Dominari Holdings Inc. - Quarter Report: 2012 June (Form 10-Q)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark one)
x |
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2012
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 number 0-5576
SPHERIX INCORPORATED
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
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52-0849320 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503, Bethesda, MD 20817
(Address of principal executive offices)
301-897-2540
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the 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 whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files.) Yes x No 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.
Large Accelerated Filer o |
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Accelerated Filer o |
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Non-accelerated Filer o |
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Smaller Reporting Company x |
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
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the Registrants classes of Common Stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Class |
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Outstanding as of August 8, 2012 |
Common Stock, $0.01 par value |
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4,159,776 shares |
Spherix Incorporated
Form 10-Q
For the Quarter Ended June 30, 2012
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Page No. |
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3 | |
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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 |
4 |
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5 | |
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6 | |
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Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
11 | |
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14 | ||
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15 | ||
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15 | ||
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16 |
Spherix Incorporated
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
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Three Months Ended June 30, |
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Six Months Ended June 30, |
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2012 |
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2011 |
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2012 |
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2011 |
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Revenue |
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$ |
206,103 |
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$ |
186,050 |
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$ |
415,665 |
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$ |
492,353 |
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Operating expenses |
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Direct costs |
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(134,001 |
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(119,019 |
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(243,465 |
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(249,315 |
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Research and development expense |
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(138,250 |
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(404,499 |
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(509,653 |
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(760,002 |
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Selling, general and administrative expense |
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(682,349 |
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(685,514 |
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(1,568,021 |
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(1,617,718 |
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Total operating expenses |
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(954,600 |
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(1,209,032 |
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(2,321,139 |
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(2,627,035 |
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Loss from operations |
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(748,497 |
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(1,022,982 |
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(1,905,474 |
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(2,134,682 |
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Interest income |
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922 |
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866 |
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1,944 |
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2,085 |
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Other income |
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8,377 |
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53,007 |
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Gain on settlement of obligations |
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845,000 |
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Loss before taxes |
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(747,575 |
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(1,013,739 |
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(1,903,530 |
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(1,234,590 |
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Income tax expense |
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(14,485 |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(747,575 |
) |
$ |
(1,013,739 |
) |
$ |
(1,903,530 |
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$ |
(1,249,075 |
) |
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Net loss per share, basic |
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$ |
(0.18 |
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$ |
(0.40 |
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$ |
(0.48 |
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$ |
(0.50 |
) |
Net loss per share, diluted |
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$ |
(0.18 |
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$ |
(0.40 |
) |
$ |
(0.48 |
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$ |
(0.50 |
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Weighted average shares outstanding, basic |
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4,159,777 |
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2,562,488 |
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3,940,898 |
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2,505,568 |
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Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted |
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4,159,777 |
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2,562,488 |
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3,940,898 |
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2,505,568 |
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See accompanying notes to financial statements
Spherix Incorporated
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
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June 30, 2012 |
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December 31, |
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ASSETS |
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Current assets |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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$ |
4,198,890 |
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$ |
4,911,350 |
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Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance of $0 and $8,174 |
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209,506 |
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286,065 |
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Other receivables |
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17,648 |
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293 |
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Prepaid research expenses |
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209,780 |
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Prepaid expenses and other assets |
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55,168 |
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120,427 |
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Total current assets |
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4,481,212 |
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5,527,915 |
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Property and equipment, net of of accumulated depreciation of $299,445 and $265,502 |
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59,138 |
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91,482 |
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Patents, net of accumulated amortization of $0 and $2,146 |
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Deposit |
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25,625 |
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35,625 |
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Total assets |
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$ |
4,565,975 |
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$ |
5,655,022 |
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LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
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Current liabilities |
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Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
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$ |
180,096 |
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$ |
269,996 |
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Accrued salaries and benefits |
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354,166 |
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549,815 |
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Deferred revenue |
