GlucoTrack, Inc. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
[X] | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
[ ] | 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 000-54785
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 98-0668934 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
19 Ha’Yahalomim Street P.O. Box 12163 Ashdod, Israel |
L3 7760049 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code 972 (8) 675-7878
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common stock, par value $0.001 per share
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes [ ] 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 [ ] No [X]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities 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 [ ]
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 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes [X] No [ ]
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 [X].
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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer [ ] | Accelerated filer [ ] |
Non-accelerated filer [X] | Smaller Reporting Company [X] |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
None. |
The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates is $48,840,000 based on the closing price of $0.37 per share of the registrant’s common stock, as reported on the OTCQB on June 30, 2020, the last business day of the registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter of 2020.
As of April 13, 2021, 200,781,596 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, were outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
None, except as noted for Part III information in the Company's Schedule 14A to be filed on or before April 15, 2021.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “we”, “our”, “ours” “us” and “Integrity”, refer to A.D. Integrity Applications, Ltd., an Israeli corporation (“Integrity Israel”), for all periods prior to July 15, 2010 and to Integrity Israel and Integrity Applications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, on a combined basis, for all periods from and including July 15, 2010.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements regarding our future activities, events or developments, including such things as future revenues, product development, clinical trials, regulatory approval, market acceptance, responses from competitors, capital expenditures (including the amount and nature thereof), business strategy and measures to implement strategy, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of our business and operations, plans, references to future success, projected performance and trends, and other such matters, are forward-looking statements. Risks that could affect our business include the duration and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the demand for our products; actions by governments, businesses and individuals taken in response to the pandemic; the length of time of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of its reoccurrence; the timing required to develop effective treatments and a vaccine in the event of future outbreaks; the eventual impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response to the pandemic on global and regional economies; and the pace of recovery when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should” and other similar words and phrases or the negative of such terms, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on certain historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. All of the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results anticipated by us will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to or effects on us or our business or operations. Whether actual results will conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Risks and uncertainties, the occurrence of which could adversely affect our business, include the risks identified in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Risk Factors,” beginning on page 30. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this report unless required by law.
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Overview
Incorporated in Delaware in May 2010, we are a medical device company focused on the design, development and commercialization of non-invasive glucose monitoring devices for use by people with diabetes and pre-diabetics. On July 15, 2010, we completed a reverse triangular merger with Integrity Israel and Integrity Acquisition Corp. Ltd., an Israeli corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ours, pursuant to which Integrity Acquisition Corp. Ltd. merged with and into Integrity Israel and all of the stockholders and option holders of Integrity Israel became entitled to receive shares and options in us in exchange for their shares and options in Integrity Israel (the “Reorganization”). Following the Reorganization, the former equity holders of Integrity Israel were entitled to the same proportional ownership in us as they had in Integrity Israel prior to the Reorganization. As a result of the Reorganization, Integrity Israel became a wholly owned subsidiary of ours. We operate primarily through Integrity Israel.
Integrity Israel was founded in 2001 with a mission to develop, produce and market non-invasive glucose monitors for home use by diabetics. We have developed a non-invasive glucose monitor, the GlucoTrack® glucose monitoring device, which is designed to help people with diabetes and pre-diabetics obtain glucose level readings without the pain, inconvenience, cost and difficulty of conventional (invasive) spot finger stick devices. The first generation GlucoTrack® (“GlucoTrack 1.0”) utilizes a patented combination of ultrasound, electromagnetic and thermal technologies to obtain glucose measurements in less than one minute via a small sensor that is clipped onto one’s earlobe and connected to a small, handheld control and display unit, all without drawing blood or interstitial fluid.
We are currently developing our own companion applications and a cloud-based solution, as well as conducting ongoing discussions with potential partners, to offer an effective platform to provide real time, data driven personalized tools to effectively help a user manage their diabetes. In addition to being a critical and effective management tool for the end user, we believe that third parties such as insurers, pharmaceutical companies and advertisers would be willing to pay for the de-identified data that we will obtain through our platform, and that this is an opportunity for us to develop an additional revenue source.
After a short calibration process of approximately thirty minutes and consisting of three invasive reference measurements, GlucoTrack 1.0 can be used to non-invasively measure glucose levels for six months before a user is required to repeat the calibration process. The entire calibration process can be performed by the user themselves without the need for a trained calibrator. We believe the simple-to-perform calibration, as well as the infrequency of the required re-calibration are significant advantages over our competition.
GlucoTrack 1.0 has received the initial Conformité Européene (CE) Mark (indicating the conformity of the Company’s product with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area) approval for the GlucoTrack® 1.0 from DEKRA Certification B.V., our European notified body (the “Notified Body”), which is an entity that has been accredited by a member state of the European Union (“EU”) to assess whether a product to be placed on the market meets certain preordained standards. The intended use for GlucoTrack 1.0 received by the Notified Body is for both those with Type 2 diabetes as well as those suffering from pre-diabetes.
Receipt of the CE Mark allows us to market and sell GlucoTrack® 1.0 glucose monitoring device in EU member countries that have adopted the European Medical Device Directive (the “MDD”) without being subject to additional national regulations with regard to demonstration of performance and safety. However, although the MDD is applicable throughout the EU, in practice it does not ensure uniform regulation throughout the EU. Accordingly, member countries may apply and enforce the MDD’s terms differently, and certain EU member countries may request or require performance and/or safety data in addition to the MDD’s requirements from time to time, on a case-by-case basis. The CE Mark also permits the sale in countries that have an MDD Mutual Recognition Agreement with the EU. This would include some countries in South East Asia as well as in Latin America, opening new potential markets for Integrity on a global basis.
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Safety and quality are non-negotiables in the medical devices industry. Regulatory requirements are increasingly stringent throughout every step of a product’s life cycle, including service and delivery. More and more, organizations in the industry are expected to demonstrate their quality management processes and ensure best practice in everything they do. ISO 13485, is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical devices industry. On February 19, 2016, we received an extension of our ISO 13485:2003 certificate and Annex II certification from the EU. The ISO 13485:2003 certification signifies that we have met the standards required for company-wide implementation of device quality management system(s). The scope of the certification is design, development, manufacture and service of non-invasive glucose monitoring systems for home use. Annex II also addresses quality control systems. The certification allows us to self-certify certain modifications and changes and simplifies some of the reporting to and review by the relevant Notified Body. This can shorten the CE-mark review process of future GlucoTrack® enhancements or revisions, including software updates and other improvements of the device that do not affect the intended use and/or safety performance. The ISO 13485:2003 and Annex II certifications enable us to potentially reduce the time to market for product sales on new, enhanced or modified GlucoTrack® devices.
Clinical trials conducted in Germany by Pfutzner Science & Health Institute, GmbH, headed by Prof. Dr. Andreas Pfutzner, on subjects with Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, as well as at Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel, demonstrated favorable results. Results from the trials show 99.7% of the study data points within the clinically accepted A and B zones of the Consensus Error Grid (which is a new tool for evaluating the accuracy of a blood glucose meter) (Type 2), 99.3% of the study data points were within the clinically accepted A and B zones of the Clarke Error Grid (which is a tool used to quantify the clinical accuracy of blood glucose estimates generated by meters as compared to a reference value), 17.0% Mean Absolute Relative Difference, and 12.9% Median Absolute Relative Difference. In addition, the German trial concluded that the data confirms the performance of the GlucoTrack® among its intended users, including pre-diabetic patients.
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In addition, the Company has demonstrated (1) the GlucoTrack® algorithm, which compensates for the tissue-lagging effect relative to blood glucose changes post-meal intake, significantly improves GlucoTrack® accuracy at different post-prandial (post- meal) states, and equalizes accuracy for pre- and post-meal glucose readings; (2) GlucoTrack® clinical accuracy as measured by Consensus Error Grid (CEG) showed 100% of the pre-prandial readings in the A+B zones, and 98.2% of the post-prandial readings in the A+B zones; (3) GlucoTrack® 1.0 demonstrates consistent glucose measurement repeatability between different GlucoTrack® devices and on each earlobe of the same subject; (4) the repeatability of different GlucoTrack® devices is similar at all tested glucose ranges and post-prandial time periods; and (5) the GlucoTrack® mean precision absolute relative difference (PARD) of 8.2% is equivalent or better than the independently reported PARD values of commercially available continuous glucose monitoring systems.
The Company conducted a study that evaluated GlucoTracker accuracy in 172 adults with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed one or more medications for major medical conditions associated with diabetes, and presented key findings of this study at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Congress (EASD) in Lisbon, Portugal. The experiment stratified participants into five medication groups, focusing on anti-cholesterolemia, anti-hypertension, anti-thrombotic, and anti-diabetic (prolonged duration and short and mixed duration) medications. The study demonstrated that the use of these common concomitant medications in diabetes had no effect on the performance of GlucoTrack®.
In 2018, the Company presented at the 11th International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD 2018) in Vienna, Austria. The Company presented data on the performance of a non-invasive glucose monitoring device (GlucoTrack®) with regard to accuracy and precision. Device accuracy data was presented for 37 people with type 2 diabetes using the consensus error grid analysis for type 2 diabetes and measuring the median absolute relative difference (ARD). The results showed that 99.6% of 257 measurements were in zones A and B of the Consensus error grid, with 90.3% of the measurements in zone A, the mean and median ARD were 17.2% and 12.9%, respectively, and at various glucose levels, mean PARD ranged from 7.7%-8.7%. Data was also presented on sensor to sensor precision in 20 people with type 2 diabetes where ~19 simultaneous measurements using two GlucoTrack® devices, one on each earlobe. The results show that GlucoTrack® is highly accurate with sensor-to-sensor precision is comparable to that of CGMs (GlucoTrack: 8.1%, Dexcom G6: 9.0%, Freestyle Navigator: 9.6%).
The Company had begun the implementation of a proof of concept pilot program for GlucoTrack 1.0 in the Netherlands, a country chosen based on the relatively smaller size of the marketplace to allow us to be able to rapidly assess our performance and make adjustments as necessary. We have been working closely with our exclusive distributor in the Netherlands, Medireva B.V., and have accomplished product and disease area training across the organization and segmentation of the local target audiences including key opinion leaders, treating physicians, and diabetes nurses. The most important aspect of our pilot program in the Netherlands are the discussions held with many health insurance companies. Approval of full or partial reimbursement by the health insurance companies will be a key factor in enabling us to achieve significant sales volume. The Company has made progress with several of these companies on initial programs with GlucoTrack 1.0 as an important step towards reimbursement approval.
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Talent development, recruiting and organizational health have been a critical focus of the Company over the last 12 months. A number of high-quality individuals have joined the Company, each of whom bring extensive experience in their respective fields. We have bolstered our Senior Management with the recruitment of Erez Ben-Zvi, a highly experienced MedTech development professional who joined us last year as Vice President of Product, and recently took on the additional role of General Manager, and Shalom Shushan, a seasoned executive who joined us as Chief Technology Officer. Paul V. Goode PhD, who has a decorated career developing innovative medical technologies, including at DexCom and MiniMed, joined our board of directors. Several highly talented and accomplished executives joined the Company as senior advisors to the Board. These include Yair Briman, the former CEO of Philips Healthcare Informatics, Daniel McCaffrey MBA MA, a world-renowned behavioral scientist and digital health expert currently at Samsung Health and formerly of Dexcom, and Dr. Alexander Raykhman PhD, a measurement and artificial intelligence expert. We intend to continue to invest in our talent and to expand and strengthen all areas within the company.
Recently, the Company performed a top-down analysis of the GlucoTrack 1.0 model to identify areas of potential enhancement, as it relates to the platform, integrations, sensor technologies, accuracy as well as costs to manufacture. The result of this comprehensive review is an accelerated development plan for GlucoTrack 2.0. GlucoTrack 2.0 will be a completely wireless and rechargeable earclip to be paired with a smartphone, with more capabilities and features, increased accuracy, significantly greater margins for the Company and lower cost to the end-user as compared to GlucoTrack 1.0.
As previously reported, the Company has made significant progress towards receiving insurance reimbursement in the Netherlands. With the new accelerated development plan for GlucoTrack 2.0, with all of the expected advantages over GlucoTrack 1.0, it made clear to the Company that introducing GlucoTrack 2.0 rather than the GlucoTrack 1.0 would serve the diabetes market and the Company more effectively. We are currently working with our European partners on the roadmap for distribution of GlucoTrack 2.0 when completed and ready to market.
In addition to the European markets, the Company is now focused on the U.S. market as well, including building out its U.S. go-to-market strategy and planning the required FDA clinical trials and field testing to support its entrance into the market. The Company is currently in the process of identifying clinical sites in the U.S., interviewing Contract Research Organizations (CRO’s), and forming its Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards. We intend to build out a team to support the U.S. activities, while continuing our technology development in our R&D facility located in Israel.
On February 14, 2020, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement (collectively, the “Agreements”) with an accredited investor, pursuant to which the accredited investor purchased 37,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, for an aggregate gross purchase price of $15 million, less cash expenses of approximately $2 million.
Effective June, 2020, Erez Ben-Zvi has joined the Company as its Vice President of Product and as a member of the Company’s executive leadership team. On February 8, 2021 the Company promoted Mr. Ben-Zvi to General Manager in addition to his role as Vice President of Product
On, February 2, 2021 David Malka resigned from his role as President, effective April 6, 2021.
We do not own commercial manufacturing facilities and do not intend to build commercial manufacturing facilities of our own in the foreseeable future.
We have not yet generated any material revenues from our operations and, as of December 31, 2020, have incurred an accumulated deficit of $93,399 thousand and negative operating cash flows. We currently have no material sources of recurring revenue and therefore are dependent upon external sources for financing our operations. However, on February 14, 2020, we closed on a private placement of our common stock with gross proceeds of $15,000,000, so the Company has operating capital to last at least one year from the date of this Annual Report without generating any revenue.
Market Opportunity
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening disease for which there is no known cure. Diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to produce or effectively utilize the hormone insulin. This inability prevents the body from adequately regulating blood glucose levels. Glucose, the primary source of energy for cells, must be maintained at certain concentrations in the blood in order to permit optimal cell function and health. Normally, the pancreas provides control of blood glucose levels by secreting the hormone insulin to decrease blood glucose levels when concentrations are too high. In people with diabetes, blood glucose levels fluctuate between very high levels, a condition known as hyperglycemia, and very low levels, a condition known as hypoglycemia. Hyperglycemia can lead to serious long-term complications, such as blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, amputations, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Hypoglycemia can lead to confusion, loss of consciousness or death.
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Diabetes is typically classified into two major groups: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin, resulting from destruction of the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Individuals with Type 1 diabetes must rely on frequent insulin injections in order to regulate and maintain blood glucose levels. Type 1 diabetes is frequently diagnosed during childhood or adolescence, although disease onset can occur at any age. Type 2 diabetes, the more common form of diabetes, is characterized by the body’s inability to either properly utilize insulin or produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity and race or ethnicity. Depending on the severity of Type 2 diabetes, individuals may require diet and nutrition management, exercise, oral medications or insulin injections to regulate blood glucose levels.
According to the Diabetes Atlas (Ninth Edition) published by the International Diabetes Federation in 2019, approximately 463 million adults worldwide, between the ages of 20 and 79, or over 9% of the world’s adult population, were estimated to suffer from diabetes in 2019 (not including those persons who suffer from impaired glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes, diabetic conditions first arising during pregnancy). The International Diabetes Federation estimates that this number will grow to approximately 700 million adults worldwide by 2045.
Glucose Monitoring
Blood glucose levels can be affected by many factors, including the carbohydrate and fat content of meals, exercise, stress, illness or impending illness, hormonal releases, variability in insulin absorption and changes in the effects of insulin in the body. Given the many factors that affect blood glucose levels, maintaining glucose within a normal range can be difficult. Diabetics generally manage their blood glucose levels by administering insulin or ingesting carbohydrates throughout the day to maintain blood glucose within normal ranges. Normal ranges in diabetics vary from person to person. In order to maintain blood glucose levels within normal ranges, diabetics must first measure their blood glucose levels so that they can make the proper therapeutic adjustments. As adjustments are made, additional blood glucose measurements may be necessary to gauge the individual’s response to the adjustments. More frequent testing of blood glucose levels provides patients with information that can be used to better understand and manage their diabetes. Testing of blood glucose levels is usually done before meals, after meals and before going to sleep. Diabetics who take insulin usually need to test more often than those who do not take insulin.
Clinical data supports the recommendation that frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels is an important component of effective diabetes management. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial1, consisting of patients with Type 2 diabetes, and the 1993 UK Prospective Diabetes Study2, consisting of patients with Type 2 diabetes, demonstrated that patients who intensely managed blood glucose levels delayed the onset and slowed the progression of diabetes-related complications. In the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, a major component of intensive management was monitoring blood glucose levels at least four times per day using conventional spot finger stick blood glucose meters. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial demonstrated that intensive management reduced the risk of complications by 76% for eye disease, 60% for nerve disease and 50% for kidney disease. Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis of over 25 prospective studies concluded that chronic hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes independently from other conventional risk factors.3 However, despite the evidence that intensive glucose management reduces the long-term complications associated with diabetes, Karter et al. reported in the 2000 issue of Diabetes Care that 67% of people with type 2 diabetes fail to routinely monitor their glucose levels.4
Spot finger stick devices are the most prevalent devices for blood glucose monitoring. These devices require users to insert a strip into a glucose meter, take a blood sample with a finger stick and place a drop of blood on a test strip that yields a single point in time blood glucose measurement. Despite continued developments in the field of blood glucose monitors, the routine measurement of glucose levels remains invasive, painful, inconvenient, difficult and costly. This has resulted in a sub-optimal and irregular measurement regimen for many diabetics.
1 Group, U. P. D. S. (UKPDS); others Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33). The Lancet 1998, 352, 837–853.
2 Diabetes Control and Complications Research Group; others The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 1993, 329, 977–986.
3 hang, Y.; Hu, G.; Yuan, Z.; Chen, L. Glycosylated Hemoglobin in Relationship to Cardiovascular Outcomes and Death in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE 2012, 7, e42551, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0042551.
4 Karter, A. J.; Ferrara, A.; Darbinian, J. A.; Ackerson, L. M.; Selby, J. V. Self-monitoring of blood glucose: language and financial barriers in a managed care population with diabetes. Diabetes Care 2000, 23, 477–483.
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The FDA has approved continuous glucose monitoring system (“CGMS”) devices for blood glucose monitoring, when prescribed by a doctor. CGMS devices use sensors inserted under the skin to check glucose levels in interstitial fluid. The sensor stays in place for up to fourteen days and then must be replaced. A transmitter sends information about glucose levels via radio waves from the sensor to a pager-like wireless monitor. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, CGMS device users must check blood samples with a conventional glucose meter to calibrate the CGMS devices, and because currently approved CGMS devices are not as accurate as standard blood glucose meters, users should confirm glucose levels with a conventional glucose meter when making treatment decisions.
To our knowledge, with the exception of one other device, the GlucoTrack 1.0 is still the only approved device for use in the EU for spot non-invasive blood glucose measurement. The FDA has previously approved a single non-invasive product for glucose trend analysis, the GlucoWatch®, so long as the device was used with conventional finger stick glucose monitoring devices. However, the device is no longer available commercially. We are not aware of any other devices that have been approved for use in either the United Stated or the EU for spot or continuous non-invasive blood glucose measurement.
We believe that a significant market opportunity exists for a reliable, inexpensive, non-invasive blood glucose measurement device and that such a device could greatly increase compliance with blood glucose measurement recommendations and help many diabetics better manage their disease, providing significant benefits to both patients and payors.
