SEC Filing | Vera Therapeutics

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10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)


☒		QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024


☐		TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


	For the transition period from		to

Commission File Number: 001-40407

Vera Therapeutics, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware	81-2744449
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
2000 Sierra Point Parkway, Suite 1200 Brisbane, California	94005
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 770-0077

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

    Title of each class
 
    Trading
Symbol(s)
 
    Name of each exchange
on which registered

    Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per 
share

    VERA

    The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.


Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☐

Non-accelerated filer	☒	Smaller reporting company	☒

		Emerging growth company	☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of November 5, 2024, the registrant had 63,323,053 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding, consisting solely of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share.

Table of Contents


	Page Number

SUMMARY OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS	2

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION	4

Item 1. Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited)	4

Condensed Balance Sheets	4

Condensed Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss	5

Condensed Statements of Stockholders’ Equity	6

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows	8

Notes to Condensed Financial Statements	9

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	19

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	26

Item 4. Controls and Procedures	26

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION	27

Item 1. Legal Proceedings	27

Item 1A. Risk Factors	27

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	78

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities	78

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures	78

Item 5. Other Information	78

Item 6. Exhibits	79

SIGNATURES	80

In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless otherwise stated or as the context otherwise requires, references to “Vera,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar references refer to Vera Therapeutics, Inc.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains registered marks, trademarks and trade names of other companies. All other trademarks, registered marks and trade names appearing in this report are the property of their respective holders. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies.

SUMMARY OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS

An investment in shares of our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. Below is a list of some of the material risks associated with our business. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks listed in this summary, as well as other risks that we face, are set forth under Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q:

•

We have completed a limited number of clinical trials for our lead product candidate, atacicept, and have no products approved for commercial sale, which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future success and viability.

•

We will require substantial additional capital to finance our operations. If we are unable to raise such capital when needed, or on acceptable terms, we may be forced to delay, reduce and/or eliminate one or more of our research and drug development programs of our product candidates or future commercialization efforts.

•

We have incurred net losses since inception, and we expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we may be unable to continue as a going concern over the long-term.

•

The terms of our loan agreement place restrictions on our operating and financial flexibility. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, the terms of any new debt could further restrict our ability to operate our business.

•

We are substantially dependent on the success of our product candidates, atacicept and MAU868, which are currently in the clinical development stage. If we are unable to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates in one or more indications and in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.

•

Enrollment and retention of participants in clinical trials is an expensive and time-consuming process and could be made more difficult or rendered impossible by multiple factors outside our control, including difficulties in identifying patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), the availability of competitive products, and significant competition for recruiting participants in clinical trials.

•

The incidence and prevalence for target patient populations of our product candidates in specific indications are based on estimates and third-party sources. If the market opportunities for atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop, if and when approved, are smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of the patient population, our revenue and ability to achieve profitability might be materially and adversely affected.

•

Interim, initial, “top-line” and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more participant data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

•

We face significant competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than us.

•

Changes in methods of manufacturing or formulation of our product candidates may result in additional costs or delays.

•

Our product candidates may cause significant adverse events, toxicities or other undesirable side effects when used alone or in combination with other approved products or investigational new drugs that may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval, prevent market acceptance, limit their commercial potential or result in significant negative consequences.

•

Even if any product candidate we develop receives regulatory approval, it could be subject to significant post-marketing regulatory requirements and will be subject to continued regulatory oversight.

•

Biosimilars to our product candidates may provide competition sooner than anticipated.

•

Unfavorable geopolitical and global economic conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•

Our success is highly dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled executive officers and employees and key consultants.

•

We have never commercialized a product candidate before and may lack the necessary expertise, personnel and resources to successfully commercialize any products on our own or together with suitable collaborators.

•

Our success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies.

•

If we breach our license agreement (Ares Agreement) with Ares Trading S.A. (Ares), an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, related to atacicept, or the license agreement with Novartis International Pharmaceutical AG (Novartis) related to MAU868, we could lose the ability to continue the development and commercialization of atacicept or MAU868, respectively.

•

We may be required to make significant payments under our license agreements related to atacicept and MAU868.

•

If the scope of any patent protection we obtain is not sufficiently broad, or if we lose any of our patent protection, our ability to prevent our competitors from commercializing similar or identical product candidates would be adversely affected.

•

Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop for an adequate amount of time.

•

We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties, including independent clinical investigators and CROs, to conduct certain aspects of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with applicable regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.

•

The manufacture of drugs is complex and our third-party manufacturers may encounter difficulties in production. If any of our third-party manufacturers encounter such difficulties, our ability to provide adequate supply of our product candidates for clinical trials or our product for patients, if approved, could be delayed or prevented.

•

If we engage in future acquisitions or strategic partnerships, this may increase our capital requirements, dilute our stockholders, cause us to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities, and subject us to other risks.

•

The price of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

•

If we experience material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.

•

Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.

•

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

•

We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.

•

We will become a “large accelerated filer” on December 31, 2024, and will be required to comply with Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024. Compliance with Section 404(b) will increase operating expenses and, despite our efforts, there is a risk that neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm will conclude within the prescribed timeframe that our internal control over financial reporting is effective.

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Condensed Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except share amounts)


	September 30,			December 31,
	2024			2023
	(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	27,256		$	45,681
Marketable securities		326,053			115,035
Prepaid expenses and other assets, current		10,822			11,307
Total current assets		364,131			172,023
Property and equipment, net		368			92
Operating lease right-of-use assets		3,921			2,949
Prepaid expenses and other assets, noncurrent		140			482
Total assets	$	368,560		$	175,546
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	4,602		$	11,118
Operating lease liabilities		1,872			2,436
Accrued expenses and other liabilities, current		19,990			8,749
Total current liabilities		26,464			22,303
Long-term debt		50,470			49,877
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent		2,568			1,395
Accrued expenses and other liabilities, noncurrent		—			286
Total liabilities		79,502			73,861
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; no shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023		—			—
Class A common stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; 55,026,111 and 44,452,161 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively		55			44
Additional paid-in capital		705,784			410,492
Accumulated other comprehensive income		1,044			251
Accumulated deficit		(417,825	)		(309,102	)
Total stockholders’ equity		289,058			101,685
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	368,560		$	175,546

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.

VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Condensed Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(unaudited)

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)


	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Operating expenses:
Research and development	$	40,314		$	16,100		$	92,825			57,440
General and administrative		9,487			5,656			25,431			17,544
Total operating expenses		49,801			21,756			118,256			74,984
Loss from operations		(49,801	)		(21,756	)		(118,256	)		(74,984	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income		4,761			2,158			14,051			6,019
Interest expense		(1,936	)		(943	)		(5,755	)		(2,730	)
Other income, net		344			437			1,237			1,360
Total other income		3,169			1,652			9,533			4,649
Net loss	$	(46,632	)	$	(20,104	)	$	(108,723	)	$	(70,335	)
Other comprehensive income:
Change in unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities		1,494			67			793			149
Comprehensive loss	$	(45,138	)	$	(20,037	)	$	(107,930	)	$	(70,186	)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted	$	(0.85	)	$	(0.45	)	$	(2.03	)	$	(1.67	)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted		54,898,297			44,363,419			53,537,910			42,124,779

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.

VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Condensed Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

(unaudited)

(in thousands, except share amounts)


	Class A Common Stock					Additional Paid-in			Accumulated Other			Accumulated			Total Stockholders’
	Shares			Amount		Capital			Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Deficit			Equity
Balances as of December 31, 2023		44,452,161		$	44	$	410,492		$	251		$	(309,102	)	$	101,685
Issuance of common stock from underwritten follow-on offering, net of offering costs		9,274,194			9		269,583			—			—			269,592
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options		708,897			1		6,612			—			—			6,613
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units		938			—		—			—			—			—
Issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan		21,181			—		298			—			—			298
Proceeds from short swing settlement		—			—		37			—			—			37
Stock-based compensation		—			—		4,124			—			—			4,124
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—			—		—			(424	)		—			(424	)
Net loss		—			—		—			—			(28,383	)		(28,383	)
Balances as of March 31, 2024		54,457,371		$	54	$	691,146		$	(173	)	$	(337,485	)	$	353,542
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options		358,265			1		3,438			—			—			3,439
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units		937			—		—			—			—			—
Stock-based compensation		—			—		4,873			—			—			4,873
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—			—		—			(277	)		—			(277	)
Net loss		—			—		—			—			(33,708	)		(33,708	)
Balances as of June 30, 2024		54,816,573		$	55	$	699,457		$	(450	)	$	(371,193	)	$	327,869
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options		100,628			—		505			—			—			505
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units		105,597			—		—			—			—			—
Issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan		7,763			—		247			—			—			247
Repurchase of common stock		(4,450	)		—		(13	)		—			—			(13	)
Stock-based compensation		—			—		5,588			—			—			5,588
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—			—		—			1,494			—			1,494
Net loss		—			—		—			—			(46,632	)		(46,632	)
Balances as of September 30, 2024		55,026,111		$	55	$	705,784		$	1,044		$	(417,825	)	$	289,058


	Class A Common Stock				Additional Paid-in		Accumulated Other			Accumulated			Total Stockholders’
	Shares		Amount		Capital		Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Deficit			Equity
Balances as of December 31, 2022		27,800,861	$	28	$	290,216	$	(224	)	$	(213,112	)	$	76,908
Issuance of common stock from underwritten follow-on offering, net of offering costs		16,428,572		16		107,727		—			—			107,743
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options		3,750		—		65		—			—			65
Issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan		27,926		—		175		—			—			175
Stock-based compensation		—		—		2,667		—			—			2,667
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—		—		—		220			—			220
Net loss		—		—		—		—			(30,069	)		(30,069	)
Balances as of March 31, 2023		44,261,109	$	44	$	400,850	$	(4	)	$	(243,181	)	$	157,709
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options		44,820		—		432		—			—			432
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units		2,500		—		—		—			—			—
Stock-based compensation		—		—		2,682		—			—			2,682
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—		—		—		(138	)		—			(138	)
Net loss		—		—		—		—			(20,162	)		(20,162	)
Balances as of June 30, 2023		44,308,429	$	44	$	403,964	$	(142	)	$	(263,343	)	$	140,523
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options		45,078		—		197		—			—			197
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units		62,884		—		—		—			—			—
Issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan		16,554		—		101		—			—			101
Stock-based compensation		—		—		2,923		—			—			2,923
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—		—		—		67			—			67
Net loss		—	$	—	$	—	$	—		$	(20,104	)	$	(20,104	)
Balances as of September 30, 2023		44,432,945	$	44	$	407,185	$	(75	)	$	(283,447	)	$	123,707

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.

VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows

(unaudited)

(in thousands)


	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024			2023
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	$	(108,723	)	$	(70,335	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		50			17
Accretion of discount and amortization of premium on purchase of debt securities		(6,906	)		(3,168	)
Accretion of loan exit fee and amortization of loan costs		593			232
Reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets		1,516			1,692
Stock-based compensation		14,585			8,272
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expense and other current assets		485			(636	)
Other assets		342			(263	)
Accounts payable		(6,516	)		309
Accrued and other liabilities		10,955			(1,161	)
Operating lease liabilities		(1,878	)		(1,996	)
Net cash used in operating activities		(95,497	)		(67,037	)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property and equipment		(327	)		—
Purchase of marketable securities		(409,000	)		(171,730	)
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities		201,681			104,200
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities		4,000			9,543
Net cash used in investing activities		(203,646	)		(57,987	)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan		11,102			969
Proceeds from short swing settlement		37			—
Repurchase of common stock		(13	)		—
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in follow-on offering		287,500			115,000
Payment of costs and underwriting discounts and commissions related to follow-on offering		(17,908	)		(7,256	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		280,718			108,713
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(18,425	)		(16,311	)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		45,681			43,752
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	27,256		$	27,441
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest expense	$	4,990		$	2,499
Cash paid for operating leases	$	2,343		$	2,238
Addition to right-of-use assets obtained from operating lease liabilities	$	2,487		$	—

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.

VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

1. ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS

Description of Business

Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the Company) is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for patients with serious immunological diseases. The Company was incorporated in May 2016 in Delaware. The Company’s headquarters and operations are located in Brisbane, California. The Company operates in one segment.

Liquidity

Since inception, the Company devoted substantially all of its resources to its research and development efforts, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, establishing and maintaining its intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. The Company has incurred recurring net operating losses and has not generated positive cash flow from operations since its inception and had an accumulated deficit of $417.8 million as of September 30, 2024. The Company had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $353.3 million as of September 30, 2024. The Company has funded its operations primarily through the issuance of common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, debt financing and convertible notes. Management expects to continue to incur losses and negative cash flows from operations for at least the next several years.

Management believes that the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2024 will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least 12 months subsequent to the issuance date of these financial statements. The Company intends to raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings or debt financing or other capital sources, which may include strategic collaborations or other arrangements with third parties in order to achieve its long-term business objectives. If the Company fails to obtain necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, it could force the Company to delay, limit, reduce or terminate its product development programs, commercialization efforts or other operations.

2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) regarding interim financial reporting. The U.S. dollar is the Company’s functional and reporting currency.

Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year or any other period. The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 27, 2024.

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Company is an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period for complying with certain new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that it (1) is no longer an emerging growth company or (2) affirmatively and irrevocably opts out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, these financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company’s financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Management estimates that affect the reported

amounts of assets and liabilities include the accrual of research and development expenses, valuation of equity awards for stock-based compensation, determination of incremental borrowing rate for operating leases, the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, and fair value of marketable and non-marketable securities. The Company evaluates and adjusts its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Concentrations of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The Company maintains bank deposits in a federally insured financial institution and these deposits may exceed federally insured limits. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institution holding its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities to the extent recorded in the balance sheet. The Company has not experienced any losses to date related to these concentrations.

The Company’s future results of operations involve a number of other risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, uncertainty of results of clinical trials and reaching milestones, uncertainty of regulatory approval of the Company’s current and potential future product candidates, uncertainty of market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, competition from substitute products and larger companies, securing and protecting proprietary technology, strategic relationships and dependence on key individuals or sole-source suppliers. The Company relies on one supply chain for each of its product candidates. If any of the single source suppliers in any of the supply chains fails to satisfy the Company’s requirements on a timely basis, it could suffer delays in its clinical development programs and activities, which could adversely affect operating results.

The Company’s product candidates require approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and comparable foreign regulatory authorities prior to commercial sales in their respective jurisdictions. There can be no assurance that any product candidates will receive the necessary approvals. If the Company was denied approval, approval was delayed, or the Company was unable to maintain approval for any product candidate, it could have a materially adverse impact on the Company.

Significant Accounting Policies

There have been no material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions. This standard update clarifies the guidance in Topic 210, related to measuring the fair value of an equity security subject to contractual sale restrictions that prohibit the sale of an equity security and introduces new disclosure requirements for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions that are measured at fair value in accordance with Topic 820. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2024, and it did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed financial statements or related disclosures.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This update improves reportable segment disclosure requirements and requires enhanced disclosures related to significant segment expenses regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (CODM) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, an amount and description of its composition for other segment items, and interim disclosures of a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets. Amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. This ASU will result in the required additional disclosures being included in the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The ASU requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as additional information on income taxes paid. The ASU is effective on a prospective basis for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption

is also permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. This ASU will result in the required additional disclosures being included in the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.

3. OTHER FINANCIAL STATEMENT INFORMATION

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets consist of the following (in thousands):


	September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Prepaid clinical trial costs	$	3,825	$	5,273
Interest income receivable		1,997		512
Prepaid insurance		988		597
Prepaid medical affairs expenses		820		—
Prepaid commercial planning		597		789
Prepaid professional services fees		432		198
Prepaid drug manufacturing costs		411		2,578
Prepaid software license fees		349		237
Prepaid rent		274		257
Other		1,129		866
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	10,822	$	11,307

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):


	September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Accrued clinical trial and drug manufacturing expenses	$	14,529	$	2,213
Accrued payroll		3,641		3,932
Related party payable		105		1,926
Other accrued expenses		1,429		678
Other current liabilities		286		—
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$	19,990	$	8,749

Related party payable represents amounts due to Ares Trading S.A. (Ares), an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, related to manufacturing technology and know-how transfer services performed for atacicept pursuant to the license agreement between the Company and Ares (see Note 10).

4. CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND MARKETABLE SECURITIES

The Company’s cash equivalents and available-for-sale investment securities are classified within the fair value hierarchy as defined by authoritative guidance. Level 1 securities consist of highly liquid money market funds for which the carrying amount approximates the fair value of identical assets as quoted in the active markets. Level 2 securities, consisting of U.S. Treasuries, U.S. agency securities and corporate debt securities, are measured based on other observable inputs, including broker or dealer quotations or other valuations using observable market data. The Company’s debt securities are accounted for as available-for-sale securities.

Unrealized gains and losses are reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). Fair value of the debt securities was $326.1 million and $115.0 million as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

The following table presents the Company’s financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):


	September 30, 2024
	Fair Value Hierarchy Level	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Cash and Cash Equivalents		Marketable Securities

Money market funds	Level 1	$	24,814	$	-	$	-		$	24,814	$	24,814	$	-
U.S. Government bonds	Level 2		186,687		601		-			187,288		-		187,288
U.S. Government agency securities	Level 2		5,996		3		-			5,999		-		5,999
Corporate debt securities	Level 2		132,326		440		-			132,766		-		132,766
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities			349,823		1,044		-			350,867		24,814		326,053
Cash												2,442
Total		$	349,823	$	1,044	$	-		$	350,867	$	27,256	$	326,053




	December 31, 2023
	Fair Value Hierarchy Level	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Cash and Cash Equivalents		Marketable Securities

Money market funds	Level 1	$	44,650	$	-	$	-		$	44,650	$	44,650	$	-
U.S. Government bonds	Level 2		63,619		70		(6	)		63,683		-		63,683
U.S. Government agency securities	Level 2		19,665		7		(14	)		19,658		-		19,658
Corporate debt securities	Level 2		31,500		194		-			31,694		-		31,694
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities			159,434		271		(20	)		159,685		44,650		115,035
Cash												1,031
Total		$	159,434	$	271	$	(20	)	$	159,685	$	45,681	$	115,035

Marketable debt securities that had been in unrealized loss positions as of September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, were in an unrealized loss position for less than 12 months. Unrealized losses from marketable debt securities are primarily attributable to changes in interest rates. Management does not believe any remaining unrealized losses represent impairments based on evaluation of available evidence.

The following table classifies the estimated fair value of investments in available-for-sale marketable debt securities by effective contractual maturity dates (in thousands):


	September 30, 2024
Due within one year	$	292,827
Due after one year to two years		33,226
Total marketable securities	$	326,053

5. LEASES

The Company has entered into non-cancellable operating leases, including a sublease entered into in August 2024 for an office facility in Brisbane, California, that will serve as its corporate headquarters as of November 2024. This sublease expires in 2029. The lease for the Company’s current corporate headquarters expires in November 2024. The Company also leases a facility in South San Francisco, California, that is subleased under a non-cancellable agreement to a third party, which ends concurrently with the original lease in September 2025.

Net lease cost is as follows (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Operating lease cost	$	669		$	644		$	1,940		$	1,933
Sublease income		(487	)		(482	)		(1,462	)		(1,446	)
Net lease cost	$	182		$	162		$	478		$	487

As of September 30, 2024, under the terms of the sublease agreement of the South San Francisco facility to a third party, the Company is entitled to receive future annual sublease payments as follows (in thousands):


2024 (remaining)		491
2025		1,496
Total sublease payments	$	1,987

As tenant under the South San Francisco facility lease, the Company remains responsible for minimum lease commitments of $2.5 million as of September 30, 2024.

As of September 30, 2024, the future undiscounted lease payments under operating leases recognized in the condensed financial statements was $6.1 million. The weighted-average remaining lease term was 3.0 years and the weighted-average discount rate was 9.1%. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had not executed any leases that were yet to commence.

6. NOTES PAYABLE

Notes payable consist of the following (in thousands):


		September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023
	Maturity	Effective Interest Rate	Amount		Effective Interest Rate	Amount
Collateralized note 2021-12	2027	14.59%	$	5,000	14.73%	$	5,000
Collateralized note 2022-11	2027	14.73%		20,000	14.87%		20,000
Collateralized note 2023-12	2027	15.23%		25,000	15.37%		25,000
Total borrowings				50,000			50,000
Accrued exit fee net of unamortized issuance costs				470			(123	)
Net carrying amount of debt			$	50,470		$	49,877

The carrying amount of debt approximates fair value due to its variable interest rate.

In December 2021, the Company entered into a non-revolving loan and security agreement (the Loan Agreement) with Oxford Finance. The Loan Agreement has a borrowing capacity of up to $50.0 million, of which $5.0 million was funded in December 2021, with the remaining credit facility available for draw until December 2022, with maturity of the outstanding balance in December 2026. In November 2022, the Company entered into an amendment of the Loan Agreement. Among other changes, the amendment extended the scheduled expiration of the Loan Agreement from December 2022 to December 2023 and modified the reference rate from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). In conjunction with the amendment, the Company borrowed an additional $20.0 million under the Loan Agreement. In December 2023, the Company borrowed the remaining $25.0 million under the Loan Agreement. As of September 30, 2024, the Company’s outstanding borrowing under the Loan Agreement was $50.0 million.

In March 2023, upon achievement of a clinical data milestone, the Company elected to exercise a borrower option to extend the maturity of the outstanding loan by 12 months, from December 2026 to December 2027. The end date of the interest-only payment period was also extended by 12 months, from December 2025 to December 2026. The Company is permitted to prepay the loan, subject to certain conditions. Upon the maturity date or prepayment of the loan, the Company is required to pay an exit fee equal to 7% of the aggregate principal amount of the loan.

The variable interest rate on the drawn amount is adjusted SOFR plus 825 basis points, subject to a per annum floor rate of 8.25%. The Loan Agreement contains a subjective acceleration clause in the case of an event of default. If such a matter occurs and is continuing, the lender may legally demand the outstanding principal and interest immediately due and payable. There are no financial covenants associated with the Loan Agreement and the loan is secured by the Company’s assets. The Loan Agreement is available for working capital, capital expenditures, and other general corporate purposes.

Principal installments due on the notes are as follows (in thousands):


Remainder of 2024		—
2025		—
2026		—
2027		50,000
Total long-term debt	$	50,000

7. COMMON STOCK

As of September 30, 2024, the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorized the Company to issue 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 14,600,000 shares of Class B common stock, each with a par value of $0.001 per share. Each share of Class A common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s stockholders. Class B common stock is non-voting. There are no shares of Class B common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024. Common stockholders are entitled to receive dividends, as may be declared by the board of directors. Through September 30, 2024, no cash dividends have been declared or paid.

In June 2022, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-265408) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which permits the offering, issuance, and sale of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $400.0 million of the Company’s common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and warrants. Up to a maximum of $150.0 million of the maximum aggregate offering price of $400.0 million may be issued and sold pursuant to an at-the-market financing facility under a sales agreement dated June 3, 2022, between the Company and Cowen and Company, LLC (Sales Agreement). In January 2024, the Company suspended and terminated the prospectus (the ATM Prospectus) related to the sale of its Class A common stock in an “at-the-market” offering pursuant to the terms of the Sales Agreement. As a result, the Company will not make any sales of its Common Stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement unless and until a new prospectus, prospectus supplement or registration statement is filed. Deferred costs of $0.3 million were recognized as general and administrative expense upon termination of the ATM Prospectus.

In February 2023, the Company completed a follow-on public offering pursuant to which the Company issued and sold 16,428,572 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $7.00 per share, including 2,142,857 shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.

In February 2024, the Company completed a follow-on public offering pursuant to which the Company issued and sold 9,274,194 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $31.00 per share, including 1,209,677 shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.

8. STOCK COMPENSATION

The 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (2021 EIP) became effective in May 2021. The Company has reserved 1,152,463 and 6,873,404 shares of Class A common stock for issuance under the ESPP and 2021 EIP, respectively.

The Company may not grant any additional awards under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (2017 EIP). The 2017 EIP will continue to govern outstanding equity awards granted thereunder. As of September 30, 2024, there were 677,465 shares available for issuance under the 2021 EIP.

In August 2024, the Company repurchased 4,450 unvested shares that were previously outstanding due to a stock option that was early exercised. The unvested shares were repurchased at the original exercise price of $2.8968 per share.

2017 EIP and 2021 EIP

Stock option activity under the 2017 EIP and 2021 EIP was as follows:


	Number of Options			Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (000s)
Outstanding as of December 31, 2023		5,762,236		$	9.42		7.66	$	39,197
Granted		2,340,950
Exercised		(1,167,790	)
Cancelled and forfeited		(445,937	)
Outstanding as of September 30, 2024		6,489,459		$	13.97		8.16	$	196,198
Options exercisable as of September 30, 2024		2,646,618		$	9.14		7.23	$	92,781
Vested and expected to vest as of September 30, 2024		6,489,459		$	13.97		8.16	$	196,198

The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, was approximately $3.5 and $34.7 million, respectively. The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $26.35 and $15.91 per share, respectively.

ESPP

The ESPP enables eligible employees to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at the end of each offering period at a price equal to 85% of the fair market value of the shares on the first trading day or the last trading day of the offering period, whichever is lower. Eligible employees generally include all employees. Share purchases are funded through payroll deductions of at least 1% and up to 15% of an employee’s eligible compensation for each payroll period. The number of shares reserved for issuance under the ESPP increases automatically on the first day of each fiscal year, beginning on January 1, 2022, by a number equal to the lesser of 440,502 shares, 1% of the total number of shares of the Company’s capital stock (including all classes of the Company’s common stock) outstanding on the last day of the calendar month prior to the date of the increase, or such lower number of shares (including no shares) approved by the Company’s board of directors. As of September 30, 2024, 88,752 shares have been issued pursuant to the ESPP. The ESPP generally provides for six-month consecutive offering periods beginning on September 14, 2021. The ESPP is a compensatory plan as defined by the authoritative guidance for stock compensation. Stock-based compensation expense related to the ESPP for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, was $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

The following tables summarize the stock-based compensation expense for stock options and restricted stock units granted to employees and nonemployees and for ESPP stock-based compensation that was recorded in the Company’s condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Research and development	$	2,261	$	1,146	$	5,888	$	3,511
General and administrative		3,327		1,777		8,697		4,761
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	5,588	$	2,923	$	14,585	$	8,272


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Employees	$	4,791	$	2,621	$	12,923	$	7,542
Nonemployees		797		302		1,662		730
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	5,588	$	2,923	$	14,585	$	8,272

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $41.3 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 2.7 years.

The fair value of stock options granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following weighted-average assumptions.


	Three Months Ended September 30,		Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Expected term (in years)	6 - 6.1	6.1	5.5 - 6.1	5.5 - 6.1
Expected volatility	70.3% - 70.4%	80.2%	70.3% - 73.2%	79.5% - 80.5%
Risk-free rate	3.6% - 4.4%	4.2%	3.6% - 4.6%	3.4% - 4.2%
Dividend yield	—	—	—	—

Restricted Stock Units

The Company grants restricted stock units (RSU) pursuant to the 2021 EIP and satisfies such grants through the issuance of its common stock. The following table shows RSU activity for the period ended September 30, 2024.


	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Unvested balance at December 31, 2023		131,679		$	18.36
Granted		484,662			22.07
Vested		(107,472	)		18.52
Cancelled and forfeited		(29,332	)		17.86
Unvested balance at September 30, 2024		479,537		$	22.10

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized $2.5 million of stock-based compensation for restricted stock units.

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $9.3 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 3.5 years.

Inducement Plan

In February 2024, the Company adopted the 2024 Inducement Plan (Inducement Plan). The Inducement Plan was adopted by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors without stockholder approval pursuant to Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(c)(4). In accordance with Rule 5635(c)(4), awards made under the Inducement Plan, including stock options and restricted stock units, may only be granted to newly hired employees as a material inducement to accept employment with the Company. Awards granted under the Inducement Plan expire no later than ten years from the date of grant. An aggregate of 1,250,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the Inducement Plan. As of September 30, 2024, there were 738,025 shares available for issuance under the Inducement Plan.

9. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company sponsors a qualified 401(k) defined contribution plan covering eligible employees. Participants may contribute a portion of their annual compensation limited to a maximum annual amount set by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company contributed $29,000 and $12,000 to the plan for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $180,000 and $138,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

10. LICENSES AND COLLABORATIONS

Ares Trading S.A.

In October 2020, the Company entered into a license agreement with Ares (the Ares Agreement), pursuant to which the Company obtained an exclusive worldwide license to certain patents and related know-how to research, develop, manufacture, use and commercialize therapeutic products containing atacicept, a recombinant fusion protein used to inhibit B cell growth and differentiation, which could potentially treat some autoimmune diseases.

As consideration for the Ares Agreement, the Company paid a non-refundable license issue fee to Ares in the form of shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock valued at $13.1 million, resulting in Ares becoming a related party to the Company. The redeemable convertible preferred stock subsequently converted into 1,913,501 shares of Class A common stock in May 2021.

In December 2020, the Company paid Ares a milestone payment of $25.0 million upon delivery and initiation of the transfer of specified information and materials. The non-refundable license issue fee and milestone payment were recorded to research and development expense in the period incurred. The Company is obligated to pay Ares aggregate milestone payments of up to $176.5 million upon the achievement of specified BLA filing or regulatory approval milestones, beginning with $15.0 million upon the first filing of an approval application and $20.0 million upon regulatory approval in the U.S., and up to $515.0 million upon the achievement of specified commercial milestones, beginning with $15.0 million if worldwide aggregate annual net sales reach $250 million and $50.0 million if worldwide aggregate annual net sales reach $500 million.

Subsequent to the effective date of the Ares Agreement, Ares is performing manufacturing technology and know-how transfer to the Company. The Company recorded related party expense of $0.1 million and $0.4 million to Ares for these services during the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $0.3 million and $2.4 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These amounts are included in research and development expenses on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Commencing on the first commercial sale of licensed products, the Company is obligated to pay Ares tiered royalties of low double-digit to mid-teen percentages on annual net sales of the licensed products covered by the license. The Company is obligated to pay royalties on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis from the first commercial sale of a product in a country until the latest of (i) 15 years after the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country; (ii) the expiration of the last valid claim of a licensed patent that covers such licensed product in, or its use, importation or manufacture with respect to, such country; and (iii) expiration of all applicable regulatory exclusivity periods, including data exclusivity, in such country with respect to such product. If the Company were to sublicense its rights under the Ares Agreement, the Company would be obligated to pay Ares a percentage ranging from the mid-single-digit to the low double-digits of specified sublicensing income received.

Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

In December 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement (the Amplyx Agreement) with Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amplyx), a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the Amplyx Agreement, the Company paid $5.0 million to Amplyx to purchase assets relating to an anti-BKV monoclonal antibody referred to as MAU868 for the treatment of BKV infection pursuant to a License Agreement between Amplyx and Novartis International Pharmaceutical AG (Novartis). In addition, the Company recognized a $2.0 million contingent milestone obligation as an assumed liability related to the asset purchase. The acquisition cost of $7.0 million was recorded as research and development expense in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss on the acquisition date.

In connection with the Amplyx asset purchase, Amplyx assigned the Exclusive License Agreement between Amplyx and Novartis (the Novartis License) and Manufacturing and Supply Agreements to the Company. Under the Novartis License, the Company has exclusive worldwide rights from Novartis to develop, manufacture and commercialize MAU868. The Company will be solely responsible for all research, development, regulatory, manufacturing and commercialization activities of MAU868.

Under the Amplyx Agreement, the Company is obligated to make future milestone payments to Amplyx and Novartis upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In September 2022, the Company and Novartis entered into an amendment to the Novartis License to modify the terms of future milestone payments. Pursuant to this amendment, the Company issued 283,034 shares of Class A common stock to Novartis in exchange for a reduction of $7.0 million in contingent future development milestones, including the $2.0 million contingent milestone obligation accrued by the Company in December 2021. The value of the shares issued was $5.7 million based on the closing market value of the Company’s Class A common stock as of the effective date of the amendment.

The Company is obligated to make future milestone payments of up to $7.0 million and $62.0 million to Amplyx and Novartis, respectively, contingent upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In the event that MAU868 is commercialized, the Company will be obligated to pay royalties to Amplyx and Novartis based on net sales by country and by product.

11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Proceedings

The Company believes that there are no actions pending which would have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.

Indemnifications

As of September 30, 2024, the Company did not have any material indemnification claims that were probable or reasonably possible, and consequently no related liabilities have been recorded.

Employee Agreements

The Company has signed employment agreements with certain key employees pursuant to which, if their employment is terminated following a change of control of the Company, the employees are entitled to receive certain benefits, including severance and accelerated vesting of equity incentives.

Development and Manufacturing Services Agreements

The Company enters into development and manufacturing contracts with vendors in the conduct of our business. Contracts with these vendors may be terminated at the Company’s option, with varying provisions regarding termination. If a contract with a specific vendor were to be terminated, the Company would be obligated to pay for the products or services that had been provided or received at the time the termination became effective, and potentially additional compensation based upon the period of time remaining between the date of notice of cancellation and the scheduled manufacturing.

12. NET LOSS PER SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS

The following outstanding potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented, because including them would have been anti-dilutive (on an as-converted basis).


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Class A common stock options issued and outstanding		6,489,459		5,732,181		6,489,459		5,732,181
Unvested RSUs		479,537		132,616		479,537		132,616
Total		6,968,996		5,864,797		6,968,996		5,864,797

13. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

In October 2020, the Company entered into the Ares Agreement with Ares, pursuant to which the Company obtained an exclusive worldwide license to certain patents and related know-how to research, develop, manufacture, use and commercialize therapeutic products containing atacicept, a recombinant fusion protein used to inhibit B cell growth and differentiation, which could potentially treat some autoimmune diseases. Related party transactions and balances in the current periods presented are described in Note 3 and Note 10.

Sofinnova Venture Partners X, L.P. (SVP X) is an investment fund in which Maha Katabi (Dr. Katabi), a member of the Company’s board of directors, has a pecuniary interest. SVP X completed transactions in the Company’s common stock within a six-month period ended March 25, 2024. The transactions included both purchases and sales of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be matchable for purposes of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These transactions could be deemed to have resulted in short-swing profits to Dr. Katabi of $36,620. Dr. Katabi voluntarily agreed to disgorge the profits and has paid $36,620 to the Company as a result of these transactions.

14. SUBSEQUENT EVENT

On October 31, 2024, the Company completed a follow-on public offering pursuant to which the Company issued and sold 7,142,858 shares of its common stock at an offering price of $42.00 per share. On November 5, 2024, the Company issued an additional 1,071,428 shares of common stock at $42.00 per share, pursuant to the underwriters’ option. The Company received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $323.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $20.7 million, and offering costs of approximately $0.7 million.

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited financial statements and notes thereto and the related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2024 (the Annual Report).

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical financial information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” under Part II, Item 1A below. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potentially,” “predict,” “should,” “will” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions.

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

Overview

We are a late clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative treatments for patients with serious immunological diseases. Our lead product candidate, atacicept, a self-administered fusion protein that blocks both B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), is currently being evaluated for the treatment of immunoglogulin A nephropath (IgAN). We are enrolling the pivotal Phase 3 ORIGIN 3 trial of atacicept 150 mg in IgAN, and in September 2024 completed enrollment of the initial cohort of 200 participants that will provide data for the 36-week urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR) primary efficacy endpoint. We expect to announce topline results for this primary endpoint in the second quarter of 2025, supporting the planned submission for regulatory approval later in 2025. The Phase 2b ORIGIN clinical trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of atacicept in 116 participants with IgAN and reported positive results at four timepoints: 24-week topline results in January 2023, 36-week results in June 2023, 72-week results in January 2024 and 96-week results in October 2024. The trial remained blinded through 36 weeks, after which all participants were eligible for the open label extension portion of the study and received atacicept 150 mg through 96 weeks. At 24 and 36 weeks, respectively, atacicept met its primary endpoint with statistically significant reductions in UPCR on atacicept 150 mg, and stable estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was observed for participants on atacicept, with clinically meaningful and statistically significant difference versus placebo. Participants treated with atacicept demonstrated reductions in galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1), the autoantigen produced by B cells in patients with IgAN, and a reduction in hematuria. The improvements in Gd-IgA1, hematuria, UPCR and eGFR represent the quartet of findings consistent with IgAN disease modification. The 72-week and 96-week open label extension results showed consistent and sustained reductions in Gd-IgA1, hematuria, UPCR and continued eGFR stabilization. Additionally, atacicept’s safety profile was comparable to placebo. We believe that atacicept has pipeline in a molecule potential, with potential application in multiple diseases. We will be testing atacicept in non-IgAN autoimmune kidney diseases, including primary membranous nephropathy (pMN), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD), in the Phase 2 PIONEER clinical trial that will initiate in 2025. It is estimated that there are approximately 35,000 patients with pMN and an additional 35,000 patients with either FSGS or MCD in the United States. Potential future indications include several rheumatologic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren’s disease, and hematologic diseases, including idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. We also hold worldwide, exclusive development and commercial rights to MAU868, a potentially first-in-class monoclonal antibody to treat reactivated BK virus (BKV) infections, for which we completed a Phase 2 clinical trial in 2022. We believe that our current pipeline programs leverage the deep expertise of our team and have strong potential commercial synergies. We hold global developmental and commercial rights to all of our pipeline molecules.

Since our inception, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to our research and development efforts, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations.

We do not have any product candidates approved for commercial sale, and we have not generated any revenue from product sales. Our ability to generate revenue sufficient to achieve profitability, if ever, will depend on the successful development and eventual commercialization of one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years. We also do not

own or operate, and currently have no plans to establish, any manufacturing facilities. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates for nonclinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacturing if any of our product candidates obtain marketing approval. We believe that this strategy allows us to maintain a more efficient infrastructure by eliminating the need for us to invest in our own manufacturing facilities, equipment, and personnel while also enabling us to focus our expertise and resources on the development of our product candidates.

To date, we have funded our operations primarily through proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, debt financing and convertible promissory notes. As of September 30, 2024, we had $353.3 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, compared to $160.7 million as of December 31, 2023.

We have incurred significant operating losses since the commencement of our operations. Our net losses were $46.6 million and $20.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and we expect to incur significant and increasing losses for the foreseeable future as we continue to advance our product candidates, atacicept and MAU868, to commercialization. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from period to period, depending on the timing of expenditures on our research and development activities. As of September 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $417.8 million, compared to $309.1 million as of December 31, 2023. Our primary use of cash is to fund operating expenses, which consist of research and development and general and administrative expenditures. Cash used to fund operating expenses depends on the timing of when we pay these expenses, as reflected in the changes in our working capital balances.

We expect to continue to incur net operating losses for at least the next several years, and we expect our research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses, and capital expenditures will continue to increase. We expect our expenses and capital requirements will increase significantly in connection with our ongoing activities as we:

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continue our ongoing and planned development of our product candidates, atacicept and MAU868;

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conduct clinical trials and nonclinical studies for atacicept and MAU868;

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seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

•

continue to scale up external manufacturing capacity with the aim of securing sufficient quantities to meet our capacity requirements for clinical trials and potential commercialization;

•

establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any approved product candidates and related additional commercial manufacturing costs;

•

develop, maintain, expand, protect and enforce our intellectual property portfolio, including patents, trade secrets and know-how;

•

attract, hire and retain additional clinical, scientific, quality control, and manufacturing management and administrative personnel; and

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add clinical, operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and planned future commercialization efforts.

We also expect to increase the size of our administrative function to support the growth of our business. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities.

We will require substantial additional funding to develop our product candidates and support our continuing operations. Until such time that we can generate significant revenue from product sales or other sources, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through the sale of equity, debt financings, or other capital sources, which could include income from collaborations, strategic partnerships, or marketing, distribution, licensing or other strategic arrangements with third parties, or from grants. We may be unable to raise additional funds or to enter into such agreements or arrangements on favorable terms, or at all. Our ability to raise additional funds may be adversely impacted by potential worsening global economic conditions and the disruptions to, and volatility in, the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide. Our failure to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition, including requiring us to have to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development or future commercialization efforts. Insufficient liquidity may also require us to relinquish rights to product candidates at an earlier stage of development or on less favorable terms than we would otherwise choose. The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace and results of our development efforts. We cannot provide assurance that we will ever be profitable or generate positive cash flow from operating activities.

Geopolitical and Macroeconomic Developments

Due to geopolitical and macroeconomic events, bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China relations, elevated inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, the U.S. and global financial markets experienced volatility, which has led to disruptions to trade, commerce, pricing stability, credit availability and supply chain continuity globally. As a result of these factors and other geopolitical and macroeconomic developments described in this Quarterly Report, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Although we did not see a significant financial impact to our business operations as a result of recent geopolitical and macroeconomic developments during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, there may be potential impacts to our business in the future that are highly uncertain and difficult to predict such as disruptions or restrictions in our supply chain, disruption or restrictions on our employees’ ability to travel, disruptions to or delays in ongoing non-clinical trials, clinical trials, third-party manufacturing supply and other operations, adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic concerns, interruptions or delays in the operations of the FDA or other regulatory authorities, continued increases in inflation and interest rates, or changes in availability and cost of credit and our ability to raise capital and conduct business development activities. The ultimate impact of these geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, as well as any lasting effects on our business, is highly uncertain and subject to continued change, and we recognize that macroeconomic and geopolitical factors may continue to present unique challenges for us.

We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities held as of September 30, 2024, will be sufficient to fund our planned operations and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. However, should adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic events, bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China relations, elevated inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, any recession or depression associated with those events or other events described herein, continue for a prolonged period, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows could be materially impacted as a result of a lower likelihood of effectively and efficiently developing and successfully commercializing our product candidates.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods presented.


	Three Months Ended September 30,									Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)	2024			2023			Change			2024			2023			Change
Operating expenses:
Research and development	$	40,314		$	16,100		$	24,214		$	92,825		$	57,440		$	35,385
General and administrative		9,487			5,656			3,831			25,431			17,544			7,887
Total operating expenses		49,801			21,756			28,045			118,256			74,984			43,272
Loss from operations		(49,801	)		(21,756	)		(28,045	)		(118,256	)		(74,984	)		(43,272	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income		4,761			2,158			2,603			14,051			6,019			8,032
Interest expense		(1,936	)		(943	)		(993	)		(5,755	)		(2,730	)		(3,025	)
Other income, net		344			437			(93	)		1,237			1,360			(123	)
Total other income		3,169			1,652			1,517			9,533			4,649			4,884
Net loss	$	(46,632	)	$	(20,104	)	$	(26,528	)	$	(108,723	)	$	(70,335	)	$	(38,388	)

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses represent a substantial portion of our operating expenses. Our research and development expenses consist primarily of direct and indirect expenses incurred in connection with the research and development of our product candidates. Direct expenses include costs incurred under agreements with third parties, including contract research organizations, contract drug manufacturing organizations and consultants directly related to our research and development of product candidates, and license and milestone fees incurred as a result of our contractual obligations for our development candidates. Indirect expenses include employee compensation and other personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, facilities and depreciation related to buildings and equipment used by research and development personnel and activities and other expenses.

Research and development expenses are recorded as expense in the period in which the related activities occurred, and payments we make prior to the receipt of goods or services to be used in research and development efforts are deferred as prepaid expenses until the goods or services are received and used. We accrue expenses for contract research and development as the related services are

performed by monitoring the status of specified activities and billings received from our external service providers. These expenses are accrued based on estimates and are adjusted as actual expenses become known. The cost incurred in obtaining technology licenses, including initial and subsequent milestone payments incurred under our licensing agreements, are recorded as expense in the period in which they are incurred, as the licensed technology, method or process has no alternative future uses other than for our research and development activities. Where contingent milestone payments are due to third parties under license or other agreements, the milestone payment obligations are recognized as expense when achievement of the contingent milestone is probable, which is generally upon achievement of the milestone.

The following table summarizes our research and development expenses incurred during the respective periods.


	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023		Change		2024		2023		Change
Direct research and development expenses
Contract drug manufacturing	$	22,173	$	6,607	$	15,566	$	42,704	$	26,595	$	16,109
Clinical trial expenses		7,512		3,736		3,776		21,123		14,291		6,832
Consulting and professional services		2,776		1,471		1,305		8,124		3,414		4,710
Indirect research and development expenses
Compensation and related benefits		7,178		3,958		3,220		19,137		12,224		6,913
Facilities and other		675		328		347		1,737		916		821
Research and development expenses	$	40,314	$	16,100	$	24,214	$	92,825	$	57,440	$	35,385

Research and development expenses increased by $24.2 million, or 150%, to $40.3 million in the three months ended September 30, 2024, from $16.1 million in the three months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to an increase of $15.6 million in contract drug manufacturing and related activities for atacicept resulting from manufacturing of drug substance process performance qualification batches for both commercial and clinical use, an increase of $3.8 million in clinical trial expenses due to greater numbers of active sites and participants enrolling in ORIGIN 3, an increase of $1.3 million in consulting and professional services, including a $1.0 million increase in commercial planning and medical affairs expenses, and an increase of $3.2 million for compensation and related benefit expenses, including a $1.1 million increase in stock-based compensation expense, due to growth in research and development headcount.

Research and development expenses increased by $35.4 million, or 62%, to $92.8 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, from $57.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to an increase of $16.1 million in contract drug manufacturing and related activities for atacicept resulting from manufacturing of drug substance process performance qualification batches for both commercial and clinical use, $6.8 million in clinical trial expenses due to greater numbers of active sites and participants enrolling in ORIGIN 3, an increase of $4.7 million in consulting and professional services, including a $3.0 million increase in commercial planning and medical affairs expenses, and an increase of $6.9 million for compensation and related benefit expenses, including a $2.4 million increase stock-based compensation, due to growth in research and development headcount.

We expect our research and development expenses to increase in future periods as we continue to initiate sites and enroll participants in ORIGIN 3, prepare for applications for regulatory approval of atacicept in IgAN, initiate and conduct additional clinical trials of atacicept, including the PIONEER trial, and if we expand development of atacicept in other indications or product configurations, or other product candidates.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, for our personnel in executive management, legal, finance, human resources, and other administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees paid for accounting, auditing, legal, tax and consulting services, and other general overhead costs to support our operations. General and administrative expenses are recorded as expense in the period in which they are incurred, and payments we make prior to the receipt of goods or services to be used for general and administrative purposes are deferred as prepaid expenses until the goods or services are received and used.


	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023		Change		2024		2023		Change
General and administrative	$	9,487	$	5,656	$	3,831	$	25,431	$	17,544	$	7,887

General and administrative expenses increased by $3.8 million, or 68%, to $9.5 million in the three months ended September 30, 2024, from $5.7 million in the three months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to an increase of $1.9 million in payroll and

related expenses, including stock-based compensation, as a result of increased general and administrative employee headcount, an increase of $0.5 million in stock-based compensation expense for consultants and non-employee directors, an increase of $0.4 million in outside legal expenses and an increase of $0.2 million in recruiting and placement fees for general and administrative hires.

General and administrative expenses increased by $7.9 million, or 45%, to $25.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, from $17.5 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to an increase of $4.6 million in payroll and related expenses, including stock-based compensation, as a result of increased general and administrative employee headcount, an increase of $1.0 million in stock-based compensation expense for consultants and non-employee directors, an increase of $0.9 million in outside legal expenses, and an increase of $0.4 million in recruiting and placement fees for general and administrative hires.

Other Income and Expenses, Net


	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023		Change		2024		2023		Change
Other income and expenses, net	$	3,169	$	1,652	$	1,517	$	9,533	$	4,649	$	4,884

Other income and expenses, net, increased by $1.5 million, to $3.2 million in the three months ended September 30, 2024, from $1.7 million in the three months ended September 30, 2023, due to an increase of $2.6 million in interest income from greater balances of marketable securities held, partially offset by an increase of $1.0 million in interest expense due to higher outstanding loan principal balances in the current period.

Other income and expenses, net, increased by $4.9 million, to $9.5 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, from $4.6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, due to an increase of $8.0 million in interest income from greater balances of marketable securities held, partially offset by an increase of $3.0 million in interest expense due to higher outstanding loan principal balances in the current period.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

To date, we have funded our operations primarily through proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, debt financing and convertible notes. From our inception through November 5, 2024, we have raised aggregate net cash proceeds of approximately $1.0 billion from the issuance and sale of redeemable convertible preferred stock, convertible notes and common stock, and proceeds from our Loan Agreement with Oxford Finance LLC (Oxford). Since the date of our incorporation, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and have incurred substantial operating losses and negative cash flows from operations.

In February 2024, we completed a follow-on public offering and issued 9,274,194 shares of common stock for net proceeds of approximately $269.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering-related expenses. In October 2024, we completed a follow-on public offering and issued 7,142,858 shares of common stock, and in November 2024 we issued an additional 1,071,428 shares of common stock pursuant to the underwriters’ full exercise of the 30-day option to purchase additional shares. We received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $323.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering-related expenses.

We use our cash to fund operations, primarily to fund our research and development efforts, clinical trials, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. Cash used to fund operating expenses is affected by the timing of when we pay these expenses, as reflected in the change in our outstanding accounts payable, accrued expenses and prepaid assets.

We anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future as we continue research and development activities of atacicept and MAU868, hire additional staff, including clinical, operational, administrative and management personnel, and incur additional expenses associated with operating as a public company. We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance our clinical development activities and our product candidate portfolio. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative costs will increase substantially in connection with conducting additional clinical trials for our research programs and product candidates, contracting with third parties to support nonclinical studies and clinical trials, expanding our intellectual property portfolio, and providing general and administrative support for our operations. As a result, we will need additional capital to fund our operations, which we may obtain from additional equity or debt financings, collaborations, licensing arrangements, or other sources.

As of September 30, 2024, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $353.3 million, as compared to $160.7 million as of December 31, 2023. We believe, based on our current operating plan, that our cash, cash equivalents and marketable

securities as of September 30, 2024 will be sufficient to fund our planned operations and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated.


	Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)	2024			2023
Net cash used in operating activities	$	(95,497	)	$	(67,037	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(203,646	)		(57,987	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		280,718			108,713
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	$	(18,425	)	$	(16,311	)

Operating Activities

In the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we used $95.5 million of cash in operating activities, attributable to a net loss of $108.7 million and $6.9 million of non-cash interest income, partially offset by non-cash operating expenses of $16.1 million and a net change in operating assets and liabilities of $3.4 million. Non-cash operating expenses primarily consisted of $14.6 million of stock-based compensation and a $1.5 million reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets. The net change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to an increase of $11.0 million in accrued and other current liabilities, partially offset by a decrease of $6.5 million in accounts payable and a decrease of $1.9 million in operating lease liabilities.

In the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we used $67.0 million of cash in operating activities, primarily attributable to a net loss of $70.3 million, non-cash interest income of $3.2 million related to amortization of discount on purchases of marketable securities and $3.7 million of changes in working capital, partially offset by $8.3 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense.

Investing Activities

In the nine months ended September 30, 2024, our investing activities used $203.6 million of cash, primarily resulting from $409.0 million for purchases of marketable securities, offset by $205.7 million provided by sales and maturities of marketable securities.

In the nine months ended September 30, 2023, our investing activities used $58.0 million of cash, primarily resulting from $171.7 million for purchases of marketable securities, partially offset by $113.7 million provided by sales and maturities of marketable securities.

Financing Activities

In the nine months ended September 30, 2024, our financing activities provided $280.7 million of cash, resulting from $287.5 million gross proceeds from our February 2024 follow-on offering, $11.1 million proceeds from exercise of stock options and issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase plan, partially offset by $17.9 million of costs and underwriting discounts and commissions related to our February 2024 follow-on offering.

In the nine months ended September 30, 2023, our financing activities provided $108.7 million of cash, resulting from $115.0 million gross proceeds from our February 2023 follow-on offering, $1.0 million proceeds from exercise of stock options and issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase plan, partially offset by $7.3 million of costs and underwriting discounts and commissions related to our February 2023 follow-on offering.

Contractual Obligations

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, there were no material changes to our contractual obligations and commitments from those described under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Loan and Security Agreement

On December 17, 2021, we entered into the Loan Agreement with Oxford, a Delaware limited liability company, as lender (Lender) and collateral agent. The Loan Agreement provides for a term loan (the Loan) in an aggregate maximum principal amount of $50.0 million, of which $5.0 million was funded on December 17, 2021, $20.0 million was funded on November 4, 2022, and the remaining $25.0 million was funded in December 2023.

In March 2023, we opted to extend the final maturity date of the Loan from December 2026, to December 2027, based on positive Phase 2b clinical trial data of atacicept in IgAN, as provided in the Loan Agreement. We are required to make monthly interest-only payments for 60 months followed by full amortization through maturity.

Initially, through December 30, 2021, the Loan incurred interest at a per annum rate of 8.254%. Thereafter, the Loan bears interest at a floating per annum rate (based on the actual number of days elapsed divided by a year of 360 days) equal to the greater of (i) 8.25% and (ii) the sum of (a) 1-Month CME Term SOFR as reported by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited on the last business day of the month that immediately precedes the month in which the interest will accrue, and (b) 8.25%.

We are permitted to prepay the Loan in full or in part at any time upon 10 business days’ written notice to the Lender, subject to the applicable Prepayment Fee (as defined below). Upon the earliest to occur of the maturity date, acceleration of the Loan or prepayment of the Loan, we are required to make a final payment equal to 7.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the Loan (the Final Fee). Any prepayments of the Loan, whether mandatory or voluntary, must include an amount equal to the sum of (a) the portion of the outstanding principal of the Loan being prepaid plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon through the prepayment date, (b) the Final Fee, (c) the Lender’s expenses and all other obligations that are due and payable to the Lender, and (d) a prepayment fee of (i) 3.0% of the portion of the Loan being prepaid if the repayment is on or before the first anniversary of the funding date of such term loan or (ii) 2.0% of the portion of the Loan being prepaid if the repayment is after the first anniversary of the funding date but on or before the second anniversary of the funding date of such term loan (the Prepayment Fee). There is no Prepayment Fee for any prepayments occurring after the second anniversary of the funding date of such term loan.

Our obligations under the Loan Agreement are secured by a security interest in all of our assets, other than our intellectual property, which is subject to a negative pledge. The Loan Agreement does not contain any financial related covenants. Included in the Loan Agreement are customary representations and covenants that, subject to exceptions, restrict our ability to, among other things: declare dividends or redeem or repurchase equity interests; incur additional liens; make loans and investments; incur additional indebtedness; engage in mergers, acquisitions and asset sales; transact with affiliates; undergo a change in control; add or change business locations; and engage in businesses that are not related to our existing business.

Upon the occurrence of an event of default, a default interest rate of an additional 5.0% may be applied to the outstanding loan balances, and the Lender may declare all outstanding obligations immediately due and payable and take such other actions as set forth in the Loan Agreement. Events of default under the Loan Agreement include customary events of default, including, but not limited to: (i) failure to (a) make any payment of principal or interest on its due date, or (b) pay any other obligations within three business days after such obligations are due and payable; (ii) failure to perform any obligation under specified covenants; (iii) the occurrence of a material adverse change; (iv) we or any of our subsidiaries being or becoming insolvent, beginning an insolvency proceeding, or becoming subject to an insolvency proceeding that is not dismissed or stayed within 45 days; (v) a default under any agreement with a third party resulting in a right by such third party to accelerate the maturity of any indebtedness in an amount in excess of $500,000 or that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse change; (vi) the rendering of judgments, orders, or decrees for the payment of money in an amount, individually or in the aggregate, of at least $500,000 that remain unsatisfied, unvacated, or unstayed for a period of 10 days after the entry thereof; (vii) revocation, rescission, suspension or adverse modification of any governmental approval, or non-renewal of a governmental approval in the ordinary course for a full term, that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change; and (viii) failure of a lien created under the Loan Agreement or any other loan document to constitute a valid and perfected lien on any of the collateral purported to be secured thereby, subject to no prior or equal lien, other than permitted liens.

At-the-Market Offering

In June 2022, we entered into a sales agreement with Cowen and Company LLC (Cowen) as sales agent, pursuant to which we had the option to issue and sell shares of our common stock for an aggregate maximum offering price of $150.0 million under an at-the-market offering program (ATM). We would pay Cowen up to 3.0% of gross proceeds of the common stock sold through the ATM. Effective January 29, 2024, we suspended and terminated the prospectus related to the sale of common stock under the ATM. As a result, we will not make any sales of common stock pursuant to the ATM unless and until a new prospectus, prospectus supplement or registration statement is filed.

Emerging Growth Company Status

We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act until the earliest of (i) the last day of our first fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.235 billion or more, (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt instruments during the previous three fiscal

years, (iii) the date on which we are deemed a “large accelerated filer” under the rules of the SEC with at least $700.0 million of outstanding equity securities held by non-affiliates, or (iv) December 31, 2026. Based on our public float as of June 28, 2024, the last business day of our second quarter, when we reevaluate our filer status on December 31, 2024, we will qualify as a “large accelerated filer” and will no longer be an emerging growth company.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these unaudited condensed financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, as well as expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Our critical accounting policies are described in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and the notes to our unaudited condensed financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, there were no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those discussed in our Annual Report.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Not required.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (CEO) and chief financial officer (CFO), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act)). Our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

Based upon such evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that, as of September 30, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We identified no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) during the quarter ended September 30, 2024, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may become involved in litigation relating to claims arising from the ordinary course of business. We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us due to defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, negative publicity, reputational harm and other factors.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

An investment in shares of our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including our unaudited condensed financial statements and the related notes and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” before deciding whether to purchase, hold or sell shares of our Class A common stock. The occurrence of any of the risks described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, growth prospects, and/or stock price or cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements we have made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and those we may make from time to time. You should consider all of the risk factors described when evaluating our business.

Risks related to our financial position and need for additional capital

We are a late clinical-stage biotechnology company and we have no products approved for commercial sale, have not generated any revenue from product sales and have incurred losses since inception. To date, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to our research and development efforts, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital and providing general and administrative support for these operations. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. As a result, it may be more difficult to accurately predict our future success or viability than it could be if we had a longer operating history.

In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors and risks frequently experienced by late-stage biotechnology companies in rapidly evolving fields. We may face difficulty transitioning from a company with a research focus to a company capable of successfully executing drug development activities and supporting commercial operations. If we do not adequately address these risks and difficulties or successfully make such a transition, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.

Developing treatments for immunological and inflammatory diseases, including conducting nonclinical studies and clinical trials, is a very time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete. Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception, and we expect our expenses will increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we continue to conduct clinical trials of, and seek marketing approval for, our product candidates. We anticipate incurring significant costs associated with the development of our product candidates. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, or any comparable foreign regulatory authority to perform clinical trials or nonclinical studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Other unanticipated costs may also arise. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for atacicept or MAU868, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to drug sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Because the design and outcome of our planned and anticipated clinical trials are highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of any product candidate we develop. We also will continue to incur costs associated with operating as a public company. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in order to maintain our continuing operations.

As of September 30, 2024, we had $353.3 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. We expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our planned operations and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our estimate is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, could cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Moreover, it is particularly difficult to estimate with

certainty our future expenses given the dynamic nature of our business and the macroeconomic and geopolitical environment generally. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if, and as, we:

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continue our ongoing and planned research and development of atacicept for the treatment of IgAN and other indications;

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initiate or continue nonclinical studies and clinical trials for atacicept, MAU868 and any additional product candidates that we may pursue in the future;

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continue our research and development of MAU868 for the treatment of BK viremia in kidney transplant recipients and other indications;

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seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

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continue to scale up external manufacturing capacity with the aim of securing sufficient quantities to meet our capacity requirements for clinical trials and potential commercialization;

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establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any approved product candidates and related additional commercial manufacturing costs;

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develop, maintain, expand, protect and enforce our intellectual property portfolio, including patents, trade secrets, and know-how;

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acquire, develop or in-license other product candidates and technologies and further expand our clinical product pipeline;

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attract, develop and retain additional clinical, scientific, quality control, and manufacturing management and administrative personnel; and

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add clinical, operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and planned future commercialization efforts.

Advancing the development of atacicept, MAU868 and any future product candidates we may develop will require a significant amount of capital. Our working capital and available credit will not be sufficient to fund all of the activities that are necessary to complete the development of our product candidates through approval and commercial launch.

We will be required to obtain further funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources, which may dilute our stockholders or restrict our operating activities. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, such as the recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits and lending commitments due to bank failures, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, actual and anticipated changes in interest rates, economic inflation and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, could affect our ability to access capital as and when needed. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed, or on acceptable terms, would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy, and we may have to delay, reduce the scope of, suspend or eliminate one or more of our research-stage programs, clinical trials or future commercialization efforts.

We have incurred net losses since inception, and we expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we may be unable to continue as a going concern over the long-term.

