Propanc Biopharma, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017

For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

Commission File Number: 000-54878

PROPANC BIOPHARMA, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

302, 6 Butler Street

Camberwell, VIC, 3124 Australia

(Address of principal executive offices)

61 03 9882 6723

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [  ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes [X] No [  ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [  ]

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes [  ] No [X]

The aggregate market value of the Company’s common stock held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter: $6,844,346.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 6,490,015 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, issued and outstanding as of September 28, 2017.

PROPANC BIOPHARMA, INC.

INDEX

Forward-Looking Statements

References in this report to “Propanc”, the “Company”, “we”, “our”, or “us” mean Propanc Biopharma, Inc. and its subsidiaries except where the context otherwise requires. This Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 (“Form 10-K”) contains certain statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “PSLRA”), and are made in reliance upon the protections provided by such act for forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including: any projections of earnings, revenues or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new products, services or developments; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; any statements of belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements may include the words “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan” or “anticipate” and other similar words. The ultimate correctness of these forward-looking statements is dependent upon a number of known and unknown risks and events and is subject to various uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements.

The following important factors, among others, could affect future results and events, causing those results and events to differ materially from those views expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements: our ability to successfully remediate material weaknesses in our internal controls; our ability to reach research and development milestones as planned and within proposed budgets; our ability to control costs; our ability to successfully implement our expansion strategies; our ability to obtain adequate new financing; our ability to successfully develop and market our technologies; our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection; our ability to recruit employees and directors with accounting and finance expertise; our dependence on third parties for services; our dependence on key executives; the impact of government regulations, including FDA regulations; and the impact of any future litigation; the availability of capital and other economic, business and competitive factors. Any one or more of such risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on us or the value of our common stock. For a further list and description of various risks, relevant factors and uncertainties that could cause future results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements, see the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

All forward-looking statements included in this Form-10-K are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K or as of the date indicated. We do not undertake any obligation to, and may not, publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or which we hereafter become aware of, except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time and we cannot predict these events or how they may affect us. When considering these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements contained in this report and any documents incorporated herein by reference. You should read this document and the documents that we incorporate by reference into this Form-10-K completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. All forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

Notwithstanding the above, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, expressly states that the safe harbor for forward looking statements does not apply to companies that issue penny stocks. Accordingly, the safe harbor for forward looking statements under the PSLRA is not currently available to the Company because we are an issuer of penny stock.

Note Regarding Reverse Stock Split

On April 19, 2017, the Company filed an amendment to its Articles of Incorporation to effect a 1-for-250 reverse stock split of its common stock at 12:01 a.m. on April 20, 2017. This annual report reflects the pro forma impact of the reverse stock split unless otherwise noted.

PART I

Item 1. Business.

General

As used in this Form 10-K, references to the “Company”, “Propanc”, “we”, “our”, “ours” and “us” refer to Propanc Biopharma, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiary, unless otherwise indicated. In addition, references to our “financial statements” are to our consolidated financial statements except as the context otherwise requires.

We prepare our financial statements in United States dollars and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States, referred to as “U.S. GAAP”. In this Form 10-K, references to “$” and “dollars” are to United States dollars.

Overview

We are a development-stage healthcare company that is currently focused on developing new cancer treatments for patients suffering from pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancer. Utilizing our scientific and oncology consultants, we have developed a rational, composite formulation of anti-cancer compounds, which together exert a number of effects designed to control or prevent tumors from recurring and spreading through the body. Our lead product candidate, PRP, is a variation upon our novel formulation and involves pro-enzymes, the inactive precursors of enzymes. As a result of positive early indications of the anti-cancer effects of our technology, over the last year we have conducted successful pre-clinical studies on PRP and hope to submit a clinical trial application in the United Kingdom (the “UK”) during 2018. We intend to develop our PRP to treat early-stage cancer and pre-cancerous diseases and as a preventative measure for patients at risk of developing cancer based on genetic screening.

Key Research and Development Highlights:

Company History

The Company was originally incorporated in Melbourne, Victoria Australia on October 15, 2007 as Propanc PTY LTD, and continues to be based in Camberwell, Victoria Australia.

Since its inception, substantially all of our operations have been focused on the development of new cancer treatments targeting high-risk patients, particularly cancer survivors, who need a follow-up, non-toxic, long-term therapy designed to prevent the cancer from returning and spreading. We anticipate establishing global markets for our products.

On November 23, 2010, the Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware as Propanc Health Group Corporation. In January 2011, to reorganize the Company, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of Propanc PTY LTD on a one-for-one basis making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Effective April 20, 2017, the Company changed its name to “Propanc Biopharma, Inc.” to better reflect our stage of growth and development. On the same date, we also effected a one-for-two hundred and fifty (1:250) reverse stock split whereby the Company (i) decreased the number of authorized shares of common stock to 100,000,000 (ii) decreased the number of authorized shares of preferred stock to 1,500,005 and (iii) decreased, by a ratio of one-for-two hundred and fifty (1:250) the number of retroactively issued and outstanding shares of common stock.

Important Milestones for Propanc

The Problem

In the early phases of tumor progression, cancer cells multiply near the site where their predecessors first began uncontrolled proliferation. The result, usually over a long period of time, is a primary tumor mass. Tumors often need to reach a large size before they make themselves apparent to the individual concerned, or the clinician screening for them.

Eventually, tumors of substantial size may begin to compromise the functioning of organs in which they have arisen and begin to evoke symptoms. In many cases, the effects on normal tissue function come from the physical pressure exerted by the expanding tumor masses. For example, large tumors in the colon may obstruct digestion products through the lumen, or in the lungs, airways may be compromised.

As dangerous and threatening as these primary tumors are, they are ultimately responsible for only about 10% of deaths. A far greater threat often arises for the patient, even after a primary tumor has been identified and removed. This threat involves cancerous growths that are discovered at sites far removed from the locations in their bodies where their primary tumors first appeared. These cancerous growths, called metastases, are responsible for approximately 90% of patient deaths from cancer. Metastases are formed by cancer cells that have left the primary tumor mass and traveled by the body’s blood and lymphatic vessels (a vein-like vessel carrying lymph, or white blood cells, from the tissues) to seek new sites and form new colonies. For example, breast cancers often spawn metastatic colonies in many tissues throughout the body including the brain, liver, bones, and lungs.

For primary tumors that have not yet metastasized, current treatments for cancer can be effective in initially reducing tumor burden. However, for many forms of cancer, current treatments lack sufficient efficacy to achieve a long lasting clinical response. Therefore, a vast majority of patients who succumb to cancer are killed by tumors that have metastasized. According to the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Cancer Statistics Review (2001 – 2007), of the patients diagnosed with late stage metastatic breast cancer, only 23% are expected to live longer than five years. This is compared to a 98% five-year survival rate for an early stage breast cancer patient when the cancer is confined to the primary site.

The invasion-metastasis cascade

The great majority of life threatening cancers occur in epithelial tissues, yielding carcinomas. Epithelial cells generally have a multi-sided, uniform shape. They have well defined contact points with neighboring cells and a strong attachment to the underlying connective tissue, or stroma, which creates a framework for solid tumors in the body. Separating the two is the specialized type of extracellular matrix, known as the basement membrane.

By definition, carcinomas that originate on the epithelial side of the basement membrane are considered to be benign, as long as the cells forming them remain on the same side. However, many carcinomas acquire the ability to penetrate the basement membrane, and individual cancer cells or groups of cancer cells begin to invade the stroma. This mass of cells is now reclassified as malignant. Often, many pathologists and surgeons reserve the label “cancer” for those epithelial tumors that have acquired this invasive ability.

Thereafter, carcinoma cells may invade into lymphatic or blood microvessels. The latter may then transport these cancer cells to distant sites in the body where they may be trapped and subsequently form new metastases.

It is important to note, that even before cells penetrate the basement membrane, they often stimulate angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) on the stromal side of the membrane, by expressing angiogenic proteins through the porous barrier. Not only does this enhance the ability of malignant cells to circulate into the blood, but also provides an important feedback loop for the cancer cell to maintain its invasiveness.

Understanding the mechanism by which benign cells change to a malignant state is therefore pivotal to developing anti-cancer treatments that have sufficient efficacy to achieve a long lasting clinical response.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition and associated loss of E-cadherin expression enable carcinoma cells to become invasive.

Epithelial cells can undergo a transformation to a different cell type, called mesenchymal cells, through a process called the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (“EMT”). Mesenchymal cells have an elongated spindle shape, lack orderly contacts with neighboring cells and can survive without contact with a surface or connective tissue. The EMT process is a series of events that normally occur during the development of tissues and organs prior to birth, and also apply to normal wound healing processes. However, the same EMT process can also be applied to epithelial cancer cells, or carcinomas. When epithelial carcinoma cells residing in a solid tumor undergo the EMT process, the resulting mesenchymal cancer cells can invade through local barriers and metastasize to other parts of the body.

In addition to becoming invasive and motile after undergoing the EMT process, the resulting mesenchymal cells have significantly increased resistance to current cancer treatments. For example, in Cancer Research in 2005, it was reported that lung cancer cells expressing mesenchymal biomarkers appeared to be resistant to Tarceva and other targeted anti-cancer agents when transplanted into mice.

At the center of this critical process for transforming benign cells into carcinomas, is the protein Epithelial Cadherin (“E-Cadherin”). In normal cells, E-cadherin is located in the membrane and involved in maintaining cell to cell contact, which is critical to normal function and structure of epithelial tissues. The individual E-Cadherin molecules are attached to the actin (scaffolding, or cytoskeleton structure) within the cell, anchored by β-catenin, a protein which helps form the junction between epithelial cells. As well as forming an anchor between epithelial cells, β-catenin is also involved in gene transcription, a process by which DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) is converted into RNA (ribose nucleic acid) within the nucleus of a cell for the purpose of producing new proteins normally associated with routine cell function.

In the case of tumors, when cells become invasive, E-Cadherin expression decreases substantially, and β-catenin becomes free within the cell, which may then migrate to the nucleus and induce expression of the EMT program. Furthermore, once cells undergo an EMT, they begin to produce their own cytokines (cell signaling molecules), such as Transforming Growth Factor β, (“TGF-β”). This protein plays a critical multi-functional role in promoting angiogenesis, immunosuppression (suppressing the immune system from recognizing and attacking cancer cells), and maintaining their mesenchymal cell structure for prolonged periods via a feedback mechanism. Studies also suggest that TGF-β works with β-catenin to cause epithelial cancer cells to undergo an EMT.

A study in the British Journal of Cancer in 2011 demonstrated that in cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) cell lines, treatment of TGF-β increased cell migration, invasion and mesenchymal changes. Furthermore, expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin was measured from resected (cut out) specimens from extra-hepatic (outside the liver) cholangiocarcinoma patients. Patients with low E-cadherin expression had a significantly lower survival rate than patients with high E-cadherin expression. They concluded the cadherin switch via TGF-β induced EMT in extra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma leads to cancer progression.

Conversely, in studies of several types of carcinoma cells that had lost E-cadherin expression, re-expression of this protein strongly suppressed the invasiveness and motility of these cancer cells.

Together, these observations indicate that E-Cadherin levels is a key determinant of the biological behavior of epithelial cancer cells and that the cell to cell contact constructed by E-cadherin molecules impede invasiveness and hence metastasis.

Our Solution

Our solution is to develop and commercialize a long-term therapy to prevent tumor recurrence and metastases, the main cause of patient death from cancer. We believe this problem can be addressed by developing a pro-enzyme formulation specifically targeting malignant carcinoma cells to create a long lasting clinical benefit to the patient.

Propanc’s Theory Pro-enzymes Regulate Cell Proliferation

More than 100 years ago, Professor Beard, a comparative embryologist, made an observation that the pancreas develops in most vertebrates at the time when the placenta begins to slow its rate of growth. He hypothesized that enzymes produced by the developing pancreatic gland curtail trophoblastic invasion (a rare condition in which abnormal cells grow inside the uterus from tissue that forms after conception) and suggested that pancreatic extracts should have a similar inhibitory effect on invasive tumors.

Subsequently in the late 1990s, after following Professor Beard’s recommendations, Drs. Novak and Trnka hypothesized that administration of pro-enzymes, rather than the enzymes, was of crucial importance to the clinical effectiveness of the treatment approach first developed by Professor Beard, and that the precursor nature of the active enzymes may offer protection against numerous serpins (proteins which can inhibit pro-enzymes) in the blood.

As knowledge of tumor cell and molecular cell biology has increased over the years, our scientists and research partners have made important scientific discoveries identifying that pro-enzymes suppress the EMT program and induce cell differentiation, i.e., return cancerous cells towards normal cell behavior, or a benign state.

After more than 100 years, the initial observations made by Professor Beard may have a potential common link between embryogenesis and cancer, by which cells are able to become motile and invasive, via the EMT program, where the administration of pro-enzymes may regulate cell proliferation as a means to controlling carcinomas.

PRP

Our lead product, PRP, is a novel, patented, formulation consisting of two pro-enzymes, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, combined at a ratio of one-to-six (1:6), to be administered intravenously. After establishing proof of concept in vivo as described earlier, supplemented by laboratory research at the Universities of Jaén and Granada on the mechanism of action of the pro-enzyme mixture, evidence suggests PRP may be effective against a range of solid tumors.

