EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1570562
Filing Year: 2021
Filename: 1570562_10-K_2021_0001570562-21-000093.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business.
Overview
We are a performance beauty company with a customer-centric approach focused on delivering breakthrough products in the self-pay aesthetic market.
Our first commercial product is Jeuveau®, which is a proprietary 900 kilodalton, or kDa, purified botulinum toxin type A formulation indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines, also known as “frown lines,” in adults. Our primary market is the self-pay aesthetic market, which includes medical products purchased by physicians and other customers that are then sold to consumers or used in procedures for aesthetic indications that are not reimbursed by any third-party payor, such as Medicaid, Medicare or commercial insurance. We believe we offer customers and consumers a compelling value proposition with Jeuveau®. Currently, BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) is the neurotoxin market leader, and prior to the approval of Jeuveau®, was the only known 900 kDa botulinum toxin type A complex approved in the United States. We believe aesthetic physicians generally prefer the performance characteristics of the complete 900 kDa neurotoxin complex and are accustomed to injecting this formulation.
United States
In February 2019, we received the approval of our first product Jeuveau® (prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. In May 2019, we commercially launched Jeuveau® in the United States, and our net sales totaled $56.5 million for fiscal year 2020 and $20.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.
International
In August 2018, we received approval from Health Canada for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines in adult patients under 65 years of age. We began marketing Jeuveau® in Canada in October 2019 through our distribution partner, Clarion Medical Technologies, Inc., or Clarion.
In September 2019, we received approval from the European Commission, to market Jeuveau® in all 28 EU member states, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. In January 2021, we received a positive decision from the European Commission, to add the 50 unit product to the existing approval obtained in September 2019. We plan to launch Jeuveau® in Europe in early 2022.
Our Market
Our primary market is self-pay aesthetic healthcare, which includes medical products purchased by physicians that are then sold to consumers or used in procedures for aesthetic indications that are not reimbursed by any third-party payor, such as Medicaid, Medicare or commercial insurance. By focusing on the self-pay medical aesthetics market, we believe we are not exposed to reimbursement risk associated with a reliance on payments from such third-party payors, and we are subject to fewer regulations that place limits on the types of marketing and other interactions we have with physicians.
Within the self-pay aesthetic market, the global aesthetic neurotoxin market was estimated to generate approximately $2.5 billion of revenue in 2020 and is estimated to grow to approximately $3.8 billion in 2023. The U.S. aesthetic neurotoxin market was estimated to generate $1.3 billion in sales in 2020 and is expected to grow to approximately $2.1 billion in 2023.
We believe the growth in the medical aesthetics market is driven by a number of factors, including:
•increased use by millennials who are increasingly seeking medical aesthetic treatments and utilizing neurotoxins as an entry point for aesthetic procedures due to their minimally invasive nature;
•an aging population together with an increasing life expectancy, which is resulting in more consumers with a desire for improved appearance and well-being over a longer period of time;
•rising disposable income, with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reporting that real disposable income in the United States increased approximately 21% from December 2012 to December 2020;
•growing awareness, utilization and acceptance of elective or minimally invasive aesthetic procedures; and
•continued innovation and improved accessibility to these treatments due to an increase in the number of physicians who perform these procedures.
Within the multiple age groups that receive aesthetic neurotoxin treatments, we strategically focus our marketing efforts on the millennial segment which is the largest cohort in the U.S. population. In 2019 there were estimated to be approximately 73 million millennials, defined as individuals born between 1981 and 1996. We believe that approximately 1.7 million females between the age of 30 and 39, which includes many individuals we define as millennials, are considering neurotoxins in the next twelve months.
Our Competitive Strengths
We offer physicians and consumers a compelling value proposition because:
•Jeuveau® offers the U.S. market the first known 900 kDa neurotoxin alternative to BOTOX. The manufacture of both Jeuveau® and BOTOX starts with a 900 kDa complex, includes adding the excipients human serum albumin, or HSA, and sodium chloride, and finishes by vacuum drying. We believe Jeuveau® is the only known neurotoxin product in the United States with a 900 kDa neurotoxin complex other than BOTOX. We also believe an important component of competitiveness in the neurotoxin market relates to the characteristics associated with the 900 kDa complex and the potential of the accessory proteins to increase the effectiveness of the active toxin portion of the complex.
•Results from our TRANSPARENCY global clinical program in more than 2,100 patients provides robust data to physicians evaluating the purchase of Jeuveau®. We believe the comprehensive TRANSPARENCY clinical data set, including a head-to-head Phase III study comparing Jeuveau® and BOTOX, provides physicians with confidence in recommending Jeuveau® to their patients.
•We offer a unique technology platform. We provide a simple, personal and connected experience for physicians utilizing our proprietary technology platform. We have built and continue to improve our platform with the goal of limiting friction and enhancing the overall experience for physicians and ultimately consumers. We are modernizing the customer engagement with our proprietary “Evolus Practice” app. We not only leverage technology for operational efficiency, but more importantly, to enhance a customer’s experience. The combination of a highly specialized sales force and our technology platform is an effective and competitive model.
•Enhanced level of physician-customer interaction through a self-pay, aesthetic-only marketing strategy. We have elected to specifically target the self-pay aesthetic market. With a reduced regulatory burden compared to third-party payor reimbursed therapeutic products, there is a number of benefits that market participants in reimbursed markets are unable to achieve, such as an enhanced level of interaction with our physician-customers. Jeuveau® is the only U.S. neurotoxin without a therapeutic indication. We believe pursuing an aesthetic-only non-reimbursed product strategy creates meaningful strategic advantages in the United States, including pricing and marketing flexibility. We utilize this flexibility to drive market adoption through programs such as promotional events, experience product programs and pricing strategies.
•We have strong relationships with aesthetic key opinion leaders, or KOLs. We have established relationships with aesthetic KOLs as a result of our management team’s industry experience and engagement of our clinical trial investigators. KOLs are important information resources to the general physician-customer market due to their clinical expertise, academic reputations, active clinical practices and their status as medical innovators. The broader physician community often looks to KOLs for their experience with products and procedures as part of their new product and procedure adoption process.
•Our management team has significant experience and expertise in medical aesthetics. Our management team has extensive experience in self-pay healthcare markets, in the development, market launch and commercialization of major medical products, execution and integration of business development transactions, identification of and partnerships with KOLs, and understanding of the regulatory environment of the healthcare markets. Key members of our leadership team have also served in relevant senior leadership positions with leading aesthetic companies.
Our Strategy
In May 2019, we launched Jeuveau® in the United States with our own specialty sales organization now consisting of over 70 positions between representatives, management and other sales employees and in Canada through our distribution partner,
Clarion. We plan to expand our product offerings over time through in-licensing, partnerships and acquisitions and by launching our products internationally. The key components of our strategy are:
•Pursue an aesthetic-only strategy to enhance marketing and pricing flexibility along with improving transparency for our customers.
•Leverage our strong KOL relationships to assist in scientific presentations, publications, and other methods to drive success of our commercial launch of Jeuveau®.
•Launch directly or partner outside of the United States to reach and serve physicians and consumers in those territories.
•Leverage our differentiated digital platform to efficiently open new accounts, personalize the purchasing process and efficiently deploy marketing programs at scale.
•Establish a leading medical aesthetics company with a diversified product offering by in-licensing technology, developing partnerships and potentially acquiring products.
Final Ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Subsequent Settlement Agreements
On January 30, 2019, Allergan, plc (now Allergan Limited) and Allergan, Inc., who we refer to collectively as Allergan, and Medytox, Inc., or Medytox, filed a complaint against us and Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., or Daewoong in the International Trade Commission, or ITC, alleging that Jeuveau® is manufactured based on misappropriated trade secrets of Medytox and therefore the importation of Jeuveau® is an unfair act. The ITC matter, which we refer to as the ITC Action, is entitled In the Matter of Certain Botulinum Toxin Products. The ITC instituted an investigation as ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1145.
On December 16, 2020, the ITC issued a final determination in the ITC Action and issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of Jeuveau® into the United States for a period of 21 months and (2) a cease and desist order preventing the Company from, among other things, selling, marketing, or promoting such imported Jeuveau® in the United States for a period of 21 months. We refer to the limited exclusion order and the cease and desist order collectively as the remedial orders. The Final Determination was subject to a 60-day presidential review period before taking effect. During the presidential review period, the Company was permitted to continue importation and sales of Jeuveau® subject to payment of a bond of $441 per vial.
Effective February 18, 2021, we entered into a Settlement and License Agreement with Medytox and Allergan, which we refer to as the U.S. Settlement Agreement and another Settlement and License Agreement with Medytox, which we refer to as the ROW Settlement Agreement. We refer to the U.S. Settlement Agreement and the ROW Settlement Agreement collectively as the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements.
Under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, we obtained (i) a license to commercialize, manufacture and to have manufactured for us certain products identified in the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, including Jeuveau® (the “Licensed Products”) in the United States and other territories where we license Jeuveau®, (ii) the dismissal of outstanding litigation against us, including the ITC Action, a rescission of the related remedial orders, and the dismissal of a civil case in the Superior Court of California against us, which we refer to together with any claims (including claims brought in Korean courts) with a common nexus of fact as the Medytox/Allergan Actions, and (iii) releases of claims against us for the Medytox/Allergan Actions. In exchange, we agreed to (i) make cash payments of $35.0 million in multiple payments over two years to Allergan and Medytox, (ii) pay to Allergan and Medytox certain royalties on the sale of Jeuveau®, based on a certain dollar amount per vial sold of Licensed Product by or on our behalf in the United States, from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, (iii) from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, pay to Medytox a low-double digit royalty on net sales of Jeuveau® sold by us or on our behalf in territories we have licensed outside the United States; (iv) from September 16, 2022 to September 16, 2032, pay to Medytox a mid-single digit royalty percentage on net sales of Jeuveau® in the United States and all territories we have licensed outside the United States, (v) issue to Medytox of 6,762,652 shares of our common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, which we issued on February 18, 2021, and (vi) enter into a Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which we granted certain registration rights to Medytox with respect to such shares of common stock
beginning as of March 31, 2022. In addition, under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, we made certain representations and warranties and agreed to positive and negative covenants.
On March 23, 2021, we entered into a Confidential Settlement and Release Agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., or Daewoong, which we refer to as the Daewoong Settlement Agreement, a Convertible Promissory Note Conversion Agreement, which we refer to as the Conversion Agreement and the Third Amendment to the Supply Agreement (which amends the Daewoong Agreement), which we refer to as the Daewoong Agreement Amendment. We refer to the Daewoong Settlement Agreement, the Conversion Agreement and the Daewoong Agreement Amendment collectively as the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement.
Under the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement, (i) Daewoong agreed to (a) pay us an amount equal to $25.5 million, (b) pay certain reasonable legal fees incurred by our litigation counsel in connection with its defense of the ITC Action (including any appeal of the resulting remedial orders), (c) cancel up to $10.5 million in aggregate milestone payments under our Daewoong Agreement, and (d) reimburse us certain amounts (calculated on a dollar amount per vials sold basis in the United States) for sales of certain products with respect to which we are required to pay Medytox and Allergan royalties pursuant to the U.S. Settlement Agreement; and (ii) we agreed to (y) release certain claims we may have against Daewoong or certain of its affiliates and representatives related to the allegations made in or the subject matter of the Medytox/Allergan Actions, or any orders, remedies and losses resulting from the Medytox/Allergan Actions, and (z) coordinate with Daewoong on certain matters related to the Medytox/Allergan Actions. In the Conversion Agreement, among other things, the parties agreed that (i) the principal balance of the $40.0 million aggregate principal amount convertible promissory note we issued to Daewoong on July 30, 2020, which we refer to as the Daewoong Convertible Note, and accrued and unpaid interest thereon shall be automatically converted, at the conversion price of $13.00 per share, into 3,136,869 shares of our common stock; and (ii) the Daewoong Convertible Note shall be deemed cancelled and satisfied in full in connection with such conversion.
Under the Daewoong Agreement Amendment, the parties agreed to amend the Daewoong Agreement to: (i) expand the territory within which we may distribute Jeuveau® to certain countries in Europe; (ii) reduce the period of time with respect to which we are required to deliver binding forecasts to Daewoong; (iii) introduce certain limitations on Daewoong’s ability to convert our exclusive license for certain territories to a non-exclusive license in the event we fail to meet certain minimum purchase requirements for such territory; (iv) adjust the minimum purchase requirements and reduce the transfer price per vial of Jeuveau® applicable to various territories; (v) require that any Jeuveau® supplied by Daewoong match certain shelf-life thresholds; and (vi) prohibit us from sharing certain confidential information regarding Daewoong with Medytox or its affiliates or representatives.
For additional information on the final ruling by the ITC and the subsequent Settlement Agreements, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations- Impact on Our Business of Final Ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Subsequent Settlement.”
Jeuveau® Overview
Jeuveau® is an injectable formulation of a 900 kDa botulinum toxin type A complex designed to address the needs of the large and growing facial aesthetics market. We completed the TRANSPARENCY global clinical program which enrolled over 2,100 adult subjects. The results of the TRANSPARENCY global clinical program were used to support our applications for regulatory approvals in the United States, EU and Canada.
As demonstrated in the figure below, Jeuveau® contains a 900 kDa botulinum toxin type A complex produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The active part of the neurotoxin is the 150 kDa component, and the remaining 750 kDA of the complex is made up of accessory proteins that we believe help with the function of the active portion of the toxin. Jeuveau® has the same mechanism of action as other type A botulinum toxins. When injected intramuscularly at therapeutic doses, botulinum toxin causes a chemical denervation of the muscle resulting in localized reduction of muscle activity. Botulinum toxin type A specifically blocks peripheral acetylcholine release at presynaptic cholinergic nerve terminals by cleaving SNAP-25, a protein integral to the successful docking and release of acetylcholine from vesicles situated within the nerve endings leading to denervation and relaxation of the muscle.
Diagram of Botulinum Toxin Type A
TRANSPARENCY: Evolus Clinical Development for Glabellar Lines
TRANSPARENCY was a comprehensive five-study clinical development program for Jeuveau® and was used to meet the regulatory requirements for a Biologics License Application, or BLA, in the United States, a Marketing Authorisation Application, or MAA, in the EU, and a New Drug Submission, or NDS, in Canada, for the treatment of moderate to severe glabellar lines. The TRANSPARENCY program, which was developed in consultation with the FDA, Canadian, and European regulatory bodies, included three multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, controlled, single dose Phase III studies titled EV-001, EV-002 and EVB-003. Each Phase III study lasted 150 days. The TRANSPARENCY program also included two open label, multiple dose, long-term Phase II studies titled EV-004 and EV-006, each lasting one year. Between September 2014 and August 2016, over 2,100 adult male and female subjects with moderate to severe glabellar lines at maximum frown participated in this program.
In our clinical trials, subjects received intramuscular injections in five target sites in muscles that contribute to the formation of glabellar lines: the midline of the procerus, the inferomedial aspect of each corrugator, and the superior middle aspect of each corrugator. Each of the five target sites was injected with 0.1 milliliters, or mL, for a total of 0.5mL. Subjects assigned (in the open label studies) or randomized (in the controlled studies) to Jeuveau® received a total of 20 units per treatment, administered as 4 units per 0.1mL and those subjects who were randomized to the placebo group received 0.5mL saline. In our EVB-003 Phase III trial, the only study of the five with both a placebo and active control arm, subjects randomized to the active control received a total of 20 units of BOTOX administered as 4 units per 0.1mL.
All five studies contributed data to the evaluation of efficacy and safety of Jeuveau®.
Phase III U.S. Based Clinical Trials. The two identical U.S. Phase III studies, EV-001 and EV-002, enrolled subjects who were selected from a population of healthy adults, at least 18 years of age, who had moderate to severe glabellar lines at maximum frown, as independently assessed by the investigator and subject using the 4-point photonumeric Glabellar Line Scale, or GLS, where 0=no lines, 1=mild lines, 2=moderate lines and 3=severe lines. On Day 0, eligible subjects were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive a single treatment of either Jeuveau® or placebo. Subjects were followed for 150 days after treatment.
The primary efficacy endpoint was defined as the proportion of subjects classified as responders on Day 30. This was a composite endpoint in which a responder was a subject with a 2 point improvement or greater on the GLS from Day 0 to Day 30 at maximum frown, only if independently agreed by both investigator and subject assessment.
Both studies met the primary endpoint of superiority over placebo. The percentages of responders in the intent to treat population for the composite primary endpoint, a two point or greater score composite improvement, in each of the two controlled single dose studies were:
•EV-001: 1.2% placebo, 67.5% Jeuveau®, with an absolute difference between the groups of 66.3%, 95% CI (59.0, 72.4)
•EV-002: 1.3% placebo, 70.4% Jeuveau®, with an absolute difference between the groups of 69.1%, 95% CI (61.5, 75.1)
In the EV-002 study, the adverse event, or AE, rate was 26.9% in the placebo group and 28.5% in the Jeuveau® group. Placebo and Jeuveau® groups were similar in the overall incidence of subjects who experienced one or more AEs. Four Jeuveau® subjects (4/246, 1.6%) experienced a serious adverse event, or SAE, but none were assessed as study drug related. Placebo and Jeuveau® groups were also similar in the percentages of subjects who experienced an AE assessed by the investigator as study drug related: 7.7% of placebo subjects and 9.8% of Jeuveau® subjects. The drug related eyelid and eyebrow ptosis rates in the Jeuveau® arm were 1.2% and 0.4% respectively. Overall, AEs with an incidence of 1% or greater were headache at 9.3% in the Jeuveau® groups and 7.6% in the placebo groups and eyelid ptosis at 1% in the Jeuveau® groups and 0% in the placebo groups.
Phase III European and Canadian Clinical Trial for Glabellar Lines
The EVB-003 study was the third Phase III safety and efficacy study in the Jeuveau® clinical development program, and was conducted in Europe and Canada. 540 subjects with moderate to severe glabellar lines, or a GLS score of 2 or 3, as assessed by the investigator, were eligible to be enrolled provided that subjects also felt their glabellar lines had an important psychological impact, such as on their mood, anxiety or depressive symptoms. On Day 0, eligible subjects were randomly assigned in a 5:5:1 ratio to receive a single treatment of 20 units of Jeuveau®, 20 units of BOTOX or placebo.
The primary efficacy endpoint was defined as the proportion of subjects classified as responders on Day 30. A responder was a subject with a GLS score of 0 or 1, as assessed by the investigator at maximum frown. The primary analysis of the primary efficacy endpoint in the EVB-003 study showed the superiority of Jeuveau® over placebo, and established non-inferiority of Jeuveau® to BOTOX. The percentages of responders for the primary efficacy endpoint were:
•4.2% in the placebo group, 95% CI (0.0, 9.8);
•82.8% in the BOTOX group, 95% CI (78.1, 87.5); and
•87.2% in the Jeuveau® group, 95% CI (83.0, 91.5).
A confidence interval, or CI, is a range of values in which, statistically, there is a specified level of confidence where the result lies. As an example, in the results above for this Phase III study, the results indicate that there is a 95% level of confidence that the responder rate for placebo was between 0.0% and 9.8%, which we express as: 95% CI (0.0, 9.8).
The absolute differences between the treatment groups were:
•83.1% between Jeuveau® and placebo groups, 95% CI (70.3, 89.4), (p<0.001), indicating Jeuveau® was superior to placebo; and
•4.4% between Jeuveau® and BOTOX groups, 95% CI (-1.9, 10.8), with non-inferiority of Jeuveau® versus BOTOX concluded based on the lower bound of the 95% CI for the absolute difference exceeding -10.0%.
EU Phase III Primary Endpoint - Responder Rates at Maximum Frown on Day 30 (GLS = 0 or 1) by Investigator Assessment EU Phase III Primary Endpoint - Non-Inferiority, at Maximum Frown on Day 30 by Investigator Assessment
As presented in the table below, within each group, 32.7% of placebo subjects, 41.9% of BOTOX subjects and 37.6% of Jeuveau® subjects experienced AEs. One placebo subject (1/49, 2.0%), one BOTOX subject (1/246, 0.4%) and three Jeuveau® subjects (3/245, 1.2%) experienced a total of 11 SAEs and none were assessed as study drug related. The drug related eyelid ptosis rates were 1.6% in the Jeuveau® arm and 0% in the BOTOX arm and the eyebrow ptosis rates were 0% in the Jeuveau® arm and 0.4% in the BOTOX arm.
EU and Canadian Phase III Trial - Adverse Event Rate Summary
As presented in the table below, in EVB-003, we also assessed as a secondary endpoint ≥ 1 point improvement GLS at maximum frown for both investigator and patient satisfaction. The investigator assessment at Day 2, the beginning of the study, and at Day 150, at the end of the study, Jeuveau® is statistically superior to placebo as measured by a one-point improvement on the GLS scale by investigator assessment. We also looked at subject satisfaction on Day 30, and Jeuveau® was superior to placebo at 91% versus 6% in the placebo arm.
EU and Canadian Phase III Trial - Select Secondary Endpoints
*P-Value Placebo vs Jeuveau® <0.001
Manufacturing
Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., or Daewoong, manufactures and supplies Jeuveau® to us. Daewoong has over 70 years of experience manufacturing pharmaceutical products and is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in South Korea. Daewoong constructed a facility in South Korea where Jeuveau® is produced. We believe this facility will be sufficient to meet demand for Jeuveau® for the foreseeable future. The FDA conducted a current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, and pre-approval inspection of the facility in November 2017 in connection with our BLA for Jeuveau®. The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, also completed an inspection of the manufacturing facility in February 2018 in connection with our MAA. The U.S. FDA approval of Jeuveau® in February 2019 included approval to manufacture Jeuveau® at Daewoong’s facility.
Daewoong License and Supply Agreement
On September 30, 2013, we entered into the Daewoong Agreement with Daewoong, pursuant to which Daewoong agreed to manufacture and supply Jeuveau® and grant us an exclusive license to import, distribute, promote, market, develop, offer for sale and otherwise commercialize and exploit Jeuveau® for aesthetic indications in the United States, EU, Great Britain, European Economic Area, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, or CIS, and South Africa, each, a covered territory. Provided that if we do not apply for approvals or commence clinical trials in certain covered territories within 12 months of the Daewoong Agreement Amendment, we may no longer have rights to that covered territory. Daewoong also granted us a non-exclusive license to do the same in Japan. In connection with our entry into the Daewoong Agreement, we made an upfront payment to Daewoong of $2.5 million and agreed to make milestone payments upon certain confidential development and commercial milestones, including payment to Daewoong upon each of FDA and EMA approval of Jeuveau®. Under the Daewoong Agreement, the maximum aggregate amount of milestone payments that could have been owed to Daewoong upon the satisfaction of all milestones is $13.5 million. Upon the FDA approval in February 2019 and EMA approval in September 2019, we paid $2.0 million and $1.0 million milestone payment, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, Daewoong was eligible to receive remaining contingent milestone payments of up to $10.5 million, all of which were cancelled in March 2021 as part of the Daewoong Settlement Agreement. Daewoong is responsible for all costs related to the manufacturing of Jeuveau®, including costs related to the operation and upkeep of its manufacturing facility, and we are responsible for all costs related to obtaining regulatory approval, including clinical expenses, and commercialization of Jeuveau®.
Under the Daewoong Agreement, Daewoong has agreed to supply us with Jeuveau® at an agreed-upon, transfer price, and we have agreed to make milestone payments upon completion of certain confidential development and commercial milestones. Our exclusivity is subject to certain minimum annual purchases for each covered territory upon commercialization and if we fail to meet these targets, Daewoong may, at its option, convert the exclusive license for such covered territory to a non-exclusive license. These potential minimum purchase obligations are contingent upon the occurrence of future events, including receipt of governmental approvals and our future market share in various jurisdictions. During the term of the Daewoong Agreement, we cannot purchase, sell or distribute any competing products in a covered territory or Japan or sell Jeuveau® outside a covered territory or Japan. We also have the option to negotiate first with Daewoong to secure a distribution license for any product that Daewoong directly or indirectly develops or commercializes that is classified as an injectable botulinum toxin (other than Jeuveau®) in a covered territory or Japan.
The initial term of the Daewoong Agreement expires September 30, 2023, and automatically renews for unlimited additional three-year terms if we meet certain performance requirements. The Daewoong Agreement will terminate (A) upon written notice by either us or Daewoong upon a continuing default that remains uncured within 90 days (or 30 days for a payment default) by the other party, or (B) without notice upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of our company.
We are the sole owner of any marketing authorization and clinical trial results we pursue in a covered territory. However, if we do not renew the Daewoong Agreement or upon termination of the Daewoong Agreement due to a breach by us, we are obligated to transfer our rights to Daewoong.
The Daewoong Agreement also provides that Daewoong will indemnify us for any losses arising out of (i) Daewoong’s willful misconduct or gross negligence in performing its obligations under the agreement, (ii) Daewoong’s breach of the agreement, or (iii) any allegation that Jeuveau® or Daewoong’s trademark infringes or misappropriates the rights of a third party, except, in each case, as a result of our willful misconduct or gross negligence. We have agreed to indemnify Daewoong for any losses arising out of (A) our willful misconduct or gross negligence in performing our obligations under the agreement, or (B) our breach of the agreement, except, in each case, as a result of Daewoong’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.
Competition
Our primary competitors in the pharmaceutical market are companies offering injectable dose forms of botulinum toxin. There are only four approved injectable botulinum toxin type A neurotoxins in the United States, including Jeuveau®. There are also other injectable botulinum toxin type A products being developed for the U.S. market. We believe the primary competing products in this market include BOTOX, Dysport and Xeomin:
•BOTOX, marketed by Allergan plc, or Allergan, received FDA approval in 2002 for glabellar lines. Allergan was the first company to market neurotoxins for aesthetic purposes.
•Dysport, marketed by Galderma S.A., or Galderma, received FDA approval in 2009 for glabellar lines.
•Xeomin, marketed by Merz Pharma GmbH & Co., or Merz, received FDA approval in 2011 for glabellar lines.
We are also aware that Revance Therapeutics, Inc. has submitted a BLA to the FDA for an injectable botulinum toxin type A neurotoxin and received a target date action date of November 25, 2020 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act; however the FDA has deferred its decision on the BLA and the BLA has not yet been approved. If Revance’s BLA is approved, we expect the competition in the U.S. injectable botulinum toxin market to further increase.
In addition to the companies commercializing and developing neurotoxins, there are other products and treatments that may indirectly compete with Jeuveau®, such as dermal fillers, laser treatments, brow lifts, chemical peels, fat injections and cold therapy. We compete with various companies that have products in these medical aesthetic categories. Among these companies are Allergan, Sanofi, Sun Pharma, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., or Valeant, Mentor Worldwide LLC, a division of Johnson & Johnson, Merz, Galderma, and Skinceuticals, a division of L’Oreal SA. In addition, we are aware of other companies also developing and/or marketing products in one or more of our target markets, including competing injectable botulinum toxin type A formulations that are in various phases of development in North America for the treatment of glabellar lines.
Seasonality
We launched Jeuveau® into the U.S. aesthetic neurotoxin market in May 2019. Given the early stage of our launch of Jeuveau®, the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the impact of the ITC remedial orders, we have not observed significant seasonality in our net revenue to date. However, we are aware that historically the aesthetic neurotoxin market experiences higher revenue in the second and fourth calendar quarters as compared to the first and third calendar quarters.
Government Regulation in the United States
We operate in a highly regulated industry that is subject to significant federal, state, local and foreign regulation. Our business has been, and will continue to be, subject to a variety of laws including the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FFDCA, and the Public Health Service Act, or the PHS Act, among others. Biologics and medical devices are subject to regulation under the FFDCA and PHS Act.
In the United States, cosmetics, dietary supplements, biopharmaceutical products and medical devices are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA. The FFDCA, PHS Act, and other federal and state statutes and regulations, govern, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, storage, recordkeeping, regulatory approval, license or clearance, labeling, promotion and marketing, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, sampling, and import and export of these products. Failure to comply with applicable U.S. requirements may subject a company to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, such as FDA refusal to approve pending license or marketing applications, warning letters and other enforcement actions, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties and criminal prosecution.
FDA Marketing Approval
The process required by the FDA before a biological product may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
•completion of nonclinical laboratory tests and animal studies according to good laboratory practices, or GLPs, and applicable requirements for the humane use of laboratory animals or other applicable regulations;
•submission to the FDA of an investigative new drug application, or IND, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed biological product for its intended use, according to the FDA’s regulations, commonly referred to as good clinical practices, or GCPs, and any additional requirements including those for the protection of human research subjects and their health and other personal information;
•submission to the FDA of a BLA for marketing approval that includes substantive evidence of safety;
•purity and potency from results of nonclinical testing and clinical trials;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities where the biological product is produced to assess compliance with cGMP, to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the biological product’s identity, strength, quality and purity and, if applicable, the FDA’s current good tissue practices for the use of human cellular and tissue products;
•potential FDA audits of the nonclinical study and clinical trial sites that generated the data in support of the BLA; and
•FDA review and approval of the BLA.
Post-Approval Requirements
Once a BLA is approved, a product is subject to certain post-approval requirements. For instance, the FDA closely regulates the post-approval marketing and promotion of biologics, including standards and regulations, off-label promotion, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities and promotional activities involving the internet. Biologics may be marketed only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. Adverse event reporting and submission of periodic reports is required following FDA approval of a BLA. The FDA also may require post-marketing testing, known as Phase IV testing, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, or REMS, and surveillance to monitor the effects of an approved product or place conditions on an approval that could restrict the distribution or use of the product. In addition, quality control as well as product manufacturing, packaging and labeling procedures must continue to conform to cGMP after approval. Manufacturers and certain of their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA during which the agency inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with applicable regulations such as cGMP and the Quality System Regulation. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the areas of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP. Regulatory authorities may withdraw product approvals or request product recalls if a company fails to comply with regulatory standards, if it encounters problems following initial marketing, or if previously unrecognized problems are subsequently discovered.
Other Regulation of the Healthcare Industry
While we do not currently have plans for our neurotoxin product to be covered by insurance or government reimbursement programs, if we were to offer reimbursable products, we could be subject to federal laws and regulations covering reimbursable products, such as the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law and Physician Payment Sunshine Act. These laws that may affect our ability to operate include, but are not limited to:
•The Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibit persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce either the referral of an individual, or furnishing or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program;
•The Federal False Claims Act which imposes civil and criminal liability on individuals and entities who submit, or cause to be submitted, false or fraudulent claims for payment to the government;
•the Federal Civil Monetary Penalties Law, which prohibits, among other things, offering or transferring remuneration to a federal healthcare beneficiary that a person knows or should know is likely to influence the beneficiary’s decision to order or receive items or services reimbursable by the government from a particular provider or supplier;
•The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), which prohibits certain payments made to foreign government officials;
•the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, which created new federal criminal statutes that prohibit knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud or to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by trick, scheme or device a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters;
•the Federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, and its implementing regulations, which require that certain manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, biologics, and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report to the CMS information related to certain payments or other transfers of value made or distributed to physicians, which is defined broadly to include other healthcare providers, teaching hospitals, and ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members; and
•State and foreign law equivalents of the foregoing and state laws regarding pharmaceutical company marketing compliance, reporting and disclosure obligations.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws, regulations, rules or policies or any other law or governmental regulation, or if interpretations of the foregoing change, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
Government Regulation in Europe
In the European Economic Area, or EEA (which is composed of the 28 Member States of the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), medicinal products can only be commercialized after obtaining a Marketing Authorization, or MA.
