12.
Commitments and Contingencies

Agreements with Novartis

2024 Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis

On November 29, 2024, the Company entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement (the "2024 Novartis Agreement") with Novartis Pharma AG (collectively, with affiliated entities, "Novartis"). Pursuant to the 2024 Novartis Agreement, Novartis will provide the Company with ribociclib drug supply for the Company’s Phase 3 OPERA-02 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in ER+/HER2- frontline advanced or metastatic breast cancer (the "OPERA-02 trial").

Under the 2024 Novartis Agreement, the Company will supply (including manufacturing, packaging and labeling) palazestrant and letrozole for the OPERA-02 trial. Novartis will manufacture and supply (including primary packaging) the Company with a specified amount of ribociclib, which amount is expected to be sufficient for the OPERA-02 trial. The parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective background patent rights and other technology to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. Any inventions developed in the performance of the clinical studies for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug) are jointly owned by the parties. Except as otherwise specified below, the 2024 Novartis Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical trials, and each party retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds in any studies or clinical trials, either as a monotherapy or in combination with any other product or compound, in any therapeutic area. The parties retain their independent rights to commercialize their respective therapies both alone and with third parties.

The Company granted Novartis a right of first negotiation with respect to (a) the grant to any person or entity any right, license or sublicense to exploit palazestrant, in any field or territory, other than to third party service providers, or (b) the sale or other transfer to any person or entity of palazestrant and any related assets (each referred to herein as an "Olema Compound Transaction"). If the Company desires to or does, at any time, (a) solicit or entertain any third party proposal or indication of interest with respect to an Olema Compound Transaction, or (b) negotiate (including in response to any proposal or indication of interest received by the Company), enter into or perform under, in each case, any written definitive agreement with a third party with respect to or that contemplates an Olema Compound Transaction, then the Company must provide written notice to Novartis regarding such Olema Compound Transaction, along with certain other specified information. Novartis will have 30 days after receipt of such notice to elect to enter into exclusive good faith negotiations with respect to such Olema Compound Transaction for a period of up to 120 days.

If the Company’s board of directors (or a duly authorized board committee) determines that the Company should pursue or explore a change of control of the Company or sale of all or substantially all of its assets (an "Olema Change of Control"), other than in response to an unsolicited bona fide acquisition proposal (a "Proposed Sale"), the Company must promptly notify Novartis of such determination. In the event Novartis elects to engage in negotiations with the Company in respect of such Proposed Sale, then from the date such notice is given until 45 days after the later of (a) the date on which the foregoing notice is given to Novartis, (b) the date on which Novartis is given notice that a data room has been populated as required by the 2024 Novartis Agreement, and (c) entry by the Company and Novartis into a customary nondisclosure agreement, Novartis will have the exclusive right (but no obligation) to conduct due diligence on the Company and its business and negotiate with the Company and its representatives the definitive terms and conditions of the Proposed Sale.

If the Company or its affiliates receive an unsolicited bona fide acquisition proposal from a third party, the Company must promptly notify its board of directors (or a duly authorized board committee) of the receipt thereof and request that they consider the merits of such acquisition proposal. If, after such consideration, the Company’s board of directors (or authorized committee) authorizes the Company to engage in negotiations with regard to such acquisition proposal, then the Company must notify Novartis in writing within 24 hours of receipt of such authorization. To the extent possible in light of any confidentiality obligations, such notice must include a summary of the key structural, non-financial terms of such acquisition proposal.

In the event of an Olema Compound Transaction or Olema Change of Control involving a third party other than Novartis (the first to occur, a "Repayment Trigger Event"), the Company must promptly pay, or procure the payment of, the Repayment Amount (as defined below) to Novartis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the 2024 Novartis Agreement is terminated as a result of certain patient safety issues, lack of product efficacy, regulatory issues or clinical hold issues prior to the consummation of the Olema Compound Transaction or Olema Change of Control, then the Company shall not be obligated to pay the Repayment Amount unless (a) the Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction occurs after such termination and (b) prior to the fifth anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable), the Company or its affiliates (or the applicable acquirer, successor, licensee or optionholder of the Company or its affiliates) enrolls a subject in any clinical study involving the combination of palazestrant and ribociclib (the "Olema Combination") or submits any filing with any regulatory authority relating to the Olema Combination. The “Repayment Amount” is the proportion of approximately $275 million that is represented by the number of units of ribociclib actually supplied to the Company under the 2024 Novartis Agreement as of immediately prior to the Repayment Trigger Event as compared to the total number of units that could be supplied under the 2024 Novartis Agreement.