Selectivity

Research published by Novak and Trnka in Anticancer Research (2005) suggests that the pro-enzymes in our product, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, exhibit specificity for tumor cells and not normal cells. Once activated, they in turn activate Protease Activated Receptors Type 2 (“PAR2”), which are located on the cell membrane and involved with cancer cell proliferation. Activation of PAR2 results in a cascade of intracellular activities, including activation of a major component of the cell which controls its structure and architecture, the actin cytoskeleton. In a cancer cell, pro-enzymes have the effect of converting globular actin into filamentous actin, which causes the cell structure to collapse and induce cell death. This reduces tumor volume and is often seen in clinical practice.

Anti-Cancer Effects and Mechanism of Action

PRP consists of pro-enzymes which are known to influence a number of pathways critical for cancer cells to invade, grow and metastasize. Research published by our research partners in the Journal of Cellular Oncology in 2013 shows the clinical benefits of PRP appear to result from enhanced differentiation of tumor cells, which inhibits proliferation and consequently reduces their ability to invade and metastasize.

Specifically, we showed that pro-enzymes:

Once activated, pro-enzymes influence the micro-immune environment around the cell, altering a number of pathways critical for supporting cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis. This includes interacting with proteinases and cell signaling pathways in the extracellular matrix, whilst also interacting directly with cell surface proteins that effect the internal pathways of the cancer cell, triggering re-expression of epithelial markers, reducing important EMT markers, and inducing a series of cellular activities which alters the cancer cell’s morphology (structure) from a malignant to a benign state.

Planned Clinical Development

PRP recently completed preclinical development. A First-In-Human (FIH), Phase IIa study in patients with advanced solid tumors, evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor efficacy of PRP is planned to commence in 2018 and is hoped to be completed within that same year. The study will be an open-label, multicenter, non-comparative study of PRP administered at increasing dose levels, with once daily intravenous injections over a 28-day cycle, with at least 20 and up to 40 patients enrolled.

The Phase IIa study is planned to be followed by two open Phase IIb studies evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor efficacy of PRP administered intravenously to patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, or to patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer who have failed prior anti-cancer therapy regimen. These studies are envisioned to start in parallel, shortly after the FIH Phase IIa study and are hoped to be finalized in 2020. Both studies will be open, multicenter phase II studies measuring overall survival of patients having received once daily intravenous administrations of PRP.

Preclinical Development

We have extensive in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrating the anti-tumor efficacy of a novel pro-enzyme formulation consisting of a combination of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen in a synergistic ratio. The preclinical work was undertaken in collaboration with our contract research organization, vivoPharm, in both Melbourne, Australia and Hummelstown, PA, United States, together with universities we partnered with, including the Biopathology and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Center for Biomedical Research, at the University of Granada in Granada, Spain, and the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Jaén in Jaén, Spain. We funded both vivoPharm and the universities to carry out this research and retained the intellectual property rights within the field relating to any discoveries based on the mechanism of action and anti-tumor effects of the pro-enzymes.

The following preclinical development activities have been undertaken:

Determination of Optimal Pro-enzyme Ratio

In this study, we determined first the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen to measure their effect as single test articles in an extended panel of 24 human cancer cell lines. The IC₅₀ values of trypsinogen ranged from 2.5 to 17.5 mg/mL and from 1.4 to 25.2 mg/mL for chymotrypsinogen. The IC₅₀ values of trypsinogen were the basis for the calculation of concentration ratios for the combination of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen at 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 1:8, and 1:10. At these ratios, the growth inhibitory properties of the combination were evaluated in 24 cancer cell lines. Based on the coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) values, the combination of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen demonstrated greater growth inhibition at ratios of 1:4, 1:6, and 1:8, compared to the 1:1 ratio in most cell lines tested. Finally, a ratio of trypsinogen to chymotrypsinogen of 1:6 was determined to be the optimal formulation and used for later experiments.

Anti-angiogenic efficacy of pancreatic proenzyme formulation

To determine whether PRP affects angiogenesis, we used a soft-agar tube formation assay. Dispersed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) organized into clusters after three hours and began to form tube-like structures after five hours that were clearly evident after 24 hours. In contrast, PRP treated HUVECs presented a marked reduction in the number and length of closed capillary tubes in a concentration dependent manner, with a total disappearance of the structures after treatment with trypsinogen to chymotrypsinogen (T/C) 0.07/0.42 mg/mL.

To assess if the inhibition of the tubule-like structures formation could be due to cell death caused by PRP treatment, CellTracker Green/CMFDA staining was used to identify viable cells. Both control and PRP treated cells showed green staining, indicating that the inhibition of cellular cords was independent from cell viability.

Furthermore, quantification of the number of capillary-like structures at different areas of the cell revealed a dramatic and significant difference between the number of structures formed by non-treated cells when compared with PRP-treated cells (p <0.01 vs. Control).

The anti-angiogenic effect of PRP was additionally investigated in vivo using the AngioChamber™ assay, a model used to assess the efficacy of anti-angiogenic treatments by measuring fibrous capsule formation in mice. In this assay the inclusion of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the chamber supports the induction of blood vessels development and formation of a fibrous capsule. AngioChambers™ were excised from all post-mortem mice on the termination day, 24 hours following final treatment (Day 5).

The results show that fibrous capsule formation was significantly greater in the vehicle control group with bFGF captured in the chamber (Group 2, Induction Control) than in the vehicle control group without bFGF loaded into the chamber (Group 1, Baseline Control) (p<0.05) indicating that bFGF adequately and significantly stimulated capsule formation. Furthermore, treatment with PRP (Group 3) resulted in a significant reduction in angiogenesis compared to the induction control (Group 2), as indicated by the difference in capsule weight (p < 0.05) with a 57% of fibrous capsule formation inhibition. Thus, PRP inhibits fibrous capsule formation showing significant in vivo anti-angiogenic effects.

Anti-invasion, anti-migration and anti-EMT effect of PRP

To analyse the in vitro anti-metastatic effect of the pro-enzyme treatment, we studied the effect of PRP in cell invasion, cell migration and the modulation of EMT related genes in cancer cells. First, to evaluate the effect of PRP on cell migration, a key event in carcinogenesis, we performed a wound-healing assay on human pancreatic BxPC3 and human ovarian A2780 cells. Migration is defined as the directed movement of cells on a substrate such as plastic plates occurring on 2D surfaces.

Results show that non-treated cells migrated faster to close the gap of a scratch in the cell monolayer than PRP treated cells. PRP significantly reduced cell migration of pancreatic BxPC3 cells and compared with control cells even enhanced the width of the wound.

Although the A2780 ovarian tumour cell line does not grow forming a homogeneous monolayer like BxPC3, it can be observed that PRP treatment significantly reduces the ability of the ovarian cells to migrate. Data showed significant cell migration inhibition after 24 hours and 48 hours of treatment with PRP compared to control cells.

Secondly, we tested the inhibitory effect of the pro-enzyme formulation on cell invasion of colon and pancreatic tumor cells. Invasion is defined as cell movement through an extracellular 3D matrix. The principle of this assay is based on two medium containing chambers separated by a porous membrane through which cells transmigrate. Here, we tested different concentrations of PRP on MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic and HCT-15 colon human cancer cell lines. PRP showed a marked and significantly dose-dependent inhibition of invasion in both cell lines. Total inhibition of cell migration was achieved from PRP concentrations of T/C 0.015/0.093 mg/mL and so on with the other increasing concentrations tested.

Finally, to investigate whether the exposure of PRP has a potential regulation in the transcriptional machinery that drives EMT in cancer cells, expression of EMT genes were studied in BxPC3 pancreatic and A2780 ovarian human cancer cells. EMT markers in both BxPC3 and A2780 cells were affected by PRP treatment at T/C 0.07/0.42 mg/mL. Results show that PRP treatment increased the expression of E-Cadherin (0.4 fold) (p < 0.05), whilst reduced the expressions of N-cadherin, Slug and vimentin (0.9, 0.5 and 0.6 fold, respectively) (p < 0.01) in BxPC3 cells.

In addition, PRP significantly up-regulated the expression of E-Cadherin (0.9 fold) (p < 0.01) and significantly down-regulated the expression of N-cadherin and Slug (0.4 and 0.6 fold, respectively) (p < 0.01) and induced a slight, but not significant, decrease of vimentin expression in A2780 cells.

PRP pharmacokinetic study

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and organ distribution of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, non-tumour bearing female athymic Nude-Foxn1nu mice were treated with IRDye® 800CW labelled trypsinogen (5 mg/kg) plus unlabelled trypsinogen (50 mg/kg), or IRDye® 800 CW labelled chymotrypsinogen (7 mg/kg) plus unlabelled Chymotrypsinogen (300 mg/kg). Animals were euthanized at specified time-points post-dose and plasma along with organ homogenates was prepared, then imaged via IVIS imaging system.

Fluorescence was measured in organ homogenates. Mice treated with labelled T, presented a fluorescence peak in all organs between 15 minutes and 2 hours post-dose. While mice treated with labelled C showed the maximum fluorescenct emission between 15 minutes and 6 hours post-dose. For both highest readings were observed in the kidneys and liver. Maximum levels of both IRDye®800CW labelled trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen A in mouse plasma occurred at 15 minutes post dose (7.5 and 72.2 ìg/ml, respectively). Levels of both IRDye® 800CW labelled proenzymes decreased rapidly after this time.

Anti-tumour efficacy of PRP in orthotropic mice models

The effect of the pro-enzyme formulation PRP at different doses on tumour weight in orthotropically implanted pancreatic and ovary tumours was assessed. In the pancreatic tumour control group, there was significant (*P < 0.05) reduction in mean tumour weight in animals treated for 26 days with trypsinogen/chymotrypsinogen at 83.3/500 mg/kg (30.2 mg; 85.9% inhibition) compared with control (PBS; 214.8 mg), but not between trypsinogen/chymotrypsinogen at 27.5/165 mg/kg (196.5 mg; 8.5 % inhibition) and the control (Fig. 6A).

6A:

Furthermore, ovary tumour-bearing mice (Fig. 6B) showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in mean tumour weight in animals treated for 21 days with two different doses of trypsinogen/chymotrypsinogen, 9.1/54 mg/kg and 27.5/165 mg/kg, compared with control (PBS). The mean weight of control group tumours was 2062.2 mg while the treated groups presented a mean tumour weight of 1074.2 mg and 957.3 respectively, ranging in a 50% tumour inhibition (52% - 46%).

6B:

The PRP Formulation

Oral pancreatic enzymes have been administered previously in a variety of circumstances and are in current clinical use in conditions where the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient enzymes for the digestion of food. A number of oral pancreatic enzyme products are presently approved in the U.S. for use in patients who do not produce enough pancreatic enzymes. Approved pancreatic enzyme products include Pancreaze™ from Johnson & Johnson, CREON® from Abbott Laboratories, and ULTRASE® from Axcan Pharma US.

PRP is a combination of two pro-enzymes, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, specifically formulated within a specific ratio (1:6, as described above) designed to synergistically enhance their anti-cancer effects based on the mechanism of action. Patent protection for PRP has been secured in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, and continues to be sought for similar compositions and mechanisms of action.

Oral enzymes have also been investigated previously for the treatment of cancer and, while generating encouraging results, their widespread use has been hampered by the very large quantities that have been considered necessary for effective treatment – 130 or more tablets per day. The high dose used with oral delivery is considered necessary due to the oral enzymes being broken down in the stomach and duodenum, the first part of the small intestine and very little actually being absorbed into the general circulation. By administering a pro-enzyme parenterally, and using a specific pro-enzyme formulation, the normal breakdown of the enzymes when taken orally is avoided and the drug can potentially be absorbed into the general circulation intact. It is also suggested that pro-enzymes are resistant to inactivation by numerous protein digesting enzymes, like serpins, which are circulating in the blood. Together with our scientific consultants, we believe that the development of a parenteral pro-enzyme formulation will lead to improved efficacy in the treatment of cancer compared with oral enzyme preparations, and will substantially reduce the dose in comparison to that used previously for oral enzyme therapy for the treatment of cancer.

Target Indications

The management of cancer differs widely, with a multitude of factors impacting the choice of treatment strategy. Some of those factors include:

For many patients with solid cancers, such as breast, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer, surgery is frequently the first treatment option, often followed by first line chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. While hopefully such procedures are curative, in many instances the tumor returns, and second line treatment strategies are chosen in an effort to achieve a degree of control over the tumor. In most instances, the benefit is temporary, and eventually the point is reached where the patient’s tumor either fails to adequately respond to treatment, or the treatment has unacceptable toxicity which severely limits its usefulness.

Should the planned Phase II and III clinical trials confirm the efficacy of PRP, along with the favorable safety and tolerability profile suggested by pre-clinical studies conducted to date, we believe our product will have utility in a number of clinical situations including:

In the near term, we plan to target patients with solid tumors, most likely ovarian, pancreatic and colorectal tumors, for whom other treatment options have been exhausted. This is a common approach by which most new drugs for cancer are initially tested. Once efficacy and safety has been demonstrated in this patient population, exploration of the potential utility of the drug in earlier stage disease can be undertaken, together with investigation of the drug’s utility in other types of cancer.

