ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
We are a global medical technology company focused on improving patient safety and aesthetic outcomes, initially in the breast aesthetics and reconstruction market. We initially incorporated in Costa Rica in 2004 and subsequently reorganized in 2013 under a parent holding company in the British Virgin Islands.
Our line of silicone gel-filled breast implants, branded as Motiva Implants, is the centerpiece of our medical technology platform. Our 5-year results from our Motiva U.S. IDE study as well as our patient and practitioner reported post-market surveillance data indicate that Motiva Implants have low rates of adverse events (including rupture, capsular contracture, and implant-related reoperations) that compare favorably with those of our competitors. We believe these proprietary technologies that differentiate our Motiva Implants result in improved safety and aesthetic outcomes and thus drive our revenue growth.
Since launching Motiva Implants in October 2010, the majority of our revenue has been generated from sales of our Motiva Implants. To date, our Motiva Implants are registered to be sold in over 100 countries, including our line of SmoothSilk Round and SmoothSilk Ergonomix Round Implants recently approved in the United States. Our portfolio of products are commercially available via exclusive distributors or our direct sales force and includes five product families of Motiva Implants: (i) Round and Ergonomix Round, (ii) Ergonomix Oval, (iii) Anatomical TrueFixation, (iv) Ergonomix2 Round and Ergonomix2 Diamond and (v) Flora Tissue Expander.
Our products incorporate first of-its-kind safety features, including: (i) SmoothSilk / SilkSurface (an optimized biocompatible advanced smooth surface that is designed to reduce capsular contracture), (ii) Qid RFID technology and ZEN (a non-invasive, electronically readable serial number that enables product identification and enhances safety and patient peace of mind), (iii) BluSeal visual barrier layer (a proprietary indicator that allows for verification of complete barrier layer presence) and (iv) TrueMonobloc gel-shell-patch configuration (a highly durable, easy-to-insert performance shell, gel and patch system that allows for smaller incisions and smaller scars).
Recent Developments
Regulatory and Operational Updates
On October 14, 2025, we announced the publication of “The 3-Year Results of a 100-Patient Prospective Study of Safety and Effectiveness of Mia Femtech” in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. The study showed a very low rate of complications, with no reports of capsular contracture (Baker Grade III/IV), implant rupture, nipple or breast sensitivity loss, incision-related complications, infection, seroma, rippling, hematoma, or BIA-ALCL; the reoperation rate at 3 years was 1%. Patient and surgeon satisfaction was high, with patients reporting an 87% increase in breast satisfaction at 3 years and 90% of surgeons “very satisfied” with their overall experience and none “dissatisfied”. See “Our Clinical Data—Mia Femtech Clinical Study” below for additional information.
On May 7, 2025, we announced the appointment of Peter Caldini as Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of Juan José Chacón-Quirós as CEO, effective March 1, 2025. Mr. Caldini served as Interim CEO from March 1, 2025 until May 7, 2025. Mr. Chacón-Quirós continued as a member of the Board and as an advisor with the Company.
On March 6, 2025, we partnered with GRAMMY winner Meghan Trainor, generating over 9 billion media impressions and supporting our U.S. market launch.
In February 2025, we launched Preservé, a minimally invasive breast tissue-preserving technology for breast augmentation, revision augmentation and mastopexy augmentation. The initial commercial launch took place in Brazil, with further launches in other countries occurring throughout 2025, including an early experience group in the United States. Launches in additional countries, including a full launch in the United States, are expected in 2026.
Financing Activities
We signed an Inventory Funding Agreement, or Funding Agreement, on May 23, 2025, with RTW Master Fund, LTD., RTW Innovation Master Fund, LTD., and RTW Biotech Opportunities Operating LTD, collectively referred to as the Funding Providers, and RTW Investments, LP, as the funding representative, to finance purchases of silicone raw material to support the manufacture of Motiva Implants in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10 million in a funding period. Under the Funding Agreement, the Funding Providers will finance, upon request, eligible invoices at a 12% annual interest rate for an initial four-month term, or a later date if agreed by the Funding Providers in writing in their sole discretion. We drew $5 million at each of June 20, 2025 and September 26, 2025, and recorded this liability in “Other Liabilities, Short-Term”. On September 25, 2025, the Funding Agreement was amended to extend the due date for the amount received in June 2025 to May 15, 2026.
On September 29, 2025, we entered into a Fourth Amendment to the Credit Agreement, or the Fourth Amendment, which provided for the availability of the Tranche D Term Loans to commence as of the effective date of the amendment, notwithstanding the revenue milestone originally set forth in the Agreement, and (ii) increased, effective September 28, 2025, the minimum liquidity that the Company and its subsidiaries that are guarantors under the Agreement are required to maintain from $25 million to $30 million. The fourth tranche, or the Tranche D Term Loan, of $25 million was advanced in September 2025.
During fiscal 2025, we also entered into short‑term insurance premium financing arrangements to fund the payment of business insurance premiums. The aggregate financing provided under these arrangements totaled approximately $3.4 million and bears interest at rates ranging from approximately 7.7% to 8.3% per annum. The borrowings are short‑term in nature and mature within ten months of issuance.
Our Market
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation surgery is one of the leading aesthetic surgical procedures by number of procedures globally. Approximately 1.7 million breast augmentations were performed worldwide in 2024, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, or ISAPS.
Breast Reconstruction
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons noted in their Procedural Statistics Release that 162,579 breast reconstruction surgeries were performed in 2024 in the United States. According to Grand View Research, the global breast reconstruction market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2025 to 2030. The market, valued at $2.16 billion in 2024, is projected to exceed $3.15 billion by 2030. This growth is expected to be driven by factors like technological advancements, increased awareness, higher disposable income of women, growing medical tourism and a rising number of breast cancer cases worldwide.
Traditional Breast Implants and Their Limitations
Despite the global demand for breast augmentation procedures, there has been relatively little innovation since the 1990s. In 1992, due to emerging safety concerns, the FDA placed a moratorium on sales of silicone breast implants in the United States, which was lifted in 2006. This, combined with the ongoing FDA requirement for a PMA approval of all marketed breast implants, has discouraged breast implant innovation over the past 30 years. Many of the legacy breast implant options have relatively high complication rates, and we believe many do not mimic natural breast tissue.
10-year Competitor CORE Study Date, Primary Augmentations
The table below reports key adverse event information from published data from 10-year prospective Core clinical trials conducted by the only three competitor companies currently approved to market silicone breast implants in the United States.
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| | Sientra 10-Year | | Allergan 10-Year | | Mentor 10-Year |
| Number of Patients | | N=1,116 Patients | | N=455 Patients | | N=552 Patients |
Rupture(1) | | 8.5% | | 9.3% | | 24.2% |
| Capsular Contracture | | 12.9% | | 18.9% | | 12.1% |
| Reoperation | | 24.0% | | 36.1% | | 25.5% |
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Kaplan-Meier risk rates were the primary method of analysis for the above data. This table represents the final data from the primary augmentation cohort of the same study referenced in the above five- and six-year PMA studies conducted by our competitors. This 10-year data for Sientra, Allergan and Mentor was released in 2018, 2018, and 2015, respectively. |
| (1) The rupture rates represent the MRI cohort only for each respective study, which consisted of 571 patients for Sientra, 158 patients for Allergan and 202 patients for Mentor. |
We believe that the improved appearance, more natural feel and patient safety profile of our Motiva Implants provide a strong competitive advantage that will help us to both capture market share and achieve higher patient conversion rates by addressing the primary concerns described by patients who choose not to pursue breast augmentation surgery.
Our Growth Strategy
Our goal is to be the global leader in aesthetic surgical implant technology, including breast implants, while improving patient safety through product innovation. The key elements of our strategy include:
•Expand revenues in the U.S. market. We received 510(k) clearance for the Motiva Flora SmoothSilk Tissue Expander in October 2023 and PMA approval for our Motiva Implants from the FDA in September 2024, and we began commercial sales in the United States in October 2024. The U.S. is one of the largest breast implant market in the world, and Motiva Implants are the first new breast implant PMA-approved by the FDA since 2013.
•Expand revenues in existing markets. We anticipate continued growth in our existing markets, driven by our Motiva Implants and expanding our portfolio of minimally invasive products, including Preservé and Mia Femtech.
•Optimize patient conversion through sales and marketing programs. We employ a multi-faceted marketing strategy that includes social media engagement, influencers, conference presence, online advertising and patient and physician education programs.
•Pursue strategic acquisitions. From time to time, we may seek out other innovative products, services and procedures that complement our existing product portfolio We have acquired distributor networks in strategic markets and may pursue additional acquisitions in the future.
•Continue a high level of engagement with key opinion leaders. We promote Motiva Implants, in part, through physician education events led by key opinion leaders. In 2025 and 2024, we conducted 607 and 239 events, respectively, through our medical educational platform.
Seasonality
Our business is subject to predictable seasonal fluctuations that affect demand for our products and contribute to variability in quarterly results. In the United States, procedural volumes for breast augmentation typically peak in the spring ahead of the summer season and again from October to December and decline in January and February when surgeons attend professional meetings and in late June through early August when patients and surgeons take vacations. These industry‑wide seasonal patterns can lead to U.S. market volume declines of approximately 20% to 30% in certain periods, affecting demand for Motiva Implants.
These seasonal trends contribute to variability in our quarter‑over‑quarter performance and should be considered when evaluating our operating results. Although the degree of seasonality may vary by geography and product line, these patterns are characteristic of the broader breast aesthetics industry and influence both distributor purchasing behavior and direct sales volume.
Our Products and Technologies
The key characteristics of our primary products are described in the table below:
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| Product | | Motiva Round | | Motiva Ergonomix | | Motiva Ergonomix2 | | Motiva Flora Tissue Expander |
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| Description | | Round soft silicone-gel filled breast implants | | Gravity sensitive round soft silicone-gel-filled breast implants | | Gravity sensitive soft silicone-gel-filled breast implants with improved mechanical properties | | Breast tissue expander, used to gradually expand a patient’s breast tissue prior to the placement of a long-term breast implant |
| Product Catalog | | Available in 160 round catalogs, including four projection heights | | Available in 160 round catalogs, including four projection heights | | Available in more than 160 round catalogs, including four projection heights; Available in 60 catalogs for Diamond implants | | Available in 15 catalogs, with three different heights |
| Key Features | | •SilkSurface/SmoothSilk shell surface •ProgressiveGel PLUS Silicone gel fill •TrueMonobloc construction •BluSeal shell barrier layer •Qid Safety Technology RFID microtransponder | | ▪SilkSurface/SmoothSilk shell surface ▪ProgressiveGel Ultima, Silicone gel fill ▪TrueMonobloc construction ▪BluSeal shell barrier ▪Qid Safety Technology RFID microtransponder ▪Ergonomy and more natural look
| | ▪SilkSurface/SmoothSilk shell surface •ProgressiveGel Ultima, Silicone gel fill ▪TrueMonobloc+ construction ▪BluSeal+ shell barrier •ZEN RFID microtransponder ▪Motiva SuperSilicones
| | ▪SilkSurface/SmoothSilk shell surface ▪Anatomical design ▪Compatible with MRI and CT scans ▪Injection site located with RF technology, using the Motiva Port Locator ▪Orientation line observable on X-Ray ▪Fixation suture tabs |
| Sales Territories | | Over 100 countries |
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Motiva Implants
The Motiva breast implants are a Class III Medical Device (based on the designations in the U.S. and the E.U.) indicated for breast augmentation and breast reconstruction, including revision surgeries to correct or improve the result of a previous breast implant surgery. We launched Motiva Implants commercially in October 2010. Motiva Implants incorporate several proprietary features that we believe contribute to their favorable safety profile, natural appearance and feel. Our latest generation of Motiva Implants utilizes our proprietary Gravity Sensitive Ergonomix design, with a round base implant that responds to gravity by shifting its maximum point of projection, offering the more “natural” projection of a shaped implant without the malposition and rotation issues frequently associated with shaped implants. Furthermore, our fill material with the ProgressiveGel platform of silicone gel rheologies consists of highly purified biocompatible gels with specific viscoelastic properties that we believe enables Motiva Implants to respond to the patient’s motion in ways that more closely mimic the appearance, feel and movement of natural breast tissue. Our catalog includes over 1,000 product variations with round, oval and anatomical
shapes and volumes ranging from 95cc to 1060cc, resulting in a wider range of options than those offered by our major competitors.
Ergonomix2 incorporates the latest innovations, including our most advanced ultra-high purity chemistries designed for enhanced device safety mechanical properties and improved patient ergonomics. Ergonomix2 also features our patented SmoothSilk surface technology, which is the basis of Motiva Implants’ low inflammatory characteristics that have contributed to the lowest capsular contracture rates in the industry. Ergonomix2 was CE marked in December 2020 and labeled for use in both aesthetic and reconstruction procedures.
A study published in February 2023 by the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons of breast reconstruction procedures using Ergonomix from January 2017 to January 2022 for 156 patients concluded that Ergonomix implants showcase a unique set of technologies that provide good results with a low complication rate.
Shell Surface: SmoothSilk
The surface topography of the breast implant shell surface varies between commercially available breast implants. Our SmoothSilk surface on all Motiva Implants was designed to reduce the inflammatory process caused by the immune response, enhancing product biocompatibility. The controlled manufacturing process provides the same surface topography around the entire implant for the benefit of patients.
Our retrospective implant data shows that Motiva Implants have a lower rate of capsular contracture and seromas when compared to published data from competitors. We believe that these results are due in large part to the proprietary surface of our Motiva Implants. Our proprietary shell surfaces have an average roughness of 4 microns and have more uniform surface features than those of our primary competitors based on several studies using methods such as scanning electron microscopy, profilometry testing and statistical parameters comparisons.
An abstract presented in 2017 by researchers at Montana State University showed less accumulation of both bacteria and biofilm on SmoothSilk surface in vitro when compared to smoother and textured implant surfaces. Biofilm formed on implant surfaces increases the risk of bacteria accumulation and capsule formation.
In December 2018, we commissioned an independent report from the French reference laboratory Laboratoire National de Metrologie et d’Essais, or LNE, on the surface characteristics of our Motiva Implants. Based upon its testing, LNE concluded that the SmoothSilk shell surface in the Motiva Implants is a smooth surface as defined by ISO 14607:2018 categorization.
A 2021 published study with a high impact factor in Nature Biomedical Engineering led by Professor Robert Langer, Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, concluded that the SmoothSilk surface can largely suppress the foreign body response and fibrosis provoking the least amount of inflammation in comparison with the other commercially available surfaces. A larger percentage of macrophages in the cell mix indicates an inflammatory response, which is an early stage in capsule formation. We believe the more moderate inflammatory response observed on SmoothSilk is responsible for improved biocompatibility and lower complication profile.
In November 2022, another publication related to the SmoothSilk surface was published in the Journal of Engineering Tribology by researchers from the College of Engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara. The extent of the surface roughness as examined for the silicone implant shells for SmoothSilk resulted in the lowest friction coefficient and fewest wear debris particles in the size range favored by the macrophages. This highlights the optimal ranges of the SmoothSilk design to reduce frictional shared stress and wear debris during the tribological interactions.
ProgressiveGel Family
The proprietary silicone chemistries that comprise our ProgressiveGel family allow for a high degree of viscoelasticity and strength while adding characteristics such as softness and high ductility that enable movement dynamics more like that of natural breast tissue. We believe that the cohesive properties reduce the likelihood of silicone gel leakage in the event of a rupture in the shell. The strength of the gel is believed to contribute to a reduced frequency of gel fracture, a condition which leads to deformed implant shape and stress on the implant’s shell. While other manufacturers have claimed a “high strength” gel, ours combines a notably high elasticity (the ability to stretch without permanent deformation) with low viscosity, both of which are designed to reduce the susceptibility of the implants to rupture while improving their tactile feel and movement dynamics. Additionally, the
improved adhesion of the gel to the shell structure avoids the appearance of separation spots, an aesthetic defect commonly seen in competitor products.
In addition to the anticipated safety advantages, our ProgressiveGel family provides for movement characteristics that resemble natural breast tissue. Our later generation Ergonomix products further mimic natural tissue, with a maximum point of projection that shifts lower to create a natural human breast shape when a patient is standing. This allows our Motiva Implants to provide the more natural aesthetics of “shaped” or “teardrop” implants without the risk of associated drawbacks such as breast deformation from rotation and unnaturally hard tactile feel. The images below illustrate the implants’ ability to change shape depending on the patient’s positioning.
TrueMonobloc
Our TrueMonobloc technology, which is incorporated into all generations of Motiva Implants currently sold, combines proprietary chemistry with our proprietary manufacturing techniques to create a shell, gel and other components that are tightly bound to one another. This results in an implant that is more homogeneously elastic and resistant to separation of the gel from the shell, addressing one type of implant failure that can lead to shell ruptures and silicone leaks. This also enables Motiva Implants to be stretched and squeezed to a more significant degree, which we believe currently enables breast augmentation through incision sizes smaller than one inch, compared with the published industry norm of approximately two inches. A surgical technique that we have developed, which we call Minimally Invasive Aesthetics, or Mia Femtech, utilizes our next-generation Ergonomix2 Diamond implant to take advantage of these physical properties to enable a less-invasive procedure for the patient. The following image shows that TrueMonobloc enables significant manipulation of a Motiva Implant without separation of gel from shell.

Radio-Frequency Identification Platform (RFID) Technology
We offer a Radio-Frequency Identification Device microtransponder (also referred to as Qid, or the latest generation, ZEN) that is placed in the filling gel as an optional feature for all implant styles. This microtransponder provides each device with a unique electronic serial number for traceability purposes.
The microtransponder contains only a unique 15-digit code that identifies the product and does not contain any patient information. This microtransponder can be read with a simple pass from our non-invasive and inexpensive reading device, the Qid Safety Technology Reader, and the serial number corresponds with related information in our MotivaImagine database such as implant type, size and other characteristics. Patients can create a secure account, register the products and include applicable patient information either through the MotivaImagine application or our website, to access their implant information. The MotivaImagine application and Motiva Implants website also allow the patient to access the implant warranty information. This traceability is intended to give patients comfort that any future recalls can be positively identified as applying, or not applying, to that patient’s particular implant. This addresses a key concern that often discourages women who are otherwise interested in implants from making the choice to move forward with the surgery. Motiva Implants are currently the only breast implants on the international market with Qid Safety Technology; however, we believe there is an opportunity to sell these microtransponders to other medical device companies in the space.
Each implant’s unique electronic serial number is encoded into the RFID circuitry as part of a three-point authentication system: the microtransponder, the reader and the database. This authentication system prevents unauthorized access to any personal information of the patient and is compliant with FDA regulations.
In October 2023, we announced Zen, which is part of our next generation Zensor RFID platform. The new Zen technology has all the previous benefits of Qid, but is now entirely non-ferromagnetic. In 2023, the Motiva Ergonomix2 Diamond implants used in the Mia Femtech system feature Zen and are available in select geographies with Motiva Ergonomix2 Round Implants in programs like the JOY program. We believe the Zensor platform has the potential to add additional capabilities in future generations, such as the measurement of temperature and other parameters. Zen with temperature sensing is currently in human trials as part of an IRB-approved study.
BluSeal
The Motiva Implant shell is constructed of successive layers of silicone elastomer and a low diffusion barrier layer. The key function of the low diffusion barrier layer is to prevent diffusion of low molecular weight siloxane species from the implant to the tissues. This barrier layer embeds our BluSeal indicator technology, which is a key feature used during the manufacturing process to verify that the barrier is present in a uniform way around the entire shell. It is also used as a visual quality control and safety measure to minimize potential gel diffusion. This patented manufacturing innovation is intended to highlight any imperfections in the barrier layer coverage with a distinct color. Our BluSeal indicator technology also provides the plastic surgeon with the ability to verify whether the barrier layer has coverage defects or other imperfections before implantation that might lead to post-implantation shell rupture or gel bleed. We believe this is another safety innovation that contributes to our substantially lower reported implant rupture rates as compared to reports for our primary competitors.
Motiva Flora Tissue Expander
The Motiva Flora Tissue Expander is used in breast reconstruction surgery for temporary implantation (less than six months) to gradually expand the breast tissue prior to the placement of a long-term breast implant. After implantation, the device is periodically filled with saline solution via an injection port to increase its volume to stretch the skin and create a pocket for breast implant placement. The injection port is dome-shaped and includes an RFID coil, which can be accurately located utilizing the port locator. The Motiva Flora Tissue Expander is the first MRI Conditional expander and is the only tissue expander in the market with an integrated RFID port with no magnets, allowing for use of the expander safely alongside MRI (1.5 and 3 Tesla) scanning. The Motiva Flora received CE mark in June 2020 and 510(k) clearance from the FDA in October 2023 and has been registered in 79 countries. The Motiva Flora also includes the SmoothSilk surface, which provides biocompatibility benefits described above. Our catalog includes 15 variations, including three different heights, and a range of volumes from 260 to 995 cc.