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105,275 |
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72,871 |
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Total current liabilities |
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639,537 |
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892,682 |
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Deferred rent |
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40,423 |
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47,675 |
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Total liabilities |
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679,960 |
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940,357 |
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Commitments and contingencies |
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Stockholders equity |
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Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 2,000,000 shares authorized; 5,250 series B issued and 1 outstanding at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 |
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Common stock, $0.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 4,167,820 and 3,103,004 issued, 4,159,777 and 3,094,461 outstanding at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively |
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41,678 |
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31,030 |
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Paid-in capital in excess of par value |
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43,359,538 |
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42,295,306 |
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Treasury stock, 8,043 shares |
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(464,786 |
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(464,786 |
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Accumulated deficit |
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(39,050,415 |
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(37,146,885 |
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Total stockholders equity |
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3,886,015 |
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4,714,665 |
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Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
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$ |
4,565,975 |
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$ |
5,655,022 |
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See accompanying notes to financial statements
Spherix Incorporated
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
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Six Months Ended June 30, |
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2012 |
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2011 |
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Cash flows from operating activities |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(1,903,530 |
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$ |
(1,249,075 |
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Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
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Gain on settlement of obligations |
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(845,000 |
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Depreciation and amortization |
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33,943 |
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36,108 |
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Provision for doubtful accounts |
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(8,174 |
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(13,525 |
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Stock-based compensation |
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19,527 |
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Changes in assets and liabilities: |
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Recievables |
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67,378 |
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288,060 |
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Prepaid expenses and other assets |
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285,039 |
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220,157 |
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Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
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(285,549 |
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(567,545 |
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Deferred rent |
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(7,252 |
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(16,068 |
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Deferred compensation |
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(305,000 |
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Deferred revenue |
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32,404 |
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(102,199 |
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Net cash used in operating activities |
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(1,766,214 |
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(2,554,087 |
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Cash flow from investing activities |
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Purchase of fixed assets |
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(1,599 |
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(2,374 |
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Net cash used in investing activities |
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(1,599 |
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(2,374 |
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Cash flow from financing activities |
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Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net |
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1,055,353 |
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2,545,349 |
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Net cash provided by financing activities |
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1,055,353 |
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2,545,349 |
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Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents |
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(712,460 |
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(11,112 |
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Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period |
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4,911,350 |
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5,575,310 |
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Cash and cash equivalents, end of period |
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$ |
4,198,890 |
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$ |
5,564,198 |
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See accompanying notes to financial statements
Spherix Incorporated
Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
1. Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company are unaudited, except for the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011, which was derived from the audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2011, and do not include all of the information and disclosures generally required for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, the statements contain all material adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary to present fairly the Companys financial position as of June 30, 2012, the results of its operations for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, and its cash flows for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011. This report should be read in conjunction with the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, which contains information and disclosure for the year ended December 31, 2011.
The Company operates via two principal segments, Biospherics and Health Sciences. Biospherics seeks to develop proprietary products for commercial application. Health Sciences provides technical and regulatory consulting services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as providing technical support for the Biospherics segment.
The Company has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Biospherics Incorporated and Spherix Consulting, Inc., for its two operating segments. The Companys Health Sciences contracts are in the name of Spherix Consulting, Inc. and the Companys patents are in the name of Biospherics Incorporated. Spherix Incorporated provides management, strategic guidance, business development, marketing and other services to its subsidiaries.
On May 6, 2011, the Company effected a one-for-ten reverse split of its common stock. The Company implemented the reverse stock split under the authority granted to the Board of Directors by the Companys stockholders at the annual meeting of stockholders held on November 17, 2009, to effect a reverse stock split of the Companys Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share. The reverse stock split reduced the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock from 25,624,872 shares to 2,562,488 shares. All per share amounts and outstanding shares, including all Common Stock equivalents, stock options, equity compensation plans, and warrants, have been retroactively restated in the Financial Statements and in the Notes to the Financial Statements for all periods presented to reflect the reverse stock split.
2. Liquidity and Capital Resources
We expect to continue to incur substantial development costs in our Biospherics segment in the next several years, without substantial corresponding revenue, and we will continue to incur ongoing administrative and other expenses, including public company expenses. We intend to finance our activities through:
· the remaining proceeds of our previous equity offerings; and
· funds we will seek to raise through the sale of additional stock in the future.