There are two types of MAs:
•The Community MA, which is issued by the European Commission through the Centralized Procedure, based on the opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the EMA and which is valid throughout the entire territory of the EEA. The Centralized Procedure is mandatory for certain types of products, such as biotechnology medicinal products, orphan medicinal products, and medicinal products indicated for the treatment of AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, auto-immune and viral diseases. The Centralized Procedure is optional for products containing a new active substance not yet authorized in the EEA, or for products that constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation or which are in the interest of public health in the EU.
•National MAs, which are issued by the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA and only cover their respective territory, are available for products not falling within the mandatory scope of the Centralized Procedure.
Because we are a biotechnology medicinal products company, we are eligible for a Community MA under the Centralized Procedure.
Under the above described procedures, before granting the MA, the EMA or the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA make an assessment of the risk-benefit balance of the product on the basis of scientific criteria concerning its quality, safety and efficacy.
Product Approval Process Outside the United States and Europe
In addition to regulations in the United States and EU, we may be subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing manufacturing, clinical trials, commercial sales and distribution of our future products. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval or MA approval for a product candidate, we must obtain approval of the product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before commencing clinical trials or marketing in those countries. The approval process varies from country to country, and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval or MA approval. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from country to country.
Data Privacy and Security Laws and Regulations
We are also subject to data privacy and security regulation by the federal government, states and non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. For example, HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and its implementing regulations, imposes certain requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to “business associates,” those independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain, transmit or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also increased the civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed against covered entities, business associates and possibly other persons, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or
injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney’s fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, state and non-U.S. laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation adopted by the EU, govern the privacy and security of health and other personal information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
There are numerous other laws and legislative and regulatory initiatives at the federal and state levels addressing privacy and security concerns. We also remain subject to federal or state privacy-related laws that are more restrictive than the privacy regulations issued under HIPAA. These laws vary and could impose additional penalties. For example, the Federal Trade Commission uses its consumer protection authority to initiate enforcement actions in response to alleged privacy and data security violations. Further, certain states have proposed or enacted legislation that will create new data privacy and security obligations for certain entities, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which came into effect January 1, 2020 and was recently amended and expanded by the California Privacy Rights Act, or the CRPA, passed on November 3, 2020. The CCPA and CPRA, among other things, create new data privacy obligations for covered companies and provides new privacy rights to California residents, including the right to opt out of certain disclosures of their information. The CCPA also created a private right of action with statutory damages for certain data breaches, thereby potentially increasing risks associated with a data breach. It remains unclear what, if any, additional modifications will be made to the CPRA by the California legislature or how it will be interpreted. Therefore, the effects of the CCPA and CPRA are significant and will likely require us to modify our data processing practices and may cause us to incur substantial costs and expenses to comply, particularly given our base of operations in California.
Environmental Regulation
We are subject to numerous foreign, federal, state, and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations relating to, among other matters, safe working conditions, manufacturing practices, fire hazard control, product stewardship and end-of-life handling or disposition of products, and environmental protection, including those governing the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances and biological materials.
Our History
We were incorporated in November 2012 and are headquartered in Newport Beach, California. In a series of related transactions in 2013, Strathspey Crown Holdings Group, LLC (formerly known as Strathspey Crown Holdings, LLC), or SCH, acquired all of our outstanding equity in exchange for membership interests in SCH. In 2014, SCH contributed our equity that it had acquired in 2013 to its subsidiary operating entity, ALPHAEON Corporation, or Alphaeon. As a result of these transactions, prior to our initial public offering we were a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphaeon. In 2019 Alphaeon changed its name to AEON Biopharma, Inc. and contributed all of the shares it held in the Company to Alphaeon 1, LLC. The Company continues to refer to the renamed AEON Biopharma, Inc. as “Alphaeon” and Alphaeon 1, LLC as Alphaeon 1, LLC.
As of December 31, 2020 and March 25, 2021, Alphaeon owned 25.7% and 19.8% of our outstanding shares of common stock, respectively.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2020, we had 119 employees, all of whom are full-time in the United States, and 63% of our full-time employees were women. None of our employees are represented by labor unions or covered by collective bargaining agreements, and we have never experienced any work stoppage. We believe we have good relations with our employees.
We believe that our future success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and retain highly qualified management and technical personnel. Talent management is critical to our ability to execute on our long-term growth strategy. To facilitate talent attraction and retention, we strive to make our company a safe and rewarding workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by strong compensation and benefits, and by programs that build connections among our employees. We continue to be committed to an inclusive culture which values equity, opportunity, and respect. In support of our inclusive culture, we offer competitive compensation and benefits, including stock awards; provide unconscious bias training to strengthen employee awareness; and strive to recruit a diverse talent pool across all levels of the organization. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented changes that we determined were in the best interest of our employees, as well as the communities in which we operate, and which comply with government regulations. This included implementing a work-from-home policy for all employees who are able to perform their duties remotely and restricting all nonessential travel.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in the State of Delaware in November 2012. Our principal executive offices are located at 520 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1200, Newport Beach, California 92660, and our telephone number is (949) 284-4555. Our website address is www.evolus.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other filing we make with the SEC. We are an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and also a smaller reporting company, and therefore we are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
Available Information
We make available, free of charge, on our website at www.evolus.com our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. All such reports are also available free of charge via EDGAR through the SEC website at www.sec.gov. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through these websites into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, these websites a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other filing we make with the SEC.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in our company involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including Item 7“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and the related notes included in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue, and future prospects could be seriously harmed. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. Unless otherwise indicated, references to our business being seriously harmed in these risk factors will include harm to our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue, and future prospects. In that event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Strategy
We will require additional financing to fund our future operations, and a failure to obtain additional capital when so needed on acceptable terms, or at all, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our operations and as a result, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
We believe that our current capital resources, after taking into account the repayment of the Oxford loan are not sufficient to meet our obligations and fund operations through at least the next 12 months. We will be required to raise additional capital to meet our operating, debt and settlement obligations coming due.
We have utilized substantial amounts of cash since our inception in order to conduct clinical development to support regulatory approval of Jeuveau® in the United States, EU and Canada and in connection with the launch of Jeuveau® in the United States and Canada. We expect that we will continue to expend substantial resources for the foreseeable future in order to pay costs associated with our settlement agreements with Medytox and Allergan, payments to the founders of our company under a promissory note issued to them in 2017 and for the continued commercialization of Jeuveau® in the United States and abroad.
As described in our notes to the financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have incurred recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations and have an accumulated deficit at December 31, 2020 of $376.1 million, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $102.6 million and short-term investments of $5.0 million. On January 4, 2021, we entered into a letter agreement with Oxford Finance, LLC, or Oxford , pursuant to which we paid Oxford $76.4 million to discharge in full all outstanding obligations, included accrued interest, under that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2019.
In the near term, we expect expenditures associated with our settlement agreements with Medytox and Allergan, including a $15.0 million payment due in the second quarter of 2021, and a $20.0 million payment in the fourth quarter of 2021 due to the founders of our company under a promissory note issued to them in 2017. This will be partially offset by a $25.5 million payment from Daewoong to us. Additionally, we expect to expend resources furthering the development and continuation of our marketing programs and commercialization infrastructure in connection with commercializing Jeuveau® within and outside of the United States. In the long term, our expenditures will include costs associated with the continued commercialization of Jeuveau® and any of our future product candidates, such as research and development, conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials and manufacturing and supplying as well as marketing and selling any products approved for sale. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise. Because the commercialization expenditures needed to meet our sales objectives are highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully commercialize Jeuveau®. We expect to incur additional costs as we continue to operate as a public company, hire additional personnel and expand our operations.
If we raise additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements, royalty financing arrangements, or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish certain valuable rights to our product candidates, technologies, future revenue streams or research programs or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings or offerings of securities convertible into our equity, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted and the terms of any such securities may have a preference over our common stock. Debt financing, receivables financing and royalty financing may also be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase our capital stock, which could also result in dilution
of our existing stockholders’ ownership, and such dilution may be material. Additionally, if we raise additional capital through debt financing, we will have increased fixed payment obligations and may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt or making capital expenditures to meet specified financial ratios, and other operational restrictions, any of which could restrict our ability to commercialize Jeuveau® or any future product candidates or operate as a business and may result in liens being placed on our assets. If we were to default on any of our indebtedness, we could lose such assets.
In the event we are unable to raise sufficient capital to fund our commercialization efforts to achieve specified minimum sales targets under the Daewoong Agreement, we will lose exclusivity of the license that we have been granted under the Daewoong Agreement. In addition, if we are unable to raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we will be required to take actions to address our liquidity needs which may include the following: significantly reduce operating expenses and delay, reduce the scope of or discontinue some of our development programs, commercialization efforts or other aspects of our business plan, out-license intellectual property rights to our product candidates and sell unsecured assets, or a combination of the above. As a result, our ability to achieve profitability or to respond to competitive pressures would be significantly limited and may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and/or our ability to fund our scheduled obligations on a timely basis or at all.
We currently depend entirely on the successful commercialization of our only product, Jeuveau®. If we are unable to successfully commercialize Jeuveau®, we may never generate sufficient revenue to continue our business.
We currently have only one product, Jeuveau®, and our business presently depends entirely on our ability to successfully commercialize it in a timely manner. While the product was commercially launched in the United States in May 2019 and through a distribution partner in Canada in October 2019, we have a limited history of generating revenue for Jeuveau®. Our near-term prospects, including our ability to generate revenue, as well as our future growth, depend entirely on the successful commercialization of Jeuveau®. The commercial success of Jeuveau® will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to successfully commercialize Jeuveau®, whether alone or in collaboration with others, including our ability to hire, retain and train sales representatives in the United States. Our ability to commercialize Jeuveau® is also dependent on the willingness of consumers to pay for Jeuveau® relative to other discretionary items, especially during economically challenging times. Additional factors necessary for the successful commercialization of Jeuveau® include the availability, perceived advantages, relative cost, relative safety of Jeuveau® and relative efficacy of competing products, the timing of new product introductions by our competitors, and the sales and marketing tactics of our competitors, including bundling of multiple products, in response to our launch of Jeuveau®.
If we do not achieve one or more of these factors, many of which are beyond our control, in a timely manner or at all, we could experience significant issues commercializing Jeuveau®. Further, we may never be able to successfully commercialize Jeuveau® or any future product candidates. In addition, our experience as a commercial company is limited. Accordingly, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue through the sale of Jeuveau® or any future product candidates to continue our business.
We have a limited operating history and have incurred significant losses since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. We have only one product and limited commercial sales, which, together with our limited operating history, make it difficult to assess our future viability.
We are a performance beauty company with a limited operating history. To date, we have invested substantially all of our efforts and financial resources in the clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercial launch of Jeuveau®, which is currently our only product. We began selling Jeuveau® in the United States in May 2019 and through a distribution partner in Canada in October 2019 and have a limited history of generating revenue. We are not profitable and have incurred losses in each year since our inception in 2012. We have a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. Consequently, any predictions about our future success, performance or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history or greater experience commercializing a product. In addition, we have limited experience and have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome many of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in the medical aesthetics field. We continue to incur significant expenses related to the commercialization of Jeuveau®. We have recorded net losses of $163.0 million and $90.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and had an accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2020 of $376.1 million. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and we anticipate these losses will continue as we commercialize Jeuveau®. Our ability to achieve revenue and profitability is dependent on our ability to successfully market and commercialize Jeuveau®. Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in
subsequent periods. Our prior losses, combined with expected future losses, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to raise capital and continue operations.
If we or our counterparties do not comply with the terms of our settlement agreements with Medytox, Inc., or Medytox, and Allergan Limited, Allergan, Inc. and Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland, or, collectively, Allergan, we may face litigation or lose our ability to commercialize Jeuveau® which would materially and adversely affect our ability to carry out our business, and our financial condition and ability to continue as a going concern.
Effective February 18, 2021, we entered into one Settlement and License Agreement with Allergan and Medytox, which we refer to as the U.S. Settlement Agreement and into another Settlement and License Agreement with Medytox which we refer to as the ROW Settlement Agreement. Collectively, we refer to the U.S. Settlement Agreement and the ROW Settlement Agreement as the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements.
Under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements we obtained (i) a license to commercialize, manufacture and to have manufactured for us certain products identified in the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, including Jeuveau® (the “Licensed Products’), in the United States and other territories where we license Jeuveau®, (ii) the dismissal of outstanding litigation against us, including the ITC Action, a rescission of the related remedial orders, and the dismissal of a civil case in the Superior Court of California against us, which we refer to together with any claims (including claims brought in Korean courts) with a common nexus of fact as the Medytox/Allergan Actions, and (iii) releases of claims against us for the Medytox/Allergan Actions. In exchange, we agreed to (i) make payments of $35 million in multiple payments over two years to Allergan and Medytox, (ii) from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, pay to Allergan and Medytox certain royalties on the sale of Jeuveau®, based on a specified dollar amount per vial sold of Licensed Product by or on behalf of the Company in the United States, (iii) from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, pay to Medytox a low-double digit royalty on net sales of Jeuveau® sold by us or on our behalf in territories we have licensed outside the United States; (iv) from September 16, 2022 to September 16, 2032, pay to Medytox a mid-single digit royalty percentage on net sales of Jeuveau® in the United States and all territories we have licensed outside the United States, (v) issue to Medytox 6,762,652 shares of our common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, which we issued on February 18 2021, and (vi) enter into a Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which we granted certain registration rights to Medytox with respect to such shares of common stock beginning as of March 31, 2022. In addition, under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements we made certain representations and warranties and agreed to positive and negative covenants.
In the event we fail to comply with the terms of the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, subject to applicable cure periods, Allergan and Medytox would have the ability to terminate the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements and thereby cancel the licenses granted to us and re-institute litigation against us. Any litigation may result in remedies against our products, resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our sales, or with respect to our sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties, any of which would materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenue from Jeuveau®, to carry out our business, and to continue as a going concern.
Additionally, if Medytox or Allergan fail to comply with the terms of the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements and do not dismiss the claims to be dismissed or grant the licenses or comply with the covenants and agreements under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, it would materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenue from Jeuveau®, to carry out our business, and to continue as a going concern. We would also be required to engage in costly and time consuming litigation in order to enforce our rights under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements.
The terms of the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements will reduce our profitability and may affect the extent of any discounts we may offer to our customers.
As a result of the royalty payments that we are required to pay under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, our profitability will be impacted. We may be able to offset a portion of the loss of profitability by decreasing any discount to customers on Jeuveau® as compared to discounts we provided to customers prior to the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements. If we reduce discounts for any customers, their volume of purchases may decrease which would have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our business, financial condition and operations may be materially adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak or other similar outbreaks.
The COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, known as COVID-19, or other similar outbreaks of contagious diseases may have material adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The COVID-19 outbreak, and restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, including quarantines, government-mandated actions, stay-at-home orders and other restrictions, has adversely affected our business in a number of ways. For example, the spread of COVID-19 in the United States has resulted and continues to result in travel restrictions impacting our sales professionals and closures of our customers’ businesses, which has adversely affected our sales and operations. In response, we have taken and will continue to take temporary precautionary measures intended to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 to our employees, including requiring our employees and sales professionals, to work remotely when required by local jurisdictions, suspending non-essential travel and restricting in-person work-related meetings. We significantly reduced our operating expenses during this uncertain period, including through meaningful headcount reductions and temporary reductions in executive salaries. As a result of the limitations on our sales force and our headcount reductions, we expect to increasingly depend on our proprietary digital platform to support sales. Other negative impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak or other similar outbreaks could include the availability of our key personnel, temporary closures of our office or the facilities of our business partners, customers, third party service providers or other vendors, and the interruption of our supply chain, distribution channels, liquidity and capital or financial markets. Any of these events may result in a period of business disruption and in reduced sales and operations. In addition, any disruption and volatility in the global capital markets may increase our cost of capital and adversely affect our ability to access financing when and on terms that we desire. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Moreover, Jeuveau® is utilized in elective procedures, the costs of which are borne by the consumer and not third-party payors. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions to slow its spread, these elective procedures have declined dramatically due to closures of our customers’ businesses and as many customers are deferring their procedures. Even after the current COVID-19 outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience negative impacts to our business and financial results if consumers continue to defer or avoid altogether elective procedures to administer Jeuveau® due to the continued perceived risk of infection or concern of a resurgence of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as COVID-19’s global economic impact, including decreases in consumer discretionary spending and any economic slowdown or recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
Unfavorable global economic conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our results of operations could be adversely affected by general conditions in the global economy and in the global financial markets. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a global economic contraction that may last a long time. Significant increases in unemployment stemming from the pandemic have also occurred which will impact consumer discretionary spending. Furthermore, the market for aesthetic medical procedures may be particularly vulnerable to unfavorable economic conditions. We do not expect Jeuveau® for the treatment of glabellar lines to be reimbursed by any government or third-party payor and, as a result, our product will be ultimately paid for by the consumer. Demand for Jeuveau® is tied to discretionary spending levels of our targeted consumer population. A severe or prolonged economic downturn could result in a variety of risks to our business, including a decline in the discretionary spending of our target consumer population, which could lead to a weakened demand for Jeuveau® or any future product candidates. A severe or prolonged economic downturn may also affect our ability to raise additional capital when needed on acceptable terms, if at all. A weak or declining economy could also strain our suppliers, possibly resulting in supply disruption, or cause our customers to delay making payments for our products. Any of the foregoing could harm our business. In addition, our business strategy was developed based on a number of important assumptions about the self-pay healthcare market. For example, we believe that the number of self-pay healthcare procedures will increase in the future. However, these trends are uncertain and limited sources exist to obtain reliable market data. Therefore, sales of Jeuveau® or any of our future product candidates could differ materially from our projections if our assumptions are incorrect.
Jeuveau® faces, and any of our future product candidates will face, significant competition and our failure to effectively compete may prevent us from achieving significant market penetration and expansion.
In May 2019, we commercially launched Jeuveau® into the highly competitive U.S. aesthetic neurotoxin market. In the long term, we expect to expand our focus to the broader self-pay healthcare market. Many of our potential competitors, including Allergan, and now AbbVie Inc., which acquired Allergan, who first launched BOTOX for cosmetic uses in 2002 and has since maintained the highest market share position in the aesthetic neurotoxin market with its BOTOX product, are large, experienced companies that enjoy significant competitive advantages, such as substantially greater financial resources enabling them to, among other things, market and discount aggressively. Competitors may also have greater brand recognition for their products, larger sales forces and larger aesthetic product portfolios allowing the companies to bundle products to provide customers more choices and to further discount their products. Additionally our competitors have greater existing market share in the aesthetic neurotoxin product market and long standing customer loyalty programs and sales contracts with large customers which creates established business and financial relationships with customers, aesthetic societies and universities.
These competitors may also try to compete with Jeuveau® on price both directly, through rebates and promotional programs to high volume physicians and coupons to consumers, and indirectly, through attractive product bundling with complimentary products, such as dermal fillers that offer convenience and an effectively lower price compared to the total price of purchasing each product separately. These companies may also seek to compete based on their longer operating history. Larger companies may be better capitalized than us and, accordingly, are able to offer greater customer loyalty benefits to encourage repeat use of their products and finance a sustained global advertising campaign to compete with our commercialization efforts at launch. A number of our larger competitors also have access to a significant amount of studies and publications that they could use to compete with us.
Competitors and other parties may also seek to impact regulatory approval of our future product applications through the filing of citizen petitions or other similar documents, which could require costly and time-consuming responses to the regulatory agencies. Larger competitors could seek to prevent or delay our commercialization efforts via costly litigation which can be lengthy and expensive and serve to distract our management team’s attention. We could face competition from other sources as well, including academic institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions. In addition, we are aware of other companies also developing and/or marketing products in one or more of our target markets, including competing injectable botulinum toxin type A formulations that are currently in Phase III clinical development in North America for the treatment of glabellar lines. For example, Revance Therapeutics, Inc. has submitted a BLA to the FDA for an injectable botulinum toxin type A neurotoxin and received a target action date of November 25, 2020 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act; however, the FDA has deferred its decision on the BLA and the BLA has not yet been approved. If the BLA is approved, we expect the competition in the U.S. injectable botulinum toxin market to further increase. We would face similar risks with respect to any future product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the broader self-pay healthcare market. Successful competitors in that market have the ability to effectively discover, obtain patents, develop, test and obtain regulatory approvals for products, as well as the ability to effectively commercialize, market and promote approved products, including communicating the effectiveness, safety and value of products to actual and prospective customers and medical staff.
Our strategy of competing in the aesthetic neurotoxin market is dependent on the marketing and pricing flexibility that we believe is afforded to a company with a portfolio limited to self-pay healthcare, comprised of products and procedures that are not reimbursed by third-party payors. In the event that regulations applicable to reimbursed products are changed to apply to self-pay healthcare products, we would no longer have this flexibility and we may not be able to compete as effectively with our competitors which may have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, as a result of the royalty payments that we are required to pay under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, we may not be able to discount Jeuveau® to the extent that we previously provided discounts to customers without impacting our gross margins. If we increase prices for any customers, their volume of purchases may decrease which would have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The first use of Jeuveau® is in aesthetic medicine. The aesthetic product market, and the facial aesthetic market in particular, is highly competitive and dynamic and is characterized by rapid and substantial technological development and product innovations. We have received regulatory approval of Jeuveau® for the treatment of glabellar lines and launched commercially in the United States and through a distribution partner in Canada. We anticipate that Jeuveau® will face significant competition from other facial aesthetic products, such as other injectable and topical botulinum toxins and dermal fillers. Jeuveau® may also compete with unapproved and off-label treatments. In addition, competitors may develop new technologies within the aesthetic market that may be superior in safety and efficacy to Jeuveau® or offer alternatives to the
use of toxins, including surgical and radio frequency techniques. To compete successfully in the aesthetic market, we will have to demonstrate that Jeuveau® is at least as safe and effective as current products sold by our competitors. Competition in the aesthetic market could result in price-cutting and reduced profit margins, any of which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Due to less stringent regulatory requirements, there are many more aesthetic products and procedures available for use in international markets than are approved for use in the United States. There are also fewer limitations on the claims that our competitors in international markets can make about the effectiveness of their products and the manner in which they can market them. As a result, we expect to face more competition in these markets than in the United States.
Our commercial opportunity could also be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, are more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than Jeuveau® or any other product that we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for these products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for our products, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market, which may create additional barriers to successfully commercializing Jeuveau® and any future product candidates and attracting physician and consumer demand.
Jeuveau® may fail to achieve the broad degree of physician adoption and use or consumer demand necessary for commercial success.
Jeuveau® may fail to gain sufficient market acceptance by physicians, consumers and others in the medical aesthetics community. The commercial success of Jeuveau® and any future product candidates will depend significantly on the broad adoption and use of the resulting product by physicians for approved indications, including, in the case of Jeuveau®, the treatment of glabellar lines and other aesthetic indications that we may seek to pursue. We are aware that other companies are seeking to develop alternative products and treatments, any of which could impact the demand for Jeuveau®.
The degree and rate of physician adoption of Jeuveau® and any future product candidates depend on a number of factors, including the cost, profitability to our customers, consumer demand, characteristics and effectiveness of the product. Our success will also depend our ability to create compelling marketing programs, training of our customers and ability to overcome any biases physicians or consumers may have toward the use, safety and efficacy of existing products over Jeuveau®. Moreover, our competitors may utilize negative selling efforts or offer more compelling marketing or discounting programs than we are able to offer, including by bundling multiple aesthetic products to provide a more comprehensive offering than we can as Jeuveau® is currently our sole product.
In addition, in its clinical trials, Jeuveau® was clinically tested and compared to BOTOX. Jeuveau® is the only known neurotoxin product in the United States with a 900 kDa complex other than BOTOX. We believe that aesthetic physicians’ familiarity with the 900 kDa complex’s handling, preparation and dosing will more easily facilitate incorporation of Jeuveau® into their practices. However, the ease of integration of Jeuveau® into a physician’s practice may not be as seamless as we anticipate.
With respect to consumer demand, the treatment of glabellar lines with Jeuveau® is an elective procedure, the cost of which must be borne by the consumer, and we do not expect costs related to the treatment to be reimbursable through any third-party payor, such as Medicaid, Medicare or commercial insurance. The decision by a consumer to undergo treatment with Jeuveau® for the treatment of glabellar lines or other aesthetic indications that we may pursue may be influenced by a number of factors, including the cost, efficacy, safety, perception, marketing programs for, and physician recommendations of Jeuveau® versus competitive products or procedures. Moreover, consumer demand may flucuate over time as a result of consumer sentiment about the benefits and risks of aesthetic procedures generally and Jeuveau® in particular, changes in demographics and social trends, and general consumer confidence and consumer discretionary spending, which may be impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, economic and political conditions.
If Jeuveau® or any future product candidates fail to achieve the broad degree of physician adoption necessary for commercial success or the requisite consumer demand, our operating results and financial condition will be adversely affected, which may delay, prevent or limit our ability to generate revenue and continue our business.
Our ability to market Jeuveau® is limited to use for the treatment of glabellar lines, and if we want to expand the indications for which we market Jeuveau®, we will need to obtain additional regulatory approvals, which will be expensive and may not be granted.
We have received regulatory approval for Jeuveau® in the United States for the treatment of moderate to severe glabellar lines. The terms of that approval restrict our ability to market or advertise Jeuveau® for other indications, which could limit physician and consumer adoption. Under the U.S. Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, we may generally only market Jeuveau® for approved indications. Many of our competitors have received approval of multiple aesthetic and therapeutic indications for their neurotoxin products and may be able to market such products for use in a way we cannot. For example, we are aware that one of our competitors, Allergan (now AbbVie), has obtained and plans to obtain additional indications for its neurotoxin product within medical aesthetics and, therefore, is able to market its product across a greater number of indications than Jeuveau®. If we are unable to obtain approval for indications in addition to our approval for glabellar lines, our marketing efforts for Jeuveau® will be severely limited. As a result, we may not generate physician and consumer demand or approval of Jeuveau®
We rely on our digital technology and applications and our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures or breach by hackers.
As part of the measures we took in April 2020, including reductions in the size of our sales force, we are more reliant on our digital technology, including our Evolus Practice App, which allows customers to open a new account, order Jeuveau®, pay invoices and engage with our customer experience team and medical affairs representatives. In the event that our digital technology is unable to function in the manner they were designed or at all, we would experience difficulty processing customer orders and requests in a timely manner or at all which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The systems underlying our digital technology may not be adequately designed or may not operate with the reliability and redundancy necessary to avoid performance delays or outages that could be harmful to our business. If our digital technology is unavailable when customers attempt to access them, or if they do not load as quickly as expected, users may not use our technology as often in the future, or at all, and our ability to sell Jeuveau® through a more limited sales force may be disrupted and we may not realize the efficiencies of leveraging our digital technology, any of which could adversely affect our business and financial performance. As the number of users of our digital technology continues to grow we will need an increasing amount of technical infrastructure, including network capacity and computing power, to continue to satisfy our needs. It is possible that we may fail to continue to effectively scale and grow our technical infrastructure to accommodate these increased demands, which may adversely affect our customers’ experience with our digital technology which may decrease our revenue and harm our results of operations.
Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of third parties on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, malware, natural disasters, terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, cyberattacks or cyber intrusions over the internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyberattacks or cyber intrusions, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyberterrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. If such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our current or future product development programs. The costs to us to mitigate network security problems, bugs, viruses, worms, malicious software programs and security vulnerabilities could be significant, and while we have implemented security measures to protect our data security and information technology systems, our efforts to address these problems may not be successful, and these problems could result in unexpected interruptions, delays, cessation of service, government files or penalties and other harm to our business and our competitive position. If such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption in our relationship with our customers. For example, if our Evolus Practice App were rendered inoperable, we would have to process orders by telephone or otherwise which may result in slower processing times and harm to our reputation.
Moreover, if a computer security breach affects our systems or results in the unauthorized release of financial information, personally identifiable information, or PII, or other sensitive information our reputation could be materially damaged. In addition, such a breach may require notification to governmental agencies, the media or individuals pursuant to various international, federal and state privacy and security laws, if applicable, including the GDPR, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Clinical Health Act of 2009, and its implementing rules and regulations, as well as regulations promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission and state breach
notification laws. Additionally, the regulatory environment governing information, security and privacy laws is increasingly demanding and continues to evolve and a number of states have adopted laws and regulations that may affect our privacy and data security practices regarding the use, disclosure and protection of PII. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, among other things, has created new individual privacy rights and imposes increased obligations on companies handling PII. We would also be exposed to a risk of loss or litigation and potential liability, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Our liability insurance may not be sufficient in type or amount to cover us against claims related to security breaches, cyberattacks and other related breaches.
Jeuveau® or any other product candidate for which we seek approval as a biologic may face competition sooner than anticipated.
With the enactment of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, or the BPCI Act, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an abbreviated pathway for the approval of biosimilar or interchangeable biological products was created. The abbreviated regulatory pathway establishes legal authority for the FDA to review and approve biosimilar biologics. Under the BPCI Act, an application for a biosimilar product cannot be approved by the FDA until twelve years after the original branded product was approved under a Biologics License Application, or BLA. The law is complex and is still being interpreted and implemented by the FDA. For example, one company has filed a Citizen Petition requesting that the FDA not apply the BPCI Act to pre-enactment BLAs. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation and meaning are subject to uncertainty. While it is uncertain when such processes intended to implement the BPCI Act may be fully adopted by the FDA, any such processes could have a material adverse effect on the future commercial prospects for our biological products.
We believe that Jeuveau® should qualify for the twelve-year period of exclusivity. However, there is a risk that this exclusivity could be shortened due to congressional action or otherwise, or that the FDA will not consider any of our product candidates to be a reference product for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for competition sooner than anticipated. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar product, once approved, will be substituted for any one of our reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological products is not yet clear and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing.
If we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses, or if physicians misuse our products or use our products off-label, we may become subject to prohibitions on the sale or marketing of our products, significant fines, penalties, sanctions, or product liability claims, and our image and reputation within the industry and marketplace could be harmed.