Minimally Invasive Aesthetics: Preservé and Mia Femtech
In February 2025, we introduced Preservé in targeted markets, a minimally invasive breast tissue-preserving technology designed for breast augmentation, revision augmentation, and mastopexy augmentation. This innovative solution aims to maintain the structural anatomy and function of the breast during aesthetic surgery, resulting in more stable and natural outcomes compared to traditional methods. Preservé utilizes our proprietary minimally invasive surgical tools along with Ergonomix2 implants, which feature the patented SmoothSilk surface for improved biocompatibility and softness. These implants are unique in the industry, adapting their shape as the body changes position. Preservé is suitable for primary augmentations of up to four cups, hybrid augmentations, and mastopexy augmentations. The initial commercial launch occurred in Brazil, with further launches in other countries occurring throughout 2025, including an early experience group in the United States. Launches in additional countries, including a full launch in the United States, are expected in 2026.
In April 2023, we launched Mia Femtech — a patient-centric procedure designed to allow breast augmentation to be performed under local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia, through smaller incisions, with faster recovery times and a resulting reduction in surgical complications. The Mia Femtech system includes the specially-designed Ergonomix2 Diamond implant, which received CE mark in December 2020, and its proprietary tools, including the Motiva Inflatable Balloon and the Motiva Injector.
In December 2020, we received a CE mark for our Motiva Ergonomix2 Diamond breast implant, the implant used in the Mia Femtech procedure. In early 2021, we completed enrollment in our one hundred patient Mia® Femtech case series in Costa Rica. In October 2025, we published the three-year results of the Motiva Femtech Clinical Study. The study, which had a three-year follow-up compliance rate of 93%, found no reports of capsular contracture (Baker Grade III/IV), ruptures (suspected or confirmed), bleeding, hematoma, or seroma requiring intervention in the study. Based on our market research, we believe Mia Femtech will continue to attract new consumers and expand the market for breast aesthetic procedures.
We currently offer Mia Femtech in multiple countries across the world with plastic surgeons fully certified to provide the Mia experience.
Our Clinical Data
Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) Study to Support PMA
We are conducting a prospective IDE clinical trial in the United States on our Motiva Round and Motiva Ergonomix Round product families. Our IDE submission was approved by the FDA on March 20, 2018 to perform
a single open-label, prospective, multi-center trial, with follow-up visit data reported annually and at the time of filing. We will continue to monitor patients for ten years post-implantation. The primary endpoints of the trial are safety, effectiveness and patient satisfaction. In general, our trial design and patient enrollment are consistent with prior PMA studies conducted by Allergan, Mentor, and Sientra. In August 2019, we announced that we were implementing a bifurcated regulatory strategy in the United States, which is designed to allow us to initiate the rolling submission of data to the FDA from the primary augmentation and revision augmentation cohorts, and then subsequently supplement our PMA with data from the reconstruction cohorts. All the enrollment procedures and the three-year study subject follow-up have been completed in the aesthetics cohort, which includes primary augmentation and revision augmentation, with total enrollment of 451 and 265 subjects, respectively. In the fourth quarter of 2021, we initiated a modular PMA submission process with the FDA and submitted the first of four expected modules. In April 2022, we released preliminary results of the two-year patient follow-up data for the primary augmentation cohort of our IDE clinical trial. The second module was submitted in May 2022. In June 2022, full enrollment of the IDE clinical trial was complete, and all surgeries in the primary reconstruction cohort were performed. In August 2022, the third module was submitted to the FDA. The final fourth module was submitted to the FDA in February 2023.
We received FDA PMA approval for the augmentation cohort in September 2024. The IDE Study reconstruction cohort is ongoing with all reconstruction patients having recently completed 3-years of study follow-up.
In March 2025, the results of the Motiva US IDE Study were published, including the five-year data for 451 primary augmentation patients enrolled in the study based on a follow-up compliance rate of 89%. The five-year, by-patient, Kaplan-Meier risk rates of first occurrence of complications for patients (95% confidence interval) in the primary augmentation cohort were as follows:
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| Primary Augmentation | | 5-year (N=451), 95% CI |
| Capsular contracture (Baker Grade III/IV) | | 0.5% |
Rupture, suspected or confirmed; MRI cohort(1) | | 0.6% |
| Breast pain | | 1.2% |
| Infection | | 0.9% |
| Implant removal, with or without replacement | | 3.1% |
Any reoperation(2) | | 8.8% |
Any complication(3) | | 12.0% |
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Kaplan-Meier risk rates were the primary method of analysis for the above data. This table represents preliminary data available as of September 2024 and does not necessarily reflect final clinical results nor demonstrate the investigational device’s safety and effectiveness for the U.S. trial. |
(1) MRI cohort N=176 (2) Any surgery on the breast or chest area, device or non-device related, including size change (3) Any device or non-device related event, including reoperation |
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Mia Femtech Clinical Study
We are conducting an Institutional Review Board, or IRB, approved prospective study that enrolled 100 subjects between December 2020 and April 2021. In October 2025, we published the three-year results of the Motiva Femtech Clinical Study of data based on a follow-up compliance rate of 93%. The three-year risk rates of first occurrence of complications for patients (95% confidence interval) in the Mia Femtech cohort were as follows:
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| Primary Augmentation | | 3-year (N=100), 95% CI |
| Capsular contracture (Baker Grade III/IV) | | 0.0% |
Rupture, suspected or confirmed(1) | | 0.0% |
| Infection | | 0.0% |
| Seroma | | 0.0% |
| Hematoma | | 0.0% |
| Changes in Nipple Sensation | | 0.0% |
| Changes in Breast Sensation | | 0.0% |
Malposition/Displacement(2) | | 1.0% |
| Inferior malposition | | 0.0% |
| Any reoperation | | 1.0% |
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This table represents preliminary follow-up data available as of October 2025 and does not necessarily reflect final clinical results nor demonstrate the ultimate safety or effectiveness of the Mia Femtech procedure. |
(1) Includes overall and MRI cohort (33 subjects/ 66 implants) combined (2) One patient had an implant malposition and underwent implant reposition; no implant exchange |
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Patient and Practitioner-Reported 15-Year Safety Post-Market Surveillance Data Dating from the commercial launch of Motiva Implants in October 2010 through December 2025, we have sold over 4.8 million breast implants in various countries. We maintain a Quality Management System database to track and report complaints received from patients or physicians. From October 2010 through December 2025, a total of 7,400 complaints have been reported, investigated and processed, representing approximately 0.1% of the total Motiva Implants sold through December 2025. There were no reported cases of double capsule formation or primary cases of breast-implant associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, or BIA-ALCL, in this data set. There were 82 cases of early seroma and 28 cases of late seroma reported. The table below shows the rates of rupture, capsular contracture and reoperation for adverse events of our Motiva Implants from the data gathered through December 2025. In contrast to the above 10-year competitor CORE Study data required for FDA PMA reporting, our PMS data is collected to monitor product safety and effectiveness in the commercial setting.
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| | Motiva Implants |
| Number of Implants Sold | | N= 4,841,575 Implants(1) |
| Rupture | | < 0.1% |
| Capsular Contracture | | < 0.1% |
| Reoperation for Adverse Events | | < 0.1% |
| Reoperation (All Causes) | | N/A(2) |
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| (1) Data is internally tracked on an individual implant basis rather than by patient. |
| (2) Complaint database does not capture reoperations for reasons not related to safety. |
Sales and Marketing
We primarily derive revenue from sales of our Motiva Implants from two types of customers: (1) medical device distributors and (2) direct sales to physicians, hospitals, and clinics. Our products are commercially available in over 100 countries through exclusive distributors, except in the United States, Brazil, Argentina and several European countries where we sell through our direct sales force. As of December 31, 2025, our sales organization included 278 employees and contractors. All of these sales personnel are supported through a suite of tools, including marketing and training materials, mobile smartphone applications, and access to a robust schedule of physician education events. We also pay significant attention to helping our distributors maintain positive
relationships with surgeons and clinics in their respective regions, and to positioning our product in the marketplace as a premium product with consequent premium pricing.
We demonstrate our confidence in Motiva Implants with the Motiva Always Confident Warranty, which offers patients a free replacement for any Motiva Implant that ruptures, for the life of the product. We also replace any implant which is replaced due to capsular contracture of Baker Grade III or IV severity at any time in the first 10 years of post-implantation. In addition, we offer an extended warranty at additional cost outside the JOY program, which provides financial assistance to cover surgical costs resulting from rupture or capsular contracture. In the United States, the Motiva Health Program also covers implant replacement for late forming seroma and double capsule complication within 10 years post-implantation and provides financial assistance for surgical costs related to BIA-ALCL. An extended warranty is available for an additional cost, covering up to $15,000 for surgical expenses based on specific circumstances.
We employ a multi-faceted marketing strategy that includes social media engagement, influencers, conferences, advertisements and education.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends at least in part upon our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and trademarks, as well as customary contractual protections.
We have assembled a broad portfolio of intellectual property related to our medical device and aesthetics products. We believe this intellectual property, combined with proprietary manufacturing processes and the regulatory approvals we have successfully obtained outside of the United States, provide us with a strong market position. As of December 31, 2025, we own or have rights to 36 issued, 1 allowed and 12 pending patents in the United States related to various aspects of our Motiva Implants (such as implant barrier layers, surface texture technology, minimally invasive implant delivery systems, minimally invasive and tissue preservation procedures and systems and our Qid Safety Technology or ZEN radio frequency identification devices). In addition, we own or have rights to 178 issued, 1 allowed and 48 pending foreign applications and 1 pending Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT, application. Our owned and licensed patents are expected to expire at various times between March 2032 and February 2040. Our owned and licensed pending applications, if granted, likely would expire between September 2033 and October 2045.
In addition to pursuing patents on our products, we have taken steps to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality agreements and intellectual property assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, corporate partners, and, when needed, our advisors. Such agreements may not be enforceable or may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets or other proprietary information in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure or other breaches of the agreements, and we may not be able to prevent such unauthorized disclosure. Monitoring unauthorized disclosure is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to prevent such disclosure are, or will be, adequate. In addition, we intend to expand our international operations, and effective patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret protection may not be available or may be limited in foreign countries.
In general, the medical device industry is characterized by the existence of a large number of patents and frequent allegations and related litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. Third parties, including our competitor companies, may assert patent, copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights against us, our partners or our customers. Our standard license and other agreements may obligate us to indemnify our partners and customers against such claims. We could incur substantial costs and divert the attention of our management and technical personnel in defending against any such claims. Successful claims of infringement by a third party could prevent us from selling or distributing certain products or performing certain services, require us to expend time and resources to develop non-infringing products, or force us to pay substantial damages, including treble damages if we are found to have willfully infringed patents-royalties or other fees. We cannot assure you that we do not currently infringe, or that we will not in the future infringe, upon any third-party patents or other proprietary rights.
Research and Development
Our goal is to continue to improve our existing products, as well as develop new products and new surgical techniques. We have a highly experienced team and deep customer and key opinion leader relationships. We also have sophisticated internal prototyping and testing equipment.
We have and will continue to work with several institutions in our effort to advance implant technology and generate additional scientific data to support the improved safety outcomes associated with our products, including:
•Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•Medical University of Innsbruck
•Department of Bioengineering at Rice University
•University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences
•University of California, Santa Barbara
•University Hospital Ghent Department of Plastic Surgery
•The Chair of Plastic Surgery at the School of Medicine and Psychology of Sapienza University of Rome
We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, significant R&D expenses. We incurred R&D expenses of $20.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $19.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our R&D expenses consist of costs associated with our clinical and post-approval studies, regulatory activity and product development, including the development of Motiva Implants and other current and future aesthetic and reconstruction surgical devices on our product platform.
Implantable RFID Microtransponder Platform
The RFID technology platform that we use in the Qid feature of our Motiva Implants is independently cleared as a system via the FDA’s 510(k) pathway. We are developing more sophisticated functionality using this technology platform. We believe our RFID technology will be an attractive platform for a variety of other applications, including unique device identification for other types of implantable medical devices, functional implantable biosensors, and diagnostic monitoring. Future specific indications include detection of device life cycles (e.g., flexion/contraction cycles for artificial hip and knee joints) and monitoring of analytes such as circulating tumor cells and blood chemistry components. Some of these applications we may choose to develop and commercialize internally, while others may be more appropriately commercialized via partnerships with other medical device companies. In October 2023, we launched Zen, a non-ferromagnetic, next- generation passive RFID technology available in Motiva Ergonomix2 Diamond implants used in the Mia Femtech system and select geographies with Motiva Ergonomix2 Round Implants in the JOY program.
We control all the activities of the development and manufacturing of our Qid Safety Technology RFID transponders. This allows us to adapt to specific needs or new developments in our field.
Manufacturing and Suppliers
Facilities
We manufacture our products in ISO-13485-certified manufacturing facilities located in the Coyol Free Zone office park in Alajuela, Costa Rica, a park populated by a number of international medical device companies and granted tax-advantaged status by the government of Costa Rica.
Our two manufacturing facilities include our original manufacturing facility opened at the end of 2016 and the newly-constructed corporate office and manufacturing facility we finalized in 2024. The original facility has approximately 28,000 square feet of office space and production areas which are capable of producing over 400,000 implants a year, with state-of-the-art support systems for sustaining production, including an ice-bank system for cooling the controlled air in the clean room and support areas, water-lubricated air compressors for eliminating the presence of particulates, heat recovery systems for energy saving, and an energy micro-grid comprised of solar panels and energy-storage batteries. These energy efficient systems generate up to 80% of the total energy consumption of the building, which received LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in August 2017.
In June 2024, we finalized the construction of our Sulàyöm Innovation Campus including 100,000 square feet of manufacturing, medical, research, and office space allowing us to increase our manufacturing capacity by approximately 730,000 units per year. The facility has space to further expand manufacturing capacity, as needed. The facility obtained necessary regulatory approvals and commenced manufacturing by the end of fiscal 2024. The Sulàyöm Innovation Campus is certified as LEED Platinum and EDGE Advanced, reflecting adherence to the
highest international standards of sustainable construction and energy efficiency. See Note 3 “Balance Sheet Accounts” for additional information regarding this construction project.
Both of our facilities in the Coyol Free Zone are Carbon Neutral certified by the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications, based on the implementation of efficiency-aimed actions such as the reduction of energy consumption through the acquisition of more efficient equipment; the combined use of solar panels, ice banks, and battery storage units; and the avoidance of fossil fuels for our operations.
In 2025, the U.S. FDA authorized our Costa Rican facilities to manufacture all Motiva USA PMA‑approved products, including our Round and Round Ergonomix Breast Implants. This approval expands our U.S.-bound production capacity and supports long‑term operational efficiency.
All of our manufacturing facilities have received the MDSAP regulatory certification. MDSAP was established by a coalition of international medical device regulatory authorities, including Australia’s TGA, Brazil’s ANVISA, Health Canada, Japan’s MHLW and PMDA and the U.S. FDA. The goal of MDSAP is to allow a single regulatory audit of a medical device manufacturer’s Quality Management System to satisfy the needs of the participating regulatory jurisdictions. This program enables manufacturers to contract with an authorized third-party auditing organization, in our case the British Standards Institute, to conduct a single audit to satisfy the relevant regulatory requirements of the participating regulatory authorities including the FDA, which recognizes MDSAP audit reports as a substitute for FDA Establishment Inspection Reports.
We are also subject to periodic inspections and audits by various international regulatory and notified bodies, and we believe our past performance in these audits reflects the strength of our Quality Management System and manufacturing controls. We consider this to be a key element of our risk management and business continuity strategies and a competitive advantage as we have full control of the product lifecycle. Our in-house manufacturing team undergoes well defined training programs throughout their period of employment. We believe our manufacturing experience, know-how, and process-related trade secrets are also a competitive advantage.
Process
We produce our shell surfaces using a novel 3D negative imprinting molding technique that allows much more precise control over feature size, a uniform distribution of features on the surface, no particles creation, and less unit-to-unit variation. Our primary competitors utilize the “salt-loss” technique or “polyurethane foam imprint” technique. The “salt-loss” technique blows crystals of salt or sugar onto the uncured silicone shell in order to produce surface texture and the “polyurethane foam imprint” technique uses a foreign material to press against the last uncured silicone layer to produce surface features. We believe our 3D negative imprinting technique is more efficient and consistent than the techniques used by our competitors because the application of our advanced smooth surface is integrated with the molding process, rather than requiring a separate, subsequent process step.
Suppliers
We source manufacturing inputs from a number of outside suppliers. In particular, we obtain NuSil brand medical-grade silicone from Avantor, Inc. (formerly NuSil Technology LLC), or Avantor, which is a sole-source supplier of such products to the majority of the silicone breast implant industry. In May 2022, we entered into a master supply agreement with Avantor, which provides for specified prices per unit of each relevant component, has an initial term ending on December 31, 2026 and automatically renews for successive terms of one year each for up to five successive renewal terms. Avantor has recently informed us that it does not intend to allow the agreement to renew automatically and plans to enter into negotiations regarding future supply terms.
Other critical materials are the silicone patches and other silicone components used for the assembly of our breast implants. All of these components are also made with NuSil medical-grade silicone and manufactured by specialized silicone contract manufacturing suppliers. All component suppliers undergo strict quality inspections to ensure these can meet our quality standard. Other important components are the primary packaging polycarbonate trays, the Tyvek sealing lids and packaging. All these components are also critical to maintain the integrity of the product throughout its shelf-life, and all of these suppliers must be qualified, and all materials must be validated prior to being approved for manufacturing activities. We conduct annual evaluations for most of our suppliers and engage in second-source supplier initiatives to ensure the continuity of business operations, enhance quality, and reduce costs.
Competition
The U.S. market for silicone breast implants is relatively concentrated, within Allergan Aesthetics, a division of AbbVie, Mentor Worldwide LLC, a division of Johnson & Johnson, and Sientra Inc., which was acquired by Tiger Aesthetics Medical. Internationally, the market is more fragmented, with the primary producers being GC Aesthetics plc, Silimed, Inc., Groupe Sebbin SAS, Hans Biomed Crop., Polytech Health & Aesthetics, and Arion Laboratories.
Our major competitors in the silicone breast implant marketplace are either publicly traded companies or divisions or subsidiaries of publicly traded companies with significantly more market share and resources than we have. These companies have greater financial resources for sales, marketing and product development, broader established relationships with healthcare providers and third-party payers, and larger and more established distribution networks. In some instances, our competitors also offer products that include features that we do not currently offer in all geographies. Our competitors also have regulatory approval to market and sell their products in countries where we currently do not. In addition, our competitors may offer pricing programs with discounts across their non-breast aesthetic product portfolios.
We also face potential future competition from a number of companies, medical researchers and existing medical device companies that may be pursuing new implant technologies. These include non-implant breast augmentation through injections of autologous adipose tissue, new material technologies such as synthetic fillers, and new methods of enhancing and reconstructing the breast.
We believe the primary competitive factors in our current and future markets include:
•safety and outcomes data generated in clinical studies;
•regulatory approvals;
•technological characteristics of products;
•complementary platforms of non-implant products, such as facial fillers and fat grafting technologies;
•product price;
•customer service; and
•support by key opinion leaders.
Notwithstanding the competitive advantages that may be held by our larger competitors across many of the above factors, we believe our competitive strengths include our patient safety profile; proprietary implant technologies; a complementary suite of products and designed surgical procedures (including MotivaHybrid, Motiva MinimalScar, Mia Femtech, and Preservé); vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities in Costa Rica utilizing proprietary 3D imprinted molding methods; a global sales platform combining exclusive distributor arrangements with direct sales in key markets such as Brazil and Europe; and a management team with significant experience in the medical aesthetics industry.
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Breast implants are regulated as medical devices in the United States, and are subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDC Act, as implemented and enforced by the FDA. The FDA administers requirements covering the design, development, testing (non-clinical and clinical research), safety, effectiveness, manufacturing, labeling, packaging, promotion, advertising, distribution, recordkeeping, import/export and post-market surveillance of medical devices in order to ensure that devices distributed in the United States are safe and effective for their intended uses and otherwise meet the requirements of the FDC Act. The FDA also collects user fees for certain medical device submissions and annual fees for medical device establishments.
FDA Premarket Clearance and Approval Requirements
Unless an exemption applies, each medical device commercially distributed in the United States requires either FDA clearance of a 510(k) premarket notification, authorization of a de novo application, or approval of a PMA. Under the FDC Act, medical devices are classified as Class I (lowest risk), II (moderate risk), or III (highest risk), with each successive class reflecting a greater extent of manufacturer and regulatory control needed to ensure device safety and effectiveness. Class I devices are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to the FDA’s General Controls for medical devices, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR), facility registration and product listing, reporting
of adverse medical events, and truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional materials. Class II devices are subject to the FDA’s General Controls and special controls as deemed necessary by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device. These special controls can include performance standards, post-market surveillance, patient registries and FDA guidance documents. Class III devices are those deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risks, such as life sustaining, life supporting, or some implantable devices, or devices that have a new intended use or employ advanced technology that is not substantially equivalent to that of a legally marketed device. These must comply with all requirements under the FDC Act, including specific requirements and limitations pursuant to the order issued by FDA subsequent to PMA approval. While our instruments are cleared as Class II devices, breast implants are currently classified as Class III devices requiring an approved PMA for commercial distribution.
