AIM ImmunoTech Inc. - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)
FORM
10-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
x
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007
OR
o
TRANSITION REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from ________ to ________
Commission
File No. 1-13441
HEMISPHERX
BIOPHARMA, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
52-0845822
|
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
|
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification
|
|
incorporation
or organization)
|
Number)
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1617
JFK Boulevard Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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19103
|
|
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
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Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (215) 988-0080
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common
Stock, $.001 par value
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
(Title
of
Each Class)
NONE
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined
in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes
o
No
x
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes
o
No
x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports to be filed
by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for
the past 90 days. Yes
x
No
o
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to
this
Form 10-K. o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company.
See
definition of "large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer" and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): o Large accelerated
filer o
Accelerated filer x
Non-accelerated filer o Smaller Reporting
Company o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o
No x
The
aggregate market value of Common Stock held by non-affiliates at June 30, 2007,
the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal
quarter, was $94,412,529.
The
number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of March 3,
2008 was 73,886,081.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: None.
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Page
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PART
I
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Item
1.
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Business
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1
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Item
1A.
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Risk
Factors
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15
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Item
1B.
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Unresolved
Staff Comments
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27
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Item
2.
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Properties
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27
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Item
3.
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Legal
Proceedings
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27
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Item
4.
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Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
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29
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PART
II
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Item
5.
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Market
for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters
and Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
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29
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Item
6.
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Selected
Financial Data
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31
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Item
7.
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Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
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33
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Item
7A.
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Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
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44 |
Item
8.
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Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
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44
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Item
9.
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Changes
In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure
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44
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Item
9A.
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Controls
and Procedures
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45
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Item
9B.
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Other
Information
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49
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PART
III
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Item
10.
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Directors
and Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
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49
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Item
11.
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Executive
Compensation
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54
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Item
12.
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Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters
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67
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Item
13.
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Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence
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71
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Item
14.
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Principal
Accountant Fees and Services
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72
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PART
IV
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Item
15.
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Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules
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73
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SPECIAL
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain
statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”), including
statements under “Item 1. Business,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” “Item 3. Legal
Proceedings” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Result of Operations,” constitute “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the
“Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively,
the “Reform Act”). Certain, but not necessarily all, of such forward-looking
statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such
as
“believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” or “anticipates” or the negative
thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions
of strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than
statements of historical fact included in this Form 10-K regarding our financial
position, business strategy and plans or objectives for future operations are
forward-looking statements. Without limiting the broader description of
forward-looking statements above, we specifically note that statements regarding
potential drugs, their potential therapeutic effect, the possibility of
obtaining regulatory approval, our ability to manufacture and sell any products,
market acceptance or our ability to earn a profit from sales or licenses of
any
drugs or our ability to discover new drugs in the future are all forward-looking
in nature.
Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements
of
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Hemispherx”, “we
or “us”) to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and other
factors referenced in this Form 10-K. We do not undertake and specifically
decline any obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions which
may be made to any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances
after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated
or
unanticipated events.
PART
I
ITEM
1. Business.
GENERAL
We
are a
biopharmaceutical company engaged in the clinical development, manufacture,
marketing and distribution of new drug therapies based on natural immune system
enhancing technologies for the treatment of viral and immune based chronic
disorders. The Company was founded in the early 1970s doing contract research
for the National Institutes of Health. Since that time, we have established
a
strong foundation of laboratory, pre-clinical, and clinical data with respect
to
the development of nucleic acids to enhance the natural antiviral defense system
of the human body and to aid the development of therapeutic products for the
treatment of certain chronic diseases. We
have
three domestic subsidiaries BioPro Corp., BioAegean Corp., and Core BioTech
Corp., all of which are incorporated in Delaware and are dormant. Our foreign
subsidiaries include Hemispherx Biopharma Europe N.V./S.A. established in
Belgium in 1998 and Hemispherx Biopharma Europe S.A. incorporated in Luxembourg
in 2002. Hemispherx Biopharma Europe N.V./S.A. has little or no activity.
Hemispherx Biopharma Europe S. A. was dissolved as of December
2006.
1
Our
current strategic focus is derived from four applications of our two core
pharmaceutical technology platforms Ampligen® and Alferon N Injection®. The
commercial focus for Ampligen includes application as a treatment for Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and as a vaccine enhancer (adjuvant) for both therapeutic
and preventative vaccine development. Alferon N Injection® is an FDA approved
product with an indication for refractory or recurring genital warts. Alferon
LDO (Low Dose Oral) is an application currently under early stage development
targeting influenza and viral diseases both as an adjuvant as well as a single
entity anti-viral.
Ampligen®
is an experimental drug currently undergoing clinical development for the
treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (“ME/CFS” or
“CFS”), and HIV. In August 2004, we completed a Phase III clinical trial (“AMP
516”) treating over 230 ME/CFS patients with Ampligen® and are presently in the
registration process for a new drug application (“NDA”) with the Food and Drug
Administration (“FDA”). Over its developmental history, Ampligen® has received
various designations, including Orphan Drug Product Designation (FDA), Emergency
(compassionate) Cost Recovery Sales Authorization (FDA) and “promising” clinical
outcome recognition based on the evaluation of certain summary clinical reports
(AHRQ, Agency Health Research Quality). An NDA for treatment of CFS was filed
on
October 10, 2007. On December 3, 2007 a refusal to file (RTF) letter was
received because the application was deemed “not substantially complete”. A
written response was developed and submitted to the FDA addressing 14
pre-clinical and clinical questions. Ampligen represents the first drug in
class
of RNA (nucleic acid) molecules to apply for NDA review.
The
Status of our initiative for Ampligen as an adjuvant for preventative vaccine
development includes pre-clinical studies in seasonal and pandemic influenza
for
intranasal administration being conducted by Japan’s National Institute for
Infectious Diseases. A three year program targeting regulatory approval for
pandemic flu and seasonal flu in Japan has been funded by the Japanese Ministry
of Health. Parties to the research grant include Hemispherx, the NIID and BIKEN
(non-profit operational arm of the Foundation for Microbial Disease of Osaka
University). Our agreement with BIKEN is part of a three party agreement to
develop an effective influenza vaccine for Japan and utilizes the resources
of
the National Institute of Infectious Disease of Japan. Our development strategy
includes reproduction of preclinical studies outside Japan and completion of
the
three year program. We intend to conduct human studies in the US and seek
approval for seasonal and pandemic indications in the US and Europe for
intranasal administration. A phase II study for intramuscular administration
for
seasonal flu has been initiated in Australia through the St. Vincent’s Hospital
Clinical Trials Centre.
With
regard to Ampligen as a therapeutic vaccine adjuvant, we intend to initiate
pre-clinical studies in HIV and various cancers and plan to ultimately negotiate
a vaccine development licensing agreement.
Based
on
the results of published, peer reviewed pre-clinical studies and clinical
trials, we believe that Ampligen® may have broad-spectrum anti-viral and
anti-cancer properties. Over 750 patients have participated in Ampligen®
clinical trials authorized by the FDA at over twenty clinical trial sites across
the U.S., representing the administration of more than 90,000 doses of this
drug.
Alferon
N
Injection® is the registered trademark for our injectable formulation of natural
alpha interferon, which is approved by the FDA for the treatment of genital
warts. Alferon N Injection® is also in clinical development for treating West
Nile Virus. Other preclinical development with respect to Multiple Sclerosis
and
SARS has been suspended due to the resource requirements of other
projects.
2
We
are
actively engaged in broad-based ongoing experimental studies assessing the
efficacy of our products Ampligen®, Alferon N Injection®, and Alferon LDO®
against influenza viruses as an adjuvant and/or single agent antiviral with
the
Defence R&D Canada, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo,
the St. Vincent’s Hospital Clinical Trial Centre in Australia and various
research affiliates of the National Institutes of Health in the United
States.
We
own
and operate a 43,000 sq. ft. FDA approved facility in New Brunswick, NJ
primarily designed to produce Alferon N. In 2006, we completed the installation
of a polymer production line to produce Ampligen® raw materials on a more
reliable and consistent basis.
We
outsource certain components of our research and development, manufacturing,
marketing and distribution while maintaining control over the entire process
through our quality assurance group and our clinical monitoring
group.
Our
principal executive offices are located at One Penn Center, 1617 JFK Boulevard,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, and our telephone number is
215-988-0080.
AVAILABLE
INFORMATION
We
file
our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current
reports on Form 8-K pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
or SEC. The public may read or copy any materials we file with the SEC at the
SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The
public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room
by
calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that
contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information
regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that
site is http://www.sec.gov.
You
may
obtain a free copy of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on
Form
10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports on the
day
of filing with the SEC on our website on the World Wide Web at
http://www.hemispherx.net or by contacting the Investor Relations Department
by
calling (518) 398-6222 or sending an e-mail message to dwill@willstar.net.
OUR
PRODUCTS
Our
primary products consist of our experimental compound, Ampligen®, our FDA
approved natural interferon product, Alferon N Injection® and Alferon LDO (low
dose oral) our experimental liquid natural interferon for oral
administration.
3
Ampligen®
Nucleic
acid compounds represent a potential new class of pharmaceutical products that
are designed to act at the molecular level for treatment of human diseases.
There are two forms of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. DNA is a group of naturally
occurring molecules found in chromosomes, the cell’s genetic machinery. RNA is a
group of naturally occurring informational molecules which orchestrate a cell’s
behavior which regulates the action of groups of cells, including the cells
which compromise the body’s immune system. RNA directs the production of
proteins and regulates certain cell activities including the activation of
an
otherwise dormant cellular defense against viruses and tumors. Our drug
technology utilizes specifically-configured RNA. Our double-stranded RNA drug
product, trademarked Ampligen®, an experimental, unapproved drug, which is
administered intravenously, is in human clinical development for various
therapeutically oriented studies, including treatment for Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (“CFS/ME”), HIV, renal cell carcinoma and
malignant melanoma.
Clinical
trials already conducted by us include treatments of ME/CFS, Hepatitis B, HIV,
and cancer patients with renal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.
Certain of these will require additional clinical trials to support regulatory
approval.
The
FDA
has approved the use of Ampligen® in treating ME/CFS on an emergency basis (i.e.
those with immediate life threatening illnesses). This is known as a treatment
IND, or Treatment Investigational New Drug. Furthermore, the FDA has granted
Hemispherx Orphan Drug Status in the United States. Orphan drugs get seven
years
of market exclusivity upon FDA approval.
Alferon
N Injection®
Interferons
are a group of proteins produced and secreted by cells to combat diseases.
Researchers have identified four major classes of human interferon: alpha,
beta,
gamma and omega. The Alferon N Injection®
product
contains a multi-species form of alpha interferon. The worldwide market for
injectable alpha interferon-based products has experienced rapid growth and
various alpha interferon injectable products are approved for many major medical
uses worldwide. Alpha interferons are manufactured commercially in three ways:
by genetic engineering, by cell culture, and from human white blood cells.
All
three of these types of alpha interferon are or were approved for commercial
sale in the U.S. Our natural alpha interferon is produced from human white
blood
cells.
The
potential advantages of natural alpha interferon over recombinant (synthetic)
interferon produced and marketed by other pharmaceutical firms may be based
upon
their respective molecular compositions. Natural alpha interferon is composed
of
a family of proteins containing many molecular species of interferon. In
contrast, recombinant alpha interferon each contain only a single species.
Researchers have reported that the various species of interferons may have
differing antiviral activity depending upon the type of virus. Natural alpha
interferon presents a broad complement of species, which we believe may account
for its higher activity in laboratory studies. Natural alpha interferon is
also
glycosylated (partially covered with sugar molecules). Such glycosylation is
not
present on the currently U.S. marketed recombinant alpha interferons. We believe
that the absence of glycosylation may be, in part, responsible for the
production of interferon-neutralizing antibodies seen in patients treated with
recombinant alpha interferon. Although cell culture-derived interferon is also
composed of multiple glycosylated alpha interferon species, the types and
relative quantity of these species are different from our natural alpha
interferon.
The
FDA
approved Alferon N Injection®
in
1989
for the
intralesional (within lesions) treatment of refractory (resistant to other
treatment) or recurring external genital warts in patients 18 years of age
or
older. Certain types of human papillomaviruses (“HPV”) cause genital warts, a
sexually transmitted disease (“STD”). A published report estimates that
approximately eight million new and recurrent causes of genital warts occur
annually in the United States alone.
4
Alferon
N
Injection® [Interferon alfa-n3 (human leukocyte derived)] is a highly purified,
natural-source, glycosylated, multi-species alpha interferon product. There
are
essentially no antibodies observed against natural interferon to date and the
product has a relatively low side-effect profile. Alferon® is the only
natural-source, multi-species alpha interferon currently sold in the
U.S.
The
recombinant DNA derived alpha interferon are now reported to have decreased
effectiveness after one year, probably due to antibody formation and other
severe toxicities. These detrimental effects have not been reported with the
use
of Alferon N Injection® which could allow this product to assume a much larger
market share.
It
is our
belief that the use of Alferon® N in combination with Ampligen® has the
potential to increase the positive therapeutic responses in chronic life
threatening viral diseases. We have suspended certain preclinical trials for
various viral disorders at this time due to funding considerations and increased
resource requirements of other projects.
Alferon®
Low Dose Oral (LDO)
Alferon®
LDO is an experimental low-dose, oral liquid formulation of Natural Alpha
Interferon and like Alferon N Injection® should not cause antibody formation,
which is a problem with recombinant interferon. It is an experimental
immunotherapeutic believed to work by stimulating an immune cascade response
in
the cells of the mouth and throat, enabling it to bolster systemic immune
response through the entire body by absorption through the oral mucosa. Oral
interferon would be much more economically feasible for patients and
logistically manageable in development programs in third-world countries
primarily affected by HIV and other emerging viruses (SARS, Ebola, bird flu,
etc.). Oral administration of Alferon® N, with its affordability, low toxicity,
no production of antibodies, and broad range of potential bio activity, could
be
a breakthrough treatment for viral diseases.
We
have
initiated clinical trials as part of an accelerated evaluation of the
experimental bio-therapeutic Alferon LDO® (Low Dose Oral Interferon Alfa-n3
(Human Leukocyte Derived)) as a potential new experimental therapy for Avian
Flu
and other lethal viral diseases, which have high acute death rates. Clinical
trials in human volunteers (conducted in both the US at Drexel University,
Philadelphia and in Hong Kong at the Princess Margaret Hospital) were designed
to determine whether Alferon N, delivered in a new, experimental oral drug
delivery format, can resuscitate the broad-spectrum antiviral and
immunostimulatory genes. These human genes are shut down by acute lethal viral
infections such as HIV, avian flu and smallpox. The results of this study are
being evaluated.
Oragens
We
acquired a series of patents on Oragens, potentially a set of oral broad
spectrum antivirals and immunological enhancers, through a licensing agreement
with Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. We were granted an exclusive
worldwide license from Temple for the Oragens products. These compounds have
been evaluated in various academic laboratories for application to chronic
viral
and immunological disorders.
5
The
2’,
5’ oligoadenylate synthetase/RNase L system is an important and widely
distributed pathway for the inhibition of viral replication and tumor growth.
The 2’, 5’ oligoadenylate synthetase, up activation by double-stranded RNA,
synthesizes 2’, 5’ oligoadenylates (2-5A) from ATP. These bioactive 2-5As
directly activate RNase L, which degrades viral and cellular RNAs resulting
in
the inhibition of protein synthesis.
The
bioactive 2-5A molecules can be degraded by various hydrolytic enzymes,
resulting in a short half life. Analogues of these bioactive 2-5As, termed
Oragen RNA compounds, have been produced to increase stability and maintain
or
increase biological activity without demonstrable toxicity. Additional
pre-clinical tests will be conducted prior to pursuing clinical trials (See
“Research, Consulting, Licensing and Supply Agreements” section of Item I for
more details on this license).
PATENTS
We
have
over 90 patents worldwide with approximately 20 additional pending patent
applications pending comprising our intellectual property. In 2006, we obtained
the global patent rights for a compound that enhances DNA vaccination by the
efficient intracellular delivery of immunogenic DNA (i.e.- DNA that can produce
antigenic proteins that simulate an acute viral infection with a resultant
umoral and cell-mediated immune response). See “Research, Consulting, Licensing
and Supply Agreements” section within Item I for more information on the
acquisition of these patents.
We
continually review our patents rights to determine whether they have continuing
value. Such review includes an analysis of the patent’s ultimate revenue and
profitability potential. In addition, management’s review addresses whether each
patent continues to fit into our strategic business plans for Ampligen, Alferon
N and other intellectual property.
We
have
been issued certain patents on the use of Ampligen® alone and Ampligen® in
combination with certain other drugs including AZT, ddI, ddC, interferon and/or
IL-2, for the treatment of HIV.
Our
experimental compounds, which have yet to be determined "safe and effective"
by
regulatory authorities, are accordingly only available legally in certain
authorized trials and tests; in vitro (outside the body) tests are also not
necessarily indicative of any evidence of clinical benefits or advantages.
But the focus of Hemispherx is on Ampligen® as a treatment for CFS/ME and
HIV.
The
main
U.S. ME/CFS treatment patent (#6130206) expires October 10, 2017. Our main
patents covering HIV treatment (#4820696, #5063209, and #5091374) expired or
will expire on April 11, 2006, November 5, 2008, and February 25, 2009,
respectively; Hepatitis treatment coverage is conveyed by U.S. patent #5593973
which expires on January 14, 2014. The U.S. Ampligen® Trademark (#1,515,099)
expires on December 6, 2008 and can be renewed thereafter for an additional
10
years. The FDA has granted us “orphan drug status” for our nucleic acid-derived
therapeutics for ME/CFS, HIV, and renal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.
Orphan drug status grants us protection against competition for a period of
seven years following FDA approval, as well as certain federal tax incentives,
and other regulatory benefits. Patent coverage for the HIV indication following
the expiration of patents #4820696, #5063209 and #5091374 will be covered under
the marketing protection provided by the orphan drug designation for using
Ampligen® to treat HIV. Patent pending application #PCT/US 0239890 was abandoned
during the current period.
The
U.S. Alferon® Patents expire February 10, 2012
(5,503,828 and 5,676,942) and December 22, 2017 (5,989,441).
6
RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT (“R&D”)
Our
focus
is on developing drugs for use in treating viral and immune based chronic
disorders and diseases such as ME/CFS, HIV, HPV, SARS and West Nile Virus.
Our
current R&D projects target treatment therapies for ME/CFS, HIV, HPV and
other viral diseases, i.e.; Avian/Seasonal Influenza.
Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
("ME/CFS")
Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome (“CFS”), also known as Chronic Immune Dysfunction Syndrome
(“CFIDS”) and, myalgic encephalomyelitis (“ME”) is a serious and debilitating
chronic illness and a major public health problem. Long misunderstood,
under-recognized, and under-diagnosed, ME/CFS is now recognized by both the
government and private sector as a major health problem, including the National
Institutes of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”),
FDA and Social Security Administration, recognizes ME/CFS as one of the most
common chronic illnesses of our time. The CDC listed ME/CFS as a priority
disease, causing severe health and financial problems for the patients, their
family, and the community. ME/CFS is endemic in the population, but occasionally
seen in clusters suggesting an infectious basis. A variety of immunological,
endocrine, autonomic nervous system, and metabolic abnormalities have been
documented. A groundbreaking, community-based study of ME/CFS by Dr. Leonard
Jason was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999 and showed
a
prevalence rate of 422 of every 100,000 Americans. As many as 1,000,000 people
nationwide suffer from CFS, significantly more than previously estimated by
the
CDC. Furthermore,
90% of
the
patients with the illness are struggling
without the benefit of medical diagnosis
or treatment. While
ME/CFS strikes people of all age, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups,
it
is most prevalent amongst women. Research has shown that ME/CFS is about three
times as common in women as men, a rate similar to that of many autoimmune
diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and lupus. To put this into perspective,
ME/CFS is over four times more common than HIV infection in women, and the
rate
of ME/CFS in women is considerably higher than a woman's lifetime risk of
getting lung cancer as published by the CFIDS Association of
America.
The
most
common symptom of ME/CFS is incapacitating fatigue, which does not subside
with
rest. Many severe ME/CFS patients become completely disabled or totally
bedridden and are afflicted with severe pain and mental confusion even at rest.
This debilitating tiredness is associated with flu-like symptoms such as chills,
fever, headache, sore throat, painful lymph nodes, muscle aches, weakness and
joint pain. Diagnosis of ME/CFS is a time-consuming and difficult process which
is generally arrived at by excluding other illnesses with similar symptoms
and
comparing a patient's symptoms with the case definition. Overlapping symptoms
can occur with several diseases, such as fibromyalgia, Gulf War Illnesses,
and
multiple chemical sensitivities. Many diseases have similar symptoms including
Lupus and Lyme disease which so closely mimic ME/CFS that they need to be
considered when making a diagnosis to rule them out.
The
case
definition for ME/CFS criteria calls for certain symptoms to be present along
with fatigue that interferes with physical, mental, social, and educational
activities. Both the fatigue and symptoms must have occurred for (at least)
a
six month period. People with ME/CFS may experience many more than the symptoms
named in the case definition, so knowledgeable physicians will take this fact
into consideration when making a diagnosis (after other possible reasons for
symptoms have been ruled out).
7
The
leading model of ME/CFS pathogenesis is thought to be rooted in abnormalities
in
the immune system and brain (central nervous system), both of which affects
and
alters the function of the other. Because some cases of chronic fatigue begin
with a flu-like infection, several viruses have been studied as possible causes
because all are relatively common in the general population, including Human
Herpesvirus (“HHV”) 6 and 7, Retroviruses, Epstein-Barr Virus, Enteroviruses, as
well as, Mycoplasmas, etc. Whilst, the etiology is likely to be caused by a
collection of factors, including viral, hormonal, stress, and other triggers
for
the illness in genetically, environmentally or otherwise susceptible individuals
and continues to be a subject of discussion.
Most
ME/CFS patients are treated symptomatically with traditional treatments geared
toward treating symptoms of the disease, such as improving quality of sleep,
reducing pain and treatment of depression. Clinically, a number of different
therapeutic approaches have been pursued, but with no significant clinical
success.
Other
Viral Diseases
We
are
actively engaged in broad-based experimental studies assessing the efficacy
of
our products, Ampligen®, Alferon N Injection® and Alferon® LDO against influenza
viruses as an adjuvant and/or single agent antiviral with the Defence R&D
Canada, the National Institute of Infectious Disease in Tokyo, St. Vincent’s
Hospital Clinical Trial Centre in Australia and various research affiliates
of
the National Institutes of Health in the United States.
In
September 2007, Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Disease (“JNIID”)
initiated research on the co-administration of JNIID’s HIV-1 vaccine with our
experimental TLR3 agonist (a substance that binds to a specific receptor and
triggers a host defense response in the cell) and immune enhancer, Ampligen®.
This research is the result of earlier research suggesting a potential role
for
Ampligen® in boosting responses to certain vaccines designed to combat avian
influenza (Bird Flu) as well as seasonal influenza viruses. The objective of
this research is to determine if Ampligen® can overcome the historical problem
which has handicapped AIDS vaccine development, namely marginal immune response
which undermines the potential of long-lasting protection. Ampligen® will be
combined with HIV recombinant protein and administered via an intranasal
route.
In
2007,
JNIID published, in two peer reviewed journals, the results of their studies
to
evaluate the ability of current seasonal influenza vaccine to confer
cross-protection against highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza (Bird Flu) virus
in
mice. These studies indicate that, as a vaccine enhancer co-administered with
their seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine, Ampligen® helps induce a protective
effect against H5N1 influenza viruses. As such, Ampligen® as a toll-like
receptor 3 agonist may aid in overcoming the problems protecting against mutated
strains of the H5N1 virus and of limited supplies of H5N1 virus vaccines.
Additional studies to support this conclusion are planned.
In
April
2007, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) issued authorization
to its National Institute of Infectious Diseases approving their budget to
advance studies indicating that an H5N1 influenza vaccine co-administered
intranasally with Hemispherx’s experimental therapeutic, Ampligen®, protected
against mutated strains of the virus and, further that, the seasonal trivalent
influenza vaccine co-administered intranasally with Ampligen® maintained
efficacy even when challenged with the H5N1 influenza virus.
8
In
June
2007, we initiated a clinical trial in Australia using Ampligen® in combination
with seasonal flu vaccine. This trial focuses on populations at risk for
virulent cases of influenza, especially those over the age of 60 years who
historically may have weakened immune systems. The Australian clinical trial
was
prompted by the results from the pre-clinical work conducted by the JNIID (see
above). Thirty-eight subjects are anticipated to be enrolled in this study,
which will utilize a two dose Ampligen® regimen of 2 mg per dose. Data on the
first eight subjects is currently under review and enrollment of thirty
additional subjects will recommence in March 2008. This study is being monitored
by Clinical Network Services Pty. Ltd. located in Brisbane, Australia. The
clinical trials center of St. Vincent’s Hospital, based in DarlingHurst,
Australia, is conducting the trial. Prospective subjects will be screened to
be
included in the clinical trial.
The
Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2007 the number of
mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (“WNV”) infections in the United States was “up
sharply” over the same period in 2006. This increased infection rate has
accelerated the enrollment of patients in our Phase IIb clinical trial using
Alferon N™ to treat WNV patients. In lab studies, Alferon N™, a natural cocktail
of eight alpha-interferons, shows synergistic effects (up to 100 fold over
recombinant interferons) against pathogens such as WNV. The Phase IIb clinical
trial is a double-blinded, randomized, multi-center program under the direction
of Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medical College/New York
Hospital.
Our
direct Research and Development cost was $10,444,000 in 2007; $10,127,000 in
2006 and $5,218,000 in 2005. Most of these expenditures relate to the
development of our experimental drug, Ampligen®. The costs in 2006 and 2007
reflect the costs of producing Ampligen® raw materials (polymers) and Ampligen®
doses for use in stability and validation testing. Also includes the costs
of
preparing the NDA for filing with the FDA.
MANUFACTURING
We
have a
Supply Agreement with Hollister-Stier Laboratories LLC of Spokane, Washington
(“Hollister-Stier”), for the manufacturing of Ampligen® for a five year term
ending in 2010. Pursuant to the agreement we supply the key raw materials and
Hollister-Stier formulates and bottles Ampligen®. Hollister-Stier
has completed five (5) pilot manufacturing runs of Ampligen® for stability
testing with one additional manufacturing run which was completed mid-March
2007. The first three pilot runs were completed in January 2006 utilizing
polymer/raw material from Ribotech (our previous supplier of raw material).
The
six month accelerated stability data on these three lots support a two year
expiration period with additional test results forthcoming. Having successfully
completed these manufacturing runs, the scale up of Ampligen® manufacturing to
commercial batch size and the validation of the manufacturing at Hollister-Stier
was initiated. The remaining two lots were run in January and February 2007
with
the aforementioned third lot completed in mid-March 2007 utilizing polymer/raw
material from our NJ facility. Based on the available information from the
completion of the first two commercial size manufacturing validation lots,
we
are using these three process validation lots in stability studies to monitor
and confirm the product quality and stability.
9
Alferon
N
Injection®, the purified drug concentrate utilized in the formulation of Alferon
N Injection®, was manufactured in our New Brunswick, New Jersey facility and was
formulated and packaged at a production facility formerly owned and operated
by
Abbott Laboratories located in Kansas. Abbott Laboratories sold the facility
to
Hospira. Hospira ceased the labeling and packaging of Alferon N Injection® as
they sought larger production runs for cost efficiency purposes. On
February 8, 2006, we executed a Manufacturing and Safety Agreement with
Hyaluron, Inc. (“Hyaluron”) of Burlington, Massachusetts, for the formulation,
packaging and labeling of Alferon N Injection®. Pursuant to the Agreement, we
will supply raw materials in sufficient quantity and provide any pertinent
information to the project. Hyaluron is in the process of preparing their
facility to produce Alferon N. At this time we are in the process of scheduling
additional production runs in 2008.
MARKETING/DISTRIBUTION
We
continue our efforts to establish an internal marketing and sales infrastructure
to facilitate and refine our commercialization initiatives.
Our
marketing strategy for Ampligen® reflects the differing health care systems
around the world, and the different marketing and distribution systems that
are
used to supply pharmaceutical products to those systems. In the U.S., we expect
that, subject to receipt of regulatory approval, Ampligen® may be utilized in
four medical arenas: physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals and the home
treatment setting. We are in the process of developing pre-launch and launch
driven marketing plans focusing on those audience development, medical support
and payor reimbursement initiatives which will facilitate product acceptance
and
utilization at the time of regulatory approval. Similarly, we are developing
distribution scenarios for the Specialty Pharmacy/Infusion channel which will
insure market access, offer 3PL (third party logistics) capabilities and provide
the requisite risk management control mechanisms. It is our intent to utilize
third party service providers to execute elements of both the marketing/sales
and distribution plans. We currently plan to utilize a small group of Managed
Market account managers to introduce the product to payor, employer and
government account audiences. We believe that this approach will establish
a
market presence and facilitate the generation of revenue without incurring
the
substantial costs associated with a traditional sales force. Furthermore,
management believes that the approach will enable us to retain many options
for
future marketing strategies.
For
example, our commercialization strategy for Ampligen-CFS may include
licensing/co-marketing agreements utilizing the resources and capacities of
a
strategic partner(s). We are currently seeking worldwide marketing partner(s),
with the goal of having a relationship in place before approval is obtained.
In
parallel to partnering discussions, appropriate pre-marketing activities will
be
undertaken. We intend to control manufacturing of Ampligen on a worldwide
basis.
In
1998,
we entered into a strategic alliance with Accredo to develop certain marketing
and distribution capacities for Ampligen® in the United States. Accredo, a
division of MEDCO,
is one
of the nation's largest Specialty Pharmacy providers. Pursuant to the agreement,
Accredo assumed certain responsibilities for distribution of Ampligen® for which
they received a fee. Through this arrangement, we may mitigate the necessity
of
incurring certain up-front costs. Accredo has also worked with us in connection
with the Amp 511 ME/CFS cost recovery treatment program, Amp 516 ME/CFS Phase
III clinical trial and the Amp 719 (combining Ampligen® with other antiviral
drugs in HIV-salvage therapy and Amp 720 HIV Phase IIb clinical trials now
under
way). There can be no assurances that this alliance will develop a significant
commercial position in any of its targeted chronic disease markets. The
agreement had an initial one year term from February 9, 1998 with successive
additional one year terms unless either party notifies the other not less than
180 days prior to the anniversary date of its intent to terminate the agreement.
Also, the agreement may be terminated for uncured defaults, or bankruptcy,
or
insolvency of either party and will automatically terminate upon our receiving
an NDA for Ampligen® from the FDA, at which time, a new agreement will need to
be negotiated with Accredo or another major drug distributor. This agreement
offers the potential to provide some marketing and distribution capacity in
the
United States. There has been no communication or activity under this agreement
for the past few years.
10
We
executed our marketing strategy for Alferon N Injection® by relaunching the
product via a collaborative marketing initiative between Hemispherx and Armada
Healthcare, a Specialty Pharmacy network encompassing specialty pharmacists,
pharmacies, distributors and targeted physician specialists. This effort was
intended to direct our efforts in the most appropriate and productive market
fully exposing our product in the indicated market. This initiative has had
a
positive impact on Alferon® revenues in 2007 by
focusing
on direct, non-personal selling efforts to targeted physician audiences. It
is
our intent to promote Alferon to those dermatologists, OB GYNs and Family
practice/IMs who are involved in the treatment of patients with refractory
or
recurring external genital warts and who currently utilize both injectable
interferons as well as topical therapeutic agents.
COMPETITION
RNA
based
products and toll-like receptors (TLRs) have demonstrated great promise in
pre-clinical and limited clinical applications resulting in active research
and
development by large pharmaceutical companies and emerging Biotech firms. As
such, our potential competitors are among the largest pharmaceutical companies
in the world, are well known to the public and the medical community, and have
substantially greater financial resources, product development, and
manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we have.
These
companies and their competing products may be more effective and less costly
than our products. In addition, conventional drug therapy, surgery and other
more familiar treatments will offer competition to our products. Furthermore,
our competitors have significantly greater experience than we do in pre-clinical
testing and human clinical trials of pharmaceutical products and in obtaining
FDA, EMEA Health Protection Branch ("HPB") and other regulatory approvals of
products. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA, EMEA and
HPB product approvals more rapidly than us. If any of our products receive
regulatory approvals and we commence commercial sales of our products, we will
also be competing with respect to manufacturing efficiency and marketing
capabilities, areas in which we have no experience. Our competitors may possess
or obtain patent protection or other intellectual property rights that prevent,
limit or otherwise adversely affect our ability to develop or exploit our
products.
The
major
pharmaceutical competitors with biotech capabilities/vaccine franchises include
Pfizer, GSK, Wyeth, Merck, Novartis, Gilead Pharmaceutical, and Schering-Plough
Corp. Biotech competitors include AVANT Immunotherapeutics, AVI Biopharma and
GENTA. Alferon N Injection® currently competes with a product produced by
Schering for treating genital warts. 3M Pharmaceutical also markets its immune
response modifier product, Aldera, for the treatment of genital and perianal
warts. We believe the approval and marketing of this product is the main reason
that sales of Alferon N Injection® have not met our expectations since
acquisition. In November 2006, the botanical drug, Veregen (marketed by Bradley
Pharmaceuticals) was also approved for the topical treatment of genital and
perianal warts.
11
GOVERNMENT
REGULATION
Regulation
by governmental authorities in the U.S. and foreign countries is and will be
a
significant factor in the manufacture and marketing of Alferon N products and
our ongoing research and product development activities. Ampligen® and the
products developed from the ongoing research and product development activities
will require regulatory clearances prior to commercialization. In particular,
new human drug products for humans are subject to rigorous preclinical and
clinical testing as a condition for clearance by the FDA and by similar
authorities in foreign countries. The lengthy process of seeking these
approvals, and the ongoing process of compliance with applicable statutes and
regulations, has required, and will continue to require the expenditure of
substantial resources. Any failure by us or our collaborators or licensees
to
obtain, or any delay in obtaining, regulatory approvals could materially
adversely affect the marketing of any products developed by us and our ability
to receive product or royalty revenue. We have received orphan drug designation
for certain therapeutic indications, which might, under certain conditions,
accelerate the process of drug commercialization. Alferon N Injection® is only
approved for use in intra-lesional treatment of refractory or recurring external
genital warts in patients 18 years of age or older. Use of Alferon N Injection®
for other applications requires regulatory approval.
We
are
subject to various federal, state and local laws, regulations and
recommendations relating to such matters as safe working conditions, laboratory
and manufacturing practices, the experimental use of animals and the use of
and
disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances, including radioactive
compounds and infectious disease agents, used in connection with our research
work. The laboratory and production facility in New Brunswick, New Jersey,
which
we acquired from ISI, is approved for the manufacture of Alferon N Injection®
and we believe it is in substantial compliance with all material regulations.
However, we cannot give assurances that facilities owned and operated by third
parties that are utilized in the manufacture of our products, are in substantial
compliance, or if presently in substantial compliance, will remain so.
