GUIDED THERAPEUTICS INC - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒     ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

☐     TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT 1934

Commission File No. 0-22179

5835 Peachtree Corners East, Suite B

Norcross, Georgia 30092

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code) 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (770) 242-8723

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, $0.001 Par Value

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

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 ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 (a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2021, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting stock held by non-affiliates (based on the closing sale price of the registrant’s Common Stock) was $8,377,034.

As of March 15, 2022, the registrant had 22,063,995 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding.

(PCAOB ID 1195)

GUIDED THERAPEUTICS, INC. 

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

When we use the terms “Guided,” “Guided Therapeutics,” ”we,” “us,” or “our,” we are referring to Guided Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes certain statements that are not historical facts that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. We use words such as “anticipate,” “continue,” “likely,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “projection,” “should,” “believe,” “potential,” “could,” or similar words suggesting future outcomes (including negative and grammatical variations) to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the following, among other things:

These forward-looking statements reflect our management’s beliefs and views with respect to future events and are based on estimates and assumptions as of the date of this filing and are subject to risks and uncertainties. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail under “Risk Factors.” Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements.

PART I

Item 1. Business

Overview

We are a medical technology company focused on developing innovative medical devices that have the potential to improve healthcare. Our primary focus is the sales and marketing of our LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scan non-invasive cervical cancer detection device. The underlying technology of LuViva primarily relates to the use of biophotonics for the non-invasive detection of cancers. LuViva is designed to identify cervical cancers and precancers painlessly, non-invasively and at the point of care by scanning the cervix with light, then analyzing the reflected and fluorescent light.

LuViva is designed to provide a less invasive and painless alternative to conventional tests for cervical cancer screening and detection. Additionally, LuViva is designed to improve patient well-being not only because it eliminates pain, but also because it is convenient to use and provides rapid results at the point of care. We focus on two primary applications for LuViva: first, as a cancer screening tool in the developing world, where infrastructure to support traditional cancer-screening methods is limited or non-existent, and second, as a triage following traditional screening in the developed world, where a high number of false positive results cause a high rate of unnecessary and ultimately costly follow-up tests.

Screening for cervical cancer represents one of the most significant demands on the practice of diagnostic medicine. As cervical cancer is linked to a sexually transmitted disease—the human papillomavirus (HPV)—every woman essentially becomes “at risk” for cervical cancer simply after becoming sexually active. In the developing world, there are approximately 2.0 billion women aged 15 and older who are potentially eligible for screening with LuViva. Guidelines for screening intervals vary across the world, but U.S. guidelines call for screening every three years. Traditionally, the Pap smear screening test, or Pap test, is the primary cervical cancer screening methodology in the developed world. However, in developing countries, cancer screening using Pap tests is expensive and requires infrastructure and skill not currently existing, and not likely to be developed in the near future, in these countries.

We believe LuViva is the answer to the developing world’s cervical cancer screening needs. Screening for cervical cancer in the developing world often requires working directly with foreign governments or non-governmental agencies (NGOs). By partnering with governments or NGOs, we can provide immediate access to cervical cancer detection to large segments of a nation’s population as part of national or regional governmental healthcare programs, eliminating the need to develop expensive and resource-intensive infrastructures.

In the developed world, we believe LuViva offers a more accurate and ultimately cost-effective triage medical device, to be used once a traditional Pap test or HPV test indicates the possibility of cervical cancer. Due to the high number of false positive results from Pap tests, traditional follow-on tests entail increased medical treatment costs. We believe these costs can be minimized by utilizing LuViva as a triage to determine whether and to what degree follow-on tests are warranted.

We believe our non-invasive cervical cancer detection technology can be applied to the early detection of other cancers as well. For example, we have developed prototypes and conducted limited clinical studies using our biophotonic technology for the detection of esophageal cancer. We believe that skin cancer detection is also a promising target for our biophotonic technology, but currently we are focused primarily on the large-scale commercialization of LuViva.

Corporate History

We are a Delaware corporation, originally incorporated in 1992 under the name “SpectRx, Inc.,” and, on February 22, 2008, changed our name to Guided Therapeutics, Inc. At the same time, we renamed our wholly owned subsidiary, InterScan, which originally had been incorporated as “Guided Therapeutics, Inc.”

Our principal executive and operations facility is located at 5835 Peachtree Corners East, Suite B, Norcross, Georgia 30092, and our telephone number is (770) 242-8723.

Our Potential Market

The Developing World

According to the most recent data published by the World Health Organization (WHO), cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide, with an estimated 570,000 new cases in 2018, an increase of 40,000 cases from 2012. For women living in less developed regions, however, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer, and 9 out of 10 women who die from cervical cancer reside in low- and middle-income countries. In 2018, GLOBOCAN, the international cancer tracking agency, estimated that approximately 311,000 women died from cervical cancer, with 85% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

As noted by the WHO, in developed countries, programs are in place that enable women to get screened, making most pre-cancerous lesions identifiable at stages when they can easily be treated. Early treatment prevents up to 80% of cervical cancers in these countries. In developing countries, however, limited access to effective screening means that the disease is often not identified until it is further advanced and symptoms develop. In addition, prospects for treatment of such late-stage disease may be poor, resulting in a higher rate of death from cervical cancer in these countries.

We have executed formal distribution agreement covering 40 countries, some of which have since expired. Presently, we still have active contracts in place for 24 countries that cover roughly half of the world’s population, including China and certain countries in Southeast Asia (including Indonesia), and certain countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia.

We believe that the greatest need and market opportunity for LuViva lies in screening for cervical cancer in developing countries where the infrastructure for traditional screening may be limited or non-existent.

In addition to private care markets, we are actively working with distributors in the following countries to implement government-sponsored screening programs: Turkey, Indonesia and several countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The number of screening candidates in those countries is approximately 155 million.

The Developed World

The Pap test, which involves a sample of cervical tissue being placed on a slide and observed in a laboratory, is currently the most common form of cervical cancer screening. Since the introduction of screening and diagnostic methods, the number of cervical cancer deaths in the developed world has declined dramatically, due mainly to the increased use of the Pap test. However, the Pap test has a wide variation in sensitivity, which is the ability to detect the disease, and specificity, which is the ability to exclude false positives. A study by Duke University for the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research published in 1999 showed Pap test performance ranging from a 22%-95% sensitivity and 78%-90% specificity, although new technologies improving the sensitivity and specificity of the Pap test have recently been introduced and are finding acceptance in the marketplace. Currently, about 50 million Pap tests are given annually in the United States, and combined with a pelvic exam as the standard of care, has an average price of approximately $380 per exam.

After a Pap test returns a positive result for cervical cancer, accepted protocol calls for a visual examination of the cervix using a colposcope, usually followed by a biopsy, or tissue sampling, at one or more locations on the cervix. This method looks for visual changes attributable to cancer. There are about two million colposcope examinations annually in the United States and Europe. According to industry reports by MD Save and Costhelper Health, leading online medical service providers, the average cost of a colposcopy examination with biopsy in the United States is currently $943.

  Given this landscape, we believe that there is a material need and market opportunity for LuViva as a triage device in the developed world where LuViva represents a more cost-effective method of verifying a positive Pap test than the alternatives.

The LuViva Advanced Cervical Scan

LuViva is designed to identify cervical cancers and precancers painlessly, non-invasively and at the point of care by scanning the cervix with light, then analyzing the light reflected from the cervix. The information presented by the light would be used to indicate the likelihood of cervical cancer or precancers. Our product, in addition to detecting the structural changes attributed to cervical cancer, is also designed to detect the biochemical changes that precede the development of visual lesions. In this way, cervical cancer may be detected earlier in its development, which should increase the chances of effective treatment. In addition to the device itself, operation of LuViva requires employment of our single-use, disposable calibration and alignment cervical guide.

To date, thousands of women in multiple international clinical settings have been tested with LuViva. As a result, more than 25 papers and presentations have been published regarding LuViva in a clinical setting, including at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Congress in London in 2015 and at the Indonesian National Obstetrics and Gynecology (POGI) Meeting in Solo in 2016.

Internationally, we contract with country-specific or regional distributors. We believe that the international market will be significantly larger than the U.S. market due to the international demand for cervical cancer screening. We have executed formal distribution agreements covering over 40 countries, some of which have expired. We still have active contracts in place for countries including China and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia), Eastern Europe and Russia. In 2022, we intend to focus on other large markets such as those in the European Union, India and certain Latin American countries, such as Mexico. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine may delay filing and approval to market in Russia.

We currently have regulatory approval to sell LuViva in 44 countries, including the 33 countries in Europe under our Edition 3 CE Mark. In addition, we have approval to sell LuViva in 11 additional countries under country specific approvals including India, Indonesia, Singapore and Kenya. Finally, several non-EU countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and South Africa rely on the CE Mark for medical devices. LuViva has also previously obtained marketing approval from Health Canada and COFEPRIS in Mexico but these have expired. In addition, in 2018, we were approved for sales and marketing in India. We currently are seeking regulatory approval to market LuViva in the United States but have not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of December 31, 2021, we have sold 140 LuViva devices and approximately 76,980 single-use-disposable cervical guides to international distributors.

Our Strengths

Currently, we are the only commercial stage company with a biophotonic technology that potentially addresses a large primary screening market and a potential R&D pipeline that could improve the early detection of numerous cancers that afflict men and women. Key strengths include:

Our Business Strategy

Our near-term goals are to accomplish the following over the next two years by pursuing the following strategies:

While we plan to pursue regulatory approval in Russia, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine may delay filing and approval to market.