The FDA and other regulatory agencies strictly regulate the marketing and promotional claims that are made about pharmaceutical products, such as Jeuveau®. In particular, a product may not be promoted for uses or indications that are not approved by the FDA or other similar regulatory authorities as reflected in the product’s approved labeling. Physicians could use Jeuveau® on their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved label of the treatment of moderate to severe glabellar lines, potentially including for the treatment of other aesthetic or therapeutic indications. If we are found to have promoted such off-label uses, we may receive warning letters from and be subject to other enforcement actions by the FDA, the EMA and other regulatory agencies, and become subject to significant liability, which would materially harm our business. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion and has enjoined several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. If we become the target of such an investigation or prosecution based on our marketing and promotional practices, we could face similar sanctions, which would materially harm our business. In addition, management’s attention could be diverted from our business operations, significant legal expenses could be incurred, and our reputation could be damaged. The FDA has also required that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed in order to resolve FDA enforcement actions. If we are deemed by the FDA to have engaged in the promotion of our products for off-label use, we could be subject to FDA prohibitions or other restrictions on the sale or marketing of our products and other operations or significant fines and penalties, and the imposition of these sanctions could also affect our reputation and position within the industry. In addition, regulatory authorities outside the United States may impose similar fines, penalties or sanctions.
Physicians may also misuse Jeuveau® or any future product candidates or use improper techniques, potentially leading to adverse results, side effects or injury, which may lead to product liability claims. If Jeuveau® or any future product candidates are misused or used with improper techniques or are determined to cause or contribute to consumer harm, we may become subject to costly litigation by our customers or their patients. Product liability claims could divert management’s attention from our core business, be expensive to defend, result in sizable damage awards against us that may not be covered by insurance and subject us to negative publicity resulting in reduced sales of our products. Furthermore, the use of Jeuveau® or any future product candidates for indications other than those cleared by the FDA may not effectively treat such conditions,
which could harm our reputation in the marketplace among physicians and consumers. Any of these events could harm our business and results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.
Jeuveau® or any of our future product candidates may cause serious or undesirable side effects or possess other unexpected properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial profile of approved labeling, result in post-approval regulatory action or in product liability lawsuits.
Unforeseen side effects from Jeuveau® or our future product candidates could arise either during clinical development or after marketing such product. Undesirable side effects caused by product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, modify, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA, the EMA or similar regulatory authorities. Results of clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects. In such an event, trials could be suspended or terminated and the FDA, the EMA or similar regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of or deny approval of product candidates for any or all targeted indications. The drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial or result in product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Additionally, if we or others identify undesirable side effects, or other previously unknown problems, caused by Jeuveau®, or any of our future product candidates, after obtaining regulatory approval in the United States or other jurisdictions, a number of potentially negative consequences could result, including regulatory authorities withdrawing approval or limiting the marketing of our products, requiring a recall of the product, requiring additional warnings on our product labeling or medication guides or instituting Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, or REMS. In order to mitigate these risks, regulatory authorities may require additional costly clinical trials or costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of the product. As a result of any of these actions our sales of the product may decrease significantly, we may be required to expend material amounts to comply with any requirements of the regulatory authorities, we could be sued in a product liability lawsuit and held liable for harm caused to patients, and our brand and reputation may suffer.
We face an inherent risk of product liability as a result of the commercialization of Jeuveau® and any of our future product candidates. For example, we may be sued if any product we develop allegedly causes injury or is found to be otherwise unsuitable during product testing, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability and a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted against us under state consumer protection acts. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to limit commercialization of our products. Even a successful defense would require significant financial and management resources and result in decreased demand for Jeuveau® or any future product candidates or products we may develop, termination of clinical trial sites or entire trial programs, injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention, withdrawal of clinical trial participants or cancellation of clinical trials and significant costs and diversion management’s time to defend the related litigation.
Our inability to obtain and maintain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost and scope of coverage to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of Jeuveau® or any future products that we develop. We currently carry product liability insurance covering our clinical trials. Although we maintain such insurance, any claim that may be brought against us could result in a court judgment or settlement in an amount that is not covered, in whole or in part, by our insurance or that is in excess of the limits of our insurance coverage. Our insurance policies also have various exclusions and deductibles, and we may be subject to a product liability claim for which we have no coverage. We will have to pay any amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts. Moreover, in the future, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses.
Any of the above events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product, negatively impact our revenues and could substantially increase the costs of commercializing our products. The demand for Jeuveau® could also be negatively impacted by any adverse effects of a competitor’s product or treatment.
Our failure to successfully in-license, acquire, develop and market additional product candidates or approved products would impair our ability to grow our business.
Although most of our effort is focused on the commercialization of Jeuveau®, a key element of our long-term strategy is to in-license, acquire, develop, market and commercialize a portfolio of products to serve the self-pay aesthetic market. Because
our internal research and development capabilities are limited, we may be dependent upon pharmaceutical and other companies, academic scientists and other researchers to sell or license products or technology to us. The success of this strategy depends partly upon our ability to identify and select promising pharmaceutical product candidates and products, negotiate licensing or acquisition agreements with their current owners and finance these arrangements.
The process of proposing, negotiating and implementing a license or acquisition of a product candidate or approved product is lengthy and complex. Other companies, including some with substantially greater financial, marketing, sales and other resources, may compete with us for the license or acquisition of product candidates and approved products. We have limited resources to identify and execute the acquisition or in-licensing of third-party products, businesses and technologies and integrate them into our current infrastructure. Moreover, we may devote resources to potential acquisitions or licensing opportunities that are never completed, or we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such efforts. We may not be able to acquire the rights to additional product candidates on terms that we find acceptable, or at all.
Further, any product candidates that we acquire may require additional development efforts prior to commercial sale, including preclinical or clinical testing and approval by the FDA, the EMA and other similar regulatory authorities. All product candidates are prone to risks of failure during pharmaceutical product development, including the possibility that a product candidate will not be shown to be sufficiently safe and effective for approval by regulatory authorities. In addition, any approved products that we acquire may not be manufactured or sold profitably or achieve market acceptance.
We may need to increase the size of our organization, including our sales and marketing capabilities in order to further commercialize Jeuveau® and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.
As of December 31, 2020, we had 119 employees, all of whom constituted full-time employees. Our management and personnel, systems and facilities currently in place may not be adequate to support future growth. Our need to effectively execute our growth strategy requires that we identify, recruit, retain, incentivize and integrate any additional employees to effectively manage any future clinical trials, manage our internal development efforts effectively while carrying out our contractual obligations to third parties, and continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures.
We face risks in building and managing a sales organization whether internally or by utilizing third parties, including our ability to retain and incentivize qualified individuals, provide adequate training to sales and marketing personnel, generate sufficient sales leads, effectively manage a geographically dispersed sales and marketing team, adequately provide complementary products to be offered by sales personnel, which may otherwise put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines, and handle any unforeseen costs and expenses. Any failure or delay in the development of our internal sales, marketing and distribution capabilities would adversely impact the commercialization of these products.
Due to our limited financial resources and our limited experience in managing a company with such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel. The physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our development and strategic objectives or disrupt our operations.
Our international operations will expose us to risks, and failure to manage these risks may adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
We currently have operations in the United States and may have international operations in the future. International operations are subject to a number of inherent risks, and our future results could be adversely affected by a number of factors, including differences in demand for our products due to local requirements or preferences, the difficulty of hiring and managing employees with cultural and geographic differences and the costs of complying with differing regulatory requirements. Additionally, we may experience difficulties and increased costs due to differences in laws related to enforcing contracts, protecting intellectual property, taxes, tariffs and export regulations.
Our international operations will also subject us to risks related to multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as privacy regulations, including General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, tax laws, export and import restrictions, employment laws, immigration laws, labor laws, regulatory requirements and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses. Additionally, we will face heightened risk of unfair or corrupt business practices in certain geographies and of improper or fraudulent sales arrangements that may impact financial results and result in restatements of, or irregularities in,
financial statements. These and other factors could harm our ability to gain future revenue and, consequently, materially impact our business, operating results and financial condition.
If we fail to attract and keep senior management and key scientific personnel, we may be unable to commercialize Jeuveau® successfully, or any future products we develop.
Our success depends in part on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified management. We believe that our future success is highly dependent upon the contributions of our senior management, particularly David Moatazedi, our President, Chief Executive Officer and member of our board of directors, Lauren Silvernail, our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Rui Avelar, our Chief Medical Officer and Head of R&D, and Crystal Muilenburg, our Chief Marketing Officer, as well as other members of our senior management team. The loss of services of any of these individuals could delay or prevent the successful development of our product pipeline, completion of our planned clinical trials or the commercialization of Jeuveau® or any future products we develop.
In addition, we could experience difficulties attracting and retaining qualified employees in the future. For example, competition for qualified personnel in the pharmaceuticals and aesthetic medicine field is intense due to the limited number of individuals who possess the skills and experience required by our industry. We may not be able to attract and retain quality personnel on acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, to the extent we hire personnel from competitors, we may be subject to allegations that they have been improperly solicited or that they have divulged proprietary or other confidential information or that their former employers own their research output.
Our strategy of focusing exclusively on the self-pay healthcare market may limit our ability to increase sales or achieve profitability.
Our strategy is to focus exclusively on the self-pay healthcare market. This focus may limit our ability to increase sales or achieve profitability. For example, to maintain our business model, we have chosen not to offer products or services available in the broader healthcare market that are reimbursed by third-party payors such as Medicare, Medicaid or commercial insurance. This eliminates our ability to offer a substantial number of products and indications for Jeuveau®.
For example, on December 18, 2017, we entered into the therapeutic agreement with Alphaeon, or the therapeutic agreement, relating to certain rights to the therapeutic indications of botulinum toxin products under the Daewoong Agreement. Pursuant to the therapeutic agreement, we agreed not to sell, sub-license or otherwise dispose in whole or in part the therapeutic option or the rights underlying the therapeutic option and hold the therapeutic option and the underlying rights in trust for Alphaeon. Our entry into the therapeutic agreement and the entry by Alphaeon into an agreement directly with Daewoong eliminate our ability to expand the permitted uses of botulinum toxin products for therapeutic indications.
Jeuveau® is the only U.S. neurotoxin without a therapeutic indication, although other companies may seek to develop a similar product in the future. We believe pursuing an aesthetic-only non-reimbursed product strategy allows for meaningful strategic advantages in the United States, including pricing and marketing flexibility. However, physicians may choose to not pass any cost benefits received by them due to such pricing flexibility to their patients. In addition, companies offering aesthetic products competitive to Jeuveau®, whether they pursue an aesthetic-only non-reimbursed product strategy or not, may nonetheless try to compete with Jeuveau® on price both directly through rebates, promotional programs and coupons and indirectly through attractive product bundling and customer loyalty programs. Our business, financial results and future prospects will be materially harmed if we cannot generate sufficient consumer demand for Jeuveau®.
Our business involves the use of hazardous materials, and we and our third-party manufacturer and supplier must comply with environmental laws and regulations, which can be expensive and restrict how we do business.
Our research and development and manufacturing activities in the future may, and Daewoong’s manufacturing and supplying activities presently do, involve the controlled storage, use and disposal of hazardous materials, including botulinum toxin type A, a key component of Jeuveau®, and other hazardous compounds. We and Daewoong are subject to laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these hazardous materials. In some cases, these hazardous materials and various wastes resulting from their use are stored at Daewoong’s facilities pending their use and disposal. We and Daewoong cannot eliminate the risk of contamination, which could cause an interruption of Daewoong’s manufacturing processes, our commercialization efforts, business operations and environmental damage resulting in costly clean-up and liabilities under applicable laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. Although we believe that the safety procedures utilized by Daewoong for handling and disposing of these materials generally comply with the standards prescribed by these laws and regulations, this may not eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In such an event, we may be held liable
for any resulting damages and such liability could exceed our resources, and state or federal or other applicable authorities may curtail our use of certain materials and interrupt our business operations. Furthermore, environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent.
We may use third-party collaborators to help us develop, validate or commercialize any new products, and our ability to commercialize such products could be impaired or delayed if these collaborations are unsuccessful.
We may license or selectively pursue strategic collaborations for the development, validation and commercialization of Jeuveau® and any future product candidates. In any third-party collaboration, we would be dependent upon the success of the collaborators in performing their responsibilities and their continued cooperation. Our collaborators may not cooperate with us or perform their obligations under our agreements with them. Our collaborators may choose to pursue alternative technologies in preference to those being developed in collaboration with us. The development, validation and commercialization of our product candidates will be delayed if collaborators fail to conduct their responsibilities in a timely manner or in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements or if they breach or terminate their collaboration agreements with us. Disputes with our collaborators could also impair our reputation or result in development delays, decreased revenues and litigation expenses.
In addition, we may face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to consumers, the potential of competing products, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of technology, which can exist if there is a challenge to such ownership without regard to the merits of the challenge and industry and market conditions generally. The collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such a collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidate. Collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document.
We may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of such product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market and generate revenue.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
We have incurred substantial losses during our history and do not expect to become profitable in the near future, and we may never achieve profitability. To the extent that we continue to generate taxable losses, unused losses will carry forward to offset future taxable income, if any, until such unused losses expire. Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50% change (by value) in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards, or NOLs, and other pre-change tax attributes, such as research tax credits, to offset its post-change income may be limited. As of December 31, 2020, we had $246.0 million of federal NOLs and $149.1 million of state NOLs available to offset our future taxable income, if any. As of December 31, 2020, we had federal research and development credit carryforwards of $1.5 million. These federal and state NOLs and federal research and development tax credit carryforwards expire at various dates beginning in 2034. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership. As a result, if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change NOLs to offset U.S. federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed.
Risks Related to Our Relationship with Daewoong
We rely on the license and supply agreement, the Daewoong Agreement, with Daewoong to provide us exclusive rights to distribute Jeuveau® in certain territories. Any termination or loss of significant rights, including exclusivity, under the Daewoong Agreement would materially and adversely affect our development or commercialization of Jeuveau®.
Pursuant to the Daewoong Agreement, we have secured an exclusive license from Daewoong, a South Korean pharmaceutical manufacturer, to import, distribute, promote, market, develop, offer for sale and otherwise commercialize and exploit Jeuveau® for aesthetic indications in the United States, EU, Canada, Australia, Russia, C.I.S. and South Africa, as well as co-exclusive distribution rights with Daewoong in Japan. The Daewoong Agreement imposes on us obligations relating to exclusivity, territorial rights, development, commercialization, funding, payment, diligence, sublicensing, intellectual property protection and other matters. We are obligated to conduct development activities, obtain regulatory approval of Jeuveau®, obtain from Daewoong all of our product supply requirements for Jeuveau® and pay to Daewoong regulatory milestone payments and other cash payments in connection with the net sales of Jeuveau®. In addition, under the Daewoong Agreement, we are required to submit our commercialization plan to a joint steering committee, or JSC, comprised of an equal number of development and commercial representatives from Daewoong and us, for review and input. Although the Daewoong Agreement provides us with final decision-making power regarding the marketing, promotion, sale and/or distribution of Jeuveau®, any disagreement among the JSC would be referred to Daewoong’s and our respective senior management for resolution if the JSC is unable to reach a decision within thirty days, which may result in a delay in our ability to implement our commercialization plan or harm our working relationship with Daewoong. If we fail to achieve minimum annual purchase targets of Jeuveau® under the Daewoong Agreement, Daewoong may, at its sole option, elect to convert the exclusive license to a non-exclusive license. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and the potential loss of our ability to discount the product to levels previously provided as a result of the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, it may become more difficult for us to achieve the minimum annual purchase targets for Jeuveau® which may result in the license being converted to a non-exclusive license.
The initial term of the Daewoong Agreement will expire on September 30, 2023 in any of the aforementioned territories. The Daewoong Agreement will renew for unlimited additional three-year terms after the expiration of the initial term, only if we meet certain performance requirements during the initial term or preceding renewal term, as applicable. We or Daewoong may terminate the Daewoong Agreement if the other party breaches any of its duties or obligations and such breach continues without cure for ninety days, or thirty days in the case of a payment breach, or if we declare bankruptcy or assign our business for the benefit of creditors.
If we breach any material obligations, or use the intellectual property licensed to us in an unauthorized manner, we may be required to pay damages to Daewoong and Daewoong may have the right to terminate our license. In addition, if any of the regulatory milestones or other cash payments become due under the terms of the Daewoong Agreement, we may not have sufficient funds available to meet our obligations, which would allow Daewoong to terminate the Daewoong Agreement. Any termination or loss of rights, including exclusivity, under the Daewoong Agreement would materially and adversely affect our ability to commercialize Jeuveau®, which in turn would have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects. If we were to lose our rights under the Daewoong Agreement, we believe it would be difficult for us to find an alternative supplier of a botulinum toxin type A complex. In addition, to the extent the alternative supplier has not secured regulatory approvals in a jurisdiction, we would have to expend significant resources to obtain regulatory approvals that may never be obtained or require several years to obtain, which could significantly delay commercialization. We may be unable to raise additional capital to fund our operations during this extended time on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, if we experience delays as a result of a dispute with Daewoong, the demand for Jeuveau® could be materially and adversely affected.
We currently rely solely on Daewoong to manufacture Jeuveau®, and as such, any production or other problems with Daewoong could adversely affect us.
We depend solely upon Daewoong for the manufacturing of Jeuveau®. Although alternative sources of supply may exist, the number of third-party suppliers with the necessary manufacturing and regulatory expertise and facilities is limited, and it could be expensive and take a significant amount of time to arrange for and qualify alternative suppliers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Suppliers of any new product candidate would be required to qualify under applicable regulatory requirements and would need to have sufficient rights under applicable intellectual property laws to the method of manufacturing the product candidate. Obtaining the necessary FDA approvals or other qualifications under applicable regulatory requirements and ensuring non-infringement of third-party intellectual property rights could result in a significant interruption of supply and could require the new manufacturer to bear significant additional costs which may be passed on to us.
In addition, our reliance on Daewoong entails additional risks, including reliance on Daewoong for regulatory compliance and quality assurance, the possible breach of the Daewoong Agreement by Daewoong, and the possible termination or nonrenewal of the Daewoong Agreement at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us. Our failure, or the failure of Daewoong, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including fines, injunctions,
civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of Jeuveau®. Our dependence on Daewoong also subjects us to all of the risks related to Daewoong’s business, which are all generally beyond our control. Daewoong’s ability to perform its obligations under the Daewoong Agreement is dependent on Daewoong’s operational and financial health, which could be negatively impacted by several factors, including changes in the economic, political and legislative conditions in South Korea and the broader region in general and the ability of Daewoong to continue to successfully attract customers and compete in its market. Furthermore, Daewoong’s recently constructed manufacturing facility is Daewoong’s only facility meeting FDA and European Medicines Agency, or EMA, cGMP requirements. Daewoong’s lack of familiarity with, or inability to effectively operate, the facility and produce products of consistent quality, may harm our ability to compete in our market.
Additionally, although we are ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements such as cGMPs, we are dependent on Daewoong for day-to-day compliance with cGMP for production of drug substance and finished products. Facilities used by Daewoong to produce the drug substance and materials or finished products for commercial sale must pass inspection and be approved by the FDA and other relevant regulatory authorities. If the safety of Jeuveau® is compromised due to a failure to adhere to applicable laws or for other reasons, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our product and we may be held liable for injuries sustained as a result. In addition, the manufacturing facilities of certain of our suppliers are located outside of the United States. This may give rise to difficulties in importing our product into the United States or other countries as a result of, among other things, regulatory agency approval requirements, taxes, tariffs, local import requirements such as import duties or inspections, incomplete or inaccurate import documentation or defective packaging. Any of these factors could adversely impact our ability to effectively commercialize Jeuveau®.
Any failure or refusal by Daewoong or any other third party to supply Jeuveau® or any other product candidates or products that we may develop could delay, prevent or impair our clinical development or commercialization efforts.
Moreover, Daewoong developed the manufacturing process for Jeuveau® and manufactures Jeuveau® in a recently constructed facility located in South Korea. If this facility were to be damaged, destroyed or otherwise unable to operate or comply with regulatory requirements, whether due to earthquakes, fire, floods, hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, other natural disasters, public health emergencies (such as the COVID-19 outbreak) employee malfeasance, terrorist acts, power outages or otherwise, or if operations at the facility is disrupted for any other reason, such an event could jeopardize Daewoong’s ability to manufacture Jeuveau® as promptly as we or our customers expect or possibly at all. If Daewoong is unable to manufacture Jeuveau® within a timeframe that meets our and our customers’ expectations, our business, prospects, financial results and reputation could be materially harmed. Any disaster recovery and business continuity plans that we and Daewoong have in place or put in place may not be adequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses as a result of our or Daewoong’s lack of disaster recovery and business continuity plans, or the adequacy thereof, which could have a material adverse effect on our business
We forecast the demand for commercial quantities of our products, and if our forecasts are inaccurate, we may experience delays in shipments, increased inventory costs or inventory levels, and reduced cash flow.
We purchase Jeuveau® from Daewoong. Pursuant to the Daewoong Agreement, we submit forecasts of anticipated product orders to Daewoong and may, from time to time, submit purchase orders on the basis of these forecasting requirements. Our limited historical experience may not provide us with enough data to accurately predict future demand. In addition, we expect Daewoong to manufacture its own product, Nabota, a botulinum toxin formulation, from this facility for sale in the South Korean market and other markets in which we do not have exclusive rights. If our business significantly expands, our demand for commercial products would increase and Daewoong may be unable to meet our increased demand. In addition, our product will have fixed future expiration dates. If we overestimate requirements for Jeuveau®, we will have excess inventory, which may have to be disposed of if such inventory exceeds approved expiration dates, which would result in lost revenues and increase our expenses. If we underestimate requirements for Jeuveau®, we may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt, delay or prevent delivery of our products to our customers. Any of these occurrences would negatively affect our financial performance.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay our commercialization efforts and interrupt our supply of products.
Our commercial success depends in part on our avoiding infringement of the proprietary rights of third parties. Competitors in the field of dermatology, aesthetic medicine and neurotoxins have developed large portfolios of patents and patent
applications in fields relating to our business. In particular, there are patents held by third parties that relate to the treatment with neurotoxin-based products for the indication we are currently developing. There may also be patent applications that have been filed but not published that, when issued as patents, could be asserted against us. There is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the United States, involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the technology, medical device and pharmaceutical industries, including patent infringement lawsuits, interferences, oppositions and inter-party reexamination proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing Jeuveau®. As the technology, medical device and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our product candidates may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties.
Third parties may assert that we or any of our current or future licensors, including Daewoong, are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of Jeuveau® or any future product candidates. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications that may later result in issued patents that Jeuveau® or any future product candidates may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of Jeuveau® or any future product candidates, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize such product candidate unless we obtain a license under the applicable patents or until such patents expire. Similarly, if any third-party patent were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover aspects of our methods of use, the holders of any such patent may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the applicable product candidate unless we obtain a license or until such patent expires. In either case, such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
In addition to claims of patent infringement, third parties may bring claims against us asserting misappropriation of proprietary technology or other information in the development, manufacture and commercialization of Jeuveau® or any of our future product candidates. Defense of such a claim would require dedicated time and resources, which time and resources could otherwise be used by us toward the maintenance of our own intellectual property and the development and commercialization of Jeuveau® and any of our future product candidates or by any of our current or future licensors for operational upkeep and manufacturing of our products. For example, prior to entering into the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, we were a defendant in a lawsuit brought by in the Superior Court of the State of California, or the Medytox Litigation, and a respondent in an action filed by Allergan and Medytox in the U.S. International Trade Commission, each alleging, among other things, that Daewoong stole Medytox’s botulinum toxin bacterial strain, or the BTX strain, that Daewoong misappropriated certain trade secrets of Medytox, including the process used to manufacture Jeuveau® (which Medytox claims is similar to its biopharmaceutical drug, Meditoxin) using the BTX strain, and that Daewoong thereby interfered with Medytox’s plan to license Meditoxin to us, or the Medytox Litigation. Each of the Medytox Litigation and the ITC Action diverted the attention of our senior management and were costly, in terms of legal costs and the ultimate payments and royalties to be paid under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements.
Parties making claims against us or any of our current or future licensors may request and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement, we or any of our current or future licensors may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, obtain one or more licenses from third parties which may not be commercially or more available, pay royalties or redesign our infringing products or manufacturing processes, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. Furthermore, even in the absence of litigation, we may need to obtain licenses from third parties to advance our research, manufacture clinical trial supplies or allow commercialization of Jeuveau® or any future product candidates. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates, which could harm our business significantly. Similarly, third-party patents could exist that might be enforced against our products, resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our sales, or with respect to our sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties.
If we or any of our current or future licensors, including Daewoong, are unable to maintain, obtain or protect intellectual property rights related to Jeuveau® or any of our future product candidates, we may not be able to compete effectively in our market.
We and our current licensor, Daewoong, currently rely upon a combination of trademarks, trade secret protection, confidentiality agreements and proprietary know-how. Botulinum toxin cannot be patented, as it is produced by Clostridium botulinum, a gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming, motile bacterium with the ability to produce the neurotoxin botulinum. Only the manufacturing process for botulinum toxin can be patented, for which Daewoong has obtained a U.S. patent. Our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information and those of our licensors could be disclosed or competitors could otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. Further, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States. As a result, we or any of our current or future licensors may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our or their intellectual property both in the United States and internationally. If we or any of our current or future licensors are unable to prevent material disclosure of the non-patented intellectual property related to Jeuveau® to third parties, we may not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could adversely affect our business.
In addition to the protection afforded by trademarks, confidentiality agreements and proprietary know-how, we may in the future rely upon in-licensed patents for any future product offerings. The strength of patents we may in-license in the technology and healthcare fields involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. The patent applications that we may in-license may fail to result in issued patents with claims that cover any of our future product candidates in the United States or in other foreign countries, and the issued patents that we may in-license may be declared invalid or unenforceable.
We are reliant on the ability of Daewoong, as the licensor of our only product, and will be reliant on future licensors of any future product candidates, to maintain their intellectual property and protect their intellectual property against misappropriation, infringement or other violation. We may not have primary control over our future licensors’ patent prosecution activities. Furthermore, we may not be allowed to comment on prosecution strategies, and patent applications may be abandoned by the patent owner without our knowledge or consent. With respect to patents that are issued to our licensors, or patents that may be issued on patent applications, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability or scope, which may result in such patents being narrowed or invalidated. As a licensee, we are reliant on Daewoong and our future licensors to defend any third-party claims. Our licensors may not defend or prosecute such actions as vigorously or in the manner that we would have if entitled to do so, and we will be subject to any judgment or settlement resulting from such actions. Also, a third-party may challenge the validity of our in-licensing transactions. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, any of our future in-licensed patents and patent applications may not adequately protect the licensors or our intellectual property or prevent others from designing around their or our claims.
We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property or the patents and other intellectual property of our licensors, which could be expensive and time-consuming.
Competitors may infringe our intellectual property, including any future patents we may acquire, or the patents and other intellectual property of our licensors, including Daewoong. As a result, we or any of our current or future licensors may be required to file infringement claims to stop third-party infringement or unauthorized use. This can be expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent of ours or any of our current or future licensors is not valid or is unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patent claims do not cover its technology or that the factors necessary to grant an injunction against an infringer are not satisfied.
An adverse determination of any litigation or other proceedings could put one or more of such patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Interference, derivation or other proceedings brought at the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority or patentability of inventions with respect to any of our future patent applications or those of our licensors or collaborators. Litigation or USPTO proceedings brought by us or any of our current or future licensors may fail or may be invoked against us or our licensors by third parties. Even if we are successful, domestic or foreign litigation or USPTO or foreign patent office proceedings may result in substantial costs and distraction to our management or the management of any of our current or future licensors, including Daewoong. We may not be able, alone or with any of our current or future licensors or collaborators, to prevent misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect such rights as fully as in the United States.
Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or other proceedings, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation or proceedings. In addition, during the course of this kind of litigation or proceedings, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments or public access to related documents. If investors perceive these results to be negative, the market price for our common stock could be significantly harmed.
Most of our competitors are larger than we are and have substantially greater resources. They are, therefore, likely to be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation longer than we could. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property. In addition, the uncertainties associated with litigation could compromise our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our internal research programs, or in-license needed technology or other product candidates. There could also be public announcements of the results of the hearing, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive those results to be negative, it could cause the price of shares of our common stock to decline.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States and in some cases may even force us to grant a compulsory license to competitors or other third parties. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from using our inventions in all countries outside the United States or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceuticals, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
In addition, our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights may be adversely affected by unforeseen changes in domestic and foreign intellectual property laws.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patents for our product candidates, we also rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position.
We seek to protect our trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, collaborators, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We expect to enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts within and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate it, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties.
We employ individuals who were previously employed at other pharmaceutical or medical aesthetic companies. We may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information of our employees’ former employers or other third parties. We may also be subject to claims that former employers or other third parties have an ownership interest in our patents. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. We may not be successful in defending these claims, and even if we are successful, litigation could result in substantial cost and be a distraction to our management and other employees. Any litigation or the threat thereof may adversely affect our ability to hire employees. A loss of key personnel or their work product could diminish or prevent our ability to commercialize product candidates, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may need to license intellectual property from third parties, and such licenses may not be available or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms.
A third party may hold intellectual property, including patent rights that are important or necessary to the development of our future product candidates. It may be necessary for us to use the patented or proprietary technology of third parties to commercialize our product candidates, in which case we would be required to obtain a license from these third parties on commercially reasonable terms, or our business could be harmed, possibly materially.
If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be adversely affected.
Our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name recognition by potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely affected.
Third parties may assert that we are using trademarks or trade names that are confusingly similar to their marks. If any third party were able to establish that our trademarks or trade names were infringing their marks, that third party may be able to block our ability to use the infringing trademark or trade name. In addition, if a third party were to bring such a claim, we would be required to dedicate time and resources to fight the claim, which time and resources could otherwise be used toward the maintenance of our own intellectual property.
Parties making claims against us may request and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could prevent our ability to use the subject trademarks or trade names. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement. We may be required to re-brand one or more of our products, product candidates, or services offered under the infringing trademark or trade name, which may require substantial time and monetary expenditure. Third parties could claim senior rights in marks which might be enforced against our use of trademarks or trade names, resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our sales under those trademarks or trade names.
Risks Related to Government Regulation
Our business and products are subject to extensive government regulation.