We have incurred net losses in each reporting period since the commencement of our operations and have not generated any revenue from product sales to date. We had net losses of $46.6 million and $20.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We had an accumulated deficit of $417.8 million as of September 30, 2024. Our losses have resulted principally from expenses incurred in research and development and from management and administrative costs and other expenses that we have incurred while building our business infrastructure, a significant portion of which were incurred resulting from our efforts to develop gamma-PNA chemistry and triplex gene editing for therapeutic use, which we discontinued in September 2020. Our product candidates are in clinical development. As a result, we expect that it will be several years, if ever, before we have a commercialized product and generate revenue from product sales. Even if we succeed in receiving marketing approval for and commercializing our product candidates in one or more indications, we expect that we will continue to incur substantial research and development and other expenses as we continue the clinical development programs for our product candidates in other indications.

We expect to continue to incur increased expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we continue our research and development efforts and seek to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenue. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our working capital. In any particular period, our operating results could be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.

We have incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations. As a development stage company, we expect to incur significant and increasing losses until regulatory approval is granted for our product candidates. Regulatory approval is not guaranteed and may never be obtained. As a result, these conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern over the long-term.

We have never generated revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.

Our ability to generate revenue from product sales and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with our collaboration partners, to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize, atacicept, MAU868 and any future product candidates we may develop. We do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales for the next several years, if ever. Our ability to generate revenue from product sales depends heavily on our and our current and potential future collaborators’ success in:

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completing clinical development of product candidates and programs and identifying and developing new product candidates;

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seeking and obtaining marketing approvals for any product candidates that we develop;

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launching and commercializing product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval by establishing a sales force, marketing, medical affairs and distribution infrastructure or, alternatively, collaborating with a commercialization partner;

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achieving adequate access and reimbursement by government and third-party payors for product candidates that we develop;

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establishing and maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties that can provide adequate, in both amount and quality, products and services to support clinical development and the market demand for product candidates that we develop, if approved;

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obtaining market acceptance of product candidates that we develop as viable treatment options;

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addressing any competing technological and market developments;

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maintaining our rights under our existing license agreement with Ares, Novartis and any similar agreements we may enter into in the future;

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negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter and performing our obligations in such collaborations;

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maintaining, protecting, enforcing and expanding our portfolio of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and know-how;

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defending against third-party interference, infringement or other intellectual property-related claims, if any; and

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attracting, developing and retaining qualified personnel.

Even if atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidate that we may develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities to perform clinical trials or nonclinical studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we are able to generate revenue from the sale of any approved products, we may not be able to reach or sustain profitability, and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations.

As of September 30, 2024, the Company’s outstanding debt balance was $50.5 million. Our overall leverage and certain obligations and affirmative and negative covenants contained in the related documentation could adversely affect our financial health and business and future operations by limiting our ability to, among other things, satisfy our obligations under the Loan Agreement, refinance our debt on terms acceptable to us or at all, plan for and adjust to changing business, industry and market conditions, use our available cash flow to fund future acquisitions and make dividend payments, and obtain additional financing for working capital, to fund growth or for general corporate purposes, even when necessary to maintain adequate liquidity.

If we default under the Loan Agreement, Oxford may accelerate all of our repayment obligations and exercise all of their rights and remedies under the Loan Agreement and applicable law, potentially requiring us to renegotiate our agreement on terms less favorable to us. Further, if we are liquidated, the lenders’ right to repayment would be senior to the rights of the holders of our common stock to receive any proceeds from the liquidation. Oxford could declare a default upon the occurrence of customary events of default, including events that they interpret as a material adverse change as delineated in the Loan Agreement, payment defaults or

breaches of certain affirmative or negative covenants, thereby requiring us to repay the loan immediately. Any declaration by the lender of an event of default could significantly harm our business and prospects and could cause the price of our common stock to decline. Additionally, if we raise any additional debt financing, the terms of such additional debt could further restrict our operating and financial flexibility.

Risks related to the discovery, development and commercialization of our product candidates

Our future success is heavily dependent on our ability to timely complete clinical trials, obtain marketing approval for and successfully commercialize our product candidates. We expect that a substantial portion of our efforts and expenses over the next several years will be devoted to the development of atacicept in our ongoing clinical trials, as well as our efforts to evaluate MAU868 in kidney transplant recipients.

We plan to invest significant efforts and financial resources in the research and development of our product candidates, which will require additional clinical development, evaluation of clinical, nonclinical and manufacturing activities, marketing approval from regulatory authorities, and significant marketing efforts before we can generate any revenues from product sales. We are not permitted to market or promote our product candidates before we receive marketing approval from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and we may never receive such marketing approvals. We cannot assure you that our planned clinical development programs for our product candidates will be completed in a timely manner, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain approval for atacicept or MAU868 from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. If we are unable to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates in one or more indications and in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.

Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results. Failure can occur at any stage of clinical development. We have never submitted a BLA to the FDA or similar drug approval filings to comparable foreign authorities. If we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, we will be unable to generate product revenue and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.

Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of nonclinical studies and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the results of subsequent clinical trials. We have a limited operating history and to date have not demonstrated our ability to complete large scale clinical trials.

Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through nonclinical studies and initial clinical trials. For example, atacicept has been the subject of clinical trials by prior sponsors, including a Phase 2 trial in SLE, that missed its primary endpoint in the overall study population. In the future, clinical trial failures may result from a multitude of factors including flaws in trial design, dose selection, placebo effect and patient enrollment criteria. A number of companies in the biotechnology industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. Based upon negative or inconclusive results, we or any potential future collaborator may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or nonclinical studies. In addition, data obtained from trials and studies are susceptible to varying interpretations, and regulators may not interpret our data as favorably as we do, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Any future delays or abandonment could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Even if our clinical trials are completed as planned, we cannot be certain that their results will support our proposed indications.

Our future clinical trials may not be successful. If any product candidate is found to be unsafe or lack efficacy, we will not be able to obtain regulatory approval for it and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial protocols, differences in composition of the patient populations, adherence to the dosing regimen and other trial protocols and the dropout rate among clinical trial participants. Patients treated with our product candidates may also be undergoing surgical, radiation and chemotherapy treatments and may be using other approved products or investigational new drugs, which can cause side effects or adverse events that are unrelated to our product candidates. As a result, assessments of efficacy can vary widely for a particular patient, and from patient to patient and site to site within a clinical trial. This subjectivity can increase the uncertainty of, and adversely impact, our clinical trial outcomes. We do not know whether any clinical trials we may conduct will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety sufficient to obtain marketing approval to market our product candidates.

We do not know whether our clinical trials will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates. Most product candidates that begin clinical trials are never approved by regulatory authorities for commercialization. If we are unable to bring our product candidates to market, our ability to create long-term shareholder value will be limited.

In addition, we may rely in part on nonclinical, clinical and quality data generated by CROs and other third parties for regulatory submissions. While we have or will have agreements governing these third parties’ services, we have limited influence over their actual performance. If these third parties do not make data available to us, or, if applicable, make regulatory submissions in a timely manner, our development programs may be significantly delayed, and we may need to conduct additional studies or collect additional data independently. In either case, our development costs would increase.

Moreover, nonclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses and many companies that believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in nonclinical studies and clinical trials nonetheless failed to obtain FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority approval. We cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will interpret trial results as we do, and more trials could be required before we are able to submit an application seeking approval of our product candidates. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing application, we may be required to expend significant resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates. Even if regulatory approval is secured, the terms of such approval may limit the scope and use, which may also limit commercial potential. Furthermore, the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval, which may lead to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities delaying, limiting or denying approval of a product candidate.

Delays in clinical trials are common and have many causes, and any delay could result in increased costs to us and jeopardize or delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commence product sales.

We may experience delays in clinical trials of our product candidates. Our planned clinical trials may not begin on time, have an effective design, enroll a sufficient number of participants, or be completed on schedule, if at all. Our clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including delays related to:

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the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities disagreeing as to the design or implementation of our clinical trials;

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obtaining regulatory authorizations to commence a trial or reaching a consensus with regulatory authorities on trial design;

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any failure or delay in reaching an agreement with CROs and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

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obtaining approval from one or more institutional review boards (IRBs) or positive Ethics Committee opinions;

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IRBs refusing to approve or Ethics Committees issuing negative opinions, suspending or terminating the trial at an investigational site, precluding enrollment of additional subjects, or withdrawing their approval of the trial;

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changes to clinical trial protocol;

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clinical sites deviating from trial protocol or dropping out of a trial;

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study conduct issues, which could confound the clinical endpoints and/or data;

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manufacturing sufficient quantities of clinical trial material to supply the clinical trials;

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subjects failing to enroll or remain in our trial at the rate we expect, or failing to return for post-treatment follow-up;

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delays in enrollment due to low prevalence or incidence rates of subjects with the applicable disease;

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delays in enrollment due to a shift in our prioritization and dedication of resources towards other product candidates or indications;

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subjects choosing an alternative treatment or participating in competing clinical trials;

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lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial;

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subjects experiencing severe or unexpected drug-related adverse effects;

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regulatory authorities imposing a clinical hold;

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occurrence of serious adverse events in trials of the same class of agents conducted by other companies;

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shutdowns, either temporarily or permanently, of any facility manufacturing our product candidates or any of their components, including by order from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities due to violations of current good manufacturing practice (cGMP), regulations or other applicable requirements;

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third-party clinical investigators losing the licenses or permits necessary to perform our clinical trials, not performing our clinical trials on our anticipated schedule or consistent with the clinical trial protocol, good clinical practices (GCP) or other regulatory requirements;

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third-party contractors not performing data collection or analysis in a timely or accurate manner; or

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third-party contractors becoming debarred or suspended or otherwise penalized by the FDA or other government or regulatory authorities for violations of regulatory requirements, in which case we may need to find a substitute contractor, and we may not be able to use some or all of the data produced by such contractors in support of our marketing applications.

Further, conducting clinical trials in foreign countries, as we may do for our product candidates, presents additional risks that may delay completion of our clinical trials. These risks include the failure of enrolled participants in foreign countries to adhere to clinical protocol as a result of differences in healthcare services or cultural customs, managing additional administrative burdens associated with foreign regulatory schemes, as well as political and economic risks relevant to such foreign countries.

If we experience delays in the completion of, or termination of, any clinical trial, the commercial prospects of our product candidates will be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenues will be delayed. Moreover, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down development and approval processes and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues.

In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, termination or suspension of, or a delay in the commencement or completion of, clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval.

Any delays in our clinical trials that occur as a result could shorten any period during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidates and our competitors may be able to bring products to market before we do, and the commercial viability of atacicept, MAU868 or other product candidates could be significantly reduced. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Enrollment and retention of participants in clinical trials is an expensive and time-consuming process and could be made more difficult or rendered impossible by multiple factors outside our control, including difficulties in identifying patients with IgAN, the availability of competitive products, and significant competition for recruiting participants in clinical trials.

Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in our clinical trials is critical to our success. We may encounter delays in enrolling, or be unable to enroll, a sufficient number of participants to complete any of our clinical trials, and even once enrolled we may be unable to retain a sufficient number of participants to complete any of our trials. In particular, as a result of the inherent difficulties in diagnosing IgAN, the availability of competitive products such as TARPEYO, FILSPARI and FABHALTA, and the significant competition for recruiting the limited number of patients who have the diseases for which our product candidates are being developed, there may be delays in enrolling the participants we need to complete clinical trials on a timely basis, or at all. Although we have engaged certain third-party investigators to assist with participant enrollment, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our relationships with such third parties or that such third parties will be successful in helping us identify patients.

Factors that may generally affect participant enrollment include:

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the size and nature of the patient population;

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the number and location of clinical sites we enroll;

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competition with other companies for clinical sites or patients;

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the drug background and clinical experience (e.g., safety profile, risk/benefit assessment, mechanism of action, known proof of concept);

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the eligibility and exclusion criteria for the trial;

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the design of the clinical trial;

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inability to obtain and maintain participant consents;

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risk that enrolled participants will drop out before completion;

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a shift in our prioritization and dedication of resources towards other product candidates or indications; and

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competing clinical trials and clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug being studied in relation to other available therapies, including any new drugs that may be approved for the indications we are investigating.

In addition, if any significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our future clinical trials or other sponsor development programs of similar mechanism of action that may result in a drug class effect, it may make it more difficult for us to recruit patients to our clinical trials and participants may drop out of our trials, or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of one or more product candidates altogether. Our inability to enroll a sufficient number of participants for our clinical trials would result in significant delays, which would increase our costs and have an adverse effect on our company.

We may expend our limited resources to pursue a particular product candidate or indication and fail to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.

We have limited financial and human resources, which has in the past and may in the future cause us to make prioritization and resource allocation decisions. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities. Our spending on current and future research and development programs and product candidates for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through collaboration, licensing or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights to such product candidate.

We may develop atacicept, MAU868 and potentially future product candidates, in combination with other therapies, which exposes us to additional risks.

We may develop atacicept, MAU868 and future product candidates in combination with one or more currently approved therapies. Even if atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we develop, were to receive marketing approval or be commercialized for use in combination with other existing therapies, we would continue to be subject to the risks that the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States could revoke or modify approval of the therapy used in combination with our product candidate or that safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues could arise with these existing therapies. This could result in our own products being removed from the market or being less successful commercially.

We may also evaluate atacicept, MAU868 or any other future product candidates in combination with one or more other therapies that have not yet been approved for marketing by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States. We will not be able to market and sell atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we develop in combination with any such unapproved therapies that do not ultimately obtain marketing approval. If the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States do not approve these other drugs or revoke their approval of, or if safety, efficacy, manufacturing, or supply issues arise with, the drugs we choose to evaluate in combination with atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidate we develop, we may be unable to obtain approval of or market atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidate we develop.

Periodically, we make estimates regarding the incidence and prevalence of target patient populations for particular diseases based on various third-party sources and internally generated analysis and use such estimates in making decisions regarding our drug development strategy, including acquiring or in-licensing product candidates and determining indications on which to focus in nonclinical or clinical trials.

The incidence and prevalence for target patient populations of our product candidates in specific indications are based on estimates and third-party sources. These estimates may be inaccurate or based on imprecise data. For example, the total addressable market opportunity will depend on, among other things, acceptance of our drugs by the medical community and patient access, drug pricing and reimbursement. The number of patients in the addressable markets may turn out to be lower than expected, patients may not be otherwise amenable to treatment with our drugs, or new patients may become increasingly difficult to identify or gain access to. If the market opportunities for atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidate we may develop, if and when approved, are smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of the patient population, our revenue and ability to achieve and sustain profitability might be materially and adversely affected.

From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary or top-line data from our nonclinical studies and clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the top-line or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Top-line data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, top-line data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available.

From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more participant data become available or as participants from our clinical trials continue other treatments for their disease. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors could result in volatility in the price of our common stock.

Further, others, including regulatory authorities, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of our particular program, the approvability or commercialization of our particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.

If the interim, top-line, or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, our product candidates may be harmed, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We face significant competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than us.

The biotechnology industry is intensely competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our competitors include multinational pharmaceutical companies, specialized biotechnology companies and universities and other research institutions. The current standard-of-care for IgAN consists of treatment with off-label use of RAAS inhibitors, including ACE inhibitors and ARBs, to control blood pressure, or steroids with or without other immunosuppressive agents to non-specifically reduce inflammation. SGLT2 inhibitors, including AstraZeneca’s Farxiga, which is approved for chronic kidney disease, is becoming the standard-of-care in some geographies including the United States. Among emerging therapies, we consider our most direct competitors with respect to atacicept in IgAN to be approved products: the reformulated steroid from Calliditas Therapeutics AB, endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist from Travere Therapeutics, Inc., and the complement inhibitor from Novartis; programs in Phase 3 clinical development: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd., Novartis, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., Roche/Ionis and Vertex; and the following companies with programs in Phase 2 of clinical development: Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, Biogen Inc., Eladon Pharmaceuticals and DiaMedica Therapeutics, Inc.

In the kidney transplant or HSCT setting, there are currently no anti-BKV therapies approved. The standard of care in both settings is to reduce immunosuppression as a first line, and potentially to offer intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) in kidney transplant recipients or antivirals with limited clinical evidence, including leflunomide and cidofovir, in either setting. There are few industry sponsored programs in development for these indications; for example, Memo Therapeutics AG’s MTX-005, a monoclonal antibody targeting BKV is in Phase 1 clinical trials.

Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do and may be better equipped to develop, manufacture and market technologically superior products. In addition, many of these competitors have significantly greater experience than we have in undertaking nonclinical studies and human clinical trials of new pharmaceutical products and in obtaining regulatory approvals of human therapeutic products. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA or comparable approval for superior products. Many of our competitors have established distribution channels for the commercialization of their products, whereas we have no such channel or capabilities. In addition, many competitors have greater name recognition and more extensive collaborative relationships. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies.

Our competitors may obtain regulatory approval of their products more rapidly than we do or may obtain patent protection or other intellectual property rights that limit our ability to develop or commercialize our product candidates or any future product candidates. Our competitors may also develop drugs that are more effective, more convenient, more widely used and less costly or

have a better safety profile than our products and these competitors may also be more successful than we are in manufacturing and marketing their products. If we are unable to compete effectively against these companies, then we may not be able to commercialize our product candidates or any future product candidates or achieve a competitive position in the market. This would adversely affect our ability to generate revenue. Our competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, management and commercial personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and participant registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.

Changes in methods of manufacturing or formulation of our product candidates may result in additional costs or delays.

As our product candidates progress through preclinical to late-stage clinical trials to marketing approval and commercialization, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods and formulation, and manufacturing sites are altered along the way in an effort to optimize yield, manufacturing batch size, minimize costs and achieve consistent quality and results. Such changes carry the risk that they will not achieve these intended objectives. Any of these changes could cause our product candidates to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted with the altered materials. This could delay completion of clinical trials, require the conduct of bridging clinical trials or the repetition of one or more clinical trials, increase clinical trial costs, delay approval of our product candidates and jeopardize our ability to commercialize our product candidates, if approved, and generate revenue.

Risks related to regulatory approval and other legal compliance matters

The regulatory approval processes of the FDA and comparable foreign authorities are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and comparable foreign authorities typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials. In addition, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions.

Applications for atacicept or MAU868 could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:

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the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design, implementation or results of our clinical trials;

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the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may determine that our product candidate is not safe and effective, only moderately effective or have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that preclude our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use;

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the population studied in the clinical trial may not be sufficiently broad or representative to assure efficacy and safety in the full population for which we seek approval, resulting in a restrictive label and limiting commercial use;

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the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from nonclinical studies or clinical trials;

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the data collected from clinical trials may not be sufficient to support the submission of a BLA, or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere;

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we may be unable to demonstrate to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that the risk-benefit ratio for our proposed indication is acceptable;

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the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may fail to approve the manufacturing processes, test procedures and specifications or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and

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the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.

This lengthy approval process, as well as the unpredictability of the results of clinical trials, may result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

In addition, even if we obtain approval of our product candidates for a lead indication, regulatory authorities may not approve them for other indications, may impose significant limitations in the form of narrow indications, warnings, or a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Certain regulatory authorities may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials or may approve them with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for

successful commercialization of our product candidates. In addition, if we are unable to obtain regulatory approval, or if regulatory approval results in a limited label, our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects will be significantly harmed.

Even if approved, our product candidates may not achieve adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success.

Even if our product candidates receive regulatory approval, they may not gain adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community. The degree of market acceptance of any of our product candidates would depend on a number of factors, including:

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the efficacy and safety profile as demonstrated in clinical trials compared to alternative treatments;

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the timing of market introduction of the product candidate as well as competitive products, such as TARPEYO, FILSPARI and FABHALTA;

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the clinical indications for which the product candidate is approved;

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restrictions on use, such as boxed warnings or contraindications in labeling, or a REMS or comparable foreign restriction, if any, which may not be required of alternative treatments and competitor products;

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the potential and perceived advantages of product candidates over alternative treatments;

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the cost of treatment in relation to alternative treatments;

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our pricing and the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government authorities;

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the availability of atacicept or MAU868 for use as a combination therapy;

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relative convenience and ease of administration;

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the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies;

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the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts;

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inclusion or exclusion of our product candidates from treatment guidelines established by various physician groups;

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unfavorable publicity relating to our product candidates or similar approved products or product candidates in development by third parties; and

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the approval of other new therapies for the same indications.

Sales of medical products also depend on the willingness of physicians to prescribe the treatment, which is likely to be based on a determination by these physicians that the products are safe, therapeutically effective and accessible to patients. In addition, the inclusion or exclusion of products from treatment guidelines established by various physician groups and the viewpoints of influential physicians can affect the willingness of other physicians to prescribe the treatment. We cannot predict whether physicians, physicians’ organizations, hospitals, other healthcare professionals, government agencies, regulatory authorities or private insurers will determine that our product is safe, therapeutically effective and cost effective as compared with competing treatments. If any product candidate is approved but does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by such parties, we may not generate or derive sufficient revenue from such product candidate and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability.

Our business entails a significant risk of product liability and if we are unable to obtain sufficient insurance coverage, such inability could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our business exposes us to significant product liability risks inherent in the development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of therapeutic treatments. Product liability claims could delay or prevent completion of our development programs. If we succeed in marketing products, such claims could result in an FDA or other regulatory authority investigation of the safety and effectiveness of our product, our manufacturing processes and facilities or our marketing programs. FDA or other regulatory authority investigations could potentially lead to a recall of our product or more serious enforcement action, limitations on the approved indications for which it may be used or suspension or withdrawal of approvals. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may also result in decreased demand for our product, injury to our reputation, costs to defend the related litigation, a diversion of management’s time and our resources and substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients. We currently have product liability insurance that we believe is appropriate for our stage of development and may need to obtain higher levels prior to marketing any product candidate, if approved. Any insurance we have or may obtain may not provide sufficient coverage against potential liabilities. Furthermore, clinical trial and product liability insurance is becoming increasingly expensive. As a result, we may be unable to obtain sufficient

insurance at a reasonable cost to protect us against losses caused by product liability claims that could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

As is the case with pharmaceuticals generally, it is likely that there may be side effects and adverse events associated with the use of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics. Undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. For example, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany previously conducted APRIL-LN, a study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of atacicept in patients with active LN, receiving newly initiated CS and MMF. Two weeks before the initiation of atacicept, significant decreases in immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels began unexpectedly with initiation of MMF and high-dose CS, and persisted upon initiation of atacicept, which led to trial termination. The drug-related side effects could affect participant recruitment or the ability of enrolled participants to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If product candidates we develop are associated with undesirable side effects or have unexpected characteristics in nonclinical studies or clinical trials when used alone or in combination with other approved products or investigational new drugs, we may need to interrupt, delay or abandon their development or limit development to more narrow uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. Treatment-related side effects could also affect participant recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete a trial, or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidate and may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Participants in our ongoing and planned clinical trials may in the future suffer significant adverse events or other side effects not observed in our nonclinical studies or previous clinical trials. Our product candidates may be used as chronic therapies or be used in pediatric populations, for which safety concerns may be particularly scrutinized by regulatory authorities. In addition, if atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop, are used in combination with other therapies, atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop may exacerbate adverse events associated with the therapy and it may not be possible to determine whether it was caused by our product or the one with which it was combined. Patients treated with our product candidates may also be undergoing surgical, radiation, chemotherapy or other treatments, which can cause side effects or adverse events that are unrelated to our product candidates, but may still impact the success of our clinical trials. The inclusion of patients with advanced disease in our clinical trials may result in deaths or other adverse medical events due to other therapies or medications that such patients may be using or due to the gravity of such patients’ illnesses.

If significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our current or future clinical trials, we may have difficulty recruiting participants to the clinical trials, participants may drop out of our trials, or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of that product candidate altogether. We, the FDA, other comparable regulatory authorities or an IRB or Ethics Committee may suspend clinical trials of a product candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects. Some potential therapeutics developed in the biotechnology industry that initially showed therapeutic promise in early-stage trials have later been found to cause side effects that prevented their further development. Even if the side effects do not preclude the product candidate from obtaining or maintaining marketing approval, undesirable side effects may inhibit market acceptance due to its tolerability versus other therapies. Any of these developments could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Further, toxicities associated with our products not seen during clinical testing may also develop after any approval, if obtained, and lead to a requirement to conduct additional clinical safety trials, additional contraindications, warnings and precautions being added to the drug label, significant restrictions on the use of the product or the withdrawal of the product from the market. We cannot predict whether our product candidates will cause toxicities in humans that would preclude or lead to the revocation of regulatory approval based on nonclinical studies or early-stage clinical trials.

Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining regulatory approval in other jurisdictions.

Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction. For example, even if the FDA or other foreign regulatory authority grants marketing approval of a product candidate, comparable regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions must also approve the marketing approval of the product candidate in their countries. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. Approval procedures vary among

jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from those in the United States, including additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a product candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend to charge for our product is also subject to approval.

Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and establishing and maintaining compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our product in certain countries. If we or any future collaborator fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets or fail to receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed.

Even if any product candidate we develop receives regulatory approval, it could be subject to significant post-marketing regulatory requirements and will be subject to continued regulatory oversight.

Any regulatory approvals that we may receive for our product candidates will require the submission of reports to regulatory authorities and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the marketed product, may contain significant limitations related to use restrictions for specified age groups, warnings, precautions or contraindications, and may include burdensome post-approval study or risk management requirements. For example, the FDA may require a REMS in order to approve atacicept or MAU868, which could entail requirements for a medication guide, physician training and communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory authorities approve atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we develop in the future, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, import, export and recordkeeping will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as on-going compliance with cGMPs and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to continual review and periodic, unannounced inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with cGMP regulations and standards. If we or a regulatory authority discover previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facilities where the product is manufactured, a regulatory authority may impose restrictions on that product, the manufacturing facility or us, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing. In addition, failure to comply with FDA and other comparable foreign regulatory requirements may subject our company to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:

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delays in or the rejection of product approvals;

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restrictions on our ability to conduct clinical trials, including full or partial clinical holds on ongoing or planned trials;

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restrictions on the products, manufacturers or manufacturing process;

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warning letters;

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civil and criminal penalties;

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injunctions;

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suspension, variation or withdrawal of regulatory approvals;

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product seizures, detentions or import bans;

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voluntary or mandatory product recalls and publicity requirements;

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total or partial suspension of production; and

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imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements.

The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize atacicept, MAU868, or any product candidate we may develop in the future, and generate revenue and could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity.

The FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, and we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability.

We also cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or executive action, either in the United States or abroad. If these actions impose constraints on FDA’s or foreign regulatory authorities’ ability to engage in oversight and implementation activities in the normal course, it may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We are currently seeking orphan drug designation for atacicept for the treatment of IgAN, but even if designated we may not ultimately realize the potential benefits of orphan drug designation.

We are currently seeking orphan drug designation from the FDA for atacicept for the treatment of IgAN. We are required to provide evidence that IgAN meets the orphan criteria as specified by the FDA. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug product as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States but where there is no reasonable expectation to recover the costs of developing and marketing a treatment drug in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages, and application fee waivers. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the drug and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. However, orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time nor regulatory review time of a product candidate nor gives the candidate any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.

In addition, if a product receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has orphan designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means the FDA may not approve any other application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity for the orphan patient population. Exclusive marketing rights in the United States may also be unavailable if we or our collaborators seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan designated indication and may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective. Even if we obtain orphan drug designation, we may not be the first to obtain marketing approval for any particular orphan indication due to the uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products. Further, even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product candidate, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is safer, more effective, or makes a major contribution to patient care.

We received orphan medicinal product designation for atacicept in the EU in October 2024. In the EU, a medicinal product may receive orphan designation under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) 141/2000. This applies to products that are intended for a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition and either (1) such condition affects no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU when the application is made, or (2) the product, without the benefits derived from orphan status, would be unlikely to generate sufficient returns in the EU to justify the necessary investment in its development. Moreover, in order to obtain orphan designation in the EU it is necessary to demonstrate that there exists no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such condition authorized for marketing in the EU or, if such a method exists, the product will be of significant benefit to those affected by the condition. Orphan medicinal product designation entitles an applicant to incentives such fee reductions or fee waivers, protocol assistance, and access to the centralized marketing authorization procedure. Marketing authorization for an orphan drug leads to a 10-year period of market exclusivity for the approved therapeutic indication, which means that the EMA cannot accept another marketing authorization application or accept an application to extend for a similar product and the European Commission cannot grant a marketing authorization for the same indication for a period of ten years. A “similar medicinal product” is defined as a medicinal product containing a similar active substance or substances as contained in an authorized orphan medicinal product, and which is intended for the same therapeutic indication. The period of market exclusivity is extended by two years for orphan medicinal products that have also complied with an agreed PIP. No extension to any supplementary protection certificate can be granted on the basis of pediatric studies for orphan indications. Orphan medicinal product designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. This period may, however, be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is established that the product no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation, for example because the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify continued market exclusivity. In addition, a marketing authorization may be granted to a similar medicinal product with the same orphan indication during the 10 year period of market exclusivity on an individual basis in very select cases, such as with consent from the marketing authorization holder, if the manufacturer of the original orphan medicinal product is unable to supply sufficient quantities of the authorized product or if the second applicant can establish that its product, although similar, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior to the original orphan medicinal product. A company may voluntarily remove a product from the register of orphan products.

If we do not receive or maintain orphan drug designation for atacicept for the treatment of IgAN, it could limit our ability to realize revenues.

Even though MAU868 has Fast Track designation from FDA for the prevention of BK viremia in renal transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, it may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, and will not increase the likelihood that MAU868 will receive marketing approval.

If a drug or biologic is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition or disease, and nonclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address an unmet medical need, the product may qualify for FDA Fast Track designation, for which sponsors must apply. The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant this designation. Although we have received Fast Track designation for the investigation of MAU868 for the prevention of BK viremia in renal transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw Fast Track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program.

We may attempt to secure approval from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities through the use of accelerated approval pathways. If we are unable to obtain such approval, we may be required to conduct additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials beyond those that we contemplate, which could increase the expense of obtaining, and delay the receipt of, necessary marketing approvals. Even if we receive accelerated approval from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, if our confirmatory trials do not verify clinical benefit, or if we do not comply with rigorous post-marketing requirements, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may seek to withdraw any accelerated approval.