Manufacturing, Sales Marketing and Distribution

We manufacture LuViva at our Norcross, Georgia facility. Most of the components of LuViva are custom made for us by third-party manufacturers. We adhere to ISO 13485:2003 quality standards in our manufacturing processes. Our single-use cervical guides are manufactured by a vendor that specializes in injection molding of plastic medical products. On January 22, 2017, we entered into a license agreement with Shandong Yaohua Medical Instrument Corporation (“SMI”), as amended on March 28, 2017, pursuant to which we granted SMI an exclusive global license to manufacture the LuViva device and related disposables (subject to a carve-out for manufacture in Turkey). On December 18, 2018, we entered into a co-development agreement with Newmars Technologies, Inc. (“NTI”), whereby NTI will perform final assembly of the LuViva device for its contracted distribution countries in Eastern Europe at its ISO 13485 facility in Hungary. This additional carve out has been agreed to by SMI. On August 12, 2021 the Company entered into a second amendment with SMI pursuant to which the Company has continued to grant SMI exclusive distribution, sales and manufacturing rights of the LuViva for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

We rely on distributors to sell our products. Distributors can be country exclusive or cover multiple countries in a region. We manage these distributors, provide them marketing materials and train them to demonstrate and operate LuViva. We seek distributors that have experience in gynecology and in introducing new technology into their assigned territories. Currently, we rely on SMI in distributing our products in the People's Republic of China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan; we rely on NTI in distributing our products in Eastern Europe and Russia.

We have only limited experience in the production planning, quality system management, facility development, and production scaling that will be needed to bring production to increased sustained commercial levels. We will likely need to develop additional expertise in order to successfully manufacture, market, and distribute any future products.

Research, Development and Engineering

We have been engaged primarily in the research, development and testing of our LuViva non-invasive cervical cancer detection product and our core biophotonic technology. Since 2013, we have incurred approximately $8.1 million in research and development expenses, net of about $927,000 reimbursed through collaborative arrangements and government grants. Research and development costs were approximately $0.1 million in the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Since 2013, we have focused our research and development and our engineering resources almost exclusively on development of our biophotonic technology, with only limited support of other programs funded through government contracts or third-party funding. Because our research and clinical development programs for other cancers are at a very early stage, substantial additional research and development and clinical trials will be necessary before we can produce commercial prototypes of other cancer detection products.

Several of the components used in LuViva currently are available from only one supplier, and substitutes for these components could not be obtained easily or would require substantial modifications to our products.

Patents

We have pursued a course of developing and acquiring patents and patent rights and licensing technology. Our success depends in large part on our ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process and to license from other’s patents and patent applications necessary to develop our products. As of December 31, 2021, we have 41 granted U.S. and foreign patents, collectively, relating to our biophotonic cancer detection technology that were developed in-house and are owned by the Company. Ten (10) patents are still currently active and 31 have since expired. Currently, we do not own third party patents nor do we make any outside payments for patents.

Patents can be extended up to an additional five (5) years. However, patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act does not occur automatically and the patent owner must file an application with the USPTO requesting term extension within 60 days of obtaining FDA marketing approval.

The Company has applied for two additional US patents, although there is no assurance that these patents will be granted. The Company’s strategy is to continue improving its products and filing new patents to protect those improvements.

In the United States, additional years of patent protection may be added (on a case-by-case basis) beyond the standard patent terms under the 1984 Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Hatch-Waxman act includes Section 156, which provides for the extension of the term of a granted patent (PTE) under certain circumstances. The intent behind Section 156 is to extend patent life to compensate patent holders for patent term lost while developing their product and awaiting FDA approval. The Company’s patents qualify under Section 156 because LuViva has not yet been commercialized in the United States and it is being regulated by FDA as a Class III Medical Device.

Employees and Consultants

As of December 31, 2021, we had five regular employees and three consultants to provide services to us on a full- or part-time basis. Of the eight people employed or engaged by us, two are engaged in engineering, manufacturing and development, two are engaged in sales and marketing activities, one is engaged in clinical testing and regulatory affairs, and three are engaged in administration and accounting. No employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements, and we believe we maintain good relations with our employees.

Our ability to operate successfully and manage our potential future growth depends in significant part upon the continued service of key scientific, technical, managerial and finance personnel, and our ability to attract and retain additional highly qualified personnel in these fields. Two of these key employees have an employment contract with us; none are covered by key person or similar insurance. In addition, if we are able to successfully develop and commercialize our products, we likely will need to hire additional scientific, technical, marketing, managerial and finance personnel. We face intense competition for qualified personnel in these areas, many of whom are often subject to competing employment offers. The loss of key personnel or our inability to hire and retain additional qualified personnel in the future could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 Competition

The medical device industry in general and the markets for cervical cancer detection in particular, are intensely competitive. If successful in our product development, we will compete with other providers of cervical cancer detection and prevention products.

Current cervical cancer screening and diagnostic tests, primarily the Pap test, HPV test, and colposcopy, are well established and pervasive. Improvements and new technologies for cervical cancer detection and prevention, such as Thin-Prep from Hologic and HPV testing from Qiagen, have led to other new competitors. In addition, there are other companies attempting to develop products using forms of biophotonic technologies in cervical cancer detection, such as Spectrascience, which has a very limited U.S. FDA approval to market its device for detection of cervical cancers, but has not yet entered the market. The approval limits use of the Spectrascience device only after a colposcopy, as an adjunct. In addition to the Spectrascience device, there are other technologies that are seeking to enter the market as adjuncts to colposcopy, including devices from Dysis and Zedco. While these technologies are not direct competitors to LuViva, modifications to them or other new technologies will require us to develop devices that are more accurate, easier to use or less costly to administer so that our products have a competitive advantage.

In April 2014, the U.S. FDA approved the use of the Roche cobas HPV test as a primary screener for cervical cancer. Using a sample of cervical cells, the cobas HPV test detects DNA from 14 high-risk HPV types. The test specifically identifies HPV 16 and HPV 18, while concurrently detecting 12 other types of high-risk HPVs. This could make HPV testing a competitor to the Pap test. However, due to its lower specificity, we believe that screening with HPV will increase the number of false positive results if widely adopted.

In June 2006, the U.S. FDA approved the HPV vaccine Gardasil from drug maker Merck. Gardasil is a prophylactic HPV vaccine, meaning that it is designed to prevent the initial establishment of HPV infections. For maximum efficacy, it is recommended that girls receive the vaccine prior to becoming sexually active. Since Gardasil will not block infection with all of the HPV types that can cause cervical cancer, the vaccine should not be considered a substitute for routine Pap tests. On October 16, 2009, GlaxoSmithKline PLC was granted approval in the United States for a similar preventive HPV vaccine, known as Cervarix. Due to the limited availability and lack of 100% protection against all potentially cancer-causing strains of HPV, we believe that the vaccines will have a limited impact on the cervical cancer screening and diagnostic market for many years.

Government Regulation

The medical devices that we manufacture are subject to regulation by numerous regulatory bodies, including the Chinese FDA(recently renamed the Chinese National Medical Product Administration (NMPA)), the U.S. FDA, and comparable international regulatory agencies. These agencies require manufacturers of medical devices to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing the development, testing, manufacturing, labeling, marketing and distribution of medical devices. Devices are generally subject to varying levels of regulatory control, the most comprehensive of which requires that a clinical evaluation program be conducted before a device receives approval for commercial distribution.

In the European Union, medical devices are required to comply with the Medical Devices Directive and obtain CE Mark certification in order to market medical devices. The CE Mark certification, granted following approval from an independent “Notified Body,” is an international symbol of adherence to quality assurance standards and compliance with applicable European Medical Devices Directives. From 2017 through 2019, we were unable to pay the annual registration fees to maintain our ISO 13485:2003 certification and our CE Mark. Once our financing is completed, we will make the required payments and reobtain both certifications. On December 21, 2018 we executed agreement with Newmars, described above, for final assembly of LuViva at their ISO 13485:2016 accredited facility. This allowed LuViva to be granted a CE Mark through the facility at Newmars, which was achieved in 2021, and both the ISO and CE Mark accreditations for LuViva are currently active. Thus, LuViva can be marketed in the European Union and other countries that honor the CE Mark.

China has a regulatory regime similar to that of the European Union, but due to interaction with the U.S. regulatory regime, the CFDA also shares some similarities with its U.S. counterpart. Devices are classified by the CFDA’s Center for Medical Device Evaluation (CMDE) into three categories based on medical risk, with the level of regulatory oversight determined by degree of risk and invasiveness. CMDE’s device classifications and definitions are as follows:

Based on the above definitions and several discussions with regulatory consultants and potential partners, we believe that LuViva is most likely to be classified as a Class II device, however, this is not certain and the CFDA may determine that LuViva requires a Class III registration. Class III registrations are granted by the national CFDA office while Class I and II registrations occur at the provincial level. Typically, registration granted at the provincial level allows a medical device to be marketed in all of China’s provinces.

While Class I devices usually do not require clinical trial data from Chinese patients and Class III devices almost always do, Class II medical devices sometimes do and sometimes do not require Chinese clinical trials, and this determination may depend on the claim for the device and quality of clinical trials conducted outside of China. If clinical trials conducted in China are required, they usually are less burdensome for Class II devices than Class III devices.

CFDA labs also conduct electrical, mechanical and electromagnetic emission safety testing for medical devices similar to those required for the CE Mark. As is the case with the U.S. FDA, manufacturers in China undergo periodic inspections and must comply with international quality standards such as ISO 13485 for medical devices. As part of our agreement with SMI, SMI will underwrite the cost of securing approval of LuViva with the CFDA. SMI has informed us in writing that LuViva has passed electrical, mechanical and electromagnetic emission safety testing for medical devices, which allows clinical trials to commence.

