON, a potentially registrational cohort in individuals with Becker. GRAND CANYON is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cohort to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sevasemten in adults with Becker. Data from GRAND CANYON, if positive, could support a marketing application. The primary endpoint of GRAND CANYON is the NSAA.
In December 2024, we reported topline data from CANYON Phase 2 trial, the largest Becker interventional trial to date. The trial met its primary endpoint demonstrating a significant change from baseline in circulating levels of CK, a biomarker associated with skeletal muscle damage, in the sevasemten-treated group (difference vs. placebo, 28% average decrease over months 6 through 12; p=0.02).
CK showed rapid and sustained decreases with sevasemten treatment
On the key secondary endpoint, sevasemten-treated patients showed stabilization of NSAA with a trend towards improvement at 12 months compared to placebo. The between-group difference was 1.1 points, favoring sevasemten; p=0.16 across all adult participants.
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Positive trends in NSAA favoring sevasemten with placebo declining in line with natural history
Plasma fast skeletal muscle troponin I (TNNI2), a target-specific biomarker of fast skeletal muscle damage, showed a significant decrease of 77% from baseline in the sevasemten-treated group compared to placebo, averaged over months 6 through 12 in adults; p0.001. Additional functional measures, including the 10-meter walk/run, 4-stair climb and 100-meter timed test, showed trends towards improvement compared to placebo. Sevasemten was well-tolerated and no new safety concerns were observed.
TNNI2, an on-target biomarker of fast muscle fiber damage, demonstrated rapid and sustained decreases with sevasemten treatment
In February 2025, we completed enrollment, including over-enrolling beyond the target 120 Becker adults, in the GRAND CANYON pivotal cohort. Based on the positive Phase 2 CANYON results, we continue to engage the FDA and European Medicines Agency about marketing authorization filing strategies for sevasemten in Becker. Through MESA, our open label extension trial, following 18 months of treatment for patients previously enrolled in CANYON, we observed sustained disease stabilization. Notably, NSAA scores of participants who rolled over from CANYON trend toward improvement, diverging from expected functional declines seen in multiple Becker natural history studies, reinforcing prior CANYON findings.
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In CANYON, Open Label Data In Becker Demonstrated Sustained Disease Stabilization At 18 Months
Exercise Challenge Study (DUNE Study)
In November 2022, we initiated a Phase 2 Exercise Challenge Study (DUNE), to investigate the effect of sevasemten on muscle injury biomarkers following exercise, studied at a single site in Denmark. The trial is a 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial assessing safety, PK and biomarker response to exercise in adults with Becker, LGMD or McArdle disease. At the 2024 World Muscle Society meeting, we presented topline results from the DUNE study. showing sevasemten was well tolerated across 21 participants: Becker (n=9), LGMD (n=9) and McArdle (n=3). In the Becker cohort, sevasemten showed significant reductions in biomarker of muscle damage including a 45% decrease in CK after 16 weeks of treatment. At 24 hours post exercise, TNNI2 reduced 75% and CK by 49% in the sevasemten-treated group. The data further support the safety and efficacy profile of sevasemten in Becker.
Open-Label Extension in Becker (MESA)
In November 2023, we initiated our MESA open-label extension that will assess the long-term effect of sevasemten on safety, biomarkers and functional measures in adults and adolescents with Becker. MESA will provide continued access to sevasemten treatment to participants who were previously enrolled in ARCH, CANYON (including GRAND CANYON), and DUNE. To date, 99% of eligible participants completing these trials have enrolled in MESA. In June 2025, we announced positive data from MESA in participants previously enrolled in ARCH and CANYON, which demonstrated sustained disease stabilization, reinforcing prior ARCH and CANYON findings.
Phase 2 Clinical Trials in Duchenne (LYNX and FOX Studies)
In October 2023, we announced the expansion of our sevasemten program in Duchenne. The LYNX trial in children with Duchenne rapidly enrolled at 14 sites across the United States, across five cohorts. Based on the safety profile observed to date, we added additional cohorts to continue dose escalation of sevasemten. LYNX is designed to identify a dose of sevasemten that will reduce biomarkers of muscle damage and has the potential to provide functional benefit to patients in a Phase 3 trial. Additionally, a cohort includes children aged four to seven years with Duchenne who are not currently treated with corticosteroids. Patients within the LYNX trial are initially dosed in placebo-controlled cohorts over 12 weeks, then continue on to the open label portion of the trial for up to 48 months. In June 2025, we announced encouraging observations from the LYNX Phase 2 placebo-controlled trial in participants with Duchenne across several functional measures, including Stride Velocity 95th Centile (SV95C), NSAA and 4 stair-climb, while identifying a dose of 10 mg for further evaluation.
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We initiated the FOX trial, a Phase 2 placebo-controlled trial in children and adolescents with Duchenne who have been previously treated with gene therapy. The FOX trial is assessing the effect of sevasemten over 12 weeks on safety, PK and biomarkers of muscle damage. The trial will also explore changes in functional measures, such as the NSAA and self-reported/caregiver-reported outcomes. Participants, aged six to 17 years, are enrolled in the trial at seven sites across the United States. Participants will then continue in an open-label extension portion of the trial for up to 36 months to gain further insights into safety, PK, function and biomarker measures. In June 2025, we reported initial results from the FOX Phase 2 placebo-controlled trial in participants with Duchenne previously treated with gene therapy that also supported that sevasemten 10 mg has the potential to reduce the rate of functional decline.
Natural History Study
In 2022, we commenced an observational natural history study being conducted in collaboration with the GRASP-LGMD Consortium. Enrollment was completed in 2025.
EDG-7500: A Novel Molecule for the Treatment of Patients with HCM and Other Diseases of Diastolic Dysfunction with Significant Unmet Needs
Overview
In the course of our EDG-003 cardiometabolic discovery program, a unique series of cardiac modulators with novel mechanisms of action have been identified. One of these agents, the small molecule EDG-7500, has unique properties that may lead to a novel therapeutic approach for patients with HCM. The effects of EDG-7500 on cardiac function overlap with some of the desirable attributes of the cardiac myosin inhibitors (CMIs) such as BMS’s CAMZYOS® (mavacamten) and Cytokinetics’ MYQORZO (aficamten). However, there are differences in EDG-7500’s effects on cardiac function from those of CMIs that we believe have the potential to yield a superior target product profile for the treatment of multiple phenotypes of HCM and may also have therapeutic benefit in sub-populations of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Disease Background and Current Treatment Limitations
HCM is the most common form of genetic heart disease, affecting approximately one in 200-500 individuals. HCM is caused by abnormal proteins in the heart, including cardiac myosin, that lead to excessive cardiac contraction. Over time, abnormal proteins in the heart, many of which are inherited, lead to excessive cardiac contraction, referred to as hypercontractility. This disruption in cardiac muscle contractility leads to increased stress and thickening of the walls of the major pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle (LV). The LV becomes less compliant and therefore less able to fill with and pump blood. This results in a decrease in the LV chamber volume. HCM patients can become extremely limited in their functional capacity and ability to perform the activities of daily living. They may also have episodic lightheadedness and loss of consciousness (syncope). In addition, these patients are at increased risk of heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation (AF), and sudden cardiac arrest.
HCM can be divided into patients with obstructive disease, known as obstructive HCM (oHCM) and those with non-obstructive disease (nHCM). The pathophysiologic feature of obstruction is present in two thirds of patients with HCM, as the mitral valve comes into contact with the thickened muscle of the interventricular septum during the ejection of oxygenated blood from the heart to the systemic circulation. This creates an obstruction to blood flow exiting the heart through the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) which results in a pressure gradient between the LV cavity and the systemic circulation. As a result, higher pressures are generated in the left ventricle than normal, and a pressure gradient develops between the LV cavity and the systemic circulation. This pressure gradient can be quantitatively measured by a routine clinical examination using Doppler echocardiography, the most common way oHCM is diagnosed and severity assessed. Patients with nHCM do not develop LVOT obstruction and have normal left ventricular pressures during contraction. They are characterized by the absence of a pressure gradient both at rest and following a variety of physiologic challenges, such as exertion, and non-physiologic maneuvers. Heart failure in nHCM results from diminished filling of the heart due to impaired myocardial relaxation that results from abnormal function of the same proteins that cause hypercontractility. This abnormal cardiac physiology, termed diastolic dysfunction leads to a decrease in cardiac output that is particularly severe when an HCM patient exerts themselves. oHCM patients also have
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LV diastolic dysfunction in addition to obstruction of blood flow in the LVOT. The clinical manifestations of oHCM and nHCM are generally similar though oHCM patients may experience more symptoms of lightheadedness and syncope.