Working capital was $3.8 million at June 30, 2012, and cash on hand as of that date was $4.2 million. Management believes that this cash on hand will be sufficient to sustain operations for 2012. We expect that we will need to expend between $3 million to $5 million over the next twelve (12) months to support our currently planned development operations. This estimate assumes (i) no further significant expenditures for developing D-tagatose as a drug for diabetes, (ii) continuing development of SPX-106T as a treatment for high triglycerides and other dyslipidemias, (iii) ongoing operation of the Health Sciences segment at the current level of activity and (iv) that we raise additional funds to continue our development efforts beyond this 12-month period.
In February 2012, the Company obtained net proceeds of approximately $1.1 million in a registered direct offering of common stock and warrants. Both the common stock issued in the offering and the underlying common stock for the warrants issued in the offering were previously registered under a Form S-3 shelf registration statement declared effective by the SEC in October 2009.
Due to the nature of our business, we will need to raise additional funds on a consistent basis to continue operations, to fully pursue the triglycerides and other dyslipidemias opportunity, and to seek, investigate, pursue and exploit other pipeline development opportunities. Fundraising will likely require the issuance of additional equity securities and a purchaser of such securities will likely insist that such securities be registered securities. NASDAQ rules require stockholder approval for certain stock issuances constituting twenty percent (20%) or more of a companys issued and outstanding stock.
The Company currently has an effective Form S-3 shelf registration statement under which 2,695,350 common shares remain available for issuance. However, it is unlikely that the Company will be able to use this shelf registration statement for another significant offering prior to its expiration on October 1, 2012. Following the expiration of this registration, the Company will need to file another shelf registration statement subject to SEC approval in order to proceed with future equity offerings.
The Company cannot be assured that it will be able to attract a purchaser of securities to raise the additional funds it will likely require; that the Company will be able to obtain any required stockholder approval; or that the Company will be able to have additional registered direct primary offerings. If we reach a point where we are unable to raise needed additional funds to continue our business activities, we will be forced to cease our development activities and dissolve the Company. In such an event, we will need to satisfy various severance, lease termination and other dissolution-related obligations.
3. Common Stock and Paid-in Capital in Excess of Par
During the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company issued shares of common stock as follows:
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Preferred Stock |
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Common Stock |
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Paid-in |
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Shares |
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Amount |
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Shares |
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Amount |
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Excess of Par |
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Balance, January 1, 2012 |
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1 |
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$ |
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3,103,004 |
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$ |
31,030 |
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$ |
42,295,306 |
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Sale of common stock, net of offering costs of $94,648 (1) |
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1,064,816 |
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10,648 |
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1,044,705 |
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Stock-based compensation |
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19,527 |
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Balance, June 30, 2012 |
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1 |
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$ |
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4,167,820 |
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$ |
41,678 |
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$ |
43,359,538 |
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(1) The stock issuance is further discussed in Note 2, Liquidity and Capital Resources
4. Accounts Receivable
The Companys accounts receivable includes amounts owed by customers for consulting related activities under contracts signed with those customers. Included in the June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 accounts receivable is $100,000 and $54,000, respectively, for services that have been performed but as of those dates had not been billed.
Credit is extended to customers based on an evaluation of a customers financial condition and, in general, collateral is not required. Management regularly reviews accounts receivable for uncollectible and potentially uncollectible accounts, and when necessary establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts. Balances that are outstanding after management has used reasonable collection efforts are written-off through a charge to the allowance for doubtful accounts and a credit to accounts receivable. At June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the allowance for doubtful accounts was $0 and $8,000, respectively.
5. Concentrations of Risk
The Company maintains cash balances at several banks. Interest bearing accounts at each institution are insured by the Federal Deposit Corporation up to $250,000. At June 30, 2012, the Companys cash and cash equivalents in excess of the FDIC limits were $3.9 million. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant risks.