We are subject to extensive, complex, costly and evolving regulation by federal and state governmental authorities in the United States, the EU, Canada and other countries, principally by the FDA, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the EMA and other similar regulatory authorities. Daewoong is also subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and the South Korean regulatory authorities as well as other regulatory authorities. Our failure to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, or Daewoong’s failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, including those promulgated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and the Controlled Substances Act, may subject us to operating restrictions and criminal prosecution, monetary penalties and other enforcement or administrative actions, including, sanctions, warnings, product seizures, recalls, fines, injunctions, suspension, revocation of approvals, or exclusion from future participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Following regulatory approval, we, and our direct and indirect suppliers, including Daewoong, remain subject to the periodic inspection of our plants and facilities, review of production processes, and testing of our products to confirm that we are in compliance with all applicable regulations. Adverse findings during regulatory inspections may result in requirements that we implement REMS programs, requirements that we complete government mandated clinical trials, and government enforcement actions including those relating to labeling, advertising, marketing and promotion, as well as regulations governing manufacturing controls.
If we experience delays in obtaining approval or if we fail to obtain approval of our product candidates, the commercial prospects for our product candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.
We may not obtain regulatory approval for the commercialization of any future product candidates.
The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, import, export, marketing and distribution of drug and biologic products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries, with regulations differing from country to country. If we, our products or the manufacturing facilities for our products fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, a regulatory agency may:
•impose restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, suspend or withdraw product approvals or revoke necessary licenses;
•issue warning letters, show cause notices or untitled letters describing alleged violations, which may be publicly available;
•mandate modifications to promotional materials or require us to provide corrective information to healthcare practitioners;
•require us to enter into a consent decree, which can include imposition of various fines, reimbursements for inspection costs, required due dates for specific actions and penalties for noncompliance;
•commence criminal investigations and prosecutions;
•impose injunctions;
•impose other civil or criminal penalties;
•suspend any ongoing clinical trials;
•delay or refuse to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us;
•refuse to permit drugs or active ingredients to be imported or exported;
•suspend or impose restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; or
•seize or detain products or require us to initiate a product recall.
Prior to obtaining approval to commercialize a product candidate in the United States or abroad, we or our collaborators must demonstrate with substantial evidence from well-controlled clinical trials, and to the satisfaction of the FDA, the EMA or other similar foreign regulatory authorities, that such product candidates are safe and effective for their intended uses. Results from preclinical studies and clinical trials can be interpreted in different ways. Even if we and our collaborators believe the preclinical or clinical data for our product candidates are promising, such data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA, the EMA and other similar regulatory authorities. Administering product candidates to humans may produce undesirable side effects, which could interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and result in the FDA, the EMA or other similar regulatory authorities delaying or denying approval of a product candidate for any or all targeted indications.
Regulatory approval of a BLA or BLA supplement, MAA, or other product approval is not guaranteed, and the approval process is expensive and may take several years. The FDA, the EMA and other regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process. Despite the time and expense expended, failure can occur at any stage, and we could encounter problems that cause us to abandon, modify or repeat clinical trials, or perform additional preclinical studies and clinical trials. The number of preclinical studies and clinical trials that will be required for the FDA, the EMA or other regulatory approval varies depending on the product candidate, the disease or condition that the product candidate is designed
to address and the regulations applicable to any particular product candidate. The FDA, the EMA and other regulatory authorities can delay, limit or deny approval of a product candidate for many reasons, including the following:
•a product candidate may not be deemed safe, effective, pure or potent;
•the data from preclinical studies and clinical trials may not be deemed sufficient;
•the FDA or other regulatory authorities might not approve our third-party manufacturers’ processes or facilities;
•deficiencies in the formulation, quality control, labeling, or specifications of a product candidate or in response to citizen petitions or similar documents filed in connection with the product candidate;
•general requirements intended to address risks associated with a class of drugs, such as a new REMS requirement for neurotoxins;
•the enactment of new laws or promulgation of new regulations that change the approval requirements; or
•the FDA or other regulatory authorities may change their approval policies or adopt new regulations.
If any future product candidates fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy in clinical trials or do not gain approval, our business and results of operations will be materially and adversely harmed.
We are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense, limit or delay regulatory approval and subject us to penalties if we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Jeuveau® and any other approved products are subject to continual regulatory review by the FDA, the EMA and other similar regulatory authorities.
Any regulatory approvals that we or our collaborators receive for any future product candidates may also be subject to limitations on the approved indications for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product. In addition, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for Jeuveau® and any other future product candidates will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with cGMP requirements and compliance with GCP requirements, for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with Jeuveau® or any future product candidates, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things: restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, withdrawal of the product from the market, or voluntary or mandatory product recalls; fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials; refusal by the FDA, the EMA or other similar regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or our strategic collaborators or suspension or revocation of product license approvals; product seizure or detention or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
Our ongoing regulatory requirements may also change from time to time, potentially harming or making costlier our commercialization efforts. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would adversely affect our business.
If we fail to obtain regulatory approvals in foreign jurisdictions for Jeuveau® or any future product candidates, we will be unable to market our products outside of the United States.
In addition to regulations in the United States, we are and will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing manufacturing, clinical trials, commercial sales and distribution of our future products. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product candidate, we must obtain approval of the product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before commencing clinical trials or marketing in those countries. The approval procedures vary among countries and can involve additional clinical testing, and the time required to obtain approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries, and approval by one or more
foreign regulatory authorities does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other foreign countries or by the FDA. The foreign regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. We may not be able to file for regulatory approvals or to do so on a timely basis, and even if we do file, we may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in markets outside of the United States.
Jeuveau® or any future products may cause or contribute to adverse medical events that we are required to report to regulatory agencies and if we fail to do so, we could be subject to sanctions that would materially harm our business.
Some participants in our clinical trials have reported adverse events after being treated with Jeuveau®. If we are successful in commercializing Jeuveau® or any other product candidate, the FDA and other regulatory agency regulations require that we report certain information about adverse medical events if those products may have caused or contributed to those adverse events. The timing of our obligation to report would be triggered by the date we become aware of the adverse event as well as the nature of the event. We may fail to report adverse events that we become aware of within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to appreciate that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or removed in time from the use of our products. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations, the FDA, the EMA or other similar regulatory authorities could take action including criminal prosecution, the imposition of civil monetary penalties, seizure of our products, or delay in approval or clearance of future products.
We may in the future be subject to various U.S. federal and state laws pertaining to health care fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback, self-referral, false claims and fraud laws, and any violations by us of such laws could result in fines or other penalties.
While we do not expect that Jeuveau® will subject us to the various U.S. federal and most state laws intended to prevent health care fraud and abuse, we may in the future become subject to such laws. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the offer, receipt, or payment of remuneration in exchange for or to induce the referral of patients or the use of products or services that would be paid for in whole or part by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal health care programs. Remuneration has been broadly defined to include anything of value, including cash, improper discounts, and free or reduced price items and services. Many states have similar laws that apply to their state health care programs as well as private payors. Violations of anti-kickback and other applicable laws can result in exclusion from federal health care programs and substantial civil and criminal penalties.
The federal False Claims Act, or FCA, imposes liability on persons who, among other things, present or cause to be presented false or fraudulent claims for payment by a federal health care program. The FCA has been used to prosecute persons submitting claims for payment that are inaccurate or fraudulent, that are for services not provided as claimed, or for services that are not medically necessary. The FCA includes a whistleblower provision that allows individuals to bring actions on behalf of the federal government and share a portion of the recovery of successful claims. Some state law equivalents of the above federal laws, such as the Anti-Kickback Statute and FCA, apply to items or services regardless of whether the good or service was reimbursed by a government program, so called all-payor laws. These all-payor laws could apply to our sales and marketing activities even if the Anti-Kickback Statute and FCA laws are inapplicable.
If our marketing or other arrangements were determined to violate anti-kickback or related laws, including the FCA or an all-payor law, then we could be subject to penalties, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, the exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, individual imprisonment or the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could materially and adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results.
State and federal authorities have aggressively targeted pharmaceutical companies for alleged violations of these anti-fraud statutes, based on improper research or consulting contracts with doctors, certain marketing arrangements with pharmacies and other healthcare providers that rely on volume-based pricing, off-label marketing schemes, and other improper promotional practices. Companies targeted in such prosecutions have paid substantial fines, have been ordered to implement extensive corrective action plans, and have in many cases become subject to consent decrees severely restricting the manner in which they conduct their business, among other consequences. Additionally, federal and state regulators have brought criminal actions against individual employees responsible for alleged violations. If we become the target of such an investigation or prosecution based on our contractual relationships with providers or institutions, or our marketing and promotional practices, we could face similar sanctions, which would materially harm our business.
Also, the FCPA and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our internal control policies and
procedures may not protect us from reckless or negligent acts committed by our employees, future distributors, partners, collaborators or agents. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could result in fines, penalties or prosecution and have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and reputation.
Legislative or regulatory healthcare reforms in the United States and other countries may make it more difficult and costly for us to obtain regulatory clearance or approval of any future product candidates and to produce, market, and distribute our products after clearance or approval is obtained.
From time to time, legislation is drafted and introduced in the U.S. Congress or other countries that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the regulatory clearance or approval, manufacture, and marketing of regulated products or the reimbursement thereof. In addition, regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of any future product candidates. Such changes could, among other things, require changes to manufacturing or marketing methods, changes to product labeling or promotional materials, recall, replacement, or discontinuance of one or more of our products; and additional recordkeeping.
Each of these would likely entail substantial time and cost and could materially harm our business and our financial results. In addition, delays in receipt of or failure to receive regulatory clearances or approvals for any future products would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Relationship with Alphaeon and Alphaeon 1, LLC
Alphaeon 1, LLC may exert significant influence over our business, and the concentrated ownership of our common stock and certain contractual rights of Alphaeon 1, LLC may prevent you and other stockholders from influencing significant decisions.
As of December 31, 2020 and March 25, 2021, Alphaeon 1, LLC owned 25.7% and 19.8% of our outstanding shares of common stock, respectively. This concentrated ownership position may provide Alphaeon 1, LLC with significant influence in determining the outcome of corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, including the election and removal of directors. This significant stock ownership may also discourage transactions involving a change-of-control of our company, including transactions in which you as a holder of our common stock might otherwise receive a premium for your shares.
Certain of our directors may have actual or potential conflicts of interest because of their ownership of debt and equity securities in Alphaeon and Alphaeon 1, LLC and their positions with Alphaeon and Alphaeon 1, LLC.
Vikram Malik, Simone Blank, and Robert Hayman serve on our board of directors. Such directors or entities they are affiliated with currently own and may in the future own equity, debt or convertible debt of Alphaeon and Alphaeon 1, LLC, which we refer to collectively as the Alphaeon entities. These individuals’ or entities’ holdings of debt or equity securities, options to purchase shares of Alphaeon entities or other equity awards in the Alphaeon entities may be significant for some of these persons or entities compared to these persons’ or entities’ total assets. Additionally, each of Mr. Malik, and Ms. Blank serve on the board of directors of Alphaeon and board of managers of Alphaeon 1, LLC. Their positions at the Alphaeon entities and the ownership of any Alphaeon entity equity, debt or equity awards may create, or may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest when these directors are faced with decisions that could have different implications for the Alphaeon entities than the decisions have for us.
These decisions include corporate opportunities; the impact that operating decisions for our business may have on the Alphaeon entities’ consolidated financial statements; the impact that operating or capital decisions (including the incurrence of indebtedness) for our business may have on the Alphaeon entities’ current or future indebtedness or the covenants under that indebtedness; the timing and amount of financing efforts, whether they are debt or equity, and the amount of resulting dilution to existing shareholders; business combinations involving us; our dividend policy; management stock ownership; and the related party services and agreements between Alphaeon and us.
Potential conflicts of interest could also arise if we decide to enter into any new commercial arrangements with the Alphaeon entities or SCH in the future or in connection with the Alphaeon entities’ desire to enter into new commercial arrangements with third parties.
Furthermore, disputes may arise between Alphaeon entities and us relating to our past and ongoing relationship, and these potential conflicts of interest may make it more difficult for us to favorably resolve such disputes, including those related to:
•indemnification and other matters arising from our initial public offering;
•the nature, quality and pricing of services Alphaeon agrees to provide to us;
•sales or other disposal by Alphaeon 1, LLC of all or a portion of its ownership interest in us; and
•business combinations involving us.
We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts, and even if we do, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated party. While we are not controlled by the Alphaeon entities, we may not have the leverage to negotiate amendments to these agreements, if required, on terms as favorable to us as those we would negotiate with an unaffiliated third party.
Alphaeon and its directors and officers will have limited liability to us or you for breach of fiduciary duty.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that, subject to any contractual provision to the contrary, Alphaeon has no obligation to refrain from: engaging in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as we do; doing business with any of our clients or consumers; or employing or otherwise engaging any of our officers or employees.
Our certificate of incorporation provides for the allocation of certain corporate opportunities between us and Alphaeon. Under these provisions, neither Alphaeon nor its other affiliates, nor any of their officers, directors, agents, stockholders, members, partners and subsidiaries, will have any obligation to present to us certain corporate opportunities. For example, a director or officer of our company who also serves as a director, officer or employee of Alphaeon or any of its other affiliates may present to Alphaeon certain acquisitions, in-licenses, potential development programs or other opportunities that may be complementary to our business, if he or she was not offered such corporate opportunity in his or her capacity as our director or officer, and, as a result, such opportunities may not be available to us. To the extent attractive corporate opportunities are allocated to Alphaeon or its other affiliates instead of to us, we may not be able to benefit from these opportunities.
In addition, under our certificate of incorporation, neither Alphaeon nor any officer or director of Alphaeon, except as provided in our certificate of incorporation, will be liable to us or to our stockholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of any of these activities.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Securities class action and derivative lawsuits have been filed against us and certain of our officers and directors, which could result in substantial costs and could divert management attention.
As disclosed in Part II, Item 3 “Legal Proceedings,” we and certain of our officers have been named as defendants in a recently initiated securities class action lawsuit and we are a nominal defendant in derivative lawsuits filed against certain of our officers and directors. We intend to engage in a vigorous defense of such litigation. If we are not successful in our defense of such litigation, we could be forced to make significant payments to or other settlements with our stockholders and their lawyers, and such payments or settlement arrangements could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. We may be also be the target of this type of litigation in the future, as companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities act litigation. Even if the claims asserted in these lawsuits are not successful, the litigation could result in substantial costs and significant adverse impact on our reputation and divert management’s attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.
The trading price of our common stock may be volatile, and purchasers of our common stock could incur substantial losses.
Our stock price is volatile. For example, the closing price of our common stock during the year ended December 31, 2020 has ranged from a low of $2.92 to a high of $12.21. The stock market in general and the market for earlier-stage pharmaceutical and medical aesthetic companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors,
some of which are beyond our control, including:
•announcements of results of clinical trials or regulatory approval or disapproval of product candidates;
•unanticipated safety concerns related to the use of Jeuveau® or any of our future products;
•any termination or loss of rights under the Daewoong Agreement;
•the FDA or other U.S. or foreign regulatory or legal actions or changes affecting us or our industry;
•adverse developments concerning our manufacturer or any future strategic partnerships;
•adverse developments concerning litigation pending against us;
•introductions and announcements of new technologies and products by us, any commercialization partners or our competitors, and the timing of these introductions and announcements;
•variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;
•success or failure of competitive products or medical aesthetic products generally;
•changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;
•announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, licenses, strategic partnerships, new product approvals and introductions, joint ventures or capital commitments;
•overall financial market conditions for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors and issuance of securities analysts’ reports or recommendations;
•changes in financial estimates or guidance, including our ability to meet our future revenue and operating profit or loss estimates or guidance;
•the public’s reaction to our earnings releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;
•rumors and market speculation involving us or other companies in our industry;
•short selling of our common stock or the publication of opinions regarding our business prospects in a manner that is designed to create negative market momentum;
•sales of substantial amounts of our stock by Alphaeon or other significant stockholders or our insiders, or the expectation that such sales might occur;
•news reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in medical aesthetics market or the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry;
•operating and stock performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us and overall performance of the equity markets;
•additions or departures of key personnel, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Marketing Officer;
•intellectual property, product liability or other litigation against us, our manufacturer or other parties on which we rely or litigation against our general industry;
•announcements or actions taken by Alphaeon as our controlling stockholder, including sales of substantial amounts of our common stock by Alphaeon;
•changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of securities and the incurrence of additional debt;
•changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles; and
•other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical aesthetics companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors may affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market prices of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against that company. We may become the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources from our business.
Future sales of our common stock by us, Alphaeon 1, LLC, Medytox, Daewoong or others, or the perception that such sales may occur, could depress the market price of our common stock.
We have 43,733,316 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of March 25, 2021. Sales by us of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could significantly reduce the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.
As of December 31, 2020 and March 25, 2021, Alphaeon 1, LLC owned 25.7% and 19.8% of our outstanding shares of common stock, respectively. As of March 25, 2021, Medytox owned 15.5% of our outstanding shares of common stock, respectively. Medytox’s shares of common stock are subject to a lock up that expires as to 25% of the shares on each of February, 16, 2022, September 16, 2023, September 16, 2024 and September 16, 2025. Subject to the restrictions described in the paragraph below, future sales of these shares in the public market will be subject to the volume and other restrictions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act for so long as Alphaeon 1, LLC and Medytox are deemed to be our affiliate, unless the shares to be sold are registered with the SEC. The sale by Alphaeon 1, LLC or Medytox of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, or a perception that such sales could occur, could significantly reduce the market price of our common stock.
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC covering shares of our common stock available for future issuance under our 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan and may file future registration statements covering shares of our common stock for future issuance under any future plans. Upon effectiveness of such registration statements, any shares subsequently issued under such plans will be eligible for sale in the public market, except to the extent that they are restricted by the lock-up agreements referred to above and subject to compliance with Rule 144 in the case of our affiliates. Sales of a large number of the shares issued under these plans in the public market, or a perception that such sales could occur, could significantly reduce the market price of our common stock.
Anti-takeover provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as Delaware law, could discourage a takeover.
Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that might enable our management to resist a takeover and might make it more difficult for an investor to acquire a substantial block of our common stock. These include the following provisions:
•permit our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may designate, without stockholder approval, which could be used to dilute the ownership of a hostile bidder significantly;
•provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of our board of directors and that a director may only be removed for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of our voting stock;
•provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
•divide our board of directors into three classes, with each class serving staggered three-year terms, which may delay the ability of stockholders to change the membership of a majority of our board of directors;
•require that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and not be taken by written consent;
•provide that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide notice in writing in a timely manner and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice, which may discourage or deter a potential acquiror from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquiror’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company;
•prohibit cumulative voting in the election of directors, which limits the ability of minority stockholders to elect director candidates; and
•provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the chairman of the board, our Chief Executive Officer or by our board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration by our company of a take-over proposal or to take certain corporate actions, including the removal of directors.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with an interested stockholder who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. This provision could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change-of-control, whether or not it is desired by or beneficial to our stockholders. Further, other provisions of Delaware law may also discourage, delay or prevent someone from acquiring us or merging with us.
Our certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for all “internal corporate claims.” “Internal corporate claims” are claims that are based upon a violation of a duty by a current or former director, officer or stockholder in such capacity, or as to which Title 8 of the DGCL confers jurisdiction upon the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or the Court of Chancery, in each case subject to the Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants and the claim not being one which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. For example, this choice of forum provision would not apply to claims brought pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this provision of our certificate of incorporation. The choice of forum provision in our certificate of incorporation will not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
This choice of forum provision may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, employees and agents even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. Stockholders who do bring a claim in the Court of Chancery could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Delaware. The Court of Chancery may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Claims for indemnification by our directors and officers may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party
claims against us and may reduce the amount of money available to us.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that we can indemnify our directors and officers, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Separate indemnity agreements have been issued with each director and executive officer.
In addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, our bylaws and our indemnification agreements that we have entered into with our directors and officers, among other things provide that:
•We have indemnified our directors and officers for serving us in those capacities, or for serving as a director, officer, employee or agent of other business enterprises at our request, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Delaware law provides that we may indemnify such person if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to our best interest and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.
•We may, in our discretion, indemnify employees and agents in those circumstances where indemnification is permitted by applicable law.
•We will be required to advance expenses, as incurred, to our directors and officers in connection with defending a proceeding, except that such directors or officers shall undertake to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification.
•The rights conferred in our bylaws will not be exclusive. We may not retroactively amend our bylaw provisions to reduce our indemnification obligations to directors, officers, employees and agents.
As a result, claims for indemnification by our directors and officers may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims against us and may reduce the amount of money available to us.
We are an “emerging growth company,” and the reduced reporting requirements available to emerging growth companies could make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
•being permitted to have only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related selected financial data and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure;
•an exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
•reduced disclosure about executive compensation arrangements in our periodic reports, registration statements and proxy statements; and
•exemptions from the requirements to seek non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements.
To the extent we take advantage of any of these exemptions, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than what is available with respect to other public companies. Investors may find our common stock less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we may still qualify as a “smaller reporting company” which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) as long as we do not otherwise also qualify as an “accelerated filer” or “large accelerated filer” for SEC reporting purposes and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. Investors could find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our trading price may be more volatile.
General Risk Factors
Our business could be negatively affected as a result of actions of activist stockholders, and such activism could impact the trading value of our securities.
Stockholders may, from time to time, engage in proxy solicitations or advance stockholder proposals, or otherwise attempt to effect changes and assert influence on our board of directors and management. Activist campaigns that contest or conflict with our strategic direction or seek changes in the composition of our board of directors could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition. A proxy contest would require us to incur significant legal and advisory fees, proxy solicitation expenses and administrative and associated costs and require significant time and attention by our board of directors and management, diverting their attention from the pursuit of our business strategy. Any perceived uncertainties as to our future direction and control, our ability to execute on our strategy, or changes to the composition of our board of directors or senior management team arising from a proxy contest could lead to the perception of a change in the direction of our business or instability which may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, make it more difficult to pursue our strategic initiatives, or limit our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners, any of which could adversely affect our business and operating results. If individuals are ultimately elected to our board of directors with a specific agenda, it may adversely affect our ability to effectively implement our business strategy and create additional value for our stockholders. We may choose to initiate, or may become subject to, litigation as a result of the proxy contest or matters arising from the proxy contest, which would serve as a further distraction to our board of directors and management and would require us to incur significant additional costs. In addition, actions such as those described above could cause significant fluctuations in our stock price based upon temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.
If securities or industry analysts publish unfavorable research about our business or decrease the frequency or cease to provide coverage of our company, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about us and our business. If one or more of the equity research analysts who cover us downgrades our common stock or issues other unfavorable commentary or research the price of our common stock may decline. If one or more equity research analysts ceases coverage of our company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which in turn could cause the trading price or trading volume of our common stock to decline.
We have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the future, and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our stock.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, and the payment of dividends is also restricted under our credit facility. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as our board of directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain executive management and qualified board members.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Complying with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and operating results. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our business and operating results. We may need to hire more employees in the future or engage outside consultants to assist us in complying with these requirements, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time
consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased selling, general and administrative expenses and a diversion of our management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties.
Our corporate headquarters is located at 520 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1200, Newport Beach, CA 92660, in a facility that we lease, encompassing approximately 17,758 square feet of space. The lease for this facility expires on January 31, 2025. We believe our facilities are sufficient for our current needs. When our lease expires, we may exercise our renewal option or look for additional or alternate space for our operations, and we believe that suitable additional or alternative space will be available in the future on commercially reasonable terms.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
Medytox Litigation
On June 7, 2017, Medytox Inc., or Medytox, filed an initial complaint in the Superior Court of the State of California, or the Medytox Litigation, against, us, Alphaeon, SCH, Daewoong, Byung Kook Lee, Jae Chun Yoon, Jae Seung Yoon and Chang Woo Suh, among others, or collectively, the defendants. On August 14, 2017, Medytox filed an amended complaint against the defendants, or the amended complaint. The amended complaint alleges, among other things, that Daewoong stole Medytox’s botulinum toxin bacterial strain, or the BTX strain, that Daewoong misappropriated certain trade secrets of Medytox, including the process used to manufacture Jeuveau® (which Medytox claims is similar to its biopharmaceutical drug, Meditoxin) using the BTX strain, and that Daewoong thereby interfered with Medytox’s plan to license Meditoxin to us. Medytox claimed that as a result of Daewoong’s conduct, we entered into the Daewoong Agreement instead of an agreement with Medytox to license Meditoxin.
With specific regard to us, Medytox alleged that (i) we violated California Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Cal. Civ. Code § 3426 because Daewoong’s alleged knowledge of the misappropriation of certain trade secrets of Medytox is imputed to us as a result of our relationship with Daewoong, (ii) we stole the BTX strain through our possession of and refusal to return the BTX strain, (iii) we engaged in unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business acts and practices in violation of California Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200, including conversion of the BTX strain and misrepresentations to the public regarding the source of the botulinum toxin bacterial strain used to manufacture Jeuveau®, and (iv) the Daewoong Agreement was invalid and in violation of Medytox’s rights.
Medytox sought, among other things, (i) actual, consequential and punitive damages, (ii) a reasonable royalty, as appropriate, (iii) a declaration that the Daewoong Agreement is void and unenforceable and that Medytox is entitled to disgorgement of all property wrongfully and unjustly retained or acquired by the defendants, including unlawfully gained profits, (iv) injunctive relief prohibiting us from using the license under the Daewoong Agreement and distributing Jeuveau®, and (v) attorneys’ fees and costs.
Effective February 18, 2021, we, Medytox and Allergan entered into the U.S. Settlement Agreement pursuant to which we and Medytox agreed to dismiss the Medytox Litigation. On February 23, 2021, the Medytox Litigation was dismissed.
ITC Complaint
On January 30, 2019, Allergan and Medytox filed a complaint against us and Daewoong in the U.S. International Trade Commission, or the ITC, containing substantially similar allegations to the Medytox Litigation, specifically that Jeuveau® is manufactured based on misappropriated trade secrets of Medytox and therefore the importation of Jeuveau® is an unfair act. The ITC matter is entitled In the Matter of Certain Botulinum Toxin Products, or the ITC Complaint. On March 6, 2019, the ITC instituted an investigation as ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1145, or the ITC Action. The ITC complaint called for an investigation by the ITC Office of Unfair Import Investigations, or OUII, under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The ITC complaint sought (i) an investigation pursuant to Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, (ii) a hearing with the ITC on permanent relief, (iii) issuance of a limited exclusion order forbidding entry of Jeuveau® into the United States, (iv) a cease and desist order prohibiting Daewoong and us from engaging in the importations, sale for importation, marketing, distribution, offering for sale, the sale after the importation of, or otherwise transferring Jeuveau® within the United States, (v) a bond issued during the presidential review period, (vi) the return of Medytox’s trade secrets and other confidential information including the alleged stolen BTX Strain, and (vii) exclusion and cease and desist orders.
On December 16, 2020, the ITC issued its final determination in the ITC Action. The final determination partially affirmed the Administrative Law Judge’s (“ALJ’s”) ruling in the initial determination that found a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 had occurred by reason of a misappropriation of certain manufacturing process trade secrets. The ITC also reversed the ALJ’s finding that a trade secret exists with respect to a bacterial strain. As a result, the ITC issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of Jeuveau® into the United States for a period of 21 months and (2) a cease and desist order preventing the Company from, among other things, selling, marketing, or promoting such imported Jeuveau® in the United States for a period of 21 months (“Restricted Period”). We refer to the limited exclusion order and the cease and desist order collectively as, the remedial orders.
The Final Determination was subject to a 60-day presidential review period before taking effect. During the presidential review period, the Company was permitted to continue importation and sales of Jeuveau® subject to payment of a bond of $441.00 for every vial distributed in the United States. The Presidential review period ended on February 16, 2021.
Prior to the expiration of the presidential review period, we filed an emergency motion with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, or the Federal Circuit which issued an emergency stay which suspended the execution of the remedial order pending appeal of the ITC’s decision, briefing for which was to be due by March 5, 2021.
Effective February 18, 2021, we entered into a Settlement and License Agreement with Medytox and Allergan, which we refer to as the U.S. Settlement Agreement, pursuant to which we, Allergan and Medytox agreed to rescind the remedial orders, dismiss the ITC Action and dismiss any appeal by Evolus of the ITC Action in the Federal Circuit. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the ITC Action has not yet been dismissed.
For additional information about the U.S. Settlement Agreement and the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, see Item 1 “Business-Final Ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Subsequent Settlement Agreements.”
Securities Class Action Lawsuit
On October 16 and 28, 2020, two putative securities class action complaints were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by putative Evolus shareholders Armin Malakouti and Clinton Cox, respectively, naming us and certain of our officers as defendants. The complaints assert violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, claiming that the defendants made false and materially misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts related to the Company’s acquisition of the right to sell Jeuveau®, the ITC Action and risks related to the ITC Action. The complaints assert a putative class period of February 1, 2019 to July 6, 2020. The court consolidated the actions on November 13, 2020, under the caption In re Evolus Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:20-cv-08647 (PGG). Four putative shareholders (or groups of shareholders) have since moved to be appointed lead plaintiff. Under the court’s November 13, 2020 order, defendants need not move, answer, or otherwise respond to the complaints until 60 days after a lead plaintiff is appointed and files a consolidated, amended complaint.
Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit
On November 27, 2020 and December 2, 2020, two putative Evolus shareholders filed substantially similar shareholder derivative actions in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against certain of our officers and directors as defendants. The complaints allege substantially similar facts as those in the Securities Class Action and assert claims for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, unjust enrichment, violations of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act, and for contribution under Sections 10(b) and 21(D) of the Exchange Act. On February 5, 2021, the court consolidated the actions under the caption In re Evolus, Inc. Derivative Litigation, No. 1:20-cv-09986-PGG, and adjourned defendants’ time to move, answer, or otherwise respond to the complaints. On March 8, 2021, the parties filed a stipulation and proposed order to stay the consolidated derivative suit pending the court’s decision on defendants’ anticipated motion to dismiss the Securities Class Action.
It is possible that additional suits will be filed, or additional allegations will be made by stockholders, with respect to these same or similar or other matters and also naming us and/or our officers and directors as defendants. We believe that the complaints are without merit and intend to vigorously defend against them. However, the outcome of the legal proceedings is uncertain at this point. Based on information available to us at present, we cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss and accordingly have not accrued any liability associated with this action.
Other Matters
In addition to the legal proceedings set forth above, from time to time, we may be subject to other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Part II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our common stock has been listed and traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “EOLS” since February 12, 2018.
Holders of Record
As of March 25, 2021, we had approximately 36 holders of record of our common stock. This number does not include beneficial owners whose shares were held in street name. The actual number of holders of our common stock is greater than this number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners, but whose shares are held in street name by brokers or held by other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock and we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on our capital stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support our operations and finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, tax considerations, legal or contractual restrictions, business prospects, the requirements of current or then-existing debt instruments, general economic conditions and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. The payment of dividends is also restricted under our credit facility.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we did not issue any unregistered securities except as previously disclosed in that certain Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 7, 2020.
Purchases of Equity Securities
We made no purchases of our equity securities during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2020.
