NEPHROS INC - Annual Report: 2008 (Form 10-K)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
DC 20549
FORM
10-K
x
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ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For
the fiscal year ended December 31,
2008
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o
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For
the Transition Period
from to
Commission
File Number 001-32288
NEPHROS,
INC.
(Exact
name of registrant specified in its charter)
Delaware
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13-3971809
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(State
or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation
or Organization)
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(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
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41
Grand Avenue
River
Edge, NJ 07661
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
(201)
343-5202
(Telephone
Number, Including Area Code)
Securities
Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: None
Securities
registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:
(Title of
Class)
Common
Stock, $.001 par value per share
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange
Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x
No ¨
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K.
¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large
accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer ¨
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Accelerated filer ¨
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Non-accelerated filer ¨
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Smaller reporting company x
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(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
The aggregate market value of the
voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, as of June 30, 2008,
was approximately $15,417,000. Such aggregate market value was computed by
reference to the closing price of the common stock as reported on the American
Stock Exchange on June 30, 2008. For purposes of making this calculation
only, the registrant has defined affiliates as including only directors and
executive officers and shareholders holding greater than 10% of the voting stock
of the registrant as of June 30, 2008.
As of
March 27, 2009 there were 38,165,380 shares of the registrant’s common stock,
$0.001 par value, outstanding.
NEPHROS,
INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
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PART
I
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Item
1.Business
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1
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Item
2.Properties
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12
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Item
3.Legal Proceedings
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13
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Item
4.Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
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13
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PART
II
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Item
5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters
and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
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13
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Item
7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations
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13
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Item
8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
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36
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Item
9.Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and
Financial Disclosure
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60
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Item
9A(T).Controls and Procedures
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60
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Item
9B.Other Information
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61
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PART
III
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Item
10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
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62
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Item
11.Executive Compensation
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62
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Item
12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and
Related Stockholder Matters
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62
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Item
13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence
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62
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Item
14.Principal Accounting Fees and Services
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62
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Item
15.Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
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63
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Signatures
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67
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PART
I
Item
1. Business
Overview
Founded
in 1997, we are a Delaware corporation that has been engaged primarily in the
development of hemodiafiltration, or HDF, products and technologies for treating
patients with End Stage Renal Disease, or ESRD. In January 2006, we
introduced our new Dual Stage Ultrafilter (the “DSU”) water filtration system,
which represents a new and complementary product line to our existing ESRD
therapy business.
We
currently have three products in various stages of development in the HDF
modality to deliver improved therapy to ESRD patients:
·
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OLpur
MDHDF filter series (which we sell in various countries in Europe and
currently consists of our MD190 and MD220 diafilters); to our knowledge,
the only filter designed expressly for HDF therapy and employing our
proprietary Mid-Dilution Diafiltration
technology;
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·
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OLpur
H2H,
our add-on module designed to allow the most common types of hemodialysis
machines to be used for HDF therapy;
and
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·
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OLpur
NS2000 system, our stand-alone HDF machine and associated filter
technology.
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We have
also developed our OLpur HD 190 high-flux dialyzer cartridge, which incorporates
the same materials as our OLpur MD series but does not employ our proprietary
Mid-Dilution Diafiltration technology. Our OLpur HD190 was designed for use with
either hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration machines, and received its approval
from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA , under Section 510(k) of the
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or the FDC Act, in June 2005.
OLpur and
H2H
are among our trademarks for which U.S. registrations are pending. H2H is a
registered European Union trademark. We have assumed that the reader understands
that these terms are source-indicating. Accordingly, such terms appear
throughout the remainder of this Annual Report without trademark notices for
convenience only and should not be construed as being used in a descriptive or
generic sense.
We
believe that products in our OLpur MDHDF filter series are more effective than
any products currently available for ESRD therapy because they are better at
removing certain larger toxins (known in the industry as “middle molecules”
because of their heavier molecular weight) from blood. The accumulation of
middle molecules in the blood has been related to such conditions as
malnutrition, impaired cardiac function, carpal tunnel syndrome, and
degenerative bone disease in the ESRD patient. We also believe that OLpur H 2 H will,
upon introduction, expand the use of HDF as a cost-effective and attractive
alternative for ESRD therapy, and that, if approved in 2009, our OLpur H 2 H and
MDHDF filters will be the first, and only, HDF therapy available in the United
States at that time.
We
believe that our products will reduce hospitalization, medication and care costs
as well as improve patient health (including reduced drug requirements and
improved blood pressure profiles), and therefore, quality of life, by removing a
broad range of toxins through a more patient-friendly, better-tolerated process.
In addition, independent studies in Europe have indicated that, when compared
with dialysis as it is currently offered in the United States, HDF can reduce
the patient’s mortality risk by up to 35%. We believe that the OLpur MDHDF
filter series and the OLpur H 2 H will
provide these benefits to ESRD patients at competitive costs and without the
need for ESRD treatment providers to make significant capital expenditures in
order to use our products. We also believe that the OLpur NS2000 system, if
successfully developed, will be the most cost-effective stand-alone
hemodiafiltration system available.
In
January 2006, we introduced our new Dual Stage Ultrafilter (the “DSU”) water
filtration system. Our DSU represents a new and complementary product line to
our existing ESRD therapy business. The DSU incorporates our unique and
proprietary dual stage filter architecture and is, to our knowledge, the only
water filter that allows the user to sight-verify that the filter is properly
performing its cleansing function. Our research and development work on the
OLpur H
2 H and MD Mid-Dilution filter technologies for ESRD therapy provided the
foundations for a proprietary multi-stage water filter that we believe is cost
effective, extremely reliable, and long-lasting. We believe our DSU can offer a
robust solution to a broad range of contaminated water and disease prevention
issues. Hospitals are particularly stringent in their water quality
requirements; transplant patients and other individuals whose immune systems are
compromised can face a substantial infection risk in drinking or bathing with
standard tap water that would generally not present a danger to individuals with
normal immune function. The DSU is designed to remove a broad range of bacteria,
viral agents and toxic substances, including salmonella, hepatitis, cholera,
HIV, Ebola virus, ricin toxin, legionella, fungi and e-coli. With over 5,000
registered hospitals in the United States alone (as reported by the American
Hospital Association in Fast Facts of October 20, 2006), we believe the hospital
shower and faucet market can offer us a valuable opportunity as a first step in
water filtration.
1
Due to
the ongoing concerns of maintaining water quality, on October 7, 2008, we filed
a 510(k) application for approval to market our DSU to dialysis clinics for
in-line purification of dialysate water. Following its review of the
application, the FDA has requested additional information from us. On
February 24, 2009, we provided a formal response to the FDA. Per FDA
guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review the additional information provided by
us.
In 2006,
the U.S. Defense Department budget included an appropriation for the U.S. Marine
Corps for development of a dual stage water ultra filter. In
connection with this Federal appropriation of approximately $1 million, we are
developing a personal potable water purification system for use by warfighters.
Work on this project commenced in January 2008 and we have billed $196,000
during the year ended December 31, 2008. In December 2007, the U.S. Department
of Defense Appropriations Act appropriated an additional $2 million to continue
the development of a dual stage ultra reliable personal water filtration system.
Although it is our intention to execute an agreement with the U.S. Department of
Defense to utilize this appropriation before it expires in September 2009, such
an agreement has not been executed as of December 31, 2008. We have defined the
project scope and objectives in connection with this appropriation and have
submitted a proposal to the Office of Naval Research in February 2009. We have
also introduced the DSU to various government agencies as a solution to
providing potable water in certain emergency response situations. We have also
begun investigating a range of commercial, industrial and retail opportunities
for our DSU technology.
Going
Concern
The
financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been
prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern, however, there can
be no assurance that we will be able to do so. Our recurring losses and
difficulty in generating sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations and
sustain our operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as
a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include
any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this
uncertainty.
We have
incurred losses in our operations in each quarter since inception. For the years
ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, we have incurred net losses of $6,337,000 and
$26,356,000, respectively. In addition, we have not generated positive cash flow
from operations for the year ended December 31, 2008 and 2007. To become
profitable, we must increase revenue substantially and achieve and maintain
positive gross and operating margins. If we are not able to increase revenue and
gross and operating margins sufficiently to achieve profitability, our results
of operations and financial condition will be materially and adversely
affected.
At
December 31, 2008, we had $2,306,000 in cash and cash equivalents. There can be
no assurance that our cash and cash equivalents will provide the liquidity we
need to continue our operations. (See “Certain Risks and Uncertainties”). These
operating plans primarily include the continued development and support of our
business in the European market, organizational changes necessary to begin the
commercialization of our water filtration business and the completion of current
year milestones which are included in the Office of Naval Research
appropriation.
There can
be no assurance that our future cash flow will be sufficient to meet our
obligations and commitments. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow
from operations in the future to service our commitments we will be required to
adopt alternatives, such as seeking to raise debt or equity capital, curtailing
our planned activities or ceasing our operations. There can be no assurance that
any such actions could be effected on a timely basis or on satisfactory terms or
at all, or that these actions would enable us to continue to satisfy our capital
requirements.
We
continue to investigate additional funding opportunities by talking to various
potential investors who could provide financing. However, there can be no
assurance that we will be able to obtain further financing, do so on reasonable
terms or do so on terms that would not substantially dilute your equity
interests in us. If we are unable to raise additional funds on a
timely basis, or at all, the Company will not be able to continue its
operations.
In
addition, on September 12, 2008, we received a letter from the NYSE Alternext US
LLC (formerly, the American Stock Exchange or “AMEX”) notifying us of our
noncompliance with certain continued listing standards. The following
are the listing standards that we were in noncompliance of:
·
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Section
1003(a)(iii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its five most recent fiscal
years;
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·
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Section
1003(a)(ii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $4,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its three of its four most recent fiscal years;
and
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·
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Section
1003(f)(v), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, common stock that sells for a substantial
period of time at a low price per
share.
|
In
response to that letter, we submitted a plan of compliance to the AMEX on
October 13, 2008 advising the AMEX of the actions we have taken, or will take,
that would bring us into compliance with the continued listing standards by
April 30, 2009.
2
Subsequent
to December 31, 2008, on January 8, 2009, we received a letter from the AMEX
notifying us that it was rejecting our plan. The AMEX further
notified us that the AMEX intends to strike the common stock from the AMEX by
filing a delisting application with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to Rule 1009(d) of the AMEX Company Guide. Given the turmoil
in the capital markets, we have decided not to seek an appeal of the AMEX’s
intention to delist our common stock.
On
January 22, 2009, we were informed by the AMEX that the AMEX had suspended
trading in our common stock effective immediately. Immediately
following the notification, our common stock was no longer traded on the
AMEX.
Effective
February 4, 2009, our common stock is now quoted on the Over the Counter, or
OTC, Bulletin Board under the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
Current
ESRD Therapy Options
Current
renal replacement therapy technologies include (1) two types of dialysis,
peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, (2) hemofiltration and (3)
hemodiafiltration, a combination of hemodialysis and hemofiltration. Dialysis
can be broadly defined as the process that involves movement of molecules across
a semipermeable membrane. In hemodialysis, hemofiltration or hemodiafiltration,
the blood is exposed to an artificial membrane outside of the body. During
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), the exchange of molecules occurs across the membrane
lining of the patient’s peritoneal cavity. While there are variations in each
approach, in general, the three major categories of renal replacement therapy in
the marketplace today are defined as follows:
·
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Dialysis
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o
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Peritoneal Dialysis, or
PD, uses the patient’s peritoneum, the membrane lining covering the
internal abdominal organs, as a filter by introducing injectable-grade
dialysate solution into the peritoneal cavity through a surgically
implanted catheter. After some period of time, the fluid is drained and
replaced. PD is limited in use because the peritoneal cavity is subject to
scarring with repeated episodes of inflammation of the peritoneal
membrane, reducing the effectiveness of this treatment approach. With
time, a PD patient’s kidney function continues to deteriorate and
peritoneal toxin removal alone may become insufficient to provide adequate
treatment. In such case the patient may switch to an extracorporeal renal
replacement therapy such as hemodialysis or
hemodiafiltration.
|
o
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Hemodialysis uses an
artificial kidney machine to remove certain toxins and fluid from the
patient’s blood while controlling external blood flow and monitoring
patient vital signs. Hemodialysis patients are connected to a dialysis
machine via a vascular access device. The hemodialysis process occurs in a
dialyzer cartridge with a semi-permeable membrane which divides the
dialyzer into two chambers: while the blood is circulated through one
chamber, a premixed solution known as dialysate circulates through the
other chamber. Toxins and excess fluid from the blood cross the membrane
into the dialysate solution through a process known as
“diffusion.”
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·
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Hemofiltration is a
cleansing process without dialysate solution where blood is passed through
a semi-permeable membrane, which filters out solute
particles.
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·
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Hemodiafiltration, or
HDF, in its basic form combines the principles of hemodialysis with
hemofiltration. HDF uses dialysate solution with a negative pressure
(similar to a vacuum effect) applied to the dialysate solution to draw
additional toxins from the blood and across the membrane. This process is
known as “convection.” HDF thus combines diffusion with convection,
offering efficient removal of small solutes by diffusion, with improved
removal of larger substances (i.e., middle molecules) by
convection.
|
Hemodialysis
is the most common form of extracorporeal renal replacement therapy and is
generally used in the United States. Hemodialysis fails, in our opinion, to
address satisfactorily the long-term health or overall quality of life of the
ESRD patient. We believe that the HDF process, which is currently available in
our Target European Market and Japan, offers improvement over other dialysis
therapies because of better ESRD patient tolerance, superior blood purification
of both small and middle molecules, and a substantially improved mortality risk
profile.
Current
Dialyzer Technology used with HDF Systems
In our
view, treatment efficacy of current HDF systems is limited by current dialyzer
technology. As a result of the negative pressure applied in HDF, fluid is drawn
from the blood and across the dialyzer membrane along with the toxins removed
from the blood. A portion of this fluid must be replaced with a man-made
injectable grade fluid, known as “substitution fluid,” in order to maintain the
blood’s proper fluid volume. With the current dialyzer technology, fluid is
replaced in one of two ways: pre-dilution or post-dilution.
·
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With
pre-dilution, substitution fluid is added to the blood before the blood
enters the dialyzer cartridge. In this process, the blood can be
over-diluted, and therefore more fluid can be drawn across the membrane.
This enhances removal of toxins by convection. However, because the blood
is diluted before entering the device, it actually reduces the rate of
removal by diffusion; the overall rate of removal, therefore, is reduced
for small molecular weight toxins (such as urea) that rely primarily on
diffusive transport.
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·
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With
post-dilution, substitution fluid is added to blood after the blood has
exited the dialyzer cartridge. This is the currently preferred method
because the concentration gradient is maintained at a higher level, thus
not impairing the rate of removal of small toxins by diffusion. The
disadvantage of this method, however, is that there is a limit in the
amount of plasma water that can be filtered from the blood before the
blood becomes too viscous, or thick. This limit is approximately 20% to
25% of the blood flow rate. This limit restricts the amount of convection,
and therefore limits the removal of middle and larger
molecules.
|
3
The
Nephros Mid-Dilution Diafiltration Process
Our OLpur
MDHDF filter series uses a design and process we developed called Mid-Dilution
Diafiltration, or MDF. MDF is a fluid management system that optimizes the
removal of both small toxins and middle-molecules by offering the advantages of
pre-dilution HDF and post-dilution HDF combined in a single dialyzer cartridge.
The MDF process involves the use of two stages: in the first stage, blood is
filtered against a dialysate solution, therefore providing post-dilution
diafiltration; it is then overdiluted with sterile infusion fluid before
entering a second stage, where it is filtered once again against a dialysate
solution, therefore providing pre-dilution diafiltration. We believe that the
MDF process provides improved toxin removal in HDF treatments, with a resulting
improvement in patient health and concurrent reduction in healthcare
costs.
Our
ESRD Therapy Products
Our
products currently available or in development with respect to ESRD Therapy
include:
OLpur
MDHDF Filter Series
OLpur
MD190 and MD220 constitute our dialyzer cartridge series that incorporates the
patented MDF process and is designed for use with existing HDF platforms
currently prevalent in our Target European Market and Japan. Our MDHDF filter
series incorporates a unique blood-flow architecture that enhances toxin removal
with essentially no cost increase over existing devices currently used for HDF
therapy.
Laboratory
bench studies have been conducted on our OLpur MD190 by members of our research
and development staff and by a third party. We completed our initial clinical
studies to evaluate the efficacy of our OLpur MD190 as compared to conventional
dialyzers in Montpellier, France in 2003. The results from this clinical study
support our belief that OLpur MD190 is superior to post-dilution
hemodiafiltration using a standard high-flux dialyzer with respect to
§2-microglobulin clearance. In addition, clearances of urea, creatinine, and
phosphate met the design specifications proposed for the OLpur MD190 device.
Furthermore, adverse event data from the study suggest that hemodiafiltration
with our OLpur MD190 device was well tolerated by the patients and
safe.
We have
initiated longer term clinical studies in the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
Italy and Spain to further demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of our OLpur
MDHDF filter series. A multi-center study was started in March 2005. This study
encompassed seven centers in France, five centers in Germany and one center in
Sweden. Also commencing in 2005 were studies in the United Kingdom and in Italy.
A three-month study was conducted in Spain. All enrolled patients in the
multi-center and Spain studies completed the investigational period with the
Nephros OLpur MDHDF filter devices. Initial data is very positive, demonstrating
improved low-molecular weight protein removal, improvements in appetite, an
overall improved distribution of fluids and body composition, and optimal toxin
removal and treatment tolerance for patients suffering from limited vascular
access. Data was presented at the American Society of Nephrology meeting held in
November 2006. A complete manuscript of the entire multi-center study is
expected to be submitted for publication in a reputable journal in
2010.
We
contracted with TÜV Rheinland of North America, Inc., a worldwide testing and
certification agency (also referred to as a notified body) that performs
conformity assessments to European Union requirements for medical devices, to
assist us in obtaining the Conformité Européene, or CE mark, a mark which
demonstrates compliance with relevant European Union requirements. We
received CE marking on the OLpur MD190 (which also covers other dialyzers in our
MDHDF filter series), as well as certification of our overall quality system, on
July 31, 2003. In the fourth quarter of 2006 we received CE marking on the
DSU.
We
initiated marketing of our OLpur MD190 in our Target European Market in March
2004. We have established a sales presence in countries throughout
our Target European Market, mainly through distributors, and we have developed
marketing material in the relevant local languages. We also attend trade shows
where we promote our product to several thousand people from the industry. Our
OLpur MD220 is a new product that we began selling in our Target European Market
in 2006. The OLpur MD220 employs the same technology as our OLpur MD190, but
contains a larger surface area of fiber. Because of its larger surface area, the
OLpur MD220 may provide greater clearance of certain toxins than the OLpur
MD190, and is suitable for patients of larger body mass.
We are
currently offering the OLpur MD190 and OLpur MD220 at a price comparable to the
existing “high performance” dialyzers sold in the relevant market. We are unable
at this time to determine what the market prices will be in the
future.
In the
first quarter of 2007, we received approval from the FDA for our Investigational
Device Exemption (“IDE”) application for the clinical
evaluation of our OLpūr H2H module and OLpūr MD 220 filter. We completed the
patient treatment phase of our clinical trial during the second quarter of 2008.
We have submitted our data to the FDA with our 510(k) application on these
products in November 2008. Following its review of the
application, the FDA has requested additional information from us.
We replied to the FDA inquiries on March 13, 2009. Per FDA
guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review the additional information provided by
us.
4
OLpur
HD190
OLpur
HD190 is our high-flux dialyzer cartridge, designed for use with either
hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration machines. The OLpur HD190 incorporates the
same materials as our OLpur MD190, but lacks our proprietary mid-dilution
architecture.
OLpur
H2H
OLpur
H2H is
our add-on module that converts the most common types of hemodialysis
machines — that is, those with volumetric ultrafiltration
control — into HDF-capable machines allowing them to use our OLpur
MDHDF filter. We have completed our OLpur H 2 H design
and laboratory bench testing, all of which were conducted by members of our
research and development staff. Our design verification of the OLpur H 2 H was
completed making the device ready for U.S. clinical trial. With the filing
of the 501(k) applications in November 2008, we hope to achieve U.S. regulatory
approval and market introduction of both products during the first half of
2009. Following its review of the application, the FDA has requested
additional information from us. We replied to the FDA inquiries on
March 13, 2009. Per FDA guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review the
additional information provided by us.
OLpur
NS2000
OLpur
NS2000 is our standalone HDF machine and associated filter technology, which is
in the development stage. The OLpur NS2000 will use a basic HDF platform which
will incorporate our H 2 H
technology including our proprietary substitution fluid systems.
We have
also designed and developed proprietary substitution fluid filter cartridges for
use with the OLpur NS2000, which have been subjected to pre-manufacturing
testing. We will need to obtain the relevant regulatory clearances prior to any
market introduction of our OLpur NS2000 in the United States.
Our
Water Filtration Product
In
January 2006, we introduced our Dual Stage Ultrafilter, or DSU, water filtration
system. The DSU incorporates our unique and proprietary dual stage filter
architecture. Our research and development work on the OLpur H 2 H and MD
filter technologies for ESRD therapy provided the foundations for a
proprietarymulti-stage water filter that we believe is cost effective, extremely
reliable, and long-lasting. We believe our DSU can offer a robust solution to
various contaminated water and infection control issues. The DSU is designed to
remove a broad range of bacteria, viral agents and toxic substances, including
salmonella, hepatitis, cholera, HIV, Ebola virus, ricin toxin, legionella, fungi
and e-coli. We believe our DSU offers four distinct advantages over competitors
in the water filtration marketplace:
1)
|
the
DSU is, to our knowledge, the only water filter that provides the user
with a simple sight verification that the filter is properly performing
its cleansing function due to our unique dual-stage
architecture;
|
2)
|
the
DSU filters finer biological contaminants than other filters of which we
are aware in the water filtration
marketplace;
|
3)
|
the
DSU filters relatively large volumes of water before requiring
replacement; and
|
4)
|
the
DSU continues to protect the user even if the flow is reduced by
contaminant volumes, because contaminants do not cross the filtration
medium.
|
With over
5,000 registered hospitals in the United States alone, we believe the hospital
shower and faucet market can offer us a valuable opportunity as a first step in
water filtration. We have established a goal in 2009 and 2010 to gain a foothold
at U.S. and European facilities that seek to become centers of excellence in
infection control through the use of our DSU products.
Due to
the ongoing concerns of maintaining water quality, on October 7, 2008, we filed
a 510(k) application for approval to market our DSU to dialysis clinics for
in-line purification of dialysate water. Following its review of the
application, the FDA has requested additional information from us. On
February 24, 2009, we provided a formal response to the FDA. Per FDA
guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review the additional information provided by
us.
In 2006,
the U.S. Defense Department budget included an appropriation for the U.S. Marine
Corps for development of a dual stage water ultra filter. In
connection with this Federal appropriation of approximately $1 million, we are
developing a personal potable water purification system for use by warfighters.
Work on this project commenced in January 2008 and we have billed $196,000
during the year ended December 31, 2008. In December 2007, the U.S. Department
of Defense Appropriations Act appropriated an additional $2 million to continue
the development of a dual stage ultra reliable personal water filtration system.
Although it is our intention to execute an agreement with the U.S. Department of
Defense to utilize this appropriation before it expires in September 2009, such
an agreement has not been executed as of December 31, 2008. We have defined the
project scope and objectives in connection with this appropriation and have
submitted a proposal to the Office of Naval Research in February 2009. We have
introduced the DSU to various government agencies as one of the solutions of
providing potable water in certain emergency response situations. We have begun
investigating a range of commercial, industrial and retail opportunities for our
DSU technology. We have completed an in-hospital study to demonstrate the
efficacy of the DSU, and are currently seeking to publish this study in a
relevant publication of substantial distribution.
5
Our
Strategy
We
believe that current mortality and morbidity statistics, in combination with
quality of life issues faced by the ESRD patient, has generated demand for
improved ESRD therapies. We also believe that our products and patented
technology offer the ability to remove toxins more effectively than current
dialysis therapy, in a cost framework competitive with currently available,
less-effective therapies. The following are some highlights of our current
strategy:
Showcase Product Efficacy in our
Target European
Market: As of March 2004, we initiated marketing in our Target
European Market for the OLpur MD190. There is an immediate opportunity for sales
of the OLpur MDHDF filters in our Target European Market because there is an
established HDF machine base using disposable dialyzers. We have engaged in a
series of clinical trials throughout our Target European Market to demonstrate
the superior efficacy of our product. We believe that by demonstrating the
effectiveness of our MDHDF filter series we will encourage more customers to
purchase our products. Our MDHDF filter series has been applied successfully in
over 100,000 treatments to date.
Convert Existing Hemodialysis
Machines to Hemodiafiltration: Upon completion of the
appropriate documentation for our OLpur H 2 H
technology, we plan to apply for CE marking for our OLpur H 2 H during
2010. We plan to complete our regulatory approval processes in the United States
for both our OLpur MDHDF filter series and our OLpur H 2 H in
2009. If successfully approved, our OLpur H 2 H product
will enable HDF therapy using the most common types of hemodialysis machines
together with our OLpur MDHDF filters. Our goal is to achieve market
penetration by offering the OLpur H2H for use
by healthcare providers inexpensively, thus permitting the providers to use the
OLpur H
2 H without a large initial capital outlay. We do not expect to generate
significant positive margins from sales of OLpur H 2 H. We
believe H
2 H will provide a basis for more MDHDF filter sales. We believe that, if
approved in 2009, our OLpur H 2 H and
MDHDF filters will be the first, and only, HDF therapy available in the United
States at that time.
Upgrade Dialysis Clinics to OLpur
NS2000: We believe the introduction of the OLpur NS2000 will
represent a further upgrade in performance for dialysis clinics by offering a
cost-effective stand-alone HDF solution that incorporates the benefits of our
OLpur H
2 H technology. We believe dialysis clinics will entertain OLpur NS2000
as an alternative to their current technology at such dialysis clinic’s machine
replacement point.
Develop a Foothold in the Healthcare
Arena by Offering our DSU as a Means to Control Environment-Acquired
Infections: We believe our
DSU offers an effective, and cost-effective, solution in conquering certain
infection control issues faced by hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living
facilities and other patient environments where chemical or heat alternatives
have typically failed to adequately address the problem. The DSU provides for
simple implementation without large capital expenses. We have established a goal
in 2009 and 2010 to gain a foothold at U.S. and European facilities that seek to
become centers of excellence in infection control through the use of our DSU
products.
Pursue our Military Product
Development in Conjunction with Value-Adding Partners: For our
military development, we are engaging with strategic allies who offer added
value with respect to both new product and marketing opportunities. One of our
goals in pursuing this project is to maintain and expand our new product
development pipeline and achieve new products suitable for both military and
domestic applications.
Explore Complementary Product
Opportunities: Where appropriate, we are also seeking to
leverage our technologies and expertise by applying them to new markets. Our
H 2 H
has potential applications in acute patient care and controlled provision of
ultrapure fluids in the field. Our DSU represents a new and complementary
product line to our existing ESRD therapy business; we believe the Nephros DSU
can offer a robust solution to a broad range of contaminated water and infection
control issues.
Manufacturing
and Suppliers
We do not
intend to manufacture any of our products or components. We have entered into an
agreement dated May 12, 2003, with a contract manufacturer (“CM”) to assemble
and produce our OLpur MD190, MD220 or other filter products at our option. The
agreement requires us to utilize this CM to manufacture the OLpur MD190s and
MD220s or other filter products that we directly market in Europe, or are
marketed by our distributor. In addition, our CM will be given first
consideration in good faith for the manufacture of OLpur MD190s, MD220s or other
filter products that we do not directly market. No less than semiannually, our
CM will provide a report to representatives of both parties to the agreement
detailing any technical know-how that they have developed that would permit them
to manufacture the filter products less expensively and both parties will
jointly determine the actions to be taken with respect to these findings. If the
fiber wastage with respect to the filter products manufactured in any given year
exceeds 5%, then the CM will reimburse us up to half of the cost of the quantity
of fiber represented by excess wastage. The CM will manufacture the OLpur MD190
or other filter products in accordance with the quality standards outlined in
the agreement. Upon recall of any OLpur MD190 or other filter product due to
manufactured products that fail to conform to the required specifications or
having failed to manufacture one or more products in accordance with any
applicable laws, the CM will be responsible for the cost of recall. The
agreement also requires that we maintain certain minimum product-liability
insurance coverage and that we indemnify our CM against certain liabilities
arising out of our products that they manufacture, providing they do not arise
out of the CM’s breach of the agreement, negligence or willful misconduct. The
term of the agreement is through May 12, 2009, with successive automatic
one-year renewal terms, until either party gives the other notice that it does
not wish to renew at least 90 days prior to the end of the term. The agreement
may be terminated prior to the end of the term by either party upon the
occurrence of certain insolvency-related events or breaches by the other party.