RESEARCH,
CONSULTING, LICENSING AND SUPPLY AGREEMENTS
As
previously discussed above, we acquired a series of patents on Oragens,
potentially a set of oral broad spectrum antivirals and immunological enhancers,
through a licensing agreement with Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. We
were granted an exclusive worldwide license from Temple for the Oragens
products. These compounds have been evaluated in various academic laboratories
for application to chronic viral and immunological disorders. Pursuant to the
terms of our agreement with Temple, we are obligated to pay royalties of 2%
to
4% of sales depending on the amount of technical assistance required. We
currently pay a royalty of $30,000 per year to Temple. This agreement is to
remain in effect until the date that the last licensed patent expires unless
terminated sooner by mutual consent or default due to royalties not being paid.
The last Oragen™ patent expires on June 1, 2018. We recorded the payment of the
royalty as research and development cost for the period
incurred.
12
In
December 1999, we entered into an agreement with Biovail Corporation
International (“Biovail”). Biovail is an international full service
pharmaceutical company engaged in the formulation, clinical testing,
registration and manufacture of drug products utilizing advanced drug delivery
systems. Biovail is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The agreement grants
Biovail the exclusive distributorship of our product in the Canadian territories
subject to certain terms and conditions. In return, Biovail agrees to conduct
certain pre-marketing clinical studies and market development programs,
including without limitation, expansion of the Emergency Drug Release Program
in
Canada with respect to our products. In addition, Biovail agrees to work with
us
in preparing and filing a New Drug Submission with Canadian Regulatory
Authorities at the appropriate time. Biovail invested $2,250,000 in Hemispherx
equity at prices above the then current market price and agreed to make an
additional investment of $1,750,000 based on receiving approval to market
Ampligen® in Canada from the appropriate regulatory authorities in Canada. The
agreement requires Biovail to buy exclusively from us and penetrate certain
market segments at specific rates in order to maintain market exclusivity.
The
agreement terminates on December 15, 2009, subject to successive two-year
extensions by the parties and subject to earlier termination by the parties
for
uncured defaults under the agreement, bankruptcy or insolvency of either party,
or withdrawal of our product from Canada for a period of more than ninety days
for serious adverse health or safety reasons.
In
March
2002, our European subsidiary Hemispherx S.A. entered into a Sales and
Distribution agreement with Esteve. In December 2006 Hemispherx S.A. assigned
all of its rights and obligations under the Sales and Distribution agreement
to
us. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Esteve was granted the exclusive
right to market Ampligen® in Spain, Portugal and Andorra for the treatment of
ME/CFS. Due to non-performance of certain contractually required clinical
trials, we notified Esteve of our intention to terminate the Sales and
Distribution Agreement. As is its right under the Sales and Distribution
Agreement, Esteve has applied for arbitration, seeking damages. We believe
Esteve’s claim is without merit and intend to counterclaim seeking damages.
Please see “Item 3. Legal Proceedings” below.
In
October 2005, we signed a research agreement with the National Institute of
Infectious Diseases, in Tokyo, Japan. The collaboration, by Hideki Hasegawa,
M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Laboratory of Infectious Disease Pathology, will
assess our experimental therapeutic Ampligen® as a co-administered
immunotherapeutic to the Institution's nasal flu vaccine.
In
October 2005, we also engaged the Sage Group, Inc., a health care, technology
oriented, strategy and transaction advisory firm, to assist us in obtaining
a
strategic alliance in Japan for the use of Ampligen® in treating Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome or CFS. In the past year leaders in the Japanese medical community
have
established the Japanese Society of the Fatigue Science and the Osaka City
University Hospital opened the Fatigue Clinical Center as the initial step
in
their Fatigue Research Project. In January 2007 we expanded our agreement with
the Sage Group, Inc. to assist us in obtaining a strategic alliance in Japan
for
the use of Ampligen® in treating Avian Flu.
In
December 2007 we concluded an agreement with BIKEN (the non-profit operational
arm of the Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University) for the use
of
our experimental drug, Ampligen®, as an immune enhancer to influenza vaccines.
Our agreement with BIKEN is part of a three party agreement to develop an
effective influenza vaccine for Japan and utilizes vast resources of the
National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan.
13
In
November 2005, we entered into an agreement with Defence R&D Canada,
Suffield (“DRDC Suffield”), an agency of the Canadian Department of National
Defence, to evaluate the antiviral efficacy of our experimental therapeutic
Ampligen® and Alferon® for protection against human respiratory influenza virus
infection in well validated animal models. DRDC Suffield is conducting research
and development of new drugs that could potentially become part of the arsenal
of existing antiviral weapons to combat the bird flu. The initial study will
focus on the testing of potential drugs against the respiratory influenza virus
infection on a mouse-adapted strain of human influenza.
We
entered into an agreement with Paul Griffin and The Asclepius Trust
(“Asclepius”) whereby we acquired the right, title and interest in certain
awarded patents and pending patent applications (“patents’). Consideration given
by us for the acquisition of these patents amounted to $150,000 paid with shares
of our common stock to Paul Griffin valued at the closing price on the date
of
the agreement or July 3, 2006. The value of our common stock was $2.43 on this
date and equated to consideration of 61,728 shares. We registered these shares
on behalf of Mr. Griffin for public resale. Asclepius will receive in
consideration a 2% royalty of the gross sums received from all sales utilizing
or relying upon the patents.
On
July
26, 2006, we executed an agreement with Stem Cell Innovations, Inc. (formerly
Interferon Sciences, Inc.) whereby we acquired the royalty interest previously
granted Interferon Sciences with respect to our sale of products containing
alpha interferon in exchange for 250,000 shares of common stock. We registered
these shares on behalf of Stem Cell Innovations for public resale.
The
total consideration paid to Stem Cell under the agreement amounted to $620,000
and was derived by multiplying the number of shares issued by the fair market
value of our common stock on the date of the agreement or $2.48 per share.
We
have
entered into agreements for consulting services, which are performed at medical
research institutions and by medical and clinical research individuals. Our
obligation to fund these agreements can be terminated after the initial funding
period, which generally ranges from one to three years or on an as-needed
monthly basis. During the years ending December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 we
incurred approximately $236,000, $477,000 and $842,000 respectively, of
consulting service fees under these agreements. These costs are charged to
research and development expense as incurred.
In
December 2005, we
executed a Supply Agreement with Hollister-Stier Laboratories LLC of Spokane,
Washington (“Hollister-Stier”), for the contract manufacturing of Ampligen® for
a five year term ending in 2010. Pursuant to the agreement we will supply the
key raw materials and Hollister-Stier formulates and bottles the Ampligen®.
Hollister-Stier has produced six lots of Ampligen through 2007, which are being
used in stability studies.
As
previously discussed in “Manufacturing” above, on February 8, 2006, we executed
a Manufacturing and Safety Agreement with Hyaluron for the formulation,
packaging and labeling of Alferon N Injection®. Pursuant to the Agreement, we
will supply raw materials in sufficient quantity and provide any pertinent
information to the project.
Sales
to
three large wholesalers (Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson)
represented approximately 70% and 68% of our total sales for the years ended
December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
HUMAN
RESOURCES
As
of
March 3, 2008, we had 49 personnel consisting of 36 full time employees, 13
regulatory/research medical personnel on a part-time basis. Part time personnel
are paid on a per diem or monthly basis. 32 personnel are engaged in our
research, development, clinical, and manufacturing effort. 17 of our personnel
perform regulatory, general administration, data processing, including
bio-statistics, financial and investor relations functions. We have no union
employees and we believe our relationship with our employees is good.
14
While
we
have been successful in attracting skilled and experienced scientific personnel,
there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain the
necessary qualified employees and/or consultants in the future.
SCIENTIFIC
ADVISORY BOARD
Our
Scientific Advisory Board presently consists of two individuals who we believe
have particular scientific and medical expertise in Virology, Cancer,
Immunology, Biochemistry and related fields. These individuals advise us about
current and long term scientific planning including research and development.
This Board was originally made up of four medical scientists of which one
resigned due to conflict of interest and one resigned for personal reasons.
The
Scientific Advisory Board conducts periodic meetings as needed by the clinical
studies in progress by us. No Scientific Advisory Board meetings were held
in
2007 primarily due to fewer active scientific projects. However, individual
Scientific Advisory Board Members sometimes consult with, and meet informally
with our employees. Members of the Scientific Advisory are employed by others
and may have commitments to and/or consulting agreements with other entities,
including our potential competitors.
ITEM
1A. Risk Factors.
The
following cautionary statements identify important factors that could cause
our
actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking
statements made in this Form 10-K. Among the key factors that have a direct
bearing on our results of operations are:
Risks
Associated With Our Business
No
assurance of successful product development
Ampligen®
and related products. The development of Ampligen® and
our
other related products is subject to a number of significant risks.
Ampligen® may
be
found to be ineffective or to have adverse side effects, fail to receive
necessary regulatory clearances, be difficult to manufacture on a commercial
scale, be uneconomical to market or be precluded from commercialization by
proprietary right of third parties. Our products are in various stages of
clinical and pre-clinical development and, require further clinical studies
and
appropriate regulatory approval processes before any such products can be
marketed. We do not know when, if ever, Ampligen® or
our
other products will be generally available for commercial sale for any
indication. Generally, only a small percentage of potential therapeutic products
are eventually approved by the FDA for commercial sale.
On
December 3, 2007 a refusal to file (RTF) letter was received because the
application was deemed “not substantially complete”. A written response was
developed and submitted to the FDA addressing 14 pre-clinical and clinical
questions. Ampligen represents the first drug in class of RNA (nucleic acid)
molecules to apply for NDA review.
We can
provide no guidance as to the tentative date at which the filing of the NDA
will
be accepted or, if accepted, when or if the NDA will be approved. The timing
of
the FDA review process of the NDA is subject to the control of the FDA and
could
result in one of the following events; 1) approval to market Ampligen® for use
in treating ME/CFS patients 2) require more research, development, and clinical
work, 3) approval to market as well as conduct more testing, or 4) reject our
NDA application. Given these variables, we are unable to project when material
net cash inflows are expected to commence from the sale of
Ampligen®.
15
Alferon
N
Injection®. Although Alferon N Injection® is approved for marketing in the
United States for the intra-lesional treatment of refractory or recurring
external genital warts in patients 18 years of age or older, to date it has
not
been approved for other indications. We face many of the risks discussed above,
with regard to developing this product for use to treat other
ailments.
Our
drug and related technologies are investigational and subject to regulatory
approval. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval, our operations will
be
significantly affected.
All
of
our drugs and associated technologies, other than Alferon N Injection®, are
investigational and must receive prior regulatory approval by appropriate
regulatory authorities for general use and are currently legally available
only
through clinical trials with specified disorders. At present, Alferon N
Injection® is only approved for the intra-lesional treatment of refractory or
recurring external genital warts in patients 18 years of age or older. Use
of
Alferon N Injection® for other indications will require regulatory
approval.
Our
products, including Ampligen®, are subject to extensive regulation by numerous
governmental authorities in the U.S. and other countries, including, but not
limited to, the FDA in the U.S., the Health Protection Branch (“HPB”) of Canada,
and the Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (“EMEA”) in Europe.
Obtaining regulatory approvals is a rigorous and lengthy process and requires
the expenditure of substantial resources. In order to obtain final regulatory
approval of a new drug, we must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
regulatory agency that the product is safe and effective for its intended uses
and that we are capable of manufacturing the product to the applicable
regulatory standards. We require regulatory approval in order to market
Ampligen® or any other proposed product and receive product revenues or
royalties. We cannot assure you that Ampligen® will ultimately be demonstrated
to be safe or efficacious. In addition, while Ampligen® is authorized for use in
clinical trials including a cost recovery program in the United States and
Europe, we cannot assure you that additional clinical trial approvals will
be
authorized in the United States or in other countries, in a timely fashion
or at
all, or that we will complete these clinical trials. If Ampligen® or one of our
other products does not receive regulatory approval in the U.S. or elsewhere,
our operations most likely will be materially adversely affected.
Although
preliminary in vitro testing indicates that Ampligen® enhances the effectiveness
of different drug combinations on avian influenza, preliminary testing in the
laboratory is not necessarily predictive of successful results in clinical
testing or human treatment.
Ampligen®
is undergoing pre-clinical testing for possible treatment of avian flu. Although
preliminary in vitro testing indicates that Ampligen® enhances the effectiveness
of different drug combinations on avian flu, preliminary testing in the
laboratory is not necessarily predictive of successful results in clinical
testing or human treatment. No assurance can be given that similar results
will
be observed in clinical trials. Use of Ampligen® in the treatment of avian flu
requires prior regulatory approval. Only the FDA can determine whether a drug
is
safe, effective or promising for treating a specific application. As discussed
in the prior risk factor, obtaining regulatory approvals is a rigorous and
lengthy process.
16
In
addition, Ampligen® is being tested on two strains of avian influenza virus.
There are a number of strains and strains mutate. No assurance can be given
that
Ampligen® will be effective on any strains that might infect
humans.
We
may continue to incur substantial losses and our future profitability is
uncertain.
We
began
operations in 1966 and last reported net profit from 1985 through 1987. Since
1987, we have incurred substantial operating losses, as we pursued our clinical
trial effort to get our experimental drug, Ampligen®, approved. As of
December
31,
2007,
our accumulated deficit was approximately $185,190,000. We have not yet
generated significant revenues from our products and may incur substantial
and
increased losses in the future. We cannot assure that we will ever achieve
significant revenues from product sales or become profitable. We require, and
will continue to require, the commitment of substantial resources to develop
our
products. We cannot assure that our product development efforts will be
successfully completed or that required regulatory approvals will be obtained
or
that any products will be manufactured and marketed successfully, or be
profitable.
We
may require additional financing which may not be
available.
The
development of our products will require the commitment of substantial resources
to conduct the time-consuming research, preclinical development, and clinical
trials that are necessary to bring pharmaceutical products to market. As of
December 31, 2007, we had approximately $15,415,000 in
cash
and cash equivalents and short-term investments. We anticipate, but cannot
assure, that these
funds will be sufficient to meet our operating cash requirements for the next
18
months.
On
April
12, 2006, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Fusion Capital
pursuant to which Fusion Capital has agreed, under certain conditions and with
certain limitations, to purchase on each trading day $100,000 of our common
stock up to an aggregate of $50,000,000 over a 25 month period (see Part I,
Item
2.
“Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations; Liquidity and Capital Resources”).
We
only
have the right to receive up to $100,000 per trading day under the agreement
with Fusion Capital unless our stock price exceeds $1.90 by at least $0.10,
in
which case the daily amount may be increased under certain conditions as the
price of our common stock increases. Fusion Capital shall not have the right
nor
the obligation to purchase any shares of our common stock on any trading days
that the market price of our common stock is less than $1.00. We have registered
an aggregate of 13,201,840 shares purchasable by Fusion Capital pursuant to
the
common stock purchase agreement (inclusive of up to 643,502 additional
Commitment Shares) and, through March 3, 2008, we have sold to Fusion Capital
an
aggregate of 10,682,032 shares under the common stock purchase agreement for
aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $19,379,000. Assuming a purchase
price
of $0.85 per share (the closing sale price of the common stock on March 3,
2008)
and the purchase by Fusion Capital of the remaining 1,061,189 shares (not
including the remaining 194,686 Commitment Shares), total gross proceeds to
us
from the remaining shares would only be $9,020,106 ($28,759,237 in the aggregate
under the common stock purchase agreement).
17
In
the
event we elect to issue additional shares to Fusion Capital, we will be required
to file a new registration statement and have it declared effective by the
Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, Fusion Capital cannot purchase
more than 27,386,723 shares, inclusive of Commitment Shares under the common
stock purchase agreement.
Accordingly,
depending upon the future market price of our common stock, even if we register
the balance of the shares issuable to Fusion Capital under the Purchase
Agreement, we most likely will realize much less than the maximum $50,000,000
proceeds from the sale of stock under the Purchase Agreement. In this regard,
our current stock price is under $1.00 and, accordingly, unless and until the
market price increases to at least $1.00, no additional shares will be sold
to
Fusion Capital under the agreement.
The
extent to which we rely on Fusion Capital as a source of funding will depend
on
a number of factors including, the prevailing market price of our common stock
and the extent to which we are able to secure working capital from other
sources.
If
obtaining sufficient financing from Fusion Capital were to prove unavailable
or
prohibitively dilutive and if we are unable to commercialize and sell Ampligen®
and/or increase sales of Alferon N Injection® or our other products, we will
need to secure another source of funding in order to satisfy our working capital
needs. Even if we are able to access the full $50,000,000 under the common
stock
purchase agreement with Fusion Capital, we may need to raise additional funds
through additional equity or debt financing or from other sources in order
to
complete the necessary clinical trials and the regulatory approval processes
including the commercializing of Ampligen® products. There can be no assurances
that we will raise adequate funds which may have a material adverse effect
on
our ability to develop our products. Also, we have the ability to curtail
discretionary spending, including some research and development activities,
if
required to conserve cash.
We
may not be profitable unless we can protect our patents and/or receive approval
for additional pending patents.
We
need
to preserve and acquire enforceable patents covering the use of Ampligen® for a
particular disease in order to obtain exclusive rights for the commercial sale
of Ampligen® for such disease. We obtained all rights to Alferon N Injection®,
and we plan to preserve and acquire enforceable patents covering its use for
existing and potentially new diseases. Our success depends, in large part,
on
our ability to preserve and obtain patent protection for our products and to
obtain and preserve our trade secrets and expertise. Certain of our know-how
and
technology is not patentable, particularly the procedures for the manufacture
of
our experimental drug, Ampligen®, which is carried out according to standard
operating procedure manuals. We have been issued certain patents including
those
on the use of Ampligen® and Ampligen® in combination with certain other drugs
for the treatment of HIV. We also have been issued patents on the use of
Ampligen® in combination with certain other drugs for the treatment of chronic
Hepatitis B virus, chronic Hepatitis C virus, and a patent which affords
protection on the use of Ampligen® in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We
have not yet been issued any patents in the United States for the use of
AmpligenÒ
as a
sole treatment for any of the cancers, which we have sought to target. With
regard to Alferon N Injection®, we have acquired from ISI its patents for
natural alpha interferon produced from human peripheral blood leukocytes and
its
production process and we have filed a patent application for the use of
Alferon® LDO in treating viral diseases including avian influenza. We cannot
assure that our competitors will not seek and obtain patents regarding the
use
of similar products in combination with various other agents, for a particular
target indication prior to our doing such. If we cannot protect our patents
covering the use of our products for a particular disease, or obtain additional
patents, we may not be able to successfully market our
products.
18
The
patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms is highly uncertain
and involves complex legal and factual questions.
To
date,
no consistent policy has emerged regarding the breadth of protection afforded
by
pharmaceutical and biotechnology patents. There can be no assurance that new
patent applications relating to our products or technology will result in
patents being issued or that, if issued, such patents will afford meaningful
protection against competitors with similar technology. It is generally
anticipated that there may be significant litigation in the industry regarding
patent and intellectual property rights. Such litigation could require
substantial resources from us and we may not have the financial resources
necessary to enforce the patent rights that we hold. No assurance can be made
that our patents will provide competitive advantages for our products or will
not be successfully challenged by competitors. No assurance can be given that
patents do not exist or could not be filed which would have a materially adverse
effect on our ability to develop or market our products or to obtain or maintain
any competitive position that we may achieve with respect to our products.
Our
patents also may not prevent others from developing competitive products using
related technology.
There
can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain necessary licenses if we
cannot enforce patent rights we may hold. In addition, the failure of third
parties from whom we currently license certain proprietary information or from
whom we may be required to obtain such licenses in the future, to adequately
enforce their rights to such proprietary information, could adversely affect
the
value of such licenses to us.
If
we
cannot enforce the patent rights we currently hold we may be required to obtain
licenses from others to develop, manufacture or market our products. There
can
be no assurance that we would be able to obtain any such licenses on
commercially reasonable terms, if at all. We currently license certain
proprietary information from third parties, some of which may have been
developed with government grants under circumstances where the government
maintained certain rights with respect to the proprietary information developed.
No assurances can be given that such third parties will adequately enforce
any
rights they may have or that the rights, if any, retained by the government
will
not adversely affect the value of our license.
There
is
no guarantee that our trade secrets will not be disclosed or known by our
competitors.
To
protect our rights, we require certain employees and consultants to enter into
confidentiality agreements with us. There can be no assurance that these
agreements will not be breached, that we would have adequate and enforceable
remedies for any breach, or that any trade secrets of ours will not otherwise
become known or be independently developed by competitors.
19
We
have limited marketing and sales capability. If we are unable to obtain
additional distributors and our current and future distributors do not market
our products successfully, we may not generate significant revenues or become
profitable.
We
have
limited marketing and sales capability. We are dependent upon existing and,
possibly future, marketing agreements and third party distribution agreements
for our products in order to generate significant revenues and become
profitable. As a result, any revenues received by us will be dependent in large
part on the efforts of third parties, and there is no assurance that these
efforts will be successful.
Our
commercialization strategy for Ampligen-CFS may include licensing/co-marketing
agreements utilizing the resources and capacities of a strategic partner(s).
We
are currently seeking worldwide marketing partner(s), with the goal of having
a
relationship in place before approval is obtained. In parallel to partnering
discussions, appropriate pre-marketing activities will be undertaken. We intend
to control manufacturing of Ampligen on a worldwide basis.
We
cannot
assure that our U.S. or foreign marketing strategy will be successful or that
we
will be able to establish future marketing or third party distribution
agreements on terms acceptable to us, or that the cost of establishing these
arrangements will not exceed any product revenues.
There
are no long-term agreements with suppliers of required materials. If we are
unable to obtain the required raw materials, we may be required to scale back
our operations or stop manufacturing Alferon N Injection® and/or
Ampligen®.
A
number
of essential materials are used in the production of Alferon N Injection®,
including human white blood cells. We do not have long-term agreements for
the
supply of any of such materials. There can be no assurance we can enter into
long-term supply agreements covering essential materials on commercially
reasonable terms, if at all.
There
are
a limited number of manufacturers in the United States available to provide
the
polymers for use in manufacturing Ampligen®. At present, we do not have any
agreements with third parties for the supply of any of these polymers. We have
established relevant manufacturing operations within our New Brunswick, New
Jersey facility for the production of Ampligen® polymers from raw materials in
order to obtain polymers on a more consistent manufacturing basis.
If
we are
unable to obtain or manufacture the required polymers, we may be required to
scale back our operations or stop manufacturing. The costs and availability
of
products and materials we need for the production of Ampligen® and the
commercial production of Alferon N Injection® and other products which we may
commercially produce are subject to fluctuation depending on a variety of
factors beyond our control, including competitive factors, changes in
technology, and FDA and other governmental regulations and there can be no
assurance that we will be able to obtain such products and materials on terms
acceptable to us or at all.
20
There
is no assurance that successful manufacture of a drug on a limited scale basis
for investigational use will lead to a successful transition to commercial,
large-scale production.
Small
changes in methods of manufacturing, including commercial scale-up, may affect
the chemical structure of Ampligen® and other RNA drugs, as well as their safety
and efficacy, and can, among other things, require new clinical studies and
affect orphan drug status, particularly, market exclusivity rights, if any,
under the Orphan Drug Act. The transition from limited production of
pre-clinical and clinical research quantities to production of commercial
quantities of our products will involve distinct management and technical
challenges and will require additional management and technical personnel and
capital to the extent such manufacturing is not handled by third parties. There
can be no assurance that our manufacturing will be successful or that any given
product will be determined to be safe and effective, capable of being
manufactured economically in commercial quantities or successfully
marketed.
We
have limited manufacturing experience and capacity.
Ampligen®
has been only produced in limited quantities for use in our clinical trials
and
we are dependent upon a third party supplier for substantially all of the
production process. The failure to continue these arrangements or to achieve
other such arrangements on satisfactory terms could have a material adverse
affect on us. Also, to be successful, our products must be manufactured in
commercial quantities in compliance with regulatory requirements and at
acceptable costs. To the extent we are involved in the production process,
our
current facilities are not adequate for the production of our proposed products
for large-scale commercialization, and we currently do not have adequate
personnel to conduct commercial-scale manufacturing. We intend to utilize
third-party facilities if and when the need arises or, if we are unable to
do
so, to build or acquire commercial-scale manufacturing facilities. We will
need
to comply with regulatory requirements for such facilities, including those
of
the FDA pertaining to current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) regulations.
There can be no assurance that such facilities can be used, built, or acquired
on commercially acceptable terms, or that such facilities, if used, built,
or
acquired, will be adequate for our long-term needs.
We
may not be profitable unless we can produce Ampligen® or other products in
commercial quantities at costs acceptable to us.
We
have
never produced Ampligen® or any other products in large commercial quantities.
We must manufacture our products in compliance with regulatory requirements
in
large commercial quantities and at acceptable costs in order for us to be
profitable. We intend to utilize third-party manufacturers and/or facilities
if
and when the need arises or, if we are unable to do so, to build or acquire
commercial-scale manufacturing facilities. If we cannot manufacture commercial
quantities of Ampligen® or enter into third party agreements for its manufacture
at costs acceptable to us, our operations will be significantly affected. Also,
each production lot of Alferon N Injection® is subject to FDA review and
approval prior to releasing the lots to be sold. This review and approval
process could take considerable time, which would delay our having product
in
inventory to sell.
Rapid
technological change may render our products obsolete or
non-competitive.
The
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are subject to rapid and substantial
technological change. Technological competition from pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies, universities, governmental entities and others
diversifying into the field is intense and is expected to increase. Most of
these entities have significantly greater research and development capabilities
than us, as well as substantial marketing, financial and managerial resources,
and represent significant competition for us. There can be no assurance that
developments by others will not render our products or technologies obsolete
or
noncompetitive or that we will be able to keep pace with technological
developments.
21
Our
products may be subject to substantial competition.
Ampligen®.
Competitors may be developing technologies that are, or in the future may be,
the basis for competitive products. Some of these potential products may have
an
entirely different approach or means of accomplishing similar therapeutic
effects to products being developed by us. These competing products may be
more
effective and less costly than our products. In addition, conventional drug
therapy, surgery and other more familiar treatments may offer competition to
our
products. Furthermore, many of our competitors have significantly greater
experience than us in pre-clinical testing and human clinical trials of
pharmaceutical products and in obtaining FDA, HPB and other regulatory approvals
of products. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA, HPB
or
other regulatory product approvals more rapidly than us. There are no drugs
approved for commercial sale with respect to treating ME/CFS in the United
States. The dominant competitors with drugs to treat disease indications in
which we plan to address include Gilead Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers,
Abbott Labs, Glaxo Smith Kline, Merck and Schering-Plough Corp. These potential
competitors are among the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, are
well known to the public and the medical community, and have substantially
greater financial resources, product development, and manufacturing and
marketing capabilities than we have. Although we believe our principal advantage
is the unique mechanism of action of Ampligen® on the immune system, we cannot
assure that we will be able to compete.
ALFERON
N
Injection®. Our competitors are among the largest pharmaceutical companies in
the world, are well known to the public and the medical community, and have
substantially greater financial resources, product development, and
manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we have. Alferon N Injection®
currently competes with Schering’s injectable recombinant alpha interferon
product (INTRON® A) for the treatment of genital warts. 3M Pharmaceuticals also
offer competition from its immune-response modifier, Aldara®, a
self-administered topical cream, for the treatment of external genital and
perianal warts. In addition, Medigene recently received FDA approval for a
self-administered ointment, VeregenTM, which is indicated for the topical
treatment of external genital and perianal warts. Alferon N Injection® also
competes with surgical, chemical, and other methods of treating genital warts.
We cannot assess the impact products developed by our competitors, or advances
in other methods of the treatment of genital warts, will have on the commercial
viability of Alferon N Injection®. If and when we obtain additional approvals of
uses of this product, we expect to compete primarily on the basis of product
performance. Our competitors have developed or may develop products (containing
either alpha or beta interferon or other therapeutic compounds) or other
treatment modalities for those uses. There can be no assurance that, if we
are
able to obtain regulatory approval of Alferon N Injection® for the treatment of
new indications, we will be able to achieve any significant penetration into
those markets. In addition, because certain competitive products are not
dependent on a source of human blood cells, such products may be able to be
produced in greater volume and at a lower cost than Alferon N Injection®.
Currently, our wholesale price on a per unit basis of Alferon N Injection® is
higher than that of the competitive recombinant alpha and beta interferon
products.
22
General.
Other companies may succeed in developing products earlier than we do, obtaining
approvals for such products from the FDA more rapidly than we do, or developing
products that are more effective than those we may develop. While we will
attempt to expand our technological capabilities in order to remain competitive,
there can be no assurance that research and development by others or other
medical advances will not render our technology or products obsolete or
non-competitive or result in treatments or cures superior to any therapy we
develop.
Possible
side effects from the use of Ampligen® or Alferon N Injection® could adversely
affect potential revenues and physician/patient acceptability of our
product.
Ampligen®.
We believe that Ampligen® has been generally well tolerated with a low incidence
of clinical toxicity, particularly given the severely debilitating or life
threatening diseases that have been treated. A mild flushing reaction has been
observed in approximately 15% of patients treated in our various studies. This
reaction is occasionally accompanied by a rapid heart beat, a tightness of
the
chest, urticaria (swelling of the skin), anxiety, shortness of breath,
subjective reports of ''feeling hot'', sweating and nausea. The reaction is
usually infusion-rate related and can generally be controlled by reducing the
rate of infusion. Other adverse side effects include liver enzyme level
elevations, diarrhea, itching, asthma, low blood pressure, photophobia, rash,
transient visual disturbances, slow or irregular heart rate, decreases in
platelets and white blood cell counts, anemia, dizziness, confusion, elevation
of kidney function tests, occasional temporary hair loss and various flu-like
symptoms, including fever, chills, fatigue, muscular aches, joint pains,
headaches, nausea and vomiting. These flu-like side effects typically subside
within several months. One or more of the potential side effects might deter
usage of Ampligen® in certain clinical situations and therefore, could adversely
affect potential revenues and physician/patient acceptability of our product.
Alferon
N
Injection®. At present, Alferon N Injection® is only approved for the
intra-lesional (within the lesion) treatment of refractory or recurring external
genital warts in adults. In clinical trials conducted for the treatment of
genital warts with Alferon N Injection®, patients did not experience serious
side effects; however, there can be no assurance that unexpected or unacceptable
side effects will not be found in the future for this use or other potential
uses of Alferon N Injection® which could threaten or limit such product’s
usefulness.
We
may be subject to product liability claims from the use of Ampligen®, Alferon N
Injection®, or other of our products which could negatively affect our future
operations.
We
face
an inherent business risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event
that the use of Ampligen® or other of our products results in adverse effects.
This liability might result from claims made directly by patients, hospitals,
clinics or other consumers, or by pharmaceutical companies or others
manufacturing these products on our behalf. Our future operations may be
negatively affected from the litigation costs, settlement expenses and lost
product sales inherent to these claims. While we will continue to attempt to
take appropriate precautions, we cannot assure that we will avoid significant
product liability exposure. Although we currently maintain product liability
insurance coverage, there can be no assurance that this insurance will provide
adequate coverage against Ampligen® and/or Alferon N Injection® product
liability claims. A successful product liability claim against us in excess
of
Ampligen®’s $1,000,000 in insurance coverage; $3,000,000 in aggregate, or in
excess of Alferon N Injection®’s $5,000,000 in insurance coverage; $5,000,000 in
aggregate; or for which coverage is not provided could have a negative effect
on
our business and financial condition.
23
The
loss of services of key personnel including Dr. William A. Carter could hurt
our
chances for success.
Our
success is dependent on the continued efforts of Dr. William A. Carter because
of his position as a pioneer in the field of nucleic acid drugs, his being
the
co-inventor of Ampligen®, and his knowledge of our overall activities, including
patents and clinical trials. The loss of Dr. Carter’s services could have a
material adverse effect on our operations and chances for success. We have
secured key man life insurance in the amount of $2,000,000 on the life of Dr.
Carter and we have an employment agreement with Dr. Carter that, as amended,
runs until December 31, 2010. However, Dr. Carter has the right to terminate
his
employment upon not less than 30 days prior written notice. The loss of Dr.
Carter or other personnel or the failure to recruit additional personnel as
needed could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to achieve our
objectives.
Uncertainty
of health care reimbursement for our products.
Our
ability to successfully commercialize our products will depend, in part, on
the
extent to which reimbursement for the cost of such products and related
treatment will be available from government health administration authorities,
private health coverage insurers and other organizations. Significant
uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved health
care
products, and from time to time legislation is proposed, which, if adopted,
could further restrict the prices charged by and/or amounts reimbursable to
manufacturers of pharmaceutical products. We cannot predict what, if any,
legislation will ultimately be adopted or the impact of such legislation on
us.
There can be no assurance that third party insurance companies will allow us
to
charge and receive payments for products sufficient to realize an appropriate
return on our investment in product development.
There
are risks of liabilities associated with handling and disposing of hazardous
materials.
Our
business involves the controlled use of hazardous materials, carcinogenic
chemicals, flammable solvents and various radioactive compounds. Although we
believe that our safety procedures for handling and disposing of such materials
comply in all material respects with the standards prescribed by applicable
regulations, the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials
cannot be completely eliminated. In the event of such an accident or the failure
to comply with applicable regulations, we could be held liable for any damages
that result, and any such liability could be significant. We do not maintain
insurance coverage against such liabilities.
Risks
Associated With an Investment in Our Common Stock
The
market price of our stock may be adversely affected by market
volatility.
The
market price of our common stock has been and is likely to be volatile. In
addition to general economic, political and market conditions, the price and
trading volume of our stock could fluctuate widely in response to many factors,
including:
·
|
announcements
of the results of clinical trials by us or our
competitors;
|
24
·
|
adverse
reactions to products;
|
·
|
governmental
approvals, delays in expected governmental approvals or withdrawals
of any
prior governmental approvals or public or regulatory agency concerns
regarding the safety or effectiveness of our
products;
|
·
|
changes
in U.S. or foreign regulatory policy during the period of product
development;
|
·
|
developments
in patent or other proprietary rights, including any third party
challenges of our intellectual property
rights;
|
·
|
announcements
of technological innovations by us or our
competitors;
|
·
|
announcements
of new products or new contracts by us or our
competitors;
|
·
|
actual
or anticipated variations in our operating results due to the level
of
development expenses and other
factors;
|
·
|
changes
in financial estimates by securities analysts and whether our earnings
meet or exceed the estimates;
|
·
|
conditions
and trends in the pharmaceutical and other industries; new accounting
standards; and
|
·
|
the
occurrence of any of the risks described in these "Risk
Factors."
|
Our
common stock is listed for quotation on the American Stock Exchange. For the
12-month period ended December 31, 2007, the price of our common stock has
ranged from $0.76 to $2.33 per share. We expect the price of our common stock
to
remain volatile. The average daily trading volume of our common stock varies
significantly. Our relatively low average volume and low average number of
transactions per day may affect the ability of our stockholders to sell their
shares in the public market at prevailing prices and a more active market may
never develop.
In
the
past, following periods of volatility in the market price of the securities
of
companies in our industry, securities class action litigation has often been
instituted against companies in our industry. If we face securities litigation
in the future, even if without merit or unsuccessful, it would result in
substantial costs and a diversion of management attention and resources, which
would negatively impact our business.
Our
stock price may be adversely affected if a significant amount of shares are
sold
in the public market.