We may in the future seek an accelerated approval for atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop. For example, if the results from our Phase 3 trial of atacicept in patients with IgAN are positive, we may seek accelerated approval with the FDA based on this trial, which we may not be granted. Under the accelerated approval program, the FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product candidate designed to treat a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic benefit over available therapies upon a determination that the product candidate has an effect on a surrogate endpoint or intermediate clinical endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA considers a clinical benefit to be a positive therapeutic effect that is clinically meaningful in the context of a given disease, such as irreversible morbidity or mortality. For the purposes of accelerated approval, a surrogate endpoint is a marker, such as a laboratory measurement, radiographic image, physical sign, or other measure that is thought to predict clinical benefit, but is not itself a measure of clinical benefit. For example, UPCR is an accepted surrogate primary endpoint for clinical trials in IgAN, which could allow for a faster path to commercialization than rate of change/slope in eGFR. We may seek accelerated approval based on the UPCR endpoint. An intermediate clinical endpoint is a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. The accelerated approval pathway may be used in cases in which the advantage of a new drug over available therapy may not be a direct therapeutic advantage, but is a clinically important improvement from a patient and public health perspective. Use of the accelerated approval pathway would entail submission of a BLA under Subpart E of the FDA regulations with week 36 UPCR surrogate endpoint data while completing the Phase 3 trial to collect eGFR data to demonstrate improvement in kidney function. If granted, accelerated approval is usually contingent on the sponsor’s agreement to complete ongoing trials and/or conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verity and describe the drug’s clinical benefit and to report regulatory to the FDA on progress on such trials. Additionally, unless and until converted to full approval at the time of satisfying the conditions of any accelerated approval letter, the sponsor must submit any promotional materials for the accelerated approval drug to FDA at least 30 days prior to use. Third-party payors may refuse to provide coverage or reimbursement for the drug until the confirmatory studies are complete. Additionally, if such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s clinical benefit, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the drug.

Prior to seeking accelerated approval for atacicept or MAU868, we intend to seek feedback from the FDA and will otherwise evaluate our ability to seek and receive accelerated approval. There can be no assurance that after our evaluation of the feedback and other factors we will decide to pursue or submit a BLA, for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval. Similarly, there can be no assurance that after subsequent FDA feedback we will continue to pursue or apply for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval, even if we initially decide to do so. Furthermore, if we decide to submit an application for accelerated approval or receive an expedited regulatory designation, and although we have received breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for atacicept, there can be no assurance that such submission or application will be accepted or that any expedited development, review or approval will be granted on a timely basis, or at all. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities could also require us to conduct further studies prior to considering our application or granting approval of any type. A failure to obtain accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval for atacicept or MAU868 would result in a longer time period to commercialization of such product candidate, could increase the cost of development of atacicept or MAU868 and could harm our competitive position in the marketplace.

Biosimilars to our product candidates may provide competition sooner than anticipated.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the Affordable Care Act), signed into law on March 23, 2010, includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition

and Innovation Act of 2009 (BPCIA), which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are biosimilar to or interchangeable with an FDA-licensed reference biological product. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date that the reference product was first licensed by the FDA. In addition, the approval of a biosimilar product may not be made effective by the FDA until 12 years from the date on which the reference product was first licensed. During this 12-year period of exclusivity, another company may still market a competing version of the reference product if the FDA approves a full BLA for the competing product containing the sponsor’s own preclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of their product. The law is complex and is still being interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation, and meaning are subject to uncertainty.

We believe that any of our product candidates approved as a biological product under a BLA should qualify for the 12-year period of exclusivity. However, there is a risk that this exclusivity could be shortened due to congressional action or otherwise, or that the FDA will not consider our product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for generic competition sooner than anticipated. Other aspects of the BPCIA, some of which may impact the BPCIA exclusivity provisions, have also been the subject of recent litigation. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar, once approved, will be substituted for any one of our reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological products is not yet clear, and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing.

In the European Union, upon receiving a marketing authorization, innovative medicinal products are generally entitled to receive eight years of data exclusivity and ten years of market exclusivity. Data exclusivity, if granted, prevents regulatory authorities in the European Union from referencing the innovator’s data to assess a generic application or biosimilar application for eight years from the date of authorization of the innovative product, after which a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization application can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced. The market exclusivity period prevents a successful generic or biosimilar applicant from commercializing its product in the European Union until ten years have elapsed from the initial marketing authorization of the reference product in the European Union. The overall ten-year period may, occasionally, be extended for a further year to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies. However, there is no guarantee that a product will be considered by the European Union’s regulatory authorities to be a new chemical/biological entity, and products may not qualify for data exclusivity. In the EU, there is a special regime for biosimilars, or biological medicinal products that are similar to a reference medicinal product but that do not meet the definition of a generic medicinal product. For such products, the results of appropriate preclinical or clinical trials must be provided in support of an application for marketing authorization. Guidelines from the EMA detail the type of quantity of supplementary data to be provided for different types of biological product.

If any approved products are subject to biosimilar competition sooner than we expect, we will face significant pricing pressure and our commercial opportunity will be limited.

Any product candidate we develop may become subject to unfavorable third-party coverage and reimbursement practices, as well as pricing regulations.

We intend to seek approval to market atacicept and MAU868 in both the United States, in the EU and in certain foreign jurisdictions. If we obtain approval in one or more foreign jurisdictions for atacicept or MAU868, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions. In some foreign countries, particularly those in the EU, the pricing of drugs is subject to governmental control and other market regulations which could put pressure on the pricing and usage of atacicept or MAU868. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after obtaining marketing approval of a product candidate. In addition, market acceptance and sales of a product candidate will depend significantly on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors for the product candidate and may be affected by existing and future healthcare reform measures.

The availability and extent of coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government health administration authorities, private health coverage insurers, managed care organizations and other third-party payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford expensive treatments. If we obtain marketing approval of a product candidate, sales of such product will depend substantially, both in the United States and internationally, on the extent to which the costs of the product will be covered and reimbursed by third-party payors. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only at inadequate levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidates we develop. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize an adequate return on our investment. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.

There is significant uncertainty related to third-party payor coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. In the United States, for example, principal decisions about reimbursement for new products are typically made by the Centers for Medicare

& Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS decides whether and to what extent a new product will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare, and private third-party payors often follow CMS’s decisions regarding coverage and reimbursement to a substantial degree. However, one third-party payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product candidate does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product candidate. Moreover, eligibility for reimbursement does not imply that any drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. As a result, the coverage determination process is often time-consuming and costly. This process will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our product to each third-party payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:

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a covered benefit under its health plan;

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safe, effective and medically necessary;

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appropriate for the specific patient;

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cost-effective; and

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neither experimental nor investigational.

A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Governmental payors, as well as other third-party payors, including pharmacy benefit managers, have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular products and requiring substitutions of generic products and/or biosimilars. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Further, such payors are increasingly examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of medical product candidates. There may be especially significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific product candidates on an approved list, known as a formulary, which might not include all FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. We may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost effectiveness of our product. Nonetheless, atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop may not be considered medically necessary or cost effective. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be.

Outside the United States, international operations are generally subject to extensive governmental price controls and other market regulations, and we believe the increasing emphasis on cost containment initiatives in Europe, Canada and other countries has and will continue to put pressure on the pricing and usage of therapeutics such as atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. In many countries, particularly the countries of the EU, medical product prices are subject to varying price control mechanisms as part of national health systems. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after a product receives marketing approval. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical study that compares the cost-effectiveness of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop to other available therapies. The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU Member States, including those representing the larger markets. The HTA process is the procedure to assess therapeutic, economic and societal impact of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country. The outcome of an HTA will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. The extent to which pricing and reimbursement decisions are influenced by the HTA of the specific medicinal product currently varies between EU Member States. In December 2021, Regulation No 2021/2282 on HTA, amending Directive 2011/24/EU, was adopted in the EU. This Regulation, which entered into force in January 2022 will apply as of January 2025. It is intended to boost cooperation among EU Member States in assessing health technologies, including new medicinal products, and providing the basis for cooperation at EU level for joint clinical assessments in these areas. The Regulation will permit EU Member States to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU to identify promising technologies early, and continuing voluntary cooperation in other areas. Individual EU Member States will continue to be responsible for assessing non-clinical (e.g., economic, social, ethical) aspects of health technologies, and making decisions on pricing and reimbursement. If we are unable to maintain favorable pricing and reimbursement status in EU Member States for product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval, any anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for those products in the EU could be negatively affected. In general, product prices under such systems are substantially lower than in the United States. Other countries allow companies to fix their own prices for products, but monitor and control company profits. Additional foreign price controls or other changes in pricing regulation could restrict the amount that we are able to charge for atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may

develop. Accordingly, in markets outside the United States, the reimbursement for any product that we commercialize may be reduced compared with the United States and may be insufficient to generate commercially reasonable revenue and profits.

If we are unable to establish or sustain coverage and adequate reimbursement for any product candidates that we commercialize from third-party payors, the adoption of those products and potential sales revenue would be adversely affected, which, in turn, could adversely affect the ability to market or sell those product candidates, if approved. Coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for a product for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.

We may face difficulties from changes to current regulations and future legislation.

Existing regulatory policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability.

For example, the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, which, among other things, subjected biologic products to potential competition by lower-cost biosimilars; addressed a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected; increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by most manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program; extended the Medicaid Drug Rebate program to utilization of prescriptions of individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations; subjected manufacturers to new annual fees and taxes for certain branded prescription drugs; created a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, effective as of January 1, 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; and provided incentives to programs that increase the federal government’s comparative effectiveness research.

Since its enactment, there have been numerous judicial, administrative, executive, and legislative challenges to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act. For example, on June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge on procedural grounds that argued the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress. Moreover, prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that initiated a special enrollment period coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which began on February 15, 2021 and remained open through August 15, 2021. The executive order also instructed certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare, including among others, reexamining Medicaid demonstration projects and waiver programs that include work requirements, and policies that create unnecessary barriers to obtaining access to health insurance coverage through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act. Further, on August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) into law, which among other things, extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in Affordable Care Act marketplaces through plan year 2025. The IRA also eliminates the “donut hole” under the Medicare Part D program beginning in 2025 by significantly lowering the beneficiary maximum out-of-pocket cost and through a newly established manufacturer discount program. It is possible that the Affordable Care Act will be subject to judicial or congressional challenges in the future. It is also unclear how any healthcare reform measures of the Biden administration will affect the Affordable Care Act and our business.

In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which began in 2013, and due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Infrastructure Investments and JOBS Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will remain in effect until 2032, unless additional congressional action is taken. Additionally, on March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, which eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. These laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could have an adverse effect on customers for our product candidates, if approved, and, accordingly, our financial operations. In addition, Congress is considering additional health reform measures.

Moreover, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny in the United States of pharmaceutical pricing practices in light of the rising cost of prescription drugs and biologics. Such scrutiny has resulted in several recent congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for

products. For example, in July 2021, the Biden administration released an executive order, “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” with multiple provisions aimed at prescription drugs. In response to Biden’s executive order, on September 9, 2021, HHS released a Comprehensive Plan for Addressing High Drug Prices that outlines principles for drug pricing reform and sets out a variety of potential legislative policies that Congress could pursue as well as potential administrative actions HHS can take to advance these principles. In addition, the IRA, among other things, (1) directs HHS to negotiate the price of certain single-source drugs and biologics covered under Medicare and (2) imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation. These provisions began to take effect progressively starting in fiscal year 2023. On August 15, 2024, HHS announced the agreed-upon reimbursement price of the first ten drugs that will be subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare drug price negation program is currently subject to legal challenges. HHS will select up to fifteen additional drugs covered under Part D negotiation in 2025. The IRA permits HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. HHS has issued and will continue to issue and update guidance as these programs are implemented. On February 14, 2023, in response to the Biden administration’s October 2022 executive order, HHS released a report outlining three new models for testing by the CMS Innovation Center which will be evaluated on their ability to lower the cost of drugs, promote accessibility and improve quality of care. It is unclear whether the models will be utilized in any health reform measures in the future. Further, on December 7, 2023, the Biden administration announced an initiative to control the price of prescription drugs through the use of march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act. On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published for comment a Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights which for the first time includes the price of a product as one factor an agency can use when deciding to exercise march-in rights. While march-in rights have not previously been exercised, it is uncertain if that will continue under the new framework. At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement-constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.

We expect that the Affordable Care Act, the IRA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, achieve and sustain profitability or commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop.

Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for biotechnology products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of any product candidates we develop, may be. In addition, increased scrutiny by Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent marketing approval, as well as subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.

In addition, FDA and comparable foreign regulations and guidance may be revised or reinterpreted by the competent authorities in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new regulations or guidance, or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations or guidance, may impose additional costs or lengthen review times for atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop. We cannot determine how changes in regulations, statutes, policies, or interpretations when and if issued, enacted or adopted, may affect our business in the future. Such changes could, among other things, require:

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additional clinical trials to be conducted prior to obtaining approval;

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changes to manufacturing methods;

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recalls, replacements, or discontinuance of one or more of our products; and

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additional recordkeeping.

We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. As an example, the regulatory landscape related to clinical trials in the EU has evolved. The CTR, which was adopted in April 2014 and repeals the EU Clinical Trials Directive, became applicable on January 31, 2022. The CTR allows sponsors to make a single submission to both the competent authority and an ethics committee in each EU Member State, leading to a single decision for each EU Member State. The assessment procedure for the authorization of clinical trials has been harmonized as well, including a joint assessment by all EU Member States concerned, and a separate assessment by each EU Member State with respect to specific requirements related to its own territory, including ethics rules. Each EU Member State’s decision is communicated to the sponsor via the centralized EU portal. Once the clinical trial is approved, clinical study development may proceed. The CTR foresees a three-year transition period. The extent to which ongoing and new clinical trials will be governed by the CTR varies. For clinical trials in relation to which application for approval was made on the basis of the Clinical Trials Directive before January 31, 2023, the Clinical Trials Directive will continue to apply on a transitional basis until January 31, 2025. By that date, all ongoing trials will become subject to the provisions of the CTR. The CTR will apply to clinical trials from an earlier

date if the related clinical trial application was made on the basis of the CTR or if the clinical trial has already transitioned to the CTR framework before January 31, 2025. Compliance with the CTR requirements by us and our third-party service providers, such as CROs, may impact our developments plans. In light of the entry into application of the CTR on January 31, 2022, we may be required to transition clinical trials for which we have obtained regulatory approvals in accordance with the CTD to the regulatory framework of the CTR. Transition of clinical trials governed by the CTD to the CTR will be required for clinical trials which will have at least one site active in the EU on January 30, 2025. A transitioning application would need to be submitted to the competent authorities of EU Member States through the Clinical Trials Information Systems and related regulatory approval obtained to continue the clinical trial past January 30, 2025. This would require financial, technical and human resources. If we are unable to transition our clinical trials in time, the conduct of those clinical trials may be negatively impacted. It is currently unclear to what extent the UK will seek to align its regulations with the EU in the future. The UK regulatory framework in relation to clinical trials is derived from existing EU legislation (as implemented into UK law, through secondary legislation). On January 17, 2022, the UK MHRA launched an eight-week consultation on reframing the UK legislation for clinical trials. The UK Government published its response to the consultation on March 21, 2023 confirming that it would bring forward changes to the legislation. These resulting legislative amendments will determine how closely the UK regulations will align with the CTR. Failure of the UK to closely align its regulations with the EU may have an effect on the cost of conducting clinical trials in the UK as opposed to other countries and/or make it harder to seek a marketing authorization for the Company's product candidates on the basis of clinical trials conducted in the United Kingdom.

In addition, on April 26, 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive and Regulation to revise the existing pharmaceutical legislation and on April 10, 2024, the EU Parliament adopted its related position. If adopted in the form proposed, the recent European Commission proposals to revise the existing EU laws governing authorization of medicinal products may result in a decrease in data and market exclusivity opportunities for our product candidates in the EU and make them open to generic or biosimilar competition earlier than is currently the case with a related reduction in reimbursement status.

Such changes would likely require substantial time and impose significant costs, or could reduce the potential commercial value of atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop, and could materially harm our business and our financial results. In addition, delays in receipt of or failure to receive regulatory clearances or approvals for any other products would harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our relationships with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs and third-party payors in connection with our current and future business activities may be subject to federal, state and foreign healthcare fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, transparency laws, government price reporting, and health information privacy and security laws, which could expose us to, among other things, criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, exclusion from governmental healthcare programs, reputational harm, administrative burdens and diminished profits and future earnings.

Healthcare professionals and third-party payors play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Our current and future arrangements with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs, third-party payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we research, market, sell and distribute our product for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the following:

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the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the U.S. federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act;

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the federal false claims laws, including the civil False Claims Act, which can be enforced by private citizens through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, and civil monetary penalties laws prohibit individuals or entities from, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government;

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the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) prohibits, among other things, executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation;

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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH) and their implementing regulations, also imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, upon certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business associates and subcontractors that perform services for them that involve the use, or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;

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the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires applicable manufacturers of covered drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to annually report to CMS information regarding payments and other transfers of value to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), other health care professionals (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and teaching hospitals, as well as information regarding ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members; and

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analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state and foreign anti-kickback and false claims laws, may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers.

Some state and foreign laws require biotechnology companies to comply with the biotechnology industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the government and may require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare professionals or marketing expenditures. Some state and foreign laws require biotechnology companies to report information on the pricing of certain drug products. Some state and local laws require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives.

Outside the United States, interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals are also governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, national sunshine rules, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.

Much like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibition in the United States, the provision of benefits or advantages to physicians and other healthcare professionals to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products is also prohibited in the EU. Interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals are governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, national sunshine rules, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment. Infringement of related laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment.

Payments made to physicians and other healthcare professionals in certain EU Member States must be publicly disclosed. Moreover, agreements with physicians and other healthcare professionals may require prior notification or approval by the physician’s or other health care professional’s employer, his or her competent professional organization and/or the regulatory authorities of the individual EU Member States. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.

Efforts to ensure that our current and future business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve on-going substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, or comparable foreign programs, integrity oversight and reporting obligations, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Defending against any such actions can be costly, time-consuming and may require significant financial and personnel resources. Therefore, even if we are successful in defending against any such actions that may be brought against us, our business may be impaired. Further, if any of the physicians or other healthcare professionals or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

We are subject to stringent and evolving U.S. and foreign laws, regulations and rules, contractual obligations, industry standards, policies and other obligations related to data privacy and security. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; and other adverse business consequences.

In the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business information, trade secrets, intellectual property, information we collect about trial participants in connection with clinical trials, and sensitive third-party information (collectively, sensitive information). Our data processing activities subject us to numerous obligations relating to data privacy and security, such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual obligations and other obligations relating to data privacy and security.

Outside the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations and industry standards govern data privacy and security. For example, the EU GDPR and UK GDPR (collectively, GDPR), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Australia’s Privacy Act, India’s Information Technology Act, China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act impose strict requirements for processing of personal data, including clinical trials participants and other individuals. For instance, companies that violate the GDPR can face private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests, temporary or definitive prohibitions on data processing and other corrective actions, fines of up to the greater of 20 million Euros under the EU GDPR / 17.5 million pounds under the UK GDPR, or 4% of their worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher. Furthermore, China’s PIPL imposes a set of specific obligations on covered businesses in connection with their processing and transfer of personal data and imposes fines of up to RMB 50 million or 5% of the prior year’s total annual revenue of the violator.

In addition, we may be unable to transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries due to data localization requirements or limitations on cross-border data flows. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the EEA and the UK have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy laws it generally believes are inadequate. Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and UK to the United States in compliance with law, such as the EEA standard contractual clauses, the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework). These mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the United States. If there is no lawful manner for us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the UK, or other jurisdictions to the United States, or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions (such as the EEA and/or UK) at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal data necessary to operate our business. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers of personal data out of the EEA for allegedly violating the EU GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and/or UK to other jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators individual litigants and activist groups. Regulators in the United States are also increasingly scrutinizing certain personal data transfers and have imposed, and may in the future impose, certain personal data transfer localization requirements.

In the United States federal, state and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g. Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), other similar laws (e.g. wiretapping laws). For example, HIPAA, as amended by HITECH, imposes specific requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information.

Additionally, in the past few years, numerous U.S. states—including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah—have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such rights may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), (collectively, the CCPA), applies to personal data of consumers, business representatives, and employees who are California residents, and requires covered businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests of such individuals to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA also provides for fines of up to $7,500 per violation and allows private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover significant statutory damages. Although there are limited exemptions for clinical trial data under the CCPA, the CCPA increases compliance costs and potential liability with respect to other personal data we maintain about California residents. Similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as at the federal and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future. While these states, like the CCPA, also exempt some data processed in the context of clinical trials, these

developments may further complicate compliance efforts, and increase legal risk and compliance costs for us and the third parties with whom we work.

Our employees and personnel use generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to perform their work, and the disclosure and use of personal data in generative AI technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations. Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating generative AI. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and lawsuits. If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages.

In addition to data privacy and security laws, we are contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups and may become subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound by other contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful.

We also publish privacy policies, marketing materials, and other statements, such as compliance with certain certifications or self-regulatory principles, regarding data privacy and security. If these policies, materials, or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators, or other adverse consequences.

Obligations related to data privacy and security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent, and creating uncertainty. Additionally, these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time, may require us to modify our information processing practices and policies, divert resources from other initiatives and projects, including increased costs related to insurance, cybersecurity and information technology, and could restrict the way products and services involving data are offered, all of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our effort to comply with our data privacy and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) may fail (or be perceived to have failed) to comply with such obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations. If we or our third-party partners fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with applicable data privacy and security obligations, we could face significant consequences. These consequences may include, but are not limited to, government enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class-related claims) and mass arbitration demands; additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans on processing personal data; orders to destroy or not use personal data; and imprisonment of company officials. In particular, plaintiffs have become increasingly more active in bringing privacy-related claims against companies, including class claims and mass arbitration demands. Some of these claims allow for the recovery of statutory damages on a per violation basis, and, if viable, carry the potential for monumental statutory damages, depending on the volume of data and the number of violations. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to: interruptions or stoppages in our business operations (including, as relevant, clinical trials); inability to process sensitive information or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business model or operations.

If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

We are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our operations involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials. Our operations also produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties.

Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials.

In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and regulations may impair our research, development or commercialization efforts. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.

Our business activities may be subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and similar anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws of other countries in which we operate, as well as U.S. and certain foreign export controls, trade sanctions, and import laws and regulations. Compliance with these legal requirements could limit our ability to compete in foreign markets and subject us to liability if we violate them.

If we expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. Our business activities may be subject to the FCPA and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we operate. The FCPA generally prohibits companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from offering, promising, giving or authorizing the provision of anything of value, either directly or indirectly, to a non-U.S. government official in order to influence official action or otherwise obtain or retain business. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls.

Our business is heavily regulated and therefore involves significant interaction with public officials, including officials of non-U.S. governments. Additionally, in many other countries, hospitals owned and operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees would be considered foreign officials under the FCPA. Recently the SEC and Department of Justice have increased their FCPA enforcement activities with respect to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. There is no certainty that all of our employees, agents or contractors, or those of our affiliates, will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, particularly given the high level of complexity of these laws. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, disgorgement, and other sanctions and remedial measures, and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our product in one or more countries and could materially damage our reputation, our brand, our international activities, our ability to attract and retain employees and our business.

In addition, our product and activities may be subject to U.S. and foreign export controls, trade sanctions and import laws and regulations. Governmental regulation of the import or export of our product, or our failure to obtain any required import or export authorization for our product, when applicable, could harm our international sales and adversely affect our revenue. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the export of our product may create delays in the introduction of our product in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export of our product to some countries altogether. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the shipment of certain products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions. If we fail to comply with export and import regulations and such economic sanctions, penalties could be imposed, including fines and/or denial of certain export privileges. Moreover, any new export or import restrictions, new legislation or shifting approaches in the enforcement or scope of existing regulations, or in the countries, persons, or product targeted by such regulations, could result in decreased use of our product by, or in our decreased ability to export our product to existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our product or limitation on our ability to export or sell access to our product would likely significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We are subject to various laws relating to foreign investment and the export of certain technologies, and our failure to comply with these laws or adequately monitor the compliance of our suppliers and others we do business with could subject us to substantial fines, penalties and even injunctions, the imposition of which on us could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.

We are subject to U.S. laws that regulate foreign investments in U.S. businesses and access by foreign persons to technology developed and produced in the United States. These laws include Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended by the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, and the regulations at 31 C.F.R. Parts 800 and 801, as amended, administered by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States; and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, which is being implemented in part through Commerce Department rulemakings to impose new export control restrictions on “emerging and foundational technologies” yet to be fully identified. Application of these laws, including as they are implemented through regulations being developed, may negatively impact our business in various ways, including by restricting our access to capital and markets; limiting the collaborations we may pursue; regulating the export our products, services, and technology from the United States and abroad; increasing our costs and the time necessary to obtain required authorizations and to ensure compliance; and threatening monetary fines and other penalties if we do not.

Risks related to employee matters, managing our growth and other risks related to our business

Unfavorable geopolitical and global economic conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our results of operations could be adversely affected by general conditions in the global economy, the global financial markets, and adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic developments. U.S. and global market and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, volatile due to many factors, including recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits and lending commitments due to bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China

relations, elevated inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, among others. General business and economic conditions that could affect our business, financial condition or results of operations include fluctuations in economic growth, debt and equity capital markets, bank failures, liquidity of the global financial markets, the availability and cost of credit, investor and consumer confidence, and the strength of the economies in which we, our manufacturers and our suppliers operate.

A severe or prolonged global economic downturn could result in a variety of risks to our business. For example, inflation rates, particularly in the United States, have been significantly elevated compared to recent historical levels, and continued high rates of inflation may result, directly or indirectly, in increases in our operating costs (including our labor costs) and limits on our ability to access credit or otherwise raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, the U.S. Federal Reserve has raised, and may again raise, interest rates in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. Recent bank failures have caused significant disruption in certain companies’ access to bank deposits and lending commitments and may continue to do so. Any of the foregoing could harm our business and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the current economic climate and financial market conditions could adversely impact our business.

In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the United States, United Kingdom and EU, along with others, imposed significant new sanctions and export controls against Russia, Russian banks and certain Russian individuals and may implement additional sanctions or take further punitive actions in the future. The full economic and social impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia (as well as possible future punitive measures that may be implemented), as well as the counter-measures imposed by Russia, in addition to the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which could conceivably expand into the surrounding region, remains uncertain; however, both the conflict and related sanctions have resulted and could continue to result in disruptions to trade, commerce, pricing stability, credit availability, supply chain continuity and reduced access to liquidity in both Europe and globally, and has introduced significant uncertainty into global markets. As a result, our business and results of operations, including conduct of global clinical trials with sites in eastern Europe and western Asia, may be adversely affected by the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and related sanctions, particularly to the extent it escalates to involve additional countries, further economic sanctions or wider military conflict.

Tensions between the United States and China have increased over the past few years as a result of disputes in areas including trade policy, intellectual property, cybersecurity and data privacy, as well as due to geopolitical conflicts such as the war between Ukraine and Russia. We conduct manufacturing and clinical development activities in China. Any unfavorable government policies on cross-border relations or international trade, changes to law, executive orders, tariffs, treaties or trade agreements, or deterioration in U.S.-China relations or international trade may adversely affect the import or export of our drug candidates and materials required for manufacturing or otherwise delay our product development activities, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success is highly dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled executive officers and employees and key consultants.

To succeed, we must recruit, retain, manage and motivate qualified clinical, scientific, technical and management personnel, and we face significant competition for experienced personnel. We are highly dependent on the management, research and development, clinical, financial and business development expertise of our executive officers, as well as the other members of our scientific and clinical teams, including certain key consultants.

Furthermore, although we have employment offer letters with each of our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for all of our executives or employees. If we do not succeed in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, particularly at the management level, it could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and harm our operating results. In particular, the loss of one or more of our executive officers could be detrimental to us if we cannot recruit suitable replacements in a timely manner. The competition for qualified personnel in the biotechnology field is intense and as a result, we may be unable to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel necessary for the future success of our business. We could in the future have difficulty attracting experienced personnel to our company and may be required to expend significant financial resources in our employee recruitment and retention efforts.

Many of the other biotechnology companies that we compete against for qualified personnel have greater financial and other resources, different risk profiles and a longer history in the industry than we do. They also may provide more diverse opportunities and better prospects for career advancement. Some of these characteristics may be more appealing to high-quality candidates than what we have to offer. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high-quality personnel, the rate and success at which we can discover, develop and commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidate will be limited and the potential for successfully growing our business will be harmed.

If we are unable to establish sales or marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell or market atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future, we may not be able to successfully sell or market atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop in the future that obtained regulatory approval.

In order to commercialize any product candidates, if approved, we must build marketing, sales, distribution, managerial and other non-technical capabilities or make arrangements with third parties to perform these services for each of the territories in which we may have approval to sell or market atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop. We may not be successful in accomplishing these required tasks.

Establishing an internal sales or marketing team with technical expertise and supporting distribution capabilities to commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future will be expensive and time-consuming, and will require significant attention of our executive officers to manage. Any failure or delay in the development of our internal sales, marketing and distribution capabilities could adversely impact the commercialization of atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future that we obtain approval to market, if we do not have arrangements in place with third parties to provide such services on our behalf. Alternatively, if we choose to collaborate, either globally or on a territory-by-territory basis, with third parties that have direct sales forces and established distribution systems, either to augment our own sales force and distribution systems or in lieu of our own sales force and distribution systems, we will be required to negotiate and enter into arrangements with such third parties relating to the proposed collaboration. If we are unable to enter into such arrangements when needed, on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future which may receive regulatory approval or any such commercialization may experience delays or limitations. If we are unable to successfully commercialize our approved product candidates, either on our own or through collaborations with one or more third parties, our future product revenue will suffer and we may incur significant additional losses.

As an organization, we have never commercialized a product candidate, and we currently have limited marketing and no sales force, market access or distribution capabilities. To achieve commercial success for a product candidate, which we may license to others, we will rely on the assistance and guidance of those collaborators. For any product candidates for which we retain commercialization rights, we will have to develop our own sales, marketing and supply organization or outsource these activities to a third party.

Factors that may affect our ability to commercialize our current or any future product candidate we may develop, on our own include recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel, obtaining access to or educating adequate numbers of physicians on the benefits of our current or any future product candidates we may develop and other unforeseen costs associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization. Developing a sales and marketing organization will be expensive and time-consuming and could delay the launch of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop. We may not be able to build an effective sales and marketing organization. If we are unable to build our own distribution and marketing capabilities or to find suitable partners for the commercialization of our current or any future product candidate we may develop, we may not generate revenues from such product candidate or be able to achieve or sustain profitability.

