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Collaborative Research and Development Agreements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Collaborative Research and Development Agreements

5. Collaborative Research and Development Agreements

GlaxoSmithKline

In December 2008, we entered into a worldwide strategic alliance with GSK to discover, develop and commercialize TLR inhibitors. Under the terms of the arrangement, we agreed to conduct research and early clinical development in up to four programs: the Lead TLR 7/9 program, a Follow-On TLR 7/9 program, and up to two other TLR programs. In 2011 we began development of a TLR 8 program as one of the two additional programs under the collaboration.  GSK subsequently returned all rights to this program to us.  

We are currently conducting a Phase 1 clinical trial in the Lead TLR 7/9 program with DV1179 in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. We are not currently performing any activities on the Follow-On TLR 7/9 program. GSK has not yet chosen to initiate development of the remaining program under the agreement. In December 2013, we amended our agreement with GSK to extend the research term until conclusion of the ongoing Phase 1 study of DV1179. In addition, the exclusivity provisions of the agreement were modified, giving us rights to immediately begin preclinical and clinical research on inhibitors of TLR 7 and 9 (other than DV1179) for oncology indications.

GSK can exercise its exclusive option to license each program. If GSK exercises an option, GSK would carry out further development and commercialization of the corresponding products. If GSK exercises their option on the Lead TLR 7/9 program, then we are eligible to receive payments of up to approximately $125 million, comprised of contingent option exercise payments and additional payments based on GSK’s achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial objectives.

We are also eligible to receive up to $60 million if aggregate worldwide annual net sales milestones are achieved and tiered royalties ranging from the mid-single digit to mid-teens on sales of any products originating from the collaboration. We have retained an option to co-develop and co-promote one product under this agreement.

We received an initial payment of $10 million in 2008. The deliverables under this arrangement did not have stand-alone value and so did not qualify as separate units of accounting. In 2011, we earned and recognized $12 million in substantive development milestone payments related to the initiation of Phase I and proof-of-mechanism clinical trials of DV1179 in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. In 2011, we earned and recognized $3 million in substantive development milestone payments related to the initiation of development of the TLR 8 program.

Revenue from the initial payment from GSK was deferred and is being recognized over the expected period of performance under the agreement, initially estimated to be seven years. In the fourth quarter of 2013 we reevaluated and revised the expected period of performance under the agreement from seven years to six years resulting in the recognition of $0.3 million of additional revenue in 2013 and 2014.

The following table summarizes the revenues recognized under our agreement with GSK (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

Initial payment

 

$

631

 

 

$

357

 

Total

 

$

631

 

 

$

357

 

 

As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, deferred revenue relating to the initial payment was $1.9 million and $2.5 million, respectively.

Absent early termination, the agreement will expire when all of GSK’s payment obligations expire. Either party may terminate the agreement early upon written notice if the other party commits an uncured material breach of the agreement. Either party may terminate the agreement in the event of insolvency of the other party. GSK also has the option to terminate the agreement without cause upon prior written notice within a specified window of time dependent upon the stage of clinical development of the programs.

AstraZeneca

In September 2006, we entered into a three- year research collaboration and license agreement with AstraZeneca for the discovery and development of TLR 9 agonist-based therapies for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In October 2011, we amended our agreement with AstraZeneca to provide that we will conduct initial clinical development of AZD1419. Under the terms of the amended agreement, AstraZeneca will fund all program expenses to cover the cost of development activities through Phase 2a, estimated to total approximately $20 million. We received an initial payment of $3 million in 2011 to begin the clinical development program. In the first quarter of 2012, we received a $2.6 million payment to advance AZD1419 into preclinical toxicology studies and these toxicology studies were completed in the third quarter of 2012. We and AstraZeneca have agreed to advance AZD1419 towards a Phase 1 clinical trial, which resulted in a development funding payment of $6 million, received in the fourth quarter of 2012. In January 2014, we again amended our agreement with AstraZeneca for the clinical development of AZD1419.  Under the terms of this amended agreement, upon completion of the Phase I trial responsibility for further conduct of clinical trials will be transferred from Dynavax to AstraZeneca.  In the first quarter of 2014, we received a $5.4 million payment that was due upon execution of this amended agreement. We are eligible to receive additional milestone payments, which we have determined to be substantive milestones, of up to approximately $100 million, based on the achievement of certain development and regulatory objectives. Additionally, upon commercialization, we are eligible to receive tiered royalties ranging from the mid to high single-digits based on product sales of any products originating from the collaboration. We have the option to co-promote in the United States products arising from the collaboration, if any. AstraZeneca has the right to sublicense its rights upon our prior consent.

Revenue from the initial payment received in 2006 was deferred and is being recognized over the expected period of performance under the agreement, which is approximately 50 months. Revenue from the $5.4 payment received in the first quarter of 2014 was deferred and is being recognized over the expected remaining period of performance under the agreement, which is approximately 24 months. Revenue from the development funding payments is being recognized as the development work is performed.

The following table summarizes the revenues earned under our agreement with AstraZeneca (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

Initial payment

 

$

180

 

 

$

180

 

Subsequent payment

 

 

675

 

 

 

-

 

Performance of research activities

 

 

887

 

 

 

346

 

Total

 

$

1,742

 

 

$

526

 

 

As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, total deferred revenue from the initial payment, subsequent payment and development funding payments was $8.4 million and $4.8 million, respectively.

Absent early termination, the agreement will expire when all of AstraZeneca’s payment obligations expire. AstraZeneca has the right to terminate the agreement at any time upon prior written notice and either party may terminate the agreement early upon written notice if the other party commits an uncured material breach of the agreement.

National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) and Other Funding

We have been awarded various grants from the NIH and the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (“NIAID”) in order to fund research. The awards are related to specific research objectives and we earn revenue as the related research expenses are incurred. We have earned revenue during the periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 from the following awards:

·

September 2013, NIH awarded us $0.2 million to fund research in developing TLR antagonists for therapy of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis.

·

June 2012, NIH awarded us $0.6 million to fund research in screening for inhibitors of TLR 8 for treatment of autoimmune diseases.

·

May 2012, NIH awarded us $0.4 million to fund development of TLR 8 inhibitors for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

·

July 2011, NIH awarded us $0.6 million to fund research in preclinical models of skin autoimmune inflammation.

·

August 2010, NIAID awarded us a grant to take a systems biology approach to study the differences between individuals who do or do not respond to vaccination against the hepatitis B virus. This study will be one of several projects conducted under a grant to the Baylor Institute of Immunology Research in Dallas as part of the Human Immune Phenotyping Centers program. We have been awarded a total of $1.4 million under this grant.     

·

September 2008, NIAID awarded us a five-year $17 million contract to develop our ISS technology using TLR 9 agonists as vaccine adjuvants. The contract supports adjuvant development for anthrax as well as other disease models.

The following table summarizes the revenues recognized under the various arrangements with the NIH and NIAID (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

NIAID contracts

 

$

874

 

 

$

598

 

All other NIH contracts

 

 

251

 

 

 

162

 

Total grant revenue

 

$

1,125

 

 

$

760