We
have
registered 13,201,840 for sale by Fusion Capital and 143,658 shares by others,
and have stockholder authorization to register an additional 15,000,000 shares
for sale by Fusion Capital under the common stock purchase agreement that
expires April 30, 2008. As of December 31, 2007, approximately 175,435 shares
of
our common stock, constituted "restricted securities" as defined in Rule 144
under the Securities Act. Also, we have registered 6,859,534 shares issuable
upon exercise of 135% of certain Warrants and upon exercise of certain other
warrants. Registration of the shares permits the sale of the shares in the
open
market or in privately negotiated transactions without compliance with the
requirements of Rule 144. To the extent the exercise price of the warrants
is
less than the market price of the common stock, the holders of the warrants
are
likely to exercise them and sell the underlying shares of common stock and
to
the extent that the conversion price and exercise price of these securities
are
adjusted pursuant to anti-dilution protection, the securities could be
exercisable or convertible for even more shares of common stock. We also may
issue shares to be used to meet our capital requirements or use shares to
compensate employees, consultants and/or directors. We are unable to estimate
the amount, timing or nature of future sales of outstanding common stock. Sales
of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market could cause
the
market price for our common stock to decrease. Furthermore, a decline in the
price of our common stock would likely impede our ability to raise capital
through the issuance of additional shares of common stock or other equity
securities.
25
The
sale of our common stock to Fusion Capital may cause dilution and the sale
of
the shares of common stock acquired by Fusion Capital and other shares
registered for selling stockholders could cause the price of our common stock
to
decline.
The
sale
by Fusion Capital and other selling stockholders of our common stock will
increase the number of our publicly traded shares, which could depress the
market price of our common stock. Moreover, the mere prospect of sales by Fusion
Capital and other selling stockholders could depress the market price for our
common stock. The issuance of shares to Fusion Capital under the common stock
purchase agreement will dilute the equity interest of existing stockholders
and
could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common
stock.
The
purchase price for the common stock to be sold to Fusion Capital pursuant to
the
common stock purchase agreement will fluctuate based on the price of our common
stock. All shares sold to Fusion Capital are to be freely tradable. Fusion
Capital may sell none, some or all of the shares of common stock purchased
from
us at any time. We expect that the shares offered by Fusion Capital will be
sold
over a period of in excess of two years. Depending upon market liquidity at
the
time, a sale of shares by Fusion at any given time could cause the trading
price
of our common stock to decline. The sale of a substantial number of shares
of
our common stock to Fusion Capital pursuant to the purchase agreement, or
anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity
or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we
might otherwise wish to effect sales.
Provisions
of our Certificate of Incorporation and Delaware law could defer a change of
our
management which could discourage or delay offers to acquire
us.
Provisions
of our Certificate of Incorporation and Delaware law may make it more difficult
for someone to acquire control of us or for our stockholders to remove existing
management, and might discourage a third party from offering to acquire us,
even
if a change in control or in management would be beneficial to our stockholders.
For example, our Certificate of Incorporation allows us to issue shares of
preferred stock without any vote or further action by our stockholders. Our
Board of Directors has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights
and preferences of preferred stock. Our Board of Directors also has the
authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval. As
a
result, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of a series of
preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets
upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are
distributed to the holders of common stock and the right to the redemption
of
the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common
stock. In this regard, in November 2002, we adopted a stockholder rights plan
and, under the Plan, our Board of Directors declared a dividend distribution
of
one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock to stockholders of record
at the close of business on November 29, 2002. Each Right initially entitles
holders to buy one unit of preferred stock for $30.00. The Rights generally
are
not transferable apart from the common stock and will not be exercisable unless
and until a person or group acquires or commences a tender or exchange offer
to
acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of our common stock. However,
for
Dr. Carter, our chief executive officer, who already beneficially owns 7.9%
of
our common stock, the Plan’s threshold will be 20%, instead of 15%. The Rights
will expire on November 19, 2012, and may be redeemed prior thereto at $.01
per
Right under certain circumstances.
26
Special
Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
Because
the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to
differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made
by
us, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.
Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which
it is
made and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement
or
statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such
statement is made or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors
emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which will
arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business
or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements. Our research in clinical efforts may continue for the next several
years and we may continue to incur losses due to clinical costs incurred in
the
development of Ampligen® for commercial application. Possible losses may
fluctuate from quarter to quarter as a result of differences in the timing
of
significant expenses incurred and receipt of licensing fees and/or cost recovery
treatment revenues in Europe, Canada and in the United States.
ITEM
1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.
ITEM
2. Properties.
We
currently lease our headquarters located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
consisting of a suite of offices of approximately 15,000 square feet. We also
currently own, occupy and use our New Brunswick, New Jersey laboratory and
production facility that we acquired from ISI. These facilities consist of
two
buildings located on 2.8 acres. One building is a two story facility consisting
of a total of 31,300 square feet. This facility contains offices, laboratories,
production space and shipping and receiving areas. It is also contains space
designated for research and development, our pharmacy, packaging, quality
assurance and quality control laboratories. Building Two has 11,670 square
feet
consisting of offices, laboratories and warehouse space. The property has
parking space for approximately 100 vehicles.
ITEM
3. Legal Proceedings.
On
September 30, 1998, we filed a multi-count complaint against Manuel P. Asensio,
Asensio & Company, Inc. (“Asensio”). The action included claims of
defamation, disparagement, tortuous interference with existing and prospective
business relations and conspiracy, arising out of Asensio’s false and defamatory
statements. The complaint further alleged that Asensio defamed and disparaged
us
in furtherance of a manipulative, deceptive and unlawful short-selling scheme
in
August and September, 1998. In 1999, Asensio filed an answer and counterclaim
alleging that in response to Asensio’s strong sell recommendation and other
press releases, we made defamatory statements about Asensio. We denied the
material allegations of the counterclaim. In July 2000, following dismissal
in
federal court for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, we transferred the action
to the Pennsylvania State Court. In March 2001, the defendants responded to
the
complaints as amended and a trial commenced on January 30, 2002. A jury verdict
disallowed the claims against the defendants for defamation and disparagement
and the court granted us a directed verdict on the counterclaim. On July 2,
2002
the Court entered an order granting us a new trial against Asensio for
defamation and disparagement. Thereafter, Asensio appealed the granting of
a new
trial to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania
has denied Asensio’s appeal. Asensio petitioned the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania for allowance of an appeal, which was denied. We now anticipate
the
scheduling of a new trial against Asensio for defamation and disparagement
in
the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.
27
In
June
2002, a former ME/CFS clinical trial patient in Belgium filed a claim in Belgium
against Hemispherx Biopharma Europe, NV/SA, our Belgian subsidiary, and one
of
its clinical trial investigators alleging that she was harmed in the Belgium
ME/CFS clinical trial as a result of negligence and breach of warranties. We
believe the claim is without merit and we are defending the claim against us
through our product liability insurance carrier.
In
December 2004, we filed a multicount complaint in federal court (Southern
District of Florida) against a conspiratorial group seeking to illegally
manipulate our stock for purposes of bringing about a hostile takeover of
Hemispherx. The lawsuit alleges that the conspiratorial group commenced with
a
plan to seize control of our cash and proprietary assets by an illegal campaign
to drive down our stock price and publish disparaging reports on our management
and current fiduciaries. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages from each member
of
the conspiratorial group as well as injunctions preventing further recurrences
of their misconduct. The conspiratorial group includes Bioclones, a privately
held South African Biopharmaceutical company that collaborated with us, and
Johannesburg Consolidated Investments, a South African corporation, Cyril
Donninger, R. B. Kebble, H. C. Buitendag, Bart Goemaere, and John Doe(s).
Bioclones, Johannesburg Consolidated Investments, Cyril Donninger, R. B. Kebble
and H.C. Buitendag filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, which was granted
by
the court. The decision granting the dismissal is on appeal to the
11th
federal
circuit court of appeals.
In
October 2006, litigation was initiated against us in the Court of Common Pleas,
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania between us and Hospira Worldwide, Inc. with
regard to a dispute with respect to fees for services charged by Hospira
Worldwide, Inc. to us. The dispute was promptly settled and the litigation
dismissed.
In
January 2007, arbitration proceedings were initiated by Bioclones (Proprietary),
Ltd., (“Bioclones”) and are pending in South Africa to determine damages arising
out of the termination of a marketing agreement we had with Bioclones. We had
deemed the marketing agreement void due to numerous and long standing failures
of performance by Bioclones and will present claims for damages against
Bioclones in the arbitration. Bioclones has now confirmed that the marketing
agreement has been terminated.
In
January 2007, we filed an application in South Africa for the dissolution of
Ribotech (PTY) Ltd. (“Ribotech”) on the grounds that the purpose for the
existence of Ribotech, the marketing agreement between us and Bioclones, had
been terminated. The application for termination is now pending.
Due
to
non-performance by Laboratorios del Dr. Esteve (“Esteve”) of certain
contractually required clinical trials, we notified Esteve of our intention
to
terminate the Sales and Distribution Agreement entered into as of March 20,
2002, and in December 2007, as is its right under the Sales and Distribution
Agreement, Esteve applied for arbitration, seeking damages. We believe
the Esteve claim is without merit and have filed a counterclaim.
28
In
March
2007, Cedric Philipp (“Philipp”) initiated an arbitration proceeding in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the American Arbitration Association alleging
that, under a 1994 agreement between us and Philipp (“1994 Agreement”), we owed
him commissions on product, or services he alleges we had purchased from
Hollister-Stier. The Company is defending this claim on, among other claims,
the
ground that the 1994 Agreement has been terminated. In April 2007, the company
filed a declaratory judgment action in the Court of Common Please of
Philadelphia asking the court to declare that the 1994 agreement between us
and
Cedric Philipp has been terminated. We have withdrawn the declaratory judgment
action.
ITEM
4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
No
matters were submitted to a vote of the security holders during the last quarter
of the year ended December 31, 2007.
PART
II
ITEM
5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
In
2007,
we issued 6,943,682 shares of common stock consisting of 1) 116,745 shares
for
interest payments related to the October 2003, January 2004 and July 2004
Convertible Debentures; 2) 175,435 shares in payment of services rendered and
3)
6,651,502 shares issued pursuant to the 2006 Purchase Agreement with Fusion
Capital.
The
foregoing issuances of securities were private transactions and exempt from
registration under section 4(2) of the Securities Act and/or regulation D rule
506 promulgated under the Securities Act. These securities have been or will
be
registered with the SEC.
Since
October 1997 our common stock has been listed and traded on the American Stock
Exchange (“AMEX”) under the symbol HEB. The following table sets forth the high
and low list prices for our Common Stock for the last two fiscal years as
reported by the AMEX. Such prices reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail
markup, markdowns or commissions and may not necessarily represent actual
transactions.
COMMON
STOCK
|
High
|
Low
|
|||||
Time
Period:
|
|||||||
January
1, 2006 through March 31, 2006
|
$
|
4.23
|
$
|
2.15
|
|||
April
1, 2006 through June 30, 2006
|
3.57
|
2.21
|
|||||
July
1, 2006 through September 30, 2006
|
2.63
|
1.80
|
|||||
October
1, 2006 through December 31, 2006
|
2.47
|
1.87
|
|||||
|
|||||||
January
1, 2007 through March 31, 2007
|
2.49
|
1.60
|
|||||
April
1, 2007 through June 30, 2007
|
1.82
|
1.24
|
|||||
July
1, 2007 through September 30, 2007
|
1.79
|
1.06
|
|||||
October
1, 2007 through December 31, 2007
|
2.08
|
0.53
|
As
of
March 3, 2008, there were approximately 256 holders of record of our Common
Stock. This number was determined from records maintained by our transfer agent
and does not include beneficial owners of our securities whose securities are
held in the names of various dealers and/or clearing agencies.
On
March
3, 2008, the last sale price for our common stock on the AMEX was $0.85 per
share.
29
We
have
not paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock in recent years. It is
management's intention not to declare or pay dividends on our Common Stock,
but
to retain earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our
business.
The
following table gives information about our Common Stock that may be issued
upon
the exercise of options, warrants and rights under all of our equity
compensation plans as of December 31, 2007.
Plan
Category
|
Number
of
Securities
to be
issued
upon
exercise
of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and
rights
|
Weighted-average
Exercise
price of
Outstanding
options,
warrants
and
rights
|
Number
of
Securities
Remaining
available
for
future
issuance
under
equity
compensation
plans(excluding
securities
reflected
in
column
(a))
|
|||||||
|
(a)
|
(b)
|
(c)
|
|||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by security holders:
|
6,902,204
|
$
|
2.61
|
1,443,524
|
||||||
Equity
compensation plans not approved by security holders:
|
7,262,771
|
$
|
1.99
|
-
|
||||||
Total
|
14,164,975
|
$
|
2.99
|
1,443,524
|
Performance
Graph
Total
Return To Shareholders
|
||||||
(Includes
reinvestment of dividends)
|
ANNUAL
RETURN PERCENTAGE
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Years
Ending
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Company
Name / Index
|
Dec
03
|
Dec
04
|
Dec
05
|
Dec
06
|
Dec
07
|
||||||||||||||
Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc.
|
6.10
|
-15.93
|
14.21
|
1.38
|
-65.45
|
||||||||||||||
S&P
SmallCap 600 Index
|
38.79
|
22.65
|
7.68
|
15.12
|
-0.30
|
||||||||||||||
Peer
Group
|
46.06
|
-63.90
|
-10.29
|
-21.89
|
-54.59
|
|
INDEXED
RETURNS
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Years
Ending
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Base
Period
|
||||||||||||||||||
Company
Name / Index
|
Dec
02
|
Dec
03
|
Dec
04
|
Dec
05
|
Dec
06
|
Dec
07
|
|||||||||||||
Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc.
|
100
|
106.10
|
89.20
|
101.88
|
103.29
|
35.68
|
|||||||||||||
S&P
SmallCap 600 Index
|
100
|
138.79
|
170.22
|
183.30
|
211.01
|
210.38
|
|||||||||||||
Peer
Group
|
100
|
146.06
|
52.72
|
47.29
|
36.94
|
16.78
|
|||||||||||||
Peer
Group Companies
|
|||||||||||||||||||
AVANT
IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS INC
|
|||||||||||||||||||
AVI
BIOPHARMA INC
|
|||||||||||||||||||
GENTA
INC
|
|||||||||||||||||||
SCICLONE
PHARMACEUTICALS INC
|
30
ITEM
6. Selected Financial Data (in thousands except for share and per share data).
The
selected consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in
conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, and the related notes
thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations”, included in this Annual Report. The statement of
operations and balance sheet data presented below for, and as of the end of,
each of the years in the five year period ended December 31, 2007 are derived
from our audited consolidated financial statements. Historical results are
not
necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in the future.
31
Year
Ended December
31
|
2003(2)
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
|||||||||||
Statement of Operations Data: | ||||||||||||||||
Revenues
and License fee Income
|
$
|
657
|
$
|
1,229
|
$
|
1,083
|
$
|
933
|
$
|
1,059
|
||||||
Total
Costs and Expenses(1)
|
7,909
|
12,118
|
10,998
|
19,627
|
20,348
|
|||||||||||
Interest
Expense and Financing Costs(2)
|
6,723
|
5,674
|
3,121
|
1,259
|
396
|
|||||||||||
Net
loss
|
(13,895
|
)
|
(16,887
|
)
|
(12,446
|
)
|
(19,399
|
)
|
(18,139
|
)
|
||||||
Deemed
Dividend
|
(1,320
|
)
|
(4,031
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Net
loss applicable
to common stockholders
|
(15,215
|
)
|
(20,918
|
)
|
(12,446
|
)
|
(19,399
|
)
|
(18,139
|
)
|
||||||
Basic
and diluted net loss per share
|
(0.43
|
)
|
(0.46
|
)
|
(0.24
|
)
|
(0.31
|
)
|
(0.25
|
)
|
||||||
Shares
used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share
|
35,234,526
|
45,177,862
|
51,475,192
|
61,815,358
|
71,839,782
|
|||||||||||
Balance
Sheet Data:
|
||||||||||||||||
Working
Capital
|
$
|
7,000
|
$
|
13,934
|
$
|
16,353
|
$
|
16,559
|
$
|
14,412
|
||||||
Total
Assets
|
13,638
|
25,293
|
24,654
|
31,431
|
23,142
|
|||||||||||
Debt,
net of discount(3)
|
3,123
|
4,312
|
4,171
|
3,871
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Stockholders’
Equity
|
8,417
|
19,443
|
18,627
|
24,751
|
20,955
|
|||||||||||
Cash
Flow Data:
|
||||||||||||||||
Cash
used in operating activities
|
$
|
(7,022
|
)
|
$
|
(7,240
|
)
|
$
|
(7,231
|
)
|
$
|
(13,747
|
)
|
$
|
(15,112
|
)
|
|
Capital
expenditures
|
(19
|
)
|
(150
|
)
|
(1,002
|
)
|
(1,351
|
)
|
(212
|
)
|
(1) |
General
and Administrative expenses include stock compensation expense of
$237,
$2,000, $391, $2,483 and $2,291 for the years ended December 31,
2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007,
respectively.
|
(2) |
For
information concerning our financing see Note 7 to our consolidated
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2007 contained
herein.
|
(3) |
In
accounting for the March 12, 2003, July 10, 2003, October 29, 2003,
January 26, 2004 and July 13, 2004 issuances of 6% Senior Convertible
Debentures in the principal amounts of $5,426, $5,426, $4,142, $4,000,
and
$2,000, respectively, and related embedded conversion features and
warrant
issuances, we recorded debt discounts which, in effect, reduced the
carrying value of the debt.
|
32
ITEM
7. Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The
following discussion and analysis is related to our financial condition and
results of operations for the three years ended December 31, 2007. This
information should be read in conjunction with Item 6 - “Selected Financial
Data” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto
beginning on F-1 of this Form 10-K.
Statement
of Forward-Looking Information
Certain
statements in the section are “forward-looking statements.” You should read the
information before Item 1B above, “Special Note” Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements” for more information about our presentation of
information.
Background
We
are a
biopharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture and clinical development
of
new drug entities for treatment of seriously debilitating disorders. Our
flagship products include Alferon N Injection® and the experimental therapeutics
Ampligen® and Oragens®. Alferon N Injection® is approved for a category of STD
infection, and Ampligen® and Oragens® represent experimental RNA nucleic acids
being developed for globally important viral diseases and disorders of the
immune system. Hemispherx's platform technology includes large and small agent
components for potential treatment of various severely debilitating and life
threatening diseases. We have in excess of 90 patents comprising our core
intellectual property estate, a fully commercialized product (Alferon N
Injection®) and GMP certified manufacturing facilities for our novel pharma
products.
We
have
reported net income only from 1985 through 1987. Since 1987, we have incurred,
as expected, substantial operating losses due to our conducting research and
development programs.
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
Year
ended December 31, 2006 versus December 31, 2007
Net
loss
Our
net
loss of approximately $18,139,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007 was
6.5%
lower when compared to the same period in 2006. This $1,260,000 reduction in
loss was primarily due to:
1)
|
Higher
Interest and Other Income of approximately $646,000 mainly due to
higher
interest earned upon the maturity of our marketable securities as
compared
to the same period a year ago;
|
2)
|
Lower
interest expense and financing costs of $863,000 in 2007 relating
to the
amortization of debt discounts on our convertible debentures and
the
incurring of liquidated damages in 2006 payable to our debenture
holders
resulting from us failing to timely file our 2005 Annual Report on
Form
10-K; and
|
3)
|
An
increase of $346,000 in other income due to a reversal of accrued
liquidated damages in 2006 with respect to our debentures holders
as a
result of our failure to timely file our 2005 Annual Report on Form
10-K.
These damages related to certain debenture covenants settled without
charge in the maturation and pay down of the debenture holder’s
outstanding loan balances in
2007.
|
33
Net
loss
per share was $(0.25) for the current period versus $(0.31) for the same period
in 2006.
Revenues
Revenues
for the year ended December 31, 2007 were $1,059,000 as compared to revenues
of
$933,000 for the same period in 2006. Ampligen® sold under the cost recovery
clinical program was down $49,000 or 27% and Alferon N Injection®
sales
were up $175,000 or 23% as compared to the prior period. Ampligen® sold under
the cost recovery clinical program is a product of physicians and ME/CFS
patients applying to us to enroll in the program. This program has been in
effect for several years and is offered as a treatment option to patients
severely affected by CFS. As the name “cost recovery” implies, we have no gain
or profit on these sales. The benefits to us include 1) physicians and patients
becoming familiar with Ampligen® and 2) collection of clinical data relating to
the patients’ treatment and results.
We
altered our marketing strategy for Alferon N Injection®
by
relaunching the product via a collaborative marketing initiative between
Hemispherx and a national Specialty Pharmacy network encompassing specialty
pharmacists, pharmacies and targeted physician specialists. This effort was
intended to focus our efforts in the most appropriate and productive market
segment for the product. While Alferon N dollar sales are up from 2006, unit
sales are down which reflects the effect of the price increase put into place
in
February 2007.
Production
costs/cost of goods sold
Production/cost
of goods sold was approximately $930,000 during the current period representing
a decrease of approximately $345,000 or 27% as compared to the same period
in
2006. This decrease was primarily due to lower production costs of $199,000
relating to excess production capacity during the prior period as more effort
was directed toward Ampligen® research and development and the NDA; and a
decrease in costs of goods sold of $146,000. Costs of goods sold for the year
ended December
31, 2006
and 2007 was $527,000 and $381,000, respectively.
The
primary reason for the decrease can be attributed to a decrease in unit sales
in
the current year versus the prior year. We outsourced certain components of
our
overall research and development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution
while maintaining control over the entire process through our quality assurance
group and our clinical monitoring group.
Research
and Development costs
Overall
research and development costs for the year ended December
31, 2007
were $10,444,000 as compared to $10,127,000 for the same period a year ago
representing an increase of $317,000 or 3%.
These
costs
are
primarily related to the collection and processing of clinical data, including
the costs of establishing our in-house polymer production facility and the
costs
of preparing and completing our NDA for the use of Ampligen® in treating CFS.
The year to year increase can be basically attributed to an
increase in the use of consultants related to the preparation of our Ampligen®
NDA.
Our
primary focus in 2007 was on the preparation of the NDA for using Ampligen® to
treat patients affected with CFS. In addition, we documented our polymer
production process in anticipation of an FDA inspection. Three lots of liquid
Ampligen® were produced for use in testing and stability studies. We finalized
the filing of our Ampligen® NDA on October 7, 2007.
34
On
December 3, 2007 a refusal to file (RTF) letter was received because the
application was deemed “not substantially complete”. A written response was
developed and submitted to the FDA on January 8, 2008 addressing fourteen
pre-clinical and clinical questions. At our scheduled Guidance Meeting with
the
FDA on February 8, 2008, the number of items necessary to accomplish a complete
filing for review purposes was reduced from the original fourteen to five.
Nine
of the original fourteen incomplete items are no longer considered as filing
related issues. The five remaining open items are being addressed by our
clinical staff with the expectation of filing five additional Amendments to
the
original NDA that was filed on October 7, 2007.
Much
of
our R&D cost is related to production of raw materials at our new production
line installed at our New Brunswick facility. This facility produces Poly I
and
Poly C12U
for use
by Hollister-Stier (our contract manufacturer) in the manufacture of Ampligen®.
The first pilot production runs are being used for stability testing. Later
commercial sized runs are being used for process validation and clinical
use.
In
addition, we are engaged in broad based, ongoing, experimental studies assessing
the efficacy of Ampligen®, Alferon N Injection®, and Alferon LDO against
influenza viruses as an adjuvant single agent antiviral with Defence R&D
Canada, Japan’s National Institute of Infectious disease, Biken (the non-profit
operational arm of the Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University)
and St. Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, Australia.
The
Biken
arrangement was concluded in December 2007 and basically consists of Biken
purchasing Ampligen® from us for use in conducting further animal studies of
intranasal prototype vaccines containing antigens from influenza sub-types
H1N1,
H3N2 and B progressing to human studies with all programs supported by the
Japanese Health Ministry. Under the terms of the non–exclusive licensing
arrangement, we will receive royalties as well as income for all Ampligen® used
in the ongoing experimental work and any subsequent marketing of Ampligen® as an
immuno-enhancer for flu vaccines delivered intranasally in Japan. To date,
only
2 or 3 pharma companies worldwide have achieved regulatory authorizations to
sell intranasally (IN) administered influenza vaccines versus many companies
receiving approval for intramuscular vaccine delivery routes. Safety has been
paramount in developing effective treatments. However, animal studies to date
indicate Ampligen®, an experimental drug, may be safely administered
intranasally. Clinical studies (in other disorders) have built a database of
more than 90,000 injections of Ampligen® when given parenterally (intravenous,
or “IV”).
In
September 2007, Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Disease (“JNIID”)
initiated research on the co-administration of JNIID’s HIV-1 vaccine with our
experimental TLR3 agonist a substance that binds to a specific receptor and
triggers a host defense response in the cell) and immune enhancer, Ampligen®.
This research is the result of earlier research suggesting a potential role
for
Ampligen® in boosting responses to certain vaccines designed to combat avian
influenza (Bird Flu) as well as seasonal influenza viruses. The objective of
this research is to determine if Ampligen® can overcome the historical problem
which has handicapped AIDS vaccine development, namely marginal immune response
which undermines the potential of long-lasting protection. Ampligen® will be
combined with HIV recombinant protein and administered via an intranasal
route.
35
In
October 2007, JNIID published, in two peer reviewed journals, the results of
their studies to evaluate the ability of current seasonal influenza vaccine
to
confer cross-protection against highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza (Bird Flu)
virus in mice. These studies indicate that, as a vaccine enhancer
co-administered with their seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine, Ampligen® helps
induce a protective effect against H5N1 influenza viruses. As such, Ampligen® as
a toll-like receptor 3 agonist may aid in overcoming the problems protecting
against mutated strains of the H5N1 virus and of limited supplies of H5N1 virus
vaccines. Additional studies to support this conclusion are
planned.
In
June
2007, we initiated a clinical trial in Australia using Ampligen® in combination
with seasonal flu vaccine. This trial, expected to continue for several months,
is being conducted in Australia’s winter season and focuses on populations at
risk for virulent cases of influenza, especially those over the age of 60 years
who historically may have weakened immune systems. The Australian clinical
trial
was prompted by the results from the pre-clinical work conducted by the JNIID
(see above). Thirty patients are anticipated to be enrolled in this study,
which
will utilize a two dose Ampligen® regimen of 2 mg per dose. This study is being
monitored by Clinical Network Services Pty. Ltd. located in Brisbane, Australia.
The clinical trials center of St. Vincent’s Hospital based in DarlingHurst,
Australia is conducting the trial. Prospective patients are being screened
to be
included in the clinical trial.
The
Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the number of
mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (“WNV”) infections in the United States is “up
sharply” over the same period in 2006. This increased infection rate has
accelerated the enrollment of patients in our Phase IIb clinical trial using
Alferon N™ to treat WNV patients. In lab studies, Alferon N™, a natural cocktail
of eight alpha-interferons, shows synergistic effects (up to 100 fold over
recombinant interferons) against pathogens such as WNV. The Phase IIb clinical
trial is a double-blinded, randomized, multi-center program under the direction
of Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medical College/New York
Hospital.
36
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and Administrative (“G&A”) expenses for the year ended December 31, 2006 and
2007 were approximately $8,225,000 and $8,974,000, respectively, reflecting
an
increase of $749,000 or 9%. This
increase related primarily to an increase in legal and professional fees of
$325,000 primarily due to on-going litigation involving Bioclones, increase
in
travel related expenses of $87,000 and increases in salaries and wages of
$398,000 mainly resulting from the hire of our chief operating officer during
the 4th
quarter
2006. These increases in general and administrative costs were offset by lower
accounting fees of $545,000 in 2007. The decrease in accounting fees was
primarily due to charges incurred by us in 2006 related to the restatements
to
our financial statements in 2005. Lastly, we incurred
impairment losses in 2007 amounting to $526,000 as compared to no such charges
in the prior year. The primary reason for these charges stemmed from the
$228,000 write-down of a water purification system that was determined to be
unnecessary at our New Jersey facility due to a change in manufacturing plans.
In addition, we wrote down the value of our intangible asset associated with
the
repurchase of a 6% Royalty on Alferon N Injection sales by $298,000. We
determined that we did not have sufficient inventory on hand to realize the
full
economic benefit of this asset; therefore, it was written down to its net
realizable value.
Our
operating funds should be sufficient to meet our operating cash requirements
for
the next 18 months as we have taken steps to curtail discretionary spending
to
conserve cash and reduce our monthly burn rate.
Reversal
of Previously Accrued Interest Expense
Reversal
of previously accrued interest expense was $346,000 for the year ended December
31, 2007. This item, classified as other income, resulted from the reversal
of
accrued liquidated damages in 2006 related to a certain covenant in our
debenture agreements. These charges were incurred as a result of our failure
to
timely file our 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K and our report on Form 10-Q
for
the quarterly period ended March 31, 2006 with the SEC pursuant to the 1934
Act.
These liquidated damages were not included as part of the maturation and pay
down of the debenture holder’s outstanding loan balances.
Interest
and Other Income
Interest
and other income for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 2007 increased
approximately $646,000 as compared to the same period a year earlier. The
increase in interest and other income during the current period was mainly
due
to higher interest earned upon the maturity of our marketable securities as
compared to the same period a year ago.
Interest
Expense and Financing Costs
Interest
expense and non-cash financing costs were approximately $396,000 for the year
ended December 31, 2007 versus $1,259,000 for the same period a year
ago.
The main
reason for the decrease in interest expense and financing costs of $863,000
or
69% can be attributed to decreased amortization charges on debt discounts
and
the
incurring of liquidated damages in 2006 payable to our debenture holders
resulting from our failure to timely file our 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K
as
we were in violation of provisions within our debenture agreements. These
debentures matured in June 2007 and all outstanding loan balances were paid
off.
37
Years
Ended December 31, 2005 vs. 2006
Net
loss
Our
net
loss of $19,399,000 for the year ended December 31, 2006 was up $6,953,000
or
56% compared to the same period in 2005. This increase in loss was primarily
due
to: 1) higher General and Administrative (“G&A”) expense of $2,836,000
related primarily to the adoption of FAS 123R amounting to higher stock
compensation expense of $2,092,000 and higher accounting fees of $747,000 mainly
related to the restatement of our financial statements, 2) higher research
and
development costs of $4,909,000 due to an increase in direct costs associated
with developing Ampligen®
and
Alferon N Injection®
for new
and existing indications and costs associated with stability studies for
Ampligen®
and
Alferon N Injection®
related
to manufacturing at our new contract manufacturer’s sites, Hollister-Stier and
Hyaluron, and 3) higher production costs of approximately $884,000 primarily
due
to excess manufacturing capacity. Offsetting these increased expenditures,
was a
net decrease in our interest expense and financing costs of approximately
$1,862,000 as the amortization of the discounts on our convertible Debentures
has been decreasing as they near maturity. Net losses per share were $.31 for
current period versus $.24 for the same period 2005.
Revenues
Revenues
for the years ended December 31, 2006 were $933,000 as compared to revenues
of
$1,083,000 for the same period in 2005. Ampligen®
sold
under the cost recovery clinical program was up $10,000 or 6% and Alferon N
Injection®
sales
were down $160,000 or 18%. The decline in Alferon N Injection® sales can be
attributed to increased competition from rival products. Ampligen® sold under
the cost recovery clinical program is a product of physicians and ME/CFS
patients applying to us to enroll in the program. This program has been in
effect for several years and is offered as a treatment option to patients
severely affected by CFS. As the name “cost recovery” implies, we have no gain
or profit on these sales. The benefits to us include 1) physicians and patients
becoming familiar with Ampligen® and 2) collection of clinical data relating to
the patients’ treatment and results. We are altering our marketing strategy for
Alferon N Injection®.
We plan
to establish an internal marketing and sales department to facilitate and refine
our commercialization initiatives.
Production
costs/cost of goods sold
Our
costs
for production/cost of goods sold increased $884,000 for the year ended December
31, 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. This increase was primarily due
to
higher production costs representing excess production capacity during the
current period amounting to $748,000. Cost of goods sold for the year ended
December 31, 2005 and 2006 were $391,000 and $527,000, respectively.
We
executed a Manufacturing and Safety Agreement with Hyaluron, Inc. (“Hyaluron”)
of Burlington, Massachusetts, for the formulation, packaging and labeling of
Alferon N Injection®. During 2006, Hyaluron conducted three production runs for
stability testing of Alferon N Injection®’s new vial material. The stability
test results at the six month check point met the required specifications.
The
stability and validation testing of the new vials was successfully completed
by
year end 2006.
We
purchased
the royalty interest related to the sales of our natural alpha interferon
products from Stem Cell Innovations, Inc. (previously known as Interferon
Sciences, Inc.) for $620,000. In March 2004, we acquired the FDA approved
manufacturing facility in New Brunswick, N.J. and the worldwide license for
the
production, manufacture, use, marketing and sale of Alferon N Injection®. The
royalty interest on the interferon products was a residual of this
transaction.
38
We
outsource certain components of our overall research and development,
manufacturing, marketing and distribution while maintaining control over the
entire process through our quality assurance group and our clinical monitoring
group.
Research
and Development costs
Overall
research and development costs for the year ended December 31, 2006 were
$10,127,000 as compared to $5,218,000 for the same period a year ago
representing an increase of $4,909,000 or 94%.
The
higher costs reflect an increase in the direct costs associated with our effort
to develop our lead product, Ampligen®, as a therapy in treating acute and
chronic diseases, cancers and on-going clinical trials involving patients with
HIV and pre-clinical and clinical testing for possible treatment for avian
and
seasonal influenza viruses. Also, incremental costs were incurred for
development of alternative delivery routes for Alferon N more suitable for
various biodefense treatment indications.
Much
of
this increase in R&D cost is related to the production of raw materials at
our new production line recently installed at our New Brunswick facility. The
New Brunswick facility successfully produced three lots of Poly I and three
lots
of Poly C12U,
which
have been shipped to Hollister-Stier (our contract manufacturer) for use in
producing Ampligen® doses.
For
current status on Research & Development activities see Part I, Item 1.
Business and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the period December 31,
2007 vs. December 31, 2006.
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and Administrative (“G&A”) expenses for the years ended December 31, 2005
and 2006 were approximately $5,389,000 and $8,225,000, respectively,
representing an increase of a $2,836,000 or 53%. The increase in G&A
expenses relates primarily to the adoption of FAS 123R which has increased
stock
compensation expense approximately $2,092,000 during 2006 versus a year ago.
In
addition, we have incurred higher accounting fees related to the restatement
of
our financial statements which has increased these fees by approximately
$747,000 from the same period a year earlier.
Interest
and Other Income and Expense
Interest
and other income for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2006 totaled $590,000
and $554,000, respectively. The decrease in interest and other income during
2006 can primarily be attributed to the timing of the maturities of our
marketable securities during the 2006 period versus the same period a year
earlier. All funds in excess of our immediate need are invested in short-term
high quality securities.
Interest
Expense and Financing Costs
Interest
expense and non-cash financing costs were approximately $1,259,000 for the
year
ended December 31, 2006 versus $3,121,000 for the same period a year
ago.
The main
reason for the decrease in interest expense and financing costs of $1,862,000
can be attributed to decreased amortization charges on debt discounts during
2006 versus the same period a year earlier as our convertible debentures have
come closer to maturity (Please see Note 7 in the consolidated financial
statements contained herein for more details on these
transactions).
39
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Cash
used
in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $15,112,000
reflecting mainly expenditures for the preparation and filing of the
Ampligen®
NDA.
Cash provided by investing activities for the year ending December 31, 2007,
amounted to $13,955,000, primarily from the maturity of short-term investments.
Cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2007
amounted to $8,892,000, basically from the sale of common stock for proceeds
totaling $11,620,000 partially offset by our net payment to our debenture
holders of $2,638,000 upon the maturity of our debt instruments. As of February
29, 2008 we had approximately $13,400,000 in cash and cash equivalents and
short-term investments, or a decrease of approximately 13% from December 31,
2007. These funds should be sufficient to meet our operating cash requirements
for the next 18 months as we have taken steps to curtail discretionary spending
to conserve cash and reduce our monthly burn rate.
In
June
2007, we retired all remaining debt related to our convertible debentures issued
in October 2003, January 2004 and July 2004. Of the outstanding debt of
approximately $4,102,000, only $2,638,000 was required to be paid in new funds
to retire the debentures, with the balance being covered by other cash and
securities already held as collateral for the debentures.
Over
the
long term, we
may
need to raise additional funds through additional equity or debt financing
or
from other sources in order to complete the necessary clinical trials and the
regulatory approval processes including the commercializing of Ampligen®
products. There can be no assurances that we will raise adequate funds from
these or other sources, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability
to develop our products. Any
additional funding may result in significant dilution and could involve the
issuance of securities with rights, which are senior to those of existing
stockholders. We may also need additional funding earlier than anticipated,
and
our cash requirements, in general, may vary materially from those now planned,
for reasons including, but not limited to, changes in our research and
development programs, clinical trials, competitive and technological advances,
the regulatory process, and higher than anticipated expenses and lower than
anticipated revenues from certain of our clinical trials for which cost recovery
from participants has been approved.
Equity
Financing
On
April
12, 2006, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “2006 Purchase
Agreement”) with Fusion Capital Fund II, LLC (“Fusion Capital”), pursuant to
which Fusion Capital has agreed, under certain conditions, to purchase on each
trading day $100,000 of our common stock up to an aggregate of $50.0 million
over a period of approximately 25 months. Pursuant to the terms of the
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 12, 2006, we registered
12,386,723 shares issuable to or issued to Fusion Capital under the Purchase
Agreement. Through February 29, 2008, we have sold to Fusion Capital an
aggregate of 10,682,032 shares under the common stock purchase agreement for
aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $19,739,000 and issued 448,816
Commitment Shares. Pursuant to the 2006,
Fusion
Capital cannot purchase shares if our stock price is under $1.00. Our current
stock price is below $1.00. Accordingly, unless and until the market price
increases to at least $1.00, no additional shares will be sold to Fusion Capital
under the agreement.
40
Under
the
rules of the American Stock Exchange, in the event that we elect to sell more
than 12,386,723 shares to Fusion Capital, we were required to seek stockholder
approval. This approval was obtained on September 20, 2006. We also will be
required to file a new registration statement and have it declared effective
by
the SEC in the event we elect to sell to Fusion Capital more than the 12,386,723
shares previously registered.
We
are
using the proceeds from this financing for general corporate purposes.
There
can
be no assurances that we will raise adequate funds from these or other sources,
which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to develop our products.
Also,
we
have the ability to curtail further discretionary spending, including some
research and development activities, if required to conserve additional
cash.
(dollars
in thousands)
|
|||||||||||||
Obligations
Expiring by Period
|
|||||||||||||
Contractual
Cash Obligations
|
Total
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|||||||||
Operating
Leases
|
$
|
487
|
$
|
205
|
$
|
211
|
$
|
71
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
487
|
$
|
205
|
$
|
211
|
$
|
71
|
New
Accounting Pronouncements
We
adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, "Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes" ("FIN 48") effective January 1, 2007. The purpose
of FIN 48 is to clarify and set forth consistent rules for accounting for
uncertain tax positions in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, "Accounting for Income Taxes". The cumulative effect of
applying the provisions of this interpretation are required to be reported
separately as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in
the
year of adoption. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on our
financial condition or the results of our operations.
On
February 15, 2007, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value
Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities - Including an Amendment
of FASB Statement No. 115”. This standard permits an entity to choose to measure
many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. Most of the
provisions in Statement 159 are elective; however, the amendment to FASB
Statement No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity
Securities”, applies to all entities with available-for-sale and trading
securities. Some requirements apply differently to entities that do not report
net income. The FASB's stated objective in issuing this standard is as follows:
"to improve financial reporting by providing entities with the opportunity
to
mitigate volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring related assets
and
liabilities differently without having to apply complex hedge accounting
provisions".
41
The
fair
value option established by Statement 159 permits all entities to choose to
measure eligible items at fair value at specified election dates. A business
entity will report unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair
value
option has been elected in earnings (or another performance indicator if the
business entity does not report earnings) at each subsequent reporting date.
The
fair value option: (a) may be applied instrument by instrument, with a few
exceptions, such as investments otherwise accounted for by the equity method;
(b) is irrevocable (unless a new election date occurs); and (c) is applied
only
to entire instruments and not to portions of instruments.
Statement
159 is effective as of the beginning of an entity's first fiscal year that
begins after November 15, 2007. The impact of this statement has not been
determined.
On
December 4, 2007, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 160,“Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements - An Amendment of ARB No.
51.”
Statement 160 establishes new accounting and reporting standards for the
noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of a
subsidiary. Specifically, this statement requires the recognition of a
noncontrolling interest (minority interest) as equity in the consolidated
financial statements and separate from the parent's equity. The amount of net
income attributable to the noncontrolling interest will be included in
consolidated net income on the face of the income statement. Statement 160
clarifies that changes in a parent's ownership interest in a subsidiary that
do
not result in deconsolidation are equity transactions if the parent retains
its
controlling financial interest. In addition, this statement requires that a
parent recognize a gain or loss in net income when a subsidiary is
deconsolidated. Such gain or loss will be measured using the fair value of
the
noncontrolling equity investment on the deconsolidation date. Statement 160
also
includes expanded disclosure requirements regarding the interests of the parent
and its noncontrolling interest.
Statement
160 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal
years, beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Earlier adoption is prohibited.
The impact of this statement has not been determined.
Disclosure
About Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
None
Critical
Accounting Policies
Financial
Reporting Release No. 60 requires all companies to include a discussion of
critical accounting policies or methods used in the preparation of financial
statements. Our significant accounting policies are described in the Notes
to
the Consolidated Financial Statements. The significant accounting policies
that
we believe are most critical to aid in fully understanding our reported
financial results are the following:
Revenue
Revenue
from the sale of Ampligen® under cost recovery clinical treatment protocols
approved by the FDA is recognized when the treatment is provided to the patient.
Revenues
from the sale of product are recognized when the product is shipped, as title
is
transferred to the customer. We have no other obligation associated with our
products once shipment has occurred.
42
Short-term
Investments
Investments
with original maturities of more than three months and less than 12 months
and
marketable equity securities are considered available for sale. The investments
classified as available for sale include debt securities and equity securities
carried at estimated fair value. The unrealized gains and losses are recorded
as
a component of stockholders’ equity.
Inventories
We
use
the lower of first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) cost or market method of accounting
for inventory.
Patents
and Trademarks
Patents
and trademarks are stated at cost (primarily legal fees) and are amortized
using
the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of 17 years. We review
our patents and trademark rights periodically to determine whether they have
continuing value. Such review includes an analysis of the patent and trademark’s
ultimate revenue and profitability potential. In addition, management’s review
addresses whether each patent continues to fit into our strategic business
plans.
Stock
Based Compensation
Under
FAS
123R, share-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on
the
estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense over the
requisite service period. We adopted the provisions of FAS 123R, effective
January 1, 2006, using a modified prospective application. Under this method,
compensation cost is recognized for all share-based payments granted, modified
or settled after the date of adoption, as well as for any unvested awards that
were granted prior to the date of adoption. Prior periods are not revised for
comparative purposes. Because we previously adopted only the pro forma
disclosure provisions of FAS 123, we recognize compensation cost relating to
the
unvested portion of awards granted prior to the date of adoption, using the
same
estimate of the grant-date fair value and the same attribution method used
to
determine the pro forma disclosures under FAS 123, except that forfeiture rates
are estimated for all options, as required by FAS 123R. The cumulative effect
of
applying the forfeiture rates is not material.
The
fair
value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using a
Black-Scholes option valuation model. Expected volatility is based on the
historical volatility of the price of our common stock. The risk-free interest
rate is based on U.S. Treasury issues with a term equal to the expected life
of
the option. We use uses historical data to estimate expected dividend yield,
expected life and forfeiture rates.
Concentration
of Credit Risk
Our
policy is to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial
institution and place investments with financial institutions evaluated as
being
credit worthy, or in short-term money markets, which are exposed to minimal
interest rate and credit risks. At and since December 31, 2007, we have had
bank
deposits and overnight repurchase agreements that exceed federally insured
limits.
Concentration
of credit risk, with respect to receivables, is limited through our credit
evaluation process. We do not require collateral on our receivables. Our
receivables consist principally of amounts due from wholesale drug companies
as
of December 31, 2007.
43
Sales
to
three large wholesalers represented approximately 70% and 68% of our total
sales
for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Item
7A. Quantitative
And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We
had
approximately
$15,415,000 in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments at December
31, 2007. To the extent that our cash and cash equivalents exceed our near
term
funding needs, we invest the excess cash in three to twelve month interest
bearing financial instruments. We employ established conservative policies
and
procedures to manage any risks with respect to investment exposure.
We
have
not entered into, and do not expect to enter into, financial instruments for
trading or hedging purposes.
ITEM
8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The
consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, and our
consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders' equity and
comprehensive loss and cash flows for each of the years in the three year period
ended December 31, 2007, together with the reports of BDO Seidman, LLP and
McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, independent registered public accountants, are
included at the end of this report. Reference is made to the "Index to Financial
Statements and Financial Statement Schedule" on page F-1.
ITEM
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosures.
As
previously reported in our current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 9,
2006,
on November 7, 2006, the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors approved
the
appointment of McGladrey & Pullen, LLP ("McGladrey") as our independent
registered public accounting firm, effective immediately. McGladrey replaces
BDO
Seidman, LLP (“BDO”) as our independent registered public accounting
firm.
As
noted
in our Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission on September
22,
2006, BDO informed us that it would resign from the client-auditor relationship
with us no later than the date of our filing of our Form 10-Q report for the
period ending September 30, 2006. BDO's decision to resign was not recommended
or approved by our Audit Committee. On November 7, 2006, we filed our Form
10-Q
report for the period ended September 30, 2006 and BDO resigned from the
client-auditor relationship with us.
BDO's
report on our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005
did not contain any adverse opinion or any disclaimer of opinion and was not
qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting
principles.
During
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, and the subsequent interim period
preceding the date of BDO's resignation, there were no disagreements between
us
and BDO on any matter of accounting principles or practice, financial statement
disclosure or auditing scope of procedure which, if not resolved to the
satisfaction of BDO, would have caused BDO to make a reference to the subject
matter thereof in connection with its reports and, during the same period,
there
were no reportable events as defined in item 304(a)(1)(v) of the Commission
Regulation S-K, except as previously reported in Item 9A of our 2005 Form
10-K/A.
44
ITEM
9A. Controls and Procedures.
Effectiveness
of Control Procedures
As
of
December 31, 2007, the end of the period covered by this report, we carried
out
an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our
management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial
Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure
controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)promulgated
under the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, as of December 31, 2007. Our
disclosure controls and procedures are intended to ensure that the information
we are required to disclose in the reports that we file or submit under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and
reported within the time periods specified in the Securities Exchange
Commission’s rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our
management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
as the principal executive and financial officers, respectively, to allow final
decisions regarding required disclosures. Based
on
that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
concluded that the controls and procedures were effective as of December 31,
2007 to ensure that material information was accumulated and communicated to
our
management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our
management has concluded that the financial statements included in this Form
10-K present fairly, in all material respects our financial position, results
of
operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We
made
no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the last
fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting (as defined
in
Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act).
Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f)
or
15d-15(f), under the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting
is
a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive
and
principal financial officers and affected by our Board of Directors, management
and other personnel, and to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those
policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that,
in
reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and
dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii)provide reasonable assurance
that
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and
that
receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance
with
authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a
material effect on its financial statements.
45
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may
not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance
with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management
has assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2007. In making this assessment, management used the criteria
set forth in the framework established by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission Internal
Control—Integrated Framework,
(COSO).
Based on this assessment, management has not identified any material weaknesses
as of December 31, 2007. A material weakness
is a
control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that results in
more
than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim
financial statements will not be prevented or detected.
Management
has concluded that we did maintain effective internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on the criteria set forth in
“Internal
Control—Integrated Framework”
issued
by the COSO.
Our
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 has been
audited by McGladrey and Pullen, an independent registered public accounting
firm, as stated in their report which appears herein.
46
REPORT
OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc.
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
We
have
audited Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc’s internal control over financial reporting as
of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in “Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
(COSO)”.
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective
internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on the company's internal control over financial
reporting based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control
over
financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists,
and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal
control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such
other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe
that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A
company's 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 for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control
over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain
to
the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2)
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors
of
the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's
assets that could have a material effect on the financial
statements.
47
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may
not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance
with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In
our
opinion, Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. maintained, in all material respects,
effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007
based on criteria established in “Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
(COSO)”.
We
have
also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the December 31, 2007 consolidated financial
statements of Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. and our report dated March
17,
2008
expressed
an unqualified opinion.
Blue
Bell, Pennsylvania
March
17,
2008
/s/
McGladrey& Pullen, LLP
48
ITEM
9B. Other
Information.
None.
PART
III
Item
10. Directors and Executive Officers and
Corporate Governance.
The
following sets forth biographical information about each of our directors and
executive officers as of the date of this report:
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
William
A. Carter, M.D.
|
70
|
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer
|
Anthony
A. Bonelli
|
56
|
President,
Chief Operating Officer
|
Robert
E. Peterson
|
70
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
David
R. Strayer, M.D.
|
62
|
Medical
Director, Regulatory Affairs
|
Carol
A. Smith, Ph.D.
|
56
|
VP
of Manufacturing
|
Richard
C. Piani
|
79
|
Director
|
Katalin
Ferencz-Biro
|
61
|
Senior
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
|
William
M. Mitchell, M.D.
|
72
|
Director
|
Ransom
W. Etheridge
|
68
|
Director,
Secretary and General Counsel
|
Iraj
Eqhbal Kiani, Ph.D.
|
60
|
Director
|
Wayne
Springate
|
37
|
Vice
President of Operations
|
Russel
Lander
|
57
|
Vice
President of Quality Assurance
|
Each
director has been elected to serve until the next annual meeting of
stockholders, or until his earlier resignation, removal from office, death
or
incapacity. Each executive officer serves at the discretion of the Board of
Directors, subject to rights, if any, under contracts of
employment.
49
WILLIAM
A. CARTER, M.D.,
the
coinventor of Ampligen®, joined us in 1978, and has served as: (a) our Chief
Scientific Officer since May 1989; (b) the Chairman of our Board of Directors
since January 1992; (c) our Chief Executive Officer since July 1993; (d) our
President since April, 1995; and (e) a director since 1987. From 1987 to 1988,
Dr. Carter served as our Chairman. Dr. Carter was a leading innovator in the
development of human interferon for a variety of treatment indications including
various viral diseases and cancer. Dr. Carter received the first FDA approval
to
initiate clinical trials on a beta interferon product manufactured in the U.S.
under his supervision. From 1985 to October 1988, Dr. Carter served as our
Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Scientist. He received his M.D. degree from Duke
University and underwent his postdoctoral training at the National Institutes
of
Health and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Carter also served as Professor of
Neoplastic Diseases at Hahnemann Medical University, a position he held from
1980 to 1998. Dr. Carter served as Director of Clinical Research for Hahnemann
Medical University's Institute for Cancer and Blood Diseases, and as a professor
at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the State University of New York at
Buffalo. Dr. Carter is a Board certified physician and author of more than
200
scientific articles, including the editing of various textbooks on anti-viral
and immune therapy.
ANTHONY
A. BONELLI
was
appointed as President and Chief Operating Officer in November 2006. Mr. Bonelli
is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in Biological Sciences as
well
as an MBA from Rutgers University Graduate School of Business and JD from the
University of San Francisco. Mr. Bonelli has
over
twenty-five years of diversified healthcare industry experience. Most recently,
he served as President and CEO of Optigenex, an applied DNA sciences company,
since October 2005, having joined that company in September 2004 as President
and Chief Operating Officer. As principal of Anthony Bonelli Associates between
1999 and 2004, some of the firms he has advised include Parke-Davis,
Schering-Plough Company, Aventis, Pharmacia and Pfizer. From 1998 to 1999,
he
was President and COO of Vitaquest International, a custom developer and
manufacturer of vitamins and nutritional supplements.
ROBERT
E. PETERSON has
served as our Chief Financial Officer since April, 1993 and served as an
Independent Financial Advisor to us from 1989 to April, 1993. Also, Mr. Peterson
has served as Vice President of the Omni Group, Inc., a business consulting
group based in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1985. From 1971 to 1984, Mr. Peterson
worked for PepsiCo, Inc. and served in various financial management positions
including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo Foods
International and PepsiCo Transportation, Inc. Mr. Peterson is a graduate of
Eastern New Mexico University.
DAVID
R. STRAYER, M.D. who
served as Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and
Hahnemann University, has acted as our Medical Director since 1986. He is Board
Certified in Medical Oncology and Internal Medicine with research interests
in
the fields of cancer and immune system disorders. Dr. Strayer has served as
principal investigator in studies funded by the Leukemia Society of America,
the
American Cancer Society, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Strayer
attended the School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles
where he received his M.D. in 1972.
50
CAROL
A. SMITH, Ph.D.
is
VP
of
Manufacturing
and has
served as our Director of Manufacturing and Process Development from 1995 to
2003, as Director of Operations from 1993 to 1995 and as the Manager of Quality
Control from 1991 to 1993, with responsibility for the manufacture, quality
control, process development, technology transfer to contract manufacturers
and
the chemistry of Ampligen®. Dr. Smith was Scientist/Quality Assurance Officer
for Virotech International, Inc. from 1989 to 1991 and Director of the Reverse
Transcriptase and Interferon Laboratories and a Clinical Monitor for Life
Sciences, Inc. from 1983 to 1989. She received her Ph.D. in Medical Sciences
with a concentration on Virology from the University of South Florida, College
of Medicine in 1980 and was an NIH post-doctoral fellow in the Department of
Microbiology and Virology at the Pennsylvania State University College of
Medicine from 1980 to 1983.
RICHARD
C. PIANI
has been
a director since 1995. Mr. Piani has been employed as a principal delegate
for
Industry to the City of Science and Industry, Paris, France, a billion dollar
scientific and educational complex. Mr. Piani provided consulting to us in
1993,
with respect to general business strategies for our European operations and
markets. Mr. Piani served as Chairman of Industrielle du Batiment-Morin, a
building materials corporation, from 1986 to 1993. Previously Mr. Piani was
a
Professor of International Strategy at Paris Dauphine University from 1984
to
1993. From 1979 to 1985, Mr. Piani served as Group Director in Charge of
International and Commercial Affairs for Rhone-Poulenc and from 1973 to 1979
he
was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Societe "La Cellophane", the French
company which invented cellophane and several other worldwide products. Mr.
Piani has a Law degree from Faculte de Droit, Paris Sorbonne and a Business
Administration degree from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales,
Paris.
WILLIAM
M. MITCHELL, M.D., Ph.D. has
been
a director since July 1998. Dr. Mitchell is a Professor of Pathology at
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Mitchell earned a M.D. from
Vanderbilt and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, where he served as an
Intern in Internal Medicine, followed by a Fellowship at its School of Medicine.
Dr. Mitchell has published over 200 papers, reviews and abstracts dealing with
viruses, anti-viral drugs and immune responses to HIV infection. Dr. Mitchell
has worked for and with many professional societies, including the International
Society for Interferon Research, and committees, among them the National
Institutes of Health, AIDS and Related Research Review Group. Dr. Mitchell
previously served as one of our directors from 1987 to 1989.
RANSOM
W. ETHERIDGE has
been a
director since October 1997, and presently serves as our secretary and general
counsel. Mr. Etheridge first became associated with us in 1980 when he provided
consulting services to us and participated in negotiations with respect to
our
initial private placement through Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. Mr. Etheridge has
been practicing law since 1967, specializing in transactional law. Mr. Etheridge
is a member of the Virginia State Bar, a Judicial Remedies Award Scholar, and
has served as President of the Tidewater Arthritis Foundation. He is a graduate
of Duke University, and received his Law degree from the University of Richmond
School of Law.
IRAJ
EQHBAL KIANI, M.B.A., Ph.D.,
was
appointed to the Board of Directors on May 1, 2002. Dr. Kiani is a citizen
of
England and resides in Newport, California. Dr. Kiani served in various local
government positions including the Governor of Yasoi, Capital of Boyerahmand,
Iran. In 1980, Dr. Kiani moved to England, where he established and managed
several trading companies over a period of some 20 years. Dr. Kiani is a
planning and logistic specialist who is now applying his knowledge and
experience to build a worldwide immunology network, which will use our
proprietary technology. Dr. Kiani received his Ph.D. degree from the University
of Warwick in England.
51
WAYNE
S. SPRINGATE
is Vice
President of Operations; Mr. Springate joined Hemispherx in 2002 as Vice
President of Business Development. Mr. Springate came on board when Hemispherx
acquired Alferon N Injection and its New Brunswick manufacturing facilities.
He
led the consolidation of our Rockville facility to our New Brunswick location
as
well as coordinated the relocation of manufacturing polymers from South Africa
to our production facility in New Brunswick. He is responsible for preparing
our
Manufacturing plant for a Pre Approval Inspection by the FDA in connection
with
the filing of our Ampligen NDA. Previously, Mr. Springate acted as President
for
World Fashion Concepts. He oversaw operations at several locations in the United
States and overseas. Mr. Springate assisted the CEO in details of operations
on
a daily basis and was involved in all aspects of manufacturing, warehouse
management, distribution and logistics.
KATALIN
FERENCZ-BIRO, Ph.D.
has
served as the Company’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality
Assurance Departments since January 2007. She served as the Director of
Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance from 2006 to 2007. Previously from
1987
to 2003, she served Interferon Sciences Inc, in various positions including
Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, Quality Control and Quality Assurance
Departments, and FDA official for our FDA approved product, Alferon N Injection.
Dr. Ferencz-Biro received her Ph.D. in Chemistry/ Biochemistry in 1972 from
the
University of Eötvös Lóránd, Budapest, Hungary, and her M.S., in Chemistry and
Biology in 1971 from University of Eötvös Lóránd, Budapest, Hungary. She was a
postdoctoral fellow from 1981-1984 in Rutgers University, Center for Alcohol
Studies, Piscataway, New Jersey. She is an author and coauthor of several
scientific publications, patents and presentations on the field of biochemistry.
Currently she is a member of Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society.
RUSSEL
J. LANDER, Ph.D.
is Vice
President Quality Assurance. Dr. Lander joined Hemispherx in 2005, assuming
responsibility for CMC writing for the NDA filing of Ampligen®. He has
subsequently served at the New Brunswick site as Director of Quality Control
and
has provided guidance to the efforts to improve and validate the manufacturing
process for the synthesis of Ampligen® polynucleotide raw materials, Poly I and
Poly C12U.
Dr.
Lander was formerly employed at Merck and Co., Inc. in the process development
groups for drug development (1977-1991) and vaccines (1991-2005). Dr. Lander
received his Ph.D. in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering from the University
of
Pennsylvania. He has authored numerous scientific publications and invention
disclosures.
On
November 20, 2007, Steven Spence, Director, submitted his resignation from
the
Board of Directors. Mr. Spence was a member of the following Board Committees:
The Audit Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee, and
the
Executive Committee. Mr. Spence was the financial expert on the Audit Committee.
52
Compliance
with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers and directors, and persons
who
own more than ten percent of a registered class of equity securities, to file
reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission reflecting their initial
position of ownership on Form 3 and changes in ownership on Form 4 or Form
5.
Based solely on a review of the copies of such Forms received by us, we found
that, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, certain of our officers
and directors had not complied with all applicable Section 16(a) filing
requirements on a timely basis with regard to transactions occurring in 2007.
Specifically, Dr. Carter filed three forms 4 late concerning five transactions;
Mr. Peterson filed one form 5 late concerning two late transactions; Mr.
Etheridge filed three forms 4 late concerning five transactions; Mr. Bonelli
filed one form 4 late concerning one transaction; Mr. Kiani filed two forms
4
late concerning four transactions; Mr. Piani filed three forms 4 late concerning
five transactions; Dr. Mitchell filed three forms 4 late concerning five
transactions; Dr. Strayer filed two forms 4 late concerning two transactions;
and Mr. Spence filed one form 4 late concerning one transaction.
Audit
Committee and Audit Committee Expert
The
Audit
Committee of our Board of Directors consists of Richard Piani, Committee
Chairman, William Mitchell, M.D. and Iraj Eqbal Kiani. Mr. Piani, Dr. Mitchell,
and Mr. Kiani
are all
determined by the Board of Directors to be independent directors as required
under Section 121B(2)(a) of the AMEX Company Guide.
We
do not
have a financial expert as defined in the SEC rules on the committee in the
true
sense of the description. However, Mr. Piani has 40 years experience in business
and has served in senior level and leadership positions for international
businesses. His working experience includes reviewing and analyzing financial
statements and dealing with financial institutions.
We
believe Mr. Piani, Dr. Mitchell, and Mr. Kiani to be independent of management
and free of any relationship that would interfere with their exercise of
independent judgment as members of this committee. The principal functions
of
the Audit Committee are to (i) assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight
responsibility relating to the annual independent audit of our consolidated
financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, the
engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm and the
evaluation of the independent registered public accounting firm’s
qualifications, independence and performance, (ii) prepare the reports or
statements as may be required by AMEX or the securities laws, (iii) assist
the
Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility relating to the integrity
of
our financial statements and financial reporting process and our system of
internal accounting and financial controls, (iv) discuss the financial
statements and reports with management, including any significant adjustments,
management judgments and estimates, new accounting policies and disagreements
with management, and (v) review disclosures by our independent registered public
accounting firm concerning relationships with us and the performance of our
independent accountants.
Code
of Ethics
Our
Board
of Directors adopted a code of ethics and business conduct for officers,
directors and employees that went into effect on May 19, 2003. This code has
been presented, reviewed and signed by each officer, director and employee.
You
may obtain a copy of this code by visiting our web site at www.hemispherx.net
(Corporate Info) or by written request to our office at 1617 JFK Boulevard,
Suite 660, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
53
Item
11. Executive Compensation.
Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
Objectives
and Philosophy of Executive Compensation
The
primary objectives of the compensation committee of our board of directors
with
respect to executive compensation are to attract and retain the most talented
and dedicated executives possible, to tie annual and long-term cash and stock
incentives to achievement of measurable performance objectives, and to align
executives' incentives with stockholder value creation. To achieve these
objectives, the compensation committee expects to implement and maintain
compensation plans that tie a substantial portion of executives' overall
compensation to key strategic financial and operational goals such as the
establishment and maintenance of key strategic relationships, the development
of
our products, the identification and advancement of additional product and
the
performance of our common stock price. The compensation committee evaluates
individual executive performance with the goal of setting compensation at levels
the committee believes are comparable with executives in other companies of
similar size and stage of development operating in the biotechnology industry
while taking into account our relative performance and our own strategic
goals.
Our
compensation plans are developed by utilizing publicly available compensation
data and subscription compensation survey data for national and regional
companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. We believe that the practices
of
this group of companies provide us with appropriate compensation benchmarks,
because these companies have similar organizational structures and tend to
compete with us for executives and other employees. For benchmarking executive
compensation, we typically review the compensation data we have collected from
the complete group of companies, as well as a subset of the data from those
companies that have a similar number of employees as our company. We have also
engaged independent outside consultants to help us analyze this data and to
compare our compensation programs with the practices of the companies
represented in the compensation data we review.
Elements
of Executive Compensation
Executive
compensation consists of the following elements:
Base
Salary
Base
salaries for our executives are established based on the scope of their
responsibilities, taking into account competitive market compensation paid
by
other companies for similar positions. Generally, we believe that executive
base
salaries should be targeted near the median of the range of salaries for
executives in similar positions with similar responsibilities at comparable
companies, in line with our compensation philosophy. Base salaries are reviewed
annually, and adjusted from time to time to realign salaries with market levels
after taking into account individual responsibilities, performance and
experience. This review normally occurs in the fourth quarter of each year.
On
November 6, 2006, the Board of Directors, at the recommendation of the
compensation committee and based upon an independent valuation of Executive
Compensation by the compensation committee determined that: (1) Dr. Carter’s
annual compensation under his Employment and Engagement Agreements be increased
by $90,000 and $60,000, respectively; and (2) Robert E. Peterson’s annual
compensation under his Engagement Agreement be increased by $50,000. These
annual compensation adjustments were retroactive to January 1,
2006.
Annual
Bonus
Our
compensation program includes eligibility for an annual performance-based cash
bonus in the case of all executives and certain senior, non-executive employees.
The amount of the cash bonus depends on the level of achievement of the stated
corporate, department, and individual performance goals, with a target bonus
generally set as a percentage of base salary. As provided in their employment
agreements, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are eligible
for an annual performance-based bonus up to 25% of their salaries, the amount
of
which, if any, is determined by the board of directors in its sole discretion
based on the recommendation of the compensation committee.
54
The
compensation committee utilizes annual incentive bonuses to compensate officers
for achieving financial and operational goals and for achieving individual
annual performance objectives. These objectives will vary depending on the
individual executive, but will relate generally to strategic factors such as
establishment and maintenance of key strategic relationships, development of
our
product, identification and research
and development of additional products, and to financial factors such as raising
capital and improving our results of operations.
In
December 2007, the Compensation Committee recommended and the Board of Directors
awarded bonuses to certain executives of 25% of base salaries for performance
in
relation to accomplishing certain 2007 corporate goals. Bonuses were awarded
to
William a. Carter, M.D., CEO and Chairman of the Board; Anthony Bonelli,
President and COO; Robert E. Peterson, CFO; David Strayer, M.D., Chief Medical
Officer and Wayne Springate, VP of Operations. The Compensation Committee and
Board of Directors reviewed corporate goals established in February 2007 and
determined that significant progress had been made with respect to 1) preparing
and filing the Ampligen NDA; 2) contacting and establishing strategic partners;
3) developing and implementing a global marketing strategy; 4) finalizing an
agreement with a vaccine manufacturer and 5) developing Alferon LDO potential.
Long-Term
Incentive Program
We
believe that long-term performance is achieved through an ownership culture
that
encourages such performance by our executive officers through the use of stock
and stock-based awards. Our stock plans have been established to provide our
employees, including our executive officers, with incentives to help align
those
employees' interests with the interests of stockholders. The compensation
committee believes that the use of stock and stock-based awards offers the
best
approach to achieving our compensation goals. We have historically elected
to
use stock options as the primary long-term equity incentive vehicle. We have
adopted stock ownership guidelines and our stock compensation plans have
provided the principal method, other than through direct investment for our
executive officers to acquire equity in our company. We believe that the annual
aggregate value of these awards should be set near competitive median levels
for
comparable companies. However, in the early stage of our business, we provided
a
greater portion of total compensation to our executives through our stock
compensation plans than through cash-based compensation.
Stock
Options
Our
stock
plans authorize us to grant options to purchase shares of common stock to our
employees, directors and consultants. Our compensation committee oversees the
administration of our stock option plan. The compensation committee reviews
and
recommends approval by our Board of Directors of stock option awards to
executive officers based upon a review of competitive compensation data, its
assessment of individual performance, a review of each executive's existing
long-term incentives, and retention considerations. Periodic stock option grants
are made at the discretion of the Board of Directors upon recommendation of
the
compensation committee to eligible employees and, in appropriate circumstances,
the compensation committee considers the recommendations of members of
management. In 2007, the Compensation Committee and the Board authorized the
renewal of expiring options for certain named executives in the amounts
indicated in the section entitled "Stock Option Grants to Executive Officers."
Grants were made to certain of our employees based on past performance,
particularly, those who worked hard and diligently on the preparation of our
NDA. Stock options granted by us have an exercise price equal to the fair market
value of our common stock on the day of grant and typically vest over a period
of years based upon continued employment, and generally expire ten years after
the date of grant. Incentive stock options also include certain other terms
necessary to assure compliance with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, or Internal Revenue Code.
55
We
expect
to continue to use stock options as a long-term incentive vehicle because;
(1)
Stock options align the interests of executives with those of the shareholders,
support a pay-for-performance culture, foster employee stock ownership, and
focus the management team on increasing value for the shareholders, (2) Stock
options are performance based. All the value received by the recipient of a
stock option is based on the growth of the stock price, (3)
Stock
options help to provide a balance to the overall executive compensation program
as base salary and our discretionary annual bonus program focus on short-term
compensation, while the vesting of stock options increases shareholder value
over the longer term, and (4) The vesting period of stock options encourages
executive retention and the preservation of shareholder value.
In
determining the number of stock options to be granted to executives, we take
into account the individual's position, scope of responsibility, ability to
affect profits and shareholder value and the individual's historic and recent
performance and the value of stock options in relation to other elements of
the
individual executive's total compensation.
As
of
December 31, 2007, 1,433,524 shares were available for future grants under
the
2004 Plan. Options granted include 1,351,680 in 2005, 1,345,742 in 2006 and
3,232,870 in 2007 including 2,970,000 issued for expiring options. Unless
sooner terminated, the Equity Incentive Plan will continue in effect for a
period of 10 years from its effective date.
On
June
30, 2007 the stockholders adopted the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan which
authorizes the issuance of up to 8,000,000 stock options to acquire common
stock
pursuant to the terms of the pan. No options have been issued under this
plan.
Restricted
Stock and Restricted Stock Units
Our
2004
Equity Compensation Plan authorizes us to grant restricted stock and restricted
stock units. To date, we have not granted any restricted stock or restricted
stock units under our 2004 equity compensation plan. We anticipate that in
order
to implement the long-term incentive goals of the compensation committee we
may
grant restricted stock units in the future.
Other
Compensation
Our
Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and General
Counsel have employment, and/or engagement contracts that will remain in effect
until they are terminated, expire, or are renegotiated. Each contract is
different with respect to specific benefits or other compensation. We maintain
a
broad-based benefits program that is provided to all employees including
vacation, sick leave and health insurance. Details of these agreements are
as
follows:
56
Dr.
Carter’s employment as our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer
expires December 31, 2010 unless sooner terminated for cause or disability.
The
agreement automatically renews for successive one year periods after the initial
termination date unless the Company or Dr. Carter give written notice otherwise
at least ninety days prior to the termination date or any renewal period. Dr.
Carter has the right to terminate the agreement on 30 days’ prior written
notice. The base salary is subject to adjustments and the average increase
or
decrease in the Consumer Price Index for the prior year. In addition, Dr. Carter
could receive an annual performance bonus of up to 25% of his base salary,
at
the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee of the board of directors,
based on his performance or our operating results. Dr. Carter will not
participate in any discussions concerning the determination of his annual bonus.
Dr. Carter is also entitled to an incentive bonus of 0.5% of the gross proceeds
received by us from any joint venture or corporate partnering arrangement.
Dr.
Carter’s agreement also provides that he be paid a base salary and benefits
through the last day of the then term of the agreement if he is terminated
without “cause”, as that term is defined in agreement. In addition, should Dr.