In order to successfully implement our plans and strategies, we will need to grow the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.

As of September 30, 2024, we had 82 full-time employees, including 57 employees engaged in research and development. In order to successfully implement our development and commercialization plans and strategies, and as we continue to operate as a public company, we expect to need additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other personnel. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:

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identifying, recruiting, integrating, maintaining and motivating additional employees;

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managing our internal development efforts effectively, including the clinical, FDA and other comparable foreign regulatory authorities’ review process for atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates we may develop, while complying with any contractual obligations to contractors and other third parties we may have; and

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improving our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures.

In addition, we plan to conduct multiple clinical trials of atacicept for several different indications concurrently, as well as MAU868 for the treatment of BKV disease in kidney transplant recipients. Given the small size of our organization, we may encounter difficulties managing multiple clinical trials at the same time, which could negatively affect our ability to manage growth of our organization, particularly as we take on additional responsibility associated with being a public company. Our future financial performance and our ability to successfully develop and, if approved, commercialize, atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth, and our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day-to-day activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities.

We currently rely, and for the foreseeable future will continue to rely, in substantial part on certain independent organizations, advisors and consultants to provide certain services, including key aspects of clinical development and manufacturing. We cannot assure you that the services of independent organizations, advisors and consultants will continue to be available to us on a timely basis when needed, or that we can find qualified replacements. In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality or accuracy of the services provided by third-party service providers is compromised for any reason, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain marketing approval of atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates we may develop or otherwise advance our business. We cannot assure you that we will be able to manage our existing third-party service providers or find other competent outside contractors and consultants on economically reasonable terms, or at all.

If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and/or engaging additional third-party service providers, we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates we may develop and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.

We or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by earthquakes, fires or other natural disasters and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.

Our headquarters is located in Brisbane, California, in a region which in the past has experienced severe earthquakes and fires. If these earthquakes, fires, other natural disasters, terrorism and similar unforeseen events beyond our control prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our research facility, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. We do not have a disaster recovery or business continuity plan in place and may incur substantial expenses as a result of the absence or limited nature of our internal or third-party service provider disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which, particularly when taken together with our lack of earthquake insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, integral parties in our supply chain are operating from single sites, increasing their vulnerability to natural disasters or other sudden, unforeseen and severe adverse events. If such an event were to affect our supply chain, it could have an adverse effect on our ability to conduct our clinical trials, our development plans and business.

Comprehensive tax reform legislation could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. For example, the Tax Cuts and JOBS Act of 2017 (Tax Act) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act) enacted many significant changes to the U.S. tax laws. Future guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities with respect to the Tax Act may affect us, and certain aspects of such legislation could be repealed or modified in future legislation. More recently, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was enacted which includes provisions that will affect the U.S. federal income taxation of corporations, including imposing a minimum tax on the book income of certain large corporations and an excise tax on certain corporate stock repurchases that would be imposed on the corporation repurchasing such stock. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to such legislation or any newly enacted federal tax legislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses under the Tax Act or future reform legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense. Among the changes made by the Tax Act was a reduction of the business tax credit for certain clinical testing expenses incurred in the testing of certain drugs for rare diseases or conditions generally referred to as “orphan drugs”. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may have on our business. We urge investors to consult with their legal and tax advisers regarding the implications of the Tax Act and other past and potential future changes in U.S. tax laws on an investment in our common stock.

Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.

We have incurred losses during our history, we expect to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future, and we may never achieve profitability. As of December 31, 2023, we had federal and state net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of $118.9 million and $35.7 million, respectively, that will begin expiring in the year 2032 and 2036, respectively, if not utilized. We also have $109.0 million of federal NOL carryforwards as of December 31, 2023, that do not expire as a result of recent tax law changes. Our NOL carryforwards are subject to review and possible adjustment by the U.S. and state tax authorities. Our NOL carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future taxable income because of their limited duration or because of restrictions under U.S. tax law. NOLs generated in tax years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017 are only permitted to be carried forward for 20 taxable years under applicable U.S. federal tax law. NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2021 may be carried back to each of the five tax years preceding the tax year of such loss, and NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2020 may not be carried back. Federal NOLs generated in tax years ending after December 31, 2017 may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOLs is limited to 80% of current year taxable income. At the state level,

there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. For example, California recently enacted legislation that, with certain exceptions, suspends the ability to use California net operating losses to offset California income and limits the ability to use California business tax credits to offset California taxes, for taxable years beginning after 2023 and before 2027. It is generally uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to federal tax laws.

In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” (generally defined as a cumulative change in our ownership by “5-percent shareholders” that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOLs and certain other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income and taxes may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We may have experienced such ownership changes in the past, and we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which are outside our control. We have not conducted any studies to determine annual limitations, if any, that could result from such changes in the ownership. Our ability to utilize those NOLs could be limited by an “ownership change” as described above and consequently, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOLs and certain other tax attributes, which could have an adverse effect on our cash flows and results of operations.

A variety of risks associated with marketing our current or any future product candidate we may develop internationally could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We plan to seek regulatory approval of our current or any future product candidates we may develop outside of the United States and, accordingly, we expect that we will be subject to additional risks related to operating in foreign countries if we obtain the necessary approvals, including:

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differing regulatory requirements and reimbursement regimes in foreign countries;

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unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers, price and exchange controls and other regulatory requirements;

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economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets;

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compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad;

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foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes;

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foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country;

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difficulties staffing and managing foreign operations;

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workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States;

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potential liability under the FCPA or comparable foreign regulations;

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challenges enforcing our contractual and intellectual property rights, especially in those foreign countries that do not respect and protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States;

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production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and

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business interruptions resulting from geopolitical actions, including war and terrorism.

These and other risks associated with our international operations may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks related to our intellectual property

Our success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies.

Our commercial success depends in part on our and our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ ability to obtain and maintain proprietary or intellectual property protection in the United States and other countries for atacicept, MAU868, and any future product candidates that we may develop and technologies related to their various uses. We generally seek to protect our proprietary position by, among other things, filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our proprietary technologies, and their manufacture and uses that are important to our business, as well as inventions and improvements that are important to the development and implementation of our business. Our owned and in-licensed patents and patent applications in both the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions relate to atacicept, MAU868, and other products. There can be no assurance that the claims of our owned or in-licensed patents, or any patent application that issues as a patent, will exclude others from making, using or selling our product candidates or any future product candidates or products that are substantially similar to our product candidates or any future product candidates. We also rely on trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and

maintain our proprietary and intellectual property position. We may seek to protect our proprietary position by acquiring or in-licensing additional relevant issued patents or pending applications from third parties. If we or our potential licensors, licensees or collaborators are unable to obtain or maintain patent protection with respect to atacicept, MAU868, and our other products, proprietary technologies and their uses, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.

Pending patent applications cannot be enforced against third parties practicing the technology claimed in such applications unless, and until, patents issue from such applications, and then only to the extent the issued claims cover the technology. There can be no assurance that our owned or in-licensed patent applications or our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ patent applications will result in additional patents being issued or that issued patents will afford sufficient protection against competitors with similar technology, nor can there be any assurance that the patents issued will not be infringed, designed around or invalidated by third parties.

Moreover, in the future, some of our owned or in-licensed patents and patent applications may be co-owned with third parties. If we are unable to obtain exclusive licenses to any such co-owners’ interest in such patents or patent applications, then such co-owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. In addition, we may need the cooperation of any such co-owners in order to enforce such patents against third parties, and such cooperation may not be provided to us.

Even issued patents may later be found invalid or unenforceable or may be modified or revoked in proceedings instituted by third parties before various patent offices or in courts. Thus, the degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain. Only limited protection may be available and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage. These uncertainties and/or limitations in our ability to properly protect the intellectual property rights relating to atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We cannot be certain that the claims in our U.S. pending patent applications and corresponding international applications will be considered patentable by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) courts in the United States or by the patent offices and courts in foreign countries, nor can we be certain that the claims in our issued patent(s) will not be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged.

The patent application process is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that we or any of our potential future collaborators will be successful in protecting atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop by obtaining and defending patents. These risks and uncertainties include the following:

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patent applications must be filed in advance of certain events (e.g., third-party filings, certain sales or offers for sale, or other activities that might be legally deemed to be public disclosures) and we might not be aware of such events or otherwise might not succeed in filing applications before they occur;

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the USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other provisions during the patent process, the noncompliance with which can result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application, and partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction;

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patent applications may not result in any patents being issued;

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patents may be challenged, invalidated, modified, revoked, circumvented, found to be unenforceable or otherwise may not provide any competitive advantage;

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there may be significant pressure on the U.S. government and international governmental bodies to limit the scope of patent protection both inside and outside the United States; and

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countries other than the United States may have patent laws less favorable to patentees than those upheld by U.S. courts, allowing foreign competitors a better opportunity to create, develop and market competing product candidates.

The patent prosecution process is also expensive, time-consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce or license all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner or in all jurisdictions where protection may be commercially advantageous. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection, for example, if patentable aspects are publicly disclosed, by us or a third party, such as by public use, sale or offer for sale, or publication.

In addition, although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to confidential or patentable aspects of our research and development output, such as our employees, outside scientific collaborators, CROs, third-party manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach such agreements and disclose such output before a patent application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek patent protection. Further, although we require our employees, commercial contractors, and certain consultants and investigators to enter into invention assignment agreements that grant

us ownership of any discoveries or inventions made by them while in our employ, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, and any of these parties may breach such agreements and claim ownership in intellectual property that we believe is owned or in-licensed by us. In addition, publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or any licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.

Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our intellectual property may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours. Should any of the above events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If we breach our license agreement with Ares, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, related to atacicept, or the license agreement with Novartis related to MAU868, we could lose the ability to continue the development and commercialization of atacicept or MAU868, respectively.

We are dependent on patents, know-how and proprietary technology licensed or sublicensed to us from Ares and Novartis. Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates and use our and our licensor’s proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. Either Ares or Novartis may have the right to terminate the applicable license agreement in full in the event we materially breach or default in the performance of any of the obligations under the applicable license agreement. A termination of either license agreement could result in the loss of significant rights and could harm our ability to commercialize our product candidates. Additionally, certain patents, know-how and proprietary technology of third parties, including certain composition of matter patents, are sublicensed to us and in the event the applicable license agreement terminates, expires or is in dispute, it could result in the loss of significant rights and could harm our ability to commercialize our product candidates.

Disputes may also arise between us and Ares, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Novartis, or any future potential licensors, regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:

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the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues;

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whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement;

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our right to sublicense patent and other rights to third parties under collaborative development relationships;

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our diligence obligations with respect to the use of the licensed technology in relation to our development and commercialization of our product candidates and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations; and

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the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors and us and our partners.

If disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates.

In addition, we acquired worldwide, exclusive rights to atacicept pursuant to the Ares Agreement, and worldwide, exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize MAU868 pursuant to the Amplyx Agreement, pursuant to which we acquired Amplyx’s right, title and interest in the license agreement between Amplyx and Novartis related to MAU868 (the Novartis Agreement). The Ares Agreement and Novartis Agreement are complex, and certain provisions may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property, or increase what we believe to be our financial or other obligations under such agreement, either of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangement on commercially acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations, and prospects.

We are generally also subject to all of the same risks with respect to protection of intellectual property that we license, as we are for intellectual property that we own, which are described below. If we or our licensors fail to adequately protect this intellectual property, our ability to commercialize products could suffer.

We may be required to make significant payments under our license agreements related to atacicept and MAU868.

Under the Ares Agreement, in consideration for the license, we issued shares of our Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock to Ares at the time of the initial closing of our Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock financing, which converted into

1,913,501 shares of our common stock in May 2021. As additional consideration for the license, we paid Ares $25.0 million upon delivery and initiation of the transfer of specified information and materials and we are required to pay Ares aggregate milestone payments of up to $176.5 million upon the achievement of specified BLA filing or regulatory approval, beginning with $15.0 million upon the first filing of an approval application and $20.0 million upon regulatory approval in the U.S., and aggregate milestone payments of up to $515.0 million upon the achievement of specified commercial milestones, beginning with $15.0 million if worldwide aggregate annual net sales reach $250 million and $50.0 million if worldwide aggregate annual net sales reach $500 million. Commencing on the first commercial sale of licensed products, we are obligated to pay tiered royalties of low double-digit to mid-teen percentages on annual net sales of the products covered by the license. In the event we sublicense our rights under the Ares Agreement, we are obligated to pay Ares a percentage ranging from the mid-single-digit to the low double-digits of specified sublicensing income received.

Under the Amplyx Agreement, we made an upfront initial payment of $5.0 million. We are also obligated to make certain milestone payments to Amplyx in an aggregate amount of up to $7.0 million based on the achievement of certain regulatory milestones. Further, we are required to pay Amplyx low single digit percentage royalties on net sales of MAU868 on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis. In addition, pursuant to the Novartis Agreement, we are obligated to make certain milestone payments to Novartis in an aggregate amount of up to $62.0 million based on the achievement of certain clinical development, regulatory and sales milestones. Further, we are required to pay Novartis mid-to high-single digit percentage royalties based on net sales of MAU868 on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis. If milestone or other non-royalty obligations become due, we may not have sufficient funds available to meet our obligations, which will adversely affect our business operations and financial condition.

The patent positions of biotechnology companies generally are highly uncertain, involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unsolved and have been the subject of much litigation in recent years. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are highly uncertain. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect atacicept or MAU868 or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and product candidates. In addition, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. For example, many countries restrict the patentability of methods of treatment of the human body.

Moreover, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before a patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted after issuance. Legal standards relating to valid and enforceable claim scope are unsettled in the United States and elsewhere and disputes challenging or re-defining scope are common in the biopharmaceutical industry. Even if patent applications we own or in-license currently or in the future issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors or other third parties from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Any patents that we own or in-license may be challenged or circumvented by third parties or may be narrowed or invalidated as a result of challenges by third parties. Consequently, we do not know whether atacicept, or MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patents. Our competitors or other third parties may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad.

The process by which patent applications are examined and considered for issuance as patents involves consideration by the relevant patent office of “prior art” relative to the invented technology. Different countries have different rules about what information or events can be considered “prior art,” and different requirements regarding when a patent application must be filed relative to any particular piece of potential prior art. Moreover, legal decisions can re-interpret or change whether particular information or events are considered to be “prior art.” Still further, in the United States, patent applicants are required to notify the USPTO of any material “prior art” of which they are aware for the patent examiner to consider in addition to independent searches that the patent examiner is required to do. Also, in the United States and certain other jurisdictions, third parties are entitled to submit prior art to patent offices for consideration during examination.

We may not be aware of certain relevant prior art, may fail to identify or timely cite certain prior art, or may not be able to convince a patent examiner that our patent(s) should issue in light of the art. Also, we cannot be certain that all relevant art will be or was identified during examination of a patent application so that, even if a patent issues, it may be susceptible to challenge that it is not valid over art that was not considered during its examination.

We may be subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO or other jurisdictions, or become involved in post-grant challenges such as opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, post-grant review (PGR) and inter partes review

(IPR), or other similar proceedings, or in litigation, challenging our patent rights, including by challenging the validity or the claim of priority of our patents. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate or render unenforceable, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop and compete directly with us, without payment to us. Such challenges may result in loss of patent rights, loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, including art of which we were unaware, and art which was not raised during prosecution of any of our patents or patent applications. If a third party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our technology or platform, or any product candidates that we may develop. Such a loss of patent protection would significantly impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Such proceedings also may result in substantial cost and require significant time from our scientists and management, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, regardless of the outcome, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop, or commercialize current or future product candidates or could embolden competitors to launch products or take other steps that could disadvantage us in the marketplace or draw us into additional expensive and time consuming disputes. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Intellectual property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats to our competitive advantage.

The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations, and may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. For example:

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we may not be able to detect infringement of our issued patents;

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others may be able to develop products that are similar to atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, but that are not covered by the claims of the patents that we may in-license in the future or own;

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our competitors may seek or may have already obtained patents that will limit, interfere with or eliminate our ability to make, use and sell atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop;

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we, or our current or future collaborators or license partners, might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by the issued patents or patent applications that we may in-license in the future or own;

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we, or our current or future collaborators or license partners, might be found not have been the first to file patent applications covering certain of our or their inventions;

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others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies without infringing our intellectual property rights;

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it is possible that the pending patent applications we may in-license in the future or own will not lead to issued patents;

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it is possible that there are prior public disclosures that could invalidate our patents, or parts of our patents, for which we are not aware;

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issued patents that we hold rights to may be held invalid or unenforceable, as a result of legal challenges by our competitors;

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issued patents may not have sufficient term or geographic scope to provide meaningful protection;

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our competitors might conduct research and development activities in countries where we do not have patent rights and then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in our major commercial markets;

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we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;

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the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business; and

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we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets, and a third party may subsequently file a patent covering such intellectual property.

Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties. Claims by third parties that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their proprietary rights may result in liability for damages or prevent or delay our developmental and commercialization efforts.

Our commercial success depends in part on avoiding infringement, misappropriation or other violations of the patents and proprietary rights of third parties. However, our research, development and commercialization activities may be subject to claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate patents or other intellectual property rights owned or controlled by third parties. A finding by a court or administrative body that we infringe the claims of issued patents owned by third parties could preclude us from commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop.

Other entities may have or obtain patents or proprietary rights that could limit our ability to make, use, sell, offer for sale or import atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop and products that may be approved in the future, or impair our competitive position. There is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the United States, involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology industry, including patent infringement lawsuits, and proceedings, such as oppositions, reexaminations, IPR proceedings and PGR proceedings, before the USPTO and/or corresponding foreign patent offices. In addition, many companies in intellectual property-dependent industries, including the biotechnology industry, have employed intellectual property litigation as a means to gain an advantage over their competitors. Numerous third-party U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications may exist in the fields in which we are developing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to compositions, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop.

It is possible that one or more organizations will hold patent rights to which we will need a license. If those organizations refuse to grant us a license to such patent rights on reasonable terms, we may be unable to develop, manufacture, market, sell and commercialize products or services or perform research and development or other activities covered by these patents. In the event that any of these patents were to issue and be asserted against us, we believe that we would have defenses against any such assertion, including that such patents are not valid. However, if such defenses to such assertion were unsuccessful, we could be liable for damages, which could be significant and include treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to willfully infringe such patents. We could also be required to obtain a license to such patents, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain such a license, we could be precluded from commercializing any product candidates that were ultimately held to infringe such patents.

As the biotechnology industry expands and more patents are issued, the risk increases that atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties. Because patent applications are maintained as confidential for a certain period of time, until the relevant application is published, we may be unaware of third-party patents that may be infringed by commercialization of atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, and we cannot be certain that we were the first to file a patent application related to a product candidate or technology. Moreover, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications that may later result in issued patents that atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop may infringe. In addition, identification of third-party patent rights that may be relevant to our technology is difficult because patent searching is imperfect due to differences in terminology among patents, incomplete databases and the difficulty in assessing the meaning of patent claims. There is also no assurance that there is not prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe is relevant to our business, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to limit our ability to make, use, sell, offer for sale or import our products that may be approved in the future, or impair our competitive position. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. Still further, we cannot rely on our experience that third parties have not so far alleged that we infringe their patent rights, as provisions of U.S. patent laws provide a safe harbor from patent infringement for therapeutic products under clinical development.

Any claims of patent infringement, misappropriation or other violations asserted by third parties would be time consuming and could:

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result in costly litigation that may cause negative publicity;

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divert the time and attention of our technical personnel and management;

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cause development delays;

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prevent us from commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop;

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require us to develop non-infringing technology, which may not be possible on a cost-effective basis;

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subject us to significant liability to third parties; or

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require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or which might be non-exclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same technology.

Any patent-related legal action against us claiming damages or seeking to enjoin commercial activities relating to our products, or processes could subject us to significant liability for damages, including treble damages if we were determined to willfully infringe, and require us to obtain a license to manufacture or market atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. We cannot predict whether we would prevail in any such actions or that any license required under any of these patents would be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Moreover, even if we or a future strategic partner were able to obtain a license, the rights may be nonexclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. In addition, we cannot be certain that we could redesign atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop processes to avoid infringement, if necessary.

An adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or the failure to obtain necessary licenses, could prevent us from developing and commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may cause negative publicity and could prohibit us from marketing or otherwise commercializing atacicept, MAU868, and future product candidates and technologies.

Parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or administrative proceedings, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have an adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for future product candidates we may develop through acquisitions and in-licenses.

Because our development programs may in the future require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business may depend in part on our ability to acquire, in-license, or use these third-party proprietary rights.

While we may have in-licensed patents that cover atacicept and MAU868, it is possible that third parties may have blocking patents that prevent us from marketing, manufacturing or commercializing our patented products and practicing our in-licensed patented technology.

We may be unsuccessful in acquiring or in-licensing compositions, methods of use, processes, or other intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for practicing inventions claimed by our patents, including the manufacture, sale and use of atacicept, MAU868, and any future product candidates we may develop. The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies may pursue strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive or necessary. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, capital resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment or at all. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party intellectual property rights or maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of the relevant program or product candidate, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful. Further, our issued patents could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court.

Competitors or other third parties may infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate our intellectual property rights. To prevent infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement or other intellectual property claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in a patent infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent we may in-license in the future or own is not valid, is unenforceable, and/or is not infringed, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our owned or in-licensed patents do not cover the technology in question. If we or any of our potential future collaborators were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent directed at atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, the defendant could counterclaim that our patent is invalid and/or unenforceable in whole or in part. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge include an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description, non-enablement, or obviousness-type double patenting. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could include an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO or made a misleading statement during prosecution.

If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we may lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on such product candidate. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our intellectual property rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States. Our business could be harmed if in litigation the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms.

Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to our intellectual property rights may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could compromise our ability to compete in the marketplace.

Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or other legal proceedings relating to our intellectual property rights, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation or other proceedings.

Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Intellectual property litigation may lead to unfavorable publicity that harms our reputation and causes the market price of our common shares to decline.

During the course of any intellectual property litigation, there could be public announcements of the initiation of the litigation as well as results of hearings, rulings on motions, and other interim proceedings in the litigation. If securities analysts or investors regard these announcements as negative, the perceived value of our existing products, programs or intellectual property could be diminished. Accordingly, the market price of shares of our common stock may decline. Such announcements could also harm our reputation or the market for our future products, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Derivation proceedings may be necessary to determine priority of inventions, and an unfavorable outcome may require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights from the prevailing party.

Derivation proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Our defense of derivation proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with such proceedings could have an adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties or enter into development or manufacturing partnerships that would help us bring atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates to market. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our patents.

As is the case with other biotechnology companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biotechnology industry involve a high degree of technological and legal complexity. Therefore, obtaining and enforcing biopharmaceutical patents is costly, time consuming and inherently uncertain. Our ability to obtain patents is highly uncertain because, to date, some legal principles remain unresolved, and there has not been a consistent policy regarding the breadth or interpretation of claims allowed in patents in the United States. Furthermore, the specific content of patents and patent applications that are necessary to support and interpret patent claims is highly uncertain due to the complex nature of the relevant legal, scientific, and factual issues. Changes in either patent laws or interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection.

Further, the United States has enacted and implemented wide-ranging patent reform legislation and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on several patent cases in recent years, either narrowing the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances or weakening the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain

patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the U.S. federal courts, the USPTO, or similar authorities in foreign jurisdictions, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patent and the patents we might obtain or license in the future. For example, recent decisions raise questions regarding the award of patent term adjustment (“PTA”) for patents in families where related patents have issued without PTA. Thus, it cannot be said with certainty how PTA will or will not be viewed in the future and whether patent expiration dates may be impacted. An inability to obtain, enforce, and defend patents covering our proprietary technologies (including atacicept and MAU868) would adversely affect our business prospects and financial condition.

Similarly, changes in patent laws and regulations in other countries or jurisdictions, changes in the governmental bodies that enforce them or changes in how the relevant governmental authority enforces patent laws or regulations may weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce patents that we may obtain in the future. Further, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States and Europe. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. For example, if the issuance in a given country of a patent covering an invention is not followed by the issuance in other countries of patents covering the same invention, or if any judicial interpretation of the validity, enforceability or scope of the claims or the written description or enablement, in a patent issued in one country is not similar to the interpretation given to the corresponding patent issued in another country, our ability to protect our intellectual property in those countries may be limited. Changes in either patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may materially diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection. For example, the complexity and uncertainty of European patent laws have also increased in recent years. In Europe, a new unitary patent system took effect on June 1, 2023, which will significantly impact European patents, including those granted before the introduction of such a system. Under the unitary patent system, European applications have the option, upon grant of a patent, of becoming a Unitary Patent which will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Unitary Patent Court (UPC). As the UPC is a new court system, there is no precedent for the court, increasing the uncertainty of any litigation. Patents granted before the implementation of the UPC have the option of opting out of the jurisdiction of the UPC and remaining as national patents in the UPC countries. Patents that remain under the jurisdiction of the UPC will be potentially vulnerable to a single UPC-based revocation challenge that, if successful, could invalidate the patent in all countries who are signatories to the UPC. We cannot predict with certainty the long-term effects of any potential changes.

We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.

It is possible that we do not transfer or perfect ownership of all patents, patent applications or other intellectual property. This possibility includes the risk that we do not identify all inventors, or identify incorrect inventors, which may lead to claims disputing inventorship or ownership of our patents, patent applications or other intellectual property by former employees or other third parties. There is also a risk that we do not establish an unbroken chain of title from inventors to us. Errors in inventorship or ownership can sometimes also impact priority claims. If we were to lose ability to claim priority for certain patent filings, intervening art or other events may preclude us from issuing patents.

Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or ownership. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights. Such an outcome could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and distraction to management and other employees.

Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop for an adequate amount of time.

Patents have a limited lifespan. Generally, issued patents are granted a term of 20 years from the earliest claimed non-provisional filing date. Various extensions may be available, but there can be no assurance that any such extensions will be obtained, and the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. In certain instances, patent term can be adjusted to recapture a portion of delay by the USPTO in examining the patent application (patent term adjustment) or extended to account for term effectively lost as a result of the FDA regulatory review period (patent term extension), or both. There is a risk that we may take action that detracts from any accrued patent term adjustment. Even if patents covering atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop are obtained, once the patent life has expired, we may be open to competition from competitive products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.

Our earliest in-licensed patents may expire before, or soon after, our first product achieves marketing approval in the United States or foreign jurisdictions. Upon the expiration of our current patents, we may lose the right to exclude others from practicing these inventions. The expiration of these patents could also have a similar material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.

Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on our products for an adequate amount of time, and if we do not obtain protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and similar non-United States legislation for extending the term of patents covering each of our product candidates, our business may be significantly harmed.

Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. Depending upon the timing, duration and conditions of FDA marketing approval of our product candidates, one or more of our United States patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, and similar legislation in the EU. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent term extension of up to five years for a patent covering an approved product as compensation for effective patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval. Only one patent may be extended per approved drug product, and only those claims covering the approved drug product, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. However, we may not receive an extension if we fail to apply within applicable deadlines, fail to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise fail to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is less than we request, the period during which we can enforce our patent rights for that product will be impacted and our competitors may obtain approval to market competing products sooner. As a result, our revenue from applicable products could be reduced and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We will not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States may be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we will not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These infringing products may compete with atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, without any available recourse.

The laws of some other countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Patent protection must ultimately be sought on a country-by-country basis, which is an expensive and time-consuming process with uncertain outcomes. Accordingly, we may choose not to seek patent protection in certain countries, and we will not have the benefit of patent protection in such countries. In addition, the legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to biopharmaceuticals. As a result, many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. Because the legal systems of many foreign countries do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceutical products, it could be difficult for us to stop the infringement, misappropriation or violation of our patents or our licensors’ patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights. Proceedings to enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents or the patents of our licensors at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put our patent applications or the patent applications of our licensors at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and related sanctions could significantly devalue our Russian and Eurasian patents. Recent Russian decrees may significantly limit our ability to enforce Russian patents. We cannot predict when or how this situation will change.

Many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of such patent. If we are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed.

In addition, recordation of licenses with respect to exclusively licensed patent rights outside of the United States is potentially costly and we might fail to record such rights timely. If we fail to timely record our patent rights, third parties may try to seek licenses

from the patent owners, or we may not be able to recover full damages for patent infringement in jurisdictions where we have no such recordations, any of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, documentary, fee payment, and other requirements imposed by regulations and governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications will be due to the USPTO and various foreign patent offices at various points over the lifetime of our patents and/or patent applications. We have systems in place to remind us to pay these fees, and we rely on our outside patent annuity service to pay these fees when due. Additionally, the USPTO and various foreign patent offices require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. We employ reputable law firms and other professionals to help us comply, and in many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with rules applicable to the particular jurisdiction. However, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. If such an event were to occur, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.

We intend to use registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names to brand and market ourselves and our products. Our trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name recognition among potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

In addition, any proprietary name we propose to use with our current or future products in the United States must be approved by the FDA, regardless of whether we have registered it, or applied to register it, as a trademark. The FDA typically conducts a review of proposed product names, including an evaluation of the potential for confusion with other product names. If the FDA objects to any of our proposed proprietary product names, we may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable proprietary product name that would qualify under applicable trademark laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and competitive position would be significantly harmed.

In addition, we rely on the protection of our trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information to maintain our competitive position. Although we have taken steps to protect our trade secrets and unpatented know-how, including entering into confidentiality agreements with third parties, and confidential information and inventions agreements with employees, consultants and advisors, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology or processes. Further, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, and any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, or claim ownership in intellectual property that we believe is owned or in-licensed by us. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures of our intellectual property is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be effective. In addition, we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets.

Moreover, if any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of these events occurs or if we otherwise lose protection for our trade secrets, the value of this information may be greatly reduced, and our competitive position would be harmed. If we do not apply for patent protection prior to such publication or if we cannot otherwise

maintain the confidentiality of our proprietary technology and other confidential information, then our ability to obtain patent protection or to protect our trade secret information may be jeopardized. Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged confidential information or trade secrets.

