Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Collaboration and Research Arrangements

v3.23.2
Collaboration and Research Arrangements
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2023
Collaborative Arrangement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Collaboration and Research Arrangements

4. Collaboration and Research Arrangements

Collaboration with Global Blood Therapeutics

On December 17, 2019, the Company entered into a license and collaboration agreement (the “GBT Collaboration Agreement”) with Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (“GBT”), now a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., pursuant to which the parties agreed to a research collaboration to discover novel targets that induce fetal hemoglobin in order to develop new small molecule treatments for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. The research term (the “Research Term”) was for an initial period of three years and could be extended for up to two additional one-year terms upon mutual agreement. In November 2022, the Company and GBT agreed to extend the Research Term for an additional one-year period. In July 2023, the Company received notice from Pfizer, as successor to GBT, that Pfizer has elected to exercise its right to terminate the GBT Collaboration Agreement. The effective date of termination of the GBT Collaboration Agreement is October 16, 2023.

Pursuant to the terms of the GBT Collaboration Agreement, GBT paid the Company an upfront payment of $20.0 million. GBT also agreed to reimburse the Company for full-time employee and out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by the Company in accordance with the agreed-upon research budget, which was anticipated to total approximately $40.0 million over the initial Research Term.

The Company granted to GBT an option (the “Option”) to obtain an exclusive, worldwide license, with the right to sublicense, under relevant intellectual property rights and know-how of the Company arising from the collaboration to develop, manufacture and commercialize any compounds or products resulting from the collaboration. This Option will terminate simultaneously with the effective date of termination of the GBT Collaboration Agreement, and the Company will no longer be eligible to receive any milestone or royalty-based payments from GBT.

GBT Collaboration Revenue

The Company analyzed the GBT Collaboration Agreement and concluded that it represents a contract with a customer within the scope of ASC 606.

The Company identified a single performance obligation, which includes a (i) non-exclusive research license that GBT will have access to during the initial Research Term and (ii) research and development services provided during the initial Research Term. The GBT Collaboration Agreement includes the Option. The Option does not provide a material right to GBT that it would receive without entering into the GBT Collaboration Agreement, principally because the Option exercise fee is at least equal to the standalone selling price for the underlying goods. The non-exclusive research license is not distinct as GBT cannot benefit from the license without the research and development services that are separately identifiable in the contract. The non-exclusive research license only allows GBT to evaluate the candidate compounds developed under the research plan or to conduct work allocated to it during the Research Term. GBT cannot extract any benefit from the non-exclusive research license without the research and development services performed by the Company, including the provision of data package information. As such, these two promises are inputs to a combined output (the delivery of data package allowing GBT to make an Option exercise decision) and are bundled into a single performance obligation (the non-exclusive research license and research and development service performance obligation).

At inception, the total transaction price was determined to be approximately $60.0 million, which consisted of a $20.0 million upfront non-refundable and non-creditable technology access fee and approximately $40.0 million in reimbursable costs for employee and external research and development expenses. The GBT Collaboration Agreement also provides for development and regulatory milestones which are only payable subsequent to the exercise of the Option, and therefore are excluded from the transaction price at inception. As of June 30, 2023, the transaction price was estimated at $56.4 million, which reflects a reduction in the initial estimate of $60.0 million due to a lower reimbursable cost incurred, partially offset by additional consideration of $7.1 million related to the one year extension of the Research Term. The Company accounted for the contract amendment as if it were part of the existing contract, since the remaining goods and services are not distinct, and form part of a single performance obligation that was partially satisfied at the date of the amendment. The Company will re-evaluate the transaction price at the end of each reporting period and as uncertain events are resolved or other changes in circumstances occur, including the termination of the GBT Collaboration Agreement that will be effective on October 16, 2023.

ASC 606 requires an entity to recognize revenue only when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring a promised good or service to a customer. A good or service is considered to be transferred when the customer obtains

control. As the non-exclusive research license and research and development services represent one performance obligation, the Company has determined that it will satisfy its performance obligation over a period of time as services are performed and GBT receives the benefit of the services, as the overall purpose of the arrangement is for the Company to perform the services. The Company will recognize revenue associated with the performance obligation as the research and development services are provided using an input method, according to the costs incurred as related to the research and development activities and the costs expected to be incurred in the future to satisfy the performance obligation. The transfer of control occurs during this time and is the best measure of progress towards satisfying the performance obligation. The Company will re-evaluate the costs expected to be incurred to satisfy the performance obligation, considering the termination of the GBT Collaboration Agreement as of October 16, 2023, and accordingly record a cumulative revenue adjustment in the next reporting period.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company recognized revenue of $2.8 million and $5.8 million, respectively, under the GBT Collaboration Agreement. During three and six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized revenue of $5.7 million and $10.7 million, respectively, under the GBT Collaboration Agreement. As of June 30, 2023, the Company had deferred revenue outstanding under the GBT Collaboration Agreement of approximately $2.2 million, all of which is classified as deferred revenue, current portion on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Agreements with Incyte Corporation