Abnormalities in Heart Muscle Structure and Function Lead to Severe Abnormalities in HCM
Current Management of HCM
Physicians classify both oHCM and nHCM patients using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system (class I-IV), which reflects the degree of physical limitation and guides treatment decisions. The majority of diagnosed HCM patients are symptomatic (NYHA class II-IV) and require active treatment. NYHA class I HCM patients generally do not receive pharmacologic treatment unless they meet guideline-based criteria indicating elevated sudden cardiac death risk, in which case implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy may be recommended. Otherwise, class I HCM patients will remain under routine surveillance.
From a therapeutic standpoint, current pharmacologic management is anchored in addressing two distinct clinical challenges: relief of symptomatic LVOT obstruction in oHCM and symptom management in nHCM.
In oHCM, in addition to diastolic dysfunction (impaired relaxation and compliance), obstruction arises when a typically hyperdynamic, hypertrophied left ventricle, often with systolic anterior motion in the mitral valve, creates a dynamic outflow gradient that produces symptoms by limiting forward flow. Accordingly, the therapies of oHCM aim to reduce LVOT gradient in symptomatic patients. Historically, negative inotropes (beta blockers, non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and disopyramide) have demonstrated symptomatic benefit, largely in smaller and older clinical studies, and act by blunting calcium-dependent pathways and reducing cardiac contractility. CMIs reduce obstruction through a distinct mechanism, decreasing the number of force-generating myosin heads available to interact with actin, which decreases contractile force and LVOT gradients.
In contrast, nHCM is driven by diastolic dysfunction, elevated filling pressures, microvascular dysfunction, and myocardial ischemia. No randomized, evidence-based pharmacologic therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in nHCM, leaving a significant unmet need. Symptom control is largely empiric; beta blockers or non-vasodilating calcium channel blockers may reduce angina-like symptoms attributable to supply-demand mismatch by lowering heart rate and myocardial work, but fail to normalize core diastolic abnormalities (early relaxation, end-diastolic compliance).
The CMI class has validated a targeted approach in oHCM. CAMZYOS®, approved by the FDA in April 2022, and MYQORZO, approved by the FDA in December 2025, demonstrated improvements in functional capacity and symptoms in symptomatic oHCM (NYHA class II-III), confirming both clinical efficacy and commercial viability of mechanism-based therapies. However, CMIs present adoption constraints despite efficacy:
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | black box warning for heart failure risk; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | echo-guided titration requirements, adding clincal and operational complexity; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) requirements, which can limit prescribing flexibility and increase administrative burden. |
As oHCM or nHCM progresses, options narrow, often requiring septal reduction procedures or, in advanced cases, heart transplantation. The dynamic highlights a clear opportunity for differentiated, targeted therapies, especially in the underserved nHCM segment with no approved, randomized, outcome directed pharmacologic options.
Unmet Need in HCM
CMIs have complex pharmacology which results in potentially excessive reduction in cardiac function. CMIs largely only address excessive contractility, which can limit their efficacy in a disease where both contractility and diastolic function are abnormal. These factors lead CMIs to be difficult to dose to an efficacious maintenance dose. These factors lead to patients requiring frequent and indefinite follow-up at expert centers accompanied by specialized cardiac imaging. In addition, a significant percentage of oHCM patients do not respond to CMI and other therapies. The efficacy of CMIs in patients with nHCM, who have impaired relaxation and diastolic dysfunction, also remains unproven.
Limited Efficacy of Current Therapeutic Approaches to Treat oHCM
Our Approach and Preclinical Data
EDG-7500 is a novel small molecule discovered by our company’s scientific research efforts. Unlike CMIs, EDG-7500 does not bind to the myosin motor head but instead exerts its effects independently of myosin through direct interaction with a distinct sarcomeric protein. EDG-7500 was purposefully designed to modulate the complex protein-protein interactions that control both contraction and relaxation processes within the sarcomere. Specifically, EDG-7500 is designed to speed the rate of crossbridge detachment and slows the rate of crossbridge attachment leading to the reduction of excessive residual cross-bridges during diastole, potentially enhancing relaxation and facilitating ventricular filling.
In preclinical models, EDG-7500 has demonstrated improvement in a variety of the clinical manifestations in oHCM and nHCM. A summary table of key preclinical studies is shown below.
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Summary of Key Preclinical Studies with EDG-7500
EDG-7500: MYBPC3 A31P Feline Model of oHCM
To evaluate the role of EDG-7500 in oHCM, we used an established feline model with a MYBPC3 A31P mutation. Felines with this mutation exhibit a HCM phenotype with LVOT obstruction. Treating MYBPC3 A31P felines with dobutamine induces a significant LVOT pressure gradient. Subsequent treatment with a single 1 mg/kg dose of EDG-7500 resulted in LVOT gradient relief and improved contractility. All treated animals saw their LVOT gradient reduced below the level of veterinary clinical significance with an average reduction of 60% following a single, 1 mg/kg dose.
EDG-7500 Improves Contractility and Alleviates LVOT Gradient
We next evaluated gradient reduction relative to EDG-7500 free fraction concentration in the feline model of oHCM by increasing exposures using doses ranging from 0.3 – 4.0 mg/kg. Treatment with EDG-7500 is associated with a modest effect on contractility with free drug levels of ~55 to 140 ng/mL, a range in which reduction of LVOT gradient below clinical significance was observed. To the best of our knowledge, the ability to remove a substantial portion of the gradient at levels that preserve normal systolic function is a feature that has not been observed before for an HCM drug. This data suggests the mechanism of gradient removal is decoupled from changes in LVEF. We have also observed that there is only a modest reduction in systolic contractility even at doses that are multiple folds higher than the predicted target dose.
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Relationship of EDG-7500 Free Fraction Concentration and LVOT Gradient Relief
EDG-7500: Myosin Heavy Chain R403Q Porcine Model of nHCM
To evaluate the role of EDG-7500 in nHCM, we used an established, genetically engineered porcine model with an MYH7 R403Q HCM mutation. The MYH7 R403Q pigs exhibit cardiac structural and functional abnormalities, including left ventricular hypertrophy, small cavity, and increased filling pressure leading to increased left atrial size, which are consistent with the nHCM phenotype observed in humans.
In the MYH7 R403Q porcine model of nHCM, EDG-7500 was observed to reduce hypercontractility to near wild type levels. Next, we evaluated EDG-7500’s effect on parameters of diastolic dysfunction. EDG-7500 led to an improvement in left ventricular filling and a reduction in left atrial size, both consistent with reduced filling pressures in the heart. Single doses of EDG-7500 also led to a dramatic, statistically significant improvement in diastolic relaxation, a decrease in left ventricular wall thickness at end-diastole, a measure of diastolic crossbridge engagement, and a reduction in left atrial size, a surrogate of chronic LV filling pressure.
EDG-7500 Leads to Rapid Improvement of nHCM Cardiac Structure and Function After a Single Dose
In summary, we have observed that EDG-7500 is a first-in-class cardiac sarcomeric modulator that targets the underlying pathophysiology of HCM. Preclinical data in models of both obstructed and non-obstructed HCM suggest the ability to drive a broadly effective clinical response at a low risk of decreasing left ventricular ejection fraction below normal at all doses tested. Due to EDG-7500’s self-limiting mechanism on systolic contraction, we plan to investigate
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fixed-dose regimens of EDG-7500 thus potentially eliminating the echo-mediated dose titration and intense follow-up requirements of current therapies.
