Akorn ( NasdaqGS: AKRX ) is a niche pharmaceutical company engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of multisource and branded pharmaceuticals. Akorn has manufacturing facilities located in Decatur, Illinois, Somerset, New Jersey and Paonta Sahib, India where the Company manufactures ophthalmic and injectable pharmaceuticals.

The Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 5719-1959, which we refer to as the Investment Law, provides certain incentives for capital investments in production facilities (or other eligible assets) by "Industrial Enterprises” (as defined under the Investment Law). Generally, an investment program that is implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Law, is entitled to benefits. These benefits may include cash grants from the Israeli government and tax benefits, based upon, among other things, the geographic location in Israel of the facility in which the investment is made. In order to qualify for these incentives, an Approved Enterprise, a Beneficiary Enterprise or a Preferred Enterprise is required to comply with the requirements of the Investment Law.

our products, are subject to scrutiny under this law. Penalties for federal civil False Claims Act violations may include up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus mandatory civil penalties of between $11,181 and $22,363 for each separate false claim, the potential for exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, and, although the federal False Claims Act is a civil statute, False Claims Act violations may also implicate various federal criminal statutes.

        We expect our expenses to increase in connection with our planned operations. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders may be diluted, and the terms of these securities could include liquidation or other preferences and anti-dilution protections that could adversely affect the rights of our common stockholders. In addition, debt financing, if available, may result in fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, creating liens, redeeming stock or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. In addition, securing financing could require a substantial amount of time and attention from our management and may divert a disproportionate amount of their attention away from day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our management’s ability to oversee the development of our product candidates.

The majority of biopharmaceutical drugs being developed today will require parenteral administration, and many of these compounds will require extended-release performance. Complex, parenteral drug-delivery technologies will meet these requirements. Safe and proven excipients, such as PLG polymers with consistent properties, will play a key role in formulation development.

        The terms of the Merck Agreement contain multiple promised goods and services, which include licenses, research and development activities and participation on the joint steering committee. Payments under the agreement include: (i) an upfront nonrefundable license fee; (ii) payments for research and development services performed by the Company, including reimbursement for certain lab supplies and reagents; (iii) payments based upon the achievement of certain development (pre-clinical and clinical), regulatory and commercial milestones; and (iv) royalties on net product sales, if any.

        In March 2019, we announced pre-clinical data for our first XR formulation of zilucoplan, with a single subcutaneous dose resulting in rapid attainment of target drug concentrations for greater than one week in non-human primates, supporting once weekly or less frequent dosing. Of note, near complete inhibition of terminal complement activity for greater than one week was achieved without the need for prior intravenous loading doses, as measured by an ex vivo hemolysis assay.

To build our finance infrastructure, we may need to improve our accounting systems, disclosure policies, procedures and controls. If we are unsuccessful in building an appropriate accounting infrastructure, we may not be able to prepare and disclose, in a timely manner, our financial statements and other required disclosures, or comply with existing or new reporting requirements. Any failure to report our financial results on an accurate and timely basis could result in sanctions, lawsuits, delisting of our shares from the Nasdaq Capital Market or other adverse consequences that would materially harm our business. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and results of operations could be harmed and investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information.

 “The inspections revealed some problems, none of them critical and all unrelated to the presence of NDMA in valsartan,” says Andre. 

        We were incorporated in Delaware in June 2008. Our principal executive offices are located at 87 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140 and our telephone number is 617-401-4060. Our website address is www.rapharma.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other filing we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

        We have exclusively licensed one patent family directed to an in vitro translation system for incorporating unnatural amino acids from Dr. A. C. Forster. This family, which covers certain rights related to our Extreme Diversity platform, includes five granted patents, including one in the U.S. and four in foreign jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Patents in this family are generally expected to expire in 2022, subject to possible patent term extensions. This license may be terminated if we fail to make payments thereunder, if we commit a material breach of our obligations thereunder, or if we make an assignment for benefit of creditors or have a petition in bankruptcy filed; also, we may terminate the license for any reason upon 30 days’ prior written notice. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have paid an aggregate amount of approximately $280,000 under this license. In connection with the execution of this license, we paid an issue fee of approximately $175,000, and annual maintenance fees are approximately $15,000. In addition, we issued equity in the amount of approximately 8,500 shares of common stock in connection with this license. The license provides for running royalties equal to 0.25% of net sales of licensed products thereunder, payable on a country-by-country and licensed product-by-licensed product basis until the expiration of the last valid claim covering such product in such country.

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