XML 27 R21.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.3
Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

11. Commitments and Contingencies

Contract Obligations

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had outstanding total non-cancelable purchase obligations of $1.0 million for manufacture and supply of roxadustat, and $6.0 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 September 30, 2024, 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 (HK) Ltd. (d.b.a. HiFiBiO Therapeutics) (for Gal-9 and CCR8), and Medarex, Inc. 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 September 30, 2024, the Company had $2.0 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, except for the class action settlement mentioned below, in its condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2024, 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. On October 17, 2023, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the class action at $28.5 million. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2023, the Company recorded the $28.5 million in accrued and other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. The Company maintains insurance that covers exposure related to the class action lawsuit. As the amount is fully recoverable under the Company’s insurance policies, the Company recorded a corresponding receivable in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The determination that the recorded receivables are probable of collection is based on the terms of the applicable insurance policies and communications with the insurers. The Court preliminarily approved the settlement on February 13, 2024 and approved the settlement Plan of Allocations on May 28, 2024 and Plaintiffs’ motion for attorney’s fees on August 1, 2024, reserving further orders on the final judgment until after the claims and distribution process was completed. Another case, filed on May 25, 2023, against the same defendants, asserting similar claims as the class action and additional common-law and California state fraud claims was voluntarily dismissed on December 20, 2023.

Between July 30, 2021 and April 3, 2024, seven shareholder derivative complaints were filed, naming as defendants certain of our current and former officers and certain current and former members of our board, as well as FibroGen as nominal defendants (the “Derivative Lawsuits”). Of these Derivative Lawsuits, four were filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Delaware Chancery Derivative Actions”), two were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Delaware Federal Derivative Actions”), and one was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (the “California Federal Derivative Action”). The plaintiffs 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 status of the seven Derivative Lawsuits is currently as follows:

Two of the Delaware Chancery Derivative Actions, filed on April 14, 2022, and June 1, 2023, have been consolidated (the “Delaware Chancery Consolidated Derivative”). On February 1, 2024, Defendants moved to dismiss the Delaware Chancery Consolidated Derivative action, which the Court granted on October 2, 2024. The Delaware Chancery Consolidated Derivative was dismissed with prejudice on October 30, 2024. The other two Delaware Chancery Derivative Actions, filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery on December 3, 2023 and April 3, 2024, were consolidated and stayed pending resolution of the motion to dismiss the Delaware Chancery Consolidated Derivative action;
The Delaware Federal Derivative Actions remain stayed pending resolution of the motion to dismiss the Delaware Chancery Consolidated Derivative action; and
The California Federal Derivative Action was voluntarily dismissed on January 22, 2024.

The Company believes that the claims asserted in the Derivative Lawsuits 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 SEC followed up with a subpoena for additional documents in the second quarter of 2024. The Company is fully cooperating with the SEC, and is currently discussing with the SEC for a potential settlement. The Company cannot predict the outcome. 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 2022 and 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors received six 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 believes the estimated fair value of these arrangements is minimal.