In the United States, permission to distribute a new device generally can be met in one of two ways. The first process requires that a pre-market notification (510(k) Submission) be made to the U.S. FDA to demonstrate that the device is as safe and effective as, or substantially equivalent to, a legally marketed device that is not subject to premarket approval (PMA). A legally marketed device is a device that (1) was legally marketed prior to May 28, 1976, (2) has been reclassified from Class III to Class II or I, or (3) has been found to be substantially equivalent to another legally marketed device following a 510(k) Submission. The legally marketed device to which equivalence is drawn is known as the “predicate” device. Applicants must submit descriptive data and, when necessary, performance data to establish that the device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device. In some instances, data from human clinical studies must also be submitted in support of a 510(k) Submission. If so, the data must be collected in a manner that conforms with specific requirements in accordance with federal regulations. The U.S. FDA must issue an order finding substantial equivalence before commercial distribution can occur. Changes to existing devices covered by a 510(k) Submission which do not significantly affect safety or effectiveness can generally be made by us without additional 510(k) Submissions.

The second process requires that an application for premarket approval (PMA) be made to the U.S. FDA to demonstrate that the device is safe and effective for its intended use as manufactured. This approval process applies to most Class III devices, including LuViva. In this case, two steps of U.S. FDA approval are generally required before marketing in the United States can begin. First, investigational device exemption (IDE) regulations must be complied with in connection with any human clinical investigation of the device in the United States. Second, the U.S. FDA must review the PMA application, which contains, among other things, clinical information acquired under the IDE. The U.S. FDA will approve the PMA application if it finds that there is a reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended purpose.

We completed enrollment in our U.S. FDA pivotal trial of LuViva in 2008 and, after the U.S. FDA requested two-years of follow-up data for patients enrolled in the study, the U.S. FDA accepted our completed PMA application on November 18, 2010, effective September 23, 2010, for substantive review. On March 7, 2011, we announced that the U.S. FDA had inspected two clinical trial sites and audited our clinical trial data base systems as part of its review process and raised no formal compliance issues. On January 20, 2012, we announced our intent to seek an independent panel review of our PMA application after receiving a “not-approvable” letter from the U.S. FDA. On November 14, 2012 we filed an amended PMA with the U.S. FDA. On September 6, 2013, we received a letter from the U.S. FDA with additional questions and met with the U.S. FDA on May 8, 2014 to discuss our response. On July 25, 2014, we announced that we had responded to the U.S. FDA’s most recent questions.

We received a “not-approvable” letter from the U.S. FDA on May 15, 2015. We had a follow up meeting with the U.S. FDA to discuss a path forward on November 30, 2015, at which we agreed to submit a detailed clinical protocol for U.S. FDA review so that additional studies can be completed. We held a follow up teleconference with FDA on January 28, 2020 and filed a pre-submission document to the Agency on February 17, 2020 that summarized the clinical protocol to be submitted for FDA review. We agreed with the FDA on the study protocol during the second quarter of 2021 and are recruiting clinical sites for the study. These studies may not be completed in 2022, although we intend to pursue FDA approval and start studies in 2022 once funds are available. We remain committed to obtaining U.S. FDA approval, but at the same time we are focused on international sales growth, where we believe the commercial opportunities are larger and the clinical need is more significant.

The process of obtaining clearance to market products is costly and time-consuming in virtually all of the major markets in which we sell, or expect to sell, our products and may delay the marketing and sale of our products. Countries around the world have recently adopted more stringent regulatory requirements, which are expected to add to the delays and uncertainties associated with new product releases, as well as the clinical and regulatory costs of supporting those releases. No assurance can be given that our products will be approved on a timely basis in any particular jurisdiction, if at all. In addition, regulations regarding the development, manufacture and sale of medical devices are subject to future change. We cannot predict what impact, if any, those changes might have on our business. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Noncompliance with applicable requirements can result in import detentions, fines, civil penalties, injunctions, suspensions or losses of regulatory approvals or clearances, recall or seizure of products, operating restrictions, denial of export applications, governmental prohibitions on entering into supply contracts, and criminal prosecution. Failure to obtain regulatory approvals or the restriction, suspension or revocation of regulatory approvals or clearances, as well as any other failure to comply with regulatory requirements, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Regulatory approvals and clearances, if granted, may include significant labeling limitations and limitations on the indicated uses for which the product may be marketed. In addition, to obtain regulatory approvals and clearances, the U.S. FDA and some foreign regulatory authorities impose numerous other requirements with which medical device manufacturers must comply. U.S. FDA enforcement policy strictly prohibits the marketing of approved medical devices for unapproved uses. Any products we manufacture or distribute under U.S. FDA clearances or approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the U.S. FDA. The U.S. FDA also requires us to provide it with information on death and serious injuries alleged to have been associated with the use of our products, as well as any malfunctions that would likely cause or contribute to death or serious injury.

The U.S. FDA requires us to register as a medical device manufacturer and list our products. We are also subject to inspections by the U.S. FDA and state agencies acting under contract with the U.S. FDA to confirm compliance with good manufacturing practice. These regulations require that we manufacture our products and maintain documents in a prescribed manner with respect to manufacturing, testing, quality assurance and quality control activities. The U.S. FDA also has promulgated final regulatory changes to these regulations that require, among other things, design controls and maintenance of service records. These changes will increase the cost of complying with good manufacturing practice requirements.

Distributors of medical devices may also be required to comply with other foreign regulatory agencies, and we or our distributors currently have marketing approval for LuViva from Health Canada, COFEPRIS in Mexico, the Ministry of Health in Kenya, and the Singapore Health Sciences Authority. The time required to obtain these foreign approvals to market our products may be longer or shorter than that required in China or the United States, and requirements for those approvals may differ from those required by the CFDA or the U.S. FDA.

We are also subject to a variety of other controls that affect our business. Labeling and promotional activities are subject to scrutiny by the U.S. FDA and, in some instances, by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The U.S. FDA actively enforces regulations prohibiting marketing of products for unapproved users. We are also subject, as are our products, to a variety of state and local laws and regulations in those states and localities where our products are or will be marketed. Any applicable state or local regulations may hinder our ability to market our products in those regions. Manufacturers are also subject to numerous federal, state and local laws relating to matters such as safe working conditions, manufacturing practices, environmental protection, fire hazard control and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. We may be required to incur significant costs to comply with these laws and regulations now or in the future. These laws or regulations may have a material adverse effect on our ability to do business.

Although our marketing and distribution partners around the world assist in the regulatory approval process, ultimately, we are be responsible for obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals for our products. The inability or failure to comply with the varying regulations or the imposition of new regulations would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

A purchase of our securities involves a high degree of risk. Our business or operating or financial condition could be harmed due to any of the following risks. Accordingly, investors should carefully consider these risks in making a decision as to whether to purchase, sell or hold our securities. In addition, investors should note that the risks described below are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us, or risks that do not seem significant today, may impair our business operations in the future. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents incorporated by reference herein, before making a decision to invest in our securities.

We will be required to raise additional funds in 2022. There is no assurance that such funds can be raised on terms that we would find acceptable, on a timely basis, or at all.

Additional debt or equity financing will be required for us to continue as a going concern. We may seek to obtain additional funds for the financing of our cervical cancer detection business through additional debt or equity financings and/or new collaborative arrangements. Management believes that additional financing, if obtainable, will be sufficient to support planned operations only for a limited period. Management has implemented operating actions to reduce cash requirements. Any required additional funding may not be available on terms attractive to us, on a timely basis, or at all. If we cannot obtain additional funds or achieve profitability, we may not be able to continue as a going concern.

Because we must obtain additional funds through financing transactions or through new collaborative arrangements in order to grow the revenues of our cervical cancer detection product line, there exists substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Therefore, it will be necessary to raise additional funds. There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise these additional funds. If we do not secure additional funding when needed, we will be unable to conduct all of our product development efforts as planned, which may cause us to alter our business plan in relation to the development of our products. Even if we obtain additional funding, we will need to achieve profitability thereafter.

Our independent registered public accountants’ report on our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, indicated that there was substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern because we had suffered recurring losses from operations and had an accumulated deficit of $142.4 million at December 31, 2021 summarized as follows:

Our management has implemented reductions in operating expenditures and reductions in some development activities. We have determined to make cervical cancer detection the focus of our business. We are managing the development of our other programs only when funds are made available to us via grants or contracts with government entities or strategic partners. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully implement or continue these plans.

If we cannot obtain additional funds when needed, we will not be able to implement our business plan.

We require substantial additional capital to develop our products, including completing product testing and clinical trials, obtaining all required regulatory approvals and clearances, beginning and scaling up manufacturing, and marketing our products. We have historically financed our operations though the public and private sale of debt and equity, funding from collaborative arrangements, and grants. Any failure to achieve adequate funding in a timely fashion would delay our development programs and could lead to abandonment of our business plan. To the extent we cannot obtain additional funding, our ability to continue to manufacture and sell our current products, or develop and introduce new products to market, will be limited. Further, financing our operations through the public or private sale of debt or equity may involve restrictive covenants or other provisions that could limit how we conduct our business or finance our operations. Financing our operations through collaborative arrangements generally means that the obligations of the collaborative partner to fund our expenditures are largely discretionary and depend on a number of factors, including our ability to meet specified milestones in the development and testing of the relevant product. We may not be able to obtain an acceptable collaboration partner, and even if we do, we may not be able to meet these milestones, or the collaborative partner may not continue to fund our expenditures.