Although we have no separate agreement with respect to such activities, our CM
has also been manufacturing our H 2 H filters
and DSU in limited quantities.
6
We also
entered into an agreement in December 2003, and amended in June 2005, with a
fiber supplier (“FS”), a manufacturer of medical and technical membranes for
applications like dialysis, to continue to produce the fiber for the OLpur MDHDF
filter series. Pursuant to the agreement, FS is our exclusive provider of the
fiber for the OLpur MDHDF filter series in the European Union as well as certain
other territories through September 2009. Notwithstanding the exclusivity
provisions, we may purchase membranes from other providers if FS is unable to
timely satisfy our orders. If and when the volume-discount pricing provisions of
our agreement with FS become applicable, for each period we will record
inventory and cost of goods sold for our fiber requirements pursuant to our
agreement with FS based on the volume-discounted price level applicable to the
actual year-to-date cumulative orders at the end of such period. If, at the end
of any subsequent period in the same calendar year, actual year-to-date
cumulative orders entitle us to a greater volume-discount for such calendar
year, then we will adjust inventory and cumulative cost of goods sold amounts
quarterly throughout the calendar year to reflect the greater volume-discount.
In August 2006, FS awarded us temporary pricing concessions until June 2007. We
are currently negotiating with FS regarding pricing for purchases incurred from
June 2007 to present, as well as future product pricing.
Sales
and Marketing
We have
established our own sales and marketing organization and distributor network to
sell ESRD products in our Target European Market and, subject to regulatory
approval, intend to establish a similar arrangement in the United States. Our
sales and marketing staff has experience in both these geographic
areas.
We have
established a customer service and financial processing facility in Dublin,
Ireland, with multi-lingual customer support available to our customer base in
our Target European Market. We have also initiated and completed various
clinical studies designed to continue our evaluation of effectiveness of the
OLpur MDHDF filters when used on ESRD patients in our Target European Market.
These studies are intended to provide us, and have provided us, with valuable
information regarding the efficacy of our product and an opportunity to
introduce OLpur MDHDF filters to medical institutions in our Target European
Market. We have engaged a medical advisor to help us in structuring our clinical
study protocols and to support physicians’ technical inquiries regarding our
products.
We are
marketing our ESRD products primarily to healthcare providers such as hospitals,
dialysis clinics, managed care organizations, and nephrology physician groups.
We ship our products to these customers both directly from our manufacturer,
where this is cost-effective, our distributors, and a public warehouse facility
in the U.S.
Our New
Jersey office oversees sales and marketing activity of our DSU products. We are
in discussions with several medical products and filtration products suppliers
to act as non-exclusive distributors of our DSU products to medical
institutions. For each prospective market for our DSU products, we are pursuing
alliance opportunities for joint product development and distribution. Our DSU
manufacturer in Europe shares certain intellectual property rights with us for
one of our DSU designs.
Research
and Development
Our
research and development efforts continue on several fronts directly related to
our current product lines. We have applied, and will continue to apply, if and
when available, for U.S. government grants in relation to this research, and
will apply for further grants as appropriate. We are also working on additional
machine devices, next-generation user interface enhancements and other product
enhancements.
In the
area of water filtration, we have finalized our initial water filtration product
line for the healthcare sector and are looking to develop a point-of-use home
water filter product for emergency use such as when municipal water boil alerts
are issued. As part of this development, we aim to ensure our water filtration
products meet customer needs for various applications. In November 2007, we
successfully received a contract to perform research for the Office of Naval
Research estimated at $866,000 and have been working with the United States
Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory to develop a portable personal water
purification system. We have invoiced the Office of Naval Research a total of
$196,000 in 2008 and will continue to do so through the end of the contract
period in 2009 for reimbursement of our costs in accordance with the contract.
We expect costs to include our internal labor hours worked, material, travel and
testing costs incurred, subcontractor costs and indirect costs, subject to
contract limitations. In December 2007, the 2008 U.S. Department of Defense
Appropriations Act allocated an additional $2 million to continue the
development of our dual stage ultra reliable personal water
filtration. We submitted a formal proposal to the Office of Naval
Research in February 2009 to secure a contract to use the funds allocated in the
2008 U.S. Department of Defense Appropriations Act.
Our research and development
expenditures were primarily related to development expenses associated with the
H
2 H machine and salary
expense for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 and were $2,073,000 and $1,920,000,
respectively.
7
Competition
The
dialyzer and renal replacement therapy market is subject to intense competition.
Accordingly, our future success will depend on our ability to meet the clinical
needs of physicians and nephrologists, improve patient outcomes and remain
cost-effective for payors.
We
compete with other suppliers of ESRD therapies, supplies and services. These
suppliers include Fresenius Medical Care AG, and Gambro AB, currently two of the
primary machine manufacturers in hemodialysis. At present, Fresenius Medical
Care AG and Gambro AB also manufacture HDF machines.
The
markets in which we sell our dialysis products are highly competitive. Our
competitors in the sale of hemodialysis products include Gambro AB, Baxter
International Inc., Asahi Kasei Medical Co. Ltd., Bellco S.p.A., a subsidiary of
the Sorin group, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Nipro Corporation Ltd., Nikkiso Co.,
Ltd., Terumo Corporation and Toray Medical Co., Ltd.
Other
competitive considerations include pharmacological and technological advances in
preventing the progression of ESRD in high-risk patients such as those with
diabetes and hypertension, technological developments by others in the area of
dialysis, the development of new medications designed to reduce the incidence of
kidney transplant rejection and progress in using kidneys harvested from
genetically-engineered animals as a source of transplants.
We are
not aware of any other companies using technology similar to ours in the
treatment of ESRD. Our competition would increase, however, if companies that
currently sell ESRD products, or new companies that enter the market, develop
technology that is more efficient than ours. We believe that in order to become
competitive in this market, we will need to develop and maintain competitive
products and take and hold sufficient market share from our competitors.
Therefore, we expect our methods of competing in the ESRD marketplace to
include:
·
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continuing
our efforts to develop, have manufactured and sell products which, when
compared to existing products, perform more efficiently and are available
at prices that are acceptable to the
market;
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displaying
our products and providing associated literature at major industry trade
shows in the United States, our Target European Market and
Asia;
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initiating
discussions with dialysis clinic medical directors, as well as
representatives of dialysis clinical chains, to develop interest in our
products;
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offering
the OLpur H2H at
a price that does not provide us with significant positive margins in
order to encourage adoption of this product and associated demand for our
dialyzers; and
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pursuing
alliance opportunities in certain territories for distribution of our
products and possible alternative manufacturing
facilities.
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With
respect to the water filtration market, we expect to compete with companies that
are well entrenched in the water filtration domain. These companies include Pall
Corporation, which manufactures end-point water filtration systems, as well as
CUNO (a 3M Company) and US Filter (a Siemens business). Our methods of
competition in the water filtration domain include:
·
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developing
and marketing products that are designed to meet critical and specific
customer needs more effectively than competitive
devices;
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offering
unique attributes that illustrate our product reliability,
“user-friendliness,” and performance
capabilities;
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selling
products to specific customer groups where our unique product attributes
are mission-critical; and
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pursuing
alliance opportunities for joint product development and
distribution.
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Intellectual
Property
Patents
We
protect our technology and products through patents and patent applications. In
addition to the United States, we are also applying for patents in other
jurisdictions, such as the European Patent Office, Canada and Japan, to the
extent we deem appropriate. We have built a portfolio of patents and
applications covering our products, including their hardware design and methods
of hemodiafiltration.
We
believe that our patent strategy will provide a competitive advantage in our
target markets, but our patents may not be broad enough to cover our
competitors’ products and may be subject to invalidation claims. Our U.S.
patents for the “Method and Apparatus for Efficient Hemodiafiltration” and for
the “Dual-Stage Filtration Cartridge,” have claims that cover the OLpur MDHDF
filter series and the method of hemodiafiltration employed in the operation of
the products. Although there are pending applications with claims to the present
embodiments of the OLpur H 2 H and the
OLpur NS2000 products, these products are still in the development stage and we
cannot determine if the applications (or the patents that we may issue on them)
will also cover the ultimate commercial embodiment of these products. In
addition, technological developments in ESRD therapy could reduce the value of
our intellectual property. Any such reduction could be rapid and unanticipated.
We have applied for patents on our DSU water filtration products to cover
various applications in residential, commercial, and remote
environments.
8
As of
January 2009, we have fifteen issued U.S. patents; one issued Eurasian patent;
three Mexican patents, four South Korean patents, three Russian patents, four
Chinese patents, five French patents, five German patents, four Israeli patents,
four Italian patents, one Spanish patent, five United Kingdom patents, six
Japanese patents, two Hong Kong patents, and five Canadian patents. Our issued
U.S. patents expire between 2018 and 2022. In addition, we have four pending
U.S. patent applications, ten pending patent applications in Canada, eight
pending patent applications in the European Patent Office, five pending patent
applications in Brazil, three pending patent applications in China, nine pending
patent applications in Japan, three pending patent applications in Mexico, one
pending patent application in South Korea, one pending patent application in
Hong Kong, two pending patent applications in India, two pending patent
applications in Israel and one pending patent application in Australia.. Our
pending patent applications relate to a range of dialysis technologies,
including cartridge configurations, cartridge assembly, substitution fluid
systems, and methods to enhance toxin removal. We also have pending patent
applications on our DSU water filtration system.
We have
filed U.S. and International patent applications for a redundant ultra
filtration device that was jointly invented by onr of our employees and an
employee of our CM. We and are CM are negotiating commercial arrangements
pertaining to the invention and the patent applications.
Trademarks
As of
December 31, 2008, we secured registrations of the trademarks CENTRAPUR, H2H, OLpur
and the Arrows Logo in the European Union. Applications for these trademarks are
pending registration in the United States. We also have applications for
registration of a number of other marks pending in the United States Patent and
Trademark Office.
Governmental
Regulation
The
research and development, manufacturing, promotion, marketing and distribution
of our ESRD therapy products in the United States, our Target European Market
and other regions of the world are subject to regulation by numerous
governmental authorities, including the FDA, the European Union and analogous
agencies.
United
States
The FDA
regulates the manufacture and distribution of medical devices in the United
States pursuant to the FDC Act. All of our ESRD therapy products are regulated
in the United States as medical devices by the FDA under the FDC Act. Under the
FDC Act, medical devices are classified in one of three classes, namely Class I,
II or III, on the basis of the controls deemed necessary by the FDA to
reasonably ensure their safety and effectiveness.
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Class
I devices are medical devices for which general controls are deemed
sufficient to ensure their safety and effectiveness. General controls
include provisions related to (1) labeling, (2) producer registration, (3)
defect notification, (4) records and reports and (5) quality service
requirements, or QSR.
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Class
II devices are medical devices for which the general controls for the
Class I devices are deemed not sufficient to ensure their safety and
effectiveness and require special controls in addition to the general
controls. Special controls include provisions related to (1) performance
and design standards, (2) post-market surveillance, (3) patient registries
and (4) the use of FDA guidelines.
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Class
III devices are the most regulated medical devices and are generally
limited to devices that support or sustain human life or are of
substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health or present
a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury.
Pre-market approval by the FDA is the required process of scientific
review to ensure the safety and effectiveness of Class III
devices.
|
Before a
new medical device can be introduced to the market, FDA clearance of a
pre-market notification under Section 510(k) of the FDC Act or FDA clearance of
a pre-market approval, or PMA, application under Section 515 of the FDC Act must
be obtained. A Section 510(k) clearance will be granted if the submitted
information establishes that the proposed device is “substantially equivalent”
to a legally marketed Class I or Class II medical device or to a Class III
medical device for which the FDA has not called for pre-market approval under
Section 515. The Section 510(k) pre-market clearance process is generally faster
and simpler than the Section 515 pre-market approval process. We understand that
it generally takes four to 12 months from the date a Section 510(k) notification
is accepted for filing to obtain Section 510(k) pre-market clearance and that it
could take several years from the date a Section 515 application is accepted for
filing to obtain Section 515 pre-market approval, although it may take longer in
both cases.
We expect
that all of our ESRD therapy products and our DSU will be categorized as Class
II devices and that these products will not require clearance of pre-market
approval applications under Section 515 of the FDC Act, but will be eligible for
marketing clearance through the pre-market notification process under Section
510(k). We have determined that we are eligible to utilize the Section 510(k)
pre-market notification process based upon our ESRD therapy and DSU products’
substantial equivalence to previously legally marketed devices in the United
States. However, we cannot assure you:
9
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that
we will not need to reevaluate the applicability of the Section 510(k)
pre-market notification process to our ESRD therapy and DSU products in
the future;
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that
the FDA will agree with our determination that we are eligible to use the
Section 510(k) pre-market notification process;
or
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that
the FDA will not in the future require us to submit a Section 515
pre-market approval application, which would be a more costly, lengthy and
uncertain approval process.
|
The FDA
has recently been requiring a more rigorous demonstration of substantial
equivalence than in the past and may request clinical data to support pre-market
clearance. As a result, the FDA could refuse to accept for filing a Section
510(k) notification made by us or request the submission of additional
information. The FDA may determine that any one of our proposed ESRD therapy
products is not substantially equivalent to a legally marketed device or that
additional information is needed before a substantial equivalence determination
can be made. A “not substantially equivalent” determination, or request for
additional data, could prevent or delay the market introduction of our products
that fall into this category, which in turn could have a material adverse effect
on our potential sales and revenues. Moreover, even if the FDA does clear one or
all of our products under the Section 510(k) process, it may clear a product for
some procedures but not others or for certain classes of patients and not
others.
For any
devices cleared through the Section 510(k) process, modifications or
enhancements that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the
device or that constitute a major change to the intended use of the device will
require a new Section 510(k) pre-market notification submission. Accordingly, if
we do obtain Section 510(k) pre-market clearance for any of our ESRD therapy and
DSU products, we will need to submit another Section 510(k) pre-market
notification if we significantly affect that product’s safety or effectiveness
through subsequent modifications or enhancements.
If human
clinical trials of a device are required in connection with a Section 510(k)
notification and the device presents a “significant risk,” the sponsor of the
trial (usually the manufacturer or distributor of the device) will need to file
an IDE application prior to commencing human clinical trials. The IDE
application must be supported by data, typically including the results of animal
testing and/or laboratory bench testing. If the IDE application is approved,
human clinical trials may begin at a specific number of investigational sites
with a specific number of patients, as specified in the IDE. Sponsors of
clinical trials are permitted to sell those devices distributed in the course of
the study provided such compensation does not exceed recovery of the costs of
manufacture, research, development and handling. An IDE supplement must be
submitted to the FDA before a sponsor or investigator may make a change to the
investigational plan that may affect its scientific soundness or the rights,
safety or welfare of subjects. We submitted our original IDE application to the
FDA for our OLpur H 2 H
hemodiafiltration module and OLpur MD220 filter in May 2006. The FDA answered
our application with additional questions in June 2006, and we submitted
responses to the FDA questions in December 2006. In January 2007, we received
conditional approval for our IDE application from the FDA to begin human
clinical trials of our OLpur H 2 H
hemodiafiltration module and OLpur MD220 hemodiafilter. In March 2007, we
received full approval on our IDE application from the FDA to begin human
clinical trials of our OLpur H 2 H
hemodiafiltration module and OLpur MD220 hemodiafilter. We completed the patient
treatment phase of our clinical trials during the second quarter of 2008 and
filed our 510(k) applications with respect to the OLpur MDHDF filter series and
the OLpur H
2 H module in November 2008. No IDE was required for our DSU
product. We hope to achieve U.S. regulatory approval of all products
during the first half of 2009. Following its review of our applications,
the FDA has requested additional information from us. We replied to
the FDA inquiries on March 13, 2009. Per FDA guidelines, the FDA has 90
days to review the additional information provided by us.
The
Section 510(k) pre-market clearance process can be lengthy and uncertain. It
will require substantial commitments of our financial resources and management’s
time and effort. Significant delays in this process could occur as a result of
factors including:
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our
inability to timely raise sufficient funds;
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the
FDA’s failure to schedule advisory review panels;
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changes
in established review guidelines;
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changes
in regulations or administrative interpretations; or
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determinations
by the FDA that clinical data collected is insufficient to support the
safety and effectiveness of one or more of our products for their intended
uses or that the data warrants the continuation of clinical
studies.
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Delays in
obtaining, or failure to obtain, requisite regulatory approvals or clearances in
the United States for any of our products would prevent us from selling those
products in the United States and would impair our ability to generate funds
from sales of those products in the United States, which in turn could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of
operations.
The FDC
Act requires that medical devices be manufactured in accordance with the FDA’s
current QSR regulations which require, among other things, that:
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the
design and manufacturing processes be regulated and controlled by the use
of written procedures;
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10
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the
ability to produce medical devices which meet the manufacturer’s
specifications be validated by extensive and detailed testing of every
aspect of the process;
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any
deficiencies in the manufacturing process or in the products produced be
investigated;
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detailed
records be kept and a corrective and preventative action plan be in place;
and
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manufacturing
facilities be subject to FDA inspection on a periodic basis to monitor
compliance with QSR regulations.
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If
violations of the applicable QSR regulations are noted during FDA inspections of
our manufacturing facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our contract
manufacturers, there may be a material adverse effect on our ability to produce
and sell our products.
Before
the FDA approves a Section 510(k) pre-market notification, the FDA is likely to
inspect the relevant manufacturing facilities and processes to ensure their
continued compliance with QSR. Although some of the manufacturing facilities and
processes that we expect to use to manufacture our ESRD and DSU filters have
been inspected and certified by a worldwide testing and certification agency
(also referred to as a notified body) that performs conformity assessments to
European Union requirements for medical devices, they have not all been
inspected by the FDA. Similarly, although some of the facilities and processes
that we expect to use to manufacture our OLpur H 2 H have
been inspected by the FDA, they have not all been inspected by any notified
body. A “notified body” is a group accredited and monitored by governmental
agencies that inspects manufacturing facilities and quality control systems at
regular intervals and is authorized to carry out unannounced inspections. Even
after the FDA has cleared a Section 510(k) submission, it will periodically
inspect the manufacturing facilities and processes for compliance with QSR. In
addition, in the event that additional manufacturing sites are added or
manufacturing processes are changed, such new facilities and processes are also
subject to FDA inspection for compliance with QSR. The manufacturing facilities
and processes that will be used to manufacture our products have not yet been
inspected by the FDA for compliance with QSR. We cannot assure you that the
facilities and processes used by us will be found to comply with QSR and there
is a risk that clearance or approval will, therefore, be delayed by the FDA
until such compliance is achieved.
In
addition to the requirements described above, the FDC Act requires
that:
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all
medical device manufacturers and distributors register with the FDA
annually and provide the FDA with a list of those medical devices which
they distribute commercially;
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information
be provided to the FDA on death or serious injuries alleged to have been
associated with the use of the products, as well as product malfunctions
that would likely cause or contribute to death or serious injury if the
malfunction were to recur; and
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certain
medical devices not cleared with the FDA for marketing in the United
States meet specific requirements before they are
exported.
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European
Union
The
European Union began to harmonize national regulations comprehensively for the
control of medical devices in member nations in 1993, when it adopted its
Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC. The European Union directive applies to
both the manufacturer’s quality assurance system and the product’s technical
design and discusses the various ways to obtain approval of a device (dependent
on device classification), how to properly CE Mark a device and how to place a
device on the market. We have subjected our entire business in our Target
European Market to the most comprehensive procedural approach in order to
demonstrate the quality standards and performance of our operations, which we
believe is also the fastest way to launch a new product in the European
Community.
The
regulatory approach necessary to demonstrate to the European Union that the
organization has the ability to provide medical devices and related services
that consistently meet customer requirements and regulatory requirements
applicable to medical devices requires the certification of a full quality
management system by a notified body. We engaged TÜV Rheinland of North America,
Inc. (“TÜV Rheinland”) as the notified body to assist us in obtaining
certification to the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO,
13485/2003 standard, which demonstrates the presence of a quality management
system that can be used by an organization for design and development,
production, installation and servicing of medical devices and the design,
development and provision of related services.
European
Union requirements for products are set forth in harmonized European Union
standards and include conformity to safety requirements, physical and biological
properties, construction and environmental properties, and information supplied
by the manufacturer. A company demonstrates conformity to these requirements,
with respect to a product, by pre-clinical tests, biocompatibility tests,
qualification of products and packaging, risk analysis and well-conducted
clinical investigations approved by ethics committees.
Once a
manufacturer’s full quality management system is determined to be in compliance
with ISO 13485/2003 and other statutory requirements, and the manufacturer’s
products conform with harmonized European standards, the notified body will
recommend and document such conformity. The manufacturer will receive a CE
marking and ISO certifications, and then may place a CE mark on the relevant
products. The CE mark, which stands for Conformité Européenne, demonstrates
compliance with the relevant European Union requirements. Products subject to
these provisions that do not bear the CE mark cannot be imported to, or sold or
distributed within, the European Union.
11
In July
2003, we received a certification from TÜV Rheinland that our quality management
system conforms with the requirements of the European Community. At the same
time, TÜV Rheinland approved our use of the CE marking with respect to the
design and production of high permeability hemodialyzer products for ESRD
therapy. As of the date of filing of this Annual Report, the manufacturing
facilities and processes that we are using to manufacture our OLpur MDHDF filter
series have been inspected and certified by a notified body.
Regulatory
Authorities in Regions Outside of the United States and the European
Union
We also
plan to sell our ESRD therapy products in foreign markets outside the United
States which are not part of the European Union. Requirements pertaining to
medical devices vary widely from country to country, ranging from no health
regulations to detailed submissions such as those required by the FDA. We
believe the extent and complexity of regulations for medical devices such as
those produced by us are increasing worldwide. We anticipate that this trend
will continue and that the cost and time required to obtain approval to market
in any given country will increase, with no assurance that such approval will be
obtained. Our ability to export into other countries may require compliance with
ISO 13485, which is analogous to compliance with the FDA’s QSR requirements.
Other than the CE marking of our OLpur MDHDF filter products, we have not
obtained any regulatory approvals to sell any of our products and there is no
assurance that any such clearance or certification will be issued.
Reimbursement
In both
domestic markets and markets outside of the United States, sales of our ESRD
therapy products will depend in part, on the availability of reimbursement from
third-party payors. In the United States, ESRD providers are reimbursed through
Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. In countries other than the United
States, ESRD providers are also reimbursed through governmental and private
insurers. In countries other than the United States, the pricing and
profitability of our products generally will be subject to government controls.
Despite the continually expanding influence of the European Union, national
healthcare systems in its member nations, reimbursement decision-making
included, are neither regulated nor integrated at the European Union level. Each
country has its own system, often closely protected by its corresponding
national government.
Product
Liability and Insurance
The
production, marketing and sale of kidney dialysis products have an inherent risk
of liability in the event of product failure or claim of harm caused by product
operation. We have acquired product liability insurance for our products in the
amount of $5 million. A successful claim in excess of our insurance coverage
could materially deplete our assets. Moreover, any claim against us could
generate negative publicity, which could decrease the demand for our products,
our ability to generate revenues and our profitability.
Some of
our existing and potential agreements with manufacturers of our products and
components of our products do or may require us (1) to obtain product liability
insurance or (2) to indemnify manufacturers against liabilities resulting from
the sale of our products. If we are not able to maintain adequate product
liability insurance, we will be in breach of these agreements, which could
materially adversely affect our ability to produce our products. Even if we are
able to obtain and maintain product liability insurance, if a successful claim
in excess of our insurance coverage is made, then we may have to indemnify some
or all of our manufacturers for their losses, which could materially deplete our
assets.
Employees
As of
December 31, 2008, we employed a total of 11 employees, 9 of whom were full time
and 2 who are employed on a part-time basis. We also engaged 2 consultants on an
ongoing basis. Of the 13 total employees and consultants, 5 were employed in a
sales/marketing/customer support capacity, 4 in general and administrative and 4
in research and development.
Recent
Developments
In March
2007, we received full approval on our IDE application from the FDA to begin
human clinical trials of our OLpur H 2 H
hemodiafiltration module and OLpur MD220 hemodiafilter. We obtained approval
from the IRBs and completed the clinical trial near the end of the second
quarter in 2008. The clinical data was complied, analyzed, summarized and
submitted with our FDA 510(k) in November 2008. Following its review
of the application, the FDA has requested additional information from us.
We replied to the FDA inquiries on March 13, 2009 Per FDA guidelines,
the FDA has 90 days to review the additional information provided by
us.
Item
2. Properties
Our U.S.
facilities are located at 41 Grand Avenue, River Edge, New Jersey, 07661 and
consist of approximately 4,688 square feet of space. The term of the
rental agreement is for three years commencing December 2008 with a monthly cost
of approximately $7,423. We use our facilities to house our corporate
headquarters and research facilities.
12
Our
facilities in our Target European Market are currently located at 6 Eaton House,
Main Street, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin and consist of approximately 650 square feet
of space. The lease agreement was entered into on November 30,
2008. The lease term is 6 months beginning March 1, 2009 and is
renewable based on business views. Our monthly cost will be 735 Euro
(approximately $1,000). We use our facilities to house our
accounting, operations and customer service departments. We believe this space
will be adequate to meet our needs. We do not own any real property for use in
our operations or otherwise.
Item
3. Legal Proceedings
A former
employee in France filed a claim in October 2008 stating that he is due 30,000
Euro or approximately $42,000 in back wages. The individual left the
Company four years ago and signed a Separation Agreement which stated the
Company had no further liability to the individual. Our attorney has
advised us that the Separation Agreement is valid and should preclude us from
having any liability. The matter will be heard before a French court
sometime in 2009. No date has been set at this time.
There are
no other currently pending legal proceedings and, as far as we are aware, no
governmental authority is contemplating any proceeding to which we are a party
or to which any of our properties is subject. Please refer to the “Risks Related
to Our Company” section of this Report for a discussion of certain threatened
litigation and please refer to “Note 12 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements” for a discussion of certain settlement arrangements.
Item
4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
There
were no matters submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth
quarter of the fiscal year covered by this Report.
PART
II
Item
5. Market for Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
The
Company was informed on January 22, 2009 that the AMEX had suspended trading of
the Company’s common stock effective immediately. Until such date,
our common stock had been trading on the AMEX under the symbol NEP. The
following table sets forth the high and low sales prices for our common stock as
reported on the AMEX for each quarter within the years ended December 31, 2008
and 2007.
Quarter
Ended
|
High
|
Low
|
||||||
March
31, 2007
|
$
|
2.59
|
$
|
1.40
|
||||
June
30, 2007
|
$
|
1.84
|
$
|
1.05
|
||||
September
30, 2007
|
$
|
1.45
|
$
|
0.45
|
||||
December
31, 2007
|
$
|
1.88
|
$
|
0.45
|
||||
March
31, 2008
|
$
|
1.60
|
$
|
.33
|
||||
June
30, 2008
|
$
|
.97
|
$
|
.50
|
||||
September
30, 2008
|
$
|
.65
|
$
|
.24
|
||||
December
31, 2008
|
$
|
.48
|
$
|
.05
|
Effective
February 4, 2009, our common stock is now quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board under
the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
As of
March 20, 2009, there were approximately 37 holders of record and approximately
850 beneficial holders of our common stock.
We have
neither paid nor declared dividends on our common stock since our inception and
do not plan to pay dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We
expect that any earnings which we may realize will be retained to finance our
growth. There can be no assurance that we will ever pay dividends on our common
stock. Our dividend policy with respect to the common stock is within the
discretion of the Board of Directors and its policy with respect to dividends in
the future will depend on numerous factors, including our earnings, financial
requirements and general business conditions.