Performance Graph
Not applicable.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following discussion contains management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations and should be read together with the historical financial statements, the notes thereto included in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs and involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described in the Item 1A “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should carefully read “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Item 1A “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are a performance beauty company with a customer-centric approach focused on delivering breakthrough products in the self-pay aesthetic market. In February 2019, we received the approval of our first product Jeuveau® (prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. In May 2019, we commercially launched Jeuveau® in the United States.
Jeuveau® is a proprietary 900 kDa purified botulinum toxin type A formulation indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines, also known as “frown lines,” in adults. Our primary market is the self-pay aesthetic market, which includes medical products purchased by physicians and other customers that are then sold to consumers or used in procedures for aesthetic indications that are not reimbursed by any third-party payor, such as Medicaid, Medicare or commercial insurance. We believe we offer customers and consumers a compelling value proposition with Jeuveau®. Currently, onabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX) is the neurotoxin market leader, and prior to the approval of Jeuveau®, was the only known 900 kDa botulinum toxin type A complex approved in the United States. We believe aesthetic physicians generally prefer the performance characteristics of the complete 900 kDa neurotoxin complex and are accustomed to injecting this formulation.
In August 2018, we received approval from Health Canada for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines in adult patients under 65 years of age. We began marketing Jeuveau® in Canada in October 2019 through our distribution partner Clarion Medical Technologies, Inc., or Clarion. In September 2019, we also received approval from the European Commission, to market the product in all 28 EU member states, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. In January 2021, we received a positive decision from the European Commission to add the 50 unit product to the existing approval obtained in September 2019. We plan to launch Jeuveau® in Europe in early 2022.
Impact on Our Business of Final Ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Subsequent Settlements
On January 30, 2019, Allergan and Medytox filed a complaint against us and Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., or Daewoong in the ITC alleging that Jeuveau® is manufactured based on misappropriated trade secrets of Medytox and therefore the importation of Jeuveau® is an unfair act. The ITC matter, which we refer to herein as the ITC Action, is entitled In the Matter of Certain Botulinum Toxin Products. The ITC instituted an investigation as ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1145.
On December 16, 2020, the ITC issued a final determination in the ITC Action and issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of Jeuveau® into the United States for a period of 21 months and (2) a cease and desist order preventing the Company from, among other things, selling, marketing, or promoting such imported Jeuveau® in the United States for a period of 21 months. We refer to the limited exclusion order and the cease and desist order collectively as the remedial orders. The Final Determination was subject to a 60-day presidential review period before taking effect. During the presidential review period, we were permitted to continue importation and sales of Jeuveau® subject to payment of a bond of $441 per vial. During the Presidential Review period, we increased customer pricing significantly due to the bond amount required to keep Jeuveau® on the market. As a result, we generated nominal revenue from mid-December 2020 through mid-February 2021.
Effective February 18, 2021, we entered into a Settlement and License Agreement with Medytox and Allergan, which we refer to as the U.S. Settlement Agreement and another Settlement and License Agreement with Medytox which we refer to as the ROW Settlement Agreement. We refer to the U.S. Settlement Agreement and the ROW Settlement Agreement collectively as the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements.
Under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, we obtained (i) a license to commercialize, manufacture and to have manufactured for us certain products identified in the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, including Jeuveau® (the “Licensed Products”), in the United States and other territories where we license Jeuveau®, (ii) the dismissal of outstanding
litigation against us, including the ITC Action, a rescission of the related remedial orders, and the dismissal of a civil case in the Superior Court of California against us, which we refer to together with any claims (including claims brought in Korean courts) with a common nexus of fact as the Medytox/Allergan Actions, and (iii) releases of claims against us for the Medytox/Allergan Actions. In exchange, we agreed to (i) make cash payments of $35.0 million in multiple payments over two years to Allergan and Medytox, (ii) pay to Allergan and Medytox certain royalties on the sale of Jeuveau®, based on a certain dollar amount per vial sold of Licensed Product by or on behalf of the Company in the United States, from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, (iii) from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, pay to Medytox a low-double digit royalty on net sales of Jeuveau® sold by us or on our behalf in territories we have licensed outside the United States; (iv) from September 16, 2022 to September 16, 2032, pay to Medytox a mid-single digit royalty percentage on net sales of Jeuveau® in the United States and all territories we have licensed outside the United States, (v) issue to Medytox of 6,762,652 shares of our common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, which we issued on February 18, 2021, and (vi) entered into a Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which we granted certain registration rights to Medytox with respect to such shares of common stock beginning as of March 31, 2022. In addition, under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, we made certain representations and warranties and agreed to positive and negative covenants.
On March 23, 2021, we entered into a Confidential Settlement and Release Agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., or Daewoong, which we refer to as the Daewoong Settlement Agreement, a Convertible Promissory Note Conversion Agreement, which we refer to as the Conversion Agreement and the Third Amendment to the Supply Agreement (which amends the Daewoong Agreement), which we refer to as the Daewoong Agreement Amendment. We refer the Daewoong Settlement Agreement, the Conversion Agreement and the Daewoong Agreement Amendment collectively as the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement.
Under the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement, (i) Daewoong agreed to (a) pay us an amount equal to $25.5 million, (b) pay certain reasonable legal fees incurred by our litigation counsel in connection with its defense of the ITC Action (including any appeal of the resulting remedial orders), (c) cancel all remaining milestone payments up to $10.5 million in aggregate under our Daewoong Agreement, and (d) reimburse us certain amounts (calculated on a dollar amount per vials sold basis in the United States) for sales of certain products with respect to which we are required to pay Medytox and Allergan royalties pursuant to the U.S. Settlement Agreement; and (ii) we agreed to (y) release certain claims we may have against Daewoong or certain of its affiliates and representatives related to the allegations made in or the subject matter of the Medytox/Allergan Actions, or any orders, remedies and losses resulting from the Medytox/Allergan Actions, and (z) coordinate with Daewoong on certain matters related to the Medytox/Allergan Actions. In the Conversion Agreement, among other things, the parties agreed that (i) the principal balance of the $40.0 million aggregate principal amount convertible promissory note we issued to Daewoong on July 30, 2020, which we refer to as the Daewoong Convertible Note, and accrued and unpaid interest thereon shall be automatically converted, at the conversion price of $13.00 per share, into 3,136,869 shares of our common stock; and (ii) the Daewoong Convertible Note shall be deemed cancelled and satisfied in full in connection with such conversion.
Under the Daewoong Agreement Amendment, the Daewoong Agreement was amended to: (i) expand the territory within which we may distribute Jeuveau® to certain countries in Europe; (ii) reduce the period of time with respect to which we are required to deliver binding forecasts to Daewoong; (iii) introduce certain limitations on Daewoong’s ability to convert our exclusive license for certain territories to a non-exclusive license in the event we fail to meet certain minimum purchase requirements for such territory; (iv) adjust the minimum purchase requirements and reduce the transfer price per vial of Jeuveau® applicable to various territories; (v) require that any Jeuveau® supplied by Daewoong match certain shelf-life thresholds; and (vi) prohibit us from sharing certain confidential information regarding Daewoong with Medytox or its affiliates or representatives.
As a result of the royalty payments that we are required to pay under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, after giving effect to the offset by a certain portion thereof that will be reimbursed to us under the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement, we expect that our cost of sales and gross margin will be materially negatively impacted through September 2022 and negatively impacted to a lesser extent from September 2022 to September 2032.
Daewoong License and Supply Agreement
In 2013, we and Daewoong entered into the Daewoong Agreement pursuant to which we have an exclusive distribution license to Jeuveau® from Daewoong for aesthetic indications in the United States, EU, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Russia, C.I.S., and South Africa, as well as co-exclusive distribution rights with Daewoong in Japan. Under the Daewoong Agreement, we are required to make certain minimum annual purchases in order to maintain the exclusivity of the license. These minimum purchase obligations are contingent upon the occurrence of future events, including receipt of governmental approvals and our future market share in various jurisdictions. In connection with our entry into the Daewoong Agreement,
we made an upfront payment to Daewoong of $2.5 million. We further agreed to make milestone payments upon achievement of certain confidential development and commercial milestones, including a confidential payment to Daewoong upon each of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the European Medicines Agency, or the EMA, approval of Jeuveau®. Under the Daewoong Agreement, the maximum aggregate amount of milestone payments that could be owed to Daewoong upon the satisfaction of all milestones is $13.5 million. Upon FDA approval in February 2019 and EMA approval in September 2019, the Company paid $2.0 million and $1.0 million milestone payments, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, Daewoong was eligible to receive remaining contingent milestone payments of up to $10.5 million, all of which were cancelled under the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement in March 2021. Under the Daewoong Agreement, Daewoong is responsible for all costs related to the manufacturing of Jeuveau®, including costs related to the operation and upkeep of its manufacturing facility, and we are responsible for all costs related to obtaining regulatory approval, including clinical expenses, and commercialization of Jeuveau®. For additional information about the Daewoong Agreement, see Item 1 “Business-Daewoong License and Supply Agreement.”
Daewoong Convertible Note
On July 6, 2020, pursuant to a Convertible Promissory Note Purchase Agreement with Daewoong, we issued to Daewoong a Convertible Promissory Note for the principal amount of $40.0 million, which we refer to as the Daewoong Convertible Note, which was funded on July 30, 2020. On March 23, 2021, the outstanding principal balance, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, in the amount of $40.8 million was converted, at the conversion price of $13.00 per share, into the right to receive 3,136,869 shares of our common stock under the Conversion Agreement. See “-Liquidity and Capital Resources-Daewoong Convertible Note” for further information.
Royalties and Notes Payable to Evolus Founders
We are obligated to make the following future payments to the founders of Evolus (i) quarterly royalty payments of a low single digit percentage of net sales of Jeuveau® and (ii) a $20.0 million promissory note that matures in November 2021. The obligations set forth in (i) above will terminate in the quarter following the 10-year anniversary of the first commercial sale of Jeuveau® in the United States. The fair value of the obligations set forth in items (i) and (ii) are valued quarterly and are referred to in our financial statements as the “contingent royalty obligation.”
Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Our Business
A novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and subsequently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused economic and social disruption on an unprecedented scale. This disruption has resulted in business closures across the United States and significant job loss due to quarantines, government-mandated actions, stay-at-home orders and other restrictions. While it is not possible to know the full extent of these impacts as of the date this filing, we are disclosing potentially material items of which we are aware.
Health and Safety
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have taken and will continue to take temporary precautionary measures intended to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 to our employees, including requiring our employees and sales professionals, to work remotely if required by their local government and maintaining social distancing during any in-person work-related meetings. We expect to continue to implement these measures until we determine that the COVID-19 pandemic is adequately contained for purposes of our business, and we may take further actions as government authorities require or recommend or as we determine to be in the best interests of our employees, customers, business partners and third-party service providers.
Financial position and results of operations
The COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in temporary business closures for many of our customers and, starting in mid-March 2020, negatively affected our sales. Jeuveau® is utilized in elective procedures, the costs of which are borne by the consumer and not third-party payors. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow its spread, these elective procedures declined dramatically in March 2020 due to the temporary business closures or deferment of the elective procedures. While the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the U.S. aesthetic neurotoxin market was significant during the first half of 2020, we experienced an increase in sales starting in June 2020 that continued throughout the rest of 2020 as many states started easing restrictions on elective procedures and many of our customers re-opened their businesses. However, due to the uncertainty of the recovery and the increase in COVID-19 infections at the end of the 2020 and early in the first quarter of 2021, new variants of COVID-19 that have emerged and the possibility of further resurgences, and the availability, distribution and efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics
for COVID-19, we cannot reasonably estimate the immediate and full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our ongoing business, results of operations and overall financial performance. Furthermore, even after the current COVID-19 outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience negative impacts to our business and financial results if customers continue to defer or avoid altogether elective procedures to administer Jeuveau® due to the continued perceived risk of infection or concern of a resurgence of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as COVID-19’s global economic impact, including decreases in consumer discretionary spending and any economic slowdown or recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
In light of the negative impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, we took the following measures in April 2020 to reduce our operating expenses to conserve our cash resources:
•delaying non-essential projects and suspending discretionary spending;
•reducing our headcount by over 100 employees;
•temporarily reducing executive salaries and Board of Directors fees;
•reducing the size of our Board by two members; and
•delaying the European launch of Jeuveau®, which is now expected in early 2022.
Asset and liability valuation
As of December 31, 2020, we did not have any impairment with respect to our goodwill or long-lived assets, including intangible assets. Because the full extent of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 are unknown at this time, they could, under certain circumstances, cause impairment and result in a non-cash impairment charge being recorded in future periods.
Any continued adverse impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow its spread could also cause us to make further adjustments in the future to the fair value of our contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders, which is based on Level 3 inputs using a discounted cash flows method, and these adjustments could be significant. Such Level 3 inputs that might be further impacted by uncertainties due to the COVID-19 outbreak include projected and timing of net revenues during the payment period, which terminates in the quarter following the 10-year anniversary of the first commercial sale of Jeuveau® in the United States, the discount rate and the timing of payments.
Other estimates used in the preparation of financial statements
Additionally, any continued adverse impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow its spread might also impact other estimates and assumptions utilized to prepare our financial statement in conformity with GAAP. Such significant estimates relate to net revenues, allowance for doubtful accounts, fair value measurements, inventory valuations, income tax valuations, and stock-based compensation, among others.
We continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation and guidance from international and domestic authorities, including federal, state and local public health authorities and may take additional actions based on their recommendations. In these circumstances, there may be developments outside our control requiring us to adjust our operating plan. As such, given the dynamic nature of this situation, we cannot reasonably estimate the full impact of COVID-19 on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows in the future. In addition, see Part I. Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” included herein for updates to our risk factors regarding risks associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods indicated:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions) 2020 2019 Change
Revenue:
Product revenue, net
$ 55.8 $ 34.2 $ 21.6
Service revenue 0.7 0.7 -
Total net revenues
56.5 34.9 21.6
Operating expenses:
Product cost of sales (excludes amortization of intangible assets) 18.3 8.0 10.3
Selling, general and administrative
98.2 113.6 (15.4)
Research and development 1.7 4.0 (2.3)
Revaluation of contingent royalty obligation to Evolus Founders
(2.0) 4.2 (6.2)
Depreciation and amortization
7.0 4.1 2.9
Litigation settlement expenses 83.4 0.0 83.4
Restructuring costs 3.0 0.0 3.0
Total operating expenses
209.6 133.9 75.7
Loss from operations (153.1) (99.0) (54.1)
Non operating expense, net (9.9) (6.1) (3.8)
Loss before income taxes (163.0) (105.1) (57.9)
Income tax expense (benefit) 0.1 (15.0) 15.1
Net loss $ (163.1) $ (90.1) $ (73.0)
Net Revenues
We commercially launched Jeuveau® and began shipping to customers in the United States in May 2019 and launched through a distribution partner in Canada in October 2019. We record the sale of Jeuveau® in Canada as service revenue on a net basis. We currently operate in one reportable segment and all of our net revenues are derived from sales of Jeuveau®. Net revenues consist of revenues, net of adjustments primarily for customer rebates, coupon program, rewards related to the consumer loyalty program. Revenues are recognized when the control of the promised goods is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration allocated to the related performance obligations and to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those products or services.
Net revenues of Jeuveau® sales increased by $21.6 million to $56.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $34.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to higher sales volume in the United States as partially offset by lower net average selling price. In addition, during the Presidential Review period from mid-December 2020 to mid-February 2021 of the ITC final determination, we generated nominal revenue as a result of significantly increased customer pricing due to the bond amount of $441 per 100U vial of Jeuveau® required to keep Jeuveau® on the market. As a result, we generated nominal revenue from mid-December 2020 through mid-February 2021. We anticipate that our net revenues will continue to fluctuate as we implement new marketing programs or make changes to existing programs.
Cost of Sales
Our cost of sales, primarily consist of the cost of inventory purchased from Daewoong, increased by $10.3 million to $18.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $8.0 million from the year ended December 31, 2019 primarily due to higher sales volume in 2020 as well as the depletion of inventory purchased at the one-time launch pricing in 2019. As a result of the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements, cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 also included royalties payable to Allergan and Medytox on the sale of Jeuveau® commencing December 16, 2020. We anticipate that our
cost of sales will increase materially as we pay royalty payments to Allergan and Medytox pursuant to the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements during the initial royalty period through September 2022 and will fluctuate as our revenues fluctuate, although a portion of these royalty payments will be reimbursed to us by Daewoong pursuant to the Daewoong Settlement Agreement.
Our gross profit, calculated as total net revenues less product cost of sales, as a percentage of net revenues decreased to 67.6% for the year ended December 31, 2020 from 77.1% for the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to changes in marketing programs in 2020, royalties under the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements for the sales starting December 16, 2020 and the depletion of inventory purchased at the one-time launch pricing in 2019. We anticipate that our gross profit as a percentage of net revenues will decrease materially in the future as we pay royalty payments to Allergan and Medytox pursuant to the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements during the initial royalty period through September 2022 and will fluctuate as we implement various marketing programs that may affect the average selling price of Jeuveau®. A portion of these royalty payments to Allergan and Medytox will be reimbursed to us by Daewoong pursuant to the Daewoong Settlement Agreement.
Selling, General and Administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $15.4 million to $98.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $113.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily resulting from delaying non-essential projects and suspending discretionary spending to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our business. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we also incurred expenses under the Jeuveau® Experience Treatment, or J.E.T., program that ended in August 2019. Selling, general and administrative expenses may fluctuate in the future primarily due to potential changes in sales and marketing strategies and future launches internationally.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses decreased by $2.3 million to $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to the completion of the U.S. clinical trial activities related to Jeuveau® and delaying non-essential projects and suspending discretionary spending to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our business. We expect that our overall research and development expense will increase if and when we seek to develop further product candidates and as we pursue regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions.
Revaluation of Contingent Royalty Obligation Payable to Evolus Founders
The change in the fair value of the contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders is recorded in operating expenses in each reporting period. During the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the revaluation gain of $2.0 million and charge of $4.2 million, respectively, were primarily driven by changes in management assumptions related to revenue forecasts including the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, discount rate reflecting changes in our cost of capital, developments in the ITC litigation and timing of cash flows.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization increased to $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This was primarily attributable to amortization of the distribution right asset related to Jeuveau® over 20 years as well as amortization of the internal-use software costs over two years.
Litigation Settlement Expenses
Pursuant to settlement agreements we entered into with Allergan and Medytox in connection with the settlement of claims relating to certain intellectual property disputes related to Jeuveau® on February 18, 2021, we recorded a charge in operating expenses and related liability of $83.4 million in December 2020, of which $35.0 million will be paid in cash over the next two years and $48.4 million was settled with the issuance of 6,762,652 of shares of our common stock on February 18, 2021.
Restructuring Costs
Restructuring costs primarily included $3.0 million of termination benefits for employees we separated in April 2020 to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our business.
Non-Operating Expense, Net
Non-operating expenses, net, increased by $3.8 million to $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to higher interest expense on the long-term debt from Oxford Finance, LLC borrowed in March 2019 and lower interest income on our short-term investments. On January 4, 2021, we entered into a letter agreement with Oxford Finance, LLC, and paid Oxford Finance, LLC $76.4 million to discharge in full all outstanding obligations, included accrued interest.
Income Taxes (Benefit) Expense
Income tax expense was $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to a benefit of $15.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Upon the reclassification of the indefinite-lived IPR&D intangible asset to a definite-lived distribution right intangible asset in the first quarter of 2019 upon FDA approval of Jeuveau®, the related deferred tax liability became a source of future taxable income in the assessment of the realization of deferred tax assets, and as a result, $15.0 million of the previously existing valuation allowance was released in the year ended December 31, 2019.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As described elsewhere in this Annual Report, we believe that our current capital resources are not sufficient to meet our obligations and fund operations through at least the next 12 months. We will be required to raise additional capital to meet our operating, debt and settlement obligations coming due. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution. Any debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants that impact our ability to conduct business. If we are unable to raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we may have to significantly scale back or discontinue the commercialization of Jeuveau®, or relinquish or otherwise dispose of rights to Jeuveau® on unfavorable terms. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if we are unable to continue as a going concern.
We have a limited history of generating revenue from Jeuveau® and have never been profitable. As of December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $376.1 million. We incurred net losses of $163.0 million and $90.0 million in the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses for the foreseeable future as we increase marketing efforts for Jeuveau® and maintain our regulatory approvals. As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $102.6 million and short-term investments of $5.0 million.
On January 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement with Oxford Finance LLC, or Oxford, pursuant to which the Company paid Oxford $76.4 million to pay off the Oxford Term Loan. On February 18, 2021, we entered into settlement agreements with Medytox, Inc., or Medytox, Allergan, Inc. and Allergan Limited, or collectively as Allergan, in connection with the ITC Action, for which we agreed to pay $15.0 million in 2021, $15.0 million in 2022 and $5.0 million in 2023 with additional terms as described below. Additionally, we are obligated to pay the Evolus Founders the promissory note of $20.0 million in November 2021.
Our financial statements as of December 31, 2020 have been prepared under the assumption that we will continue as a going concern for the next 12 months, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued a report that includes an explanatory paragraph expressing substantial doubt in our ability to continue as a going concern without additional capital becoming available.
Follow-On Public Offering
In November 2019, we closed a follow-on public offering and sold 5,999,550 shares of our common stock at a price of $13.00 per share, inclusive of 782,550 shares of common stock issued upon the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares. The net proceeds were approximately $73.3 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, excluding other offering expenses.
The Oxford Loan and Security Agreement
On March 15, 2019, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement, or the credit facility, with Oxford Finance, LLC, as collateral agent, or Oxford, and the lenders party thereto from time to time, pursuant to which the lender would make term loans available to us of up to $100.0 million, or the credit facility. The credit facility provided that the term loans would be funded in two advances. The first tranche of $75.0 million was funded on the closing date, and the second tranche of $25.0
million was not borrowed. The credit facility bore an annual interest rate equal to the greater of 9.5%, or the 30-day U.S. Dollar LIBOR rate plus 7.0%.
On January 4, 2021, we entered into a letter agreement, or Payoff Letter, with Oxford, pursuant to which (i) on January 4, 2021, we paid Oxford $76.4 million, or the Payoff Amount, to discharge in full all outstanding obligations, included accrued interest, under the Loan and Security agreement, and (ii) effective upon such repayment, the Loan and Security Agreement, and all unfunded commitments thereunder, guarantees and other security interests granted to Oxford, and all other obligations of and restrictions on us under the Loan and Security Agreement, terminated.
As a condition to entering into the Payoff Letter, Oxford agreed to waive a total of approximately $4.3 million of fees comprised of (i) approximately $2.8 million of the Final Payment (as defined under the Loan and Security Agreement) and (ii) the prepayment fee of $1.5 million otherwise payable pursuant to the terms of the Loan and Security Agreement.
Contingent Promissory Note Payable to Evolus Founders
We were acquired by Strathspey Crown Holdings Group, LLC, or SCH, in 2013 and subsequently by its subsidiary, Alphaeon Corporation, or Alphaeon, by means of a stock purchase agreement, or Stock Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which Alphaeon assumed certain payment obligations related to the acquisition. On December 14, 2017, the Stock Purchase Agreement was amended, or Amended Stock Purchase Agreement, and, as a result, effective upon the closing of the our initial public offering in 2018, the Company assumed all of Alphaeon’s payment obligations under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement. Among the payment obligations under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement is a $20.0 million promissory note that matures in November 2021.
Contingent Royalty Obligation Payable to the Evolus Founders
On February 12, 2018, related to the acquisition of Evolus in 2013 by SCH and Alphaeon, the Company recognized a contingent royalty obligation payable to the Evolus Founders. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we recorded an aggregate balance of $41.5 million and $44.7 million, respectively, on our balance sheet for the payment obligation.
The Daewoong Convertible Note
On July 6, 2020, we entered into a Convertible Promissory Note Purchase Agreement with Daewoong for the purchase and sale of a Convertible Promissory Note for the principal amount of $40.0 million, which we refer to as the Daewoong Convertible Note, which was funded on July 30, 2020. Additionally, on July 6, 2020, we, Daewoong, and Oxford Finance, LLC entered into a Subordination Agreement pursuant to which the Convertible Note will be subordinated to our obligations under that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2019, by and between Oxford and us.
The Daewoong Convertible Note bore interest at a rate of 3.0% payable semi-annually in arrears on June 30th and December 31st of each year and matures on July 30, 2025, subject to earlier conversion as provided below.
As described in “-Overview-Impact on Our Business of Final Ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Subsequent Settlements,” under the Conversion Agreement, the outstanding principal balance, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, in the amount of $40.8 million was converted, at the conversion price of $13.00 per share, into 3,136,869 shares of our common stock on March 23, 2021.
Litigation Settlement
On February 18, 2021, upon entering into certain agreements in connection with the settlement of claims relating to certain intellectual property disputes related to Jeuveau®, we agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox $35.0 million in multiple payments over two years and also issued 6,762,652 shares its common stock to Medytox. In addition, during period from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, we agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox royalties on the sale of Jeuveau®, based on a certain dollar amount per vial sold in the United States, and a low-double digit royalty on net sales of Jeuveau® sold in other Evolus territories. During the period from September 17, 2022 to September 16, 2032, we agreed to pay to Medytox a mid-single digit royalty percentage on all net sales of Jeuveau®. The royalty payments will be made quarterly.
Operating Leases
Our corporate headquarters is located in Newport Beach, California, in a facility that we subleased until January 2020 under a non-cancelable operating lease for a fixed amount each month. On May 15, 2019, we entered into a non-cancelable operating lease for the same office facility with the original lessor. This non-cancelable operating lease commenced on February 1,
2020 and expires on January 31, 2025 with an option to extend the term for an additional 60 months. Lease payments increase based on an annual rent escalation clause that occurs on each February 1 anniversary. We may, under certain circumstances, terminate the lease on the 36 months anniversary of the lease commencement date by providing a written notice 12 months prior to such anniversary and paying a termination fee equal to six months basic rent plus certain other expenses. We have an option to extend the term of the lease for an additional 60 months.
License and Supply Agreement
In connection with the Daewoong Agreement, we are obligated to make future milestone payments to Daewoong for certain confidential development and commercial milestones associated with Jeuveau®. As of December 31, 2020, Daewoong was eligible to receive contingent milestone payments of up to $10.5 million, all of which were cancelled under the Daewoong Agreement Amendment in March 2021.
The Daewoong Agreement also includes certain minimum annual purchases we are required to make in order to maintain the exclusivity of the license. We may, however, meet these minimum purchase obligations by achieving certain market share in its covered territories. These potential minimum purchase obligations were contingent upon the occurrence of future events, including receipt of governmental approvals and our future market share in various jurisdictions.
Current and Future Capital Requirements
We have determined that our current financial condition raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and, as described above, we believe that our current capital resources are not sufficient to meet our obligations and fund operations through at least the next 12 months.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenue to cover our costs of operations, we expect to finance our cash needs through entering into licensing or collaboration agreements with partners, other debt or equity financings or other sources of financing. Sufficient funds may not be available to us at all or on attractive terms when needed from these sources. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the future sale of equity, the ownership interests of our stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our existing common stockholders. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of debt securities, these securities could contain covenants that would restrict our operations. We may require additional capital beyond our currently anticipated amounts. If we are unable to obtain additional funding from these or other sources when needed, we may need to significantly reduce our controllable and variable expenditures and current rate of spending through reductions in staff and delaying, scaling back, or suspend certain research and development, sales and marketing programs and other operational goals.
We have based our projections of operating capital requirements on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and we may use all our available capital resources, which consist of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, sooner than we expect. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development and commercialization of our products, we are unable to estimate the exact amount of our operating capital requirements. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
•the timing and amounts of the royalty and other payments in connection with the settlement agreements with Medytox and Allergan;
•the timing and amounts of the royalty and other payments to Evolus Founders;
•the number and characteristics of any future product candidates we develop or acquire;
•our ability to forecast demand for our products, scale our supply to meet that demand and manage working capital effectively;
•the cost of manufacturing our product or any future product candidates and any products we successfully commercialize, including costs associated with our supply chain;
•the cost of commercialization activities for Jeuveau® or any future product candidates are approved or cleared for sale, including marketing, sales and distribution costs;
•the cost of maintaining a sales force, the productivity of that sales force, and the market acceptance of our products;
•our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations, licensing or other arrangements and the financial terms of any such agreements that we may enter into;
•any product liability or other lawsuits related to our products;
•the expenses needed to attract and retain skilled personnel;
•the costs associated with being a public company;
•the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing patents and any other future patent litigation we may be involved in; and
•the timing, receipt and amount of sales of any future approved or cleared products, if any.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019 Change
(in millions)
Net cash (used in) provided by:
Operating activities
$ (57.9) $ (93.4) $ 35.5
Investing activities
12.2 (23.4) 35.6
Financing activities
38.3 133.5 (95.2)
Change in cash and cash equivalents
(7.3) 16.7 $ (24.0)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
109.9 93.2
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$ 102.6 $ 109.9
Operating Activities
Cash used in operating activities decreased by $35.5 million to $57.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $93.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease in net cash used in operating activities reflects the decrease in net loss as adjusted for non-cash items as well as timing of receipts from customers and payments to vendors in the ordinary course of business.
For the year ended year ended December 31, 2020, operating activities used $57.9 million of cash, which primarily resulted from our net loss of $163.1 million as adjusted for certain non-cash charges including $10.6 million of stock-based compensation expense, $2.1 million of provision of allowance for doubtful accounts, $2.7 million of amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, $7.0 million of depreciation and amortization and $48.4 million of non-cash portion of accrued settlement expenses, partially offset by a gain of $2.0 million in revaluation of our contingent royalty obligation. In addition, net operating assets and liabilities changed by $35.6 million primarily driven by $35.0 million of accrued settlement expenses and various timing of inventory purchases and payments, collections from customers and payments to vendors.
For the year ended year ended December 31, 2019, operating activities used $93.4 million of cash, which primarily resulted from our net loss of $90.1 million as adjusted for certain non-cash charges including $9.5 million of stock-based compensation expense, a charge of $4.2 million in revaluation of our contingent royalty obligation, $2.2 million of amortization of debt discount and issuance costs and $4.1 million of depreciation and amortization, partially offset by a gain of $15.1 million of deferred income tax provision. Net operating assets and liabilities changed by $8.5 million primarily driven by the timing of inventory purchases and payments, collections from customers and payments to vendors.
Investing Activities
Cash provided by investing activities was $12.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $23.4 million of cash used for the year ended December 31, 2019. The change in cash provided or used in investing activities was attributable to a decrease in purchases of short-term investments and their maturities in 2020.
Financing Activities
Cash provided by financing activities decreased by $95.2 million to $38.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $133.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, financing activities consisted of the proceeds of $40.0 million received from the Convertible Note in July 2020 as partially offset by royalty payments to Evolus Founders and debt obligations.
