Business |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2018 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Business |
Business
Cerecor Inc. (the "Company" or “Cerecor”) is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with commercial operations and research and development capabilities. The Company is building a robust pipeline of innovative therapies in pediatric healthcare, neurology, and orphan rare diseases. The Company's neurology pipeline is led by CERC-301, which is currently in a Phase I safety study for Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension ("nOH"). The Company is also developing two other neurological clinical and preclinical stage compounds. The Company's pediatric orphan rare disease pipeline is led by CERC-801, CERC-802 and CERC-803. All three of these compounds are preclinical therapies for inherited metabolic disorders known as Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation ("CDGs") by means of substrate replacement therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has granted Rare Pediatric Disease designation ("RPDD") and Orphan Drug Designation ("ODD") to all three compounds. Under the FDA’s Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher ("PRV") program, upon the approval of a new drug application ("NDA") for the treatment of a rare pediatric disease, the sponsor of such application would be eligible for a PRV that can be used to obtain priority review for a subsequent new drug application or biologics license application. The PRV may be sold or transferred an unlimited number of times. The Company plans to leverage the 505(b)(2) NDA pathway for all three compounds to accelerate development and approval. The Company is also in the process of developing one other preclinical pediatric orphan rare disease compound, CERC-913.
The Company also has a diverse portfolio of marketed products. Our marketed products are led by our prescribed dietary supplements and prescribed drugs. Our prescribed dietary supplements include Poly-Vi-Flor and Tri-Vi-Flor which are prescription vitamin and fluoride supplements used in infants and children to treat or prevent deficiency of essential vitamins and fluoride. The Company also markets a number of prescription drugs that treat a range of pediatric diseases, disorders and conditions. Cerecor's prescription drugs include Millipred®, Ulesfia®, Karbinal™ ER, AcipHex® Sprinkle™ and Cefaclor for Oral Suspension. Finally, the Company has one marketed medical device, Flexichamber™.
Cerecor was incorporated in 2011, commenced operations in the second quarter of 2011 and completed an initial public offering in October 2015. In August 2017, the Company sold its worldwide rights to CERC-501 to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Janssen”) in exchange for initial gross proceeds of $25 million, of which $3.75 million was deposited into a twelve-month escrow to secure indemnification obligations to Janssen. The Company collected the full amount of the escrow in August of 2018. Additionally, there is a potential future $20 million regulatory milestone payment to the Company. The terms of the agreement provide that Janssen will assume ongoing clinical trials and be responsible for any new development and commercialization of CERC-501.
On November 17, 2017, the Company acquired TRx Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“TRx”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (see "TRx Acquisition" in Note 4 below for a description of the transaction).
On February 16, 2018, Cerecor acquired all rights to Avadel Pharmaceuticals PLC’s (“Avadel”) marketed pediatric products (the “Acquired Products”) for the assumption of certain of Avadel's financial obligations (see "Avadel Pediatric Products Acquisition" in Note 4 below for a description of the transaction).
On September 25, 2018, the Company acquired Ichorion Therapeutics, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments and increasing awareness of inherited metabolic disorders known as CDGs (see "Ichorion Asset Acquisition" in Note 4 below for a description of the transaction).
Liquidity
The Company applies a disciplined decision-making methodology as it evaluates the optimal allocation of the Company's resources between investing in the Company's current commercial product line, the Company's development portfolio and acquisitions or in-licensing of new assets in order to meet its cash flow needs. For the year ended December 31, 2018, Cerecor generated a net loss of $40.1 million and negative cash flow from operations of $3.1 million. As of December 31, 2018, Cerecor had an accumulated deficit of $98.2 million and a balance of $10.6 million in cash and cash equivalents. During the third quarter of 2018, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Armistice Capital Master Fund Ltd. ("Armistice"), pursuant to which the Company sold 1,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock that generated net proceeds of approximately $3.9 million (see "Armistice Private Placements" in Note 13 below for a description of the transaction). During the fourth quarter of 2018, Armistice exercised warrants for convertible preferred stock that generated net proceeds of approximately $5.7 million (see "December 2018 Armistice Private Placement" in Note 13 below for a description of the transaction). Additionally, during the first quarter of 2019, the Company closed on an underwritten public offering of common stock for 1,818,182 shares of common stock of the Company, at a price to the public of $5.50 per share ("public price"). Armistice participated in the offering by purchasing 363,637 shares of common stock of the Company from the underwriter at the public price. The net proceeds of the offering was approximately $9.0 million.
The Company plans to use cash and the anticipated positive net cash flows from the Company's existing product sales to offset costs related to its pediatric rare disease programs, neurology clinical programs, business development, costs associated with its organizational infrastructure and debt principal and interest payments. Cerecor expects to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the immediate future as it continues to invest in the Company's pipeline assets. Our ability to achieve and maintain profitability in the future is dependent on, among other things, the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our new product candidates and achieving a level of revenues from our existing product sales adequate to support our cost structure, which includes significant investment in our pipeline assets.
The Company believes it will require additional financing to continue to execute its clinical development strategy and/or fund future operations. The Company plans to meet its capital requirements through operating cash flows from product sales and some combination of equity or debt financings, collaborations, out-licensing arrangements, strategic alliances, federal and private grants, marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements or the sale of current or future assets. If the Company is not able to secure adequate additional funding, the Company may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible or suspend or curtail planned programs. If the Company raises additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, the Company may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates.
Our plan to aggressively develop our pipeline, including our recently acquired pediatric rare disease preclinical programs, will require substantial cash inflows in excess of what the Company expects our current commercial operations to generate. The Company expects that our existing cash and cash equivalents, together with anticipated revenue, will enable us to fund our operating expenses, capital expenditure requirements, and other non-operating cash payments such as fixed quarterly payments on our outstanding debt balances through at least March 2020.
|