The Product
Our first generation non-invasive blood glucose monitor, the GlucoTrack 1.0, utilizes a patented combination of ultrasound, electromagnetic and thermal technologies to obtain blood glucose measurements in less than one minute via a small sensor that is clipped onto one’s earlobe and connected to a handheld control and display unit. GlucoTrack 2.0, currently under development, utilizes substantially identical underlying sensor technology, and is expected to be a completely wireless sensor to be clipped on the earlobe. GlucoTrack eliminates the handheld unit and will transmit results directly to a user’s smartphone.
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We believe that GlucoTrack addresses the unmet need for more frequent monitoring of blood glucose among people with diabetes by overcoming two of the most significant challenges facing the market:
● | pain, as GlucoTrack is a truly non-invasive device; and |
● | cost, as we anticipate that the total cost of purchasing a device and purchasing replacement ear clips every six months (anticipated to be the only recurring cost) over the useful life of the device will be significantly lower than the cost of purchasing single use glucose sticks over that same period. |
We believe that the overall costs associated with owning and using a GlucoTrack® device are expected to be substantially lower than the cost of purchasing and using single use invasive devices over an extended period of time. We intend to seek reimbursement approval for GlucoTrack® from third-party payors, including government payors (such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the United States, in the event GlucoTrack® is approved for commercial sale in the United States), managed care organizations and other third-party payors. There can be no assurance that such third party-payors will provide reimbursement coverage for GlucoTrack® or, if so, whether such reimbursement coverage will be adequate. See “Risk Factors - If GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, fail to achieve market acceptance or reimbursement coverage from managed care organizations or third-party payors, we may not be able to generate significant revenue or achieve or sustain profitability”.
Instead of directly measuring the glucose level of a user’s blood, as conventional spot finger stick devices do, GlucoTrack® uses a small, non-invasive sensor that is clipped onto a user’s earlobe to obtain certain body measurements using three technologies. Within one minute, GlucoTrack® will produce a blood glucose measurement.
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Since the GlucoTrack® non-invasive measurement does not directly measure glucose levels in the blood, but rather measures a series of physiological characteristics that correlate with glucose levels, each patient must be calibrated by using a reference to a measurement obtained from an invasive device. Calibration consists of comparing an individual patient’s physiological measurements obtained using GlucoTrack® to measurements obtained from an invasive device under different circumstances over a defined 30-minute period (three measurements that require approximately 10 minutes each).
The three different technologies used by GlucoTrack®, ultrasound, electromagnetic and thermal, simultaneously measure three independent criteria. These three measurements (criteria) are combined together by a unique (online) algorithm to produce an acceptable measurement of a user’s blood glucose level.
The technologies operate as follows:
● | Ultrasound: GlucoTrack® uses ultrasound technology to measure the change of speed of sound through the earlobe, which is impacted by the glucose concentration in the capillary blood vessels. | |
● | Electromagnetic: GlucoTrack’s electromagnetic technology uses a measurement of conductivity to measure the change in tissue impedance, which is a function of glucose concentration. GlucoTrack’s electromagnetic technology analyzes criteria similar to those analyzed by conventional invasive devices, such as spot finger stick devices, but does so in a non-invasive manner. | |
● | Thermal: GlucoTrack’s thermal technology uses a measurement of heat capacity characteristics of the tissue, which are influenced by glucose concentration. |
Non-invasive devices generally require frequent recalibration. The main reasons for calibration are that tissue parameters generally fluctuate in the area of the measurement and are sensitive to the location of the sensor and the impact of potential disturbances. Disturbances are less frequent in the earlobes, where GlucoTrack® takes its measurements. Utilizing three channels simultaneously reduces the noise contribution in the measurement. In addition, the personal ear-clip contains sensors to help users attach the device to the proper part of the ear lobe. The Notified Body for our CE Mark approval has determined that the initial calibration of the GlucoTrack 1.0 device is valid for a period of six months which we believe is a significant competitive advantage, while to our knowledge, competing products require recalibration significantly much more frequently. Therefore, we expect GlucoTrack® will require only an initial calibration upon use of a new personal ear-clip (to be replaced every six months) and will not require further recalibration.
GlucoTrack® does not use any optical method (either Infra-Red (IR) or Near Infra-Red (NIR) technology), which we understand are being used by other developers of non-invasive blood glucose measurement devices. We believe that optical technologies are less reliable than the GlucoTrack’s combination of ultrasound, electromagnetic and thermal technologies due to inherent physiological limitations with optical technology. More specifically, optical technology is based on dispersion of a beam that is analyzed by spectrometric methods. As such devices are non-invasive, the beam passes through other components in the fingertip, such as skin, bone, muscle and fat tissue, which interfere with the measurements. Generally, most of these interferences have been overcome, but not the epidermis, primarily due to roughness, pigmentation and perspiration, which act like lenses in optical wavelengths.
Unlike conventional spot finger stick devices, which require single-use glucose test strips, GlucoTrack® requires no short- term disposables. We believe that the GlucoTrack’s personal ear-clip will need to be replaced only once every six months, although regulatory authorities may require that replacement occur more frequently. Since there is no additional cost or pain involved with each blood glucose measurement using GlucoTrack®, we believe that users of our device would be encouraged to take multiple blood glucose measurements per day, significantly increasing compliance with blood glucose measurement recommendations and helping diabetics better manage their disease. More frequent testing of blood glucose levels may provide a patient with information that can be used to determine optimal timing and dosage for corrective treatments such as insulin, and can also direct a patient to seek a clinical analysis or detailed testing and diagnosis.
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The GlucoTrack 1.0 has received CE Mark approval, which allows us to market and sell GlucoTrack® 1.0 in EU member countries that have adopted the MDD without being subject to additional national regulations with regard to demonstration of performance and safety. While the MDD is applicable throughout the EU, it requires only a minimum level of harmonization among member countries. Accordingly, member countries may apply and enforce the MDD’s terms differently, and certain EU member countries may request or require performance and/or safety data additional to the MDD’s requirements from time to time, on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, the MDD notwithstanding, because the regulatory regimes of the EU member countries are significantly diverse, it is difficult to predict future regulatory developments and risks. GlucoTrack® 1.0 has not yet been cleared or approved for commercial sale in the United States. See “Government Regulatory - Regulation of the Design, Manufacture and Distribution of Medical Devices” below for a discussion of the approval process for commercial sale in the United States. There can be no assurance that approval for commercial sale in any additional jurisdiction will be obtained on a timely basis or at all.
On January 21, 2020, we announced receipt of a CE Mark for a significant improvement to our product, an enhancement which allows a user to perform the calibration process by themselves, without the need for a certified calibrator.
We do not have commercial manufacturing facilities and do not intend to build commercial manufacturing facilities of our own in the foreseeable future. Our suppliers and their manufacturing facilities must comply with applicable regulations in the jurisdictions in which GlucoTrack® is to be marketed (including ISO 13485 in the EU), current quality system regulations, which include current good manufacturing practices, and to the extent laboratory analysis is involved, current good laboratory practices. There can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into agreements with qualified manufacturers on terms acceptable to us, or at all, or that, once contracted, such manufacturers will perform as expected.
Furthermore, the manufacturing of GlucoTrack® may be impacted by the Recast Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, 2011/65/EU (“RoHS 2”). RoHS 2 is a new EU directive that came into force on July 22, 2014. Like the MDD, RoHS 2, a recast of Directive 2002/95/EC that will cover electrical and electronic medical devices, is relevant in order to obtain CE Marking for certain products. RoHS 2 compliance requires medical device manufacturers to: draw up required technical documentation; conduct an internal control procedure in accordance with Module A of Annex II to Decision No. 768/2008/EC; prepare a Declaration of Conformity; and affix CE Marking to a finished product. Although these requirements are similar to those of the MDD, RoHS 2 does not require a Notified Body assessment of compliance. However, if they are not compliant with RoHS 2, medical device manufacturers face the risk of being barred from selling medical devices in the EU after July 22, 2014.
Sales & Marketing
We have a limited number of dedicated sales and marketing personnel, as we intend to collaborate with third parties with established sales and marketing operations in the medical device industry (such as the distributors described below) to market and sell GlucoTrack® to point of sale end users and/or local distributors. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into additional distribution agreements on terms acceptable to us or at all or that, once contracted, our distributors will perform as expected.
GlucoTrack® 1.0 has been cleared and approved for commercial sale in the following jurisdictions: EU (subject to registration by the local distributors with the respective countries), Israel, Turkey, South Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand and numerous Arab countries. We cannot provide any assurance that we will receive the required local regulatory approvals in any of the countries in which such approvals are required, and therefore we may never be permitted to commence commercial sales of our products in such territories. Further discussions with other potential distributors are in different stages.
We are currently in the process of developing our wireless 2.0 model and upon readiness, we intend to conduct clinical trials in the U.S. for eventual domestic commercialization.
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Research & Development
We focus significant time and resources on research and development in connection with our efforts to continue to develop, improve and commercialize GlucoTrack®, as well as in connection with our development of other GlucoTrack® models. Our continuing research and development activities are primarily focused on software and algorithm improvements intended to improve the accuracy of the device, clinical trials to test the performance of the GlucoTrack® device when used by children and teenagers between the ages of six and 18, preparation for future FDA trials, testing new characteristics of the device, development of a new device in the GlucoTrack® family and seeking to streamline and continue to simplify the calibration process. See “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation – Results of Operation” below for a discussion of the research and development expenses for the fiscal years ended 2020 and 2019.
Our strategic priorities include the research and development of product enhancements that will improve the ease and usability of GlucoTrack for patients with a future generation of products. We are focusing our research and development activities around 2 main strategic areas:
1. | GlucoTrack® 2.0 |
The objective of this project is to transform the existing device into a simple, easy to use wireless ear-clip which would measure glucose and communicate the results seamlessly to any other platform through a wireless connection or a Bluetooth connection to a smart device such as a smartphone, tablet or computer, eliminating the current handheld display. The result would be a user-friendly, inconspicuous measuring device for the management of diabetes and pre-diabetes. We expect this new device to have much greater patient desire to purchase and user acceptance. We also expect this new device will have a significantly lower cost to manufacture than our current device.
2. | Digital Health Applications |
We are currently developing smart device applications (“Apps”) to facilitate the interaction of users with Glucotrack® and the glucose data collected. The Apps will be compatible with both IOS and Android operating systems. We intend to develop Apps that support the management of Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetic patients by providing immediate feedback and insights that can be derived from glucose measurements. Enhanced capabilities within the Apps may include goal setting, alarms and reminders, and diabetes management tips and tools. It will also be designed to provide analyses of trends over multiple time periods. The goal is to provide relevant information to guide patients in their journey to change behaviors and improve the management of their condition. The Apps are expected to have a user-directed capability to connect with third party healthcare providers (physicians, dieticians, and nurse practitioners) in order to receive professional guidance based on the accumulated information leading to improved management of the condition and better disease outcomes.
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Regulatory Considerations
Healthcare is heavily regulated by federal, state and local governments in the United States, and by similar authorities in other countries. Any product that we develop must receive all relevant regulatory approvals or clearances, as the case may be, before it may be marketed in a particular country. The laws and regulations affecting healthcare change regularly, thereby increasing the uncertainty and risk associated with any healthcare- related venture. The United States government has in the past considered, is currently considering and may in the future consider healthcare policies and proposals intended to curb rising healthcare costs, including those that could significantly and adversely affect reimbursement for healthcare products such as GlucoTrack® devices. These policies have included, and may in the future include: basing reimbursement policies and rates on clinical outcomes, the comparative effectiveness and costs of different treatment technologies and modalities; imposing price controls and taxes on medical device providers; and other measures. Future significant changes in the healthcare systems in any jurisdiction in which GlucoTrack® or our future products, if any, may be cleared for sale could also have a negative impact on the demand for the GlucoTrack® or our future products, if any. These include changes that may reduce reimbursement or payment rates for such products.
In the United States, the federal government regulates healthcare through various agencies, including but not limited to the following: (i) the FDA, which administers the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as well as other relevant laws; (ii) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), which administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs; (iii) the Office of Inspector General, which enforces various laws aimed at curtailing fraudulent or abusive practices including, by way of example, the Anti-Kickback Law, the Anti-Physician Referral Law, commonly referred to as the Stark Law, the Anti-Inducement Law, the Civil Money Penalty Law, and the laws that authorize the Office of Inspector General to exclude health care providers and others from participating in federal healthcare programs; and (iv) the Office of Civil Rights which administers the privacy and security aspects of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). All of the aforementioned are agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services. Healthcare is also provided or regulated, as the case may be, by the Department of Defense through its TriCare program, the Department of Veterans Affairs under, among other laws, the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, the Public Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services under the Public Health Service Act, the Department of Justice through the Federal False Claims Act and various criminal statutes, and state governments under the Medicaid program and their internal laws regulating all healthcare activities. If and when we receive FDA approval to market GlucoTrack® in the United States, we will be subject to regulation by some or all of the foregoing agencies.
The applicable regulatory schemes in the EU are significantly more diverse than those in the United States and do not lend themselves to similar summary. Although the CE Mark system and the MDD require a minimum level of harmonization in the EU, each EU member country may impose additional regulatory requirements. Because there are numerous EU member countries with distinct legal systems, the scope of potential regulatory requirements in each of the EU countries (additional to the harmonized EU requirements) is difficult to summarize or predict.
Regulation of the Design, Manufacture and Distribution of Medical Devices
Any product that we develop must receive all relevant regulatory clearances or approvals, as the case may be, before it may be marketed in a particular country.
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Sales of medical devices outside the United States are subject to foreign regulatory requirements that vary widely from country to country. These laws and regulations range from simple product registration requirements in some countries to complex clearance and production controls in others. As a result, the processes and time periods required to obtain foreign marketing approval may be longer or shorter than those necessary to obtain FDA approval (as described below). These differences may affect the efficiency and timeliness of international market introduction of GlucoTrack®. For countries in the EU, medical devices must display a CE Mark before they may be imported or sold and must comply with the requirements of the MDD or the Active Implantable Medical Device Directive. On June 4, 2013, we received our CE Mark approval for the first generation GlucoTrack® non-invasive glucose monitoring device from the Notified Body. Receipt of the CE Mark allows us to market and sell the GlucoTrack® 1.0 model glucose monitoring device in EU member countries that have adopted the MDD without being subject to additional national regulations with regard to demonstration of performance and safety. However, although the MDD is applicable throughout the EU, in practice it does not ensure uniform regulation throughout the EU. Rather, the MDD requires only a minimum level of harmonization in the EU. Accordingly, member countries may apply and enforce the MDD’s terms differently, and certain EU member countries may request or require performance and/or safety data in addition to the MDD’s requirements from time to time, on a case-by-case basis. The CE Mark also permits the sale in countries that have an MDD Mutual Recognition Agreement with the EU. On August 31, 2015, we received approval from the Notified Body for improvements to the GlucoTrack® 1.0 model which simplify and shorten (from approximately 2.5 hours to approximately half an hour) the initial calibration process for the device. These improvements are intended to reduce the backlog created as purchasers of the device await calibration. In addition, we received approval from the Notified Body on the updated intended use for the device, which expands the intended user population to include not only Type 2 diabetics, but persons suffering from pre-diabetes conditions as well, which we believe represents a material expansion of the potential market for the device. In December 2015, we received approval from the Notified Body for further improvements to the GlucoTrack® model 1.0 that increase the accuracy and efficacy of the device. On February 19, 2016, we received an extension of our ISO 13485:2003 certificate and Annex II certification from the EU. The ISO 13485:2003 certification signifies that we have met the standards required for company-wide implementation of device quality management system(s). The scope of the certification is design, development, manufacture and service of non-invasive glucose monitoring systems for home use. Annex II also addresses quality control systems. The certification allows us to self-certify certain modifications and changes and simplifies some of the reporting to and review by the relevant Notified Body. This can shorten CE-mark review process of future GlucoTrack® enhancements or revisions. Without an Annex II certification, each new device enhancement or modified version would be subject to the full EU CE-mark review process. The ISO 13485:2003 and Annex II certifications enable us to potentially improve the time to market for product sales on new, enhanced or modified GlucoTrack® devices. On January 21, 2020, the Company announced that it has received CE Mark approval for a major enhancement to GlucoTrack, allowing for a user to perform the calibration process by themselves, without the need for a certified calibrator. The initial CE Mark approval received for GlucoTrack required a calibration process that took three hours to complete, required eight invasive finger stick reference measurements, needed to be repeated every thirty days and required a certified calibrator to perform the calibration. After a series of successful enhancements and approvals, the calibration process now takes just thirty minutes, requires just three invasive reference measurements, and needs to be repeated only once every six months. With self-calibration, a user can now perform this simplified process in the privacy and convenience of their own home. As a result of these incremental, but important, enhancements to the performance of the device we believe that the product is ready for commercial launch in specific market segments.
In the United States, under Section 201(h) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a medical device is an article which, among other things, is intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in man or other animals. We believe that GlucoTrack® devices will be classified as medical devices and subject to regulation by numerous agencies and legislative bodies, including the FDA and its foreign counterparts. Devices are subject to varying levels of regulatory control, the most comprehensive of which requires that a clinical evaluation be conducted before a device receives approval for commercial distribution. The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes. Class I devices are relatively simple and can be manufactured and distributed with general controls. Class II devices are somewhat more complex and require greater scrutiny. Class III devices are new and frequently help sustain life.
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In the United States, a company generally can obtain permission to distribute a new device in two ways – through a so-called “510(k)” premarket notification application or through a Section 515 premarket approval (“PMA”) application. The 510(k) submission applies to any device that is substantially equivalent to a device first marketed prior to May 28, 1976 or to another device marketed after that date, but which was substantially equivalent to a pre-May 28, 1976 device. These devices are either Class I or Class II devices. Under the 510(k) submission process, the FDA will issue an order finding substantial equivalence to a predicate device (pre-May 28, 1976 or post-May 28, 1976 device that was substantially equivalent to a pre- May 28, 1976 device) and permitting commercial distribution of that device for its intended use. A 510(k) submission must provide information supporting its claim of substantial equivalence to the predicate device. The FDA permits certain low risk medical devices to be marketed without requiring the manufacturer to submit a premarket notification. In other instances, the FDA may require that a premarket notification not only be submitted, but also be accompanied by clinical data. If clinical data from human experiments are required to support the 510(k) submissions, these data must be gathered in compliance with investigational device exemption regulations for investigations performed in the United States. The FDA review process for premarket notifications submitted pursuant to section 510(k) should take about 90 days, but it can take substantially longer if the FDA has concerns, and there is no guarantee that the FDA will clear the device for marketing, in which case the device cannot be lawfully distributed in the United States. If the FDA finds that the device subject to the premarket notification is substantially equivalent to a proper predicate device, then the FDA may “clear” that device for marketing. These devices are not “approved” by the FDA. There is no guarantee, however, that the FDA will deem the device subject to the 510(k) process, as opposed to the more time-consuming, resource intensive and problematic PMA application process described below.
The more comprehensive PMA process applies to a new device that either is not substantially equivalent to a pre-May 28, 1976 product or is to be used in supporting or sustaining life or preventing impairment. These devices are normally Class III devices and can only be marketed following approval of a PMA application. For example, most implantable devices are subject to the PMA approval process. Two steps of FDA approval generally are required before a company can market a product in the U.S. that is subject to Section 515 PMA approval, as compared to a Section 510(k) clearance. First, a company must comply with investigational device exemption regulations in connection with any human clinical investigation of the device; however, those regulations permit a company to undertake a clinical study of a “non-significant risk” device without formal FDA approval. Prior express FDA approval is required if the device is a significant risk device. If there is any doubt as to whether a device is a “non-significant risk” device, companies normally seek prior approval from the FDA. Normally, clinical studies of new diagnostic products are conducted in tandem with a cleared or approved device and treatment decisions are based on the results from the existing diagnostic device. In such a setting, the FDA may consider the clinical trial as one not posing a significant risk. However, FDA action is always uncertain and dependent on the contours of the design of the clinical trial and the device and there is no assurance that the FDA would consider any proposed clinical trial as one posing a non-significant risk. Moreover, before undertaking any clinical trial, the company sponsoring the trial and the investigator conducting the trial are required by federal law to seek and obtain the approval of institutional review boards (“IRB”). An IRB weighs the risks and benefits of a proposed trial to ensure that the human subjects are not exposed to unnecessary risk and reviews the informed consent form to ensure that it meets federal requirements and accurately describes the risks and benefits, if any, of the clinical trial. IRB review occurs annually, and annual re-approval is required. University medical centers as well as other entities maintain and operate IRB. Second, the FDA must review a company’s PMA, which contains, among other things, clinical information acquired under the investigational device exemption. The FDA will approve the PMA if it finds there is reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended use. The premarket approval process takes substantially longer than the 510(k) process.