The
information set forth in Part III, Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K
relating to our equity compensation plans is hereby incorporated by reference to
this Item 5.
13
Item
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation
Business
Overview
Since our
inception in April 1997, we have been engaged primarily in the development of
hemodiafiltration, or HDF, products and technologies for treating patients with
End Stage Renal Disease, or ESRD. Our products include the OLpur MD190 and
MD220, which are dialyzers (our “OLpur MDHDF Filter Series”), OLpur H 2 H, an
add-on module designed to enable HDF therapy using the most common types of
hemodialysis machines. We began selling our OLpur MD190 dialyzer in some parts
of our Target European Market (consisting of France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and
the United Kingdom (U.K.), as well as Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) in March 2004, and have
developed units suitable for clinical evaluation for our OLpur H 2 H
product. We are developing our OLpur NS2000 product by modifying an existing HDF
platform and incorporating our proprietary H 2 H
technology.
To date,
we have devoted most of our efforts to research, clinical development, seeking
regulatory approval for our ESRD products, establishing manufacturing and
marketing relationships and establishing our own marketing and sales support
staff for the development, production and sale of our ESRD therapy products in
our Target European Market and the United States upon their approval by
appropriate regulatory authorities. We submitted to the FDA for our 510(k)
application in November 2008 for approval of our OLpūr H2H module and OLpūr MD
220 filter and expect to obtain approval in 2009. Following its review of
the application, the FDA has requested additional information from us.
We replied to the FDA inquiries on March 13, 2009. Per FDA
guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review the additional information provided by
us.
We have
also applied our filtration technologies to water filtration and in 2006 we
introduced our new Dual Stage Ultrafilter (the “DSU”) water filtration system.
Our DSU represents a new and complementary product line to our existing ESRD
therapy business. The DSU incorporates our unique and proprietary dual stage
filter architecture and is, to our knowledge, the only water filter that allows
the user to sight-verify that the filter is properly performing its cleansing
function. The DSU is designed to remove a broad range of bacteria, viral agents
and toxic substances, including salmonella, hepatitis, cholera, HIV, Ebola
virus, ricin toxin, legionella, fungi and e-coli.
In the
fourth quarter of 2008, we also filed a 510(k) with US FDA for approval to use
DSU product with reverse osmosis (RO) water systems found within dialysis
centers and hospitals. Due the nature of this application our DSU
will be categorized as a medical device and therefore requires a
510(k). While waiting for both ESRD and DSU 510(k)s we redirected
much of our resources to our sales and marketing efforts of our DSU product here
in the US in its non-medical device applications. Our goal is to expand
distribution to the hospital market and identify other short term
applications. Following its review of the application, the FDA has
requested additional information from us. On February 24, 2009, we
provided a formal response to the FDA. Per FDA guidelines, the FDA has 90
days to review the additional information provided by us.
In 2006,
the U.S. Defense Department budget included an appropriation for the U.S. Marine
Corps for development of a dual stage water ultra filter. In
connection with this Federal appropriation of approximately $1 million, we are
developing a personal potable water purification system for use by warfighters.
Work on this project commenced in January 2008 and we have billed $196,000
during the year ended December 31, 2008. In December 2007, the U.S. Department
of Defense Appropriations Act appropriated an additional $2 million to continue
the development of a dual stage ultra reliable personal water filtration system.
Although it is our intention to execute an agreement with the U.S. Department of
Defense to utilize this appropriation before it expires in September 2009, such
an agreement has not been executed as of December 31, 2008. We have
defined the project scope and objectives in connection with this
appropriation and have submitted a proposal to the Office of Naval Research in
February 2009.
Since our
inception, we have incurred annual net losses. As of December 31, 2008, we had
an accumulated deficit of $87,949,000, and we expect to incur additional losses
in the foreseeable future. We recognized net losses of $6,337,000 and
$26,356,000 for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
Since our
inception, we have financed our operations primarily through sales of our equity
and debt securities. From inception through December 31, 2008, we received net
offering proceeds from private sales of equity and debt securities and from the
initial public offering of our common stock (after deducting underwriters’
discounts, commissions and expenses, and our offering expenses) of approximately
$52.0 million in the aggregate. An additional source of finances was our license
agreement with Asahi, pursuant to which we received an up front license fee of
$1.75 million in March 2005.
The
following trends, events and uncertainties may have a material impact on our
potential sales, revenue and income from operations:
1)
|
the
completion and success of additional clinical
trials;
|
2)
|
receiving
regulatory approval for each of our ESRD therapy products and our DSU
product in our target territories;
|
3)
|
the
market acceptance of HDF therapy in the United States and of our
technologies and products in each of our target
markets;
|
4)
|
our
ability to effectively and efficiently manufacture, market and distribute
our products;
|
5)
|
our
ability to sell our products at competitive prices which exceed our per
unit costs;
|
6)
|
the
consolidation of dialysis clinics into larger clinical groups;
and
|
7)
|
the
current U.S. healthcare plan is to bundle reimbursement for dialysis
treatment which may force dialysis clinics to change therapies due to
financial reasons.
|
14
To the
extent we are unable to succeed in accomplishing (1) through (7), our sales
could be lower than expected and dramatically impair our ability to generate
income from operations. With respect to (6), the impact could either be
positive, in the case where dialysis clinics consolidate into independent
chains, or negative, in the case where competitors acquire these dialysis
clinics and use their own products, as competitors have historically tended to
use their own products in clinics they have acquired.
NYSE
Alternext US LLC (formerly, the American Stock Exchange or “AMEX”)
Issues
On
September 27, 2007, we received a warning letter from the AMEX stating that the
staff of the AMEX Listing Qualifications Department had determined that we were
not in compliance with Section 121B(2)(c) of the AMEX Company Guide requiring
that at least 50% of the directors of our Company’s board of directors are
independent directors. This non-compliance was due to the fact that William J.
Fox, Judy Slotkin, W. Townsend Ziebold and Howard Davis resigned from our board
of directors on September 19, 2007, concurrently with the appointment of Paul
Mieyal and Arthur Amron to the board of directors, in accordance with our
September 2007 financing. Consequently, our board of directors consisted of five
directors, two of whom were independent. The AMEX had given us until December
26, 2007 to regain compliance with the independence requirements. On November
16, 2007, James S. Scibetta was appointed to serve as an independent director on
our board of directors. On December 5, 2007, we received a letter from the AMEX
acknowledging that we had resolved the continued listing deficiency identified
in their September 27, 2007 letter.
On
September 12, 2008, we received a letter from the AMEX notifying us of our
noncompliance with certain continued listing standards. The following
are the listing standards that we were in noncompliance of:
·
|
Section
1003(a)(iii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its five most recent fiscal
years;
|
·
|
Section
1003(a)(ii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $4,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its three of its four most recent fiscal years;
and
|
·
|
Section
1003(f)(v), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, common stock that sells for a substantial
period of time at a low price per
share.
|
In
response to that letter, we submitted a plan of compliance to the AMEX on
October 13, 2008 advising the AMEX of the actions we have taken, or will take,
that would bring us into compliance with the continued listing standards by
April 30, 2009.
Subsequent
to December 31, 2008, on January 8, 2009, we received a letter from the AMEX
notifying us that it was rejecting our plan. The AMEX further
notified us that the AMEX intends to strike the common stock from the AMEX by
filing a delisting application with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to Rule 1009(d) of the AMEX Company Guide. Given the turmoil
in the capital markets, we have decided not to seek an appeal of the AMEX’s
intention to delist our common stock.
On
January 22, 2009, we were informed by the AMEX that the AMEX had suspended
trading in our common stock effective immediately. Immediately
following the notification, our common stock was no longer traded on the
AMEX.
Effective
February 4, 2009, our common stock is now quoted on the Over the Counter (“OTC”)
Bulletin Board under the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS 157”). This
Standard defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value,
and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. It applies to other
accounting pronouncements where the FASB requires or permits fair value
measurements but does not require any new fair value measurements. In February
2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (FSP) No. 157-2, “Effective Date of FASB Statement
No.157” (“FSP 157-2”), which delayed the effective date of SFAS 157 for
certain non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities to fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2008, and interim periods within those fiscal
years. We adopted SFAS 157 for financial assets and liabilities on January 1,
2008. The disclosures required under SFAS 157 are set forth in Note 2 to the
consolidated financial statements. We are currently in the process of evaluating
the effect, if any, that the adoption of FSP 157-2 will have on our consolidated
financial statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities-Including an amendment of FASB Statement No.
155” (“SFAS 159”). This statement permits entities to choose to measure
selected assets and liabilities at fair value. We adopted SFAS 159 on
January 1, 2008 resulting in no material impact to our consolidated financial
statements.
On
October 10, 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS No. 157-3, “Fair Value Measurements” (FSP
FAS 157-3), which clarifies the application of SFAS No. 157 in an inactive
market and provides an example to demonstrate how the fair value of a financial
asset is determined when the market for that financial asset is inactive. FSP
FAS 157-3 was effective upon issuance, including prior periods for which
financial statements had not been issued. The adoption of this standard as of
September 30, 2008 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial
statements.
15
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”).
SFAS 141R establishes principles and requirements for how the acquirer in a
business combination recognizes and measures in its financial statements the
fair value of identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and any
noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date. SFAS 141R
determines what information to disclose to enable users of the financial
statements to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business
combination. SFAS 141R applies
prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or
after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. Early application is not permitted. The effect of
SFAS 141R on our consolidated financial statements will be dependent on the
nature and terms of any business combinations that occur after its effective
date.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements” (“SFAS 160”), an amendment of
Accounting Research Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 51, “Consolidated Financial
Statements” (“ARB 51”). SFAS 160 establishes accounting and reporting
standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the
deconsolidation of a subsidiary. Minority interests will be recharacterized as
noncontrolling interests and will be reported as a component of equity separate
from the parent’s equity, and purchases or sales of equity interests that do not
result in a change in control will be accounted for as equity transactions. In
addition, net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest will be
included in consolidated net income on the face of the income statement and upon
a loss of control, the interest sold, as well as any interest retained, will be
recorded at fair value with any gain or loss recognized in earnings. This
pronouncement is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008.
We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting SFAS 160 on our consolidated
financial statements.
In March
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 161”). SFAS 161 requires
enhanced disclosures about an entity’s derivative and hedging activities and
thereby improves the transparency of financial reporting. The objective of the
guidance is to provide users of financial statements with an enhanced
understanding of how and why an entity uses derivative instruments: how an
entity accounts for derivative instruments and related hedged items and how
derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial
position, financial performance, and cash flows. SFAS 161 is effective for
fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. We have evaluated SFAS 161
and have determined that it will have no impact on our consolidated
financial statements.
In May
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162, “The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles.” SFAS No. 162 identifies the sources of accounting
principles and the framework for selecting the principles to be used in the
preparation of financial statements of nongovernmental entities that are
presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States. It is effective 60 days following the SEC’s approval of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board amendments to AU Section 411, “The
Meaning of Present Fairly in Conformity With Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles.” The adoption of this statement is not expected to have a material
effect on our consolidated financial statements.
In
December 2007, the SEC issued SAB No. 110, “Share-Based Payment” (“SAB
110”). SAB 110 establishes the continued use of the simplified method for
estimating the expected term of equity based compensation. The simplified method
was intended to be eliminated for any equity based compensation arrangements
granted after December 31, 2007. SAB 110 was issued to help companies that may
not have adequate exercise history to estimate expected terms for future grants.
The application of SAB 110 did not have a material effect on our consolidated
financial statements.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are
based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States requires application of management’s
subjective judgments, often requiring the need to make estimates about the
effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent
periods. Our actual results may differ substantially from these estimates under
different assumptions or conditions. While our significant accounting policies
are described in more detail in the notes to consolidated financial statements
included in this annual report on Form 10-K, we believe that the following
accounting policies require the application of significant judgments and
estimates.
Revenue
Recognition
Revenue
is recognized in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Staff
Accounting Bulletin, or SAB, No. 104 Revenue Recognition. SAB No. 104 requires
that four basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: (i)
persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred or
services have been rendered; (iii) the fee is fixed and determinable; and (iv)
collectibility is reasonably assured.
The
Company recognizes revenue related to product sales when delivery is confirmed
by its external logistics provider and the other criterion of SAB No. 104 are
met. Product revenue is recorded net of returns and allowances. All
costs and duties relating to delivery are absorbed by Nephros. All shipments are
currently received directly by the Company’s customers.
16
Stock-Based
Compensation
We
account for stock-based compensation under the provisions of SFAS No. 123
(Revised 2004) “Share-Based
Payment” (“SFAS 123R”). SFAS 123R requires the recognition of
the fair value of stock-based compensation in net income. The fair value of our
stock option awards are estimated using a Black-Scholes option valuation model.
This model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions and elections
including expected stock price volatility and the estimated life of each award.
In addition, the calculation of compensation costs requires that we estimate the
number of awards that will be forfeited during the vesting period. The fair
value of stock-based awards is amortized over the vesting period of the
award. For stock awards that vest based on performance conditions
(e.g. achievement of certain milestones), expense is recognized when it is
probable that the condition will be met.
Accounts
Receivable
We
provide credit terms to our customers in connection with purchases of our
products. We periodically review customer account activity in order to assess
the adequacy of the allowances provided for potential collection issues and
returns. Factors considered include economic conditions, each customer’s payment
and return history and credit worthiness. Adjustments, if any, are made to
reserve balances following the completion of these reviews to reflect our best
estimate of potential losses.
Inventory
Reserves
Our
inventory reserve requirements are based on factors including the products’
expiration date and estimates for the future sales of the product. If estimated
sales levels do not materialize, we will make adjustments to its assumptions for
inventory reserve requirements.
Accrued
Expenses
We are
required to estimate accrued expenses as part of our process of preparing
financial statements. This process involves identifying services which have been
performed on our behalf, and the level of service performed and the associated
cost incurred for such service as of each balance sheet date in our financial
statements. Examples of areas in which subjective judgments may be required
include costs associated with services provided by contract organizations for
the preclinical development of our products, the manufacturing of clinical
materials, and clinical trials, as well as legal and accounting services
provided by professional organizations. In connection with such service fees,
our estimates are most affected by our understanding of the status and timing of
services provided relative to the actual levels of services incurred by such
service providers. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly in
arrears for services performed. In the event that we do not identify certain
costs, which have begun to be incurred, or we under- or over-estimate the level
of services performed or the costs of such services, our reported expenses for
such period would be too low or too high. The date on which certain services
commence, the level of services performed on or before a given date and the cost
of such services are often determined based on subjective judgments. We make
these judgments based upon the facts and circumstances known to us in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles.
Results
of Operations
Fluctuations
in Operating Results
Our
results of operations have fluctuated significantly from period to period in the
past and are likely to continue to do so in the future. We anticipate that our
annual results of operations will be impacted for the foreseeable future by
several factors including the progress and timing of expenditures related to our
research and development efforts, marketing expenses related to product
launches, timing of regulatory approval of our various products and market
acceptance of our products. Due to these fluctuations, we believe that the
period to period comparisons of our operating results are not a good indication
of our future performance.
The
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2008 Compared to the Fiscal Year Ended December
31, 2007
Product
Revenues
Total
product revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008 were $1,473,000 compared
to $1,196,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007. The $277,000, or 23.2%,
increase is primarily due to $196,000 related to revenue generated from the
Office of Naval Research project in the United States. The Company
began work on this project in 2008. An increase of $33,000 or 3% was
related to sales of the OLpūr MD190 and MD220
Dialyzers in Europe. Sales of the OLpūr MD190 and MD220
Dialyzers increased only 1.4% in number of units during 2008 in Europe
however, a negative price variance of $42,000 was incurred due to the sale of
reworked units at a discounted price. A favorable currency exchange
contributed $75,000 to the change in 2008 revenue compared to
2007. In addition, revenues in the United States increased by $49,000
from sales of the Dual Stage Ultrafilter (the “DSU”) water filter. The DSU
represents a new and complementary product line introduced in 2008 and the
Company had no revenues generated from it during 2007.
17
Cost of
Goods Sold
Cost of
goods sold was $1,064,000 for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to
$876,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007. The $188,000, or 21.5%, increase
in cost of goods sold is primarily due to an increase of $141,000 related to the
sales of the Dual Stage Ultrafilter (the “DSU”) water filters in the United
States. The DSU represents a new and complementary product line
introduced in 2008. The Company did not recognize any revenue or
related cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2007. The
cost of the OLpūr
MD190 and MD220 Dialyzers sold in Europe for the year ended December 31,
2008 increased by $47,000, or 5.4%, over the comparable period in
2007. This increase was due to higher manufacturing costs of $50,000
primarily due to an unfavorable currency exchange offset by a reduction in
freight costs of $3,000 due to the discontinued use of a public
warehouse.
Research
and Development
Research
and development expenses were $1,977,000 for the year ended December 31, 2008
compared to $1,920,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of
$57,000 or 3.0%. This increase consists of $564,000 related to a clinical trial
conducted during 2008 and $17,000 related to development spending for the DSU
water filter offset by reductions of $287,000 in personnel costs and $241,000 in
machine development expenditures during 2008 compared to 2007.
Depreciation
and Amortization Expense
Depreciation
expense was $447,000, for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to $352,000
for the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $95,000, or 27.0%. This
increase is due to the acquisition of a DSU Mold in 2008, which contributed
$36,000 of depreciation for the year ended December 31, 2008. An
additional $59,000 recorded in 2008 is related to depreciation on furniture and
fixtures and tooling to reflect the assessed utility of these assets as of
December 31, 2008.
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses
Selling,
general and administrative expenses were $4,702,000 for the year ended December
31, 2008 compared to $5,527,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007, a decrease
of $825,000 or 14.9%. The decrease is primarily due to the
following:
·
|
Selling
expenses were $624,000 for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to
$451,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $173,000, or
38.4%. The increase in personnel costs of $73,000 and $100,000 in
marketing expenditures during 2008 compared to the comparable period in
2007 were the primary reasons. This increase reflects the Company’
investment in Marketing during fiscal year 2008 in order to establish
corporate identity, improve the Company’s website and advertise the merits
of the DSU water filtration system.
|
·
|
General
and administrative expenses were $4,078,000 for the year ended December
31, 2008 compared to $5,076,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007, a
decrease of $998,000, or 19.7%, primarily due to factors impacting
professional service fees and compensation expense. The
decrease is due to the following reductions in 2008 spending compared to
2007: personnel costs reduced by $150,000; deferred compensation costs
reduced by $433,000; audit and legal fees reduced by $524,000;
underwriting fees reduced by $140,000. These decreases were
offset by the following increases in 2008 spending compared to 2007:
recruiting fees of $148,000; directors’ fees of $46,000; regulatory fees
of $34,000; insurance fees of $27,000; facility costs of $20,000 and
moving costs of $16,000.
|
Interest
Income
Interest
income was $199,000 for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to $138,000
for the year ended December 31, 2007. The increase of $61,000, or 44%, reflects
the impact of having additional cash on hand during 2008 compared to
2007. The additional cash resulted from the private investment in
public equity executed in September 2007.
Interest
Expense
No
interest expense was incurred during 2008 as a result of the Company not having
any outstanding debt during the fiscal 2008. Interest expense
totaled $535,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007. The related
debt was converted to equity as a result of the private investment in public
equity that was executed in September 2007.
Interest
expense for the year ended December 31, 2007 consisted of:
·
|
$498,000
in connection with the New Notes;
|
·
|
$37,000
associated with the present value impact of $400,000 of payments made
during such period under our settlement agreement with the Receiver for
Lancer Offshore, Inc.;
|
Amortization
of Beneficial Conversion Feature
There was
no amortization of beneficial conversion feature for the year ended December 31,
2008.
18
Expense
due to amortization of beneficial conversion feature for the year ended December
31, 2007 consisted of beneficial conversion features of $13,429,000 associated
with the Series A and Series B 10% Secured Convertible Notes due 2008 (the “New
Notes”). The beneficial conversion feature is the difference between the
conversion price of the New Notes ($0.706 per share) and the market price of our
common stock on the commitment date ($1.35 per share) multiplied by the number
of shares to be received on conversion of the note. The beneficial conversion
feature is amortized over the life of the note or expensed in total at the time
the note is converted into stock. Since the New Notes were both issued and
converted in full during fiscal 2007, we expensed the entire beneficial
conversion feature associated with the New Notes during such
period.
Amortization
of Debt Discount
There was
no amortization of debt discount for the year ended December 31,
2008.
Amortization
of debt discount totaled $4,556,000 for the year ended December 31,
2007. Amortization of debt discount for the year ended December 31,
2007 consisted of amortization of the debt discounts on the New Notes of
$4,548,000 and amortization of the debt discount on the 6% Secured Convertible
Notes due 2012 (the “Old Notes”) of $8,000. The value assigned to the warrants
attached to the Series A notes is recorded as a discount on the notes they are
attached to. The Series B note issued in exchange for the Old Notes was recorded
at a discount to record the New Note at fair market value. The debt discounts
are amortized over the life of the notes or expensed in total at the time the
note is converted into stock. Since the New Notes were both issued and converted
in full during fiscal 2007, we expensed the entire debt discount associated with
the New Notes during such period.
Amortization
of Deferred Financing Costs
There was
no amortization of deferred financing costs for the year ended December 31,
2008.
Amortization
of deferred financing costs totaled $992,000 for the year ended December 31,
2007.
Impairment
of Auction Rate Securities and Gain on sale of investments
The
Company invested in auction rate securities (“ARS”) which are long-term debt
instruments with interest rates reset through periodic short-term auctions. If
there are insufficient buyers when such a periodic auction is held, then the
auction “fails” and the holders of the ARS are unable to liquidate their
investment through such auction. With the liquidity issues experienced in global
credit and capital markets, the ARS held by the Company have experienced
multiple failed auctions since February 2008, and as a result, the Company did
not consider these affected ARS liquid in the first quarter of 2008.
Accordingly, while the Company had classified its ARS as current assets at
December 31, 2007, the Company reclassified them as noncurrent assets at March
31, 2008.
Based
upon an analysis of other-than-temporary impairment factors, the Company wrote
down ARS with an original par value of 4,400,000 to an estimated fair value of
$4,286,000 as of March 31, 2008. The Company reviewed impairments associated
with the above in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) 03-1 and FSP
SFAS 115-1/124-1, “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary-Impairment and Its
Application to Certain Investments,” to determine the classification of the
impairment as “temporary” or “other-than-temporary.” The Company determined the
ARS classification to be “other-than-temporary,” and charged an impairment loss
of $114,000 on the ARS to its results of operations for the three months ended
March 31, 2008.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2008, $300,000 of principal on the Company’s ARS
had been paid back by the debtor, resulting in the Company’s investment in ARS
having decreased from $4,400,000 to $4,100,000 (par value) at June 30,
2008. The net book value of the Company’s ARS at June 30, 2008 was
$3,986,000 million, due to the approximate $114,000 impairment recorded at March
31, 2008. On July 22, 2008 the Company sold its ARS to a third party
at 100% of par value, for proceeds of $4,100,000. The Company reclassified the
ARS from Available-for-Sale to Trading Securities due to the sale of the
investments in July 2008.
In
accordance with SFAS No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments
in Debt and Equity Securities,” (“SFAS 115”) the ARS, classified as
Trading Securities, are valued at their fair value of $4,100,000 at June 30,
2008. The adjustment of the investment’s carrying value from
$3,986,000 net book value to $4,100,000 fair value resulted in an Unrealized
Holding Gain of $114,000 which is included in the Company’s Statement of
Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2008.
We
subsequently reversed the Unrealized Holding Gain and recorded a Realized Gain
on Sale of Investments of $114,000 in July 2008 when the sale transaction was
executed.
There
was no impairment of auction rate securities or gain on sale of investments for
the year ended December 31, 2007.
Gain on
Exchange of Debt
There was
no gain on exchange of debt for the year ended December 31,
2008.
19
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, the gain on exchange of debt includes $330,000 for
the gain realized on debt extinguishment which includes a gain on exchange of
the Old Notes of $254,000 and a gain of $76,000 on the cancellation of the
warrants that could have been issued upon certain prepayments of the Old Notes
by the Company.
Other
Income and Expenses
Other
income of $181,000 was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2008 and
includes the impact of $147,000 for refunds received from New York State for
business credits as Nephros qualifies as a Qualified Emerging Technology Company
(“QETC”) and $34,000 of additional other income.
Other
income of $167,000 was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2007 and
includes the impact of $261,000 for refunds received from New York State for
business credits as Nephros qualifies as a QETC and other expenses of $94,000.
The other expenses are comprised of the impact of the nine month gain on change
in valuation of the derivative liability of $7,000 and $87,000 in expenses
associated with the collection of the QETC tax credit.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We did
not engage in any off-balance sheet arrangements during the periods ended
December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007.
Going
Concern and Management’s Response
The
financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been
prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern, however, there can
be no assurance that we will be able to do so. Our recurring losses and
difficulty in generating sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations and
sustain our operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as
a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include
any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this
uncertainty.
We have
incurred significant losses in our operations in each year since inception. For
the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, we have incurred a net loss of
$6,337,000 and $26,356,000, respectively. In addition, we have not generated
positive cash flow from operations for the year ended December 31, 2008 and
2007. To become profitable, we must increase revenue substantially and achieve
and maintain positive gross and operating margins. If we are not able to
increase revenue and gross and operating margins sufficiently to achieve
profitability, our results of operations and financial condition will be
materially and adversely affected.
At
December 31, 2008, we had $2,306,000 in cash and cash
equivalents. However there can be no assurance that our cash and cash
equivalents will provide the liquidity we need to continue our
operations. These operating plans primarily include the continued
development and support of our business in the European market, organizational
changes necessary to begin the commercialization of our water filtration
business and the completion of current year milestones which are included in the
Office of Naval Research appropriation.
There can
be no assurance that our future cash flow will be sufficient to meet our
obligations and commitments. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow
from operations in the future to service our commitments we will be required to
adopt alternatives, such as seeking to raise debt or equity capital, curtailing
our planned activities or ceasing our operations. There can be no assurance that
any such actions could be effected on a timely basis or on satisfactory terms or
at all, or that these actions would enable us to continue to satisfy our capital
requirements.
We
continue to investigate additional funding opportunities, talking to various
potential investors who could provide financing. However, there can be no
assurance that we will be able to obtain further financing, do so on reasonable
terms or do so on terms that would not substantially dilute your equity
interests in us.
In
addition, on September 12, 2008, we received a letter from the NYSE Alternext US
LLC (formerly, the American Stock Exchange or “AMEX”) notifying us of our
noncompliance with certain continued listing standards. The following
are the listing standards that we were in noncompliance of:
·
|
Section
1003(a)(iii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its five most recent fiscal
years;
|
·
|
Section
1003(a)(ii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $4,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its three of its four most recent fiscal years;
and
|
·
|
Section
1003(f)(v), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, common stock that sells for a substantial
period of time at a low price per
share.
|
In
response to that letter, we submitted a plan of compliance to the AMEX on
October 13, 2008 advising the AMEX of the actions we have taken, or will take,
that would bring us into compliance with the continued listing standards by
April 30, 2009.
20
Subsequent
to December 31, 2008, on January 8, 2009, we received a letter from the AMEX
notifying us that it was rejecting our plan. The AMEX further
notified us that the AMEX intends to strike the common stock from the AMEX by
filing a delisting application with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to Rule 1009(d) of the AMEX Company Guide. Given the turmoil
in the capital markets, we have decided not to seek an appeal of the AMEX’s
intention to delist our common stock.
On
January 22, 2009, we were informed by the AMEX that the AMEX had suspended
trading in our common stock effective immediately. Immediately
following the notification, our common stock was no longer traded on the
AMEX.