We have entered into and may enter in the future into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements to protect the proprietary positions of third parties, such as outside scientific collaborators, CROs, third-party manufacturers, consultants, advisors, potential partners, lessees of shared multi-company property and other third parties. Many of our employees and consultants were previously employed at, may have previously provided or may be currently providing consulting services to, other biotechnology companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we seek to protect our ownership of intellectual property rights by ensuring that our agreements with our employees, collaborators and other third parties with whom we do business include provisions requiring such parties to assign rights in inventions to us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information of our employees’ former employers or other third parties. We may also be subject to claims that former employers or other third parties have an ownership interest in our future patents or patent applications. Defense of such matters, regardless of their merit, could involve substantial litigation expense and be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. We cannot predict whether we would prevail in any such actions. Moreover, intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may cause negative publicity and could prohibit us from marketing or otherwise commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates or technologies we may develop. Failure to defend against any such claim could subject us to significant liability for monetary damages or prevent or delay our developmental and commercialization efforts, and cause us to lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management team and other employees.

Parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex intellectual property litigation more effectively than we can. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have an adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our rights to develop and commercialize our technology and product candidates may be subject, in part, to the terms and conditions of licenses granted to us by others.

We may enter into license agreements in the future with others to advance our research or allow commercialization of our product candidates. These and other licenses may not provide exclusive rights to use such intellectual property and technology in all relevant fields of use and in all territories in which we may wish to develop or commercialize our technology and products in the future. As a result, we may not be able to prevent competitors from developing and commercializing competitive products in territories included in our licenses.

If we fail to comply with our obligations under any such license agreements, including obligations to make various milestone payments and royalty payments and other obligations, the licensor may have the right to terminate the license. If these agreements are terminated, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business, be liable for any damages to such licensors or be prevented from developing and commercializing our product candidates, and competitors could have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours. Termination of these agreements or reduction or elimination of our rights under these agreements may also result in our being required to negotiate new or reinstated agreements with less favorable terms, cause us to lose our rights under these agreements, including our rights to important intellectual property or technology, or impede, delay or prohibit the further development or commercialization of one or more product candidates that rely on such agreements. It is possible that we may be unable to obtain any additional licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our product candidates or the methods for manufacturing them or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis.

In addition, subject to the terms of any such license agreements, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance, enforcement and defense of patents and patent applications covering the technology that we license from third parties. In such an event, we cannot be certain that these patents and patent applications will be prepared, filed, prosecuted, maintained, enforced and defended in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business, including the payment of all applicable fees for patents covering our product candidates. If our licensors fail to prosecute, maintain, enforce and defend such patents, or lose rights to those patents or patent applications, the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated, and our right to develop and commercialize any of our products that are subject of such licensed rights could be adversely affected. Further, we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using and selling competing products. In addition, even where we have the right to

control the prosecution of patents and patent applications we have licensed to and from third parties, we may still be adversely affected or prejudiced by the actions or inactions of our licensees, our licensors and their counsel that took place prior to the date upon which we assumed control over patent prosecution.

Our licensors may have relied on third-party consultants or collaborators or on funds from third parties such that our licensors are not the sole and exclusive owners of the patents we in-licensed. If other third parties have ownership rights to our in-licensed patents, they may be able to license such patents to our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. This could have an adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may need to obtain additional licenses from existing licensors and others to advance our research or allow commercialization of product candidates we develop. It is possible that we may be unable to obtain additional licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our technology, product candidates, or the methods for manufacturing them or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis. If we are unable to do so, we may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected product candidates, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects significantly. We cannot provide any assurances that third-party patents do not exist which might be enforced against our current technology, manufacturing methods, product candidates, or future methods or products resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our manufacture or future sales, or, with respect to our future sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties, which could be significant. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.

Disputes may arise between us and our past, current or future licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:

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the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues;

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whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement;

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our right to sublicense patents and other rights to third parties;

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our diligence obligations under the license agreement and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations;

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our right to transfer or assign the license;

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the inventorship and ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors and us and our partners; and

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the priority of invention of patented technology.

In addition, the agreements under which we license intellectual property or technology from third parties are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property or technology, or increase what we believe to be our financial or other obligations under the relevant agreement, either of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects.

In spite of our best efforts, our licensors might conclude that we have materially breached our license agreements and might therefore terminate the license agreements, thereby removing our ability to develop and commercialize products and technology covered by these license agreements. If these in-licenses are terminated, or if the underlying patents fail to provide the intended exclusivity, competitors would have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours. This could significantly harm our competitive position, business, financial condition and prospects.

Intellectual property discovered through government funded programs may be subject to federal regulations such as “march-in” rights, certain reporting requirements and a preference for U.S.-based companies. Compliance with such regulations may limit our exclusive rights and limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. manufacturers.

We may develop, acquire, or license intellectual property rights that have been generated through the use of U.S. government funding or grants. Pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, the U.S. government has certain rights in inventions developed with government funding. These U.S. government rights include a non-exclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable worldwide license to use inventions for any governmental purpose. In addition, the U.S. government has the right, under certain limited circumstances, to require us to grant exclusive, partially exclusive, or non-exclusive licenses to any of these inventions to a third party if it determines that: (1) adequate steps have not been taken to commercialize the invention; (2) government action is necessary to meet public health or safety needs; or (3) government action is necessary to meet requirements for public use under federal regulations (also referred to as march-in rights). If the U.S. government exercised its march-in rights in our future intellectual property rights that are generated through the use of U.S. government funding or grants, we could be forced to license or sublicense intellectual property developed by us or that we license on terms unfavorable to us, and there can be no assurance that we would receive compensation from the U.S. government for the exercise of such rights. The U.S. government also has the right to take title to these inventions if the grant recipient fails to disclose the invention to the government or fails to file an application to register the intellectual property within specified time limits. Intellectual property generated under a government funded program is also subject to certain reporting requirements, compliance with which may require us to expend substantial resources. In addition, the U.S. government requires that any products embodying any of these inventions or produced through the use of any of these inventions be manufactured substantially in the United States. This preference for U.S. industry may be waived by the federal agency that provided the funding if the owner or assignee of the intellectual property can show that reasonable but unsuccessful efforts have been made to grant licenses on similar terms to potential licensees that would be likely to manufacture substantially in the United States or that under the circumstances domestic manufacture is not commercially feasible. This preference for U.S. industry may limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. product manufacturers for products covered by such intellectual property. Any exercise by the government of any of the foregoing rights could harm our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks related to our dependence on third parties

We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third parties, including independent clinical investigators and third-party CROs, to conduct certain aspects of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials and to monitor and manage data for our ongoing nonclinical and clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials, and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies and trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on these third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our third-party contractors and CROs are required to comply with GCP requirements, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for atacicept and MAU868 in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of these third parties or our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP regulations. Failure to comply and maintain adequate documentation with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process. Moreover, our business may be adversely affected if any of these third parties violates federal or state fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations or healthcare privacy and security laws.

Further, these investigators and CROs are not our employees and we will not be able to control, other than by contract, the amount of resources, including time, which they devote to atacicept or MAU868 and clinical trials. These third parties may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials or other product development activities, which could affect their performance on our behalf. If independent investigators or CROs fail to devote sufficient resources to the development of atacicept or MAU868, or if CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize atacicept or MAU868. As a result, our results of operations and the commercial prospects for atacicept and MAU868 would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed or precluded entirely, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.

Our CROs have the right to terminate their agreements with us in the event of an uncured material breach. In addition, some of our CROs have an ability to terminate their respective agreements with us if it can be reasonably demonstrated that the safety of the

subjects participating in our clinical trials warrants such termination, if we make a general assignment for the benefit of our creditors or if we are liquidated. In addition, our CROs could fail to perform, we could terminate their agreements or they could go out of business. If our relationships with our CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding CROs involves substantial cost and requires management time and focus, and could delay development and commercialization of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can negatively impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Though we intend to carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a negative impact on our business and financial condition.

If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Additionally, CROs may lack the capacity to absorb higher workloads or take on additional capacity to support our needs. There can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays with CROs in the future or that these delays or challenges will not significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Prior to obtaining the rights to MAU868 from Amplyx, third parties had been responsible for all development activities. Although we believe the historical development activities were conducted in accordance with applicable rules and regulations in material respects, we cannot assure you that we will not discover inaccuracies or noncompliance in prior development activities that have an adverse effect on the future development of MAU868. For example, a regulatory authority may choose to inspect an investigational site and/or vendor such as a CRO for an MAU868 study that was previously conducted by Amplyx. Findings from such inspections could have an impact on the review of any future marketing applications by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities.

In connection with our acquisition of MAU868, we have assumed the responsibility for ongoing clinical studies with MAU868, including related expenses and manufacturing and regulatory activities, which were previously managed and funded by Amplyx. This includes responsibility for the Phase 2 clinical trial of MAU868 for the treatment of BKV infection in kidney transplant recipients previously conducted by Amplyx. Any adverse events or reactions experienced by subjects in the trial may be attributed to MAU868 and may limit our ability to obtain regulatory approval with labeling that we consider desirable, or at all.

We contract with third parties for the manufacture of atacicept and MAU868 drug products for our ongoing clinical trials, and expect to continue to do so for additional clinical trials of our product candidates and ultimately for commercialization. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of atacicept, MAU868 or other product candidates necessary for the development or commercialization of atacicept, MAU868 or such other product candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.

We do not currently have the infrastructure or internal capability to manufacture supplies of our product candidates for use in development and commercialization. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third-party manufacturers for the production of our product candidates for clinical trials under the guidance of members of our organization. We do not have long-term commercial supply agreements for atacicept or MAU868. Furthermore, the raw materials for our product candidates are sourced, in some cases, from a single-source supplier. If we were to experience an unexpected loss of supply of our product candidates for any reason, whether as a result of manufacturing, supply or storage issues or otherwise, we could experience delays, disruptions, suspensions or terminations of, or be required to restart or repeat, any pending or ongoing clinical trials.

We expect to continue to rely on third-party manufacturers for the commercial supply of our product candidates, if we obtain marketing approval. We may be unable to maintain or establish required agreements with third-party manufacturers or to do so on acceptable terms. Even if we are able to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:

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the failure of the third party to manufacture our product candidates according to our schedule, or at all, including if our third-party contractors give greater priority to the supply of other products over our product candidates or otherwise do not satisfactorily perform according to the terms of the agreements between us and them;

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the reduction or termination of production or deliveries by suppliers, or the raising of prices or renegotiation of terms;

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the termination or nonrenewal of arrangements or agreements by our third-party contractors at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us;

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the breach by the third-party contractors of our agreements with them;

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the failure of third-party contractors to comply with applicable regulatory requirements;

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the failure of the third party to manufacture our product candidates according to our specifications;

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the mislabeling of clinical supplies, potentially resulting in the wrong dose amounts being supplied or active drug or placebo not being properly identified;

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clinical supplies not being delivered to clinical sites on time, leading to clinical trial interruptions, or of drug supplies not being distributed to commercial vendors in a timely manner, resulting in lost sales;

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disruptions resulting from the effect of public health pandemics or epidemics; and

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the misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how.

We have limited control over the manufacturing process of, and are dependent on, our contract manufacturing partners for compliance with cGMP regulations for manufacturing both active drug substances and finished drug products. Third-party manufacturers may not be able to comply with cGMP regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside of the United States. If our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or other regulatory authorities, they will not be able to secure and/or maintain marketing approval for their manufacturing facilities. In addition, we have limited control over the ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of our product candidates, or if it withdraws any such approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain marketing approval for or market our product candidates, if approved. We, or our contract manufacturers, any future collaborators and their contract manufacturers could be subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, to monitor and ensure compliance with cGMP. Despite our efforts to audit and verify regulatory compliance, one or more of our third-party manufacturing vendors may be found on regulatory inspection by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities to be noncompliant with cGMP regulations. Our failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including shutdown of the third-party vendor or invalidation of drug product lots or processes, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension, variation or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of product candidates or drugs, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our product candidates or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of our product candidates and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Furthermore, if the third-party providers of therapies or therapies in development used in combination with our product candidates are unable to produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials or for commercialization of our product candidates, or if the cost of combination therapies is prohibitive, our development and commercialization efforts would be impaired, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our product candidates or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of our product candidates may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any product candidates that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.

Manufacturing drugs, especially in large quantities, is complex and may require the use of innovative technologies. Each lot of an approved drug product must undergo thorough testing for identity, strength, quality, purity and potency. Manufacturing drugs requires facilities specifically designed for and validated for this purpose, and sophisticated quality assurance and quality control procedures are necessary. Slight deviations anywhere in the manufacturing process, including filling, labeling, packaging, storage and shipping and quality control and testing, may result in lot failures, product recalls or spoilage. When changes are made to the manufacturing process, we may be required to provide nonclinical and clinical data showing the comparable identity, strength, quality, purity or potency of the products before and after such changes. If microbial, viral or other contaminations are discovered at the facilities of our manufacturer, such facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination, which could delay clinical trials and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The use of biologically derived ingredients can also lead to allegations of harm, including infections or allergic reactions, or closure of product facilities due to possible contamination. If our manufacturers are unable to produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials or for commercialization as a result of these challenges, or otherwise, our development and commercialization efforts would be impaired, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

From time to time, we may evaluate various acquisition opportunities and strategic partnerships, including licensing or acquiring complementary products, intellectual property rights, technologies or businesses. Any potential acquisition or strategic partnership may entail numerous risks, including:

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increased operating expenses and cash requirements;

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the assumption of contingent liabilities;

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the issuance of our equity securities;

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assimilation of operations, intellectual property and products of an acquired company, including difficulties associated with integrating new personnel;

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the diversion of our management’s attention from our existing programs and initiatives in pursuing such a strategic merger or acquisition;

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retention of key employees, the loss of key personnel and uncertainties in our ability to maintain key business relationships;

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risks and uncertainties associated with the other party to such a transaction, including the prospects of that party and their existing products or product candidates and marketing approvals; and

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our inability to generate revenue from acquired technology and/or products sufficient to meet our objectives in undertaking the acquisition or even to offset the associated acquisition and maintenance costs.

In addition, if we undertake acquisitions or pursue partnerships in the future, we may issue dilutive securities, assume or incur debt obligations, incur large one-time expenses and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense. Moreover, we may not be able to locate suitable acquisition opportunities, and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technology or products that may be important to the development of our business.

We may enter into collaborations with third parties for the development and commercialization of our product candidates. If those collaborations are not successful, we may not be able to capitalize on the market potential of atacicept or MAU868.

In the future, we may partner with third-party collaborators for the development and commercialization of our product candidates. Our likely collaborators for any future collaboration arrangements would likely include large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, regional and national pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies.

We will likely have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators dedicate to the development or commercialization of our product candidates. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators’ abilities and efforts to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements. Collaborations involving our product candidates could pose numerous risks to us, including the following:

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collaborators have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to these collaborations and may not perform their obligations as expected;

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collaborators may deemphasize or not pursue development and commercialization of our product candidates or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization programs based on clinical trial results, changes in the collaborators’ strategic focus, including as a result of a sale or disposition of a business unit or development function, or available funding or external factors such as an acquisition that diverts resources or creates competing priorities;

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collaborators may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product candidate for clinical testing;

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collaborators could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our product candidates if the collaborators believe that competitive products are more likely to be successfully developed or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours;

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a collaborator with marketing and distribution rights to multiple products may not commit sufficient resources to the marketing and distribution of our product relative to other products;

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collaborators may not properly obtain, maintain, defend or enforce our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information and intellectual property in such a way as to invite litigation or other intellectual property related proceedings that could jeopardize or invalidate our proprietary information and intellectual property or expose us to potential litigation or other intellectual property related proceedings;

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disputes may arise between the collaborators and us that result in the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of our product candidates or that result in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management attention and resources;

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collaborations may be terminated and, if terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates;

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collaboration agreements may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner or at all; and

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if a collaborator of ours were to be involved in a business combination, the continued pursuit and emphasis on our drug development or commercialization program could be delayed, diminished or terminated.

If we decide to establish collaborations in the future, but are not able to establish those collaborations on commercially reasonable terms, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.

Our drug development programs and the potential commercialization of our current or any future product candidates we may develop will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses. We may continue to seek to selectively form collaborations to expand our capabilities, potentially accelerate research and development activities and provide for commercialization activities by third parties. Any of these relationships may require us to incur non-recurring and other charges, increase our near and long-term expenditures, issue securities that dilute our existing stockholders, or disrupt our management and business.

If we seek collaborations in the future, we will face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing drugs, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of intellectual property and industry and market conditions generally. The potential collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidates. Further, we may not be successful in our efforts to establish a collaboration or other alternative arrangements for future product candidates because they may be deemed to be at too early of a stage of development for collaborative effort and third parties may not view them as having the requisite potential to demonstrate safety and efficacy.

In addition, there have been a significant number of recent business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators. Even if we are successful in entering into a collaboration, the terms and conditions of that collaboration may restrict us from entering into future agreements on certain terms with potential collaborators.

If and when we seek to enter into additional collaborations, we may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of a product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.

Risks related to ownership of our Class A common stock

The price of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to be, highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which we cannot control. For example, the closing price of our common stock from January 1, 2023 to November 5, 2024, has ranged from a low of $5.41 to a high of $49.14. The stock market in general, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies.

Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, these factors include:

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the timing and results of nonclinical studies and clinical trials of our current or any future product candidates we may develop or those of our competitors;

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regulatory actions with respect to our product candidate or our competitors’ products;

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announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic collaborations, joint ventures, collaborations or capital commitments;

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the success of competitive products or announcements by potential competitors of their product development efforts;

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developments associated with our license with Ares, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, including any termination or other change in our relationship with Ares or Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany;

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developments associated with our license with Novartis, including any termination or other change in our relationship with Novartis or Amplyx;

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actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to our competitors;

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regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries;

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developments or disputes concerning patent applications, issued patents or other proprietary rights;

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the recruitment or departure of key personnel;

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the results of our efforts to in-license or acquire additional product candidates or products;

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actual or anticipated changes in estimates as to financial results, development timelines or recommendations by securities analysts;

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fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;

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market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector;

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the public release of clinical trial data from companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;

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changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;

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share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;

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announcement or expectation of additional financing efforts;

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sales of our securities by us, our insiders or our other stockholders; and

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general geopolitical, macroeconomic, industry and market conditions, including the recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits and lending commitments due to bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China relations, elevated inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation.

In addition, the trading prices for common stock of other biotechnology companies have been highly volatile as a result of factors unrelated to the specific company or its technology. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.

The realization of any of the above risks or any of a broad range of other risks, including those described in this “Risk Factors” section, could have a dramatic and adverse impact on the market price of our common stock.

Our business could be negatively affected as a result of actions of activist stockholders, and such activism could impact the trading value of our securities.

Stockholders may, from time to time, engage in proxy solicitations or advance stockholder proposals, or otherwise attempt to effect changes and assert influence on our board of directors and management. Activist campaigns that contest or conflict with our strategic direction or seek changes in the composition of our board of directors could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition. A proxy contest would require us to incur significant legal and advisory fees, proxy solicitation expenses and administrative and associated costs and require significant time and attention by our board of directors and management, diverting their attention from the pursuit of our business strategy. Any perceived uncertainties as to our future direction and control, our ability to execute on our strategy, or changes to the composition of our board of directors or senior management team arising from a proxy contest could lead to the perception of a change in the direction of our business or instability which may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, make it more difficult to pursue our strategic initiatives, or limit our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners, any of which could adversely affect our business and operating results. If individuals are ultimately elected to our board of directors with a specific agenda, it may adversely affect our ability to effectively implement our business strategy and create additional value for our stockholders. We may choose to initiate, or may become subject to, litigation as a result of the proxy contest or matters arising from the proxy contest, which would serve as a further distraction to our board of directors and

management and would require us to incur significant additional costs. In addition, actions such as those described above could cause significant fluctuations in our stock price based upon temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.

As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Section 404) requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and provide a management report on internal control over financial reporting. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act also requires that our management report on internal control over financial reporting be attested to by our independent registered public accounting firm, to the extent we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and are not a non-accelerated filer. We do not expect our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to our management report on internal control over financial reporting for so long as we are an emerging growth company.

We have in the past and may in the future identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we identify any such material weaknesses, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or when required in the future, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.

Our executive officers and directors, combined with our stockholders who own more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock, beneficially own a significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock. Therefore, these stockholders are able to significantly influence us through this ownership position. These stockholders may be able to determine all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders may be able to control elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents or approval of any merger, sale of assets or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders. The interests of this group of stockholders may not always coincide with your interests or the interests of other stockholders and they may act in a manner that advances their best interests and not necessarily those of other stockholders, including seeking a premium value for their shares, and might affect the prevailing market price for our common stock.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.

Our common stock price could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares of common stock in the future or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

As of September 30, 2024, there were 55,026,111 shares of common stock outstanding and held of record by 21 stockholders. The number of record holders of our common stock does not include DTC participants or beneficial owners holding shares through nominee names.

Further, certain holders of our common stock have rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering the sale of their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or our other stockholders. We have also registered all shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Such shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates.

In addition, in the future, we may issue additional shares of common stock, or other equity or debt securities convertible into common stock, in connection with a financing, acquisition, employee arrangement or otherwise. Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop on unfavorable terms to us.

We may seek additional capital through a variety of means, including through public or private equity, debt financings or other sources, including up-front payments and milestone payments from strategic collaborations. For example, since our initial public offering, we have completed three follow-on public offerings of our common stock. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt or equity securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include

liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Such financing may result in dilution to stockholders, imposition of debt covenants, increased fixed payment obligations or other restrictions that may affect our business. If we raise additional funds through up-front payments or milestone payments pursuant to strategic collaborations with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.

We currently are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including:

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being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure;

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not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

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not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements;

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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and

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exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory stockholder votes on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

Based on our public float as of June 28, 2024, the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, when we re-evaluate our filer status on December 31, 2024, we will qualify as a “large accelerated filer” and will no longer be an emerging growth company.

Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have taken advantage of the extended transition period for adopting new or revised accounting standards under the JOBS Act as an emerging growth company. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.

Pursuant to Section 404, we are required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm, beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we performed an evaluation to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are incurring additional professional fees to comply with Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as of December 31, 2024, and future periods. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to conclude within the prescribed timeframe that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. This could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.

Additionally, we currently are also a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in the Exchange Act. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures during the year ending December 31, 2024, including for our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024, and our proxy statement to be filed in 2025. Based on our public float on June 28, 2024, the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, we will no longer qualify a smaller reporting company for the year ending December 31, 2025.

Investors may find our common stock less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation of the value of our common stock.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our equity securities. We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of the Loan Agreement restrict our ability to declare and pay dividends without the prior written consent of Oxford. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to any appreciation in the value of our common stock, which is not certain.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. These provisions also could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions:

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establish a classified board of directors such that not all members of the board are elected at one time;

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allow the authorized number of our directors to be changed only by resolution of our board of directors;

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limit the manner in which stockholders can remove directors from the board;

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establish advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals that can be acted on at stockholder meetings and nominations to our board of directors;

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require that stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called stockholder meeting and prohibit actions by our stockholders by written consent;

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prohibit our stockholders from calling a special meeting of our stockholders;

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prohibit cumulative voting;

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authorize our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to institute a stockholder rights plan, or so-called “poison pill,” that would work to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, effectively preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our board of directors; and

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require the approval of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast to amend or repeal certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporations or amended and restated bylaws.

Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), which prohibits a person who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. These provisions could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control transaction. They could also have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our common stock, including transactions that may be in your best interests. These provisions may also prevent changes in our management or limit the price that investors are willing to pay for our stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States are the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction, any state court located within the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) and any appellate court therefrom is the sole and exclusive forum for the following claims or causes of action under the Delaware statutory or common law:

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any derivative claim or cause of action brought on our behalf;

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any claim or cause of action for a breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders;

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any claim or cause of action against us or any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or our bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time);

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any claim or cause of action seeking to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time, including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder);

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any claim or cause of action as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and

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any claim or cause of action against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees governed by the internal-affairs doctrine, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants.

This choice of forum provision would not apply to claims or causes of action brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation further provides that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause or causes of action arising under the Securities Act, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant to such complaint. For the avoidance of doubt, this provision is intended to benefit and may be enforced by us, our officers and directors, the underwriters to any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying such offering. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.

These exclusive forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. If a court were to find the exclusive forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, all of which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

General risk factors

If our information technology systems, or those of any of our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites), or our data are or were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; additional costs; loss of revenue or profits; and other adverse consequences.

In the ordinary course of business, we and our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) process sensitive information.

As a result, we and our third-party partners are vulnerable to a variety of evolving threats that could cause security incidents. Cyberattacks, malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud and other similar activities threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our sensitive information and information technology systems, and those of our third-party partners. These threats are prevalent and continue to rise, are increasingly difficult to detect, and come from a variety of sources, including traditional computer “hackers,” threat actors, “hacktivists,” organized criminal threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), sophisticated nation states, and nation-state-supported actors.

Some actors now engage and are expected to continue to engage in cyber-attacks, including without limitation nation-state actors for geopolitical reasons and in conjunction with military conflicts and defense activities. During times of war and other major conflicts, we and our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) may be vulnerable to a heightened risk of these attacks, including retaliatory cyber-attacks that could materially disrupt our systems and operations, supply chain, and ability to produce, sell and distribute our services.

We and our third-party partners may also be subject to a variety of evolving threats, including but not limited to errors or malfeasance by personnel, malware (including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), software vulnerabilities, hacking, denial of service attacks, credential stuffing, social-engineering attacks (including deep

fakes, which may be increasingly more difficult to identify as fake, and phishing attacks), ransomware attacks, supply-chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology assets, adware, attacks enhanced or facilitated by AI, telecommunications failures, earthquakes, fires, floods and other similar threats.

In particular, severe ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent and can lead to significant interruptions in our operations, ability to provide our products or services, loss of sensitive information and income, reputational harm, and diversion of funds. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations prohibiting such payments.

Remote work has become more common and has increased risks to our information technology systems and sensitive information, as more of our employees utilize network connections, computers, and devices outside our premises or network, including working at home, while in transit and in public locations. Additionally, future or past business transactions (such as acquisitions or integrations) could expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as our systems could be negatively affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated entities’ systems and technologies. Furthermore, we may discover security issues that were not found during due diligence of such acquired or integrated entities, and it may be difficult to integrate companies into our information technology environment and security program.

In addition, our reliance upon third-party partners and technologies to operate critical business systems and to process sensitive information could introduce new cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, including supply-chain attacks, and other threats to our business operations. We rely on third-party partners in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, third-party providers of cloud-based infrastructure, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, content delivery to customers, and other functions. We also rely on third-party partners to provide other products, services, parts, or otherwise to operate our business. Our ability to monitor these third parties’ cybersecurity practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. If our third-party partners experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences. While we may be entitled to damages if our third-party partners fail to satisfy their privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such award. In addition, supply-chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity, and we cannot guarantee that third parties’ infrastructure in our supply chain or our third-party partners’ supply chains have not been compromised.

While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective. We take steps to detect, mitigate, and remediate vulnerabilities in our information systems (such as our hardware and/or software, including that of our third-party partners). We may not, however, detect and remediate all such vulnerabilities including on a timely basis. Further, we may experience delays in developing and deploying remedial measures and patches designed to address identified vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities could be exploited and result in a security incident.

Any of the previously identified or similar threats could cause a security incident or other interruption that could result in unauthorized, unlawful, or accidental acquisition, modification, destruction, loss, alteration, encryption, disclosure of, or access to our sensitive information or our information technology systems, or those of the third-party partners. A security incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites)) to provide our products or services. We may expend significant resources or modify our business activities (including our clinical trial activities) in an effort to protect against security incidents. Additionally, certain data privacy and security obligations may require us to implement and maintain specific security measures, industry-standard or reasonable security measures to protect our information technology systems and sensitive information.

Applicable data privacy and security obligations may require us to notify relevant stakeholders, including affected individuals, customers, regulators and investors, of security incidents. Such disclosures are costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. If we or our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience adverse consequences. These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing information (including personal data); substantial remediation costs; litigation (including class claims); indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; diversion of management attention; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms.

Our contracts may not contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations. We cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect us from or mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.

In addition to experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather, collect, or infer sensitive information about us from public sources, data brokers, or other means that reveals competitively sensitive details about our organization and could be used to undermine our competitive advantage or market position. Additionally, sensitive information of the Company could be leaked,

disclosed or revealed as a result of or in connection with our employees’, personnel’s or third-party partners’ use of generative AI technologies.

Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

We designed our disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably assure that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.

These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

Future changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse and unexpected revenue fluctuations and adversely affect our reported results of operations.

Future changes in financial accounting standards may cause adverse, unexpected revenue fluctuations and affect our reported financial position or results of operations. Financial accounting standards in the United States are constantly under review and new pronouncements and varying interpretations of pronouncements have occurred with frequency in the past and are expected to occur again in the future. As a result, we may be required to make changes in our accounting policies. Those changes could affect our financial condition and results of operations or the way in which such financial condition and results of operations are reported. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from business activities to compliance activities.

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, result in more litigation and divert management’s attention.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Complying with these rules and regulations has increased and will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and operating results. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are required to disclose changes that have materially affected, or are likely to materially affect, our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We may also need to hire additional employees or engage outside consultants to comply with these requirements, which will increase our costs and expenses.

In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be harmed.

These rules and regulations may make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and, in the future, we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.

By disclosing information in SEC filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If those claims are successful, our business could be seriously harmed. Even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, the

time and resources needed to resolve them could divert our management’s resources and seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and, in the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation and shareholder derivative actions. We may be the target of these types of litigation and claims in the future. These claims and litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports, or if they publish adverse or misleading research or reports, regarding us, our business or our market, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business or our market. If few securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us, the stock price would be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts who cover us issue adverse or misleading research or reports regarding us, our business model, our intellectual property, our stock performance or our market, or if our operating results fail to meet the expectations of analysts, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

The terms of the Loan Agreement restrict our ability to declare and pay dividends without the prior written consent of Oxford.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities


Period	(a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased	(b) Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit)	(c) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs	(d) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2024	—	—	—	—
August 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024	4,450 [1]	$2.8968	—	—
September 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024	—	—	—	—
Total	4,450	$2.8968	—	—

[1] Repurchase of unvested shares that were outstanding pursuant to a stock option grant that was early exercised.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

Not applicable.

Item 6. Exhibits


Exhibit Number	Description

3.1	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40407), filed with the SEC on May 18, 2021).

