Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	16. Commitments and contingencies Indemnification agreements 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 indemnification. The Company’s exposure under these agreements is unknown because it involves claims that may be made against the Company in the future. To date, the Company has not paid any claims or been required to defend any action related to its indemnification obligations. However, the Company may record charges in the future as a result of these indemnification obligations. In accordance with the Articles of Association in force on June 30, 2024, the Company has indemnification obligations to its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, subject to certain limits, while they are serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. There have been no claims to date, and the Company has director and officer insurance that may enable it to recover a portion of any amounts paid for future potential claims. Novartis Asset Purchase agreements The Company issued to Novartis loan notes and agreed to make future payments to Novartis comprising amounts equal to ascending specified percentages of tiered annual worldwide net sales (beginning at high single digits and reaching into double digits at higher sales) of products that include the assets acquired. The levels of ascending percentages of tiered annual worldwide net sales are stipulated under the respective Purchase Agreements. The Company further agreed that in the event it transfers, licenses, assigns or leases all or substantially all of its assets, it will pay Novartis a percentage of the proceeds of such transaction. The payment of a percentage of proceeds is not payable with respect to any transaction involving equity interests of the Company, a merger or consolidation of the Company, or a sale of any assets of the Company. License agreements In October 2017, the Company entered into an exclusive license and option agreement (“the License Agreement”), to obtain from AstraZeneca an exclusive worldwide, sub-licensable license under AstraZeneca’s intellectual property rights relating to alvelestat, with an option to acquire such intellectual property rights following commencement of a pivotal trial and payment of related milestone payments (“the Option”), together with the acquisition of certain related assets. Upon entering into the License Agreement, the Company made a payment of $3.0 million and issued 490,798 ordinary shares to AstraZeneca, for an aggregate upfront payment equal to $5.0 million. In connection with certain development and regulatory milestones, the Company has agreed to make payments of up to $115.5 million in the aggregate and issue additional ordinary shares to AstraZeneca for licensed products containing alvelestat. In addition, the Company has agreed to make payments to AstraZeneca based on specified commercial milestones of the product. The Company has also agreed to pay a specified percentage of sub-licensing revenue to AstraZeneca and to make royalty payments to AstraZeneca equal to ascending specified percentages of tiered annual worldwide net sales by the Company of licensed products (subject to certain reductions), ranging from the high single digits to low double digits. Royalties will be payable on a licensed-product-by-licensed-product and country-by-country basis until the later of ten years after the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country and expiration of the last patent covering such licensed product in such country that would be sufficient to prevent generic entry. The Company has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize at least one licensed product. The License Agreement will expire on the expiration of the last-to-expire royalty term with respect to all licensed products. Upon the expiration of the royalty term for a licensed product in a particular country, the licenses to the Company for such product in such country will become fully paid and irrevocable. Prior to exercise of the Option, if at all, the Company may terminate the License Agreement upon prior written notice. Either party may terminate the agreement upon prior written notice for the other party’s material breach that remains uncured for a specified period of time or insolvency. Research and development activities The Company enters into contracts in the normal course of business with contract research organizations (“CROs”), contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) and other third parties to assist in the performance of research and development activities and other services and products for operating purposes. The contracts with CROs generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore, are cancellable contracts and not included herein. The Company has manufacturing commitments with CMOs of $2.4 million as of June 30, 2024. Legal proceedings From time to time, the Company may be a party to litigation or subject to claims incident to the ordinary course of business. The Company was not a party to any material litigation and did not have any material contingency reserves established for any liabilities as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

16. Commitments and contingencies

Indemnification agreements

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 indemnification. The Company’s exposure under these agreements is unknown because it involves claims that may be made against the Company in the future. To date, the Company has not paid any claims or been required to defend any action related to its indemnification obligations. However, the Company may record charges in the future as a result of these indemnification obligations. In accordance with the Articles of Association in force on June 30, 2024, the Company has indemnification obligations to its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, subject to certain limits, while they are serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. There have been no claims to date, and the Company has director and officer insurance that may enable it to recover a portion of any amounts paid for future potential claims.

Novartis Asset Purchase agreements

The Company issued to Novartis loan notes and agreed to make future payments to Novartis comprising amounts equal to ascending specified percentages of tiered annual worldwide net sales (beginning at high single digits and reaching into double digits at higher sales) of products that include the assets acquired. The levels of ascending percentages of tiered annual worldwide net sales are stipulated under the respective Purchase Agreements.

The Company further agreed that in the event it transfers, licenses, assigns or leases all or substantially all of its assets, it will pay Novartis a percentage of the proceeds of such transaction. The payment of a percentage of proceeds is not payable with respect to any transaction involving equity interests of the Company, a merger or consolidation of the Company, or a sale of any assets of the Company.

License agreements

In October 2017, the Company entered into an exclusive license and option agreement (“the License Agreement”), to obtain from AstraZeneca an exclusive worldwide, sub-licensable license under AstraZeneca’s intellectual property rights relating to alvelestat, with an option to acquire such intellectual property rights following commencement of a pivotal trial and payment of related milestone payments (“the Option”), together with the acquisition of certain related assets. Upon entering into the License Agreement, the Company made a payment of $3.0 million and issued 490,798 ordinary shares to AstraZeneca, for an aggregate upfront payment equal to $5.0 million. In connection with certain development and regulatory milestones, the Company has agreed to make payments of up to $115.5 million in the aggregate and issue additional ordinary shares to AstraZeneca for licensed products containing alvelestat. In addition, the Company has agreed to make payments to AstraZeneca based on specified commercial milestones of the product. The Company has also agreed to pay a specified percentage of sub-licensing revenue to AstraZeneca and to make royalty payments to AstraZeneca equal to ascending specified percentages of tiered annual worldwide net sales by the Company of licensed products (subject to certain reductions), ranging from the high single digits to low double digits. Royalties will be payable on a licensed-product-by-licensed-product and country-by-country basis until the later of ten years after the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country and expiration of the last patent covering such licensed product in such country that would be sufficient to prevent generic entry. The Company has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize at least one licensed product.

The License Agreement will expire on the expiration of the last-to-expire royalty term with respect to all licensed products. Upon the expiration of the royalty term for a licensed product in a particular country, the licenses to the Company for such product in such country will become fully paid and irrevocable. Prior to exercise of the Option, if at all, the Company may terminate the License Agreement upon prior written notice. Either party may terminate the agreement upon prior written notice for the other party’s material breach that remains uncured for a specified period of time or insolvency.

Research and development activities

The Company enters into contracts in the normal course of business with contract research organizations (“CROs”), contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) and other third parties to assist in the performance of research and development activities and other services and products for operating purposes. The contracts with CROs generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore, are cancellable contracts and not included herein. The Company has manufacturing commitments with CMOs of $2.4 million as of June 30, 2024.

Legal proceedings

From time to time, the Company may be a party to litigation or subject to claims incident to the ordinary course of business. The Company was not a party to any material litigation and did not have any material contingency reserves established for any liabilities as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.