The foregoing rights of first negotiation, first offer and notice and repayment obligations remain in effect until the first to occur of: (a) the date that is 120 days after filing of the New Drug Application for the Olema Combination, (b) one year after any expiration or termination of the 2024 Novartis Agreement, and (c) such time as the 2024 Novartis Agreement is terminated by the Company due to Novartis’ material breach. However, in the event the 2024 Novartis Agreement is terminated due to certain patient safety issues, lack of product efficacy, regulatory issues or clinical hold issues prior to the consummation of an Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction, then the Repayment Obligation shall survive until the fifth anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable) or, if payment of the Repayment Amount is required, until the next business day after the Repayment Amount has been received by Novartis.

The 2024 Novartis Agreement will terminate on the fifth anniversary of the date on which the first dose of palazestrant is administered to the first study subject. Either party may terminate the 2024 Novartis Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, for failure to comply with certain anti-corruption obligations, in the event of a change of control of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical studies for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, if the parties jointly decide that the Olema Combination is not achieving sufficiently superior levels of efficacy, if any regulatory authority action prevents a party (or the letrozole supplier) from supplying its product, in the event of an unresolved force majeure event, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to ribociclib, palazestrant or letrozole (or the combination of ribociclib and palazestrant or ribociclib and letrozole). In addition, Novartis may terminate the 2024 Novartis Agreement if the Company has failed to commence the OPERA-02 trial on or prior to March 31, 2026 or if the Company consummates an Olema Compound Transaction, and the Company may terminate the 2024 Novartis Agreement if the Company terminates the OPERA-02 trial other than due to a material safety issue, efficacy issue, regulatory action or upon a clinical hold.

Costs incurred in connection with the 2024 Novartis Agreement are included in the research and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

2020 Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis

On July 22, 2020, the Company entered into a non-exclusive clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. ("Novartis"). On January 13, 2022, the Company entered into an amended and restated clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis, and on October 9, 2023, the Company and Novartis entered into the amendment no. 1 (the "Novartis Amendment") to the amended and restated clinical collaboration and supply agreement (as amended, the "2020 Novartis Agreement"). The collaboration is focused on the evaluation of the safety, tolerability and efficacy of palazestrant in combination with Novartis’ proprietary CDK4/6 inhibitor KISQALI® (ribociclib) and/or Novartis’ proprietary phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase ("PI3Ka") Inhibitor PIQRAY® (alpelisib) (collectively the "Novartis Study Drugs") as part of the Company’s Phase 1b/2 study of palazestrant in patients with metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The Novartis Amendment, among other things, expanded the Company's clinical collaboration with Novartis, increasing the size of the ongoing Phase 1/2 study testing palazestrant in combination with ribociclib to approximately 60 patients. The Company will be responsible for the conduct of the clinical trials for the combined therapies in accordance with a mutually agreed development plan. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective background patent rights and other technology to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), will be jointly owned by the parties.

The Company is responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than the Novartis Study Drugs). Novartis is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to the Company the Novartis Study Drugs in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical trials for the combined therapies. In accordance with an agreed budget, subject to certain thresholds, Novartis will reimburse the Company for a majority of the direct outside costs that the Company incurs related to conducting the activities under the agreed development plan in conducting the clinical trials for the combined therapies.

The 2020 Novartis Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the development plan and the relevant protocols. Either party may terminate the 2020 Novartis Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical trials for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either the Novartis Study Drugs or palazestrant. In addition, Novartis may terminate the 2020 Novartis Agreement if certain disputes between the parties are not resolved after following the applicable dispute resolution procedures, and the Company may terminate the 2020 Novartis Agreement in the event the Company terminates all clinical trials of the combined therapies other than due to a material safety issue or upon a clinical hold.

Costs associated with research activities performed under the 2020 Novartis Agreement are included in research and development expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, with any reimbursable costs from Novartis reflected as a reduction of such expenses. The Company had previously incurred the full agreed-upon reimbursement amount.

Agreements with Pfizer

2025 Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Pfizer

In September 2025, the Company announced that it entered into a non-exclusive clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) (the “2025 Pfizer Agreement”), to evaluate the safety and tolerability of palazestrant in combination with Pfizer’s proprietary investigative selective CDK4 inhibitor atirmociclib in patients with metastatic ER+, HER2- breast cancer in a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial. Under the terms of the 2025 Pfizer Agreement, the Company will be responsible for conducting the clinical trial for the combined therapies and Pfizer is responsible for supplying atirmociclib to the Company at no cost to the Company. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective patent rights in the combination of atirmociclib and palazestrant to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), will be jointly owned by the parties.

The Company is responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical trials for the combined therapies. Pfizer is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to us atirmociclib in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical trials for the combined therapies.