We have a history of losses, and we expect losses to continue.

We have never been profitable and we have had operating losses since our inception. We expect our operating losses to continue as we continue to expend substantial resources to complete commercialization of our products, obtain regulatory clearances or approvals; build our marketing, sales, manufacturing and finance capabilities, and conduct further research and development. The further development and commercialization of our products will require substantial development, regulatory, sales and marketing, manufacturing and other expenditures. We have only generated limited revenues from product sales. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, our accumulated deficit was approximately $142.4 million and $140.0 million, respectively.

We are currently delinquent with our federal and state payroll and unemployment taxes.

Although we have been experiencing recurring losses, we are obligated to file tax returns for compliance with IRS regulations and that of applicable state jurisdictions. We have established payment plans for the outstanding federal and state payroll and unemployment taxes with IRS, the Department of Revenue for the State of Georgia and Department of Labor for the State of Georgia. We are delinquent on federal payroll taxes for first quarter of 2017 and federal unemployment taxes for the year 2016. Per the terms of our payment plan we are required to make monthly payments in the amount of $1,009 until the balances are paid in full. We are delinquent on state payroll taxes for first quarter of 2017 and fourth quarter of 2016. Per the terms of our payment plan we are required to make monthly payments in the amount of $210 until the balances are paid in full. We are delinquent on our state unemployment taxes and per the terms of our payment plan we are required to make a minimum monthly payment in the amount of $2,629 until the balance is paid in full.

Our ability to sell our products is controlled by government regulations, and we may not be able to obtain any necessary clearances or approvals.

The design, manufacturing, labeling, distribution and marketing of medical device products are subject to extensive and rigorous government regulation in most of the markets in which we sell, or plan to sell, our products, which can be expensive and uncertain and can cause lengthy delays before we can begin selling our products in those markets.

In foreign countries, including European countries, we are subject to government regulation, which could delay or prevent our ability to sell our products in those jurisdictions.

In order for us to market our products in Europe and some other international jurisdictions, we and our distributors and agents must obtain required regulatory registrations or approvals. We must also comply with extensive regulations regarding safety, efficacy and quality in those jurisdictions. We may not be able to obtain the required regulatory registrations or approvals, or we may be required to incur significant costs in obtaining or maintaining any regulatory registrations or approvals we receive. Delays in obtaining any registrations or approvals required for marketing our products, failure to receive these registrations or approvals, or future loss of previously obtained registrations or approvals would limit our ability to sell our products internationally. For example, international regulatory bodies have adopted various regulations governing product standards, packaging requirements, labeling requirements, import restrictions, tariff regulations, duties and tax requirements. These regulations vary from country to country. In order to sell our products in Europe, in 2018 we had to undergo an inspection and re-file for ISO 13485:2016 and the CE Mark, which is an international symbol of quality and compliance with applicable European medical device directives. Failure to maintain ISO 13485:2016 certification or CE mark certification or other international regulatory approvals would prevent us from selling in some countries in the European Union.

As of December 31, 2021, our products have achieved and maintain both ISO 13485:2016 certification and the CE Mark through our contract manufacturer, Newmars Technologies.

For our products to be marketed and sold in the People’s Republic of China, they must gain approval from the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), formerly known as the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (Chinese FDA). We are working with our Chinese partner, Shandong Yaohua Medical Instrument Corporation, to achieve NMPA approval and as of December 31, 2021 had passed compliance testing for device safety and preparing for the clinical trial necessary for NMPA approval.

Our business is subject to the risks of international operations.

Our business and financial results could be adversely affected due to a variety of factors, including:

In foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, certain business practices may exist that are prohibited by laws and regulations applicable to us, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and other anti-corruption laws. Although our policies and procedures require compliance with these laws and are designed to facilitate compliance with these laws, our employees, contractors and agents may take actions in violation of applicable laws or our policies. Any such violation, even if prohibited by our policies, could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.

Our international businesses must comply with applicable laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Failure to maintain compliance with or adapt to changes in any of the aforementioned requirements could result in fines, penalties or regulatory actions that could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In the United States, our products would be subject to regulation by the U.S. FDA, which could prevent us from selling our products domestically.

In order for us to market our products in the United States, we must obtain clearance or approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or U.S. FDA. We cannot be sure that:

It can take several years from initial filing of a PMA application and require the submission of extensive supporting data and clinical information. The U.S. FDA may impose strict labeling or other requirements as a condition of its clearance or approval, any of which could limit our ability to market our products domestically. Further, if we wish to modify a product after U.S. FDA approval of a PMA application, including changes in indications or other modifications that could affect safety and efficacy, additional clearances or approvals will be required from the U.S. FDA. Any request by the U.S. FDA for additional data, or any requirement by the U.S. FDA that we conduct additional clinical studies, could result in a significant delay in bringing our products to market domestically and require substantial additional research and other expenditures. Similarly, any labeling or other conditions or restrictions imposed by the U.S. FDA could hinder our ability to effectively market our products domestically. Further, there may be new U.S. FDA policies or changes in U.S. FDA policies that could be adverse to us.

Currently, we have agreed with the U.S. FDA on the clinical trial protocol and are preparing to start the study of approximately 400 women in the first or second quarter of 2022 at up to three clinical sites where the protocol is now under review for approval to allow start of study.

Even if we obtain clearance or approval to sell our products, we are subject to ongoing requirements and inspections that could lead to the restriction, suspension or revocation of our clearance.

We, as well as any potential collaborative partners, will be required to adhere to applicable regulations in the markets in which we operate and sell our products, regarding good manufacturing practice, which include testing, control, and documentation requirements. Ongoing compliance with good manufacturing practice and other applicable regulatory requirements will be strictly enforced applicable regulatory agencies. Failure to comply with these regulatory requirements could result in, among other things, warning letters, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, recall or seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production, failure to obtain premarket clearance or premarket approval for devices, withdrawal of approvals previously obtained, and criminal prosecution. The restriction, suspension or revocation of regulatory approvals or any other failure to comply with regulatory requirements would limit our ability to operate and could increase our costs.

We depend on a limited number of distributors and any reduction, delay or cancellation of an order from these distributors or the loss of any of these distributors could cause our revenue to decline.

Each year we have had one or a few distributors that have accounted for substantially all of our limited revenues. As a result, the termination of a purchase order with any one of these distributors may result in the loss of substantially all of our revenues. We are constantly working to develop new relationships with existing or new distributors, but despite these efforts we may not be successful at generating new orders to maintain similar revenues as current purchase orders are filled. In addition, since a significant portion of our revenues is derived from a relatively few distributors, any financial difficulties experienced by any one of these distributors, or any delay in receiving payments from any one of these distributors, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

To successfully market and sell our products internationally, we must address many issues with which we have limited experience.

All of our sales of LuViva to date have been to distributors outside of the United States. We expect that substantially all of our business will continue to come from sales in foreign markets, through increased penetration in countries where we currently sell LuViva, combined with expansion into new international markets. However, international sales are subject to a number of risks, including:

If one or more of these risks were realized, it could require us to dedicate significant resources to remedy the situation, and even if we are able to find a solution, our revenues may still decline.

To market and sell LuViva internationally, we depend on distributors and they may not be successful.

We currently depend almost exclusively on third-party distributors to sell and service LuViva internationally and to train our international distributors, and if these distributors terminate their relationships with us or under-perform, we may be unable to maintain or increase our level of international revenue. We will also need to engage additional international distributors to grow our business and expand the territories in which we sell LuViva. Distributors may not commit the necessary resources to market, sell and service LuViva to the level of our expectations. If current or future distributors do not perform adequately, or if we are unable to engage distributors in particular geographic areas, our revenue from international operations will be adversely affected.

Our success largely depends on our ability to maintain and protect the proprietary information on which we base our products.

Our success depends in large part upon our ability to maintain and protect the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to license from others patents and patent applications necessary to develop our products. If any of our patents are successfully challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or our right or ability to manufacture our products was to be limited, our ability to continue to manufacture and market our products could be adversely affected. In addition to patents, we rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how, which we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality and proprietary information agreements. The other parties to these agreements may breach these provisions, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. Additionally, our trade secrets could otherwise become known to or be independently developed by competitors.

As of December 31, 2021, we have been issued, or have rights to, 27 U.S. patents (including those under license). In addition, we have filed for, or have rights to, one U.S. patents (including those under license) that is still pending. There are additional international patents and pending applications. One or more of the patents we hold directly or license from third parties, including those for our cervical cancer detection products, may be successfully challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or we may otherwise be unable to rely on these patents. These risks are also present for the process we use or will use for manufacturing our products. In addition, our competitors, many of whom have substantial resources and have made substantial investments in competing technologies, may apply for and obtain patents that prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use and sell our products, either in the United States or in international markets.

The medical device industry has been characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. In addition, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, may institute interference proceedings. The defense and prosecution of intellectual property suits, USPTO proceedings and related legal and administrative proceedings are both costly and time consuming. Moreover, we may need to litigate to enforce our patents, to protect our trade secrets or know-how, or to determine the enforceability, scope and validity of the proprietary rights of others. Any litigation or interference proceedings involving us may require us to incur substantial legal and other fees and expenses and may require some of our employees to devote all or a substantial portion of their time to the proceedings. An adverse determination in the proceedings could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require us to seek licenses from third parties or prevent us from selling our products in some or all markets. We may not be able to reach a satisfactory settlement of any dispute by licensing necessary patents or other intellectual property. Even if we reached a settlement, the settlement process may be expensive and time consuming, and the terms of the settlement may require us to pay substantial royalties. An adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding or the failure to obtain a necessary license could prevent us from manufacturing and selling our products.