Carter terminate the agreement or the agreement be terminated due to his death
or disability, the agreement provides that Dr. Carter be paid a base salary
and
benefits through the last day of the month in which the termination occurred
and
for an additional twelve month period.
Our
engagement of Dr. Carter as a consultant related to patent development, as
one
of our directors and as chairman of the Executive Committee of our board of
directors expires December 31, 2010 unless sooner terminated for cause or
disability. The agreement automatically renews for successive one year periods
after the initial termination date or any renewal period. Dr. Carter has the
right to terminate the agreement on 30 days’ prior written notice. The base fee
is subject to annual adjustments equal to the percentage increase or decrease
of
annual dollar value of directors’ fees provided to our directors during the
prior year. The annual fee is further subject to adjustment based on the average
increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index for the prior year. In
addition, Dr. Carter could receive an annual performance bonus of up to 25%
of
his base fee, at the sole direction of the Compensation Committee of the board
of directors, based on his performance. Dr. Carter will not participate in
any
discussions concerning the determination of this annual bonus. Dr. Carter’s
agreement also provides that he be paid his base fee through the last day of
the
then term of the agreement if he is terminated without “cause”, as that term is
defined in the agreement. In addition, should Dr. Carter terminate the agreement
or the agreement be terminated due to his death or disability, the agreement
provides that Dr. Carter be paid fees due him through the last day of the month
in which the termination occurred and for an additional twelve month
period.
Our
agreement with Ransom W. Etheridge provides for Mr. Etheridge’s engagement as
our
General
Counsel until December 31, 2009 unless sooner terminated for cause or
disability. The agreement automatically renews for successive one year periods
after the initial termination date unless we or Mr. Etheridge give written
notice otherwise at least ninety days prior to the termination date or any
renewal period. Mr. Etheridge has the right to terminate the agreement on 30
days’ prior written notice. The initial annual fee for services is $96,000 and
is annually subject to adjustment based on the average increase or decrease
in
the Consumer Price Index for the prior year. Mr. Etheridge’s agreement also
provides that he be paid all fees through the last day of then current term
of
the agreement if he is terminated without “cause” as that term is defined in the
agreement. In
addition, should Mr. Etheridge terminate the agreement or the agreement be
terminated due to his death or disability, the agreement provides that Mr.
Etheridge be paid the fees due him through the last day of the month in which
the termination occurred and for an additional twelve month period. Mr.
Etheridge will devote approximately 85% of his business time to our
business.
57
Our
engagement agreement,
with Robert E. Peterson provides for Mr. Peterson’s engagement as our
Chief
Financial Officer until December 31, 2010 unless sooner terminated for cause
or
disability. Mr. Peterson has the right to terminate the agreement on 30 days’
prior written notice. The annual fee for services is subject to increases based
on the average increase in the cost of inflation index for the prior year.
Mr.
Peterson shall receive an annual bonus in each year that our
Chief
Executive Officer is granted a bonus. The bonus shall equal a percentage of
Mr.
Peterson’s base annual compensation comparable to the percentage bonus received
by the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Peterson shall receive bonus
compensation upon Federal Drug Administration approval of commercial application
of Ampligen®. Mr. Peterson’s agreement also provides that he be paid all fees
through the last day of then current term of the agreement if he is terminated
without “cause” as that term is defined in the agreement. In
addition, should Mr. Peterson terminate the agreement or the agreement be
terminated due to his death or disability, the agreement provides that Mr.
Peterson be paid the fees due him through the last day of the month in which
the
termination occurred and for an additional twelve month period. Mr. Peterson
will devote approximately 85% of his business time to our business.
We
engaged Anthony A. Bonelli to serve as our full time President and Chief
Operating Officer on November 27, 2006. Pursuant to this agreement, the
President and Chief Operating Officer is employed for an initial term of two
years. The employment automatically renews thereafter for successive one year
periods unless either party gives written notice not to renew within 90 days
of
the termination date.
Mr.
Bonelli receives an annual salary at the rate of $350,000 per year through
December 31, 2007 and, thereafter, at the annual rate of $400,000. His salary
is
subject to cost of living increases. He is entitled to annual bonuses in the
discretion of our Chairman and Board of Directors. A $50,000 cash bonus and
100,000 options were given upon the execution of the employment agreement and
the minimum cash bonus for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $75,000. He
was
entitled and received an additional 50,000 options upon his successful
completion of three months of employment and an aggregate of up to an additional
950,000 options upon the happening of specific business milestones. We have
the
right, at our discretion, to modify the time periods within which the milestones
must be met. Each option vests upon award, expires in ten years and has an
exercise price equal to 110% of the closing price of our common stock on the
American Stock Exchange on the date of the award. Upon the happening of certain
events, such as our merger with and in to another entity or our sale or transfer
of assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of our assets or earning
capacity, provided he is still employed by us, any of the foregoing options
not
granted to him will be granted. He is also entitled to receive fringe benefits
generally available to our executive officers and we have agreed, during his
employment period, to pay premiums on a term life insurance policy in the face
amount of $1,500,000 with a beneficiary of his choosing.
The
employment agreement terminates upon his death or disability and is terminable
by us for "cause" as defined in the agreement, or without cause. He has the
right to terminate the agreement upon not less than 60 day's prior notice.
In
the event that the agreement terminates due to his death or disability, or
by
him, he will be entitled to fees due and payable through the last day of the
month in which the termination occurs. If it is terminated by us for cause,
he
will be entitled to fees due and payable to him through the date of termination.
If we terminate the agreement without cause, he is entitled to fees depending
upon the amount of time he has been employed by us ranging from 12 months'
of
fees if he is terminated within the first 12 months of employment to three
months' of fees if he is terminated in the 21st month of employment. He is
subject to confidentiality and non-compete covenants.
58
The
Board
of Directors, deeming it essential to the best interests of our
shareholders to foster the continuous engagement of key management personnel
and
recognizing that, as is the case with many publicly held corporations, a change
of control might occur and that such possibility, and the uncertainty and
questions which it might raise among management, might result in the departure
or distraction of management personnel to the detriment of us and our
shareholders, determined to reinforce and encourage the continued attention
and
dedication of members of our
management to their engagement without distraction in the face of potentially
disturbing circumstances arising from the possibility of a change in control
of
the
Company
and
entered into identical agreements regarding change in control with William
A.
Carter, our
Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, Robert E. Peterson, our
Chief
Financial Officer and Ransom W. Etheridge, our
General
Counsel. Each of the agreements regarding change in control became effective
March 11, 2005 and continue through December 31, 2007 and shall extend
automatically to the third anniversary thereof unless we give notice to the
other party prior to the date of such extension that the agreement term will
not
be extended. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a change in control occurs during
the term of the agreements, the term of the agreements will continue through
the
second anniversary of the date on which the change in control occurred. Each
of
the agreements entitles William A. Carter, Robert E. Peterson and Ransom W.
Etheridge, respectively, to change of control benefits, as defined in the
agreements and summarized below, upon their respective termination of
employment/engagement with us during a potential change in control, as defined
in the agreements or after a change in control, as defined in the agreements,
when their respective terminations are caused (1) by us for any reason other
than permanent disability or cause, as defined in the agreement (2) by William
A. Carter, Robert E. Peterson and/or Ransom W. Etheridge, respectively, for
good
reason as defined in the agreement or, (3) by William A. Carter, Robert E.
Peterson and/or Ransom W. Etheridge, respectively for any reason during the
30
day period commencing on the first date which is six months after the date
of
the change in control.
The
benefits for each of the foregoing executives would be as follows:
o
|
A
lump sum cash payment of three times his base salary and annual bonus
amounts; and
|
o
|
Outplacement
benefits.
|
Each
agreement also provides that the executive is entitled to a “gross-up” payment
to make him whole for any federal excise tax imposed on change of control or
severance payments received by him.
Dr.
Carter’s agreement also provides for the following benefits:
o
|
Continued
insurance coverage through the third anniversary of his termination;
and
|
o
|
Retirement
benefits computed as if he had continued to work for the above
period.
|
59
401(K)
Plan
In
December 1995, we established a defined contribution plan, effective January
1,
1995, entitled the Hemispherx Biopharma employees 401(K) Plan and Trust
Agreement. All of our full time employees are eligible to participate in the
401(K) plan following one year of employment. Subject to certain limitations
imposed by federal tax laws, participants are eligible to contribute up to
15%
of their salary (including bonuses and/or commissions) per annum. Participants'
contributions to the 401(K) plan may be matched by Hemispherx at a rate
determined annually by the board of directors. Each participant immediately
vests in his or her deferred salary contributions, while our contributions
will
vest over one year. See Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements
contained herein.
Severance
Upon
termination of employment, most executive officers are entitled to receive
severance payments under their employment and/or engagement agreements. In
determining whether to approve and setting the terms of such severance
arrangements, the compensation committee recognizes that executives, especially
highly ranked executives, often face challenges securing new employment
following termination. The employment agreement with our CEO, which expires
on
December 31, 2010, provides that we pay him an annual salary through the terms
of the agreement if terminated without cause. The engagement agreement with
our
CFO, which expires on December 31, 2010, provides that we pay him one year’s
salary. The employment agreement of our COO, which expires in November 2008,
provides that he is entitled to severance pay up to 12 months depending on
the
time employed, if terminated without cause.
We
believe that our Executive Officers’ severance packages are generally in line
with severance packages offered to chief executive officers of the companies
of
similar size to us represented in the compensation data we
reviewed.
Compensation
of Directors
Non-employee
Board member compensation consists of an annual retainer of $150,000 to be
paid
two thirds in cash and one third in our common stock. On September 9, 2003,
the
Directors approved a 10 year plan which authorizes up to 1,000,000 shares for
use in supporting this compensation plan. The number of shares paid shall have
a
value of $12,500 with the value of the shares being determined by the closing
price of our common stock on the American Stock Exchange on the last day of
the
calendar quarter. All directors have been granted options to purchase common
stock under our Stock Option Plans and/or Warrants to purchase common stock.
We
believe such compensation and payments are necessary in order for us to attract
and retain qualified outside directors.
Conclusion
Our
compensation policies are designed to retain and motivate our senior executive
officers and to ultimately reward them for outstanding individual and corporate
performance.
60
Summary
Compensation Table - 2006
Name and
Principal
Position
|
|
Salary
|
|
Bonus
|
|
Stock
Award
|
|
Option
Award (1)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
|
|
Change
in
Pension
Value and
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
|
|
All Other
Compensation
|
|
Total
|
|
||||||||
W. A. Carter,
CEO
|
$
|
655,686
|
$
|
166,624
|
-
|
$
|
1,236,367
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
118,087
|
(2)
|
$
|
2,186,764
|
|||||||||||
A.
Bonelli,
COO
|
35,000
|
(4)
|
50,000
|
-
|
122,601
|
-
|
-
|
3,000
|
(2)
|
210,601
|
|||||||||||||||
R.
E. Peterson, CFO
|
259,164
|
64,791
|
-
|
373,043
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
696,998
|
|||||||||||||||||
D.
Strayer, Medical Director
|
225,144
|
-
|
-
|
19,200
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
244,344
|
|||||||||||||||||
M.
J. Liao, Director - QC
|
158,381
|
-
|
-
|
9,600
|
-
|
-
|
18,246
|
(3)
|
186,406
|
||||||||||||||||
C.
Smith,
VP
of MFG
|
143,136
|
-
|
-
|
9,600
|
-
|
-
|
17,227
|
(3)
|
169,963
|
||||||||||||||||
R.
Hansen,
VP
of Manufact.
|
140,311
|
-
|
-
|
9,600
|
-
|
-
|
17,006
|
(3)
|
166,917
|
||||||||||||||||
R.
D. Hulse
|
105,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
105,000
|
Notes:
(1) |
Based
on Black Scholes Pricing Model of valuing options. Total Fair Value
of
Option Awards granted to officers in 2006 was
$1,780,011.
|
(2) |
Consists
of Healthcare premiums, life insurance premiums, 401-K matching funds,
qualifying insurance premium, company car and parking
cost.
|
(3) |
Consists
of healthcare premiums and 401-K matching
funds.
|
(4) |
Mr.
Bonelli joined the Company on November 27, 2006. His annual salary
is
$350,000.
|
61
Summary
Compensation Table - 2007
Name and
Principal
Position
|
|
Salary
|
|
Bonus
|
|
Stock
Award
|
|
Option
Award (1)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
|
|
Change
in
Pension
Value and
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
|
|
All Other
Compensation
|
|
Total
|
|
||||||||
W.
A. Carter, CEO
|
$
|
637,496
|
$
|
166,156
|
-
|
$
|
1,688,079
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
123,063
|
(2)
|
$
|
2,664,794
|
|||||||||||
A.
Bonelli,
COO
|
350,000
|
(4)
|
87,500
|
-
|
59,684
|
-
|
-
|
33,375
|
(3)
|
530,504
|
|||||||||||||||
R.
E. Peterson, CFO
|
259,164
|
64,791
|
-
|
153,055
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
477,010
|
|||||||||||||||||
D.
Strayer, Medical Director
|
240,348
|
50,347
|
-
|
79,810
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
370,505
|
|||||||||||||||||
C.
Smith,
VP
of MFG.
|
147,695
|
-
|
-
|
34,235
|
-
|
-
|
30,088
|
(4)
|
212,018
|
||||||||||||||||
K.
Ferencz-Biro, VP of Reg. Affairs
|
145,000
|
-
|
-
|
11,744
|
-
|
-
|
13,999
|
(5)
|
170,743
|
||||||||||||||||
W.
Springate, VP of Operations
|
150,000
|
37,500
|
-
|
36,253
|
-
|
-
|
13,429
|
(5)
|
237,182
|
||||||||||||||||
R.
Lander,
VP
of Qual. Assurance
|
178,000
|
-
|
-
|
11,744
|
-
|
-
|
9,649
|
(6)
|
199,393
|
Notes:
(1)
|
Based
on Black Scholes pricing model of valuing options. Total fair of
options
granted to Officers in 2007 was
$2,241,028.
|
(2)
|
Consists
of a) Life Insurance premiums totaling $63,627; b) 401-K matching
funds of
$18,833; c) Healthcare premiums of $28,586; and d) Company car expenses
of
$12,017.
|
(3)
|
Healthcare
premiums of $9,649, car allowance expense of $9,276, and life insurance
premiums totaling $14,400.
|
(4)
|
Consists
of Healthcare premiums of $21,266, and 401-K matching funds of
$8,862.
|
(5)
|
Healthcare
premiums and 401-K matching funds
|
(6)
|
Healthcare
premiums
|
62
2007
Stock Option Grants to Executive Officers
The
following table provides additional information about option awards granted
to
our Named Executive Officers during the year ended December 31, 2007. The
compensation plan under which the grants in the following tables were made
are
described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section headed “Long-Term
Equity Incentive Awards”.
Name
|
Grant Date
|
|
No.
of
Options
|
|
Exercise Price
per Share
|
|
Expiration
Date
|
|
Closing
Price on
Grant
|
|
Grant Date
Fair Value of
Option (2)
|
||||||||
W.A.
Carter, CEO
|
9/10/07
|
1,000,000
|
(1)
|
$
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
1.24
|
674,063
|
|||||||||||
|
10/1/07
|
1,400,000
|
(1)
|
3.50
|
9/30/17
|
1.60
|
1,014,016
|
||||||||||||
A.
Bonelli, COO
|
2/22/07
|
50,000
|
2.07
|
2/27/17
|
1.88
|
59,684
|
|||||||||||||
R.E.
Peterson, CFO
|
1/23/07
|
13,750
|
(1)
|
2.37
|
1/23/17
|
2.10
|
18,242
|
||||||||||||
|
9/10/07
|
200,000
|
(1)
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
1.24
|
134,813
|
||||||||||||
D.
Strayer, Medical
Director
|
1/23/07
|
20,000
|
(1)
|
2.37
|
1/23/17
|
2.10
|
26,534
|
||||||||||||
|
9/10/07
|
50,000
|
(1)
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
1.24
|
33,703
|
||||||||||||
|
12/6/07
|
25,000
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
1.30
|
19,573
|
|||||||||||||
C.
Smith,
VP
of MFG.
|
1/23/07
|
6,791
|
(1)
|
2.37
|
1/23/17
|
2.10
|
9,010
|
||||||||||||
|
9/10/07
|
20,000
|
(1)
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
1.24
|
13,481
|
||||||||||||
|
12/6/07
|
15,000
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
1.30
|
11,744
|
|||||||||||||
W.
Springate,
VP
of Operations
|
5/1/07
|
20,000
|
1.78
|
4/30/17
|
1.63
|
20,595
|
|||||||||||||
|
12/6/07
|
20,000
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
1.30
|
15,658
|
|||||||||||||
K.
Ferencz-Biro,
VP
of Reg. Affairs
|
12/6/07
|
15,000
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
1.30
|
11,744
|
|||||||||||||
R.
Lander, VP of Qual. Assurance
|
12/6/07
|
15,000
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
1.30
|
11,744
|
1)
|
Renewal
of previously issued options that expired
unexercised.
|
2)
|
These
amounts shown represent the approximate amount we recognize for
financial
statement reporting purposes in fiscal year 2007 for the fair
value of
equity awards granted to the named executive officers. As a result,
these
amounts do not reflect the amount of compensation actually received
by the
named executive officer during the fiscal year. For a description
of the
assumptions used in calculating the fair value of equity awards
under SFAS
No. 123(R), see Note 2(m) of our financial
statements.
|
63
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Year End - 2007
Option/Warrants
Awards
|
|
Stock
Awards
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Exercisable
|
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)
Unexercisable
|
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options
(#)
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price
|
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
|
Number
of
Shares
or
Units
of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
(#)
|
|
Market
Value
of
Shares
or
Unit
That
Have
Not
Vested
|
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares,
Units
or
Other
Rights
That Have
Not
Vested
(#)
|
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Market or
Payout
Value
of
Unearned
Shares,
Units
or
Other
Rights
That Have
Not
Vested
|
|
||||||||||
W.A.
Carter, CEO
|
1,450,000
|
0
|
0
|
$
|
2.20
|
9/8/08
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||
1,000,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
190,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.00
|
1/1/08
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
73,728
|
0
|
0
|
2.71
|
12/31/10
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.03
|
1/3/11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
167,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.60
|
9/7/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
153,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.60
|
12/7/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
100,000
|
0
|
0
|
1.75
|
4/26/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
465,000
|
0
|
0
|
1.86
|
6/30/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
70,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.87
|
12/9/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
300,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.38
|
1/1/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.61
|
12/9/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
376,650
|
0
|
0
|
3.78
|
2/22/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
1,400,000
|
0
|
0
|
3.50
|
9/30/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
A.
Bonelli, COO
|
100,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.11
|
11/26/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.07
|
2/27/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
R.
Peterson, CFO
|
200,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
3.44
|
6/22/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
13,824
|
0
|
0
|
2.60
|
9/7/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
55,000
|
0
|
0
|
1.75
|
4/26/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.61
|
12/8/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
64
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
3.85
|
2/28/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
100,000
|
0
|
0
|
3.48
|
4/14/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
30,000
|
0
|
0
|
3.55
|
4/30/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
13,750
|
0
|
0
|
2.37
|
1/22/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.03
|
1/3/11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
D.
Strayer, Medical Director
|
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.00
|
2/28/08
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.03
|
1/3/11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
20,000
|
0
|
0
|
3.50
|
2/23/07
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
1.90
|
12/14/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.61
|
12/8/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
5,000
|
0
|
2.20
|
11/20/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
25,000
|
0
|
0
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
C.
Smith,
VP
of MFG
|
20,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.00
|
9/9/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
5,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.00
|
6/7/08
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
4.03
|
1/3/11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.61
|
12/8/15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
6,791
|
0
|
0
|
2.37
|
1/23/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
10,000
|
0
|
0
|
1.90
|
12/7/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
5,000
|
2,500
|
0
|
2.20
|
11/20/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
W.
Springate, VP of Operations
|
1,812
|
0
|
0
|
1.90
|
12/7/14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
2,088
|
0
|
0
|
2.61
|
12/8/05
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
5,000
|
0
|
0
|
2.20
|
11/20/16
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
20,200
|
0
|
0
|
1.78
|
4/30/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
6,067
|
13,333
|
0
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
R.
Lander,
VP
of Quality
Assurance
|
5,000
|
10,000
|
0
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
K.
Ferencz-Biro,
VP
of Reg. Affairs
|
5,000
|
10,000
|
0
|
1.30
|
12/6/17
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
65
Options
Exercised / Stock Vested - 2007
Option
Awards
|
|
Stock
Awards
|
|||||||||||
Name
(a)
|
Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Exercise (#)
(b)
|
|
Value
Realized on
Exercise ($)
(c)
|
|
Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Vesting (#)
(d)
|
|
Value of
Realized on
Vesting ($)
(e)
|
|
|||||
W.A.
Carter,
CEO
|
none
|
||||||||||||
A.
Bonelli,
COO
|
none
|
||||||||||||
R.
Peterson, CFO
|
none
|
||||||||||||
D.
Strayer,
Medical
Director
|
none
|
||||||||||||
C.
Smith,
VP
MFG.
|
none
|
||||||||||||
W.
Springate,
VP
of Operations
|
none
|
||||||||||||
R.
Lander,
VP
of Qual. Assurance
|
none
|
||||||||||||
K.
Ferencz-Biro,
VP
of Reg. Affairs
|
none
|
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
Our
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, consisting of Richard Piani,
the Committee Chairman, William Mitchell, M.D. and Dr. Iraj E. Kiani, are all
independent directors. There are no interlocking relationships.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
Our
Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis
contained in this Annual Report with management. Based on our Committee’s review
of and the discussions with management with respect to the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis, our Committee recommended to the board of directors
that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 for
filing with the SEC.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE
|
Richard
Piani, Committee Chairman
|
William
Mitchell, M.D.
|
Dr.
Iraj E. Kiani
|
The
foregoing Compensation Committee report shall not be deemed incorporated by
reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under these acts,
except to the extent we incorporate by reference into such filings.
66
Director
Compensation - 2007
Name
|
Fees
Earned
or Paid
in Cash
($)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
(2)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensa-
tion ($)
|
|
Change in
Pension Value
and
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
|
|
All Other
Compensat-
ion ($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
|||||||||
R.
Etheridge,
Director,
General Counsel
|
100,000
|
50,000
|
67,406
|
0
|
0
|
117,179
|
(1)
|
334,585
|
||||||||||||||
W.
Mitchell,
Director
|
100,000
|
50,000
|
67,406
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
217,406
|
|||||||||||||||
R.
Piani,
Director
|
100,000
|
50,000
|
67,406
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
217,406
|
|||||||||||||||
I.
Kiani,
Director
|
100,000
|
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
150,000
|
(1)
|
General
Counsel fees as per Engagement
Agreement.
|
(2)
|
The
total Fair Value of Stock Options granted in 2007 to Directors was
$202,218. The options were the renewal of previously issued options
that
expired unexercised.
|
Item
12. Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder
Matters.
The
following table sets forth as of March 3,
2008,
the
number and percentage of outstanding shares of common stock beneficially owned
by:
·
|
Each
person, individually or as a group, known to us to be deemed the
beneficial owners of five percent or more of our issued and outstanding
common stock;
|
·
|
each
of our directors and the Named Executives;
and
|
·
|
all
of our officers and directors as a group.
|
As
of
March 3, 2008, there were no other persons, individually or as a group, known
to
us to be deemed the beneficial owners of five percent or more of our issued
and
outstanding common stock.
Name and Address of
Beneficial Owner
|
Shares Beneficially
Owned
|
|
% Of Shares
Beneficially Owned
|
|
|||
William
A. Carter, M.D.
|
6,241,868
|
(1)
|
7.9
|
%
|
|||
Ransom
W. Etheridge
2610
Potters Rd.
Virginia
Beach, VA 23452
|
704,171
|
(2)
|
*
|
||||
Robert
E. Peterson
|
540,574
|
(3)
|
*
|
||||
Richard
C. Piani
97
Rue Jeans-Jaures
Levaillois-Perret
France
92300
|
532,223
|
(4)
|
*
|
||||
Anthony
Bonelli
783
Jersey Avenue
New
Brunswick, NJ 08901
|
152,500
|
(5)
|
*
|
||||
William
M. Mitchell, M.D.
Vanderbilt
University
Department
of Pathology
Medical
Center North
21st
and Garland
Nashville,
TN 37232
|
459,495
|
(6)
|
*
|
||||
David
R. Strayer, M.D.
|
200,746
|
(7)
|
*
|
||||
Carol
A. Smith, Ph.D.
|
69,291
|
(8)
|
*
|
||||
Iraj-Eqhbal
Kiani, Ph.D.
Orange
County Immune Institute
18800
Delaware Street
Huntingdon
Beach, CA 92648
|
166,751
|
(9)
|
*
|
||||
W.
Springate
|
48,900
|
(10)
|
*
|
||||
R.
Lander, Ph.D.
|
15,000
|
(11)
|
*
|
||||
K.
Ferencz-Biro, Ph.D.
|
15,000
|
(11)
|
*
|
||||
All
directors and executive officers as a group
(11
persons)
|
9,146,519
|
11.2
|
%
|
*
Less
than 1%
67
(1)
|
Includes
shares issuable upon the exercise of (i) replacement options issued
in
2006 to purchase 376,650 shares of common stock exercisable at $3.78
per
share expiring on February 22, 2016; (ii) stock options issued in
2001 to
purchase 10,000 shares of common stock at $4.03 per share expiring
January
3, 2011; (iii) options issued in 2007 to purchase 1,000,000 shares
of
common stock exercisable at $2.00 per share expiring on September
9, 2017,
these options replaced previously issued options that expired unexercised
on August 13, 2007; (iv) warrants issued in 2003 to purchase 1,450,000
shares of common stock exercisable at $2.20 per share expiring on
September 8, 2008; (v) stock options issued in 2004 to purchase 320,000
shares of common stock at $2.60 per share expiring on September 7,
2014;
(vi) Stock Options issued in 2005 to purchase 100,000 shares of common
stock at $1.75 per share expiring on April 26, 2015; (vii) Stock
options
issued in 2005 to purchase 465,000 shares of common stock at $1.86
per
share expiring June 30, 2015; and (viii) stock options issued in
2005 to
purchase 70,000 shares of Common Stock at $2.87 per share expiring
December 9, 2015; (ix) stock options issued in 2005 to purchase 10,000
shares of Common Stock at $2.61 per share expiring December 8, 2015;
(x)
300,000 options issued in 2006 to purchase common stock at $2.38
per share
and expiring on January 1, 2016; and (xi) 476,490 shares of Common
Stock.
Also includes 1,663,728 warrants and options originally issued to
William
A. Carter and subsequently transferred to Carter Investments of which
Dr.
Carter is the beneficial owner. These securities consist of (a) warrants
issued in 2008 to purchase 190,000 shares of common stock at $4.00
per
share expiring on February 17, 2018, these options replace previously
issued warrants that expired unexercised on February 18, 2007, (b)
stock
options granted in 1991 and extended in 1998 to purchase 73,728 shares
of
common stock exercisable at $2.71 per share expiring on August 8,
2008 and
(c)options issued in 2007 to purchase 1,400,000 shares of common
stock at
$3.50 per share expiring on September 30, 2017. These options replaced
previously issued options that expired unexercised on September 30,
2007.
|
68
(2)
|
Includes
shares issuable upon exercise of (i) 20,000 options issued in to
purchase
common stock at $4.00 per share expiring on February 17, 2018, these
options replace previously issued warrants that expired unexercised
on
February 18, 2007; (ii) 100,000 warrants issued in 2002 exercisable
$2.00
per share expiring on August 17, 2017, these options replaced previously
issued options that expired unexercised on August 13, 2007; (iii)
stock
options issued in 2005 to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $1.75 per share expiring on April 26, 2015; and(iv)
stock
options issued in 2004 to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $2.60 per share expiring on September 7, 2014; (and
(vi)
184,171 shares of common stock of which 40,900 are subject to security
interest. Also includes 200,000 stock options originally granted
to Ransom
Etheridge in 2003 and 50,000 stock options originally granted to
Ransom
Etheridge in 2006, all of which were subsequently transferred to
relatives
and family trusts. 200,000 of these stock options are exercisable
at $2.75
per share and expire on December 4, 2013. 37,500 of these options
were
transferred to Julianne Inglima; 37,500 of these options were transferred
to Thomas Inglima; 37,500 of these options were transferred to R.
Etheridge-BMI Trust; 37,500 options were transferred to R. Etheridge-TCI
Trust and 50,000 of these options were transferred to the Etheridge
Family
Trust. 50,000 of these stock options are exercisable at $3.86 per
share
and expire on February 24, 2016. 12,500 of these shares were transferred
to Julianne Inglima; 12,500 of these options were transferred to
Thomas
Inglima; 12,500 of these options were transferred to R. Etheridge
- BMI
Trust; and 12,500 of these options were transferred to R. Etheridge-TCI
Trust. Julianne and Thomas are Mr. Etheridge’s daughter and son-in-law.
|
(3)
|
Includes
shares issuable upon exercise of (i) replacement options issued in
2007 to
purchase 13,750 shares of common stock at $2.37 per share and expiring
on
January 22, 2017; (ii) options issued in 2001 to purchase 10,000
shares of
common stock at $4.03 per share and expiring on January 3, 2011;
(iii)
options issued in 2005 to purchase 10,000 shares of Common Stock
at $2.61
per share expiring December 8, 2015; and (iv) 8,000 shares of Common
Stock. Also includes 498,824 warrants/options originally issued to
Robert
E. Peterson and subsequently transferred to the Robert E. Peterson
Trust
of which Robert E. Peterson is owner and Trustee and to Mr. Peterson’s
spouse, Leslie Peterson. The trust securities include options issued
in
2007 to purchase 200,000 shares at $2.00 per share expiring September
17,
2017, these options replaced previously issued options that expired
unexercised on August 13, 2007; options issued in 2006 to purchase
50,000
shares of common stock exercisable at $3.85 per share expiring on
February
28, 2016; replacement options issued in 2006 to purchase 100,000
shares of
common stock at $3.48 per share expiring on April 14, 2016; replacement
options issued in 2006 to purchase 30,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $3.55 per share expiring on April 30, 2016 and 63,824
stock
options issued in 2004 consisting of 50,000 options to acquire common
stock at $3.44 per share expiring on June 22, 2014 and 13,824 options
to
acquire common stock at $2.60 per share expiring on September 7,
2014.
55,000 options to purchase common stock at $1.75 per share expiring
on
April 16, 2015 were transferred to Mrs. Peterson of which Mr. Peterson
is
still considered the beneficial owner.
|
(4)
|
Includes
shares issuable upon exercise of (i) 20,000 warrants issued in 1998
to
purchase common stock at $4.00 per share expiring on February 17,
2018,
these options replace previously issued warrants that expired unexercised
on February 18, 2007; (ii) 100,000 warrants issued in 2007 exercisable
at
$2.00 per share expiring on September 17, 2017, these options replaced
previously issued options that expired unexercised on August 13,
2007;
(iii)options granted in 2004 to purchase 54,608 shares of common
stock
exercisable at $2.60 per share expiring on September 17, 2014; (iv)
options granted in 2005 to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $1.75 per share expiring on April 26, 2015; (v) stock
options issued in 2006 to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $3.86 per share expiring February 24, 2006; (vi) 161,715
shares of common stock owned by Mr. Piani; vii) 40,900 shares of
common
stock owned jointly by Mr. and Mrs. Piani; and (viii) and 5,000 shares
of
common stock owned by Mrs. Piani.
|
69
(5) |
Consists
of (i) 100,000 options exercisable at $2.11 per share expiring November
27, 2016 (ii) 50,000 options exercisable at $2.08 per share expiring
February 26, 2017 and (iii) 2,500 shares of common
stock.
|
(6)
|
Includes
shares issuable upon exercise of (i) options issued in to purchase
12,000
shares of common stock at $6.00 per share; (ii) 100,000 warrants
issued in
2002 exercisable at $2.00 per share expiring on August 13, 2007;
(iii)
50,000 stock options issued in 2004 exercisable at $2.60 per share
expiring on September 7, 2014; (iv) 100,000 stock options issued
in 2005
exercisable at $1.75 per share expiring on April 26, 2015; (v) stock
options issued in 2006 to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $3.86 per share expiring February 24, 2006; and (vi)
147,495 shares of common stock.
|
(7)
|
(i)
stock options issued in 2007 to purchase 20,000 shares of common
stock at
$2.37 per share expiring on February 22, 2017; (ii) warrants issued
in
1998 to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock exercisable at $4.00
per
share expiring on February 17, 2018. These options replace previously
issued warrants that expired unexercised on February 18, 2007; (iii)
stock
options granted in 2001 to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock
exercisable at $4.03 per share expiring on January 3, 2011; (iv)
warrants
issued in 2007 to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock exercisable
at
$2.00 per share expiring on September 17, 2017, these options replaced
previously issued options that expired unexercised on August 13,
2007; (v)
stock options issued in 2004 to purchase 10,000 shares of common
stock
exercisable at $1.90 per share expiring on December 7, 2014; (vi)
stock
options issued in 2005 to purchase 10,000 shares of Common Stock
at $2.61
per share expiring December 8, 2015; (vii) stock options to purchase
15,000 shares of common stock at $2.20 per share expiring November
20,
2016; (viii)stock options issued in 2007 to purchase 25,000 shares
of
common stock at $1.30 per share expiring December 6, 2017 and (ix)
10,746
shares of common stock.
|
(8) |
Consists
of shares issuable upon exercise of(i) 5,000 warrants issued in 1998
to
purchase common stock at $4.00 per share expiring June 7, 2008; (ii)
20,000 options issued in 2007 exercisable at $2.00 per share expiring
in
September 17, 2017, these options replaced previously issued options
that
expired unexercised on August 13, 2007; (iii) 6,791 stock options
issued
in 1997 exercisable at $2.37 expiring January 22, 2017; (iv) 10,000
stock
options issued in 2001 exercisable at $4.03 per share expiring January
3,
2011; (v) 10,000 stock options issued in 2004 exercisable at $1.90
expiring on December 7, 2014; (vi) 10,000 stock options issued in
2005 to
purchase Common Stock at $2.61 per share expiring December 8, 2015
and
(vii) 7,500 stock options issued in 1996 to purchase common stock
at $2.20
per share expiring November 20,
2016.
|
70
(9)
|
Consists
of shares issuable upon exercise of (i) 12,000 options issued in
2005
exercisable at $1.63 per share expiring on June 2, 2015; (ii) 15,000
options issued in 2005 exercisable at $1.75 per share expiring on
April
26, 2015; (iii) stock options issued in 2006 to purchase 50,000 shares
of
common stock exercisable at $3.86 per share expiring February 24,
2006;
and (iv) 89,751 shares of common stock.
|
(10)
|
Consists
of (i) stock options to acquire 1,812 shares of common stock at $1.90
per
share expiring December 7, 2014; (ii) stock options to acquire 2,088
shares of common stock at $2.61 per share expiring December 8, 2015;
(iii)
5,000 stock options at $2.20 per share expiring November 20, 2016;
(iv)
stock options to acquire 20,000 shares of common stock at $1.78 per
share
expiring April 30, 2017 and (v) stock options to acquire 20,000 shares
at
$1.30 per share expiring December 6,
2017.
|
(11)
|
Consists
of stock options to purchase 15,000 shares of common stock at $1.30
per
share expiring on December 6, 2017.
|
Item
13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence
We
have
employment agreements with certain of our executive officers and have granted
such officers and directors options and warrants to purchase our common stock,
as discussed under the headings, “Item 11. Executive Compensation,” and “Item
12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management,”
above.