Effective
February 4, 2009, our common stock is now quoted on the Over the Counter (“OTC”)
Bulletin Board under the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
For
additional information describing the risks concerning our liquidity, please see
“Certain Risks and Uncertainties” below.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Our
future liquidity sources and requirements will depend on many factors,
including:
·
|
the
market acceptance of our products, and our ability to effectively and
efficiently produce and market our
products;
|
·
|
the
availability of additional financing, through the sale of equity
securities or otherwise, on commercially reasonable terms or at
all;
|
·
|
the
timing and costs associated with obtaining the Conformité Européene, or
CE, mark, which demonstrates compliance with the relevant European Union
requirements and is a regulatory pre requisite for selling our ESRD
therapy products in the European Union and certain other countries that
recognize CE marking (for products other than our OLpur MDHDF filter
series, for which the CE mark was obtained in July 2003), or United States
regulatory approval;
|
·
|
the
continued progress in and the costs of clinical studies and other research
and development programs;
|
·
|
the
costs involved in filing and enforcing patent claims and the status of
competitive products; and
|
·
|
the
cost of litigation, including potential patent litigation and any other
actual or threatened litigation.
|
We expect
to put our current capital resources to the following uses:
·
|
for the marketing
and sales of our products;
|
·
|
to
obtain appropriate regulatory approvals and expand our research and
development with respect to our ESRD therapy
products;
|
·
|
to
continue our ESRD therapy product
engineering;
|
·
|
to
pursue business opportunities with respect to our DSU water-filtration
product; and
|
·
|
for
working capital purposes.
|
In
response to liquidity issues experienced with our auction rate securities, and
in order to facilitate greater liquidity in our short-term investments, on March
27, 2008, our board of directors adopted an Investment, Risk Management and
Accounting Policy. Such policy limits the types of instruments or securities in
which we may invest our excess funds in the future to: U.S. Treasury Securities;
Certificates of Deposit issued by money center banks; Money Funds by money
center banks; Repurchase Agreements; and Eurodollar Certificates of Deposit
issued by money center banks. This policy provides that our primary objectives
for investments shall be the preservation of principal and achieving sufficient
liquidity to meet our forecasted cash requirements. In addition, provided that
such primary objectives are met, we may seek to achieve the maximum yield
available under such constraints.
Our
forecast of the period of time through which our financial resources will be
adequate to support our operations is a forward-looking statement that involves
risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary materially. In the event
that our plans change, our assumptions change or prove inaccurate, or if our
existing cash resources, together with other funding resources including
increased sales of our products, otherwise prove to be insufficient to fund our
operations and we are unable to obtain additional financing, we will be required
to adopt alternatives, such as curtailing our planned activities or ceasing our
operations.
In June
2006, we entered into subscription agreements with certain investors who
purchased an aggregate of $5,200,000 principal amount of our 6% Secured
Convertible Notes due 2012 (the “Old Notes”). The Old Notes were secured by
substantially all of our assets. However, as of September 19, 2007, the Old
Notes were exchanged for New Notes as further described in the paragraphs
below.
We
entered into a Subscription Agreement (“Subscription Agreement”) with Lambda
Investors LLC (“Lambda”) on September 19, 2007 (the “First Closing Date”), GPC
76, LLC on September 20, 2007, Lewis P. Schneider on September 21, 2007 and Enso
Global Equities Partnership LP (“Enso”) on September 25, 2007 (collectively, the
“New Investors”) pursuant to which the New Investors purchased an aggregate of
$12,677,000 principal amount of our Series A 10% Secured Convertible Notes due
2008 (the “Purchased Notes”), for the face value thereof (the “Offering”).
Concurrently with the Offering, we entered into an Exchange Agreement (the
“Exchange Agreement”) with each of Southpaw Credit Opportunities Master Fund LP,
3V Capital Master Fund Ltd., Distressed/High Yield Trading Opportunities, Ltd.,
Kudu Partners, L.P. and LJHS Company (collectively, the “Exchange Investors” and
together with the New Investors, the “Investors”), pursuant to which the
Exchange Investors agreed to exchange the principal and accrued but unpaid
interest in an aggregate amount of $5,600,000 under our Old Notes, for our new
Series B 10% Secured Convertible Notes due 2008 in an aggregate principal amount
of $5,300,000 (the “Exchange Notes”, and together with the Purchased Notes, the
“New Notes”) (the “Exchange”, and together with the Offering, the
“Financing”).
21
We
obtained the approval of our stockholders representing a majority of our
outstanding shares to the issuance of shares of our common stock upon conversion
of our New Notes and exercise of our Class D Warrants (as defined below)
issuable upon such conversion, as further described below. The stockholder
approval became effective on November 13, 2007, and the New Notes converted into
shares of our common stock on November 14, 2007.
All
principal and accrued but unpaid interest (the “Conversion Amount”) under our
New Notes automatically converted into (i) shares of our common stock at a
conversion price per share of our common stock (the “Conversion Shares”) equal
to $0.706 and (ii) in the case of our Purchased Notes, but not our Exchange
Notes, Class D Warrants (the “Class D Warrants”) for purchase of shares of our
common stock (the “Warrant Shares”) in an amount equal to 50% of the number of
shares of our common stock issued to the New Investors in accordance with clause
(i) above with an exercise price per share of our common stock equal to $0.90
(subject to anti-dilution adjustments). The Class D Warrants have a term of five
years and are non-callable by us.
National
Securities Corporation (“NSC”) and Dinosaur Securities, LLC (“Dinosaur” and
together with NSC, the “Placement Agent”) acted as co-placement agents in
connection with the Financing pursuant to an Engagement Letter, dated June 6,
2007 and a Placement Agent Agreement dated September 18, 2007. The Placement
Agent received (i) an aggregate cash fee equal to 8% of the face amount of the
Lambda Purchased Note and the Enso Purchased Note allocated and paid 6.25% to
NSC and 1.75% to Dinosaur, and (ii) warrants (“Placement Agent Warrant”) with a
term of five years from the date of issuance to purchase 10% of the aggregate
number of shares of our common stock issued upon conversion of the Lambda
Purchased Note and the Enso Purchased Note with an exercise price per share of
our common stock equal to $0.90.
In
connection with the sale of the New Notes, we entered into a Registration Rights
Agreement with the Investors, dated as of the First Closing Date (the
“Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which we agreed to file an initial
resale registration statement (“Initial Resale Registration Statement”) with the
SEC no later than 60 days after we file a definitive version of our Information
Statement on Schedule 14C with the SEC, and we filed such Initial Resale
Registration Statement on December 20, 2007. We also agreed to use our
commercially reasonable best efforts to have the Initial Resale Registration
Statement declared effective within 240 days after filing of a definitive
version of our Information Statement on Schedule 14C. The Initial Resale
Registration Statement was declared effective on May 5, 2008.
At
December 31, 2008, we had an accumulated deficit of $87,949,000, and we expect
to incur additional losses in the foreseeable future at least until such time,
if ever, that we are able to increase product sales or licensing revenue. We
have financed our operations since inception primarily through the private
placements of equity and debt securities and our initial public offering in
September 2004, from licensing revenue received from Asahi Kasei Medical Co.,
Ltd. (“Asahi”) in March 2005, a private placement of convertible debenture in
June 2006 and a private investment in public equity in September
2007.
Net cash
used in operating activities was $5,725,000 for the year ended December 31, 2008
compared to $6,442,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007.
During
2008, the net cash used in operating activities was $717,000 less than the
net cash used in operating activities during 2007. The most significant items
contributing to this increase in operating cash are highlighted
below:
·
|
During
2008, our net loss adjusted to reconcile net loss to net cash used in
operating activities was $5,735,000 compared to $6,461,000 in
2007. This represents a improvement of $726,000 in operating
cash in 2008. Noncash stock-based compensation was $155,000 and
$885,000 in 2008 and 2007 respectively, a reduction of
$730,000.
|
·
|
During
2008, our accounts receivable, other current assets and other assets
decreased by $236,000. This compares to an increase of $96,000
in 2007. This represents a $332,000 source of operating
cash.
|
·
|
During
2008, our inventory increased by $409,000. This compares to a decrease in
inventory of $217,000 in 2007. This represents a $626,000 use
of operating cash. Inventory increased due to the introduction
of the DSU product in 2008.
|
·
|
During
2008, accounts payable and accrued expenses increased by $183,000. This
compares to a decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of
$102,000 during 2007. This represents a $285,000 source of
operating cash.
|
Net cash
provided by investing activities was $4,599,000 for the year ended December 31,
2008 compared to net cash used by investing activities of $2,045,000 for the
year ended December 31, 2007.
In 2008,
$4,693,000 of the funds were provided by the sale of short-term
investments. Approximately $97,000 of these funds were used to
purchase property, plant and equipment. An additional $3,000
was provided by the sale of equipment.
In 2007,
$2,800,000 of funds was provided by the sale of short-term
investments. $145,000 of these funds was used to purchase property,
plant and equipment. Approximately $4,700,000 of funds was used to
purchase short-term investments during 2007.
22
There was
no net cash provided by or used in financing activities for the year ended
December 31, 2008. The cash provided by financing activities for the
year ended December 31, 2007 reflects the September 2007 private placement which
raised $12,677,000.
Contractual
Obligations and Commercial Commitments
The
following tables summarize our approximate minimum contractual obligations and
commercial commitments as of December 31, 2008:
Payments
Due in Period
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual
Obligations
|
Total
|
Within
1
Year
|
Years
1 – 3
|
Years
3 – 5
|
More
than
5
Years
|
|||||||||||||||
Leases
|
$ | 296,000 | $ | 115,000 | $ | 181,000 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||||||
Employment
Contracts
|
1,066,250 | 425,000 | 641,250 | |||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 1,362,250 | $ | 540,000 | $ | 822,250 | $ | — | $ | — |
Certain
Risks and Uncertainties
Certain
statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including certain statements
contained in “Description of Business” and “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis,” constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words or phrases “can be,” “may,” “could,”
“would,” “expects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “projects” and similar
words and phrases are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and
uncertainties, including those described on the following pages, and we caution
you that any forward-looking information provided by us is not a guarantee of
future performance. Our actual results could differ materially from those
anticipated by such forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, some
of which are beyond our control. All such forward-looking statements are current
only as of the date on which such statements were made. We do not undertake any
obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or
circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect
the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Risks
Related to Our Company
We
have not obtained FDA approval for use of our DSU water filter in dialysis
clinics as part of their water purification system.
Our
business strategy depends in part on our ability to sell our DSU water filter
into hospitals and other healthcare facilities which include dialysis
clinics. We cannot sell our DSU water filter to dialysis clinics in
the United States until we receive FDA clearance. We have filed an
application for 510(k) approval and have answered questions put forth by the FDA
in February 2009. Per FDA guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review
the additional information provided by us.
We may be
further delayed in selling the DSU in the United States to the dialysis clinic
market if the FDA has additional questions. We may not obtain FDA
approval for use of our DSU water filter in dialysis clinics as we
envisioned. Either of these events will have a negative financial
impact on the Company through the delay or elimination of some of our potential
DSU revenue.
We
have a history of operating losses and a significant accumulated deficit, and we
may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future.
We have
not been profitable since our inception in 1997. As of December 31, 2008, we had
an accumulated deficit of $87,949,000 primarily as a result of our research and
development expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses. We expect
to continue to incur additional losses for the foreseeable future as a result of
a high level of operating expenses, significant up-front expenditures including
the cost of clinical trials, production and marketing activities and very
limited revenue from the sale of our products. We began sales of our first
product in March 2004, and we may never realize sufficient revenues from the
sale of our products or be profitable. Each of the following factors, among
others, may influence the timing and extent of our profitability, if
any:
·
|
the
completion and success of additional clinical trials and of our regulatory
approval processes for each of our ESRD therapy products in our target
territories;
|
·
|
the
market acceptance of HDF therapy in the United States and of our
technologies and products in each of our target
markets;
|
·
|
our
ability to effectively and efficiently manufacture, market and distribute
our products;
|
·
|
our
ability to sell our products at competitive prices which exceed our per
unit costs; and
|
23
·
|
the
consolidation of dialysis clinics into larger clinical
groups.
|
Our
independent registered public accountants, in their audit report related to our
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2008, expressed substantial
doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our
independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory
paragraph in their report on our financial statements included in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K expressing doubt as to our ability to continue as a going
concern. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that
we will continue as a going concern, however, there can be no assurance that we
will be able to do so. Our recurring losses and difficulty in generating
sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations and sustain our operations, raises
substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and our
consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might
result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Based on our current cash flow
projections, we will need to raise additional funds through either the licensing
or sale of our technologies or the additional public or private offerings of our
securities. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to obtain
further financing, or do so on reasonable terms. If we are unable to raise
additional funds on a timely basis, or at all, we would be materially adversely
affected.
We
have not met the NYSE Alternext US LLC (formerly, the American Stock Exchange or
“AMEX”) continued listing standards and as a result, we have not maintained our
listing on AMEX.
On
September 27, 2007, we received a warning letter from the AMEX stating that the
staff of the AMEX Listing Qualifications Department had determined that we were
not in compliance with Section 121B(2)(c) of the AMEX Company Guide requiring
that at least 50% of the directors of our Company’s board of directors are
independent directors. This non-compliance was due to the fact that William J.
Fox, Judy Slotkin, W. Townsend Ziebold and Howard Davis resigned from our board
of directors on September 19, 2007, concurrently with the appointment of Paul
Mieyal and Arthur Amron to the board of directors, in accordance with
our September 2007 financing. Consequently, our board of
directors consisted of five directors, two of whom were independent. The AMEX
had given us until December 26, 2007 to regain compliance with the independence
requirements. On November 16, 2007, James S. Scibetta was appointed to serve as
an independent director on our board of directors. On December 5, 2007, we
received a letter from the AMEX acknowledging that we had resolved the continued
listing deficiency identified in their September 27, 2007 letter.
On
September 12, 2008, we received a letter from the AMEX notifying us of our
noncompliance with certain continued listing standards. The following
are the listing standards that we were in noncompliance of:
·
|
Section
1003(a)(iii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its five most recent fiscal
years;
|
·
|
Section
1003(a)(ii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $4,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its three of its four most recent fiscal years;
and
|
·
|
Section
1003(f)(v), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, common stock that sells for a substantial
period of time at a low price per
share.
|
In
response to that letter, we submitted a plan of compliance to the AMEX on
October 13, 2008 advising the AMEX of the actions we have taken, or will take,
that would bring us into compliance with the continued listing standards by
April 30, 2009.
Subsequent
to December 31, 2008, on January 8, 2009, we received a letter from the AMEX
notifying us that it was rejecting our plan. The AMEX further
notified us that the AMEX intends to strike the common stock from the AMEX by
filing a delisting application with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to Rule 1009(d) of the AMEX Company Guide. Given the turmoil
in the capital markets, we have decided not to seek an appeal of the AMEX’s
intention to delist our common stock.
On
January 22, 2009, we were informed by the AMEX that the AMEX had suspended
trading in our common stock effective immediately. Immediately
following the notification, our common stock was no longer traded on the
AMEX.
Effective
February 4, 2009, our common stock is now quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board under
the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
With our
quotation listed on the OTC Bulletin Board, the market liquidity for our common
stock could be negatively affected, which may make it more difficult for holders
of our common stock to sell their securities in the open market and we could
face difficulty raising capital necessary for our continued operation. Investors
may find it more difficult to dispose of or obtain accurate quotations as to the
market value of our securities. In addition, as a result of the delisting, our
common stock may constitute “penny stock” (as defined in Rule 3a51-1 promulgated
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) if we fail to meet
certain criteria set forth in such Rule. Various practice requirements are
imposed on broker-dealers who sell “penny stocks” to persons other than
established customers and accredited investors. For these types of transactions,
the broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the
purchaser and have received the purchaser’s written consent to the transactions
prior to sale. Consequently, if our common stock were to become “penny stock,”
then the Rule may deter broker-dealers from recommending or selling our common
stock, which could further negatively affect the liquidity of our common
stock.
24
Pursuant
to the terms of our 2007 financing, had we failed to have the Initial Resale
Registration Statement that we filed with the SEC declared effective in a timely
manner as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement, then we may have been
required to pay liquidated damages to Investors.
In
connection with our sale in September 2007 (the “Financing”) of an aggregate of
$18 million aggregate principal amount of Series A and Series B 10% Secured
Convertible Notes due 2008 (the “New Notes”), we entered into a Registration
Rights Agreement with the investors in the Financing (the “Investors”) pursuant
to which we agreed to file an Initial Resale Registration Statement with the SEC
no later than 60 days after we file a definitive Schedule 14C information
statement with the SEC. The definitive Schedule 14C was filed with the SEC on
October 24, 2007, and the Initial Resale Registration Statement was filed on
December 20, 2007.
We have
agreed to use our commercially reasonable best efforts to have the Initial
Resale Registration Statement declared effective within 240 days after filing of
the definitive Schedule 14C. The Initial Resale Registration Statement was
declared effective on May 5, 2008.
Certain
customers individually account for a large portion of our product sales, and the
loss of any of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our
sales.
For the
year ended December 31, 2008, one of our customers accounted for 78% of our
product sales. Also, this customer represented 66% of our accounts receivable as
of December 31, 2008. We believe that the loss of this customer would have a
material adverse effect on our product sales, at least temporarily, while we
seek to replace such customer and/or self-distribute in the territories
currently served by such customer.
We
cannot sell our ESRD therapy products, including certain modifications thereto,
until we obtain the requisite regulatory approvals and clearances in the
countries in which we intend to sell our products. We have not obtained FDA
approval for any of our ESRD therapy products, except for our HD190 filter, and
cannot sell any of our other ESRD therapy products in the United States unless
and until we obtain such approval. If we fail to receive, or experience a
significant delay in receiving, such approvals and clearances then we may not be
able to get our products to market and enhance our revenues.
Our
business strategy depends in part on our ability to get our products into the
market as quickly as possible. We obtained the Conformité Européene, or CE,
mark, which demonstrates compliance with the relevant European Union
requirements and is a regulatory prerequisite for selling our products in the
European Union and certain other countries that recognize CE marking
(collectively, “European Community”), for our OLpur MDHDF filter series product
in 2003 and received CE marking in November 2006 for our water filtration
product, the Dual Stage Ultrafilter (“DSU”). We have not yet obtained the CE
mark for any of our other products. Similarly, we cannot sell our ESRD therapy
products in the United States until we receive FDA clearance. Although we
received approval of our IDE in March 2007 to begin clinical trials in the
United States, until we complete the requisite U.S. human clinical trials and
submit pre-market notification to the FDA pursuant to Section 510(k) of the FDC
Act or otherwise comply with FDA requirements for a 510(k) approval, we will not
be eligible for FDA approval for any of our products, except for our HD190
filter.
In
addition to the pre-market notification required pursuant to Section 510(k) of
the FDC Act, the FDA could require us to obtain pre-market approval of our ESRD
therapy products under Section 515 of the FDC Act, either because of legislative
or regulatory changes or because the FDA does not agree with our determination
that we are eligible to use the Section 510(k) pre-market notification process.
The Section 515 pre-market approval process is a significantly more costly,
lengthy and uncertain approval process and could materially delay our products
coming to market. If we do obtain clearance for marketing of any of our devices
under Section 510(k) of the FDC Act, then any changes we wish to make to such
device that could significantly affect safety and effectiveness will require
clearance of a notification pursuant to Section 510(k), and we may need to
submit clinical and manufacturing comparability data to obtain such approval or
clearance. We could not market any such modified device until we received
FDA clearance or approval. We cannot guarantee that the FDA would timely, if at
all, clear or approve any modified product for which Section 510(k) is
applicable. Failure to obtain timely clearance or approval for changes to
marketed products would impair our ability to sell such products and generate
revenues in the United States.
The
clearance and/or approval processes in the European Community and in the United
States can be lengthy and uncertain and each requires substantial commitments of
our financial resources and our management’s time and effort. We may not be able
to obtain further CE marking or any FDA approval for any of our ESRD therapy
products in a timely manner or at all. Even if we do obtain regulatory approval,
approval may be only for limited uses with specific classes of patients,
processes or other devices. Our failure to obtain, or delays in obtaining, the
necessary regulatory clearance and/or approvals with respect to the European
Community or the United States would prevent us from selling our affected
products in these regions. If we cannot sell some of our products in these
regions, or if we are delayed in selling while awaiting the necessary clearance
and/or approvals, our ability to generate revenues from these products will be
limited.
If we are
successful in our initial marketing efforts in some or all of our Target
European Market and the United States, then we plan to market our ESRD therapy
products in several countries outside of our Target European Market and the
United States, including Korea and China, Canada and Mexico. Requirements
pertaining to the sale of medical devices vary widely from country to country.
It may be very expensive and difficult for us to meet the requirements for the
sale of our ESRD therapy products in many of these countries. As a result, we
may not be able to obtain the required approvals in a timely manner, if at all.
If we cannot sell our ESRD therapy products outside of our Target European
Market and the United States, then the size of our potential market could be
reduced, which would limit our potential sales and revenues.
25
Clinical
studies required for our ESRD therapy products are costly and time-consuming,
and their outcome is uncertain.
Before
obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any of our ESRD
therapy products in the United States and elsewhere, we must demonstrate through
clinical studies that our products are safe and effective. We received
conditional approval for our IDE application from the FDA to begin human
clinical trials of our OLpur H 2 H
hemodiafiltration module and OLpur MD220 hemodiafilter. We were granted this
approval on the condition that, by March 5, 2007, we submit a response to two
informational questions from the FDA. We have responded to these questions. We
have obtained approval from Western IRB, Inc., which enables us to proceed with
our clinical trial. We completed the patient treatment phase of our
clinical trial during the second quarter of 2008. We have submitted our data to
the FDA with our 510(k) application on these products in November
2008. Following its review of the application, the FDA has requested
additional information from us. We replied to the FDA inquiries on
March 13, 2009. Per FDA guidelines, the FDA has 90 days to review the
additional information provided by us.
For
products other than those for which we have already received marketing approval,
if we do not prove in clinical trials that our ESRD therapy products are safe
and effective, we will not obtain marketing approvals from the FDA and other
applicable regulatory authorities. In particular, one or more of our ESRD
therapy products may not exhibit the expected medical benefits, may cause
harmful side effects, may not be effective in treating dialysis patients or may
have other unexpected characteristics that preclude regulatory approval for any
or all indications of use or limit commercial use if approved. The length of
time necessary to complete clinical trials varies significantly and is difficult
to predict. Factors that can cause delay or termination of our clinical trials
include:
·
|
slower
than expected patient enrollment due to the nature of the protocol, the
proximity of subjects to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the
study, competition with clinical trials for similar devices or other
factors;
|
·
|
lower
than expected retention rates of subjects in a clinical
trial;
|
·
|
inadequately
trained or insufficient personnel at the study site to assist in
overseeing and monitoring clinical
trials;
|
·
|
delays
in approvals from a study site’s review board, or other required
approvals;
|
·
|
longer
treatment time required to demonstrate
effectiveness;
|
·
|
lack
of sufficient supplies of the ESRD therapy
product;
|
·
|
adverse
medical events or side effects in treated subjects;
and
|
·
|
lack
of effectiveness of the ESRD therapy product being
tested.
|
Even if
we obtain positive results from clinical studies for our products, we may not
achieve the same success in future studies of such products. Data obtained from
clinical studies are susceptible to varying interpretations that could delay,
limit or prevent regulatory approval. In addition, we may encounter delays or
rejections based upon changes in FDA policy for device approval during the
period of product development and FDA regulatory review of each submitted new
device application. We may encounter similar delays in foreign countries.
Moreover, regulatory approval may entail limitations on the indicated uses of
the device. Failure to obtain requisite governmental approvals or failure to
obtain approvals of the scope requested will delay or preclude our licensees or
marketing partners from marketing our products or limit the commercial use of
such products and will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
In
addition, some or all of the clinical trials we undertake may not demonstrate
sufficient safety and efficacy to obtain the requisite regulatory approvals,
which could prevent or delay the creation of marketable products. Our product
development costs will increase if we have delays in testing or approvals, if we
need to perform more, larger or different clinical trials than planned or if our
trials are not successful. Delays in our clinical trials may harm our financial
results and the commercial prospects for our products. Additionally, we may be
unable to complete our clinical trials if we are unable to obtain additional
capital.
We
may be required to design and conduct additional clinical trials.
We may be
required to design and conduct additional clinical trials to further demonstrate
the safety and efficacy of our ESRD therapy product, which may result in
significant expense and delay. The FDA and foreign regulatory authorities may
require new or additional clinical trials because of inconclusive results from
current or earlier clinical trials, a possible failure to conduct clinical
trials in complete adherence to FDA good clinical practice standards and similar
standards of foreign regulatory authorities, the identification of new clinical
trial endpoints, or the need for additional data regarding the safety or
efficacy of our ESRD therapy products. It is possible that the FDA or foreign
regulatory authorities may not ultimately approve our products for commercial
sale in any jurisdiction, even if we believe future clinical results are
positive.
We
cannot assure you that our ESRD therapy products will be safe and we are
required under applicable law to report any product-related deaths or serious
injuries or product malfunctions that could result in deaths or serious
injuries, and such reports could trigger recalls, class action lawsuits and
other events that could cause us to incur expenses and may also limit our
ability to generate revenues from such products.
26
We cannot
assure you that our ESRD therapy products will be safe. Under the FDC Act, we
are required to submit medical device reports, or MDRs, to the FDA to report
device-related deaths, serious injuries and product malfunctions that could
result in death or serious injury if they were to recur. Depending on their
significance, MDRs could trigger events that could cause us to incur expenses
and may also limit our ability to generate revenues from such products, such as
the following:
·
|
information
contained in the MDRs could trigger FDA regulatory actions such as
inspections, recalls and patient/physician
notifications;
|
·
|
because
the reports are publicly available, MDRs could become the basis for
private lawsuits, including class actions;
and
|
·
|
if
we fail to submit a required MDR to the FDA, the FDA could take
enforcement action against us.
|
If any of
these events occur, then we could incur significant expenses and it could become
more difficult for us to gain market acceptance of our ESRD therapy products and
to generate revenues from sales. Other countries may impose analogous reporting
requirements that could cause us to incur expenses and may also limit our
ability to generate revenues from sales of our ESRD therapy
products.
Product
liability associated with the production, marketing and sale of our products,
and/or the expense of defending against claims of product liability, could
materially deplete our assets and generate negative publicity which could impair
our reputation.
The
production, marketing and sale of kidney dialysis and water-filtration products
have inherent risks of liability in the event of product failure or claim of
harm caused by product operation. Furthermore, even meritless claims of product
liability may be costly to defend against. Although we have acquired product
liability insurance in the amount of $5,000,000 for our products, we may not be
able to maintain or obtain this insurance on acceptable terms or at all. Because
we may not be able to obtain insurance that provides us with adequate protection
against all potential product liability claims, a successful claim in excess of
our insurance coverage could materially deplete our assets. Moreover, even if we
are able to obtain adequate insurance, any claim against us could generate
negative publicity, which could impair our reputation and adversely affect the
demand for our products, our ability to generate sales and our
profitability.
Some of
the agreements that we may enter into with manufacturers of our products and
components of our products may require us:
·
|
To
obtain product liability insurance;
or
|
·
|
To
indemnify manufacturers against liabilities resulting from the sale of our
products.
|
For
example, the agreement with our CM requires that we obtain and maintain certain
minimum product liability insurance coverage and that we indemnify our CM
against certain liabilities arising out of our products that they manufacture,
provided they do not arise out of our CM’s breach of the agreement, negligence
or willful misconduct. If we are not able to obtain and maintain adequate
product liability insurance, then we could be in breach of these agreements,
which could materially adversely affect our ability to produce our products and
generate revenues. Even if we are able to obtain and maintain product liability
insurance, if a successful claim in excess of our insurance coverage is made,
then we may have to indemnify some or all of our manufacturers for their losses,
which could materially deplete our assets.
If
we violate any provisions of the FDC Act or any other statutes or regulations,
then we could be subject to enforcement actions by the FDA or other governmental
agencies.
We face a
significant compliance burden under the FDC Act and other applicable statutes
and regulations which govern the testing, labeling, storage, record keeping,
distribution, sale, marketing, advertising and promotion of our ESRD therapy
products. If we violate the FDC Act or other regulatory requirements at any time
during or after the product development and/or approval process, we could be
subject to enforcement actions by the FDA or other agencies,
including:
·
|
fines;
|
·
|
injunctions;
|
·
|
civil
penalties;
|
·
|
recalls
or seizures of products;
|
·
|
total
or partial suspension of the production of our
products;
|
·
|
withdrawal
of any existing approvals or pre-market clearances of our
products;
|
·
|
refusal
to approve or clear new applications or notices relating to our
products;
|
·
|
recommendations
by the FDA that we not be allowed to enter into government contracts;
and
|
·
|
criminal
prosecution.
|
Any of
the above could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
27
Significant
additional governmental regulation could subject us to unanticipated delays
which would adversely affect our sales and revenues.