3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40407), filed with the SEC on May 18, 2021).

10.1	Offer Letter, by and between the Registrant and David Johnson, dated June 26, 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40407), filed with the SEC on July 2, 2024).

10.2*	Vera Therapeutics, Inc. 2024 Inducement Plan, as amended.

31.1*	Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2*	Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.1*#	Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.2*#	Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

101.INS*	Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File as its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document

101.SCH*	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema With Embedded Linkbase Documents

104*	Cover Page formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101

* Filed herewith.

# The information in Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (including this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q), unless the Registrant specifically incorporates the foregoing information into those documents by reference.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


	Vera Therapeutics, Inc.

Date: November 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Marshall Fordyce
		Marshall Fordyce, M.D.
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

Date: November 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Sean Grant
		Sean Grant
		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

EX-10.2

Exhibit 10.2

Vera Therapeutics, Inc.

2024 Inducement Plan

Adopted by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors: February 3, 2024

Amended by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors: August 28, 2024

General.

(a)

Eligible Award Recipients. The only persons eligible to receive grants of Awards under this Plan are individuals who satisfy the standards for inducement grants under Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(c)(4) or 5635(c)(3), if applicable, and the related guidance under Nasdaq IM 5635-1. A person who previously served as an Employee or Director will not be eligible to receive Awards under the Plan, other than following a bona fide period of non-employment. Persons eligible to receive grants of Awards under this Plan are referred to in this Plan as “Eligible Employees.” These Awards must be approved by either a majority of the Company’s “Independent Directors” (as such term is defined in Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5605(a)(2)) (“Independent Directors”) or the Company’s compensation committee, provided such committee is comprised solely of Independent Directors of the Company (the “Independent Compensation Committee”) in order to comply with the exemption from the stockholder approval requirement for “inducement grants” provided under Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules. Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(c)(4) and the related guidance under Nasdaq IM 5635-1 (together with any analogous rules or guidance effective after the date hereof, the “Inducement Award Rules”).

(b)

Plan Purpose. The Company, by means of the Plan, intends to provide (i) an inducement material for certain individuals to enter into employment with the Company within the meaning of Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules, (ii) incentives for Eligible Employees to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and any Affiliate and (iii) a means by which Eligible Employees may be given an opportunity to benefit from increases in value of the Common Stock through the granting of Awards.

(c)

Available Awards. The Plan provides for the grant of the following Awards: (i) Nonstatutory Stock Options; (ii) SARs; (iii) Restricted Stock Awards; (iv) RSU Awards; (v) Performance Awards; and (vi) Other Awards.

(d)

Effective Date. The Plan will come into existence on the Effective Date.

Shares Subject to the Plan.

(a)

Share Reserve. Subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) and any adjustments as necessary to implement any Capitalization Adjustments, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to Awards will not exceed 1,250,000 shares of Common Stock.

(b)

Share Reserve Operation.

(i)

Limit Applies to Common Stock Issued Pursuant to Awards. For clarity, the Share Reserve is a limit on the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to Awards and does not limit the granting of Awards, except that the Company will keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock reasonably required to satisfy its obligations to issue shares pursuant to such Awards. Shares may be issued in connection with a merger or acquisition as permitted by, as applicable, Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c), NYSE Listed Company Manual Section 303A.08, NYSE American Company Guide Section 711 or other applicable rule, and such issuance will not reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan.

(ii)

Actions that Do Not Constitute Issuance of Common Stock and Do Not Reduce Share Reserve. The following actions do not result in an issuance of shares under the Plan and accordingly do not reduce the number of shares subject to the Share Reserve and available for issuance under the Plan: (1) the expiration or termination of any portion of an Award without the shares covered by such portion of the Award having been issued; (2) the settlement of any portion of an Award in cash (i.e., the Participant receives cash rather than Common Stock); (3) the withholding of shares that would otherwise be issued by the Company to satisfy the exercise, strike or purchase price of an Award; or (4) the withholding of shares that would otherwise be issued by the Company to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an Award.

(iii)

Reversion of Previously Issued Shares of Common Stock to Share Reserve. The following shares of Common Stock previously issued pursuant to an Award and accordingly initially deducted from the Share Reserve will be added back to the Share Reserve and again become available for issuance under the Plan: (1) any shares that are forfeited back to or repurchased by the Company because of a failure to meet a contingency or condition required for the vesting of such shares; (2) any shares that are reacquired by the Company to satisfy the exercise, strike or purchase price of an Award; and (3) any shares that are reacquired by the Company to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an Award.

Eligibility and Limitations.

(a)

Eligible Award Recipients. Awards may only be granted to persons who are Eligible Employees described in Section 1(a) of the Plan, where the Award is an inducement material to the individual’s entering into employment with the Company or an Affiliate within the meaning of Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules or is otherwise permitted pursuant to Rule 5635(c) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules.

(b)

Limitations on Nonstatutory Stock Options and SARs. Nonstatutory Stock Options and SARs may not be granted to Employees unless the stock underlying such Awards is treated as “service recipient stock” under Section 409A or unless such Awards otherwise comply with the requirements of Section 409A.

(c)

Approval Requirements. All Awards must be granted either by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee.

Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.

Each Option and SAR will have such terms and conditions as determined by the Board. All Options will be Nonstatutory Stock Options. Each SAR will be denominated in shares of Common Stock equivalents. The terms and conditions of separate Options and SARs need not be identical; provided, however, that each Option Agreement and SAR Agreement will conform (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Award Agreement or otherwise) to the substance of each of the following provisions:

(a)

Term. No Option or SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten years from the date of grant of such Award or such shorter period specified in the Award Agreement.

(b)

Exercise or Strike Price. The exercise or strike price of each Option or SAR will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option or SAR may be granted with an exercise or strike price lower than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such Award if such Award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for another option or stock appreciation right pursuant to a Corporate Transaction and in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

(c)

Exercise Procedure and Payment of Exercise Price for Options. In order to exercise an Option, the Participant must provide notice of exercise to the Plan Administrator in accordance with the procedures specified in the Option Agreement or otherwise provided by the Company. The Board has the authority to grant Options that do not permit all of the following methods of payment (or otherwise restrict the ability to use certain methods) and to grant Options that require the consent of the Company to utilize a particular method of payment. The exercise price of an Option may be paid, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law and as determined by the Board, by one or more of the following methods of payment to the extent set forth in the Option Agreement:

(i)

by cash or check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company;

(ii)

pursuant to a “cashless exercise” program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of the Common Stock subject to the Option, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds;

(iii)

by delivery to the Company (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock that are already owned by the Participant free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, with a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise that does not exceed the exercise price, provided that (1) at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly traded, (2) any remaining balance of the exercise price not satisfied by such delivery is paid by the Participant in cash or other permitted form of payment, (3) such delivery would not violate any Applicable Law or agreement restricting the redemption of the Common Stock, (4)

any certificated shares are endorsed or accompanied by an executed assignment separate from certificate, and (5) such shares have been held by the Participant for any minimum period necessary to avoid adverse accounting treatment as a result of such delivery;

(iv)

by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise that does not exceed the exercise price, provided that (1) such shares used to pay the exercise price will not be exercisable thereafter and (2) any remaining balance of the exercise price not satisfied by such net exercise is paid by the Participant in cash or other permitted form of payment; or

(v)

in any other form of consideration that may be acceptable to the Board and permissible under Applicable Law.

(d)

Exercise Procedure and Payment of Appreciation Distribution for SARs. In order to exercise any SAR, the Participant must provide notice of exercise to the Plan Administrator in accordance with the SAR Agreement. The appreciation distribution payable to a Participant upon the exercise of a SAR will not be greater than an amount equal to the excess of (i) the aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Common Stock equivalents that are vested and being exercised under such SAR, over (ii) the strike price of such SAR. Such appreciation distribution may be paid to the Participant in the form of Common Stock or cash (or any combination of Common Stock and cash) or in any other form of payment, as determined by the Board and specified in the SAR Agreement.

(e)

Transferability. Options and SARs may not be transferred to third party financial institutions for value. The Board may impose such additional limitations on the transferability of an Option or SAR as it determines. In the absence of any such determination by the Board, the following restrictions on the transferability of Options and SARs will apply, provided that except as explicitly provided herein, neither an Option nor a SAR may be transferred for consideration:

(i)

Restrictions on Transfer. An Option or SAR will not be transferable, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and will be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant; provided, however, that the Board may permit transfer of an Option or SAR in a manner that is not prohibited by applicable tax and securities laws upon the Participant’s request, including to a trust if the Participant is considered to be the sole beneficial owner of such trust (as determined under Section 671 of the Code and applicable state law) while such Option or SAR is held in such trust, provided that the Participant and the trustee enter into a transfer and other agreements required by the Company.

(ii)

Domestic Relations Orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the execution of transfer documentation in a format acceptable to the Company and subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, an Option or SAR may be transferred pursuant to a domestic relations order.

(f)

Vesting. The Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting and/or exercisability of an Option or SAR as determined by the Board. Except as otherwise

provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, vesting of Options and SARs will cease upon termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service.

(g)

Termination of Continuous Service for Cause. Except as explicitly otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, if a Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Participant’s Options and SARs will terminate and be forfeited immediately upon such termination of Continuous Service, and the Participant will be prohibited from exercising any portion (including any vested portion) of such Awards on and after the date of such termination of Continuous Service and the Participant will have no further right, title or interest in such forfeited Award, the shares of Common Stock subject to the forfeited Award, or any consideration in respect of the forfeited Award.

(h)

Post-Termination Exercise Period Following Termination of Continuous Service for Reasons Other than Cause. Subject to Section 4(i), if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason other than for Cause, the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR to the extent vested, but only within the following period of time or, if applicable, such other period of time provided in the Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate; provided, however, that in no event may such Award be exercised after the expiration of its maximum term (as set forth in Section 4(a)):

(i)

three months following the date of such termination if such termination is a termination without Cause (other than any termination due to the Participant’s Disability or death);

(ii)

12 months following the date of such termination if such termination is due to the Participant’s Disability;

(iii)

18 months following the date of such termination if such termination is due to the Participant’s death; or

(iv)

18 months following the date of the Participant’s death if such death occurs following the date of such termination but during the period such Award is otherwise exercisable (as provided in (i) or (ii) above).

Following the date of such termination, to the extent the Participant does not exercise such Award within the applicable Post-Termination Exercise Period (or, if earlier, prior to the expiration of the maximum term of such Award), such unexercised portion of the Award will terminate, and the Participant will have no further right, title or interest in the terminated Award, the shares of Common Stock subject to the terminated Award, or any consideration in respect of the terminated Award.

(i)

Restrictions on Exercise; Extension of Exercisability. A Participant may not exercise an Option or SAR at any time that the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon such exercise would violate Applicable Law. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, if a Participant’s

Continuous Service terminates for any reason other than for Cause and, at any time during the last thirty days of the applicable Post-Termination Exercise Period: (i) the exercise of the Participant’s Option or SAR would be prohibited solely because the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon such exercise would violate Applicable Law, or (ii) the immediate sale of any shares of Common Stock issued upon such exercise would violate the Company’s Trading Policy, then the applicable Post-Termination Exercise Period will be extended to the last day of the calendar month that commences following the date the Award would otherwise expire, with an additional extension of the exercise period to the last day of the next calendar month to apply if any of the foregoing restrictions apply at any time during such extended exercise period, generally without limitation as to the maximum permitted number of extensions; provided, however, that in no event may such Award be exercised after the expiration of its maximum term (as set forth in Section 4(a)).

(j)

Non-Exempt Employees. No Option or SAR, whether or not vested, granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, will be first exercisable for any shares of Common Stock until at least six months following the date of grant of such Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in accordance with the provisions of the Worker Economic Opportunity Act, any vested portion of such Award may be exercised earlier than six months following the date of grant of such Award in the event of (i) such Participant’s death or Disability, (ii) a Corporate Transaction in which such Award is not assumed, continued or substituted, (iii) a Change in Control, or (iv) such Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Award Agreement or another applicable agreement or, in the absence of any such definition, in accordance with the Company’s then current employment policies and guidelines). This Section 4(j) is intended to operate so that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option or SAR will be exempt from his or her regular rate of pay.

(k)

Whole Shares. Options and SARs may be exercised only with respect to whole shares of Common Stock or their equivalents.

Awards Other Than Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.

(a)

Restricted Stock Awards and RSU Awards. Each Restricted Stock Award and RSU Award will have such terms and conditions as determined by the Board; provided, however, that each Restricted Stock Award Agreement and RSU Award Agreement will conform (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the Award Agreement or otherwise) to the substance of each of the following provisions:

(i)

Form of Award.

(1)

Restricted Stock Awards: To the extent consistent with the Company’s Bylaws, at the Board’s election, shares of Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Award may be (i) held in book entry form subject to the Company’s instructions until such shares become vested or any other restrictions lapse, or (ii) evidenced by a certificate, which certificate will be held in such form and manner as determined by the Board. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, a Participant will have voting and other rights as a stockholder of the Company with respect to any shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award.

(2)

RSU Awards: An RSU Award represents a Participant’s right to be issued on a future date the number of shares of Common Stock that is equal to the number of restricted stock units subject to the RSU Award. As a holder of an RSU Award, a Participant is an unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to the Company’s unfunded obligation, if any, to issue shares of Common Stock in settlement of such Award and nothing contained in the Plan or any RSU Agreement, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate or any other person. A Participant will not have voting or any other rights as a stockholder of the Company with respect to any RSU Award (unless and until shares are actually issued in settlement of a vested RSU Award).

(ii)

Consideration.

(1)

Restricted Stock Awards: A Restricted Stock Award may be granted in consideration for (A) cash or check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company, (B) past services to the Company or an Affiliate, or (C) any other form of consideration (including future services) as a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee may determine and permissible under Applicable Law.

(2)

RSU Awards: Unless otherwise determined by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee at the time of grant, an RSU Award will be granted in consideration for the Participant’s services to the Company or an Affiliate, such that the Participant will not be required to make any payment to the Company (other than such services) with respect to the grant or vesting of the RSU Award, or the issuance of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the RSU Award. If, at the time of grant, a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee determines that any consideration must be paid by the Participant (in a form other than the Participant’s services to the Company or an Affiliate) upon the issuance of any shares of Common Stock in settlement of the RSU Award, such consideration may be paid in any form of consideration as a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee may determine and permissible under Applicable Law.

(iii)

Vesting. The Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of a Restricted Stock Award or RSU Award as determined by the Board. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, vesting of Restricted Stock Awards and RSU Awards will cease upon termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service.

(iv)

Termination of Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason, (i) the Company may receive through a forfeiture condition or a repurchase right any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant under his or her Restricted Stock Award that have not vested as of the date of such termination as set forth in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement and the Participant will have no further right, title or interest in the Restricted Stock Award, the shares of Common Stock subject to the Restricted Stock Award, or any consideration in respect of the

Restricted Stock Award and (ii) any portion of his or her RSU Award that has not vested will be forfeited upon such termination and the Participant will have no further right, title or interest in the RSU Award, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the RSU Award, or any consideration in respect of the RSU Award.

(v)

Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. Dividends or dividend equivalents may be paid or credited, as applicable, with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Award or RSU Award, as determined by the Board and specified in the Award Agreement.

(vi)

Settlement of RSU Awards. An RSU Award may be settled by the issuance of shares of Common Stock or cash (or any combination thereof) or in any other form of payment, as determined by the Board and specified in the RSU Award Agreement. At the time of grant, the Board may determine to impose such restrictions or conditions that delay such delivery to a date following the vesting of the RSU Award.

(b)

Performance Awards. With respect to any Performance Award, the length of any Performance Period, the Performance Goals to be achieved during the Performance Period, the other terms and conditions of such Award, and the measure of whether and to what degree such Performance Goals have been attained will be determined by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee.

(c)

Other Awards. Other forms of Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock, including the appreciation in value thereof, may be granted either alone or in addition to Awards provided for under Section 4 and the preceding provisions of this Section 5. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee will have sole and complete discretion to determine the persons to whom and the time or times at which such Other Awards will be granted, the number of shares of Common Stock (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Other Awards and all other terms and conditions of such Other Awards.

Adjustments upon Changes in Common Stock; Other Corporate Events.

(a)

Capitalization Adjustments. In the event of a Capitalization Adjustment, the Board shall appropriately and proportionately adjust: (i) the class(es) and maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Plan and; (ii) the class(es) and number of securities and exercise price, strike price or purchase price of Common Stock subject to outstanding Awards. The Board shall make such adjustments, and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no fractional shares or rights for fractional shares of Common Stock shall be created in order to implement any Capitalization Adjustment. The Board shall determine an appropriate equivalent benefit, if any, for any fractional shares or rights to fractional shares that might be created by the adjustments referred to in the preceding provisions of this Section.

(b)

Dissolution or Liquidation. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all outstanding Awards (other than Awards consisting of vested and outstanding shares of Common Stock not subject to a

forfeiture condition or the Company’s right of repurchase) will terminate immediately prior to the completion of such dissolution or liquidation, and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Company’s repurchase rights or subject to a forfeiture condition may be repurchased or reacquired by the Company notwithstanding the fact that the holder of such Award is providing Continuous Service, provided, however, that the Board may determine to cause some or all Awards to become fully vested, exercisable and/or no longer subject to repurchase or forfeiture (to the extent such Awards have not previously expired or terminated) before the dissolution or liquidation is completed but contingent on its completion.

(c)

Corporate Transaction. The following provisions will apply to Awards in the event of a Corporate Transaction unless otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Award or any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Board at the time of grant of an Award.

(i)

Awards May Be Assumed. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, any surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company) may assume or continue any or all Awards outstanding under the Plan or may substitute similar awards for Awards outstanding under the Plan (including but not limited to, awards to acquire the same consideration paid to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to the Corporate Transaction), and any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of Common Stock issued pursuant to Awards may be assigned by the Company to the successor of the Company (or the successor’s parent company, if any), in connection with such Corporate Transaction. A surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or its parent) may choose to assume or continue only a portion of an Award or substitute a similar award for only a portion of an Award, or may choose to assume, continue or substitute the Awards held by some, but not all Participants. The terms of any assumption, continuation or substitution will be set by the Board.

(ii)

Awards Held by Current Participants. In the event of a Corporate Transaction in which the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or its parent company) does not assume or continue such outstanding Awards or substitute similar awards for such outstanding Awards, then with respect to Awards that have not been assumed, continued or substituted and that are held by Participants whose Continuous Service has not terminated prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction (referred to as the “Current Participants”), the vesting of such Awards (and, with respect to Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, the time when such Awards may be exercised) will be accelerated in full to a date prior to the effective time of such Corporate Transaction (contingent upon the effectiveness of the Corporate Transaction) as the Board determines (or, if the Board does not determine such a date, to the date that is five (5) days prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction), and such Awards will terminate if not exercised (if applicable) at or prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, and any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to such Awards will lapse (contingent upon the effectiveness of the Corporate Transaction). With respect to the vesting of Performance Awards that will accelerate upon the occurrence of a Corporate Transaction pursuant to this subsection (ii) and that have multiple vesting levels depending on the level of performance, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, the vesting of such Performance Awards will accelerate at 100% of the target level upon the occurrence of the Corporate Transaction in which the Awards are not assumed, continued or substituted in

accordance with Section 6(c)(i). With respect to the vesting of Awards that will accelerate upon the occurrence of a Corporate Transaction pursuant to this subsection (ii) and are settled in the form of a cash payment, such cash payment will be made no later than 30 days following the occurrence of the Corporate Transaction or such later date as required to comply with Section 409A of the Code.

(iii)

Awards Held by Persons other than Current Participants. In the event of a Corporate Transaction in which the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or its parent company) does not assume or continue such outstanding Awards or substitute similar awards for such outstanding Awards, then with respect to Awards that have not been assumed, continued or substituted and that are held by persons other than Current Participants, such Awards will terminate if not exercised (if applicable) prior to the occurrence of the Corporate Transaction; provided, however, that any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to such Awards will not terminate and may continue to be exercised notwithstanding the Corporate Transaction.

(iv)

Payment for Awards in Lieu of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event an Award will terminate if not exercised prior to the effective time of a Corporate Transaction, the Board may provide, in its sole discretion, that the holder of such Award may not exercise such Award but will receive a payment, in such form as may be determined by the Board, equal in value, at the effective time, to the excess, if any, of (1) the value of the property the Participant would have received upon the exercise of the Award (including, at the discretion of the Board, any unvested portion of such Award), over (2) any exercise price payable by such holder in connection with such exercise.

(d)

Appointment of Stockholder Representative. As a condition to the receipt of an Award under this Plan, a Participant will be deemed to have agreed that the Award will be subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Transaction involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a stockholder representative that is authorized to act on the Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.

(e)

No Restriction on Right to Undertake Transactions. The grant of any Award under the Plan and the issuance of shares pursuant to any Award does not affect or restrict in any way the right or power of the Company or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of stock or of options, rights or options to purchase stock or of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stocks whose rights are superior to or affect the Common Stock or the rights thereof or which are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.

Administration.

(a)

Administration by Board. The Board will administer the Plan; provided however, that Awards may only be granted by either (i) a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or (ii) the Independent Compensation Committee. Subject to those constraints and the other constraints of the Inducement Award Rules, the Board may delegate some of its powers of administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees, as provided in subsection (c) below.

(b)

Powers of Board. The Board will have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan and Inducement Award Rules:

(i)

To determine from time to time (1) which of the persons eligible under the Plan will be granted Awards; (2) when and how each Award will be granted; (3) what type or combination of types of Award will be granted; (4) the provisions of each Award granted (which need not be identical), including the time or times when a person will be permitted to receive an issuance of Common Stock or other payment pursuant to an Award; (5) the number of shares of Common Stock or cash equivalent with respect to which an Award will be granted to each such person; (6) the Fair Market Value applicable to an Award; and (7) the terms of any Performance Award that is not valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, the Common Stock, including the amount of cash payment or other property that may be earned and the timing of payment; provided, however, that Awards may only be granted by either (i) a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or (ii) the Independent Compensation Committee.

(ii)

To construe and interpret the Plan and Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Board, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it deems necessary or expedient to make the Plan or Award fully effective.

(iii)

To settle all controversies regarding the Plan and Awards granted under it.

(iv)

To accelerate the time at which an Award may first be exercised or the time during which an Award or any part thereof will vest, notwithstanding the provisions in the Award Agreement stating the time at which it may first be exercised or the time during which it will vest.

(v)

To prohibit the exercise of any Option, SAR or other exercisable Award during a period of up to 30 days prior to the consummation of any pending stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other change affecting the shares of Common Stock or the share price of the Common Stock including any Corporate Transaction, for reasons of administrative convenience.

(vi)

To suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. Suspension or termination of the Plan will not Materially Impair rights and obligations under any Award granted while the Plan is in effect except with the written consent of the affected Participant.

(vii)

To amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable; provided, however, that stockholder approval will be required for any amendment to the extent required by Applicable Law. Except as provided above, rights under any Award granted before amendment of the Plan will not be Materially Impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless (1) the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (2) such Participant consents in writing.

(viii)

To submit any amendment to the Plan for stockholder approval.

(ix)

To approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan and to amend the terms of any one or more Awards, including, but not limited to, amendments to provide terms more favorable to the Participant than previously provided in the Award Agreement, subject to any specified limits in the Plan that are not subject to Board discretion; provided however, that, a Participant’s rights under any Award will not be Materially Impaired by any such amendment unless (1) the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (2) such Participant consents in writing.

(x)

Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan or Awards.

(xi)

To adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or appropriate to permit and facilitate participation in the Plan by, or take advantage of specific tax treatment for Awards granted to, Eligible Employees who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States (provided that Board approval will not be necessary for immaterial modifications to the Plan or any Award Agreement to ensure or facilitate compliance with the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction).

(c)

Delegation to Committee.

(i)

General. Subject to the terms of Section 3(b), the Board may delegate some or all of the administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees. If administration of the Plan is delegated to a Committee, the Committee will have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board that have been delegated to the Committee, including the power to delegate to another Committee or a subcommittee of the Committee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board will thereafter be to the Committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. Each Committee may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with the Committee or subcommittee to which it has delegated its authority hereunder and may, at any time, revest in such Committee some or all of the powers previously delegated. The Board may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with any Committee and may, at any time, revest in the Board some or all of the powers previously delegated.

(ii)

Rule 16b-3 Compliance. To the extent an Award is intended to qualify for the exemption from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act that is available under Rule 16b-3 of the

Exchange Act, the Award will be granted by a Committee that consists solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors, as determined under Rule 16b-3(b)(3) of the Exchange Act and thereafter any action establishing or modifying the terms of the Award will be approved by a Committee meeting such requirements to the extent necessary for such exemption to remain available.

(d)

Effect of Board’s Decision. All determinations, interpretations and constructions made by the Board or any Committee in good faith will not be subject to review by any person and will be final, binding and conclusive on all persons.

(e)

Cancellation and Re-Grant of Awards. Neither the Board nor any Committee will have the authority to: (i) reduce the exercise price or strike price of any outstanding Option or SAR, or (ii) cancel any outstanding Options or SARs that have an exercise price or strike price greater than the current Fair Market Value in exchange for cash or other Awards, unless the stockholders of the Company have approved such an action within twelve months prior to such an event.

Tax Withholding

(a)

Withholding Authorization. As a condition to acceptance of any Award under the Plan, a Participant authorizes withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to such Participant, and otherwise agrees to make adequate provision for (including), any sums required to satisfy any U.S. federal, state, local and/or foreign tax or social insurance contribution withholding obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection with the exercise, vesting or settlement of such Award, as applicable. Accordingly, a Participant may not be able to exercise an Award even though the Award is vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to issue shares of Common Stock subject to an Award, unless and until such obligations are satisfied.

(b)

Satisfaction of Withholding Obligation. To the extent permitted by the terms of an Award Agreement, the Company may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any U.S. federal, state, local and/or foreign tax or social insurance withholding obligation relating to an Award by any of the following means or by a combination of such means: (i) causing the Participant to tender a cash payment; (ii) withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the Award; (iii) withholding cash from an Award settled in cash; (iv) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant; (v) by allowing a Participant to effectuate a “cashless exercise” pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board; or (vi) by such other method as may be set forth in the Award Agreement.

(c)

No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes; No Liability to Claims. Except as required by Applicable Law the Company has no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such holder as to the time or manner of exercising such Award. Furthermore, the Company has no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such holder of a pending termination or expiration of an Award or a possible period in which the Award may not be exercised. The Company has no duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of an Award to the holder

of such Award and will not be liable to any holder of an Award for any adverse tax consequences to such holder in connection with an Award. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, each Participant (i) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates related to tax liabilities arising from such Award or other Company compensation and (ii) acknowledges that such Participant was advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, financial and other legal advisors regarding the tax consequences of the Award and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so. Additionally, each Participant acknowledges any Option or SAR granted under the Plan is exempt from Section 409A only if the exercise or strike price is at least equal to the “fair market value” of the Common Stock on the date of grant as determined by the Internal Revenue Service and there is no other impermissible deferral of compensation associated with the Award. Additionally, as a condition to accepting an Option or SAR granted under the Plan, each Participant agrees not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates in the event that the Internal Revenue Service asserts that such exercise price or strike price is less than the “fair market value” of the Common Stock on the date of grant as subsequently determined by the Internal Revenue Service.

(d)

Withholding Indemnification. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, in the event that the amount of the Company’s and/or its Affiliate’s withholding obligation in connection with such Award was greater than the amount actually withheld by the Company and/or its Affiliates, each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company and/or its Affiliates harmless from any failure by the Company and/or its Affiliates to withhold the proper amount.

Miscellaneous.

(a)

Source of Shares. The stock issuable under the Plan will be shares of authorized but unissued or reacquired Common Stock, including shares repurchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise.

(b)

Use of Proceeds from Sales of Common Stock. Proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to Awards will constitute general funds of the Company.

(c)

Corporate Action Constituting Grant of Awards. Corporate action constituting a grant by the Company of an Award to any Participant will be deemed completed as of the date of such corporate action, unless otherwise determined by the Board, regardless of when the instrument, certificate, or letter evidencing the Award is communicated to, or actually received or accepted by, the Participant. In the event that the corporate records (e.g., Board consents, resolutions or minutes) documenting the corporate action approving the grant contain terms (e.g., exercise price, vesting schedule or number of shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Award Agreement or related grant documents as a result of a clerical error in the Award Agreement or related grant documents, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding right to the incorrect term in the Award Agreement or related grant documents.

(d)

Stockholder Rights. No Participant will be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Common Stock subject to such Award

unless and until (i) such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of the Award pursuant to its terms, if applicable, and (ii) the issuance of the Common Stock subject to such Award is reflected in the records of the Company.

(e)

No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award granted pursuant thereto will confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate at will and without regard to any future vesting opportunity that a Participant may have with respect to any Award (i) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without cause, (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to the terms of such Consultant’s agreement with the Company or an Affiliate, or (iii) the service of a Director pursuant to the Bylaws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state or foreign jurisdiction in which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may be. Further, nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award will constitute any promise or commitment by the Company or an Affiliate regarding the fact or nature of future positions, future work assignments, future compensation or any other term or condition of employment or service or confer any right or benefit under the Award or the Plan unless such right or benefit has specifically accrued under the terms of the Award Agreement and/or Plan.

(f)

Change in Time Commitment. In the event a Participant’s regular level of time commitment in the performance of his or her services for the Company and any Affiliates is reduced (for example, and without limitation, if the Participant is an Employee of the Company and the Employee has a change in status from a full-time Employee to a part-time Employee or takes an extended leave of absence) after the date of grant of any Award to the Participant, the Board may determine, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, to (i) make a corresponding reduction in the number of shares or cash amount subject to any portion of such Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such change in time commitment, and (ii) in lieu of or in combination with such a reduction, extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award. In the event of any such reduction, the Participant will have no right with respect to any portion of the Award that is so reduced or extended.

(g)

Execution of Additional Documents. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, the Participant agrees to execute any additional documents or instruments necessary or desirable, as determined in the Plan Administrator’s sole discretion, to carry out the purposes or intent of the Award, or facilitate compliance with securities and/or other regulatory requirements, in each case at the Plan Administrator’s request.

(h)

Electronic Delivery and Participation. Any reference herein or in an Award Agreement to a “written” agreement or document will include any agreement or document delivered electronically, filed publicly at www.sec.gov (or any successor website thereto) or posted on the Company’s intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Company to which the Participant has access). By accepting any Award the Participant consents to receive documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through any on-line electronic system established and maintained by the Plan Administrator or another third party selected by the Plan

Administrator. The form of delivery of any Common Stock (e.g., a stock certificate or electronic entry evidencing such shares) shall be determined by the Company.

