Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (RARE) 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
We are a biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing novel products to patients for the treatment of serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. We have built a diverse portfolio of approved therapies and product candidates aimed at addressing diseases with high unmet medical need and clear biology for treatment, for which there are typically no approved therapies treating the underlying disease.
We were founded in April 2010 by our President and Chief Executive Officer, Emil Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., and are led by a management team experienced in the development and commercialization of rare disease therapeutics. Our strategy is predicated upon time- and cost-efficient drug development, with the goal of delivering safe and effective therapies to patients with the utmost urgency.
Our Strategy
The critical components of our business strategy include the following:
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Focus on rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases with significant unmet medical need and clear biology. There are numerous rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases that currently have no drug therapy approved that treat the underlying disease. Patients suffering from these diseases often have a significant morbidity and/or mortality. We focus on developing and commercializing therapies for multiple such indications with the utmost urgency. We also focus on diseases that have biology that is well understood. We believe that developing drugs that directly impact known disease pathways will increase the probability of success of our development programs. Our modalities of biologics, small molecules, adeno-associated virus, or AAV, gene therapy, and nucleic acids provide us with what we believe is an optimal set of options to treat genetic diseases by selecting the best treatment strategy available for each disease.
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In-license promising product candidates; retain global commercialization rights to product candidates. Our current product candidates are generally in-licensed from academic institutions or derived from partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies. We believe parties agree to license product candidates to us because they are confident in our team’s expertise in rare disease drug development and commercialization. We generally intend to retain global commercialization rights to our products and product candidates whenever possible to maximize the potential value of our product portfolio.
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Focus on excellent, rapid, and efficient clinical and regulatory execution on multiple programs in parallel. We believe that building a successful and sustainable rare disease-focused company requires very specific expertise in the areas of patient identification, clinical study design and conduct, and regulatory strategy. Because rare disease programs involve fewer patients and may have accelerated paths to market, we are able to feasibly develop multiple clinical-stage product candidates in parallel, resulting in a more diversified portfolio that provides multiple opportunities to create value, with some economies of scale.
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Commercialize through patient-focused global organization. We seek to commercialize our products throughout the developed world, in North America, the European Union, or the EU, the United Kingdom, or the U.K., Latin America, Türkiye, Asia, and select international markets. We have established our own commercial organization in these markets and a network of third-party distributors in smaller markets. We believe our commercial organization is highly specialized and focused, due to the nature of rare disease treatment.
Approved Products and Clinical Product Candidates
Our current approved therapies and clinical-stage pipeline consist of four product categories: biologics, small molecules, AAV gene therapy, and nucleic acid product candidates.
The following table summarizes our approved products and pipeline of clinical product candidates:
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Approved Products
Crysvita for the treatment of X-Linked Hypophosphatemia, or XLH, and Tumor-Induced Osteomalacia, or TIO
Crysvita is a fully human monoclonal antibody administered via subcutaneous injection, that targets fibroblast growth factor 23, or FGF23, developed for the treatment of XLH. XLH is a rare, hereditary, progressive, and lifelong musculoskeletal disorder characterized by renal phosphate wasting caused by excess FGF23 production. There are approximately 48,000 patients with XLH in the developed world, including approximately 36,000 adults and 12,000 children. Crysvita is the only approved treatment that addresses the underlying cause of XLH. Crysvita is approved in the U.S., the EU and certain other regions for the treatment of XLH in adult and pediatric patients one year of age and older.
Crysvita is also approved in the U.S. and certain other regions for the treatment of FGF23-related hypophosphatemia in TIO, associated with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors that cannot be curatively resected or localized in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. There are approximately 2,000 to 4,000 patients with TIO in the developed world. TIO can lead to severe hypophosphatemia, osteomalacia, fractures, fatigue, bone and muscle pain, and muscle weakness.
We are collaborating with Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., or KKC, and Kyowa Kirin, a wholly owned subsidiary of KKC, on the development and commercialization of Crysvita globally.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Approved Products— Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.” for a description of our collaboration and license agreement with KKC.
Mepsevii for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis VII, or MPS VII
Mepsevii is an enzyme replacement therapy administered intravenously, or IV, that replaces the missing enzyme (beta-glucuronidase), developed for the treatment of MPS VII or Sly syndrome. MPS VII is a rare lysosomal storage disease that often leads to multi-organ dysfunction, pervasive skeletal disease, and death. MPS VII is one of the rarest MPS disorders, affecting an estimated 200 patients in the developed world. Mepsevii is approved in the U.S., the EU and certain other regions for the treatment of children and adults with MPS VII.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Approved Products—Saint Louis University” for a description of our license agreement with Saint Louis University.
Dojolvi for the treatment of Long-chain Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorders, or LC-FAOD
Dojolvi is a highly purified, synthetic, 7-carbon fatty acid triglyceride administered orally, designed to provide medium-chain, odd-carbon fatty acids as an energy source and metabolite replacement, developed for people with LC-FAOD. LC-FAOD represents a set of rare metabolic diseases that prevents the conversion of fat into energy and can cause low blood sugar, muscle rupture, and heart and liver disease. Dojolvi is approved in the U.S. and certain other regions as a source of calories and fatty acids for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with molecularly confirmed LC-FAOD. There are approximately 8,000 to 14,000 patients in the developed world with LC-FAOD.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Approved Products—Baylor Research Institute” for a description of our license agreement with Baylor Research Institute.
Evkeeza for the treatment of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH
Evkeeza is a fully human monoclonal antibody administered by IV, that binds to and blocks the function of angiopoietin-like 3, or ANGPTL3, a protein that plays a key role in lipid metabolism, developed for the treatment of HoFH, a rare inherited condition. HoFH occurs when two copies of the genes causing familial hypercholesterolemia are inherited, one from each parent, resulting in dangerously high levels (400 mg/dL) of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, or LDL-C, which is bad cholesterol. Patients with HoFH are at risk for premature atherosclerotic disease and cardiac events as early as their teenage years. Evkeeza is approved in the U.S., where it is marketed by our partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, or Regeneron. It is also approved in the European Economic Area, or EEA, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan as a first-in-class therapy for use together with diet and other LDL-C lowering therapies. In these regions, Evkeeza is generally approved to treat adults and adolescents aged five years and older with clinical HoFH. There are approximately 3,000 to 5,000 patients with HoFH in the developed world outside of the U.S.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Approved Products—Regeneron” for a description of our license agreement with Regeneron.
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Clinical Product Candidates
UX111 (rebisufligene etisparvovec) for the treatment of Sanfilippo syndrome type A or MPS IIIA
UX111 (formerly ABO-102) is an adeno-associated virus 9, or AAV9, gene therapy product candidate, administered by a one-time IV infusion that provides the cross-correcting enzyme that enables the breakdown of Heparan sulfate, or HS. UX111 is being developed for the treatment of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome type A, or MPS IIIA, a rare lysosomal storage disease with no approved treatment, which primarily affects the central nervous system. There are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 patients in the developed world affected by Sanfilippo syndrome type A. The program was acquired through an exclusive license agreement with Abeona Therapeutics, or Abeona, that was announced in May 2022. The UX111 program has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy, or RMAT, Fast Track, Rare Pediatric Disease, and Orphan Drug Designations in the U.S., and PRIME and Orphan Medicinal Product designations in the EU.
In January 2026, we resubmitted our BLA seeking accelerated approval for UX111 (rebisufligene etisparvovec) as a treatment for patients with Sanfilippo syndrome Type A (MPS IIIA) to the FDA. The submission included substantial longer-term data on multiple measures of neurologic benefit to support an intermediate clinical endpoint for accelerated approval supported further by CSF heparan sulfate and other biomarker data, as agreed with the FDA during the last clinical review.
In February 2026, we received an Incomplete Response Letter, or IRL, from the FDA regarding our resubmitted BLA. The IRL requested additional supportive documentation related to our CMC responses to the CRL we received in July 2025. We plan to provide the requested documentation in a resubmission of the BLA.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Clinical Product Candidates—Abeona” for a description of our license agreement with Abeona.
DTX401 (pariglasgene brecaparvovec) for the treatment of Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia, or GSDIa
DTX401 is an adeno-associated virus 8, or AAV8, gene therapy clinical candidate, administered by a one-time IV infusion that is designed to deliver stable expression and activity of G6Pase-α, an essential enzyme in glycogen and glucose metabolism. DTX401 is being developed for the treatment of patients with GSDIa, and is the most common genetically inherited glycogen storage disease, with an estimated 6,000 patients in the developed world. A Pediatric Investigation Plan, or PIP, was accepted by the EMA. The DTX401 program has received Rare Pediatric Disease, RMAT, Fast Track, and Orphan Drug designations in the U.S., and PRIME and Orphan Medicinal Product Designations in the EU.
In September 2025, we announced longer term Phase 3 data from the 48-week crossover period that demonstrated patients showed an even greater reduction in mean daily cornstarch intake, compared to the initial 48-week treatment period. In the crossover period, the DTX401 group (n=20) had a mean reduction in daily cornstarch intake of 61% at week 96 compared to baseline and the crossover group (n=19) had a mean reduction in daily cornstarch intake of 61% at week 96 compared to week 48. At the end of the crossover period, the DTX401 group saw a reduction in mean nighttime cornstarch of 70% compared to baseline and the crossover group saw a mean reduction of 75% compared to week 48. Two-thirds of participants across both groups eliminated at least one nighttime cornstarch dose following treatment with DTX401. At week 96, 83% (10 out of 12 patients) of the DTX401 group and 95% (18 out of 19 patients) of the crossover group reported “minimally improved” to “much improved” changes in disease burden as measured by the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), a single item questionnaire that asked participants how their condition changed since the start of the study.
As of the data cut-off, glycemic control was maintained in participants treated with DTX401 despite significant reductions in daily cornstarch intake. DTX401 has demonstrated a consistent and acceptable safety profile with no new safety signals identified as of the data cut-off.
These results have been included in a rolling BLA submission that began in August 2025 and was completed in December 2025. The company expects a PDUFA action date in the third quarter 2026, based on FDA regulations.