For the year ended year ended December 31, 2019, financing activities consisted of the proceeds of $71.7 million received from our Oxford credit facility net of discounts and issuance costs and $73.1 million from a follow-on equity offering, partially offset by a $9.7 million in royalty and milestone payments to Evolus Founders and a $3.0 million payment to Daewoong upon FDA approval of Jeuveau® in February 2019.
Indebtedness
See “-Liquidity and Capital Resources” for a description of our credit facility with Oxford and convertible note with Daewoong.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC. We do not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or for any other contractually narrow or limited purpose.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Not applicable.
Critical Accounting Policies
Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses at the date of the financial statements as well as the expenses incurred during the reporting period. Generally, we base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions in accordance with GAAP that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions and such differences could be material to the financial position and results of operations. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our judgments and estimates in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience.
While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we believe the following accounting policies to be most critical for fully understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of operations, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for the goods or services. In order to achieve that core principle, a five-step approach is applied: (1) identify the contract with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue allocated to each performance obligation when the Company satisfies the performance obligation. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account for revenue recognition.
We currently operate in one reportable segment and all of our net revenue is derived from sales of Jeuveau®. We generate product revenue from the sale of Jeuveau® in the United States and service revenue from the sale of Jeuveau® through a distribution partner in Canada. For product revenue, we recognize revenue when control of Jeuveau® is transferred to a
customer upon receipt. We do not accept product returns except under limited circumstances such as damages in transit or ineffective product. Any amounts related to taxes assessed by governmental authorities are excluded from revenue measurement. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound product freight are accounted for as fulfillment costs and are included in selling, general, and marketing expenses on the condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Payment terms are short-term and customer contracts do not include significant financing components. For service revenue, we are determined to be the agent in the distribution of Jeuveau® in Canada and record the sale as service revenue on a net basis.
We provide customers with trade and volume discounts and prompt pay discounts that are directly reflected in the invoice price. Revenues are recorded net of sales-related adjustments, wherever applicable, for the volume rebates, coupon programs and consumer loyalty program. Volume rebates are contractually offered to certain customers. Generally, the rebates payable to each customer are determined based on the contract and quarterly purchase volumes. Through the coupon program, customers receive coupons redeemable into gift cards funded by us for the benefit of consumers. The coupons are accounted for as variable consideration. We estimate the coupon redemption rates based on historical data and expectations of future redemptions prior to the coupon expiration date. The coupons are accrued based on estimated redemption rates and the volume of products purchased and recorded as a reduction to revenues on product delivery. The consumer loyalty program allows participating customers to earn rewards for qualifying treatments to their patients (i.e. consumers) using Jeuveau® and redeem the rewards for Jeuveau® in the future at no additional cost. The loyalty program represents a customer option that provides a material right and, accordingly, is a performance obligation. At the time Jeuveau® product is sold to customers, the invoice price is allocated between the product sold and the estimated material right reward, or Reward, that the customer might redeem in the future. The standalone selling price of the Reward is measured based on historical sales data, average selling price of Jeuveau® at the time of redemption, expected customer and consumer participation rates in the loyalty program, and estimated number of qualifying treatments to be performed by customers. The portion of invoice price allocated to the Reward is initially recorded as deferred revenue. Subsequently, when customers redeem the Reward and the related product is delivered, the deferred revenue is reversed and included in net revenue.
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. We assess the probability that we will collect the entitled consideration in exchange for the goods sold, by considering the customer’s ability and intention to pay when consideration is due. On a recurring basis, we estimate the amounts of receivables considered uncollectible to reflect an allowance for doubtful accounts.
Litigation Settlement
On February 18, 2021, we entered into certain agreements in connection with the settlement of claims relating to certain intellectual property disputes relating to Jeuveau®. Pursuant the settlement agreements, we agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox cash payments over two years and issued our common stock to Medytox. In addition, for the period from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, we agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox a royalty on the sale of Jeuveau®, based on a certain dollar amount per vial sold in the United States and a low-double digit royalty on net sales of Jeuveau® sold in other territories. For the period from September 17, 2022 to September 16, 2032, we agreed to pay to Medytox a mid-single digit royalty percentage on net sales of Jeuveau® in the United States and other territories. The royalty payments will be made quarterly. See Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 9 Commitments and Contingencies for additional details on the settlement agreements.
We recorded the costs associated with the cash payments and the issuance of our common stock in litigation settlement expenses in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 and related liabilities in accrued litigation settlement expenses on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2020. A portion of the liabilities was settled with the issuance of our common stock subsequently in February 2021. The royalty payments are recorded as cost of sales in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss at the time the corresponding sales are recognized starting on December 16, 2020.
Contingent Royalty Obligation and Promissory Note Payable to Evolus Founders
We determine the fair value of the contingent royalty obligation payable to the Evolus Founders under the Amended Purchase Agreement based on significant unobservable inputs using a discounted cash flows method. Changes in the fair value of this contingent royalty obligation are determined each period end and recorded in operating expenses in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss and in the current and non-current liabilities in the balance sheets. The significant unobservable input assumptions that can significantly change the fair value includes (i) projected net revenues during the payment period, (ii) the discount rate and (iii) the timing of payments.
We also determined the fair value of the contingent promissory note payable at present value using a discount rate for similar rated debt securities and is based on an estimated date that we believe the contingent promissory note will mature. Accretion related to the contingent promissory note is recorded in interest expense of the statements of operations and comprehensive loss with a corresponding increase to the non-current liabilities section of the balance sheets.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. We review goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of goodwill may not be recoverable. We perform an annual qualitative assessment of goodwill in the fourth quarter each calendar year to determine if any events or circumstances exist, such as an adverse change in business climate or a decline in the overall industry demand, that would indicate that it would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount, including goodwill. If events or circumstances do not indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying amount, then goodwill is not considered to be impaired and no further testing is required. If further testing is required, we perform a two-step process. The first step involves comparing the fair value of our reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the test is performed by comparing the carrying value of the goodwill in the reporting unit to its implied fair value. An impairment charge is recognized for the excess of the carrying value of goodwill over its implied fair value. For the purpose of impairment testing, we have determined that there is one reporting unit. There has been no impairment of goodwill for any of the periods presented.
Intangible Assets
Upon FDA approval of Jeuveau® in February 2019, in process research and development (“IPR&D”) related to Jeuveau® was evaluated as completed and reclassified to a definite-lived distribution right intangible asset, which is amortized over the period the asset is expected to contribute to our future cash flows. We determined the pattern of this intangible asset’s future cash flows could not be readily determined with a high level of precision. As a result, the distribution right intangible asset is being amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of 20 years.
We capitalize certain internal-use software costs associated with the development of its mobile and web-based customer platforms. These costs include personnel expenses and external costs that are directly associated with the software projects. These costs are included as intangible assets in the accompanying condensed balance sheets. The capitalized internal-use software costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of two years upon being placed in service.
We review long-term and identifiable definite-lived intangible assets or asset groups for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset or an asset group, further impairment analysis is performed. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset or asset groups exceeds the fair value for assets to be held and used or fair value less cost to sell for assets to be disposed of. We also review the useful lives of its assets periodically to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining useful life. Changes in the useful life are adjusted prospectively by revising the remaining period over which the asset is amortized. There was no material impairment of long-lived assets for any periods presented.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
We describe the recently issued accounting pronouncements that apply to us in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 2, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies-Recent Accounting Pronouncements.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Evolus, Inc.
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Financial Statements:
Balance Sheets
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Evolus, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Evolus, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
The Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations, has a working capital deficiency, and has stated that substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management's evaluation of the events and conditions and management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2017.
Irvine, California
March 25, 2021
Evolus, Inc.
Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except par value and share data)
December 31,
2020 2019
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 102,562 $ 109,892
Short-term investments 5,000 19,911
Accounts receivable, net 9,680 10,661
Inventories 3,354 6,407
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7,016 5,326
Total current assets 127,612 152,197
Property and equipment, net 1,297 902
Operating lease right-of-use assets 3,414 4,068
Intangible assets, net 55,297 59,638
Goodwill 21,208 21,208
Other assets 240 2,429
Total assets $ 209,068 $ 240,442
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable $ 9,615 $ 5,796
Accrued expenses 9,102 13,960
Accrued litigation settlement expenses 63,421 -
Operating lease liabilities 1,212 1,200
Contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders 3,446 3,483
Contingent promissory note payable to Evolus Founders 19,068 -
Term loan, net of discount and issuance costs 74,384 -
Total current liabilities 180,248 24,439
Accrued litigation settlement expenses 20,000 -
Operating lease liabilities 3,147 3,893
Contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders 38,100 41,200
Contingent promissory note payable to Evolus Founders - 17,945
Term loan, net of discounts and issuance costs - 73,508
Convertible note 40,506 -
Deferred tax liability 25 -
Total liabilities 282,026 160,985
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity
Preferred Stock, $0.00001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively
- -
Common Stock, $0.00001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 33,749,228 and 33,562,665 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively
1 1
Additional paid-in capital 303,113 292,509
Accumulated other comprehensive gain - 6
Accumulated deficit (376,072) (213,059)
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity (72,958) 79,457
Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity $ 209,068 $ 240,442
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
Evolus, Inc.
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Revenue:
Product revenue, net
$ 55,802 $ 34,237
Service revenue 738 688
Total net revenues
56,540 34,925
Operating expenses:
Product cost of sales (excludes amortization of intangible assets) 18,299 8,014
Selling, general and administrative
98,190 113,593
Research and development 1,722 3,973
Revaluation of contingent royalty obligation to Evolus Founders
(2,007) 4,160
Depreciation and amortization
7,027 4,132
Litigation settlement expenses 83,421 -
Restructuring costs 2,956 -
Total operating expenses
209,608 133,872
Loss from operations (153,068) (98,947)
Other income (expense):
Interest income
635 1,839
Interest expense
(10,503) (7,953)
Loss before income taxes (162,936) (105,061)
Income tax expense (benefit) 77 (15,027)
Net loss $ (163,013) $ (90,034)
Other comprehensive gain:
Unrealized (loss) gain on available-for-sale securities, net of tax (6) 6
Comprehensive loss $ (163,019) $ (90,028)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$ (4.83) $ (3.19)
Weighted-average shares outstanding used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share
33,737,838 28,237,816
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
Evolus, Inc.
Statements of Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity
(in thousands, except share data)
Series A Preferred Stock Common Stock Additional Paid In Capital Accumulated
Other Comprehensive Gain (Loss) Accumulated Deficit Total
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Balance at December 31, 2018 - $ - 27,274,991 $ 1 $ 207,408 $ - $ (123,025) $ 84,384
Issuance of common stock upon follow-on offering, net of issuance costs
- - 5,999,550 - 73,022 - - 73,022
Issuance of common stock in connection with the incentive equity plan
- - 288,124 - 2,455 - - 2,455
Stock-based compensation
- - - - 9,624 - - 9,624
Net loss
- - - - - - (90,034) (90,034)
Other comprehensive gain
- - - - - 6 - 6
Balance at December 31, 2019 - $ - 33,562,665 $ 1 $ 292,509 $ 6 $ (213,059) $ 79,457
Issuance of common stock in connection with the incentive equity plan
- - 186,563 - - - - -
Stock-based compensation
- - - - 10,604 - - 10,604
Net loss
- - - - - - (163,013) (163,013)
Other comprehensive loss - - - - - (6) - (6)
Balance at December 31, 2020 - $ - 33,749,228 $ 1 $ 303,113 $ - $ (376,072) $ (72,958)
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
Evolus, Inc.
Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss $ (163,013) $ (90,034)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 7,027 4,132
Stock-based compensation 10,584 9,518
Provision for bad debts 2,066 387
Amortization of discount on short-term investments (427) (1,038)
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets 654 873
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs 2,691 2,156
Paid-in-kind interest on convertible note 506 -
Deferred income taxes 25 (15,055)
Revaluation of contingent royalty obligation to Evolus Founders (2,007) 4,160
Non-cash portion of accrued settlement expenses 48,421 -
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Inventories 4,542 (4,482)
Accounts receivable (1,085) (11,048)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (1,690) (1,874)
Accounts payable 2,320 183
Accrued expenses (4,248) 9,583
Accrued settlement expenses 35,000 -
Operating lease liabilities (734) (654)
Other assets 1,497 (190)
Net cash used in operating activities (57,871) (93,383)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment (815) (345)
Additions to capitalized software (2,323) (4,222)
Purchases of short-term investments (74,668) (113,867)
Maturities of short-term investments 90,000 95,000
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 12,194 (23,434)
Cash flows from financing activities
Payment of contingent royalty obligation to Evolus Founders (1,131) (9,677)
Proceeds from issuance of convertible note 40,000 -
Milestone payment for intangible assets - (3,000)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net of discounts - 73,906
Payments for debt issuance costs - (2,205)
Payment for debt obligation (522) (1,044)
Proceeds from follow-on offering, net of underwriting fees - 73,315
Payments for offering costs - (203)
Issuance of common stock in connection with incentive equity plan - 2,455
Net cash provided by financing activities 38,347 133,547
Change in cash and cash equivalents (7,330) 16,730
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 109,892 93,162
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 102,562 $ 109,892
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
Evolus, Inc.
Statements of Cash Flows (Continued)
(in thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest
$ 7,244 $ 5,166
Cash paid for income taxes $ 65 $ 4
Non-cash investing and financing information:
Operating lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities
$ - $ 5,566
Landlord paid tenant improvements
$ - $ 781
Financed D & O insurance payment
$ - $ 1,561
Capitalized software recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses
$ - $ 87
Accrued offering costs, unpaid
$ - $ (90)
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Note 1. Description of Business
Description of Business
Evolus, Inc., (“Evolus” or the “Company”) is a performance beauty company focused on delivering products in the self-pay aesthetic market. The Company received the approval of its first product Jeuveau® (prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) in February 2019. The product was also approved by Health Canada in August 2018 and the European Commission (“EC”) in September 2019. Jeuveau® is a proprietary 900 kDa purified botulinum toxin type A formulation indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines, also known as “frown lines,” in adults. The Company commercially launched Jeuveau® in the United States in May 2019 and in Canada through a distribution partner in October 2019. The Company currently generates all of its net revenues from Jeuveau®. The Company is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
In November 2019, the Company completed a follow-on public offering and issued 5,999,550 shares of its common stock, which included the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase an additional 782,550 shares of common stock, at a price to the public of $13.00 per share. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $73,315 from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, excluding other offering expenses.
Liquidity and Financial Condition
The Company believes that its current capital resources are not sufficient to meet its obligations and fund operations through at least the next 12 months from the date the accompanying financial statements are issued. The Company will be required to raise additional capital to meet its operating, debt and settlement obligations coming due. The Company cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. To the extent that the Company raises additional funds by issuing equity securities, its stockholders may experience significant dilution. Any debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants that impact the Company’s ability to conduct business. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, the Company will be required to take action to address the Company’s liquidity needs, which may include significantly scaling back or discontinuing the commercialization of Jeuveau®, or relinquish or otherwise dispose of rights to Jeuveau® on unfavorable terms. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
Since inception, the Company has incurred recurring net operating losses and negative cash flows from operating activities and management expects operating losses and negative cash flows to continue for at least the next 12 months. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $102,562 in cash and cash equivalents plus $5,000 in short-term investments and an accumulated deficit of $376,072. On January 4, 2021, the Company and Oxford Finance LLC (“Oxford”) entered into an agreement, pursuant to which the Company paid Oxford $76,447 to pay off the Oxford Term Loan. See Note 6. Oxford Term Loan for additional information. On February 18, 2021, the Company, Medytox, Inc. (“Medytox”), Allergan, Inc. and Allergan Limited (together, “Allergan”) entered into settlement agreements in connection with the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) action, for which the Company agreed to pay $15,000 in 2021, $15,000 in 2022 and $5,000 in 2023 with additional terms including specified royalty payments as described below and in Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies -Legal Proceedings. Additionally, the Company is obligated to pay the Evolus Founders the promissory note of $20,000 in November 2021. See Note 13. Related Party Transactions for more information.
On December 16, 2020, the ITC issued its final determination in the ITC Action (as defined in Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies). The final determination partially affirmed the ALJ’s ruling in the initial determination that found a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 had occurred by reason of a misappropriation of certain manufacturing process trade secrets. The ITC also reversed the ALJ’s finding that a trade secret exists with respect to a bacterial strain. As a result, the ITC issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of Jeuveau® into the United States for a period of 21 months and (2) a cease and desist order preventing the Company from, among other things, selling, marketing, or promoting such imported Jeuveau® in the United States for a period of 21 months (collectively, the “Remedial Orders”). The Final Determination was subject to a 60-day presidential review period before taking effect. During the presidential review period, the Company was permitted to continue importation and sales of Jeuveau® subject to payment of a bond. Effective February 18, 2021, the Company, Medytox and Allergan entered into certain agreements in connection with the settlement of certain claims relating to or arising from the Remedial Orders, the ITC Investigation, the California Litigation, the Korea Actions (as each of such terms are defined in Note 9) and certain other matters related thereto. On March 23, 2021, the Company and
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Daewoong entered into certain agreements in connection with the ITC Action, the California Litigation, the Korea Action and the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements (as each of such terms are defined in Note 9). See Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies -Legal Proceedings for additional information.
The COVID-19 outbreak that was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has negatively impacted and disrupted the global economy and financial markets on an unprecedented scale, which could interfere with the Company’s ability to access financing when and on terms that the Company desires. In an effort to reduce operating expenses and conserve cash resources, the Company separated approximately 100 employees, temporarily reduced executive salaries and Board of Directors fees and reduced the size of its Board of Directors by two members during the year ended December 31, 2020.
The accompanying financial statements as of December 31, 2020 have been prepared under the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern for the next 12 months, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to obtain additional equity or debt financing, attain further operating efficiencies, reduce expenditures, and, ultimately, to generate sufficient revenue. The accompanying financial statements as of December 31, 2020 did not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Use of Estimates
Management is required to make certain estimates and assumptions in order to prepare financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Such estimates and assumptions affect the reported financial statements. The Company’s most significant estimates relate to net revenues, allowance for doubtful accounts, fair value measurements, goodwill and long-lived asset valuations and impairment assessments, inventory valuations, income tax valuations, stock-based compensation and royalty obligations, among others. Management bases estimates on historical experience and on assumptions that management believes are reasonable. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Additionally, the full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is unknown and cannot be reasonably estimated. However, where possible, management has made appropriate accounting estimates with respect to certain accounting matters, which include the fair value of royalty obligations, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory valuation and impairment assessments of goodwill and other long-lived assets, based on the facts and circumstances available as of the reporting date. The Company’s future assessment of the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as other factors, could result in material impacts to the Company’s financial statements in future reporting periods.
Risks and Uncertainties
In 2013, Evolus and Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. (“Daewoong”) entered into an agreement (“Daewoong Agreement”), pursuant to which, the Company has an exclusive distribution license to Jeuveau® from Daewoong for aesthetic indications in the United States, European Union, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, and South Africa, as well as co-exclusive distribution rights with Daewoong in Japan. Jeuveau® is manufactured by Daewoong in a facility in South Korea. The Company also has the option to negotiate first with Daewoong to secure a distribution license for any product that Daewoong directly or indirectly develops or commercializes that is classified as an injectable botulinum toxin (other than Jeuveau®) in a territory covered by the Daewoong Agreement. The Company relies on Daewoong, its exclusive and sole supplier, to manufacture Jeuveau®. Any termination or loss of significant rights, including exclusivity, under the Daewoong Agreement would materially and adversely affect the Company’s commercialization of Jeuveau®. The Daewoong Agreement, and Daewoong’s rights relating to Jeuveau®, are subject to litigation. See Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies for additional information regarding such litigation.
The Company commercially launched Jeuveau® in the United States in May 2019 and in Canada through its distribution partner in October 2019 and, as such, has a limited history of sales. If any previously granted approval is retracted or the
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Company is denied approval or approval is delayed by any other regulators, it may have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and its financial statements.
The Company is also subject to risks common to companies in the pharmaceutical industry including, but not limited to, dependency on the commercial success of Jeuveau®, the Company’s sole commercial product, significant competition within the medical aesthetics industry, its ability to maintain regulatory approval of Jeuveau®, the need for additional financing to achieve its goals, third party litigation and challenges to its intellectual property, uncertainty of broad adoption of its product by physicians and patients, its ability to in-license, acquire or develop additional product candidates and to obtain the necessary approvals for those product candidates, and the need to scale manufacturing capabilities over time.
The COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, including quarantines, government-mandated actions, stay-at-home orders and other restrictions, have adversely affected the Company’s business in a number of ways, which have resulted, and may continue to result, in a period of business disruption and in reduced sales and operations. In addition, any disruption and volatility in the global capital markets may increase the Company’s cost of capital and adversely affect its ability to access financing when and on terms that we desire. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Segment Reporting
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker. The Company has determined that it operates in a single operating and reportable segment. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer who manages operations and reviews the financial information as a single operating segment for purposes of allocating resources and evaluating its financial performance.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable. Substantially all of the Company’s cash is held by financial institutions that management believes are of high credit quality. Such deposits may, at times, exceed federally insured limits. To date, the Company has not experienced any losses associated with this credit risk and continues to believe that this exposure is not significant. The Company invests its excess cash, in line with its investment policy, primarily in money market funds and debt instruments of U.S. government agencies.
The Company’s accounts receivable is derived from customers located principally in the United States. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade receivables are limited due to the Company’s credit evaluation process. The Company does not typically require collateral from its customers. Credit losses historically have not been material. The Company continuously monitors customer payments and maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts based on its assessment of various factors including historical experience, age of the receivable balances, and other current economic conditions or other factors that may affect customers’ ability to pay.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments with remaining maturities at purchase of three months or less that can be liquidated without prior notice or penalty. Cash and cash equivalents may include deposits, money market funds and debt securities. Amounts receivable from credit card issuers are typically converted to cash within two to four days of the original sales transaction and are considered to be cash equivalents.
Short-Term Investments
Short-term investments consist of available-for-sale U.S. Treasury securities with original maturities greater than three months and remaining maturities of less than twelve months. These investments are recorded at fair value based on quoted prices in active markets, with unrealized gains and losses reported in other comprehensive gain (loss) in the Company’s statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest expense using the effective interest method over the terms of the securities. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value that are
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
deemed to be other than temporary are reflected in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss using the specific-identification method.
The Company periodically reviews all available-for-sale securities for other than temporary declines in fair value below the cost basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company also evaluates whether it has plans or is required to sell short-term investments before recovery of their amortized cost bases. To date, the Company has not identified any other than temporary declines in fair value of its short-term investments.
Inventories
Inventories consist of finished goods held for sale and distribution. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method with prioritization of the items with the earliest expiration dates. Inventory valuation reserves are established based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, finished goods not meeting product specifications, product excess and obsolescence, or application of the lower of cost or net realizable value concepts. The determination of events requiring the establishment of inventory valuation reserves, together with the calculation of the amount of such reserves may require judgment. No material inventory valuation reserves have been recorded for the periods presented. Adverse changes in assumptions utilized in the Company’s inventory reserve calculations could result in an increase to its inventory valuation reserves.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or an exit price paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in a principal market on the measurement date.
The fair value hierarchy defines a three-tiered valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurement is classified and disclosed by the Company in one of the three categories as follows:
•Level 1-Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;
•Level 2-Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and
•Level 3-Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are unobservable that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
The categorization of a financial instrument within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization are provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of approximately five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the improvements or the term of the related lease.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of goodwill may not be recoverable. The Company performs an annual qualitative assessment of its goodwill in the fourth quarter of each calendar year to determine if any events or circumstances exist, such as an adverse change in business climate or a decline in the overall industry demand, that would indicate that it would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount, including goodwill. If events or circumstances do not indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying amount, then goodwill is not considered to be impaired and no further testing is required. If further testing is required, the Company performs a two-step process. The first step involves comparing the fair value of the Company’s reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the test is performed by comparing the carrying value of the goodwill in the reporting unit to its implied fair value. An impairment charge is recognized for the excess of the carrying value of goodwill over its implied fair value. For the purpose of impairment testing, the Company has determined that it has one reporting unit. There was no impairment of goodwill for any of the periods presented.
Intangible Assets
Upon FDA approval of Jeuveau® in February 2019, the in process research and development (“IPR&D”) related to Jeuveau® was evaluated as completed and reclassified to a definite-lived distribution right intangible asset, which is amortized over the period the asset is expected to contribute to the future cash flows of the Company. The Company determined the pattern of this intangible asset’s future cash flows could not be readily determined with a high level of precision. As a result, the distribution right intangible asset is being amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of 20 years.
The Company capitalizes certain internal-use software costs associated with the development of its mobile and web-based customer platforms. These costs include personnel expenses and external costs that are directly associated with the software projects. These costs are included as intangible assets in the accompanying balance sheets. The capitalized internal-use software costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of two years upon being placed in service.
The Company reviews long-term and identifiable definite-lived intangible assets or asset groups for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset or an asset group, further impairment analysis is performed. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset or asset groups exceeds the fair value for assets to be held and used or fair value less cost to sell for assets to be disposed of. The Company also reviews the useful lives of its assets periodically to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining useful life. Changes in the useful life are adjusted prospectively by revising the remaining period over which the asset is amortized. There was no material impairment of long-lived assets for any periods presented.
Leases
In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), at the inception of a contractual arrangement, the Company determines whether the contract contains a lease by assessing whether there is an identified asset and whether the contract conveys the right to control the use of the identified asset in exchange for consideration over a period of time. If both criteria are met, upon lease commencement, the Company records a lease liability which represents the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease, and a corresponding right-of-use (“ROU”) asset which represents the Company’s right to use an underlying asset during the lease term. Operating lease assets and liabilities are included in ROU assets, current portion of operating lease liabilities and noncurrent operating lease liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets.
Operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities are initially recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date calculated using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate applicable to the underlying asset unless the implicit rate is readily determinable. Operating lease ROU assets also include any lease payments made at or before lease commencement and exclude any lease incentives received, if any. The Company determines the lease term as the noncancellable period of the lease and may include options to extend or terminate the lease
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. The Company’s leases do not contain any residual value guarantees. Leases with a term of 12 months or less are not recognized on the balance sheets. For operating leases, the Company recognized rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. There were no significant finance leases as of December 31, 2020.
Contingent Royalty Obligation Payable to the Evolus Founders
The Company determines the fair value of the contingent royalty obligation payable at each reporting period end based on Level 3 inputs using a discounted cash flows method. Changes in the fair value of the contingent royalty obligation payable are determined at each reporting period end and recorded in operating expenses in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss and as a liability in the accompanying balance sheets.
Contingent Promissory Note Payable to Evolus Founders
On February 12, 2018, the Company recognized a contingent promissory note payable at present value using a discount rate for similar rated debt securities based on an estimated date that the Company believed the contingent promissory note will mature. Discount amortization related to the contingent promissory note is recorded in interest expense in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss with a corresponding increase to the non-current liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets.
Long-term Debt
Long-term debt represents the debt balance with Oxford (see Note 6. Oxford Term Loan) and the Daewoong Convertible Note (as defined in Note 7. Daewoong Convertible Note), net of debt issuance costs. Debt issuance costs represent legal, lender and consulting costs or fees associated with debt financing. Debt discounts and issuance costs are amortized into interest expense over the term of the debt.
Revenue Recognition
The Company applies Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), to account for revenue generated since the commercial launch of Jeuveau® in May 2019.
The Company recognizes revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to its customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for the goods or services. In order to achieve that core principle, a five-step approach is applied: (1) identify the contract with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue allocated to each performance obligation when the Company satisfies the performance obligation. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account for revenue recognition.
General
The Company generates product revenue from the sale of Jeuveau® in the United States and service revenue from the sale of Jeuveau® through a distribution partner in Canada.
For product revenue, the Company recognizes revenue when control of the promised goods under a contract is transferred to a customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods as specified in the customer contract. The transfer of control occurs upon receipt of the goods by the customer since that is when the customer has obtained control of the goods’ economic benefits. The Company does not provide any service-type warranties and does not accept product returns except under limited circumstances such as damages in transit or ineffective product. The Company also excludes any amounts related to taxes assessed by governmental authorities from revenue measurement. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound product freight are accounted for as fulfillment costs and are included in selling, general and marketing expenses in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
For service revenue, the Company evaluated the arrangement with the distribution partner in Canada and determined that it acts as an agent in the distribution of Jeuveau® in Canada as it does not control the product before control is transferred to a
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
customer. The indicators of which party exercises control include primary responsibility over performance obligations, inventory risk before the good or service is transferred and discretion in establishing the price. Accordingly, the Company records the sale as service revenue on a net basis. Revenue from services is recognized in the period the service is performed for the amount of consideration expected to be received. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recognized $738 and $688 of revenue related to Canada sales.
Disaggregation of Revenue
The Company’s disaggregation of revenue is consistent with its operating segment as disclosed above.
Gross-to-Net Revenue Adjustments
The Company provides customers with discounts, such as trade and volume discounts and prompt pay discounts, that are directly reflected in the invoice price. Revenues are recorded net of sales-related adjustments, wherever applicable, primarily for the volume based rebates, coupon and consumer loyalty programs.
•Volume-based Rebates - Volume-based rebates are contractually offered to certain customers. The rebates payable to each customer are determined based on the contract and quarterly purchase volumes.
•Coupons - The Company issued customers coupons redeemable into gift cards funded by the Company for the benefit of patients. The coupons are accounted for as variable consideration. The Company estimates the coupon redemption rates based on historical data and future expectations. The coupons are accrued based on estimated redemption rates and the volume of products purchased and are recorded as a reduction to revenues on product delivery. All issued coupons expired on June 30, 2020.
•Consumer Loyalty Program - In May 2020, the Company announced the launch of a consumer loyalty program, which allows participating customers to earn rewards for qualifying treatments to their patients (i.e. consumers) using Jeuveau® and redeem the rewards for Jeuveau® in the future at no additional cost. The loyalty program represents a customer option that provides a material right and, accordingly, is a performance obligation. At the time Jeuveau® product is sold to customers, the invoice price is allocated between the product sold and the estimated material right reward (“Reward”) that the customer might redeem in the future. The standalone selling price of the Reward is measured based on historical sales data, average selling price of Jeuveau® at the time of redemption, expected customer and consumer participation rates in the loyalty program, and estimated number of qualifying treatments to be performed by customers. The portion of invoice price allocated to the Reward is initially recorded as deferred revenue. Subsequently, when customers redeem the Reward and the related product is delivered, the deferred revenue is recognized in net revenue at that time.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the accrued revenue contract liabilities, primarily related to volume-based rebates, coupons and consumer loyalty program, were $3,081 and $1,709, respectively, which were recorded in the accrued expenses in the accompanying balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, provisions for rebate, coupon and consumer loyalty programs were $16,896 and $12,325, respectively, which were offset by related payments, redemptions and adjustments of $15,524 and $10,616, respectively.
