Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
Although it has not finalized its full financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) announced on January 9, 2025, that it expects to report that it had approximately $862 million of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024.
The information contained in Item 2.02 of this Form 8-K is unaudited and preliminary and does not present all information necessary for an understanding of the Company’s financial condition as of December 31, 2024. The audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, is ongoing and could result in changes to the information set forth above.
The information in this Item 2.02 is being furnished herewith and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
Item 2.05 Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities.
On January 9, 2025, the Company announced the prioritization of its current and near-term clinical programs and a strategic restructuring to streamline its operations. These changes are expected to extend the Company’s cash runway into the first half of 2027.
In connection with this portfolio prioritization and strategic restructuring, the Company expects to implement a net reduction of its employee headcount by approximately 27% over 2025. The Company estimates that it will incur charges of approximately $8 million for severance and other employee termination-related costs, primarily in the first quarter of 2025. These costs consist primarily of cash expenditures related to severance payments. The Company estimates that the workforce reduction will be substantially completed in the first quarter of 2025. The estimate of costs that the Company expects to incur, and the timing thereof are subject to a number of assumptions and actual results may differ. The Company may also incur additional costs not currently contemplated due to events that may occur as a result of, or that are associated with, the actions described above.
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On January 9, 2025, the Company announced that Laura Sepp-Lorenzino, Ph.D., the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer (“CSO”), will retire from the Company and that her anticipated retirement date is December 31, 2025. On January 9, 2025, the Company and Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino entered into a Retirement Agreement (the “Retirement Agreement”), pursuant to which, effective January 13, 2025, Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino will become Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Birgit Schultes, Ph.D. will become the Company’s Executive Vice President and CSO, effective as of January 13, 2025.
Pursuant to the Retirement Agreement, Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino will receive a revised base salary of $384,000 during the remainder of her employment with the Company and will be eligible for incentive compensation for 2024 consistent with the terms of her existing Employment Agreement but will not be eligible for a bonus or other incentive compensation for 2025. Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino will not be eligible for any severance pay or employee benefits following the ending of her employment unless there is a Change in Control (as defined in her existing Employment Agreement) and Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino’s employment is terminated following such Change in Control and before the anticipated retirement date, in which case she will be eligible for accelerated vesting of her outstanding equity awards consistent with her Employment Agreement, continued payment of her revised base salary through December 31, 2025, and continued payment of the monthly employer contribution for health insurance through the earlier of December 31, 2025 or the end of her COBRA health continuation period. Upon her retirement, subject to the terms of the Retirement Agreement, Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino will be eligible for the equity treatment set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated Retirement Policy for Equity Awards (the “Retirement Policy”) , a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 10.30 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-37766) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2023. The equity treatment set forth in the Retirement Policy includes the following with respect to all outstanding equity awards granted to Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino after July 1, 2022, subject to the terms and conditions of the Retirement Policy: (i) continued vesting of stock options on the original vesting dates for such stock options, (ii) the ability to exercise vested stock options until the earlier of December 31, 2030 and the original expiration date of the stock option, (iii) vesting of all unvested time-based restricted stock unit awards on December 31, 2025, and (iv) continued eligibility to earn a pro rata portion of any outstanding performance-based equity awards at the end of the performance period based on actual achievement of the applicable performance metrics. In accordance with the Retirement Policy, Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino will not be eligible to receive any additional equity awards during 2025. The Retirement Agreement is otherwise materially consistent with the terms of Dr. Sepp-Lorenzino’s Employment Agreement, which is substantially similar to the form of employment agreement filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-37766) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 17, 2018, and the Company’s Retirement Policy.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On January 9, 2025, the Company issued a press release titled “Intellia Therapeutics Announces Anticipated 2025 Milestones and Strategic Reorganization to Prioritize the Advancement of its Late-Stage Programs, NTLA-2002 and Nexiguran Ziclumeran (nex-z),” a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
The information under this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1 hereto, are being furnished herewith and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On January 9, 2025, the Company announced its strategic priorities to focus on key value drivers and anticipated milestones for 2025.