EDG-7500 Clinical Plan
EDG-7500 Phase 1 Clinical Trial
In September 2023, we announced initial dosing in a Phase 1 trial of EDG-7500 which assessed the tolerability, PK, and pharmacodynamics of EDG-7500 in healthy adults. In September 2024, the Company announced topline data of EDG-7500 from the Phase 1 trial in healthy subjects. In the placebo-controlled Phase 1 SAD trial (n=48), healthy subjects received single doses of EDG-7500, ranging from 5 to 300 mg. In the MAD portion of the trial (n=24), healthy subjects received 25 to 100 mg once daily for 14 days. EDG-7500 was well tolerated in both the SAD and MAD; there were no clinically meaningful changes or trends in vital signs, clinical chemistry, hematology, or electrocardiograms. There were no meaningful changes in LVEF for all SAD and MAD subjects across a broad range of EDG-7500 exposures. In the MAD portion of the trial, a half-life of approximately 30 hours was observed, and steady state was achieved in approximately 4 days after the start of once-daily dosing. Generally, dose proportional increases in exposure were observed in both SAD and MAD.
EDG-7500 Phase 2 Clinical Trial (CIRRUS-HCM)
In April 2024, we initiated CIRRUS-HCM, a four-part, multi-center, open-label trial, in 107 patients with HCM at up to 22 clinical sites in the U.S. The primary objective of Part A of the trial was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a single oral dose of EDG-7500. Other key outcome measures included PK, LVEF, and resting and provocable LVOT gradient. In the fourth quarter of 2024, we opened and began enrolling the 28-day arms (Part B and Part C) and the 12-week open label extension (Part D) of the CIRRUS-HCM trial in patients with oHCM and nHCM. CIRRUS-HCM Part D is designed to explore exposure-response correlations and assess biomarker-guided dose optimization to inform the design of Phase 3 trials expected in the second half of 2026. We plan to report initial CIRRUS-HCM data from Part D in the first half of 2026.
In CIRRUS-HCM Part A, patients with oHCM received a single dose of 50, 100 or 200 mg of EDG-7500. A 67% mean reduction in resting LVOT pressure gradient (LVOT-G) and a 55% mean reduction in provokable (Valsalva) LVOT-G were observed in patients receiving the 100 and 200 mg single doses. LVOT gradients less than 30 mmHg at rest and less than 50 mmHg with Valsalva were each observed in 60% of patients receiving a single dose of 100 or 200 mg of EDG-7500.
EDG-7500 Led to Significant Reductions of Resting and Valsalva LVOT-G in the Combined 100/200 mg Cohorts
Importantly, gradient reduction was achieved without a meaningful change in LVEF.
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Gradient Relief in oHCM Patients was Achieved Without a Meaningful Reduction in LVEF
Treatment with a single dose of EDG-7500 also led to a 64% mean reduction in NT-proBNP, a key biomarker of heart failure, in the 200 mg cohort.
EDG-7500 Administration Resulted in Robust Reductions in NT-proBNP, a Key Marker of Heart Failure in HCM
This reduction highlights the potential of our mechanism in the treatment of diseases of diastolic dysfunction, including nHCM.
In CIRRUS-HCM Part B, patients with oHCM received a once-daily dose of 50 or 100 mg of EDG-7500 for four weeks. A 71% mean reduction in resting LVOT pressure gradient (LVOT-G) and a 58% mean reduction in provokable (Valsalva) LVOT-G were observed in patients receiving the 100 mg dose.
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EDG-7500 Led to Significant Reductions of Resting and Valsalva LVOT-G in the 100 mg Cohort
Treatment with 100 mg of EDG-7500 also demonstrated a 62% mean reduction from baseline in NT-proBNP, a key biomarker of heart failure.
EDG-7500 Administration Resulted in Rapid and Robust Reductions in NT-proBNP, a Key Marker of Heart Failure in HCM
In addition, positive trends in echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function were observed following treatment with EDG-7500. Clinically meaningful improvements were also observed on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary Score (KCCQ-OSS), with a substantial mean increase of 23 points observed at the 100 mg dose. In addition, treatment with 100 mg of EDG-7500 over four weeks demonstrated improvements on the NYHA functional class score. 78% of participants improved by ≥ 1 NYHA class, and 67% improved to NYHA class I (i.e. asymptomatic).
In CIRRUS-HCM Part C, patients with nHCM received a once-daily dose of 50 or 100 mg of EDG-7500 for four weeks. Treatment with 100 mg of EDG-7500 demonstrated a 42% mean reduction from baseline in NT-proBNP, a key biomarker of heart failure.
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Like oHCM Patients, EDG-7500 Resulted in Rapid and Robust Reductions in NT-proBNP in Patients with nHCM
The results observed in Part B and Part C in patients with oHCM and nHCM were achieved without meaningful reductions in LVEF. Importantly, there were no LVEF values 50% at any timepoint. The most frequently reported adverse events were dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, and AF, nearly all of which were considered mild to moderate in severity.
Gradient Relief in oHCM and nHCM Patients was Achieved Without a Meaningful Reduction in LVEF
Enrollment in Part D of the CIRRUS-HCM trial was completed in the first quarter of 2026. For patients who completed 12 weeks of dosing in Part D (8 with oHCM and 12 with nHCM), EDG-7500 generally had a favorable safety profile and was well tolerated. Consistent with previous observations, no clinically significant changes in LVEF or reductions in LVEF to below 50% were observed, with EDG-7500 continuing to demonstrate a differentiated LVEF profile relative to CMIs.
EDG-15400: A Novel Molecule for the Treatment of Patients with HFpEF
Overview and Disease Background
Edgewise is developing a novel small molecule, EDG-15400, with a distinct mechanism of action for the treatment of HFpEF. Heart failure (HF) is a growing global clinical syndrome that affects approximately 6.7 million individuals in
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the United States and more than 60 million people worldwide. Approximately half of all patients with HF are diagnosed with HFpEF, defined by a left ventricular ejection fraction of 50% or greater. HFpEF is a heterogeneous and complex syndrome with multiple contributing factors, including advanced age, inflammation, cardiometabolic stress, lifestyle factors, and coexisting medical conditions. This heterogeneity has historically complicated disease characterization and clinical development.
Patients with HFpEF commonly experience symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, and peripheral edema, which can range in severity and substantially impair quality of life. HFpEF is associated with a high burden of hospitalization, with reported 30-day readmission rates of approximately 20–30%, as well as significant morbidity and mortality, with published estimates suggesting 5-year mortality rates of approximately 50–60%
Current Management and Unmet Need of HFpEF
HFpEF management includes non-pharmacological strategies such as sodium restriction, exercise, and cardiac rehabilitation, as well as pharmacologic therapy aimed at reducing mortality and hospitalizations, improving symptoms, and managing comorbidities. SGLT2 inhibitors, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), and angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI) are the four components of guideline directed medical therapy. Diuretics are used as needed to manage congestion. Nonetheless, HFpEF remains a disorder associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and economic and healthcare burden.
Diastolic dysfunction is widely recognized as a central feature of HFpEF and a major contributor to impaired cardiac reserve in affected patients. Despite its importance in disease pathophysiology, current therapies for HFpEF do not directly target diastolic dysfunction. Diastolic dysfunction is a key feature of HFpEF and EDG-15400 is being evaluated for its potential to modulate pathways relevant to diastolic function, which may address an unmet medical need in HFpEF.
Phase 1 Clinical Trial
EDG-15400 is currently being studied in a Phase 1 trial of healthy adults. The trial is being conducted in healthy adult volunteers to assess the safety, tolerability, PK, and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple ascending doses of EDG-15400. It also includes assessments of the effect of food on drug absorption and comparisons of different formulations. This first-in-human study aims to support future clinical development in HFpEF and is expected to report topline results in the first half of 2026.
