v3.25.1
License and Collaboration Agreements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
License and Collaboration Agreements

10. License and Collaboration Agreements

 

Sobi License and Collaboration Agreement

 

In October 2020, the Company and its subsidiaries, Apellis International GmbH (f/k/a Apellis Switzerland GmbH) and APL DEL Holdings, LLC, entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement (the “Sobi collaboration agreement”) with Sobi, concerning the development and commercialization of pegcetacoplan and specified other structurally and functionally similar compstatin analogues or derivatives for use systemically or for local non-ophthalmological administration (collectively referred to as the “Licensed Products”).

Under the Sobi collaboration agreement, the Company granted Sobi an exclusive (subject to certain retained rights of the Company), sublicensable license of certain patent rights and know-how to develop and commercialize Licensed Products in all countries outside of the United States.

The Company retains the right to commercialize Licensed Products in the United States, and, subject to specified limitations, to develop Licensed Products worldwide for commercialization in the United States.

Under the Sobi collaboration agreement, the Company and Sobi agreed to collaborate to develop Licensed Products for certain indications, including PNH, C3G, IC-MPGN and HSCT-TMA (collectively the “Initial Indications”), and any other indications subsequently agreed upon by the parties, for commercialization by or on behalf of the Company in the United States and by or on behalf of Sobi outside of the United States. If the parties do not agree to jointly pursue any development activities for the Licensed Products (whether for an Initial Indication or otherwise), the party proposing to pursue such activities may conduct such activities at its sole expense (with the non-proposing party having the right to obtain rights to the data generated by such development activities by paying a specified percentage of that expense), subject to agreed-upon exceptions that limit each party’s unilateral development rights.

 

The initial development plan sets forth the initial development activities to be conducted by each of the Company and Sobi, with the Company bearing all costs incurred in conducting the activities set forth in such initial development plan, as well as certain specified additional costs that are not included in the initial development plan that may be incurred by the parties in developing Licensed Products for PNH in the European Union and the United Kingdom. The Company and Sobi formed several governance committees to oversee the development and manufacture, and to review and discuss the commercialization, of Licensed Products.

 

The Company shall supply Licensed Products to Sobi for development and for commercialization outside of the United States in accordance with a supply agreement between the parties. The Sobi collaboration agreement grants Sobi the right to perform or have performed drug product manufacturing of Licensed Products for development and for commercialization outside the United States and to manufacture or have manufactured drug substance under certain circumstances. For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and

2024, the Company recognized revenues of $10.8 million and $4.8 million, respectively, for the supply of Licensed Products to Sobi, which is included in Licensing and other revenue on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Sobi paid the Company an upfront payment of $250.0 million in November 2020 and has agreed to pay up to an aggregate of $915.0 million upon the achievement of specified one-time regulatory and commercial milestone events, of which the Company received $50.0 million in April 2022 for the achievement of a regulatory development milestone in Europe. Sobi also agreed to reimburse the Company for up to $80.0 million in development costs, of which the Company received $65.0 million and waived payment of $15.0 million. The Company will also be entitled to receive tiered, double-digit royalties (ranging from high teens to high twenties) on sales of Licensed Products outside of the United States, subject to customary deductions and third-party payment obligations, until the latest to occur of: (i) expiration of the last-to-expire of specified licensed patent rights; (ii) expiration of regulatory exclusivity; and (iii) ten (10) years after the first commercial sale of the applicable Licensed Product, in each case on a Licensed Product-by-Licensed Product and country-by-country basis. Under the Sobi collaboration agreement, the Company remains responsible for its license fee obligations (including royalty obligations) to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (“Penn”), as a licensor of the Company.

 

Under the Sobi collaboration agreement, for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recognized $6.1 million and $4.5 million, respectively, of royalty revenue from sales of Aspaveli, which was sold by Sobi outside of the United States.

 

The Company did not recognize any contra-research and development expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. The Company doesn't expect to recognize the additional contra-research and development expense under this agreement.

University of Pennsylvania License Agreements

 

Patent License Agreement with Penn (Non-ophthalmic Fields of Use)

 

The Company is party to a license agreement with Penn for an exclusive, worldwide license to specified patent rights for the development and commercialization of products in fields of use, as defined therein. The Company is required to make milestone payments aggregating up to $1.7 million, based upon the achievement of development and regulatory approval milestones, and up to $2.5 million, based upon the achievement of annual sales milestones with respect to each of the first two licensed products. The license agreement also requires the Company to pay low single digit royalties based on net sales of each licensed product, subject to minimum quarterly royalty thresholds. In addition, the Company is obligated to pay a specified portion of income it receives from sublicensees.

In January 2021, the Company paid $25.0 million for a sublicense fee owed to Penn related to the Sobi collaboration agreement and another licensing transaction. In August 2021, the Company paid $1.0 million to Penn upon the achievement of a development milestone, net of a credit for the annual license maintenance payment. In June 2022, the Company paid an additional $5.0 million to Penn upon the achievement of a development milestone. In January 2023, the Company paid $1.0 million to Penn upon the achievement of a sales milestone for EMPAVELI in 2022. In January 2024, the Company paid $0.5 million for a sublicense fee owed to Penn related to Sobi obtaining regulatory approval in Japan. Additionally, in January 2024, the Company paid $1.5 million as a result of the achievement of a sales milestone for EMPAVELI and Aspaveli.

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company has incurred royalty expense of $1.6 million and $1.6 million, respectively on sales of EMPAVELI and Aspaveli which is included in cost of sales on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

 

Amended and Restated Patent License Agreement with Penn (Ophthalmic Field of Use)

 

The Company is also party to a license agreement with Penn for an exclusive, worldwide license to specified patent rights. The Company is required to make milestone payments aggregating up to $3.2 million based upon the achievement of specified development and regulatory milestones and up to $5.0 million based upon the achievement of specified annual sales milestones with respect to each licensed product, and to pay low single-digit royalties based on net sales of each licensed product and with minimum quarterly royalty thresholds. In addition, the Company is obligated to pay a specified portion of income it receives from sublicensees.

 

In April 2023, the Company paid $2.3 million for the achievement of a regulatory milestone as a result of the FDA approval of SYFOVRE in February 2023. In 2023, the Company incurred $5.0 million as a result of the achievement of sales milestones for SYFOVRE of which the Company paid $2.0 million in October 2023 and the remaining $3.0 million in January 2024.

For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company has incurred royalty expense of $4.2 million and $4.5 million, respectively on sales of SYFOVRE, which is included in cost of sales on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.