During the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, 100% of our revenue was generated from the Health Sciences business. For the six months ended June 30, 2012, revenue from four customers accounted for 34%, 24%, 11% and 10% of revenues, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2011, revenue from two customers accounted for 44% and 23% of revenues, respectively. At June 30, 2012, four major contracts constituted 67% of the trade accounts receivable, the components of which were 24%, 18%, 13% and 12%, respectively. At December 31, 2011, three major contracts constituted 62% of the trade accounts receivable, the components of which were 35%, 14% and 13%, respectively. No other single contract was greater than 10% of total trade accounts receivable.
6. Use of Estimates and Assumptions
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP). This requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
7. New Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2011, the FASB issued a new accounting standard on the presentation of comprehensive income. The new standard requires the presentation of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The new standard also requires presentation of adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statement where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. In December 2011, the FASB deferred the effective date for amendments to the presentation of reclassifications of items out of accumulated other comprehensive income, while still requiring entities to adopt the other requirements. We adopted the new standard on January 1, 2012. The adoption of this standard had no impact on our consolidated financial statements. We are required to adopt the requirements for reclassification of items out of accumulated other comprehensive income as of the beginning of 2013. We do not expect this adoption to have a material impact on our financial statements.
8. Fair Value Measurement
The Company has elected not to apply the fair value option to measure any of the financial assets and liabilities on its balance sheet not already valued at fair value under other accounting pronouncements. These other financial assets and liabilities are primarily accounts receivable and accounts payable, which are reported at historical value. The fair value of these financial assets and liabilities approximate their fair value because of their short duration.
9. Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per common share has been computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted net loss per common share has been computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding without an assumed increase in common shares outstanding for common stock equivalents, as common stock equivalents are antidilutive for each of the three- and six-periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011. Options for 22,512 shares of common stock were excluded from diluted net loss per common share because they would be antidilutive for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012. For the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011, none of the Companys outstanding options and none of the warrants were included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share as the exercise prices were all above the average market price of the Companys common stock for the period.
10. Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
The Company recognized approximately $17,000 and $20,000 in stock-based compensation expense during the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively and had $36,000 of unrecognized compensation as of that date, which will be recognized over the remaining 3.4 years. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company had no stock-based compensation expense.
A summary of option activity under the Companys employee stock option plan for the six-months ended June 30, 2012, is presented below:
Options |
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Shares |
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Weighted- |
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Weighted- |
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Aggregate |
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Outstanding at beginning of year |
|
48,509 |
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$ |
2.68 |
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Granted |
|
22,512 |
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$ |
0.76 |
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Exercised |
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$ |
|
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Expired or forfeited |
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|
$ |
|
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Outstanding at end of period |
|
71,021 |
|
$ |
2.07 |
|
4.5 |
|
$ |
|
| |
Options exercisable at end of period |
|
46,021 |
|
|
|
4.5 |
|
$ |
|
| ||
Weighted-average fair value of options granted during the year |
|
$ |
0.63 |
|
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|
|
|
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| ||
11. Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences in future years of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each year end, based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is established based upon periodic assessments made by management to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Income tax expense is the current tax provision for the period and the change during the period in deferred tax assets and liabilities. The Company recognizes a tax expense associated with an uncertain tax position when, in managements judgment, it is not more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. As of and for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, no tax expense was recognized for uncertain tax positions.
The Companys estimated annual effective tax rate is zero for the first six months of 2012 and 2011. The effective income tax rate for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 is zero as compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2011 which was approximately -1.2% as a result of realizing a discrete item, which resulted in income tax expense of $15,000 in the first quarter of 2011. As of June 30, 2012, the Company continues to provide a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets since the Company believes it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will not be realized. At the quarter ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, the Company had no unrecognized income tax benefits and recognized no interest or penalties on income tax liabilities.
Utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards and credit may be subject to a substantial annual limitation due to the ownership change limitations provided by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and similar state provisions. The Company has not performed a detailed analysis to determine whether an ownership change under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code occurred. The effect of an ownership change would be the imposition of an annual limitation on the use of net operating loss carryforwards attributable to periods before the change and could result in a reduction in the total net operating losses and research credits available.