(i)

Clawback/Recovery. All Awards granted under the Plan will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Company’s securities are listed or as is otherwise required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other Applicable Law and any clawback policy that the Company otherwise adopts, to the extent applicable and permissible under Applicable Law. In addition, the Board may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in an Award Agreement as the Board determines necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired shares of Common Stock or other cash or property upon the occurrence of Cause. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to a Participant’s right to voluntarily terminate employment upon a “resignation for good reason,” or for a “constructive termination” or any similar term under any plan of or agreement with the Company.

(j)

Securities Law Compliance. A Participant will not be issued any shares in respect of an Award unless either (i) the shares are registered under the Securities Act; or (ii) the Company has determined that such issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Each Award also must comply with other Applicable Law governing the Award, and a Participant will not receive such shares if the Company determines that such receipt would not be in material compliance with Applicable Law.

(k)

Transfer or Assignment of Awards; Issued Shares. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or the form of Award Agreement, Awards granted under the Plan may not be transferred or assigned by the Participant. After the vested shares subject to an Award have been issued, or in the case of Restricted Stock and similar awards, after the issued shares have vested, the holder of such shares is free to assign, hypothecate, donate, encumber or otherwise dispose of any interest in such shares provided that any such actions are in compliance with the provisions herein, the terms of the Trading Policy and Applicable Law.

(l)

Effect on Other Employee Benefit Plans. The value of any Award granted under the Plan, as determined upon grant, vesting or settlement, shall not be included as compensation, earnings, salaries, or other similar terms used when calculating any Participant’s benefits under any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any Affiliate, except as such plan otherwise expressly provides. The Company expressly reserves its rights to amend, modify, or terminate any of the Company’s or any Affiliate’s employee benefit plans.

(m)

Deferrals. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine that the delivery of Common Stock or the payment of cash, upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may be deferred and may also establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants. Deferrals will be made in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A.

(n)

Section 409A. Unless otherwise expressly provided for in an Award Agreement, the Plan and Award Agreements will be interpreted to the greatest extent possible in a manner that makes the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder exempt from Section 409A, and, to the extent not so exempt, in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A. If the Board determines that any Award granted hereunder is not exempt from and is therefore subject to Section 409A, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award will incorporate the terms and conditions necessary to avoid the consequences specified in Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code, and to the extent an Award Agreement is silent on terms necessary for compliance, such terms are hereby incorporated by reference into the Award Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan (and unless the Award Agreement specifically provides otherwise), if the shares of Common Stock are publicly traded, and if a Participant holding an Award that constitutes “deferred compensation” under Section 409A is a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, no distribution or payment of any amount that is due because of a “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A without regard to alternative definitions thereunder) will be issued or paid before the date that is six months and one day following the date of such Participant’s “separation from service” or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death, unless such distribution or payment can be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A, and any amounts so deferred will be paid in a lump sum on the day after such six month period elapses, with the balance paid thereafter on the original schedule.

(o)

Choice of Law. This Plan and any controversy arising out of or relating to this Plan shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in any application of any law other than the law of the State of Delaware.

10.

Covenants of the Company.

The Company will seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency, as may be deemed to be necessary, having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise or vesting of the Awards; provided, however, that this undertaking will not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Award. If, after reasonable efforts and at a reasonable cost, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority that counsel for the Company deems necessary or advisable for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company will be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise or vesting of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant is not eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the Award if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any Applicable Law.

11.

Additional Rules for Awards Subject to Section 409A.

(a)

Application. Unless the provisions of this Section of the Plan are expressly superseded by the provisions in the form of Award Agreement, the provisions of this Section shall apply and shall supersede anything to the contrary set forth in the Award Agreement for a Non-Exempt Award.

(b)

Non-Exempt Awards Subject to Non-Exempt Severance Arrangements. To the extent a Non-Exempt Award is subject to Section 409A due to application of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement, the following provisions of this subsection (b) apply.

(i)

If the Non-Exempt Award vests in the ordinary course during the Participant’s Continuous Service in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in the Award Agreement, and does not accelerate vesting under the terms of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement, in no event will the shares be issued in respect of such Non-Exempt Award any later than the later of: (i) December 31st of the calendar year that includes the applicable vesting date, or (ii) the 60th day that follows the applicable vesting date.

(ii)

If vesting of the Non-Exempt Award accelerates under the terms of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement in connection with the Participant’s Separation from Service, and such vesting acceleration provisions were in effect as of the date of grant of the Non-Exempt Award and, therefore, are part of the terms of such Non-Exempt Award as of the date of grant, then the shares will be earlier issued in settlement of such Non-Exempt Award upon the Participant’s Separation from Service in accordance with the terms of the Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement, but in no event later than the 60th day that follows the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service. However, if at the time the shares would otherwise be issued the Participant is subject to the distribution limitations contained in Section 409A applicable to “specified employees,” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such shares shall not be issued before the date that is six months following the date of such Participant’s Separation from Service, or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death that occurs within such six month period.

(iii)

If vesting of a Non-Exempt Award accelerates under the terms of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement in connection with a Participant’s Separation from Service, and such vesting acceleration provisions were not in effect as of the date of grant of the Non-Exempt Award and, therefore, are not a part of the terms of such Non-Exempt Award on the date of grant, then such acceleration of vesting of the Non-Exempt Award shall not accelerate the issuance date of the shares, but the shares shall instead be issued on the same schedule as set forth in the Grant Notice as if they had vested in the ordinary course during the Participant’s Continuous Service, notwithstanding the vesting acceleration of the Non-Exempt Award. Such issuance schedule is intended to satisfy the requirements of payment on a specified date or pursuant to a fixed schedule, as provided under Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(a)(4).

(c)

Treatment of Non-Exempt Awards Upon a Corporate Transaction for Employees and Consultants. The provisions of this subsection (c)shall apply and shall supersede anything to the contrary set forth in the Plan with respect to the permitted treatment of any Non-Exempt Award in connection with a Corporate Transaction if the Participant was either an Employee or Consultant upon the applicable date of grant of the Non-Exempt Award.

(i)

Vested Non-Exempt Awards. The following provisions shall apply to any Vested Non-Exempt Award in connection with a Corporate Transaction:

(1)

If the Corporate Transaction is also a Section 409A Change in Control then the Acquiring Entity may not assume, continue or substitute the Vested Non-Exempt Award. Upon the Section 409A Change in Control the settlement of the Vested Non-Exempt Award will automatically be accelerated and the shares will be immediately issued in respect of the Vested Non-Exempt Award. Alternatively, the Company may instead provide that the Participant will receive a cash settlement equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant upon the Section 409A Change in Control.

(2)

If the Corporate Transaction is not also a Section 409A Change in Control, then the Acquiring Entity must either assume, continue or substitute each Vested Non-Exempt Award. The shares to be issued in respect of the Vested Non-Exempt Award shall be issued to the Participant by the Acquiring Entity on the same schedule that the shares would have been issued to the Participant if the Corporate Transaction had not occurred. In the Acquiring Entity’s discretion, in lieu of an issuance of shares, the Acquiring Entity may instead substitute a cash payment on each applicable issuance date, equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant on such issuance dates, with the determination of the Fair Market Value of the shares made on the date of the Corporate Transaction.

(ii)

Unvested Non-Exempt Awards. The following provisions shall apply to any Unvested Non-Exempt Award unless otherwise determined by the Board pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section.

(1)

In the event of a Corporate Transaction, the Acquiring Entity shall assume, continue or substitute any Unvested Non-Exempt Award. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, any Unvested Non-Exempt Award will remain subject to the same vesting and forfeiture restrictions that were applicable to the Award prior to the Corporate Transaction. The shares to be issued in respect of any Unvested Non-Exempt Award shall be issued to the Participant by the Acquiring Entity on the same schedule that the shares would have been issued to the Participant if the Corporate Transaction had not occurred. In the Acquiring Entity’s discretion, in lieu of an issuance of shares, the Acquiring Entity may instead substitute a cash payment on each applicable issuance date, equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant on such issuance dates, with the determination of Fair Market Value of the shares made on the date of the Corporate Transaction.

(2)

If the Acquiring Entity will not assume, substitute or continue any Unvested Non-Exempt Award in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then such Award shall automatically terminate and be forfeited upon the Corporate Transaction with no consideration payable to any Participant in respect of such forfeited Unvested Non-Exempt Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent permitted and in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, the Board may in its discretion determine to elect to accelerate the vesting and settlement of the Unvested Non-Exempt Award upon the Corporate Transaction, or instead substitute a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of such shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant, as further provided in Section 11(d)(ii) below. In the absence of such discretionary election by the Board, any Unvested Non-Exempt Award shall be forfeited without payment of any consideration to the affected Participants if the Acquiring Entity will not assume,

substitute or continue the Unvested Non-Exempt Awards in connection with the Corporate Transaction.

(3)

The foregoing treatment shall apply with respect to all Unvested Non-Exempt Awards upon any Corporate Transaction, and regardless of whether or not such Corporate Transaction is also a Section 409A Change in Control.

(d)

If the RSU Award is a Non-Exempt Award, then the provisions in this Section 11(d)shall apply and supersede anything to the contrary that may be set forth in the Plan or the Award Agreement with respect to the permitted treatment of such Non-Exempt Award:

(i)

Any exercise by the Board of discretion to accelerate the vesting of a Non-Exempt Award shall not result in any acceleration of the scheduled issuance dates for the shares in respect of the Non-Exempt Award unless earlier issuance of the shares upon the applicable vesting dates would be in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A.

(ii)

The Company explicitly reserves the right to earlier settle any Non-Exempt Award to the extent permitted and in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, including pursuant to any of the exemptions available in Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix).

(iii)

To the extent the terms of any Non-Exempt Award provide that it will be settled upon a Change in Control or Corporate Transaction, to the extent it is required for compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, the Change in Control or Corporate Transaction event triggering settlement must also constitute a Section 409A Change in Control. To the extent the terms of a Non-Exempt Award provides that it will be settled upon a termination of employment or termination of Continuous Service, to the extent it is required for compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, the termination event triggering settlement must also constitute a Separation From Service. However, if at the time the shares would otherwise be issued to a Participant in connection with a “separation from service” such Participant is subject to the distribution limitations contained in Section 409A applicable to “specified employees,” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such shares shall not be issued before the date that is six months following the date of the Participant’s Separation From Service, or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death that occurs within such six month period.

(iv)

The provisions in this Section 11(d) for delivery of the shares in respect of the settlement of an RSU Award that is a Non-Exempt Award are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A so that the delivery of the shares to the Participant in respect of such Non-Exempt Award will not trigger the additional tax imposed under Section 409A, and any ambiguities herein will be so interpreted.

12.

Severability.

If all or any part of the Plan or any Award Agreement is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity shall not invalidate any portion of the Plan or such Award Agreement not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of the Plan or any Award Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be

unlawful or invalid shall, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.

13.

Termination of the Plan.

The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.

14.

Definitions.

As used in the Plan, the following definitions apply to the capitalized terms indicated below:

(a)

“Acquiring Entity” means the surviving or acquiring corporation (or its parent company) in connection with a Corporate Transaction.

(b)

“Affiliate” means, at the time of determination, any “parent” or “subsidiary” of the Company as such terms are defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act. The Board may determine the time or times at which “parent” or “subsidiary” status is determined within the foregoing definition.

(c)

“Applicable Law” means the Code and any applicable securities, federal, state, foreign, material local or municipal or other law, statute, constitution, principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, edict, decree, rule, listing rule, regulation, judicial decision, ruling or requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any Governmental Body (including under the authority of any applicable self-regulating organization such as the Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).

(d)

“Award” means any right to receive Common Stock, cash or other property granted under the Plan (including a Nonstatutory Stock Option, a Restricted Stock Award, an RSU Award, a SAR, a Performance Award or any Other Award).

(e)

“Award Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an Award. The Award Agreement generally consists of the Grant Notice and the agreement containing the written summary of the general terms and conditions applicable to the Award and which is provided, including through electronic means, to a Participant along with the Grant Notice.

(f)

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company (or its designee). Any decision or determination made by the Board shall be a decision or determination that is made in the sole discretion of the Board (or its designee), and such decision or determination shall be final and binding on all Participants.

(g)

“Capitalization Adjustment” means any change that is made in, or other events that occur with respect to, the Common Stock subject to the Plan or subject to any Award after the Effective Date without the receipt of consideration by the Company through merger, consolidation,

reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, large nonrecurring cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or any similar equity restructuring transaction, as that term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor thereto). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company will not be treated as a Capitalization Adjustment.

(h)

“Cause” has the meaning ascribed to such term in any written agreement between a Participant and the Company defining such term and, in the absence of such agreement, such term means, with respect to a Participant, the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the Participant’s dishonest statements or acts with respect to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, or any current or prospective customers, suppliers, vendors or other third parties with which such entity does business; (ii) the Participant’s commission of (A) a felony or (B) any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, deceit, dishonesty or fraud; (iii) the Participant’s failure to perform the Participant’s assigned duties and responsibilities to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company which failure continues, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, after written notice given to the Participant by the Company; (iv) the Participant’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or insubordination with respect to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company; or (v) the Participant’s material violation of any provision of any agreement(s) between the Participant and the Company relating to noncompetition, nonsolicitation, nondisclosure and/or assignment of inventions. The determination that a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service is either for Cause or without Cause will be made by the Board with respect to Participants who are executive officers of the Company and by the Company’s chief executive officer with respect to Participants who are not executive officers of the Company. Any determination by the Company that the Continuous Service of a Participant was terminated with or without Cause for the purposes of outstanding Awards held by such Participant will have no effect upon any determination of the rights or obligations of the Company or such Participant for any other purpose.

(i)

“Change in Control” or “Change of Control” means the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:

(i)

any Exchange Act Person becomes the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control shall not be deemed to occur (A) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company directly from the Company, (B) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company by an investor, any affiliate thereof or any other Exchange Act Person that acquires the Company’s securities in a transaction or series of related transactions the primary purpose of which is to obtain financing for the Company through the issuance of equity securities, or (C) solely because the level of Ownership held by any Exchange Act Person (the “Subject Person”) exceeds the designated percentage threshold of the outstanding voting securities as a result of a repurchase or other acquisition of voting securities by the Company reducing the number of shares outstanding, provided that if a Change in Control would occur (but for the operation of this sentence) as a result of the acquisition of voting securities by the Company, and after such share acquisition, the Subject Person becomes the

Owner of any additional voting securities that, assuming the repurchase or other acquisition had not occurred, increases the percentage of the then outstanding voting securities Owned by the Subject Person over the designated percentage threshold, then a Change in Control shall be deemed to occur;

(ii)

there is consummated a merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving (directly or indirectly) the Company and, immediately after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, the stockholders of the Company immediately prior thereto do not Own, directly or indirectly, either (A) outstanding voting securities representing more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the Acquiring Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction or (B) more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the parent of the Acquiring Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, in each case in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such transaction;

(iii)

there is consummated a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, other than a sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries to an Entity, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are Owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such sale, lease, license or other disposition; or

(iv)

individuals who, on the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, are members of the Board (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board; provided, however, that if the appointment or election (or nomination for election) of any new Board member was approved or recommended by a majority vote of the members of the Incumbent Board then still in office, such new member shall, for purposes of this Plan, be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board.

Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Plan, (A) the term Change in Control shall not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company, (B) the definition of Change in Control (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant shall supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement; provided, however, that if no definition of Change in Control or any analogous term is set forth in such an individual written agreement, the foregoing definition shall apply, and (C) with respect to any nonqualified deferred compensation that becomes payable on account of the Change in Control, the transaction or event described in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) also constitutes a Section 409A Change in Control if required in order for the payment not to violate Section 409A of the Code.

(j)

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable regulations and guidance thereunder.

(k)

“Committee” means a committee of one or more Independent Directors to whom authority has been delegated by the Board or in accordance with Section 7(c) of the Plan.

(l)

“Common Stock” means the Class A Common Stock of the Company.

(m)

“Company” means Vera Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

(n)

“Consultant” means any person, including an advisor, who is (i) engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and is compensated for such services, or (ii) serving as a member of the board of directors of an Affiliate and is compensated for such services. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such service, will not cause a Director to be considered a “Consultant” for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person is treated as a Consultant under this Plan only if a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act is available to register either the offer or the sale of the Company’s securities to such person. Consultants are not eligible to receive Awards under the Plan with respect to their service in such capacity.

(o)

“Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. A change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Director or Consultant or a change in the Entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, will not terminate a Participant’s Continuous Service; provided, however, that if the Entity for which a Participant is rendering services ceases to qualify as an Affiliate, as determined by the Board, such Participant’s Continuous Service will be considered to have terminated on the date such Entity ceases to qualify as an Affiliate. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Consultant of an Affiliate or to a Director will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service. To the extent permitted by law, the Board or the chief executive officer of the Company, in that party’s sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service will be considered interrupted in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by the Company or an Affiliate, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave, or (ii) transfers between the Company, an Affiliate, or their successors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a leave of absence will be treated as Continuous Service for purposes of vesting in an Award only to such extent as may be provided in the Company’s leave of absence policy, in the written terms of any leave of absence agreement or policy applicable to the Participant, or as otherwise required by law. In addition, to the extent required for exemption from or compliance with Section 409A, the determination of whether there has been a termination of Continuous Service will be made, and such term will be construed, in a manner that is consistent with the definition of “separation from service” as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).

(p)

“Corporate Transaction” means the consummation, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:

(i)

a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all, as determined by the Board, of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(ii)

a sale or other disposition of at least 50% of the outstanding securities of the Company;

(iii)

a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Company is not the surviving corporation; or

(iv)

a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger, consolidation or similar transaction are converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger, consolidation or similar transaction into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise.

Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Plan, (A) the term Corporate Transaction shall not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company, (B) the definition of Corporate Transaction (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant shall supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement; provided, however, that if no definition of Corporate Transaction or any analogous term is set forth in such an individual written agreement, the foregoing definition shall apply, and (C) with respect to any nonqualified deferred compensation that becomes payable on account of the Corporate Transaction, the transaction or event described in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) also constitutes a Section 409A Change in Control if required in order for the payment not to violate Section 409A of the Code.

(q)

“Director” means a member of the Board. Directors are not eligible to receive Awards under the Plan with respect to their service in such capacity.

(r)

“determine” or “determined” means as determined by the Board or the Committee (or its designee) in its sole discretion.

(s)

“Disability” means, with respect to a Participant, such Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, as provided in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, and will be determined by the Board on the basis of such medical evidence as the Board deems warranted under the circumstances.

(t)

“Effective Date” means February 3, 2024.

(u)

“Employee” means any person employed by the Company or an Affiliate. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such services, will not cause a Director to be considered an “Employee” for purposes of the Plan.

(v)

“Employer” means the Company or the Affiliate of the Company that employs the Participant.

(w)

“Entity” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity.

(x)

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(y)

“Exchange Act Person” means any natural person, Entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act), except that “Exchange Act Person” will not include (i) the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to a registered public offering of such securities, (iv) an Entity Owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of stock of the Company; or (v) any natural person, Entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that, as of the Effective Date, is the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities.

(z)

“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the value of the Common Stock (as determined on a per share or aggregate basis, as applicable) determined as follows:

(i)

If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or traded on any established market, the Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such stock as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Common Stock) on the date of determination, as reported in a source the Board deems reliable.

(ii)

If there is no closing sales price for the Common Stock on the date of determination, then the Fair Market Value will be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

(iii)

In the absence of such markets for the Common Stock, or if otherwise determined by the Board, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Sections 409A and 422 of the Code.

(aa)

“Governmental Body” means any: (a) nation, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature; (b) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government; (c) governmental or regulatory body, or quasi-governmental body of any nature (including any governmental division, department, administrative agency or bureau, commission, authority, instrumentality, official, ministry, fund, foundation, center, organization, unit, body or Entity and any court or other tribunal, and for the avoidance of doubt, any tax authority) or other body exercising similar powers or authority; or (d) self-regulatory organization (including the Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).

(bb)

“Grant Notice” means the notice provided to a Participant that he or she has been granted an Award under the Plan and which includes the name of the Participant, the type of Award, the date of grant of the Award, number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Award

or potential cash payment right, (if any), the vesting schedule for the Award (if any) and other key terms applicable to the Award.

(cc)

“Materially Impair” means any amendment to the terms of the Award that materially adversely affects the Participant’s rights under the Award. A Participant’s rights under an Award will not be deemed to have been Materially Impaired by any such amendment if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant’s rights. For example, the following types of amendments to the terms of an Award do not Materially Impair the Participant’s rights under the Award: (i) imposition of reasonable restrictions on the minimum number of shares subject to an Option or SAR that may be exercised; (ii) to clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with or qualify it for an exemption from, Section 409A; or (iii) to comply with other Applicable Laws.

(dd)

“Non-Employee Director” means a Director who either (i) is not a current employee or officer of the Company or an Affiliate, does not receive compensation, either directly or indirectly, from the Company or an Affiliate for services rendered as a consultant or in any capacity other than as a Director (except for an amount as to which disclosure would not be required under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act (“Regulation S-K”)), does not possess an interest in any other transaction for which disclosure would be required under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, and is not engaged in a business relationship for which disclosure would be required pursuant to Item 404(b) of Regulation S-K; or (ii) is otherwise considered a “non-employee director” for purposes of Rule 16b-3.

(ee)

“Non-Exempt Award” means any Award that is subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A, including as the result of (i) a deferral of the issuance of the shares subject to the Award which is elected by the Participant or imposed by the Company, or (ii) the terms of any Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement.

(ff)

“Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement” means a severance arrangement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company that provides for acceleration of vesting of an Award and issuance of the shares in respect of such Award upon the Participant’s termination of employment or separation from service (as such term is defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code (and without regard to any alternative definition thereunder)) (“Separation from Service”) and such severance benefit does not satisfy the requirements for an exemption from application of Section 409A provided under Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), 1.409A-1(b)(9) or otherwise.

(gg)

“Nonstatutory Stock Option” means any option granted pursuant to Section 4 of the Plan that does not qualify as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

(hh)

“Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

(ii)

“Option” means a Nonstatutory Stock Option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the Plan.

(jj)

“Option Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and the Optionholder evidencing the terms and conditions of the Option grant. The Option Agreement includes the Grant Notice for the Option and the agreement containing the written summary of the general terms and conditions applicable to the Option and which is provided, including through electronic means, to a Participant along with the Grant Notice. Each Option Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(kk)

“Optionholder” means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option.

(ll)

“Other Award” means an award valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock, including the appreciation in value thereof (e.g., options or stock rights with an exercise price or strike price less than 100% of the Fair Market Value at the time of grant) that is not a Nonstatutory Stock Option, SAR, Restricted Stock Award, RSU Award or Performance Award.

(mm)

“Other Award Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and a holder of an Other Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an Other Award grant. Each Other Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(nn)

“Own,” “Owned,” “Owner,” or “Ownership” means that a person or Entity will be deemed to “Own,” to have “Owned,” to be the “Owner” of, or to have acquired “Ownership” of securities if such person or Entity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting, with respect to such securities.

(oo)

“Participant” means an Eligible Employee to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award.

(pp)

“Performance Award” means an Award that may vest or may be exercised or a cash award that may vest or become earned and paid contingent upon the attainment during a Performance Period of certain Performance Goals and which is granted under the terms and conditions of Section 5(b) pursuant to such terms as are approved by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee. In addition, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee may determine that cash or other property may be used in payment of Performance Awards. Performance Awards that are settled in cash or other property are not required to be valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, the Common Stock.

(qq)

“Performance Criteria” means one or more criteria that a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee will select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goals for a Performance Period. The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish such Performance Goals may be based on any one of, or combination of, the following as determined by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee: earnings (including earnings per share and net earnings); earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation; earnings before interest, taxes,

depreciation and amortization; total stockholder return; relative stockholder return; return on equity or average stockholder’s equity; return on assets, investment, or capital employed; stock price; margin (including gross margin); income (before or after taxes); operating income; operating income after taxes; pre-tax profit; operating cash flow; sales or revenue targets; increases in revenue or product revenue; expenses and cost reduction goals; improvement in or attainment of working capital levels; economic value added (or an equivalent metric); market share; cash flow; cash flow per share; share price performance; debt reduction; customer satisfaction; stockholders’ equity; capital expenditures; debt levels; operating profit or net operating profit; workforce diversity; growth of net income or operating income; billings; financing; regulatory milestones; stockholder liquidity; corporate governance and compliance; intellectual property; personnel matters; progress of internal research; progress of partnered programs; partner satisfaction; budget management; partner or collaborator achievements; internal controls, including those related to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; investor relations, analysts and communication; implementation or completion of projects or processes; employee retention; number of users, including unique users; strategic partnerships or transactions (including in-licensing and out-licensing of intellectual property); establishing relationships with respect to the marketing, distribution and sale of the Company’s products; supply chain achievements; co-development, co-marketing, profit sharing, joint venture or other similar arrangements; individual performance goals; corporate development and planning goals; and other measures of performance selected by the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee whether or not listed herein.

(rr)

“Performance Goals” means, for a Performance Period, one or more goals established by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. Performance Goals may be based on a Company-wide basis, with respect to one or more business units, divisions, Affiliates, or business segments, and in either absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more comparable companies or the performance of one or more relevant indices. Unless specified otherwise by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee (i) in the Award Agreement at the time the Award is granted or (ii) in such other document setting forth the Performance Goals at the time the Performance Goals are established, a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee will appropriately make adjustments in the method of calculating the attainment of Performance Goals for a Performance Period as follows: (1) to exclude restructuring and/or other nonrecurring charges; (2) to exclude exchange rate effects; (3) to exclude the effects of changes to generally accepted accounting principles; (4) to exclude the effects of any statutory adjustments to corporate tax rates; (5) to exclude the effects of items that are “unusual” in nature or occur “infrequently” as determined under generally accepted accounting principles; (6) to exclude the dilutive effects of acquisitions or joint ventures; (7) to assume that any business divested by the Company achieved performance objectives at targeted levels during the balance of a Performance Period following such divestiture; (8) to exclude the effect of any change in the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company by reason of any stock dividend or split, stock repurchase, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares or other similar corporate change, or any distributions to common stockholders other than regular cash dividends; (9) to exclude the effects of stock based compensation and the award of bonuses under the Company’s bonus plans; (10) to exclude costs incurred in connection with potential acquisitions or divestitures that are required to be expensed

under generally accepted accounting principles; and (11) to exclude the goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges that are required to be recorded under generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee may establish or provide for other adjustment items in the Award Agreement at the time the Award is granted or in such other document setting forth the Performance Goals at the time the Performance Goals are established. In addition, a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee retains the discretion to reduce or eliminate the compensation or economic benefit due upon attainment of Performance Goals and to define the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period. Partial achievement of the specified criteria may result in the payment or vesting corresponding to the degree of achievement as specified in the Award Agreement or the written terms of a Performance Award.

(ss)

“Performance Period” means the period of time selected by a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to vesting or exercise of an Award. Performance Periods may be of varying and overlapping duration, at the sole discretion of a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors or the Independent Compensation Committee.

(tt)

“Plan” means this Vera Therapeutics, Inc. 2021 Inducement Plan, as amended from time to time.

(uu)

“Plan Administrator” means the person, persons, and/or third-party administrator designated by the Company to administer the day to day operations of the Plan and the Company’s other equity incentive programs.

(vv)

“Post-Termination Exercise Period” means the period following termination of a Participant’s Continuous Service within which an Option or SAR is exercisable, as specified in Section 4(h).

(ww)

“Restricted Stock Award” or “RSA” means an Award of shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 5(a).

(xx)

“Restricted Stock Award Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and a holder of a Restricted Stock Award evidencing the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Award grant. The Restricted Stock Award Agreement includes the Grant Notice for the Restricted Stock Award and the agreement containing the written summary of the general terms and conditions applicable to the Restricted Stock Award and which is provided, including by electronic means, to a Participant along with the Grant Notice. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(yy)

“RSU Award” or “RSU” means an Award of restricted stock units representing the right to receive an issuance of shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 5(a).

(zz)

“RSU Award Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and a holder of an RSU Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an RSU Award grant. The RSU Award Agreement includes the Grant Notice for the RSU Award and the agreement containing the written summary of the general terms and conditions applicable to the RSU Award and which is provided, including by electronic means, to a Participant along with the Grant Notice. Each RSU Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(aaa)

“Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.

(bbb)

“Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.

(ccc)

“Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance thereunder.

(ddd)

“Section 409A Change in Control” means a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets, as provided in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).

(eee)

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(fff)

“Share Reserve” means the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan as set forth in Section 2(a).

(ggg)

“Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right to receive the appreciation on Common Stock that is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 4.

(hhh)

“SAR Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and a holder of a SAR evidencing the terms and conditions of a SAR grant. The SAR Agreement includes the Grant Notice for the SAR and the agreement containing the written summary of the general terms and conditions applicable to the SAR and which is provided, including by electronic means, to a Participant along with the Grant Notice. Each SAR Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(iii)

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to the Company, (i) any corporation of which more than 50% of the outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether, at the time, stock of any other class or classes of such corporation will have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time, directly or indirectly, Owned by the Company, and (ii) any partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect interest (whether in the form of voting or participation in profits or capital contribution) of more than 50%.

(jjj)

“Trading Policy” means the Company’s policy permitting certain individuals to sell Company shares only during certain “window” periods and/or otherwise restricts the ability of certain individuals to transfer or encumber Company shares, as in effect from time to time.

(kkk)

“Unvested Non-Exempt Award” means the portion of any Non-Exempt Award that had not vested in accordance with its terms upon or prior to the date of any Corporate Transaction.

(lll)

“Vested Non-Exempt Award” means the portion of any Non-Exempt Award that had vested in accordance with its terms upon or prior to the date of a Corporate Transaction.

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Marshall Fordyce, certify that:

I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Vera Therapeutics, Inc.;

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13A-15(f) and 15D-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.


Date: November 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Marshall Fordyce
		Marshall Fordyce, M.D.
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Sean Grant, certify that:

I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Vera Therapeutics, Inc.;

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(a)

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.


Date: November 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Sean Grant
		Sean Grant
		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

(1)

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.


Date: November 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Marshall Fordyce
		Marshall Fordyce, M.D.
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

(1)

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.


Date: November 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Sean Grant
		Sean Grant
		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)