Development Strategy

Our goal is to undertake early stage clinical development of PRP through to a significant value inflection point, where the commercial attractiveness of a drug in development, together with a greater likelihood of achieving market authorization, may attract potential interest from licensees seeking to acquire new products. Such value inflection points in the context of cancer drugs are typically at the point where formal, controlled clinical trials have demonstrated either ‘efficacy’ or ‘proof of concept’ – typically meaning that there is controlled clinical trial evidence that the drug is effective in the proposed target patient population, has an acceptable safety profile, and is suitable for further development. From a ‘big picture’ perspective, it is our intention to progress the development of our technology through the completion of our planned Phase II clinical trials and then to seek a licensee for further development beyond that point.

As part of that commercial strategy, we will:

Development Plan and Milestones

PRP

We plan to progress PRP down a conventional early stage clinical development pathway in the UK for:

We anticipate reaching the Phase IIa proof of concept milestone in approximately three years, subject to regulatory approval in Europe, and the results from our research and development and licensing activities.

Our overhead is likely to increase from its current level as PRP progresses down the development pathway. This increase will be driven by the need to increase our internal resources in order to effectively manage our research and development activities.

Anticipated timelines

Commencing in the first quarter of calendar year 2018, we intend to initiate a Phase IIa study in advanced cancer patients with solid tumors and the anticipated costs will be approximately $900,000-$1,200,000.

Financial Objective

Multiple factors, many of which are outside of Propanc’s control, can impact the ability of Propanc to achieve its target objectives within the planned time and budgetary constraints. Subject to these caveats, it is Propanc’s objective to complete our planned Phase IIa study for PRP within the proposed budget.

Corporate Strategy

We operate as a ‘virtual’ company contracting services, skills and expertise as required to achieve our scientific and corporate objectives. As the business grows and gains more personnel, outsourcing will continue to be the preferred model, where fixed and variable costs are carefully managed on a project-by-project basis. This means our research and development activities will be carried out by third parties. Additional third parties with specific expertise in research, compound screening and manufacturing (including raw material suppliers) have been contracted as required.

Our initial focus will be to organize, coordinate and finance the various parts of the drug development pipeline. New personnel will be carefully introduced into the Company over a period of time as the company’s research and development activities expand. They will have specific expertise in product development, manufacture and formulation, regulatory affairs, toxicology, clinical operations and business development (including intellectual property management, licensing and other corporate activities).

In the first instance, additional clinical management and development expertise is likely to be required for our lead product. Therefore, we anticipate an increase in employees in order to effectively manage our contractors as the projects progress down the development pathway.

This outsourcing strategy is common in the biotechnology sector, and is an efficient way to obtain access to the necessary skills required to progress a project, in particular as the required skills change as the project progresses from discovery, through manufacturing and non-clinical development and into clinical trials. We anticipate that we will continue to use this model, thereby retaining the flexibility to contract in the appropriate resource as and when required.

We intend to seek and identify potential licensing partners for our product candidates as they progress through the various development stages, reaching certain milestones and value inflection points. If a suitable licensee is identified, a potential licensing deal could consist of payments for certain milestones, plus royalties from future sales if the product is able to receive approval from the relevant regulatory authorities where future product sales are targeted. We intend to seek and identify potential licensees based on the initial efficacy data from Phase II clinical trials. To accomplish this objective, we have commenced discussions with potential partners in our current preclinical phase of development.

As part of our overall expansion strategy, we are investigating potential intellectual property acquisition opportunities to expand our product portfolio. While the Company’s initial focus is on the development of PRP as the lead product candidate, potential product candidates may also be considered for future preclinical and clinical development. These potential opportunities have arisen from other research and development organizations, which either own existing intellectual property or are currently developing new intellectual property, which may be of interest to us. These opportunities are possible new cancer treatments that are potentially less toxic than existing treatment approaches and are able to fill an existing gap in the treatment process, such as a systemic de-bulking method which could reduce the size and threat of metastases to a more manageable level for late stage cancer patients. We believe these potential treatment approaches will be complementary to existing treatment regimens and our existing product candidate, PRP. No formal approaches have been made at this stage and it is unknown whether we will engage in this discussion in the near future. However, we remain hopeful that as PRP progresses further down the development pathway, future opportunities may arise to use the expertise of our management and scientific personnel for future prospective research and development projects.

Current Operations

We are at a pre-revenue stage. We do not know when, if ever, we will be able to commercialize our products and begin generating revenue. We are focusing our efforts on organizing, coordinating and financing the various aspects of the drug research and development program outlined earlier in this document. In order to commercialize our products, we must complete preclinical development, early-stage clinical studies, and Phase IIa and IIb clinical trials in Europe, the U.S., Australia, or elsewhere, and satisfy the applicable regulatory authority that PRP is safe and effective. If the results from the Phase II trials are convincing, we will seek conditional approval from the regulatory authorities sooner. Therefore, we estimate that this will take approximately four years if we seek conditional approval, or up to seven years if we determine that Phase III trials are needed. As described previously, when we advance our development projects sufficiently down the development pathway and achieve a major increase in value, such as obtaining interim efficacy data from Phase II clinical trials, we will seek a suitable licensing partner to complete the remaining development activities, obtain regulatory approval and market the product.

Current Therapies/Drugs Available

We are developing a therapeutic solution for the treatment of patients with advanced stages of cancer targeting solid tumors, which is cancer that originates in organs or tissues other than bone marrow or the lymph system. Common cancer types classified as solid tumors include lung, colorectal, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancers. In each of these indications, there is a large market opportunity to capitalize on the limitations of current therapies.

Current therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer offer, at most, a few months of extra life or tumor stabilization. Some experts believe that drugs that kill most tumor cells do not affect cancer stem cells, which can regenerate the tumor (e.g. chemotherapy). Studies are revealing the genetic changes in cells that cause cancer and spur its growth. This research is providing scientific researchers with many potential targets for drugs. Tumor cells, however, can develop resistance to drugs.

Limitations of Current Therapies

PRP was developed because of the limitation of current cancer therapies. While surgery is often safe and effective for early stage cancer, many standard therapies for late stage cancer urgently need improvement; current treatments generally provide modest benefits, and frequently cause significant adverse effects. Our focus is to provide oncologists and their patients with therapies for metastatic cancer which are more effective than current therapies, and which have a substantially reduced side effect profile.

While progress has been made within the oncology sector in developing new treatments, the overall cancer death rate has only improved by 7% over the last 30 years. Most of these new treatments have some limitations, such as:

We believe that our treatment will provide a competitive advantage over the following treatments:

License Agreements

We previously sponsored a collaborative research project at Bath University to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the potential clinical approach of our proprietary pro-enzyme formulation. As a result of this undertaking, we entered into a Commercialization Agreement with Bath University, dated November 12, 2009 (the “Commercialization Agreement”), where, initially, Propanc held an exclusive license with Bath University, and where we and the university co-own the intellectual property relating to our pro-enzyme formulations. The Commercialization Agreement originally provided for Bath University to assign the Patents (as defined therein) to Propanc in certain specified circumstances, such as successful completion of a clinical trial and commencement of a Phase II (Proof of Concept) clinical trial.

On June 14, 2012, Propanc and Bath University agreed to an earlier assignment of the patents pursuant to an Assignment and Amendment Deed, on the proviso that Bath University retains certain rights arising from the Commercialization Agreement, as follows:

We continue to learn the properties of pro-enzymes with the long-term aim of screening new compounds for development. We anticipate engaging in future discussions with several technology companies who are progressing new developments in the oncology field as potential additions to our product line. Initially targeting the oncology sector, our focus is to identify and develop novel treatments that are highly effective targeted therapies, with few side effects as a result of toxicity to healthy cells.

Intellectual Property

We have filed six patent applications relating to our lead product, PRP. The first application was filed in October 2010 in each of the countries listed in the table below. This application has been granted and remains in force in the United States, Australia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. In Brazil, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Mexico and South Korea, the patent application remains under examination.

In 2016 and early 2017 we filed five other patent applications, as indicated below. Two applications were filed in Spain, where one is currently under examination, and one was filed in the United States. Two others were filed under the PCT. The PCT assists applicants in seeking patent protection by filing one international patent application under the PCT, applicants can simultaneously seek protection for an invention in over 150 countries. Once filed, the application is placed under the control of the national or regional patent offices, as applicable, in what is called the national phase.

Further patent applications are expected to be filed to capture and protect additional patentable subject matter based on the Company’s field of technology relating to pharmaceutical compositions of proenzymes for treating cancer.

The basis of our intellectual property protection will be built around the following elements:

Regulatory Issues

United States

Government oversight of the pharmaceutical industry is usually classified into pre-approval and post-approval categories. Most of the therapeutically significant innovative products marketed today are the subject of New Drug Applications (“NDA”). Preapproval activities, based on these detailed applications, are used to assure the product is safe and effective before marketing. In the United States, The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER”), is the FDA organization responsible for over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including most biological therapeutics, and generic drugs.

Before approval, the FDA may inspect and audit the development facilities, planned production facilities, clinical trials, institutional review boards and laboratory facilities in which the product was tested in animals. After the product is approved and marketed, the FDA uses different mechanisms for assuring that firms adhere to the terms and conditions of approval described in the application and that the product is manufactured in a consistent and controlled manner. This is done by periodic unannounced inspections of production and quality control facilities by FDA’s field investigators and analysts.

Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and Public Health Service Act

Prescription drug and biologic products are subject to extensive pre- and post-market regulation by the FDA, including regulations that govern the testing, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, labelling, storage, record keeping, advertising and promotion of such products under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and their implementing regulations. The process of obtaining FDA approval and achieving and maintaining compliance with applicable laws and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with applicable FDA or other requirements may result in refusal to approve pending applications, a clinical hold, warning letters, civil or criminal penalties, recall or seizure of products, partial or total suspension of production or withdrawal of the product from the market. FDA approval is required before any new drug or biologic, including a new use of a previously approved drug, can be marketed in the United States. All applications for FDA approval must contain, among other things, information relating to safety and efficacy, stability, manufacturing, processing, packaging, labelling and quality control.

New Drug Applications (NDAs)

The FDA’s NDA approval process generally involves:

The preclinical and clinical testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort and financial resources, and Propanc cannot guarantee that any approvals for our product candidates will be granted on a timely basis, if at all. Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluation of toxicity and immunogenicity in animals. The results of preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, are submitted as part of an IND application to the FDA. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions about the conduct of the clinical trial, including concerns that human research subjects will be exposed to unreasonable health risks. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before clinical trials can begin. Our submission of an IND may not result in FDA authorization to commence clinical trials. A separate submission to an existing IND must also be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development. Further, an independent institutional review board (“IRB”) covering each medical center proposing to conduct clinical trials must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial before it commences at that center and it must monitor the study until completed. The FDA, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Clinical testing also must satisfy extensive “good clinical practice” (“GCP”) regulations, which include requirements that all research subjects provide informed consent and that all clinical studies be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators.

For purposes of an NDA submission and approval, human clinical trials are typically conducted in the following sequential phases, which may overlap:

Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical studies must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected adverse events. Concurrent with clinical studies, sponsors usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the product and finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with CGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product. Moreover, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.

The results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, along with the aforementioned manufacturing information, are submitted to the FDA as part of a NDA. NDA’s must also contain extensive manufacturing information. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”), the FDA agrees to specific goals for NDA review time through a two-tiered classification system, Standard Review and Priority Review. Standard Review is applied to products that offer at most, only minor improvement over existing marketed therapies. Standard Review NDAs have a goal of being completed within a ten-month timeframe, although a review can take significantly longer. A Priority Review designation is given to products that offer major advances in treatment, or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists. A Priority Review takes the FDA six months to review a NDA. It is likely that our product candidates will be granted Standard Reviews. The review process is often significantly extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA may refer the application to an advisory committee for review, evaluation and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendations.

The FDA may deny approval of a NDA if the applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, or it may require additional clinical data or additional pivotal Phase III clinical trials. Even if such data is submitted, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval. Data from clinical trials is not always conclusive and the FDA may interpret data differently than Propanc. Once issued, product approval may be withdrawn by the FDA if ongoing regulatory requirements are not met or if safety problems occur after the product reaches the market. In addition, the FDA may require testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (“REMS”), and surveillance programs to monitor the effect of approved products that have been commercialized, and the FDA has the power to prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of these post-marketing programs. Products may be marketed only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. Further, if there are any modifications to the drug, including changes in indications, labelling or manufacturing processes or facilities, approval of a new or supplemental NDA may be required, which may involve conducting additional preclinical studies and clinical trials.

Other U.S. Regulatory Requirements

After approval, products are subject to extensive continuing regulation by the FDA, which include company obligations to manufacture products in accordance with GMP, maintain and provide to the FDA updated safety and efficacy information, report adverse experiences with the product, keep certain records, submit periodic reports, obtain FDA approval of certain manufacturing or labeling changes and comply with FDA promotion and advertising requirements and restrictions. Failure to meet these obligations can result in various adverse consequences, both voluntary and FDA-imposed, including product recalls, withdrawal of approval, restrictions on marketing and the imposition of civil fines and criminal penalties. In addition, later discovery of previously unknown safety or efficacy issues may result in restrictions on the product, manufacturer or NDA holder.

Propanc, and any manufacturers of our products, are required to comply with applicable FDA manufacturing requirements contained in the FDA’s GMP regulations. GMP regulations require, among other things, quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation. The manufacturing facilities for our products must meet GMP requirements to the satisfaction of the FDA pursuant to a pre-approval inspection before Propanc can use them to manufacture products. Propanc and any third-party manufacturers are also subject to periodic inspections of facilities by the FDA and other authorities, including procedures and operations used in the testing and manufacture of our products to assess our compliance with applicable regulations.