Our
business strategy depends in part on our ability to get our products into the
market as quickly as possible. Additional laws and regulations, or changes to
existing laws and regulations that are applicable to our business may be enacted
or promulgated, and the interpretation, application or enforcement of the
existing laws and regulations may change. We cannot predict the nature of any
future laws, regulations, interpretations, applications or enforcements or the
specific effects any of these might have on our business. Any future laws,
regulations, interpretations, applications or enforcements could delay or
prevent regulatory approval or clearance of our products and our ability to
market our products. Moreover, changes that result in our failure to comply with
the requirements of applicable laws and regulations could result in the types of
enforcement actions by the FDA and/or other agencies as described above, all of
which could impair our ability to have manufactured and to sell the affected
products.
Access
to the appropriations from the U.S. Department of Defense regarding the
development of a dual-stage water ultrafilter could be subject to unanticipated
delays which could adversely affect our potential revenues.
Our
business strategy with respect to our DSU products depends in part on the
successful development of DSU products for use by the military. We have
contracted with the U.S. Office of Naval Research to develop a personal potable
water purification system for warfighters in an amount not to exceed $866,000
and have submitted a proposal for a second contract with a value not to exceed
$2 million. These contracts would utilize the Federal appropriations
from the U.S. Department of Defense in an aggregate amount of $3 million that
have been approved for this purpose. If we are unsuccessful in being awarded the
second contract or if there are unanticipated delays in receiving the
appropriations from the U.S. Department of Defense, our operations and potential
revenues may be adversely affected.
Protecting
our intellectual property in our technology through patents may be costly and
ineffective. If we are not able to adequately secure or enforce protection of
our intellectual property, then we may not be able to compete effectively and we
may not be profitable.
Our
future success depends in part on our ability to protect the intellectual
property for our technology through patents. We will only be able to protect our
products and methods from unauthorized use by third parties to the extent that
our products and methods are covered by valid and enforceable patents or are
effectively maintained as trade secrets. Our 13 granted U.S. patents will expire
at various times from 2018 to 2022, assuming they are properly
maintained.
The
protection provided by our patents, and patent applications if issued, may not
be broad enough to prevent competitors from introducing similar products into
the market. Our patents, if challenged or if we attempt to enforce them, may not
necessarily be upheld by the courts of any jurisdiction. Numerous publications
may have been disclosed by, and numerous patents may have been issued to, our
competitors and others relating to methods and devices for dialysis of which we
are not aware and additional patents relating to methods and devices for
dialysis may be issued to our competitors and others in the future. If any of
those publications or patents conflict with our patent rights, or cover our
products, then any or all of our patent applications could be rejected and any
or all of our granted patents could be invalidated, either of which could
materially adversely affect our competitive position.
Litigation
and other proceedings relating to patent matters, whether initiated by us or a
third party, can be expensive and time-consuming, regardless of whether the
outcome is favorable to us, and may require the diversion of substantial
financial, managerial and other resources. An adverse outcome could subject us
to significant liabilities to third parties or require us to cease any related
development, product sales or commercialization activities. In addition, if
patents that contain dominating or conflicting claims have been or are
subsequently issued to others and the claims of these patents are ultimately
determined to be valid, then we may be required to obtain licenses under patents
of others in order to develop, manufacture, use, import and/or sell our
products. We may not be able to obtain licenses under any of these patents on
terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we do not obtain these licenses, we could
encounter delays in, or be prevented entirely from using, importing,
developing, manufacturing, offering or selling any products or practicing any
methods, or delivering any services requiring such licenses.
If we
file patent applications or obtain patents in foreign countries, we will be
subject to laws and procedures that differ from those in the United States. Such
differences could create additional uncertainty about the level and extent of
our patent protection. Moreover, patent protection in foreign countries may be
different from patent protection under U.S. laws and may not be as favorable to
us. Many non-U.S. jurisdictions, for example, prohibit patent claims covering
methods of medical treatment of humans, although this prohibition may not
include devices used for such treatment.
If
we are not able to secure and enforce protection of our trade secrets through
enforcement of our confidentiality and non-competition agreements, then our
competitors may gain access to our trade secrets, we may not be able to compete
effectively and we may not be profitable. Such protection may be costly and
ineffective.
We
attempt to protect our trade secrets, including the processes, concepts, ideas
and documentation associated with our technologies, through the use of
confidentiality agreements and non-competition agreements with our current
employees and with other parties to whom we have divulged such trade secrets. If
these employees or other parties breach our confidentiality agreements and
non-competition agreements or if these agreements are not sufficient to protect
our technology or are found to be unenforceable, then our competitors could
acquire and use information that we consider to be our trade secrets and we may
not be able to compete effectively. Policing unauthorized use of our trade
secrets is difficult and expensive, particularly because of the global nature of
our operations. The laws of other countries may not adequately protect our trade
secrets.
28
If
our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be
able to build brand loyalty and our sales and revenues may suffer.
Our
registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged,
cancelled, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be
infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these
trademarks and trade names, which we need to build brand loyalty. Over the long
term, if we are unable to establish a brand based on our trademarks and trade
names, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our sales and revenues
may suffer.
If
we are not able to successfully scale-up production of our products, then our
sales and revenues will suffer.
In order
to commercialize our products, we need to be able to produce them in a
cost-effective way on a large scale to meet commercial demand, while maintaining
extremely high standards for quality and reliability. If we fail to successfully
commercialize our products, then we will not be profitable.
We expect
to rely on a limited number of independent manufacturers to produce our OLpur
MDHDF filter series and our other products, including the DSU. Our
manufacturers’ systems and procedures may not be adequate to support our
operations and may not be able to achieve the rapid execution necessary to
exploit the market for our products. Our manufacturers could experience
manufacturing and control problems as they begin to scale-up our future
manufacturing operations, and we may not be able to scale-up manufacturing in a
timely manner or at a commercially reasonable cost to enable production in
sufficient quantities. If we experience any of these problems with respect to
our manufacturers’ initial or future scale-ups of manufacturing operations, then
we may not be able to have our products manufactured and delivered in a timely
manner. Our products are new and evolving, and our manufacturers may encounter
unforeseen difficulties in manufacturing them in commercial quantities or at
all.
We
will not control the independent manufacturers of our products, which may affect
our ability to deliver our products in a timely manner. If we are not able to
ensure the timely delivery of our products, then potential customers may not
order our products, and our sales and revenues would be adversely
affected.
Independent
manufacturers of medical devices will manufacture all of our products and
components. We have contracted with our CM to assemble and produce our OLpur
MD190, MD220 and possibly other filters, including our DSU, and have an
agreement with FS, a manufacturer of medical and technical membranes for
applications like dialysis, to produce the fiber for the OLpur MDHDF filter
series. As with any independent contractor, these manufacturers will not be
employed or otherwise controlled by us and will be generally free to conduct
their business at their own discretion. For us to compete successfully, among
other things, our products must be manufactured on a timely basis in commercial
quantities at costs acceptable to us. If one or more of our independent
manufacturers fails to deliver our products in a timely manner, then we may not
be able to find a substitute manufacturer. If we are not or if potential
customers believe that we are not able to ensure timely delivery of our
products, then potential customers may not order our products, and our sales and
revenues would be adversely affected.
The
loss or interruption of services of any of our manufacturers could slow or stop
production of our products, which would limit our ability to generate sales and
revenues.
Because
we are likely to rely on no more than two contract manufacturers to manufacture
each of our products and major components of our products, a stop or significant
interruption in the supply of our products or major components by a single
manufacturer, for any reason, could have a material adverse effect on us. We
expect most of our contract manufacturers will enter into contracts with us to
manufacture our products and major components and that these contracts will be
terminable by the contractors or us at any time under certain circumstances. We
have not made alternative arrangements for the manufacture of our products or
major components and we cannot be sure that acceptable alternative arrangements
could be made on a timely basis, or at all, if one or more of our manufacturers
failed to manufacture our products or major components in accordance with the
terms of our arrangements. If any such failure occurs and we are unable to
obtain acceptable alternative arrangements for the manufacture of our products
or major components of our products, then the production and sale of our
products could slow down or stop and our cash flow would suffer.
If
we are not able to maintain sufficient quality controls, then the approval or
clearance of our ESRD therapy products by the European Union, the FDA or other
relevant authorities could be delayed or denied and our sales and revenues will
suffer.
Approval
or clearance of our ESRD therapy products could be delayed by the European
Union, the FDA and the relevant authorities of other countries if our
manufacturing facilities do not comply with their respective manufacturing
requirements. The European Union imposes requirements on quality control systems
of manufacturers, which are inspected and certified on a periodic basis and may
be subject to additional unannounced inspections. Failure by our manufacturers
to comply with these requirements could prevent us from marketing our ESRD
therapy products in the European Community. The FDA also imposes requirements
through quality system requirements, or QSR, regulations, which include
requirements for good manufacturing practices, or GMP. Failure by our
manufacturers to comply with these requirements could prevent us from obtaining
FDA approval of our ESRD therapy products and from marketing such products in
the United States. Although the manufacturing facilities and processes that we
use to manufacture our OLpur MDHDF filter series have been inspected and
certified by a worldwide testing and certification agency (also referred to as a
notified body) that performs conformity assessments to European Union
requirements for medical devices, they have not been inspected by the FDA.
Similarly, although some of the facilities and processes that we expect to use
to manufacture our OLpur H 2 H and
OLpur NS2000 have been inspected by the FDA, they have not been inspected by any
notified body. A “notified body” is a group accredited and monitored by
governmental agencies that inspects manufacturing facilities and quality control
systems at regular intervals and is authorized to carry out unannounced
inspections. We cannot be sure that any of the facilities or processes we use
will comply or continue to comply with their respective requirements on a timely
basis or at all, which could delay or prevent our obtaining the approvals we
need to market our products in the European Community and the United
States.
29
Even with
approval to market our ESRD therapy products in the European Community, the
United States and other countries, manufacturers of such products must continue
to comply or ensure compliance with the relevant manufacturing requirements.
Although we cannot control the manufacturers of our ESRD therapy products, we
may need to expend time, resources and effort in product manufacturing and
quality control to assist with their continued compliance with these
requirements. If violations of applicable requirements are noted during
periodic inspections of the manufacturing facilities of our manufacturers, then
we may not be able to continue to market the ESRD therapy products manufactured
in such facilities and our revenues may be materially adversely
affected.
If
our products are commercialized, we may face significant challenges in obtaining
market acceptance of such products, which could adversely affect our potential
sales and revenues.
Our
products are new to the market, and we do not yet have an established market or
customer base for our products. Acceptance of our ESRD therapy products in the
marketplace by both potential users, including ESRD patients, and potential
purchasers, including nephrologists, dialysis clinics and other health care
providers, is uncertain, and our failure to achieve sufficient market acceptance
will significantly limit our ability to generate revenue and be profitable.
Market acceptance will require substantial marketing efforts and the expenditure
of significant funds by us to inform dialysis patients and nephrologists,
dialysis clinics and other health care providers of the benefits of using our
ESRD therapy products. We may encounter significant clinical and market
resistance to our products and our products may never achieve market acceptance.
We may not be able to build key relationships with physicians, clinical groups
and government agencies, pursue or increase sales opportunities in Europe or
elsewhere, or be the first to introduce hemodiafiltration therapy in the United
States. Product orders may be cancelled, patients or customers currently using
our products may cease to do so and patients or customers expected to begin
using our products may not. Factors that may affect our ability to achieve
acceptance of our ESRD therapy products in the marketplace include
whether:
·
|
such
products will be safe for use;
|
·
|
such
products will be effective;
|
·
|
such
products will be cost-effective;
|
·
|
we
will be able to demonstrate product safety, efficacy and
cost-effectiveness;
|
·
|
there
are unexpected side effects, complications or other safety issues
associated with such products; and
|
·
|
government
or third party reimbursement for the cost of such products is available at
reasonable rates, if at all.
|
Acceptance
of our water filtration products in the marketplace is also uncertain, and our
failure to achieve sufficient market acceptance and sell such products at
competitive prices will limit our ability to generate revenue and be profitable.
Our water filtration products and technologies may not achieve expected
reliability, performance and endurance standards. Our water filtration products
and technology may not achieve market acceptance, including among hospitals, or
may not be deemed suitable for other commercial, military, industrial or retail
applications.
Many of
the same factors that may affect our ability to achieve acceptance of our ESRD
therapy products in the marketplace will also apply to our water filtration
products, except for those related to side effects, clinical trials and third
party reimbursement.
If
we cannot develop adequate distribution, customer service and technical support
networks, then we may not be able to market and distribute our products
effectively and/or customers may decide not to order our products, and, in
either case, our sales and revenues will suffer.
Our
strategy requires us to distribute our products and provide a significant amount
of customer service and maintenance and other technical service. To provide
these services, we have begun, and will need to continue, to develop a network
of distribution and a staff of employees and independent contractors in each of
the areas in which we intend to operate. We cannot assure you we will be able to
organize and manage this network on a cost-effective basis. If we cannot
effectively organize and manage this network, then it may be difficult for us to
distribute our products and to provide competitive service and support to our
customers, in which case customers may be unable, or decide not, to order our
products and our sales and revenues will suffer.
We
may face significant risks associated with international operations, which could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
30
We expect
to manufacture and to market our products in our Target European Market and
elsewhere outside of the United States. We expect that our revenues from our
Target European Market will initially account for a significant portion of our
revenues. Our international operations are subject to a number of risks,
including the following:
·
|
fluctuations
in exchange rates of the United States dollar could adversely affect our
results of operations;
|
·
|
we
may face difficulties in enforcing and collecting accounts receivable
under some countries’ legal
systems;
|
·
|
local
regulations may restrict our ability to sell our products, have our
products manufactured or conduct other
operations;
|
·
|
political
instability could disrupt our
operations;
|
·
|
some
governments and customers may have longer payment cycles, with resulting
adverse effects on our cash flow;
and
|
·
|
some
countries could impose additional taxes or restrict the import of our
products.
|
Any one
or more of these factors could increase our costs, reduce our revenues, or
disrupt our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
If
we are unable to keep our key management and scientific personnel, then we are
likely to face significant delays at a critical time in our corporate
development and our business is likely to be damaged.
Our
success depends upon the skills, experience and efforts of our management and
other key personnel, including our chief executive officer, certain members of
our scientific and engineering staff and our marketing executives. As a
relatively new company, much of our corporate, scientific and technical
knowledge is concentrated in the hands of these few individuals. We do not
maintain key-man life insurance on any of our management or other key personnel.
The loss of the services of one or more of our present management or other key
personnel could significantly delay the development and/or launch of our
products as there could be a learning curve of several months or more for any
replacement personnel. Furthermore, competition for the type of highly skilled
individuals we require is intense and we may not be able to attract and retain
new employees of the caliber needed to achieve our objectives. Failure to
replace key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and operations.
Our
fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, limits
liability of our directors and officers, which could discourage you or other
stockholders from bringing suits against our directors or officers in
circumstances where you think they might otherwise be warranted.
Our
fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides,
with specific exceptions required by Delaware law, that our directors are not
personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any action
or failure to take any action. In addition, we have agreed to, and our fourth
amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and our second
amended and restated bylaws provide for, mandatory indemnification of directors
and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. These provisions
may discourage stockholders from bringing suit against a director or officer for
breach of duty and may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation brought by
stockholders on our behalf against any of our directors or
officers.
If
and to the extent we are found liable in certain proceedings or our expenses
related to those or other legal proceedings become significant, then our
liquidity could be materially adversely affected and the value of our
stockholders’ interests in us could be impaired.
In April
2002, we entered into a letter agreement with Hermitage Capital Corporation
(“Hermitage”), as placement agent, the stated term of which was from April 30,
2002 through September 30, 2004. As of February 2003, we entered into a
settlement agreement with Hermitage pursuant to which, among other things: the
letter agreement was terminated; the parties gave mutual releases relating to
the letter agreement; and we agreed to issue Hermitage or its designees, upon
the closing of certain transactions contemplated by a separate settlement
agreement between us and Lancer Offshore, Inc., warrants exercisable until
February 2006 to purchase an aggregate of 60,000 shares of common stock for
$2.50 per share (or 17,046 shares of our common stock for $8.80 per share, if
adjusted for the reverse stock split pursuant to the antidilution provisions of
such warrant, as amended). Because Lancer Offshore, Inc. never satisfied the
closing conditions and, consequently, a closing has not been held, we have not
issued any warrants to Hermitage in connection with our settlement with them. In
June 2004, Hermitage threatened to sue us for warrants it claims are due to it
under its settlement agreement with us as well as a placement fee and additional
warrants it claims are, or will be, owed in connection with our initial public
offering completed on September 24, 2004, as compensation for allegedly
introducing us to one of the underwriters. We had some discussions with
Hermitage in the hopes of reaching an amicable resolution of any potential
claims, most recently in January 2005. We have not heard from Hermitage since
then.
If and to
the extent we are found to have significant liability to Hermitage in any
lawsuit Hermitage may bring against us, then our liquidity could be materially
adversely affected and/or our stockholders could experience dilution in their
investment in us and the value of our stockholders’ interests in us could be
impaired.
We
may use our financial resources in ways with which you do not agree and in ways
that may not yield a favorable return.
Our
management has broad discretion over the use of our financial resources,
including the net proceeds from our initial public offering and our subsequent
financings. Stockholders may not deem such uses desirable. Our use of our
financial resources may vary substantially from our currently planned uses. We
cannot assure you that we will apply such proceeds effectively or that we will
invest such proceeds in a manner that will yield a favorable return or any
return at all.
31
Several
provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our fourth amended and
restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and our second amended and
restated bylaws could discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition,
which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Several
provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our fourth amended and
restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and our second amended and
restated bylaws could discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that
stockholders may consider favorable, and the market price of our common stock
could be reduced as a result. These provisions include:
·
|
authorizing
our board of directors to issue “blank check” preferred stock without
stockholder approval;
|
·
|
providing
for a classified board of directors with staggered, three-year
terms;
|
·
|
prohibiting
us from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested
stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction
in which the person became an interested stockholder unless certain
provisions are met;
|
·
|
prohibiting
cumulative voting in the election of
directors;
|
·
|
limiting
the persons who may call special meetings of stockholders;
and
|
·
|
establishing
advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our board of
directors or for proposing matters that can be acted on by stockholders at
stockholder meetings.
|
As
a relatively new company with little or no name recognition and with several
risks and uncertainties that could impair our business operations, we are not
likely to generate widespread interest in our common stock. Without widespread
interest in our common stock, our common stock price may be highly volatile and
an investment in our common stock could decline in value.
Unlike
many companies with publicly traded securities, we have little or no name
recognition in the investment community. We are a relatively new company and
very few investors are familiar with either our company or our products. We do
not have an active trading market in our common stock, and one might never
develop, or if it does develop, might not continue.
Additionally,
the market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to
many factors, many of which are beyond our control. Risks and uncertainties,
including those described elsewhere in this “Certain Risks and Uncertainties”
section could impair our business operations or otherwise cause our operating
results or prospects to be below expectations of investors and market analysts,
which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. As a result,
investors in our common stock may not be able to resell their shares at or above
their purchase price and could lose all of their investment.
Securities
class action litigation is often brought against public companies following
periods of volatility in the market price of such company’s securities. As a
result, we may become subject to this type of litigation in the future.
Litigation of this type could be extremely expensive and divert management’s
attention and resources from running our company.
If
we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial
reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, which
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and
the market value of our securities.
Effective
internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide
reliable financial reports. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports, our
reputation and operating results may be harmed.
As of
December 31, 2007, management reported a material weakness in the company’s
internal control over financial reporting due to an insufficient number of
resources in the accounting and finance department that does not allow for a
thorough review process. Throughout fiscal year 2008, we implemented
the following measures which resulted in the remediation of this material
weakness as of December 31, 2008:
·
|
Developed
procedures to implement a formal quarterly closing calendar and process
and held quarterly meetings to address the quarterly closing
process;
|
·
|
Established
a detailed timeline for review and completion of financial reports to be
included in our Forms 10-Q and
10-K;
|
·
|
Enhanced
the level of service provided by outside accounting service providers to
further support and provide additional resources for internal preparation
and review of financial reports and supplemented our internal staff in
accounting and related areas; and
|
·
|
Employed
the use of appropriate supplemental SEC and U.S. GAAP checklists in
connection with our closing process and the preparation of our Forms 10-Q
and 10-K.
|
Our
directors, executive officers and principal stockholders control a significant
portion of our stock and, if they choose to vote together, could have sufficient
voting power to control the vote on substantially all corporate
matters.
32
As of
December 31, 2008, our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders
beneficially owned approximately 62.3% of our outstanding common stock. As of
December 31, 2008, Lambda Investors LLC beneficially owned 37.7% of our
outstanding common stock. As of December 31, 2008, Ronald O. Perelman
beneficially owned 8.3% of our outstanding common stock. As of December 31,
2008, Enso Global Equities Master Partnership LP beneficially owned 5.7% of our
outstanding common stock. As of December 31, 2008, Southpaw Credit Opportunity
Master Fund LP beneficially owned 3.1% of our outstanding common stock. As of
December 31, 2008, WPPN LP, Wasserstein SBIC Ventures II L.P., WV II Employee
Partners, LLC and BW Employee Holdings, LLC, entities that may be deemed to be
controlled by Bruce Wasserstein, beneficially owned an aggregate of 5.5% of our
outstanding common stock.
Our
principal stockholders may have significant influence over our policies and
affairs, including the election of directors. Should they act as a group, they
will have the power to elect all of our directors and to control the vote on
substantially all other corporate matters without the approval of other
stockholders. Furthermore, such concentration of voting power could enable those
stockholders to delay or prevent another party from taking control of our
company even where such change of control transaction might be desirable to
other stockholders.
Future
sales of our common stock could cause the market price of our common stock to
decline.
The
market price of our common stock could decline due to sales of a large number of
shares in the market, including sales of shares by our large stockholders, or
the perception that such sales could occur. These sales could also make it more
difficult or impossible for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time
and price that we deem appropriate to raise funds through future offerings of
common stock.
Prior to
our initial public offering we entered into registration rights agreements with
many of our existing security holders that entitled them to have an aggregate of
10,020,248 shares registered for sale in the public market. Moreover, many of
those shares, as well as the 184,250 shares we sold to Asahi, could be sold in
the public market without registration once they have been held for one year,
subject to the limitations of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. In addition, we
entered into a registration rights agreement with the holders of our New Notes
pursuant to which we granted the holders certain registration rights with
respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the New Notes
and upon exercise of the Class D Warrants.
Risks
Related to the ESRD Therapy Industry
We
expect to face significant competition from existing suppliers of renal
replacement therapy devices, supplies and services. If we are not able to
compete with them effectively, then we may not be profitable.
We expect
to compete in the ESRD therapy market with existing suppliers of hemodialysis
and peritoneal dialysis devices, supplies and services. Our competitors include
Fresenius Medical Care AG and Gambro AB, currently two of the primary machine
manufacturers in hemodialysis, as well as B. Braun Biotech International GmbH,
and Nikkiso Corporation and other smaller machine manufacturers in hemodialysis.
B. Braun Biotech International GmbH, Fresenius Medical Care AG, Gambro AB and
Nikkiso Corporation also manufacture HDF machines. These companies and most of
our other competitors have longer operating histories and substantially greater
financial, marketing, technical, manufacturing and research and development
resources and experience than we have. Our competitors could use these resources
and experiences to develop products that are more effective or less costly than
any or all of our products or that could render any or all of our products
obsolete. Our competitors could also use their economic strength to influence
the market to continue to buy their existing products.
We do not
have a significant established customer base and may encounter a high degree of
competition in further developing one. Our potential customers are a limited
number of nephrologists, national, regional and local dialysis clinics and other
healthcare providers. The number of our potential customers may be further
limited to the extent any exclusive relationships exist or are entered into
between our potential customers and our competitors. We cannot assure you that
we will be successful in marketing our products to these potential customers. If
we are not able to develop competitive products and take and hold sufficient
market share from our competitors, we will not be profitable.
Some
of our competitors own or could acquire dialysis clinics throughout the United
States, our Target European Market and other regions of the world. We may not be
able to successfully market our products to the dialysis clinics under their
ownership. If our potential market is materially reduced in this manner, then
our potential sales and revenues could be materially reduced.
Some of
our competitors, including Fresenius Medical Care AG and Gambro AB, manufacture
their own products and own dialysis clinics in the United States, our Target
European Market and/or other regions of the world. In 2005, Gambro AB divested
its U.S. dialysis clinics to DaVita, Inc. and entered a preferred, but not
exclusive, ten-year supplier arrangement with DaVita, Inc., whereby DaVita, Inc.
will purchase a significant amount of renal products and supplies from Gambro AB
Renal Products. Because these competitors have historically tended to use their
own products in their clinics, we may not be able to successfully market our
products to the dialysis clinics under their ownership. According to the
Fresenius Medical Care AG 2007 Form 20-F annual report, Fresenius Medical Care
AG provides treatment in its own dialysis clinics to approximately 173,863
patients in approximately 2,238 facilities around the world of which
approximately 1,602 facilities are located in the North America. According to
DaVita, Inc.’s 2007 Annual Report, DaVita, Inc. provides treatment in 1,359
outpatient dialysis centers serving approximately 107,000 patients in the United
States.
33
We believe
that there is currently a trend among ESRD therapy providers towards greater
consolidation. If such consolidation takes the form of our competitors acquiring
independent dialysis clinics, rather than such dialysis clinics banding together
in independent chains, then more of our potential customers would also be our
competitors. If our competitors continue to grow their networks of dialysis
clinics, whether organically or through consolidation, and if we cannot
successfully market our products to dialysis clinics owned by these competitors
or any other competitors and do not acquire clinics ourselves, then our revenues
could be adversely affected.
If
the size of the potential market for our products is significantly reduced due
to pharmacological or technological advances in preventative and alternative
treatments for ESRD, then our potential sales and revenues will
suffer.
Pharmacological
or technological advances in preventative or alternative treatments for ESRD
could significantly reduce the number of ESRD patients needing our products.
These pharmacological or technological advances may include:
·
|
the
development of new medications, or improvements to existing medications,
which help to delay the onset or prevent the progression of ESRD in
high-risk patients (such as those with diabetes and
hypertension);
|
·
|
the
development of new medications, or improvements in existing medications,
which reduce the incidence of kidney transplant rejection;
and
|
·
|
developments
in the use of kidneys harvested from genetically-engineered animals as a
source of transplants.
|
If these
or any other pharmacological or technological advances reduce the number of
patients needing treatment for ESRD, then the size of the market for our
products may be reduced and our potential sales and revenues will
suffer.
If
government and other third party reimbursement programs discontinue their
coverage of ESRD treatment or reduce reimbursement rates for ESRD products, then
we may not be able to sell as many units of our ESRD therapy products as
otherwise expected, or we may need to reduce the anticipated prices of such
products and, in either case, our potential revenues may be
reduced.
Providers
of renal replacement therapy are often reimbursed by government programs, such
as Medicare or Medicaid in the United States, or other third-party reimbursement
programs, such as private medical care plans and insurers. We believe that the
amount of reimbursement for renal replacement therapy under these programs has a
significant impact on the decisions of nephrologists, dialysis clinics and other
health care providers regarding treatment methods and products. Accordingly,
changes in the extent of coverage for renal replacement therapy or a reduction
in the reimbursement rates under any or all of these programs may cause a
decline in recommendations or purchases of our products, which would materially
adversely affect the market for our products and reduce our potential sales.
Alternatively, we might respond to reduced reimbursement rates by reducing the
prices of our products, which could also reduce our potential
revenues.
As
the number of managed health care plans increases in the United States, amounts
paid for our ESRD therapy products by non-governmental programs may decrease and
we may not generate sufficient revenues to be profitable.
