Description of Business |
3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2020 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Description of Business | Description of Business In these notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refers to Codexis, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
We discover, develop and sell proteins that deliver value to our clients in a growing set of industries. We view proteins as a vast untapped source of value-creating materials, and we are using our proven technologies, which we have been continuously improving since our inception in 2002, to commercialize an increasing number of novel proteins, both as proprietary Codexis products and in partnership with our customers.
We are a pioneer in the harnessing of computational technologies to drive biology advancements. Since 2002, we have made substantial investments in the development of our CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform, the primary source of our competitive advantage. Our technology platform is powered by proprietary, artificial intelligence-based, computational algorithms that rapidly mine our large and continuously growing library of protein variants’ performance attributes. These computational outputs enable increasingly reliable predictions for next generation protein variants to be engineered, enabling delivery of targeted performance enhancements in a time-efficient manner. In addition to its computational prowess, our CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform integrates additional modular competencies, including robotic high-throughput screening and genomic sequencing, organic chemistry and process development which are all coordinated to create our novel protein innovations.
Our approach to developing commercially viable biocatalytic manufacturing processes begins by conceptually designing the most cost-effective and practical process for a targeted product. We then develop optimized protein catalysts to enable that process design, using our CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform technology. Engineered protein catalyst candidates - many thousands for each protein engineering project - are then rapidly screened and validated in high throughput screening under relevant manufacturing operating conditions. This approach results in an optimized protein catalyst enabling cost-efficient processes that typically are relatively simple to run in conventional manufacturing equipment. This also allows for the efficient technical transfer of our process to our manufacturing partners.
The successful embodiment of our CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform in commercial manufacturing processes requires well-integrated expertise in a number of technical disciplines. In addition to those directly involved in practicing our CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform technology, such as molecular biology, enzymology, microbiology, cellular engineering, metabolic engineering, bioinformatics, biochemistry and high throughput analytical chemistry, our process development projects also involve integrated expertise in organic chemistry, chemical process development, chemical engineering, fermentation process development and fermentation engineering. Our integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to biocatalyst and process development is a critical success factor for our company.
We initially commercialized our CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform and products in the pharmaceuticals market, which remains a primary business focus. Our customers, which include many large global pharmaceutical companies, use our technology, products and services in their manufacturing processes and process development. We have also licensed our proprietary CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform to global pharmaceutical companies so that they may in turn use this technology to engineer enzymes for their own businesses. Most recently, in May 2019, we entered into a Platform Technology Transfer and License Agreement (the “Novartis CodeEvolver® Agreement”) with Novartis Pharma AG (“Novartis”). The Novartis CodeEvolver® Agreement allows Novartis to use Codexis’ proprietary CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform technology in the field of human healthcare.
As evidence of our strategy to extend our technology beyond pharmaceutical manufacturing, we have also used the technology to develop protein catalysts and industrial enzymes for use in a wider set of industrial markets. These target industries consist of several large market verticals, including food and food ingredients, animal feed, consumer care, flavors, fragrances and agricultural chemicals. In addition, we are using our technology to develop enzymes for customers using next generation sequencing ("NGS") and polymerase chain reaction ("PCR/qPCR") for in vitro molecular diagnostic and genomic research applications. In December 2019, we entered into a license agreement to provide Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc. (“Roche”) with our first enzyme for this target market, Codexis’ EvoT4™ DNA ligase.
We have also begun using the CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform to develop early stage, novel biotherapeutic product candidates, both for our customers and for our own business. In October 2017, we entered into the "Nestlé Agreement” with Nestlé Health Science to advance CDX-6114, our enzyme biotherapeutic product candidate for the
potential treatment of PKU. PKU is an inherited metabolic disorder in which the enzyme that converts the essential amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine is deficient. In February 2019, Nestlé Health Science exercised its option to obtain an exclusive license to develop and commercialize CDX-6114. In March 2020, we entered into a Strategic Collaboration and License Agreement (“Takeda Agreement”) with Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”), for the research and development of novel gene therapies for certain disease indications, including the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders and blood factor deficiencies.
Below are brief descriptions of our business segments:
Performance Enzymes
We initially commercialized our CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology platform and products in the pharmaceuticals market, and to date this continues to be our largest market served. Our customers, which include many large global pharmaceutical companies, use our technology, products and services in their manufacturing processes and process development. We have also used the technology to develop customized enzymes for use in other industrial markets. These markets consist of several large industrial verticals, including food and food ingredients, animal feed, consumer care, flavors, fragrances, and agricultural chemicals. We also use our technology to develop enzymes for customers using NGS and PCR/qPCR for in vitro molecular diagnostic and molecular biology research applications.