The GlucoTrack® 1.0 has not yet been approved for commercial sale in the United States. The GlucoTrack® 2.0 is still under development and has not yet been approved for commercial sale in or outside the United States. In discussions with the FDA regarding the regulatory pathway, the FDA is not yet entirely sure whether a de novo pathway is acceptable and recommended that the Company should plan to support this approach through risk analysis and an explanation of why the new measurement paradigm it is proposing does not introduce greater risks. FDA noted that no decision has been made that a PMA will be required.
On August 10, 2015, we submitted pre-submission documents to the FDA in connection with our proposed future application for FDA approval of our U.S. clinical trial protocol. The pre-submission documentation was submitted to the FDA in order to obtain the FDA’s guidance regarding the U.S. regulatory pathway for the GlucoTrack® 1.0, the proper approach to refining the trial protocol, and preparing the pre-marketing application. On October 19, 2015, we met with the FDA to discuss the pre-submission documents, including the approach to and details of the clinical trial protocol for the GlucoTrack® 1.0. On May 10, 2016, we submitted a pre-submission supplement (including clinical trial protocol) to the FDA which modifies the pre-submission documentation to reflect the feedback received from the FDA at the meeting. On July 18, 2016, we completed a teleconference with the FDA to further discuss our pre-submission supplement. At the end of this discussion, we received verbal confirmation from the FDA that clinical trials of the GlucoTrack® 1.0 constitute non-significant risk device studies, which allows the trials to proceed without an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application. Such trials are assessed by the FDA and not considered to present a potential for serious risk to the health, safety or the welfare of subjects. The initiation of clinical trials in the USA requires adequate financing to fund the clinical program through completion. With the closing of our recent financing, we have restarted out internal planning for commencing such clinical trials.
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Even when a clinical study has been approved or cleared by the FDA or a notified body or deemed approved, the study is subject to factors beyond a manufacturer’s control, including, but not limited to the fact that the IRB at a given clinical site might not approve the study, might decline to renew approval which is required annually, or might suspend or terminate the study before the study has been completed. Also, the interim results of a study may not be satisfactory, in which case the sponsor may terminate or suspend the study on its own initiative or the FDA or a notified body may terminate or suspend the study. There is no assurance that a clinical study at any given site will progress as anticipated; there may be an insufficient number of patients who qualify for the study or who agree to participate in the study, or the investigator at the site may have priorities other than the study. Also, there can be no assurance that the clinical study will provide sufficient evidence to assure the FDA or a notified body that the product is safe and effective, a prerequisite for FDA approval of a PMA, or substantially equivalent in terms of safety and effectiveness to a predicate device, a prerequisite for clearance under 510(k). Even if the FDA or a notified body approves or clears a device, it may limit its intended uses in such a way that manufacturing and distributing the device may not be commercially feasible.
After clearance or approval to market is given, the FDA and foreign regulatory agencies, upon the occurrence of certain events, are authorized under various circumstances to withdraw the clearance or approval or require changes to a device, its manufacturing process or its labeling or additional proof that regulatory requirements have been met.
A manufacturer of a device approved through the PMA process is not permitted to make changes to the device which affects its safety or effectiveness without first submitting a supplement application to its PMA and obtaining FDA approval for that supplement. In some instances, the FDA may require clinical trials to support a supplement application. A manufacturer of a device cleared through a 510(k) submission must submit another premarket notification if it intends to make a change or modification in the device that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device, such as a significant change or modification in design, material, chemical composition, energy source or manufacturing process. Any change in the intended uses of a PMA device or a 510(k) device requires an approval supplement or cleared premarket notification. Exported devices are subject to the regulatory requirements of each country to which the device is exported, as well as certain FDA export requirements.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010, and on March 30, 2010, a reconciliation bill that modifies certain provisions of the same was signed into law. These two laws are jointly referred to as the “Affordable Care Act” or “ACA.”
The principal aim of the ACA was to expand health insurance coverage to approximately 32 million Americans who were uninsured. The law’s most far-reaching changes did not take effect until 2014, including a requirement that most Americans carry health insurance. The consequences of these significant coverage expansions on the sales of our products is still unknown and speculative at this point, although the ACA and certain state initiatives may compel private insurers to reduce coverage or reimbursement for various items and services, including medical devices of the type that we contemplate distributing.
This legislation contains many provisions designed to generate the revenues necessary to fund the coverage expansions. The most relevant of these provisions are those that impose fees or taxes on certain health-related industries, including medical device manufacturers. Beginning in 2013, each medical device manufacturer is required to pay an excise tax (or sales tax) in an amount equal to 2.3% of the price for which such manufacturer sells its medical devices. The tax applies to all medical devices, including our products and product candidates. The ACA also provides for increased enforcement of the fraud and abuse regulations previously mentioned.
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There are ongoing discussions in the EU regarding amending the relevant regulatory framework. It is difficult to predict what effect any amendments to the existing EU legislation may have. Furthermore, each individual EU member country has the authority to amend its regulations and requirements additional to the minimum harmonization required by the MDD. Because the EU member countries have diverse legal systems, it is difficult to predict what, if any, amendments may be implemented in each of the EU member countries and whether they may adversely affect us.
We anticipate that sales volumes and prices of GlucoTrack® and any other products we commercialize will depend in large part on the availability of reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include governmental programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance plans and workers’ compensation plans. These third-party payors may deny reimbursement for a product or therapy if they determine that the product was not medically appropriate or necessary. Also, third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. Some third-party payors must also approve coverage for new or innovative devices before they will reimburse health care providers who use the products. Even though a new product may have been cleared for commercial distribution, it may find limited demand for the device until reimbursement approval has been obtained from governmental and private third-party payors.
Inasmuch as a percentage of the projected patient population that could potentially benefit from GlucoTrack® is elderly, Medicare would likely be a potential source of reimbursement in the United States. Medicare is a federal program that provides certain hospital and medical insurance benefits to persons age 65 and over, certain disabled persons, persons with end-stage renal disease and those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. In contrast, Medicaid is a medical assistance program jointly funded by United States federal and state governments and administered by each state pursuant to which benefits are available to certain indigent patients. The Medicare and Medicaid statutory framework is subject to administrative rulings, interpretations and discretion that affect the amount and timing of reimbursement made under Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicare reimburses for medical devices in a variety of ways depending on where and how the device is used. However, Medicare only provides reimbursement if CMS determines that the device should be covered and that the use of the device is consistent with the coverage criteria. A coverage determination can be made at the local level by the Medicare administrative contractor (formerly called carriers and fiscal intermediaries) or a private contractor that processes and pays claims on behalf of CMS for the geographic area where the services were rendered, or at the national level by CMS. There are new statutory provisions intended to facilitate coverage determinations for new technologies under the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 §731 and §942, but it is unclear how these new provisions will be implemented. Coverage presupposes that the device has been cleared or approved by the FDA and, further, that the coverage will be no broader than the approved intended uses of the device (i.e., the device’s label) as cleared or approved by the FDA, but coverage can be narrower. In that regard, a narrow Medicare coverage determination may undermine the commercial viability of a device.
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Obtaining a coverage determination, whether local or national, is a time-consuming, expensive and highly uncertain proposition, especially for a new technology, and inconsistent local determinations are possible. On average, according to an industry report, Medicare coverage determinations for medical devices lag 15 months to five years or more behind FDA approval for respective devices. Moreover, Medicaid programs and private insurers are frequently influenced by Medicare coverage determinations. A key component in the reimbursement decision by most private insurers will be whether GlucoTrack® is reimbursed by virtue of a national coverage determination by CMS. We may negotiate contracted rates for GlucoTrack® with private insurance providers for the purchase of GlucoTrack® by their members pending a coverage determination by CMS. Our inability to obtain a favorable coverage determination for GlucoTrack® may adversely affect our ability to market GlucoTrack® and thus, the commercial viability of the product. In international markets, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary significantly by country and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific product lines. Distributors expressly support the reimbursement process and, depending on the distribution agreement and geographic area, may assume responsibility for the process.
We believe that the overall escalating cost of medical products and services has led to, and will continue to lead to, increased pressures on the healthcare industry to reduce the costs of products and services. Furthermore, deficit reduction and austerity measures in the United States and abroad may put further pressure on governments to limit coverage of, and reimbursement for, our products. There can be no assurance that third-party reimbursement and coverage will be available or adequate, or that future legislation, regulation, or reimbursement policies of third-party payors will not adversely affect the demand for our products or our ability to sell these products on a profitable basis. The unavailability or inadequacy of third-party payor coverage or reimbursement could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. Until reimbursement or insurance coverage is established, patients will have to bear the financial cost of GlucoTrack®. Third-party coverage may be particularly difficult to obtain while GlucoTrack® is not approved by the FDA as a replacement for existing single-point finger stick devices.
Outside the United States, availability of reimbursement from third parties varies widely from country to country. Within the EU, member countries’ medical reimbursement and healthcare coverage regulations and systems differ significantly. It is, therefore, difficult to analyze and predict the prospect of consistent availability of adequate reimbursement in the various EU member countries.
Anti-Fraud and Abuse Rule
There are extensive United States federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry that can result in significant criminal and civil penalties that can materially affect us, if and when we receive FDA approval to market GlucoTrack® in the United States. These federal laws include, by way of example, the following:
● | The anti-kickback statute (Section 1128B(b) of the Social Security Act), which prohibits certain business practices and relationships that might affect the provision and cost of healthcare services reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, including the payment or receipt of remuneration for the referral of patients whose care will be paid by Medicare or other governmental programs; | |
● | The physician self-referral prohibition (Ethics in Patient Referral Act of 1989, as amended, commonly referred to as the Stark Law, Section 1877 of the Social Security Act), which prohibits referrals by physicians of Medicare or Medicaid patients to providers of a broad range of designated healthcare services in which the physicians (or their immediate family members) have ownership interests or with which they have certain other financial arrangements; |
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● | The anti-inducement provisions of the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (Section 1128A(a)(5) of the Social Security Act), which prohibit providers from offering anything to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary to induce that beneficiary to use items or services covered by either program; | |
● | The False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.), which prohibits any person from knowingly presenting or causing to be presented false or fraudulent claims for payment to the federal government (including the Medicare and Medicaid programs); and | |
● | The Civil Monetary Penalties Law (Section 1128A of the Social Security Act), which authorizes the United States Department of Health and Human Services to impose civil penalties administratively for fraudulent or abusive acts. |
Sanctions for violating these federal laws include criminal and civil penalties that range from punitive sanctions, damage assessments, monetary penalties, imprisonment and/or denial of Medicare and Medicaid payments or exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, or both. These laws also impose an affirmative duty on those receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding to ensure that they do not employ or contract with persons excluded from the Medicare and other government programs.
Many states have adopted or are considering legislative proposals similar to the federal fraud and abuse laws, some of which extend beyond the Medicare and Medicaid programs, to prohibit the payment or receipt of remuneration for the referral of patients and physician self-referrals regardless of whether the service was reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid. Many states have also adopted or are considering legislative proposals to increase patient protections, such as limiting the use and disclosure of patient specific health information. These state laws also impose criminal and civil penalties similar to the federal laws.
Similarly, the EU and EU member countries may have similar fraud and abuse laws which would regulate our business in those jurisdictions. However, given the diversity of legal systems within the EU, it is difficult to predict with specificity what anti-fraud legislation and regulations may be implemented and the penalties that they impose.
In the ordinary course of their business, medical device manufacturers and suppliers have been and are subject regularly to inquiries, investigations and audits by federal and state agencies that oversee these laws and regulations. Recent federal and state legislation has greatly increased funding for investigations and enforcement actions, which have increased dramatically over the past several years. This trend is expected to continue. Private enforcement of healthcare fraud also has increased due in large part to amendments to the civil False Claims Act in 1986 that were designed to encourage private persons to sue on behalf of the government. These whistleblower suits by private persons, known as qui tam relators, may be filed by almost anyone, including present and former patients or nurses and other employees, as well as competitors. HIPAA, in addition to its privacy provisions, created a series of new healthcare-related crimes.
As federal and state budget pressures continue, federal and state administrative agencies may also continue to escalate investigation and enforcement efforts to root out waste and to control fraud and abuse in governmental healthcare programs. A violation of any of these federal and state fraud and abuse laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on a supplier’s liquidity and financial condition. An investigation into the use of a device by physicians may dissuade physicians from recommending that their patients use the device. This could have a material adverse effect on our ability to commercialize GlucoTrack®.
The Privacy Provisions of HIPAA
In the United States, HIPAA, among other things, protects the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information by limiting its use and disclosure. HIPAA directly regulates “covered entities,” such as healthcare providers, insurers and clearinghouses, and regulates “business associates,” with respect to the privacy of patients’ medical information. All entities that receive and process protected health information are required to adopt certain procedures to safeguard the security of that information. It is uncertain whether we would be deemed to be a covered entity under HIPAA and, owing to changes in the law, it is uncertain, based on our current business model, whether we would be a business associate. Nevertheless, we will likely be contractually required to physically safeguard the integrity and security of any patient information that we receive, store, create or transmit in the United States. If we fail to adhere to our contractual commitments, then our physician, hospital or insurance customers may be subject to civil monetary penalties, which could adversely affect our ability to market our devices. Changes in the law wrought by the provisions of Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, increase the duties of business associates and covered entities with respect to protected health information that thereby subject them to direct government regulation, increasing its compliance costs and exposure to civil monetary penalties and other government sanctions. While HITECH does not alter the definition of a business associate, it makes it more likely that covered entities with whom we are likely to do business in the United States, if and when we receive FDA approval to market GlucoTrack® in the United States, will require us to enter into business associate agreements.
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Intellectual Property
We maintain a proactive intellectual property strategy, which includes patent filings in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States and other commercially significant markets. We currently hold 59 issued patents in various regions including patents issued by the United States, Australian, Brazilian, Canadian, Chinese, European, Hong Kong, Indian, Israeli, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Philippine, Russian, South African, and Taiwanese patent offices that cover various parts of our technology, which include A Method Of Monitoring Glucose Levels, Device For Non-Invasively Measuring Glucose, Individual Measuring Channels For Non-Invasively Measuring Glucose, Ear Clip For Medical Monitoring Device.
We understand the importance of obtaining patent and trade secret protection for new technologies, products and processes. Our success will depend in large part on our ability to file for and obtain patent protection of our principal products and procedures, to defend existing or future patents, to maintain trade secrets and to operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others.
We have obtained trademark registrations for GlucoTrack® in 24 countries, including the US, Europe, China and Israel, and also own an allowed trademark applications for GlucoTrack® in Canada. Trademark registrations were issued in ten countries for “JUST CLIP IT,” including France and China, and additional applications are pending in three countries, including the United States. In addition, trademark registrations were issued in seven countries for “YOUR TRACK TO HEALTH,” including France and China, and additional applications are pending in three countries, including the United States. Trademark registrations have been issued in Israel to register “Integrity,” the Company’s logo and the GlucoTrack logo. Registration have issued in Hong Kong and Taiwan and are pending in China and Singapore to register GlucoTrack in Chinese characters. Our application in South Korea to register GlucoTrack in Korean characters has been allowed.
We believe that our patents and products do not and will not infringe patents or violate proprietary rights of others, although it is possible that our existing patent rights may not be valid or that infringement of existing or future patents or proprietary rights may occur. Litigation may be necessary to defend or enforce our patent rights or to determine the scope and validity of the proprietary rights of others. Defense and enforcement of patent claims can be expensive and time consuming, even in those instances in which the outcome is favorable, and could result in the diversion of substantial resources and management time and attention from our other activities. An adverse outcome could subject us to significant liability to third parties, require us to obtain licenses from third parties, require us to alter our products or processes, or require that we cease altogether any related research and development activities or product sales.
Patent protection is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions and issues. The patent application and issuance process can be expected to take several years and entails considerable expense. There can be no assurance that patents will be issued as a result of any applications or that any patents resulting from such applications or our existing patents will be sufficiently broad to afford protection against competitors with similar or competing technology. Patents that we obtain may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or the rights granted under such patents may not provide us with any competitive advantages.
Competition
The market for blood glucose monitoring devices is intensely competitive, subject to rapid change and significantly affected by new product introductions. Four companies, Roche; LifeScan, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson; Abbott Laboratories; and Ascensia, a spin off from the Bayer Corporation, currently account for substantially all of the worldwide sales of self-monitored glucose testing systems. These competitors’ products use a meter and disposable test strips to test blood obtained by pricking the finger or, in some cases, the palm or forearm.
Within the last few years, Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices have been introduced into the market and will compete with GlucoTrack® and our future devices. Currently, to our knowledge, three different brands have obtained FDA clearance to market and are selling CGM devices in the U.S. and EU markets. These brands are sold by Medtronic plc. Abbott Laboratories and Dexcom, Inc. CGM devices are invasive devices, in which a needle is inserted under the skin (either in the abdomen or the upper arm) and measures interstitial fluid. Although we cannot predict what standards will be employed by applicable regulatory authorities as we seek FDA clearance, the results achieved by GlucoTrack® 1.0 in our safety and performance clinical trial conducted were similar to the results obtained from the CGM devices that have been introduced to the market, as of the time of their introduction.
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In addition, other companies are developing non-invasive glucose testing devices and technologies that could compete with our devices. There are also a number of academic and other institutions involved in various phases of technology development regarding blood glucose monitoring devices. We believe that the majority of non-invasive glucose monitors in development require frequent calibrations (from a few hours to a few days, compared to the GlucoTrack® 1.0, which has a demonstrated efficacy period of six months from the initial calibration). Other companies developing continuous measurement devices, based on minimally invasive methods, such as implants or subdermal needles include Medtronic, Inc., Abbot Laboratories and Dexcom, Inc.
Some of our competitors are either publicly traded or are divisions of publicly-traded companies, and they enjoy several competitive advantages, including:
● | significantly greater name recognition; | |
● | established relations with healthcare professionals, customers and third-party payors; | |
● | established distribution networks; | |
● | additional lines of products, and the ability to offer rebates or bundle products to offer higher discounts or incentives to gain a competitive advantage; | |
● | greater experience in conducting research and development, manufacturing, clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approval for products and marketing approved products; and | |
● | greater financial and human resources for product development, sales and marketing, and patent litigation. |
Some of our other non-publicly traded competitors also enjoy these competitive advantages. As a result, we cannot assure that we will be able to compete effectively against these companies or their products.
To our knowledge, a summary of potential competitors with non-invasive products in development is set forth below in Figure A.