Ransom
W.
Etheridge, our Secretary, General Counsel and one of our directors, is an
attorney in private practice, who renders corporate legal services to us from
time to time, for which he has received fees totaling approximately $91,000
and
$117,000 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In addition, Mr. Etheridge serves
on
the Board of Directors for which he received Director’s Fees of cash and stock
valued at $150,000 in 2006 and 2007. We
loaned
$60,000 to Ransom W. Etheridge in November, 2001 for the purpose of exercising
15,000 class A redeemable warrants. This loan bore interest at 6% per annum.
This loan was granted prior to the enactment of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002
prohibiting such transactions. In
lieu
of granting Mr. Etheridge a bonus for outstanding legal work performed on behalf
of the Company, the Board of Directors forgave the loan and accrued interest
on
February 24, 2006.
We
used
the property acquired in late 2004 by Retreat House, LLC an entity in which
the
children of William A. Carter have a beneficial interest. We paid Retreat House,
LLC $102,000 and $153,000 in 2006 and 2007, respectively, for the use of the
property at various times.
Antoni
Esteve, one of our former directors, was a Member of the Executive Committee
and
Director of Scientific and Commercial Operations of Laboratorios Del Dr. Esteve
S.A. In
March
2002, our European subsidiary Hemispherx S.A. entered into a Sales and
Distribution Agreement with Laboratorios Del Dr. Esteve S.A. In
addition, in March 2003, we issued 347,445 shares of our common stock to
Provesan SA, an affiliate of Laboratorios Del Dr. Esteve S.A., in exchange
for
1,000,000 Euros of convertible preferred equity certificates of Hemispherx
S.A.,
owned by Laboratorios Del Dr. Esteve S.A.
We
have
engaged the Sage Group, Inc., a health care, technology oriented, strategy
and
transaction advisory firm, to assist us in obtaining a strategic alliance in
Japan for the use of Ampligen® in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and
Avian Flu. R. Douglas Hulse, our former President and Chief Operating Officer,
is a member and an executive director of The Sage Group, Inc.
71
Kati
Kovari, M.D. was paid $13,000 in 2006 and 2007 for her part-time services to
the
Company as Assistant Medical Director. Dr. Kovari is the spouse of W. A. Carter,
our CEO.
ITEM
14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
All
audit
and professional services are approved in advance by the Audit Committee to
assure such services do not impair the auditor’s independence from us. BDO
Seidman, LLP (“BDO”) resigned as our auditor on November 7, 2006 and, on
November 9, 2006, we engaged McGladrey
& Pullen, LLP (“McGladrey”)
as our
certified public accountants. The total fees by
McGladrey
for 2006 and 2007 were $205,000 and $280,000, respectively.
The
following table shows the aggregate fees for professional services rendered
during the year ended December 31, 2007.
Amount
($)
|
|||||||
Description
of Fees
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|||
Audit
Fees
|
$
|
205,000
|
$
|
220,000
|
|||
Audit-Related
Fees
|
-
|
60,000
|
|||||
Tax
Fees
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
All
Other Fees
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
205,000
|
$
|
280,000
|
Audit
Fees
Represents
fees for professional services provided for the audit of our annual financial
statements, audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting, services that are performed to comply with generally accepted
auditing standards, and review of our financial statements included in our
quarterly reports and services in connection with statutory and regulatory
filings.
Audit-Related
Fees
Represents
the fees for assurance and related services that were reasonably related to
the
performance of the audit or review of our financial statements.
The
Audit
Committee has determined that McGladrey’s rendering of these audit-related
services was compatible with maintaining auditor’s independence. The Board of
Directors considered McGladrey to be well qualified to serve as our independent
public accountants. The committee also pre-approved the charges for services
performed in 2006 and 2007.
The
Audit
Committee pre-approves all auditing services and the terms thereof (which may
include providing comfort letters in connection with securities underwriting)
and non-audit services (other than non-audit services prohibited under Section
10A(g) of the Exchange Act or the applicable rules of the SEC or the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board) to be provided to us by the independent
auditor; provided, however, the pre-approval requirement is waived with respect
to the provisions of non-audit services for us if the “de minimus” provisions of
Section 10A (i)(1)(B) of the Exchange Act are satisfied. This authority to
pre-approve non-audit services may be delegated to one or more members of the
Audit Committee, who shall present all decisions to pre-approve an activity
to
the full Audit Committee at its first meeting following such
decision.
72
PART
IV
ITEM
15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a) |
Financial
Statements and Schedules – See index to financial statements on
page F-1 of this Annual
Report.
|
All
other
schedules called for under regulation S-X are not submitted because they are
not
applicable or not required, or because the required information is included
in
the financial statements or notes thereto.
(b) |
Exhibits
– See exhibit index below.
|
Except
as
disclosed in the footnotes, the following exhibits were filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to our Form S-1 Registration
Statement (No. 33-93314) or amendments thereto and are hereby incorporated
by
reference:
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
2.1
|
First
Asset Purchase Agreement dated March 11, 2003, by and between the
Company
and ISI.(1)
|
2.2
|
Second
Asset Purchase Agreement dated March 11, 2003, by and between the
Company
and ISI.(1)
|
3.1
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended,
along with Certificates of Designations.
|
3.1.1
|
Series
E Preferred Stock.
|
3.2
|
By–laws
of Registrant, as amended.
|
4.1
|
Specimen
certificate representing our Common Stock.
|
4.2
|
Rights
Agreement, dated as of November 19, 2002, between the Company and
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. The Right Agreement
includes the Form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and
Rights of
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, the Form of Rights
Certificate and the Summary of the Right to Purchase Preferred
Stock.(2)
|
4.3
|
Form
of 6% Convertible Debenture of the Company issued in March
2003.(1)
|
4.4
|
Form
of Warrant for Common Stock of the Company issued in March
2003.(1)
|
4.5
|
Form
of Warrant for Common Stock of the Company issued in June
2003.(3)
|
4.6
|
Form
of 6% Convertible Debenture of the Company issued in July
2003.(4)
|
4.7
|
Form
of Warrant for Common Stock of the Company issued in July
2003.(4)
|
4.8
|
Form
of 6% Convertible Debenture of the Company issued in October
2003.(5)
|
4.9
|
Form
of Warrant for Common Stock of the Company issued in October
2003.(5)
|
4.10
|
Form
of 6% Convertible Debenture of the Company issued in January
2004.(6)
|
4.11
|
Form
of Warrant for Common Stock of the Company issued in January
2004.(6)
|
4.12
|
Form
of Warrant for Common Stock of the Company. (9)
|
4.13
|
Amendment
Agreement, effective October 6, 2005, by and among the Company and
debenture holders.(11)
|
4.14
|
Form
of Series A amended 7% Convertible Debenture of the Company (amending
Debenture due October 31, 2005).(11)
|
4.15
|
Form
of Series B amended 7% Convertible Debenture of the Company (amending
Debenture issued on January 26, 2004 and due January 31, 2006).
(11)
|
73
4.16
|
Form
of Series C amended 7% Convertible Debenture of the Company (amending
Debenture issued on July 13, 2004 and due January 31,
2006).(11)
|
4.17
|
Form
of Warrant issued effective October 6, 2005 for Common Stock of the
Company.(11)
|
10.1
|
1990
Stock Option Plan.
|
10.2
|
1992
Stock Option Plan.
|
10.3
|
1993
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
|
10.4
|
Form
of Confidentiality, Invention and Non–Compete
Agreement.
|
10.5
|
Form
of Clinical Research Agreement.
|
10.6
|
Form
of Collaboration Agreement.
|
10.7
|
Amended
and Restated Employment Agreement by and between the Company and
Dr.
William A. Carter, dated as of July 1, 1993. (7)
|
10.8
|
Employment
Agreement by and between the Registrant and Robert E. Peterson, dated
April 1, 2001.
|
10.9
|
License
Agreement by and between the Company and The Johns Hopkins University,
dated December 31, 1980.
|
10.10
|
Technology
Transfer, Patent License and Supply Agreement by and between the
Company,
Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology Inc., Pharmacia P–L Biochemicals
Inc.
|
and
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, dated November 24,
1987.
|
|
10.11
|
Pharmaceutical
Use Agreement, by and between the Company and Temple University,
dated
August 3, 1988.
|
10.12
|
Assignment
and Research Support Agreement by and between the Company, Hahnemann
University and Dr. David Strayer, Dr. lsadore Brodsky and Dr. David
Gillespie, dated June 30, 1989.
|
10.13
|
Lease
Agreement between the Company and Red Gate Limited Partnership, dated
November 1, 1989, relating to the Company's Rockville, Maryland
facility.
|
10.14
|
Agreement
between the Company and Bioclones (Proprietary)
Limited.
|
10.15
|
Amendment,
dated August 3, 1995, to Agreement between the Company and Bioclones
(Proprietary) Limited (contained in Exhibit 10.14).
|
10.16
|
Licensing
Agreement with Core BioTech Corp.
|
10.17
Licensing Agreement with BioPro Corp.
|
|
10.18
|
Licensing
Agreement with BioAegean Corp.
|
10.19
|
Agreement
with Esteve.
|
10.20
|
Agreement
with Accredo (formerly Gentiva) Health Services.
|
10.21
|
Agreement
with Biovail Corporation International.
|
10.22
|
Forbearance
Agreement dated March 11, 2003, by and between ISI, the American
National
Red Cross and the Company.(1)
|
10.23
|
Forbearance
Agreement dated March 11, 2003, by and between ISI, GP Strategies
Corporation and the Company.(1)
|
10.24
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated March 12, 2003, by and among the Company
and the
Buyers named therein.(1)
|
10.25
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated March 12, 2003, by and among the Company
and the
Buyers named therein.(1)
|
10.26
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated July 10, 2003, by and among the Company
and the
Buyers named therein.(4)
|
10.27
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated July 10, 2003, by and among the Company and
the
Buyers named therein.(4)
|
10.28
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated October 29, 2003, by and among the Company
and
the Buyers named therein.(5)
|
10.29
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated October 29, 2003, by and among the Company
and the
Buyers named therein.(5)
|
10.30
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated January 26, 2004, by and among the Company
and
the Buyers named therein.(6)
|
10.31
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated January 26, 2004, by and among the Company
and the
Buyers named therein.(6)
|
10.32
|
Memorandum
of Understanding with Fujisawa. (8)
|
74
10.33
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated July 30, 2004, by and among the Company
and the
Purchasers named therein.(9)
|
10.34
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated July 30, 2004, by and among the Company and
the
Purchasers named therein. (9)
|
10.35
|
Agreement
for services of R. Douglas Hulse, (12)
|
10.36
|
Amended
and Restated Employment Agreement of Dr. William A. Carter.
(10)
|
10.37
|
Engagement
Agreement with Dr. William A. Carter. (10)
|
10.38
|
Amended
and restated employment agreement of Dr. William A. Carter
(12)
|
10.39
|
Amended
and restated engagement agreement with Dr. William A. Carter
(12)
|
10.40
|
Amended
and restated engagement agreement with Robert E. Peterson
(12)
|
10.41
|
Engagement
Agreement with Ransom W. Etheridge (12)
|
10.42
|
Change
in control agreement with Dr. William A. Carter (12)
|
10.43
|
Change
in control agreement with Dr. William A. Carter (12)
|
10.44
|
Change
in control agreement with Robert E. Peterson (12)
|
10.45
|
Change
in control agreement with Ransom Etheridge (12)
|
10.46
|
Supply
Agreement with Hollister-Stier Laboratories LLC
|
10.47
|
Manufacturing
and Safety Agreement with Hyaluron, Inc.
|
10.48
|
Common
Stock Purchase Agreement, dated July 8, 2005, by and among the Company
and
Fusion Capital.(13)
|
10.49
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated July 8, 2005, by and among the Company and
Fusion
Capital.(13)
|
10.48
|
Common
Stock Purchase Agreement, dated April 12, 2006, by and among the
Company
and Fusion Capital.(14)
|
10.49
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated April 12, 2006, by and among the Company
and
Fusion Capital.(14)
|
10.50
|
Supply
Agreement with Hollister-Stier Laboratories LLC. (15)
|
10.51
|
Manufacturing
and Safety Agreement with Hyaluron, Inc. (15)
|
10.52
|
April
19, 2006 Amendment to Common Stock Purchase Agreement by and among
the
Company and Fusion Capital.(15)
|
10.53
|
July
21, 2006 Letter Amendment to Common Stock Purchase Agreement by and
among
the Company and Fusion Capital.(15)
|
10.54
|
Royalty
Purchase Agreement with Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.
(15)
|
10.55
|
Biken
Activating Agreement. (16)
|
10.56
|
Biken
Material Evaluation Agreement. (16)
|
21
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant.
|
23.1
|
McGladrey
& Pullen, LLP consent.(17)
|
23.2
|
BDO
Seidman, LLP consent.(17)
|
31.1
|
Certification
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 from the
Company's Chief Executive Officer.(17)
|
31.2
|
Certification
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 from the
Company's Chief Financial Officer.(17)
|
32.1
|
Certification
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 from the
Company's Chief Executive Officer.(17)
|
32.2
|
Certification
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 from the
Company's Chief Financial
Officer.(17)
|
(1) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated March 12, 2003 and
is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(2) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2002
as an
exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (No. 027072)
and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
|
(3) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated June 27, 2003 and
is hereby
incorporated by reference.
|
75
(4) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated July 14, 2003 and
is hereby
incorporated by reference.
|
(5) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated October 30, 2003 and
is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(6) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated January 27, 2004 and
is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(7) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
quarterly report on Form 10-Q (No. 1-13441) for the period ended
September
30, 2001 and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
|
(8) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission
as an exhibit to the Company’s Form S-1 Registration Statement (No.
333-113796) and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
|
(9) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated August 6, 2004 and
is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(10) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated September 15, 2004
and is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(11) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K/A-1 (No. 1-13441) filed on October 28,
2005 and
is hereby incorporated by
reference.
|
(12) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
annual report on Form 10-K (No. 1-13441) for the year ended December
31,
2004 and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
|
(13) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated September 15, 2005
and is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(14) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated April 12, 2006 and
is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(15) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on July 31, 2006 as an exhibit to the Company’s Form S-1 Registration
Statement (No. 333-136187)
and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
|
(16) |
Filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 1-13441) dated December 13, 2007
and is
hereby incorporated by reference.
|
(17) |
Filed
herewith.
|
76
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
By:
|
/s/
William A. Carter
|
William
A. Carter, M.D.
|
|
March
17,
2008
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange of 1934,
as amended, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf
of this Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
/s/
William A. Carter
|
Chairman
of the Board, Chief
|
March
17, 2008
|
||||||
William
A. Carter, M.D.
|
Executive
Officer and
|
|||||||
Director
|
||||||||
/s/
Richard Piani
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||||||
Richard
Piani
|
||||||||
/s/
Robert E. Peterson
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
March
17, 2008
|
||||||
Robert
E. Peterson
|
||||||||
/s/
Ransom Etheridge
|
Secretary
And Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||||||
Ransom
Etheridge
|
||||||||
/s/
William Mitchell
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||||||
William
Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
|
||||||||
/s/
Iraj E. Kiani
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||||||
Iraj
E. Kiani, Ph.D.
|
77
HEMISPHERx
BIOPHARMA, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
Index
to Consolidated Financial Statements
Page
|
|
Reports
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms
|
F-2,
F-3
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets at December 31, 2006 and 2007
|
F-4
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations for each of the years in the three-year
period
ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
|
F-5
|
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive
Loss for
each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2005,
2006
and 2007
|
F-6
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for each of the years in the three-year
period
ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
|
F-7
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
F-9
|
Schedule
II - Valuation and qualifying Accounts for each of the years in
the three
year period ended December 31, 2007
|
F-39
|
F-1
Report
of
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To
the
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc.
Philadelphia,
PA
We
have
audited the consolidated balance sheets of Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. and
Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and the related consolidated
statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and comprehensive loss and cash
flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2007. Our
audits also included the financial statement schedule of Hemispherx Biopharma,
Inc. listed in Item 15(a) for each of the two years in the period ended December
31, 2007. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the
responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express
an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining,
on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used
and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In
our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc.
and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, and the results of their
operations and their cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended
December 31, 2007, in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America.
Also,
in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule for each of the two
years in the period ended December 31, 2007, when considered in relation to
the
basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in
all
material respects the information set forth therein.
We
also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. and Subsidiaries’
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on
criteria established in“Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations
of the Treadway Commission (COSO)”
and our
report dated March
17,
2008,
expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of Hemispherx Biopharma,
Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting.
/s/
McGladrey & Pullen, LLP
Blue
Bell, Pennsylvania
March
17,
2008
F-2
Report
of
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The
Board
of Directors and Stockholders
Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc.
We
have
audited the accompanying consolidated statement of operations, changes in
stockholders' equity and comprehensive loss and cash flows of Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc. and subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2005. We have
also audited the financial statement schedule listed under Item 15(a) for the
year ended December 31, 2005. These consolidated financial statements and
financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial
statements based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements and financial statement schedule are free of material misstatement.
An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts
and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing
the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management,
as
well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe
that
our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In
our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the results of operations and cash flows of Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc. and subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2005 in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
Also, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule presents fairly, in
all
material respects, the information set forth therein for the year ended December
31, 2005.
/s/
BDO Seidman, LLP
BDO
Seidman, LLP
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
June
1,
2006
F-3
HEMISPHERx
BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
December
31, 2006 and 2007
(in
thousands, except for share and per share amounts)
2006
|
2007
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Current
assets:
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents (Notes 2 & 17)
|
$
|
3,646
|
$
|
11,471
|
|||
Short
term investments (Notes 2 & 4)
|
18,375
|
3,944
|
|||||
Inventories
(Note 3)
|
957
|
511
|
|||||
Accounts
and other receivables (Note
2)
|
93
|
77
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
168
|
146
|
|||||
Assets
held for sale (Note 2)
|
-
|
450
|
|||||
Total
current assets
|
23,239
|
16,599
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net (Note 2)
|
4,720
|
4,821
|
|||||
Patent
and trademark rights, net (Notes 2 & 5)
|
857
|
958
|
|||||
Investment
|
35
|
35
|
|||||
Royalty
interest, net (Note 5)
|
601
|
243
|
|||||
Construction
in progress (Note 2)
|
624
|
469
|
|||||
Deferred
financing costs, net
|
38
|
-
|
|||||
Advance
receivable (Note 7)
|
1,300
|
-
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
17
|
17
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
31,431
|
$
|
23,142
|
|||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
1,548
|
$
|
1,118
|
|||
Accrued
expenses (Notes 2 & 6)
|
1,261
|
1,069
|
|||||
Current
portion of long-term debt (Notes 2 & 7)
|
3,871
|
-
|
|||||
Total
current liabilities
|
6,680
|
2,187
|
|||||
Commitments
and contingencies
(Notes
10, 12, 13, 15)
|
|||||||
Stockholders’
equity (Note 8):
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, par value $0.01 per share, authorized 5,000,000; issued
and
outstanding; none
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Common
stock, par value $0.001 per share, authorized 200,000,000 shares;
issued
and outstanding 66,816,764 and 73,760,446, respectively
|
67
|
74
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
191,689
|
206,078
|
|||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss)
|
46
|
(7
|
)
|
||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(167,051
|
)
|
(185,190
|
)
|
|||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
24,751
|
20,955
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
$
|
31,431
|
$
|
23,142
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-4
HEMISPHERX
BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated
Statements of Operations
(in
thousands, except share and per share data)
Years
ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||
Revenues:
|
||||||||||
Sales
of product, net
|
$
|
910
|
$
|
750
|
$
|
925
|
||||
Clinical
treatment programs
|
173
|
183
|
134
|
|||||||
Total
Revenues
|
1,083
|
933
|
1,059
|
|||||||
Costs
and Expenses:
|
||||||||||
Production/cost
of goods sold
|
391
|
1,275
|
930
|
|||||||
Research
and development
|
5,218
|
10,127
|
10,444
|
|||||||
General
and administrative
|
5,389
|
8,225
|
8,974
|
|||||||
Total
Costs and Expenses:
|
10,998
|
19,627
|
20,348
|
|||||||
Operating
loss
|
(9,915
|
)
|
(18,694
|
)
|
(19,289
|
)
|
||||
Reversal
of previously accrued interest expense
|
-
|
-
|
346
|
|||||||
Interest
and other income
|
590
|
554
|
1,200
|
|||||||
Interest
expense
|
(388
|
)
|
(646
|
)
|
(116
|
)
|
||||
Financing
costs (Note 7)
|
(2,733
|
)
|
(613
|
)
|
(280
|
)
|
||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(12,446
|
)
|
$
|
(19,399
|
)
|
$
|
(18,139
|
)
|
|
Basic
and diluted loss per share
|
$
|
(.24
|
)
|
$
|
(.31
|
)
|
$
|
(.25
|
)
|
|
Weighted
average shares outstanding
Basic
and Diluted
|
51,475,192
|
61,815,358
|
71,839,782
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-5
HEMISPHERx
BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive Loss
(in
thousands except share data)
Common
Stock
Shares
|
Common
Stock .001
Par
Value
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
Accumulated
other Comprehensive Income (loss)
|
Accumulated
deficit
|
Total
stockholders equity
|
||||||||||||||
Balance
December 31, 2004
|
49,631,766
|
$
50
|
$
154,609
|
$
(10)
|
$
(135,206)
|
$
19,443
|
|||||||||||||
Shares
issued for:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Payment
of accounts payable
|
338,995
|
-
|
413
|
-
|
-
|
413
|
|||||||||||||
Conversion
of debt
|
1,358,887
|
1
|
2,219
|
-
|
-
|
2,220
|
|||||||||||||
Warrants
exercised
|
5,000
|
-
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
|||||||||||||
Interest
on convertible debt
|
255,741
|
-
|
409
|
-
|
-
|
409
|
|||||||||||||
Private
placement, net of issuance costs
|
4,673,766
|
5
|
8,015
|
-
|
-
|
8,020
|
|||||||||||||
Options
and warrants issued for services
|
-
|
-
|
391
|
-
|
-
|
391
|
|||||||||||||
Conversion
price adjustment
|
-
|
-
|
140
|
-
|
-
|
140
|
|||||||||||||
Discount
resulting from debt refinance
|
-
|
-
|
189
|
-
|
-
|
189
|
|||||||||||||
Net
comprehensive loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(161
|
)
|
(12,446
|
)
|
(12,607
|
)
|
||||||||||
Balance
December 31, 2005
|
56,264,155
|
56
|
166,394
|
(171
|
)
|
(147,652
|
)
|
18,627
|
|||||||||||
Shares
issued for:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Payment
of accounts payable
|
111,085
|
-
|
272
|
-
|
-
|
272
|
|||||||||||||
Conversion
of debt
|
400,642
|
1
|
832
|
-
|
-
|
833
|
|||||||||||||
Warrants
exercised
|
255,416
|
1
|
671
|
-
|
-
|
672
|
|||||||||||||
Interest
on convertible debt
|
80,724
|
-
|
177
|
-
|
-
|
177
|
|||||||||||||
Private
placement, net of issuance costs
|
9,393,014
|
9
|
20,090
|
-
|
-
|
20,099
|
|||||||||||||
Purchase
patents
|
61,728
|
-
|
150
|
-
|
-
|
150
|
|||||||||||||
Purchase
royalty interest
|
250,000
|
-
|
620
|
-
|
-
|
620
|
|||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
-
|
2,483
|
-
|
-
|
2,483
|
||||||||||||||
Net
comprehensive loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
217
|
(19,399
|
)
|
(19,182
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Balance
December 31, 2006
|
66,816,764
|
67
|
191,689
|
46
|
(167,051
|
)
|
24,751
|
||||||||||||
Shares
issued for:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Interest
on convertible debt
|
116,745
|
-
|
193
|
193
|
|||||||||||||||
Private
placement, net of issuance costs
|
6,651,502
|
7
|
11,613
|
11,620
|
|||||||||||||||
Stock
issued for settlement of accounts payable
|
175,435
|
-
|
292
|
292
|
|||||||||||||||
Stock
based compensation
|
2,291
|
2,291
|
|||||||||||||||||
Net
comprehensive loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(53
|
)
|
(18,139
|
)
|
(18,192
|
)
|
||||||||||
Balance
December 31, 2007
|
73,760,446
|
$
|
74
|
$
|
206,078
|
$
|
(7
|
)
|
$
|
(185,190
|
)
|
$
|
20,955
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
F-6
HEMISPHERx
BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
(in
thousands)
Years
ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
||||||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(12,446
|
)
|
$
|
(19,399
|
)
|
$
|
(18,139
|
)
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating
activities:
|
||||||||||
Depreciation
of property and equipment
|
114
|
192
|
266
|
|||||||
Amortization
of patent, trademark
rights, and royalty interest
|
281
|
180
|
170
|
|||||||
Amortization
of deferred financing
costs
|
2,733
|
608
|
281
|
|||||||
Stock
option and warrant compensation
and service expense
|
391
|
2,483
|
2,291
|
|||||||
Impairment
losses
|
-
|
-
|
526
|
|||||||
Inventory
reserve
|
(125
|
)
|
141
|
109
|
||||||
Interest
on convertible debt
|
409
|
177
|
181
|
|||||||
Changes
in assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||||
Inventory
|
505
|
669
|
337
|
|||||||
Accounts
and other receivables
|
43
|
3
|
(148
|
)
|
||||||
Asset
held for sale
|
-
|
-
|
(678
|
)
|
||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current
assets
|
124
|
(26
|
)
|
22
|
||||||
Accounts
payable
|
687
|
829
|
(138
|
)
|
||||||
Accrued
expenses
|
53
|
396
|
(192
|
)
|
||||||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(7,231
|
)
|
(13,747
|
)
|
(15,112
|
)
|
||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||||
Purchases
of property and Equipment
and construction in progress, net
|
(1,002
|
)
|
(1,351
|
)
|
(212
|
)
|
||||
Additions
to patent and trademark rights
|
(168
|
)
|
(73
|
)
|
(211
|
)
|
||||
Maturities
of short term investments
|
7,934
|
12,548
|
21,132
|
|||||||
Purchase
of short term investments
|
(12,548
|
)
|
(18,329
|
)
|
(6,754
|
)
|
||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by investing
activities
|
$
|
(5,784
|
)
|
$
|
(7,205
|
)
|
$
|
13,955
|
F-7
HEMISPHERX
BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows (Continued)
(in
thousands)
|
Years
ended December 31,
|
|||||||||
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||||
Proceeds
from issuance of common stock,
net
|
$
|
8,020
|
$
|
20,099
|
$
|
11,620
|
||||
Payment
of long-term debt
|
-
|
-
|
(4,102
|
)
|
||||||
Collection
of advance receivable
|
-
|
-
|
1,464
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from exercise of stock warrants
|
9
|
672
|
-
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
8,029
|
20,771
|
8,892
|
|||||||
Net
(decrease) increase in cash and
cash equivalents
|
(4,986
|
)
|
(181
|
)
|
7,825
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of year
|
8,813
|
3,827
|
3,646
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of year
|
$
|
3,827
|
$
|
3,646
|
$
|
11,471
|
||||
Supplemental
disclosures of cash flow information:
|
||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock for accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
$
|
413
|
$
|
272
|
$
|
292
|
||||
Issuance
of common stock for debt convertion, interest payments and debt
payments
|
$ | 2,628 | $ | 1,010 | $ | 181 | ||||
Common
stock issued for purchase
of patents and royalty interest
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
770
|
$
|
-
|
||||
Unrealized
gains/(losses) on investments
|
$
|
(161
|
)
|
$
|
217
|
$
|
(53
|
)
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-8
HEMISPHERX
BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1)
Business
The
Company is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the clinical development,
manufacture, marketing and distribution of new drug therapies based on natural
immune system enhancing technologies for the treatment of viral and immune
based
chronic disorders. The Company was founded in the early 1970s doing contract
research for the National Institutes of Health. Since that time, the Company
has
established a strong foundation of laboratory, pre-clinical, and clinical data
with respect to the development of nucleic acids to enhance the natural
antiviral defense system of the human body and to aid the development of
therapeutic products for the treatment of certain chronic diseases.
The
consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company has three
domestic subsidiaries BioPro Corp., BioAegean Corp. and Core BioTech Corp.,
all
of which are incorporated in Delaware and are dormant. The Company’s foreign
subsidiaries include Hemispherx Biopharma Europe N.V./S.A. established in
Belgium in 1998 and Hemispherx Biopharma Europe S. A. incorporated in Luxemburg
in 2002, which have limited or no activity. All significant intercompany
balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
On
October 10, 2007, the Company filed a New Drug Application (“NDA”) with the US
Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for using Ampligen to treat Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome. The Company received notice on December 5, 2007 from the FDA that
its
submission was determined to be insufficiently complete to permit substantive
review. On January 8, 2008, the Company formally submitted to the FDA its
response to all 14 questions posed by the FDA. The Company met with the FDA
on
February 8, 2008 to discuss the NDA and the Company is awaiting further
communication from the FDA at this time.
(2)
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
(a)
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
Cash
equivalents consist of money market certificates with original maturities of
less than three months, with both a cost and fair value of $3,646,000 and
$11,471,000 at December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
(b)
Short-term Investments
Investments
with original maturities of more than three months and less than 12 months
and
marketable equity securities are considered available for sale. The investments
classified as available for sale include debt securities and equity securities
carried at estimated fair value of $18,375,000 and $3,944,000 at December 31,
2006 and 2007 respectively. The unrealized gains and losses are recorded as
a
component of stockholders’ equity.
F-9
(c)
Property and Equipment
|
(in thousands)
December
31,
|
||||||
2006
|
2007
|
||||||
Land,
buildings and improvements
|
$
|
4,094
|
$
|
4,094
|
|||
Furniture,
fixtures, and equipment
|
1,731
|
2,097
|
|||||
Leasehold
improvements
|
85
|
85
|
|||||
Total
property and equipment
|
5,910
|
6,276
|
|||||
Less
accumulated depreciation and amortization
|
1,190
|
1,455
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
$
|
4,720
|
$
|
4,821
|
Property
and equipment consists of land, building, building improvements, furniture,
fixtures, office equipment, and leasehold improvements and is recorded at cost.
Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method over
the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, ranging from five to
thirty-nine years. Depreciation and amortization expense was $114,000, $192,000
and $266,000 for 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Construction
in progress consists of funds used for the construction and installation of
property and equipment within the Company’s New Jersey facility. As of December
31, 2006 and 2007, construction in progress was $624,000 and $469,000
respectively. In 2007, the Company reclassed $450,000 to Asset Held for Resale
as a change in manufacturing plans made the previously acquired system
unnecessary. The Company also recorded an impairment charge of $228,000 in
2007
to bring the cost of the system down to its net realizable value.
(d)
Patent and Trademark Rights
Patents
and trademarks are stated at cost (primarily legal fees) and are amortized
using
the straight line method over the established useful life of 17 years. The
Company reviews its patents and trademark rights periodically to determine
whether they have continuing value. Such review includes an analysis of the
patent and trademark's ultimate revenue and profitability potential.
Management's review addresses whether each patent continues to fit into the
Company's strategic business plans.
(e)
Revenue
Revenue
from the sale of Ampligen® under cost recovery clinical treatment protocols
approved by the FDA is recognized when the treatment is provided to the patient.
Revenues
from the sale of Alferon N Injection® are recognized when the product is
shipped, as title is transferred to the customer. The Company has no other
obligation associated with its products once shipment has occurred.
(f)
Net
Loss Per Share
Basic
and
diluted net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of
shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Equivalent common shares,
consisting of stock options and warrants including the Company’s convertible
debentures, amounted to 25,635,142, 26,016,660 and 16,686,281 shares, are
excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the years ended
December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively, since their effect is
antidilutive.
F-10
(g)
Accounting for Income taxes
Deferred
income tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between
the financial statement reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and
are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws in effect when the differences
are expected to reverse. The measurement of deferred income tax assets is
reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefits, which
are
not expected to be realized. The effect on deferred income tax assets and
liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that such
tax
rate changes are enacted.
(h)
Comprehensive loss
Comprehensive
loss consists of net loss and net unrealized gains (losses) on securities and
is
presented in the consolidated statements of changes in stockholders’ equity and
comprehensive loss.
(i)
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date
of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses
for
the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
(j)
Foreign currency translations
Assets
and liabilities of the Company’s foreign operations are generally translated
into U.S. dollars at current exchange rates as of the balance sheet date.
Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates during each
period. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations
are included in the results of operations as incurred. The resulting translation
adjustments are immaterial for all years presented and are included in interest
and other income on the consolidated statement of operations.
(k)
Recent Accounting Standard and Pronouncements:
The
Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, "Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes" ("FIN 48") effective January 1, 2007. The purpose
of FIN 48 is to clarify and set forth consistent rules for accounting for
uncertain tax positions in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, "Accounting for Income Taxes". The cumulative effect of
applying the provisions of this interpretation are required to be reported
separately as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in
the
year of adoption. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on the
financial condition or the results of our operations.
On
February 15, 2007, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value
Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities - Including an Amendment
of FASB Statement No. 115”. This standard permits an entity to choose to measure
many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. Most of the
provisions in Statement 159 are elective; however, the amendment to FASB
Statement No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity
Securities”, applies to all entities with available-for-sale and trading
securities. Some requirements apply differently to entities that do not report
net income. The FASB's stated objective in issuing this standard is as follows:
"to improve financial reporting by providing entities with the opportunity
to
mitigate volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring related assets
and
liabilities differently without having to apply complex hedge accounting
provisions".
F-11
The
fair
value option established by Statement 159 permits all entities to choose to
measure eligible items at fair value at specified election dates. A business
entity will report unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair
value
option has been elected in earnings (or another performance indicator if the
business entity does not report earnings) at each subsequent reporting date.
The
fair value option: (a) may be applied instrument by instrument, with a few
exceptions, such as investments otherwise accounted for by the equity method;
(b) is irrevocable (unless a new election date occurs); and (c) is applied
only
to entire instruments and not to portions of instruments.
Statement
159 is effective as of the beginning of an entity's first fiscal year that
begins after November 15, 2007.
The
impact of this statement has not been determined.
On
December 4, 2007, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 160,“Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements - An Amendment of ARB No.
51.”
Statement 160 establishes new accounting and reporting standards for the
noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of a
subsidiary. Specifically, this statement requires the recognition of a
noncontrolling interest (minority interest) as equity in the consolidated
financial statements and separate from the parent's equity. The amount of net
income attributable to the noncontrolling interest will be included in
consolidated net income on the face of the income statement. Statement 160
clarifies that changes in a parent's ownership interest in a subsidiary that
do
not result in deconsolidation are equity transactions if the parent retains
its
controlling financial interest. In addition, this statement requires that a
parent recognize a gain or loss in net income when a subsidiary is
deconsolidated. Such gain or loss will be measured using the fair value of
the
noncontrolling equity investment on the deconsolidation date. Statement 160
also
includes expanded disclosure requirements regarding the interests of the parent
and its noncontrolling interest.
Statement
160 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal
years, beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Earlier adoption is prohibited.
The impact of this statement has not been determined.
(l)
Research and Development Costs
Research
and development related to both future and present products are charged to
operations as incurred.
