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Any of the risks described in our Annual Report are factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in this Quarterly Report. Any of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations or financial condition. Additional risk factors not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, results of operations or financial condition. Except as described below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors that we included in our Annual Report. We may make changes to such risk factors or disclose additional risk factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.
Geopolitical events and global economic conditions, such as public health crises, the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, could seriously and adversely affect our preclinical studies and ongoing and anticipated clinical trials, business, financial condition and results of operations.
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As a result of global economic conditions, including new or increased tariffs imposed by the United States government and potential retaliatory measures by foreign governments and other barriers to trade, especially in light of recent executive orders made by the presidential administration, trade and other international disputes, inflation and fluctuating interest rates, slower growth or recession, tighter credit, volatility in financial markets, high unemployment, labor availability constraints, public health crises, significant natural disasters, including as a result of climate change, changes to fiscal and monetary policy or government budget dynamics, particularly in the pharmaceutical and biotech areas, political and military conflict, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, we may in the future experience disruptions that could seriously harm our business. For example, in early April 2026, the U.S. Administration issued a proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 determining that imports of certain pharmaceutical products, including patented pharmaceuticals, associated active pharmaceutical ingredients and related materials could threaten U.S. national security and authorized the imposition of tariffs of up to 100% on covered imports, beginning July 31, 2026 (the “Pharmaceutical Tariffs”). Imports of certain listed products from specific partner countries, including South Korea and the European Union, may be subject to reduced tariff rates. Certain tariff exemptions or zero-rate treatment may be available for products where all approved indications are designated as orphan, subject to applicable determinations, conditions and implementation guidance. There remains substantial uncertainty as to the implementation and potential impacts of such tariffs, the duration of existing tariffs, tariff levels, and whether additional tariffs or other retaliatory actions may be imposed, modified or suspended. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February 2026 that certain tariffs imposed by the U.S. federal government under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act exceeded presidential authority and therefore are invalid. However, tariffs imposed under different statutes (including the Pharmaceutical Tariffs, if implemented) were not directly impacted by the decision and therefore remain in place.
Other potential disruptions include but are not limited to: delays or difficulties in enrolling patients in, initiating or expanding our clinical trials, including delays or difficulties with clinical site initiation and recruiting clinical site investigators and clinical site staff; increased rates of patients withdrawing from our clinical trials following enrollment as a result of certain health conditions or being forced to quarantine; interruption of key clinical trial activities, such as clinical trial site data monitoring and efficacy, safety and translational data collection, processing and analyses, due to limitations on travel imposed or recommended by federal, state or local governments, employers and others or interruptions of clinical trial subject visits, which may impact the collection and integrity of subject data and clinical trial endpoints; diversion of healthcare resources away from the conduct of clinical trials, including the diversion of hospitals serving as our clinical trial sites and hospital staff supporting the conduct of our clinical trials; delays or disruptions in preclinical experiments and IND-enabling studies due to restrictions of on-site staff and unforeseen circumstances at CROs and vendors; interruption or delays in the operations of the FDA, EMA, and comparable foreign regulatory authorities including delays in receiving approval from local regulatory authorities to initiate our planned clinical trials; interruption of, or delays in receiving, supplies of SLK from our CMOs due to staffing shortages, raw materials shortages, production slowdowns or stoppages and disruptions in delivery systems; and limitations on employee or other resources that would otherwise be focused on the conduct of our clinical trials and preclinical work, including because of sickness of employees or their families, the desire of employees to avoid travel or contact with large groups of people, an increased reliance on working from home, school closures or mass transit disruptions.
Geopolitical events and global economic conditions may also affect the ability of the FDA, EMA, and other regulatory authorities to perform routine functions. If such concerns prevent the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.