We may not be able to generate sufficient sales revenues to sustain our growth and strategy plans.

Our cervical cancer diagnostic activities have been financed to date through a combination of government grants, strategic partners and direct investment. Growing revenues for this product is the main focus of our business. In order to effectively market the cervical cancer detection product, additional capital will be needed.

Additional product lines involve the modification of the cervical cancer detection technology for use in other cancers. These product lines are only in the earliest stages of research and development and are currently not projected to reach market for several years. Our goal is to receive enough funding from government grants and contracts, as well as payments from strategic partners, to fund development of these product lines without diverting funds or other necessary resources from the cervical cancer program.

Because our products, which use different technology or apply technology in different ways than other medical devices, are or will be new to the market, we may not be successful in launching our products and our operations and growth would be adversely affected.

Our products are based on new methods of cancer detection. If our products do not achieve significant market acceptance, our sales will be limited and our financial condition may suffer. Physicians and individuals may not recommend or use our products unless they determine that these products are an attractive alternative to current tests that have a long history of safe and effective use. To date, our products have been used by only a limited number of people, and few independent studies regarding our products have been published. The lack of independent studies limits the ability of doctors or consumers to compare our products to conventional products.

If we are unable to compete effectively in the highly competitive medical device industry, our future growth and operating results will suffer.

The medical device industry in general and the markets in which we expect to offer products in particular, are intensely competitive. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, research, technical, manufacturing, marketing and distribution resources than we do and have greater name recognition and lengthier operating histories in the health care industry. We may not be able to effectively compete against these and other competitors. A number of competitors are currently marketing traditional laboratory-based tests for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis. These tests are widely accepted in the health care industry and have a long history of accurate and effective use. Further, if our products are not available at competitive prices, health care administrators who are subject to increasing pressures to reduce costs may not elect to purchase them. Also, a number of companies have announced that they are developing, or have introduced, products that permit non-invasive and less invasive cancer detection. Accordingly, competition in this area is expected to increase.

Furthermore, our competitors may succeed in developing, either before or after the development and commercialization of our products, devices and technologies that permit more efficient, less expensive non-invasive and less invasive cancer detection. It is also possible that one or more pharmaceutical or other health care companies will develop therapeutic drugs, treatments or other products that will substantially reduce the prevalence of cancers or otherwise render our products obsolete.

We have limited manufacturing experience, which could limit our growth.

We do not have manufacturing experience that would enable us to make products in the volumes that would be necessary for us to achieve significant commercial sales, and we rely upon our suppliers. In addition, we may not be able to establish and maintain reliable, efficient, full scale manufacturing at commercially reasonable costs in a timely fashion. Difficulties we encounter in manufacturing scale-up, or our failure to implement and maintain our manufacturing facilities in accordance with good manufacturing practice regulations, international quality standards or other regulatory requirements, could result in a delay or termination of production. In the past, we have had substantial difficulties in establishing and maintaining manufacturing for our products and those difficulties impacted our ability to increase sales. Companies often encounter difficulties in scaling up production, including problems involving production yield, quality control and assurance, and shortages of qualified personnel.

Since we rely on sole source suppliers for several of the components used in our products, any failure of those suppliers to perform would hurt our operations.

Several of the components used in our products or planned products, are available from only one supplier, and substitutes for these components could not be obtained easily or would require substantial modifications to our products. Any significant problem experienced by one of our sole source suppliers may result in a delay or interruption in the supply of components to us until that supplier cures the problem or an alternative source of the component is located and qualified. Any delay or interruption would likely lead to a delay or interruption in our manufacturing operations. For our products that require premarket approval, the inclusion of substitute components could require us to qualify the new supplier with the appropriate government regulatory authorities. Alternatively, for our products that qualify for premarket notification, the substitute components must meet our product specifications.

Because we operate in an industry with significant product liability risk, and we have not specifically insured against this risk, we may be subject to substantial claims against our products.

The development, manufacture and sale of medical products entail significant risks of product liability claims. We currently have no product liability insurance coverage beyond that provided by our general liability insurance. Accordingly, we may not be adequately protected from any liabilities, including any adverse judgments or settlements, we might incur in connection with the development, clinical testing, manufacture and sale of our products. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against us that result in an adverse judgment against or settlement by us in excess of any insurance coverage could seriously harm our financial condition or reputation. In addition, product liability insurance is expensive and may not be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all.

The availability of third party reimbursement for our products is uncertain, which may limit consumer use and the market for our products.

In the United States and elsewhere, sales of medical products are dependent, in part, on the ability of consumers of these products to obtain reimbursement for all or a portion of their cost from third-party payors, such as government and private insurance plans. Any inability of patients, hospitals, physicians and other users of our products to obtain sufficient reimbursement from third-party payors for our products, or adverse changes in relevant governmental policies or the policies of private third-party payors regarding reimbursement for these products, could limit our ability to sell our products on a competitive basis. We are unable to predict what changes will be made in the reimbursement methods used by third-party health care payors. Moreover, third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, and some health care providers are gradually adopting a managed care system in which the providers contract to provide comprehensive health care services for a fixed cost per person. Patients, hospitals and physicians may not be able to justify the use of our products by the attendant cost savings and clinical benefits that we believe will be derived from the use of our products, and therefore may not be able to obtain third-party reimbursement.

Reimbursement and health care payment systems in international markets vary significantly by country and include both government-sponsored health care and private insurance. We may not be able to obtain approvals for reimbursement from these international third-party payors in a timely manner, if at all. Any failure to receive international reimbursement approvals could have an adverse effect on market acceptance of our products in the international markets in which approvals are sought.

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness, which may adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to operate our business.

Our outstanding indebtedness, which includes all of our liabilities, was $7.5 million at December 31, 2021. The terms of our indebtedness could have negative consequences to us, such as:

Our ability to meet our expenses and debt obligations will depend on our future performance, which will be affected by financial, business, economic, regulatory and other factors. We will be unable to control many of these factors, such as economic conditions. We cannot be certain that our earnings will be sufficient to allow us to pay the principal and interest on our debt and meet any other obligations. If we do not have enough money to service our debt, we may be required, but unable, to refinance all or part of our existing debt, sell assets, borrow money or raise equity on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain scientific, technical, managerial and finance personnel.

Our ability to operate successfully and manage our future growth depends in significant part upon the continued service of key scientific, technical, managerial and finance personnel, as well as our ability to attract and retain additional highly qualified personnel in these fields. We may not be able to attract and retain key employees when necessary, which would limit our operations and growth. In addition, if we are able to successfully develop and commercialize our products, we will need to hire additional scientific, technical, marketing, managerial and finance personnel. We face intense competition for qualified personnel in these areas, many of whom are often subject to competing employment offers.

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation that authorize the issuance of additional shares of preferred stock may make it more difficult for a third party to effect a change in control.

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue up to 5.0 million shares of preferred stock of which 11,759 were outstanding as of December 31, 2021. Our undesignated shares of preferred stock may be issued in one or more series, the terms of which may be determined by the board without further stockholder action. These terms may include, among other terms, voting rights, including the right to vote as a series on particular matters, preferences as to liquidation and dividends, repurchase rights, conversion rights, redemption rights and sinking fund provisions. The issuance of any preferred stock could diminish the rights of holders of our common stock, and therefore could reduce the value of our common stock. In addition, specific rights granted to future holders of preferred stock could be used to restrict our ability to merge with or sell assets to a third party. The ability of our board to issue preferred stock could make it more difficult, delay, discourage, prevent or make it more costly to acquire or effect a change in control, which in turn could prevent our stockholders from recognizing a gain in the event that a favorable offer is extended and could materially and negatively affect the market price of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The market prices for our common stock are volatile and will fluctuate.

The market price for our common stock may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following: (i) actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial results; (ii) recommendations by securities research analysts; (iii) changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other issuers that investors deem comparable to ours; (iv) addition or departure of our executive officers or members of our Board and other key personnel; (v) release or expiration of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on outstanding common stock; (vi) sales or perceived sales of additional common stock; (vii) liquidity of the common stock; (viii) significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors; and (ix) news reports relating to trends, concerns, technological or competitive developments, regulatory changes and other related issues in our industry or target markets. Financial markets often experience significant price and volume fluctuations that affect the market prices of equity securities of public entities and that are, in many cases, unrelated to the operating performance, underlying asset values or prospects of such entities. Accordingly, the market price of our common stock may decline even if our operating results, underlying asset values or prospects have not changed. Additionally, these factors, as well as other related factors, may cause decreases in asset values that are deemed to be other than temporary, which may result in impairment losses. As well, certain institutional investors may base their investment decisions on consideration of our environmental, governance and social practices and performance against such institutions’ respective investment guidelines and criteria, and failure to meet such criteria may result in limited or no investment in our common stock by those institutions, which could materially adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. There can be no assurance that continuing fluctuations in price and volume will not occur. If such increased levels of volatility and market turmoil continue for a protracted period of time, our operations could be materially adversely impacted and the trading price of our common stock may be materially adversely affected.

There is a limited market for our securities.

Our common stock is listed on the OTC Markets. We have applied to list our common stock on Nasdaq. However, there can be no assurance that Nasdaq will approve our listing application, or that an active and liquid market for the common stock will develop or be maintained on the applicable stock exchanges, and an investor may find it difficult to resell any of our securities.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies.