With respect to post-market product advertising and promotion, the FDA imposes complex regulations on entities that advertise and promote pharmaceuticals, which include, among others, standards for direct-to-consumer advertising, promoting products for uses or in patient populations that are not described in the product’s approved labeling (known as “off-label use”), industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities and promotional activities involving the Internet. Failure to comply with FDA requirements can have negative consequences, including adverse publicity, enforcement letters from the FDA, mandated corrective advertising or communications with doctors and civil or criminal penalties. Although physicians may prescribe legally available drugs for off-label uses, manufacturers may not market or promote such off-label uses.

Changes to some of the conditions established in an approved application, including changes in indications, labeling, or manufacturing processes or facilities, require submission and FDA approval of a new NDA or NDA supplement before the change can be implemented. A NDA supplement for a new indication typically requires clinical data similar to that in the original application, and the FDA uses the same procedures and actions in reviewing NDA supplements as it does in reviewing a NDA.

Adverse event reporting and submission of periodic reports is required following FDA approval of a NDA. The FDA also may require post-marketing testing, known as Phase IV testing, risk mitigation strategies and surveillance to monitor the effects of an approved product or to place conditions on an approval that could restrict the distribution or use of the product.

European Union

In addition to regulations in the United States, Propanc will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials, commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not Propanc obtains FDA approval for a product, Propanc must obtain approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before Propanc can commence clinical trials or market our product in those countries. The approval process varies from country to country and the time may differ than that required for FDA approval. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from country to country.

Under European Union regulatory systems, Propanc must submit and obtain authorization for a clinical trial application in each member state in which Propanc intends to conduct a clinical trial. After Propanc has completed clinical trials, Propanc must obtain marketing authorization before it can market its product. Propanc must submit applications for marketing authorizations for oncology products under a centralized procedure. The centralized procedure provides for the grant of a single marketing authorization that is valid for all European Union member states. The European Medicines Agency (the “EMA”) is the agency responsible for the scientific evaluation of medicines that are to be assessed via the centralized procedure.

UK

On June 23, 2016, the UK government held a referendum to gauge voters’ support to remain or leave the European Union. The referendum resulted in 51.9% of UK voters in favor of leaving the European Union, commonly referred to as “Brexit.” On March 29, 2017, the UK invoked Article 50 of Lisbon Treaty to initiate complete withdrawal from the European Union by March 30, 2019. Currently, the center for the EMA is based in London but the European Union intends to relocate the center to another city.

The impact of Brexit on the drug approval process in the UK is uncertain, which could significantly impact Propanc as we intend to conduct our clinical trials for PRP in the UK. Companies based in the UK and operating in the drug industry are urging the European Union and the UK to reach an agreement to harmonize the regulatory process once the UK officially exits the European Union. Our Phase IIa trials may be completed by the end of 2018, or shortly thereafter, and we are hopeful that there will be greater clarity on the regulatory process for drug approvals in UK prior to March 30, 2019.

Australia

In Australia, the relevant regulatory body responsible for the pharmaceutical industry is the Therapeutics Goods Administration (the “TGA”). Prescription medicines are regulated under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. Under the Therapeutic Goods Act, the Therapeutic Goods Administration evaluates new products for quality, safety and efficacy before being approved for market authorization, according to similar standards employed by the FDA and EMA in the United States and European Union, respectively. However, receiving market authorization in one or two regions does not guarantee approval in another.

Third-Party Payor Coverage and Reimbursement

Although none of our product candidates have been commercialized for any indication, if they are approved for marketing, commercial success of our product candidates will depend, in part, upon the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors at the federal, state and private levels.

Other Regulations

We are also subject to numerous federal, state and local laws relating to such matters as safe working conditions, manufacturing practices, environmental protection, fire hazard control, and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. We may incur significant costs to comply with such laws and regulations now or in the future.

Competition

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by continuing technological advancement and significant competition. While we believe that our technology platforms, product candidates, know-how, experience and scientific resources provide us with competitive advantages, we face competition from major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions, among others. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. Key product features that would affect our ability to effectively compete with other therapeutics include the efficacy, safety and convenience of our products. The level of generic competition and the availability of reimbursement from government and other third-party payers will also significantly impact the pricing and competitiveness of our products. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market.

Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.

Employees

As of September 28, 2017, we have one full-time employee and one part-time employee. Over time, we may be required to hire employees or engage independent contractors to execute various projects that are necessary to grow and develop our business. These decisions will be made by our officers and directors, if and when appropriate.

Our Corporate Information

Our principal executive office is located at 302, 6 Bulter Street, Camberwell, VIC, 3124 Australia.

Available Information

Copies of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other documents that we will file with or furnish to the SEC will be available free of charge by sending a written request to our Corporate Secretary at our corporate headquarters. Additionally, the documents we file with the SEC are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Other information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website is www.sec.gov.

We maintain a website at www.propanc.com. You will be able to access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, proxy statements and other information to be filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material will be electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this Form 10-K.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

There are numerous risks affecting our business, some of which are beyond our control. An investment in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risk and may not be appropriate for investors who cannot afford to lose their entire investment. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially harmed. This could cause the trading price of our Common Stock to decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. Potential risks and uncertainties that could affect our operating results and financial condition include the following:

RISKS RELATED TO OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION AND OUR NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CAPITAL

Our independent registered accounting firm has expressed concerns about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern is in substantial doubt absent obtaining adequate new debt or equity financings.

The report of our independent registered accounting firm expresses concern about our ability to continue as a going concern based on the absence of revenues, recurring losses from operations and our need for additional financing to fund all of our operations. Working capital limitations continue to impinge on our day-to-day operations, thus contributing to continued operating losses. For the fiscal years ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016, we had net losses of $7,867,500 and $9,410,352, respectively. Further, as of June 30, 2017, we had $69,043 in cash, $8,111 in receivable accounts and had an accumulated deficit of $38,243,523.

Based upon our current business plan, we will need considerable cash investments to be successful. Our capital requirements and cash needs are significant and continuing. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to generate a sufficient amount of revenue, if any, from our business in order to achieve profitability. It is not possible at this time for us to predict with assurance the potential success of our business. The revenue and income potential of our proposed business and operations are unknown. If we cannot continue as a viable entity, we may be unable to continue our operations and you may lose some or all of your investment in our common stock.

We have incurred significant losses since our inception. We expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future and never achieve or maintain profitability.

Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net loss was $7,867,500 and $9,410,352, respectively for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016. As of June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016, we had a deficit accumulated during the development phase of $38,243,523 and $30,376,023, respectively. To date, we have not generated any revenues and have financed most of our operations with funds obtained from private financings.

From October 2007, we have devoted substantially all of our efforts to research and development of our product candidates, particularly PRP. Most recently, from June-November 2015, January-February 2016, and October 2016-April 2017, we have performed a number of laboratory studies and dose range finding studies designed to examine the anti-cancer effects of PRP and prepare for human clinical trials. We expect that it will be many years, if ever, before we have a product candidate ready for commercialization. We expect to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future if and as we progress PRP into clinical trials, continue our research and development, seek regulatory approvals, establish a sales and marketing infrastructure, maintain and expand our intellectual property portfolio, and add personnel.

To become profitable, we must develop and eventually commercialize PRP, or some other product with significant market potential. This will require us to successfully complete clinical trials, obtain market approval and market and sell PRP or whatever other product that we obtain approval for. We might not succeed in any one or a number of these activities, and even if we do, we may never generate revenues that are significant enough to achieve profitability. Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease our value and could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our research and development efforts, expand our business or continue our operations.

As an early stage company, it may be difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

Despite having been founded in 2007, we remain an early-stage company. We commenced active operations in the second half of 2010. Our operations to date have been mainly limited to establishing our research programs, particularly PRP, building our intellectual property portfolio and deepening our scientific understanding of our product development. We have not yet initiated, let alone demonstrated any ability to successfully complete, any clinical trials, including large-scale, pivotal clinical trials, obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial scale product, or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. It will take a number of years for PRP to be made available for the treatment of cancer, if it ever is. Given our relatively short operating history compared to the timeline required to fully develop a new drug, you are cautioned about making any predictions on our future success or viability based on our activities or results to date. In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors. We will eventually need to transition from a company with a research focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.

We currently rely, and will continue to rely for the foreseeable future, on substantial debt financing that we are not able to repay in cash.

In order to maintain our operations, including our research and development efforts and our preclinical development of PRP, we have over the last two years entered into several securities purchase agreements that have required us to issue convertible debt in return for cash. We are not currently able to repay either the principal or interest on this debt in cash. Our lenders, therefore, are required to convert their debt into shares of our common stock, at a percentage discount to current market prices and then attempt to sell these shares on the open market in order to pay down their loans and receive a return on their investment. These financings pose the risk that as these debts are converted, our stock price will reflect the reduced prices our lenders are willing to sell their shares at, given the discount they have received. These financings contain no floor on the price our lenders can convert their debt into shares of our common stock and they could conceivably reduce the price our common stock to near zero. These types of financings negatively impact our balance sheet and the appeal of our common stock as an investment. While we are actively exploring various alternatives to reduce if not eliminate this debt, for the foreseeable future we will continue to carry it on our balance sheet, and we may have to enter into additional such financings in order to sustain our operations. As a result, the price of our common stock and our market capitalization are subject to significant declines until our convertible debt is either refinanced on a favorable basis or is eliminated.

The total amount of debt outstanding under these financing arrangements is, as of September 28, 2017, $2,816,271. Please see Item 7. Management’s Discussion of Financial Condition and Results of Operations- Recent Developments for further information.

We will continue to need substantial additional funding. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.

We expect our expenses to significantly increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly if we initiate clinical trials of, and ultimately seek marketing approval for, PRP. In addition, even if we ultimately obtain marketing approval for PRP or any other product candidate, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. We also hope to continue and expand our research and development activities. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our future commercialization efforts or any research and development programs.

Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, among others, the scope, progress and, results of our potential future clinical trials, the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of PRP, the costs of any future commercialization activities, and the costs of preparing and filing future patent applications, if any. Accordingly, we will continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing, may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Even if we are able to enter into financing agreements, we may be forced to pay higher interest rates, accept default provisions in financing agreements that we believe are overly punitive, make balloon payments as required, and, as noted below, if we issue convertible debt the price of our common stock may well be negatively affected and our existing shareholders may suffer dilution.

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

Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to continue to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings and additional debt financings, and possibly also through future collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or debt securities, including convertible debt securities, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted upon conversion, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our existing stockholders.

Debt financing, if available, may also involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.

If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.

We maintain our cash in Australian financial institutions that are not insured.

The Company maintains its cash in banks and financial institutions in Australia. Bank deposits in Australian banks are uninsured. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts through September 28, 2017.

RISKS RELATED TO THE DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF OUR PRODUCT CANDIDATES

Because PRP remains in the early stages of development and may never become commercially viable, you may lose your investment.

At present, our lead product candidate, PRP, is still in preclinical development. While we are hopeful that the preclinical testing we have completed will lead to our initiating human clinical trials as soon as 2018, as noted elsewhere we expect that it will be several years, at least, before PRP can be commercialized. Further, if clinical trials for PRP fail to produce statistically significant results, we would likely be forced to either spend several more years in development attempting to correct whatever flaws were identified in the trials, or we would have to abandon PRP altogether. Either of those contingencies, and especially the latter, would dramatically increase the amount of time before we would be able to generate any product-related revenue, and we may well be forced to cease operations. Under such circumstances, you may lose at least a portion of, and perhaps your entire, investment.

PRP may cause undesirable side effects that could negatively impact its clinical trial results or limit its use, hindering further development, subject us to possible product liability claims, and make it more difficult to commercialize PRP.

In addition to the possibility that the clinical trials we hope to initiate for PRP could demonstrate a lack of efficacy, if we alternatively identify adverse and undesirable side effects caused by it this will likely interrupt, delay or even halt our further development, or possibly limit our planned therapeutic uses for it, and may even result in adverse regulatory action by the FDA or other regulatory authorities.

Moreover, this may subject us to product liability claims by the individuals enrolled in our clinical trials; while we intend to obtain product liability insurance in connection with our clinical trials, it is possible that the potential liability of any claims against us could exceed the maximum amount of this coverage, or at least increase our premiums. Either would result in an increase in our operating expenses, in turn making it more difficult to complete our clinical development, or in the suspension or termination of the clinical trial. Any negative information concerning PRP, however unrelated to its composition or method of use, could also damage our chances to obtain regulatory approval.

Even if we are able to complete PRP’s development and receive regulatory approvals, undesirable side effects could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the product or substantially increase the costs and expenses of commercializing it.

Because successful development of our products is uncertain, our results of operations may be materially harmed.

Our development of PRP and future product candidates is subject to the risks of failure inherent in the development of new pharmaceutical products that are based on new technologies, including but not limited to delays in product development, clinical testing or manufacturing; unplanned and higher expenditures; adverse findings relating to safety or efficacy; failure to receive regulatory approvals; the emergence of superior or equivalent products; an inability by us or one of our collaborators to manufacture our product candidates on a commercial scale on our own, or in collaboration with third parties; and, ultimately, a failure to achieve market acceptance.

Because of these risks, our development efforts may not result in PRP, or any other product we attempt to develop, becoming commercially viable. If even one aspect of these development efforts is not successfully completed, required regulatory approvals will not be obtained, or if any approved products are not commercialized successfully, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially harmed.

