Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

14. Commitments and Contingencies

During three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded the following as lease costs for the periods presented:

    

Three Months Ended March 31, 

    

($ in thousands)

2024

2023

Operating lease cost

$

640

$

1,019

Shared lease costs

 

(523)

(515)

Variable lease cost

 

216

201

Total lease expense

$

333

$

705

The following tables summarize quantitative information about the Company’s operating leases, under the adoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases:

    

Three Months Ended March 31, 

 

    

($ in thousands)

2024

2023

 

Operating cash flows from operating leases

$

(920)

$

(876)

Right-of-use assets exchanged for new operating lease liabilities

$

$

Weighted-average remaining lease term – operating leases (years)

 

4.1

 

4.6

Weighted-average discount rate – operating leases

 

6.5

%  

 

6.6

%

    

Future Lease

($ in thousands)

Liability

Nine Months Ended December 31, 2024

$

2,876

Year Ended December 31, 2025

 

3,799

Year Ended December 31, 2026

 

3,535

Year Ended December 31, 2027

3,191

Year Ended December 31, 2028

3,241

Other

 

8,428

Total operating lease liabilities

 

25,070

Less: present value discount

 

(4,850)

Net operating lease liabilities, short-term and long-term

$

20,220

Indemnification

In accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and indemnification agreements, the Company has indemnification obligations to its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, subject to certain limits, while they are serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. There have been no claims to date, and the Company has director and officer insurance to address such claims. The Company and its subsidiaries and partner companies also provide indemnification of contractual counterparties (sometimes without monetary caps) to clinical sites, service providers and licensors.

Legal Proceedings

In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries and partner companies may be subject to both insured and uninsured litigation. Suits and claims may be brought against the Company by customers, suppliers, partners and/or third parties (including tort claims for personal injury arising from clinical trials of the Company’s product candidates and property damage) alleging deficiencies in performance, breach of contract, etc., and seeing resulting alleged damages.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation v. Caelum Biosciences, Inc.

Caelum Biosciences, Inc. (“Caelum”), a former subsidiary of Fortress that was sold to AstraZeneca’s Alexion (“Alexion”) in October 2021, is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (“UTRF”) captioned as University of Tennessee Research Foundation v. Caelum Biosciences, Inc., No. 19-cv-00508, which is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (the “UTRF Litigation”). UTRF brought claims against Caelum, for, inter alia, tortious interference and trade secret misappropriation. UTRF primarily alleges that Caelum unauthorizedly used non-patent trade secrets owned by UTRF in the development of Caelum’s 11-1F4 monoclonal antibody, known as CAEL-101. Under the agreement pursuant to which Alexion acquired Caelum (as amended, the “DOSPA”), Fortress has indemnification obligations of Caelum under certain circumstances, including for certain of Caelum’s legal expenses and potential damages arising out of the UTRF Litigation (with such indemnification capped in the aggregate as to Fortress at the amount of Caelum acquisition proceeds received by Fortress – approximately $57 million to date - and which, at Caelum’s election, may be satisfiable in the form of offsets against future amounts that Caelum may owe Fortress under the DOSPA). Caelum is defending the UTRF Litigation, with Fortress participating in such defense and maintaining a consent right over any potential settlements. Caelum’s legal fees and costs in defending the UTRF Litigation are being reimbursed by Fortress by distribution from a $15 million escrow account established concurrently with the acquisition of Caelum; Fortress considers the amount remaining in escrow to be in excess of the amount of its anticipated out-of-pocket indemnifiable costs and damages in the UTRF Litigation and therefore has not accrued any liability pertaining to this indemnity. Caelum and Fortress both believe the UTRF Litigation is without merit and intend to continue defending it vigorously (including exhausting all appeals if applicable). Caelum’s motion for summary judgment is currently pending, and a trial is scheduled for September 2024 with respect to any of UTRF’s claims that may survive summary judgment.