We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, existing ownership interests will be diluted and the terms of such financings may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders’ ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business and may result in liens being placed on our assets and intellectual property. If we were to default on such indebtedness, we could lose such assets and intellectual property. If we raise additional funds through strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

Future offerings of debt or equity securities may rank senior to common stock.

If we decide to issue debt or equity securities in the future ranking senior to our common stock or otherwise incur additional indebtedness, it is possible that these securities or indebtedness will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility and limiting our ability to pay dividends to stockholders. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges, including with respect to dividends, more favorable than those of common stock and may result in dilution to stockholders. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering or otherwise incur indebtedness will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings or financings, any of which could reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their value.

Common stockholders are subordinated to our lenders.

In the event of bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization, any holders of our debt and our trade creditors will generally be entitled to payment of their claims from our assets before any assets are made available for distribution to us or our stockholders. The common stock is effectively subordinated to our debt and other obligations.

Future sales of common stock by officers and directors may negatively impact the market price for our common stock.

Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, our directors and officers and their affiliates may sell some or all of their common stock in the future. No prediction can be made as to the effect, if any, such future sales of common stock may have on the market price of the common stock prevailing from time to time. However, the future sale of a substantial number of common stock by our directors and officers and their affiliates, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock.

We do not currently pay dividends on our common stock and have no intention to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future.

No dividends on our common stock have been paid by us to date. We do not intend to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board, after taking into account a multitude of factors appropriate in the circumstances, including our operating results, financial condition and current and anticipated cash needs. In addition, the terms of any future debt or credit facility may preclude us from paying any dividends unless certain consents are obtained and certain conditions are met.

We may not be able to maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq.

We must meet certain financial and liquidity criteria to maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq. If we fail to meet any of Nasdaq’s continued listing standards, our common stock may be delisted. These continued listing standards include specifically enumerated criteria, such as:

There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance and remain in compliance in the future. In particular, our share price may continue to decline for a number of reasons, including many that are beyond our control.

In addition, our board may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such listing. A delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq would materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our common stock. A delisting of our common stock would also significantly impair our ability to raise capital.

We have broad discretion in the use of our cash and cash equivalents, and may not use them effectively.

Our management has broad discretion to use our cash and cash equivalents to fund our operations and could spend these funds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock,. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our common stock to decline. Pending their use to fund our operations, we may invest our cash and cash equivalents in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

If our shares of common stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.

The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we are unable to maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq or another national securities exchange and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

In connection with the audits of our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting were identified and we may identify additional material weaknesses in the future.

In connection with the preparation and audits of our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, material weaknesses (as defined under the Exchange Act and by the auditing standards of the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or “PCAOB”), were identified in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses identified arose from a lack of resources to properly research and account for complex transactions and lack of oversight and approval by the Board of Directors and Audit Committee, including formally documented approval of significant transactions, including related party transactions.

There were no changes to the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting occurred during the year ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

In light of the identified material weaknesses, it is possible that, had we performed a formal assessment of our internal control over financial reporting or had our independent registered public accounting firm performed an audit of our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with PCAOB standards, additional control deficiencies may have been identified.

We have begun taking measures, and plan to continue to take measures, to remediate these material weaknesses. However, the implementation of these measures may not fully address these material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, and, if so, we would not be able to conclude that they have been fully remedied. Our failure to correct these material weaknesses or our failure to discover and address any other control deficiencies could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and could also impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements and make related regulatory filings on a timely basis. As a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, as well as the trading price of our common stock, may be materially and adversely affected.

We have incurred, and will continue to incur, increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management has been required, and will continue to be required, to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

As a public company, we have incurred and are continuing to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules adopted, and to be adopted, by the SEC. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives.

Moreover, these rules and regulations have substantially increased our legal and financial compliance costs and made some activities more time-consuming and costly. The increased costs have increased our net loss. These rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to maintain sufficient director’s and officer’s liability insurance coverage. We cannot predict or estimate the amount or timing of additional costs we may continue to incur to respond to these requirements. The ongoing impact of these requirements could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board, our Board committees or as executive officers.

Anti-takeover provisions in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws may reduce the likelihood of a potential change of control, or make it more difficult for our stockholders to replace management.

Certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws could have the effect of making it more difficult for our stockholders to replace management at a time when a substantial number of stockholders might favor a change in management. These provisions include authorizing the board of directors to fill vacant directorships or increase the size of its board of directors.

Furthermore, our board of directors has the authority to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to determine the rights and preferences of the shares of any such series without stockholder approval. Any series of preferred stock is likely to be senior to the common stock with respect to dividends, liquidation rights and, possibly, voting rights. The board’s ability to issue preferred stock may have the effect of discouraging unsolicited acquisition proposals, thus adversely affecting the market price of our common stock.

If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our share price and trading volume may decline.

The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our shares or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our shares price may decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our shares may decrease, which may cause our shares price and trading volume to decline.

The number of shares of our common stock issuable upon the conversion of our outstanding convertible debt and preferred stock or exercise of outstanding warrants and options is substantial.

As of December 31, 2021, our outstanding convertible debt was convertible into an aggregate of 3,365,518 shares of our common stock, and the outstanding shares of our Series C, Series C1, Series C2, Series D, Series E, Series F and Series F-2 preferred stock were convertible into an aggregate of 37,078,023 shares of common stock. Also, as of that date we had warrants outstanding that were exercisable for an aggregate of 27,669,634 shares, and outstanding options to purchase 1,500,000 shares. The shares of common stock issuable upon conversion or exercise of these securities would have constituted approximately 83.6% of the total number of shares of common stock then issued and outstanding.

Further, under the terms of our convertible debt and preferred stock, as well as certain of our outstanding warrants, the conversion price or exercise price, as the case may be, could be adjusted downward, causing substantial dilution. See “—Adjustments to the conversion price for our convertible debt and preferred stock, and the exercise price for certain of our warrants, will dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.”

Adjustments to the conversion price of some of our convertible debt and preferred stock, and the exercise price for certain of our warrants, will dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.

Under the terms of a portion of our convertible debt, the conversion price fluctuates with the market price of our common stock. Additionally, under the terms of our Series C preferred stock, any dividends we choose to pay in shares of our common stock will be calculated based on the then-current market price of our common stock. Accordingly, if the market price of our common stock decreases, the number of shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the convertible debt or upon payment of dividends on our outstanding Series C preferred stock will increase, and may result in the issuance of a significant number of additional shares of our common stock.

Under the terms of some of our preferred stock and certain of our convertible notes and outstanding warrants, the conversion price or exercise price will be lowered if we issue common stock at a per share price below the then-conversion price or then-exercise price for those securities. Reductions in the conversion price or exercise price would result in the issuance of a significant number of additional shares of our common stock upon conversion or exercise, which would result in dilution in the value of the shares of our outstanding common stock and the voting power represented thereby.

Our need to raise additional capital in the near future or to use our equity securities for payments could have a dilutive effect on your investment.

In order to continue operations, we will need to raise additional capital. We may attempt to raise capital through the public or private sale of our common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock. In addition, from time to time we have issued our common stock or warrants in lieu of cash payments. If we sell additional shares of our common stock or other equity securities, or issue such securities in respect of other claims or indebtedness, such sales or issuances will further dilute the percentage of our equity that you own. Depending upon the price per share of securities that we sell or issue in the future, if any, your interest in us could be further diluted by any adjustments to the number of shares and the applicable exercise price required pursuant to the terms of the agreements under which we previously issued convertible securities.

The perceived risk of dilution may cause our stockholders to sell their shares, which may cause a decline in the price of our common stock. Moreover, the perceived risk of dilution and the resulting downward pressure on our stock price could encourage investors to engage in short sales of our common stock. By increasing the number of shares offered for sale, material amounts of short selling could further contribute to progressive price declines in our common stock.

Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

Item 2. PROPERTIES

Our corporate offices, which also comprise our administrative, research and development, marketing and production facilities, are located at 5835 Peachtree Corners East, Suite B, Norcross, Georgia 30092, where we lease approximately 12,835 square feet under a lease that expires in May 2026.

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are subject to claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. However, we are not currently subject to any claims or actions that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES-

Market for Common Stock; Holders

Our common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the ticker symbol “GTHP.” The number of record holders of our common stock at March 15, 2022 was 171.

A 1:800 reverse stock split of all of our issued and outstanding common stock was implemented on March 29, 2019. As a result of the reverse stock split, every 800 shares of issued and outstanding common stock were converted into 1 share of common stock. All fractional shares created by the reverse stock split were rounded to the nearest whole share. The number of authorized shares of common stock did not change.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Board simultaneously approved a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of our common stock and decreased the total number of authorized common shares to 500,000,000. On November 18, 2021, the Company submitted an Issuer Company Related Action Notification regarding the reverse stock split to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). FINRA has not yet declared an effective date for the reverse stock split. The Company will adjust the number of shares available for future grant under its equity incentive plan and employee stock purchase plans and will also adjust the number of outstanding awards issued to reflect the effects of its reverse split. All historical share and per share amounts reflected throughout this report will be adjusted to reflect stock split at the time it becomes effective.

The high and low common stock share prices for the first quarter of 2022 and calendar years 2021 and 2020, as reported by the OTCBB, are as set forth in the following table:

_________

*Through March 15, 2022                                                 

Dividend Policy

We have not paid any dividends on our common stock since our inception and do not intend to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

All the securities we have provided our employees, directors and consultants have been issued under our stock option plans, which are approved by our stockholders. We have issued common stock to other individuals that are not employees or directors, in lieu of cash payments, that are not part of any plan approved by our stockholders.

Securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2021:

Item 6. [RESERVED]

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITIONS AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes in Part II, Item 8. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. You should review the “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements” sections of this Annual Report for a discussion of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements described in the following discussion and analysis.

Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they are made. 

Overview

We are a medical technology company focused on developing innovative medical devices that have the potential to improve healthcare. Our primary focus is the sales and marketing of our LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scan non-invasive cervical cancer detection device. The underlying technology of LuViva primarily relates to the use of biophotonics for the non-invasive detection of cancers. LuViva is designed to identify cervical cancers and precancers painlessly, non-invasively and at the point of care by scanning the cervix with light, then analyzing the reflected and fluorescent light.

LuViva provides a less invasive and painless alternative to conventional tests for cervical cancer screening and detection. Additionally, LuViva improves patient well-being not only because it eliminates pain, but also because it is convenient to use and provides rapid results at the point of care. We focus on two primary applications for LuViva: first, as a cancer screening tool in the developing world, where infrastructure to support traditional cancer-screening methods is limited or non-existent, and second, as a triage following traditional screening in the developed world, where a high number of false positive results cause a high rate of unnecessary and ultimately costly follow-up tests.

We are a Delaware corporation, originally incorporated in 1992 under the name “SpectRx, Inc.” and, on February 22, 2008, changed our name to Guided Therapeutics, Inc. At the same time, we renamed our wholly owned subsidiary, InterScan, which originally had been incorporated as “Guided Therapeutics.”

Since our inception, we have raised capital through the public and private sale of debt and equity, funding from collaborative arrangements, and grants.

Our prospects must be considered in light of the substantial risks, expenses and difficulties encountered by entrants into the medical device industry. This industry is characterized by an increasing number of participants, intense competition and a high failure rate. We have experienced operating losses since our inception and, as of December 31, 2021 we have an accumulated deficit of approximately $142.4 million. To date, we have engaged primarily in research and development efforts and the early stages of marketing our products. We do not have significant experience in manufacturing, marketing or selling our products. We may not be successful in growing sales for our products. Moreover, required regulatory clearances or approvals may not be obtained in a timely manner, or at all. Our products may not ever gain market acceptance and we may not ever generate significant revenues or achieve profitability. The development and commercialization of our products requires substantial development, regulatory, sales and marketing, manufacturing and other expenditures. We expect our operating losses to continue for the foreseeable future as we continue to expend substantial resources to complete commercialization of our products, obtain regulatory clearances or approvals, build our marketing, sales, manufacturing and finance capabilities, and conduct further research and development.

Our product revenues to date have been limited. In 2021, the majority of our revenues were from the sale of components of our LuViva devices and disposables. We expect that the majority of our revenue in 2022 will be derived from revenue from the sale of LuViva devices and disposables.

Current Demand for LuViva

Based on discussions with our distributors, we currently hold and expect to generate additional purchase orders for approximately $1.5 million in LuViva devices and disposables and expect to recognize revenue for from these sales during 2022. We cannot be assured that we will generate all or any of these additional purchase orders, or that existing orders will not be canceled by the distributors or that parts to build product will be available to meet demand, such that existing orders will result in actual sales. Because we have a short history of sales of our products, we cannot confidently predict future sales of our products beyond this time frame and cannot be assured of any particular amount of sales. Accordingly, we have not identified any particular trends with regard to sales of our products. In order to increase demand for LuViva, the Company is focused on three primary markets:  the United States, China and Europe.

In the United States, the Company is actively pursuing FDA approval by initiating a clinical trial protocol involving approximately 400 study participants.  The protocol was drafted with input from FDA and two prestigious clinical centers that will participate in enrolling the 400 women at multiple sites within their hospital systems.  Clinical trial agreements have been drafted and agreed upon, the budget at one institution has been agreed upon and is under negotiation at the other institution. The LuViva devices have been prepared and have passed bench testing in order to begin the study.  All requested materials have been submitted for review by the respective hospital institutional review boards (IRBs).  Once the IRB’s have approved the study, enrollment may begin, which is expected prior to the end of 2022 and last approximately eight to nine months; however, there can be no assurance that the study will be completed by the end of 2022.

In China, the study protocol and budgets have been agreed upon at two clinical centers and the study has begun at one center, with two more to be added this year.  This study will enroll approximately 320 women and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022, although there can be no assurance that the study will be completed within this time frame.

In Europe, the Company attended a meeting in Bucharest, Romania on November 3-4, 2021, hosted by our central Eastern and Russian distribution partner. The LuViva system was demonstrated for doctors at a local clinic and the head Ob-Gyn physician intends to keep the LuViva device and order additional Cervical Guides to test patients as part of her practice.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

COMPARISON OF 2021 and 2020

Sales Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold and Gross Profit from Devices and Disposables: Revenues from the sale of LuViva devices for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $81,000, compared to $102,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of $21,000 or 21%. Cost of goods sold was $61,000 during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to cost of goods recovered of $41,000 during the year ended December 31, 2020. Cost of goods recovered in 2020 was the result of the buy-back of parts from one customer that were then sold, resulting in a revaluation of the inventory reserve. Cost of goods sold increased during the year ended December 31, 2021 due to inventory write-offs of slow-moving inventory. This resulted in gross profit of $20,000 on the sales of devices and disposals for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to gross profit of $143,000 for the same period in 2020. 

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased to $69,000 from $143,000 during the same period in 2020. The decrease of $74,000 or 52% was primarily due to a reduction in research and development clinical costs and payroll expenses.

Sales and Marketing Expenses: Sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 has remained consistent with the year ended December 31, 2020.

General and Administrative Expense: General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased to approximately $2,172,000 compared to $913,000 during the same period in 2020. The increase of approximately $1,259,000, or 138%, was primarily due to a charge of $556,000 for warrants issued to Mr. Blumberg for consulting services and consulting expenses of $228,000 for warrants issued to finders in the capital raises. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company reversed $292,000 of a reserve taken for a deposit made for inventory parts for its devices, which lowered general and administrative expenses in the prior period. The remaining increase in current period general and administrative expenses was due to minimal increases in rent expense, payroll-related expenses, and miscellaneous other expenses.

Interest Expense: Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased to approximately $1,150,000, compared to $1,056,000 during the same period in 2020. The increase of approximately $94,000, or 9%, was primarily due to a $350,000 prepayment penalty incurred on short-term convertible notes payable, offset by lower interest incurred for outstanding notes payable and convertible debt during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Fair Value of Derivative Liability: Loss from the change in the fair value of the derivative liability was $91,000 during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $25,000 during the same period in 2020. The increase in the loss of $66,000, or 264%, was due to changes in the fair value of the associated derivative liability and extinguishment due to a $700,000 payoff of the associated loan.

Gain (Loss) from Extinguishment of Debt: During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized a gain on extinguishment of debt of $578,000, compared to a loss on extinguishment of debt of $296,000 during the same period in 2020. The gain from debt extinguished in 2021 was primarily due to forgiveness of debt principal and accrued interest totaling $578,000 during 2021. The loss of $296,000 recognized in the prior period was related to debt eliminated from debt exchange agreements.

Change in Fair Value of Warrants: The gain recorded due to change in fair value of warrants was $448,000 during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $1,879,000 during the same period in 2020. The decrease of $1,431,000, or 76%, was primarily due to an exchange agreement signed with GPB Debt Holdings II LLC (“GPB”), which resulted changes to the terms of the warrants and reclassification of the warrants from liabilities to equity.

Other Income: Other income during the year ended December 31, 2021 was $507,000, compared to $271,000 during the same period in 2020. The increase of $236,000, or 87%, was primarily due to the write-off of a $350,000 subscription receivable liability during 2021. The increase was offset by additional income recorded for recovery of employment expenses and aged payables with had exceeded their statute of limitations on collectability during 2020.

Net Loss: Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $2,431,000 during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $401,000 during the same period in the prior year. The increase in net loss of $2,030,000 or 506% was due to the reasons described above.

There was no income tax benefit recorded for 2021 or 2020, due to recurring net operating losses.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Since our inception, we have raised capital through the public and private sale of debt and equity, funding from collaborative arrangements, and grants. As of December 31, 2021, we had cash of approximately $643,000 and negative working capital of $4,057,000.

Our major cash flows for the years December 31, 2021 consisted of cash used by operating activities of $1,592,000 cash used for investing activities of $14,000, and net cash provided by financing activities of $2,067,000, which primarily represented the proceeds received from issuance of preferred stock.

Capital resources for 2021

During 2021, the Company received $1,130,000 of cash from the sale of 10% debenture unit investments and incurred transactional fees of $86,400. The Company issued the finders 413,600 warrants for the Company’s common stock shares. The investors received a total of 1,130,000 warrants for common stock shares. The debentures are convertible into 2,260,000 of the Company’s common stock shares.

During 2021, the Company received $2,114,000 of cash from the sale of equity securities and incurred transactional fees of $139,000. The Company also issued the finders 98,000 of the Company’s common stock shares and 643,700 warrants for the Company’s common stock shares. The investors received a total of 1,436 and 3,237 shares of Series F and Series F-2 preferred stock, respectively. Each share of Series F or Series F-2 preferred stock is convertible into 4,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, at the election of the investor.

During 2021, the Company finalized an investment by Power Up Lending Group Ltd (“Power Up”). Power Up invested $132,000, (of which the Company received $125,000 net of costs) for 153,000 shares of Series G preferred stock. As of December 31, 2021, all Series G preferred shares were redeemed.