A variety of factors, either alone or in concert with each other, could result in our clinical trials of PRP being delayed or unsuccessful.

While we have conducted a variety of preclinical studies, which we have concluded provide evidence to support the potential therapeutic utility of PRP, comprehensive clinical trials in order to demonstrate the product’s safety, tolerability and efficacy will now need to be completed. Clinical testing is expensive, difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and is uncertain as to outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. The outcome of preclinical testing and even early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, and interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their products.

Among the numerous unforeseen events that may occur during, or as a result of, clinical trials that alone or in concert with each other could either delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialize PRP are the following:

If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of PRP beyond those that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of PRP or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are not positive or are only modestly positive or if there are safety concerns, we may:

Any delay in, or termination of, our clinical trials may result in increased development costs, which would very likely cause the market price of our shares to decline and severely limit our ability to obtain additional financing and, ultimately, our ability to commercialize our products and generate product revenues. This in turn would likely materially harm our business, financial condition and operating results, and possibly lead us to cease operations.

If we fail to obtain regulatory approval in jurisdictions outside the United States, we will not be able to market PRP in those jurisdictions.

We intend to seek regulatory approval for PRP in a number of countries outside of the United States and expect that these countries will be important markets for our products, if approved. Marketing our products in these countries will require separate regulatory approvals in each market and compliance with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The regulations that apply to the conduct of clinical trials and approval procedures vary from country to country and may require additional testing. Moreover, the time required to obtain approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, a drug must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that country. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions, and approval by one foreign regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other foreign countries or by the FDA. The foreign regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. We may not obtain foreign regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all. We may not be able to file for regulatory approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any foreign market.

If, in the future, we are unable to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell and market PRP, we may not be successful in commercializing our product candidates if and when they are approved.

We do not have a sales or marketing infrastructure and have no experience in the sale, marketing or distribution of pharmaceutical products. To achieve commercial success for PRP or any other approved product, we must either develop a sales and marketing organization or outsource these functions to third parties. In the future, we may choose to build a focused sales and marketing infrastructure to market or co-promote some of our product candidates if and when they are approved.

There are risks involved with both establishing our own sales and marketing capabilities and entering into arrangements with third parties to perform these services. For example, recruiting and training a sales force is expensive and time consuming and could delay any product launch. If the commercial launch of a product candidate for which we recruit a sales force and establish marketing capabilities is delayed or does not occur for any reason, we would have prematurely or unnecessarily incurred these commercialization expenses. This may be costly, and our investment would be lost if we cannot retain or reposition our sales and marketing personnel.

Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our products on our own include:

If we enter into arrangements with third parties to perform sales, marketing and distribution services, our product revenues or the profitability of these product revenues to us are likely to be lower than if we were to market and sell any products that we develop ourselves. In addition, we may not be successful in entering into arrangements with third parties to sell and market our product candidates or may be unable to do so on terms that are favorable to us. We likely will have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to sell and market our products effectively. If we do not establish sales and marketing capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will not be successful in commercializing PRP.

We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than we do.

The development and commercialization of new drug products is highly competitive. We face competition with respect to our current product candidates, and will face competition with respect to any product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies worldwide. There are a number of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that currently market and sell products or are pursuing the development of products for the treatment of the disease indications for which we are developing our product candidates. Some of these competitive products and therapies are based on scientific approaches that are the same as or similar to our approach, and others are based on entirely different approaches. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations that conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization.

We are developing PRP for the treatment of cancer. There are a variety of available therapies marketed for cancer. In many cases, these drugs are administered in combination to enhance efficacy. Some of these drugs are branded and subject to patent protection, and others are available on a generic basis. Many of these approved drugs are well-established therapies and are widely accepted by physicians, patients and third-party payors. Insurers and other third-party payors may also encourage the use of generic products. We expect that if our product candidates are approved, they will be priced at a significant premium over competitive generic products. This may make it difficult for us to achieve our business strategy of using PRP in combination with existing therapies or replacing existing therapies with PRP.

There are also a number of products in clinical development by other parties to treat and prevent metastatic cancer. Our competitors may develop products that are more effective, safer, more convenient or less costly than any that we are developing or that would render our product candidates obsolete or non-competitive. In addition, our competitors may discover biomarkers that more efficiently measure their effectiveness to treat and prevent metastatic cancer, which may give them a competitive advantage in developing potential products. Our competitors may also obtain marketing approval from the FDA or other regulatory authorities for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market.

Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller and other early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. In addition, to the extent that product or product candidates of our competitors demonstrate serious adverse side effects or are determined to be ineffective in clinical trials, the development of our product candidates could be negatively impacted.

Even if we are able to commercialize PRP, it may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations, third-party reimbursement practices or healthcare reform initiatives, which would harm our business.

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drug products vary widely from country to country. In the United States, recently passed legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product licensing approval is granted. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. As a result, we might obtain marketing approval for PRP in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that delay our commercial launch of it, possibly for lengthy time periods, and negatively impact the revenues we are able to generate from the sale of PRP in that country. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in PRP, even after it has obtained marketing approval.

Our ability to commercialize PRP successfully also will depend in part on the extent to which reimbursement for it will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for PRP that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. Reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, PRP. Obtaining reimbursement for it may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with drugs administered under the supervision of a physician. If reimbursement is not available or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize PRP.

There may be significant delays in obtaining reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Moreover, eligibility for reimbursement does not imply that any drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement policies. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable payment rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR DEPENDENCE ON THIRD PARTIES

We may depend on collaborations with third parties for the development and commercialization of PRP and other product candidates, and these collaborations may be unsuccessful.

We may seek third-party collaborators for the development and commercialization of PRP and any other future product candidates. Our likely collaborators for any collaboration arrangements include large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, regional and national pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies. If we do enter into any such arrangements with any third parties, we will likely have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators dedicate to the development or commercialization of our product candidates. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators’ abilities to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements.

Collaborations involving our product candidates would pose the following risks to us:

Collaboration agreements may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner or at all. If a present or future collaborator of ours were to be involved in a business combination, the continued pursuit and emphasis on our product development or commercialization program could be delayed, diminished or terminated.

If we are not able to establish collaborations, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.

Our potential commercialization of PRP will require substantial additional cash to fund clinical trial and other expenses. As noted above, we may decide to collaborate with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for the development and potential commercialization of PRP and perhaps future product candidates as well.

We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing products, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of technology, which can exist if there is a challenge to such ownership without regard to the merits of the challenge and industry and market conditions generally. The collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidate. We may also be restricted under existing license agreements from entering into agreements on certain terms with potential collaborators. Collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. In addition, there have been a significant number of recent business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators.

We may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of such product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.

We currently contract with a third party for the manufacture of PRP and this third party may not perform satisfactorily, and our reliance on any third-party for the supply of PRP carries material risks.

We do not have any manufacturing facilities or personnel. We currently obtain all of our supply of PRP for clinical development through our Manufacturing Service Agreement “MSA” with Amatsigroup, and we expect to continue to rely on Amatsigroup for the manufacture of clinical and, if necessary, commercial quantities of PRP. This reliance on a third party increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of PRP on hand at any given time, which could delay, prevent or impair our development efforts. We do not currently have alternative arrangements in place to supply us with PRP should Amatsigroup fail to perform for any reason. Amatsigroup may also fail to comply with current good manufacturing practices (“cGMP”) regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside the United States. Any such failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on Amatsigroup, and possibly us as well. These sanctions could include fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of PRP, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect our supply of PRP and result in harm our business and results of operations.

PRP and any other product that we may develop may compete with other product candidates and products for access to manufacturing facilities. Although we believe that there are several potential alternative manufacturers who could manufacture PRP, we may incur added costs and delays in identifying and qualifying any such replacement, as well as producing the drug product. In addition, we would then have to enter into technical transfer agreements and share our know-how with the new third-party manufacturers, which can be time-consuming and may result in delays.

Even if we were able to quickly establish agreements with other third-party manufacturers, our general reliance on third-party manufacturers entails many of the same risks as our agreement with Amatsigroup, including:

Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of PRP may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any products that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

If we fail to comply with our obligations under any intellectual property licenses with third parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.

We are currently a party to a joint commercialization agreement with the University of Bath, and hope to enter into other license agreements in the future. With respect to our agreement with the University of Bath, if it is determined that we have failed to make all reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize products using the patents and commercialization rights granted by the University of Bath then such agreement will terminate and we would lose the rights for commercializing PRP as a treatment for cancer. Similarly, if we fail to comply with the obligations included in any future license we may enter into in the future, such licensors may have the right to terminate these agreements, in which event we might not be able to market any product that is covered by the agreements, or to convert the exclusive licenses to non-exclusive licenses, which could materially adversely affect the value of the product candidate being developed under these license agreements. As a general matter, termination of license agreements or reduction or elimination of our licensed rights may result in our having to negotiate new or reinstated licenses with less favorable terms.

If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our technology and products, or if any licensors are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for the technology or products that we may license from them in the future, or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize technology and products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and products may be adversely affected.

We have obtained patent protection for PRP in seven countries, and have a patent application either pending or under examination in eight others, including the United States and the European Union. Our future success depends in large part on our and, as applicable, our licensors’, ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology. We cannot be certain that patents will be issued in those countries where our applications are still under examination.

The patent process is expensive and time-consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Moreover, in some circumstances, we do not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology or products that we license from third parties and are reliant on our licensors. If such licensors fail to maintain such patents, or lose rights to those patents, the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated.

The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our and our licensors’ patent rights are highly uncertain. Our and our licensors’ pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our technology or products or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection.

The laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore we cannot be certain that we or our licensors were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we or our licensors were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.

Assuming the other requirements for patentability are met, in the United States, for patents that have an effective filing date prior to March 15, 2013, the first to make the claimed invention is entitled to the patent, while outside the United States, the first to file a patent application is entitled to the patent. In March 2013, the United States transitioned to a first inventor to file system in which, assuming the other requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application will be entitled to the patent. We may be subject to a third party preissuance submission of prior art to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or become involved in opposition, derivation, reexamination, inter parties review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or products and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third-party patent rights.

Even if our owned and licensed patent applications issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors from competing with us or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Our competitors may be able to circumvent our owned or licensed patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner.

The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our owned and licensed patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our owned and licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.

We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.

Competitors may infringe our patents. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent of ours is invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. In addition, our licensors may have rights to file and prosecute such claims and we are reliant on them.

Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which would be uncertain and could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.

Our commercial success depends upon our ability and the ability of our collaborators to develop, manufacture, market and sell PRP and any other product candidates and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. We have yet to conduct comprehensive freedom-to-operate searches to determine whether our use of certain of the patent rights owned by or licensed to us would infringe patents issued to third parties. We may become party to, or threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our products and technology, including interference proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future. If we are found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing and marketing our products and technology. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our business. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar negative impact on our business.

Intellectual property litigation could cause us to spend substantial resources and distract our personnel from their normal responsibilities.

Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our Common Stock. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to adequately conduct such litigation or proceedings. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

In addition to seeking patents for some of our technology and products, we also rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.

RISKS RELATED TO REGULATORY APPROVAL OF OUR PRODUCT CANDIDATES AND OTHER LEGAL COMPLIANCE MATTERS

If we are not able to obtain, or if there are delays in obtaining, required regulatory approvals, we will not be able to commercialize PRP, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.

PRP and the activities associated with its development and commercialization, including design, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, labeling, storage, approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution, are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory agencies in the United States and by comparable authorities in other countries. Failure to obtain marketing approval for PRP will prevent us from commercializing it. We have not received approval to market PRP or any other product candidate from regulatory authorities in any jurisdiction. We have only limited experience in filing and supporting the applications necessary to gain marketing approvals and expect to rely on third-party contract research organizations to assist us in this process. Securing FDA approval requires the submission of extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to the FDA for each therapeutic indication to establish PRP’s safety and efficacy. Securing FDA approval also requires the submission of information about the product manufacturing process to, and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, the FDA. PRP may not be effective, may be only moderately effective or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use.

The process of obtaining marketing approvals, both in the United States and abroad, is expensive, may take many years if additional clinical trials are required, if approval is obtained at all, and can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors, including the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidates involved. Changes in marketing approval policies during the development period, changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review for each submitted product application, may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application. The FDA has substantial discretion in the approval process and may refuse to accept any application or may decide that our data is insufficient for approval and require additional preclinical, clinical or other studies. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from preclinical and clinical testing could delay, limit or prevent marketing approval of a product candidate. Any marketing approval we ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render the approved product not commercially viable.

If we experience delays in obtaining approval or if we fail to obtain approval of PRP, the commercial prospects for PRP may be harmed and our ability to generate revenues will be materially impaired.

Failure to obtain marketing approval in international jurisdictions would prevent PRP from being marketed abroad.

We intend to seek regulatory approval for PRP in a number of countries outside of the United States and expect that these countries will be important markets for it, if approved. In order to market and sell our products in the European Union, the UK and many other jurisdictions, we or our third-party collaborators must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing. The time required to obtain approval may differ substantially from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process outside the United States generally includes all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, it is required that the product be approved for reimbursement before the product can be approved for sale in that country. We or these third parties may not obtain approvals from regulatory authorities outside the United States on a timely basis, if at all. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions, and approval by one regulatory authority outside the United States does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions or by the FDA. We may not be able to file for marketing approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market.