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Figure A
Company | Product | Technology | Calibration Required |
Measurement Type |
Technology Description | |||||
Mediwise | Glucowise | Radiowave spectroscopy | Yes | Spot | Measures blood glucose in capillaries using high- frequency radio waves. Includes a wearable sensor and displays the data on smartphone. Integrates a range of measurements including exercise, diet, body mass index, medication and illness and includes cloud-based data management system to store historical Glucowise data. | |||||
Cnoga | TensorTip CGM
Combo |
Optical
lookup table |
Yes | Spot | Four LED signals are beamed through the finger; color image sensor executes a special algorithm | |||||
Diamontech | DMT
Pocket/ DMT Band |
Mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy | Yes | Spot | Uses mid-infrared pulses from an infrared laser to excite glucose molecules in the interstitial layer of skin. Absorption of these pulses depends on the concentration of glucose and results in a heat wave migrating to the skin surface, where it is picked up by photo-thermal detection. | |||||
ESER | GlucoGenius | Metabolic heat confirmation (MHC) | Yes | Spot | Combination of 9 independent measurements that are performed simultaneously and based on method of metabolic heat conformation (MHC) by radiation, convection and evaporation with electromagnetic technologies. The device integrates 3 types of sensors: temperature, humidity and infrared. |
GlucoTrack® does not directly measure the glucose level concentration in the blood. Rather, it measures several physiological phenomena that are correlated with the glucose level. In order to correlate between the measured signal and the glucose level, a translation is needed. This translation is accomplished through the individual calibration of the device by reference to a measurement obtained from an invasive device.
Non-invasive devices under different stages of development generally require frequent recalibration. For example, GlucoWatch, a single non-invasive product for glucose trend analysis that was previously approved for sale by the FDA, but which is no longer available commercially, required recalibrations approximately every 13 hours. The main reasons for calibration are that tissue parameters generally fluctuate in the area of the measurement and are sensitive to the location of the sensor and the impact of potential disturbances. Disturbances are less frequent in the earlobes, where GlucoTrack® takes its measurements. Utilizing three channels simultaneously reduces the noise contribution in the measurement. In addition, the personal ear clip contains sensors to help users attach the device to the proper part of the ear lobe.
GlucoTrack® 1.0 has received CE Mark approval, which allows us to market and sell GlucoTrack® 1.0 glucose monitoring device in EU member countries that have adopted the MDD without being subject to additional national regulations with regard to demonstration of performance and safety. While the MDD is applicable throughout the EU, it requires only a minimum level of harmonization among member countries. Accordingly, member countries may apply and enforce the MDD’s terms differently, and certain EU member countries may request or require performance and/or safety data additional to the MDD’s requirements from time to time, on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, the MDD notwithstanding, because the regulatory regimes of the EU member countries are significantly diverse, it is difficult to predict future regulatory developments and risks. GlucoTrack® 1.0 has not yet been cleared or approved for commercial sale in any other jurisdiction, including the United States. See “Government Regulation - Regulation of the Design, Manufacture and Distribution of Medical Devices” below for a discussion of the approval process for commercial sale in the United States. There can be no assurance that approval for commercial sale in any additional jurisdiction will be obtained on a timely basis or at all. GlucoTrack 2.0 is currently under development.
Corporate Information
Our principal offices are located at 19 Ha’Yahalomim St., Ashdod, Israel 7760049 and our telephone number is 972-8-675-7878. Our website address is http://www.integrity-app.com; the reference to such website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website and such information should not be considered part of this report. There is no relationship between us and Integrity Applications, Incorporated, the engineering and software services company based in Chantilly, Virginia.
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Board and Committees
We have five members on our Board, four of whom are independent. The Board has an Audit Committee and a Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Audit consisting solely of independent directors. We are continuing to consider expansion of the Board and the establishment of additional appropriate Board committees to support the Company.
Employees
As of December 31, 2020, we had 11 full-time employees. None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, we had 3 consultants.
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the following risk factors. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially harmed. In addition, risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. If this were to happen, the value of our common stock could decline significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
We have a history of operating losses, and there is no assurance that we will generate material revenues or become profitable in the near future.
We are a medical device company with a limited operating history. We are not profitable and have incurred losses since our inception. To date we have not generated material revenue from the sale of products, and we do not anticipate that we will report operating income in the near future. Our initial product, GlucoTrack® 1.0, has not been approved for marketing in the United States and may not be sold or marketed without FDA clearance or approval in the United States. Our next generation product, GlucoTrack® 2.0 is currently under development. While our GlucoTrack® 1.0 received CE Mark approval in 2013, there is no assurance that we will be able to generate any material revenues from sales of such model in the EU or any other jurisdictions. We continue to incur research and development and selling, marketing and general and administrative expenses related to our operations, development and commercialization of our first product. Our operating losses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were approximately $3.1 million and $3.5 million, respectively, and we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $93.4 million as of December 31, 2020. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and these losses will likely increase as we develop and prepare to commercialize GlucoTrack® 2.0. If we are not successful in developing, manufacturing and distributing GlucoTrack® 2.0, or if GlucoTrack® 2.0 does not achieve market acceptance, we may never become profitable. Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Any cash that might be available for payment of dividends will be used to expand our business. Payments of any cash dividends in the future will depend on our financial condition, results of operation and capital requirements, as well as other factors deemed relevant to our Board of Directors.
Economic crises and market instability may materially and adversely affect the demand for our products, as well as our ability to obtain credit or secure funds through sales of our stock, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and ability to fund our operations.
Economic crises may reduce the demand for new and innovative medical devices, resulting in delayed market acceptance of our products, if and when they are approved. Such a delay could have a material adverse impact on our business, expected cash flows, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, we have funded our operations to date primarily through private sales of securities, including common stock and other securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of our common stock. Economic turmoil and instability in the world’s equity and credit markets and in the unstable world may materially adversely affect our ability to sell additional securities and/or borrow cash. There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise additional working capital on acceptable terms or at all, and any failure to do so may materially adversely affect our ability to continue operations.
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GlucoTrack® may not be approved for sale in the United States or other (non-CE Mark) jurisdictions.
We will likely be required to undertake significant clinical trials to demonstrate to the FDA that GlucoTrack® is either safe and effective for its intended use or is substantially equivalent in terms of safety and effectiveness to an existing, lawfully marketed non-Section 515 premarket approval (PMA) device (refer to “Management Discussion and Analysis - Government Regulatory”). We may also be required to undertake clinical trials by non-U.S. regulatory agencies in non-CE Mark jurisdictions. Clinical trials are expensive and uncertain processes that may take years to complete. Failure can occur at any point in the process and early positive results do not ensure that the entire clinical trial will be successful. Product candidates in clinical trials may fail to show desired efficacy and safety traits despite early promising results. A number of companies in the medical device industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after their product candidates demonstrated promising results at earlier points.
Positive results from the limited pre-clinical trials and safety and performance clinical trial that we have conducted should not be relied upon as evidence that later-stage or large-scale clinical trials will succeed. These trials involved limited patient populations and there is no assurance that the experimental protocol or protocols, as the case may be, used in these informal trials will be methodologically similar to ones submitted to the FDA or any other regulatory body for its approval. Because of the sample size, possible variation in methodology, differences in exclusion/inclusion criteria, or differences in endpoints, the results of these pre-clinical trials may not be indicative of future results. We will likely be required to demonstrate through well-controlled clinical trials that GlucoTrack® or future product candidates, if any, are safe and effective for their intended uses. In the event that the FDA deems GlucoTrack® to be a Class II device, which we do not believe is likely at this point, then we would be required to demonstrate that it is substantially equivalent in terms of safety and effectiveness to a device lawfully marketed either through a premarket notification or prior to May 28, 1976.
Additionally, although we have received our CE Mark approval for GlucoTrack® 1.0, EU member countries may request or require additional performance and/or safety data from time to time, on a case-by-case basis. GlucoTrack® 2.0 is currently under development.
Further, GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, may not be cleared or approved, as the case may be, even if the clinical data are satisfactory and support, in our view, its or their clearance or approval. The FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may disagree with our trial design or interpretation of the clinical data. In addition, any of these regulatory authorities may change requirements for the clearance or approval of a product candidate even after reviewing and providing comment on a protocol for a pivotal clinical trial that has the potential to result in FDA approval. In addition, any of these regulatory authorities may also clear or approve a product candidate for fewer or more limited uses than we request or may grant clearance or approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials. In addition, the FDA or other non-regulatory authorities may not approve the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any.
We are highly dependent on the success of our next generation product candidate, GlucoTrack® 2.0, and cannot give any assurance that it will receive regulatory approval or clearance or be successfully commercialized.
We are highly dependent on the success of our next generation product candidate, GlucoTrack® model 2.0. We cannot give any assurance that the FDA will permit us to clinically test the device, nor can we give any assurance that the clinical trials will be successful or that GlucoTrack® 2.0 will receive regulatory clearance or approval or be successfully commercialized, for a number of reasons, including, without limitation, the potential introduction by our competitors of more clinically-effective or cost-effective alternatives, failure in our sales and marketing efforts, or the failure to obtain positive coverage determinations or reimbursement. Any failure to obtain approval to conduct clinical trials, favorable clinical data, clearance or approval of or to successfully commercialize GlucoTrack® 2.0 would have a material adverse effect on our business.
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If our competitors develop and market products that are more effective, safer or less expensive than GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, our commercial opportunities will be adversely affected.
The life sciences industry is highly competitive and we face significant competition from many medical device companies that are researching and marketing products designed to address the needs of persons suffering from diabetes. We are currently developing medical devices that will compete with other medical devices that currently exist or are being developed. Some of our competitors have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, marketing and product development resources than we do. Large medical device companies, in particular, have extensive experience in clinical testing and in obtaining regulatory clearances or approvals for medical devices. These companies also have significantly greater research and marketing capabilities than us. Some of the medical device companies that we expect to compete with include Roche; LifeScan, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson; the MediSense and TheraSense divisions of Abbott Laboratories; Ascensia, a spin off from Bayer Corporation; Dexcom, Inc. and Medtronic, Inc. In addition, many other universities and private and public research institutions are or may become active in research involving blood glucose measurement devices.
We believe that our ability to successfully compete will depend on, among other things:
● | our ability to have partners manufacture and sell commercial quantities of any approved products to the market; | |
● | acceptance of product candidates by physicians and other health care providers; | |
● | the results of our clinical trials; | |
● | our ability to recruit and enroll patients for our clinical trials; | |
● | the efficacy, safety, performance and reliability of our product candidates; | |
● | the speed at which we develop product candidates; | |
● | our ability to obtain prompt and favorable IRB review and approval at each of our clinical sites; | |
● | our ability to commercialize and market any of our product candidates that may receive regulatory clearance or approval; | |
● | our ability to design and successfully execute appropriate clinical trials; | |
● | the timing and scope of regulatory clearances or approvals; | |
● | appropriate coverage and adequate levels of reimbursement under private and governmental health insurance plans, including Medicare; and | |
● | our ability to protect intellectual property rights related to our products. |
If our competitors market products that are more effective, safer, easier to use or less expensive than GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, or that reach the market sooner than GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, we may not achieve commercial success. In addition, the medical device industry is characterized by rapid technological change. It may be difficult for us to stay abreast of the rapid changes in each technology. If we fail to stay at the forefront of technological change, we may be unable to compete effectively. Technological advances or products developed by our competitors may render our technologies or product candidates obsolete or less competitive.
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Our product development activities could be delayed or stopped.
We do not know whether our future clinical trials will begin on time, or at all, and whether ongoing and/or future clinical trials will be completed on schedule, or at all.
The commencement of future clinical trials could be substantially delayed or prevented by several factors, including:
● | the failure to obtain sufficient funding to pay for all necessary clinical trials; | |
● | limited number of, and competition for, suitable patients that meet the protocol’s inclusion criteria and do not meet any of the exclusion criteria; | |
● | limited number of, and competition for, suitable sites to conduct the clinical trials, and delay or failure to obtain FDA approval, if necessary, to commence a clinical trial; | |
● | delay or failure to obtain sufficient supplies of the product candidate for clinical trials; | |
● | requirements to provide the medical device required in clinical trials at cost, which may require significant expenditures that we are unable or unwilling to make; | |
● | delay or failure to reach agreement on acceptable clinical trial agreement terms or clinical trial protocols with prospective sites or investigators; and | |
● | delay or failure to obtain IRB approval or renewal of such approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective or accruing site, respectively. |
The completion of clinical trials in connection with our application for FDA approval could also be substantially delayed or prevented by several factors, including:
● | slower than expected rates of patient recruitment and enrollment; | |
● | failure of patients to complete the clinical trial; | |
● | unforeseen safety issues; | |
● | lack of efficacy evidenced during clinical trials; | |
● | termination of clinical trials by one or more clinical trial sites; | |
● | inability or unwillingness of patients or medical investigators to follow clinical trial protocols; and | |
● | inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment. |
Our clinical trials may be suspended or terminated at any time by the FDA, other regulatory authorities, the IRB for any given site, or us. Any failure or significant delay in completing clinical trials for GlucoTrack® or future product candidates, if any, could materially harm our financial results and the commercial prospects for our product candidates.
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The regulatory approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us from obtaining approvals for the commercialization of GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any.
The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, marketing and distribution of medical devices are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities, which regulations differ from country to country. We are not permitted to market our product candidates in the United States until we receive a clearance letter under the 510(k)-premarket notification process or approval of a Section 515 premarket approval, from the FDA, depending on the nature of the device. We have not submitted an application or premarket notification for or received marketing clearance or approval for any of our product candidates. Obtaining approval of any premarket approval can be a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process. While the FDA normally reviews, and clears a premarket notification in three months, there is no guarantee that our products will qualify for this more expeditious regulatory process, which is reserved for Class I and II devices, nor is there any assurance that, even if a device is reviewed under the 510(k)-premarket notification process, the FDA will review it expeditiously or determine that the device is substantially equivalent to a lawfully marketed non-premarket approval device. If the FDA fails to make this finding, then we cannot market the device. In lieu of acting on a premarket notification, the FDA may seek additional information or additional data which would further delay our ability to market the product. In addition, failure to comply with FDA, non-U.S. regulatory authorities or other applicable U.S. and non-U.S. regulatory requirements may, either before or after product clearance or approval, if any, subject us to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:
● | restrictions on the products, manufacturers or manufacturing process; | |
● | adverse inspectional observations (Form 483), warning letters or non-warning letters incorporating inspectional observations, i.e., so-called “untitled letter” | |
● | civil and criminal penalties; | |
● | injunctions; | |
● | suspension or withdrawal of regulatory clearances or approvals; | |
● | product seizures, detentions or import bans; | |
● | voluntary or mandatory product recalls and publicity requirements; | |
● | total or partial suspension of production; | |
● | imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; and | |
● | refusal to clear or approve pending applications or premarket notifications. |
Regulatory approval of a PMA or PMA supplement or clearance pursuant to a 510(k)-premarket notification is not guaranteed, and the approval or clearance process, as the case may be, is expensive and may, especially in the case of the PMA, take several years. The FDA also has substantial discretion in the medical device clearance or approval processes. Despite the time and expense exerted, failure can occur at any stage and we could encounter problems that cause us to abandon clinical trials or to repeat or perform additional pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. The number of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials that will be required for FDA clearance or approval varies depending on the medical device candidate, the disease or condition that the medical device candidate is designed to address, and the regulations applicable to any particular medical device candidate. The FDA can delay, limit or deny clearance or approval of a medical device candidate for many reasons, including:
● | a medical device candidate may not be deemed safe or effective, in the case of a PMA; | |
● | a medical device candidate may not be deemed to be substantially equivalent to a lawfully marketed non-premarket approval device in the case of a 510(k)-premarket notification; | |
● | FDA officials may not find the data from the clinical trials sufficient; | |
● | the FDA might not approve our third-party manufacturer’s processes or facilities; or | |
● | the FDA may change its clearance or approval policies or adopt new regulations. |
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Further, while we have received CE Mark approval for GlucoTrack® 1.0, the MDD requires only minimum harmonization. In practice, uniform regulation throughout the EU is not ensured. Rather, member countries may apply and enforce the MDD’s terms differently, and certain EU member countries may request or require performance and/or safety data additional to the MDD’s requirements from time to time, on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, we cannot predict whether we will be able to successfully commercialize GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, in the EU.
Failure to recruit and enroll patients for clinical trials may cause the development of our product candidates to be delayed.
We may encounter delays if we are unable to recruit and enroll and retain enough patients to complete clinical trials. Patient enrollment depends on many factors, including the size of the patient population, the nature of the protocol, the proximity of patients to clinical sites and the eligibility criteria for the trial. Delays in patient enrollment are not unusual. Any such delays in planned patient enrollment may result in increased costs, which could harm our ability to develop products.
The terms of clearances or approvals and ongoing regulation of our products may limit how we manufacture and market our product candidates, which could materially impair our ability to generate anticipated revenues.
Once regulatory clearance or approval has been granted, the cleared or approved product and its manufacturer are subject to continual review. Any cleared or approved product may only be promoted for its indicated uses. In addition, if the FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities clear or approve GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, the labeling, packaging, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising and promotion for the product will be subject to extensive regulatory requirements. We, and the manufacturers of our products, if other than us, also will be required to comply with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, which includes requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance, as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation. Moreover, device manufacturers are required to report adverse events by filing Medical Device Reports with the FDA, which are publicly available. Further, regulatory agencies must approve our manufacturing facilities before they can be used to manufacture products, and these facilities are subject to ongoing regulatory inspection. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements of the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities, or if previously unknown problems with our products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes are discovered, we could be subject to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:
● | restrictions on the products, manufacturers or manufacturing process; | |
● | adverse inspectional observations (Form 483), warning letters, or non-warning letters incorporating inspectional observations; | |
● | civil or criminal penalties or fines; | |
● | injunctions; | |
● | product seizures, detentions or import bans; | |
● | voluntary or mandatory product recalls and publicity requirements; | |
● | suspension or withdrawal of regulatory clearances or approvals; | |
● | total or partial suspension of production; | |
● | imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; and | |
● | refusal to clear or approve pending applications or premarket notifications. |
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In addition, the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities, including the EU and each of the EU member countries individually, may change their policies and additional regulations may be enacted that could prevent or delay regulatory clearance or approval of our product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we will likely not be permitted to market future product candidates and may not achieve or sustain profitability.
Even if we receive regulatory clearance or approval to market GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, the market may not be receptive to our products.
Even if GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, obtain regulatory clearance or approval, resulting products may not gain market acceptance among physicians, patients, health care payors or the medical community. We believe that the degree of market acceptance will depend on a number of factors, including:
● | timing of market introduction of competitive products; | |
● | safety and efficacy of our product; | |
● | prevalence and severity of any side effects; | |
● | potential advantages or disadvantages over alternative treatments; | |
● | strength of marketing and distribution support; | |
● | price of our product candidates, both in absolute terms and relative to alternative treatments; and | |
● | availability of coverage and reimbursement from government and other third-party payors. |
If the GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, fail to achieve market acceptance, we may not be able to generate significant revenue or achieve or sustain profitability.
The coverage and reimbursement status of newly cleared or approved medical devices is uncertain, and failure to obtain adequate coverage and adequate reimbursement could limit our ability to market GlucoTrack® or future product candidates, if any, and may inhibit our ability to generate revenue from GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, that may be cleared or approved.
There is significant uncertainty related to the third-party coverage and reimbursement of newly cleared or approved medical devices. The commercial success of GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, in both domestic and international markets will depend in part on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, including government payors, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs, managed care organizations and other third-party payors. Government and other third-party payors are increasingly attempting to contain health care costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement for new products and, as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any. These payors may conclude that our products are not as safe or effective as existing devices or that the overall cost of using one of our devices exceeds the overall cost of the competing device, and third-party payors may not approve GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, for coverage and adequate reimbursement. Furthermore, deficit reduction and austerity measures in the United States and abroad may put further pressure on governments to limit coverage of, and reimbursement for, our products. The failure to obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement for GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any, or health care cost containment initiatives that limit or restrict reimbursement for such products may reduce any future product revenue.
We may not obtain insurance coverage to adequately cover all significant risk exposures.
We will be exposed to liabilities that are unique to the products we provide. We currently maintain premises insurance and there can be no assurance that we will acquire or maintain insurance for certain risks, that the amount of our insurance coverage will be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities, or that we will not be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from risks and uncertainties of business. It is also not possible to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks and liabilities. The failure to obtain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities.
