XML 40 R19.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.22.4
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
10.
Commitments and Contingencies

Contract Obligations

As of December 31, 2022, the Company had the following outstanding non-cancelable purchase obligations (in thousands):

 

 

 

Purchase Obligations
Due In The Year Ending December 31,

 

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

Total

 

Manufacture and supply of pamrevlumab

 

$

85

 

 

$

22,310

 

 

$

22,395

 

Manufacture and supply of roxadustat

 

 

6,126

 

 

 

2,369

 

 

 

8,495

 

Other purchases and programs

 

 

21,698

 

 

 

1,167

 

 

 

22,865

 

Total

 

$

27,909

 

 

$

25,846

 

 

$

53,755

 

The Company expects to fulfill its commitments under these agreements in the normal course of business, and as such, no liability has been recorded.

See Note 6, Leases, for details of the Company's operating and finance lease payment obligations. See Note 8, Liability Related to Sale of Future Revenues, and Note 9, Product Development Obligations for details of the respective obligations.

Some of the Company’s license agreements provide for periodic maintenance fees over specified time periods, as well as payments by the Company upon the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones. As of December 31, 2022, future milestone payments for research and preclinical stage development programs consisted of up to approximately $697.9 million in total potential future milestone payments under the Company’s license agreements with HiFiBiO (for Gal-9 and CCR8), Medarex, Inc. and others. These milestone payments generally become due and payable only upon the achievement of certain developmental, clinical, regulatory and/or commercial milestones. The event triggering such payment or obligation has not yet occurred.

Legal Proceedings and Other Matters

From time to time, the Company is a party to various legal actions, both inside and outside the U.S., arising in the ordinary course of its business or otherwise. The Company accrues amounts, to the extent they can be reasonably estimated, that the Company believes will result in a probable loss (including, among other things, probable settlement value) to adequately address any liabilities related to legal proceedings and other loss contingencies. A loss or a range of loss is disclosed when it is reasonably possible that a material loss will incur and can be estimated, or when it is reasonably possible that the amount of a loss, when material, will exceed the recorded provision. The Company did not have any material accruals for any active legal action in its consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022, as the Company could not predict the ultimate outcome of these matters, or reasonably estimate the potential exposure.

Between April 2021 and May 2021, five putative securities class action complaints were filed against FibroGen and certain of its current and former executive officers (collectively, the “Defendants”) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuits allege that Defendants violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by making materially false and misleading statements regarding FibroGen’s Phase 3 clinical studies data and prospects for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. On August 30, 2021, the Court consolidated the actions and appointed a group of lead plaintiffs. Plaintiffs filed their consolidated amended complaint on October 29, 2021 and a corrected consolidated amended complaint on November 19, 2021 (the “Complaint”). The Complaint alleges false and misleading statements between December 2018 and June 2021 and seeks to represent a class of persons or entities that purchased FibroGen securities between December 20, 2018 and July 15, 2021. On July 15, 2022, the court issued an order denying Defendants’ motions to dismiss. Defendants answered the Complaint on September 13, 2022 and discovery is ongoing. On January 27, 2023, Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification. Defendants’ opposition is due April 28, 2023.

On July 30, 2021, a purported shareholder derivative (the “California Federal Derivative”) complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The California Federal Derivative complaint names as defendants FibroGen’s current and former officers and directors, as well as FibroGen as nominal defendant, and asserts state and federal claims based on some of the same alleged misstatements as the securities class action complaint. The California Federal Derivative complaint seeks unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, and other costs. On December 23, 2022, Plaintiff filed an amended complaint. On February 21, 2023, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss on the basis that the lawsuit was brought in the improper forum. Plaintiffs’ opposition is due April 7, 2023. On December 27, 2021, a second purported shareholder derivative (the “Delaware Federal Derivative”) complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The Delaware Federal Derivative complaint names FibroGen’s current and former officers and directors as defendants, as well as FibroGen as nominal defendant, and asserts state and federal claims based on some of the same alleged misstatements as the securities class action complaint, as well as allegations of insider trading against certain defendants. The Delaware Federal Derivative complaint seeks unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, and other costs. The Delaware Federal Derivative action has been stayed pending resolution of any motions for summary judgment in the securities class action. On April 14, 2022, a third purported shareholder derivative (the “Delaware Chancery Derivative”) complaint was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The Delaware Chancery Derivative complaint names substantially the same defendants as the other purported shareholder derivative actions and asserts similar claims based upon similar allegations. The Delaware Chancery Derivative complaint seeks unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, and other costs. On January 17, 2023, Defendants moved to dismiss on the basis of demand futility. Plaintiffs’ opposition is due on March 17, 2023.

The Company believes that the claims are without merit and it intends to vigorously defend against them. However, any litigation is inherently uncertain, and any judgment or injunctive relief entered against FibroGen or any adverse settlement could materially and adversely impact its business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company received a subpoena from the SEC requesting documents related to roxadustat’s pooled cardiovascular safety data. The Company is fully cooperating with the SEC. The Company cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the SEC’s investigation or determine the extent of any potential liabilities. The Company also cannot predict whether there will be any loss as a result of the investigation nor can it provide an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss. Any adverse outcome in this matter or any related proceeding could expose the Company to substantial damages, penalties, or reputational harm that may have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition, growth prospects, and price of its common stock.

Between August 3, 2022 and August 4, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors received three litigation demands from purported shareholders of the Company, asking the Board of Directors to investigate and take action against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company for alleged wrongdoing based on the same allegations in the pending derivative and securities class action lawsuits. The Company may in the future receive such additional demands.

Starting in October 2021, certain challenges have been filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration against patents which claim a crystalline form of roxadustat. Final resolution of such proceedings will take time and the Company could not predict the ultimate outcome, or reasonably estimate the potential exposure.

Indemnification Agreements

The Company enters into standard indemnification arrangements in the ordinary course of business, including for example, service, manufacturing and collaboration agreements. Pursuant to these arrangements, the Company indemnifies, holds harmless, and agrees to reimburse the indemnified parties for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party, including in connection with intellectual property infringement claims by any third party with respect to its technology. The term of these indemnification agreements is generally perpetual any time after the execution of the agreement. The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and officers that may require the Company to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers to the extent permissible under applicable law. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these arrangements is not determinable. The Company has never incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, the Company believes the estimated fair value of these arrangements is minimal.