PRP or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval could be subject to restrictions or withdrawal from the market and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience unanticipated problems with our products, when and if any of them are approved.

PRP, or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval, along with the manufacturing processes, post-approval clinical data, labeling, advertising and promotional activities for such product, will be subject to continual requirements of and review by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration and listing requirements, cGMP requirements relating to quality control, quality assurance and corresponding maintenance of records and documents, requirements regarding the distribution of samples to physicians and recordkeeping. Even if marketing approval of a product candidate is granted, the approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of the product. The FDA closely regulates the post-approval marketing and promotion of drugs to ensure drugs are marketed only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. The FDA imposes stringent restrictions on manufacturers’ communications regarding off-label use and if we do not market our products for their approved indications, we may be subject to enforcement action for off-label marketing.

In addition, later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may yield various results, including:

Our current attempts to both expand our patent protection and seek regulatory approvals from multiple countries, as well as our future relationships with customers and third-party payors will be subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse and other laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.

As we seek to obtain patent protection from multiple jurisdictions and eventually to seek marketing approval for PRP in those counties, we are and will continue to be subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it illegal for any U.S. business, even one like Propanc that is physically located in another country, to influence foreign officials with personal payments and rewards.

Moreover, healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of PRP and any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. Our future arrangements with third-party payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute our products for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, include the following:

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines and exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we expect to do business are found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

Recently enacted and future legislation, particularly in the United States, may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize PRP and affect the prices we may obtain.

In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions there have been many legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval.

In the United States, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (“Medicare Modernization Act”), changed the way Medicare covers and pays for pharmaceutical products. The legislation expanded Medicare coverage for drug purchases by the elderly and introduced a new reimbursement methodology based on average sales prices for physician-administered drugs. In addition, this legislation provided authority for limiting the number of drugs that will be covered in any therapeutic class. Cost reduction initiatives and other provisions of this legislation could decrease the coverage and price that we receive for any approved products. While the Medicare Modernization Act applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates. Therefore, any reduction in reimbursement that results from the Medicare Modernization Act may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors.

In March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Affordable Care Act”), a sweeping law intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for health care and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Among other things, the Affordable Care Act revised the definition of “average manufacturer price” for reporting purposes, which could increase the amount of Medicaid drug rebates to states, and it imposed a significant annual fee on companies that manufacture or import branded prescription drug products.

At present, the future of the Affordable Care Act is the subject of significant debate in the U.S. Congress, with proposals to either partially or entirely repeal it being considered and the likelihood that there will be a new law to replace it is uncertain. It is not yet possible for us to determine the impact, if any, the enactment of any of these proposals will have on our future ability to obtain approval of or commercialize PRP.

The UK’s decision to leave the European Union could significantly increase regulatory burdens on obtaining approvals for PRP within the UK.

On March 29, 2017, the UK invoked Article 50 of Lisbon Treaty to initiate complete withdrawal from the European Union by March 30, 2019, and therefore, the regulatory drug approval process in that country may be significantly different from the current drug regulatory policies in the European Union. We currently intend to hold our clinical trials in the UK and therefore this event could significantly impact our efforts to successfully bring PRP to market. It is not yet possible for us to determine the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, but any additional costs or delays in obtaining approvals may hinder our ability to conduct clinical trials or market PRP in the UK.

RISKS RELATING TO EMPLOYEE MATTERS AND MANAGING GROWTH

Our future success depends on our ability to retain our chief executive officer and chief scientific officer and, as we continue to develop Propanc and grow as a company, to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.

We are highly dependent on our management team, specifically Mr. James Nathanielsz, and on Dr. Julian Kenyon, who serves as our chief scientific officer and a director. While we have a current employment agreement with our chief executive officer, Mr. James Nathanielsz, and a director agreement with Dr. Kenyon, both the employment agreement with Mr. Nathanielsz and the director agreement with Dr. Kenyon permit each of the respective parties thereto to terminate such agreements upon notice. If we lose these key employees, our business will likely suffer and we may have to cease operations.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing and sales and marketing personnel will also be critical to our future success, as we continue to develop PRP and grow as a company. We may not be able to attract and retain these personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for similar personnel. We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors, including our scientific co-founders, may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us.

We expect to expand our development, regulatory and future sales and marketing capabilities, and as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.

We expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, particularly in the areas of drug development, regulatory affairs and sales and marketing. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due to our limited financial resources and the limited experience of our management team in managing a company with such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel. The physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations.

We do not have any independent directors, which represents a potential conflict of interest, and helps create a material weakness in our disclosure controls and procedures as well as our internal control over financial reporting.

We do not have any independent directors, and no audit or compensation committees that in a larger company would be expected to be comprised of independent directors. The functions of these committees, as well as other important functions that would normally be carried out by independent directors, are performed by our directors, one of whom also serves as principal executive and financial officer of the Company, resulting in an inherent and obvious conflict of interest.

Also, our lack of independent directors and an audit committee necessitates that we do not currently have a director who qualifies as an audit committee financial expert. This fact, together with our additional lack of in-house accounting personnel knowledgeable in debt and equity transactions and our extremely samll administrative staff that makes it impossible to segregate critical duties, combine to create material weaknesses in both our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting.

Judgments that our stockholders obtain against us may not be enforceable.

Substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, our chief executive officer, James Nathanielsz, resides in Australia and one of our directors, Julian Kenyon, resides in the UK. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. It is uncertain whether the courts of Australia or the UK would recognize or enforce judgments of the United States or state courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the laws of the United States or any state. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether such courts in Australia or the UK would be competent to hear original actions brought in such jurisdictions against us or such persons predicated upon the laws of the United States or any state.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK

Currently there is a limited public market for our common stock, and we cannot predict the future prices or the amount of liquidity of our common stock.

Currently, there is a limited public market for our common stock. Our common stock is traded on the OTCQB, operated by OTC Markets Group, Inc., under the symbol “PPCB.” However, the OTCQB is not a liquid market in contrast to the major stock exchanges. We cannot assure you as to the liquidity or the future market prices of our common stock if a market does develop. If an active market for our common stock does not develop, the fair market value of our common stock could be materially adversely affected. We cannot predict the future prices of our common stock.

We are subject to the “penny stock” rules which will adversely affect the liquidity of our common stock.

The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define “penny stock” to be an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. We expect the market price of our common stock will continue to be less than $5.00 per share and therefore we will continue to be considered a “penny stock” according to SEC rules. This designation requires any broker-dealer selling these securities to disclose certain information concerning the transaction, obtain a written agreement from the purchaser and determine that the purchaser is reasonably suitable to purchase the securities. These rules limit the ability of broker-dealers to solicit purchases of our common stock and therefore reduce the liquidity of the public market for our shares should one develop.

Because our directors and officers currently and for the foreseeable future will continue to control Propanc, it is not likely that you will be able to elect directors or have any say in the policies of Propanc.

Our stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights. Consequently, the election of directors and all other matters requiring stockholder approval will be decided by majority vote. The directors and officers of Propanc beneficially own approximately 10% of our outstanding common stock. In addition, our chief executive officer owns all of our preferred stock, which entitles him, as a holder of Series A preferred stock, to vote on all matters submitted or required to be submitted to a vote of the stockholders, except election and removal of directors, and each share entitles him to five hundred votes per share of Series A preferred stock, and as a holder of Series B preferred stock, to voting power equivalent of the number of votes equal to the total number of shares of common stock outstanding as of the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at each meeting of stockholders of the Company and entitled to vote on all matters submitted or required to be submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Company. Due to such a disproportionate voting power, new investors will not be able to affect a change in our business or management, and therefore, stockholders would have no recourse as a result of decisions made by management.

A significant percentage of our outstanding common stock is held by our chief executive officer, director and other principal stockholders and sales of shares of our common stock by any of these persons or entities could adversely affect our market price.

As indicated in Item 12. Security Ownership of Beneficial Owners and Management on page 72, 10% of our outstanding shares of common stock, or securities convertible into shares of our common stock within the next 60 days, is held by Mr. Nathanielsz, Dr. Kenyon, and other entities. Sales by any of them of the shares of our common stock they currently hold or may hold after conversion, as applicable, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Moreover, this concentration in our stock ownership may discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.

In the future, we may issue additional preferred stock without the approval of our stockholders, which could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us and could depress our stock price.

Our board of directors may, and has in the past, issue, without a vote of our stockholders, one or more series of preferred stock with such rights and preferences as it determines. This could permit our board of directors to issue preferred stock to investors who support us and our management and permit our management to retain control of our business. Additionally, issuance of preferred stock could block an acquisition which could result in both a drop in our stock price and a decline in interest of our common stock.

Since we intend to retain any earnings for development of our business for the foreseeable future, you will likely not receive any dividends for the foreseeable future, and capital appreciation, if any, will be the source of gain for our stockholders.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends or distributions on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain our future earnings to support operations and to finance expansion and therefore we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our Common Stock will be the sole source of gain for our stockholders for the foreseeable future.

Future sales and issuances of our capital stock or rights to purchase capital stock could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock price to decline.

We will likely issue additional securities in the future and such future sales and issuances of our capital stock or rights to purchase our capital stock could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders. We may sell common stock, convertible securities and other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner as we may determine from time to time. If we sell any such securities in subsequent transactions, our stockholders may be materially diluted. New investors in such subsequent transactions could gain rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2. Properties.

Our principal executive office is located at 302, 6 Butler Street, Camberwell, VIC, 3124 Australia. The lease has a five year term commencing May 5, 2016, and we are obligated to pay $3,300 AUD (including tax) in rent per month.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation in the ordinary course of business. However, we are currently not involved in any litigation that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. To our knowledge, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of our executive officers or any of our subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting our Company, our common stock, any of our subsidiaries or any of our subsidiaries’ officers or directors in their capacities as such, in which an adverse decision could have a material adverse effect.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Our common stock is quoted under the ticker symbol “PPCB” on the OTCQB operated by OTC Markets Group, Inc. Only a limited market exists for our securities. There is no assurance that a regular trading market will develop, or if developed, that it will be sustained. Therefore, a stockholder may be unable to resell his securities in Propanc.

The following table sets forth the range of high and low bid quotations for our common stock for each of the periods indicated as reported by the OTCQB. These quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

* The quotations of the high and low prices reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, markdown or commission and have been adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split we effected on April 20, 2017.

On September 28, 2017, the last reported sales price per share of our Common Stock on the OTCQB was $0.30.

Penny Stock

The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a market price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on the NASDAQ system, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC, that: (a) contains a description of the nature and level of risk in the market for penny stocks in both public offerings and secondary trading; (b) contains a description of the broker’s or dealer’s duties to the customer and of the rights and remedies available to the customer with respect to a violation of such duties or other requirements of the securities laws; (c) contains a brief, clear, narrative description of a dealer market, including bid and ask prices for penny stocks and the significance of the spread between the bid and ask price; (d) contains a toll-free telephone number for inquiries on disciplinary actions; (e) defines significant terms in the disclosure document or in the conduct of trading in penny stocks; and (f) contains such other information and is in such form, including language, type size and format, as the SEC shall require by rule or regulation.

The broker-dealer also must provide, prior to effecting any transaction in a penny stock, the customer with (a) bid and offer quotations for the penny stock; (b) the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction; (c) the number of shares to which such bid and ask prices apply, or other comparable information relating to the depth and liquidity of the market for such stock; and (d) a monthly account statement showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account.

In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement, a written agreement as to transactions involving penny stocks, and a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement.

These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity for our common stock. Therefore, stockholders may have difficulty selling our securities.

Holders

As of September 28, 2017, we had 69 record holders of our common stock holding 6,172,082 shares, one holder of our Series A Preferred Stock holding 500,000 shares and one holder of our Series B Preferred Stock holding one share.

Dividends

We have not paid any cash dividends to our stockholders. The declaration of any future cash dividends is at the discretion of our Board and depends upon our earnings, if any, our capital requirements and financial position, and general economic conditions. It is our present intention not to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future, but rather to reinvest earnings, if any, in our business operations.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

Not applicable to smaller reporting companies.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the information set forth under Part I, Item 1A, “Risks Factors,” and our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing under Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our discussion includes forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. See “Forward-Looking Statements” on page 3.

U.S. Dollars are denoted herein by “USD”, “$” and “dollars”.

Overview

Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our”) was originally incorporated in Melbourne, Victoria Australia on October 15, 2007 as Propanc PTY LTD, and continues to be based in Camberwell, Victoria Australia. Since its inception, substantially all of the operations of the Company have been focused on the development of new cancer treatments targeting high-risk patients, particularly cancer survivors, who need a follow-up, non-toxic, long-term therapy designed to prevent the cancer from returning and spreading. The Company anticipates establishing global markets for its technologies. Our lead product candidate, which we refer to as PRP, is an enhanced pro-enzyme formulation designed to enhance the anti-cancer effects of multiple enzymes acting synergistically. PRP is currently in the preclinical phase of development.

On November 23, 2010, the Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware as Propanc Health Group Corporation. In January 2011, to reorganize the Company, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of Propanc PTY LTD on a one-for-one basis making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Effective April 20, 2017, the Company changed its name to “Propanc Biopharma, Inc.” to better reflect our current stage of growth and development.