We expect
to obtain a portion of our revenues from reimbursement provided by
non-governmental programs in the United States. Although non-governmental
programs generally pay higher reimbursement rates than governmental programs, of
the non-governmental programs, managed care plans generally pay lower
reimbursement rates than insurance plans. Reliance on managed care plans for
dialysis treatment may increase if future changes to the Medicare program
require non-governmental programs to assume a greater percentage of the total
cost of care given to dialysis patients over the term of their illness, or if
managed care plans otherwise significantly increase their enrollment of these
patients. If the reliance on managed care plans for dialysis treatment
increases, more patients join managed care plans or managed care plans reduce
reimbursement rates, we may need to reduce anticipated prices of our ESRD
therapy products or sell fewer units, and, in either case, our potential
revenues would suffer.
If
HDF does not become a preferred therapy for ESRD, then the market for our ESRD
therapy products may be limited and we may not be profitable.
A
significant portion of our success is dependent on the acceptance and
implementation of HDF as a preferred therapy for ESRD. There are several
treatment options currently available and others may be developed. HDF may not
increase in acceptance as a preferred therapy for ESRD. If it does not, then the
market for our ESRD therapy products may be limited and we may not be able to
sell a sufficient quantity of our products to be profitable.
If
the per-treatment costs for dialysis clinics using our ESRD therapy products are
higher than the costs of clinics providing hemodialysis treatment, then we may
not achieve market acceptance of our ESRD therapy products in the United States
and our potential sales and revenues will suffer.
34
If the
cost of our ESRD therapy products results in an increased cost to the dialysis
clinic over hemodialysis therapies and such cost is not separately reimbursable
by governmental programs or private medical care plans and insurers outside of
the per-treatment fee, then we may not gain market acceptance for such products
in the United States unless HDF therapy becomes the standard treatment method
for ESRD. If we do not gain market acceptance for our ESRD therapy products in
the United States, then the size of our market and our anticipated sales and
revenues will be reduced.
Proposals
to modify the health care system in the United States or other countries could
affect the pricing of our products. If we cannot sell our products at the prices
we plan to, then our margins and our profitability will be adversely
affected.
A
substantial portion of the cost of treatment for ESRD in the United States is
currently reimbursed by the Medicare program at prescribed rates. Proposals to
modify the current health care system in the United States to improve access to
health care and control its costs are continually being considered by
the federal and state governments. We anticipate that the U.S. Congress and
state legislatures will continue to review and assess alternative health care
reform proposals. We cannot predict whether these reform proposals will be
adopted, when they may be adopted or what impact they may have on us if they are
adopted. Any spending decreases or other significant changes in the Medicare
program could affect the pricing of our ESRD therapy products. As we are not yet
established in our business and it will take some time for us to begin to recoup
our research and development costs, our profit margins are likely initially to
be lower than those of our competitors and we may be more vulnerable to small
decreases in price than many of our competitors.
Health
administration authorities in countries other than the United States may not
provide reimbursement for our products at rates sufficient for us to achieve
profitability, or at all. Like the United States, these countries have
considered health care reform proposals and could materially alter their
government-sponsored health care programs by reducing reimbursement rates for
dialysis products.
Any
reduction in reimbursement rates under Medicare or foreign health care programs
could negatively affect the pricing of our ESRD therapy products. If we are not
able to charge a sufficient amount for our products, then our margins and our
profitability will be adversely affected.
If
patients in our Target European Market were to reuse dialyzers, then our
potential product sales could be materially adversely affected.
In the
United States, a majority of dialysis clinics reuse dialyzers — that
is, a single dialyzer is disinfected and reused by the same patient. However,
the trend in our Target European Market is towards not reusing dialyzers, and
some countries (such as France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands) actually
forbid the reuse of dialyzers. As a result, each patient in our Target European
Market can generally be expected to purchase more dialyzers than each United
States patient. The laws forbidding reuse could be repealed and it may become
generally accepted to reuse dialyzers in our Target European Market, just as it
currently is in the United States. If reuse of dialyzers were to become more
common among patients in our Target European Market, then there would be demand
for fewer dialyzer units and our potential product sales could be materially
adversely affected.
35
Item
8. Financial Statements
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the
Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Nephros,
Inc.
We have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Nephros, Inc. and
Subsidiary (collectively, “the Company”) as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and
the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash
flows for each of the years then ended. These consolidated financial statements
are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to
express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our
audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to
have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over
financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over
financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are
appropriate in the circumstances, 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. An audit also includes
examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in
the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Nephros, Inc. and Subsidiary
as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the results of their operations and their
cash flows for each of the years then ended, in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that
the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the
consolidated financial statements, the Company has incurred negative cash flow
from operations and net losses since inception. These conditions, among others,
raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.
Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The
accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments
that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
/s/
ROTHSTEIN, KASS & COMPANY, P.C.
Roseland,
New Jersey
March 27,
2009
36
NEPHROS,
INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In
Thousands, Except Share Amounts)
December 31, 2008 |
December 31, 2007
|
|||||||
ASSETS
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
Current
assets:
|
|
|
||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
2,306
|
$
|
3,449
|
||||
Short-term
investments
|
7
|
4,700
|
||||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowances of $4 and $7, respectively
|
404
|
419
|
||||||
Inventory,
less allowances of $0 and $30, respectively
|
724
|
336
|
||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
162
|
392
|
||||||
Total
current assets
|
3,603
|
9,296
|
||||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
412
|
762
|
||||||
Other
assets
|
21
|
27
|
||||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
4,036
|
$
|
10,085
|
||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|
|
||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
|
|
||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
986
|
$
|
488
|
||||
Accrued
expenses
|
411
|
781
|
||||||
Accrued
severance expense
|
105
|
60
|
||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
1,502
|
1,329
|
||||||
Total
liabilities
|
1,502
|
1,329
|
||||||
|
||||||||
Commitments
and Contingencies (Note 12)
|
||||||||
Stockholders’
equity:
|
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, $.001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2008
and 2007; no shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2008 and
2007
|
—
|
—
|
||||||
Common
stock, $.001 par value; 60,000,000 authorized at December 31, 2008 and
2007, respectively; 38,165,380 shares issued and outstanding at December
31, 2008 and 2007
|
38
|
38
|
||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
90,375
|
90,220
|
||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive income
|
70
|
110
|
||||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(87,949
|
)
|
(81,612
|
)
|
||||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
2,534
|
8,756
|
||||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
$
|
4,036
|
$
|
10,085
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
37
NEPHROS,
INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In
Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Amounts)
Years Ended December
31
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Product
revenue
|
$
|
1,473
|
$
|
1,196
|
||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
1,064
|
876
|
||||||
Gross
margin
|
409
|
320
|
||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
|
|||||||
Research
and development
|
1,977
|
1,920
|
||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
447
|
352
|
||||||
Selling,
general and administrative
|
4,702
|
5,527
|
||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
7,126
|
7,799
|
||||||
Loss
from operations
|
(6,717
|
)
|
(7,479
|
)
|
||||
Interest
income
|
199
|
138
|
||||||
Interest
expense
|
—
|
(535
|
)
|
|||||
Amortization
of beneficial conversion feature
|
—
|
(13,429
|
)
|
|||||
Amortization
of debt discount
|
—
|
(4,556
|
)
|
|||||
Amortization
of deferred financing costs
|
—
|
(992
|
)
|
|||||
Impairment
of auction rate securities
|
(114
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
Gain
on sale of investments
|
114
|
—
|
||||||
Gain
on exchange of debt
|
—
|
330
|
||||||
Other
income
|
181
|
167
|
||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(6,337
|
)
|
$
|
(26,356
|
)
|
||
Net
loss per common share, basic and diluted
|
$
|
(0.17
|
)
|
$
|
(1.68
|
)
|
||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted
|
38,165,380
|
15,646,286
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
38
NEPHROS,
INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In
Thousands, Except Share Amounts)
Accumulated
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Additional
|
Other
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Common
Stock
|
Paid-in
|
Comprehensive
|
Accumulated
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Shares
|
Amount
|
Capital
|
Income
(Loss)
|
Deficit
|
Total
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
January 1, 2007
|
12,317,992
|
$
|
12
|
$
|
53,135
|
$
|
12
|
$
|
(55,256
|
)
|
$
|
(2,097
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Comprehensive
income:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Net
loss
|
(26,356
|
)
|
(26,356
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
unrealized gains on foreign currency translation
|
98
|
98
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Comprehensive
loss
|
(26,258
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Debt
discount on issuance of convertible note
|
785
|
785
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Beneficial
conversion feature and warrant valuation
|
17,192
|
17,192
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Conversion
of notes and related accrued interest
|
25,847,388
|
26
|
18,223
|
18,249
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Noncash
stock-based compensation
|
885
|
885
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2007
|
38,165,380
|
$
|
38
|
$
|
90,220
|
$
|
110
|
$
|
(81,612
|
)
|
$
|
8,756
|
||||||||||||
Comprehensive
income:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Net
loss
|
|
|
|
|
(6,337
|
)
|
(6,337
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
unrealized losses on foreign currency translation
|
|
|
|
(40
|
)
|
|
(40
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Comprehensive
loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6,377
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||
Noncash
stock-based compensation
|
|
|
155
|
|
|
155
|
||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2008
|
38,165,380
|
$
|
38
|
$
|
90,375
|
$
|
70
|
$
|
(87,949
|
)
|
$
|
2,534
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
39
NEPHROS,
INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
Thousands)
Years Ended December
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Operating
activities:
|
|
|
||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(6,337
|
)
|
$
|
(26,356
|
)
|
||
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating
activities:
|
|
|
||||||
Depreciation
and amortization of property and equipment
|
447
|
352
|
||||||
Impairment
of auction rate securities
|
114
|
—
|
||||||
Loss
on disposal of equipment
|
—
|
4
|
||||||
Beneficial
conversion features
|
—
|
13,429
|
||||||
Amortization
of debt discount
|
—
|
4,556
|
||||||
Amortization
of deferred financing costs
|
—
|
992
|
||||||
Change
in valuation of derivative liability
|
—
|
7
|
||||||
Noncash
stock-based compensation
|
155
|
885
|
||||||
Gain
on sale of investments
|
(114
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
Gain
on exchange of debt
|
—
|
(330
|
)
|
|||||
(Increase)
decrease in operating assets:
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
1
|
(154
|
)
|
|||||
Inventory
|
(409
|
)
|
217
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
227
|
63
|
||||||
Deferred
costs
|
—
|
(2
|
)
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
8
|
(3
|
)
|
|||||
Increase
(decrease) in operating liabilities:
|
|
|
||||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
138
|
2
|
||||||
Accrued
severance expense
|
45
|
(38
|
)
|
|||||
Accrued
interest-convertible notes
|
—
|
498
|
||||||
Other
liabilities
|
—
|
(564
|
)
|
|||||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(5,725
|
)
|
(6,442
|
)
|
||||
Investing
activities
|
|
|
||||||
Purchase
of property and equipment
|
(97
|
)
|
(145
|
)
|
||||
Purchase
of short-term investments
|
—
|
(4,700
|
)
|
|||||
Proceeds
from sales of property and equipment
|
3
|
—
|
||||||
Maturities
of short-term investments
|
4,693
|
2,800
|
||||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
4,599
|
(2,045
|
)
|
|||||
Financing
activities
|
|
|
||||||
Proceeds
from private placement of convertible notes
|
—
|
12,677
|
||||||
Payment
of deferred financing costs
|
—
|
(992
|
)
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
—
|
11,685
|
||||||
Effect
of exchange rates on cash
|
(17
|
)
|
(2
|
)
|
||||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
(1,143
|
)
|
3,196
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of year
|
3,449
|
253
|
||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of year
|
$
|
2,306
|
$
|
3,449
|
||||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information
|
|
|
||||||
Cash
paid for interest
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
36
|
||||
Cash
paid for taxes
|
$
|
1
|
$
|
3
|
||||
Supplemental
disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities
|
|
|||||||
Convertible
note issued on debt exchange
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
5,300
|
||||
Stock
issued upon conversion of convertible notes
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
17,977
|
||||
Stock
issued upon conversion of accrued interest of convertible
notes
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
272
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
40
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
1 — Organization and Nature of Operations
Nephros,
Inc. (“Nephros” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the State
of Delaware on April 3, 1997. Nephros was founded by health professionals,
scientists and engineers affiliated with Columbia University to develop advanced
End Stage Renal Disease (“ESRD”) therapy technology and products. The Company
has three products in various stages of development in the hemodiafiltration, or
HDF, modality to deliver improved therapy for ESRD patients. These are the
OLpur
TM MDHDF filter series or “dialyzers,” designed expressly for
HDF therapy, the OLpur
TM H 2 H TM , an
add-on module designed to allow the most common types of hemodialysis machines
to be used for HDF therapy, and the OLpur
TM NS2000 system, a stand-alone hemodiafiltration machine and
associated filter technology. In 2006, the Company introduced its Dual Stage
Ultrafilter (“DSU”) water filter system, which represents a new and
complementary product line to the Company’s existing ESRD therapy business. The
DSU incorporates the Company’s unique and proprietary dual stage filter
architecture.
On June
4, 2003, Nephros International Limited was incorporated under the laws of
Ireland as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. In August 2003, the Company
established a European Customer Service and financial operations center in
Dublin, Ireland.
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting
Policies
Principles
of Consolidation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the
Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Nephros International Limited. All
intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in
consolidation.
Use
of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses,
during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
Going
Concern and Management’s Response
The
accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company
will continue as a going concern. The Company’s recurring losses and difficulty
in generating sufficient cash flow to meet its obligations and sustain its
operations raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going
concern. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments
that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Based on the Company’s
current cash flow projections, it will need to raise additional funds through
either the licensing or sale of its technologies or additional public or private
offerings of its securities. The Company continues to investigate strategic
funding opportunities as they are identified. However, there is no guarantee
that the Company will be able to obtain further financing. If it is unable to
raise additional funds on a timely basis or at all, the Company would not be
able to continue its operations.
The
Company has incurred significant losses in its operations in each quarter since
inception. For the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, the Company has
incurred net losses of $6,337,000 and $26,356,000, respectively. In addition,
the Company has not generated positive cash flow from operations for the years
ended December 31, 2008 and 2007. To become profitable, the Company must
increase revenue substantially and achieve and maintain positive gross and
operating margins. If the Company is not able to increase revenue and gross and
operating margins sufficiently to achieve profitability, the Company’s results
of operations and financial condition will be materially and adversely
affected.
41
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting
Policies – (continued)
The
Company’s current operating plans primarily include the continued development
and support of the Company’s business in the European market, organizational
changes necessary to begin the commercialization of the Company’s water
filtration business and the completion of current year milestones which are
included in the Office of Naval Research appropriation.
The
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm has included a paragraph
in its audit report regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going
concern.
There can
be no assurance that the Company’s future cash flow will be sufficient to meet
its obligations and commitments. If the Company is unable to generate sufficient
cash flow from operations in the future to service its commitments the Company
will be required to adopt alternatives, such as seeking to raise debt or equity
capital, curtailing its planned activities or ceasing its operations. There can
be no assurance that any such actions could be effected on a timely basis or on
satisfactory terms or at all, or that these actions would enable the Company to
continue to satisfy its capital requirements
The
Company continues to investigate additional funding opportunities, talking to
various potential investors who could provide financing. However, there can be
no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain further financing, do so on
reasonable terms or do so on terms that would not substantially dilute the
equity interests in the Company. If the Company is unable to raise additional
funds on a timely basis, or at all, the Company will not be able to continue its
operations.
NYSE
Alternext US LLC (formerly, the American Stock Exchange or “AMEX”)
Issues
On
September 27, 2007, the Company received a warning letter from the AMEX stating
that the staff of the AMEX Listing Qualifications Department had determined that
the Company was not in compliance with Section 121B(2)(c) of the AMEX Company
Guide requiring that at least 50% of the directors of the Company’s board of
directors are independent directors. This non-compliance was due to the fact
that William J. Fox, Judy Slotkin, W. Townsend Ziebold and Howard Davis resigned
from the Company’s board of directors on September 19, 2007, concurrently with
the appointment of Paul Mieyal and Arthur Amron to the board of directors, in
accordance with the Company’s September 2007 financing. Consequently, the
Company’s board of directors consisted of five directors, two of whom were
independent. The AMEX had given the Company until December 26, 2007 to regain
compliance with the independence requirements. On November 16, 2007, James S.
Scibetta was appointed to serve as an independent director on the Company’s
board of directors. On December 5, 2007 the Company received a letter from the
AMEX acknowledging that the Company had resolved the continued listing
deficiency identified in their September 27, 2007 letter.
On
September 12, 2008, the Company received a letter from the AMEX notifying the
Company of its noncompliance with certain continued listing
standards. The following are the listing standards that the Company
was in noncompliance of:
·
|
Section
1003(a)(iii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its five most recent fiscal
years;
|
·
|
Section
1003(a)(ii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $4,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its three of its four most recent fiscal years;
and
|
·
|
Section
1003(f)(v), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, common stock that sells for a substantial
period of time at a low price per
share.
|
In
response to that letter, the Company submitted a plan of compliance to the AMEX
on October 13, 2008 advising the AMEX of the actions the Company has taken, or
will take, that would bring it into compliance with the continued listing
standards by April 30, 2009.
42
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting
Policies – (continued)
Subsequent
to December 31, 2008, on January 8, 2009, the Company received a letter from the
AMEX notifying the Company that it was rejecting the plan. The AMEX
further notified the Company that the AMEX intends to strike the common stock
from the AMEX by filing a delisting application with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to Rule 1009(d) of the AMEX Company Guide. Given
the turmoil in the capital markets, the Company decided not to seek an appeal of
the AMEX’s intention to delist the Company’s common stock.
On
January 22, 2009, the Company was informed by the AMEX that the AMEX had
suspended trading in the Company’s common stock effective
immediately. Immediately following the notification, the Company’s
common stock was no longer traded on the AMEX.
Effective
February 4, 2009, the Company’s common stock is now quoted on the Over the
Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
The
Company invests its excess cash in bank deposits and money market
accounts. The Company considers all highly liquid investments
purchased with original maturities of three months or less from the date of
purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at fair
value, which approximate cost, and primarily consist of money market funds
maintained at major U.S. financial institutions.
Short-Term
Investments
The
Company had $7,000 of short-term investments consisting of a certificate of
deposit at December 31, 2008.
At
December 31, 2007, the Company held short-term investments, carried at fair
market value, primarily representing auction rate debt securities (“ARS”). These
securities were classified as “available-for-sale.” Management determines the
appropriate classification of its short-term investments at the time of purchase
and evaluates such designation as of each balance sheet date. Interest earned on
short-term investments is included in interest income.
ARS are
long-term debt instruments with interest rates reset through periodic short-term
auctions.
See Note
3 for a further discussion of short-term investments as of December 31, 2008 and
December 31, 2007.
Accounts
Receivable
The
Company provides credit terms to customers in connection with purchases of the
Company’s products. Management periodically reviews customer account activity in
order to assess the adequacy of the allowances provided for potential collection
issues and returns. Factors considered include economic conditions, each
customer’s payment and return history and credit worthiness. Adjustments, if
any, are made to reserve balances following the completion of these reviews to
reflect management’s best estimate of potential losses. The
allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2008 and 2007 was $4,000 and
$7,000, respectively. There was no allowance for sales returns at December 31,
2008 or 2007.
43
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
– (continued)
Inventory
The
Company engages third parties to manufacture and package inventory held for
sale, takes title to certain inventory once manufactured, and warehouses such
goods until packaged for final distribution and sale. Inventory consists of
finished goods and raw materials (fiber) held at the manufacturers’ facilities,
and are valued at the lower of cost or market using the first-in, first-out
method.
Patents
The
Company has filed numerous patent applications with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office and in foreign countries. All costs and direct expenses
incurred in connection with patent applications have been expensed as
incurred.
Property
and Equipment, net
Property
and equipment, net is stated at cost less accumulated
depreciation. These assets are depreciated over their estimated
useful lives of four to seven years using the straight line
method.
Impairment
for Long-Lived Assets
The
Company adheres to SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment on
Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” and periodically evaluates whether current
facts or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of its depreciable
assets to be held and used may be recoverable. If such circumstances
are determined to exist, an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows produced
by the long-lived assets, or the appropriate grouping of assets, is compared to
the carrying value to determine whether an impairment exists. If an
asset is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured based on the difference
between the asset’s fair value and its carrying value. An estimate of the
asset’s fair value is based on quoted market prices in active markets, if
available. If quoted market prices are not available, the estimate of fair value
is based on various valuation techniques, including a discounted value of
estimated future cash flows. The Company reports an asset to be disposed of at
the lower of its carrying value or its estimated net realizable market value.
There were no impairment losses for long-lived assets recorded for the years
ended December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
The
carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts
receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to
the short-term maturity of these instruments.
Revenue
Recognition
Revenue
is recognized in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Staff
Accounting Bulletin No. 104 “Revenue Recognition” (“SAB
No. 104”). SAB No. 104 requires that four basic criteria must be met before
revenue can be recognized: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;
(ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; (iii) the fee is
fixed or determinable; and (iv) collectibility is reasonably
assured.
The
Company recognizes revenue related to product sales when delivery is confirmed
by its external logistics provider and the other criterion of SAB No. 104 are
met. Product revenue is recorded net of returns and allowances. All
costs and duties relating to delivery are absorbed by Nephros. All shipments are
currently received directly by the Company’s customers.
44
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
– (continued)
Shipping
and Handling Costs
Shipping
and handling costs are recorded as cost of goods sold and are $31,000 and
$35,000 for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
Research
and Development Costs
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred.
Stock-Based
Compensation
The
Company accounts for stock-based compensation under the provisions of Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123 (Revised 2004) “Share-Based Payment” (“SFAS
123R”). SFAS 123R requires the recognition of the fair value of
stock-based compensation in net income. The fair value of the Company’s stock
option awards are estimated using a Black-Scholes option valuation model. This
model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions and elections
including expected stock price volatility and the estimated life of each award.
In addition, the calculation of compensation costs requires that the Company
estimate the number of awards that will be forfeited during the vesting period.
The fair value of stock-based awards is amortized over the vesting period of the
award. For stock-based awards that vest based on performance
conditions (e.g. achievement of certain milestones), expense is recognized when
it is probable that the condition will be met.
Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with SFAS No. 109 “Accounting for Income Taxes,”
which requires accounting for deferred income taxes under the asset and
liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences
of temporary differences by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable in
future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and
the tax basis of existing assets and liabilities.
For
financial reporting purposes, the Company has incurred a loss in each period
since its inception. Based on available objective evidence, including the
Company’s history of losses, management believes it is more likely than not that
the net deferred tax assets will not be fully realizable. Accordingly, the
Company provided for a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax
assets at December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007.
Effective
January 1, 2007, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board
(“FASB”) Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes-an interpretation of FASB Statement
No. 109 (“FIN 48”). FIN 48 prescribes, among other
things, a recognition threshold and measurement attributes for the financial
statement recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions taken or
expected to be taken in a company’s income tax return. FIN 48 utilizes a
two-step approach for evaluating uncertain tax positions accounted for in
accordance with SFAS 109. Step one or recognition, requires a company to
determine if the weight of available evidence indicates a tax position is more
likely than not to be sustained upon audit, including resolution of related
appeals or litigation processes, if any. Step two or measurement, is based on
the largest amount of benefit, which is more likely than not to be realized on
settlement with the taxing authority. The adoption of the provisions
of FIN 48 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company
recognized no adjustments for uncertain tax positions.
45
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting
Policies – (continued)
Loss
per Common Share
In
accordance with SFAS No. 128 “Earnings per Share,” net loss
per common share amounts (“basic EPS”) was computed by dividing net loss
attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common
shares outstanding and excluding any potential dilution. Net loss per common
share amounts assuming dilution (“diluted EPS”) is generally computed by
reflecting potential dilution from conversion of convertible securities and the
exercise of stock options and warrants. The following securities have been
excluded from the dilutive per share computation as they are
antidilutive.
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Stock
options
|
2,696,225
|
2,256,580
|
||||||
Warrants
|
11,090,248
|
11,090,248
|
Foreign
Currency Translation
Foreign
currency translation is recognized in accordance with SFAS No. 52 “Foreign Currency
Translation.” The functional currency of Nephros International Limited is
the Euro and its translation gains and losses are included in accumulated other
comprehensive income. The balance sheet is translated at the year-end rate. The
statement of operations is translated at the weighted average rate for the
year.
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
The
Company complies with the provisions of SFAS No. 130 “Reporting Comprehensive
Income,” which requires companies to report all changes in equity during
a period, except those resulting from investment by owners and distributions to
owners, for the period in which they are recognized. Comprehensive
income(loss) is the total of net income(loss) and all other non-owner
changes in equity (or other comprehensive income (loss)) such as unrealized
gains or losses on securities classified as available-for-sale and foreign
currency translation adjustments. For the years ended December 31, 2008 and
2007, the comprehensive loss was approximately $6,377,000 and $26,258,000,
respectively.
Reclassification
Certain
2007 amounts were reclassified to conform to the 2008 presentation.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS
No. 157, “Fair Value
Measurements” (“SFAS 157”). This
Standard defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value,
and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. It applies to other
accounting pronouncements where the FASB requires or permits fair value
measurements but does not require any new fair value measurements. In February
2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (FSP) No. 157-2, “Effective Date of FASB Statement
No.157” (“FSP 157-2”), which delayed the effective date of SFAS 157 for
certain non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities to fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2008, and interim periods within those fiscal
years. The Company adopted SFAS 157 for financial assets and liabilities on
January 1, 2008. The disclosures required under SFAS 157 are set forth in this
note under fair value of financial instruments. The Company is currently in the
process of evaluating the effect, if any, that the adoption of FSP 157-2 will
have on its consolidated financial statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities-Including an amendment of FASB Statement No.
155” (“SFAS 159”). This statement permits entities to choose to measure
selected assets and liabilities at fair value. The Company adopted SFAS 159
on January 1, 2008 resulting in no material impact to the Company’s consolidated
financial statements.
On
October 10, 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS No. 157-3, “Fair Value Measurements” (FSP
FAS 157-3), which clarifies the application of SFAS No. 157 in an inactive
market and provides an example to demonstrate how the fair value of a financial
asset is determined when the market for that financial asset is inactive. FSP
FAS 157-3 was effective upon issuance, including prior periods for which
financial statements had not been issued. The adoption of this standard as of
September 30, 2008 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated
financial statements.
46
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
2 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting
Policies – (continued)
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”).
SFAS 141R establishes principles and requirements for how the acquirer in a
business combination recognizes and measures in its financial statements the
fair value of identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and any
noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date. SFAS 141R
determines what information to disclose to enable users of the financial
statements to evaluate the nature and financial effects of
the business combination. SFAS 141R applies prospectively to
business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the
beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. Early application is not permitted. The effect of
SFAS 141R on the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be
dependent on the nature and terms of any business combinations that occur after
its effective date.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements” (“SFAS 160”), an amendment of
Accounting Research Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 51, “Consolidated Financial
Statements” (“ARB 51”). SFAS 160 establishes accounting and reporting
standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the
deconsolidation of a subsidiary. Minority interests will be recharacterized as
noncontrolling interests and will be reported as a component of equity separate
from the parent’s equity, and purchases or sales of equity interests that do not
result in a change in control will be accounted for as equity transactions. In
addition, net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest will be
included in consolidated net income on the face of the income statement and upon
a loss of control, the interest sold, as well as any interest retained, will be
recorded at fair value with any gain or loss recognized in earnings. This
pronouncement is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008.
The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting SFAS 160 on its
consolidated financial statements.
In March
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 161”). SFAS 161 requires
enhanced disclosures about an entity’s derivative and hedging activities and
thereby improves the transparency of financial reporting. The objective of the
guidance is to provide users of financial statements with an enhanced
understanding of how and why an entity uses derivative instruments: how an
entity accounts for derivative instruments and related hedged items and how
derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial
position, financial performance, and cash flows. SFAS 161 is effective for
fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. Management has
evaluated SFAS 161 and has determined that it will have no impact on
the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In May
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162, “The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles.” SFAS No. 162 identifies the sources of accounting
principles and the framework for selecting the principles to be used in the
preparation of financial statements of nongovernmental entities that are
presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States. It is effective 60 days following the SEC’s approval of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board amendments to AU Section 411, “The
Meaning of Present Fairly in Conformity With Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles.” The adoption of this statement is not expected to have a material
effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In
December 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued SAB No.