We also plan to initiate a Phase 2 trial in participants with HFpEF in the second half of 2026.
Manufacturing
We currently do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. We rely and expect to continue to rely for the foreseeable future, on third-party contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to produce our product candidates for preclinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacture if our product candidates receive marketing approval. Our CDMOs are obligated to produce bulk drug substances and finished drug products in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) and all other applicable laws and regulations. We maintain agreements with our manufacturers that include confidentiality and intellectual property provisions to protect our proprietary rights related to our product candidates.
We have engaged CDMOs to manufacture sevasemten, EDG-7500, and EDG-15400 for preclinical and clinical use. All of our product candidates are small molecules and are manufactured in synthetic processes from readily available starting materials. We obtain our supplies from these CDMOs on a purchase order basis and do not have a long-term supply arrangement in place. We do not currently have arrangements in place for redundant supply. For all of our product candidates, we intend to identify and qualify additional manufacturers to provide the active pharmaceutical ingredient and fill-and-finish services prior to seeking regulatory approval.
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Sales and Marketing
If any of our product candidates are approved, we currently intend to market and commercialize them in the United States and select international markets, either alone or in collaboration with others.
Competition
Sevasemten
There is no cure for Becker and no approved therapies on the market to treat the disease.
Approximately 70% of patients with Duchenne are treated with corticosteroids to manage the inflammatory component of the disease. Deflazacort and prednisone are FDA-approved corticosteroids and are marketed by multiple companies. In October 2023, the FDA granted AGAMREE (vamorolone) approval in Duchenne patients aged 2 years and older, and Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has commercialized this product in the United States following its North America exclusive license deal with Santhera.
In addition, there are four exon skipping drugs which are marketed under an accelerated approval pathway from the FDA: EXONDYS 51 (eteplirsen), AMONDYS 45 (casimersen) and VYONDYS 53 (golodirsen), which are naked phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) approved for the treatment of Duchenne patients amenable to Exon 51, Exon 45 and Exon 53 skipping, respectively, and are marketed by Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., and VILTEPSO (vitolarsen), a naked PMO approved for the treatment of Duchenne patients amenable to Exon 53 skipping, which is marketed by Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. In May 2024, Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. announced that no statistical significance was observed between the treatment group and the placebo group in VILTEPSO’s confirmatory study. In November 2025, Sarepta announced that AMONDYS 45 and VYONDYS 53 missed their primary endpoint in the confirmatory study. These results may affect these three drugs’ accelerated FDA approval. In June 2022, PTC Therapeutics presented new topline results with Translarna (ataluren), for patients with nonsense mutation Duchenne, a subset of the disease that impacts between 10% and 15% of patients. It remains unclear if the data will lead to FDA approval of Translarna, for which the company resubmitted the NDA in October 2024. Translarna has been conditionally approved in the European Union and Brazil for ambulatory patients aged 2 years and older with Duchenne resulting from a nonsense mutation in the dystrophin gene. However, in March 2025, the European Commission adopted the negative opinions issued by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the EMA for the renewal of conditional marketing authorization of Translarna. While this action effectively removes Translarna’s marketing authorization in the European Economic Area, individual countries within the EU can leverage existing legislation to allow continued use of Translarna. In February 2026, PTC Therapeutics withdrew its application to the FDA for Translarna in nonsense mutation Duchenne after receiving feedback on its filing.
In June 2023, the FDA approved Sarepta’s Biologics License Application seeking accelerated approval of their microdystrophin gene therapy, Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec), for the treatment of ambulant individuals with Duchenne between the ages of four to five years. In June 2024, the FDA granted Elevidys full approval for the treatment of ambulatory individuals aged 4 years and older, and accelerated approval for the treatment of non-ambulatory individuals aged 4 years and older. However, in November 2025, the FDA revised the Elevidys indication to limit to ambulatory individuals 4 years or older and added black box warnings about risks of acute and fatal liver injuries. Other companies focused on developing genetic based therapies for Duchenne that target dystrophin mechanisms include Solid Biosciences Inc., Genethon, Dyne Therapeutics, Avidity Biosciences, REGENXBIO, Wave Life Sciences, and Entrada Therapeutics. In September 2025, Avidity Biosciences announced positive topline and functional Phase 1/2 data for del-zota, demonstrating a statistically significant increase in dystrophin in individuals with Duchenne amenable to exon 44 skipping. In December 2025, Dyne announced top line Phase 1/2 data for zeleciment rostudirsen (z-rostudirsen) demonstrating a statistically significant increase in dystrophin in individuals with Duchenne amenable to exon 51 skipping. Gene editing treatments that are in preclinical development are also being pursued by Vertex and Sarepta Therapeutics.
We are also aware of several companies targeting non-dystrophin mechanisms for the treatment of Duchenne. In March 2024, the FDA approved Duvyzat (givinostat) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patients aged
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six years and older. The European Commission granted Duvyzat a conditional approval in June 2025. Moreover, in June 2021, Italfarmaco released top line Phase 2 data for givinostat in Becker. Givinostat did not show a significant difference in the primary endpoint compared to placebo. The future of this program in Becker is uncertain. In June 2025, Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the FDA has granted ODD to Deramiocel, the company’s lead cell therapy candidate, for the potential treatment of Becker, and this candidate is currently under regulatory review. Satellos Bioscience, Inc. is developing an orally administered small molecule drug designed to address deficits in muscle repair and regeneration and announced functional data from a Phase 1b trial in adult patients with Duchenne in May 2025.
EDG-7500
Current first-line pharmaceutical treatment for patients with oHCM and nHCM consists of non-vasodilating beta blockers and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. Commonly prescribed beta-blockers are atenolol, propranolol, and metoprolol. Verapamil and diltiazem are calcium channel blockers used in the treatment of symptomatic oHCM and nHCM. For oHCM patients who remain symptomatic, a sodium channel blocker with negative ionotropic drug properties may also be added, typically disopyramide (either Pfizer’s Norpace, marketed by Pfizer, or a generic form marketed by several companies) and/or Camzyos (mavacamten), a cardiac myosin inhibitor (CMI), may also be added.
In the field of emerging treatments for HCM, competitors include Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Cytokinetics, Imbria Pharmaceuticals, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, and Celltrion, and Braveheart Bio. BMS markets Camzyos (mavacamten), a CMI intended for the treatment of adults with symptomatic NYHA class II-III oHCM. To date, Camzyos (mavacamten) has secured marketing approvals in the US, Europe, and other countries across five continents. In December 2025, Cytokinetics received FDA approval and a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the EMA for the treatment of oHCM in NYHA II-III for its CMI aficamten, marketed as Myqorzo, beginning in the first quarter of 2026. In the second quarter of 2024, BMS and Cytokinetics initiated a study of mavacamten and aficamten, respectively, in pediatric population with symptomatic oHCM. In April 2025, BMS reported that its Phase 3 study of mavacamten in nHCM failed to meet its dual primary endpoints. Cytokinetics is exploring Myqorzo in an ongoing Phase 3 nHCM clinical trial. Lexicon Pharmaceuticals is currently conducting a Phase 3 study of Sotagliflozin, an SGLT 1/2 inhibitor, for the treatment of oHCM and nHCM. Braveheart Bio is planning to initiate a global Phase 3 clinical trial in oHCM in 2026.