We face a potential risk of product liability as a result of any of the products that we offer for sale. For example, we may be sued if any product we sell allegedly causes injury or is found to be otherwise unsuitable during product testing, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability and a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection acts. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities. Even successful defense would require significant financial and management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
● | decreased demand for products that we may offer for sale; | |
● | injury to our reputation; | |
● | costs to defend the related litigation; | |
● | a diversion of management’s time and our resources; | |
● | substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients; | |
● | product recalls, withdrawals or labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions; and | |
● | a decline in our stock price. |
Our inability to obtain and retain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products we develop. We currently maintain product liability insurance up to $5,000 thousand per claim and in the aggregate. Although we have product liability coverage, we may have to pay amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts.
If we fail to attract and retain key management and scientific personnel, we may be unable to successfully develop or commercialize GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any.
We will need to expand and effectively manage our managerial, operational, financial, development and other resources in order to successfully pursue our research, development and commercialization efforts for GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any. Our success depends on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified management and pre-clinical and clinical personnel. The loss of the services of any of our senior management could delay or prevent the development or commercialization of GlucoTrack® or our future product candidates, if any. At present, we do not have key man insurance policies with respect to any of our employees. We will need to hire additional personnel as we continue to expand our research and development activities and build a sales and marketing function.
We may not be able to attract or retain qualified management and scientific personnel in the future due to the intense competition for qualified personnel among medical device and other businesses. If we are not able to attract and retain the necessary personnel to accomplish our business objectives, we may experience constraints that will significantly impede the achievement of our research and development objectives, our ability to raise additional capital and our ability to implement our business strategy. In particular, if we lose any members of our senior management team, we may not be able to find suitable replacements in a timely fashion or at all and our business may be harmed as a result.
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As we continue to evolve from a company primarily involved in development to a company also involved in commercialization, we may encounter difficulties in managing our growth and expanding our operations successfully.
We anticipate that, as our operations expand, we will need to expand our manufacturing, marketing and sales capabilities by contracting with third parties. Maintaining these relationships and managing our future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of our management. We must be able to manage our development efforts effectively; manage our clinical trials effectively; hire, train and integrate additional management, development, administrative and sales and marketing personnel; improve managerial, development, operational and finance systems; and expand our facilities, all of which may impose a strain on our administrative and operational infrastructure.
We rely on third parties to manufacture and supply our product.
We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for clinical or commercial production of GlucoTrack®, other than a prototype lab. We have no experience in medical device manufacturing and lack the resources and the capability to manufacture the GlucoTrack® on a commercial scale. To date we have manufactured GlucoTrack® with a third-party manufacturer in Israel.
If our manufacturing partners are unable to produce our products in the amounts, timing or pricing that we require, we may not be able to establish a contract and obtain a sufficient alternative supply from another supplier on a timely basis and in the quantities or pricing we require. We expect to depend on third-party contract manufacturers for the foreseeable future.
GlucoTrack® does, and our future product candidates, if any, likely will require precise, high quality manufacturing. Any of our contract manufacturers will be subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities to ensure strict compliance with quality system regulations, including current good manufacturing practices and other applicable government regulations and corresponding standards. If our contract manufacturers fail to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards in compliance with quality system regulations, we may experience manufacturing errors resulting in patient injury or death, product recalls or withdrawals, delays or interruptions of production or failures in product testing or delivery, delay or prevention of filing or approval of marketing applications for our products, cost overruns or other problems that could seriously harm our business.
Any performance failure on the part of our contract manufacturers could delay clinical development or regulatory clearance or approval of our product candidates or commercialization of our future product candidates, depriving us of potential product revenue and resulting in additional losses. In addition, our dependence on a third-party for manufacturing may adversely affect our future profit margins. Our ability to replace an existing manufacturer may be difficult because the number of potential manufacturers is limited and the FDA must approve any replacement manufacturer before it can begin manufacturing our product candidates. Such approval would require additional non-clinical testing and compliance inspections. It may be difficult or impossible for us to identify and engage a replacement manufacturer on acceptable terms in a timely manner, or at all.
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We are dependent on third-party distributors to market and sell our products.
We have limited internal marketing, sales or distribution capabilities and currently we do not intend to develop extensive internal marketing, sales or distribution capabilities in the future. Rather, we intend to utilize third-party distributors to market our products, and have entered into exclusive distribution agreements with respect to certain territories. There is no assurance that third party distributors will achieve acceptable levels of sales or that, if any of our existing arrangements expire or terminate, we will be able to replace any distributors on terms advantageous to us, or at all. Further, there is no assurance that we will be able to expand our distribution network by adding additional distributors. If third party distributors cease to promote our products, or if we are unable to make acceptable arrangements with distributors or sales personnel in other markets, our business prospects, operating results or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations that we engage to conduct our clinical trials may not be diligent, careful or timely.
We will depend on independent clinical investigators to conduct our clinical trials. Contract research organizations may also assist us in the collection and analysis of data. These investigators and contract research organizations will not be our employees and we will not be able to control, other than by contract, the amount of resources, including time that they devote to products that we develop. If independent investigators fail to devote sufficient resources to the clinical trials, or if their performance is substandard, it will delay the approval or clearance and commercialization of any products that we develop. Further, the FDA requires that we comply with standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practice, for conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial subjects are protected. If our independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations fail to comply with good clinical practice, the results of our clinical trials could be called into question and the clinical development of our product candidates could be delayed. Failure of clinical investigators or contract research organizations to meet their obligations to us or comply with federal regulations could adversely affect the clinical development of our product candidates and harm our business.
If we are unable to obtain and enforce patent protection for our products, our business could be materially harmed.
Our success depends, among other things, on our ability to protect proprietary methods and technologies that we develop under the patent and other intellectual property laws of the United States and other countries, so that we can prevent others from unlawfully using our inventions and proprietary information. However, we may not hold proprietary rights to some patents required for us to commercialize proposed products. For this and other reasons, we may be unable to secure desired patent rights, thereby losing desired exclusivity. Although we do not believe that we need any licenses for GlucoTrack®, we may need to obtain licenses in the future for other products or in certain circumstances, such as if one of our patents were declared invalid in the future. If such licenses are not available to us on acceptable terms, we will not be able to market the affected products or conduct the desired activities, unless we successfully challenge the validity, enforceability or infringement of the third-party patent or otherwise circumvent the third-party patent.
Our strategy depends on our ability to rapidly identify and seek patent protection for our discoveries. The process of obtaining patent protection is expensive and time-consuming. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may be able to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary.
The issuance of a patent does not guarantee that it is valid or enforceable. Any patents we have obtained, or which we may obtain in the future, may be challenged, invalidated, unenforceable or circumvented. Moreover, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) may commence interference proceedings involving our patents or patent applications. Any challenge to, finding of unenforceability or invalidation or circumvention of our patents or patent applications would be costly, would require significant time and attention of our management and could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, court decisions may introduce uncertainty in the enforceability or scope of patents owned by medical device companies.
Our pending patent applications may not result in issued patents. The patent position of medical device companies, including us, is generally uncertain and involves complex legal and factual considerations. The standards that the USPTO and its foreign counterparts use to grant patents are not always applied predictably or uniformly and can change. There is also no uniform, worldwide policy regarding the subject matter and scope of claims granted or allowable in medical device patents. Accordingly, we do not know the degree of future protection for our proprietary rights or the breadth of claims that will be allowed in any patents issued to us or to others. The legal systems of certain countries do not favor the aggressive enforcement of patents, and the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Therefore, the enforceability or scope of our patents in the United States or in foreign countries cannot be predicted with certainty, and, as a result, any patents that we own may not provide sufficient protection against competitors. We may not be able to obtain or maintain patent protection for our pending patent applications or those we may file in the future.
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We cannot assure you that any patents that will issue, that may issue or that may be licensed to us will be enforceable or valid or will not expire prior to the commercialization of our product candidates, thus allowing others to more effectively compete with us. Therefore, any patents that we own may not adequately protect our product candidates or our future products.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology and products could be adversely affected.
In addition to patent protection, we also rely on other proprietary rights, including protection of trade secrets, know-how and confidential and proprietary information. To maintain the confidentiality of trade secrets and proprietary information, we will seek to enter into confidentiality and non- disclosure agreements with our employees, consultants and collaborators upon the commencement of their relationships with us. These agreements generally require that all confidential information developed by the individual or made known to the individual by us during the course of the individual’s relationship with us be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties. Our agreements with employees also generally provide and will generally provide that any inventions conceived by the individual in the course of rendering services to us shall be our exclusive property. However, we may not obtain these agreements in all circumstances, and individuals with whom we have these agreements may not comply with their terms. In the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets or proprietary information, these agreements, even if obtained, may not provide meaningful protection, particularly for trade secrets or other confidential information. To the extent that our employees, consultants or contractors use technology or know-how owned by third parties in their work for us, disputes may arise between us and those third parties as to the rights in related inventions.
Adequate remedies may not exist in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our confidential information. The disclosure of trade secrets would impair our competitive position and may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some jurisdictions may require us to grant licenses to third parties. Such compulsory licenses could be extended to include some of our product candidates, which may limit potential revenue opportunities.
Many countries, including certain countries in Europe, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, most countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may be limited to monetary relief and may be unable to enjoin infringement, which could materially diminish the value of the patent. Compulsory licensing of life-saving products is also becoming increasingly popular in developing countries, either through direct legislation or international initiatives. Such compulsory licenses could be extended to include some of our product candidates, which may limit our potential revenue opportunities.
Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties.
Other entities may have or obtain patents or proprietary rights that could limit our ability to manufacture, use, sell, offer for sale or import products or impair our competitive position. In addition, to the extent that a third party develops new technology that covers our products, we may be required to obtain licenses to that technology, which licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If licenses are not available on acceptable terms, we will not be able to market the affected products or conduct the desired activities unless we successfully challenge the validity, enforceability or infringement of the third-party patent or circumvent the third-party patent, which would be costly and would require significant time and attention of our management. Third parties may have or obtain valid and enforceable patents or proprietary rights that could block us from developing products using our technology. Our failure to obtain a license to any technology that we require may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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If we become involved in patent litigation or other proceedings related to a determination of rights, we could incur substantial costs and expenses, substantial liability for damages or be required to stop our product development and commercialization efforts.
Third parties may sue us for infringing their patent rights. Likewise, we may need to resort to litigation to enforce a patent issued or licensed to us or to determine the scope and validity of proprietary rights of others. In addition, a third party may claim that we have improperly obtained or used our confidential or proprietary information. The cost to us of any litigation or other proceeding relating to intellectual property rights, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, and the litigation would divert management’s efforts. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could limit our ability to continue our operations.
If any parties successfully claim that our creation or use of proprietary technologies infringes upon their intellectual property rights, we might be forced to pay damages, potentially including treble damages, if we are found to have willfully infringed on such parties’ patent rights. In addition to any damages we might have to pay, a court could require us to stop the infringing activity or obtain a license. Any license required under any patent may not be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, such licenses are likely to be non-exclusive and, therefore, our competitors may have access to the same technology. If we fail to obtain a required license and are unable to design around a patent, we may be unable to effectively market some of our technology and products, which could limit our ability to generate revenues or achieve profitability and possibly prevent us from generating revenue sufficient to sustain operations.
Failure to obtain additional regulatory approvals outside the United States will prevent or limit us from marketing our product candidates abroad.
We intend to market our product candidates in non-U.S. markets. In order to market product candidates in the EU and many other non-U.S. jurisdictions, we must obtain separate regulatory approvals. In December 2012, we submitted our technical file to the Notified Body in connection with our application to obtain CE Mark approval for GlucoTrack® 1.0. On June 4, 2013, we received CE Mark approval for the GlucoTrack® 1.0 from the Notified Body. Receipt of the CE Mark allows us to market and sell the GlucoTrack® 1.0 in EU member countries that have adopted the MDD without being subject to additional national regulations with regard to demonstration of performance and safety. The CE Mark also permits the sale in countries that have an MDD Mutual Recognition Agreement with the EU. However, member countries may apply and enforce the MDD’s terms differently, and certain EU member countries may request or require that we provide performance and/or safety data additional to the MDD’s requirements from time to time, on a case-by-case basis, in order to be cleared to market and sale GlucoTrack® in such countries. Receipt of FDA approval does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in countries, and approval by one or more non-U.S. regulatory authorities (including receipt of the CE Mark) does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or by the FDA. The non-U.S. regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval or clearance. We may not obtain additional non-U.S. regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all. We may not be able to file for additional non-U.S. regulatory approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our product candidates in any market.
Non-U.S. governments often impose strict price controls, which may adversely affect our future profitability.
We intend to seek approval to market GlucoTrack® and our future product candidates, if any, in both the U.S. and in non-U.S. jurisdictions. If we obtain approval in one or more non-U.S. jurisdictions, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions relating to our products. In some countries, particularly countries of the EU, each of which has developed its own rules and regulations, pricing may be subject to governmental control under certain circumstances. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a medical device candidate. Each of the EU member states has its own unique legal system and thus it is difficult to predict the particular requirements to which we may be subject. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product to other available products. If reimbursement of our product candidates is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, we may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability.
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Our business may become subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks associated with international operations, which could harm our business.
Our business is subject to risks associated with conducting business internationally. Accordingly, our future results could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:
● | difficulties in compliance with non-U.S. laws and regulations; | |
● | changes in non-U.S. regulations and customs; | |
● | changes in non-U.S. currency exchange rates and currency controls; | |
● | changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic environment; | |
● | trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements or other restrictive actions by U.S. or non-U.S. governments; | |
● | negative consequences from changes in tax laws; and | |
● | difficulties associated with staffing and managing foreign operations, including differing labor relations. |
We may not be able to enforce covenants not-to-compete under current Israeli law, which might result in added competition for our products.
We have non-competition agreements or provisions with all of our employees and executive officers, all of which are governed by Israeli law. These agreements or provisions prohibit our employees from competing with us or working for our competitors, generally during, and for up to nine months after termination of, their employment with us. However, Israeli courts are reluctant to enforce non-compete undertakings of former employees and tend, if at all, to enforce those provisions for only relatively brief periods of time or in restricted geographical areas. In addition, Israeli courts typically require the presence of additional circumstances, such as a demonstration of an employer’s legitimate interest which was damaged; breach of fiduciary duties, loyalty and acting not in good faith; a payment of a special consideration for employee’s non-compete obligation; material concern for disclosing employer’s trade secrets; or a demonstration that an employee has unique value to the employer specific to that employer’s business, before enforcing a non-competition undertaking against such employee.
The funding that we received through the Office of the Chief Scientist (the “OCS”) for research and development activities restricts our ability to manufacture products or to transfer technology outside of Israel.
On March 4, 2004, the OCS agreed to provide us with a grant of 420 thousand New Israeli Shekels (“NIS”), or approximately $93 thousand at an exchange rate of 4.502 NIS/dollar (the exchange rate in effect on such date), for our plan to develop a non-invasive blood glucose monitor (the “development plan”). This grant constituted 60% of our research and development budget for the development plan at that time. Due to our acceptance of this grant, we are subject to the provisions of the Israeli Law for the Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development, 1984 (the “R&D Law”). Among other things, the R&D Law restricts our ability to sell or transfer rights in technology or know-how developed with OCS funding or transfer any Means of Control (as defined in the R&D Law) of us to non-Israeli entities. The Industrial Research and Development Committee at the OCS (the “research committee”) may, under special circumstances, approve the transfer outside of Israel of rights in technology or know-how developed with OCS funding subject to certain conditions, including the condition that certain payments be made to the OCS. Additionally, we may not manufacture products developed with OCS funding outside of Israel without the approval of the research committee. The restrictions regarding the sale or transfer of technology or manufacturing rights out of Israel could have a material adverse effect on our ability to enter into strategic alliances or enter into merger or acquisition transactions in the future that provide for the sale or transfer of our technology or manufacturing rights.
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We are subject to certain employee severance obligations, which may result in an increase in our expenditures.
Under Israeli law, employers are required to make severance payments to dismissed employees and employees leaving employment in certain other circumstances, on the basis of the latest monthly salary for each year of service. This obligation results in an increase in our expenses, including accrued expenses. Integrity Israel currently makes monthly deposits to insurance policies and severance pay funds in order to provide for this liability.
The Company’s and its Israeli subsidiary’s agreements with all of their Israeli employees are in accordance with Section 14 of the Israeli Severance Pay Law -1963 (“Section 14”). Payments in accordance with Section 14 release the Company from any other future severance payments in respect of those employees. Deposits under Section 14 are not recorded as an asset in the Company’s balance sheet.
We may be at risk for delay in product development and other economic repercussions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We may be at risk as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Risks that could affect our business include the duration and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the demand for our products; actions by governments, businesses and individuals taken in response to the pandemic; the length of time of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of its reoccurrence; the timing required to develop effective treatments and a vaccine in the event of future outbreaks; the eventual impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response to the pandemic on global and regional economies; and the pace of recovery when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
There is a limited trading market for our common stock, which may make it difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares.
Although our stock is quoted on the OTCQB, few trades in our stock have taken place, to-date, and an active trading market in our securities may not develop, or if developed, may not be sustained. If no active market is ever developed for our Common Stock, it will be difficult for you to sell any shares you purchase in our Company at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable or at all. In such a case, you may find that you are unable to achieve any benefit from your investment or liquidate your shares without considerable delay, if at all. In the absence of an active public trading market, an investor may be unable to liquidate an investment in our Common Stock. As a result, investors: (i) may be precluded from transferring their shares of Common Stock; (ii) may have to hold their shares of Common Stock for an indefinite period of time; and (iii) must be able to bear the complete economic risk of losing their investment in us. In the event a market should develop for the Common Stock, there can be no assurance that the market price will equal or exceed the price paid for such share by any of our stockholders.
There may be limitations on the effectiveness of our internal controls, and a failure of our control systems to prevent error or fraud may materially harm our company.
Proper systems of internal controls over financial accounting and disclosure are critical to the operation of a public company. If we are unable to effectively establish such systems, this would leave us without the ability to reliably assimilate and compile financial information about our company and significantly impair our ability to prevent error and detect fraud, all of which would have a negative impact on our company from many perspectives.
Moreover, we do not expect that disclosure controls or internal control over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. 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, have been detected. Failure of our control systems to prevent error or fraud could materially adversely impact us.
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The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.
The market price of the common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as:
● | the announcement of new products or product enhancements by us or our competitors; | |
● | developments concerning intellectual property rights and regulatory approvals; | |
● | variations in our and our competitors’ results of operations; | |
● | changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if the common stock is covered by analysts; | |
● | developments in the medical device industry; | |
● | the results of product liability or intellectual property lawsuits; | |
● | future issuances of common stock or other securities; | |
● | the addition or departure of key personnel; | |
● | announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, investments or strategic alliances; and | |
● | general market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance. |
Further, in recent years, the stock market in general, and the market for medical device companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. Continued or renewed market fluctuations could result in extreme volatility in the price of our common stock, which could cause a decline in the value of the common stock. Price volatility of our common stock might be significant if the trading volume of the common stock is low, which often occurs with respect to newly traded securities on the OTCQB.
Because our common stock is a “penny stock,” it may be more difficult for investors to sell shares of the common stock, and the market price of the common stock may be adversely affected.