(m)
Equity Based Compensation
Prior
to
the adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123R, “Share
Based Payment”, (“FAS 123R”) the Company applied the intrinsic value-based
method of accounting prescribed by Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion
No. 25, “Accounting
for Stock Issued to Employees”,
and
related interpretations including FASB Interpretation No. 44, “Accounting
for Certain Transactions involving Stock Compensation, an interpretation of
APB
Opinion No. 25”,
issued
in March 2000 (“FIN 44”), to account for its fixed plan stock options.
Under this method, compensation expense was recorded on the date of grant only
if the current market price of the underlying stock exceeded the exercise price.
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, “Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation” (“FAS 123”),
established accounting and disclosure requirements using a fair value-based
method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation plans. In
December 2002, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 148, “Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation Transition and Disclosure, an amendment of FASB
Statement No. 123”.
This
Statement amended FAS 123, to provide alternative methods of transition for
a voluntary change to the fair value method of accounting for stock-based
employee compensation.
F-12
The
Equity Incentive Plan effective May 1, 2004, authorizes the grant of
non-qualified and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted
stock and other stock awards. A maximum of 8,000,000 shares of common stock
is
reserved for potential issuance pursuant to awards under the Equity Incentive
Plan. Unless sooner terminated, the Equity Incentive Plan will continue in
effect for a period of 10 years from its effective date.
The
Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the Board of Directors. The Equity
Incentive Plan provides for awards to be made to such officers, other key
employees, non-employee directors, consultants and advisors of the Company
and
its subsidiaries as the Board may select.
Stock
options awarded under the Equity Incentive Plan may be exercisable at such
times
(not later than 10 years after the date of grant) and at such exercise prices
(not less than fair market value at the date of grant) as the Board may
determine. The Board may provide for options to become immediately exercisable
upon a "change in control," which is defined in the Equity Incentive Plan to
occur upon any of the following events: (a) the acquisition by any person or
group, as beneficial owner, of 20% or more of the outstanding shares or the
voting power of the outstanding securities of the Company; (b) either a majority
of the directors of the Company at the annual stockholders meeting has been
nominated other than by or at the direction of the incumbent directors of the
Board, or the incumbent directors cease to constitute a majority of the
Company’s Board; (c) the Company’s stockholders approve a merger or other
business combination pursuant to which the outstanding common stock of the
Company no longer represents more than 50% of the combined entity after the
transaction; (d) the Company’s shareholders approve a plan of complete
liquidation or an agreement for the sale or disposition of all or substantially
all of the Company’s assets; or (e) any other event or circumstance determined
by the Company’s Board to affect control of the Company and designated by
resolution of the Board as a change of control.
Effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted FAS 123R. Under FAS 123R, share-based
compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair
value of the award, and is recognized as expense over the requisite service
period. The Company adopted the provisions of FAS 123R using a modified
prospective application. Under this method, compensation cost is recognized
for
all share-based payments granted, modified or settled after the date of
adoption, as well as for any unvested awards that were granted prior to the
date
of adoption. Prior periods are not revised for comparative purposes. Because
the
Company previously adopted only the pro forma disclosure provisions of FAS
123,
it will recognize compensation cost relating to the unvested portion of awards
granted prior to the date of adoption, using the same estimate of the grant-date
fair value and the same attribution method used to determine the pro forma
disclosures under FAS 123, except that forfeiture rates will be estimated for
all options, as required by FAS 123R. The cumulative effect of applying the
forfeiture rates is not material.
The
fair
value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using a
Black-Scholes option valuation model. Expected volatility is based on the
historical volatility of the price of the Company’s stock. The risk-free
interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury issues with a term equal to the expected
life of the option. The Company uses historical data to estimate expected
dividend yield, expected life and forfeiture rates. The fair values of the
options granted, were estimated based on the following weighted average
assumptions:
F-13
December
31,
|
||||||||||
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||
Risk-free
interest rate
|
4.81%
|
4.3 - 5.0%
|
3.39 - 4.77%
|
|||||||
Expected
dividend yield
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Expected
lives
|
2.5-5
yrs
|
2.5 - 5
yrs
|
5
yrs
|
|||||||
Expected
volatility
|
78.12%
|
|
72.62 - 79.31%
|
|
70.01 - 77.52%
|
|
||||
Weighted
average fair value of options and warrants issued in the years 2005,
2006
and 2007 respectively
|
$
|
1,371,000
|
$
|
2,503,000
|
$
|
2,216,091
|
Had
compensation cost for the Company’s option plan been determined using the fair
value method at the grant dates, the effect on the Company’s net loss and loss
per share for the year ended December 31, 2005 would have been as
follows:
For
the years ended December 31,
|
2005
|
|||
Net
loss applicable to common stockholders, as reported
|
$
|
(12,446
|
)
|
|
Add:
Stock based compensation included in net loss as reported, net of
related
tax effects
|
391
|
|||
Deduct:
Stock based compensation determined under fair value based method
for all
awards, net of related tax effects
|
(1,371
|
)
|
||
Pro
forma - net loss
|
$
|
(13,426
|
)
|
|
Basic
and diluted loss per share - as reported
|
$
|
(.24
|
)
|
|
Basic
and diluted loss per share - pro forma
|
$
|
(.26
|
)
|
For
stock
warrants or options granted to non-employees, the Company measures fair value
of
the equity instruments utilizing the Black-Scholes method if that value is
more
reliably measurable than the fair value of the consideration or service
received. The Company amortizes such cost over the related period of
service.
The
exercise price of all stock warrants granted was equal to or greater than
the
fair
market value of the underlying common stock as defined by APB 25 on the
date
of the grant.
F-14
Stock
option activity during the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007 is as
follows:
Stock
option activity for employees:
Number
of
Options
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contracted
Term
(Years)
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
January 1, 2006
|
1,133,948
|
$
|
2.19
|
7.07
|
|||||||||
Options
granted
|
870,742
|
2.94
|
9.22
|
||||||||||
Options
forfeited
|
(2,721
|
)
|
(1.47
|
)
|
-
|
||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2006
|
2,001,969
|
2.51
|
8.01
|
-
|
|||||||||
Options
granted
|
2,624,120
|
2.77
|
9.05
|
||||||||||
Options
forfeited
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2007
|
4,626,089
|
$
|
2.66
|
8.25
|
-
|
||||||||
Exercisable
December 31, 2007
|
4,459,326
|
$
|
2.70
|
8.29
|
-
|
The
weighted-average grant-date fair value of employee options granted during the
year 2007 was $0.72.
Unvested
stock option activity for employees:
|
Number
of
Options
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Average
Remaining
Contracted
Term(Years)
|
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
|
||||||||
Outstanding
January 1, 2006
|
54,314
|
$
|
2.28
|
7.50
|
|||||||||
Options
granted
|
62,393
|
2.20
|
10.00
|
||||||||||
Options
forfeited
|
(2,721
|
)
|
(1.47
|
)
|
-
|
||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2006
|
113,986
|
2.26
|
9.05
|
-
|
|||||||||
Options
granted
|
130,000
|
1.34
|
10.00
|
||||||||||
Options
vested
|
(77,223
|
)
|
(6.86
|
)
|
8.29
|
||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2007
|
166,673
|
$
|
1.59
|
7.18
|
-
|
F-15
Stock
option activity for non-employees during the year:
Number
of
Options
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contracted
Term
(Years)
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
January 1, 2006
|
851,732
|
$
|
2.09
|
7.67
|
-
|
||||||||
Options
granted
|
475,000
|
3.60
|
9.09
|
||||||||||
Options
forfeited
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2006
|
1,326,732
|
$
|
2.63
|
8.18
|
-
|
||||||||
Options
granted
|
608,750
|
1.99
|
9.94
|
||||||||||
Options
forfeited
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2007
|
1,935,482
|
2.43
|
8.05
|
-
|
|||||||||
Exercisable
December 31, 2007
|
1,895,482
|
$
|
2.45
|
8.23
|
-
|
The
weighted-average grant-date fair value of non-employee options granted during
the year 2007 was $0.71.
Unvested
stock option activity for non-employees:
Number
of
Options
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contracted
Term
(Years)
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
January 1, 2006
|
7,100
|
$
|
2.61
|
9.00
|
|||||||||
Options
granted
|
30,000
|
2.20
|
10.00
|
||||||||||
Options
forfeited
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2006
|
37,100
|
$
|
2.28
|
9.81
|
-
|
||||||||
Options
granted
|
25,000
|
$
|
1.30
|
10.00
|
|||||||||
Options
vested
|
(22,100
|
)
|
(2.30
|
)
|
8.23
|
||||||||
Outstanding
December 31, 2007
|
40,000
|
$
|
1.50
|
9.30
|
-
|
The
impact on the Company’s results of operations of recording stock-based
compensation for the year ended December 31, 2007 was to increase general and
administrative expenses by approximately $2,291,000 and reduce earnings per
share by $.03 per basic and diluted share.
As
of
December 31, 2007, there was $164,000 of unrecognized stock-based compensation
cost related to options granted under the Equity Incentive Plan.
F-16
(n)
Accounts Receivable
Concentration
of credit risk, with respect to accounts receivable, is limited due to the
Company’s credit evaluation process. The Company does not require collateral on
its receivables. The Company’s receivables primarily consist of amounts due from
wholesale drug companies as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and all amounts are
deemed collectible. The Company has agreements requiring its wholesaler drug
companies to assess credit worthiness of the customers. The Company assesses
collectability monthly by review of the accounts receivable aging
report.
(3) Inventories
The
Company uses the lower of first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) cost or market method of
accounting for inventory.
Inventories
consist of the following:
|
(in
thousands)
December
31,
|
||||||
2006
|
2007
|
||||||
Raw
materials and work in process
|
$
|
443
|
$
|
505
|
|||
Finished
goods, net of reserves of $241,000 and $350,000 at December 31, 2006
and
2007
|
514
|
6
|
|||||
$
|
957
|
$
|
511
|
(4)
Short-term investments:
December
31, 2007
|
|||||||||||||
Name
of security
|
Cost
|
|
|
Market value
|
|
|
Unrealized
gain
(loss)
|
|
|
Maturity
date
|
|||
Marshall
& Isley
|
$
|
1,979,000
|
$
|
1,976,000
|
$
|
(3,000
|
)
|
March
2008
|
|||||
Intesa
Funding
|
1,972,000
|
1,968,000
|
(4,000
|
)
|
April
2008
|
||||||||
$
|
3,951,000
|
$
|
3,944,000
|
$
|
(7,000
|
)
|
No
investment securities were pledged to secure public funds at December
31,
2007. The table below indicates the length of time individual securities
have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at December 31,
2007.
|
Less than 12 months
|
12 months or longer
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Name
of security
|
Number of
Securities
|
|
|
Fair value
|
|
|
Unrealized
loss
|
|
|
Fair value
|
|
|
Unrealized
loss
|
|
|
Fair value
|
|
|
Unrealized
loss
|
|||
Marshall
& Isley
|
1
|
$
|
1,976,000
|
$
|
(3,000
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
1,976,000
|
$
|
(3,000
|
)
|
|||||||
Intesa
Funding
|
1
|
1,968,000
|
(4,000
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
1,968,000
|
(4,000
|
)
|
|||||||||||||
Total
temporary impairment securities
|
2
|
$
|
3,944,000
|
$
|
(7,000
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
3,944,000
|
$
|
(7,000
|
)
|
In
management's opinion, the unrealized losses reflect changes in interest rates
subsequent to the acquisition of specific securities. There are two securities
in the less than 12 months category and none in the more than a twelve month
category. The Company has the ability to hold these securities until maturity
or
market price recovery; therefore, management believes that the unrealized losses
represent temporary impairment of the securities.
F-17
December
31, 2006
|
|||||||||||||
Name
of security
|
Cost
|
|
Market value
|
|
Unrealized
gain(loss)
|
|
Maturity
date
|
||||||
AIG
Discount Commercial
|
$
|
972,000
|
$
|
983,000
|
$
|
11,000
|
April, 2007
|
||||||
Natexis
Banques Popolare
|
969,000
|
979,000
|
10,000
|
May,
2007
|
|||||||||
American
General Finance
|
965,000
|
974,000
|
9,000
|
June, 2007
|
|||||||||
Daimler
Chrysler
|
965,000
|
974,000
|
9,000
|
June,
2007
|
|||||||||
LaSalle
Bank
|
965,000
|
974,000
|
9,000
|
June,
2007
|
|||||||||
General
Electric
|
1,240,000
|
1,242,000
|
2,000
|
July,
2007
|
|||||||||
HSBC
Finance
|
1,000,000
|
1,000,000
|
-
|
August, 2007
|
|||||||||
American
General Finance
|
976,000
|
987,000
|
11,000
|
September, 2007
|
|||||||||
General
Electric
|
965,000
|
974,000
|
9,000
|
September, 2007
|
|||||||||
General
Electric
|
1,202,000
|
1,200,000
|
(2,000
|
)
|
September, 2007
|
||||||||
FHLMC
|
960,000
|
960,000
|
-
|
October, 2007
|
|||||||||
FHLMC
|
1,051,000
|
1,051,000
|
-
|
November, 2007
|
|||||||||
FNMA
|
3,000,000
|
2,991,000
|
(9,000
|
)
|
November, 2007
|
||||||||
FHLMC
|
3,099,000
|
3,086,000
|
(13,000
|
)
|
December, 2007
|
||||||||
$
|
18,329,000
|
$
|
18,375,000
|
$
|
46,000
|
No
investment securities were pledged to secure public funds at December 31, 2006.
The table below indicates the length of time individual securities have been
in
a continuous unrealized loss position at December 31, 2006.
Less
than 12 months
|
|
12
months or longer
|
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||||
Name
of security
|
Number
of Securities
|
|
|
Fair
value
|
|
|
Unrealized
loss
|
|
|
Fair
value
|
|
|
Unrealized
loss
|
|
|
Fair
value
|
|
|
Unrealized
loss
|
|||
AIG
Discount Commercial
|
1
|
$
|
983,000
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
983,000
|
$
|
-
|
|||||||||
Natexis
Banques Popolare
|
1
|
|
979,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
979,000
|
-
|
||||||||||||||
American
General Finance
|
1
|
974,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
974,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
Daimler
Chrysler
|
1
|
974,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
974,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
LaSalle
Bank
|
1
|
974,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
974,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
General
Electric
|
1
|
1,242,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1,242,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
HSBC
Finance
|
1
|
1,000,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1,000,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
American
General Finance
|
1
|
987,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
987,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
General
Electric
|
1
|
|
974,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
974,000
|
-
|
||||||||||||||
General
Electric
|
1
|
1,200,000
|
(2,000
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
1,200,000
|
(2,000
|
)
|
|||||||||||||
FHLMC
|
1
|
960,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
960,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
FHLMC
|
1
|
1,051,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1,051,000
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
FNMA
|
1
|
2,991,000
|
(9,000
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
2,991,000
|
(9,000
|
)
|
|||||||||||||
FHLMC
|
1
|
3,086,000
|
(13,000
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
3,086,000
|
(13,000
|
)
|
|||||||||||||
Total
temporary impairment securities
|
14
|
$
|
18,375,000
|
$
|
(24,000
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
18,375,000
|
$
|
(24,000
|
)
|
F-18
In
management's opinion, the unrealized losses reflect changes in interest rates
subsequent to the acquisition of specific securities. There were 14 securities
in the less than 12 months category. The Company has the ability to hold these
securities until maturity or market price recovery.
Management
believes that the unrealized losses represent temporary impairment of the
securities.
(5)
Patents, Trademark Rights and Other Intangibles
Intangibles
are stated at cost are amortized over the established useful life of 17 years
for patents or over the period which the asset is expected to directly or
indirectly contribute to the Company’s cash flow.
On
July
3, 2006, and July 20, 2006, the Company entered into an agreement with Paul
Griffin and The Asclepius Trust (“Asclepius”) whereby the Company acquired the
right, title and interest in certain awarded patents and pending patent
applications (“patents”). Consideration given by the Company for the acquisition
of these patents amounted to $150,000 paid with shares of the Company’s common
stock to Paul Griffin valued at the closing price on the date of the agreement
or July 3, 2006. The value of the Company’s common stock was $2.43 on this date
and equated to consideration of 61,728 shares of the Company’s common stock. The
Company registered these shares on behalf of Mr. Griffin for public resale.
Asclepius will receive in consideration a 2% royalty of the gross sums received
from all sales utilizing or relying upon the patents. The Company recorded
the
acquisition of these patents as an intangible asset to be amortized over the
remaining life of the patent under guidance set forth in SFAS
No. 2 Accounting for Research and Development Costs (“FAS 2”)
which
refers to SFAS
No. 142 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (“FAS 142”).
The net
book value of these patents, net of accumulated amortization, as of December
31,
2006 and 2007, was $144,000 and $133,000, respectively.
On
July
26, 2006, the Company executed an agreement with Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.
(formerly Interferon Sciences, Inc.) whereby it acquired the royalty interest
previously granted Interferon Sciences with respect to the Company’s sale of
products containing alpha interferon in exchange for 250,000 shares of common
stock. The Company registered these shares on behalf of Stem Cell Innovations
for public resale. The Company recorded this transaction on its balance sheet
as
an intangible asset under guidance provided by FAS
142. The
total
consideration paid to Stem Cell under the agreement amounted to $620,000 and
was
derived by multiplying the number of shares issued by the fair market value
of
the Company’s common stock on the date of the agreement or $2.48 per share. The
intangible asset is amortized over the period which the asset is expected to
contribute directly or indirectly to the Company’s cash flow. In 2007, the
Company recorded an impairment charge of $298,000 as the Company determined
that
sufficient inventory is not on hand to realize the full economic benefit;
therefore, the asset was written down to its estimated net realizable value.
The
balance of this intangible asset, as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, was $601,000
and $243,000, respectively. The estimated aggregate amortization for the next
five years is $243,000 and will be fully amortized in approximately three years.
During
the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Company decided not to
pursue certain patents in various countries for strategic reasons and recorded
abandonment charges of $194,000, $67,000 and $7,000 respectively, which are
included in research and development. Amortization expense was $87,000, $94,000
and $103,000 in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. The total cost of the patents
was $2,423,000 and $2,627,000 as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
The accumulated amortization as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 is $1,566,000
and
$1,669,000, respectively.
F-19
As
of
December 31, 2007, the weighted average remaining life of the patents and
trademarks was 9 years. Amortization of patents and trademarks for each of
the
next five years is as follows: 2008 - $103,000, 2009 - $103,000, 2010 -
$103,000, 2011 - $103,000 and 2012 - $103,000.
(6) Accrued
Expenses
Accrued
expenses at December 31, 2006 and 2007 consists of the
following:
|
(in
thousands)
December
31,
|
||||||
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
||||
Compensation
|
$
|
246
|
$
|
360
|
|||
Interest
|
419
|
-
|
|||||
Professional
fees
|
180
|
187
|
|||||
Other
expenses
|
152
|
230
|
|||||
Other
liability
|
264
|
292
|
|||||
$
|
1,261
|
$
|
1,069
|
The
Company executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in January 2004 with
Astellas Pharma (“Astellas”), formally Fujisawa Deutschland GmbH, a major
pharmaceutical corporation, granting them an exclusive option for a limited
number of months to enter a Sales and Distribution Agreement with exclusive
rights to market Ampligen® for ME/CFS in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The
Company received an initial fee of 400,000 Euros (approximately $497,000 US)
in
2004. On November 9, 2004, Astellas exercised their right to terminate the
MOU.
The Company did not agree on the process to be utilized in certain European
Territories for obtaining commercial approval for the sale of Ampligen® in the
treatment of patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Instead
of
a centralized procedure, and in order to obtain an earlier commercial approval
of Ampligen® in Europe, the Company has determined to follow a decentralized
filing procedure which was not anticipated in the MOU. The Company believed
that
it was in the best interest of the
Company’s
stockholders to potentially accelerate entry into selected European markets
whereas the original MOU specified a centralized registration procedure.
Pursuant to the agreement of the parties the Company refunded 200,000 Euros
($248,000 USD) to Astellas during the fourth quarter 2004. The Company recorded
the remaining 200,000 Euros ($264,000 USD and $292,000 USD) as an accrued
liability as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
(7)
Debenture
Financing
Long
term
debt consists of the following:
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||
December
31, 2006
|
December
31, 2007
|
||||||
October
2003
|
$
|
2,071
|
$
|
-
|
|||
January
2004
|
1,031
|
-
|
|||||
July
2004
|
1,000
|
-
|
|||||
Total
|
4,102
|
-
|
|||||
Less
Discounts
|
(231
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Total
|
3,871
|
-
|
|||||
Less
current portion
|
3,871
|
-
|
|||||
Long
term debt
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
F-20
In
June
2007, the Company retired all remaining debt related to its convertible
debentures issued in October 2003, January 2004 and July 2004. Of the
outstanding debt of approximately $4,102,000, only $2,638,000 was required
to be
paid in new funds to retire the debentures, with the balance being covered
by
the Company’s advance receivable held as collateral by one of the debenture
holders.
October
2003 Debentures
The
discount on the October 2003 Debentures was fully amortized; therefore, the
Company did not record any financing costs for the years ended December 31,
2006
and 2007, respectively. Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2006
and 2007, with regard to the October 2003 Debentures was approximately $145,000
and $72,000, respectively.
January
2004 Debentures
Financing
costs for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007, was approximately $49,000
and $0, respectively. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2006
and
2007, with regard to the January 2004 Debentures was approximately $77,000
and
$9,000, respectively.
July
2004 Debentures
The
Company recorded financing costs for the years ended December 31, 2006 and
2007,
with regard to the July 2004 Debentures of $484,000 and $231,000 respectively.
Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 2007, with regard
to
the July 2004 Debentures was approximately $78,000 and $35,000,
respectively.
(8) Stockholders'
Equity
(a)
Preferred Stock
The
Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of $.01 par value preferred
stock with such designations, rights and preferences as may be determined by
the
board of directors. There were no preferred shares issued and outstanding at
December 31, 2006 and 2007.
(b)
Common Stock
The
Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s corporate charter
at the Annual Shareholder meeting held in Philadelphia, PA on September 20,
2006. This amendment increased the Company’s authorized shares from 100,000,000
to 200,000,000.
As
of
December 31, 2006 and 2007, 66,816,764 and 73,760,446 shares, were outstanding,
respectively.
(c)
Equity Financings
On
July
8, 2005, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Fusion
Capital Fund II, LLC (“Fusion Capital”), pursuant to which Fusion Capital has
agreed, under certain conditions, to purchase on each trading day $40,000 of
the
Company’s common stock up to an aggregate of $20.0 million over approximately a
25 month period, subject to earlier termination at the Company’s discretion. In
the Company’s discretion, it may elect to sell less common stock to Fusion
Capital than the daily amount and may increase the daily amount as the market
price of the
Company’s
stock
increases. The purchase price of the shares of common stock will be equal to
a
price based upon the future market price of the common stock without any fixed
discount to the market price. Fusion Capital does not have the right or the
obligation to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock in the event that
the price of the common stock is less than $1.00.
F-21
Pursuant
to the
Company’s
agreement with Fusion Capital, the Company has registered for public sale to
Fusion Capital up to 10,795,597 shares of common stock. However, in the event
that the Company decides to issue more than 10,113,278, i.e. greater than 19.99%
of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the date of the agreement,
the
Company would first seek stockholder approval in order to be in compliance
with
American Stock Exchange rules. As of April 3, 2006, Fusion Capital purchased
8,791,838 (4,678,382 in 2006) shares amounting to approximately $20,000,000
in
gross proceeds to the Company, which completed the terms of the July 8, 2005,
Fusion Capital agreement. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company also issued
785,597 (235,287 in 2006) commitment fee shares and 10,000 shares as
reimbursement for expenses.
In
connection with entering into the above agreement with Fusion Capital, the
Company, in July 2005, issued to Fusion Capital 402,798 shares of its common
stock. 392,798 of these shares represented 50% of the commitment fee due Fusion
Capital with the remaining 10,000 shares issued as reimbursement for expenses.
An additional 392,799 shares, representing the remaining balance of the
commitment, were issued in conjunction with daily purchases of common stock
by
Fusion Capital. These additional commitment shares were issued in an amount
equal to the product of (x) 392,799 and (y) the Purchase Amount Fraction. The
“Purchase Amount Fraction” means a fraction, the numerator of which is the
purchase price at which the shares were being purchased by Fusion Capital and
the denominator of which is $20,000,000.
On
April
12, 2006, the Company entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement (“Purchase
Agreement”) with Fusion Capital. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase
Agreement, Fusion Capital has agreed to purchase from the Company up to
$50,000,000 of common stock over a period of approximately twenty-five (25)
months. Pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as
of
April 12, 2006, the Company registered 12,386,723 shares issuable to or issued
to Fusion Capital under the Purchase Agreement. Once the Registration Statement
was declared effective, each trading day during the term of the Purchase
Agreement the Company has the right to sell to Fusion Capital up to $100,000
of
the Company’s common stock on such date or the arithmetic average of the three
lowest closing trade prices of the common stock during the immediately
proceeding 12 trading day period. At the Company’s option under certain
conditions, Fusion Capital can be required to purchase greater amounts of common
stock during a given period. In connection with entering into the Purchase
Agreement, the Company issued to Fusion Capital as commitment shares 321,751
shares of common stock and the Company is obligated to issue an additional
321,751 commitment shares. These
additional commitment shares will be issued in an amount equal to the product
of
(x) 321,751 and (y) the Purchase Amount Fraction. The “Purchase Amount Fraction”
means a fraction, the numerator of which is the purchase price at which the
shares are being purchased by Fusion Capital and the denominator of which is
$50,000,000.
F-22
The
purchase price will be adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization,
non-cash dividend, stock split, or other similar transaction. Fusion Capital
may
not purchase shares of the Company’s common stock under the common stock
purchase agreement if it, together with its affiliates, would beneficially
own
more than 9.9% of the common stock outstanding at the time of the purchase
by
Fusion Capital. Fusion Capital has the right at any time to sell any shares
purchased under the 2006 Purchase Agreement which would allow it to avoid the
9.9% limitation. Due to AMEX guidelines, without prior stockholder approval,
we
do not have the right or the obligation under the Agreement to sell shares
to
Fusion Capital in excess of 12,386,723 shares (i.e. 19.99% of the 61,964,598
outstanding shares of our common stock on April 12, 2006, the date of the 2006
Purchase Agreement) inclusive of commitment shares issued to Fusion Capital
under the Agreement. In addition, Fusion Capital cannot purchase more than
27,386,723 shares, inclusive of the commitment shares under the Agreement.
On
September 20, 2006 stockholders voted to allow the sale of up to 27,386,723
shares pursuant to the terms of the Fusion agreement.
As
of
December 31, 2007, Fusion Capital has purchased from the Company 10,682,032
shares for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $19,739,000. In addition,
the Company issued to Fusion Capital 127,065 shares towards the remaining
commitment fee.
(d)
Common Stock Options and Warrants
(i)
Stock
Options
The
1990
Stock Option Plan provides for the grant of options to purchase up to 460,798
shares of the Company's Common Stock to employees, directors, and officers
of
the Company and to consultants, advisors, and other persons whose contributions
are important to the success of the Company. The recipients of options granted
under the 1990 Stock Option Plan, the number of shares to be converted by each
option, and the exercise price, vesting terms, if any, duration and other terms
of each option shall be determined by the Company's board of directors or,
if
delegated by the board, its Compensation Committee. No option is exercisable
more than 10 years and one month from the date as of which an option agreement
is executed. These shares become vested through various periods not to exceed
four years from the date of grant. The option price represents the fair market
value of each underlying share of Common Stock at the date of grant, based
upon
the public trading price. This plan is no longer in effect and no further
options will be issued from this plan.
Information
regarding the options approved by the Board of Directors under the 1990 Stock
Option Plan is summarized below:
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
Shares
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
Shares
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
||||||||||||
Outstanding
beginning at year
|
633,080
|
$
|
1.90-3.44
|
$
|
2.56
|
1,985,680
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
2.15
|
3,328,701
|
$
|
1.63-3.86
|
$
|
2.56
|
|||||||||||||
Granted
|
1,352,600
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
1.95
|
1,345,742
|
$
|
2.11-3.86
|
$
|
3.17
|
3,232,870
|
$
|
1.30-3.86
|
$
|
2.62
|
|||||||||||||
Canceled
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(2,721
|
)
|
$
|
1.90-2.61
|
$
|
1.47
|
(5,095
|
)
|
|
1.90-
2.61
|
$
|
2.40
|
|||||||||||||
Exercised
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding
end of year
|
1,985,680
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
2.15
|
3,328,701
|
$
|
1.63-3.86
|
$
|
2.56
|
6,556,476
|
$
|
1.30-3.86
|
$
|
2.59
|
|||||||||||||
Exercisable
|
1,373,250
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
2.46
|
3,177,615
|
$
|
1.63-3.86
|
$
|
2.57
|
6,354,808
|
$
|
1.75-3.86
|
$
|
2.63
|
|||||||||||||
Weighted
average remaining contractual life (years)
|
8-9
years
|
-
|
-
|
8-9
years
|
-
|
-
|
8-9
years
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Available
for future grants
|
6,014,320
|
-
|
-
|
4,671,299
|
-
|
-
|
1,443,524
|
-
|
-
|
F-23
In
December
1992, the Board of Directors approved the 1992 Stock Option Plan (the 1992
Stock
Option Plan) which provides for the grant of options to purchase up to 92,160
shares of the Company's Common Stock to employees, directors, and officers
of
the Company and to consultants, advisors, and other persons whose contributions
are important to the success of the Company. The recipients of the options
granted under the 1992 Stock Option Plan, the number of shares to be covered
by
each option, and the exercise price, vesting terms, if any, duration and
other
terms of each option shall be determined by the Company's board of directors.
No
option is exercisable more than 10 years and one month from the date as of
which
an option agreement is executed. To date, no options have been granted under
the
1992 Stock Option Plan.
The
Company's 1993 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the 1993 Purchase Plan) was
approved by the board of directors in July 1993. The outline of the 1993
Purchase Plan provides for the issuance, subject to adjustment for capital
changes, of an aggregate of 138,240 shares of Common Stock to employees.
The
1993
Purchase Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the board of
directors. Under the 1993 Purchase Plan, Company employees are eligible to
participate in semi-annual plan offerings in which payroll deductions may be
used to purchase shares of Common Stock. The purchase price for such shares
is
equal to the lower of 85% of the fair market value of such shares on the date
of
grant or 85% of the fair market value of such shares on the date such right
is
exercised. There have been no offerings under the 1993 Purchase Plan to date
and
no shares of Common Stock have been issued thereunder.
The
Equity Incentive Plan effective May 1, 2004, authorizes the grant of
non-qualified and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted
stock and other stock awards. A maximum of 8,000,000 shares of common stock
is
reserved for potential issuance pursuant to awards under the Equity Incentive
Plan. Unless sooner terminated, the Equity Incentive Plan will continue in
effect for a period of 10 years from its effective date.
The
Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the Board of Directors. The Equity
Incentive Plan provides for awards to be made to such officers, other key
employees, non-employee directors, consultants and advisors of the Company
and
its subsidiaries as the Board may select.
Stock
options awarded under the Equity Incentive Plan may be exercisable at such
times
(not later than 10 years after the date of grant) and at such exercise prices
(not less than fair market value at the date of grant) as the Board may
determine. The Board may provide for options to become immediately exercisable
upon a "change in control," which is defined in the Equity Incentive Plan to
occur upon any of the following events: (a) the acquisition by any person or
group, as beneficial owner, of 20% or more of the outstanding shares or the
voting power of the outstanding securities of the Company; (b) either a majority
of the directors of the Company at the annual stockholders meeting has been
nominated other than by or at the direction of the incumbent directors of the
Board, or the incumbent directors cease to constitute a majority of the
Company’s Board; (c) the Company’s stockholders approve a merger or other
business combination pursuant to which the outstanding common stock of the
Company no longer represents more than 50% of the combined entity after the
transaction; (d) the Company’s shareholders approve a plan of complete
liquidation or an agreement for the sale or disposition of all or substantially
all of the Company’s assets; or (e) any other event or circumstance determined
by the Company’s Board to affect control of the Company and designated by
resolution of the Board as a change of control.
F-24
Information
regarding the options approved by the Board of Directors under the Equity
Incentive Plan is summarized below:
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
Outstanding
beginning at year
|
633,080
|
$
|
1.90-3.44
|
$
|
2.56
|
1,985,680
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
2.15
|
3,328,701
|
$
|
1.63-3.86
|
$
|
2.56
|
|||||||||||||
Granted
|
1,352,600
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
1.95
|
1,345,742
|
$
|
2.11-3.86
|
$
|
3.17
|
3,232,870
|
$
|
1.30-3.86
|
$
|
2.62
|
|||||||||||||
Canceled
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(2,721
|
)
|
$
|
1.90-2.61
|
$
|
1.47
|
(5,095
|
)
|
$
|
1.90-
2.61
|
$
|
2.40
|
|||||||||||||
Exercised
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding
end of year
|
1,985,680
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
2.15
|
3,328,701
|
$
|
1.63-3.86
|
$
|
2.56
|
6,556,476
|
$
|
1.30-3.86
|
$
|
2.59
|
|||||||||||||
Exercisable
|
1,373,250
|
$
|
1.63-2.87
|
$
|
2.46
|
3,177,615
|
$
|
1.63-3.86
|
$
|
2.57
|
6,354,808
|
$
|
1.75-3.86
|
$
|
2.63
|
|||||||||||||
Weighted
average remaining contractual life (years)
|
8-9
years
|
-
|
-
|
8-9
years
|
-
|
-
|
8-9
years
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Available
for future grants
|
6,014,320
|
-
|
-
|
4,671,299
|
-
|
-
|
1,443,524
|
-
|
-
|
(ii)
Stock Warrants
Information
regarding warrants outstanding and exercisable into shares of common stock
is
summarized below:
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Exercise Price
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Option
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Exercise Price
|
|
Outstanding
beginning of year
|
13,167,037
|
$
|
1.75-16.00
|
$
|
3.46
|
11,529,837
|
$
|
1.55-16.00
|
$
|
3.32
|
10,262,771
|
$
|
1.55-6.00
|
$
|
2.89
|
|||||||||||||
Granted
|
565,000
|
$
|
1.50-3.00
|
$
|
2.08
|
20,000
|
$
|
1.87-3.60
|
$
|
2.55
|
20,000
|
$
|
1.32-2.20
|
$
|
1.71
|
|||||||||||||
Canceled
|
(2,197,200
|
)
|
$
|
1.75-12.00
|
$
|
3.70
|
(1,031,650
|
)
|
$
|
3.50-16.00
|
$
|
8.35
|
(3,020,000
|
)
|
$
|
2.00-4.00
|
$
|
2.64
|
||||||||||
Exercised
|
(5,000
|
)
|
$
|
1.75-12.00
|
$
|
1.75
|
(255,416
|
)
|
$
|
1.50-2.86
|
$
|
2.63
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||
Outstanding
end of year
|
11,529,837
|
$
|
1.55-16.00
|
$
|
3.32
|
10,262,771
|
$
|
1.55-6.00
|
$
|
2.89
|
7,262,771
|
$
|
1.32-6.00
|
$
|
2.96
|
|||||||||||||
Exercisable
|
11,529,837
|
$
|
1.55-16.00
|
$
|
3.32
|
10,262,771
|
$
|
1.55-6.00
|
$
|
2.89
|
7,262,771
|
$
|
1.32-6.00
|
$
|
2.96
|
|||||||||||||
Weighted
average remaining contractual life (years)
|
4.43
years
|
-
|
-
|
1.97
years
|
-
|
-
|
1.99
years
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Years
exercisable
|
2006-2015
|
-
|
-
|
2007-2016
|
-
|
-
|
2008-2017
|
-
|
-
|
F-25
On
June
20, 2007, our Stockholders approved the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan at our Annual
Shareholder Meeting. This plan, effective June 1, 2007 authorizes the grant
of
non-qualified and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted
stock and other awards. A maximum of 8,000,000 shares of common stock is
reserved for potential issuance pursuant to awards under this plan. Unless
sooner terminated, this plan will continue in effect for a period of 10 years
from its effective date. As of December 31, 2007 no awards have been granted
under this plan.