Other drugs in development that do not target cardiac myosin include Imbria Pharmaceuticals’ ninerafaxstat (IMB-101), a partial fatty acid oxidation (pFOX) inhibitor, Celltrion’s CT-G20, an anti-arrhythmic cibenzoline succinate, and Univar Solutions’ trientine dihydrochloride, a selective copper II chelator. In November 2023, Imbria announced Phase 2 nHCM topline results of ninerafaxstat with full results published in March 2024, and in the second quarter of 2025, initiated a Phase 2b nHCM trial of ninerafaxstat. In the third quarter of 2024, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals initiated a Phase 3 trial of sotagliflozin, an SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor, in patients with symptomatic oHCM and nHCM. We have limited knowledge of CT-G20’s Phase 1 oHCM trial status, while the trientine Phase 2 oHCM clinical trial is ongoing. A myosin binding protein C3-targeting gene therapy candidate, TN-201, is being developed by Tenaya Therapeutics for genetic HCM. TN-201 is currently in a Phase 1b/2 study for which interim results were announced in December 2024 with additional results presented at the 2025 American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions. We are aware of several preclinical HCM programs including: JN-210, a microRNA activating gene therapy approach being developed by Jaan Biotherapeutics; HTX-001, an antisense oligonucleotide approach being developed by Haya Therapeutics; CDR348T and CDR641L, both are non-coding RNA-based therapies being developed by Cardior Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Novo Nordisk in May 2024). We are also aware of several early-stage preclinical HCM gene therapy assets being developed by DiNAQOR, DINA-003 and DINA-001, the latter in collaboration with BioMarin Pharmaceuticals (BMN-293/DINA-001). In August 2024, BioMarin announced the discontinuation of the development of BMN-293. We have limited knowledge of DINAQOR’s future development plans for DINA-001/BMN-293. Another HCM gene therapy approach targeting cardiac troponin I3 (TNNI3), LX2022, is being developed by Lexeo Therapeutics. To the best of our knowledge, the program is currently in a preclinical stage.
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Intellectual Property
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary or intellectual property protection for our drug candidates, technology and know-how, to operate without infringing the proprietary or intellectual property rights of others and to prevent others from infringing our proprietary or intellectual property rights. We plan to protect our proprietary and intellectual property position by, among other methods, pursuing and obtaining patent protection in the United States and in jurisdictions outside of the United States related to our proprietary technology, inventions, improvements and drug candidates that are important to the development and implementation of our business. We also rely on trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, continuing technological innovation and licensing opportunities to develop and maintain our proprietary and intellectual property position.
We currently, and expect that we will continue to, own or in-license patents and patent applications related to our key drug candidates. We own patents and patent applications that cover compositions of matter, methods of treating diseases such as Duchenne, Becker, LGMD, muscle spasticity disorders, cardiac diseases such as HCM and HFpEF, and combination therapies. As of February 19, 2026, we own a patent portfolio consisting of 23 patent families. We own 9 issued U.S. patents, 5 issued European patents, 3 issued Chinese patents, 8 issued Japanese patents, 3 issued Australian patents, 2 issued Eurasian patents, 1 issued Korean patent, 2 issued Indian patents, 2 issued South African patents, 2 issued Singaporean patents, 2 issued Hong Kong patents, 2 issued Mexican patents, 1 issued Macao patent, 14 pending non-provisional U.S. patent applications, 7 pending PCT applications and 62 pending foreign applications filed in 15 different countries and regions including Europe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Eurasia, Israel, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Hong Kong. We own two issued U.S., one European, one South African, one Hong Kong, one Singaporean, one Mexican, one Eurasian, one Chinese, one Australian, and one Japanese patent that covers compositions of matter of sevasemten and methods of treatment using sevasemten that are expected to expire in 2039, excluding any patent term extensions. We own one issued U.S. patent that covers composition of matter of EDG-7500 and methods of treatment using EDG-7500, which is expected to expire in 2043, excluding any patent term extensions. We own one issued U.S. patent that covers composition of matter of EDG-15400 and methods of treatment using EDG-15400, which is expected to expire in 2044, excluding any patent term extensions. For our drug candidates, we generally pursue multilayered patent protection covering compositions of matter, methods of use and methods of manufacture. We also intend to pursue patent protection, if available, with respect to biomarkers that may be useful in selecting a patient population for use of our drug candidates. We intend to strengthen the patent protection of our drug candidates and technologies through additional patent application filings.
The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term for patents in the countries in which they are granted. In most countries in which we file, the patent term is generally 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application. In the United States, the patent term may, in certain cases, be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in examining and granting a patent or may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over a commonly owned patent or a patent naming a common inventor and having an earlier expiration date. Additionally, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (the Hatch-Waxman Act) permits patent term extension of up to five years beyond the expiration date of a U.S. patent as partial compensation for the length of time a drug is under regulatory review while a patent that covers the drug is in force. The length of the patent term extension is related to the length of time the drug is under regulatory review. Patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent applicable to each regulatory review period may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it or a method for manufacturing it may be extended.
Similar provisions are available in the European Union and certain other foreign jurisdictions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug. In the future, if and when our drug candidates receive approval by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities, we expect to apply for patent term extensions on issued patents covering those products, if available. However, there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the United States, will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and, if granted, the length of such extensions. For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, see the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.” Expiration dates referred to above are without regard to potential patent term extension or other market exclusivity that may be available to us.
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In addition to patent protection, we also rely on trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, other proprietary information and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary information to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not consider appropriate for, patent protection. Although we take steps to protect our proprietary information and trade secrets, including through contractual means with our employees and consultants, third parties may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose our technology. Thus, we may not be able to meaningfully protect our trade secrets. It is our policy to require our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements provide that all confidential information concerning our business or financial affairs developed or made known to the individual during the course of the individual’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. Our agreements with employees also provide that all inventions conceived by the employee in the course of employment with us or from the employee’s use of our confidential information are our exclusive property. However, such confidentiality agreements and invention assignment agreements can be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, see the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
The patent positions of biotechnology companies like ours are generally uncertain and involve complex legal, scientific and factual questions. Our commercial success will also depend in part on not infringing upon the proprietary rights of third parties. It is uncertain whether the issuance of any third-party patent would require us to alter our development or commercial strategies, alter our drugs or processes, obtain licenses or cease certain activities. Our breach of any license agreements or our failure to obtain a license to proprietary rights required to develop or commercialize our future products may have a material adverse impact on us. If third parties prepare and file patent applications in the United States that also claim technology to which we have rights, we may have to participate in interference or derivation proceedings in the USPTO to determine priority of invention. For more information, see the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
Government Regulations
Government authorities in the United States, at the federal, state, and local level, and other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, nonclinical and clinical testing, manufacture, quality control, approval, labeling, packaging, storage, record-keeping, promotion, advertising, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, marketing, and export and import of products such as those we are developing. Generally, before a new drug can be marketed, considerable data must be generated, which demonstrate the drug’s quality, safety, and efficacy. Such data must then be organized into a format specific for each regulatory authority, submitted for review and approved by the regulatory authority.
U.S. Drug Development Process
In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and its implementing regulations. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, the approval process or after approval may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, a clinical hold, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement, or civil or criminal penalties. Any agency or judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us.
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The process required by the FDA before a drug may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | completion of nonclinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies in accordance with FDA’s good laboratory practice requirements and other applicable regulations; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | submission to the FDA of an IND application, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | approval by an independent institutional review board (IRB) ethics committee, either centralized or with respect to each clinical site, before each clinical trial may be initiated; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with good clinical practice (GCP) requirements to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | submission to the FDA of a New Drug Application (NDA) after completion of all pivotal trials; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA to accept the filing for substantive review; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | satisfactory completion of an FDA advisory committee review, if applicable; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our royalty obligations of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug is produced to assess compliance with cGMP requirements to ensure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality, and purity, and of selected clinical investigation sites to assess compliance with GCPs; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | FDA review and approval of the NDA to permit commercial marketing of the product for particular indications for use in the United States. |
Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a product candidate in the United States, we must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for clinical studies. The IND also includes results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, PK, pharmacology, and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product; chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information; and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, raises safety concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA authorization to begin a clinical trial.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical trial. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development and for any subsequent protocol amendments. Furthermore, an independent IRB for each site proposing to conduct the clinical trial must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial and its informed consent form before the clinical trial begins at that site and must monitor the study until completed. Regulatory authorities, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk or that the clinical trial is unlikely to meet its stated objectives. Some trials also include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial
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sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board, which may review data and endpoints at designated check points, make recommendations and/or halt the clinical trial if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects or other grounds, such as no demonstration of efficacy. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical studies and clinical trial results to public registries.
Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Phase 1: The product candidate is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, and distribution of the investigational product in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness. In the case of some products for severe or life-threatening diseases, especially when the product may be too inherently toxic to ethically administer to HVs, the initial human testing is often conducted in patients. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Phase 2: The product candidate is administered to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages, and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Phase 3: The product candidate is administered to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval. |
Post-approval clinical trials, sometimes referred to as Phase 4 studies, may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These clinical trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the performance of Phase 4 clinical trials as a condition of approval of an NDA.
The FDA or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients. In addition, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or committee. Depending on its charter, this group may determine whether a clinical trial may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the clinical trial.
During the development of a new drug, sponsors are given opportunities to meet with the FDA at certain points. These points may be prior to submission of an IND, at the end of Phase 2, and before an NDA is submitted. Meetings at other times may be requested. These meetings can provide an opportunity for the sponsor to share information about the data gathered to date, for the FDA to provide advice, and for the sponsor and the FDA to reach agreement on the next phase of development. Sponsors typically use the meetings at the end of the Phase 2 clinical trial to discuss Phase 2 clinical results and present plans for the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials that they believe will support approval of the new drug.
Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III clinical testing may not be completed successfully within a specified period, if any all, and there can be no assurance that the data collected will support FDA approval of a product candidate. Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug and finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality, and purity of the final drug. In addition, appropriate packaging must be
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selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
While the IND is active and before approval, progress reports summarizing the results of the clinical trials and nonclinical studies performed since the last progress report must be submitted at least annually to the FDA, and written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and investigators for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies suggesting a significant risk to humans exposed to the same or similar drugs, findings from animal or in vitro testing suggesting a significant risk to humans, and any clinically important increased incidence of a serious suspected adverse reaction compared to that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure.
NDA Review and Approval Process
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development nonclinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the chemistry of the drug, proposed labeling and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the product. The submission of an NDA is subject to the payment of substantial user fees; a waiver of such fees may be obtained under certain limited circumstances. Additionally, no user fees are assessed on NDAs for products designated as orphan drugs, unless the product also includes a non-orphan indication.
The FDA reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe and effective for its intended use and whether its manufacturing is cGMP-compliant to assure and preserve the product’s identity, strength, quality, and purity. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), guidelines that are currently in effect, the FDA has a goal of ten months from the date of “filing” of a standard NDA for a new molecular entity to review and act on the submission. This review typically takes 12 months from the date the NDA is submitted to FDA because the FDA has approximately two months to make a “filing” decision after the application is submitted. The FDA conducts a preliminary review of all NDAs within the first 60 days after submission, before accepting them for filing, to determine whether they are sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an NDA for filing. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application is also subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing.
The FDA may refer an application for a novel drug to an advisory committee. An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, that reviews, evaluates and provides a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCPs. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process, or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
After the FDA evaluates an NDA, it will issue an approval letter or a Complete Response Letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete, and the application will not be approved in its present form. A Complete Response Letter usually describes the specific deficiencies in the NDA identified by the FDA and may require additional clinical data, such as an additional pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial or other significant and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, nonclinical studies, or manufacturing. If a Complete Response Letter is issued, the sponsor must resubmit the NDA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or
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withdraw the application. Even if such data and information are submitted, the FDA may decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may entail limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, the FDA may approve the NDA with a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh its risks. A REMS is a safety strategy to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a medicine and to enable patients to have continued access to such medicines by managing their safe use. It could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries, and other risk minimization tools. The FDA also may offer accelerated approval with postmarketing confirmatory trial requirements or approvals subject to other postmarketing requirements, including among other things, changes to proposed labeling or the development of adequate controls and specifications. Once approved, the FDA may withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre- and post-marketing requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the marketplace. The FDA may also require one or more Phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies. In addition, new government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established, or the FDA’s policies may change, which could impact the timeline for regulatory approval or otherwise impact ongoing development programs.
Expedited Development and Review Programs
The FDA has a fast-track designation program that is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for reviewing new drug products that meet certain criteria. Specifically, new drugs are eligible for fast-track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. With regard to a fast-track product, the FDA may consider for review sections of the NDA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the NDA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the NDA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the NDA.
Any product submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product with a fast-track designation, may also be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite development and review, such as priority review and accelerated approval. A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide safe and effective therapy where no satisfactory alternative therapy exists or a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of a disease compared to marketed products. The FDA will attempt to direct additional resources to the evaluation of an application for a new drug designated for priority review in an effort to facilitate the review. The FDA endeavors to review applications with priority review designations within six months of the filing date as compared to ten months for review of new molecular entity NDAs under its current PDUFA review goals.
In addition, a product may be eligible for accelerated approval. Drug products intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may be eligible for accelerated approval upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of approval, the FDA may require that a sponsor of a drug receiving accelerated approval perform adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical trials. In addition, the FDA currently requires pre-approval of promotional materials as a condition for accelerated approval, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.
The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act established a category of drugs referred to as “breakthrough therapies” that may be eligible to receive breakthrough therapy designation. A sponsor may seek FDA designation of a product candidate as a “breakthrough therapy” if the product is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other products, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The designation
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includes all of the fast-track program features, as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance. The breakthrough therapy designation is a distinct status from both accelerated approval and priority review, which can also be granted to the same drug if relevant criteria are met. If a product is designated as breakthrough therapy, the FDA will work to expedite the development and review of such drug. The Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act (FDORA) made several changes to the FDA’s authorities and its regulatory framework, including, among other changes, reforms to the accelerated approval pathway, such as requiring the FDA to specify conditions for post-approval study requirements and setting forth procedures for the FDA to withdraw a product on an expedited basis for non-compliance with post-approval requirements.
Fast track designation, priority review, accelerated approval, and breakthrough therapy designation do not change the standards for approval, but may expedite the development or approval process. Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. We may explore some of these opportunities for our product candidates as appropriate.
Orphan Drugs
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant ODD, to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as a disease or condition with either a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or a patient population greater of than 200,000 individuals in the United States when there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available the drug or biologic in the United States will be recovered from sales in the United States of that drug or biologic. ODD must be requested before submitting a NDA. After the FDA grants ODD, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA.
If a product that has received ODD and subsequently receives the first FDA approval for a particular active ingredient for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan product exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full NDA, to market the same biologic for the same indication for seven years from the approval of the NDA, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity or if the FDA finds that the holder of the orphan drug exclusivity has not shown that it can assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the orphan drug to meet the needs of patients with the disease or condition for which the drug was designated. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent the FDA from approving a different drug or biologic for the same disease or condition, or the same drug or biologic for a different disease or condition. Among the other benefits of ODD are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the NDA application user fee.
A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received ODD. In addition, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. In view of the court decision in Catalyst Pharms., Inc. v. Becerra, 14 F.4th 1299 (11th Cir. 2021), in January 2023, the FDA published a notice in the Federal Register to clarify that while the agency complies with the court’s order in Catalyst, FDA intends to continue to apply its longstanding interpretation of the regulations to matters outside of the scope of the Catalyst order – that is, the agency will continue tying the scope of orphan-drug exclusivity to the uses or indications for which a drug is approved, which permits other sponsors to obtain approval of a drug for new uses or indications within the same orphan designated disease or condition that have not yet been approved. It is unclear how future litigation, legislation, agency decisions, and administrative actions will impact the scope of the orphan drug exclusivity.
In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the Chevron doctrine, which gives deference to regulatory agencies’ statutory interpretations in litigation against federal government agencies, such as the FDA, where the law is ambiguous. This landmark Supreme Court decision may invite various stakeholders to bring lawsuits against the FDA to challenge longstanding decisions and policies, including FDA’s statutory interpretations of market exclusivities and the “substantial evidence” requirements for drug approvals, which could lead to uncertainties in the industry. Further,
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changes in the leadership of the FDA and other federal agencies under the current administration have led to new policies and changes in the regulations that may impact our clinical development and timelines.