12. Commitment and Contingencies
Leases
In March 2012, the Company entered into an amendment to its office building lease, which extends the term of the lease five years. The lease as amended will expire on March 31, 2018. Commencing on April 1, 2012, the base annual rent shall be $152,500, with an increase of 3% annually.
Related Party Transactions
Stock option awards are provided to members of the Board of Directors as a regular component of annual compensation. The number of stock options awards to each non-employee Board member is calculated by dividing $10,000 by the closing stock price of the grant date. Stock options are awarded to each non-employee Board member in May of each year; provided, however, that in 2012 the Company did not have sufficient shares available under the 1997 Stock Option Plan (the Plan) to fully compensate the Board members. Accordingly, the Company issued stock options to each non-employee director with a value of $4,278 instead of the $10,000 in stock options as required under its directors compensation plan. If the Stockholders approve the amendment in increase the number of shares issuable under the Plan, each of the non-employee directors will receive $5,722 of options valued at the date the Stockholders approve the amendment to the Plan. If the Stockholders do not approve the amendment, the Company will satisfy this obligation to its Directors in cash.
13. Information by Business Segment
Operating segments are components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company operates via two principal segments, Biospherics and Health Sciences. Biospherics seeks to develop proprietary products for commercial application. Health Sciences provides technical and regulatory consulting services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as aiding the Biospherics segment.
Financial information by business segment for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 is summarized below:
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended June 30, |
|
Six Months Ended June 30, |
| |||||||||
|
|
|
|
2012 |
|
2011 |
|
2012 |
|
2011 |
| |||||
Revenue |
|
Biospherics |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
| |
|
|
Health Sciences |
|
206,000 |
|
186,000 |
|
416,000 |
|
492,000 |
| |||||
|
|
Total revenue |
|
$ |
206,000 |
|
$ |
186,000 |
|
$ |
416,000 |
|
$ |
492,000 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Operating Profit (Loss) and Loss from Operations Before Income Taxes |
|
Biospherics |
|
$ |
(156,000 |
) |
$ |
(430,000 |
) |
$ |
(659,000 |
) |
$ |
(837,000 |
) | |
|
|
Health Sciences |
|
33,000 |
|
35,000 |
|
105,000 |
|
158,000 |
| |||||
|
|
General |
|
(626,000 |
) |
(628,000 |
) |
(1,352,000 |
) |
(1,456,000 |
) | |||||
|
|
Total operating loss |
|
(749,000 |
) |
(1,023,000 |
) |
(1,906,000 |
) |
(2,135,000 |
) | |||||
|
|
Interest income |
|
1,000 |
|
1,000 |
|
2,000 |
|
2,000 |
| |||||
|
|
Other income |
|
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
|
53,000 |
| |||||
|
|
Gain on settlement of obligations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
845,000 |
| |||||
|
|
Loss from operations before income taxes |
|
$ |
(748,000 |
) |
$ |
(1,014,000 |
) |
$ |
(1,904,000 |
) |
$ |
(1,235,000 |
) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|
|
|
|
June 30, |
|
Dec. 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
|
|
2012 |
|
2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
Identifiable Assets |
|
Biospherics |
|
$ |
17,000 |
|
$ |
287,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
|
|
Health Sciences |
|
210,000 |
|
193,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
General corporate assets |
|
4,339,000 |
|
5,175,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
4,566,000 |
|
$ |
5,655,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14. Gain on Settlement of Obligations
Purchase Commitments
On January 14, 2011, Biospherics Incorporated, filed a Complaint For Injunction Relief And Damages in The United States District Court For The District Of Maryland against Inalco S.p.A. (the Complaint). The Complaint alleged that one of the Companys D-Tagatose suppliers, Inalco, had breached the 2009 Manufacturing Support and Supply Agreement as Inalco (i) refused to supply D-tagatose previously paid for by Biospherics, (ii) refused to provide a promised bank guarantee, and (iii) shut-down its D-tagatose production facilities. On March 16, 2011, both parties signed a settlement agreement whereby Inalco agreed to supply Spherix with 8.5 metric tons of D-tagatose, which has
been received by Spherix, and both parties have released each other from any other obligations under the previous agreement. As a result, the Company recognized a gain on settlement of obligations of $600,000 in March 2011 on the release from its purchase obligation.