510(k) Clearance Pathway
Manufacturers of most Class II devices are required to submit to the FDA a premarket notification under Section 510(k) of the FDC Act requesting permission to commercially distribute the device (generally known as 510(k) clearance). To obtain 510(k) clearance, the submitted 510(k) notice must demonstrate that the proposed device is “substantially equivalent” to a predicate device (i.e., a legally marketed device that is not subject to PMA approval) already on the market. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance process usually takes from three to twelve months, but it can take longer. The FDA may require additional information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence. Over the last several years, the FDA has proposed reforms to its 510(k) clearance process, and such proposals could include increased requirements for clinical data and a longer review period, or could make it more difficult for manufacturers to utilize the 510(k) clearance process for their products.
If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent to a legally marketed predicate device, it will grant 510(k) clearance to commercially market the device. If the FDA determines that the device is “not substantially equivalent” to a previously cleared device, the device is automatically designated as a Class III device. The device sponsor must then fulfill more rigorous PMA requirements or can request a risk-based classification determination for the device in accordance with the “de novo” process, which is a route to market for novel medical devices that are low- to moderate-risk and are not substantially equivalent to a predicate device.
After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change or modification in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or, depending on the modification, PMA approval. The FDA requires each manufacturer to determine whether the proposed change requires submission of a 510(k) or a PMA in the first instance, but the FDA can review any such decision and disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If that happens, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or request the recall of the modified device until 510(k) clearance or PMA approval is obtained. Also, in these circumstances, the manufacturer may be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.
In February 2019, we received 510(k) clearance for the Motiva Single-use Sterile Sizers.
In October 2023, the FDA granted 510(k) clearance for the Motiva Flora SmoothSilk Tissue Expander.
Premarket Approval Application Pathway
Class III devices generally require approval of a PMA before they can be marketed. The process of obtaining PMA approval is much more costly, lengthy, and uncertain than the 510(k) process. In a PMA, the manufacturer must demonstrate that the device is safe and effective, and the application must be supported by extensive data, including data from preclinical studies and human clinical trials. The PMA must also contain a full description of the device and its components, a full description of the methods, facilities, and controls used for manufacturing, and proposed labeling. Following receipt of a PMA, the FDA determines whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. If the FDA accepts the application for review, it has 180 days under the FDC Act to complete its review, although in practice, the review often takes significantly longer, and can take up to several years. An advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device, which the FDA may or may not accept. In addition, the FDA will conduct a pre-approval inspection of the applicant’s manufacturing facility or facilities to ensure compliance with the QMSR.
The FDA will approve the new Class III device for commercial distribution if it determines that the data and information in the PMA constitute valid scientific evidence and that there is reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended use(s). A PMA may include post-approval conditions intended to ensure the
safety and effectiveness of the device, including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution, and collection of long-term follow-up data from patients in the clinical study that supported the PMA or requirements to conduct additional clinical studies post-approval. The FDA may condition PMA approval on some form of post-market surveillance when deemed necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device in a larger population or for a longer period of use. In such cases, the manufacturer might be required to follow certain patient groups for a number of years and to make periodic reports to the FDA on the clinical status of those patients. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in material adverse enforcement action, including withdrawal of the approval.
Related to our devices specifically, the FDA’s guidance document “Saline, Silicone Gel, and Alternative Breast Implants” currently recommends that a core study, which can be a single, open label, multi-center study, be conducted with ten years or more of prospective patient follow-up. To date, PMAs for silicone breast implants have been submitted for approval to the FDA with a minimum of three years of premarket core study data. Additionally, the FDA will not approve the PMA until it conducts a pre-approval inspection of our manufacturing facility and determines that it is in compliance with good manufacturing practices, as set forth in the FDA’s QMSR. The PMA review and approval process generally takes from one to three years but may take longer. The FDA’s guidance document “Saline, Silicone Gel, and Alternative Breast Implants” also states that manufacturers seeking approval of breast implants will be subject to post-approval requirements, which may include, but are not limited to, long-term follow-up of the core clinical study patients, conduction of new enrollment post-approval studies, participation in a patient registry or other studies, training programs for physicians and surgeons, and periodic reporting requirements.
Certain changes to an approved device, such as changes in manufacturing facilities, methods, or quality control procedures, or changes in the design performance specifications, which affect the safety or effectiveness of the device, require submission of a PMA supplement. PMA supplements often require submission of the same type of information as a PMA, except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the original PMA and may not require as extensive clinical data or the convening of an advisory panel. Certain other changes to an approved device require the submission of a new PMA, such as when the design change causes a different intended use, mode of operation, and technical basis of operation, or when the design change is so significant that a new generation of the device will be developed, and the data that were submitted with the original PMA are not applicable to demonstrate a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness with respect to the change.
In September 2024, we received PMA approval from the FDA for our Motiva Implants including our Post Approval Study. Beginning in October 2024 we submitted a PMA Supplement for our Post Approval Study protocol, and we began selling Motiva Implants for use in breast augmentation for patients in the United States.
In November 2024, we received PMA Approval for our Post Approval Study (PAS), which is currently enrolling patients.
In November 2025, we submitted a PMA Supplement requesting approval of an additional manufacturing site (B23) for the manufacture of PMA approved products. FDA approval was received in December 2025.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are almost always required to support a PMA and are sometimes required to support a 510(k) submission. All clinical investigations of devices to determine safety and effectiveness must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s IDE regulations, including regulations related to informed consent, Institutional Review Board, or IRB, review and approval, Good Clinical Practices, or GCPs, and labeling of investigational devices. Our clinical study sites are additionally subject to possible inspection by the FDA.
If the device presents a “significant risk” to human health, as defined by the FDA, the device sponsor must submit an IDE application to the FDA, which must be approved prior to commencing human clinical trials. A significant risk device is one that presents a potential for serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of a patient and either is implanted, used in supporting or sustaining human life, substantially important in diagnosing, curing, mitigating or treating disease or otherwise preventing impairment of human health, or otherwise presents a potential for serious risk to a subject. An IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory test results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The IDE will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA unless the FDA notifies the company that the investigation may not begin. If the FDA determines that there are deficiencies or other concerns with an IDE for which modification is required, it may permit a clinical trial to proceed under a conditional approval.
In addition, the study must be approved by, and conducted under the oversight of, an IRB for each clinical site. The IRB is responsible for the initial and continuing review of the IDE study and may pose additional requirements for the conduct of the study. If an IDE application is approved by the FDA and one or more IRBs, human clinical trials may begin at a specific number of investigational sites with a specific number of patients, as approved by the FDA. If the device presents a non-significant risk to the patient, a sponsor may begin the clinical trial after obtaining approval for the trial by one or more IRBs without separate approval from the FDA but must still follow abbreviated IDE requirements, such as monitoring the investigation, ensuring that the investigators obtain informed consent, and labeling and record-keeping requirements. Acceptance of an IDE application for review does not guarantee that the FDA will allow the study to begin and, if it does, the FDA may or may not determine that the data derived from the trials support the safety and effectiveness of the device or warrant the continuation of clinical trials. An IDE supplement must be submitted to, and approved by, the FDA before a sponsor or investigator may make a change to the investigational plan that may affect its scientific soundness, study plan, or the rights, safety or welfare of human subjects.
During a study, the sponsor is required to comply with the applicable FDA requirements, including, for example, trial monitoring, selecting clinical investigators and providing them with the investigational plan, ensuring IRB review, adverse event reporting, record-keeping and prohibitions on the promotion of investigational devices or on making safety or effectiveness claims for them. The clinical investigators are also subject to FDA regulations and must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of the investigational device, and comply with all reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Additionally, after a trial begins, we, the FDA or the IRB could suspend or terminate it at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the anticipated benefits.
Post-Market Regulation
After a device is cleared or approved for marketing, numerous and extensive regulatory requirements continue to apply. These include:
•establishment registration and device listing with the FDA;
•QMSR requirements, which require manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all aspects of the design and manufacturing process;
•labeling regulations and FDA prohibitions against the promotion of “off-label” uses of cleared or approved products, as well as other requirements related to promotional activities;
•clearance or approval of product modifications to cleared or approved devices, where warranted;
•medical device reporting regulations, which require that a manufacturer report to the FDA if a device it markets may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or has malfunctioned and the device or a similar device that it markets would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury, if the malfunction were to recur;
•correction, removal and recall reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections and product recalls or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FDC Act that may present a risk to health;
•the FDA’s recall authority, whereby the agency can order device manufacturers to recall from the market a product that is in violation of governing laws and regulations;
•post-market surveillance activities and regulations, which apply when deemed by the FDA to be necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device; and
•any post-market restrictions or conditions imposed by the FDA on a specific device.
Our manufacturing facilities, as well as those of certain of our suppliers, will be subject to periodic and for-cause inspections by the FDA to verify compliance with the QMSR and other regulatory requirements. The QMSR, which covers the methods and the facilities and controls for the design, manufacture, testing, production, processes, controls, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, distribution, installation and servicing of finished devices intended for human use. The QMSR also requires, among other things, maintenance of a medical device master file and complaint files. These requirements impose procedural and documentation requirements upon us and our third-
party manufacturers related to the methods used in and the facilities and controls used for designing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling and storing medical devices. As a manufacturer, we are subject to periodic inspections by the FDA. Following these inspections, the FDA may assert noncompliance with QMSR requirements on a Form 483, which is a report of observations from an inspection, or by way of “untitled letters” or “warning letters” that could cause us or any third-party manufacturers to modify certain activities. A Form 483 notice, if issued at the conclusion of an FDA inspection, can list conditions the FDA investigators believe may have violated QMSR or other FDA requirements. Our failure to maintain compliance with the QMSR requirements could result in the shut-down of, or restrictions on, our manufacturing operations and the recall or seizure of our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. The discovery of previously unknown problems with any of our products could result in restrictions, including the removal of the device from the market or voluntary or mandatory device recalls.
The FDA has broad regulatory compliance and enforcement powers. If the FDA determines that we failed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, it can take a variety of compliance or enforcement actions, which may result in sanctions including (but not limited to) Warning Letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties, customer notifications or repair, replacement, refunds, recall, detention or seizure of our products, operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production, refusal to grant export approval, or criminal prosecution.
The FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities closely regulate the post-approval marketing and promotion of medical devices, including standards and regulations for direct-to-consumer advertising, communications about unapproved uses, industry- sponsored scientific and educational activities and promotional activities involving the internet. Devices may be marketed only for the approved or cleared indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved or cleared label.
HIPAA and Other Privacy Laws
We are subject to various laws governing the privacy and security of health information and other personally identifiable information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and its implementing regulations, or HIPAA, established comprehensive U.S. federal protection for the privacy and security of protected health information. HIPAA applies to “Covered Entities,” which are health plans, healthcare clearing houses, and certain healthcare providers which conduct certain healthcare transactions electronically, and to “Business Associates,” persons or entities that perform a function or provide specified services on behalf of a Covered Entity that involves the creation, use, maintenance or transmission of protected health information. Both Covered Entities and Business Associates must have in place administrative, physical, and technical standards to guard against the misuse of protected health information. Some of the institutions and physicians from which we obtain biological specimens that we use in our research and validation work are Covered Entities and must obtain proper authorization from their patients for the subsequent use of those samples and associated clinical information. We may perform future activities that may implicate HIPAA, such as providing clinical laboratory testing services or entering into specific kinds of relationships with a Covered Entity or a Business Associate of a Covered Entity. There are also additional federal and state privacy laws that impose restrictions on the access, use, and disclosure of personal information, including data that is not protected health information, or are otherwise more stringent than HIPAA.
Our activities must also comply with other applicable privacy laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation, or EU GDPR, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation, or UK GDPR, or collectively, EU/UK GDPR. There are also privacy laws in other jurisdictions that impose restrictions on the access, use, and disclosure of personal information. All of these laws may impact our business. If we fail to comply with these privacy laws, or if significant changes in the laws restrict our ability to obtain tissue samples and associated patient information, this could significantly impact our business and our future business plans.
Fraud and Abuse Laws
As participants in the healthcare industry, we are subject to anti-fraud and abuse laws in various countries. Many of these anti-fraud laws are broad in scope and impose significant penalties for violation. Prohibitions under some of these laws include:
•the submission of false claims or false information to government programs;
•deceptive or fraudulent conduct;
•excessive or unnecessary services, services that do not meet medical necessity, or services at excessive prices; and
•defrauding private sector health insurers.
Numerous national and state agencies enforce the anti-fraud and abuse laws. In addition, actions under the False Claims Act can be brought by private whistleblowers on behalf of themselves and the government and are entitled to receive a portion of any final recovery. In addition, we, and our partners, may be subject to foreign laws and regulations and other compliance requirements, including, without limitation, anti-kickback laws, false claims laws and other fraud and abuse laws.
In particular, if our products become eligible for reimbursement by federal healthcare programs (directly or indirectly) in the United States, our business activities could be subject to scrutiny and enforcement under one or more U.S. federal or state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, including:
•The federal Anti-Kickback Law, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly or willingly offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, for the referral of an individual for the furnishing of an item or service, or to induce or reward the purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the purchase, lease or order of any healthcare items or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, by federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
•The federal civil False Claims Act, which prohibits, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment of government funds or knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to an obligation to pay money to the government or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding, decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government.
•The fraud provisions of HIPAA, which impose criminal liability for knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, and prohibit knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry, in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.
•Analogous state and local laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers; state and foreign laws that require medical technology companies to comply with the device industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers; and state laws and local ordinances that require identification or licensing of sales representatives.
If we or our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, additional reporting and government oversight, or the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. To reduce the risks associated with these various laws and governmental regulations, we have implemented a compliance program. Although compliance programs can mitigate the risk of investigation and prosecution for violations of these laws, the risks cannot be entirely eliminated. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. Moreover, achieving and sustaining compliance with applicable global privacy, security and fraud laws may prove costly.
Transparency Laws
We are subject to transparency requirements (also known as “sunshine laws”) in France, including obligations to report payments or transfers of value to, and the nature of the agreements we sign with, a broad class of French healthcare professionals and organizations. If our products that are approved in the United States become eligible for direct or indirect reimbursement by federal healthcare programs like Medicare or Medicaid, we will also become subject to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act and its amendments and implementing regulations, which require annual reporting of payments and transfers of value to physicians, certain advance practice professionals,
and teaching hospitals, along with ownership interests held by physicians or their immediate family. Various states have also implemented regulations prohibiting certain financial interactions with healthcare professionals or mandating public disclosure of such financial interactions. We may incur significant costs to comply with such laws and regulations now or in the future.
Coverage and Reimbursement
Significant uncertainty exists regarding the coverage and reimbursement status of products approved or cleared by the FDA and, in foreign countries, other government authorities.
In the United States, sales of any products for which we may receive regulatory approval or clearance for commercial sale will depend in significant part on the availability and adequacy of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include federal and state government authorities, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations. Decisions regarding the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a product does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list which might not include all of the FDA approved or cleared products for a particular indication. Moreover, a payor’s decision to provide coverage for a product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development.
In the EU, pricing and reimbursement schemes vary widely from country to country. Some countries may require the completion of additional studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies (so-called health technology assessments) in order to obtain reimbursement. The Health Technology Assessment, or HTA, which is currently governed by the national laws of the individual EU Member States, is the procedure according to which the assessment of the public health impact, therapeutic, impact and the economic and societal impact related to the use of a health technology. The outcome of the HTA will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to the product under review by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. On January 31, 2018, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on HTA, or HTA Regulation. The HTA Regulation aims to boost cooperation among EU Member States in assessing health technologies and providing the basis for cooperation at EU level for joint clinical assessments in these areas. The HTA Regulation entered into force on January 11, 2022, and started to apply from January 12, 2025, with phased implementation. Under the HTA Regulation, EU Member States are required to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU. Among other things, the HTA Regulation establishes an HTA coordination group, composed of national HTA bodies, which jointly conduct Joint Clinical Assessments, or JCAs, of new medicines and certain high-risk medical devices (Class III implantable devices and Class III active devices that administer or remove medicinal products) and introduces a single EU-level submission file for JCAs. However, the HTA Regulation focuses on the clinical aspects of HTA, i.e. the relative clinical effectiveness and relative clinical safety of a new health technology as compared with existing technologies, and, as such, individual EU Member States remain responsible for determining the overall value of a new health technology within their healthcare systems, as well as making pricing and reimbursement decisions.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for, examining the medical necessity of, and assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical products and services, in addition to their safety and efficacy. If third-party payors do not consider a product to be cost-effective compared to other available products, they may not cover the product after approval as a benefit under their plans or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow a company to sell its products at a profit. A decision by a third-party payor not to cover a product could reduce physician ordering and patient demand for the product.
The marketability of any products for which we receive market authorization for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status are attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Health Reform
In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there has been significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls and
restrictions on reimbursement. Because private payers often follow Medicare and Medicaid coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates, any reduction in reimbursement that results from federal legislation or regulation may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payers. We expect to experience pricing pressures in connection with the sale of our products due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of health maintenance organizations, and additional legislative and regulatory measures.
Such legislative changes in the United States include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against healthcare fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for healthcare and health insurance industries, and impose additional health policy reforms.
More recently, on July 4, 2025, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” or OBBBA, was signed into law. The OBBBA is projected to decrease federal healthcare spending by approximately $1 trillion by reducing Medicaid spending and enrollment and making changes to federal Medicare spending. The law also made changes to ACA marketplace enrollment that are projected to decrease the number of individuals with marketplace coverage. It is unclear if these changes will impact demand for our products.
We expect that additional federal, state, and foreign healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal, state, and foreign governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in limited coverage and reimbursement and reduced demand for our products, once approved, or additional pricing pressures.
International Medical Device Regulations
International marketing of medical devices is subject to foreign government regulations, which vary substantially from country to country.
In the EU, the Medical Devices Regulation (EU) 2017/745, or EU MDR, applicable since May 26, 2021, establishes comprehensive requirements for the safety, performance, and market access of medical devices in the EU. This legislation applies to all countries within the European Economic Area, or the EEA, including EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. On December 16, 2025, the European Commission published a legislative proposal to amend the EU MDR. Adoption of the proposed amendments to the MDR could occur in 2027. However, the timing remains subject to negotiation and approval by the European Parliament and the Council.
Medical devices must comply with the General Safety and Performance Requirements, or the GSPR, laid down in Annex I to the EU MDR. Compliance with these requirements is a prerequisite to be able to affix the CE mark on products, without which they cannot be marketed or sold in the EEA. To demonstrate compliance with the GSPR of the EU MDR and obtain the right to affix the CE mark, our medical devices must undergo a conformity assessment procedure, which varies according to the type of medical device and its classification. Apart from low risk medical devices (Class I with no measuring function, which are not sterile and are not reusable surgical instruments), in relation to which the manufacturer may issue an EC Declaration of Conformity based on a self-assessment of the conformity of its products with the GSPR, a conformity assessment procedure requires the intervention of a Notified Body, which is an organization designated by a Competent Authority of an EU Member State to conduct conformity assessments. Depending on the relevant conformity assessment procedure, the Notified Body would audit and examine the technical documentation and the quality system for the manufacturer, design and final inspection of the medical devices. The Notified Body issues a CE Certificate of Conformity following successful completion of a conformity assessment procedure conducted in relation to the medical device and its manufacturer and their conformity with the GSPR. This Certificate and the related conformity assessment process allows the manufacturer to affix the CE mark to the medical devices after having prepared and signed a related EC Declaration of Conformity. Breast implants intended for aesthetic purposes are specifically regulated under Annex XVI to the EU MDR. They must meet the same stringent safety, performance, and clinical evaluation requirements as medical devices, including conformity assessment by a Notified Body.
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU. Since January 1, 2021, the Medical Devices (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 have introduced several changes to the process of placing medical devices on the Great Britain market. The CE mark will continue to be recognized in Great Britain until June 30, 2030, depending on the device type and classification. Additionally, CE Certificates of Conformity issued by Notified Bodies designated in the EU will remain valid in Great Britain during this period.
Following the end of mutual recognition between the EU and Switzerland on May 26, 2021, CE-marked medical devices can still be legally placed on the Swiss market. However, medical devices manufacturers must now appoint a Swiss Authorized Representative (CH-REP) and comply with additional requirements, including Swissmedic registration, to continue to place medical devices on the Swiss market.
Outside of the EU, the UK and Switzerland, regulatory pathways for the marketing of medical devices vary greatly from country to country. In many countries, local regulatory agencies conduct an independent review of medical devices prior to granting marketing approval. For example, in China, approval by the National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, must be obtained prior to marketing a medical device. In Brazil, the inspections and approvals of products and facilities carried out by the ANVISA and InMetro agencies are required prior to marketing a Class 3a medical device like our Motiva Implants. We received regulatory clearance in Brazil in March 2017 and launched our Motiva Implants commercially in July 2017. In November 2022, Motiva Implants and the Motiva Flora tissue expander have been approved for use in Japan by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). These products have also received reimbursement for post-mastectomy reconstruction under the Japanese National Health System. In November 2023, Motiva Implants received National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approval in China. The process in such countries may be lengthy and require the expenditure of significant resources, including the conduct of clinical trials. In other countries, the regulatory pathway may be shorter or less costly. The timeline for the introduction of new medical devices is heavily impacted by these various regulations on a country-by-country basis, which may become longer and more costly over time.
Anti-Corruption Laws
We are subject to applicable anti-corruption laws, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act, and similar anti-corruption laws in the countries in which we distribute our products. Anti-corruption laws generally prohibit offering, promising, giving, or authorizing others to provide anything of value, either directly or indirectly, to a government official or private party in order to influence official action or otherwise gain an unfair business advantage, such as to obtain or retain business. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the FCPA, prohibits any U.S. individual or U.S.-controlled business from paying, offering or authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with accounting provisions requiring us to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations. We have implemented policies, procedures, and internal controls that are designed to comply with these laws and regulations.
Human Capital
As of December 31, 2025, we had 1,004 employees. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by collective bargaining agreements except for certain employees in Brazil and Argentina.
The human capital measures and objectives we focus on in managing our business include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel through the granting of share-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase shareholder value and the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives.
We believe that our future success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and retain highly qualified management and technical personnel. Talent management is critical to our ability to execute on our long-term growth strategy. To facilitate talent attraction and retention, we strive to make our company a safe and rewarding workplace with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by strong compensation and benefits and by programs that build connections among our employees. We continue to be committed to an inclusive culture which values equity, opportunity, and respect. In support of our inclusive culture, we offer competitive compensation and benefits, including stock awards and strive to recruit a robust talent pool across all levels of the organization.
Environment and Corporate Sustainability
Our manufacturing processes currently require the controlled use of potentially harmful chemicals, including highly flammable solvents, and we are subject to inspections and other regulatory requirements, including Costa Rican regulations regarding environmental protection and hazardous and controlled substance controls, among others. Environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. We have incurred, and may continue to incur, significant expenditures to ensure we are in compliance with these laws and regulations. We would be subject to significant penalties for failure to comply with these laws and regulations. For more information, please refer to Section 1A “Risk Factors”.
Working toward a more sustainable future by reducing our environmental footprint is important to us. Our manufacturing facilities are certified as Carbon Neutral by the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications, or MINAE. Additional information on our environmental efforts can be found in our 2023 Annual Review, which is available at https://establishmentlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sustainability-Annual-Review-2023.pdf.
We are defined by our commitment to women’s health and well-being. We believe offering innovative options that empower women in their breast health and wellness journey is the right path to building a new industry. Sustainability is key to our existence and future. As a global medical technology company, we seek to create positive and long-term social, environmental, and economic impact with our products, experiences, activities, and corporate efforts. Accordingly, our global sustainability commitment leads us to increase our contribution toward long-term sustainability. Our sustainability framework lays the foundation to ensure this commitment is present in everything we do. It describes our pillars, statements, priorities, and guidelines that enable our journey toward sustainability. All these efforts are founded on our four material categories: women’s health and well-being, environment, people, and governance.
Additional information on our governance, women’s empowerment initiatives and sustainability efforts can be found at establishmentlabs.com/our-impact/esg-documents/.
Available Information
We file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
We maintain an Internet site at www.establishmentlabs.com. We will, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file or furnish our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to those reports, if applicable, make available such reports free of charge on our website. Our website also contains other items of interest to our investors, including, but not limited to, investor events, press and earnings releases and sustainability initiatives.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our common shares involves a high degree of risk. We operate in a rapidly changing economic and competitive environment that presents numerous risks, many of which are driven by factors that we cannot control or predict. The following risk factors describe circumstances or events that could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition or operating results. You should consider the following risks carefully, together with all the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, before you invest in our common shares. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, or operating results, could be adversely affected. As a result, the trading price of our common shares could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently believe are not material could also impair our business, financial condition or operating results.
Risks Related to the Development and Commercialization of Our Products
We have a limited operating history in the United States and may face difficulties encountered by companies early in their commercialization in competitive and rapidly evolving markets.
We marketed our products solely in countries outside of the United States from October 2010 until 510(k) clearance for the Motiva Flora SmoothSilk Tissue Expander in October 2023 and FDA approval of our Motiva
Implants in September 2024, and as such, we have a limited operating history in the United States upon which to evaluate our business and forecast our future net sales and operating results.
Due to our limited operating history in the United States, we may not have the institutional knowledge or experience to be able to implement and execute our business strategy and effectively address the risks that we may face. In addition, we may fail to identify or respond effectively to emerging trends that could negatively affect our business. As a result of this or other risks, we may not be able to execute key components of our business strategy, and our business, financial condition and operating results may suffer.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to enhance our existing products and services and develop or commercialize new products and services that respond to customer needs and preferences, which we expect will require us to incur significant expenses.
In recent years, we have incurred significant costs in connection with the research and development of Motiva Implants, the Mia Femtech technology, and our other product candidates, products and services.
We may not be able to compete effectively with our competitors and ultimately satisfy the needs and preferences of our customers, unless we can continue to enhance existing products and develop or acquire new innovative products and services. Product development requires the investment of significant financial, technological and other resources. Product improvements and new product introductions also require significant planning, design, development and testing at the product and manufacturing process levels. We may not be able to timely or effectively develop product improvements or new products and services. Likewise, we may not be able to acquire new products on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. Furthermore, in most countries, we need to obtain regulatory approval in order to market and sell our products, which may limit our ability to act quickly in scaling commercialization in those countries. Our competitors’ new products may beat our products to market, be more effective or safer or have new features, obtain better market acceptance or render our products and services obsolete. Any new or modified products and services that we develop may not receive regulatory clearance or approval, or achieve market acceptance or otherwise generate any meaningful sales or profits for us.
Changes in funding or disruptions at the FDA and other government agencies caused by funding shortages could prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, the ability to hire and retain key personnel, the ability to accept the payment of user fees, statutory, regulatory and policy changes and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA’s ability to perform routine functions. The Trump Administration has taken several executive actions, including the issuance of a number of Executive Orders, that could impose significant burdens on, or otherwise materially delay, the FDA’s ability to engage in routine regulatory and oversight activities, such as implementing statutes through rulemaking, issuance of guidance, and review and approval of applications. Further, government funding of the FDA and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Additionally, the FDA is transitioning from the Quality System Regulation (QSR) to the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR), with the transition period concluding in February 2026. This transition requires us to align our quality management systems with the new requirements, which may require significant resources and operational adjustments. Failure to comply with QMSR requirements by the applicable deadline could result in enforcement actions, delays in product approvals, or other adverse regulatory consequences.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies, including staffing reductions, funding limitations, or policy changes under the current or future administrations, may also slow the time necessary for new drugs and devices to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. Any reduction in FDA resources or changes in regulatory priorities could delay approval of our products or modifications to existing products, extend the timeline for compliance activities, or otherwise adversely affect our business. For example, during various times in the past, the U.S. government has shut down and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. A prolonged government shutdown occurs, or other events, including uncertainty regarding the FDA’s funding, operations or policy goals, that prevents the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews or other regulatory activities in a timely manner could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, in our operations as a public company, future federal government shutdowns, delays in annual
appropriations or budget freezes could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
Any future distribution or commercialization agreements we may enter into with respect to our current or planned products may place the development of these products outside our control or may otherwise be on terms unfavorable to us.
We may enter into additional distribution or commercialization agreements with third parties with respect to our current or planned products, for commercialization in or outside the United States. Our likely collaborators for any distribution, marketing, licensing or other collaboration arrangements include large and mid-size medical device and diagnostic companies, regional and national medical device and diagnostic companies, and distribution or group purchasing organizations. We will have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators dedicate to the development or commercialization of our planned products. Our ability to generate revenue from these arrangements will depend in part on our collaborators’ abilities to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements.
Collaborations may be terminated and, if terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable planned products. Collaborators may own or co-own intellectual property covering our products that results from our collaboration with them. In such cases, we would not have the exclusive right to commercialize such intellectual property.
Any termination or disruption of collaborations could result in delays in the development of planned products, increases in our costs to develop the planned products or the termination of development of a planned product.
If we are unable to educate clinicians on the safe, effective and appropriate use of our products and designed surgeries, we may experience unsatisfactory patient outcomes, negative publicity and increased claims of product liability and may be unable to achieve our expected growth.
We make extensive physician medical education resources available to clinicians in an effort to ensure that they have access to current treatment methodologies, are aware of the advantages and risks of our Motiva Implants and other products and are educated regarding the safe and appropriate use of our products. It is critical to the success of our business to broadly educate clinicians who use or desire to use our products to provide them with adequate instructions in the appropriate use of our products and designed surgeries. Certain of our products require the use of specialized techniques which may not be covered in medical school curricula and/or product-specific knowledge. For example, metal implants such as screws or artificial joints produce an artifact when magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is used to image the area in which the object resides. Our Qid Safety Technology microtransponder embedded in certain Motiva Implants contains metal and causes an artifact that can affect breast cancer screening using MRI, and this artifact is not present in other imaging modalities such as breast ultrasound and film or digital mammography. It is important that we educate physicians and patients on the risks associated with MRI artifacts and how to mitigate them if they choose to utilize Motiva Implants that contain a Qid microtransponder. Failure to provide adequate training and education could result in, among other things, unsatisfactory patient outcomes, patient injury, negative publicity or increased product liability claims or lawsuits against the company, any of which could have a material and adverse effect on our business and reputation. Claims against the company may occur even if such claims are without merit and/or no product defect is present, due to improper surgical technique, inappropriate use of our products, or other lack of awareness regarding the safe and effective use of our products. If we fail to educate physicians and patients about any of these factors, they may make decisions or conclusions regarding Motiva Implants without full knowledge of the risks and benefits or may view our Motiva Implants negatively.
As part of our effort to educate and train plastic surgeons through our medical educational platform, we completed 607 and 239 medical training sessions worldwide during 2025 and 2024, respectively. If we are unable to offer, or if we experience a delay in offering, medical training sessions, we may experience reduced or slower than expected adoption of our products. Although we offer virtual training sessions through our medical educational platform, any limited ability to provide in-person programs to surgeons may reduce the effectiveness of, and interest in, our medical education efforts.
Commercial success of Motiva Implants in the United States or elsewhere depends on our ability to accurately forecast customer demand, manufacture sufficient quantities of product in the implant sizes that patients and physicians request, and manage inventory effectively, and the failure to do so could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Manufacturing silicone breast implants requires costly capital equipment and a highly skilled workforce. There is a significant lead time to build and certify a new manufacturing facility. Although we believe our current facilities give us adequate manufacturing capacity to meet current demand, we have, in the past, been unable to fill all incoming orders. If demand increases faster than we expect, or if we are unable to produce the quantity of goods that we expect with our current facilities, we may not be able to grow revenue at an optimal rate. There may be other negative effects from supply shortages, including loss of our reputation in the marketplace and a negative impact on our relationships with our distributors.
On the other hand, if demand for our products declines, or if market supply surpasses demand, we may not be able to reduce manufacturing expenses or overhead costs proportionately. We have invested significantly in our manufacturing capacity in order to vertically integrate our business. If an increase in supply outpaces the increase in market demand, or if demand decreases, the resulting oversupply could adversely impact our sales and result in the underutilization of our manufacturing capacity, higher inventory carrying costs and associated working capital, changes in revenue mix, and/or price erosion, any of which would lower our margins and adversely impact our financial results.
Risks Related to Our Business, Industry and Operations
We have incurred losses to date, and our ability to achieve and maintain profitability depends on the commercial success of our Motiva Implants.
We have incurred losses to date and expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. Sales of our Motiva Implants accounted for approximately 99% and 96% of our revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and we expect our revenues to continue to be driven primarily by sales of these products. We also continue to incur significant research and development and general and administrative expenses related to our operations. We do not expect to be profitable in 2026, and in future years we expect to incur significant research and development expenses related to, among other things, the IDE and the post-approval clinical studies of Motiva Implants in the United States. Investment in medical device product development, particularly clinical studies, is highly speculative. It entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential planned product will fail to demonstrate adequate accuracy or clinical utility. We may not be profitable for some time. As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $495.8 million.
In order to achieve and sustain profitability, our revenues from our products will need to grow beyond the levels we have achieved in the past. If physicians and/or patients do not perceive our products to be competitive in features and safety when compared to other products in the market, or if demand for our Motiva Implants or for breast implants in general decreases, we may fail to achieve sales levels that provide for future profitability.
If we are unable to continue to commercialize Motiva Implants and our other products, or if we are unable to obtain a partner to commercialize them, we may not be able to produce any incremental revenues related to Motiva Implants and our other products. This would result in an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Even if we are able to reach profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to achieve sustained profitability would depress the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, diversify our planned products, market our current and planned products, or continue our operations.
Unfavorable global economic and political conditions, including slower growth or recession, inflation, decreases in consumer spending power or confidence or trade wars, have in the past, and could in the future, adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our results of operations have been in the past, and could be in the future, adversely affected by general conditions in the global economy and in the global financial markets, such as trade wars, slower growth or recession, adverse impacts on currency exchange rates, continued inflation or decreases in consumer spending or confidence, as well as changing political conditions. A severe or prolonged economic downturn could result in a variety of risks to our business, including general economic pressure on our customers’ patients. Elective aesthetic procedures, including breast augmentation, are typically not covered by insurance and are less of a priority than other items for patients that have lost their jobs, are furloughed, have reduced work hours or have to allocate their cash to other priorities. As a result, adverse changes in the global economy, including as a result of
inflationary pressures, elevated interest rates, geopolitical conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Hamas-Israel conflict, political instability or macroeconomic fallout from significant U.S. policy changes and government spending cuts, may cause consumers to reassess their spending choices and reduce demand for elective aesthetic procedures, as well as may disrupt global supply chains, increase costs for raw materials and logistics, and create broader macroeconomic instability, which could have an adverse effect on our net sales and profitability. In addition, the growing availability and adoption of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs and related pharmaceutical therapies for obesity and metabolic conditions could reduce discretionary consumer spending on elective aesthetic procedures and/or reduce underlying demand for certain procedures if these therapies directly or indirectly address patient concerns that might otherwise by treated with our products.
Additionally, there is significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, taxes, government regulations, and tariffs. The Trump Administration has imposed additional tariffs on imports from various countries as well as imposed baseline reciprocal tariffs on imports from certain trading partners. These tariffs, and any additional tariffs that may be imposed, could increase our costs for raw materials, components, and finished goods and may adversely affect our supply chain and manufacturing operations in Costa Rica. In response to U.S. trade actions, certain countries have imposed or threatened to impose retaliatory actions against the United States, including retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, which could affect demand for our products in those markets or otherwise disrupt global trade. The ultimate impact of tariffs will depend on various factors, including the scope, timing, amount, nature, implementation, and duration of such tariffs, as well as any retaliatory measures by other countries, but could materially increase our operating costs, reduce demand for our products, and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
These policies may also lead to supply chain constraints and additional inflation, further increasing operational costs and may result in reductions in discretionary spending in our markets and demand for our products. A weak or declining global economy or disruptions caused by geopolitical uncertainty or regional political stability could also strain our manufacturers or suppliers, possibly resulting in supply disruption, or cause our customers or distributors to delay making payments for our products. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the economic climate and financial market conditions could adversely affect our business.
If our available cash resources and anticipated cash flow from operations are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we may seek to sell equity or convertible debt securities, enter into a credit facility or another form of third-party funding, or seek other debt financing.
We may need additional funds to support our operations, and such funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all, which would force us to delay, reduce or suspend our planned development and commercialization efforts. Raising additional capital may subject us to unfavorable terms, cause dilution to our existing shareholders, restrict our operations, or require us to relinquish rights to our products and technologies.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since our inception, and we expect to incur significant expenses in connection with our planned research, development and product commercialization efforts. We believe that our available cash and cash from operations will be sufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months. If our available cash resources and anticipated cash flow from operations are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we may seek to sell equity or convertible debt securities, enter into a credit facility or another form of third-party funding, or seek other debt financing. However, we are subject to restrictive covenants under the Credit Agreement which restrict our ability to incur additional debt. Any failure to raise the funds necessary to support our operations or liquidity requirements may force us to delay, reduce or suspend our planned clinical trials, research and development programs, or other commercialization efforts.
To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership may be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a shareholder. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take certain actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.
If we raise additional funds through collaborations or partnerships, or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may be required to do so at an earlier stage than would otherwise be ideal and/or may have to limit valuable rights to our intellectual property, technologies, products, or future revenue streams, or grant licenses or other rights on terms that are not favorable to us. Furthermore, any additional
fundraising efforts may divert our management from their day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our products.
Our business depends on maintaining our brand and ongoing customer demand for our products and services, and a significant reduction in sentiment or demand could affect our results of operations.
Our success depends on the reputation of our brands, which depends on factors such as the safety and quality of our products, our communication activities, including marketing and education efforts, and our management of our customer experience. Maintaining, promoting and positioning our brands is important to expanding our customer base. This will depend largely on the success of our education and marketing efforts and our ability to provide a consistent, high-quality customer experience.
We utilize social media and may engage high-profile influencers to increase brand awareness and educate consumers, which increases the risk that promotional content is alleged to be false, misleading, or otherwise non-compliant with FDA and other advertising and promotion requirements. Even with contractual controls and monitoring, influencer content may deviate from our guidelines or include off-label or otherwise problematic claims, creating heightened compliance and enforcement risk due to the speed and reach of social platforms.
We may need to make substantial investments in the areas of education and marketing in order to maintain and enhance our brands. Ineffective marketing, negative publicity, significant discounts by our competitors, product defects and related liability litigation, failure to obtain regulatory clearance for our products, counterfeit products, unfair labor practices and failure to protect the intellectual property rights in our brands are some of the potential threats to the strength of our business. To protect our brands’ status, we may need to make substantial expenditures to mitigate the impact of such threats.
We believe that maintaining and enhancing our brands in the countries in which we currently sell our products, and in new countries where we have limited brand recognition, is important to expanding our customer base. If we are unable to maintain or enhance the strength of our brands in the countries in which we currently sell our products and in new countries, then our growth strategy could be adversely affected.
If we fail to compete effectively against our competitors, many of whom have greater resources than we have, our revenues and results of operations may be negatively affected.
Alternatives exist for Motiva Implants and for our other products, and we will likely face competition with respect to any planned products that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies and biotechnology companies worldwide. There are several large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that currently market silicone breast implants. We also face competition from manufacturers of saline-filled breast implants, and we see emerging competition from non-implant breast augmentation techniques such as hyaluronic acid injection and novel fat grafting methodologies. Any of these may present competitive barriers to Motiva Implants.
Our leading competitors are large, multi-national companies with significant resources and capabilities. Sientra, Inc. (acquired by Tiger Aesthetics Medical), Mentor Worldwide LLC (a division of Johnson & Johnson) and Allergan plc (acquired by AbbVie Inc.) have conducted large prospective clinical studies that started in the United States in 2002, 2000 and 1998, respectively, and they use this data extensively to promote their products. This can put us at a disadvantage when promoting our products to physicians and patients, even outside of the United States. In addition, the significant financial and staff resources and brand recognition that our competitors possess mean they may be able to compete with us regardless of the differentiating features of our products. If we are not successful in capturing market share, even outside the United States, or if physicians or patients do not perceive our products to be safer or more favorable, our revenues and/or our operating margins may be significantly impaired.
In addition, manufacturers of competitive products may reduce prices for their competing products in an effort to gain or retain market share and undermine the value proposition that Motiva Implants might otherwise be able to offer to customers. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations that conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization. These competitors may develop new technologies that are superior to our products or replace silicone.
Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These third parties may compete with us in recruiting and
retaining qualified technical and management personnel, establishing clinical study sites and patient registrations for clinical studies, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
Pricing pressure from customers and our competitors may impact our ability to sell our products at prices necessary to support our current business strategies and future expansion.
The industry environment for silicone implants and complementary products in certain markets is price sensitive. In these markets, including the United States, our competitors may adopt aggressive pricing strategies to intensify the competitive pricing pressure for breast implants. If we are not successful in educating customers or third-party payers on the differentiation of our Motiva Implants as compared to our competitors’ products, customers may choose our competitors’ products. Additionally, as more competitors introduce products that compete with ours, we may face additional pricing pressure that would adversely impact our future results.
We expect to increase the size of our organization in certain jurisdictions and functions; as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations and/or increase our net losses.
As of December 31, 2025, we had 1,004 employees. Unless it is necessary for us to make reductions to our workforce as a cost management strategy, over the next several years, we expect to experience growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, principally in the areas of manufacturing and sales and marketing, and particularly as we continue to expand our operations in the wake of obtaining approval from the FDA to commercialize our Motiva Implants in the United States. We also intend to continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures, which may require additional personnel. Such growth could place a strain on our administrative and operational infrastructure, and/or our managerial abilities, and we may not be able to make improvements to our management information and control systems in an efficient or timely manner. We may discover deficiencies in existing systems and controls.
Many of these employees will be in countries outside of our corporate headquarters, which adds additional complexity. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. We may not be able to effectively manage these activities. The physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:
•identifying, recruiting, maintaining, motivating and integrating additional employees with the expertise and experience we will require, in multiple countries;
•managing our internal development efforts effectively while complying with our contractual obligations to licensors, licensees, contractors and other third parties;
•managing additional relationships with various distributors, suppliers, and other third parties;
•improving our managerial, development, operational and finance reporting systems and procedures; and
•expanding our facilities.
Our failure to accomplish any of these tasks could prevent us from growing successfully. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations. We may also be exposed or subject to additional unforeseen or undisclosed liabilities as well as increased levels of indebtedness.
In certain markets, we engage or anticipate engaging in direct sales efforts. We may fail to maintain and develop our direct sales force, and our revenues and financial outcomes could suffer as a result. Furthermore, our direct sales personnel may not effectively sell our products.
We have established a direct sales force for our business in Brazil and the United States, and we have implemented a direct sales strategy in several European countries. We have hired and will need to retain and motivate a significant number of sales and marketing personnel in order to support our anticipated growth in these countries. There is significant competition for quality personnel experienced in such activities, including from companies with greater financial resources than ours. If we are not successful in our efforts to continue recruiting, retaining, and motivating such personnel, we may not be able to increase our revenues, or we may increase our expenses in greater measure than our revenues, negatively impacting our operating results.
We may be subject to substantial warranty or product liability claims or other litigation in the ordinary course of business that may adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the sale of Motiva Implants and our other products. The marketing, sale and use of Motiva Implants and our other products could lead to the filing of product liability claims against us if someone alleges that our products failed to perform as designed or caused significant adverse events in patients. We may also be subject to liability for a misunderstanding of, or inappropriate reliance upon, the information we provide. In addition, the off-label use of our products may increase the risk of product liability claims. Product liability claims are expensive to defend and could divert our management’s attention, result in substantial damage awards against us, and harm our reputation. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
•decreased demand for our products or any planned products we may develop;
•injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention;
•withdrawal of patients from clinical studies or cancellation of studies;
•significant costs to defend the related litigation and distraction to our management team;
•substantial monetary awards to plaintiffs;
•loss of revenue; and
•the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop.
We currently hold $25 million in product liability insurance coverage, which may not be adequate to cover all liabilities we may incur. Insurance coverage is increasingly expensive. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise.
Counterfeit products may be represented as ours, which could compete with our genuine products and may also expose us to risks associated with adverse events and product liability.
We routinely see counterfeit versions of our major competitor’s branded products in the marketplace, and we are aware of potential counterfeiting of our Motiva Implants. This is particularly common in emerging markets, where sensitivity to price is higher and regulatory enforcement is under-resourced. These counterfeit products are typically manufactured with significantly lower quality than the products they are claimed to be, and in some cases may be manufactured with silicones that are not medical grade. They may expose patients to significant adverse event risks, and there is a risk that certain adverse events with counterfeit products may be attributed to our genuine products. This could reduce demand for our products, result in negative publicity, or otherwise impact our business and the price of our shares.
Negative publicity concerning our products or our competitors’ products, including due to product defects or recalls and any resulting litigation, or long-term safety impacts, could harm our reputation and reduce demand for silicone breast implants, either of which could adversely impact our financial results and/or share price.
The silicone breast implant industry has been the focus of significant regulatory and media scrutiny. Silicone breast implants were removed from the U.S. marketplace for a period in the 1990s and 2000s related to safety concerns. Certain patient advocacy groups exist to publicize real and perceived health risks associated with silicone breast implants and plastic surgery generally. Recently, some breast implant patients have begun to self-identify and report various symptoms that they believe are related to their breast implants; they refer to these symptoms as Breast Implant Illness, or BII, but BII is not an official medical diagnosis. Additionally, the activities of legislative bodies, regulatory agencies, physician organizations, and other groups may lead to publicity around the real and perceived risks to patients from silicone implants. The responses of potential patients, physicians, the news media, legislative and regulatory bodies and others to information about complications or alleged complications of our products or our competitors’ products, or products liability litigation against us or our competitors, could materially reduce market acceptance and patient demand for our products, or could, even in the absence of a change in demand, negatively impact our business and reputation and negatively impact our financial condition, results of operations or the market price of our common shares. In addition, activity of this type could result in an increase in the number or size of product liability claims, which would adversely affect our business, financial results, and/or the price of our shares.
News coverage in recent years has called into question the long-term safety of breast implants, including through reports of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma linked to our competitors’ products which have led to regulatory actions regarding macrotextured devices in several countries and the worldwide recall of one of our competitor’s macrotextured implants and tissue expanders. These events and reports of other forms of cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma and various lymphomas, from breast implant products may lead to a reduction in the demand for silicone breast implants and could adversely affect our business.
Women with breast implants have reported higher rates, as compared to the general population, of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or BIA-ALCL, an uncommon type of cancer affecting cells of the immune system. In January 2011, the FDA indicated that there was a possible association between certain saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants and higher rates of BIA-ALCL, with the causal links neither yet understood nor confirmed. In March 2015, France’s National Cancer Institute, or NCI, noted that there is a clearly established link between anaplastic large cell lymphoma and certain breast implants, which is referred to as breast implant-associated ALCL, or BIA-ALCL. The NCI noted in that report that most of the reported cases occurred in women with textured implants.
In August 2017, the FDA updated its advisory on BIA-ALCL and subsequently requested all breast implant manufacturers to revise their physician and patient labeling with the most current information. The August 2017 update described BIA-ALCL as “rare” and stated “we have strengthened our understanding of this condition and concur with the World Health Organization designation of BIA-ALCL as a rare T-cell lymphoma that can develop following breast implants”. The exact number of cases remains difficult to determine due to significant limitations in world-wide reporting and the lack of global implant sales data. At this time, most data suggest that BIA-ALCL occurs more frequently following implantation of breast implants with textured surfaces rather than those with smooth surfaces. The FDA noted it does not recommend prophylactic breast implant removal in a patient without symptoms or other abnormalities.
In March 2018, the FDA further updated its advisory on BIA-ALCL stating “we are reporting that we are aware of 414 total cases of BIA-ALCL. Additionally, studies reported in medical literature estimate that the lifetime risk of developing BIA-ALCL for patients with textured breast implants ranges from 1 in 3,817 to 1 in 30,000.” The FDA noted that the update did not change the agency’s recommendation and that choosing to obtain a breast implant is a personal decision that patients and providers should make with the most complete information available. In the fourth quarter of 2018, following the non-renewal of its textured breast implant CE Certificates of Conformity in Europe, Allergan plc suspended sales of textured breast implants in Europe and withdrew its remaining textured breast implants on the market within Europe.
On February 6, 2019, the FDA further reported that as of September 2018, the agency had received a total of 660 medical device reports regarding BIA-ALCL cases since 2010. Of the 660 reports, the FDA’s analysis suggested that there were 457 unique cases of BIA-ALCL, including nine patient deaths. Additionally, on February 12, 2019, Health Canada confirmed that as of January 1, 2019, it had received reports of 22 confirmed and 22 suspected Canadian cases of BIA-ALCL and that it would be updating its safety review of BIA-ALCL in Spring 2019. In April 2019, the Agence Nationale de Securite du Medicament et des Produits de Sante, or ANSM, the regulatory authority in France, announced that 59 cases of BIA-ALCL had been reported in France since 2011 and banned several types of macrotextured and polyurethane implants linked to BIA-ALCL. Between February and September 2019, authorities from Australia, Colombia, Canada, South Korea and Singapore announced similar bans.
In July 2019, the FDA requested that Allergan plc recall its Biocell® textured implants in the U.S. market and Allergan subsequently announced the global recall of its Biocell® textured breast implants and tissue expanders. In the announcement, the FDA noted that it had reviewed 573 unique cases globally of BIA-ALCL, including 33 patient deaths, of which 12 of the 13 known deaths were attributed to Biocell® implants. The FDA further noted that it will continue to monitor the incidence of BIA-ALCL across other textured and smooth breast implants and tissue expanders as well as other devices intended for use in the breast. The FDA subsequently identified the recall as a Class I recall in September 2019 and stated that use of the recalled devices may cause serious injuries and death. As the BIA-ALCL risk continues to become more highly publicized, this could have a significant negative impact on demand for breast implants globally, including our Motiva Implants.
In August 2020, the FDA updated its analysis of medical device reports of breast implant illness and breast implant associated lymphoma. In this update, the FDA updated the table on the agency’s BIA-ALCL webpage to include a total of 733 unique cases and 36 patient deaths globally as of January 5, 2020, which reflect an increase of 160 new cases and 3 deaths since the early-July 2019 update.
In September 2020, the FDA released finalized guidance on breast implant labeling recommendations, including the addition of a boxed warning, a patient decision checklist, material and device descriptions, implant rupture screening recommendations and a patient device card. In October 2021, the FDA took several additional actions to strengthen breast implant risk communication, including restricting the sale and distribution of breast implants to only healthcare providers and facilities that provide information to patients using the patient decision checklist. The FDA also approved new labeling for all legally marketed breast implants that includes a boxed warning, a patient decision checklist, updated silicone gel-filled breast implant rupture screening recommendations, a device description with a list of specific materials, and a patient device card.
In September 2022, the FDA informed the public about reports of cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma, or SCC, and various lymphomas, in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implants different from the lymphomas described in previous FDA communications as BIA-ALCL. In March 2023, the FDA provided updated information about SCC, noting it has received 24 reports of SCC related to breast implants, but that this this does not necessarily represent cancer incidence because of potential underreporting or duplicated reports. The FDA noted that, while the agency believes the occurrences of SCC or various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implant to be rare, healthcare providers and people who have or are considering breast implants should be aware that cases have been reported to the FDA and in the literature.
We do not produce the types of rough textured implants that have been involved in these reports. To date, no cases of BIA-ALCL or SCC have been reported in patients who have only had Motiva Implants. Furthermore, there have been no reported cases of BIA-ALCL in patients with smooth implants with no history of previously having a textured device. Future clinical studies or clinical experience may indicate that breast implants expose potentially genetically predisposed patients to greater risks of BIA-ALCL, which may reduce demand for silicone implants generally and expose us to product liability claims, as well as to class actions and other lawsuits. These impacts may occur even without any specific linkage with our products. Moreover, if cases of BIA-ALCL, SCC, or other complications are discovered in the future and/or are reported in patients with Motiva Implants, we could be subject to mandatory product recalls, suspension or withdrawal of our regulatory licensure for sale in one or more countries, and significant legal liability. Any of these may have an adverse effect on our business or operating results, or a negative impact on our share price.
The loss of members of our executive management team or other employees, or other turnover in our management team, could adversely affect our business.
Our success in implementing our business strategy depends largely on the skills, experience and performance of members of our executive management team and other key employees. The collective efforts of each of these persons, the majority of whom reside in the United States, are critical as we continue to develop our tests and technologies and pursue our research and development and sales programs. In addition, we have experienced significant changes in our executive leadership in recent years, including in our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel positions. As a result of the difficulty in locating qualified new management and other key employees, the loss or incapacity of existing members of our executive management team could adversely affect our operations. If we were to lose one or more key employees, we could experience difficulties in finding qualified successors, competing effectively, developing our technologies and implementing our business strategy. In addition, changes to strategic or operating goals, which can often times occur with the appointment of new executives and directors, can create uncertainty, may negatively impact our ability to execute quickly and effectively, and may ultimately be unsuccessful. Executive leadership transition periods are often difficult as the new executives gain detailed knowledge of our operations, and friction can result from changes in strategy and management style. Management turnover inherently causes some loss of institutional knowledge, which can negatively affect strategy and execution. We do not have “key person” life insurance on our senior executives, and the loss of any of the key team members would have a negative impact to our business and financial results. In addition, the job market in Costa Rica and other locations in which we operate has recently become more competitive and we are competing for talent with major multinational corporations which have significantly more resources than us, and we may find new difficulties in retaining our most talented employees.
In addition, we rely on collaborators, consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategy. Our collaborators, consultants and advisors are generally employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under agreements with other entities that may limit their availability to us.
We have made multiple acquisitions in the past, and in the future, we may acquire other businesses, form joint ventures or make investments in other companies or technologies. If we are not successful in
integrating these businesses, as well as identifying and controlling risks associated with the past operations of these businesses, we may incur significant costs, receive penalties or other sanctions from various regulatory agencies and/or incur significant diversions of management time and attention.
We believe our business growth will be enhanced if we continually seek opportunities to enhance and broaden our product offerings. As part of our business strategy, we may pursue acquisitions or licenses of assets, or acquisitions of businesses. We also may pursue strategic alliances and joint ventures that leverage our core technology and industry experience to expand our product offerings or sales and distribution resources. We have acquired companies and/or assets and licensed assets in a variety of countries, including Brazil and several European countries.
We may do more of these types of transactions in the future and may also form strategic alliances and joint ventures. We may not be able to find suitable partners or acquisition candidates, and we may not be able to complete such transactions on favorable terms, if at all. If we make any acquisitions, we may not be able to integrate these acquisitions successfully into our existing business, and we could assume unknown or contingent liabilities. Any future acquisitions also could result in significant write-offs or the incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities, any of which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Integration of an acquired company may also disrupt ongoing operations and require management resources that would otherwise focus on developing our existing business. We may experience losses related to investments in other companies, which could have a negative effect on our results of operations. We may not identify or complete these transactions in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, or at all, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, license, strategic alliance or joint venture. To finance such a transaction, we may choose to issue common shares as consideration, which would dilute the ownership of our shareholders. If the price of our common shares is low or volatile, we may not be able to acquire other companies or fund a joint venture project using our shares as consideration. Alternatively, it may be necessary for us to raise additional funds for acquisitions through public or private financings. Additional funds may not be available on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.
Integrating any business, product or technology we acquire could be expensive and time-consuming, disrupt our ongoing business, impact our liquidity, and/or distract our management and its success may also depend on our ability to retain any key employees related to the acquired business. If we are unable to integrate any acquired businesses, products or technologies effectively, our business may suffer. Whether as a result of unsuccessful integration, unanticipated costs, including those associated with assumed liabilities and indemnification obligations, negative accounting impact, or other factors, we may not realize the economic benefits we anticipate from acquisitions. In addition, any amortization or charges resulting from the costs of acquisitions could increase our expenses.
We have significant exposure to the economic and political situations in emerging market countries, and developments in these countries could materially impact our financial results or our business more generally.
Many of the countries in which our products are sold are emerging markets. Our global growth strategy contemplates the expansion of our existing sales activities in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific region as well as North America. Our exposure to emerging markets has increased in recent years, as have the number and importance of our distributor arrangements. Economic and political developments in Brazil and other emerging markets, including economic crises, currency inflation, or political instability, have had in the past, and may have in the future, a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, as these markets continue to grow, competitors may seek to enter these markets and existing market participants will likely try to aggressively protect or increase their market shares. Increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced margins and our inability to gain or hold market share, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, such as actual events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults, or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our liquidity and financial performance.
Bank failures, events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. For example, on March 10, 2023,
Silicon Valley Bank was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, as receiver. Similarly, on March 12, 2023, Signature Bank Corp. and Silvergate Capital Corp. were each swept into receivership. We do not maintain balances with and are not a borrower under or party to any credit agreement, material letter of credit or any other such instruments, with any financial institution currently in receivership. However, we regularly maintain cash balances at third-party financial institutions in excess of the FDIC standard insurance limit, with balances concentrated at a small number of financial institutions. The failure of a bank, or other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets impacting financial institutions at which we maintain balances, or which we do business with, could adversely impact our liquidity and financial performance. There can be no assurance that our deposits in excess of the FDIC or other comparable insurance limits will be backstopped by the United States or any applicable foreign government in the future or that any bank or financial institution with which we do business will be able to obtain needed liquidity from other banks, government institutions or by acquisition in the event of a future failure or liquidity crisis. In addition, if any of our partners or parties with whom we conduct business are unable to access funds due to the status of their financial institution, such parties’ ability to pay their obligations to us or to enter into new commercial arrangements requiring additional payments to us could be adversely affected.
Investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all.
Our results of operations have been in the past, and could be in the future, adversely affected by fluctuations in currency rates.
We present our results of operations in U.S. dollars, which is our reporting currency. However, as of December 31, 2025, the majority of our revenues are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar - primarily the euro, the Brazilian real, and the British pound. As of December 31, 2025, the majority of our expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars or in Costa Rican colones, the latter of which is closely linked to the U.S. dollar. In the future, we expect to have significant revenues and expenses denominated in these non-U.S. currencies. As such, unfavorable fluctuations in currency exchange rates have had, and in the future could continue to have, an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Because our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, we must translate revenues, expenses and income, as well as assets and liabilities, into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect during or at the end of each reporting period. Therefore, changes in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the British pound, the euro, the Brazilian real and, to a lesser degree, the Costa Rican colones will affect our revenue, cost of goods, and operating expenses as well as the value of balance sheet items originally denominated in other currencies. These changes in exchange rates may cause our growth in consolidated earnings stated in U.S. dollars to be higher or lower than our growth in local currency when compared against other periods. We do not currently engage in currency hedging arrangements to protect us from fluctuations in the exchange rates of the euro and other currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar (and/or from inflation of such currencies), and we are exposed to material adverse effects from such movements. We cannot predict any future trends in rates of inflation or exchange rates of other currencies against the U.S. dollar, and there can be no assurance that any contractual provisions will offset their impact, or that any future currency hedging activities will be successful.
Continued international expansion of our business will expose us to business, regulatory, political, operational, financial, economic and environmental risks associated with doing business internationally.
Our products are commercially available in over 100 countries, and we operate subsidiaries in the United States, Costa Rica, Brazil, and several European countries. Our business strategy contemplates continued international expansion, including partnering with medical device distributors, and introducing Motiva Implants and other planned products outside of the United States. The sale and shipment of our products internationally, as well as the purchase of components from international sources, subjects us to potential trade, import and export, and customs regulations and laws.
Compliance with these regulations and laws is costly and exposes us to penalties for non-compliance. Any failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations could impact us in a variety of ways that include, but are not limited to, significant criminal, civil and administrative penalties, including imprisonment of individuals, fines and penalties, denial of export or import privileges, seizure of shipments, restrictions on certain business activities
and exclusion or debarment from government contracting. Also, the failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations could result in the disruption of our shipping, marketing and sales activities.
In addition, several of the countries in which we sell our products or conduct our operations are, to some degree, subject to political, economic, social or environmental instability. Doing business in Costa Rica and other countries outside the United States involves a number of other risks, including:
•multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as tariffs and tax laws, export and import restrictions, employment laws, environmental laws, regulatory requirements, price controls, reimbursement schemes and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses;
•difficulties in managing global operations;
•logistics and regulations associated with shipping products, including interruptions resulting from natural or other disasters including earthquakes, volcanic activity, hurricanes, floods and fires, and transportation delays;
•limits on our ability to penetrate international markets if our distributors do not execute successfully;
•financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty enforcing contracts and collecting accounts receivable, and exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations;
•reduced protection for intellectual property rights, or lack of them in certain jurisdictions, forcing more reliance on our trade secrets, if available;
•economic weakness, currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, including wars, terrorism and political unrest, outbreak of disease, boycotts, curtailment of trade and other business restrictions;
•failure to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, including its books and records provisions and its anti-bribery provisions, by maintaining accurate information and control over sales activities and distributors’ activities;
•failure to comply with restrictions on the ability of companies to do business in foreign countries, including restrictions on foreign ownership of telecommunications providers imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control;
•failure to comply with evolving reporting expectations on environmental, social and governance issues;
•unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements;
•workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States; and
•production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad.
Any of these risks, if encountered, could harm our future international expansion and operations and, consequently, have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Environment, social and governance (ESG) matters may create additional risks and costs.
Increased focus by investors, customers, employees, and other stakeholders on ESG matters, as well as evolving regulatory requirements related to ESG disclosures, may result in increased costs and require additional resources. We may face increasing pressure to make commitments relating to sustainability matters, including greenhouse gas emissions reductions and responsible supply chain practices, among others. Regulatory bodies in various jurisdictions, including the EU through the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and state regulators in the United States, have adopted or proposed ESG disclosure requirements that may apply to our operations.
At the same time, there has been increasing scrutiny of, and in some cases opposition to, ESG initiatives from certain stakeholders and legislators. Certain U.S. states have enacted or proposed “Anti-ESG” legislation that may limit the consideration of ESG factors in certain contexts or impose requirements contrary to voluntary ESG commitments we may make. Navigating these conflicting expectations and requirements may be challenging and could expose us to reputational harm, litigation, or regulatory action regardless of the approach we adopt. Our failure to meet ESG expectations or comply with evolving ESG regulations could adversely affect our reputation, ability to attract and retain employees, access to capital, and relationships with customers and business partners.
Any disruption at our existing facilities could adversely affect our business and operating results.
Our manufacturing headquarters are located in Costa Rica, and all of our main manufacturing activities are conducted in ISO-13485 and GMP compliant manufacturing facilities in Costa Rica through Establishment Labs, S.A. The newest facility in Costa Rica was completed in June 2024 and commenced manufacturing in the second half of fiscal 2024. Despite our efforts to maintain and safeguard our manufacturing facilities, including acquiring insurance and adopting maintenance and health and safety protocols, vandalism, terrorism or a natural or other climate-related disaster, such as earthquake, volcanic activity, fire or flood, could damage or destroy our inventory of finished goods, cause substantial delays in our operations and manufacturing, result in the loss of key information and cause us to incur additional expenses. Our insurance may not cover our losses in any particular case. In addition, regardless of the level of insurance coverage, damage to our facilities may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be required to record a significant charge to earnings if our goodwill or other intangible assets become impaired.
We have recorded goodwill and intangible assets in connection with our acquisitions, including acquisitions in Brazil and European countries. Under applicable accounting standards, we are required to test goodwill for impairment at least annually (absent any impairment indicators). Our goodwill may become impaired due to factors such as a decline in our stock price and market capitalization, slower growth rates in our industry, changes in competitive conditions, the introduction of newer technology or competing products, or other materially adverse events that have implications on the profitability of our business. Any finding that the value of our goodwill or other intangible assets has been impaired would require us to record an impairment charge, which could materially reduce the value of our assets, reduce our net income or increase our net loss for the year in which the impairment charge occurs, and increase our accumulated deficit. Any such impairment charges could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Fluctuations in insurance costs, availability and future insurance requirements could adversely affect our profitability or our risk management profile.
We hold a number of insurance policies, including product liability insurance, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, general liability insurance, property insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. If the costs of maintaining adequate insurance coverage increase significantly in the future, our operating results could be adversely affected. Likewise, if any of our current insurance coverage should become unavailable to us or become economically impractical, we would be required to operate our business without indemnity from commercial insurance providers. If we operate our business without insurance, we could be responsible for paying claims or judgments against us that would have otherwise been covered by insurance, which would adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition.
Risks Related to Manufacturing and Other Third-Party Relationships
Our operations involve hazardous materials and we and third parties with whom we contract must comply with environmental laws and regulations, which can be expensive and restrict how we do business and could expose us to liability if our use of such hazardous materials causes injury.
Our manufacturing processes currently require the controlled use of potentially harmful chemicals, including highly flammable solvents. We cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury to employees or third parties from the use, storage, handling or disposal of these materials. In the event of contamination or injury, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources or any applicable insurance coverage we may have. Additionally, we are subject to, on an ongoing basis, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. These are particularly stringent in California, where Avantor, one of our key suppliers, is located. The cost of compliance with these laws and regulations may become significant and could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In the event of an accident or if we otherwise fail to comply with applicable regulations, we could lose our permits or approvals or be held liable for damages or penalized with fines.
We rely on third parties to conduct certain components of our clinical studies, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such studies, which could interfere with or delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval or commercialize our products.
We rely on third parties, such as contract research organizations, or CROs, clinical data management organizations, medical institutions and clinical investigators, to perform various functions for our clinical trials. These service providers may serve as scientific advisors or consultants to us from time to time and receive compensation in connection with such services. We are required to collect and provide financial disclosure notifications or certifications for our clinical investigators to the FDA. If the FDA concludes that a financial relationship between us and a clinical investigator has created a conflict of interest or otherwise affected interpretation of the trial, the FDA may question the integrity of the data generated at the applicable clinical trial site and the utility of the clinical trial itself may be jeopardized.
Our reliance on these third parties for clinical development activities reduces our control over these activities but does not relieve us of our responsibilities. We remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical studies is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the study. Moreover, the International Council for Harmonization, or ICH, and the FDA require us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practices, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical studies to ensure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of patients in clinical studies are protected. Furthermore, these third parties may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines or conduct our clinical studies in accordance with regulatory requirements or our stated protocols, we will not be able to obtain, or may be delayed in obtaining, regulatory approvals for our planned products and will not be able to, or may be delayed in our efforts to, successfully commercialize our planned products.
We rely on a single-source, third-party supplier for medical-grade long-term implantable silicone, which is the primary raw material used in our Motiva Implants. As has occurred in the past, if this supplier were to increase prices for this raw material or experience interruptions in its ability to supply us with this raw material, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We rely on Avantor as the sole supplier of medical-grade silicone used in our Motiva Implants as well as other products that we manufacture under contract to other customers. To our knowledge, Avantor is the only supplier of such raw materials with the appropriate filings with the FDA and other regulatory bodies to enable the manufacturing of products with our requirements. Avantor supplies our major competitors with raw material as well, and at least two of these are larger-volume customers of Avantor than we are.
If Avantor becomes unable or unwilling to supply sufficient quantities of medical-grade silicone of the specifications required for our products, or if Avantor increases prices further in the future, we may not be able to replace this supply source quickly, or at all. Similarly, it may become unable or unwilling to manufacture our needed raw materials in compliance with regulatory requirements, or its manufacturing facilities may not be able to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. Any replacement supplier would have to be qualified with the relevant regulatory authorities, which is an expensive and time-consuming process during which we may experience an interruption in our manufacturing operations. We may also be unsuccessful in negotiating favorable terms with such a supplier. Any of these contingencies would likely affect the financial results of our operations and may have a negative impact on our share price. In particular, if we are not able to establish a replacement vendor for our medical-grade silicone, we would be unable to manufacture our Motiva Implants as well as other products that we manufacture under contract to other customers until such time as a replacement vendor is identified, which would likely significantly affect the financial results of our operations and have a significantly negative impact on our share price.
In addition, our relationship with Avantor involves other risks, including but not limited to the following:
•it may not be able, or willing, to manufacture silicone raw materials with our agreed-upon specifications;
•it may not be able, or willing, to manufacture our needed raw materials in compliance with regulatory requirements, or its manufacturing facilities may not be able to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements;
•it may not be able to supply sufficient quantities of each raw material quickly enough for us to respond to rapid increases in demand;
•it may unintentionally convey information to our competitors that is helpful in understanding our proprietary compositions and other trade secrets of our manufacturing processes;
•we may be subject to price fluctuations if we fail to meet certain minimum order requirements, or if our existing contract expires or is renegotiated;
•it may lose access to critical services and components, resulting in interruption in manufacture or shipment of medical-grade silicone;
•its facilities may be affected by earthquakes, wildfires, mud slides or other natural disasters, which could delay or impede production of our raw materials;
•we may be required to obtain regulatory approvals related to any change in our supply chain;
•Avantor may wish to discontinue supply of products to us due to its existing relationships with our competitors;
•Avantor may stop supply and claim ownership of intellectual property on materials associated with future products;
•Avantor or its parent entity may encounter financial or other hardships unrelated to our demand for products, which could negatively impact their ability to fulfill our orders and support our regulatory approvals; and
•disputes may arise over the terms of the Master Supply Agreement, by and between the Company and Avantor, dated May 13, 2022.
Various factors outside our direct control, including the reliance on single-source suppliers, may adversely affect manufacturing and supply of our Motiva Implants and other products.
We currently manufacture Motiva Implants at our facilities in the Coyol Free Zone, Alajuela, Costa Rica, under the multi-country MDSAP protocol. Our Qid Safety Technology microtransponders are manufactured by contract manufacturers with final testing and packaging at a manufacturing supplier facility in Regensburg, Germany, with additional inspection of the units at our facilities in Costa Rica, prior to approval for inclusion in Motiva Implants. If demand for our current products and our planned products increases more rapidly than we anticipate, or if we secure regulatory approval to commercialize our products in additional geographies, we will need to either expand our manufacturing capabilities or outsource to other manufacturers. The manufacture of these products in compliance with ISO standards and the FDA’s regulations require significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of advanced manufacturing techniques and process controls. Manufacturers of medical device products often encounter difficulties in production, including difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, quality assurance testing, shortages of qualified personnel, as well as compliance with strictly enforced FDA requirements, other federal and state regulatory requirements, and foreign regulations. Further, any prolonged disruption in a supplier’s operations could have a significant negative impact on our ability to manufacture and deliver products in a timely manner and as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We currently purchase components for the Qid Safety Technology microtransponders under purchase orders and do not have long-term contracts with most of the suppliers of the materials included in these products. We rely on Avantor as the sole supplier of medical-grade silicone used in our Motiva Implants as well as other products that we manufacture under contract to other customers. See the risk factor above titled “We rely on a single-source, third-party supplier for medical-grade long-term implantable silicone, which is the primary raw material used in our Motiva Implants. As has occurred in the past, if this supplier were to increase prices for this raw material or experience interruptions in its ability to supply us with this raw material, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.” In addition, the suppliers of certain packaging components and the surgical tools that we sell with Motiva Implants, including the cannulas, retractors, and insertion sleeves, are all purchased by us from single-source suppliers.
If our single-source and other suppliers were to delay or stop producing our components, if the prices they charge us were to increase significantly, or if they elected not to sell to us at all or on commercially reasonable terms, we would need to identify and initiate relationships with alternative suppliers, if possible. We could experience delays in manufacturing our products or the interruption of the availability of Motiva Implants or our other products for sale, while finding another acceptable supplier, which would impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Even if such alternative suppliers are available on commercially reasonable terms, the inclusion of substitute components or products must meet our specifications and could require us to obtain regulatory qualification for the new supplier with the appropriate regulatory authorities. The added time and cost to arrange for alternative suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our business. New manufacturers of any current or planned product would be required to qualify under applicable regulatory requirements and would need to have sufficient rights under applicable intellectual property laws to the design and method of manufacturing the planned product. Obtaining the necessary FDA or international approvals or other qualifications under applicable regulatory requirements and ensuring non-infringement of third-party intellectual property rights could result in a significant interruption of supply and could require the new manufacturer to bear significant additional costs that may be passed on to us.
The manufacturing, sterilization and distribution of our Motiva Implants and other products are technically challenging. Changes that our suppliers may make, or additional requirements from regulatory agencies, are outside of our direct control and can have an impact on our processes, on quality, and on the successful delivery of products to our customers. Mistakes and mishandling are not uncommon and can affect supply and delivery. Some of these risks include:
•failure to complete sterilization on time or in compliance with the required regulatory standards;
•transportation and import and export risk, particularly given the global nature of our supply and distribution chains;
•delays in analytical results or failure of analytical techniques that we depend on for quality control and release of products;
•natural or other disasters, labor disputes, financial distress, lack of raw material supply, issues with facilities and equipment or other forms of disruption to business operations affecting our manufacturer or its suppliers;
•latent defects that may become apparent after products have been released and that may result in a recall of such products;
•contamination of our raw materials or manufactured products; and
•inclusion of vendors of raw materials not in compliance with ISO-13485 requirements.
We rely on third-party facilities for the sterilization of certain of our products, including facilities that use ethylene oxide (EtO) as a sterilant. Regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have increased scrutiny of EtO emissions, and certain sterilization facilities have voluntarily closed or have been subject to mandated closures or operational restrictions due to environmental concerns. If our sterilization service providers experience closures, capacity constraints, or increased regulatory requirements, we may face interruptions in our ability to sterilize and release products, which could disrupt our supply chain and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
A substantial proportion of our sales are through exclusive distributors, and we do not have direct control over the efforts these distributors may use to sell our products. If our relationships with these third-party distributors deteriorate, or if these third-party distributors fail to sell our products or engage in activities that harm our reputation, or fail to adhere to medical device regulations, our financial results may be negatively affected.
Historically, our sales model has been to sell primarily through distributors rather than through our own sales force, with the notable exception of Brazil, the United States and several European countries where we are selling directly, but, in the future, we may utilize a hybrid sales model that includes both distributors and a direct sales effort. We believe that our reliance on distributors improves the economics of our business, as we do not carry the high fixed costs of a direct sales force in many of the countries in which our Motiva Implants are sold. If we are unable to maintain or enter into such distribution arrangements on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our products in certain countries. Furthermore, distributors can choose the level of effort that they apply to selling our products relative to others in their portfolio. The selection, training, and compensation of a distributors’ sales personnel are within their control rather than our own and may vary significantly in quality from distributor to distributor.
In addition, although our contract terms require our distributors to comply with all applicable laws regarding the sale of our products, including anti-competition, anti-money laundering, and sanctions laws, we may not be able to
ensure proper compliance. If our distributors fail to effectively market and sell our products in full compliance with applicable laws, our results of operations and business may suffer.
Our results of operations could be materially harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast customer demand for our products and manage our inventory.
To ensure adequate inventory supply across our broad range of implant sizes, we must forecast inventory needs and place orders with our suppliers based on our estimates of future demand for our products. Our ability to accurately forecast demand could be negatively affected by many factors, including our failure to accurately manage our expansion strategy, product introductions by competitors, an increase or decrease in customer demand for our products or for products of our competitors, our failure to accurately forecast customer acceptance of new products, unanticipated changes in general market conditions or regulatory matters, and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. Managing our inventory levels is important to our cash position and results of operations and is challenging in the current economic environment. As we grow and expand our product offerings, managing our inventory levels becomes more difficult.
Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-down or write-offs, which could cause our gross margin to be adversely affected and could impair the strength of our brand. Silicone gel breast implants have shelf life limitations, and we are subject to the risk that a portion of our inventory will become obsolete or expire, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows due to the resulting costs associated with the inventory impairment charges and costs required to replace such inventory. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products, we may not be able to deliver products to meet customer requirements, and this could result in damage to our reputations and customer relationships.
Risks Related to Public Health Crises
Pandemics, epidemics, or other public health crises may adversely affect our business and financial results in the future.
As was the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a material disruption of our operations in fiscal 2020 and to a lesser degree in fiscal 2021, we are subject to risks associated with pandemics, epidemics or other public health crises. The full extent to which any pandemic, epidemic, or public health crisis may, directly or indirectly, impact our business, results of operations and financial condition, including our sales, expenses, supply chain integrity, manufacturing capability, research and development activities, and employee-related compensation, is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments that are also highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with reasonable accuracy at this time, including, without limitation:
•the contagiousness or virulence of the virus, disease or other condition giving rise to the pandemic, epidemic or public health crisis;
•the scope and length of any governmental or other restrictions implemented to reduce the spread of virus, disease or other condition giving rise to the pandemic, epidemic or public health crisis or other actions required or recommended to contain or treat infected individuals;
•the deferral of procedures using our products or other adverse impact on patients’ willingness to undergo procedures in which our products could be used during or following any pandemic, epidemic or other public health crisis;
•volatility in the global capital markets, impacting access to and cost of capital;
•disruptions in the manufacture and distribution of our products and in our supply chain;
•delays in clinical trials;
•disruptions or restrictions on the ability of many of our employees, and of third parties on which we rely, to work effectively, including “stay-at-home” orders and similar government actions;
•temporary closures of our facilities and of the facilities of our customers and suppliers; and
•other direct and indirect economic impacts, both domestically and abroad, of a pandemic, epidemic, or public health crisis as a result of any or all of the foregoing, including actions taken by local, state, national and international governmental agencies, whether such impact affects customers, suppliers, or markets generally.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property and Data Security
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, the value of our technology could be materially adversely affected, harming our business and competitive position.
In addition to our patented technology and products, we rely upon confidential proprietary information, including trade secrets, unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to develop and maintain our competitive position. Any disclosure to or misappropriation by third parties of our confidential proprietary information could enable competitors to quickly duplicate or surpass our technological achievements, thus eroding our competitive position in the market. We seek to protect our confidential proprietary information, in part, by confidentiality agreements with our employees and our collaborators and consultants. We also have agreements with our employees and selected consultants that obligate them to assign their inventions to us. These agreements are designed to protect our proprietary information, however, we cannot be certain that our trade secrets and other confidential information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets, or that technology relevant to our business will not be independently developed by a person that is not a party to such an agreement. Furthermore, if the employees, consultants or collaborators that are parties to these agreements breach or violate the terms of these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach or violation, and we could lose our trade secrets through such breaches or violations. Further, our trade secrets could be disclosed, misappropriated or otherwise become known or be independently discovered by our competitors. In addition, intellectual property laws in foreign countries may not protect trade secrets and confidential information to the same extent as the laws of the United States. If we are unable to prevent disclosure of the intellectual property related to our technologies to third parties, we may not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which would harm our ability to protect our rights and have an adverse effect on our business.
If we are not able to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our products and technologies, or if the scope of our patents is not sufficiently broad, we may not be able to effectively maintain our market leading technology position.
Our success depends significantly on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the United States and in other countries.
The patent position of medical device is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions with unresolved legal principles. The issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of the patent rights we rely on are highly uncertain. Pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our technology or products or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. 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 patents or pending patent applications, or that we or were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
In addition, changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of the patents we rely on or narrow the scope of our patent protection. The laws of other countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial cost and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business.
Even if the patent applications we rely on issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors from competing with us or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Our competitors may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner. The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its scope, validity or enforceability, and the patents we rely on may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop or prevent us from stopping others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of
new planned products, patents protecting such products might expire before or shortly after such products 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 or otherwise provide us with a competitive advantage.
Further, filing, prosecuting and defending patents on all of our planned products throughout the world may be prohibitively expensive to us. 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 where enforcement is not as strong as in the United States. These products may compete with our products in jurisdictions where we do not have any issued patents and our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
The medical device industry is characterized by patent litigation, and we could become subject to litigation or other proceedings to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights that could be costly, result in the diversion of management’s time and efforts, require us to pay damages or prevent us from marketing our existing or future products.
Competitors may infringe or otherwise violate the patents we rely on, or our other intellectual property rights. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Any claims that we assert against perceived infringers could also provoke these parties to assert counterclaims against us alleging that we infringe their intellectual property rights. Our competitors or other third parties may also assert infringement claims against us based on existing or future intellectual property rights. In an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent we are asserting is invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that the patents we are asserting do not cover the technology in question. Interference or derivation proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, or any other patent authority may also be necessary to determine the priority of inventions or other matters of inventorship with respect to patents and patent applications. We may become involved in proceedings, including oppositions, interferences, derivation proceedings, inter partes reviews, patent nullification proceedings, or re-examinations, challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others, and the outcome of any such proceedings are highly uncertain. An adverse result in any litigation or other legal proceeding could reduce the scope of, or invalidate, important patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or products and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third-party patent rights. If we are found to infringe a third-party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing and marketing our products and technology. We may also elect to enter into such a license in order to settle pending or threatened litigation. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us and could require us to pay significant royalties and other fees. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages. Litigation or other proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees from their normal responsibilities. 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 during this type of litigation. We may also become involved in disputes with others regarding the ownership of intellectual property rights. If we are unable to resolve these disputes, we could lose valuable intellectual property rights.
Many of our employees were previously employed at, and many of our current advisors and consultants are employed by, universities or other biotechnology, medical device or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, advisors and consultants do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we, or these employees, have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such employee’s former employer. These and other claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties can have a similar negative impact on our business to the infringement claims discussed above.
In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the market price of our common shares. 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. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of intellectual property litigation or other proceedings could have an adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace.
Obtaining and maintaining patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by 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 or applications will be due to be paid by us to the USPTO and various governmental patent agencies outside of the United States in several stages over the lifetime of the patents or applications. The USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. In many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. 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. In such an event, our competitors might be able to use our technologies and this circumstance would have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we fail to comply with our obligations in our intellectual property agreements, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business.
We are a party, and expect to become party in the future, to certain intellectual property agreements that impose various diligence, milestone payment, royalty, insurance and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with these obligations, any licensor may have the right to terminate such agreements, in which event we may not be able to develop and market any product that is covered by such agreements. Termination of such agreements, or reduction or elimination of our rights under such agreements, may result in our having to negotiate new or reinstated arrangements on less favorable terms, or our not having sufficient intellectual property rights to operate our business. The occurrence of such events could harm our business and financial condition.
The risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K pertaining to our intellectual property rights also apply to any intellectual property rights that we may license, and any failure by us or any future licensor to obtain, maintain, defend and enforce these rights could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our information systems, or those used by third parties which we rely on, may fail, be impacted by cybersecurity incidents, suffer other security incidents or be vulnerable to other forms of attack or damage.
The operation of our business depends on our information systems and, in some cases, the information systems used by third parties. We rely on our information systems to, among other things, effectively manage sales and marketing data, accounting and financial functions, inventory management, product development tasks, clinical data, customer service and technical support functions. Despite the implementation of security measures, our information systems, or those used by third parties which we rely on, are vulnerable to a variety of cybersecurity incidents and cybersecurity threats, as well as other forms of attack or damage, including damage or interruption from earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural disasters, terrorist attacks, power losses, computer system or data network failures, security incidents, data corruption, and cyberattacks. Cybersecurity incidents can include, but are not limited to, computer viruses, computer denial-of-service attacks, phishing attacks, ransomware attacks, worms, and other malicious software programs or other attacks, covert introduction of malware to computers and networks, social engineering or impersonation of authorized users, and efforts to discover and exploit any design flaws, bugs, security vulnerabilities, or security weaknesses, as well as intentional or unintentional acts by employees or other insiders with access privileges, intentional acts of vandalism by third parties and sabotage. Further, we rely on third-party service providers and technologies to operate critical business systems to process sensitive information in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, enterprise cloud solutions, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, and other similar functions. Although we prefer third parties that are SOC 1 compliant or adhere to other related regulations, our ability to monitor their information security practices is limited, and they may not have adequate security measures in place. They may also experience unexpected power losses, computer system failures, or data network disruptions, negatively impacting the systems or solutions we depend on. If our third-party providers face a security incident or other interruptions, or if there is a flaw or failed software update in the third-party software used in our systems, our information systems may become disabled or inaccessible. This could limit access to our data and business information, potentially causing significant disruptions to our operations.
Attacks upon information systems are increasing in their frequency, levels of persistence, sophistication and intensity, and are being conducted by sophisticated and organized groups and individuals with a wide range of motives and expertise. Furthermore, because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or to sabotage, information systems change frequently, including from emerging technologies, such as advanced forms of AI and quantum computing, and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. We may also experience cybersecurity incidents or other incidents that may remain undetected for an extended period. Even if identified, we may be unable to adequately investigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents or threats due to attackers increasingly using tools and techniques that are designed to circumvent controls, to avoid detection, and to remove or obfuscate forensic evidence.
While we have not experienced any material cybersecurity incident or other system failure or security breach to our knowledge to date, if such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our development programs and our business operations, leading to increased costs, product shortages or lost revenues. To the extent that any cybersecurity incident, security breach or other attack or damage to our information systems were to result in a loss or misuse of proprietary or confidential information, intellectual property, or sensitive or personal information, we could incur liability and the further development and commercialization of our current and future products could be delayed. In addition, any such cybersecurity incident, security breach, or other attack or damage could harm our reputation, erode customer confidence in the effectiveness of our security measures, and negatively impact our ability to attract new customers.
The use of artificial intelligence technology by our employees or business partners could result in misuse or loss of proprietary information, violation of laws and regulations, or damage to our reputation and credibility.
Our employees and business partners may use AI technology, including generative AI tools, to perform their work. Our sensitive information could be leaked, disclosed, or revealed as a result of or in connection with the use of AI technology. AI algorithms are based on machine learning and predictive analytics, which can create accuracy issues, unintended biases, and discriminatory outcomes that could harm our brand, reputation, business, or customers. Additionally, dependence on AI without adequate safeguards to make certain business decisions may introduce additional operational vulnerabilities by producing inaccurate outcomes, recommendations, or other suggestions based on flaws in the underlying data or other unintended results. The use and disclosure of personal data in AI technology is subject to various data privacy laws and other data privacy obligations. Governments, including the EU through the EU AI Act and various U.S. states, have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating AI. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and lawsuits. Implementing the use of AI successfully, ethically and as intended, will require significant resources. Our competitors or other third parties may incorporate AI into their business,
Our failure to adequately protect personal information in compliance with evolving legal requirements could harm our business.
In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including legally protected patient health information, credit card information and personally identifiable information. We collect this kind of information on our customers for purposes of servicing potential warranty claims and for post-marketing safety vigilance. Data protection and privacy-related laws and regulations are evolving and may result in ever-increasing regulatory and public scrutiny and escalating levels of enforcement and sanctions.
There are a number of state, federal and international laws protecting the privacy and security of health information and personal data. For example, HIPAA imposes limitations on the use and disclosure of an individual’s protected health information by certain healthcare providers, healthcare clearinghouses, and health insurance plans, collectively referred to as Covered Entities, and their business associates, persons or entities that perform a function or provide specified services on behalf of a Covered Entity that involve the creation, use, maintenance or transmission of protected health information. HIPAA also imposes breach notification obligations for breaches of protected health information, including notification requirements to federal regulators and in some cases, notification to relevant media outlets. Most states also have breach notification requirements to affected individuals and in some cases to state regulators in the event of a breach of personal information, which is a broader class of information than the protected health information protected by HIPAA. Although we are not directly subject to HIPAA, we could potentially be subject to criminal penalties if we, our affiliates, or our agents knowingly receive individually identifiable health information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner
that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA, and subject to other civil and/or criminal penalties if we obtain, use, or disclose information in a manner not permitted by other privacy and data security consumer protection laws
In addition, even when HIPAA does not apply, according to the FTC, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure may constitute unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the FTCA, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC sets expectations for taking appropriate steps to safeguard consumers’ personal information and providing a level of privacy or security commensurate to promises made to individuals. The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Failure to meet these standards may constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. Health information is considered sensitive data that merits stronger safeguards. The FTC also has the power to enforce the Health Breach Notification Rule, which imposes notification obligations on companies for breaches of certain health information contained in personal health records. Enforcement by the FTC under the FTC Act and Health Breach Notification Rule can result in civil penalties or enforcement actions.
At the state level, several U.S. states have proposed and passed consumer privacy laws. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, (“CCPA”) includes certain transparency and other requirements to protect personal data and grants California consumers with certain rights regarding their personal data. In addition, California consumers have the right to bring a private right of action in connection with data security incidents involving certain elements of personal data. Additionally, other jurisdictions, such as Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut, have enacted similar legislation and/or regulations. Health-specific consumer privacy laws were also passed in multiple states, including Washington and Nevada. These laws and regulations are constantly evolving and may impose limitations on our business activities.
Moreover, as a result of the broad scale release and availability of AI technologies such as generative AI, there is a global trend towards more regulation (e.g., the EU AI Act and AI laws passed in the United States to ensure the ethical use, privacy, and security of AI and the data that it processes. Compliance with such laws will likely be an increasing and substantial cost in the future.
Many foreign countries and governmental bodies, including the EU, UK, Canada, Australia and other relevant jurisdictions, have laws and regulations concerning the collection and use of personal or sensitive data obtained from their residents or by businesses operating within their jurisdiction. For example, the EU/UK GDPR imposes stringent data protection requirements. It regulates the processing of personal data and places certain obligations on the processing of such personal data including ensuring the lawfulness of processing personal data (including obtaining valid consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates, where applicable), the processing details disclosed to the individuals, the adequacy, relevance and necessity of the personal data collected, the retention of personal data collected, the sharing of personal data with third parties, the transfer of personal data out of the European Economic Area/UK to third countries including the United States, contracting requirements (such as with clinical trial sites and vendors), the use of personal data in accordance with individual rights, the security of personal data and security breach/incident notifications. Non-compliance with the EU/UK GDPR can trigger steep fines for the most serious breaches of up to €20 million or 4% of total worldwide annual revenues, whichever is higher. Given the breadth and depth of changes in data protection obligations, meeting the EU/UK GDPR’s requirements requires time, resources and a review of the technology and systems currently in use against the EU/UK GDPR’s requirements.
We may be at risk of enforcement actions taken by certain EU data protection authorities, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, or ICO, or the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner, or FDPIC, while we continue to build our business practices to ensure that all transfers of personal data to us from the European Economic Area, United Kingdom and Switzerland, are conducted in compliance with all applicable regulatory obligations, the guidance of data protection authorities and evolving best practices. We may find it necessary to establish systems to maintain personal data originating from the EU in the European Economic Area, which may involve substantial expense and may cause us to need to divert resources from other aspects of our business, all of which may adversely affect our business.
Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or to protect such data, could result in enforcement actions against us, including fines, imprisonment of company officials and public censure, claims for damages by end-customers and other affected individuals, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill, any of which could harm on our operations, financial performance, and business. Evolving and changing definitions of personal data
and personal information, within the European Union, the United States, and elsewhere, may limit or inhibit our ability to operate or expand our business, including limiting strategic partnerships that may involve the sharing of data. Moreover, if the relevant laws and regulations change, or are interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data practices or the operation of our products, we may need to expend resources in order to change our business operations, data practices, or the manner in which our products operate. Even the perception of privacy concerns, whether or not valid, may harm our reputation and inhibit adoption of our products.
The landscape of federal and state laws regulating personal data is constantly evolving, and compliance with these laws requires a flexible privacy framework and substantial resources, and compliance efforts will likely be an increasing and substantial cost in the future. There is the risk that the limits we obtained for our cyber liability insurance may not cover the total loss experienced in the event of a data security incident, including the financial loss, legal costs, and business and reputational harm, particularly if there is an interruption to our systems. Additionally, there is the risk of a data privacy or security incident by an employee, which may expose us to liability. If personal information of our customers or employees is misappropriated, our reputation with our customers and employees may be injured resulting in loss of business and/or morale, and we may incur costs to remediate possible injury to our customers and employees or be required to pay fines or take other action with respect to judicial or regulatory actions arising out of such incidents. There can be no assurance that the systems we have designed to prevent or limit the effects of cyber incidents or attacks will be sufficient to prevent or detect material consequences arising from such incidents or attacks, or will be sufficient to avoid material adverse impact on our systems after such incidents or attacks do occur.
We rely on third party vendors and service providers to support various aspects of our business operations. However, these third parties may pose risks related to data security, compliance, and contractual obligations. A breach or failure by a third party to adequately protect our data could have adverse consequences for our business and reputation.
Risks Related to Regulatory and Political Environment
The regulatory approval process is expensive, time consuming and uncertain. Our future success depends on our ability to develop, receive regulatory clearance or approval for, and introduce new products that will be accepted by the market in a timely manner. There is no guarantee that the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authority will authorize the commercialization of our planned products on a timely basis, if at all. Delays or failure to obtain necessary clearances or approvals would adversely affect our ability to grow our business.
The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, import, export, marketing and distribution of medical devices are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries, where regulations differ from country to country. Our products are commercially available in over 100 countries, including the United States. See Item 1 “Business” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information about the regulatory process.
Prior to receiving approval to commercialize any of our planned products in the United States or abroad, we may be required to demonstrate with substantial evidence from preclinical and well-controlled clinical studies, and to the satisfaction of the FDA or other regulatory authorities abroad, that such planned products are safe and effective for their intended uses. We may not successfully complete required clinical trials, or they may yield results which are different than anticipated or that can be interpreted in different ways. Additionally, even if we believe the preclinical or clinical data for our planned products are promising, such data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Administering any of our planned products to humans may produce undesirable side effects, which could interrupt, delay or cause suspension of clinical studies of our planned products and result in the FDA or other regulatory authorities denying approval of our planned products for any or all targeted indications.
Regulatory clearance or approval from the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities is not guaranteed, and the approval process is expensive and may take several years. The PMA approval process in the United States generally takes from one to three years and the 510(k) clearance process in the United States usually takes from three to twelve months, although each could take longer. For example, we initiated a modular PMA submission process with the FDA for approval of our Motiva Implants in the United States in 2021 and received FDA approval for our Motiva Implants in the United States in September 2024. The FDA and other regulatory authorities also have substantial discretion in the approval process. Despite the time and expense exerted, failure can occur at
any stage, and we could encounter problems that cause us to abandon or repeat clinical studies or perform additional preclinical studies and clinical studies. The number of preclinical studies and clinical studies that will be required for approval varies depending on the jurisdiction, the planned product, the indication that the planned product is designed to address and the regulations applicable to any particular planned product. The FDA can delay, limit or deny approval of a planned product for many reasons, including, but not limited to, the following:
•a planned product or one or more of its features may not be deemed safe or effective;
•FDA officials may not find the data from preclinical studies and clinical studies sufficient;
•the FDA might not approve our manufacturing or our third-party supplier’s processes or facilities; or
•the FDA may change its approval policies or adopt new regulations.
In addition, the FDA or other regulatory authority may change its clearance and approval policies, adopt additional regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions that may prevent or delay approval or clearance of our products under development or impact our ability to modify our currently approved or cleared products on a timely basis. In the United States, the FDA could also reclassify some or all of our products that are currently classified as Class II to Class III requiring additional controls, clinical studies and submission and approval of a PMA for us to market and sell those products. Any change in the approval policies or new or amended regulations governing the clearance and approval processes could increase the costs of obtaining approval/clearance of a product or result in delays in, or failure to receive or maintain clearance or approval for our products.
Moreover, clearance or approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries, and approval by one or more international regulatory authorities does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or by the FDA. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may have a negative effect on the regulatory process in others. An international regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. We may not obtain international regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all. We may not be able to file for regulatory approvals and, even if we file, we may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market. If our products, fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy in further clinical studies that may be required for U.S. approval, or do not gain regulatory approval, our business and results of operations will be harmed.
If Motiva Implants or any planned products fail to demonstrate safety and effectiveness in preclinical and clinical studies, if there is a change in the approval policies or new or amended regulations governing the clearance and approval process for our products, or if our products do not gain regulatory approval or clearance, our business and results of operations will be harmed.
Once commercialized, modifications to our marketed products may require new 510(k) clearances or approval of PMA supplements, or equivalent steps in other countries, or may require us to cease marketing or recall the modified products until certification, clearances or regulatory approvals are obtained.
Modifications to any of our products once they are commercialized from time to time require new regulatory approvals or clearances, including 510(k) clearances or approval of PMA supplements, or may require us to recall or cease marketing the modified systems until these clearances or approvals are obtained. The FDA requires device manufacturers to initially make and document a determination of whether or not a modification requires a new approval, supplement or clearance. A manufacturer may determine that a modification could not affect safety or efficacy and does not represent a major change in its intended use, so that no new clearance or approval is necessary. However, the FDA can review a manufacturer’s decision and may disagree. The FDA may also on its own initiative determine that a new clearance or approval of a PMA supplement is required. We may make modifications in the future that we believe do not or will not require additional clearances or approvals. If the FDA disagrees and requires new clearances or approvals for the modifications, we may be required to recall and to stop marketing our products as modified, which could require us to redesign our products and/or seek new marketing authorizations and harm our operating results. In these circumstances, we may be subject to significant enforcement actions.
Where we determine that modifications to our products require a new PMA approval or approval of a PMA supplement, we may not be able to obtain those additional approvals for the modifications or additional indications in a timely manner, or at all. Obtaining new approvals can be a time-consuming process, and delays in obtaining required future approvals would adversely affect our ability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner, which in turn would harm our future growth.
For those products sold in the EEA, we must notify our EU Notified Body if significant changes are made to the products or if there are substantial changes to our quality management systems affecting those products. Obtaining CE Certificates of Conformity for medical devices can be a time-consuming process, and delays in obtaining required future clearances or approvals would adversely affect our ability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner, which in turn would harm our future growth.
Even if we receive regulatory approval for a planned product, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review. Compliance with ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review may result in significant additional expense and subject us to penalties if we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
When a regulatory approval is obtained, the approved product and its manufacturer are subject to continual review by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Our regulatory approval for Motiva Implants, as well as any regulatory approval that we receive for future modifications to Motiva Implants or for any planned products may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which the product may be marketed. Future approvals may contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing follow-up studies to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the approved product in real-world post-market use. For example, in connection with FDA approval of our Motiva Implants, we are required to monitor the clinical trial patients for our IDE clinical trial for up to ten years, create a patient registry or large post approval study, and/or other studies, and implement training programs for physicians. In addition, we are subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements by the FDA and other regulatory authorities with regard to the labeling, packaging, adverse event quarterly reporting, device tracking, device retrieval studies, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for our products. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials or training constitutes promotion of an off-label use, it could request that we modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions. It is also possible that other federal, state, or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our promotional or training materials to constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement. In addition, the off-label use of our products may increase the risk of product liability claims. Product liability claims are expensive to defend and could divert our management’s attention, result in substantial damage awards against us, and harm our reputation.
We are also required to comply with regulations regarding the manufacture of Motiva Implants, which include requirements related to quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation. Further, regulatory authorities must inspect these manufacturing facilities and determine that they are in compliance with FDA good manufacturing practice requirements as set forth in the Quality Management System Regulation, or QMSR, before the products can be approved. These facilities are subject to continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with the QMSR and associated regulations.
Failure to comply with FDA and other applicable U.S. and foreign regulatory requirements may subject us to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including the following:
•Warning Letters;
•civil or criminal penalties and fines;
•injunctions;
•suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approval;
•suspension of any ongoing clinical studies;
•voluntary or mandatory product recalls and publicity requirements;
•refusal to accept or approve applications for marketing approval of new devices or supplements to approved applications filed by us;
•restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; or
•seizure or detention of our products or import bans.
Our products may cause or contribute to adverse medical events or be subject to failures or malfunctions that we are required to report to the FDA, and if we fail to do so, we would be subject to sanctions that could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. The discovery of
serious safety issues with our products, or a recall of our products either voluntarily or at the direction of the FDA or another governmental authority, could have a negative impact on us.
Our products are subject to medical device reporting regulations, which require us to report to the FDA any information that reasonably suggests one of our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or one of our products malfunctioned and, if the malfunction were to recur, this device or a similar device that we market would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. Our obligation to report under the medical device reporting regulations is triggered on the date on which we become aware of information that reasonably suggests a reportable adverse event occurred. We may fail to report adverse events of which we become aware within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to recognize that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event, it is an adverse event that is unexpected or if the product characteristic that caused the adverse event is removed in time from our products. If we fail to comply with our medical device reporting obligations, the FDA could issue warning letters or untitled letters, take administrative actions, commence criminal prosecution, impose civil monetary penalties, demand or initiate a product recall, seize our products, or delay the clearance of our future products.
Depending on the corrective action we take to redress a product’s deficiencies or defects, the FDA may require, or we may decide, that we will need to obtain new clearances or approvals for the device before we may market or distribute the corrected device. Seeking such clearances or approvals may delay our ability to replace the recalled devices in a timely manner. Moreover, if we do not adequately address problems associated with our devices, we may face additional regulatory enforcement action, including FDA warning letters, product seizure, injunctions, administrative penalties or civil or criminal fines, which may harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are subject to extensive and dynamic medical device regulation, and oversight in the United States and other countries. If we fail to obtain or maintain necessary regulatory approvals for our products, or if approvals or clearances for future products are delayed or not issued, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our products, marketing, sales and development activities and manufacturing processes are subject to extensive and rigorous regulation by various regulatory agencies and governing bodies. Under the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDC Act), medical devices must receive FDA clearance or approval or an exemption from such clearance or approval before they can be commercially marketed in the United States. Additionally, such devices are subject to wide-ranging regulations including, among other things: product design, development, manufacture and release; laboratory and clinical testing, labeling, packaging, storage, and distribution; product safety and effectiveness; record-keeping; product promotion and advertising; post-marketing surveillance; post-market approval studies, where applicable; and import and export rules. In the EU, we are required to comply with the EU MDR and obtain CE Certificates of Conformity in order to affix CE mark on our medical devices and place them on the EU market. Breast implants intended for aesthetic purposes fall under Annex XVI (List of groups of products without an intended medical purpose) to the EU MDR and we are also required to obtain CE Certificates of Conformity for these products under the EU MDR in order to place them on the EU market. In addition, exported devices are subject to the regulatory requirements of each country to which the device is exported.
The FDA or other regulators could delay, limit, or deny clearance or approval of a device for many reasons, including:
•our inability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or the applicable regulatory entity or notified body that our devices and any accessories are substantially equivalent to a legally marketed predicate device or safe or effective for their proposed intended uses;
•disagreement of the FDA with the design or implementation of any clinical trials or the interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials;
•serious and unexpected adverse device effects experienced by participants in our clinical trials;
•insufficiency of the data from preclinical studies or clinical trials to support clearance or approval;
•our inability to demonstrate that the clinical and other benefits of the device outweigh the risks;
•failure of our manufacturing process or facilities to meet applicable requirements; and
•the potential for approval policies or regulations of the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory bodies to change significantly in a manner rendering our clinical data or regulatory filings insufficient for clearance or approval.
Many countries require that product approvals be renewed or recertified on a regular basis, generally every four to five years. The renewal or recertification process requires that we evaluate any device changes and any new regulations or standards relevant to the device and conduct appropriate testing to document continued compliance. Where renewal or recertification applications are required, they may need to be renewed and/or approved in order to continue selling our products in those countries. There can be no assurance that we will receive the required approvals for new products or modifications to existing products on a timely basis or that any approval will not be subsequently withdrawn or conditioned upon extensive post-market study requirements.
The EU MDR imposes requirements regarding, among others, device design and development, preclinical and clinical requirements, premarket conformity assessment and post-market surveillance, vigilance, and market surveillance. We, along with the Notified Bodies, may face uncertainties as the EU MDR continues to be rolled out and enforced by the European Commission and EEA Competent Authorities. The time required to obtain a CE Certificate of Conformity from a Notified Body in the EU is lengthy and may be unpredictable. On average, the time-to-certification under the EU MDR for all device categories ranges between 13 and 18 months.
Additionally, the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU and the end of the mutual recognition and related trade facilitating effects for medical devices between the EU and Switzerland in May 2021 have added certain costs and complexities to the shipment and sales of our products in those countries.
Regulations regarding the development, manufacture and sale of medical devices are evolving and subject to future change. On December 16, 2025, the European Commission published a proposal to amend the EU MDR. The primary goal of the proposal is to reduce administrative burden and certification delays, improve predictability and innovation, and help prevent device shortages. However, we cannot predict what impact, if any, those changes might have on our business. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product or manufacturer could result in fines, delays or suspensions of regulatory clearances or approvals, seizures or recalls of products, physician advisories or other field actions, operating restrictions and/or criminal prosecution. We may also initiate field actions as a result of a failure to strictly comply with our internal quality policies. The failure to receive product approval clearance on a timely basis, suspensions of regulatory clearances or approvals, seizures or recalls of products, physician advisories or other field actions, or the withdrawal of product approval or clearance by regulatory authorities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our products, such as Motiva Implants, may in the future be subject to product recalls that could harm our reputation, business and financial results.
Medical devices can experience performance problems in the field that require review and possible corrective action. The occurrence of component failures, manufacturing errors, design defects or labeling inadequacies affecting a medical device could lead to a government-mandated or voluntary recall by the device manufacturer, in particular when such deficiencies may endanger health. The FDA requires that certain classifications of recalls be reported to the agency within 10 working days after the recall is initiated. Companies are required to maintain certain records of recalls, even if they are not reportable to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary recalls involving Motiva Implants or other planned devices in the future that we determine do not require notification to the FDA. If the FDA disagrees with our determinations, they could require us to report those actions as recalls. Product recalls may divert management attention and financial resources, expose us to product liability or other claims, harm our reputation with customers and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The medical technology industry is complex and intensely regulated at the federal, state, and local levels, and government authorities may determine that we have failed to comply with applicable laws or regulations.
As a company which manufactures and distributes medical devices and technologies, we are subject to numerous regional, national and local laws and regulations. There are significant costs involved in complying with these laws and regulations. Moreover, if we are found to have violated any applicable laws or regulations, we could be subject to civil and/or criminal damages, fines, sanctions or penalties, including exclusion from participation in governmental healthcare programs. We may also be required to change our method of operations. These
consequences could be the result of current conduct or even conduct that occurred a number of years ago. We also could incur significant costs merely if we become the subject of an investigation or legal proceeding alleging a violation of these laws and regulations. We cannot predict whether any government authority will determine that we are not operating in accordance with law, or whether the laws will change in the future and impact our business.
Under some circumstances, government investigations can also be initiated by private individuals under whistleblower provisions which may be incentivized by the possibility for private recoveries. Responding to inquiries and enforcement activities can be costly and disruptive to our business operations, even when the allegations are without merit. We also may be subject to other financial sanctions or be required to modify our operations. Any of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our relationship with customers, patients and third party payors will be subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.
Our arrangements with third-party payors, patients and healthcare providers may expose us to fraud and abuse laws and other healthcare laws and regulations that may limit the business relationships we establish to market, sell, promote and distribute our products in the United States. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with these third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve 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 civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. The requirements and restrictions under these broadly applicable laws and regulations are described in the section on Fraud and Abuse Laws in Item 1, “Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Healthcare reform measures could hinder or prevent our planned products’ commercial success.
From time to time, legislation is drafted and introduced in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the regulatory approval, manufacture and marketing of regulated products or the reimbursement thereof. In addition, the FDA may change its clearance and approval policies, adopt additional regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions, which may prevent or delay approval or clearance of our future products under development or impact our ability to modify our currently cleared products on a timely basis. Any new regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of planned or future products. It is impossible to predict whether legislative changes will be enacted or FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations changed, and what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.
FDA regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the FDA in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new statutes, regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of any future products or make it more difficult to obtain clearance or approval for, manufacture, market or distribute our products. Actions by the FDA or other governmental agencies applicable to our business may be adversely affected by several significant administrative law cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024, including most notably, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which overruled the Supreme Court’s previous ruling that courts defer to reasonable agency interpretations of statutes that are silent or ambiguous on a particular topic. The ruling requires courts to exercise their independent judgment when deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority, and that courts may not defer to an agency interpretation solely because a statute is ambiguous. This decision and other administrative law cases may result in additional legal challenges to regulations and guidance issued by federal regulatory agencies, including the FDA, that we have relied on and intend to rely on in the future. Any such challenges, if successful, could have a material impact on our business. In addition to potential changes to regulations and agency guidance as a result of legal challenges, these decisions may result in increased regulatory uncertainty and delays in and other impacts to the agency rulemaking process, any of which could adversely impact our business and operations.
Further, in the United States, there have been, and we expect there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare system in ways that could affect our future revenue and future profitability and the future revenue and future profitability of our potential customers. Federal and state lawmakers regularly propose and, at times, enact legislation that could result in significant changes to the healthcare system, some of which are intended to contain or reduce the costs of medical products and services. The OBBBA, for example, is projected to decrease federal healthcare spending by approximately $1 trillion by reducing Medicaid spending and enrollment and making changes to federal Medicare spending. There is substantial uncertainty as to how the current administration will further seek to modify or revise laws impacting the healthcare system or the requirements and policies of the FDA and other regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over our products in the United States. The impending uncertainty could present new challenges or potential opportunities as we navigate the continued commercialization of Motiva Implants in the United States.
We cannot predict the impact that ongoing healthcare reform will have on our business, and there is uncertainty as to what healthcare programs and regulations may be implemented or changed at the federal and/or state level in the United States, and as to the effect of any future legislation or regulation. However, it is possible that such initiatives could have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain approval and/or successfully commercialize products in the United States in the future. For example, any changes that reduce, or impede the ability to obtain, reimbursement for our Motiva Implants or other current or planned products in the United States or reduce medical procedure volumes could adversely affect our business plan.
There likely will continue to be legislative and regulatory proposals at the federal and state levels directed at containing or lowering the cost of healthcare. We cannot predict the initiatives that may be adopted in the future or their full impact. The continuing efforts of the government, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payers of healthcare services to contain or reduce costs of healthcare may adversely affect:
•our ability to set a price that we believe is fair for our products;
•our ability to generate revenue and achieve or maintain profitability; and
•the availability of capital.
The coverage and reimbursement status of newly-approved products is uncertain. Failure to obtain or maintain adequate coverage and reimbursement for new or current products could limit our ability to market those products and decrease our ability to generate revenue.
Market acceptance and sales of any one or more of our product candidates will depend on reimbursement policies and may be affected by future healthcare reform measures in the United States and in foreign jurisdictions. Government authorities and third-party payers, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which products they will cover and establish payment levels. We cannot be certain that reimbursement will be available for any of our products or product candidates. Also, we cannot be certain that reimbursement policies will not reduce the demand for, or the price paid for, our products. If reimbursement is not available or is available on a limited basis, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidates that we develop.
The pricing, coverage and reimbursement of our product candidates must be adequate to support our commercial infrastructure. Our per-patient prices must be sufficient to recover our development and manufacturing costs and potentially achieve profitability. However, sales of any product depend, in part, on the extent to which such product will be covered by third-party payors, such as federal, state, and foreign government healthcare programs, commercial insurance and managed healthcare organizations, and the level of reimbursement for such product by third-party payors. Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any newly approved product. Decisions regarding the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a product does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. As a result, we do not have assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
Further, third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of medical products and product candidates. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit or delay sales of any of our future products. A decision by a third-party payor not to cover a product could reduce patient demand for any of our products.
Risks Related to Taxation
Tax authorities may disagree with our positions and conclusions regarding certain tax positions, resulting in unanticipated costs, taxes or non-realization of expected benefits.
We have subsidiaries in multiple countries. From time to time, tax authorities disagree with tax positions that we have taken. If we are unable to successfully resolve such disagreements, we could experience increased tax liabilities. For example, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or another foreign tax authority could challenge the amounts paid between our affiliated companies pursuant to our intercompany arrangements and transfer pricing policies. A tax authority may, as has occurred recently in Brazil, take the position that certain tax liabilities, interest and penalties are payable by us, in which case, we expect that we might, as we have in Brazil, contest such assessment. Contesting such an assessment can be lengthy and costly, and if we were unsuccessful in disputing the assessment, the implications could materially increase our anticipated effective tax rate, where applicable. In addition, we may be subject to additional tax liabilities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The application, interpretation and enforcement of value-added tax, or VAT, and other taxes and related regulations applicable to medical device companies is complex and evolving.
We are a multinational organization faced with increasingly complex tax issues in many jurisdictions, and changes in tax laws or their application to the operation of our business could adversely impact our operating results and our business.
We conduct operations in multiple jurisdictions, and we are subject to certain taxes, including income, sales and use, employment, value added and other taxes, in the United States and other jurisdictions in which we do business. A change in the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we do business, including an increase in tax rates or an adverse change in the treatment of an item of income or expense, possibly with retroactive effect, could result in a material increase in the amount of taxes we incur.
Our determination of our tax liability is subject to review by applicable U.S. and foreign tax authorities. Any adverse outcome of such a review could harm our operating results and financial condition. The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment and, in the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is complex and uncertain. Moreover, as a multinational business, we have subsidiaries that engage in many intercompany transactions in a variety of tax jurisdictions where the ultimate tax determination is complex and uncertain. The taxing authorities of the jurisdictions in which we operate may challenge our methodologies, which could impact our financial position and operating results. Historically, we have allocated some of our employees’ and contractors’ time across multiple business entities in the international jurisdictions in which we operate. If it were determined that we had misclassified our employees’ or contractors’ employment status or certain of our expenditures under local laws, we may be subjected to penalties or be required to pay withholding taxes, extend employee benefits, provide compensation for unpaid overtime, or otherwise incur substantially greater expenses with respect to such employees and contractors. Any of the foregoing circumstances could have a material adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.
In addition, the European Union Economic and Financial Affairs Council has in recent years released a list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. The stated aim of the list is to promote good governance worldwide in order to maximize efforts to promote fair tax competition and address harmful tax practices. In February 2023, Costa Rica was added to this list, which now includes 16 jurisdictions. According to the European Union Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Costa Rica was added to the list because it has not fulfilled a commitment to abolish or amend harmful aspects of its foreign source income exemption regime. Shortly after this, in October 2023, the EU Council announced that three jurisdictions had been removed from the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdiction, one of which was Costa Rica. This follows the reforms made to Costa Rica’s Income Tax Law, amending aspects of the foreign-source income exemption regime. The reforms include a clarification to the scope of the territoriality principle and introduction of a new taxation regime for foreign-source passive income.
We are periodically reviewed and audited by tax authorities with respect to income and non-income taxes. Tax authorities may disagree with certain positions we have taken, and we may have exposure to additional income and non-income tax liabilities which could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition. Such authorities could impose additional taxes, interest and penalties, claim that various withholding requirements apply to us or our subsidiaries or assert that benefits of tax treaties are not available to us or our subsidiaries. In addition, our future effective tax rates could be favorably or unfavorably affected by changes in tax rates, changes
in the valuation of our deferred tax assets or liabilities, the effectiveness of our tax planning strategies, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. Such changes could have an adverse impact on our financial condition.
As a result of these and other factors, the ultimate amount of tax obligations owed may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and any such difference may harm our operating results in future periods in which we change our estimates of our tax obligations or in which the ultimate tax outcome is determined.
Our ability to use net operating losses to offset future taxable income and certain other tax attributes may be subject to certain limitations.
Federal and California laws impose restrictions on the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards and research and development credit carryforwards in the event of a change in ownership of the Company, which constitutes an “ownership change” as defined by Internal Revenue Code Sections 382 and 383. Generally, an ownership change occurs if the percentage of the value of the shares that are owned by one or more direct or indirect “five percent shareholders” increases by more than 50% over their lowest ownership percentage at any time during the applicable testing period. If we have experienced an “ownership change” at any time since our formation, we may already be subject to limitations on our ability to utilize our existing net operating losses and other tax attributes. We have not experienced an ownership change in the past that would materially impact the availability of its net operating losses and tax credits. Nevertheless, future changes in our share ownership, which may be outside of our control, may trigger an “ownership change” and, consequently, Section 382 and 383 limitations. We have not completed a Section 382 and 383 analysis to determine if an ownership change has occurred. Until such analysis is completed, we cannot be sure that the full amount of the existing net operating loss carryforwards will be available to us, even if we do generate taxable income before their expiration. In addition, under the newly enacted U.S. federal income tax law, federal net operating losses incurred in 2018 and in future years may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal net operating losses is limited.
U.S. holders of our common shares may suffer adverse tax consequences if we are characterized as a passive foreign investment company.
A non-U.S. corporation will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in any taxable year in which either (1) at least 75% of its gross income is passive income; or (2) at least 50% of the average quarterly value of its total gross assets is attributable to assets that produce “passive income” or are held for the production of passive income. Based on the project composition of our income and valuation of our assets, we do not believe we were a PFIC in 2025 and 2024, and we do not expect to become one in the future. However, because our PFIC status is subject to a number of uncertainties, neither we nor our tax advisors can provide any assurances regarding our PFIC status. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. holder holds our common shares, the U.S. holder may be subject to adverse tax consequences. U.S. investors should consult their advisors regarding the application of these rules and the availability of any potential elections.
If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of our common shares, such holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
If a United States person is treated as owning (directly, indirectly, or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares, such person may be treated as a “United States shareholder” with respect to each “controlled foreign corporation” in our group (if any). We may become a controlled foreign corporation. In addition, because our group includes one or more U.S. subsidiaries, certain of our non-U.S. subsidiaries could be treated as controlled foreign corporations (regardless of whether or not we are treated as a controlled foreign corporation). A U.S. shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation may be required to report annually and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of “Subpart F income,” “global intangible low-taxed income,” and investments in U.S. property by controlled foreign corporations, regardless of whether we make any distributions. An individual that is a U.S. shareholder with respect to a controlled foreign corporation generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a U.S. shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations may subject a U.S. shareholder to significant monetary penalties and may prevent the statute of limitations with respect to such shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which reporting was due from starting. We cannot provide any assurances that we will assist investors in determining whether we or any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries is treated as a controlled foreign corporation or whether any investor is treated as a U.S. shareholder with respect to any such controlled foreign corporation or furnish to any U.S. shareholders information that may be necessary to comply with the
aforementioned reporting and tax paying obligations. A U.S. investor should consult its advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to an investment in our common shares.
Discontinuation of preferential tax treatments we currently enjoy or other unfavorable changes in tax law could result in additional compliance obligations and costs.
Discontinuation of preferential tax treatments we currently enjoy or other unfavorable changes in tax law could result in additional compliance obligations and costs. We are currently the beneficiary of a tax holiday in Costa Rica pursuant to which we are subject to a tax at a 0% rate. The tax holiday is effective through December 31, 2030, and it may be extended if certain additional requirements are satisfied. However, there can be no assurance that we will continue to qualify for or receive such favorable tax treatment after the expiration date. If we fail to maintain such favorable tax treatment, we may be subject to tax in Costa Rica at a significantly higher rate.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Securities
Our share price may be volatile, and purchasers of our securities could incur substantial losses.
The price at which our common shares trade may be volatile. The securities markets in general, and the market for biotechnology and medical device companies in particular, have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. Additionally, the lack of an active market may impair the value of our common shares, or one’s ability to sell shares at the time one wishes to sell them or at a price that one considers reasonable. The market price for our shares may be influenced by many factors, including the following:
•our ability to successfully commercialize, and realize revenues from sales of, Motiva Implants;
•the success of competitive products or technologies;
•results of clinical studies of Motiva Implants or planned products or those of our competitors;
•regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries, especially changes in laws or regulations applicable to our products;
•introductions and announcements of new products by us, our commercialization partners, or our competitors, and the timing of these introductions or announcements;
•actions taken by regulatory agencies with respect to our products, clinical studies, manufacturing processes or sales and marketing terms;
•variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;
•the success of our efforts to acquire or in-license additional products or planned products;
•developments concerning our collaborations, including but not limited to those with our sources of manufacturing supply and our commercialization partners;
•developments concerning our ability to bring our manufacturing processes to scale in a cost-effective manner;
•announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
•developments or disputes concerning patents or other proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection for our products;
•our ability or inability to raise additional capital and the terms on which we raise it;
•the recruitment or departure of key personnel;
•changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;
•negative shifts in the economy affecting the number of aesthetic breast procedures;
•market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors;
•actual or anticipated changes in earnings estimates or changes in securities analyst recommendations regarding our common shares, other comparable companies or our industry generally;
•trading volume of our common shares;
•sales of our common shares by us or our shareholders;
•short selling activities;
•the impact of pandemics, epidemics or other public health crises;
•general economic, industry and market conditions; and
•the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.
These broad market and industry factors may harm the market price of our common shares, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, and 2022, and may identify additional material weaknesses in the future that may cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or result in material misstatements of our consolidated financial statements. If we fail to establish and maintain effective control over financial reporting, our ability to accurately and timely report our financial results could be adversely affected.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Risks Related to Being a British Virgin Islands Company
Rights of shareholders under British Virgin Islands law differ from those under U.S. law, and, accordingly, you may have fewer protections as a shareholder.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the BVI Act, and the common law of the British Virgin Islands. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under British Virgin Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the British Virgin Islands and by the BVI Act. The common law of the British Virgin Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the British Virgin Islands as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the British Virgin Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under British Virgin Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the British Virgin Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states (such as Delaware) have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. As a result of the foregoing, holders of our ordinary shares may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than they would as shareholders of a U.S. company.
British Virgin Islands companies may not be able to initiate shareholder derivative actions, thereby depriving shareholders of one avenue to protect their interests.
British Virgin Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect of any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a British Virgin Islands company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred. The British Virgin Islands courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law, or to impose liabilities based on certain liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature, in original actions brought in the British Virgin Islands. There is no statutory recognition in the British Virgin Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the British Virgin Islands will generally recognize and enforce the non-penal judgment of a non-U.S. court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits. This means that even if
shareholders were to sue us successfully, they may not be able to recover anything to make up for the losses suffered.
British Virgin Islands law differs from the laws in effect in the United States, and U.S. investors may have difficulty enforcing civil liabilities against us, our directors or members of senior management.
Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we may indemnify and hold our directors harmless against all claims and suits brought against them, subject to limited exceptions. Furthermore, to the extent allowed by law, the rights and obligations among or between us, any of our current or former directors, officers and employees and any current or former shareholder will be governed exclusively by the laws of the British Virgin Islands and subject to the jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands courts, unless those rights or obligations do not relate to or arise out of their capacities as such. Although there is doubt as to whether U.S. courts would enforce these provisions in an action brought in the United States, under U.S. securities laws, these provisions could make judgments obtained outside of the British Virgin Islands more difficult to enforce against our assets in the British Virgin Islands or jurisdictions that would apply British Virgin Islands law.
The laws of the British Virgin Islands provide limited protection for minority shareholders, so minority shareholders will have limited or no recourse if they are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs.
Under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, there is limited statutory law for the protection of minority shareholders other than the provisions of the BVI Act dealing with shareholder remedies, as summarized under “Description of Share Capital-Shareholders’ Rights Under British Virgin Islands Law Generally.” One protection under statutory law is that shareholders may bring an action to enforce the constituent documents of a British Virgin Islands company and are entitled to have the affairs of the Company conducted in accordance with the BVI Act and the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company. As such, if those who control the Company have disregarded the requirements of the BVI Act or the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, then the courts will likely grant relief. Generally, the areas in which the courts will intervene are the following: (i) an act complained of which is illegal; (ii) acts that constitute oppression, unfair discrimination or unfair prejudice against the minority where the wrongdoers control the Company; (iii) acts that infringe on the personal rights of the shareholders, such as the right to vote; and (iv) acts where we have not complied with provisions requiring approval of a special or extraordinary majority of shareholders, which are more limited than the rights afforded to minority shareholders under the laws of many states in the United States.
Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and under British Virgin Islands law could make an acquisition of us more difficult and may prevent attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that shareholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which shareholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common shares, thereby reducing the market price of our common shares. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for shareholders to replace members of our Board of Directors. Because our Board of Directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our shareholders to replace current members of our management team. Among others, these provisions include the following:
•while we are commencing a phased-in process to declassify our Board of Directors, our Board of Directors is divided into three classes with staggered three-year terms and will not be fully declassified until our 2026 annual meeting of shareholders, which may delay or prevent a change of our management or a change in control;
•our Board of Directors has the right to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of our Board of Directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which will prevent shareholders from being able to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors;
•our shareholders are not able to act by written consent, and, as a result, a holder, or holders, controlling a majority of our shares are not able to take certain actions other than at annual shareholders’ meetings or special shareholders’ meetings;
•our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do not allow cumulative voting in the election of directors, which limits the ability of minority shareholders to elect director candidates;
•our shareholders are required to provide advance notice and additional disclosures in order to nominate individuals for election to our Board of Directors or to propose matters that can be acted upon at a shareholders’ meeting, which may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company; and
•our Board of Directors is able to issue, without shareholder approval, preferred shares with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to acquire us.
Moreover, because we are incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, we are governed by the provisions of BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, as amended, or the BVI Act, which provide for different shareholder rights than a Delaware corporation. See, for example, the risk factor titled “Rights of shareholders under British Virgin Islands law differ from those under U.S. law, and, accordingly, you may have fewer protections as a shareholder.”