Post-Approval Requirements
Any products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, and advertising and promotion of the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There are continuing, annual program fees for any marketed products. Drug manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements upon us and our third-party manufacturers. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting requirements upon us and any third-party manufacturers that we may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance.
The FDA may withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
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| ● | restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls; |
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| ● | fines, warning letters, or untitled letters; |
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| ● | clinical holds on post-approval or Phase IV clinical studies, if applicable; |
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| ● | refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals; |
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| ● | product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; |
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| ● | consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment, or exclusion from federal healthcare programs; |
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| ● | mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
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| ● | the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases, and other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
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| ● | injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties. |
The FDA closely regulates the marketing, labeling, advertising, and promotion of drug products. A company can make only those claims relating to safety and efficacy that are approved by the FDA and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising, and potential civil and criminal penalties. Physicians may prescribe, in their independent professional medical judgment, legally available products for uses that are not described in the
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product’s labeling and that differ from those tested by us and approved by the FDA. Physicians may believe that such off-label uses are the best treatment for many patients in varied circumstances. The FDA does not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, restrict manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion of off-label use and has enjoined companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The FDA and other regulatory agencies have also required that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s FDA-approved labelling.
U.S. Patent-Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of any future product candidates, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Hatch-Waxman Act permits restoration of the patent term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and FDA regulatory review process. Patent-term restoration, however, cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent-term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND or the issue date of the patent, whichever is later, and the submission date of an NDA plus the time between the submission date of an NDA or the issue date of the patent, whichever is later, and the approval of that application, except that the review period is reduced by any time during which the applicant failed to exercise due diligence. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration. In the future, we may apply for restoration of patent term for our currently owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond its current expiration date, depending on the expected length of the clinical trials and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA.
Market exclusivity provisions under the FDCA also can delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to gain approval of a NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA), or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for a generic version of such drug where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement. The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for a NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example, new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the conditions of use associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs for drugs containing the original active agent. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the preclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness or generate such data themselves.
Pediatric exclusivity is another type of marketing exclusivity available in the United States and provides for an additional six months of marketing exclusivity attached to another period of exclusivity if a sponsor conducts clinical trials in children in response to a written request from the FDA. The issuance of a written request does not require the sponsor to undertake the described clinical trials.
Other U.S. Regulatory Matters
Pharmaceutical manufacturers are subject to additional healthcare laws, regulation, and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which they conduct their business. Such laws include, without limitation, U.S. federal anti-kickback, anti-self-referral, false claims, transparency, including the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, consumer fraud, pricing reporting, data privacy, data protection, and security laws
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and regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as well as similar foreign laws in the jurisdictions outside the U.S. Similar state and local laws and regulations may also restrict business practices in the pharmaceutical industry, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to business practices, including but not limited to, research, distribution, sales, and marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by nongovernmental third-party payors, including private insurers, or by patients themselves; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state laws and regulations that require drug manufacturers to file reports relating to pricing and marketing information; state and local laws which require the tracking of gifts and other remuneration and any transfer of value provided to physicians, other healthcare providers and entities; and state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and local laws governing the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
These laws and regulations are subject to change, which can increase the resources needed for compliance and delay drug approval or commercialization. Any action brought against us for violations of these laws or regulations, even successfully defended, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. Also, we may be subject to private “qui tam” actions brought by individual whistleblowers on behalf of the federal or state governments. Actual or alleged violation of any such laws or regulations may lead to investigations and other claims and proceedings by regulatory authorities and in certain cases, private actors, and violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply may result in penalties, including, without limitation, significant administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, additional reporting obligations, and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, the curtailment or restructuring of operations, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs and imprisonment.
Coverage and Reimbursement
Sales of any pharmaceutical product depend, in part, on the extent to which such product will be covered by third-party payors, such as federal, state, and foreign government healthcare programs, commercial insurance, and managed healthcare organizations, and the level of reimbursement for such product by third-party payors. Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any newly approved product. Decisions regarding the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular product does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. As a result, the coverage determination process can require manufacturers to provide scientific details, information on cost-effectiveness, and clinical support for the use of a product to each payor separately. This can be a time-consuming process, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. In addition, third-party payors are increasingly reducing reimbursements for pharmaceutical products and related services. The U.S. government and state legislatures have continued implementing cost-containment programs, including price controls, restrictions on coverage and reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of pharmaceutical products, in addition to questioning their safety and efficacy. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit sales of any product. Decreases in third-party reimbursement for any product or a decision by a third-party payor not to cover a product could reduce physician usage and patient demand for the product.
In international markets, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary significantly by country, and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific products and therapies. For example, the European Union provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product, or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. Pharmaceutical products may face competition from lower-
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priced products in foreign countries that have placed price controls on pharmaceutical products and may also compete with imported foreign products. Furthermore, there is no assurance that a product will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for a specific indication, that it will be considered cost-effective by third-party payors, that an adequate level of reimbursement will be established even if coverage is available, or that the third-party payors’ reimbursement policies will not adversely affect the ability for manufacturers to sell products profitably.
Healthcare Reform
In the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and we expect there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare system. In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the ACA), was signed into law, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers in the United States. By way of example, the ACA increased the minimum level of Medicaid rebates payable by manufacturers of brand name drugs from 15.1% to 23.1%; it required collection of rebates for drugs paid by Medicaid managed care organizations; imposed a non-deductible annual fee on pharmaceutical manufacturers or importers who sell certain “branded prescription drugs” to specified federal government programs; it implemented a new methodology under which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted, or injected; it expanded the eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs; it created a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research; and it established a Center for Medicare Innovation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending, potentially including prescription drug spending. Since its enactment, there have been executive, judicial and congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future.
The ACA continues to significantly impact the United States’ pharmaceutical industry. Since its enactment, there have been judicial and congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. In June 2021, the United States Supreme Court held that Texas and other challengers had no legal standing to challenge the ACA, dismissing the case without specifically ruling on the constitutionality of the ACA. Accordingly, the ACA remains in effect in its current form. It is unclear how future litigation or healthcare measures promulgated by the current administration will impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Complying with any new legislation or changes in healthcare regulation could be time-intensive and expensive, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, effective April 1, 2013, which will stay in effect through 2032, unless additional congressional action is taken. Moreover, there has recently been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted legislation designed, among other things, to bring more transparency to product pricing, to review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and to reform government program reimbursement methodologies for pharmaceutical products. For example, under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Medicaid statutory rebates are no longer capped at 100% of the average manufacturer price. Elimination of this cap may require pharmaceutical manufacturers to pay more in rebates than it receives on the sale of products, which could have a material impact on our business. In August 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes prescription drug provisions that have significant implications for the pharmaceutical industry and Medicare beneficiaries, including allowing the federal government to negotiate a maximum fair price for certain high-priced single source Medicare drugs, imposing penalties and excise tax for manufacturers that fail to comply with the drug price negotiation requirements, requiring inflation rebates for all Medicare Part B and Part D drugs, with limited exceptions, if their drug prices increase faster than inflation, and redesigning Medicare Part D to reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for beneficiaries, among other changes. Only high-expenditure single-source drugs that have been approved for at least 7 years (11 years for single-source biologics) can qualify for negotiation, with the negotiated price taking effect two years after the selection year. For 2026, the first year in which negotiated prices become effective, CMS selected 10 high-cost Medicare Part D drugs in 2023, negotiations began in 2024, and the negotiated maximum fair price for each drug has been announced. CMS has selected 15 additional Medicare Part D drugs for negotiated maximum fair pricing in 2027. For 2028, up to an additional 15
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drugs, which may be covered under either Medicare Part B or Part D, will be selected, and for 2029 and subsequent years, up to 20 additional Part B or Part D drugs will be selected. Various industry stakeholders have initiated lawsuits against the federal government asserting that the price negotiation provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act are unconstitutional. Further, the current administration has issued executive orders focused on decreasing prescription drug prices, including directing the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a mechanism through which American patients can buy drugs directly from manufacturers who sell at a most-favored-nation price and directing the U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce to take action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in practices that purposefully and unfairly undercut market prices and drive price hikes in the U.S. In November 2025, CMS announced a voluntary initiative called the GENEROUS Model (GENErating cost Reductions fOr U.S. Medicaid Model) to introduce the option of most-favored-nation pricing to the Medicaid program, whereby a drug manufacturer may voluntarily offer supplemental rebates to participating state Medicaid programs for a manufacturer’s covered outpatient drugs. Government agreements with pharmaceutical companies and other measures that use most-favored-nation pricing targets for prescription drugs or that increase generic and biosimilar drug entry sooner than expected can have a material adverse effect on our industry, ability to set adequate pricing for new drugs to recover R&D costs, ability to attract potential investors and potential buyers in the future, or the pricing of our approved product in the U.S. and in foreign countries. The impact of judicial challenges and future regulations, healthcare measures and agency rules by the current administration on us and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole is currently unknown. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize our product candidates if approved. Complying with any new legislation and regulatory changes could be time-intensive and expensive, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business. At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, a number of states are considering or have recently enacted state drug price transparency and reporting laws that could substantially increase our compliance burdens and expose us to greater liability under such state laws once we begin commercialization after obtaining regulatory approval for any of our products. FDA recently authorized the state of Florida to import certain prescription drugs from Canada for a period of two years to help reduce drug costs, provided that Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration meets the requirements set forth by the FDA. Other states may follow Florida. We expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could affect the prices we may obtain for any of our product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the frequency with which any such product candidate, if approved, is prescribed or used.
Furthermore, there has been increased interest by third party payors and governmental authorities in reference to pricing systems and publication of discounts and list prices.
Foreign Regulation
In addition to regulations in the United States, we will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial sales and distribution of our product candidates to the extent we choose to develop or sell any product candidates outside of the United States. The approval process varies from country to country and the time may be longer or shorter than that required to obtain FDA approval. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, regulatory approval for our products, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from country to country.
European Union Drug Development
Similar to the United States, the various phases of preclinical and clinical research in the European Union (EU) are subject to significant regulatory controls. Although the European Union Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC has sought to harmonize the EU clinical trials regulatory framework, setting out common rules for the control and authorization of clinical trials in the EU, the EU Member States have transposed and applied the provisions of the directive differently. This has led to significant variations in the member state regimes. Under the current regime, before a clinical trial can be initiated, it must be approved in each of the EU countries where the trial is to be conducted by two distinct bodies: The National Competent Authority (NCA), and one or more Ethics Committees (ECs). Under the current regime all
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suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions to the investigated drug that occur during the clinical trial have to be reported to the NCA and ECs of the Member State where they occurred. The EU clinical trials legislation currently is undergoing a transition process mainly aimed at harmonizing and streamlining clinical-trial authorization, simplifying adverse-event reporting procedures, improving the supervision of clinical trials and increasing their transparency. The Clinical Trials Regulation EU No 536/2014 which replaced the Clinical Trials Directive entered into application on January 31, 2022, is intended to simplify the current rules for clinical trial authorization and standards of performance. For instance, there will be a streamlined application procedure via a single-entry point, a European Union portal and database. From January 31, 2025, all ongoing trials, including those approved under the Clinical Trials Directive, will need to comply with the Clinical Trials Regulation and their sponsors must enter information on the trials in the Clinical Trials Information System.
European Union Drug Review and Approval
In the European Economic Area (EEA), which is comprised of the 27 Member States of the European Union and three European Free Trade Association States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), medicinal products can only be commercialized after obtaining a Marketing Authorization (MA). There are two types of marketing authorizations.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The Community MA is issued by the European Commission through the Centralized Procedure, based on the opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the EMA, and is valid throughout the entire territory of the EEA. The Centralized Procedure is mandatory for certain types of products, such as biotechnology medicinal products, orphan medicinal products, advanced-therapy medicines such as gene therapy, somatic cell-therapy or tissue-engineered medicines and medicinal products containing a new active substance indicated for the treatment of HIV, AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, autoimmune and other immune dysfunctions and viral diseases. The Centralized Procedure is optional for products containing a new active substance not yet authorized in the EEA, or for products that constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation or which are in the interest of public health in the EU. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
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| ● | National MAs, which are issued by the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA and only cover their respective territory, are available for products not falling within the mandatory scope of the Centralized Procedure. Where a product has already been authorized for marketing in a Member State of the EEA, this National MA can be recognized in another Member States through the Mutual Recognition Procedure. If the product has not received a National MA in any Member State at the time of application, it can be approved simultaneously in various Member States through the Decentralized Procedure. Under the Decentralized Procedure an identical dossier is submitted to the competent authorities of each of the Member States in which the MA is sought, one of which is selected by the applicant as the Reference Member State (RMS). The competent authority of the RMS prepares a draft assessment report, a draft summary of the product characteristics (SOPC) and a draft of the labeling and package leaflet, which are sent to the other Member States (referred to as the Member States Concerned) for their approval. If the Member States Concerned raise no objections, based on a potential serious risk to public health, to the assessment, SOPC, labeling or packaging proposed by the RMS, the product is subsequently granted a national MA in all the Member States (i.e., in the RMS and the Member States Concerned). |
Under the above-described procedures, before granting the MA, EMA or the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA make an assessment of the risk-benefit balance of the product on the basis of scientific criteria concerning its quality, safety and efficacy. Similar to the U.S. patent term-restoration, Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) serve as an extension to a patent right in Europe for up to five years, subject to certain extension. SPCs apply to specific pharmaceutical products to offset the loss of patent protection due to the lengthy testing and clinical trials these products require prior to obtaining regulatory marketing approval. However, SPCs are not the only EU mechanism offering protection for a drug product beyond the patent expiry date. For example, under the EU exclusivity regime, an innovator company can qualify for eight years of data exclusivity, two years of market exclusivity during which generic companies can prepare and apply for marketing approval but cannot market their generic products, and an additional one year of market exclusivity for a new indication with significant clinical benefit over existing therapies.
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In the EEA, marketing authorization applications for new medicinal products not authorized have to include the results of studies conducted in the pediatric population, in compliance with a pediatric investigation plan (PIP) agreed with the EMA’s Pediatric Committee (PDCO). The PIP sets out the timing and measures proposed to generate data to support a pediatric indication of the drug for which marketing authorization is being sought. The PDCO can grant a deferral of the obligation to implement some or all of the measures of the PIP until there are sufficient data to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the product in adults. Further, the obligation to provide pediatric clinical trial data can be waived by the PDCO when these data is not needed or appropriate because the product is likely to be ineffective or unsafe in children, the disease or condition for which the product is intended occurs only in adult populations, or when the product does not represent a significant therapeutic benefit over existing treatments for pediatric patients. Once the marketing authorization is obtained in all Member States of the EU and study results are included in the product information, even when negative, the product is eligible for six months’ supplementary protection certificate extension.
Employees and Human Capital
As of December 31, 2025, we had 146 full-time employees. Of these employees, 114 are engaged in research or product development and clinical activities. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel through the granting of stock-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware in May 2017. Our principal executive offices are located at 1715 38th Street, Boulder, Colorado 80301. Our telephone number is (720) 262-7002. Our website address is www.edgewisetx.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website or any website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K and should not be considered to be part of this Form 10-K unless expressly noted.
We may use our website (www.edgewisetx.com), press releases, public conference calls, public webcasts, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. We also make available on or through our website certain reports and amendments to those reports that we file with or furnish to the SEC in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). These include our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and our current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. We make this information available on or through our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains our SEC filings. The address for the SEC website is https://www.sec.gov.
We use the Edgewise Therapeutics logo and other marks as trademarks in the United States and other countries. This periodic report contains references to our trademarks and service marks and to those belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this periodic report, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the TM symbol, but such references are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other entities’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other entity.