Better Health for All

Aquestive Therapeutics' core business is developing pharmaceutical products for conditions like anaphylaxis and central nervous system disorders, with five commercialized products and a late-stage pipeline, indicating that nearly all offerings provide exceptional health benefits.

The company has no products with significant negative health impacts. However, the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter for Anaphylm due to packaging safety concerns, including difficulties opening the pouch and incorrect film placement, which are critical safety issues for an anaphylaxis treatment. The company discloses clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov and provides transparency in its Sustainability Report. Aquestive's mission includes developing innovative products to solve critical healthcare problems. Aquestive joined the Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Work Group in 2021 to address mandated drug take-back programs. The company supported patient advocacy groups by volunteering and donating $60,000 in the past year, and spent $120,000 attending conferences and medical events in support of allergy communities in 2023. Aquestive provides market-competitive pay and benefits, including a 401(k) match up to 6%, and a tuition assistance program. The company educates and trains all colleagues on safety across its facilities. Aquestive assures the privacy of study participants by anonymizing data and adhering to privacy laws, with colleagues trained on these laws. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Aquestive continued manufacturing and employing all colleagues, achieving a >90% vaccination rate without a mandate. The company offers a Colleague Assistance Program for confidential support. Aquestive conducts high-caliber clinical research following Good Clinical Practices, adhering to ethical and scientific standards set by health authorities and IRBs, and requires explicit informed consent from participants.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. is described as a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products, and engaging in contract manufacturing. The provided articles discuss a legal case related to an antitrust scheme concerning an opioid addiction treatment and patient savings programs for a specific drug.

There is no evidence in the articles to suggest that the company offers lending, deposit, or other financial services to consumers, nor any information related to financial products, fees, or inclusion initiatives. Therefore, all KPIs under 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' are omitted as no relevant data points are available.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

The company has a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and a Compliance Program that apply to business partners, agents, and vendors throughout the supply chain.

All colleagues, including the Executive Leadership Team, are required to complete a course on the Code of Ethics. However, there is no specific information on the percentage of supplier contracts that include enforceable ethical-sourcing clauses, nor is there data for any other KPIs related to fair trade and ethical sourcing.

Honest & Fair Business

Aquestive Therapeutics has not received any FDA Form 483, warning letters, or similar correspondence from governmental authorities alleging material noncompliance with applicable laws.

There are also no judicial or administrative proceedings pending or contemplated for monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more under Environmental Laws. The company has a Whistleblower Policy, approved on August 9, 2018, which covers accounting and ethical conduct matters, and includes procedures for anonymous reporting via a toll-free helpline and website. The policy prohibits retaliation against those who report in good faith, and a Compliance Committee oversees investigations, maintaining a log of all complaints for the Audit Committee. No financial restatements are mentioned in the provided documents, and the company states that all financial statements comply with GAAP and Regulation S-X and present fairly the financial position. The Board undertakes an annual review of director independence, and all members of the Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Science and Technology Committees consist solely of independent directors. However, Nasdaq rules require a majority of independent directors. The company states compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, and maintains policies to guide colleagues on standards of conduct. The company's ethical claims and compliance are partially verified by third-party advisors for market-competitive pay and legal support services, and external experts review internal audit processes. KPMG LLP provides comfort letters for financial statements.

Kind to Animals

The company states that certain laws and regulations require it to test product candidates on animals before initiating clinical trials involving humans.

It acknowledges that animal testing activities have been the subject of controversy and adverse publicity, and that animal rights groups attempt to stop these activities, which could interrupt, delay, or increase the cost of its research and development.

No War, No Weapons

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. is described as a pharmaceutical company.

The provided articles contain no evidence of the company's involvement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, dual-use technologies, sales to embargoed regimes, or any other activities related to war or weapons. There is no information regarding peacebuilding investments, conflict divestment policies, board oversight of defense activities, export end-user certificates, lobbying on arms control, humanitarian procurement compliance, human rights due diligence in conflict areas, Arms Trade Treaty compliance, AI military safeguards, UN Guiding Principles alignment, dual-use screening, surveillance contracts, ethical red lines for weapons, exposure to controversial weapons, war-risk audits, annual conflict partner reviews, defense divestment, conflict minerals, peace tech investment, procurement from conflict zones, or ethical red lines compliance rates. Therefore, all KPIs are scored as N/A, indicating no defense or arms-related activities in its core business.

Planet-Friendly Business

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. lacks publicly available quantitative data across all assessed Planet-Friendly Business KPIs.

While the company states it operates manufacturing facilities and laboratories in adherence to environmental regulations in New Jersey and Indiana, and disposes of wastewater and hazardous waste according to state and federal regulations, no specific metrics such as total greenhouse gas emissions, waste diversion rates, or water usage per revenue are disclosed. The company mentions reducing air travel by 75% in 2021 and 60% in 2022 compared to 2019, and road travel by 45% in 2021 and 28% in 2022 compared to 2019, but these are relative reductions and not comprehensive enough to score total emissions. The company also reports LED lighting upgrades at two facilities reducing power usage by 84,000 kWh and 43,000 kWh respectively. There is no information on science-based targets, renewable energy use, green building certifications, or environmental compliance violations.

Safe & Smart Tech

Aquestive Therapeutics requires all personnel to obtain appropriate compliance and ethics training annually, using various methods to ensure comprehension of privacy laws and the Code of Ethics.

The company states it is in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including those related to IT systems and confidential data privacy and security. It adheres to state, federal, and international privacy laws, and its compliance program incorporates guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the PhRMA Code of Conduct. The company has a privacy policy describing how it uses and processes user data, and users can opt-out of email communications and manage cookie settings. Aquestive collects personal information such as name, email, phone, and address, and automatically collects data via cookies and web server logs. It protects confidential company information and nonpublic information entrusted by others, and reserves the right to monitor company-issued devices and internet use. The company states that contact information will not be sold to third parties, other than in the event Aquestive or its affiliates are sold, and users have the right to opt-out of the database and have their information removed.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Aquestive Therapeutics has implemented 3-4 waste reduction initiatives, including providing recycling containers across facilities, recycling universal and electronic waste, and sending hazardous waste for fuel blending.

The company has also committed to reducing paper-based systems. In 2021, Aquestive produced 2.1 tons of hazardous waste, which is collected and disposed of in accordance with state regulations, with a focus on fuel blending for solvent-based waste. The company has a goal of reducing wastewater for 2022/2023 and uses energy audits to set reduction goals. Aquestive provides basic disposal information on some products and packaging, and notes that pharmaceutical manufacturers are responsible for public education and awareness regarding drug take-back initiatives.