110, “Share-Based
Payment” (“SAB 110”). SAB 110 establishes the continued use of the
simplified method for estimating the expected term of equity based compensation.
The simplified method was intended to be eliminated for any equity based
compensation arrangements granted after December 31, 2007. SAB 110 was issued to
help companies that may not have adequate exercise history to estimate expected
terms for future grants. The application of SAB 110 did not have a material
effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Note
3 — Short-Term Investments
SFAS
No. 157 provides a framework for measuring fair value under generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States and requires expanded
disclosures regarding fair value measurements. SFAS No. 157 defines fair
value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to
transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous
market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market
participants on the measurement date. SFAS No. 157 also establishes a fair
value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable
inputs, where available, and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when
measuring fair value. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be
used to measure fair value:
Level 1 —
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or
liabilities.
Level 2 —
Observable inputs, other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices in active
markets for similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or
similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs
that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market
data.
Level 3 —
Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that
are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including
certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar
techniques.
47
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
3 — Short-Term Investments – (continued)
The
following table details the fair value measurements within the fair value
hierarchy of the Company’s financial assets at December 31,
2008:
Total Fair Value
at
|
Fair Value Measurements at Reporting
Date Using
|
|||||||||||||||
December 31, 2008
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
|
|||||||||||||
Certificates
of deposit
|
$ | 7,000 |
$
|
7,000 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||||
Total
|
$ | 7,000 |
$
|
7,000 | $ | — | $ | — |
The
following table reflects the activity for the Company’s ARS measured at fair
value using Level 3 inputs for the year ended December 31,
2008:
Auction Rate
Securities
|
||||
Balance
as of December 31, 2007
|
$ | 4,700,000 | ||
Sale
of Securities
|
(4,700,000 | ) | ||
Gain
on sale of investments
|
114,000 | |||
Impairment
of auction rate securities
|
(114,000 | ) | ||
Balance
as of December 31, 2008
|
$ | — |
As of
December 31, 2008, the Company had grouped certificates of deposit using a
Level 1 valuation because market prices are readily available in active
markets.
The
Company invested in auction rate securities (“ARS”), which are long-term debt
instruments with interest rates reset through periodic short-term
auctions. If there are insufficient buyers when such a periodic
auction is held, then the auction “fails” and the holders of the ARS are unable
to liquidate their investment through such auction. With the
liquidity issues experienced in global credit and capital markets, the ARS held
by the Company experienced multiple failed auctions in the first quarter of
fiscal year 2008. As a result of the failed auctions, the Company did
not consider the affected ARS liquid and accordingly, the Company classified its
ARS as noncurrent assets as of March 31, 2008.
Based
upon an analysis of other-than-temporary impairment factors, the Company wrote
down ARS with an original par value of $4,400,000 to an estimated fair value of
$4,286,000 as of March 31, 2008. The Company reviewed impairments
associated with the above in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”)
03-1 and FASB Staff Position SFAS 115-1 and SFAS 124-1, “The Meaning of
Other-Than-Temporary-Impairment and Its Application to Certain
Investments,” to determine the classification of the impairment as
“temporary” or “other-than-temporary.” The Company determined the ARS
classification to be “other-than-temporary”, and charged an impairment loss of
$114,000 on the ARS to its results of operations during the three months ended
March 31, 2008. Subsequently during the three months ended June 30,
2008, $300,000 of principal on the Company’s ARS had been paid back from the
debtor. As a result of the payment, the Company’s investment
decreased from a par value of $4,400,000 to approximately
$4,100,000. The net book value of the Company’s ARS at June 30, 2008
was $3,986,000. On July 22, 2008, the Company sold its ARS to a third
party at 100% of par value, for proceeds of $4,100,000 and as a result, the
Company reclassified the ARS from Available-for-Sale to Trading
Securities.
In
accordance with SFAS No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments
in Debt and Equity Securities,” the ARS, classified as Trading
Securities, were valued at their fair value of $4,100,000 at June 30,
2008. The adjustment of the ARS’ carrying value from $3,986,000 net
book value to $4,100,000 fair value resulted in an Unrealized Holding Gain of
$114,000 which was recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of
Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2008. As a
result of the sale of investment on July 22, 2008, the Company reclassified the
unrealized holding gain of $114,000 to a realized gain on sale of
investments.
48
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
4 — Inventory
The
Company’s inventory components as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, were as
follows:
December
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Raw
Materials
|
$
|
382,000
|
$
|
62,000
|
||||
Finished
Goods
|
342,000
|
304,000
|
||||||
Total
Gross Inventory
|
724,000
|
366,000
|
||||||
Less:
Inventory reserve
|
—
|
30,000
|
||||||
Total
Inventory
|
$
|
724,000
|
$
|
336,000
|
During
2007, the design of the Dual Stage Ultra Filter product was changed.
Accordingly, at December 31, 2007, this inventory has been written off as
research and development and clinical trial expense in the amount of
$82,000.
Note
5 — Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, were as
follows:
December
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Prepaid
insurance premiums
|
$
|
88,000
|
$
|
211,000
|
||||
Advances
on product development services
|
—
|
96,000
|
||||||
Other
|
74,000
|
85,000
|
||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
$
|
162,000
|
$
|
392,000
|
Note
6 — Property and Equipment, Net
Property
and equipment as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, was as follows:
December 31,
|
|||||||||
Life
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Manufacturing
equipment
|
5
years
|
$ | 2,057,000 | $ | 2,028,000 | ||||
Research
equipment
|
5
years
|
91,000 | 91,000 | ||||||
Computer
equipment
|
4
years
|
61,000 | 70,000 | ||||||
Furniture
and fixtures
|
7
years
|
39,000 | 39,000 | ||||||
Leasehold
improvements
|
Term
of lease
|
— | 15,000 | ||||||
2,248,000 | 2,243,000 | ||||||||
Less:
accumulated depreciation
|
1,836,000 | 1,481,000 | |||||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
$ | 412,000 | $ | 762,000 |
The
Company contracts with a contract manufacturer (“CM”) to manufacture the
Company’s ESRD therapy products. The Company owns certain manufacturing
equipment located at CM’s manufacturing plant.
Depreciation
expense for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 was $447,000 and
$352,000, respectively, including amortization expense relating to research and
development assets.
49
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
7 — Accrued Expenses
Accrued
expenses as of December 31, 2008 and 2007 were as follows:
December
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Accrued
Clinical Trial
|
$
|
102,000
|
$
|
223,000
|
||||
Accrued
Management Bonus and Directors’ Compensation
|
119,000
|
—
|
||||||
Accrued
Accounting
|
75,000
|
218,000
|
||||||
Accrued
Legal
|
32,000
|
123,000
|
||||||
Accrued
Other
|
83,000
|
217,000
|
||||||
$
|
411,000
|
$
|
781,000
|
Note
8 — Convertible Notes
Convertible
Notes Due 2012
In June
2006, the Company entered into subscription agreements with certain investors
who purchased an aggregate of $5,200,000 principal amount of 6% Secured
Convertible Notes due 2012 (the “Old Notes”) issued by the Company for the face
value thereof. The Company closed on the sale of the first tranche of Old Notes,
in an aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000, on June 1, 2006 (the “First
Tranche”) and closed on the sale of the second tranche of Old Notes, in an
aggregate principal amount of $200,000, on June 30, 2006 (the “Second Tranche”).
The Old Notes were secured by substantially all of the Company’s
assets.
The Old
Notes contain a prepayment feature that requires the Company to issue common
stock purchase warrants to the holders for partial consideration of certain
prepayments that the holders may demand under certain circumstances. Pursuant to
the Old Notes, the Company must offer the holders the option (the “Holder
Prepayment Option”) of prepayment (subject to applicable premiums) of their Old
Notes, if the Company completes an asset sale in excess of $250,000 outside the
ordinary course of business (a “Major Asset Sales”), to the extent of the net
cash proceeds of such Major Asset Sale. Paragraph 12 of SFAS No. 133,
“Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities”, (SFAS 133”),
provides that an embedded derivative shall be separated from the host contract
and accounted for as a derivative instrument if and only if certain
criteria are met. In consideration of SFAS 133, the Company has determined that
the Holder Prepayment Option is an embedded derivative to be bifurcated from the
Old Notes and carried at fair value in the financial instruments. The Company
recorded an embedded derivative liability of $71,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2006.
The change in value of the derivative liability was recorded as other income
(expense). The change in value amounted to $7,000 through September 19, 2007,
the Exchange Date. Also, the debt discount, of $71,000, created by bifurcating
the Holder Prepayment Option, was being amortized over the term of the debt. The
amortization of the debt discount through September 19, 2007, the Exchange Date,
was recorded as interest expense and amounted to $8,000.
On
September 19, 2007, the Old Notes were exchanged for New Notes as described
under the heading “Convertible Notes due 2008.”
Convertible
Notes Due 2008
The
Company entered into a Subscription Agreement (“Subscription Agreement”) with
Lambda Investors LLC (“Lambda”) on September 19, 2007 (the “First Closing
Date”), GPC 76, LLC on September 20, 2007, Lewis P. Schneider on September 21,
2007 and Enso Global Equities Partnership LP (“Enso”) on September 25, 2007
(collectively, the “New Investors”) pursuant to which the New Investors
purchased an aggregate of $12,677,000 principal amount of Series A 10% Secured
Convertible Notes due 2008 (the “Purchased Notes”) of the Company, for the face
value thereof (the “Offering”). Concurrently with the Offering, the Company
entered into an Exchange Agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”) with each of
Southpaw Credit Opportunities Master Fund LP, 3V Capital Master Fund Ltd.,
Distressed/High Yield Trading Opportunities, Ltd., Kudu Partners, L.P. and LJHS
Company (collectively, the “Exchange Investors” and together with the New
Investors, the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Exchange Investors agreed to
exchange the principal and accrued but unpaid interest in an aggregate amount of
$5,600,000 under the Old Notes, for new Series B 10% Secured Convertible Notes
due 2008 in an aggregate principal amount of $5,300,000 (the “Exchange Notes”,
and together with the Purchased Notes, the “New Notes”) (the “Exchange”, and
together with the Offering, the “Financing”).
50
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
8 — Convertible Notes – (continued)
The
Company has obtained the approval of its stockholders representing a majority of
its outstanding shares to the issuance of shares of
its common stock issuable upon conversion of the New Notes and exercise of the
Class D Warrants (as defined below) issuable upon such conversion, as further
described below. The stockholder approval was effective on November 13, 2007.
Accordingly, the New Notes were converted into common stock of the Company on
November 14, 2007.
Upon
effectiveness of such approval, all principal and accrued but unpaid interest
(the “Conversion Amount”) under the New Notes automatically converted into (i)
shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price per share of the
Company’s common stock (the “Conversion Shares”) equal to $0.706 and (ii) in the
case of the Purchased Notes, but not the Exchange Notes, Class D Warrants (the
“Class D Warrants”) for purchase of shares of the Company’s common stock (the
“Warrant Shares”) in an amount equal to 50% of the number of shares of the
Company’s common stock issued to the New Investors in accordance with clause (i)
above with an exercise price per share of the Company’s common stock equal to
$0.90 (subject to anti-dilution adjustments).
National
Securities Corporation (“NSC”) and Dinosaur Securities, LLC (“Dinosaur” and
together with NSC, the “Placement Agent”) acted as co-placement agents in
connection with the Financing pursuant to an Engagement Letter, dated June 6,
2007 and a Placement Agent Agreement dated September 18, 2007. The Placement
Agent received (i) an aggregate cash fee equal to 8% of the face
amount of the Lambda Purchased Note and the Enso Purchased Note allocated and
paid 6.25% to NSC and 1.75% to Dinosaur, and (ii) warrants (“Placement Agent
Warrant”) with a term of five years from the date of issuance to purchase 10% of
the aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock issued upon
conversion of the Lambda Purchased Note and the Enso Purchased Note with an
exercise price per share of the Company’s common stock equal to
$0.90.
The
Company recorded a debt discount related to the issuance of the Exchange Notes,
of $785,000 and was amortizing the discount over the term of the Exchange Notes.
The amortization of the debt discount through November 14, 2007, the Automatic
Conversion Date, was recorded as interest expense and amounted to $120,000. The
remaining balance of the debt discount of $665,000 was written off to interest
expense when the Exchange Notes were converted into common stock.
On
October 24, 2007, the SEC accepted the Schedule 14C filed by the Company thereby
setting the “Automatic Conversion Date” of both the Series A and Series B Notes
to be November 14, 2007. The acceptance date also became the measurement date to
calculate the value of the embedded beneficial conversion feature in each note
and the detachable warrants included in the Series A Notes.
The
Company allocated the proceeds from the sale of the Purchased Notes between the
Purchased Notes and the Class D Warrants based upon their relative fair values,
resulting in the recognition of a discount of $3,763,000. The value of the Class
D Warrants was computed using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Second, in
accordance with EITF No. 00-27, “Application of Issue 98 - 5 to Certain Convertible
Instruments” after allocating a portion of the Purchased Notes proceeds to the
Class D Warrants, the Company calculated the value of the embedded beneficial
conversion feature in the Purchased Notes by comparing the carrying value of the
proceeds, net of the warrant discount, to the fair value of the shares issuable
upon conversion of the Purchased Notes. If there is a beneficial conversion, it
is recognized, as an additional discount to the extent of the remaining
proceeds. The Company recognized an additional discount of approximately
$8,914,000 for the embedded beneficial conversion feature. The amortization of
the discount and beneficial conversion feature through November 14, 2007, the
Automatic Conversion Date, was recorded as interest expense and amounted to
$239,000 and $566,000. The remaining balances of the discount of $3,524,000 and
beneficial conversion feature of $8,348,000 were written off to interest expense
when the Purchased Notes were converted into common stock. On November 14, 2007
the Purchased Notes, in aggregate principal amount of $12,677,000, and related
accrued interest of $190,000, were converted into an aggregate of 18,225,128
shares of common stock.
In
accordance with EITF No. 98-5, “Accounting for Convertible Securities with
Beneficial Conversion Features or Contingently Adjustable Conversion Ratios,”
the Company calculated the value of the embedded beneficial conversion feature
in the Exchange Notes by comparing the carrying value of the proceeds to the
fair value of the shares issuable upon conversion of the Exchange Notes. The
Company recognized a discount of $4,515,000 for the embedded beneficial
conversion feature. The amortization of the beneficial conversion feature
through November 14, 2007, the Automatic Conversion Date, was recorded as
interest expense and amounted to $286,000. The remaining balance of the
beneficial conversion feature of $4,229,000 was written off to interest expense
when the Exchange Notes were converted into common stock. On November 14, 2007
the Exchange Notes, in aggregate principal amount of $5,300,000, and related
accrued interest of $81,000, were converted into an aggregate of 7,622,259
shares of common stock.
51
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
8 — Convertible Notes – (continued)
As compensation for its
services as co-placement agents, National Securities Corporation and Dinosaur
Securities, LLC, received cash in the amount of $775,000 and $217,000 and
five-year warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,756,374 shares of the Company’s
common stock at an exercise price of $0.90 per share. These warrants contain a
“cashless exercise” option. The total fee of $2,039,000, including the fair
value of the warrants issued, was recorded as deferred financing costs. The
deferred costs were written off and
recorded as interest expense on November 14, 2007, the Automatic Conversion
Date.
Acceleration
of Non Cash Charges Upon Conversion of New Notes
The
conversion of the New Notes to equity on November 14, 2007 resulted in an
aggregate non-cash charge of $17,985,000, of which $13,429,000 relates to the
amortization of the beneficial conversion features and $4,556,000 relates to the
amortization of the debt discount.
Note
9 — Income Taxes
A
reconciliation of the income tax provision computed at the statutory tax rate to
the Company’s effective tax rate is as follows:
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
U.S.
federal statutory rate
|
35.00
|
%
|
35.00
|
%
|
||||
State
& local taxes
|
10.79
|
%
|
11.26
|
%
|
||||
Tax
on foreign operations
|
(1.36
|
)%
|
(0.51
|
)%
|
||||
Other
|
(3.03
|
)%
|
(1.21
|
)%
|
||||
Valuation
allowance
|
(44.11
|
)%
|
(45.53
|
)%
|
||||
Effective
tax rate
|
(2.71
|
)%
|
(0.99
|
)%
|
Significant
components of the Company’s deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2008 and 2007
are as follows:
|
|
|||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Deferred
tax assets:
|
|
|
||||||
Net
operating loss carry forwards
|
$
|
29,357,000
|
$
|
26,734,000
|
||||
Research
and development credits
|
957,000
|
896,000
|
||||||
Nonqualified
stock option compensation expense
|
1,751,000
|
1,703,000
|
||||||
Other
temporary book – tax differences
|
(63,000
|
)
|
2,000
|
|||||
Total
deferred tax assets
|
32,002,000
|
29,335,000
|
||||||
Valuation
allowance for deferred tax assets
|
(32,002,000
|
)
|
(29,335,000
|
)
|
||||
Net
deferred tax assets
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
A
valuation allowance has been recognized to offset the Company’s net deferred tax
asset as it is more likely than not that such net asset will not be realized.
The Company primarily considered its historical loss and potential Internal
Revenue Code Section 382 limitations to arrive at its conclusion that a
valuation allowance was required.
At
December 31, 2008, the Company had Federal, New York State and New York City
income tax net operating loss carryforwards of $60,584,000 each and foreign
income tax net operating loss carryforwards of $8,997,000. The Company also had
Federal research tax credit carryforwards of $957,000 at December 31, 2008 and
$896,000 at December 31, 2007. The Federal net operating loss and tax credit
carryforwards will expire at various times between 2012 and 2026 unless
utilized. During 2008, the Company received $147,000 payroll based research and
development credits from New York State.
On
January 1, 2007, the Company adopted the provisions of FIN 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes — An interpretation of FASB Statement
No.109.” Implementation of FIN 48 did not result in a cumulative effect
adjustment to the accumulated deficit.
It is the
Company’s policy to report interest and penalties, if any, related to
unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.
52
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
10 — Stock Plans, Share-Based Payments and Warrants
Stock
Plans
In 2000,
the Company adopted the Nephros 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. In January 2003, the
Board of Directors adopted an amendment and restatement of the plan and renamed
it the Amended and Restated Nephros 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2000
Plan”), under which 2,130,750 shares of common stock had been authorized for
issuance upon exercise of options granted and which may have been granted by the
Company.
As of
December 31, 2007, 353,392 options had been issued to non-employees under the
2000 Plan and were outstanding. Such options expire at various dates between
January 30, 2008 and March 15, 2014 all of which are fully vested. As of
December 31, 2007, 1,082,137 options had been issued to employees under the 2000
Plan and were outstanding. Such options expire at various dates between December
31, 2009 and March 15, 2014 all of which are fully vested.
As of
December 31, 2008, 220,888 options had been issued to non-employees under the
2000 Plan and were outstanding. Such options expire at various dates through
March 15, 2014 all of which are fully vested. As of December 31, 2008, 916,506
options had been issued to employees under the 2000 Plan and were outstanding.
Such options expire at various dates between December 31, 2009 and March 15,
2014 all of which are fully vested.
The Board
retired the 2000 Plan in June 2004, and thereafter no additional awards may be
granted under the 2000 Plan.
In 2004,
the Board of Directors adopted and the Company’s stockholders approved the
Nephros, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, and, in June 2005, the Company’s
stockholders approved an amendment to such plan (as amended, the “2004 Plan”),
that increased to 800,000 the number of shares of the Company’s common stock
that are authorized for issuance by the Company pursuant to grants of awards
under the 2004 Plan. In May 2007, the Company’s stockholders approved an
amendment to the 2004 Plan that increased to 1,300,000 the number of shares of
the Company’s common stock that are authorized for issuance by the Company
pursuant to grants of awards under the 2004 Plan. In addition, in June 2008, the
Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the 2004 Plan that increased to
2,696,976 the number of shares of the Company’s common stock that are authorized
for issuance by the Company pursuant to grants of awards under the 2004
Plan.
As of
December 31, 2007, 628,500 options had been issued to employees under the 2004
Plan and were outstanding. The options expire on various dates between December
14, 2014 and September 15, 2018, and vest upon a combination of the following:
immediate vesting or straight line vesting of two or four years. At December 31,
2007, there were 478,948 shares available for future grants under the 2004 Plan.
As of December 31, 2007, 192,552 options had been issued to non-employees under
the 2004 Plan and were outstanding. Such options expire at various dates between
November 11, 2014 and November 30, 2017, and vest upon a combination of the
following: immediate vesting or straight line vesting of two or four
years.
As of
December 31, 2008, 1,366,279 options had been issued to employees under the 2004
Plan and were outstanding. The options expire on various dates between December
14, 2014 and November 8, 2017, and vest upon a combination of the following:
immediate vesting or straight line vesting of two or four years. At December 31,
2008, there were 2,050,924 shares available for future grants under the 2004
Plan. As of December 31, 2008, 192,552 options had been issued to non-employees
under the 2004 Plan and were outstanding. Such options expire at various dates
between November 11, 2014 and November 30, 2017, and vest upon a combination of
the following: immediate vesting or straight line vesting of two or four
years.
Share-Based
Payment
Prior to
the Company’s initial public offering, options were granted to employees,
non-employees and non-employee directors at exercise prices which were lower
than the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. After
the date of the Company’s initial public offering, stock options are granted to
employees, non-employees and non-employee directors at exercise prices equal to
the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. Stock options
granted have a life of 10 years. Unvested options as of December 31,
2008 currently vest upon a combination of the following: immediate vesting or
straight line vesting of two or four years.
Expense
is recognized, net of expected forfeitures, over the vesting period of the
options. For options that vest upon the achievement of certain milestones,
expense is recognized when it is probable that the condition will be met. Stock
based compensation expense recognized for the years ended December 31, 2008 and
2007 was approximately $155,000 or less than $0.01 per share and
approximately $885,000 or $0.06 per share, respectively.
53
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
10 — Stock Plans, Share-Based Payments and Warrants
– (continued)
The fair
value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes option pricing model with the below assumptions related to
risk-free interest rates, expected dividend yield, expected lives and expected
stock price volatility.
Option
Pricing Assumptions
|
||||||||
Grant
Year
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||||
Stock
Price Volatility
|
89%-90%
|
84% – 86%
|
||||||
Risk-Free
Interest Rates
|
3.45% to 3.47%
|
3.97% to 4.83%
|
||||||
Expected
Life (in years)
|
6.25
|
5.8
to 6.0
|
||||||
Expected
Dividend Yield
|
0%
|
0%
|
Expected
volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock at
the time of grant. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury
yields in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the
expected life of the options. For the expected life, the Company is using the
simplified method as described in the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 107. This
method assumes that stock option grants will be exercised based on the average
of the vesting periods and the option’s life.
The total
fair value of options vested during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 was
approximately $102,000. The total fair value of options vested during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 was approximately $1,473,000.
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and
exercisable at December 31, 2008:
Options Outstanding
|
Options Exercisable
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Range of Exercise
Price
|
Number
Outstanding as
of December
31, 2008
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life in
Years
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Number
Exercisable as
of
December 31,
2008
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
|
|||||||||||||||
$0.32
- $0.37
|
1,270,471 | 5.7 | $ | 0.35 | 520,471 | $ | 0.32 | |||||||||||||
$0.75
|
375,000 | 9.3 | $ | 0.75 | — | $ | — | |||||||||||||
$0.80
– $1.49
|
306,279 | 1.9 | $ | 1.15 | 285,446 | $ | 1.17 | |||||||||||||
$1.76
|
165,630 | 4.4 | $ | 1.76 | 165,630 | $ | 1.76 | |||||||||||||
$2.32
– $2.64
|
335,703 | 4.8 | $ | 2.42 | 335,703 | $ | 2.42 | |||||||||||||
$2.78
– $4.80
|
243,142 | 4.6 | $ | 3.23 | 243,142 | $ | 3.23 | |||||||||||||
Total
Outstanding
|
2,696,225 | $ | 1.10 | 1,550,392 | $ | 1.54 |
The
number of new options granted in 2008 and 2007 is 1,125,000 and 610,000,
respectively. The weighted-average fair value of options granted in 2008 and
2007 is $0.38 and $0.76, respectively.
54
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
10 — Stock Plans, Share-Based Payments and Warrants
– (continued)
The
following table summarizes the option activity for the years ended December 31,
2008 and 2007:
Shares
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|||||||
Outstanding
at December 31, 2007
|
2,256,580
|
$
|
1.53
|
|||||
Options
granted
|
1,125,000
|
$
|
0.50
|
|||||
Options
canceled
|
(685,355
|
)
|
$
|
1.46
|
||||
Outstanding
at December 31, 2008
|
2,696,225
|
$
|
1.10
|
|||||
Expected
to vest at December 31, 2008
|
1,079,375
|
$
|
0.50
|
|||||
Exercisable
at December 31, 2008
|
1,550,392
|
$
|
1.54
|
The
aggregate intrinsic value of stock options outstanding at December 31, 2008 and
the stock options vested or expected to vest is $0. A stock option has intrinsic
value, at any given time, if and to the extent that the exercise price of such
stock option is less than the market price of the underlying common stock
at such time. The weighted-average remaining contractual life of options vested
or expected to vest is 6.4 years.
As of
December 31, 2008, the total remaining unrecognized compensation cost related to
non-vested stock options amounted to $355,000 and will be amortized over the
weighted-average remaining requisite service period of 3.4 years.
Warrants
Class D
Warrants — As disclosed above in Note 8, the Company issued Class D
Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 9,112,566 shares of the Company’s common
stock to the Investors upon conversion of the Purchased Notes. The Company
recorded the issuance of the Class D Warrants at their approximate fair market
value of $3,763,000. The value of the Class D Warrants was computed using the
Black-Scholes option pricing model.
Placement
Agent Warrants — As disclosed above in Note 8, the Company issued
Placement Agent Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,756,374 shares of the
Company’s common stock to the Company’s placement agents in connection with
their roles in the Offering. The Company recorded the issuance of the Placement
Agent Warrants at their approximate fair market value of $1,047,000. The value
of the Placement Agent Warrants was computed using the Black-Scholes option
pricing model.
The
following table summarizes certain terms of all of the Company’s outstanding
warrants at December 31, 2008.
Total
Outstanding Warrants
Title
of Warrant
|
Date
Issued
|
Expiry
Date
|
Exercise
Price
|
Total
Common
Shares
Issuable
|
||||||||||||
IPO
Underwriter Warrants
|
3/24/2005
|
9/20/2009
|
$
|
7.50
|
200,000
|
|||||||||||
Lancer
Warrants
|
1/18/2006
|
1/18/2009
|
$
|
1.50
|
21,308
|
|||||||||||
Class
D Warrants
|
11/14/2007
|
11/14/2012
|
$
|
0.90
|
9,112,566
|
|||||||||||
Placement
Agent Warrants
|
11/14/2007
|
11/14/2012
|
$
|
0.90
|
1,756,374
|
|||||||||||
Total
all Outstanding Warrants
|
|
|
$
|
1.02 (1)
|
11,090,248
|
(1)
|
Weighted
average.
|
55
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
11 — 401(k) Plan
The
Company has established a 401(k) deferred contribution retirement plan (the
“401(k) Plan”) which covers all employees. The 401(k) Plan provides for
voluntary employee contributions of up to 15% of annual earnings, as defined. As
of January 1, 2004, the Company began matching 100% of the first 3% and 50% of
the next 2% of employee earnings to the 401(k) Plan. The Company contributed and
expensed $29,000 and $50,000 in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Note
12 — Commitments and Contingencies
Settlement
Agreements
Plexus
Services Corp.
In June
2002, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with one of its suppliers,
Plexus Services Corp. The Company had an outstanding liability to such supplier
in the amount of $1,900,000. Pursuant to this settlement agreement, the Company
and the supplier agreed to release each other from any and all claims or
liabilities, whether known or unknown, that each had against the other as of the
date of the settlement agreement, except for obligations arising out of the
settlement agreement itself. The settlement agreement required the Company to
grant to the supplier (i) warrants to purchase 170,460 shares of common stock of
the Company at an exercise price of $10.56 per share which expired on June 2007
and (ii) cash payments of an aggregate amount of $650,000 in three installments.
