9.Sponsored Research and License Agreements

We conduct research and development programs independently and in connection with our corporate collaborators. As of September 30, 2018, we are a party to collaboration agreements, but do not have ongoing performance obligations, with Aclaris Therapeutics International Limited (Aclaris) for the development and commercialization of janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors for the treatment of alopecia areata and other dermatological conditions, AstraZeneca (AZ) for the development and commercialization of R256, an inhaled JAK inhibitor, BerGenBio AS (BerGenBio) for the development and commercialization of AXL inhibitors in oncology, and Daiichi Sankyo (Daiichi) to pursue research related to MDM2 inhibitors, a novel class of drug targets called ligases. Under these agreements, which we entered into in the ordinary course of business, we received or may be entitled to receive upfront cash payments, payments contingent upon specified events achieved by such partners and royalties on any net sales of products sold by such partners under the agreements. Total future contingent payments to us under all of these agreements could exceed $222.9 million if all potential product candidates achieved all of the payment triggering events under all of our current agreements (based on a single product candidate under each agreement). Of this amount, up to $58.0 million relates to the achievement of development events, up to $123.6 million relates to the achievement of regulatory events and up to $41.3 million relates to the achievement of certain commercial or launch events. This estimated future contingent amount does not include any estimated royalties that could be due to us if the partners successfully commercialize any of the licensed products. Future events that may trigger payments to us under the agreements are based solely on our partners’ future efforts and achievements of specified development, regulatory and/or commercial events. In July 2018, Bristol- Myers Squibb Company (BMS) notified us that they will discontinue their participation in the preclinical collaboration of cancer immunotherapies based on our small molecule TGF beta receptor kinase inhibitors which originally commenced in 2015. 

In June 2011, we entered into an exclusive license agreement with BerGenBio for the development and commercialization of an oncology program. BerGenBio is responsible for all activities it wishes to perform under the license we granted to it.  In February 2017, we received $3.3 million from BerGenBio as a result of BerGenBio advancing BGB324, an AXL kinase inhibitor licensed under the agreement, to a Phase 2 clinical study.  All deliverables under the agreement had been previously delivered, as such, the above payment of $3.3 million was recognized as revenue in the first quarter of 2017.