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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

12. Commitments and Contingencies

Contract Obligations

As of June 30, 2023, the Company had outstanding total non-cancelable purchase obligations of $40.8 million, including $22.4 million for manufacture and supply of pamrevlumab, $2.5 million for manufacture and supply of roxadustat, and $15.9 million for other purchases and programs. The Company expects to fulfill its commitments under these agreements in the normal course of business, and as such, no liability has been recorded.

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 June 30, 2023, 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.

As of June 30, 2023, the Company had $84.8 million of operating lease liabilities.

In addition, see Note 7, Senior Secured Term Loan Facilities and Note 8, Liability Related to Sale of Future Revenues for details of the related obligations.

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 condensed consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2023, 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. On May 12, 2023, Defendants filed their opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and Plaintiffs filed their reply on June 23, 2023. On June 8, 2023, Plaintiffs filed a motion for spoliation sanctions against Dr. Yu and the Company. Defendants filed their opposition to the motion for spoliation sanctions on July 17, 2023 and Plaintiffs’ reply is due August 11, 2023. A hearing on both motions is scheduled for August 31, 2023. On May 25, 2023, another complaint was filed against the same defendants, asserting similar claims as the class action and additional common-law and California state fraud claims. The parties have stipulated to a briefing schedule on Defendants’ forthcoming motion to dismiss, which will be due on September 20, 2023.

On July 30, 2021, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (the “California Federal Derivative”). On December 27, 2021, a second purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Delaware Federal Derivative”). On April 14, 2022, a third purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “First Delaware Chancery Derivative”). On June 1, 2023, a fourth purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Second Delaware Chancery Derivative”). All four derivative actions name FibroGen’s current and former officers and directors as defendants, as well as FibroGen as nominal defendant, and assert state and federal claims based on some of the same alleged misstatements as the securities class action complaint. The complaints seek unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, and other costs. The California Federal Derivative action and the Delaware Federal Derivative action are stayed pending the resolution of any motions for summary judgment in the securities class action. The First and Second Delaware Chancery Derivative actions have been consolidated and the plaintiffs have not yet filed an amended complaint, but have expressed their intent to do so. On June 30, 2023, a fifth derivative action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Demand Refused Derivative”). The Demand Refused Derivative action names FibroGen’s current and former officers, 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 Company has not been served in the Demand Refused Derivative.

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. On March 27, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors received another litigation demand from a purported shareholder of the Company, seeking similar action as the other litigation demands. 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.