Our common stock may be a penny stock if, among other things, the stock price is below $5.00 per share, it is not listed on a national securities exchange or approved for quotation on the Nasdaq Stock Market or any other national securities exchange or it has not met certain net tangible asset or average revenue requirements. Broker-dealers who sell penny stocks must provide purchasers of these stocks with a standardized risk- disclosure document prepared by the SEC. This document provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks involved in investing in the penny-stock market. A broker must also give a purchaser, orally or in writing, bid and offer quotations and information regarding broker and salesperson compensation, make a written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and obtain the purchaser’s written agreement to the purchase. Broker-dealers must also provide customers that hold penny stock in their accounts with such broker-dealer a monthly statement containing price and market information relating to the penny stock. If a penny stock is sold to an investor in violation of the penny stock rules, the investor may be able to cancel its purchase and get its money back.
If applicable, the penny stock rules may make it difficult for investors to sell their shares of common stock. Because of the rules and restrictions applicable to a penny stock, there is less trading in penny stocks and the market price of the common stock may be adversely affected. Also, many brokers choose not to participate in penny stock transactions. Accordingly, investors may not always be able to resell their shares of common stock publicly at times and prices that they feel are appropriate.
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Compliance with changing regulations concerning corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses.
There have been changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, new regulations promulgated by the SEC and rules promulgated by the national securities exchanges. These new or changed laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards are likely to continue to result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. Our directors, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer could face an increased risk of personal liability in connection with the performance of their duties. As a result, we may have difficulty attracting and retaining qualified directors and executive officers, which could harm our business. If our efforts to comply with new or changed laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies, we could be subject to liability under applicable laws or our reputation may be harmed.
Because a certain portion of our expenses is incurred in currencies other than the NIS, our results of operations may be harmed by currency fluctuations and inflation.
The functional currency of Integrity Israel is the NIS, and we pay a substantial portion of our expenses in NIS. However, we expect a portion of our future revenues to be denominated in U.S. dollars or in Euros. As a result, we will be exposed to the currency fluctuation risks relating to the recording of our revenues in NIS. For example, if the NIS strengthens against either the U.S. dollar or the Euro, our reported expenses in NIS may be higher than anticipated. The Israeli rate of inflation has not offset or compounded the effects caused by fluctuations between the NIS and the U.S. dollar or the Euro. To date, we have not engaged in hedging transactions. Although the Israeli rate of inflation has not had a material adverse effect on our financial condition to date, we may, in the future, decide to enter into currency hedging transactions to decrease the risk of financial exposure from fluctuations in the exchange rates of the currencies mentioned above in relation to the NIS. These measures, however, may not adequately protect us from material adverse effects.
The adoption of the “Conflict Minerals” regulations may adversely affect the manufacturing of our current and future products.
Regulatory requirements regarding the use of “conflict minerals” could affect the sourcing and availability of the raw materials used by our third-party manufacturers. We may be subject to costs associated with the new regulations, including for the diligence pertaining to the presence of any conflict minerals used in our products and the cost of remediation and other changes to products, processes, or sources of supply as a consequence of such verification activities. The impact of the regulations may result in a limited pool of suppliers who provide conflict free minerals, and we cannot assure that we will be able to obtain products in sufficient quantities or at competitive prices. We may face reputational challenges with our customers and other stakeholders if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origins for the metals used in the products we sell. As a result, we may not be able to obtain the materials necessary to manufacture our products, which could force us to cease production or search for alternative supply sources, possibly at a higher cost. Such disruptions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.
Currently, Integrity Israel leases approximately 5,500 square feet of office space in the city of Ashdod, Israel for its principal offices. The lease term began on December 1, 2015 for a period of 5 years which has been extended on august 2020 for an additional 1 years at the option of the Company. Monthly lease payments including maintenance are approximately $10 thousand. The Company estimates that its minimal rent and maintenance payments will be approximately $120 thousand per year over each of the next 9 months. In connection with the lease agreement, Integrity Israel provided the landlord a bank guarantee in the amount of approximately $43 thousand (NIS 137 thousand based on the exchange rate of $.311:1 NIS as of December 31, 2020) that can be exercised by the landlord in the case Integrity Israel fails to pay the monthly rent payments. The guarantee is renewed on an annual basis for a period of 5 years and is secured by funds on deposit with the bank, which generally must be sufficient to cover the principal amount guarantee.
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We are not presently a party to any material litigation. We may, however, become involved in litigation from time to time relating to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. These claims, even if not meritorious, could result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer
Holders
As of April 13, 2021, there were approximately ______ holders of record of our Common Stock.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Any cash that might be available for payment of dividends will be used to expand our business.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Prospective investors should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this report. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review the “Risk Factors” section of this report for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
Overview
We are a medical device company focused on the design, development and commercialization of non-invasive glucose monitoring devices for use by people with diabetes. Integrity Israel was founded in 2001 with a mission to develop, produce and market non-invasive glucose monitors for home use by diabetics. We have developed a non-invasive blood glucose monitor, GlucoTrack®, which is designed to help people with diabetes obtain blood glucose level readings without the pain, inconvenience, cost and difficulty of conventional (invasive) spot finger stick devices. Our first generation product, GlucoTrack® 1.0 utilizes a patented combination of ultrasound, electromagnetic and thermal technologies to obtain blood glucose measurements in less than one minute via a small sensor that is clipped onto one’s earlobe and connected to a small, handheld control and display unit, all without drawing blood. Our next generation product, GlucoTrack® 2.0 which is currently under development, utilizes substantially identical underlying sensor technology, and is expected to be a completely wireless sensor to be clipped on the earlobe. GlucoTrack eliminates the handheld unit and will transmit results directly to a user’s smartphone.
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We may be at risk as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Risks that could affect our business include the duration and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the demand for our products; actions by governments, businesses and individuals taken in response to the pandemic; the length of time of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of its reoccurrence; the timing required to develop effective treatments and a vaccine in the event of future outbreaks; the eventual impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response to the pandemic on global and regional economies; and the pace of recovery when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
Critical Accounting Policies
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations discuss our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In connection with the preparation of our financial statements, we are required to make assumptions and estimates about future events, and apply judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and the related disclosures. We base our assumptions, estimates and judgments on historical experience, current trends and other factors that management believes to be relevant at the time our consolidated financial statements are prepared. On a regular basis, management reviews the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates and judgments to ensure that our financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material.
41 |
Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this report.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”
In June 2016, The FASB has issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”).
The ASU is intended to improve financial reporting by requiring timelier recording of credit losses on loans and other financial instruments held by financial institutions and other organizations.
ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to better inform their credit loss estimates.
Many of the loss estimation techniques applied today are still be permitted, although the inputs to those techniques will change to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses. Organizations will continue to use judgment to determine which loss estimation method is appropriate for their circumstances.
ASU 2016-13 requires enhanced disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements that provide additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements.
In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration.
On November 2019, the FASB issued ASC Update Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Leases (Topic 842) – Effective dates, which, among other provisions the effective date of ASU 2016-13 was amended as follows
1. | Public business entities that meet the definition of an SEC filer, excluding entities eligible to be smaller reporting companies (SRCs) as defined by the SEC, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. |
2. | All other entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. |
As the company is eligible to considered as smaller reporting company ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted.
The adoption of this standard is not expected to result in a material impact to the Company’s financial statements
42 |
Results of Operations
The following discussion of our operating results explains material changes in our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report.
Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019
Revenues
During the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, our revenues were immaterial.
Research and development expenses
Research and development expenses were $1,532 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to $1,606 thousand for the prior-year period. The decrease is immaterial.
Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries and other personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation expenses, materials, travel expenses, clinical trials and other expenses. We expect research and development expenses to increase in 2021 and beyond, primarily due to hiring additional personnel and developing our product line, as well the development of GlucoTrack® 2.0; however, we may adjust or allocate the level of our research and development expenses based on available financial resources and based on our commercial needs, including the FDA registration process, specific requirements from customers, development of new GlucoTrack® models and others.
Selling and marketing expenses
Selling and marketing expenses were $415 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to $573 thousand for the prior-year period. The decrease is primarily attributable to the Company’s decision to reduce its business development expenses in the European market until such a time when the proof of concept of obtaining reimbursement for the product in test markets is realized and general review and streamlining of expenses.
Selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of professional services, salaries, travel expenses and other related expenses. We expect selling and marketing expenses to increase in 2021 and beyond as we continue our focus on marketing and sales.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses were $1,185 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to $1,535 thousand for the prior-year period. The decrease is attributable to eliminating several positions in the Company’s headquarters in Israel.
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of professional services, salaries, travel expenses and other related expenses for executive, finance and administrative personnel, including stock-based compensation expenses. Other general and administrative costs and expenses include facility-related costs not otherwise included in research and development costs and expenses, and professional fees for legal and accounting services.
Financing (Income) expenses, net
Financing Income, net was $98 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to financing expense, net, of $10 thousand for the prior-year period. The increased is attributable to Interest Income on deposit in the amount of $140 thousand, which did not recur in 2019.
43 |
Net Loss
Net loss was $3,132 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to a net loss of $3,506 thousand for the prior-year period. The decrease in net loss is attributable primarily to the decrease in our general and administrative expenses, financing expenses, selling and marketing expenses and research and development expenses as described above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, cash on hand was $9,823 thousand and $419 thousand, respectively. During 2020, we received $13,009 thousand from the issuance and sale of our common stocks, We do not anticipate that our income from operations will be sufficient to sustain our operations in the next 12 months. Based on our current cash burn rate, strategy and operating plan, we believe that our cash and cash equivalents will enable us to operate for a period of significantly more than one year from the date of this report
During the years 2003-2004, Integrity Israel received loans from stockholders (four separate lenders) in a total amount of approximately $400 thousand. However, following the repayment of the entire balance to lender in 2015, the remaining balance as of December 31,2020 is approximately $197 thousand.
We are required to pay royalties to the Office of the Chief Scientist at a rate ranging between 3-5% of the proceeds from the sale of the Company’s products arising from the development plan up to an amount equal to $93 thousand, plus interest at LIBOR from the date of grant. As of December 31, 2020, the contingent liability with respect to royalty payment on future sales equals to approximately $43 thousand, excluding interest.
Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019
Net cash used in operating activities was $3,501 thousand and $3,899 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Net cash used in operating activities primarily reflects the net loss for those periods of $2,696 thousand and $3,516 thousand, respectively.
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019
Net cash used in investing activities was $53 thousand and $23 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, consisting of equipment purchases (such as computers, research and development and office equipment).
44 |
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019
Net cash provided by financing activities was $13,009 thousand and $4,198 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Cash provided by financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2019 reflected net capital raised from the issuance of Series D Units. Cash provided by financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2020 reflected net capital raised in February 2020 throughout issuance of 37.5 million common stocks.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The financial statements required by this Item 8 are filed herewith commencing on page F-1 hereto and are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Change in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our General Manager and our Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2020. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d- 15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost- benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2020, our President and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control — the 2013 Integrated Framework. Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2020, its internal control over financial reporting was effective based on these criteria.
45 |
Our management, including our General Manager and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. 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 our Company have been detected.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were 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 the Company has historically had personnel both in the U.S. and Israel, there has been no change in working status due to working remotely as a result of COVID-19.
Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the rules of the SEC.
None.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance.
Except for the information about our Code of Ethics below, the information required by this Item 10 is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Proxy Statement”). The definitive Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the close of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We maintain a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (Code) that applies to all employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller and persons performing similar functions, and including our independent directors, who are not employees of the Company, with regard to their Integrity-related activities. The Code incorporates guidelines designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote honest and ethical conduct and compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Code also incorporates our expectations of our employees that enable us to provide accurate and timely disclosure in our filings with the SEC and other public communications. In addition, the Code incorporates guidelines pertaining to topics such as complying with applicable laws, rules, and regulations; insider trading; reporting Code violations; and maintaining accountability for adherence to the Code. The full text of our Code is published on our web site at http://www.integrity-app.com/investor-relations/corporate-governance/ and is incorporated by reference herein. We intend to disclose future amendments to certain provisions of our Code, or waivers of such provisions granted to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and persons performing similar functions on our web site. Except as expressly stated herein, the information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference herein.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required for this Item is incorporated by reference from our Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required for this Item is incorporated by reference from our Proxy Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required for this Item is incorporated by reference from our Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The information required for this Item is incorporated by reference from our Proxy Statement.
46 |
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) | Document List | |
(1) | Financial Statements: |
The financial statements of the Company filed herewith are set forth in Part II, Item 8 of this report.
(2) | Financial Statement Schedules: |
None.
(3) | Exhibits: |
47 |
48 |
(1) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as filed with the SEC on August 22, 2011. |
(2) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on March 18, 2013. |
(3) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on September 5, 2014. |
(4) | Previously filed as an exhibit to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as filed with the SEC on October 7, 2011. |
(5) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2017, as filed with the SEC on August 18, 2017. |
(6) | Previously filed as an exhibit to Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as filed with the SEC on November 10, 2011. |
(7) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, as filed with the SEC on March 27, 2014. |
(8) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on April 15, 2016. |
(9) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2017. |
(10) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as filed with the SEC on November 7, 2017. |
(11) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on April 15, 2017 |
(12) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on March 7, 2018. |
(13) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on March 23, 2016. |
* | Compensation Plan or Arrangement or Management Contract. |
** | Filed herewith. |
49 |
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 as of April 13, 2021.
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Jolie Kahn | |
Name: | Jolie Kahn | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer (Principal Executive and Financial Officer) |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/ Jolie Kahn | Chief Financial Officer | April 13, 2021 | ||
Jolie Kahn | (Principal Executive and Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
/s/ Robert Fischell | Director | April 13, 2021 | ||
Dr. Robert Fischell | ||||
/s/ Allen Danzig | Director | April 13, 2021 | ||
Allen Danzig | ||||
/s/ Shimon Rapps | Director | April 13, 2021 | ||
Shimon Rapps | ||||
/s/ Andrew Sycoff | Director | April 13, 2021 | ||
Andrew Sycoff | ||||
/s/ Paul V.Goode | Director | April 13, 2021 | ||
Paul V.Goode |
50 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
Consolidated Financial Statements
as of December 31, 2020
Table of Contents
Page | |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | F-2 |
Consolidated Financial Statements | |
Balance Sheets | F-3 |
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss | F-4 |
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) | F-5 |
Statements of Cash Flows | F-6 |
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | F-7 – F-27 |
F-1 |
Fahn Kanne & Co. | |
Head Office | |
32 Hamasger Street | |
Tel-Aviv 6721118, ISRAEL | |
PO Box 36172, 6136101 | |
T +972 3 7106666 | |
F +972 3 7106660 | |
www.gtfk.co.il |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Board of Directors and the Stockholders of
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
Opinion on the financial statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Integrity Applications, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, changes in stockholders’ equity (deficit) and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ FAHN KANNE & CO. GRANT THORNTON ISRAEL
Certified Public Accountants (Isr.)
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2010.
Tel-Aviv, Israel
April 13, 2021
F-2 |
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
In thousand of US dollars (except share data) | ||||||||
December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |||||||
Current Assets | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | 9,823 | 419 | ||||||
Accounts receivable, net | 66 | 70 | ||||||
Inventory (Note 3) | 284 | 184 | ||||||
Other current assets | 56 | 45 | ||||||
Total current assets | 10,229 | 718 | ||||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net (Note 4) | 166 | 187 | ||||||
Property and equipment, net (Note 5) | 149 | 134 | ||||||
Non-current Restricted Cash | 62 | 57 | ||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | 10,606 | 1,096 | ||||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT) | ||||||||
Current Liabilities | ||||||||
Accounts payable | 869 | 1,534 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities, current (Note 4) | 84 | 142 | ||||||
Other current liabilities (Note 6) | 392 | 596 | ||||||
Total Current Liabilities | 1,345 | 2,272 | ||||||
Non-current Liabilities | ||||||||
Long-Term Loans from Stockholders (Note 8) | 197 | 191 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities, non-current (Note 4) | 82 | 45 | ||||||
Total Non-current liabilities | 279 | 236 | ||||||
Total Liabilities | 1,624 | 2,508 | ||||||
Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) | ||||||||
Common Stock of $ 0.001 par value (“Common Stock”): | ||||||||
500,000,000 shares authorized; 200,781,064 and 161,858,436 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively | 201 | 162 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 102,165 | 89,005 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income | 15 | 124 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit | (93,399 | ) | (90,703 | ) | ||||
Total Stockholders’ equity (deficit) | 8,982 | (1,412 | ) | |||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT) | 10,606 | 1,096 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements
F-3 |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
In thousand of US dollars | ||||||||
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Revenues | - | 208 | ||||||
Research and development expenses (Note 11) | 1,532 | 1,606 | ||||||
Selling and Marketing (Note 12) | 415 | 573 | ||||||
General and administrative expenses (Note 13) | 1,185 | 1,535 | ||||||
Total operating expenses | 3,132 | 3,714 | ||||||
Operating loss | 3,132 | 3,506 | ||||||
Other Income | 338 | - | ||||||
Financing income (expense), net | 98 | (10 | ) | |||||
Loss for the period | 2,696 | 3,516 | ||||||
Other comprehensive income: | ||||||||
Foreign currency translation adjustment | (109 | ) | (40 | ) | ||||
Comprehensive Loss for the period | 2,805 | 3,556 | ||||||
Loss per share (Basic) (Note 15) | (0.02 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||
Loss per share (Diluted) (Note 15) | (0.02 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||
Common shares used in computing Basic and Diluted Loss per share (Note 15) | 196,029,360 | 154,929,064 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-4 |
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
In thousand of US dollars (except share data) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock | Additional | Accumulated other | Total Stockholders’ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Number of shares | Amount | paid
in capital | comprehensive loss | Accumulated deficit | (deficit) surplus | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of January 1, 2019 | 141,634,700 | 142 | 84,008 | 164 | (87,187 | ) | (2,873 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Loss for the period | - | - | - | - | (3,516 | ) | (3,516 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive loss | - | - | - | (40 | ) | - | (40 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Amounts allocated to Series D-1, D-2 and Series D-3 Warrants, net | - | - | 32 | - | - | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||
Amounts allocated to issuance of Common Stock from Series D offering | 17,913,179 | 19 | 3,898 | - | - | 3,917 | ||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares as settlement of financial liabilities | 1,190,141 | 1 | 306 | - | - | 307 | ||||||||||||||||||
Warrants issued as consideration for placement services | - | - | 249 | - | - | 249 | ||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 515,120 | (*)- | 356 | - | - | 356 | ||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of restricted shares as compensation to the board of directors | 605,296 | (*)- | 156 | - | - | 156 | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2019 | 161,858,436 | 162 | 89,005 | 124 | (90,703 | ) | (1,412 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Balance as of January 1, 2020 | 161,858,436 | 162 | 89,005 | 124 | (90,703 | ) | (1,412 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Loss for the period | - | - | - | - | (2,696 | ) | (2,696 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive loss | - | - | - | (109 | ) | - | (109 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | - | - | 22 | - | - | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of Common Stock, net | 37,500,000 | 38 | 12,215 | - | - | 12,253 | ||||||||||||||||||
Warrants issued as consideration for placement services | - | - | 756 | - | - | 756 | ||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of restricted shares as compensation to the board of directors | 1,422,628 | 1 | 167 | - | - | 168 | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2020 | 200,781,064 | 201 | 102,165 | 15 | (93,399 | ) | 8,982 |
(*) Less than 1 thousand
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-5 |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
Income (loss) for the year | (2,696 | ) | (3,516 | ) | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile income (loss) for the year to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Depreciation | 47 | 51 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation | 22 | 356 | ||||||
Issuance of restricted shares as compensation to the board of directors | 168 | 156 | ||||||
Linkage difference on principal of loans from stockholders | (8 | ) | 7 | |||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable | 10 | (44 | ) | |||||
Decrease (increase) in inventory | (85 | ) | 1 | |||||
Increase in other current assets | (9 | ) | (19 | ) | ||||
Decrease in accounts payable | (714 | ) | (600 | ) | ||||
Decrease in other current liabilities | (236 | ) | (291 | ) | ||||
Net cash used in operating activities | (3,501 | ) | (3,899 | ) | ||||
Cash flows from investment activities: | ||||||||
Purchase of property and equipment | (53 | ) | (23 | ) | ||||
Net cash used in investment activities | (53 | ) | (23 | ) | ||||
Cash flows from financing activities | ||||||||
Proceeds allocated to Series D Warrants, net of cash issuance expenses | - | 33 | ||||||
Proceeds from issuance of Common Stock, net of cash issuance expenses | 13,009 | 4,165 | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 13,009 | 4,198 | ||||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (46 | ) | 50 | |||||
Increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | 9,409 | 326 | ||||||
cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of the year | 476 | 150 | ||||||
cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the year | 9,885 | 476 |
Supplementary information on financing activities not involving cash flows:
During the year ending December 31, 2019, the Company settled a portion of the outstanding board fees and management payroll obligations in the amount of $463 thousand through the issuance of 1,795,437 shares of common stock in total to seven board members and three members of the senior management team.