Related Party Transactions
In January 2011, the Company entered into a Letter Agreement with Gilbert V. Levin and M. Karen Levin pursuant to which the Company agreed to make a one-time lump sum payment of $450,000 to the Levins in full satisfaction of the Companys obligation to make a series of continuing payments to the Levins relating to their prior employment by the Company. The Companys estimated liability to the Levins prior to the above agreement was approximately $695,000. The $450,000 lump sum payment was made on January 31, 2011, and the Company recognized the $245,000 difference as a gain on settlement of obligations in January 2011.
15. Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated all events or transactions after June 30, 2012 through the date the financial statements were issued. During this period, the Company did not have any significant subsequent events.
Item 2. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following is intended to update the information contained in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and presumes that readers have access to, and will have read, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in such Form 10-K.
Certain statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as believes, expects, is or are expected, anticipates, anticipated, should and words of similar impact. These forward-looking statements are based on the Companys current expectations. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the Companys actual results could differ materially.
Overview
The Company operates via two segments, Biospherics and Health Sciences. Biospherics seeks to develop proprietary pharmaceutical products. Health Sciences provides technical and regulatory consulting services to food, consumer products, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as providing technical support to the Biospherics segment.
Biospherics is dedicated to development of pharmaceuticals. Recently, the Company has focused its studies on treating high triglycerides and other dyslipidemias with a combination of D-tagatose and SPX-106, a licensed drug compound, which combination is referred to as SPX-106T. Animal studies of SPX-106T are ongoing and an initial human efficacy study could begin in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Tagatose, a naturally occurring sugar, is a low-calorie, full-bulk sweetener previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) food ingredient. It is a true sugar that looks, feels, and tastes like table sugar. During human safety studies supporting food use, we discovered and patented a number of health and medical uses for D-tagatose.
The Company is also exploring the possibility of increasing its pipeline of potential products by obtaining by license or acquisition other clinical stage compounds/orphan drugs for continued development and commercialization. Orphan drug status by the FDA is usually applied to products where the number of patients in the United States in the given disease category is typically less than 200,000. The European Medicines Agency adopted a similar system termed The Regulation of Orphan Medicinal Products. These Orphan drug indications typically require more modest investment in the development stages, followed by a quicker regulatory path to approval.
We have incurred negative cash flow from operations in each of the two most recent fiscal years. We anticipate incurring negative cash flows from operating activities for the foreseeable future. We have spent, and expect to continue to spend, substantial amounts in connection with implementing our business strategy, including our product development efforts.
On April 20, 2012, Company received a deficiency notice from NASDAQ regarding the bid price of the Companys common stock. The Company has requested that its stockholders approve a reverse stock split. If the stockholders approve this action at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders, the Company intends to effect a reverse stock split with the hope that it will cause an increase in the Companys stock price.
Results of Operations for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2012 and 2011
Revenue and Direct Costs
Revenue and direct contract costs are primarily related to the Companys Health Sciences business. The consulting business generally provides services on either a fixed-price basis or a time and expenses basis, charging hourly rates for each staff member involved in a project, based on his or her skills and experience. The decrease in revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012 is primarily related to lower effective billing rates on contracts from those of the corresponding 2011 period. Revenue and direct costs for the three months ended June 30, 2012 were consistent with those of the three months ended June 30, 2011.
No substantial revenue is expected from the Biospherics segment until the Company is successful in selling or licensing its technology.
Research and Development
Research and development expenditures relate solely to the Biospherics segment and consist primarily of salaries and related personnel costs, fees paid to consultants and outside service providers, and other expenses related to our efforts to develop SPX-106T for use in lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels. We expense our research and development costs as they are incurred.