The warrants were valued at $400,000 using the Black-Scholes model. Accordingly,
the Company recorded a gain of $850,000 based on such settlement agreement. On
June 19, 2002, the Company issued the warrant to the supplier, and on August 7,
2002, the Company satisfied the first $300,000 installment of the agreement. The
second installment of $100,000 was due on February 7, 2003, and the Company paid
$75,000 towards the installment. On November 11, 2004, after the successful
closing of its initial public offering, the Company paid an additional $25,000
and agreed with the supplier to pay the remaining $250,000 over time. The final
payment of $25,000 was paid on September 26, 2007.
Lancer
Offshore, Inc.
In August
2002, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with Lancer Offshore,
Inc. (“Lancer”), pursuant to which Lancer agreed to purchase, in several
installments, (1) $3,000,000 principal amount of secured convertible notes due
March 15, 2003 and (2) warrants to purchase until December 2007 an aggregate of
68,184 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $8.80 per
share. In accordance with the subscription agreement, the first installment of
securities, consisting one-half of the total, were tendered. However, Lancer
failed to fund the remaining installments. Following this failure, the Company
entered into a settlement agreement with Lancer dated as of January 31, 2003,
pursuant to which, among other things, the $1,500,000 secured convertible note
issued to Lancer in August 2002 was cancelled. However, Lancer never fulfilled
the conditions to the subsequent closing under the settlement agreement and,
accordingly, the Company never issued the $1,500,000 non-convertible note that
the settlement agreement provided would be issued at such closing.
The above
transaction resulted in the Company becoming a defendant in an action brought by
the Receiver for Lancer Offshore, Inc. (the “Ancillary Proceeding”) that was
commenced on March 8, 2004. On December 19, 2005, the Court approved the
Stipulation of Settlement with respect to the Ancillary Proceeding dated
November 8, 2005 (the “Settlement”). Pursuant to the terms of the Settlement,
the Company agreed to pay the Receiver an aggregate of $900,000 under the
following payment terms: $100,000 paid on January 5, 2006; and four payments of
$200,000 each at six month intervals thereafter. In addition, any warrants
previously issued to Lancer were cancelled, and, on January 18, 2006, the
Company issued to the Receiver warrants to purchase 21,308 shares of the
Company’s common stock at $1.50 per share exercisable until January 18, 2009.
The final payment of $400,000 was made on October 3, 2007.
56
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
12 — Commitments and
Contingencies – (continued)
Manufacturing
and Suppliers
The
Company does not intend to manufacture any of its products or components. The
Company has entered into an agreement dated May 12, 2003, and amended on March
22, 2005 with a contract manufacturer (“CM”), a developer and manufacturer of
medical products, to assemble and produce the Company’s OLpur MD190, MD220 or
other filter products at the Company’s option. The agreement requires the
Company to purchase from CM the OLpur MD190s and MD220s or other filter products
that the Company directly markets in Europe, or are marketed by our distributor.
In addition, CM will be given first consideration in good faith for the
manufacture of OLpur MD190s, MD220s or other filter products that the Company
does not directly market. No less than semiannually, CM will provide a report to
representatives of both parties to the agreement detailing any technical
know-how that CM has developed that would permit them to manufacture the filter
products less expensively
and both parties will jointly determine the actions to be taken with respect to
these findings. If the fiber wastage with respect to the filter products
manufactured in any given year exceeds 5%, then CM will reimburse the Company up
to half of the cost of the quantity of fiber represented by excess wastage. CM
will manufacture the OLpur MD190 or other filter products in accordance with the
quality standards outlined in the agreement. Upon recall of any OLpur MD190 or
other filter product due to CM having manufactured one or more products that
fail to conform to the required specifications or having failed to manufacture
one or more products in accordance with any applicable laws, CM will be
responsible for the cost of recall. The agreement also requires that the Company
maintain certain minimum product-liability insurance coverage and that the
Company indemnify CM against certain liabilities arising out of the Company’s
products that they manufacture, providing they do not arise out of CM’s breach
of the agreement, negligence or willful misconduct. The term of the agreement is
through May 12, 2009, with successive automatic one-year renewal terms, until
either party gives the other notice that it does not wish to renew at least 90
days prior to the end of the term. The agreement may be terminated prior to the
end of the term by either party upon the occurrence of certain
insolvency-related events or breaches by the other party. Although the Company
has no separate agreement with respect to such activities, CM has also been
manufacturing the Company’s DSU in limited quantities.
The
Company also entered into an agreement in December 2003, and amended in June
2005, with a fiber supplier (“FS”), a manufacturer of medical and technical
membranes for applications like dialysis, to continue to produce the fiber for
the OLpur MDHDF filter series. Pursuant to the agreement, FS is the Company’s
exclusive provider of the fiber for the OLpur MDHDF filter series in the
European Union as well as certain other territories through September 2009.
Notwithstanding the exclusivity provisions, the Company may purchase membranes
from other providers if FS is unable to timely satisfy the Company’s
orders.
The
Company is committed to use one supplier for its production of products for sale
in Europe; however no minimum purchase requirements are in effect.
Contractual
Obligations
At
December 31, 2008, the Company had an operating lease that will expire on
November 30, 2011 for the rental of its U.S. office and research and development
facilities as well as an operating lease that will expire on August 31, 2008,
unless renewed for a twelve month period or a rolling six month lease, for the
rental of its office in Ireland. Rent expense for the years ended
December 31, 2008 and 2007 totaled $222,000 and $191,000,
respectively.
Contractual
Obligations and Commercial Commitments
The
following tables summarize our approximate minimum contractual obligations and
commercial commitments as of December 31, 2008:
Payments
Due in Period
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual
Obligations
|
Total
|
Within
1
Year
|
Years
1 – 3
|
Years
3 – 5
|
More
than
5
Years
|
|||||||||||||||
Leases
|
$
|
296,000
|
$
|
115,000
|
$
|
181,000
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
||||||||||
Employment
Contracts
|
1,066,250
|
425,000
|
641,250
|
|||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$
|
1,362,250
|
$
|
540,000
|
$
|
822,250
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
57
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
12 — Commitments and
Contingencies – (continued)
Registration Payment
Arrangement
In
September 2007, the Company issued $12,677,000 and $5,300,000 in convertible
notes and, as partial compensation to placement agents in connection therewith,
issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,756,374 shares of common stock.
Upon conversion of such notes in November 2007, the Company issued an aggregate
of 25,847,388 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase an aggregate of
9,112,566 shares of common stock to the former holders of such notes. As part of
such offering, the Company has entered into an arrangement requiring the Company
to use its best efforts to file a registration statement with the SEC covering
resale of the shares of common stock and for such registration statement to be
declared effective on or prior to June 20, 2008 (the Effectiveness Date). The
Initial Resale Registration Statement was declared effective on May 5,
2008.
Employee
Severance Agreement
On
September 19, 2007, in connection with Mr. Fox’s resignation as Executive
Chairman, Nephros and Mr. Fox entered into a Separation Agreement and Release
(the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties mutually agreed to
terminate Mr. Fox’s employment with Nephros and the employment agreement between
Nephros and Mr. Fox made as of July 1, 2006 (the “Employment Agreement”),
effective immediately. Nephros will pay Mr. Fox an aggregate of $142,500 payable
in equal installments for a period of six months after the Termination Date (as
defined in the Separation Agreement). Nephros also paid to Mr. Fox any
accrued but unpaid Base Salary (as defined in the Employment Agreement) for
services rendered through the Termination Date. The final payment to Mr. Fox was
made in the first quarter of 2008.
On May 7,
2008, the Company entered into a separation agreement and release
with Mr. Lerner, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to which, the
employment agreement between the Company and Mr. Lerner, dated as of March
6, 2006, was terminated. Pursuant to the separation agreement,
Mr. Lerner agreed to remain employed by the Company and to consult
with the Company's officers, directors and agents and otherwise provide
assistance in the Company's transition to a new chief financial officer
until a separation date as late as May 15,
2008. The separation agreement provides that (i)
Mr. Lerner will continue to receive his current base salary for a period of
three months following the separation date, to be paid in accordance with
the Company’s normal payroll practices, and (ii) the Company will reimburse Mr.
Lerner for up to $5,000 of reasonable expenses for professional
outplacement assistance. The separation agreement also contains mutual
releases and other customary provisions.
On
September 15, 2008, the Company entered into a separation agreement and
release with Mr. Barta, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer,
pursuant to which the employment agreement between the Company and Mr.
Barta, dated as of July 1, 2007, was terminated. Pursuant to
the separation agreement, Mr. Barta agreed to remain employed
by the Company and to consult with the Company's officers,
directors and agents and otherwise provide assistance in the Company's
transition to a new chief executive officer until October 10, 2008
(“Separation Date”). The separation agreement provides, among other
things, that:
·
|
The
Company will pay Mr. Barta his base salary and any accrued but unused
vacation through the Separation
Date;
|
·
|
Within
five days following the Separation Date, the Company will pay Mr. Barta an
$18,000 bonus in connection with certain operational milestones that had
been met; and
|
·
|
Mr.
Barta will continue to receive his base salary for a period of six
months following the Separation
Date.
|
The
Separation Agreement also stated that, in accordance with their respective
terms, the options granted to Mr. Barta on January 24, 2000, December 14, 2004
and November 8, 2007 - to the extent vested prior to the Separation Date - shall
remain exercisable until three months after the Separation Date, and the options
granted to Mr. Barta on January 30, 2003 shall remain exercisable until nine
months after the Separation Date. A number of the options that were granted to
Mr. Barta on November 8, 2007 remained unvested and were cancelled and forfeited
by Mr. Barta as of the Separation Date. The separation agreement also
contains mutual releases and other customary provisions. The balance
due Mr. Barta as of December 31, 2008 was $105,000.
Former
Employee Claim
A former
Company employee in France filed a claim in October 2008 stating that he is due
30,000 Euro or approximately $42,000 in back wages. The individual
left the Company four years ago and signed a Separation Agreement which stated
the Company had no further liability to the individual. The Company’s
attorney has advised that the Separation Agreement is valid and
should preclude any liability. The matter will be heard before a
French court sometime in 2009. No date has been set at this
time.
58
NEPHROS,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
12 — Commitments and
Contingencies – (continued)
The
Company evaluated this issue in light of FASB Statement No. 5, Accounting
for Contingencies and
determined that although the contingent loss is clearly able to be estimated,
management’s assessment is that the likelihood of the loss being incurred is
remote due to the existence of an executed Separation Agreement which clearly
states the Company has no further liability to the former employee. The
prescribed treatment of this item as described, per FASB Statement
No. 5, Accounting
for Contingency,
is to disclose the existence of the contingency and the amount of the
potential loss but the loss is not to be recorded. No
accrual has been made for this item in the 2008 financial
statements.
Note
13 — Concentration of Credit Risk
Cash and
cash equivalents are financial instruments which potentially subject the Company
to concentrations of credit risk. The Company deposits its cash in financial
institutions. At times, such deposits may be in excess of insured limits. To
date, the Company has not experienced any impairment losses on its cash and cash
equivalents.
Major
Customers
For the
year ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, one customer accounted for 78% and 91%,
respectively, of the Company’s sales. In addition, as of December 31,
2008 and 2007, that customer accounted for 66% and 98%, respectively, of the
Company’s accounts receivable.
Note
14 — Subsequent Event
NYSE
Alternext US LLC (formerly, the American Stock Exchange or “AMEX”)
Issues
On
January 8, 2009, the Company received a letter from the AMEX notifying the
Company that it was rejecting its plan of compliance regarding the
following listing standards to which the Company was in noncompliance
of:
·
|
Section
1003(a)(iii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its five most recent fiscal
years;
|
·
|
Section
1003(a)(ii), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, securities of an issuer which has
stockholders’ equity of less than $4,000,000 if such issuer has sustained
net losses in its three of its four most recent fiscal years;
and
|
·
|
Section
1003(f)(v), which states AMEX will normally consider suspending dealings
in, or removing from the list, common stock that sells for a substantial
period of time at a low price per
share.
|
The
AMEX further notified us that the AMEX intends to strike the common stock from
the AMEX by filing a delisting application with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to Rule 1009(d) of the AMEX Company Guide. Given
the turmoil in the capital markets, we have decided not to seek an appeal of the
AMEX’s intention to delist our common stock.
On
January 22, 2009, the Company was informed by the AMEX that the AMEX had
suspended trading in the Company’s common stock effective
immediately. Immediately following the notification, the Company’s
common stock was no longer traded on the AMEX.
Effective
February 4, 2009, the Company’s common stock is now quoted on the Over the
Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol “NEPH.OB”.
59
Item
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure
There
have been no changes in or disagreements with our accountants since our
formation required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 304 of Regulation S-B,
except that on July 16, 2007, we changed auditors as reported on our Form 8-K
filed on July 16, 2007.
Item
9A(T). Controls and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Exchange
Act Rule 13a-15(e),which is designed to provide reasonable assurance that
information, which is required to be disclosed in our reports filed pursuant to
the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is
accumulated and communicated to management in a timely manner. At the end of the
period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the
supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the
design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b). Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report were
effective.
Changes
in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
In
connection with the preparation of our Annual Report of Form 10-KSB for the year
ended December 31, 2007, management identified a material weakness, due to an
insufficient number of resources in the accounting and finance department,
resulting in (i) an ineffective review, monitoring and analysis of schedules,
reconciliations and financial statement disclosures and (ii) the misapplication
of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements. Throughout fiscal year
2008 and as reported in our Form 10-Qs filed during the year, we initiated and
implemented the following measures:
·
|
Developed
procedures to implement a formal quarterly closing calendar and process
and held quarterly meetings to address the quarterly closing
process;
|
·
|
Established
a detailed timeline for review and completion of financial reports to be
included in our Forms 10-Q and
10-K;
|
·
|
Enhanced
the level of service provided by outside accounting service providers to
further support and provide additional resources for internal preparation
and review of financial reports and supplemented our internal staff in
accounting and related areas;
and
|
·
|
Employed
the use of appropriate supplemental SEC and U.S. GAAP checklists in
connection with our closing process and the preparation of our Forms 10-Q
and 10-K.
|
As a
result of the implementation of the above items, the material weakness was
remediated in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Other
than the matters discussed above, there were no other significant changes in our
internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that have
materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal
control over financial reporting. Through the evaluation of the Sarbanes-Oxley
internal control assessment, a more structured approach, including checklists,
reconciliations and analytical reviews, has been implemented to reduce risk in
the financial reporting process.
Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting, as
defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f), is a process designed by, or under the
supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers and
effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and
procedures that:
|
·
|
Pertain
to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and
fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
|
|
·
|
Provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being
made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and
directors; and
|
|
·
|
Provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have
a material effect on the financial
statements.
|
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not
prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness
to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the
policies or procedures may deteriorate. All internal control systems, no matter
how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems
determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance
with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. The scope of
management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting includes all of our Company’s consolidated
subsidiaries.
60
Management
assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as
of December 31, 2008. In making this assessment, management used the criteria
set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (COSO) in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework.” Based on this
assessment, management believes that, as of December 31, 2008, our internal
control over financial reporting was operating effectively.
This
annual report does not include an attestation report by our registered public
accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public
accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission that permit us to provide only a management assessment in this annual
report.
Item
9B. Other Information
Not
applicable.
61
PART
III
Item
10. Directors, Executive Officers, Promoters, Control Persons and Corporate
Governance
We have
adopted a written code of ethics and business conduct that applies to our
directors, executive officers and all employees. We intend to disclose any
amendments to, or waivers from, our code of ethics and business conduct that are
required to be publicly disclosed pursuant to rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission and the American Stock Exchange by filing such amendment or
waiver with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This code of ethics and
business conduct can be found in the corporate governance section of our
website, www.nephros.com.
The other
information called for by this item is incorporated by reference to our
definitive proxy statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,
which will be filed with the SEC. If such proxy statement is not filed on or
before April 30, 2009, then the information called for by this item will be
filed as part of an amendment to this Form 10-K on or before such date, in
accordance with General Instruction E(3).
Item
11. Executive Compensation
The
information called for by this item is incorporated herein by reference to our
definitive proxy statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,
which will be filed with the SEC. If such proxy statement is not filed on or
before April 30, 2009, the information called for by this item will be filed as
part of an amendment to this Form 10-K on or before such date, in accordance
with General Instruction E(3).
Item
12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
The
following table provides information as of December 31, 2008 about compensation
plans under which shares of our common stock may be issued to employees,
consultants or members of our Board of Directors upon exercise of options,
warrants or rights under all of our existing equity compensation plans. Our
existing equity compensation plans consist of our Amended and Restated Nephros
2000 Equity Incentive Plan and our Nephros, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan
(together, our “Stock Option Plans”) in which all of our employees and directors
are eligible to participate.
Plan Category
|
(a)
Number of Securities
to be Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
|
(b)
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
|
(c)
Number of Securities
Remaining Available for
Future Issuance Under
Equity Compensation
Plans (Excluding
Securities Reflected
in Column (a))
|
|||||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by stockholders
|
13,346,828
|
$
|
1.11
|
478,948
|
||||||||
Equity
compensation plans not approved by stockholders
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||||
All
plans
|
13,346,828
|
$
|
1.11
|
478,948
|
The other
information called for by this item is incorporated by reference to our
definitive proxy statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,
which will be filed with the SEC. If such proxy statement is not filed on or
before April 30, 2009, the information called for by this item will be filed as
part of an amendment to this Form 10-K on or before such date, in accordance
with General Instruction E(3).
Item
13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence
The
information called for by this item is incorporated herein by reference to our
definitive proxy statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,
which will be filed with the SEC. If such proxy statement is not filed on or
before April 30, 2009, the information called for by this item will be filed as
part of an amendment to this Form 10-K on or before such date, in accordance
with General Instruction E(3).
Item
14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The
information called for by this item is incorporated herein by reference to our
definitive proxy statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,
which will be filed with the SEC. If such proxy statement is not filed on or
before April 30, 2009, the information called for by this item will be filed as
part of an amendment to this Form 10-K on or before such date, in accordance
with General Instruction E(3).
62
Item
15. Exhibits
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
|
3.1
|
Fourth Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant.(5)
|
|
3.2
|
Certificate of Amendment to the
Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
Registrant.
(13)
|
|
3.3
|
Certificate of Amendment to the
Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
Registrant.
(13)
|
|
3.4
|
Certificate of Amendment to the
Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant
as filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on November 13,
2007.
(14)
|
|
3.5
|
Second Amended and Restated
By-Laws of the Registrant.(16)
|
|
4.1
|
Specimen of Common Stock
Certificate of the Registrant.(1)
|
|
4.2
|
Form of Underwriter’s
Warrant.(1)
|
|
4.3
|
Warrant
for the purchase of shares of common stock dated January 18, 2006, issued
to Marty Steinberg,
Esq., as Court-appointed Receiver for Lancer Offshore, Inc.(17)
|
|
4.4
|
Form of Series A 10% Secured
Convertible Note due 2008 convertible into Common Stock and
Warrants.
(15)
|
|
4.5
|
Form of Series B 10% Secured
Convertible Note due 2008 convertible into Common Stock.(15)
|
|
4.6
|
Form of Class D
Warrant.(15)
|
|
4.7
|
Form of Placement Agent
Warrant.(15)
|
|
10.1
|
Amended and Restated 2000 Nephros
Equity Incentive Plan.(1)(2)
|
|
10.2
|
2004 Nephros Stock Incentive
Plan.(1)(2)
|
|
10.3
|
Amendment No. 1 to 2004 Nephros
Stock Incentive Plan.(2)(5)
|
|
10.4
|
Amendment No. 2 to the Nephros,
Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan.(14)
|
|
10.5
|
Form of Subscription Agreement
dated as of June 1997 between the Registrant and each Purchaser of Series
A Convertible Preferred Stock.
(1)
|
|
10.6
|
Amendment and Restatement to
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2000 and amended and
restated as of June 26, 2003, between the Registrant and the holders of a
majority of Registrable Shares (as defined therein).
(1)
|
|
10.7
|
Employment
Agreement dated as of November 21, 2002 between Norman J. Barta and
the Registrant.
(1)(2)
|
|
10.8
|
Amendment to Employment Agreement
dated as of March 17, 2003 between Norman J. Barta and the
Registrant.
(1)(2)
|
|
10.9
|
Amendment to Employment Agreement
dated as of May 31, 2004 between Norman J. Barta and the
Registrant.
(1)(2)
|
|
10.10
|
Employment Agreement effective as
of July 1, 2007 between Nephros, Inc. and Norman J. Barta.
(14)
|
|
10.11
|
Form of Employee Patent and
Confidential Information Agreement.(1)
|
|
10.12
|
Form of Employee Confidentiality
Agreement.(1)
|
|
10.13
|
Settlement Agreement dated June
19, 2002 between Plexus Services Corp. and the Registrant.(1)
|
|
10.14
|
Settlement
Agreement dated as of January 31, 2003 between Lancer Offshore, Inc. and
the Registrant.
(1)
|
|
10.15
|
Settlement Agreement dated as of
February 13, 2003 between Hermitage Capital Corporation and the
Registrant.
(1)
|
63
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
|
10.16
|
Supply Agreement between Nephros,
Inc. and FS, dated as of December 17,
2003.
(1)(3)
|
|
10.17
|
Amended Supply Agreement between
Nephros, Inc. and FS dated as of June 16,
2005.
(3)(7)
|
|
10.18
|
Manufacturing and Supply
Agreement between Nephros, Inc. and CM, dated as of May 12,
2003.
(1)(3)
|
|
10.19
|
Amended Manufacturing and Supply
Agreement between Nephros, Inc. and CM, dated as of March 22,
2005.
(3)(8)
|
|
10.20
|
HDF-Cartridge
License Agreement dated as of March 2, 2005 between Nephros, Inc. and
Asahi Kasei Medical Co.,
Ltd.
(4)
|
|
10.21
|
Subscription
Agreement dated as of March 2, 2005 between Nephros, Inc. and Asahi Kasei
Medical Co., Ltd.
(4)
|
|
10.22
|
Non-employee Director
Compensation Summary.(2)(6)
|
|
10.23
|
Named Executive Officer Summary
of Changes to Compensation.(2)(6)
|
|
10.24
|
Stipulation of Settlement
Agreement between Lancer Offshore, Inc. and Nephros, Inc. approved on
December 19, 2005.
(8)
|
|
10.25
|
Consulting
Agreement, dated as of January 11, 2006, between the Company and Bruce
Prashker.
(2)(8)
|
|
10.26
|
Summary of Changes to Chief
Executive Officer’s Compensation.(2)(8)
|
|
10.27
|
Employment
Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2006, between the Company and
Mark W. Lerner.
(2)(8)
|
|
10.28
|
Form of 6% Secured Convertible
Note due 2012 for June 1, 2006 Investors.(9)
|
|
10.29
|
Form of Prepayment
Warrant.(9)
|
|
10.30
|
Form of Subscription Agreement,
dated as of June 1, 2006.(9)
|
|
10.31
|
Form of Registration Rights
Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2006.(9)
|
|
10.32
|
Form of 6% Secured Convertible
Note due 2012 for June 30, 2006 Investors.(10)
|
|
10.33
|
Form of Subscription Agreement,
dated as of June 30, 2006.(10)
|
|
10.34
|
Employment Agreement between
Nephros, Inc. and William J. Fox, entered into on August 2,
2006.
(2)(11)
|
|
10.35
|
Addendum
to Commercial Contract between Nephros, Inc. and Bellco S.p.A, effective
as of January 1, 2007.
(3)
|
|
10.36
|
Form of Subscription Agreement
between Nephros and each New Investor.(15)
|
|
10.37
|
Exchange
Agreement, dated as of September 19, 2007, between Nephros and the
Exchange Investors.
(15)
|
|
10.38
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of September 19, 2007, among Nephros and the
Investors.
(15)
|
|
10.39
|
Investor Rights Agreement, dated
as of September 19, 2007, among Nephros and the Investors.
(15)
|
|
10.40
|
Placement
Agent Agreement, dated as of September 18, 2007, among Nephros, NSC and
Dinosaur.
(15)
|
|
10.41
|
License
Agreement, dated October 1, 2007, between the Trustees of Columbia
University in the City of New York, and Nephros.
(17)
|
|
10.42
|
Executive
Employment Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2008, between Nephros, Inc. and
Gerald J. Kochanski. (18)
|
|
10.43
|
Separation
Agreement, dated as of April 28, 2008, between Nephros, Inc. and Mark W.
Lerner.
(18)
|
|
10.44
|
Separation
Agreement and Release, dated as of September 15, 2008, between Nephros,
Inc. and Norman J. Barta.
(19)
|
|
10.45
|
Employment
Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2008, between Nephros, Inc. and
Ernest A. Elgin III.
(19)
|
|
10.46
|
Lease
Agreement between Nephros, Inc. and 41 Grand Avenue, LLC dated as of
November 20, 2008. (20)
|
|
10.47
|
Distribution
Agreement between Nephros, Inc. and OLS, dated as of November 26,
2008.
|
64
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
|
10.48
|
Lease
Agreement between Nephros International LTD and Coldwell Banker Penrose
& O’Sullivan dated November 30, 2008.
|
|
10.49
|
Distribution
Agreement between Nephros, Inc. and Aqua Services, Inc., dated as of
December
3, 2008.
|
|
10.50
|
Sales
Management Agreement between Nephros, Inc. and Steve Adler, dated as of
December
16, 2008.
|
|
10.51
|
Amendment
No. 3 to the Nephros, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan.
|
|
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of Registrant.(12)
|
|
23.1
|
Consent
of Rothstein Kass, Certified Public Accountants, dated as of March 31,
2008.
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
by the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
by the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
32.1
|
Certification
by the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
32.2
|
Certification
by the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
(1)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, File
No. 333-116162.
|
(2)
|
Management
contract or compensatory plan
arrangement.
|
(3)
|
Portions
omitted pursuant to a request for confidential
treatment.
|
(4)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K Filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3,
2005.
|
(5)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No.
333-127264), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
August 5, 2005.
|
(6)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB, filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 16,
2005.
|
(7)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB, filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15,
2005.
|
(8)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 20,
2006.
|
(9)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2,
2006.
|
(10)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on July 7,
2006.
|
(11)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4,
2006.
|
(12)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year
ended December 31, 2006, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on April 10, 2007.
|
(13)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the
quarter ended June 30, 2007, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on August 13,
2007.
|
(14)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the
quarter ended September 30, 2007, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 13,
2007.
|
65
(15)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on September 25,
2007.
|
(16)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on December 3,
2007.
|
(17)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year
ended December 31, 2007, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 31, 2008.
|
(18)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended March 31, 2008, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on May 15, 2008.
|
(19)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended September 30, 2008, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 14,
2008.
|
(20)
|
Incorporated
by reference to Nephros, Inc. ’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20,
2008.
|
66
SIGNATURES
In
accordance with Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Registrant caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.
NEPHROS,
INC.
|
||||
Date:
March 27, 2009
|
By:
|
|||
/s/
Ernest A. Elgin III
|
||||
Name:
Ernest A. Elgin III
|
||||
Title:
President and Chief Executive
Officer
|
In
accordance with the Exchange Act, this report has been signed below by the
following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and the
dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
/s/
Ernest A. Elgin
Ernest
A. Elgin
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive
Officer)
|
March
27, 2009
|
||
/s/
Gerald J. Kochanski
Gerald
J. Kochanski
|
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial and
Accounting
Officer)
|
March
27, 2009
|
||
/s/
Arthur H. Amron
Arthur
H. Amron
|
Director
|
March
27, 2009
|
||
/s/
Lawrence J. Centella
Lawrence
J. Centella
|
Director
|
March
27, 2009
|
||
/s/
Paul A. Mieyal
Paul
A. Mieyal
|
Director
|
March
27, 2009
|
||
/s/
Eric A. Rose, M.D.
Eric
A. Rose, M.D.
|
Director
|
March
27, 2009
|
||
/s/
James S. Scibetta
James
S. Scibetta
|
Director
|
March
27,
2009
|
67