During the years ending December 31, 2020 and 2019, $756 and $249 thousand, respectively, representing the fair value of warrants issued as consideration for placement agent services. This amount was accounted for as Warrants with down-round protection. Upon issuance, the fair value was recognized as an increase in additional paid in capital.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-6 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 – | GENERAL |
A. | Integrity Applications, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated on May 18, 2010 under the laws of the State of Delaware. On July 15, 2010, Integrity Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (hereinafter: “Integrity Acquisition”), a wholly owned Israeli subsidiary of the Company, which was established on May 23, 2010, completed a merger with A.D. Integrity Applications Ltd. (hereinafter: “Integrity Israel”), an Israeli corporation that was previously held by the stockholders of the Company. Pursuant to the merger, all equity holders of Integrity Israel received the same proportional ownership in the Company as they had in Integrity Israel prior to the merger. Following the merger, Integrity Israel remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. As the merger transaction constituted a structural reorganization, the merger has been accounted for at historical cost in a manner similar to a pooling of interests. Integrity Israel was incorporated in 2001 and commenced its operations in 2002. Integrity Israel, a medical device company, focuses on the design, development and commercialization of non-invasive glucose monitoring devices for use by people with diabetes. Since its incorporation, the Company did not conduct any material operations other than those carried out by Integrity Israel. The development and commercialization of Integrity Israel’s product is expected to require substantial expenditures. Integrity Israel and the Company (collectively, the “Group”) have not yet generated significant revenues from operations, and therefore they are dependent upon external sources for financing their operations. As of December 31, 2020, the Group has incurred accumulated deficit of $93,399 thousand, and negative operating cash flows. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $9,823 in cash, which is sufficient to meet its capital needs for fiscal 2021 and for at least 12 months from the date of issuance of these financial statements, thus it is expected that the company will be able to operate as a going concern for at least 12 months from the date hereof. |
F-7 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 1 – | GENERAL (cont.) |
B. | Risk factors | |
The Group has a limited operating history and faces a number of risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties regarding continuation of the development process, demand and market acceptance of the Group’s products, the effects of technological changes, competition and the development of products by competitors. Additionally, other risk factors also exist, such as the ability to manage growth and the effect of planned expansion of operations on the Group’s future results and the availability of necessary financing. In addition, the Group expects to continue incurring significant operating costs and losses in connection with the development of its products and marketing efforts. The Group has not yet generated material revenues from its operations to fund its activities and therefore is dependent on the receipt of additional funding from its stockholders and/or new investors in order to continue its operations. |
C. | Effect of the spread of the Coronavirus on the Company | |
In December 2019, the Covid-19 epidemic erupted in China (hereinafter - the “Corona Virus”, the “Event” or the “Crisis”) and at the beginning of 2020, it spread to additional countries across the globe. In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of Corona as a global health emergency and in March 2020, it declared the Corona virus to be a global pandemic. The spreading of the Corona Virus is an extraordinary macroeconomic event in many countries worldwide. As a result of the event, many countries, including Israel, have taken significant steps in an attempt to stem the spreading of the virus. These steps include, inter alia, restriction of civilian movement and employment, closure of businesses and malls, restrictions of gatherings and events, restriction of the transportation of people and goods, closure of international border crossings, reduction in the number of employees permitted to come to their workplaces, etc. The event and the steps being taken by the various countries, as mentioned above, have had a significant impact on many global and local economies as well as on global capital markets, characterized by sharp decreases and extreme volatility in the prices of many securities. In addition, there is an ever-increasing risk of a market recession.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as near-term measures, we have transitioned some of our employees to remote working arrangements. The transition has had little impact on our employee productivity. Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, we will continue to assess the situation, including abiding by any government-imposed restrictions, market by market. |
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
The consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP). | ||
A. | Use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements | |
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. | ||
B. | Functional currency | |
The functional currency of the Company is the US dollar, which is the currency of the primary economic environment in which it operates. In accordance with ASC 830, “Foreign Currency Matters” (ASC 830), balances denominated in or linked to foreign currency are stated on the basis of the exchange rates prevailing at the applicable balance sheet date. For foreign currency transactions included in the statement of operations, the exchange rates applicable on the relevant transaction dates are used. Gains or losses arising from changes in the exchange rates used in the translation of such transactions are carried as financing income or expenses. The functional currency of Integrity Israel is the New Israeli Shekel (“NIS”) and its financial statements are included in consolidation, based on translation into US dollars. Accordingly, assets and liabilities were translated from NIS to US dollars using year-end exchange rates, and income and expense items were translated at average exchange rates during the year. Gains or losses resulting from translation adjustments are reflected in stockholders’ deficit, under “accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)”. |
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Official exchange rate of NIS 1 to US dollar | 0.311 | 0.290 | ||||||
Increase (decrease) of the Official exchange rate of NIS 1 to US dollar during the year: | ||||||||
2020 | 7.2 | % | ||||||
2019 | 8.4 | % |
F-8 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) |
C. | Principles of consolidation | |
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiary. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. | ||
D. | Cash and cash equivalents | |
The Group considers all short-term investments, which are highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase, to be cash equivalents. | ||
E. | Inventories | |
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. | ||
Cost is determined as follows: | ||
With respect to raw materials, the Group calculates cost using the average cost method. | ||
With respect to work in process and finished products, the Group calculates the cost on the basis of the average direct manufacturing costs, including materials, labor, subcontracting costs and other direct manufacturing costs. | ||
Management evaluates whether inventory reserve for slow-moving or obsolete items is required. | ||
F. | Property and equipment, net |
1. | Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. When an asset is retired or otherwise disposed of, the related carrying value and accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts and the net difference less any amount realized from disposition is reflected in the statements of operations. | |
2. | Rates of depreciation: |
% | ||||
Computers | 33 | |||
Furniture and office equipment | 7-15 | |||
Leasehold improvements | Shorter of lease term and 10 years |
G. | Impairment of long-lived assets | |
The Group’s long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment”, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such asset is considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. To date the Group did not incur any material impairment losses related to long lived assets. |
F-9 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) |
H. | Long-term restricted cash | |
Restricted cash is invested in certificates of deposit, which are used to secure Integrity Israel’s obligations in respect of its headquarters (See Note 9B) lease and credit card.
For presentation of statement of cash flows purposes, restrict cash balances are included with cash and cash equivalents, when reconciling the reported period total amounts. |
December 31 | December 31 | |||||||
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 9,823 | $ | 419 | ||||
Restricted cash | 62 | 57 | ||||||
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows | $ | 9,885 | $ | 476 |
I. | Income tax | |
The Group accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes”. Accordingly, deferred income taxes are determined utilizing the asset and liability method based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial accounting and the tax bases of assets and liabilities under the applicable tax law. Deferred tax balances are computed using the enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when these differences reverse. Valuation allowances in respect of deferred tax assets are provided for, if necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts more likely than not to be realized. | ||
The Group accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC Topic 740-10, which prescribes detailed guidance for the financial statement recognition, measurement and disclosure of uncertain tax positions recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. According to ASC Topic 740-10, tax positions must meet a more- likely-than-not recognition threshold. The Group’s accounting policy is to classify interest and penalties relating to uncertain tax positions under income taxes, however the Group did not recognize such items in its fiscal 2020 and 2019 financial statements and did not recognize any liability with respect to unrecognized tax position in its balance sheet. | ||
J. | Liability for employee rights upon retirement | |
Integrity Israel’s liability for employee rights upon retirement with respect to its Israeli employees is calculated pursuant to the Israeli Severance Pay Law, based on the most recent salary of each employee multiplied by the number of years of employment of each such employee as of the balance sheet date. Employees are entitled to one month’s salary for each year of employment, or ratable portion thereof for periods less than one year. Integrity Israel makes monthly deposits to insurance policies and severance pay funds. | ||
The deposited funds may be withdrawn upon the fulfillment of Integrity Israel’s severance obligations pursuant to Israeli severance pay laws or labor agreements with its employees. The value of the deposited funds is based on the cash surrender value of these policies, and includes immaterial profits or losses. | ||
Commencing in 2011, Integrity Israel’s agreements with its Israeli employees are in accordance with Section 14 of the Severance Pay Law. Payments in accordance with Section 14 release the employer from any future severance payments in respect of those employees. Related obligations and liabilities under Section 14 are not recorded as an asset or as a liability in the Company’s balance sheet. | ||
Severance expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020, and 2019 amounted to $24 and $79 thousand respectively. | ||
K. | Revenue recognition | |
The Company derives most of its revenues from sales of its GlucoTrack® glucose monitoring device to distributors. The Company’s products sold through agreements with distributors are generally non-exchangeable, non-refundable and non-returnable and, to date, the Company has not granted to any of its distributors any rights of price protection or stock rotation. Accordingly, the Company considers its distributors as end-users for revenue recognition purposes. | ||
On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). In accordance with ASC 606, The Company determines revenue recognition through the following five steps:
● Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; ● Identification of the performance obligations in the contract; ● Determination of the transaction price; ● Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and ● Recognition of revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies a performance obligation.
A contract with a customer exists when all of the following criteria are met: the parties to the contract have approved it (in writing, orally, or in accordance with other customary business practices) and are committed to perform their respective obligations, the Company can identify each party’s rights regarding the distinct goods or services to be transferred (“performance obligations”), the Company can determine the transaction price for the goods or services to be transferred, the contract has commercial substance and it is probable that the Company will collect substantially all of the consideration to which it will be entitled in exchange for the goods or services that will be transferred to the customer.
Revenues are recognized when, or as, control of services or products is transferred to the customers at a point in time or over time, as applicable to each performance obligation.
Revenues are recorded in the amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for performance obligations upon transfer of control to the customer, excluding amounts collected on behalf of other third parties and sales taxes.
Revenues from sales of GlucoTrack devices are recognized when the control of the product passed to the customer (usually upon delivery). |
F-10 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) |
L. | Research and development expenses | |
Research and development expenses are charged to operations as incurred. | ||
M. | Royalty-bearing grants | |
Royalty-bearing grants from the OCS to fund approved research and development projects are recognized at the time Integrity Israel is entitled to such grants, on the basis of the costs incurred and reduce research and development costs. The cumulative research and development grants received by Integrity Israel from inception through December 2004 amounted to $93 thousand. Integrity Israel has not received any research and development grants since December 2004. | ||
N. | Warranty | |
The Group provides a 24-month warranty for its products at no cost. The Group estimates the costs that may be incurred during the warranty period and records a liability for the amounts of such costs at the time revenues are recognized. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 warranty expenses were clearly insignificant. | ||
O. | Basic and diluted income (loss) per share | |
Basic income (loss) per share is computed by dividing the income (loss) for the period applicable for Common Stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of Common Stock outstanding during the period. Securities that may participate in dividends with the Common Stock are considered in the computation of basic income per share using the two-class method. However, in periods of net loss, such participating securities are not included since the holders of such securities do not have a contractual obligation to share the losses of the Company. During the reported period, there were no such participating securities. | ||
In computing, diluted loss per share, basic earnings per share are adjusted to reflect the potential dilution that could occur upon the exercise of options or warrants issued or granted using the “treasury stock method” and upon the conversion of Preferred Stock using the “if-converted method”, if the effect of each of such financial instruments is dilutive. | ||
P. | Stock-based compensation | |
The Group measures and recognizes the compensation expense for all equity-based payments to employees based on their estimated fair values in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation”. Share-based payments including grants of stock options are recognized in the statement of operations as an operating expense based on the fair value of the award at the date of grant. The fair value of stock options granted is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Group has expensed compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures, applying the accelerated vesting method, over the requisite service period or over the implicit service period when a performance condition affects the vesting, and it is considered probable that the performance condition will be achieved. | ||
Until December 31, 2018 the Company applied ASC 505-50, “Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees” (“ASC 505”) with respect to options and warrants issued to non-employees, which required the use of option valuation models to measure the fair value of the options and warrants at the measurement date. Commencing January 1, 2019, following the adoption of ASU 2018-07, which aligns the measurement and classification guidance for share-based payments to nonemployees with the guidance for share-based payments to employees (with certain exceptions), share-based payments to non-employees are accounted in accordance with ASC 718. |
F-11 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) |
Q. | Fair value of financial instruments | |
ASC Topic 825-10, “Financial Instruments” defines financial instruments and requires disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments held by the Group. The Group considers the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, other current assets, accounts payable and other current liabilities balances, to approximate their fair values due to the short-term maturities of such financial instruments. ASC Topic 825-10, establishes the following fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value: | ||
Level 1 - Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs. | ||
Level 2 - Observable prices that are based on inputs not quoted on active markets, but corroborated by market data. | ||
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs are used when little or no market data is available. Level 3 inputs are considered as the lowest priority under the fair value hierarchy. | ||
The Group did not estimate the fair value of the long-term loans from stockholders since their repayment schedule has not yet been determined. | ||
R. | Concentrations of credit risk | |
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Group to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and restricted cash. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are deposited with major banks in Israel and the United States of America. Management believes that such financial institutions are financially sound, accordingly, minimal credit risk exists with respect to these financial instruments. The Group does not have any significant off-balance-sheet concentration of credit risk, such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts or other foreign hedging arrangements. | ||
As of December 31, 2020, the balances of accounts receivable was not material and accordingly such balances do not represent substantial concentration of credit risk. | ||
S. | Contingencies | |
The Group records accruals for loss contingencies arising from claims, litigation and other sources when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. These accruals are adjusted periodically as assessments change or additional information becomes available. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. |
F-12 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) |
T. | Warrants with Down-Round Protection | |
Commencing January 1, 2018 and following the early adoption of Accounting Standard Update (ASU) No. 2017-11, “Earnings Per Share” (ASU 2017-11), the Company disregard the down round feature when assessing whether the instrument is indexed to its own stock, for purposes of determining liability or equity classification. Based on its evaluation, management has determined that such warrants with Down-Round Protection are eligible for equity classification.
In accordance with the provisions of ASU 2017-11, upon the occurrence of an event that triggers a down round protection (i.e., when the exercise price of the warrants is adjusted downward because of the down round feature), the effect is accounted for as a deemed dividend and as a reduction of income available to common shareholders for purposes of basic earnings per share (EPS) calculation. | ||
U. | Modification of equity-classified contracts | |
The modification or exchange of equity-classified contracts, such as warrants that were classified as equity before the modification or exchange and remained eligible for equity classification after the modification, is accounted for in a similar manner to a modification of stock-based compensation. Accordingly, the incremental fair value from the modification or exchange (the change in the fair value of the instrument before and after the modification or exchange) is recognized as a reduction of, retained earnings (accumulated deficit) as a deemed dividend. Modifications or exchanges that result in a decrease in the fair value of an equity-classified share-based payment awards are not recognized. In addition, the amount of the deemed dividend is also recognized as an adjustment to earnings available to common shareholders for purposes of calculating earnings per share. |
V. | Operating Lease | |
The Company entered into several non-cancelable lease agreements for real estate, and vehicles for use in its operations, which are classified as operating leases. | ||
Commencing January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC Update 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). | ||
The Company used the effective date as the date of initial application. Consequently, the effect of the adoption was reflected through a cumulative-effect adjustment. However, the adoption did not affect the financial statements. | ||
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Under the new guidance, arrangements meeting the definition of a lease are classified as operating or financing leases. A classification of a lease is determined based on the following criteria: |
1. | The lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset to the lessee by the end of the lease term. | |
2. | The lease grants the lessee an option to purchase the underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise. | |
3. | The lease term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of the underlying asset (Generally, 75% or more of the remaining economic life of the underlying assets). | |
4. | The present value of the sum of the lease payments and any residual value guaranteed by the lessee equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset (Generally, 90% or more of the fair value of the underlying asset). | |
5. | The underlying asset is of such a specialized nature that it is expected to have no alternative use to the lessor at the end of the lease term. |
If any of these five criteria is met, the lease is classified as a finance lease. Otherwise, the lease is classified as an operating lease.
Leases are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as both a right of use asset and a lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the right of use asset is amortized over the lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right of use asset results in straight-line rent expense over the lease term. Variable lease expenses, if any, are recorded when incurred.
The Company also elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify (leases with a term shorter than 12 months). For those leases, right-of-use assets or lease liabilities are not recognized and rent expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
The Company had no material capital leases throughout the reporting periods.
See note 4 for further discussion.
F-13 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 2 – | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) |
W. | Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. These reclassifications did not have significant effect on the reported results of operations, shareholder’s deficit or cash flows. | |
X. | Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted | |
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” | ||
In June 2016, The FASB has issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”).
The ASU is intended to improve financial reporting by requiring timelier recording of credit losses on loans and other financial instruments held by financial institutions and other organizations.
ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to better inform their credit loss estimates.
Many of the loss estimation techniques applied today are still permitted, although the inputs to those techniques will change to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses. Organizations will continue to use judgment to determine which loss estimation method is appropriate for their circumstances.
ASU 2016-13 requires enhanced disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements that provide additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements.
In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration.
On November 2019, the FASB issued ASC Update Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Leases (Topic 842) – Effective dates, which, among other provisions the effective date of ASU 2016-13 was amended as follows |
3. | Public business entities that meet the definition of an SEC filer, excluding entities eligible to be smaller reporting companies (SRCs) as defined by the SEC, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. | |
4. | All other entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. |
As the company is eligible to considered as smaller reporting company ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this standard is not expected to result in a material impact to the Company’s financial statements.