Certain
of the stock warrants outstanding are subject to adjustments for stock splits
and dividends.
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company has outstanding stock warrants totaling
7,262,771, which consisted of the following:
In
2005,
2006 and 2007 the Company had warrants outstanding, issued to employees,
directors and consultants, of 4,268,650, 3,667,000 and 2,067,000 respectively.
These warrants were not issued pursuant to an equity plan and are exercisable
at
rates of $1.30 to $3.86 per share of common stock. The exercise price was equal
to the fair market value of the stock on the date of grant. There was a balance
of 4,645,650 at December 31, 2004. During 2005, 265,000 warrants were issued
to
consultants and 642,000 expired leaving a balance of 4,268,650 at December
31,
2005. During 2006, 20,000 warrants were issued to consultants, 15,000 warrants
were exercised and 606,650 warrants expired leaving a balance of 3,667,000
warrants at December 31, 2006. During 2007, 20,000 warrants were issued to
consultants and 3,020,000 warrants expired leaving a balance of 2,067,000
warrants.
During
2005, 300,000 warrants were issued leaving a balance of 5,436,187 at December
31, 2005. During 2006, 240,416 warrants were exercised leaving a balance of
5,195,771 at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2007.
Proceeds
received from the exercise of stock warrants were $9,000 and $672,000 for 2005
and 2006, respectively. No warrants were exercised during 2007.
(e)
Rights Offering
On
November 19, 2002, the Board of Directors of Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (the
"Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each outstanding
share of Common Stock to stockholders of record at the close of business on
November 29, 2002 (the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the registered holder
to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one one-hundredth of a share
(a "Unit") of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01
per
share (the "Series A Preferred Stock") at a Purchase Price of $30.00 per Unit,
subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth
in
a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and Continental
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
F-26
Initially,
the Rights are attached to all Common Stock certificates representing shares
then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will be distributed.
Subject to certain exceptions specified in the Rights Agreement, the Rights
will
separate from the Common Stock and a Distribution Date will occur upon the
earlier of (i) 10 days following a public announcement that a person or group
of
affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial
ownership of 15% or more (or 20% or more for William A. Carter, M.D.) of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date"), other than
as
a result of repurchases of stock by the Company or certain inadvertent actions
by institutional or certain other stockholders or (ii) 10 business days (or
such
later date as the Board shall determine) following the commencement of a tender
offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group becoming an
Acquiring Person. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced
by the Common Stock certificates and will be transferred with and only with
such
Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after
the
Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common
Stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with the Common Stock represented by such certificate. Pursuant to the Rights
Agreement, the Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence
of
a triggering event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be
exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
(9) Segment
and Related Information
The
Company operates in one segment, which performs research and development
activities related to Ampligen® and other drugs under development, and sales and
marketing of Alferon®. The Company’s revenues for the three year period ended
December 31, 2007, were earned in the United States.
The
Company employs an insignificant amount of net property and equipment in its
foreign operations.
(10) Research,
Consulting and Supply Agreements
In
1994,
the Company entered into a licensing agreement with Bioclones (Proprietary)
Limited (“Bioclones”) for manufacturing and international market development in
Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, the United Kingdom, Ireland and
certain countries in South Africa, of Ampligen® and OragenÔ.
On
December 27, 2004 the Company initiated a lawsuit in Federal Court identifying
a
conspiratorial group seeking to illegally manipulate the
Company’s
stock
for purposes of bringing about a hostile takeover of Hemispherx. This
conspiratorial group includes Bioclones. This
licensing agreement was terminated.
F-27
In
1998,
the Company entered into a strategic alliance with Accredo to develop certain
marketing and distribution capacities for Ampligen® in the United States.
Accredo is one of the nation's largest home health care companies with over
400
offices and sixty thousand caregivers nationwide. Pursuant to the agreement,
Accredo assumed certain responsibilities for distribution of Ampligen® for which
they received a fee. Through this arrangement, the Company may mitigate the
necessity of incurring certain up-front costs. Accredo has also worked with
the
Company in connection with the Amp 511 ME/CFS cost recovery treatment program,
Amp 516 ME/CFS Phase III clinical trial and the Amp 719 (combining Ampligen®
with other antiviral drugs in HIV-salvage therapy and Amp 720 HIV Phase IIb
clinical trials now under way). There can be no assurances that this alliance
will develop a significant commercial position in any of its targeted chronic
disease markets. The agreement had an initial one year term from February 9,
1998 with successive additional one year terms unless either party notifies
the
other not less than 180 days prior to the anniversary date of its intent to
terminate the agreement. Also, the agreement may be terminated for uncured
defaults, or bankruptcy, or insolvency of either party and will automatically
terminate upon the Company’s receiving an NDA for Ampligen® from the FDA, at
which time, a new agreement will need to be negotiated with Accredo or another
major drug distributor. There were no initial fees. There has been no
communication or activity under this agreement for the past few
years.
In
December, 1999, the Company entered into an agreement with Biovail Corporation
International (“Biovail”). Biovail is an international full service
pharmaceutical company engaged in the formulation, clinical testing,
registration and manufacture of drug products utilizing advanced drug delivery
systems. Biovail is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The agreement grants
Biovail the exclusive distributorship of the Company’s product in the Canadian
territories subject to certain terms and conditions. In return, Biovail agrees
to conduct certain pre-marketing clinical studies and market development
programs, including without limitation, expansion of the Emergency Drug Release
Program in Canada with respect to the Company’ products. Biovail agrees to work
with the Company in preparing and filing of a New Drug Submission with Canadian
Regulatory Authorities. Biovail invested $2.25 million in Hemispherx equity
at
prices above the then current market price and agreed to make further payments
based on reaching certain regulatory milestones. The Agreement requires Biovail
to penetrate certain market segments at specific rates in order to maintain
market exclusivity. The agreement terminates on December 15, 2009, subject
to
successive two-year extensions by the parties and subject to earlier termination
by the parties for uncured defaults under the agreement, bankruptcy or
insolvency of either party, or withdrawal of the Company’s product from Canada
for a period of more than ninety days for serious adverse health or safety
reasons.
In
March
2002, the Company’s European subsidiary Hemispherx S.A. entered into a Sales and
Distribution agreement with Esteve. In December 2006 Hemispherx S.A. assigned
all of its rights and obligations under the Sales and Distribution agreement
to
the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Esteve was granted the
exclusive right to market Ampligen® in Spain, Portugal and Andorra for the
treatment of ME/CFS. Due to non-performance of certain contractually required
clinical trials, the Company notified Esteve of its intention to terminate
the
Sales and Distribution Agreement in 2007. As is its right under the Sales and
Distribution Agreement, Esteve has applied for arbitration, seeking damages.
The
Company believes Esteve’s claim is without merit and intends to counterclaim
seeking damages.
In
October 2005, the Company signed a research agreement with the National
Institute of Infectious Diseases, in Tokyo, Japan. The collaboration, by Hideki
Hasegawa, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Laboratory of Infectious Disease Pathology,
will assess the
Company’s
experimental therapeutic Ampligen® as a co-administered immunotherapeutic to the
Institution's nasal flu vaccine.
F-28
In
October 2005, the Company also engaged the Sage Group, Inc., a health care,
technology oriented, strategy and transaction advisory firm, to assist the
Company in obtaining a strategic alliance in Japan for the use of Ampligen® in
treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS. In January 2007, the Company extended
its agreement with The Sage Group, Inc. through the end of the year to assist
the Company in obtaining strategic alliance in Japan for the use of Ampligen® in
treating Avian Flu. The
Company incurred approximately $4,000, $24,000 and $25,000 in fees for the
years
ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively, pursuant to this
agreement.
In
November 2005, the Company entered into an agreement with Defence R&D
Canada, Suffield (“DRDC Suffield”), an agency of the Canadian Department of
National Defence, to evaluate the antiviral efficacy of our experimental
therapeutic Ampligen® and Alferon® for protection against human respiratory
influenza virus infection in well validated animal models. DRDC Suffield is
conducting research and development of new drugs that could potentially become
part of the arsenal of existing antiviral weapons to combat the bird flu. The
initial study will focus on the testing of potential drugs against the
respiratory influenza virus infection on a mouse-adapted strain of human
influenza.
On
December 9, 2005, the Company executed a Supply Agreement with Hollister-Stier
Laboratories LLC of Spokane, Washington (“Hollister-Stier”), for the
manufacturing of Ampligen® for a five year term ending in 2010. Pursuant to the
agreement the Company supplies the key raw materials and Hollister-Stier
formulates and bottles the Ampligen®. The
Company incurred approximately $433,000, $1,450,000 and $475,000 in fees for
the
years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively, pursuant to this
agreement.
In
December 2007, the Company concluded an agreement with BIKEN (the non-profit
operational arm of the Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University)
for the use of the Company’s experimental drug, Ampligen®, as an immune enhancer
to influenza vaccines. The Company’s agreement with Biken is part of a three
party agreement to develop an effective influenza vaccine for Japan and utilizes
vast resources of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of
Japan.
The
Company has entered into agreements for consulting services, which are performed
at medical research institutions and by medical and clinical research
individuals. The Company's obligation to fund these agreements can be terminated
after the initial funding period, which generally ranges from one to three
years
or on an as-needed monthly basis. During
the years ending December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 the Company incurred
approximately $236,000, $477,000 and $842,000 respectively, of consulting
service fees under these agreements. These costs are charged to research and
development expense as incurred.
(11) 401(K)
Plan
The
Company has a defined contribution plan, entitled the Hemispherx Biopharma
Employees 401(K) Plan and Trust Agreement (the 401(K) Plan). Full time employees
of the Company are eligible to participate in the 401(K) Plan following one
year
of employment. Subject to certain limitations imposed by federal tax laws,
participants are eligible to contribute up to 15% of their salary (including
bonuses and/or commissions) per annum. Participants' contributions to the 401(K)
Plan may be matched by the Company at a rate determined annually by the Board
of
Directors.
Each
participant immediately vests in his or her deferred salary contributions,
while
Company contributions will vest over one year. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 the
Company provided matching contributions to each employee for up to 6% of annual
pay aggregating $89,000, $105,000 and $130,000 respectively.
F-29
(12) Royalties,
License, and Employment Agreements
The
Company acquired a series of patents on Oragens, potentially a set of oral
broad
spectrum antivirals and immunological enhancers, through a licensing agreement
with Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. The Company was granted an exclusive
worldwide license from Temple for the Oragens products. These compounds have
been evaluated in various academic laboratories for application to chronic
viral
and immunological disorders. The 2’, 5’ oligoadenylate synthetase/RNase L system
is an important and widely distributed pathway for the inhibition of viral
replication and tumor growth. Pursuant to the terms of the
Company’s
agreement with Temple, the Company is obligated to pay royalties of 2% to 4%
of
sales depending on the amount of technical assistance required. The Company
currently pays a royalty of $30,000 per year to Temple. This agreement is to
remain in effect until the date that the last licensed patent expires unless
terminated sooner by mutual consent or default due to royalties not being paid.
The last Oragen™ patent expires on June 1, 2018. The Company records the payment
of the royalty as research and development cost for the period
incurred.
In
October 1994, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with Bioclones
(Propriety) Limited (SAB/Bioclones) with respect to co-development of various
RNA drugs, including Ampligen®, for a period ending three years from the
expiration of the last licensed patents. The licensing agreement provided
SAB/Bioclones with an exclusive manufacturing and marketing license for certain
southern hemisphere countries (including certain countries in South America,
Africa and Australia as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland (the licensed
territory). This
marketing arrangement with Bioclones was deemed void by the Company due to
the
numerous and long standing failures of performance by Bioclones. This agreement
was subsequently terminated.
The
Company had contractual agreements with two officers in 2005 and three officers
in 2006 and 2007. The aggregate annual base compensation under these contractual
agreements for 2005, 2006 and 2007 (as adjusted, see below) was $701,000,
$938,000 and $1,276,000 respectively. In addition, certain of these officers
are
entitled to receive performance bonuses of up to 25% of the annual base salary
(in addition to the bonuses described below). In 2005, 2006 and 2007, bonuses
of
$175,000, $253,000 and $319,000 respectively were granted and a signing bonus
of
$50,000 was paid to the third officer in 2006. The Chief Executive Officer’s
employment agreement (see below) provides for bonuses based on gross proceeds
received by the Company from any joint venture or corporate partnering
agreement. In 2005, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company was granted
options to purchase 645,000 shares of common stock at $1.75 to $2.87 per share
and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company was granted options to purchase
110,000 shares of common stock at $1.75 to $2.61 per share. In 2006, the Chief
Executive Officer was granted 677,000 options to purchase common stock at $2.38
to $3.78 per share, the Chief Financial Officer was granted 180,000 options
to
purchase common stock at $3.48 to $3.85 per share and the Chief Operating
Officer was granted 100,000 options at $3.55 per share. In 2007, the Chief
Executive Officer was granted 2,400,000 options to purchase common stock at
$1.24-$1.60 per share, the Chief Financial Officer was granted 213,050 options
to purchase common stock at $1.30-$2.00 per share and the Chief Operating
Officer was granted 50,000 options to purchase common stock at $1.88 per share.
The Company recorded stock compensation expense of $1,732,000 and $1,883,000,
respectively, during the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007 with regard
to
these issuances.
F-30
Dr.
Carter’s employment as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Scientific Officer expires December 31, 2010 unless sooner terminated for cause
or disability. The agreement automatically renews for successive one year
periods after the initial termination date unless the Company or Dr. Carter
give
written notice otherwise at least ninety days prior to the termination date
or
any renewal period. Dr. Carter has the right to terminate the agreement on
30
days’ prior written notice. The base salary is subject to adjustments and the
average increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index for the prior year.
In
addition, Dr. Carter could receive an annual performance bonus of up to 25%
of
his base salary, at the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee of the
board of directors, based on his performance or the Company’s operating results.
Dr. Carter will not participate in any discussions concerning the determination
of his annual bonus. Dr. Carter is also entitled to an incentive bonus of 0.5%
of the gross proceeds received from any joint venture or corporate partnering
arrangement. Dr. Carter’s agreement also provides that he be paid a base salary
and benefits through the last day of the then term of the agreement if he is
terminated without “cause”, as that term is defined in agreement. In addition,
should Dr. Carter terminate the agreement or the agreement be terminated due
to
his death or disability, the agreement provides that Dr Carter be paid a base
salary and benefits through the last day of the month in which the termination
occurred and for an additional twelve month period.
The
Company’s engagement of Dr. Carter as a consultant related to patent
development, as one of the Company’s directors and as chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Company’s board expires December 31, 2010 unless sooner
terminated for cause or disability. The agreement automatically renews for
successive one year periods after the initial termination date or any renewal
period. Dr. Carter has the right to terminate the agreement on 30 days’ prior
written notice. The base fee is subject to annual adjustments equal to the
percentage increase or decrease of annual dollar value of directors’ fees
provided to the Company’s directors during the prior year. The annual fee is
further subject to adjustment based on the average increase or decrease in
the
Consumer Price Index for the prior year. In addition, Dr. Carter could receive
an annual performance bonus of up to 25% of his base fee, at the sole direction
of the Compensation Committee of the board of directors, based on his
performance. Dr. Carter will not participate in any discussions concerning
the
determination of this annual bonus. Dr. Carter’s agreement also provides that he
be paid his base fee through the last day of the then term of the agreement
if
he is terminated without “cause”, as that term is defined in the agreement. In
addition, should Dr. Carter terminate the agreement or the agreement be
terminated due to his death or disability, the agreement provides that Dr.
Carter be paid fees due him through the last day of the month in which the
termination occurred and for an additional twelve month period.
The
Company’s
agreement with Ransom W. Etheridge provides for Mr. Etheridge’s engagement as
the
Company’s
General
Counsel until December 31, 2009 unless sooner terminated for cause or
disability. The agreement automatically renews for successive one year periods
after the initial termination date unless the
Company
or Mr.
Etheridge give written notice otherwise at least ninety days prior to the
termination date or any renewal period. Mr. Etheridge has the right to terminate
the agreement on 30 days’ prior written notice. The initial annual fee for
services is $96,000 and is annually subject to adjustment based on the average
increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index for the prior year. Mr.
Etheridge’s agreement also provides that he be paid all fees through the last
day of then current term of the agreement if he is terminated without “cause” as
that term is defined in the agreement. In
addition, should Mr. Etheridge terminate the agreement or the agreement be
terminated due to his death or disability, the agreement provides that Mr.
Etheridge be paid the fees due him through the last day of the month in which
the termination occurred and for an additional twelve month period. Mr.
Etheridge will devote approximately 85% of his business time to the Company’s
business.
F-31
The
Company’s
engagement agreement with Robert E. Peterson provides for Mr. Peterson’s
engagement as the
Company’s
Chief
Financial Officer until December 31, 2010 unless sooner terminated for cause
or
disability. Mr. Peterson has the right to terminate the agreement on 30 days’
prior written notice. The annual fee for services is subject to increases based
on the average increase in the cost of inflation index for the prior year.
Mr.
Peterson shall receive an annual bonus in each year that the
Company’s
Chief
Executive Officer is granted a bonus. The bonus shall equal a percentage of
Mr.
Peterson’s base annual compensation comparable to the percentage bonus received
by the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Peterson shall receive bonus
compensation upon Federal Drug Administration approval of commercial application
of Ampligen®. Mr. Peterson’s agreement also provides that he be paid all fees
through the last day of then current term of the agreement if he is terminated
without “cause” as that term is defined in the agreement. In
addition, should Mr. Peterson terminate the agreement or the agreement be
terminated due to his death or disability, the agreement provides that Mr.
Peterson be paid the fees due him through the last day of the month in which
the
termination occurred and for an additional twelve month period. Mr. Peterson
will devote approximately 85% of his business time to the Company’s
business.
On
November 27, 2006, the Company engaged the services of a full time President
and
Chief Operating Officer. Pursuant to this agreement, the President and Chief
Operating Officer is employed for an initial term of two years. The employment
automatically renews thereafter for successive one year periods unless either
party gives written notice not to renew within 90 days of the termination
date.
The
President and Chief Operating Officer receives an annual salary at the rate
of
$350,000 per year through December 31, 2007 and, thereafter, at the annual
rate
of $400,000. His salary is subject to cost of living increases. He is entitled
to annual bonuses in the discretion of our Chairman and Board of Directors.
A
$50,000 cash bonus and 100,000 options given upon the execution of the
employment agreement and the minimum cash bonus for the year ended December
31,
2007 was $75,000. He was also entitled to and received an additional 50,000
options upon his successful completion of three months of employment and an
aggregate of up to an additional 950,000 options upon the happening of specific
business milestones. The Company has the right, at its discretion, to modify
the
time periods within which the milestones must be met. Each option vests upon
award, expires in ten years and has an exercise price equal to 110% of the
closing price of its common stock on the American Stock Exchange on the date
of
the award. Upon the happening of certain events, such as its merger with and
in
to another entity or the Company’s sale or transfer of assets or earning power
aggregating 50% or more of its assets or earning capacity, provided he is still
employed by the Company, any of the foregoing options not granted to him will
be
granted. He is also entitled to receive fringe benefits generally available
to
the Company’s executive officers and the Company has agreed, during his
employment period, to pay premiums on a term life insurance policy in the face
amount of $1,500,000 with a beneficiary of his choosing.
The
employment agreement terminates upon his death or disability and is terminable
by the Company for "cause" as defined in the agreement, or without cause. He
has
the right to terminate the agreement upon not less than 60 day's prior notice.
In the event that the agreement terminates due to his death or disability,
or by
him, he will be entitled to fees due and payable through the last day of the
month in which the termination occurs. If it is terminated by the Company for
cause, he will be entitled to fees due and payable to him through the date
of
termination. If the Company terminates the agreement without cause, he is
entitled to fees depending upon the amount of time he has been employed by
the
Company ranging from 12 months' of fees if he is terminated within the first
12
months of employment to three months' of fees if he is terminated in the 21st
month of employment. He is subject to confidentiality and non-compete
covenants.
F-32
The
Board
of Directors, deeming it essential to the best interests of the
Company’s
shareholders to foster the continuous engagement of key management personnel
and
recognizing that, as is the case with many publicly held corporations, a change
of control might occur and that such possibility, and the uncertainty and
questions which it might raise among management, might result in the departure
or distraction of management personnel to the detriment of the
Company
and
the
Company’s
shareholders, determined to reinforce and encourage the continued attention
and
dedication of members of the
Company’s
management to their engagement without distraction in the face of potentially
disturbing circumstances arising from the possibility of a change in control
of
the
Company
and
entered into identical agreements regarding change in control with William
A.
Carter, the
Company’s
Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, Robert E. Peterson, the
Company’s
Chief
Financial Officer and Ransom W. Etheridge, the
Company’s
General
Counsel. Each of the agreements regarding change in control became effective
March 11, 2005 and continue through December 31, 2007 and shall extend
automatically to the third anniversary thereof unless the
Company
gave
notice to the other party prior to the date of such extension that the agreement
term will not be extended. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a change in control
occurs during the term of the agreements, the term of the agreements will
continue through the second anniversary of the date on which the change in
control occurred. Each of the agreements entitles William A. Carter, Robert
E.
Peterson and Ransom W. Etheridge, respectively, to change of control benefits,
as defined in the agreements and summarized below, upon their respective
termination of employment/engagement with the
Company
during a
potential change in control, as defined in the agreements or after a change
in
control, as defined in the agreements, when their respective terminations are
caused (1) by the Company for any reason other than permanent disability or
cause, as defined in the agreement (2) by William A. Carter, Robert E. Peterson
and/or Ransom W. Etheridge, respectively, for good reason as defined in the
agreement or, (3) by William A. Carter, Robert E. Peterson and/or Ransom W.
Etheridge, respectively for any reason during the 30 day period commencing
on
the first date which is six months after the date of the change in
control.
The
benefits for each of the foregoing executives would be as follows:
o
|
A
lump sum cash payment of three times his base salary and annual bonus
amounts; and
|
o
|
Outplacement
benefits.
|
Each
agreement also provides that the executive is entitled to a “gross-up” payment
to make him whole for any federal excise tax imposed on change of control or
severance payments received by him.
Dr.
Carter’s agreement also provides for the following benefits:
o
|
Continued
insurance coverage through the third anniversary of his termination;
and
|
o
|
Retirement
benefits computed as if he had continued to work for the above
period.
|
F-33
In
order
to facilitate the Company’s need to obtain financing and prior to the
Company’s
shareholders approving an amendment to the
Company’s
corporate charter to merge the number of authorized shares, Dr. Carter, the
Company’s Chief Executive Officer, agreed to waive his right to exercise certain
warrants and options unless and until the
Company’s
shareholder approved an increase in the
Company’s
authorized shares of Common Stock.
The
Company has engaged the Sage Group, Inc., a health care, technology oriented,
strategy and transaction advisory firm, to assist the Company in obtaining
a
strategic alliance in Japan for the use of Ampligen® in treating Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome or CFS. R. Douglas Hulse, the
Company’s
former
President and Chief Operating Officer, is a member and an executive director
of
The Sage Group, Inc.
(13) Leases
The
Company has a non-cancelable operating lease for the space in which its
principal office is located.
Future
minimum lease payments under the noncancellable operating lease are as
follows:
Year
Ending December 31,
|
(in thousands)
|
|||
2008
|
$
205
|
|||
2009
|
211
|
|||
2010
|
71
|
|||
Total
minimum lease payments
|
$
|
487
|
Rent
expense charged to operations for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and
2007 amounted to approximately $284,000, $229,000 and $231,000 respectively.
The
term of the lease for the Rockville, Maryland facility expired June 2005. The
Company transferred this operational site to the Company’s New Jersey facility.
The term of the lease for the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offices is through
April, 2010.
(14) Income
Taxes
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company has approximately $83,000,000 of federal net
operating loss carryforwards (expiring in the years 2008 through 2027) available
to offset future federal taxable income. The Company also has approximately
$25,000,000 of Pennsylvania state net operating loss carryforwards (expiring
in
the years 2008 through 2027) and approximately $35,000,000 of New Jersey state
net operating loss carry forwards (expiring in the years 2010 through 2014)
available to offset future state taxable income. The utilization of certain
state net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to annual
limitations.
Under
the
Tax Reform Act of 1986, the utilization of a corporation's net operating loss
carryforward is limited following a greater than 50% change in ownership. Due
to
the Company's prior and current equity transactions, the Company's net operating
loss carryforwards may be subject to an annual limitation generally determined
by multiplying the value of the Company on the date of the ownership change
by
the federal long-term tax exempt rate. Any unused annual limitation may be
carried forward to future years for the balance of the net operating loss
carryforward period.
F-34
Deferred
income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between
carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes
and
the carrying amounts used for income tax purposes. In assessing the
realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more
likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not
be
realized. The realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the
generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary
differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Due
to
the uncertainty of the Company's ability to realize the benefit of the deferred
tax asset, the deferred tax assets are fully offset by a valuation allowance
at
December 31, 2006 and 2007.
The
components of the net deferred tax asset of December 31, 2006 and
2007 consists
of the following:
(000’s
omitted)
|
|||||||
Deferred
tax assets:
|
2006
|
2007
|
|||||
Net
operating losses
|
$
|
27,485
|
$
|
28,097
|
|||
Stock
Based Compensation
|
993
|
765
|
|||||
Accrued
Expenses and Other
|
(82
|
)
|
(119
|
)
|
|||
Research
and development costs
|
3,443
|
3,551
|
|||||
Total
|
31,839
|
32,294
|
|||||
Less:
Valuation Allowance
|
(31,839
|
)
|
(32,294
|
)
|
|||
Balance
|
$
|
-0-
|
$
|
-0-
|
(15) Contingencies
On
September 30, 1998, the Company filed a multi-count complaint against Manuel
P.
Asensio, Asensio & Company, Inc. (“Asensio”). The action included claims of
defamation, disparagement, tortuous interference with existing and prospective
business relations and conspiracy, arising out of Asensio’s false and defamatory
statements. The complaint further alleged that Asensio defamed and disparaged
the Company in furtherance of a manipulative, deceptive and unlawful
short-selling scheme in August and September, 1998. In 1999, Asensio filed
an
answer and counterclaim alleging that in response to Asensio’s strong sell
recommendation and other press releases, the Company made defamatory statements
about Asensio. The Company denied the material allegations of the counterclaim.
In July 2000, following dismissal in federal court for lack of subject matter
jurisdiction, the Company transferred the action to the Pennsylvania State
Court. In March 2001, the defendants responded to the complaints as amended
and
a trial commenced on January 30, 2002. A jury verdict disallowed the claims
against the defendants for defamation and disparagement and the court granted
the Company a directed verdict on the counterclaim. On July 2, 2002 the Court
entered an order granting the Company a new trial against Asensio for defamation
and disparagement. Thereafter, Asensio appealed the granting of a new trial
to
the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has
denied Asensio’s appeal. Asensio petitioned the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
for allowance of an appeal, which was denied. The Company now anticipates the
scheduling of a new trial against Asensio for defamation and disparagement
in
the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.
F-35
In
December 2004, the Company filed a multicount complaint in federal court
(Southern District of Florida) against a conspiratorial group seeking to
illegally manipulate the Company’s stock for purposes of bringing about a
hostile takeover of Hemispherx. The lawsuit alleges that the conspiratorial
group commenced with a plan to seize control of its cash and proprietary assets
by an illegal campaign to drive down the Company’s stock price and publish
disparaging reports on its management and current fiduciaries. The lawsuit
seeks
monetary damages from each member of the conspiratorial group as well as
injunctions preventing further recurrences of their misconduct. The
conspiratorial group includes Bioclones, a privately held South African
Biopharmaceutical company that collaborated with the Company, and Johannesburg
Consolidated Investments, a South African corporation, Cyril Donninger, R.
B.
Kebble, H. C. Buitendag, Bart Goemaere, and John Doe(s). Bioclones, Johannesburg
Consolidated Investments, Cyril Donninger, R. B. Kebble and H.C. Buitendag
filed
a motion to dismiss the complaint, which was granted by the court. The Company
is in the process of appealing this decision to the 11th
federal
circuit court of appeals.
In
October 2006, litigation was initiated against the Company in the Court of
Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania between the Company and Hospira
Worldwide, Inc. with regard to a dispute with respect to fees for services
charged by Hospira Worldwide, Inc. to the Company. The dispute was promptly
settled and the litigation dismissed.
In
January 2007, arbitration proceedings were initiated by Bioclones (Proprietary),
Ltd., (“Bioclones”) and are pending in South Africa to determine damages arising
out of the termination of a marketing agreement the Company had with Bioclones.
The Company had deemed the marketing agreement void due to numerous and long
standing failures of performance by Bioclones and will present claims for
damages against Bioclones in the arbitration. Bioclones has confirmed that
the
marketing agreement has been terminated.
In
January 2007, the Company filed an application in South Africa for the
dissolution of Ribotech (PTY) Ltd. (“Ribotech”) on the grounds that the purpose
for the existence of Ribotech, the marketing agreement between the Company
and
Bioclones, had been terminated. The application for termination is now
pending.
Due
to
non-performance by Laboratorios del Dr. Esteve (“Esteve”) of certain
contractually required clinical trials, the Company notified Esteve of its
intention to terminate the Sales and Distribution Agreement entered into as
of
March 20, 2002, and in December 2007, as is its right under the Sales and
Distribution Agreement, Esteve applied for arbitration, seeking damages. The
Company believes
the Esteve claim is without merit and have filed a counterclaim.
In
March
2007, Cedric Philipp (“Philipp”) initiated an arbitration proceeding in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the American Arbitration Association alleging
that, under a 1994 agreement between the Company and Philipp (“1994 Agreement”),
the Company owed him commissions on product, or services he alleges the Company
has purchased from Hollister-Stier. The Company is defending this claim on,
among other claims, the ground that the 1994 Agreement has been terminated.
In
April 2007, the Company filed a declaratory judgment action in the Court of
Common Please of Philadelphia asking the court to declare that the 1994
agreement between the Company and Cedric Philipp has been terminated. This
declaratory judgment action is now pending.
The
Company has not recorded any loss contingencies as a result of the above matters
for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007.
F-36
(16) Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions
The
Company has employment agreements with certain of its executive officers and
has
granted such officers and directors options and warrants to purchase its common
stock, as discussed in Note 12.
Ransom
W.
Etheridge, the Company’s Secretary, General Counsel and one of its directors, is
an attorney in private practice, who renders corporate legal services to the
Company from time to time, for which he has received fees totaling $88,000,
$91,000 and $117,000 in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. In addition, Mr.
Etheridge serves on the Board of Directors for which he received Director’s Fees
of cash and stock valued at $100,000, $137,000 and $150,000 in 2005, 2006 and
2007, respectively. The
Company loaned $60,000 to Ransom W. Etheridge in November 2001 for the purpose
of exercising 15,000 Class A redeemable warrants. This loan bears interest
at 6%
per annum. This loan was granted prior to the enactment of the Sarbanes Oxley
Act of 2002 prohibiting such transactions. In lieu of granting Mr. Etheridge
a
bonus for outstanding legal work performance on behalf of the Company, the
Board
of Directors forgave the loan and accrued interest on February 24,
2006.
The
Company used at various times the property owned by Retreat House, LLC, an
entity in which the children of William A. Carter have a beneficial interest.
The Company paid Retreat House, LLC $54,000, $102,000 and $153,000 for the
use
of the property at various times in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
On
February 14, 2005 the Company entered into an agreement with The Sage Group
of
Branchburg, New Jersey for R. Douglas Hulse, an Executive Director of The Sage
Group, to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) of the Company
(See Note 12). Mr. Hulse resigned during the fourth quarter of 2006 as President
and COO.
Kati
Kovari was paid $13,000 in 2006 and 2007 for her services to the Company. Dr.
Kovari is the spouse of William A. Carter, CEO.
(17) Concentrations
of credit risk
Financial
instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit
risk, consist principally of cash, cash equivalents, investments and accounts
receivable. The Company places its cash with high-quality financial
institutions. At times, such amount may be in excess of Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation insurance limits of $100,000.
Sales
to
three large wholesalers represented approximately 70% and 68% of the Company’s
total sales for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007,
respectively.
F-37
(18) Quarterly
Results of Operation (unaudited)
The
following is a summary of the unaudited quarterly results of
operations:
2006
(in
thousands except per share data)
|
||||||||||||||||
March 31,
2006
|
|
June 30,
2006
|
September 30,
2006
|
December 31,
2006
|
Total
|
|||||||||||
Revenues
|
$
|
236
|
$
|
247
|
$
|
232
|
$
|
218
|
$
|
933
|
||||||
Costs
and expenses
|
5,822
|
5,072
|
4,096
|
4,637
|
19,627
|
|||||||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(5,920
|
)
|
$
|
(5,081
|
)
|
$
|
(3,807
|
)
|
$
|
(4,591
|
)
|
$
|
(19,399
|
)
|
|
Basic
and dilutedloss
per share
|
$
|
(.10
|
)
|
$
|
(.08
|
)
|
$
|
(.06
|
)
|
$
|
(.07
|
)
|
$
|
(.31
|
)
|
2007
(in
thousands except per share data)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
March 31,
2007
|
|
|
June 30,
2007
|
September 30,
2007
|
December 31,
2007
|
Total
|
|||||||||
Revenues
|
$
|
255
|
$
|
234
|
$
|
285
|
$
|
285
|
$
|
1,059
|
||||||
Costs
and expenses
|
5,195
|
4,392
|
6,464
|
3,771
|
19,822
|
|||||||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(5,100
|
)
|
$
|
(3,925
|
)
|
$
|
(5,718
|
)
|
$
|
(3,396
|
)
|
$
|
(18,139
|
)
|
|
Basic
and dilutedloss
per share
|
$
|
(.07
|
)
|
$
|
(.05
|
)
|
$
|
(.08
|
)
|
$
|
(.05
|
)
|
$
|
(.25
|
)
|
F-38
Hemispherx
Biopharma, Inc.
Schedule
II -Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
(dollars
in thousands)
Column
A
|
Column
B
|
|
|
Column
C
|
|
|
Column
D
|
|
|
Column
E
|
|||
Description
|
Balance
at
beginning
of
period
|
Charge
to
expense
|
|
|
Write-
offs
|
|
|
Balance
at
end of
period
|
|
||||
Year
Ended December 31, 2007 Reserve
for inventory
|
$
|
241
|
109
|
-
|
$
|
350
|
|||||||
Year
Ended December 31, 2006 Reserve
for inventory
|
$
|
100
|
241
|
(100
|
)
|
241
|
|||||||
Year
Ended December 31, 2005 Reserve
for inventory
|
$
|
225
|
-
|
(125
|
)
|
$
|
100
|
F-39