Novel Biotherapeutics
We are also targeting new opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry to discover, improve, and/or develop biotherapeutic drug candidates. We believe that our CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform technology can be used to discover novel biotherapeutic drug candidates that will target human diseases that are in need of improved therapeutic interventions. Similarly, we believe that we can deploy our platform technology to improve specific characteristics of a customer’s pre-existing biotherapeutic drug candidate, such as its activity, stability or immunogenicity.
Our first lead program was for the potential treatment of hyperphenylalaninemia (“HPA”) (also referred to as PKU) in humans. PKU is an inherited metabolic disorder in which the enzyme that converts the essential amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine is deficient. In October 2017, we announced a global development, option and license agreement with Nestlé Health Science to advance CDX-6114, our own novel orally administrable enzyme therapeutic candidate for the potential treatment of PKU. In July 2018, we announced that we had dosed the first subjects in a first-in-human Phase 1a dose-escalation trial with CDX-6114, which was conducted in Australia. In November 2018, we announced top-line results from the Phase 1a study in healthy volunteers with CDX-6114. In December 2018, Nestlé Health Science became obligated to pay us an additional $1.0 million within 60 days after the achievement of a milestone relating to formulation of CDX-6114. In January 2019, we received notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that it had completed its review of our investigational drug application for CDX-6114 and concluded that we may proceed with the proposed Phase 1b multiple ascending dose study in healthy volunteers in the United States. In February 2019, Nestlé Health Science exercised its option to obtain an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing, sub-licensable license for the global development and commercialization of CDX-6114 for the management of PKU. In January 2020, we and Nestlé Health Science entered into a development agreement pursuant to which we and Nestlé Health Science are collaborating to advance a lead candidate targeting a gastro-intestinal disorder discovered through our Strategic Collaboration Agreement into pre-clinical and early clinical studies. The Strategic Collaboration Agreement was extended through December 2021. Using our CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform technology, we have also developed a pipeline of other biotherapeutic drug candidates, all of which are in preclinical development.
Our most recent achievement in novel biotherapeutics came in March 2020, when we announced a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Takeda in which we will collaborate with Takeda to research and develop protein sequences for use in gene therapy products for certain disease indications. Under the terms of the Takeda Agreement, Codexis will generate novel gene sequences encoding protein variants tailored to enhance efficacy as a result of increased activity, stability, and cellular uptake using our CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform. Takeda will combine these improved transgenes with its gene therapy capabilities to generate novel candidates for the treatment of rare genetic disorders. The parties will begin collaborative work on three initial programs for the treatment of Fabry disease, Pompe disease, and an unnamed blood factor deficiency. Codexis is responsible for the creation of novel enzyme sequences for advancement as gene therapies into pre-clinical development. Takeda is responsible for the pre-clinical and clinical development and commercialization of gene therapy products resulting from the collaboration programs. Under the terms of the agreement, in addition to the three initial programs, Takeda may initiate up to four additional programs for separate target indications. In March 2020, we began research and development activities under the program plans and received a $8.5 million one-time, non-refundable cash payment.
We expect to continue to make additional investments in our pipeline with the aim of advancing additional product candidates targeting other therapeutic areas.
For additional discussion of our business segments, see Note 13, "Segment, Geographical and Other Revenue Information."
Business Update Regarding COVID-19
We are subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a substantial public health and economic challenge around the world and is affecting our employees, communities and business operations, as well as the U.S. economy and other economies worldwide. The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will directly or indirectly impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, including the duration and severity of the pandemic and the extent and severity of the impact on our customers, new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19, the actions taken to contain it or treat its impact and the economic impact on local, regional, national and international markets.
To date, we and our collaboration partners have been able to continue to supply our enzymes to our customers worldwide. However, we are dependent on our manufacturing and logistics partners and consequently, disruptions in operations of our partners and customers may affect our ability to supply enzymes to our customers. Furthermore, our ability to provide future research and development ("R&D") services will continue to be disrupted as a result of local shelter-in-place orders and any disruptions in operations of our customers with whom we collaborate. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lower research and development revenues of approximately $0.6 million as completion of those services were deferred to the future periods. We are unable to fully determine and quantify the extent to which delays in our R&D projects will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continuing to assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations, including our product sales, R&D service revenue, expenses and manufacturing.
In the U.S., the impact of COVID-19, including governmental orders governing the operation of non-essential businesses during the pandemic, has caused the temporary closure of our Redwood City, California facilities and has disrupted our research and development operations. Our Redwood City employees have been working from home since mid-March 2020, while ensuring essential staffing levels in our operations remain in place.
Our future results of operations and liquidity could be adversely impacted by delays in payments of outstanding receivable amounts beyond normal payment terms, supply chain disruptions and uncertain demand, and the impact of any initiatives or programs that we may undertake to address financial and operations challenges faced by our customers. As of the date of issuance of these condensed consolidated financial statements, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may materially impact our financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations is uncertain.
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