F-14 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 3 – | INVENTORIES |
Inventory | In thousand of US dollars | |||||||
December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |||||||
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Raw materials | 95 | 18 | ||||||
Work in process | 155 | 86 | ||||||
Finished products | 34 | 80 | ||||||
284 | 184 |
NOTE 4 – | LEASES |
The Company has entered into several non-cancellable operating lease agreements for the Company’s offices and three vehicles. the Company’s leases have original lease periods expiring between 2020 and 2023. Payments due under such lease contracts include primarily fixed payments. the Company does not assume renewals in its determination of the lease term unless the renewals are deemed to be reasonably assured at lease commencement. the company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
The components of lease costs, lease term and discount rate are as follows:
In thousand of US dollars | ||||
December 31, 2020 | ||||
Operating lease cost: | ||||
Office space | 101 | |||
Vehicles | 71 | |||
172 | ||||
Remaining Lease Term | ||||
Office space | 0.67 years | |||
Vehicles | 2.33 years | |||
Weighted Average Discount Rate | ||||
Office space | 10 | % | ||
Vehicles | 10 | % |
F-15 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 4 – | LEASES (cont.) |
The following is a schedule, by years, of maturities of operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2020:
In thousand of US dollars | ||||
December 31, 2020 | ||||
Period: | ||||
2021 | 136 | |||
2022 | 28 | |||
2023 | 12 | |||
Total operating lease payments | 176 | |||
Less: imputed interest | 10 | |||
Present value of lease liabilities | 166 |
NOTE 5 – | PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET |
Property and Equipment | In thousand of US dollars | |||||||
December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |||||||
Computers | 380 | 349 | ||||||
Furniture and office equipment | 312 | 270 | ||||||
Leasehold improvements | 82 | 50 | ||||||
774 | 669 | |||||||
Less – accumulated depreciation | (625 | ) | (535 | ) | ||||
149 | 134 |
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, depreciation expenses amounted to $47 and $51 thousand respectively, and new equipment purchases amounted to $53 and $23 thousand, respectively. |
NOTE 6 – | OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES |
Other Current Liabilities | In thousand of US dollars | |||||||
December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |||||||
Employees and related institutions | 244 | 195 | ||||||
Accrued expenses and other | 148 | 401 | ||||||
392 | 596 |
F-16 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 7 – | LINE OF CREDIT |
As of December 31, 2020, the Group did not have a credit line with any institution. |
NOTE 8 – | LONG-TERM LOANS FROM STOCKHOLDERS |
During the years 2003-2004, Integrity Israel received loans from stockholders (four separate lenders) in a total amount of approximately $400 thousand. However, following the repayment of the entire balance to creatio1n lender in 2015, the remaining balance as of December 31,2020 is approximately $197 thousand. The loans are indexed to the Israeli consumer price index from their origination date and near no insert. | |
The Group will be required to pay the loans, in quarterly installments, commencing on the first quarter following the first fiscal year in which the Group reports net profit in its annual report. At such time, the Group will be required to make quarterly payments equal to 10% of its total sales for each quarter until the loans have been repaid in full. Notwithstanding the repayment mechanism, the Group will not be required to repay the loans during any period in which such payment would cause a deficit in the Group’s working capital. | |
As of December 31, 2020, the Group does not expect to make any additional material repayments during the following 12-month period, if any, and accordingly the entire remaining balance of the loans from stockholders have been presented as long-term liabilities. |
F-17 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 9 – | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES |
A. | On March 4, 2004, the OCS provided Integrity Israel with a grant of approximately $93 thousand (NIS 420 thousand), for its plan to develop a non-invasive blood glucose monitor (the “Development Plan”). Integrity Israel is required to pay royalties to the OCS at a rate ranging between 3-5% of the proceeds from the sale of the Group’s products arising from the Development Plan up to an amount equal to $93 thousand, plus interest at LIBOR from the date of grant. As of December 31, 2020, the remaining contingent liability with respect to royalty payment on future sales equals approximately $43 thousand, excluding interest. Such contingent obligation has no expiration date. | |
As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, the Group accrued royalties to the OCS in insignificant amounts. | ||
B. | Integrity Israel leases approximately 5,500 sq. ft. of office space in the city of Ashdod, Israel for its principal offices. The lease term began on December 1, 2015 for a period of 5 years which has been extended on august 2020 for an additional 1 year at the option of the Company. Monthly lease payments including maintenance approximate $10 thousand. The Company estimates that its minimal rent and maintenance payments for the remaining original lease term, will approximate $120 thousand Per year over each of the next 9 months. In connection with the lease agreement, Integrity Israel provided the landlord a bank guarantee in the amount of approximately $43 thousand. (NIS 137 thousand.) that can be exercised by the landlord in the case Integrity Israel fails to pay the monthly rent payments. The guarantee is renewed on an annual basis for a period of 4 years and is secured by funds on deposit with the bank, which generally must be sufficient to cover the principal amount guarantee. | |
C. | On August 1, 2017 the Company entered into an Advisory Agreement with AGI, pursuant to which the Company retained AGI on a non-exclusive basis to provide certain advisory services to the Company for a period of 9 months which was subsequently extended twice and was in effect to October 31, 2019. | |
The Company paid the Placement Agent approximately $2 million for placement services. and $834 thousand for placement services and Advisory services (see above) in cash during 2020 and 2019.
In addition, during the year ending December 31, 2020 and 2019, $756 and $249 thousand, respectively, representing the fair value of warrants issued as consideration for placement agent services to AGI. This amount was accounted for as Warrants with down-round protection. Upon issuance, the fair value was recognized as an increase in additional paid in capital. |
F-18 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 10 – | COMMON STOCK, AND WARRANTS WITH-DOWN ROUND PROTECTION |
A. | 1. | Description of the rights attached to the Common Stock | |
Each share of Common Stock entitles the holder to one vote, either in person or by proxy, on each matter submitted to the approval of the Company’s stockholders. The holders of Common Stock are not permitted to vote their shares cumulatively. |
A. | 2. | Description of the Series D units | |
Holders of the Series D Units of the Company (each a “Unit” and, collectively, the “Units”), each consisted of (a) one share (collectively, the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (b) a five year warrant to purchase, at an exercise price of $4.50 per share, one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Series D-1 Warrants”), (c) a five year warrant to purchase, at an exercise price of $5.75 per share, one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Series D-2 Warrants”), and (d) a five year warrant to purchase, at an exercise price of $7.75 per share, one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Series D-3 Warrants”, and together with the Series D-1 Warrants and Series D-2 Warrants, the “Warrants”). |
F-19 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 10 – | COMMON STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK AND WARRANTS WITH-DOWN ROUND PROTECTION (cont.) |
A. | 2. | Description of the rights attached to the Series D Units (cont.) | |
Placement Agent Compensation | |||
Pursuant to a placement agent agreement (the “Placement Agent Agreement”) with the placement agent for the Offering (the “Placement Agent”), at the closing of the sale of the Units the Company paid the Placement Agent, as a commission, a cash amount equal to 7% of the aggregate sales price of the Units, plus 3% of the aggregate sales price as a management fee plus a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 3% of the aggregate sales price of the Units. In addition, pursuant to the placement agent agreement, the company is required to issue to the Placement Agent warrants to purchase up to such number of shares of Common Stock equal to 10% of the aggregate Shares sold in the Offering plus warrants equal to 10% of the total number of the Warrants issued to the Purchasers in the Offering (collectively, the “Placement Agent Warrants”). The terms of the Placement Agent Warrants will be substantially similar to the Warrants except that the Placement Agent Warrants will also be exercisable on a cashless basis and will include full ratchet anti-dilution protection. |
B. | Stock-based compensation | ||
1. | Grants to non-employees |
a. | In connection with the 2017 Offering, the Company has issued to the Placement Agent (a) 5-year warrants to purchase up to 13,815,322 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.258 per share, (b) 5-year warrants to purchase up to 108,305 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.80 per share.(c) 5-year warrants to purchase up to 108,305 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.60 per share, and (d) 5-year warrants to purchase up to 108,305 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $5.40 per share. The terms of the Placement Agent warrants are substantially similar to the terms of the Series D Warrants except that the Placement Agent warrants may also be exercisable on a cashless basis at all times. | |
In connection with February 2020 Offering, the Company has issued to the Placement Agent 5-year warrants to purchase up to 3,750,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.4 per share.
During the year ending December 31, 2020 and 2019, $756 and $249 thousand, respectively, representing the fair value of warrants issued as consideration for placement agent services to AGI. This amount was accounted for as Warrants with down-round protection. Upon issuance, the fair value was recognized as an increase in additional paid in capital | ||
As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, the key inputs used in the fair value calculations of the warrant that were affected by the down-round protection were as follows: |
Fair value calculations – Warrant | 31-Dec-20 | 31-Dec-19 | ||||||
Dividend yield (%) | - | - | ||||||
Expected volatility (%) | 56.32 | 56.32 | ||||||
Risk free interest rate (%) | 2.5 | 2.5 | ||||||
Expected term of options (years) | 5 | 5 | ||||||
Exercise price (US dollars) | 0.4 | 0.258-5.400 | ||||||
Share price (US dollars) | 0.4 | 0.258 | ||||||
Fair value (US dollars) | 0.2 | 0.003-0.134 |
2. | Grants to employees | ||
In August 2007, Integrity Israel’s Board of Directors (“Integrity Israel’s Board”) approved a stock option plan (“Integrity Israel’s plan”) for the grant, without consideration of options exercisable into ordinary shares of NIS 0.01 par value of Integrity Israel to employees, officers and directors of Integrity Israel. The exercise price and vesting period for each grantee of options was determined by Integrity Israel’s Board and specified in such grantee’s option agreement. The options vested over a period of 1-12 quarters based on each grantee’s option agreements. Any option not exercised within 10 years after the date of grant thereof will expire. |
F-20 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 10 – | COMMON STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK AND WARRANTS WITH-DOWN ROUND PROTECTION (cont.) |
B. | Stock-based compensation (cont.) | ||
2. | Grants to employees (cont.) | ||
In July 2010, following the merger with Integrity Israel, the Company adopted the 2010 Share Incentive Plan (the “2010 Share Incentive Plan”), pursuant to which the Company’s Board of Directors is authorized to grant options exercisable into Common Stock of the Company. | |||
The purpose of the 2010 Share Incentive Plan is to offer an incentive to employees, directors, officers, consultants, advisors, suppliers and any other person or entity whose services are considered valuable to the Company, as well as to replace the Integrity Israel Plan and to replace all options granted in the past by Integrity Israel. | |||
On January 1, 2019, the company issued a ten-year non-qualified stock option to our former President, for the purchase of 75 thousand shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $4.50 per share, with three-year quarterly vesting commencing on the first quarter after the effective date. | |||
Effective June, 2020, Erez Ben-Zvi has joined the Company as its Vice President of Product, Mr. Ben-Zvi will lead all sales and marketing activities for Integrity and will serve on the Company’s executive leadership team.
The Company granted Mr. Ben-Zvi annual award of NIS 210 thousand worth (approximately $ 61 thousand) of restricted stock units (the “RSU”) effective as of the employee Start Date and on each one-year anniversary following the employee Start Date subject to the approval of the board of directors (the “additional RSU”). The RSU and each of the Additional RSU (if approved by the board of directors), as applicable, shall be based on the stock price at actual the date of grant (and not lower than US$ 0.40 per share). 1/12 of the RSUs shall vest and become nonforfeitable three months following the Start Date, and an additional 1/12 of the RSUs shall vest and become nonforfeitable at the end of every 3-months period thereafter, provided that the employee continues to be employed by the Company at the applicable date of vesting. The vesting schedule shall be also applied to each of the Additional RSUs granted, mutatis mutandis, such that the vesting period of each of the respective Additional RSU shall commence from its actual date of grant | |||
Effective November, 2020, Mr. Shalom Shushan has joined the Company as its Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Shushan will lead all technology and research and development activities for Integrity and will serve on the Company’s executive leadership team.
The Company granted Mr. Shushan annual award of NIS 90 thousand worth (approximately $27 thousand) of restricted stock units (the “RSU”) effective as of the employee Start Date. Furthermore, on each one-year anniversary following the employee Start Date subject to the approval of the board of directors, Company shall grant the Employee with NIS 60 thousand worth of restricted stock units (the “Additional RSU’’). Both the RSU and each of the Additional RSU (if approved by the board of directors), as applicable, shall be based on the stock price at actual the date of grant (and not lower than US$ 0.40 per share). 1/12 of the RSUs shall vest and become nonforfeitable three months following the Start Date, and an additional 1/12 of the RSUs shall vest and become nonforfeitable at the end of every 3-months period thereafter, provided that the Employee continues to be employed by the Company at the applicable date of vesting. The vesting schedule shall be also applied to each of the Additional RSUs granted to the Employee, mutatis mutandis, such that the vesting period of each of the respective Additional RSU shall commence from its actual date of grant |
Grants to Employees | Number | Weighted average exercise price (US$) | ||||||
Balance outstanding of December 31,2018 | 3,992,610 | 4.7 | ||||||
Balance exercisable of December 31,2018 | 2,721,587 | $ | 4.63 | |||||
Granted during 2019 | 75,000 | $ | 4.5 | |||||
Forfeited during 2019 | (2,039,525 | ) | $ | 4.51 | ||||
Balance outstanding as of December 31,2019 | 2,028,085 | $ | 4.88 | |||||
Balance exercisable of December 31,2019 | 1,724,194 | $ | 4.63 | |||||
Granted during 2020 | - | $ | - | |||||
Forfeited during 2020 | (335,014 | ) | $ | 4.51 | ||||
Balance outstanding as of December 31,2020 | 1,693,071 | $ | 4.95 | |||||
Balance exercisable of December 31,2020 | 1,667,853 | 4.96 |
The following tables summarize information about options outstanding at December 31, 2020:
Exercise price (US$) | Outstanding at December 31, 2020 | Exercisable at December 31, 2020 | Weighted average remaining contractual life (years) | |||||||||||
4.50 | 1,298,859 | 1,273,651 | 6.54 | |||||||||||
6.25 | 344,212 | 344,212 | 1.19 | |||||||||||
7.75 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 6.26 | |||||||||||
1,693,071 | 1,667,863 |
F-21 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 10 – | COMMON STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK AND WARRANTS WITH-DOWN ROUND PROTECTION (cont.) |
C. | Stock-based compensation (cont.) | ||
2. | Grants to employees (cont.) | ||
The fair value of options granted to employees during the years ended on December 31, 2019 was estimated at the dates of grant using the Black-Scholes option model. The following are the data and assumptions used: |
Fair value calculations - Warrant | December 31, 2019 | |||
Dividend yield (%) | - | |||
Expected volatility (%) (*) | 56.32 | |||
Risk free interest rate (%) | 2.5 | |||
Expected term of options (years) | 5 | |||
Exercise price (US dollars) | 0.258-5.400 | |||
Share price (US dollars) (**) | 0.258 | |||
Fair value (US dollars) | 0.004-0.134 |
(*) | Due to the low trading volume of the Company’s Common Stock, the expected volatility for 2019 grants was based on a sample of 248 companies operating in the Healthcare Products industry, respectively. | ||
(**) | The Common Stock price, per share for the year ended December 31, 2019 reflects the Company’s management’s estimation of the fair value per share of Common Stock. In reaching its estimation for December 31, 2019, management considered, among other things, a valuation prepared by a third-party valuation firm following the issuance of the Series D Units. |
NOTE 11 – | RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES |
In thousand of US dollars | ||||||||
R&D Salaries | December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | ||||||
Salaries and related expenses | 754 | 1,268 | ||||||
Professional fees | 462 | 32 | ||||||
Regulations related | 96 | 28 | ||||||
Patents | 68 | 80 | ||||||
Materials | 73 | 97 | ||||||
Depreciation | 32 | 32 | ||||||
Vehicle maintenance | 47 | 58 | ||||||
Other | - | 11 | ||||||
1,532 | 1,606 |
F-22 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 12 – | SELLING AND MARKETING EXPENSES |
Selling and Marketing | December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | ||||||
Salaries and related expenses | 404 | 473 | ||||||
Professional fees | 11 | 65 | ||||||
Travel & expenses | - | 9 | ||||||
Exhibitions and Shows | - | 26 | ||||||
415 | 573 |
NOTE 13 – | GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES |
In thousand of US dollars | ||||||||
General and Administrative | December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | ||||||
Salaries and related expenses | 368 | 904 | ||||||
Professional fees | 694 | 497 | ||||||
Travel & expenses | 7 | 31 | ||||||
Depreciation | 15 | 18 | ||||||
Insurance | 73 | 59 | ||||||
Vehicle maintenance | 28 | 26 | ||||||
1,185 | 1,535 |
F-23 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 14 – | INCOME TAX |
A. | Measurement of results for tax purposes under the Israeli Income Tax (Inflationary Adjustments) Law, 1985 (the “Inflationary Adjustment Law”) | |
Commencing January 1, 2008, the results of operations of Integrity Israel for tax purposes have been measured on a nominal basis. | ||
B. | Tax assessments | |
For federal, state and local income tax purposes the Company remains open for examination by the tax authorities for the tax years from 2017 through 2020 under the general statute of limitations. | ||
Notwithstanding, pursuant and subject to the provisions of article 145 of the Income Tax Ordinance, Integrity Israel’s tax returns that were filed with the tax authority up to and including 2016 are considered final. | ||
C. | Carryforward tax losses | |
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had cumulative net operating losses (NOL) for US federal purposes of approximately $9.3 million. $2.5 million of the federal net operating loss can be carried forward indefinitely and $6.8 million of the federal net operating loss can be offset against taxable income for 20 years that will expire between the years 2030-2037. Integrity Israel has losses carry forward balances for Israeli income tax purposes of approximately $38.9 million to offset against future taxable income for an indefinite period of time. | ||
D. | The following is a reconciliation between the theoretical tax on pre-tax income, at the tax rate applicable to the Company (federal tax rate) and the tax expense reported in the financial statements: |
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Pretax income (loss) | (2,696 | ) | (3,516 | ) | ||||
Federal tax rate | 21 | % | 21 | % | ||||
Income tax expenses (benefit) computed at the ordinary tax rate | (566 | ) | (738 | ) | ||||
Non-deductible expenses | 10 | 3 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation | 40 | 33 | ||||||
Tax in respect of differences in corporate tax rates | (42 | ) | (51 | ) | ||||
Return to Provision | - | (149 | ) | |||||
Losses and timing differences in respect of which no deferred taxes assets were recognized | 558 | 902 | ||||||
- | - |
F-24 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 14 – | INCOME TAX (cont.) |
E. | Deferred taxes result principally from temporary differences in the recognition of certain revenue and expense items for financial and income tax reporting purposes. Significant components of the Group’s future tax assets are as follows: |
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Composition of deferred tax assets: | ||||||||
Provision for employee-related obligation | 22 | 25 | ||||||
Non-capital loss carry forwards | 10,889 | 9,826 | ||||||
Valuation allowance | (10,912 | ) | (9,851 | ) | ||||
- | - |
NOTE 15 – | LOSS PER SHARE |
The loss and the weighted average number of shares used in computing basic and diluted loss per share for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows:
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Income (loss) for the period attributable to common stockholders | (2,696 | ) | (3,516 | ) |
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Common shares used in computing Basic loss per share | 196,029,360 | 154,929,064 | ||||||
Common shares used in computing Diluted loss per share (*) | 196,029,360 | 154,929,064 | ||||||
Total weighted average number of Common shares related to outstanding convertible Preferred Stock, options and warrants excluded from the calculations of diluted loss per share (**) | 83,809,954 | 79,562,675 |
(*) | In applying the treasury method, the average market price of Common Stock was based on management estimate For December 31, 2020. management considered, among other things, the price per share in February 2020 offering ($0.4) | |
(**) | Shares that will be issued upon exercise of all stock options and warrants, have been excluded from the calculation of the diluted net loss per share for all the reported periods for which net loss was reported because the effect of the common shares issuable as a result of the exercise or conversion of these instruments was anti-dilutive. |
F-25 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 16 – | SEGMENT INFORMATION |
The Company operates in one operating segment with negligible income in 2020.
All long-lived assets are owned by Integrity Israel and are located in Israel.
NOTE 17 – | RELATED PARTIES |
A. | Andrew Garrett, Inc., which is controlled by one of our directors, Andrew Sycoff, received during the year ended December 31, 2020, cash approximately $2 million in placement agent fees and 3,750,000 warrants for Placement Agent fees in 2020 from us. | |
During the year ending December 31, 2020 and 2019, $756 and $249 thousand, respectively, representing the fair value of warrants issued as consideration for placement agent services to AGI. This amount was accounted for as Warrants with down-round protection. Upon issuance, the fair value was recognized as an increase in additional paid in capital |
F-26 |
INTEGRITY APPLICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
NOTE 18 – | SUBSEQUENT EVENTS |
On February 8, 2021, the Company announced that it has promoted Erez Ben-Zvi to General Manager in addition to his current role as Vice President of Product, effective immediately, with a one-time bonus of $18,000 and an increase in annual compensation of $36,000. Mr. Ben-Zvi will assume the day-to-day responsibilities of David Malka who will be stepping down as President effective April 6, 2021.
F-27 |