GTX-102 (apazunersen) for the treatment of Angelman Syndrome
GTX-102 is an antisense oligonucleotide, or ASO, administered by intrathecal injection that inhibits expression of the paternal UBE3A antisense. GTX-102 is being developed for the treatment of Angelman syndrome, a debilitating and rare neurogenetic disorder caused by loss-of-function of the maternally inherited allele of the UBE3A gene. There are an estimated 60,000 patients in the developed world affected by Angelman syndrome. GTX-102 has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation, Fast Track
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Designation, Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from the FDA and has been accepted into the EMA’s PRIME program.
In July 2025, we announced that all patients in the 48-week Phase 3 Aspire study have been enrolled. In total, 129 patients, between four and 17 years of age, with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of full maternal UBE3A gene deletion were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to the GTX-102 or the sham comparator group. Data from this study are expected in the second half of 2026.
In October 2025, we announced enrollment had begun in the Phase 2/3 Aurora study, which evaluates GTX-102 in other Angelman syndrome genotypes and ages.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Clinical Product Candidates—GeneTx” for a description of our license agreement with GeneTx Biotherapeutics LLC, or GeneTx.
DTX301 (avalotcagene ontaparvovec) for the treatment of Ornithine Transcarbamylase, or OTC, deficiency
DTX301 is an AAV8 gene therapy product candidate, administered by a one-time IV infusion that is designed to deliver stable expression and activity of the OTC gene. DTX301 is being developed for the treatment of patients with OTC deficiency, which is the most common urea cycle disorder, and there are approximately 10,000 patients in the developed world with OTC deficiency, of which we estimate approximately 80% are classified as late-onset, our target population. DTX301 has received Orphan Drug Designation in both the U.S. and in the EU and Fast Track Designation in the U.S.
In February 2025, we announced enrollment had been completed in the Phase 3 Enh3ance study of DTX301 for the treatment of OTC deficiency with a total of 37 patients randomized 1:1 to DTX301 or placebo. The co-primary endpoints are (i) the percentage of patients who achieve a response as measured by the change in 24-hour plasma ammonia levels and (ii) discontinuation or reduction ammonia-scavenger medications and protein-restricted diet. Based on the amended protocol, the change in 24-hour ammonia levels was measured through Week 36, after which the study unblinds and patients will be followed for a total of up to 64 weeks to determine the complete responders able to move safely to both ammonia-scavenger medications and protein-restricted diet control.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Clinical Product Candidates—REGENXBIO Inc.” for a description of our license agreement with REGENXBIO Inc.
UX701 (rivunatpagene miziparvovec) for the treatment of Wilson Disease
UX701 is an AAV type 9 gene therapy, administered by a one-time IV infusion that is designed to deliver a truncated form of the ATP7B gene. UX701 is being developed for the treatment of patients with Wilson disease, which affects approximately 50,000 patients in the developed world. UX701 has received Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and in the EU. UX701 has received a Fast Track Designation from the FDA.
In September 2025, we completed enrollment of five patients in Cohort 4 in the ongoing, dose-finding, stage of the pivotal Cyprus2+ study of UX701 for the treatment of Wilson disease. During Stage 1, the safety and efficacy of UX701 is being evaluated across four, sequential dosing cohorts (Cohort 1; 5.0 x 10^12 GC/kg; Cohort 2: 1.0 x 10^13 GC/kg: Cohort 3; 2.0 x 10^13 GC/kg and Cohort 4; 4.0 x 10^13 GC/kg). Data from Stage 1 of this study are expected in 2026.
UX143 (setrusumab) for the treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or OI
UX143 is a fully human monoclonal antibody administered by IV that inhibits sclerostin, a protein that acts on a key bone-signaling pathway by inhibiting the activity of bone-forming cells and promoting bone resorption. UX143 is being developed for the treatment of OI, or brittle bone disease, which is caused by variants in the COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes, leading to either reduced or abnormal collagen and changes in bone metabolism. There are an estimated 60,000 patients in the developed world affected by OI. UX143 has received orphan drug designation from the FDA and EMA Rare Pediatric Disease designation and Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA, and was accepted into the EMA’s Priority Medicines, or PRIME, program. UX143 is subject to our collaboration agreement with Mereo.
In December 2025, we announced that the Phase 3 Orbit and Cosmic studies did not achieve their primary endpoint of reduction in annualized clinical fracture rate compared to placebo (Orbit) or bisphosphonates (Cosmic).
In January 2026, topline safety and efficacy data from both studies were presented and included data on bone mineral density, vertebral fractures, and patient reported outcomes on pain and physical function. Additional analyses are ongoing to determine if there is a potential path forward for the program.
Please see “—License and Collaboration Agreements—Clinical Product Candidates—Mereo” for a description of our license and collaboration agreement with Mereo.
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Competition
In the case of indications that we are targeting, it is possible that other companies may produce, develop, and commercialize compounds that might treat these diseases.
With respect to Crysvita, although we are not aware of any other products currently in clinical development by a competitor for the treatment of XLH and TIO, it is possible that competitors may produce, develop, and commercialize therapeutics, or utilize other approaches such as gene therapy, to treat XLH and TIO. Most pediatric patients with XLH are managed using oral phosphate replacement and/or vitamin D therapy, which is relatively inexpensive and therefore may adversely affect our ability to commercialize Crysvita, if approved, in some countries.
With respect to Mepsevii, we are not aware of any other compounds currently in clinical development for MPS VII, but it is possible that other companies may produce, develop, and commercialize compounds that might treat this disease. Additionally, gene therapy and other therapeutic approaches may emerge for the treatment of lysosomal diseases. Bone marrow or stem cell transplants have also been used in MPS VII and in other lysosomal storage diseases and represent a potential competing therapy. Stem cell transplants have been effective in treating soft tissue storage and in having an impact on brain disease, but have not to date proven effective in treating bone and connective tissue disease. Typically, enzyme replacement therapy has had an impact on bone and connective tissue disease in other disorders when patients were treated early.
With respect to Dojolvi, LC-FAOD is commonly treated with diet therapy and MCT oil. Dojolvi may compete with this approach. Although we believe that Dojolvi should be considered a drug and will be regulated that way, it is possible that other companies or individuals may attempt to produce triheptanoin for use in LC-FAOD. Investigators are testing triheptanoin in clinical studies across multiple indications, including LC-FAOD. Although we are not aware of any other products currently in clinical development for the treatment of LC-FAOD, it is also possible that other companies may produce, develop, and commercialize other medium odd-chain fatty acids, or completely different compounds, to treat LC-FAOD. Other companies may also utilize other approaches, such as gene therapy, to treat LC-FAOD. Competitors could also enter the market with generic versions of Dojolvi. As described in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings” below, in 2024, Navinta LLC (Navinta), Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc., or collectively, Aurobindo, Esjay Pharma Private Limited and Esjay Pharma LLC, or collectively, Esjay, filed ANDAs seeking FDA approval to market a generic version of Dojolvi.
With respect to Evkeeza, the current treatments for patients with HoFH involve various lipid-lowering agents to reduce serum LDL and total cholesterol levels. Drug therapies include statins (e.g., Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin, etc.), fenofibrate, ezetimibe (Ezetrol), evolocumab (Repatha), and lomitapide (Juxtapid/Lojuxta). Other than lomitapide, these agents rely on an LDL-receptor based mechanism to reduce cholesterol, which may be absent in HoFH patients, particularly those with LDLR-null mutations. In addition, we are aware of other clinical development programs that target ANGPTL 3 across various indications including HoFH, including from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, zodasiran an siRNA, Eli Lilly/Dicerna, solbinsiran an siRNA, Novo Nordisk, NNC0491-6075 an antibody, and CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX-301 a gene editor.
With respect to GTX-102, there are currently no approved drugs for Angelman syndrome. Many patients take general treatments to try to manage specific symptoms, such as seizures or sleep disturbances, but there are no treatments available that address the underlying biology of the disease. We are aware of other preclinical and clinical development programs for Angelman syndrome, including Phase 3 program from Ionis, ION582 an ASO, Oak Hill Bio, rugonersen an ASO, Neuren Pharmaceuticals, NNZ-2591 an IGF-1 analog, and MavriX Bio, a gene therapy.
With respect to UX111, there are currently no approved pharmacologic treatments for patients with MPS IIIA. Patients receive supportive or symptomatic treatment, but these approaches generally do not prevent functional decline. We are aware of other gene therapies, including EGT-101, in Phase 1/2 for MPSIIIA by Esteve. In addition, Orchard Therapeutics (acquired by KKC) is developing OTL-201, an ex-vivo gene therapy in Phase 1/2 for MPSIIIA. We are also aware of enzyme replacement therapies, including DNL126, in Phase 1/2 by Denali, JR-441, in Phase 1/2 by JCR Pharma, and GC1130A/NP3011, in Phase 1 by GC Biopharma/Novel Pharma.
With respect to DTX401, there are currently no pharmacologic treatments for patients with GSDIa. We are aware of a gene editing program specifically for R83C variants, BEAM-301, in Phase 1/2 by Beam Therapeutics, and an mRNA therapy, mRNA-3745, in Phase 1 for GSDIa by Moderna.
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With respect to DTX301, the current treatments for patients with OTC deficiency are nitrogen scavenging drugs and severe limitations in dietary protein. Drug therapy includes sodium phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl) and glycerol phenylbutyrate (Ravicti), both nitrogen scavengers that help eliminate excess nitrogen, in the form of ammonia, by facilitating its excretion. A novel formulation of sodium phenylbutyrate, ACER-001 by Acer Therapeutics, was approved in December 2022. During a metabolic crisis, patients routinely receive carbohydrate and lipid rich nutrition, including overnight feeding through a nasogastric tube, to limit bodily protein breakdown and ammonia production. In acute cases, ammonia must be removed by dialysis or hemofiltration. Liver transplant may also be a solution for OTC deficiency. In addition, we are aware of other clinical development programs for OTC deficiency including from Arcturus Therapeutics, ARCT-810 a mRNA, Bloomsbury, BGT-OTCD a gene therapy, iECURE, ECUR-506 a gene editor, and Camp 4, CMP-001 an ASO.
With respect to UX701, there are no currently approved treatments that address the underlying cause of Wilson disease. Many patients are on chelator therapies, but these fail to address the mutated ATP7B copper transporter gene. We are aware of a chelator, ALXN-1840, that is in Phase 3 for Wilson disease by Monopar Therapeutics, and a gene therapy LY-M003, in Phase 1 by LingYiMed.
With respect to UX143, there are currently no approved drugs for OI. Most pediatric patients with OI are managed with off-label use of bisphosphonates to increase bone density and reduce frequency of bone fracture. We are aware of another anti-sclerostin antibody, romosozumab, that is in Phase 3 clinical testing by Amgen, AGA2115, a bispecific sclerostin & DKK-1 antibody in Phase 2 by Angitia Bio, and a mesenchymal stem cell program in Phase 1/2 by Boost Pharma.
License and Collaboration Agreements
Our products and some of our current product candidates have been either in-licensed from academic institutions or derived from partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies. Following is a description of our significant license and collaboration agreements. Potential obligations under these agreements are further described in "Note 8. License and Research Agreements" to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Approved Products
Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.
In August 2013, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with KKC. Under the terms of this collaboration and license agreement, as amended, we and KKC collaborate on the development and commercialization of Crysvita in the field of orphan diseases in the U.S. and Canada, or the Profit-Share Territory, and in the EU, U.K., and Switzerland, or the European Territory, and we have the right to develop and commercialize such products in the field of orphan diseases in Mexico and Central and South America, or Latin America. In the field of orphan diseases, and except for ongoing studies being conducted by KKC, we were the lead party for development activities in the Profit-Share Territory and in the European Territory until the applicable transition date. We shared the costs for development activities in the Profit-Share Territory and the European Territory conducted pursuant to the development plan before the applicable transition date equally with KKC. In April 2023, which was the transition date for the Profit-Share Territory, KKC became the lead party and became responsible for the costs of the development activities. However, we will continue to share the costs of the studies commenced prior to the applicable transition date equally with KKC. Crysvita was approved in the EU and U.K. in February 2018 and was approved by the FDA in April 2018. As described below, we and KKC shared commercial responsibilities and profits in the Profit-Share Territory until April 2023, KKC has the commercial responsibility in the European Territory, and we are responsible for commercializing Crysvita in Latin America and Türkiye.
In the Profit-Share Territory, KKC booked sales of products and we had the sole right to promote the products, with KKC having the right to increasingly participate in the promotion of the products until the transition date of April 2023, which was five years from commercial launch. The parties subsequently agreed that we would have the right to continue to support KKC in commercial field activities in the U.S. through January 31, 2025. After January 31, 2025, our rights to promote Crysvita in the U.S. are limited to medical geneticists and we solely bear our expenses for the promotion of Crysvita in the Profit-Share Territory. See “Item I.A. Risk Factors” for additional information on the risks related to our dependency on KKC for the commercialization of Crysvita in the Profit-Share Territory. In the European Territory, KKC books sales of products and has the sole right to promote and sell the products, with the exception of Türkiye. In Türkiye, we have rights to commercialize Crysvita and KKC has the option to assume responsibility for such commercialization efforts. In Latin America, we book sales of products and have the sole right to promote and sell the products.
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Under the collaboration agreement, KKC manufactures and supplies Crysvita for sales in Latin American territories and we pay KKC a transfer price based on net sales. We also pay KKC a royalty on net sales in Latin America. The remaining profit or loss from commercializing products in the Profit-Share Territory was shared between us and KKC until April 2023. In April 2023, commercialization responsibilities for Crysvita in the Profit-Share Territory transitioned to KKC and KKC assumed responsibility for the commercialization of Crysvita in the Profit-Share Territory at and after April 2023. Thereafter, we are entitled to receive a revenue share intended to approximate the profit-share. Our and KKC’s obligations to pay royalties will continue on a country-by-country basis for so long as we or KKC, as applicable, are selling products in such country.
In July 2022 and November 2025, we sold to OCM LS23 Holdings LP, an investment vehicle for the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, or OMERS, a percentage of the future royalty payments based on net sales of Crysvita in the U.S. and Canada, subject to caps, with payments beginning in April 2023 and January 2028, respectively.
KKC pays us a royalty based on net sales in the European Territory. We subsequently sold this interest to RPI Finance Trust, an affiliate of Royalty Pharma, in December 2019.
The collaboration and license agreement will continue for as long as products in the field of orphan diseases are sold in the Profit-Share Territory, European Territory, Türkiye, or Latin America, unless the agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms.
KKC may terminate the agreement in certain countries or territories based upon our failure to meet certain milestones. Furthermore, either party may terminate the agreement for the material breach or bankruptcy of the other party. In any event of termination by KKC, unless such termination is the result of KKC’s termination for certain types of breach of the agreement by us, we may receive royalties on net post-termination sales by KKC in one or more countries or territories, the amount of which varies depending on the timing of, and reason for, such termination. In any event of termination, our rights to Crysvita under the agreement and our obligations to share development costs will cease, and the program will revert to KKC, worldwide if the agreement is terminated as a whole or solely in the terminated countries if the agreement is terminated solely with respect to certain countries.
Saint Louis University
In November 2010, we entered into a license agreement with Saint Louis University, or SLU, wherein SLU granted us certain exclusive rights to intellectual property related to Mepsevii. Under the terms of the license agreement, SLU granted us an exclusive worldwide license to make, have made, use, import, offer for sale, and sell therapeutics related to SLU’s beta-glucuronidase product for use in the treatment of human diseases.
Under the license agreement, we are obligated to pay to SLU a royalty on net sales of the licensed products in Europe and Japan, subject to certain potential deductions. Our obligation to pay royalties to SLU in these territories continues until the expiration of any orphan drug exclusivity.
Baylor Research Institute
In September 2012, we entered into a license agreement, which was subsequently amended, with Baylor Research Institute, or BRI, under which we exclusively licensed certain intellectual property related to Dojolvi. The license includes patents, patent applications, know-how, and intellectual property related to the composition and formulation of Dojolvi as well as its use in treating a number of orphan diseases, including LC-FAOD. The license grant includes the sole right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize licensed products for all human and animal uses. Under the license agreement, we are obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize licensed products in select orphan indications. If we fail to meet our diligence obligations with respect to a specified orphan indication or set of orphan indications, BRI may convert our license to a non-exclusive license with respect to such orphan indication or set of orphan indications until we receive regulatory approval for licensed products in the applicable orphan indication or set of orphan indications.
We are also obligated to pay a royalty on net sales to BRI, subject to certain reductions and offsets. Our obligation to pay royalties to BRI continues on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis until the later of the expiration of the first regulatory exclusivity granted with respect to such product in such country or the expiration of the last-to-expire licensed patent claiming such product in such country, in each case in connection with approval in such country for LC-FAOD or an orphan disease covered by our license from BRI.
Regeneron
In January 2022, we entered into a collaboration agreement with Regeneron to commercialize Evkeeza for HoFH outside the U.S. Under the agreement, we received rights to develop, commercialize, and distribute the product for HoFH in countries outside the U.S. Regeneron supplies the product and charges a product purchase price.
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We are obligated to pay for certain future regulatory and sales milestones, if achieved. We may share in certain costs for global trials led by Regeneron, and also received the right to opt into other potential indications.
Clinical Product Candidates
REGENXBIO Inc.
In October 2013, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with REGENXBIO Inc., or REGENX, under which we were granted an option to develop products to treat OTC deficiency and GSDIa. Under the 2013 license agreement, REGENX granted us an exclusive worldwide license to make, have made, use, import, sell, and offer for sale licensed products with respect to such disease indications, subject to certain exclusions. We do not have the right to control prosecution of the in-licensed patent applications, and our rights to enforce the in-licensed patents are subject to certain limitations. Under the 2013 license agreement, we pay or will pay REGENX an annual maintenance fee and certain milestone fees per disease indication, royalties on net sales of licensed products, and milestone and sublicense fees, if any, owed by REGENX to its licensors as a result of our activities under the 2013 license agreement. We are required to develop licensed products in accordance with certain milestones. In the event that we fail to meet a particular milestone within established deadlines, we can extend the relevant deadline by providing a separate payment to REGENX. This license agreement was terminated for certain indications in November 2025.
In March 2015, we entered into an option and license agreement with REGENX, which was subsequently amended, pursuant to which we have an exclusive worldwide license to make, have made, use, import, sell, and offer for sale licensed products to treat Wilson disease and CDKL5 deficiency. This option and license agreement was terminated in November 2025.
University of Pennsylvania
In May 2016, we entered into a research, collaboration and license agreement with the University of Pennsylvania, or UPENN, under which we are collaborating on the pre-clinical development of gene therapy products for the treatment of phenylketonuria and Wilson disease, each, a Subfield. Under the agreement, we were granted an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing right and license to certain patent rights arising out of the research program, and a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing right and license to certain UPENN intellectual property, in each case to research, develop, make, have made, use, sell, offer for sale, commercialize and import licensed products in each Subfield for the term of the agreement. We will fund the cost of the research program and will be responsible for clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of each Subfield. In addition, we are required to make milestone payments if certain development milestones are achieved over time. We will also make milestone payments for product approvals, if certain commercial milestones are achieved, and will pay royalties on net sales of each Subfield’s licensed products.
GeneTx
In August 2019, we entered into a Program Agreement and a Unitholder Option Agreement with GeneTx, as subsequently amended, or Option Agreement, to collaborate on the development of GeneTx’s GTX-102, an ASO for the treatment of Angelman syndrome. In July 2022, we exercised our option to acquire GeneTx, pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we achieved a regulatory milestone upon the initiation of the Phase 3 Aspire clinical study for GTX-102. We are obligated to pay additional regulatory approval milestones for the achievement of U.S. and EU product approvals and commercial milestone payments based on annual worldwide net product sales, contingent upon the achievement of the milestones. We will also pay royalties based on licensed product annual net sales. If we receive and resell an FDA priority review voucher, or PRV, in connection with a new drug application approval, GeneTx unitholders are entitled to receive a portion of proceeds from the sale of the PRV or a cash payment from us, if we choose to retain the PRV.
As part of our acquisition of GeneTx, we assumed a License Agreement with Texas A&M University, or TAMU. We have recognized certain clinical milestones under the TAMU agreement, and have obligations for future milestones, if achieved, a nominal annual license fee, as well as royalties on net sales.
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Mereo
In December 2020, we entered into a License and Collaboration Agreement with Mereo to collaborate on the development of setrusumab. Under the terms of the agreement, we will lead future global development of setrusumab in both pediatric and adult patients with OI and were granted an exclusive license to develop and commercialize setrusumab in the U.S., Türkiye, and the rest of the world, excluding the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, or the Mereo Territory, where Mereo retains commercial rights. Each party will be responsible for post-marketing commitments and commercial supply in their respective territories.
Upon the closing of the transactions under the License and Collaboration Agreement with Mereo in January 2021, we made an upfront payment to Mereo. We have recognized certain regulatory milestones and have future obligations for additional regulatory and sales milestones under the agreement, if achieved. We will pay for all global development costs as well as royalties to Mereo on net sales in the U.S., Türkiye, and the rest of the world, and Mereo will pay us a royalty on net sales in the Mereo Territory. If we receive and resell an FDA PRV in connection with a new drug application approval, Mereo is entitled to receive a portion of proceeds from the sale of the PRV or a cash payment from us, in the event we choose to retain the PRV.
In December 2024, we entered into a manufacturing and supply agreement with Mereo where we are responsible for the supply of setrusumab to Mereo in the Mereo territory. Mereo is responsible for reimbursing us for a portion of the manufacturing process development costs as well as future commercial supply costs.
Abeona
In May 2022, we announced an exclusive License Agreement with Abeona for an AAV gene therapy for the treatment of MPS IIIA, or UX111. Under the terms of the agreement, we assumed responsibility for the UX111 program and in return, we are obligated to pay Abeona certain UX111-related prior development costs and other transition costs. Abeona is eligible to receive royalties on net sales and commercial milestone payments following regulatory approval of the product. Additionally, we entered into an Assignment and Assumption Agreement with Abeona to transfer and assign to us the exclusive license agreement between Nationwide Children’s Hospital, or NCH, and Abeona for certain rights related to UX111. Under this agreement, NCH is eligible to receive from us development and regulatory milestones as well as royalties of net sales.
Patents and Proprietary Rights
The proprietary nature of, and protection for, our products, product candidates, processes, and know-how are important to our business. Our success depends in part on our ability to protect our products, product candidates, processes, and know-how, to operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of others, and to prevent others from infringing our proprietary rights. We seek patent protection in the U.S. and internationally for our products, product candidates, and processes. Our policy is to patent or in-license the technologies, inventions, and improvements that we consider important to the development of our business. In addition to patent protection, we rely on trade secrets, know-how, and continuing innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position.
We also use other means to protect our products and product candidates, including the pursuit of marketing or data exclusivity periods, orphan drug status, and similar rights that are available under regulatory provisions in certain countries, including the U.S., Europe, Japan, and China. See “Government Regulation—U.S. Government Regulation — Orphan Designation and Exclusivity,” “Government Regulation—U.S. Government Regulation — Pediatric Studies and Exclusivity,” “Government Regulation—U.S. Government Regulation — Biosimilars and Exclusivity,” “Government Regulation—U.S. Government Regulation — Abbreviated New Drug Applications for Generic Drugs and New Chemical Entity Exclusivity,” “Government Regulation—U.S. Government Regulation — Patent Term Restoration,” “Government Regulation—EU Regulation — Orphan Designation and Exclusivity,” and “Government Regulation—EU Regulation — New Chemical Entity Exclusivity” below for additional information.
We seek regulatory approval for our products and product candidates in disease areas with high unmet medical need, significant market potential, and where we expect to have a proprietary position through patents covering various aspects of our product candidates, such as composition, dosage, formulation, use, and manufacturing process, among others. Our success depends in part on an intellectual property portfolio that supports our future revenue streams and erects barriers to our competitors. We are maintaining and building our patent portfolio by filing new patent applications, prosecuting existing applications, and licensing and acquiring new patents and patent applications.
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Despite these measures, any of our intellectual property and proprietary rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed, or misappropriated, or such intellectual property and proprietary rights may not be sufficient to achieve or maintain market exclusivity or otherwise to provide competitive advantages. We also cannot be certain that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our products, product candidates, or processes. For more information, please see “Item I.A. Risk Factors Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
As of December 31, 2025, we own, jointly own, or have exclusive rights to more than 300 issued and in-force patents (not including individually validated national patents in European Patent Convention member countries) that cover one or more of our products or product candidates, methods of their use, or methods of their manufacture, including more than 50 in-force patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or the USPTO. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2025, we own, jointly own, or have exclusive rights to more than 300 pending patent applications, including more than 50 pending U.S. applications.
With respect to our owned or in-licensed issued patents in the U.S. and Europe, we may be entitled to obtain an extension of patent term to extend the patent expiration date. For example, in the U.S., this extended coverage period is known as patent term extension, or PTE, and can only be obtained provided we apply for and receive a marketing authorization for a product. The period of extension may be up to five years beyond the expiration of the patent, but cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval. Only one patent among those eligible for an extension may be extended. In Europe, a Supplementary Protection Certificate, or SPC, may be available to extend the term of certain European patents covering our products; this requires application for an SPC in individual European Patent Convention, or EPC, member countries following product approval. However, there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA, will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and even if granted, the length of such extensions. In the U.S., the exact duration of the extension depends on the time we spend in clinical studies as well as getting marketing approval from the FDA.
The exclusivity positions for our commercial products and our clinical-stage product candidates as of December 31, 2025, are summarized below.
| Product | Territory(1) | Exclusivity(2) | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crysvita® (burosumab) | U.S. | Patent: Crysvita antibody and sequences | Apr 2032 |
| Patent: Methods of treating XLH and TIO | May 2035 | ||
| FDA biologics exclusivity | Apr 2030 | ||
| FDA orphan exclusivity for TIO | Jun 2027 | ||
| Mepsevii® (vestronidase alfa) | U.S. | Patent: Mepsevii enzyme and methods of treating MPS VII | Mar 2035 |
| FDA biologics exclusivity | Nov 2029 | ||
| Dojolvi® (triheptanoin) | U.S. | Patent: Triheptanoin compositions | Apr 2029 |
| Patent: Pharmaceutical-grade triheptanoin | Nov 2034 | ||
| FDA orphan exclusivity for LC-FAOD | Jun 2027 | ||
| Evkeeza® (evinacumab) | Europe | Patent: Evkeeza antibody and sequences | Jun 2036(3) |
| Patent: Methods of treating atherosclerosis | Feb 2037 | ||
| Patent: Methods of treating familial hypercholesterolemia | Apr 2037 | ||
| EMA marketing exclusivity | Jun 2031 | ||
| (1) Unless otherwise indicated, the table reflects exclusivity positions in the U.S. Evkeeza is included on an ex-U.S. basis, as we only hold commercialization rights outside the U.S. The Company maintains patent and regulatory exclusivities in multiple jurisdictions worldwide. (2) One or more patents with the same or earlier expiration dates may fall under the same general subject matter and are not listed separately.(3) Expiration date following term extension provided by SPC in most European countries; this expiration date has additionally been extended by six months to Dec 2036 in certain European countries via a PIP extension. |
DTX401 (pariglasgene brecaparvovec)
We have a non-exclusive license from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to an issued U.S. patent expiring in 2034 (not accounting for any available PTE) and corresponding foreign patents covering a recombinant nucleic acid construct used in DTX401 that includes a codon-optimized version of the G6Pase gene.
DTX301 (avalotcagene ontaparvovec)
We have an exclusive sub-license to a patent family that includes three issued U.S. patents expiring in 2035 (not accounting for any available PTE) and corresponding foreign patents and patent applications covering the codon-optimized version of the OTC gene used in DTX301; this patent family is owned by UPENN and sublicensed to us by REGENX.
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UX143 (setrusumab)
We have in-licensed rights from Mereo to patents and patent applications relating to setrusumab and its use for the treatment of OI. Pursuant to our license from Mereo, we have exclusive rights outside of Europe to a Mereo patent family that includes three issued U.S. patents and corresponding issued foreign patents that relate to the setrusumab antibody, nucleic acids encoding setrusumab, processes for producing setrusumab, and setrusumab’s use as a medicament. Patents emanating from this patent family expire in 2028 (not accounting for any available PTE). We also have exclusive rights outside of Europe to two additional Mereo patent families, including two issued U.S. patents expiring in 2037 (not accounting for any available PTE), relating to methods of using anti-sclerostin antibodies including setrusumab for the treatment of OI. Beyond these Mereo patents and patent applications, we jointly own with Mereo a patent family relating to dosing regimens for the use of anti-sclerostin antibodies including setrusumab in the treatment of OI; we expect any patents emanating from this patent family to expire in 2042 (not accounting for any available PTE).
UX111 (rebisufligene etisparvovec)
We have an exclusive license from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, or NCH, to a pending U.S. patent application covering a method of treating MPS IIIA by intravenously administering a recombinant AAV9 vector comprising a U1a promoter and a polynucleotide sequence encoding N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase, or SGSH; we expect any patent emanating from this application to expire in 2032 (not accounting for any available PTE).
GTX-102 (apazunersen)
We have an exclusive license from TAMU to a patent family filed in the U.S. and several foreign jurisdictions relating to UBE3A antisense oligonucleotides including GTX-102 and their use for the treatment of Angelman syndrome. The in-licensed TAMU patent family includes four issued U.S. patents expiring in 2038 (not accounting for any available PTE). Beyond the patent estate licensed from TAMU, we own a pending patent family relating to dosing regimens for the use of UBE3A antisense oligonucleotides including GTX-102 in the treatment of Angelman syndrome; we expect any patents emanating from this patent family to expire in 2045 (not accounting for any available PTE).
UX701 (rivunatpagene miziparvovec)
We have an exclusive license from UPENN to a patent family filed in the U.S. and several foreign jurisdictions relating to AAV vectors containing certain regulatory and coding sequences packaged in UX701; this patent family includes two issued U.S. patents expiring in 2039 (not accounting for any available PTE). Beyond this in-license, we own a patent family covering AAV vectors expressing a novel truncated version of the ATP7B protein produced by UX701; this patent family includes an issued U.S. patent expiring in 2042 (not accounting for any available PTE).
Trademarks
We own registered trademarks covering the Ultragenyx mark in the U.S. and multiple other jurisdictions. We also own registered trademarks in the U.S. and other territories relating to our Mepsevii and Dojolvi brand names for vestronidase alfa and triheptanoin, respectively. We additionally have licenses from KKC and Regeneron to registered trademarks covering the Crysvita and Evkeeza brand names, respectively, in territories where we have rights to commercialize these products.
Other
We rely upon unpatented trade secrets, know-how, and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect our ownership of know-how and trade secrets through an active program of legal mechanisms including assignments, confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, research collaborations, and licenses.
Manufacturing
Our manufacturing network is a combination of internal capabilities and external contract management and development organization, or CDMO, partners. We believe this hybrid approach optimizes our capital investments while leveraging mature CDMO networks depending on the technical modality. For our AAV gene therapy products, we have the capabilities to manufacture and test our own drug substance and drug products while also leveraging CDMO partners.
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The use of contracted manufacturing and reliance on collaboration partners has historically minimized our direct investment in manufacturing facilities and additional staff early in development. Although we rely on contract manufacturers, we have personnel with extensive manufacturing experience to oversee our contract manufacturers. All of our third-party manufacturers are subject to periodic audits to confirm compliance with applicable regulations and must pass inspection before we can manufacture our drugs for commercial sales.
For the other non-gene therapy modalities, we primarily use third-party manufacturers to meet our projected needs for commercial manufacturing. Third parties with whom we currently work might need to increase their scale of production, or we will need to secure alternate suppliers. We believe that there are alternate sources of supply that can satisfy our clinical and commercial requirements, although we cannot be certain that identifying and establishing relationships with such sources, if necessary, would not result in significant delay or material additional costs.
Products
Mepsevii
The Mepsevii drug substance is manufactured by Rentschler Biopharma SE, or Rentschler, under non-exclusive commercial supply and services agreements. The cell line to produce Mepsevii is specific for this product and is in our control and stored in multiple secure locations. The drug product is manufactured by BSP Pharmaceuticals, our CDMO partner. All other raw materials are commercially available.
Crysvita
The drug substance and drug product for burosumab are made by KKC in Japan under the collaboration and license agreement and supply agreements with KKC. The cell line to produce burosumab is specific for this product and is in KKC’s control. All other raw materials are commercially available.
Dojolvi
The pharmaceutical-grade drug substance for Dojolvi is manufactured by IOI Oleo GmbH, or IOI Oleo, in Germany under an exclusive worldwide supply agreement. The drug product is manufactured by Patheon Pharma Services by ThermoFisher Scientific, our CDMO partner. The transfer of drug product manufacturing sites was completed during the fourth quarter of 2025.
Evkeeza
On January 7, 2022, we announced a license and collaboration agreement with Regeneron for us to clinically develop, commercialize and distribute Evkeeza in countries outside of the U.S. Evkeeza is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to and blocks the function of angiopoietin-like 3, or ANGPTL3, a protein that plays a key role in lipid metabolism.
The Evkeeza drug substance is manufactured by Regeneron at their manufacturing facility in Rensselaer, New York and the drug product is manufactured by Baxter Pharmaceutical Solutions, LLC at their manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Indiana. Release testing of the drug product is performed by Regeneron and third-party suppliers.
We utilize third-party suppliers to perform packaging, labelling, distribution, and testing as needed for Evkeeza.
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Product Candidates
The drug substances and drug products for our product candidates are manufactured at our gene therapy manufacturing facility and by using our network of GMP contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, which are carefully selected and actively managed for high quality, reliable clinical supply. The CMOs are located in Western Europe or North America.
Commercialization and Product Support
We have built our own commercial organizations in North America, Europe, Latin America and Japan to effectively support the commercialization of our products and product candidates, if approved. Our intention is to expand our product portfolio and its geographic accessibility through the continued development of our proprietary pipeline or through strategic partnerships. We may elect to utilize strategic partners, distributors, or contract management organizations to assist in the commercialization of our products in certain geographies. The commercial infrastructure for rare disease products typically consists of a targeted, specialty field organization that educates a limited and focused group of physicians supported by field management and internal support teams, which includes marketing, patient support services, distribution, and market access. One challenge, unique to commercializing therapies for rare diseases, is the difficulty in identifying eligible patients due to the very small and sometimes heterogeneous patient populations along with often undefined clinical or genetic tests to confirm diagnosis. Our commercial and medical affairs teams focus on maximizing patient identification for both clinical development and commercialization purposes in rare diseases.
Additional capabilities important to the rare disease marketplace in the U.S. include the management of key stakeholders such as managed care organizations, specialty pharmacies, specialty distributors, and government payers. In many countries outside the U.S. single national payers are critical to providing reimbursement access. To develop the appropriate commercial infrastructure, we will have to invest a significant amount of financial and management resources, some of which will be committed prior to regulatory approval of the products that they are intended to support.
We continue to support commercial and medical affairs organizations as well as other capabilities across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Japan to meet the educational needs of the healthcare providers and patients in the rare disease community, focusing on providing accurate disease state information and balanced product information across our portfolio for appropriate management of patients with rare disorders.
Medical affairs is comprised of the following capabilities in support of our mission: medical information, patient advocacy, patient diagnosis liaisons, medical science liaisons, research and educational grants. Medical affairs will engage as early as Phase 1 and will continue work throughout the lifecycle of each product and product candidate as dictated by the specific scientific needs in each therapeutic area.
Government Regulation
Government authorities in the U.S. (including federal, state, and local authorities) and in other countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the manufacturing, research and clinical development, marketing, labeling and packaging, storage, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, advertising and promotion, pricing, and export and import of pharmaceutical products, such as those we are developing. We must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in the U.S. and foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical studies or marketing of the product in those countries. Accordingly, our operations are and will be subject to a variety of regulations and other requirements, which vary from country to country. 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 that has a significant impact on our capital expenditures and results of operations.
Global Regulation of Clinical Studies
Clinical studies involve the administration of an investigational medicinal product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with protocols, Good Clinical Practices, or GCP, the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable regulatory requirements. A protocol for each clinical study and any subsequent protocol amendments are typically submitted to the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities as part of an investigational new drug application, or IND, or clinical trial application, or CTA. Additionally, approval must also be obtained from each clinical study site’s institutional review board, or IRB, or Ethics Committee, or EC, before the studies may be initiated, and the IRB or EC must monitor the study until completed. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical studies and clinical study results to public registries.
The clinical investigation of a drug is generally divided into three or four phases. Although the phases are usually conducted sequentially, they may overlap or be combined.
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Phase 1. The drug is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to evaluate the safety, dosage tolerance, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacologic actions of the investigational new drug in humans, and if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness.
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Phase 2. The drug is administered to a limited patient population to evaluate dosage tolerance and optimal dosage, identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks, and preliminarily evaluate efficacy.
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Phase 3. The drug is administered to an expanded patient population, generally at geographically dispersed clinical study sites to generate enough data to statistically evaluate dosage, clinical effectiveness, and safety, to establish the overall benefit-risk relationship of the investigational new drug product, and to provide an adequate basis for product approval.
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Phase 4. In some cases, additional studies and patient follow-up are conducted to gain experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication. Regulatory authorities may condition approval of a marketing application for a product candidate on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct additional clinical studies after approval. In other cases, a sponsor may voluntarily conduct additional clinical studies after approval to gain more information about the drug. Such post-approval studies are typically referred to as Phase 4 clinical studies.
A pivotal study is a clinical study that adequately meets regulatory authority requirements for the evaluation of a drug candidate’s efficacy and safety such that it can be used to justify the approval of the product. Generally, pivotal studies are Phase 3 studies, but regulatory authorities may accept results from Phase 2 studies if the study design provides a well-controlled and reliable assessment of clinical benefit, particularly in situations where there is an unmet medical need and the results are sufficiently robust.
U.S. Government Regulation
In the U.S., the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, and its implementing regulations, and biologics under the FDCA and the Public Health Service Act, or PHSA, and its implementing regulations. FDA approval is required before any new drug or dosage form, including a new use of a previously approved drug, can be marketed in the U.S. Drugs and biologics are also subject to other federal, state, and local statutes and regulations.
The process required by the FDA before product candidates may be marketed or sold in the U.S. generally involves the following:
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completion of extensive preclinical laboratory tests and preclinical animal studies performed in accordance with the Good Laboratory Practices, or GLP, regulations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Welfare Act;
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submission to the FDA of an IND, which must become effective before human clinical studies may begin and must be updated annually;
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conducting adequate and well-controlled human clinical studies that generally follow the three- to four-phase design described above to establish the safety and efficacy, or for BLA products, the safety, purity, and potency, of the product candidate for each proposed indication under an active IND and approved by an independent IRB representing each clinical site;
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preparation of and submission to the FDA of a new drug application, or NDA, or biologics license application, or BLA, after completion of all pivotal clinical studies;
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potential review of the product application by an FDA advisory committee, where appropriate and if applicable;
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satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facilities where the proposed drug substance and drug product are produced to assess compliance with GMP;
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FDA inspection of one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP; and
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FDA review and approval of an NDA or BLA.
Submission of an NDA or BLA to the FDA
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, detailed investigational new drug product information is submitted to the FDA in the form of an NDA or BLA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. Under federal law, the submission of most NDAs and BLAs is subject to a significant application user fee, unless waived.
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Pursuant to Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the FDA conducts a preliminary review of an NDA within 60 days of receipt. FDA procedures provide that the FDA will inform the sponsor by the 74th day after the FDA’s receipt of submission to determine whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an NDA for filing, in which case the application must be resubmitted with the requested additional information. The resubmitted application is also subject to review before it is accepted for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review.
Once an NDA or BLA has been accepted, the FDA’s goal is to review the application within ten months after it accepts the application for filing, or, if the application relates to an unmet medical need in the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. The review process can be significantly extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification.
The FDA’s Decision on an NDA or BLA
The FDA may issue an approval letter if it finds the application has adequate support for commercial marketing. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications. As a condition of NDA or BLA approval, the FDA may impose additional requirements, such as post-marketing studies and/or a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, to help ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh the potential risks. A REMS can include medication guides, assessment plans, communication plans for healthcare professionals, and elements to assure safe use. The FDA may also issue a Complete Response Letter, which indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete but the application is not ready for approval. A Complete Response Letter may require additional clinical data and/or an additional pivotal Phase 3 clinical study(ies), and/or other significant, expensive and time-consuming requirements related to clinical studies, preclinical studies or manufacturing. If the conditions set forth in the Complete Response Letter are met, the FDA may approve the product for marketing.
Expedited Review and Accelerated Approval Programs
A sponsor may seek approval of its product candidate under programs designed to accelerate the FDA’s review and approval of NDAs and BLAs. For example, Fast Track Designation may be granted to a drug intended for treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and data demonstrate its potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. The key benefits of fast-track designation are the eligibility for priority review, rolling review (submission of portions of an application before the complete marketing application is submitted), and accelerated approval, if relevant criteria are met. The FDA may grant the NDA or BLA a priority review designation, which sets the target date for FDA action on the application at six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. Priority review is granted where there is evidence that the proposed product would be a significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of a serious condition. Priority review designation does not change the scientific/medical standard for approval or the quality of evidence necessary to support approval.
The FDA may approve an NDA or BLA under the accelerated approval program if the drug treats a serious condition, provides a meaningful advantage over available therapies, and demonstrates an effect on either (1) a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or (2) 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. Post-marketing studies or completion of ongoing studies after marketing approval are generally required to verify the drug’s clinical benefit in relationship to the surrogate endpoint or ultimate outcome in relationship to the clinical benefit. The FDA may require, as appropriate, that such studies be underway prior to approval or within a specific time period after the date of approval for a product that has been granted accelerated approval. The FDA also has authority for expedited procedures to withdraw approval of a product or indication that was initially approved under accelerated approval if the sponsor fails to conduct the required post-marketing studies or if such studies fail to verify the predicted clinical benefit. In addition, as a condition for accelerated approval, the FDA currently also requires pre-approval of promotional materials, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, or FDASIA, established the Breakthrough Therapy designation. A sponsor may seek FDA designation of its product candidate as a breakthrough therapy if the drug is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. If a drug is designated as a breakthrough therapy, the FDA will provide more intensive guidance on the drug development program and expedite its review.
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Furthermore, the FDA has made available expedited programs to sponsors of regenerative medicine therapies that have been granted designation as a regenerative medicine advanced therapy, or RMAT. Regenerative medicine therapies include cell therapies, therapeutic tissue engineering products and human cell and tissue products. A sponsor may seek RMAT designation if its regenerative medicine product is intended to treat, modify, reverse, or cure a serious or life-threatening condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the regenerative medicine therapy has the potential to address unmet medical needs for such condition. Advantages of the RMAT designation include early interactions with the FDA to discuss the development plan for the product candidate, including potential surrogate or intermediate endpoints, and eligibility for rolling and priority review. Products granted RMAT designation may also be eligible for accelerated approval on the basis of a surrogate or intermediate endpoint reasonably likely to predict long-term clinical benefit, or reliance upon data obtained from a meaningful number of sites, including through expansion to additional sites. RMAT-designated products that receive accelerated approval may, as appropriate, fulfill their post-approval requirements through the submission of clinical evidence, clinical studies, patient registries, or other sources of real-world evidence (such as electronic health records); through the collection of larger confirmatory data sets; or via post-approval monitoring of all patients treated with such therapy prior to approval of the therapy.
Orphan Designation and Exclusivity
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs intended to treat a rare disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., or if it affects more than 200,000 individuals in the U.S. and there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making the drug for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the U.S. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA or BLA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are publicly disclosed by the FDA.
Orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical study costs, tax advantages, and user-fee waivers. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. In addition, the first NDA or BLA applicant to receive orphan drug designation for a particular drug is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means the FDA may not approve any other application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years in the U.S., except in limited circumstances. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent the FDA from approving a different drug for the same disease or condition, or the same drug for a different disease or condition.
There is some uncertainty with respect to the FDA’s interpretation of the scope of orphan drug exclusivity. Historically, exclusivity was specific to the orphan indication for which the drug was approved. As a result, the scope of exclusivity was interpreted as preventing approval of a competing product. However, in 2021, the federal court in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Becerra, suggested that orphan drug exclusivity covers the full scope of the orphan-designated “disease or condition” regardless of whether a drug obtained approval for a narrower use.
Pediatric Studies and Exclusivity
NDAs and BLAs must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of an investigational new drug product for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric populations in order to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the drug is safe and effective. The FDA may, on its own initiative or at the request of the applicant, grant deferrals for submission of some or all pediatric data until after approval of the product for use in adults or full or partial waivers if certain criteria are met. Pediatric development plans can be discussed with the FDA at any time, but usually occur any time between the end-of-Phase 2 meeting and submission of the NDA or BLA. Unless otherwise required by regulation, the requirements for pediatric data do not apply to any drug for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted.
Pediatric exclusivity is another type of non-patent exclusivity in the U.S. that may be granted if certain FDA requirements are met, such as FDA’s determination that information relating to the use of a new drug in the pediatric population may produce health benefits, and the applicant agrees to perform and report on FDA-requested studies within a certain time frame. Pediatric exclusivity adds a period of six months of exclusivity to the end of all existing marketing exclusivity and patents held by the sponsor for that active moiety. This is not a patent term extension, but it effectively extends the regulatory period during which the FDA cannot accept or approve another application relying on the NDA or BLA sponsor’s data.
Biosimilars and Exclusivity
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, or Affordable Care Act, includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, or BPCI Act, which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products shown to be similar to, or interchangeable with, an FDA-licensed reference biological product.
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A reference biologic is granted twelve years of exclusivity from the time of first licensure of the reference product. The first biologic product submitted under the abbreviated approval pathway that is determined to be interchangeable with the reference product has exclusivity against other biologics submitted under the abbreviated approval pathway for the lesser of (i) one year after the first commercial marketing, (ii) eighteen months after approval if there is no legal challenge, (iii) eighteen months after the resolution in the applicant’s favor of a lawsuit challenging the biologics’ patents if an application has been submitted, or (iv) 42 months after the application has been approved if a lawsuit is ongoing within the 42-month period.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA, is intended to foster generic and biosimilar competition and to lower drug and biologic costs. The IRA provides the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, with significant new authorities. CMS is able to directly negotiate prescription drug prices and to cap out-of-pocket costs. Each year, CMS will select and negotiate a preset number of high-spend drugs and biologics covered under Medicare Parts B and D that lack generic or biosimilar competition. Price negotiations began in 2023. Effective from 2023, the IRA provides a new “inflation rebate” that covers Medicare patients and is intended to counter certain price increases in prescription drugs. The inflation rebate requires drug manufacturers to pay a rebate to the federal government if the price for a drug or biologic under Medicare Parts B or D increases faster than the rate of inflation. To support biosimilar competition, qualifying biosimilars may receive a Medicare Part B payment increase for a period of five years, beginning in October 2022. Separately, if a biologic drug for which no biosimilar exists delays a biosimilar’s market entry beyond two years, CMS will be authorized to subject the biologics manufacturer to price negotiations intended to ensure fair competition. Notwithstanding these provisions, the IRA’s impact on competition and commercialization remains largely uncertain.
Abbreviated New Drug Applications for Generic Drugs and New Chemical Entity Exclusivity
The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, authorized the FDA to approve generic drugs that are bioequivalent (i.e. identical) to previously approved branded drugs. To obtain approval of a generic drug, an applicant must submit an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, to the FDA. In support of such applications, a generic manufacturer may rely on the preclinical and clinical testing conducted for a drug product previously approved under an NDA, known as the reference listed drug, or RLD.
Specifically, in order for an ANDA to be approved, the FDA must find that the generic version is bioequivalent to the RLD with respect to the active ingredients, the route of administration, the dosage form, quality and performance characteristics, the strength of the drug, and intended use.
The FDCA provides a period of five years of non-patent exclusivity for a new drug containing a new chemical entity. In cases where such exclusivity has been granted, an ANDA may not be filed with the FDA until the expiration of five years unless the submission is accompanied by a Paragraph IV certification, in which case the applicant may submit its application four years following the original product approval. The FDCA also provides for a period of three years of exclusivity if an NDA or supplement includes reports of one or more new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability or bioequivalence studies, that were conducted by or for the applicant and are essential to the approval of the application. This three-year exclusivity period often protects changes to a previously approved drug product, such as a new dosage form, route of administration, combination or indication.
When an ANDA applicant files its application with the FDA, it must certify, among other things, that the new product will not infringe the already approved product’s listed patents or that such patents are invalid or unenforceable, which is called a Paragraph IV certification. If the applicant does not challenge the listed patents or indicates that it is not seeking approval of a patented method of use, the ANDA application will not be approved until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired. If the ANDA applicant has provided a Paragraph IV certification to the FDA, the applicant must also send notice of the Paragraph IV certification to the NDA and patent holders once the ANDA has been accepted for filing by the FDA. The NDA and patent holders may then initiate a patent infringement lawsuit in response to the notice of the Paragraph IV certification. The filing of a patent infringement lawsuit within 45 days after the receipt of a Paragraph IV certification automatically prevents the FDA from approving the ANDA until the earlier of 30 months after the receipt of the Paragraph IV notice, expiration of the patent, or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the ANDA applicant.
Section 505(b)(2) New Drug Applications
As an alternative path to FDA approval for modifications to formulations or uses of products previously approved by the FDA pursuant to an NDA, an applicant may submit an NDA under Section 505(b)(2) of the FDCA. Section 505(b)(2) was enacted as part of the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and permits the filing of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from studies not conducted by, or for, the applicant, and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. If the Section 505(b)(2) applicant can establish that reliance on the FDA’s previous findings of safety and effectiveness is scientifically and legally appropriate, it may eliminate the need to conduct certain preclinical studies or clinical trials of the new product. The FDA may also require companies to perform additional bridging studies or measurements, including clinical trials, to support the change from
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the previously approved reference drug. The FDA may then approve the new drug candidate for all, or some, of the label indications for which the reference drug has been approved, as well as for any new indication sought by the Section 505(b)(2) applicant.
To the extent that a Section 505(b)(2) applicant is relying on studies conducted for an already approved product, the applicant is required to certify to the FDA concerning any patents listed for the approved product in the Orange Book to the same extent that an ANDA applicant would. As a result, approval of a Section 505(b)(2) NDA can be stalled until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired, until any non-patent exclusivity (such as exclusivity for obtaining approval of a new chemical entity) listed in the Orange Book for the referenced product has expired and, in the case of a Paragraph IV certification and subsequent patent infringement suit, until the earlier of 30 months, settlement of the lawsuit, or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the Section 505(b)(2) applicant.
Patent Term Restoration
Some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration 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 and the submission date of an NDA or BLA, plus the time between the submission date and the approval of that application. Only one patent applicable to an approved product 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. Thus, for each approved product, we may apply for restoration of patent term for one of our related owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond the original expiration date, depending on the expected length of the clinical studies and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA or BLA.
EU Regulation
In the EU and in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, together the European Economic Area or EEA, after completion of all required clinical testing, pharmaceutical products may only be placed on the market after obtaining a Marketing Authorization, or MA. To obtain a MA, we must submit a marketing authorization application, or MAA. The content of the MAA is similar to that of an NDA or BLA filed in the U.S., with the exception of, among other things, country-specific document requirements.
Authorization Procedures
Medicines can be authorized by using, among other things, a centralized or decentralized procedure. The centralized authorization procedure results in a single marketing authorization issued by the European Commission, or EC, following the scientific assessment of the application by the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, that is valid across the EEA. The centralized procedure is compulsory for specific medicinal products, including medicines developed by means of certain biotechnological processes, products designated as orphan medicinal products, advanced therapy medicinal products, or ATMPs, and medicinal products with a new active substance indicated for the treatment of certain diseases (for instance, AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, auto-immune and viral diseases). Medicines that fall outside the mandatory scope of the centralized procedure have three routes to authorization: (i) they can be authorized under the centralized procedure if they concern a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation, or if their authorization would be in the interest of public health; (ii) they can be authorized under a decentralized procedure where an applicant applies for simultaneous authorization in more than one EU country; or (iii) they can be authorized in a EU member state in accordance with that state’s national procedures and then be authorized in other EU countries by a procedure whereby the countries concerned agree to recognize the validity of the original, national marketing authorization (mutual recognition procedure).
All new MAAs must include a Risk Management Plan, or RMP, describing the risk management system that the Company will put in place and documenting measures to prevent or minimize the risks associated with the product. RMPs are continually modified and updated throughout the lifetime of the medicine as new information becomes available. We need to submit an updated RMP: (i) at the request of EMA or a national competent authority, or (ii) whenever the risk-management system is modified, especially as the result of new information being received that may lead to a significant change to the benefit-risk profile or as a result of an important pharmacovigilance or risk-minimization milestone being reached. The regulatory authorities may also impose specific obligations as a condition of the MA. RMPs and Periodic Safety Update Reports, or PSURs, are routinely available to third parties requesting access, subject to limited redactions.
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Special rules apply in part for ATMPs. ATMPs comprise gene therapy products, somatic cell therapy products and tissue engineered products, which are genes, cells or tissues that have undergone substantial manipulation and that are administered to human beings in order to cure, diagnose or prevent diseases or regenerate, repair or replace a human tissue. Pursuant to the ATMP Regulation, the Committee on Advanced Therapies, or CAT, is responsible in conjunction with the CHMP for the evaluation of ATMPs. The CHMP and CAT are also responsible for providing guidelines on ATMPs. These guidelines provide additional guidance on the factors that the EMA will consider in relation to the development and evaluation of ATMPs and include, among other things, the preclinical studies required to characterize ATMPs. The manufacturing and control information that should be submitted in a MAA; and post-approval measures required to monitor patients and evaluate the long- term efficacy and potential adverse reactions of ATMPs. Although such guidelines are not legally binding, compliance with them is often necessary to gain and maintain approval for product candidates. In addition to the mandatory RMP, the holder of a MA for an ATMP must put in place and maintain a system to ensure that each individual product and its starting and raw materials, including all substances coming into contact with the cells or tissues it may contain, can be traced through the sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, storage, transport and delivery to the relevant healthcare institution where the product is used.
A PIP and/or a request for waiver (for example, because the relevant disease or condition occurs only in adults) or deferral (for example, until enough information to demonstrate its effectiveness and safety in adults is available), is required for submission prior to submitting an MAA. A PIP describes, among other things, proposed pediatric studies and their timing relative to clinical studies in adults and an MAA must comply with the PIP to be validated.
MAA Review and Approval Timeframe and Accelerated Assessment
Under the centralized procedure in the EU, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, established at the EMA, is responsible for conducting the initial assessment of a drug. In principle, the maximum timeframe for the evaluation of an MAA by the CHMP is 210 days from receipt of a valid MAA. However, this timeline excludes clock stops, when additional written or oral information is to be provided by the applicant in response to questions asked by the CHMP, so the overall process typically takes a year or more. A favorable opinion on the application by the CHMP will typically result in the granting of the marketing authorization within 67 days of receipt of the opinion. Accelerated evaluation might be granted by the CHMP in exceptional cases, when a medicinal product is expected to be of a major public health interest, particularly from the point of view of therapeutic innovation. In this circumstance, and upon request by the applicant, the CHMP’s evaluation time frame is reduced to 150 days, excluding time taken by an applicant to respond to questions.
MA Validity Period
MAs have an initial duration of five years. After five years, the authorization may subsequently be renewed on the basis of a reevaluation of the risk-benefit balance. Once renewed, the MA is valid for an unlimited period unless the EC or the national competent authority decides, on justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, to proceed with only one additional five-year renewal. Applications for renewal must be made to the EMA at least nine months before the five-year period expires.
Conduct of Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are studies intended to discover or verify the effects of one or more investigational medicines. The regulation of clinical trials aims to promote the protection of the rights, safety and well-being of trial participants and the credibility of the results of clinical trials. Regardless of where they are conducted, all clinical trials included in applications for marketing authorization for human medicines in the EU or EEA must have been carried out in accordance with EU regulations (such as, among others, the Clinical Trials Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 536/2014) and the Clinical Trials Directive (EC) No 2001/20/EC). This means that clinical trials conducted in the EU or EEA have to comply with EU clinical trial legislation and that clinical trials conducted outside the EU or EEA have to comply with ethical principles equivalent to those set out in the EEA, including adhering to international good clinical practice and the Declaration of Helsinki.
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Exceptional Circumstances/Conditional Approval
Orphan drugs or drugs with unmet medical needs may be eligible for EU approval under exceptional circumstances or with conditional approval. Approval under exceptional circumstances is applicable to orphan products and is used when an applicant is unable to provide comprehensive data on the efficacy and safety under normal conditions of use because the indication for which the product is intended is encountered so rarely that the applicant cannot reasonably be expected to provide comprehensive evidence, when the present state of scientific knowledge does not allow comprehensive information to be provided, or when it is medically unethical to collect such information. A conditional MA is applicable to orphan medicinal products, medicinal products for seriously debilitating or life-threatening diseases, or medicinal products to be used in emergency situations in response to recognized public threats. Conditional MAs can be granted for medicinal products where, although comprehensive clinical data referring to the safety and efficacy of the medicinal product have not been supplied, a number of criteria are fulfilled: (i) the benefit/risk balance of the product is positive, (ii) it is likely that the applicant will be in a position to provide the comprehensive clinical data, (iii) unmet medical needs will be fulfilled by the grant of the MA and (iv) the benefit to public health of the immediate availability on the market of the medicinal product concerned outweighs the risk inherent in the fact that additional data are still required. Conditional MAs are valid for only one year and must be reviewed annually subject to certain specific obligations.
PRIME Program
PRIME is a program launched by the EMA to enhance support for the development of medicines that target an unmet medical need. The program focuses on medicines that may offer a major therapeutic advantage over existing treatments, or benefit patients without treatment options. These medicines are considered priority medicines by EMA. To be accepted for PRIME, a medicine has to show its potential to benefit patients with unmet medical needs based on early clinical data. Through PRIME, the EMA offers early and proactive support to medicine developers to optimize development plans and the generation of robust data on a medicine’s benefits and risks and enables accelerated assessment of medicines applications. PRIME eligibility does not change the standards for product approval, and there is no assurance that any such designation or eligibility will result in expedited review or approval.
Orphan Designation and Exclusivity
As in the U.S., we may apply for designation of a product as an orphan drug for the treatment of a specific indication in the EU before the application for marketing authorization is made. The EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products, or COMP, grants orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that are intended for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting not more than 5 in 10,000 persons in the EU Community and for which no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention, or treatment has been authorized (or the product would be a significant benefit to those affected). Additionally, designation is granted for products intended for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a life-threatening, seriously debilitating, or serious and chronic condition when, without incentives, it is unlikely that sales of the drug in the EU would be sufficient to justify the necessary investment in developing the medicinal product. Orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as reduction of fees or fee waivers and 10 years of market exclusivity is granted following medicinal product approval. This period may be reduced to six years if the orphan drug designation criteria are no longer met, including where it is shown that the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity. The applicant will receive a fee reduction for the MAA if the orphan drug designation has been granted, but not if the designation is still pending at the time the marketing authorization is submitted, and sponsors must submit an annual report to EMA summarizing the status of development of the medicine. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process.
New Chemical Entity Exclusivity
In the EU, new chemical entities, or NCEs, sometimes referred to as new active substances, qualify for eight years of data exclusivity upon the product’s first MA in the EU and an additional two years of market exclusivity. This data exclusivity, if granted, prevents regulatory authorities in the EU from referencing the innovator’s data to assess a generic (abbreviated) application for eight years, after which generic marketing authorization can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced, but not approved for two years. The overall ten-year period will be extended to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies. Products may not be granted data exclusivity since there is no guarantee that a product will be considered by the EU’s regulatory authorities to include an NCE. Even if a compound is considered to be a NCE and the MA applicant is able to gain the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company could market a version of the medicinal product if such company can complete a full MAA with its own complete database of pharmaceutical tests, preclinical studies and clinical trials and obtain MA of its product.
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Post-Approval Requirements
Drugs manufactured or distributed pursuant to regulatory approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the regulatory authorities, including, among other things, requirements relating to formal commitments for post approval clinical trials and studies, manufacturing, recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion and reporting of adverse experiences with the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims are subject to prior regulatory authority review and approval.
Drug manufacturers are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by regulatory authorities and country or state agencies for compliance with GMP and other requirements. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior regulatory approval before being implemented. Regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from GMP and impose reporting and documentation 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 GMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance.
Pharmaceutical Coverage, Pricing and Reimbursement
In the U.S. and markets in other countries, sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include government authorities, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a drug product may be separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the drug product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the approved drugs for a particular indication. Moreover, a payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid and other third-party payors may be subject to periodic adjustments as a result of legislative, regulatory and policy changes as well as budgetary pressures in the U.S. and globally. For example, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, or OBBBA, enacted changes to Medicaid eligibility, cost-sharing, and financing that could result in relatively lower reimbursement due to decreased beneficiary enrollment and budgetary pressures.
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 federal and state measures designed to, among other things, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products. For example, in May 2025, the Trump Administration renewed the idea of international reference pricing through an executive order entitled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients”, which, among other things, directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, and other agencies to communicate most-favored-nation, or MFN, price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for U.S. patients in line with comparably developed nations and to facilitate direct-to-consumer purchasing programs.
In the EU, governments influence the price of pharmaceutical products through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national health care systems that fund a large part of the cost of those products to patients. Some jurisdictions operate positive and negative list systems under which products may only be marketed once a reimbursement price has been agreed to by the government. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for medicines, but monitor and control company profits, including volume-based arrangements, caps and reference pricing mechanisms. In addition, in some countries, cross-border imports from low-priced markets exert a commercial pressure on pricing within a country.
Other Healthcare, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Laws and Compliance Requirements
We are subject to various laws targeting, among other things, fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, and privacy and protection of personal information, including health information. These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing, and education programs. The laws that may affect our ability to operate include:
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the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting or receiving renumeration in return for, and from knowingly and willfully offering or paying remuneration to induce, referrals of federal healthcare program patients and the purchase or recommendation of an item or service reimbursable under a federal healthcare program, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs;
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federal, civil, and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented to Medicare, Medicaid, or other third-party payers, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent;
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federal, civil, and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented to Medicare, Medicaid, or other third-party payers, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent;
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international data protection laws and regulations, including, but not limited, to the EU General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which apply to processing of personal data in the context of the activities of an entity established in a respective country, and to processing by an entity not established in a particular country, but where such processing is related to the offering of goods or services to, or the monitoring of the behavior of individuals located therein, and imposes requirements and limitations relating to the processing, storage, purpose of collection, accuracy, security, sharing and transfer of personal data, in particular with respect to special categories of personal data like health data, and the notification of supervisory authorities about data breaches, accompanied by sanctioning mechanisms—in addition to the GDPR, EU member states may also impose additional requirements in relation to health, genetic and biometric data through their national implementing legislation;
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the 21st Century Cures Act, or the Cures Act, which introduced a wide range of reforms, such as broadening the types of data required to support drug approval, extending protections for generic competition, accelerating approval of breakthrough therapies, expanding the orphan drug product program, requiring disclosures about compassionate care programs, and clarifying how manufacturers communicate about their products;
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the federal transparency laws, including the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, that requires drug manufacturers to disclose payments and other transfers of value provided to various healthcare professionals and teaching hospitals; and
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state and foreign law equivalents, or similar, of each of the above federal laws, such as transparency laws, anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payer, including commercial insurers, and privacy and security of health information laws, including comprehensive privacy and security laws in California.
Additional Regulation
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or FCPA, to which we are subject, prohibits corporations and individuals from engaging in certain activities to obtain or retain business or to influence a person working in an official capacity. It is illegal to pay, offer to pay or authorize the payment of anything of value to any foreign government official, government staff member, political party, or political candidate in an attempt to obtain or retain business or to otherwise influence a person working in an official capacity. Similar laws exist in other countries, such as the UK or in EU member states, that restrict improper payments to public and private parties. Many countries have laws prohibiting these types of payments within the respective country. In addition to these anti-corruption laws, we are subject to import and export control laws, tariffs, trade barriers, economic sanctions, and regulatory limitations on our ability to operate in certain foreign markets.
In addition, federal, state, and foreign government bodies and agencies have adopted, are considering adopting, or may adopt laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, storage and disclosure of personally identifiable information or other information treated as confidential obtained from consumers and individuals.
We are also subject to regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and other present and potential federal, state, or local regulations. These and other laws govern our use, handling and disposal of various biological and chemical substances used in, and waste generated by, our operations. Complying with these requirements may have a significant impact on our capital expenditures and results of operations.
Customers
Our customers include collaboration partners, drug wholesalers, and retail pharmacy distributors. For the year ended December 31, 2025, 45% of our total revenues were generated by our collaboration partner KKC.
Human Capital
General Information
As of December 31, 2025, we had 1,371 total employees, of which 916 are in research and development and 455 are in sales, general, and administrative. Further, 1,144 employees are based in the U.S., including at our facilities in Novato, California, Brisbane, California, Somerville, Massachusetts, Bedford, Massachusetts, and Woburn, Massachusetts, and 227 employees are based at our international locations. The majority of new employees hired during the year ended December 31, 2025 were to support and extend
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our clinical and preclinical pipeline, our in-house manufacturing capacities for our GTMF, as well as our commercialization activities, with hires in commercial, clinical development and operations, research, manufacturing, and general and administrative functions. We believe our relationship with our employees to be generally good. We have not experienced any material employment-related issues or interruptions of services due to labor disagreements and are not a party to any collective bargaining agreements.
In February 2026, we initiated a strategic restructuring plan to significantly reduce expenses, which includes a 10% workforce reduction of approximately 130 employees across the company. We regularly evaluate our business needs and opportunities and balance in-house expertise and capacity with outsourced expertise and capacity. Currently, we outsource substantial clinical trial work to clinical research organizations and certain drug manufacturing to contract manufacturers.
Workforce Safety and Employee Wellbeing
We maintain a safety culture grounded on the premise of eliminating workplace incidents, risks and hazards. Our health and safety management system includes several elements, such as incorporation of Global Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability standards, site-specific standard operating procedures, incident and safety observation reporting, hazard identification and risk assessments, job safety analyses, ergonomic assessments and industrial hygiene evaluations. We have adopted a flexible, hybrid working arrangement for our employees, which allows some of our employees to work remotely during certain days of the week. We provide our employees with wellness offerings to support their physical and mental health including our “Caring For U” program, a global reimbursement program offering employees up to $1,200 annually (in local currency) for wellness and caregiving activities.
Employee Retention and Engagement
The biotechnology industry is an extremely competitive labor market and we believe our company’s success depends on our ability to attract, develop, and retain key personnel. We invest in the growth and development of our employees through various training and development programs that build and strengthen employees’ leadership and professional skills, including leadership development programs tailored for new leaders as well as for more senior leaders, six sigma certification, as well as a mentoring program. We also have a talent management framework and processes in place that includes regularly conducted activities such as performance management, succession, and workforce planning in order to support our employees in their growth and development and to provide learning opportunities. We offer on-demand career coaching services through an external network of professional executive coaches. We encourage all employees to have an individual development plan to identify focus areas for learning and growth.
To regularly assess and improve our employee retention and engagement, we conduct an engagement survey approximately every 18 months, with "pulse" surveys in between, the results of which are discussed with our board of directors, at all hands employee meetings and in individual functions. We take actions to address areas of employment concern and follow-up routinely to share with employees what we are doing.
Culture
We are committed to fostering a healthy, inclusive environment while nurturing a culture of belonging where all employees have equal opportunities. We strive to create an environment where everyone we work with, serve, and engage with feels valued, respected, and empowered.
We have included questions in our engagement survey to measure employee perception of our inclusive culture, with the results from such survey on inclusion included in our corporate goals. Our business units review data related to hiring, promotions, and retention on an ongoing basis in order to promote inclusivity while maintaining our commitment to equal employment opportunities through merit-based decisions.
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Benefits and Compensation
We are dedicated to fostering a workplace environment that keeps our employees inspired, including providing a comprehensive benefits program that supports the health care, family, and financial needs of our employees. All of our full-time employees are eligible for cash bonuses and equity awards in addition to other benefits including comprehensive health insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off for volunteering, wellness programs, and tuition reimbursement. We benchmark and tie compensation to market data as well as to an employee’s experience, function and performance. Our compensation structure includes performance-based elements, with the goal of recognizing and rewarding exceptional performance. We regularly review our compensation policies and practices in an effort to identify and address any disparities or inequities.
General Information
Our Internet website address is www.ultragenyx.com. No portion of our website, or any other website that may be referenced, is incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
You are advised to read this Annual Report in conjunction with other reports and documents that we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. In particular, please read our definitive proxy statements, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K that we may file from time to time. The SEC maintains information for electronic filers (including Ultragenyx) at its website at www.sec.gov. We make 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, available on our internet website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.