Contract balances
A contract with a customer states the terms of the sale, including the description, quantity and price of each product purchased. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s right to consideration becomes unconditional. The Company does not have any significant financing components in customer contracts given the expected time between transfer of the promised products and the payment of the associated consideration is less than one year. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, all amounts included in accounts receivable, net on the accompanying balance sheets are related to contracts with customers.
The Company did not have any contract assets nor unbilled receivables as of December 31, 2020 or 2019. Sales commissions are included in selling, general and administrative expenses when incurred.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Contract liabilities reflect estimated amounts that the Company is obligated to pay to customers or patients primarily under the rebate and coupon programs and deferred revenue associated with Reward under the consumer loyalty program. The Company’s contract liabilities are included in accounts payable and accrued expenses in the accompanying condensed balance sheets.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company did not recognize any revenue related to changes in transaction prices regarding its contracts with customers and did not recognize any material changes in revenue related to amounts included in contract liabilities at the beginning of the period.
Collectability
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. At the time of contract inception or new customer account set-up, the Company performs a collectability assessment of the customer’s creditworthiness. The Company assesses the probability that the Company will collect the entitled consideration in exchange for the goods sold, by considering the customer’s ability and intention to pay when consideration is due. On a recurring basis, the Company estimates the amount of receivables considered uncollectable to reflect an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company writes off accounts receivable balances when it is determined that there is no possibility of collection. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, allowance for doubtful accounts was $2,118 and $387, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, provision for bad debts was $2,066 and $387, respectively, and write-offs were $335 and $0, respectively.
Practical Expedients
The Company expenses sales commissions when incurred as the amortization period is one year or less. These costs are recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company does not adjust the amount of promised consideration for the effects of the time value of money for contracts in which the anticipated period between when the Company transfers the goods or services to the customer and when the customer pays within one year.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include personnel-related costs, costs associated with pre-clinical and clinical development activities, costs associated with and costs for prototype products that are manufactured prior to market approval for that prototype product, internal and external costs associated with the Company’s regulatory compliance and quality assurance functions, including the costs of outside consultants and contractors that assist in the process of submitting and maintaining regulatory filings, and overhead costs, including allocated facility related expenses.
Restructuring Costs
In April 2020, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on its business, the Company announced plans to reduce its operating expenses and separate over 100 employees. As of December 31, 2020, all separations were completed and for the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded $2,956 of termination benefits as restructuring costs within operating expenses on the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Litigation Settlement
On February 18, 2021, upon entering into certain agreements in connection with the settlement of claims relating to certain intellectual property disputes relating to Jeuveau® (See Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies), the Company agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox $35,000 in multiple payments over two years and issued 6,762,652 shares its common stock to Medytox. In addition, for the period from December 16, 2020 to September 16, 2022, the Company agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox a certain royalty on the sale of Jeuveau®, based on a certain dollar amount per vial sold in the United States and a low-double digit royalty on net sales of Jeuveau® sold in other Evolus territories. For the period from September 17, 2022 to September 16, 2032, the Company agreed to pay to Medytox a mid-single digit royalty percentage on all net sales of Jeuveau®. The royalty payments will be made quarterly.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
The settlement agreements resulted in an $83,421 charge for the year ended December 31, 2020, which consisted of $35,000 in cash payments and $48,421 from the issuance of 6,762,652 shares of the Company’s common stock in February 2021 and was recorded as litigation settlement expenses in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The related current liability of $63,421 and non-current liability of $20,000 were recorded in the accompanying balance sheets as of December 31, 2020. The royalty payments are recorded as cost of sales in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss at the time the corresponding sales are recognized starting on December 16, 2020.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for employees, consultants and members of the Board of Directors based on the fair value at the date of grant.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value stock option grants. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the input of subjective assumptions, including the expected volatility of the Company’s common stock, expected risk-free interest rate, and the option’s expected life. The fair value of the Company’s restricted stock units (“RSUs”) is based on the fair value on the grant date of the Company’s common stock. The Company also evaluates the impact of modifications made to the original terms of equity awards when they occur.
The fair value of equity awards that are expected to vest is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized net of actual forfeitures when they occur, as an increase to additional paid-in capital in the balance sheets and in the selling, general and administrative or research and development expenses in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and primarily include costs related to social media ads. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company incurred advertising costs of $4,979 and $1,407, respectively.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse.
A valuation allowance is recorded against deferred tax assets, to reduce the net carrying value, when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. In making such a determination, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the amount of the valuation allowance. When the Company establishes or reduces the valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets, its provision for income taxes will increase or decrease, respectively, in the period such determination is made.
Additionally, the Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized in the financial statements for a particular tax position is based on the largest benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon settlement. Accordingly, the Company establishes reserves for uncertain tax positions. The Company has not recognized interest or penalties in its statement of operations and comprehensive loss.
The Company is required to file federal and state income tax returns in the United States and various other state jurisdictions. The preparation of these income tax returns requires the Company to interpret the applicable tax laws and regulations in effect in such jurisdictions, which could affect the amount of tax paid by the Company. An amount is accrued for the estimate of additional tax liability, including interest and penalties, for any uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in an income tax return. The Company reviews and updates the accrual for uncertain tax positions as more definitive information becomes available.
The Company’s income tax returns are based on calculations and assumptions that are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. In addition, the calculation of the Company’s tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations. The Company recognizes liabilities for uncertain tax positions
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
based on a two-step process. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. While the Company believes it has appropriate support for the positions taken on its tax returns, the Company regularly assesses the potential outcomes of examinations by tax authorities in determining the adequacy of its provision for income taxes. The Company continually assesses the likelihood and amount of potential revisions and adjusts the income tax provision, income taxes payable and deferred taxes in the period in which the facts that give rise to a revision become known.
Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period including contingently issuable shares. Diluted earnings per share includes the effect from potential issuance of ordinary shares, such as shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of stock options, the vesting of restricted stock units and the conversion of the Daewoong Convertible Note. The dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock units is computed under the treasury stock method. The dilutive effect of the Daewoong Convertible Note is computed under the if-converted method. Potentially dilutive securities are excluded from the computations of diluted net loss per share if their effect would be antidilutive.
For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, excluded from the dilutive net loss per share computation were stock options of 4,407,498 and 3,977,401, respectively, non-vested RSUs of 1,173,741 and 179,758, respectively, and 3,076,923 shares and 0 shares issuable upon conversion of the Daewoong Convertible Note, respectively, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. Although these securities were anti-dilutive for these periods, they could be dilutive in future periods.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted Pronouncements
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software: Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract. ASU 2018-15 requires implementation costs incurred by customers in cloud computing arrangements (i.e., hosting arrangements) to be capitalized under the same premises of authoritative guidance for internal-use software, and deferred over the noncancelable term of the cloud computing arrangements plus any option renewal periods that are reasonably certain to be exercised by the customer or for which the exercise is controlled by the service provider. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods during the year ending December 31, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted the guidance using the prospective method on January 1, 2020, and such adoption did not have a material impact on its financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The update is part of the disclosure framework project and eliminates certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements, requires entities to disclose new information, and modifies existing disclosure requirements. Under the new guidance, entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, or valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. However, public companies will be required to disclose the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and related changes in unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods during the year ending December 31, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted the guidance in the current period, and such adoption did not have a material impact on its financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Issued But Not Adopted
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The update simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by removing step two of the goodwill impairment test, which requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation. A goodwill impairment will be the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount, including goodwill, exceeds its fair value. The impairment charge will be limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. As amended by ASU 2019-10, the updated guidance is effective for the
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Company as a smaller reporting company beginning January 1, 2023. The standard requires prospective application. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the effect of this standard on its financial statements and related disclosures as well as whether to early adopt the new guidance.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which modifies the measurement and recognition of credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments. The new standard requires the use of forward-looking expected credit loss models based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount, which may result in earlier recognition of credit losses under the new standard. The new guidance also modifies the impairment models for available-for-sale debt securities and for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2016-13, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. This ASU does not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU 2016-13, instead these amendments are intended to clarify and improve operability of certain topics included within the credit losses standard. The FASB also subsequently issued ASU 2019-04 which did not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU 2016-13 but clarified that expected recoveries of amounts previously written off and expected to be written off should be included in the valuation account and should not exceed amounts previously written off and expected to be written off. As amended by ASU 2019-10, the updated guidance is effective for the Company as a smaller reporting company beginning January 1, 2023. The Company is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its financial statements and reviewing credit loss models to assess the impact of the adoption of the standard on the financial statements. Based on initial assessments, the Company believes that while adoption will modify the way it analyzes financial instruments, it does not expect adoption of this guidance will have a material impact to its financial statements.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. ASU 2019-12 eliminates certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod allocation and calculating income taxes in interim periods. This ASU also includes guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, including recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. ASU 2019-12 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this change will have on its financial statements.
Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB (including its Emerging Issues Task Force), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the SEC did not, or are not believed by management to, have a material impact on the Company’s present or future financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Note 3. Fair Value Measurements and Short-Term Investments
Short-Term Investments
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, all of the Company’s investments had remaining maturities of less than 12 months.
The following is a summary of the Company’s short-term investments, considered available-for-sale:
As of December 31, 2020
Amortized Gross Unrealized Estimated
Cost Gains Losses Fair Value
Available-for-sale securities
U.S treasury securities $ 5,000 $ - $ - $ 5,000
As of December 31, 2019
Amortized Gross Unrealized Estimated
Cost Gains Losses Fair Value
Available-for-sale securities
U.S treasury securities $ 19,905 $ 6 $ - $ 19,911
As of December 31, 2020, no investments had been in a continuous unrealized loss position for more than 12 months, and the Company did not record any other-than-temporary impairments on these securities.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The Company measures and reports certain financial instruments as assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of these instruments was as follows:
As of December 31, 2020
Fair Value Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Available-for-sale debt securities
U.S treasury securities $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ - $ -
Liabilities
Contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders $ 41,546 $ - $ - $ 41,546
As of December 31, 2019
Fair Value Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Available-for-sale debt securities
U.S treasury securities $ 19,911 $ 19,911 $ - $ -
Liabilities
Contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders $ 44,683 $ - $ - $ 44,683
The Company did not transfer any assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis between levels during the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Company determines the fair value of the contingent royalty obligation payable to Evolus Founders based on Level 3 inputs using a discounted cash flow method. The significant unobservable input assumptions that can significantly change the fair value include (i) projected amount and timing of net revenues during the payment period, which terminates in the quarter following the 10-year anniversary of the first commercial sale of Jeuveau® in the United States, (ii) the discount rate and (iii) the timing of payments. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company utilized discount rates between 13.0% and 20.0%, reflecting changes in the Company’s risk profile. Net revenue projections were also updated to reflect changes in the timing of expected sales. Significant increases (decreases) in discount rate would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement, which could impact materially the fair value reported on the balance sheet.
The following table shows a reconciliation of the beginning and ending fair value measurements of the contingent royalty obligation payable:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Fair value, beginning of period $ 44,683 $ 50,200
Payments (1,131) (9,677)
Change in fair value recorded in operating expenses (2,007) 4,160
Fair value, end of period $ 41,545 $ 44,683
Other Financial Assets and Liabilities
The Company’s financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, short-term available-for-sale debt securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, lease liabilities, and long-term debt. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates their fair value because of the short-term maturity of such instruments.
The Company estimates the fair value of the contingent promissory note payable to the Evolus Founders, long-term debt and operating lease liabilities using the discounted cash flow analysis based on the interest rates for similar rated debt securities (Level 2). As of December 31, 2020, the fair value of the contingent promissory note and long-term debt was estimated to be
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
$19,284 and $76,368, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, the fair value of the contingent promissory note and long-term debt was estimated to be $16,696 and $76,203, respectively. The fair value of operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 approximated their carrying value.
Note 4. Goodwill and Intangible Assets
The table below shows the weighted-average life, original cost, accumulated amortization and net book value by major intangible asset classification:
As of December 31, 2020
Weighted-Average Life (Years) Original Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Book Value
Definite-lived intangible assets
Distribution right 20 $ 59,076 $ (5,650) $ 53,426
Capitalized software 2 6,681 (4,810) 1,871
Intangible assets, net 65,757 (10,460) 55,297
Indefinite-lived intangible asset
Goodwill * 21,208 - 21,208
Total $ 86,965 $ (10,460) $ 76,505
As of December 31, 2019
Weighted-Average Life (Years) Original Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Book Value
Definite-lived intangible assets
Distribution right 20 $ 59,076 $ (2,679) $ 56,397
Capitalized software 2 4,415 (1,174) 3,241
Intangible assets, net 63,491 (3,853) 59,638
Indefinite-lived intangible asset
Goodwill * 21,208 - 21,208
Total $ 84,699 $ (3,853) $ 80,846
* Intangible assets with indefinite lives have an indeterminable average life.
The following table outlines the estimated future amortization expense related to intangible assets held as of December 31, 2020 that are subject to amortization:
Fiscal year
2021 4,673
2022 3,094
2023 2,955
2024 2,955
2025 2,955
Thereafter 38,665
$ 55,297
Distribution right represents the license and associated distribution right to develop Jeuveau®, the initial term of which expires in September 2023 and is automatically extended for unlimited additional three-year terms provided that the Company meets certain performance requirements. Additionally, upon FDA approval of Jeuveau® on February 1, 2019, the IPR&D project was completed and reclassified as a definite-lived distribution right intangible asset, which is amortized on a
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of 20 years. The Company paid Daewoong a $2,000 milestone payment, pursuant to the Daewoong Agreement, which increased the cost basis of the distribution . In connection with EU approval of Jeuveau®, the Company paid a $1,000 milestone payment to Daewoong in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019, which increased the cost basis of the distribution right. Under the 2021 Daewoong Arrangement (as defined in Note 9.), there is no additional cash consideration due to Daewoong. See Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies for additional information.
For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company capitalized $2,266 and $4,415, respectively, related to costs of computer software developed for internal use. The software is amortized over a two-year period using the straight-line method. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, total intangible assets amortization expense of $3,635 and $3,853, respectively, was recorded within depreciation and amortization on the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Note 5. Accrued Expenses
Accrued expenses consisted of the following:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Accrued payroll and related benefits $ 4,076 $ 5,229
Accrued revenue contract liabilities 3,081 1,709
Accrued professional services 895 5,794
Other accrued expenses 1,050 1,228
$ 9,102 $ 13,960
Note 6. Oxford Term Loan
On March 15, 2019, the Company entered into a credit facility of up to $100,000 with Oxford (“Loan Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the Loan Agreement, the lender extended term loans (the “Oxford Term Loans”), available in two advances, to the Company. The first tranche of $75,000 was funded on the closing date. The second tranche of $25,000 could have been drawn, at the request of the Company, no later than September 30, 2020, upon achieving specified minimum net sales milestones based on a trailing six-month basis and no event of default. The Company did not meet the net sales milestone to draw the second tranche. The credit facility bears an annual interest rate equal to the greater of 9.5%, or the 30-day U.S. Dollar LIBOR rate plus 7.0%. The Company agreed to pay interest-only for the first 36 months until May 2022, which is followed by a 23-month amortization period.
Upon the earliest to occur of the maturity date, the acceleration of the Oxford Term Loan, or the prepayment of the Oxford Term Loan, the Company was required to pay to Oxford a final payment of 5.5% of the full principal amount of the Oxford Term Loan funded (“Final Payment”). The Company could elect to prepay all amounts owed prior to the maturity date, provided that a prepayment fee was also paid, which would be equal to 2.0% of the amount prepaid if the prepayment occurred after March 15, 2020 and on or prior to March 15, 2021, or 1.0% of the amount prepaid if the prepayment occurred thereafter (“Prepayment Fee”). If the Oxford Term Loan was accelerated following the occurrence of an event of default, the Company was required to immediately pay to Oxford an amount equal to the sum of all outstanding principal of the Oxford Term Loan plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon through the prepayment date, the Final Payment, the Prepayment Fee and all other obligations that were due and payable, including payment of Oxford’s expenses and interest at the default rate with respect to any past due amounts.
The credit facility was secured by substantially all of the Company’s assets. The credit facility included affirmative and negative covenants applicable to the Company and any subsidiaries it may create in the future. The affirmative covenants included, among others, covenants requiring the Company to maintain its legal corporate existence and governmental approvals, deliver certain financial reports, maintain insurance coverage and satisfy certain requirements regarding deposit accounts. The negative covenants included, among others, restrictions on us transferring collateral, incurring additional indebtedness, engaging in mergers or acquisitions, paying dividends or making other distributions, making investments, creating liens, selling assets and suffering a change in control, in each case subject to certain exceptions.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
The credit facility also included events of default, the occurrence and continuation of which could cause interest to be charged at a default interest rate equal to the applicable rate plus 5.0% and Oxford, as collateral agent, with the right to exercise remedies against the Company and the collateral securing the credit facility, including foreclosure against the property securing the credit facility, including the Company’s cash. These events of default included, among other things, any failure by the Company to pay principal or interest due under the credit facility, a breach of certain covenants under the credit facility, the Company’s insolvency, a material adverse change, the occurrence of any default under certain other indebtedness and one or more judgments against the Company, the institution of certain temporary or permanent relief in connection with pending litigation, or the breach, termination or other adverse events under the Daewoong Agreement. As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with its debt covenants.
At the closing date, the Company incurred $1,094 and $2,205 in debt discounts and issuance costs related to the Oxford Term Loan, respectively. Debt discounts and issuance costs related to the entire Oxford Term Loan have been allocated pro rata between the funded and unfunded portions. Debt discounts and issuance costs related to the Oxford Term Loan have been presented as a deduction to the debt balance and are amortized into interest expense using the effective interest method. The overall effective interest rate was approximately 11.6% as of December 31, 2020.
On January 4, 2021, the Company and Oxford entered into an agreement (“Payoff Letter”), pursuant to which (i) on January 4, 2021, the Company paid Oxford $76,447 to discharge in full all outstanding obligations, included accrued interest by and between Oxford, in its capacity as collateral agent and lender, and the Company, and (ii) effective upon such repayment, the Loan Agreement, and all unfunded commitments thereunder, guarantees and other security interests granted to Oxford in connection with the Loan Agreement and all other obligations of and restrictions on the Company under the Loan Agreement, terminated. As a condition to entering into the Payoff Letter, Oxford agreed to waive a total of $4,300 of fees comprised of (i) $2,800 of the Final Payment and (ii) the Prepayment Fee of $1,500.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the borrowings outstanding under the Oxford Term Loan was classified as current liabilities and long-term debt, respectively, in the accompanying balance sheets.
Note 7. Daewoong Convertible Note
On July 6, 2020, the Company entered into a Convertible Promissory Note Purchase Agreement with Daewoong for the purchase and sale of a Convertible Promissory Note for the principal amount of $40,000 (the “Daewoong Convertible Note”), which was funded on July 30, 2020. Additionally, on July 6, 2020, the Company, Daewoong and Oxford Finance, LLC entered into a Subordination Agreement pursuant to which the Daewoong Convertible Note is subordinated to the Company’s obligations under that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2019, by and between the Company and Oxford.
The Daewoong Convertible Note bears interest at a rate of 3.0% payable semi-annually in arrears on June 30th and December 31st of each year and matures on July 30, 2025, subject to earlier conversion as provided below. Interest is initially paid in kind by adding the accrued amount thereof to the outstanding principal amount on a semi-annual basis on June 30th and December 31st of each calendar year for so long as any principal amount under the Oxford Term Loan remains outstanding and the Subordination Agreement has not been terminated. Interest will begin to be paid in cash after the Oxford Term Loan was repaid in full and the Subordination Agreement was terminated on January 4, 2021.
During the term, the Daewoong Convertible Note is convertible at the option of Daewoong beginning 12 months from the date of issuance, subject to certain suspensions of that conversion right in the event of a final determination of the ITC Action resulting in an exclusion order with respect to Jeuveau® as further set forth in the Daewoong Convertible Note. The initial conversion price of the Daewoong Convertible Note is $13.00 per share, which is subject to adjustment for stock splits, dividends or distributions, recapitalizations, spinoffs or similar transactions. The Daewoong Convertible Note and the shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon conversion of the Daewoong Convertible Note have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.
Starting 27 months from the date of issuance, the Company may prepay the Daewoong Convertible Note without penalty, provided the Company provides Daewoong with at least ten business days’ written notice during which Daewoong may convert all or any portion of the Daewoong Convertible Note at the conversion price.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Further, in the event the Company is awarded any recovery pursuant to a final, non-appealable award or judgment issued by a court of competent jurisdiction over the parties, or pursuant to any settlement acceptable in the sole and absolute discretion of each of the Company and Daewoong, for any indemnification or other claim for damages by the Company under the Daewoong Agreement, the amount of Daewoong’s or its affiliate’s indemnification obligation with respect to such award, judgment or settlement shall be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis and will be offset by the amount of the then-outstanding principal amount of the Daewoong Convertible Note and any accrued but unpaid interest thereon.
On March 23, 2021, the outstanding principal balance including interest paid in kid that was added to the outstanding principal under the terms of the Daewoong Convertible Note, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, in the amount of $40,779 was converted, at the conversion price of $13.00 per share, into 3,136,869 shares of the Company’s common stock under the Conversion Agreement. Such shares of the Company’s common stock were exempt from registration under the Securities Act by virtue of Section 3(a)(9) or Section 4(a)(2) thereof, and no commission or other remuneration was paid in connection with conversion of the Daewoong Convertible Note and any resulting issuance of shares of the Company’s common stock. After the conversion, shares owned by Daewoong, together with its affiliates and attribution parties, did not exceed 9.99% of the Company’s then outstanding common shares immediately following such issuance, as required under the terms of the Daewoong Convertible Note. See Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies for the details of the Conversion Agreement.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with its debt covenants.
Note 8. Operating Leases
The Company’s corporate headquarters is located in Newport Beach, California, in a facility that it subleased until January 2020 under a non-cancelable operating lease for a fixed amount each month. On May 15, 2019, the Company entered into a non-cancelable operating lease for the same office facility with the original lessor. This non-cancelable operating lease commenced on February 1, 2020 and expires on January 31, 2025. Lease payments increase based on an annual rent escalation clause that occurs each year on February 1. The Company may, under certain circumstances, terminate the lease on the 36-month anniversary of the lease commencement date by providing a written notice 12 months prior to such anniversary and paying a termination fee equal to six months basic rent plus certain other expenses. The Company has an option to extend the term of the lease for an additional 60 months, which is not recognized as part of its ROU assets and lease liabilities. The lease with the original lessor is a modification of the existing sublease that is not accounted for as a separate contract.
The Company also leased an office facility in Santa Barbara, California, under a non-cancelable operating lease, the payments of which included a three percent annual rent escalation clause that occurs on each June 1 anniversary. The lease for this facility expired on May 31, 2020 and the Company did not extend the term of the lease. In June 2019, the Company subleased the Santa Barbara, California facility to a third-party for a term starting on June 1, 2019 and expiring on May 31, 2020. The sublease income was not significant. Upon signing the sublease, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $80 to the right-of-use asset related to the original lease.
The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. The payments associated with the renewal will only be included in the measurement of the lease liability and ROU assets if the exercise of the renewal option is determined to be reasonably certain. The Company considers the timing of the renewal period and other economic factors such as the financial implications of a decision to extend or not to extend a lease in determining if the renewal option is reasonably certain to be exercised.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the components of operating lease expense and other quantitative information were as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Fixed operating lease expense $ 1,080 $ 1,080
Variable operating lease expense 40 110
Short-term operating lease expense 168 85
$ 1,288 $ 1,275
As of December 31,
2020 2019
Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) 4.1 5.0
Weighted-average discount rate 9.4% 9.4%
Operating lease expenses were included in the selling, general and administration expenses in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Operating lease right-of-use assets and related current and noncurrent operating lease liabilities are presented in the accompanying balance sheets.
The following table presents the maturity of the Company’s operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2020, future minimum payments under the operating lease agreements with non-cancelable terms as follows:
Fiscal year
2021 1,212
2022 1,265
2023 1,319
2024 1,376
2025 115
Total operating lease payments 5,287
Less: imputed interest (928)
Present value of operating lease liabilities $ 4,359
Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies
Purchase Commitments
As of December 31, 2020, the Company has entered into commitments to purchase services and products for an aggregate amount of approximately $2,137. Certain minimum purchase commitments related to the purchase of Jeuveau® are described below.
License and Supply Agreement
In connection with the Daewoong Agreement, the Company was obligated to make future milestone payments to Daewoong for certain confidential development and commercial milestones associated with Jeuveau®. As of December 31, 2020, Daewoong is eligible to receive remaining contingent milestone payments of up to $10,500, all of which were cancelled pursuant to the Daewoong Settlement Agreement on March 23, 2021 as described below.
The Daewoong Agreement also includes certain minimum annual purchases the Company is required to make in order to maintain the exclusivity of the license. The Company may, however, meet these minimum purchase obligations by achieving certain market share in its covered territories. These potential minimum purchase obligations are contingent upon the
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
occurrence of future events, including receipt of governmental approvals and the Company’s future market share in various jurisdictions.
Legal Proceedings
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and provide for general indemnifications. The Company’s exposure under these agreements is unknown because they involve claims that may be made against the Company in the future, but have not yet been made. The Company accrues a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. No amounts were accrued as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Medytox Litigation
The Company, Daewoong and other individuals and entities were defendants to a lawsuit brought by Medytox, Inc. (“Medytox”) originally instituted in the Superior Court of the State of California in June 2017. With specific regard to the Company, Medytox alleged that (i) the Company has violated California Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Cal. Civ. Code § 3426 because Daewoong’s alleged knowledge of the misappropriation of certain trade secrets of Medytox is imputed to the Company as a result of the Company’s relationship with Daewoong, (ii) the Company has stolen the botulinum toxin bacterial strain of Medytox through our possession of and refusal to return the botulinum toxin bacterial strain, (iii) the Company has engaged in unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business acts and practices in violation of California Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200, including conversion of the botulinum toxin bacterial strain and misrepresentations to the public regarding the source of the botulinum toxin bacterial strain used to manufacture Jeuveau®, and (iv) the Daewoong Agreement is invalid and in violation of Medytox’s rights (the “Medytox Litigation”). Medytox sought, among other things, (i) actual, consequential and punitive damages, (ii) a reasonable royalty, as appropriate, (iii) a declaration that the Daewoong Agreement is void and unenforceable and that Medytox is entitled to disgorgement of all property wrongfully and unjustly retained or acquired by the defendants, including unlawfully gained profits, (iv) injunctive relief prohibiting the Company from using the license under the Daewoong Agreement and distributing Jeuveau®, and (v) attorneys’ fees and costs. As a result of the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements as described below, on February 23, 2021, the case was dismissed.
ITC Case
On January 30, 2019, Allergan and Medytox filed a complaint (“ITC Complaint”) against the Company and Daewoong in the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ ITC”), containing substantially similar allegations to the Medytox Litigation, specifically that Jeuveau® is manufactured based on misappropriated trade secrets of Medytox and therefore the importation of Jeuveau® is an unfair act. The ITC matter, which is referred to herein as the ITC Action, is entitled In the Matter of Certain Botulinum Toxin Products. On March 6, 2019, the ITC instituted an investigation as ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1145. The ITC Complaint called for an investigation by the ITC Office of Unfair Import Investigations, or OUII, under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The ITC Complaint sought (i) an investigation pursuant to Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, (ii) a hearing with the ITC on permanent relief, (iii) issuance of a limited exclusion order forbidding entry of Jeuveau® into the United States, (iv) a cease and desist order prohibiting Daewoong and us from engaging in the importations, sale for importation, marketing, distribution, offering for sale, the sale after the importation of, or otherwise transferring Jeuveau® within the United States, (v) a bond issued during the presidential review period, (vi) the return of Medytox’s trade secrets and other confidential information including the alleged stolen BTX Strain, and (vii) exclusion and cease and desist orders.
On December 16, 2020, the ITC issued its final determination in the ITC Action. The final determination partially affirmed the Administrative Law Judge’s (“ALJ’s”) ruling in the initial determination that found a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 had occurred by reason of a misappropriation of certain manufacturing process trade secrets. The ITC also reversed the ALJ’s finding that a trade secret exists with respect to a bacterial strain. As a result, the ITC issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of Jeuveau® into the United States for a period of 21 months and (2) a cease and desist order preventing the Company from, among other things, selling, marketing, or promoting such imported Jeuveau® in the United States for a period of 21 months (“Restricted Period”).
The Final Determination was subject to a 60-day presidential review period before taking effect. During the presidential review period, the Company was permitted to continue importation and sales of Jeuveau® subject to payment of a bond of $441.00 for every vial distributed in the United States. The Presidential review period ended on February 16, 2021. Prior to
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
the expiration of the presidential review period, the Company filed an emergency motion with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit which issued an emergency stay which suspended the execution of the remedial orders pending appeal of the ITC’s decision, briefing for which was to be due by March 5, 2021.
On February 18, 2021, the Company, Medytox and Allergan entered into certain agreements described below (the “Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements”) pursuant to which the Company, Allergan and Medytox agreed to rescind the Remedial Orders, dismiss the ITC Action and dismiss any appeal of the ITC Action.
On March 23, 2021, the Company and Daewoong entered into certain agreements described below (the “2021 Daewoong Arrangement”) in connection with the settlement of certain claims relating to or arising from the Remedial Orders, the ITC Action, the California Litigation, the Korea Action and certain other matters.
As of December 31, 2020, the total bond payment was $1,350, which was recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the accompanying balance sheets. Pursuant to the Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements described below, the bond paid will be returned to the Company upon the termination of the ITC Action.
Medytox/Allergan Settlement Agreements
U.S. Settlement Agreement
Effective February 18, 2021, the Company, Allergan and Medytox entered into a Settlement and License Agreement (the “U.S. Settlement Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things: (i) Allergan and Medytox agreed to file a petition with the ITC requesting that the ITC rescind the Remedial Orders with respect to the Company; (ii) Medytox agreed to dismiss the California Litigation; (iii) the Company, on the one hand, and Medytox and Allergan, on the other hand, agreed to mutually release certain claims they may have against one another and their respective affiliates, (iv) Allergan and Medytox granted to the Company and its agents a license to manufacture and commercialize certain products identified in the U.S. Settlement Agreement, including Jeuveau® (the “Licensed Products”), in the United States during the Restricted Period; (v) the Company agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox $35,000 in multiple payments over two years; and (vi) during the Restricted Period, the Company agreed to pay to Allergan and Medytox certain confidential royalties on the sale of Licensed Products, calculated on dollar amount per vial sold of Licensed Product by or on behalf of the Company in the United States.