An application for an Investigational New Drug (IND) for the drug-drug combination SPX-106T, composed of D-tagatose and SPX106, is being prepared for submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a human phase 1a single dose trial may begin in Q4 2012, followed by a phase 1b multiple dose trial in 2013. We estimate that it will likely take 3 or more years to complete the studies/trials necessary to attract a pharma partner to complete the development and an additional 2-4 years to complete all necessary studies for an NDA filing for SPX-106T.
The decrease in R & D costs for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 from those of the corresponding period of the prior year reflects the completion of SPX-106T preclinical studies. Provided an IND for SPX-106T is approved by the FDA, the Company expects R&D costs to significantly increase as the study progresses through each phase of human clinical study.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and infections are complex and thus, combination therapies targeting multiple points in the pathophysiological process offer significant advantages over monotherapies. These advantages include improving therapeutic responses, preventing adverse and or/toxic effects, and minimizing drug resistance. Biospherics has been focusing on the development of new combination therapies for the treatment of complex diseases. In transitioning from an asset centric to disease centric drug development strategy, Biospherics has begun using dynamic data-driven application simulation (DDDAS) to model complex metabolic disease processes, simulate the effects of potential combination therapies, and choose the most effective combinations for development. Lead compounds are then tested in animals for proof-of-concept.
Using DDDAS, Biospherics has identified lead compounds for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). Biospherics has initiated development of SPX723, which was licensed from the University of Kentucky and will be used in combination with D-tagatose (SPX723T) for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Biospherics recently obtained sufficient quantities of SPX723 and intends to begin animal testing before the end of the year. Hyperlipidemia is also a primary risk factor for AAAs and SPX106T reduces hyperlipidemia. Thus, the application of SPX106T and potentially SPX723T to the
treatment of AAAs may provide Biospherics with new market for these two combination therapies. Animal studies evaluating the effects of SPX106T on AAAs are currently underway. For IC/PBS, leads were identified and animal studies are planned for 4Q 2012.
Biospherics has filed for patent protection on SPX100, a novel compound that may prove efficacious in the treatment of diseases with inflammatory components. Synthesis of SPX100 is currently underway and an animal study may commence by the end of the year.
The Company is also seeking to in-license or acquire additional drugs to diversify its pipeline. Clinical-stage compounds (Phase 1 or Phase 2) are of particular interest, as are orphan drugs, which can be eligible for accelerated approval processes.
Selling, General and Administrative
Our selling, general and administrative (S,G&A) expenses consist primarily of salaries and related expenses for executive, finance and other administrative personnel, professional fees and other corporate expenses, including facilities-related expenses. S,G&A expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 were consistent between years.
Interest
Interest income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 was consistent with the prior year and primarily derived from interest earned on the net proceeds of our equity offerings.
Other Income
In October 2010, the Company was awarded two one-time grants from the U.S. Government under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The awards were for the Companys Diabetes and Triglyceride research. As a result, the Company recognized $53,000 in other income for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2011; no such grants were received during the six-month period ended June 30, 2012.
Gain on Settlement of Obligations
On January 14, 2011, Biospherics Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, filed a Complaint For Injunction Relief And Damages in The United States District Court For The District Of Maryland against Inalco S.p.A. (the Complaint). The Complaint alleged that Inalco had breached the 2009 Manufacturing Support and Supply Agreement as Inalco (i) refused to supply D-tagatose previously paid for by Biospherics, (ii) refused to provide a promised bank guarantee, and (iii) shut-down its D-tagatose production facilities. On March 16, 2011, both parties signed a settlement agreement whereby Inalco agreed to supply Spherix with 8.5 metric tons of D-tagatose, which has been received by Spherix, and both parties have agreed to release each other from any other obligations under the previous agreement. As a result, the Company recognized a gain of $600,000 in March 2011 on the release from its purchase obligation.
In January 2011, the Company entered into a Letter Agreement with Gilbert V. Levin and M. Karen Levin pursuant to which the Company agreed to make a one time lump sum payment of $450,000 to the Levins in full satisfaction of the Companys obligation to make a series of continuing payments to the Levins relating to their prior employment by the Company. Per the terms of the agreement, Gilbert V. Levin resigned as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company on January 13, 2011. The Companys estimated liability to the Levins at December 31, 2010, and prior to the above agreement was approximately $695,000. The $450,000 lump sum payment was made on January 31, 2011, and the Company recognized the $245,000 difference as a gain on settlement of obligations in January 2011.