The 2025 Pfizer Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the study plan and the relevant protocols. Either party may terminate the 2025 Pfizer Agreement for the uncured material breach of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical trials for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either atirmociclib or palazestrant. In addition, Pfizer may terminate the 2025 Pfizer Agreement if reasonably and in good faith believe that atirmociclib is being used in an unsafe manner, and either party may terminate the 2025 Pfizer Agreement if either party determines to discontinue clinical development for medical, scientific, legal or other reasons.

The 2025 Pfizer Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical trials, and each of the parties retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds. Costs incurred in connection with the 2025 Pfizer Agreement are included in the research and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2025.

2020 Clinical Trial Agreement with Pfizer

In November 2020, the Company entered into a non-exclusive clinical trial agreement with Pfizer (the “Pfizer Agreement”), to evaluate the safety and tolerability of palazestrant in combination with Pfizer’s proprietary CDK4/6 inhibitor IBRANCE® (palbociclib) in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER+, HER2 breast cancer in a clinical trial. Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, the Company will be responsible for conducting the clinical trial for the combined therapies and Pfizer is responsible for supplying IBRANCE® to the Company at no cost to the Company. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective patent rights in the combination of IBRANCE® and palazestrant to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), will be jointly owned by the parties.

The Company is responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than IBRANCE®). Pfizer is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to us IBRANCE® in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical trials for the combined therapies.

The Pfizer Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the study plan and the relevant protocols. Either party may terminate the Pfizer Agreement for the uncured material breach of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical trials for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either IBRANCE® or palazestrant. In addition, either party may terminate the Pfizer Agreement if certain disputes between the parties are not resolved after following the applicable dispute resolution procedures or if either party determines to discontinue clinical development for medical, scientific, legal or other reasons.

The Pfizer Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical trials, and each of the parties retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds. Costs incurred in connection with the Pfizer Agreement are included in the research and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024.

License Agreement with Aurigene

In June 2022, the Company entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited (“Aurigene”) to research, develop and commercialize novel small molecule inhibitors of an undisclosed oncology target (the "Aurigene Agreement”).

Under the terms of the Aurigene Agreement, Aurigene will provide to the Company an exclusive license to its portfolio of novel small molecule inhibitors of the target. Financial terms of the Aurigene Agreement include a $8.0 million upfront payment for rights to a pre-existing Aurigene program and potential future milestone payments of up to $60.0 million in clinical development and regulatory milestones, and up to $370.0 million in commercial milestones. Aurigene is also eligible to receive mid-single digits to the low double digits royalties as percentages of product sales, if any. During the research term, the Company will contribute funding to Aurigene to facilitate Aurigene’s ongoing discovery efforts. The Company and Aurigene will jointly direct further preclinical work and, if successful, the Company will lead clinical development as well as regulatory and commercial activities. The Company and Aurigene jointly own collaboration compounds and rights to any inventions made during the research term.

The term of the Aurigene Agreement will continue until the expiration of the last-to-expire of all payment obligations with respect to all licensed products thereunder, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the Aurigene Agreement. The Aurigene Agreement may be terminated (a) by the Company for convenience, in its sole discretion, upon prior written notice to Aurigene, (b) by either the Company or Aurigene in connection with the other party’s uncured material breach or (c) by either the Company or Aurigene in connection with the insolvency of the other party.

The $8.0 million upfront payment was incurred in June 2022. Costs incurred and milestones payments due to Aurigene prior to regulatory approval are recognized as research and development expenses in the period incurred. Payments due to Aurigene upon or subsequent to regulatory approval will be accrued as a provision to cost of sales in the period when achievement of respective milestone target is probable. The $5.0 million milestone payment related to initiation of the first IND-enabling safety study was incurred and recorded as research and development expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the year ended December 31, 2024. The $10.0 million milestone payment related to dosing of the fifth patient in the first Phase 1 study was incurred and recognized as research and development expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the year ended December 31, 2025.

Management Services Agreements

The Company conducts research and development programs internally and through third parties that include, among others, arrangements with vendors, consultants, CMOs, and CROs. The Company has contractual arrangements in the normal course of business with these parties, however, the contracts with these parties are cancelable generally on reasonable notice within one year and the Company’s obligations under these contracts are primarily based on services performed through termination dates plus certain cancelation charges, if any, as defined in each of the respective agreements. In addition, these agreements may, from time to time, be subjected to amendments as a result of any change orders executed by the parties. As of December 31, 2025, the Company did not have material contractual commitments with respect to these arrangements.

Contingencies

From time to time, the Company may have certain contingent liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made, and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. For all periods presented, the Company was not a party to any pending material litigation or other material legal proceedings.

Indemnification Agreements

In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its Board and executive officers that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is, in many cases, unlimited. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 16, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 18, 2025
2023Mar 11, 2024
2022Mar 9, 2023
2021Feb 28, 2022

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.