ROW Settlement Agreement
Effective February 18, 2021, the Company and Medytox entered into a Settlement and License Agreement (the “ROW Settlement Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things: (i) the Company and Medytox agreed to mutually release certain claims they may have against one another and their respective affiliates; (ii) Medytox granted to the Company and its agents a license to manufacture and commercialize the Licensed Products, in Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, member countries and cooperating countries of the European Economic Area, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, South Africa, Australia and Japan (the “ROW Territories”) during the Restricted Period; (iii) Medytox granted to the Company and its agents a fully paid up license to manufacture and commercialize the Licensed Products in the ROW Territories and the United States from the end of the Restricted Period (the “Medytox License Period”); (iv) the Company and Medytox agreed to enter into the Share Issuance Agreement (as defined below) pursuant to which the Company would issue 6,762,652 shares (the “Settlement Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, to Medytox; (v) the Company and Medytox agreed to enter into the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined below), pursuant to which the Company would grant certain registration rights to Medytox with respect to the Settlement Shares; (vi) during the Restricted Period, the Company agreed to pay to Medytox a confidential low-double digit royalty on net sales of the Licensed Products sold by or on behalf of the Company in the ROW Territories; and (vii) during the Medytox License Period, the Company agreed to pay to Medytox a confidential mid-single digit royalty percentage on net sales of the Licensed Products sold by or on behalf of the Company in the United States and the ROW Territories.
Share Issuance Agreement
In connection with the execution of the ROW Settlement Agreement, the Company and Medytox also entered into a Share Issuance Agreement effective February 18, 2021 (the “Share Issuance Agreement”). Pursuant to the Share Issuance Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, among other things, the Company issued to Medytox the Settlement Shares to enter into the ROW Settlement Agreement and in consideration for Medytox’s representations, warranties, and other agreements set forth in the Share Issuance Agreement. Subject to certain exceptions, the Settlement
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Shares are subject to a lockup until February 16, 2022, after which time Medytox may dispose of up to 25% of the Settlement Shares together with an additional 25% each year thereafter. All Settlement Shares may be disposed of on or after September 16, 2025.
Registration Rights Agreement
In connection with the execution of the ROW Settlement Agreement, the Company and Medytox also entered into a Registration Rights Agreement effective February 18, 2021 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, among other things, the Company agreed, after March 31, 2022, (i) to comply with certain demands by Medytox to register for sale, under the Securities Act, the Settlement Shares, and (ii) to include the Settlement Shares in certain registrations by the Company of its securities for sale under the Securities Act, to the extent requested by Medytox, in each case subject to certain customary conditions, exceptions and limitations as set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.
In addition, Medytox’s registration rights under the Registration Rights Agreement will terminate at such time that Medytox is able to sell all of the Settlement Shares over a three-month period, or less, pursuant to an exemption to registration under the Securities Act.
2021 Daewoong Arrangement
Daewoong Settlement Agreement
On March 23, 2021, the Company and Daewoong entered into a Confidential Settlement and Release Agreement (the “Daewoong Settlement Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things: (i) Daewoong agreed to (a) pay to the Company an amount equal to $25,500, (b) pay certain reasonable legal fees incurred by the Company’s litigation counsel in connection with its defense of the ITC Action (including any appeal of the resulting Remedial Orders), (c) cancel all remaining milestone payments up to $10,500 in aggregate, which otherwise are or may become due and payable by the Company pursuant to the Daewoong Agreement, and (d) reimburse the Company certain amounts (calculated on a dollar amount per vials sold basis in the United States) for sales of certain products with respect to which the Company is required to pay Medytox and Allergan royalties pursuant to the U.S. Settlement Agreement; and (ii) the Company agreed to (a) release, on behalf of itself and certain of its affiliates and representatives, certain claims they may have against Daewoong or certain of its affiliates and representatives related to the allegations made in or the subject matter of the Medytox/Allergan Actions, or any orders, remedies and losses resulting from the Medytox/Allergan Actions, and (b) coordinate with Daewoong on certain matters related to the Medytox/Allergan Actions.
The rights and obligations of the parties under the Daewoong Settlement Agreement are subject to the parties’ execution and delivery of certain other related agreements, including the Daewoong Agreement Amendment and the Conversion Agreement (as each of such terms are defined below).
Conversion Agreement
In connection with the execution of the Settlement Agreement, the Company and Daewoong also entered into a Convertible Promissory Note Conversion Agreement (the “Conversion Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, the parties agreed that (i) the Principal Balance under the Daewoong Convertible Note, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, in the amount of $40,779 shall be automatically converted, at the conversion price of $13.00 per share, 3,136,869 shares of Common Stock (the “Conversion Shares”); and (ii) the Daewoong Convertible Note shall be deemed cancelled and satisfied in full in connection with such conversion. The Company and Daewoong agreed to the conversion and issuance of the Conversion Shares in connection with the Daewoong Settlement Agreement and in consideration for the cancellation of the Daewoong Convertible Note and the other terms set forth in the Conversion Agreement.
The Conversion Shares issued to Daewoong pursuant to the Conversion Agreement were offered and issued in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), set forth under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act relating to sales by an issuer not involving any public offering and in reliance on similar exemptions under applicable state laws.
Daewoong Agreement Amendment
In connection with the execution of the Daewoong Settlement Agreement, on March 23, 2021, the Company and Daewoong also entered into the Third Amendment to the Supply Agreement (the “Daewoong Agreement Amendment”). Pursuant to the
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Daewoong Agreement Amendment, the parties amended the Daewoong Agreement to, among other things, (i) expand the territory within which the Company may distribute Jeuveau® to certain countries in Europe, (ii) reduce the period of time with respect to which the Company is required to deliver binding forecasts to Daewoong; (iii) introduce certain limitations on Daewoong’s ability to convert the Company’s exclusive license for certain territories to a non-exclusive license in the event the Company fails to meet certain minimum purchase requirements for such territory; (iv) adjust the minimum purchase requirements and reduce the transfer price per vial of Jeuveau® applicable to various territories, (v) require that any Jeuveau® supplied by Daewoong match certain shelf-life thresholds, and (vi) prohibit the Company from sharing certain confidential information of Daewoong with Medytox or its affiliates or representatives.
Securities Class Action Lawsuit
On October 16 and 28, 2020, two putative securities class action complaints were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by putative Evolus shareholders Armin Malakouti and Clinton Cox, respectively, naming the Company and certain of its officers as defendants. The complaints assert violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, claiming that the defendants made false and materially misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts related to the Company’s acquisition of the right to sell Jeuveau®, the ITC Action and risks related to the ITC Action. The complaints assert a putative class period of February 1, 2019 to July 6, 2020. The court consolidated the actions on November 13, 2020, under the caption In re Evolus Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:20-cv-08647 (PGG). Four putative shareholders (or groups of shareholders) have since moved to be appointed lead plaintiff. Under the court’s November 13, 2020 order, defendants need not move, answer, or otherwise respond to the complaints until 60 days after a lead plaintiff is appointed and files a consolidated, amended complaint.
Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit
On November 27, 2020 and December 2, 2020, two putative Evolus shareholders filed substantially similar shareholder derivative actions in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against certain of the Company’s officers and directors as defendants. The complaints alleged substantially similar facts as those in the Securities Class Action and assert claims for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, unjust enrichment, and violations of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and for contribution under Sections 10(b) and 21(D) of the Exchange Act. On December 29, 2020, the plaintiffs filed a joint stipulation to consolidate their actions and on February 5, 2021, the court consolidated the action. On February 5, 2021, the court consolidated the actions under the caption In re Evolus, Inc. Derivative Litigation, No. 1:20-cv-09986-PPG, and adjourned defendants’ time to move, answer or otherwise respond to the complains. On March 8, 2021, the parties filed a stipulation and proposed order to stay the consolidated derivative suit pending the court’s decision on the defendants’ anticipated motion to dismiss the Securities Class Action.
It is possible that additional suits will be filed, or additional allegations will be made by stockholders, with respect to these same or similar or other matters and also naming the Company and/or its officers and directors as defendants. The Company believes that the complaints are without merit and intends to vigorously defend against it. However, the outcome of the legal proceeding is uncertain at this point. Based on information available to the Company at present, management cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss and accordingly has not accrued any liability associated with this action.
Other Legal Matters
The Company, from time to time, is involved in various litigation matters or regulatory encounters arising in the ordinary course of business that could result in unasserted or asserted claims or litigation. These other matters may raise difficult and complex legal issues and are subject to many uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the facts and circumstances of each particular case or claim, the jurisdiction in which each suit or regulatory encounter is brought, and differences in applicable laws and regulations. Except as set forth above, the Company does not believe that these other matters would have a material adverse effect on its accompanying financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, the resolution of one or more of the other matters in any reporting period could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial results for that period.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Note 10. Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred Stock
The Company has 10,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.00001 per share. As of December 31, 2020, none were issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
The Company has 100,000,000 authorized shares of common stock with a par value of $0.00001 per share. As of December 31, 2020, 33,749,228 shares were issued and outstanding.
2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan and Stock-based Compensation Allocation
On November 21, 2017, the board of directors and the then-sole stockholder of the Company approved the Company’s 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan provides for the grant of incentive options to employees of the Company, and for the grant of nonstatutory options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, stock appreciation rights, performance stock awards and other forms of stock compensation to the Company’s employees, including officers, directors, consultants and employees of the Company. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan is 4,361,291 shares, plus an annual increase on each anniversary of November 21, 2017 equal to 4% of the total issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock as of such anniversary (or such lesser number of shares as may be determined by the Company’s board of directors). On November 21, 2020 and 2019, an additional 1,349,969 shares and 1,337,821 shares, respectively, were reserved under the evergreen provision of the Plan. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has available an aggregate of 2,049,553 shares of common stock for future issuance under the Plan.
Stock-Based Award Activity and Balances
Options are granted at exercise prices based on the Company’s common stock price on the date of grant. The options and RSU grants generally vest over a one-to four-year period. There have been no awards granted with performance conditions or market conditions for the periods presented. The options have a contractual term of ten years. The fair value of options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which has various inputs, including the grant date common share price, exercise price, risk-free interest rate, volatility, expected life and dividend yield. The change of any of these inputs could significantly impact the determination of the fair value of the Company’s options as well as significantly impact its results of operations. The fair value of RSU grants is determined at the grant date based on the common share price. The Company records stock-based compensation expense net of actual forfeitures when they occur.
The significant assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing are as follows:
•Expected Volatility. The Company has limited data regarding company-specific historical or implied volatility of its share price. Consequently, the Company estimates its volatility based on the average historical volatility of the stock price from a set of peer companies, since our shares do not have sufficient trading history. Management considers factors such as stage of life cycle, competitors, size, market capitalization and financial leverage in the selection of similar entities.
•Expected Term. The expected term represents the period of time in which the options granted are expected to be outstanding. The Company estimates the expected term of options with consideration of vesting date, contractual term, and historical experience. The expected term of “plain vanilla” options is estimated based on the midpoint between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term under the simplified method permitted by the SEC implementation guidance. The weighted-average expected term of the Company’s options is approximately six years.
•Risk-Free Rate. The risk-free interest rate is selected based upon the implied yields in effect at the time of the option grant on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a term approximately equal to the expected life of the option being valued.
•Dividends. The Company does not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, the Company uses an expected dividend yield rate of zero.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
The weighted-averages for assumptions used in determining the fair value of stock options granted were as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Volatility
61.2% 59.3%
Risk-free interest rate
1.4% 2.4%
Expected life (years)
6.14 6.17
Dividend yield rate
-% -%
A summary of stock option activity under the Plan for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, is presented below:
Weighted
Weighted Average
Average Remaining Aggregate
Stock Exercise Contractual Intrinsic
Options Per Share Terms (Years) Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2018
3,257,801 $ 11.99 9.26 $ 7,119
Granted
1,321,451 18.63
Exercised
(273,734) 9.98
Cancelled/forfeited
(328,117) 15.15
Outstanding, December 31, 2019
3,977,401 14.07 8.51 7,198
Granted
1,322,119 8.89
Exercised
-
Cancelled/forfeited
(892,022) 15.62
Outstanding, December 31, 2020 4,407,498 $ 12.20 7.66 $ 50
Exercisable, December 31, 2020 1,791,136 $ 12.25 7.06 $ -
Vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2020 4,407,498 $ 12.20 7.66 $ 50
The aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding and exercisable options represents the excess of the fair market value of our common stock over the exercise price of underlying options as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. There were no options exercised in the year ended December 31, 2020. The total intrinsic value of options exercised in the year ended December 31, 2019 was $2,311.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded expenses related to stock options of $7,968 and $8,302, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, there was $13,232 of total unrecognized compensation cost, net of actual forfeitures, related to stock option-based compensation arrangements granted under the Plan. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.06 years.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
A summary of RSU activity under the Plan for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, is presented below:
Weighted
Restricted Average
Stock Grant Date
Units Fair Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2018
271,404 $ 16.53
Granted
3,000 18.33
Vested
(25,125) 24.81
Forfeited
(19,409) 13.71
Outstanding, December 31, 2019
229,870 15.89
Granted
1,301,439 5.88
Vested
(186,870) 13.6
Forfeited
(170,698) 7.21
Outstanding, December 31, 2020 1,173,741 $ 6.42
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded expenses related to restricted stock units of $2,615 and $1,216, respectively. Total fair value of RSUs vested during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $1,980 and $357, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, there was $5,187 of total unrecognized compensation cost, net of actual forfeitures, related to RSU-based compensation arrangements granted under the Plan. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.97 years.
The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense arising from the above Plan:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Selling, general and administrative $ 10,408 $ 8,862
Research and development 176 656
Total stock-based compensation expense $ 10,584 $ 9,518
In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company capitalized $21 and $106, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense in capitalized software. Capitalized software is a component of intangible assets and is presented in the accompanying condensed balance sheets. See Note 4, Goodwill and Intangible Assets for capitalized software information.
Note 11. Employee Benefit Plan
The Company maintains a defined contribution 401(k) plan covering substantially all employees. Matching contributions totaled $524 and $479 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Note 12. Income Taxes
The Company’s loss before income taxes was entirely generated from its U.S. operations. The current and deferred expense is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Current provision:
Federal
$ - $ -
State
52 28
Total current provision
52 28
Deferred (benefit) provision:
Federal
- (10,299)
State
25 (4,756)
Total deferred provision (benefit) 25 (15,055)
Total provision (benefit) for income taxes $ 77 $ (15,027)
As of December 31, 2020, the Company has federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $246,003, of which $72,579 will begin to expire in 2034. The federal NOLs generated in 2018 and in the subsequent years in the amount of $173,424 have an indefinite carryforward period. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has state NOL carryforwards of $149,110, which will begin to expire in 2038. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has federal research and development (“R&D”) credit carryforwards of $1,464, which will begin to expire in 2034. The Company also has California R&D credit carryforwards of $1,459, which has an indefinite carryforward period.
The NOL and the R&D credit carryforwards generated by the Company in tax years ended February 11, 2018 and prior have been included in the consolidated and unitary income tax returns of Alphaeon. After the Company left the Alphaeon consolidated and unitary income tax group on February 11, 2018, the Company files its own standalone income tax returns. Deferred tax assets in the accompanying financial statements reflect the Company's standalone tax attributes that are reportable on its own income tax returns.
In general, if a company experiences a greater than 50 percentage point aggregate change in ownership of certain significant stockholders over a three-year period, utilization of its pre-change NOL carryforwards and R&D credit carryforwards is subject to an annual limitation under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and similar state laws. The annual limitation generally is determined by multiplying the value of the Company’s stock at the time of such ownership change, subject to certain adjustments, by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate. The annual limitations may result in the expiration of NOL and R&D credit carryforwards before utilization and may be material. The Company has started but has not completed an analysis to determine whether its NOL and R&D credits generated through December 31, 2020 are likely to be limited by Section 382 and 383. The Company anticipates that an ownership change as defined under Section 382 may have occurred and that the resulting limitation would significantly reduce the Company’s ability to utilize its NOL and R&D credit carryforwards before they expire. Additionally, future ownership changes under Section 382 and 383 may also limit the Company's ability to fully utilize any remaining tax benefits. The Company’s net deferred income tax assets have been offset by a valuation allowance. Therefore, any resulting reduction to the Company’s NOL and R&D credit carryforwards once the analysis is complete will be offset by a corresponding reduction of the valuation allowance and there would be no impact on the Company’s balance sheet, statement of operations, or cash flows.
The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
As of December 31,
2020 2019
Deferred income tax assets:
Net operating losses $ 60,083 $ 42,756
Stock compensation 3,938 2,430
Other deferred assets 2,617 2,470
Accrued compensation 2,559 1,962
Operating lease liabilities 1,114 1,274
Accrued legal settlement 21,318 -
Contingent obligation - imputed interest - 199
Other, net 21 12
Valuation allowance (78,313) (36,972)
Total deferred income tax assets
13,337 14,131
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Intangible amortization (12,240) (12,970)
Operating lease right-of-use assets (873) (1,017)
Fixed asset depreciation (249) (144)
Total deferred income tax liabilities
(13,362) (14,131)
Net deferred income taxes
$ (25) $ -
Upon FDA approval of Jeuveau® in February 2019, the Company’s IPR&D intangible asset was reclassified to a definite-lived distribution right intangible asset. As a result, management determined that it was more likely than not that certain deferred tax assets became realizable due to the future reversals of the deferred tax liability associated with such intangible asset. Accordingly, the Company released $15,055 of its valuation allowance for the year ended December 31, 2019. The total valuation allowance balance did not significantly change in 2019 due to the increase related to the current year operating loss as offset by the release as discussed above.
A reconciliation of the difference between the provision (benefit) for income taxes and income taxes at the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate is as follows:
As of December 31,
2020 2019
Income tax at statutory rate $ (34,217) $ (22,063)
State income taxes, net of Federal benefit (7,232) (3,905)
California NOL write-off - 5,174
Revaluation of contingent royalty obligation (513) 1,040
Meals and entertainment 366 1,002
Change in state tax rate (242) (1,371)
Officers' compensation 133 -
Stock compensation 616 521
Research and development tax credit (147) (294)
Promissory note - debt discount (145) 128
Other, net 117 50
Valuation allowance 41,341 4,691
Income tax provision (benefit)
$ 77 $ (15,027)
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
As of December 31,
2020 2019
Beginning balance $ 2,761 $ 2,435
Increases to current year tax positions 163 326
Ending balance $ 2,924 $ 2,761
The Company has considered the amounts and probabilities of the outcomes that can be realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authorities and determined unrecognized tax benefits primarily related to credits should be established as noted in the summary rollforward above. The Company’s effective income tax rate would not be impacted if the unrecognized tax benefits are recognized. Additional amounts in the summary rollforward could impact the Company’s effective tax rate if it did not maintain a full valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets. The Company does not expect its unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly over the next 12 months.
The Company’s policy is to recognize interest expense and penalties related to income tax matters as a component of income tax expense. There were no accrued interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company’s tax returns for all years since inception are open for audit.
On March 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). The Cares Act is an emergency economic stimulus package that includes spending and tax breaks to strengthen the United States economy and fund a nationwide effort to curtail the effect of COVID-19. While the CARES Act provides sweeping tax changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the more significant provisions which are expected to impact the Company’s financial statements include removal of certain limitations on utilization of net operating losses, increasing the loss carryback period for certain losses to five years and increasing the ability to deduct interest expense, as well as amending certain provisions of the previously enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Company does not believe that the CARES Act will have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
On December 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which extended many of the benefits of the CARES Act that were scheduled to expire. The Company is evaluating the impact of the Consolidated Appropriations Act on its financial statements and related disclosures.
Note 13. Related Party Transactions
Services with Alphaeon
In January 2018, the Company entered into a services agreement with Alphaeon Corporation (“Alphaeon”), which is majority-owned by Strathspey Crown Holdings Group, LLC, formerly known as SCH-AEON, LLC, (“SCH”). Such services agreement became effective upon the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”). In 2019 Alphaeon changed its name to AEON Biopharma, Inc. and contributed all of the shares it held in the Company to Alphaeon 1, LLC. The Company continues to refer to the renamed AEON Biopharma, Inc. as “Alphaeon” and Alphaeon 1, LLC as “Alphaeon 1, LLC.” The Services Agreement has a one-year term and thereafter will renew for successive one year terms unless sooner terminated by either party. The Company or Alphaeon may terminate the Services Agreement upon sixty days’ notice to the other party. There were no significant services provided under the Services Agreement after the Company’s IPO.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, Alphaeon owned 25.7% and 25.8% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock, respectively. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, Evolus had no related party accounts receivable or payable with Alphaeon.
Payment Obligations Related to the Acquisition by Alphaeon
The Company was acquired by SCH in 2013 and subsequently by its subsidiary, Alphaeon Corporation, by means of a stock purchase agreement (“Stock Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which Alphaeon assumed certain payment obligations related to the acquisition. On December 14, 2017, the Stock Purchase Agreement was amended (“Amended
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Stock Purchase Agreement”), and, as a result, effective upon the closing of the Company’s IPO, the Company assumed all of Alphaeon’s payment obligations under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement.
Under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement, the payment obligations consisted of (i) a $9,200 up-front payment upon obtaining FDA approval for Jeuveau® for the treatment of glabellar lines which was paid in full during the first quarter of 2019, (ii) quarterly royalty payments of a low single digit percentage of net sales of Jeuveau®, and (iii) a $20,000 promissory note that matures in November 2021. The payment obligations set forth in (ii) above terminates in the quarter following the 10-year anniversary of the first commercial sale of Jeuveau® in the United States. Under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company recorded the fair value of all revised payment obligations and the promissory note owed to the Evolus Founders. See Note 3, Fair Value Measurements and Short-Term Investments for more information about the Company’s accounting thereof.
Under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement, Evolus paid one-time bonuses of $1,575 to certain current and former employees upon FDA approval of Jeuveau® in February 2019, including a one-time bonus of $700 paid to the Company’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research & Development. The payment is included in research and development expenses in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The Company has the right to prepay the promissory note, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time without penalty. Upon an event of default under the promissory note, all unpaid principal becomes immediately due and payable at the option of the holder. An event of default occurs under the terms of the promissory note upon any of the following events: (i) Evolus fails to meet the obligations to make the required payments thereunder, (ii) Evolus makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) Evolus commences any bankruptcy proceeding, or (iv) Evolus materially breaches the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement or Tax Indemnity Agreement (which is defined below) and such breach is not cured within 30 days.
In addition, upon a change-of-control of Evolus, all unpaid principal becomes immediately due and payable. Under the terms of the promissory note, a change-of-control is defined as (i) the sale of all or substantially all of Evolus’ assets, (ii) the exclusive license of Jeuveau® or the business related to Jeuveau® to a third-party (other than a sublicense under the Daewoong Agreement), or (iii) any merger, consolidation, or acquisition of Evolus, except a merger, consolidation, or acquisition of Evolus in which the holders of capital stock of Evolus immediately prior to such merger, consolidation, or acquisition hold at least 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of Evolus or the surviving entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the promissory note expressly provides that neither the IPO or any merger with or acquisition by Alphaeon or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates constitutes a change-of-control.
In connection with the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a tax indemnity agreement with the Evolus Founders (“Tax Indemnity Agreement”). Pursuant to the Tax Indemnity Agreement, the Company is obligated to indemnify the Evolus Founders for any tax liability resulting from the Company’s assumption of the revised payment obligations under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement from Alphaeon. Such assumption of the revised payment obligations occurred upon the completion of the IPO. Under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement, the payment obligations are contingent and thus eligible for installment sale reporting under Section 453 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Under the Tax Indemnity Agreement, the Company was obligated to indemnify the Evolus Founders for any taxes or penalties required to be paid by the Evolus Founders in the event the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or other taxing authority were to determine that Company’s assumption of the revised payment obligations under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement rendered continued installment sale reporting unavailable to the Evolus Founders. Any taxes or penalties paid by us on behalf of the Evolus Founders under the Tax Indemnity Agreement will be offset dollar-for-dollar against the promissory note and future royalties that will be payable to the Evolus Founders under the Amended Stock Purchase Agreement.
Exclusive Distribution and Supply Agreement with Clarion Medical Technologies Inc.
On November 30, 2017, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution and supply agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”), with Clarion Medical Technologies Inc. (“Clarion”). The Distribution Agreement provides terms pursuant to which the Company will exclusively supply Jeuveau® to Clarion in Canada. Clarion was previously a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphaeon. However, pursuant to previous agreements among Alphaeon, Clarion, and previous equity holders of Clarion, the previous equity holders of Clarion had the option, and exercised such option, to unwind Alphaeon’s acquisition
Evolus, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
of Clarion. As a result, Alphaeon owes the equity holders of Clarion an unwinding fee of $9,550 (the “Unwinding Fee”). The Distribution Agreement sets forth that a portion of the proceeds received by the Company from each unit of Jeuveau® purchased by Clarion shall be paid directly to the previous equity holders of Clarion, and will reduce, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the amount of the Unwinding Fee Alphaeon owes. In addition, Alphaeon and SCH have agreed with Clarion to pay the unpaid amount of the Unwinding Fee on December 31, 2022, if demanded by the previous equity holders of Clarion. The service revenue related to the sale of Jeuveau® through Clarion for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was recorded based on terms that were not in the scope of the Distribution Agreement. On March 23, 2021, the Company, Clarion, and Daewoong entered into an addendum to the Distribution Agreement to provide for Clarion to purchase Jeuveau® directly from Daewoong. The Company’s obligation under the Distribution Agreement to pay to the previous equity holders of Clarion is therefore cancelled. Instead, the Company receives a payment on per unit basis from Clarion for its purchase of Jeuveau® from Daewoong.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, our principal executive and principal financial officers, respectively, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective (a) to ensure that information that we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and (b) to include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of senior management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on the evaluation under that framework and applicable SEC rules, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm on our internal control over financial reporting due to an exemption established pursuant to the JOBS Act for “emerging growth companies.”
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitations of Internal Controls
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of a simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management overriding of the controls. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
Part III
Certain information required by Part III is omitted from this annual report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“Proxy Statement”), which we intend to file pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, within 120 days after December 31, 2020.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Except as disclosed below with respect to our Code of Conduct, the information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to information contained in the Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
We have a Code of Conduct applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company. We have posted the Code of Business Conduct on our website at www.evolus.com. We will post any amendments to the Code of Conduct on our website. In accordance with the requirements of the SEC and Nasdaq, we will also post waivers applicable to any of our officers or directors from provisions of the Code of Conduct on our website.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to information contained in the Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain of Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to information contained in the Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to information contained in the Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to information contained in the Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Part IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
(1) Financial Statements. See Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplemental Information” elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(2) Financial Statement Schedules. None. Financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable.
(3) Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed (or incorporated by reference herein) as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
EXHIBIT INDEX
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit Number Exhibit Title Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date Filed Herewith
(x)
3.1
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
8-K 001-38381 3.1 2/12/18
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws.
8-K 001-38381 3.2 2/12/18
4.1
Specimen certificate evidencing shares of common stock of the Registrant.
S-1/A 333-222478 4.1 1/25/18
4.2
Stockholders’ Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2017, by and among ALPHAEON Corporation, Dental Innovations BVBA, Longitude Venture Partners II, L.P. and the Registrant.
S-1 333-222478 4.2 1/9/18
4.3
Description of Securities
X
10.1†
Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2014, by and between Strathspey Crown Holdings, LLC and ALPHAEON Corporation.
S-1 333-222478 10.1 1/9/18
10.2†
Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2014, by and between Strathspey Crown Holdings, LLC and ALPHAEON Corporation.
S-1 333-222478 10.2 1/9/18
10.3†
License and Supply Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2013, by and between Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and the Registrant.
S-1 333-222478 10.3 1/9/18
10.4†
First Amendment to License and Supply Agreement, dated as of February 26, 2014, by and between Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and the Registrant.
S-1 333-222478 10.4 1/9/18
10.5†
Second Amendment to License and Supply Agreement, dated as of July 15, 2014, by and between Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and the Registrant.
S-1 333-222478 10.5 1/9/18
10.6+
2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan.
S-1 333-222478 10.6 1/9/18
10.7+
Form of Option Award Agreement under 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan.
S-1 333-222478 10.7 1/9/18
10.8+
Form of Dueling Option Award Agreement under 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan.
S-1 333-222478 10.8 1/9/18
10.9+
Form of Restricted Shares Award Agreement under 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan.
S-1 333-222478 10.9 1/9/18
10.10+
Form of RSU Award Agreement under 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan.
S-1 333-222478 10.10 1/9/18
10.11+
Form of RSU Award Agreement under 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (Updated 2020)
10-K 001-38381 10.11 2/25/20
10.12+
Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between the Registrant and its directors and officers.
S-1/A 333-222478 10.11 1/25/18
10.13
Services Agreement, dated as of January 23, 2018, by and between ALPHAEON Corporation and the Registrant.
S-1/A 333-222478 10.12 1/25/18
10.14†
Second Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2017, by and among SCH-AEON, LLC (f/k/a Strathspey Crown Holdings, LLC), ALPHAEON Corporation, the Registrant and J. Christopher Marmo, as Contributors’ Representative, and acknowledged by the parties listed as Contributors on the signature pages thereto.
S-1 333-222478 10.20 1/9/18
10.15
Tax Indemnity Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2017, by and among the Registrant, J. Christopher Marmo, as the Contributors’ Representative and each of the individuals listed on the signature pages thereto.
S-1 333-222478 10.21 1/9/18
10.16†
Therapeutic Option Letter Agreement, dated December 18, 2017, by and between ALPHAEON Corporation and the Registrant.
S-1 333-222478 10.23 1/9/18
10.17+
Employment Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2018, by and between David Moatazedi and the Registrant.
S-1 333-226186 10.29 7/16/18
10.18+
Employment Agreement, dated as of May 29, 2018, by and between Lauren Silvernail and the Registrant.
S-1 333-226186 10.30 7/16/18
10.19+
Employment Agreement, dated August 15, 2018, by and between Rui Avelar and the Registrant.
10-K 001-38381 10.31 3/20/19
10.20
Lease, dated as of May 15, 2019, between the Registrant and 520 Newport Center Drive LLC
8-K 001-38381 10.1 5/21/19
21.1
List of Subsidiaries.
S-1 333-222478 21.1 1/9/18
23.1
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.
X
24.1
Power of Attorney (included on signature page).
X
31.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
X
31.2
Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
X
32.1#
Certifications of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
X
101.INS* Inline XBRL Instance Document. X
101.SCH* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. X
101.CAL* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. X
101.DEF* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. X
101.LAB* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. X
101.PRE* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. X
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) X
_____________
+
Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
†
The Registrant has omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission portions of the exhibit pursuant to a confidential treatment request under Rule 406 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
‡ Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Rule 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K. The omitted information is not material and would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.
# The information in Exhibit 32.1 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (including this Annual Report on Form 10-K), unless the Registrant specifically incorporates the foregoing information into those documents by reference.