No similar gains were realized during the six-month period ended June 30, 2012.
Liquidity and Capital Resources, Consolidated
We expect to continue to incur substantial development costs in our Biospherics segment in the next several years, without substantial corresponding revenue, and we will continue to incur ongoing administrative and other expenses, including public company expenses. We intend to finance our activities through:
· the remaining proceeds of our equity offerings; and
· additional funds we will seek to raise through the sale of additional stock in the future.
Working capital was $3.8 million at June 30, 2012, and cash on hand as of that date was $4.2 million. Management believes that this cash on hand will be sufficient to sustain operations for 2012. We expect that we will need to expend between $3 million to $5 million over the next twelve (12) months to support our currently planned development operations. This estimate assumes (i) no further significant expenditures for developing D-tagatose as a drug for diabetes, (ii) continuing development of SPX-106T as a treatment for high triglycerides and other dyslipidemias, (iii) ongoing operation of the Health Sciences segment at the current level of activity and (iv) that we raise additional funds to continue our development efforts beyond this 12-month period.
In February 2012, the Company obtained net proceeds of approximately $1.1 million in a registered direct offering of common stock and warrants. Both the common stock issued in the offering and the underlying common stock for the warrants issued in the offering were previously registered under a Form S-3 shelf registration statement declared effective by the SEC in October 2009.
Due to the nature of our business, we will need to raise additional funds on a consistent basis to continue operations, to fully pursue the triglycerides and other dyslipidemias opportunity, and to seek, investigate, pursue and exploit other pipeline development opportunities. Fundraising will likely require the issuance of additional equity securities and a purchaser of such securities will likely insist that such securities be registered securities. NASDAQ rules require stockholder approval for certain stock issuances constituting twenty percent (20%) or more of a companys issued and outstanding stock.
The Company currently has an effective Form S-3 shelf registration statement under which 2,695,350 common shares remain available for issuance. However, it is unlikely that the Company will be able to use this shelf registration statement for another significant offering prior to its expiration on October 1, 2012. Following the expiration of this registration, the Company will need to file another shelf registration statement subject to SEC approval in order to proceed with future equity offerings.
The Company cannot be assured that it will be able to attract a purchaser of securities to raise the additional funds it will likely require; that the Company will be able to obtain any required stockholder approval; or that the Company will be able to have additional registered direct primary offerings. If we reach a point where we are unable to raise needed additional funds to continue our business activities, we will be forced to cease our development activities and dissolve the Company. In such an event, we will need to satisfy various severance, lease termination and other dissolution-related obligations.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Inherent Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
Management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and fraud. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by managements override of the control. The design of any system of controls also is based in part
upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports, such as this report on Form 10-Q, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. These controls and procedures are based closely on the definition of disclosure controls and procedures in Rule 13a-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act. Rules adopted by the SEC require that we present the conclusions of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer about the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report.
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Companys management, including the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objective pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Companys disclosure controls and procedures are effective at a reasonable assurance level, as of June 30, 2012.
Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in the Companys internal control over financial reporting during the period covered by this quarterly report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors in our Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011, which could materially affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The risks described in our Form 10-K are not the only risks facing our Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results.
31.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Spherix Incorporated pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2 Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Spherix Incorporated pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Spherix Incorporated pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2 Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Spherix Incorporated pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.1 XBRL Instance Document
101.2 XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.3 XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.4 XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.5 XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.6 XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
|
|
Spherix Incorporated | |
|
|
|
(Registrant) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date: |
August 13, 2012 |
|
By: |
/s/ Claire L. Kruger |
|
|
|
|
Claire L. Kruger |
|
|
|
|
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
Date: |
August 13, 2012 |
|
By: |
/s/ Robert L. Clayton |
|
|
|
|
Robert L. Clayton, CPA |
|
|
|
|
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |