Company: WHWK
Filing Date: 2025-01-31
Form Type: DEFM14A
Source: 0001193125-25-018470
Chunk: 436

Company: Whitehawk Therapeutics, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-01-31
Form: DEFM14A
Chunk 436
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 product or product candidates.

As is the case with other pharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual
property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the pharmaceutical industry involve a high degree of technological and legal complexity. Therefore, obtaining and enforcing pharmaceutical patents is costly, time consuming and
inherently uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or in the interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property and may increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding
the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense of issued patents. We cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in our patents or in third-party patents. In addition, Congress or other foreign
legislative bodies may pass patent reform legislation that is unfavorable to us.

For example, the United States Supreme Court has ruled on several patent
cases in recent years, either narrowing the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances or weakening the rights of patent owners in

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certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value
of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the United States Congress, the United States federal courts, the USPTO, or similar authorities in foreign jurisdictions, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable
ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and the patents we might obtain or license in the future.

We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.

We may also be subject to claims that our former employees or our licensors or other third parties have an ownership interest in our patents or other
intellectual property. Confidentiality and intellectual property assignment agreements may not be honored and may not effectively assign intellectual property rights to us. The assignment of intellectual property rights under these agreements may
not be automatic upon the creation of the intellectual property or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against it, to determine the ownership of
what we regard as our intellectual property. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or ownership. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose
valuable intellectual property rights. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in