In January 2018, the Company and Incyte entered into a Target Discovery, Research Collaboration and Option Agreement (the “Incyte Collaboration Agreement”). The Incyte Collaboration Agreement was amended in November 2019. Under the Incyte Collaboration Agreement, the Company is using its proprietary gene control platform to identify novel therapeutic targets with a focus on myeloproliferative neoplasms, and Incyte has received options to obtain exclusive worldwide rights to intellectual property resulting from the collaboration for the development and commercialization of therapeutic products directed to up to seven validated targets. For each option exercised by Incyte, Incyte will have the exclusive worldwide right to use the licensed intellectual property to develop and commercialize therapeutic products that modulate the target as to which the option was exercised. Under the terms of the Incyte Collaboration Agreement, Incyte paid the Company $10.0 million in up-front consideration, consisting of $2.5 million in cash and $7.5 million in pre-paid research funding (the “Prepaid Research Amount”). The Company’s activities under the Incyte Collaboration Agreement are subject to a joint research plan and, subject to certain exceptions, Incyte is responsible for funding the Company’s activities under the research plan, including amounts in excess of the Prepaid Research Amount. As of June 30, 2023, the Company has completed all of the target validation activities allocated to it under the research plan.

In January 2018, the Company also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Incyte (the “Stock Purchase Agreement”) whereby, for an aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million, Incyte purchased 79,302 shares of the Company’s common stock at $126.10 per share. Under the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement, the shares were purchased at a 30% premium over the volume-weighted sale price of the shares of the Company’s common stock over the 15-trading day period immediately preceding the date of the Stock Purchase Agreement.

Incyte Collaboration Revenue

The Company analyzed the Incyte Collaboration Agreement and concluded that it represents a contract with a customer within the scope of ASC 606.

The Company identified a single performance obligation which includes (i) a research license that Incyte retains as long as there remains an unexercised option (the “Research License”), and (ii) research and development services provided during the research term. The Incyte Collaboration Agreement includes options to (x) obtain additional time to exercise the license options for certain targets designated as definitive validation targets, and (y) obtain license rights to each validated target, both of which were not considered by the Company’s management to be material rights, and therefore not performance obligations, at inception.

At inception, the total transaction price was determined to be $12.3 million and was subsequently increased to $12.8 million following a November 2019 amendment. As of June 30, 2023, the total transaction price is $12.8 million, consisting of a $2.5 million upfront non-refundable and non-creditable payment, the $7.5 million Prepaid Research Amount, $2.3 million in premium paid on the equity investment made pursuant the Stock Purchase Agreement, and $0.5 million of additional consideration. The Company accounted for the contract amendment as a modification as if it were part of the existing contract as the remaining goods and services are not distinct, and therefore form part of a single performance obligation that was partially satisfied at the date of the amendment.

The Incyte Collaboration Agreement also provides for development and regulatory milestones that are only payable subsequent to the exercise of an option and were therefore excluded from the transaction price at inception. The Company re-evaluates the transaction price at the end of each reporting period and as uncertain events are resolved or other changes in circumstances occur.

The Company recognizes revenue associated with the performance obligation as the research and development services are provided using an input method, according to the costs incurred as related to the research and development activities and the costs expected to be incurred in the future to satisfy the performance obligation. The transfer of control occurs during this time and is the best measure of progress towards satisfying the performance obligation. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has completed all of the target validation activities allocated to it under the research plan and all deferred revenue were recognized.

The Company did not recognize any revenue under the Incyte Collaboration Agreement during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023. For three and six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized revenue of $0.6 million and $1.0 million, respectively, under the Incyte Collaboration Agreement. As of June 30, 2023, the Company has no deferred revenue outstanding under the Incyte Collaboration Agreement.

The following table presents the changes in contract liabilities for the six months ended June 30, 2023 (in thousands):

 

 

Balance at
December 31, 2022

 

 

Additions

 

 

Deductions

 

 

Balance at June 30, 2023

 

Contract liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred revenue - GBT

 

$

4,330

 

 

$

122

 

 

$

2,267

 

 

$

2,185

 

Total contract liabilities

 

$

4,330

 

 

$

122

 

 

$

2,267

 

 

$

2,185