During 2021, the Company entered into an exchange agreement with Richard Fowler. As of December 31, 2020, the Company owed Mr. Fowler $546,214 ($412,624 in deferred salary and $133,590 in accrued interest). Mr. Fowler exchanged $50,000 of the amount owed of $546,214 for 50 shares of Series F-2 Preferred Shares (convertible into 200,000 shares of common stock) and a $150,000 unsecured note. The note accrues interest at the rate of 6.0% (18.0% in the event of default) beginning on March 1, 2022 and is payable in monthly installments of $3,600 for four years, with the first payment being due on March 15, 2022. The effective interest rate of the note is 6.18%. Mr. Fowler forgave $86,554 and may forgive up to $259,661 of debt if the Company complies with the repayment plan described above.

Capital resources for 2020

During 2020, we received equity investments in the amount of $1,735,500. These investors received a total of 1,735.50 Series E preferred stock (if the Investor elects to convert their Series E preferred stock, each Series E preferred stock shares converts into 4,000 shares of our common stock shares).

During January and April 2020, we received equity investments in the amount of $128,000. These investors received a total of 256,000 common stock shares, 256,000 warrants issued to purchase common stock shares at a strike price of $0.25, 256,000 warrants to purchase common stock shares at a strike price of $0.75 and 128 Series D preferred stock (if the Investor elects to convert their Series D preferred stock, each Series D preferred stock shares converts into 3,000 shares of our common stock shares). Of the amount invested $38,000 was from related parties.

On January 6, 2020, we entered into an exchange agreement with Jones Day. Upon making a payment of $175,000, which had not yet occurred, we will exchange $1,744,768 of debt outstanding for: $175,000, an unsecured promissory note in the amount of $550,000; due 13 months form the date of issuance, that may be called at any time prior to maturity upon a payment of $150,000; and an unsecured promissory note in the principal amount of $444,768, bearing an annualized interest rate of 6.0% and due in four equal annual installments beginning on the second anniversary of the date of issuance.

On January 8, 2020, we exchanged $2,064,366 in debt for several equity instruments (noted below) that were determined to have a total fair value of $2,065,548, resulting in a loss on extinguishment of debt of $1,183 which is recorded in other income (expense) on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. We also issued 6,957,013 warrants to purchase common stock shares; with exercise prices of $0.25, $0.75 and $0.20.

On June 3, 2020, we exchanged $328,422 in debt from Auctus, (summarized in footnote 10: Convertible Notes), for 500,000 common stock shares and 700,000 warrants to purchase common stock shares. The fair value of the common stock shares was $250,000 (based on a $0.50 fair value for our stock) and of the warrants to purchase common stock shares was $196,818 (based on a $0.281 Black-Scholes option pricing model). This resulted in a net loss on extinguishment of debt of $118,396 ($446,818 fair value less the $328,422 of exchanged debt).

On June 30, 2020, we exchanged $125,000 in debt (during June 2020, $125,000 in payables had been converted into short-term debt) from Mr. James Clavijo, for 500,000 common stock shares and 250,000 warrants to purchase common stock shares. The fair value of the common stock shares was $250,000 (based on a $0.50 fair value for our stock) and of the warrants to purchase common stock shares was $99,963 (based on a $0.40 Black-Scholes fair valuation). This resulted in a net loss on extinguishment of debt of $224,963 ($349,963 fair value less the $125,000 of exchanged debt). After the exchange transaction, the balance due to Mr. Clavijo of $10,213 was paid.

On July 9, 2020, we entered into an exchange agreement with Mr. Bill Wells (a former employee). In lieu of agreeing to dismiss approximately half of what is owed or $220,000, Mr. Wells will receive the following: (i) cash payments of $20,000 within 60 days of the signing of the agreement; cash payments over time in the amount of $90,000 in the form of an unsecured note to be executed within 30 days of a new financing(s) totaling at least $3.0 million. The note shall bear interest of 6.0% and mature over 18 months; (iii) 66,000 common share stock options that vest at a rate of 3,667 per month and have a $0.49 exercise price (if two consecutive payments in (ii) are not made the stock options will be canceled and a cash payment will be required; and (iv) the total amount of forgiveness by creditor of approximately $110,000 shall be prorated according to amount paid.

The following table summarizes the debt exchanges:

____________ 

¹ Ms. Rosenstock also forgave $28,986 in debt.

² Mr. Imhoff and Mr. James are members of the board of directors and therefore related parties.

³ Our COO and director, Mark Faupel, is a shareholder of Shenghuo, and a former director, Richard Blumberg, is a managing member of Shenghuo, however he does not have voting or other control rights with respect to Shenghuo’s management or its equity in our Company.

⁴ Mr. Wells forgave $20,000 of debt principal and received 66,000 common share stock options, the details of which are explained above.

On January 16, 2020, we entered into an exchange agreement with GPB. Under the terms of this exchange agreement, we will exchange $3,360,811 of debt outstanding as of December 12, 2019 for the following: (1) a cash payment of $1,500,000, (2) 7,185,000 warrants to purchase common stock, previously outstanding, would be exchanged for new warrants to purchase common stock shares at a strike price of $0.20 and (3) a certain amount of preferred stock shares for the remaining balance outstanding upon the final exchange date. During 2021, we made the final payments totaling $800,000 out of the total $1,500,000 and issued 2,236 shares of Series F-2 preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

On March 31, 2020, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with Auctus Fund, LLC for the issuance and sale to Auctus of $112,750 in aggregate principal amount of a 12% convertible promissory note. On March 31, 2020, we issued the note to Auctus and issued 250,000 five-year common stock warrants at an exercise price of $0.16. On April 3, 2020, we received net proceeds of $100,000. The note matured on January 26, 2021 and accrues interest at a rate of 12% per year. As of December 31, 2021, the note is in default and accrues default interest of 24% per year.

On May 4, 2020, we received a loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA) pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in the amount of $50,184. The Company was notified that the application for loan forgiveness was approved in the amount of $23,742 in principal and $234 in interest. The Company is planning on appealing the amount forgiven.

On May 20, 2020, the Company received a $70,000 loan from Mr. Blumberg, which was paid off in June 2020.

On May 22, 2020, we entered into an exchange agreement with Auctus. Based on this agreement we exchanged three outstanding notes, with a total principal amount of $249,119 outstanding, as well as any accrued interest and default penalty, for $160,000 in cash payments (payable in monthly payments of $20,000), converted a portion of the notes pursuant to original terms of the notes into 500,000 restricted common stock shares (shares were issued on June 3, 2020); and 700,000 warrants issued to purchase common stock shares with an exercise price of $0.15. The fair value of the common stock shares was $250,000 (based on a $0.50 fair value for our stock) and of the warrants to purchase common stock shares was $196,818 (based on a $0.281 Black-Scholes fair valuation). This resulted in a net loss on extinguishment of debt of $118,396 ($446,818 fair value less the $328,422 of exchanged debt). The notes are no longer outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

On May 27, 2020, we received the second tranche in the amount of $400,000, from the December 17, 2019, securities purchase agreement and convertible note with Auctus. The net amount paid to us was $313,000. This second tranche is part of the convertible note issued to Auctus for a total of $2.4 million of which $700,000 has already been provided by Auctus. The note matures on May 27, 2022 and incurs interest at a rate of ten percent (10%) per annum.

Contingencies

Based on the current outbreak of the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen responsible for COVID-19, which has already had an impact on financial markets, there could be additional repercussions in our operating business, including but not limited to, the sourcing of materials for product candidates, manufacture of supplies for preclinical and/or clinical studies, delays in clinical operations, which may include the availability or the continued availability of patients for trials due to such things as quarantines, conduct of patient monitoring and clinical trial data retrieval at investigational study sites.

The future impact of the outbreak is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, and we cannot provide any assurance that the outbreak will not have a material adverse impact on our operations or future results or filings with regulatory health authorities. The extent of the impact, if any, we will depend on future developments, including actions taken to contain the coronavirus.

The conflict in Ukraine, which has already had an impact on financial markets, could result in additional repercussions in our operating business, including delays in obtaining regulatory approval to market our products in Russia. The future impact of the conflict is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, and we cannot provide any assurance that the conflict will not have a material adverse impact on our operations or future results or filings with regulatory health authorities.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no material off-balance sheet arrangements, no special purpose entities, and no activities that include non-exchange-traded contracts accounted for at fair value.

Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Not applicable.

Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

GUIDED THERAPEUTICS, INC. 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Guided Therapeutics, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Guided Therapeutics, Inc. and Subsidiary. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”).

Substantial Doubt about the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has recurring losses from operations, limited cash flow, and an accumulated deficit. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated 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 risk of material misstatement of the consolidated 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 regarding 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.

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Guided Therapeutics, Inc.

Page Two

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Going Concern Assessment

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As disclosed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations, negative operating cash flow, has a net accumulated deficit and expects to continue to incur losses for at least the next twelve months. This matter is also described in the “Emphasis of Matter – Substantial Doubt about the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern” section of our report.

We identified management’s judgments and assumptions used to assess the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern as a critical audit matter due to inherent complexities and uncertainties related to the Company’s projections of operations. Auditing these judgments and assumptions involved especially challenging auditor judgment due to the nature and extent of audit evidence and effort required to address these matters.

How the Critical Audit Matter was Addressed

The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included the following: (1) evaluating management’s assessment and assessing the reasonableness of key assumptions underlying management’s conclusion, (2) evaluating the probability that the Company will be able to reduce note payable obligations and other operating expenditures if required, (3) assessing management’s plans in the context of other audit evidence obtained during the audit to determine whether it supported or contradicted the conclusions reached by management.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2007.

Sterling Heights, Michigan

March 29, 2022

GUIDED THERAPEUTICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated statements.