To date, we have generated no revenue, have no cancer treatment products available to market and have no products which have reached the clinical trial stage. We require substantial additional financing to continue to test and commercialize PRP.

Recent Developments

Delafield Financing

On October 28, 2015, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), with Delafield Investments Limited (“Delafield”), that provided for the investment of $4,000,000 (the “Investment Amount”) in exchange for a Convertible Debenture (the “Debenture”) in the principal amount of $4,400,000 and warrant (the “2015 Warrant”) to purchase an aggregate of 104,762 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), for an exercise price of $150 per share for a period of four years from such date. We and Delafield have since modified the terms of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement pursuant to an addendum dated March 11, 2016 (the “Addendum”), and letter agreements dated July 1, 2016 (the “July Letter Agreement”), August 3, 2016 (the “August Letter Agreement, December 2, 2016 (the “December Letter Agreement”) and March 17, 2017 (the “March Letter Agreement. The descriptions of the Debenture and the 2015 Warrant, the 2016 Warrants and the Delafield Note below reflect the terms of such agreements under the Purchase Agreement as modified by the Addendum, the July Letter Agreement the August Letter Agreement, the December Letter Agreement and the March Letter Agreement.

In connection with the Purchase Agreement, we filed a registration statement on Form S-1 on November 23, 2015, deemed effective on December 10, 2015, pursuant to which we registered for resale an aggregate of 393,620 shares of Common Stock consisting of: (i) 288,858 shares underlying the Debenture; and (ii) 104,762 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the 2015 Warrant.

Under the terms of the Debenture, we received a reduction in the principal amount of the financing of (i) $25,000 upon the Company’s filing of the registration statement within the time period specified and (ii) $25,000 upon the effectiveness of the registration statement within the time period specified. The current aggregate principal amount was adjusted to $4,350,000 upon the date of the registration statement and as of September 28, 2017 $547,771 (the “Principal Amount”) was outstanding.

Pursuant to the Addendum, on March 24, 2016, we filed a second registration statement on Form S-1, deemed effective on April 18, 2016, to register for resale up to 684,000 additional shares of Common Stock underlying the Debenture.

Debenture

The Debenture has a 10% original issue discount. The Principal Amount accrues interest at the rate of 5% per annum, payable quarterly in cash (or if certain conditions are met, in stock at the Company’s option) on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. Pursuant to the July Letter Agreement, the Company and Delafield agreed to modify the July 1, 2016 “Interest Payment Date” and the October 1, 2016 “Interest Payment Date” as such terms are defined in the Debenture. Pursuant to the July Letter Agreement, the Company may delay the interest payment due on the July 1, 2016 Interest Payment Date by a minimum of 30 calendar days (the “Minimum Extension Date”) and up to 60 calendar days, provided that Delafield may demand payment any time after the Minimum Extension Date. The Company also may delay the interest payment due on the October 1, 2016 Interest Payment Date to the Maturity Date, as defined below, unless Delafield demands earlier payment.

Pursuant to the March Letter Agreement, the maturity date of the Debenture was extended until September 30, 2017 (the “Maturity Date”). Further, from the period of February 28, 2017 through the Maturity Date, the Company will pay interest to Delafield on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding Principal Amount pursuant to the terms of the Debenture

The Debenture is convertible at any time, in whole or in part, at Delafield’s option into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price equal to $7.50 per share; provided that in the event that the volume weighted average price per share (the “VWAP”) on any trading day is less than such conversion price, the conversion price will be adjusted to a price per share that is equal to a 22.5% discount to the lowest trading price of the Common Stock in the ten trading days prior to the date of conversion. At no time will Delafield be entitled to convert any portion of the Debenture to the extent that after such conversion, Delafield (together with its affiliates) would beneficially own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of such date.

2015 Warrant

Pursuant to the July Letter Agreement, Delafield agreed to exercise the 2015 Warrant with respect to all 104,762 shares of Common Stock underlying the 2015 Warrant. In consideration of such exercise, the Company agreed to adjust the exercise price from $150 per share to $3.00 per share, for an aggregate exercise price of $314,286.

2016 Warrants

Pursuant to the August Letter Agreement and in consideration for extending the Maturity Date of the Debenture, we issued to Delafield warrants to purchase up to 960,000 shares of Common Stock (the “2016 Warrants”). The 2016 Warrants entitled the holder thereof to purchase (i) up to 800,000 shares of Common Stock at exercise prices ranging from $3.00 to $5.00 per share (the “Five Month Warrant”), and (ii) up to 160,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $25.00 per share (the “Two Year Warrant”). We also agreed to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), to register for resale the 960,000 shares of Common Stock underlying the 2016 Warrants.

The 2016 Warrants were immediately exercisable. On August 18, 2016, Delafield notified us of its exercise of 50,000 shares of Common Stock under the first tranche of the Five Month Warrant at a purchase price of $3.00 per share or $150,000 in the aggregate.

Pursuant to the Five Month Warrant, if the VWAP of the Common Stock for five consecutive days equals or exceeds the exercise price of any tranche of the Five Month Warrant (each, as applicable, a “Callable Tranche”), and provided that the Company is in compliance with the Call Conditions as defined in the August Letter Agreement, the Company has the right to call on Delafield to exercise any warrants under a Callable Tranche up to an aggregate exercise price of $350,000. The Five Month Warrant generally limited the Company to one such call within a twenty trading day period. However, if the VWAP of the Common Stock for five consecutive trading days is at least 200% of the exercise price of any warrants under a Callable Tranche, the Company may make an additional call for the exercise of additional warrants under such Callable Tranche up to an aggregate exercise price of $600,000 prior to the passage of the twenty trading day period. If Delafield did not exercise the 2016 Warrants under a Callable Tranche when called by the Company under the terms of the August Letter Agreement, we could, at our option, cancel any or all outstanding warrants under the Five Month Warrant.

The exercise price and number of shares of the Common Stock issuable under the 2016 Warrants were subject to adjustments for stock dividends, splits, combinations and pro rata distributions. Any adjustment to the exercise price shall similarly cause the number of shares underlying the 2016 Warrants to be adjusted so that the total value of the 2016 Warrants may increase.

Delafield was subject to a beneficial ownership limitation under the Debenture and the 2016 Warrants such that the Company and Delafield could not, and cannot, affect any exercise of the 2016 Warrants that would cause Delafield (together with its affiliates) to beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise of the warrant. Delafield, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the beneficial ownership limitation, provided that the beneficial ownership limitation may not exceed 9.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise of the warrant.

The Five Month Warrant and the Two Year Warrant required us to file a registration statement covering the resale of the shares underlying the warrant within 15 days after August 3, 2016, and to use our commercially reasonable efforts to have the registration statement declared effective by the SEC promptly thereafter and to remain effective for a period of at least six years from the date of effectiveness.

We filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 19, 2016 but this registration statement was never declared effective and was withdrawn on December 12, 2016. On December 2, 2016, the Company entered into the December Letter Agreement with Delafield pursuant to which the parties agreed to cancel the Two Year Warrant and the Five Month Warrant. The 50,000 restricted shares held by Delafield pursuant to its exercise of the first tranche of the Five Month Warrant were redeemed by us upon the issuance and in exchange for an 8% convertible redeemable promissory note in the principal amount of $150,000 (the “Delafield Note”). The Delafield Note matures two years from the issuance date at which time any outstanding principal and interest is then due and payable. The Delafield Note is convertible into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price equal to 65% of the average of the three lowest closing bid prices of the Common Stock for the ten trading days prior to the conversion, subject to adjustment in certain events. The Delafield Note may be prepaid at any time at 135% of the principal amount plus any accrued interest. Upon an event of default, principal and accrued interest will become immediately due and payable and interest will accrue at a default interest rate of 18% per annum or the highest rate of interest permitted by law.

In addition, the Company issued Delafield a two-year common stock purchase warrant to purchase 104,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $12.50 per share (the “New Warrant”). The exercise price and number of shares of Common Stock issuable under the New Warrant are subject to adjustments for certain reclassifications, subdivision or combination of shares.

Additional Issuance Debenture

As of September 13, 2016, we entered into an Additional Issuance Agreement (the “Additional Issuance Agreement”) with Delafield pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the Additional Issuance Agreement, Delafield agreed to loan an additional $150,000 in exchange for a 5% Original Issue Discount Senior Secured Convertible Debenture of the Company in the principal amount of $165,000 (the “Additional Issuance Debenture”). The rights and obligations of Delafield and us with respect to the Additional Issuance Debenture and the shares of Common Stock issuable under the Additional Issuance Debenture (the “New Underlying Shares”) are identical in all respects to the rights and obligations of Delafield and of the Company with respect to the Debenture and the shares of Common Stock issued and issuable thereunder, except that Delafield will not receive any registration rights with respect to the New Underlying Shares and except as otherwise noted in the governing documents.

The Additional Issuance Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants by, among and for the benefit of the parties. We also agreed to pay all reasonable out-of-pocket costs or expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and disbursements) incurred or sustained by Delafield, in connection with the transaction.

The Additional Issuance Debenture has an original issue discount and matured on September 13, 2017. The principal amount of the Additional Issuance Debenture accrues interest at the rate of 5% per annum, payable quarterly in cash (or if certain conditions are met, in stock at the Company’s option) on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. The Additional Issuance Debenture is convertible at any time, in whole or in part, at Delafield’s option into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price equal to $7.50 (subject to adjustment) (the “Conversion Price”). If the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock on any trading day is less than the then-current Conversion Price, Delafield may convert at a price per share equal to a twenty two and one half percent (22.5%) discount to the lowest trading price of the Common Stock in the ten trading days prior to the date of conversion.

Delafield is subject to the same ownership limitation in connection with the Additional Issuance Debenture as for the Debenture and the 2016 Warrants as described above. The Additional Issuance Debenture includes customary event of default provisions and provides for a default interest rate of 18%. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, Delafield may convert the Additional Issuance Debenture into shares of Common Stock at a price per share equal to a thirty percent (30%) discount to the average volume weighted average price of the shares for the six trading days prior to conversion. Subject to the conditions set forth in the Additional Issuance Debenture, we have the right at any time after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the original issuance of the Additional Issuance Debenture or (ii) the date on which the New Underlying Shares are registered pursuant to an effective registration statement, to redeem some or all of the total outstanding amount then remaining under the Additional Issuance Debenture in cash at a price equal to 125% of the total amount of the Additional Issuance Debenture outstanding on the twentieth (20^th) trading date following the date the Company delivers notice of such redemption to Delafield.

At the sole election of Delafield, in lieu of receiving a cash payment for any principal amounts due on the Additional Issuance Debenture, Delafield may use all or any portion of any principal amounts owed to it to exercise outstanding warrants of the Company held by Delafield.

The issuance of the Additional Issuance Debenture to the Purchaser under the Additional Issuance Agreement was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act pursuant to the exemption for transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The Company made this determination based on the representations of Delafield that it was acquiring the Additional Issuance Debenture for its own account with no intent to distribute the Additional Issuance Debenture. No general solicitation or general advertising was used in connection with the sale of the Additional Issuance Debenture and the Company had a pre-existing relationship with Delafield.

Our obligations under the Additional Issuance Debenture are secured by an unconditional and continuing, first priority security interest in all of the assets and property of the Company until ten days following such time as the equity conditions set forth in the Additional Issuance Debenture are met, pursuant to the terms of the existing Security Agreement.

Manufacturing Services Agreement

We entered into a Manufacturing Services Agreement (the “MSA”) and Quality Assurance Agreement (the “QAA”), each with an effective date of August 12, 2016, with Amatsigroup NV (“Amatsigroup”), formally known as Q-Biologicals NV, a contract manufacturing organization located in Belgium. Pursuant to the MSA, Amatsigroup will produce certain drug substances and product containing certain enzymes at its facility in Belgium. We will use these substances and products for development purposes, including but not limited to clinical trials. The MSA contemplates payment to Amatsigroup pursuant to a pre-determined fee schedule based on the completion of certain milestones that depend on our manufacturing requirements and final batch yield. We anticipate that our payments to Amatsigroup under the MSA will range between $2.5 million and $5.0 million over five years, with the majority of the expenditures occurring during the first two years of the MSA when the finished drug product is manufactured and released for clinical trials.

The MSA shall continue for a term of six years unless extended by mutual agreement in writing. We can terminate the MSA early for any reason upon the required notice period, however, in such event, the pre-payment paid upon signing the MSA is considered non-refundable. The QAA sets forth the parties respective obligations and responsibilities relating to the manufacturing and testing of the products under the MSA.

The agreements with Amatsigroup contain certain customary representations, warranties and limitations of liabilities, and confidentiality and indemnity obligations.

Pre-Clinical Efficacy and Toxicology Studies

In November 2015, we completed animal efficacy studies in mice through our contract research partner, vivoPharm, demonstrating proof of concept in vivo. During the course of these studies, we discovered a new target therapeutic dose range using pro-enzymes for treating cancer. That month, we filed a patent application in support of this discovery, as described further herein.

On October 25, 2016 we completed a toxicokinetic study for PRP. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the toxicokinetic parameters of PRP after repeated, daily intravenous tail vein administration in rats and to evaluate distribution and bioavailability of the test articles, both before and after repeat exposure, over a 28-day period.

On December 22, 2016, we commenced a second GLP-compliant toxicity study for PRP. An animal group was administered low dosages intravenously, also over a 28-day period, after which the focus of the study expanded to medium and high dosages. On April 27, 2017, we announced the successful completion of this study and our intent to proceed toward a clinical trial application in the United Kingdom, which we anticipate submitting in 2018.

Eagle Equities Financings

On each of October 31, December 12 and December 21, 2016, as well as January 30, March 1, and August 9, 2017 we entered into Securities Purchase Agreements with Eagle Equities, LLC (“Eagle Equities”), pursuant to which Eagle Equities purchased a total of twelve 8% convertible redeemable junior subordinated promissory notes in varying principal amounts totaling $2,016,000.

The structure of these financings have been virtually identical in each instance: in each financing, we issue two promissory notes, each in the same principal amount. The first note is funded by Eagle Equities in cash and the second note is initially paid for by an offsetting promissory note issued by Eagle Equities to us. However, the second note must also be cash funded prior to any conversion. The second note and its offsetting promissory note are subject to cancellation if certain conditions are not met.

All outstanding principal and interest under the various promissory notes we have issued is due and payable upon their respective maturity dates. The amounts cash funded under these notes are convertible into shares of our common stock at a 60% discount to its closing bid price over the prior 10 trading days, pursuant to the terms of the notes. While the first notes may be prepaid within 180 days of their issuance dates, with certain penalties, the second notes may not be prepaid.

Upon an event of default, principal and accrued interest will become immediately due and payable under the notes and the notes will begin to accrue interest at a highly inflated rate. Further, certain events for default may trigger penalty and liquidated damages provisions.

On April 11, 2017, the Company received full payment of the October 31, 2016 and the December 12, 2016 notes it issued to Eagle Equities, in the principal amounts of $100,000 each. On May 4, 2017, the Company received full payment of the December 21, 2016 note, in the amount of $157,500, and partial payment of the January 30, 2017 note in the amount of $40,000. On June 3, 2017, the Company received the balance of the payment of the January 30, 2017 note, or $190,000. On July 5 2017, the Company received the balance of the payment of the March 1, 2017 note, or $220,500. As a result, the second notes the Company issued to Eagle Equities on those dates are no longer subject to cancellation.

The total principal amount due and outstanding to Eagle Equities as of September 28, 2017 is $1,423,500.

GS Capital Financings

On May 26, 2017, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with GS Capital Partners, LLC (“GS Capital”), pursuant to which GS Capital purchased for cash an 8% convertible redeemable junior subordinated promissory note in the principal amount of $160,000.

On July 24, 2017 and September 21, 2017, we entered into additional Securities Purchase Agreements with GS Capital pursuant to which GS Capital purchased four 8% convertible redeemable junior subordinated promissory notes. The structure of these two rounds of financing and the terms of the promissory notes issued have been substantially similar to that of the Eagle Equities financings described above, except that the conversion discount is 62% of the closing bid price of our common stock over the prior 10 trading days. The first notes issued by us to GS Capital in each round of financing may be prepaid without penalty. The second note may not be prepaid, although if either of the first notes is redeemed within six months of its issuance date, the second note will be cancelled.

The total principal amount due and outstanding to GS Capital as of September 28, 2017 is $480,000.

Consulting Agreements

On August 10, 2017, the Company entered into an agreement, retroactive to May 16, 2017, with Regal Consulting LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Consultant”), pursuant to which the Consultant agreed to provide certain consulting and business advisory services in exchange for a $310,000 10% junior subordinated convertible note (the “Consulting Note”). The sum cash funded under this note is convertible into shares of our common stock at the lesser of $1.50 or a 65% discount to the three lowest trades in the 10 trading days prior to the conversion. This note may not be prepaid. The agreement had a three-month term and expired on August 16, 2017.

Previously, on November 18, 2016, the Company had entered into a substantially similar agreement with the Consultant whereby the Company issued two 10% convertible junior subordinated promissory notes in the principal amounts of $250,000 each, both of which will mature in two years. The amounts cash funded under these notes are convertible into shares of our common stock at the lesser of $2.50, adjusted for the reverse stock split we effected in April 2017, or a 65% discount to the three lowest trades in the 10 trading days prior to the conversion. These notes may not be prepaid. This agreement had a six-month term.

The total principal amount due and outstanding to the Consultant as of September 28, 2017 is $700,000.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Below is a discussion of our more subjective accounting estimation processes for purposes of explaining (i) the methodology used in calculating the estimates, (ii) the inherent uncertainties pertaining to such estimates and (iii) the possible effects of a significant variance in actual experience, from that of the estimate, on the Company’s financial condition. Estimates involve numerous assumptions that, if incorrect, could create a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

Reference is frequently made herein to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). This is the source of authoritative US GAAP recognized by the FASB to be applied to non-governmental entities. Each ASC reference in this filing is presented with a three-digit number, which represents its Topic. As necessary for explanation and as applicable, an ASC topic may be followed with a two-digit subtopic, a two-digit section or a two-or-three digit paragraph.

Foreign Currency Translation and Comprehensive Income (Loss): The Company’s functional currency is the AUD. For financial reporting purposes, the AUD has been translated into USD as the reporting currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated at the average rate of exchange prevailing during the reporting period. Equity transactions are translated at each historical transaction date spot rate. Translation adjustments arising from the use of different exchange rates from period to period are included as a component of stockholders’ equity (deficit) as “accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).” Gains and losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss as other income (expense).

Accounting for Income Taxes: The Company is governed by Australia and United States income tax laws, which are administered by the Australian Taxation Office and the United States Internal Revenue Service, respectively. The Company follows ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed annually for temporary differences between the financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Income tax expense is the tax payable or refundable for the period plus or minus the change during the period in deferred tax assets and liabilities.

The Company adopted provisions of ASC 740, Sections 25 through 60, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” These sections provide detailed guidance for the financial statement recognition, measurement and disclosure of uncertain tax positions recognized in the financial statements. Tax positions must meet a “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold at the effective date to be recognized upon the adoption of ASC 740 and in subsequent periods.

Accounting for Stock Based Compensation: The Company records stock based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, “Stock Compensation” and Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 issued by the SEC in March 2005 regarding its interpretation of ASC 718. ASC 718 requires the fair value of all stock-based employee compensation awarded to employees to be recorded as an expense over the related requisite service period. The statement also requires the recognition of compensation expense for the fair value of any unvested stock option awards outstanding at the date of adoption. The Company values any employee or non-employee stock based compensation at fair value using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model.

The Company accounts for non-employee share-based awards in accordance with the measurement and recognition criteria of ASC 505-50 “Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees.”

Derivative Instruments: ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments and for hedging activities by requiring that all derivatives be recognized in the balance sheet and measured at fair value. Gains or losses resulting from changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognized in earnings or recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) depending on the purpose of the derivatives and whether they qualify and have been designated for hedge accounting treatment. The Company does not have any derivative instruments for which it has applied hedge accounting treatment.

Convertible Notes With Variable Conversion Options: The Company has entered into convertible notes, some of which contain variable conversion options, whereby the outstanding principal and accrued interest may be converted, by the holder, into common shares at a fixed discount to the price of the common stock at the time of conversion. The Company treats these convertible notes as stock settled debt under ASC 480 and measures the fair value of the notes at the time of issuance, which is the result of the share price discount at the time of conversion, and records the put premium as accretion to interest expense to the date of first conversion.

Research and Development Tax Credits: The Company may apply for Research and Development tax concessions with the Australian Taxation Office on an annual basis. Although the amount is possible to estimate at year end, the Australian Taxation Office may reject or materially alter the claim amount. Accordingly, the Company does not recognize the benefit of the claim amount until cash receipt since collectability is not certain until such time. The tax concession is a refundable credit. If the Company has net income then the Company can receive the credit which reduces its income tax liability. If the Company has net losses, then the Company may still receive a cash payment for the credit, however, the Company’s net operating loss carry forwards are reduced by the gross equivalent loss that would produce the credit amount when the income tax rate is applied to that gross amount. The concession is recognized as an income tax benefit, in operations, upon receipt.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Certain FASB Accounting Standard Updates (“ASU”) which are not effective until after June 30, 2017 are not expected to have a significant effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. The Company is evaluating or has implemented the following at June 30, 2017:

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. ASU 2016-15 addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing diversity in practice regarding how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented in the statement of cash flows. The standard provides guidance on the classification of the following items: (1) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, (2) settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments, (3) contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, (4) proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, (5) proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, (6) distributions received from equity method investments, (7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions, and (8) separately identifiable cash flows. The Company is required to adopt ASU 2016-15 for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 on a retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of ASU 2016-15.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” which amends several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transaction, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. These changes become effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017. The Company has not determined the effects of this update on the Company’s consolidated financial statements at this time.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases,” which will require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by most leases on the balance sheet. The changes become effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019. Modified retrospective adoption for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application, is required with an option to use certain transition relief. The Company expects this ASU will increase its current assets and current liabilities, but have no net material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,” which requires that an entity classify deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent on the balance sheet. Prior to the issuance of the standard, deferred tax assets and liabilities were required to be separated into current and noncurrent amounts on the basis of the classification of the related asset or liability. This ASU is effective for the Company on April 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU No. 2015-17 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (Topic 205-40)”, which requires management to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern for each annual and interim reporting period. If substantial doubt exists, additional disclosure is required. This new standard was effective for the Company for the interim period beginning after December 15, 2016 and the Company has revised its disclosures accordingly. The Company adopted this new standard as of December 31, 2016.

Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. The results discussed below are of the Company and its wholly-owned Australian subsidiary, Propanc PTY Ltd.

For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2017 compared to the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2016

Revenue

For the fiscal years 2017 and 2016 we generated no revenue because we are currently undertaking research and development activities for market approval and no sales were generated in this period.

Administration Expense

Administration expense decreased to $4,739,431 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared with $5,426,056 for the year ended June 30, 2016. This decrease is primarily attributable to a decrease in stock based expense of approximately $500,000 that is primarily related to a decrease in stock based consulting fees as well as a decrease of approximately $240,000 in capital raising expenses in the year ended June 30, 2017.

Occupancy Expense

Occupancy expense increased by approximately $4,000 to $28,992 for the year ended June 30, 2017. On May 4, 2016, the Company entered into a new five-year operating lease agreement with an entity controlled by our Chief Executive Officer and his spouse. The monthly rent is $3,300 AUD, inclusive of GST. The increase relates to the final payment for the old lease during the year and a full year of lease expense for the new space during the year ended June 30, 2017.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $971,769 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared with $1,446,948 for the year ended June 30, 2016. The decrease in research and development expenditures is primarily attributable to a decrease in non-clinical development activities as the Company progresses its lead product, PRP, to clinical trials. Despite completion of proof of concept animal studies, a 28-day toxicokinetic study and a 28-day GLP-compliant repeat dose toxicology study were completed to support a clinical trial application to commence a Phase IIa patient trial in the UK, which contributed to the R&D expenditure incurred for the year ended June 30, 2017.

Interest Expense/Income

Interest expense decreased to $3,202,774 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared with $4,485,596 for the year ended June 30, 2016. Interest expense is primarily comprised of approximately $1,970,000 debt discount amortization, $23,000 in revised warrant valuations and approximately $1,110,000 accretion of debt premium. This decrease is primarily attributable to lower accretion amounts of convertible notes with discounted debt features during the year ended June 30, 2017.

Change in Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities

Change in fair value of derivative liabilities decreased by $1,923,523 to a gain of $820,153 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared to a gain of $2,743,676 for the year ended June 30, 2016. This decrease is primarily attributable to a decrease in the issuance of convertible notes with repricing options and variable conversion pricing in the year ended June 30, 2017.

Loss on Debt Settlements, Net

Loss on settlement of debt decreased by $475,243 to a loss of $195,650 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared with a loss of $670,893 for the year ended June 30, 2016. The decrease in loss on debt settlements is primarily attributable to fair market value price adjustments in the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared to $612,000 in connection with the Typenex settlement and a loss of approximately $59,000 in connection with the settlement with JMJ Financial Inc., a Florida corporation (“JMJ”) in the year ended June 30, 2016.

Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss)

Foreign currency transaction increased to a gain of $144,605 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared with a loss of $174,550 for the year ended June 30, 2016. The decrease in foreign currency transaction loss is primarily attributable to a stronger Australian Dollar compared to the US Dollar in the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared to the year ended June 30, 2016.

Income Tax Benefit

During the years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company applied for and received from the Australian Taxation Office a research and development tax credit in the amount of $305,673 and $72,538, respectively.

Net loss

Net loss decreased to $7,867,500 for the year ended June 30, 2017 as compared with $9,410,352 for the year ended June 30, 2016. The decrease is primarily attributable to an decrease in operating expenses of approximately $1,157,000 and an increase in the income tax benefit of approximately $233,000 in the year ended June 30, 2017.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Net cash used in operations was $2,050,636 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 compared to $4,501,499 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016. This fluctuation relates to stock option expense paid to an officer and director of approximately $1,686,000 offset by fluctuations in changes in foreign currency transaction gains and losses, changes related to the valuation of new derivative liabilities and the revaluation of existing derivative liabilities and a reduction of common stock issued for services in the year ending June 30, 2017.

Net cash used in investing activities was $0 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 compared to $9,879 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. This decrease was attributable to the purchase of equipment during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016.

Cash flows provided by financing activities for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 were $2,098,786 compared to $4,535,333 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016. During the year ended June 30, 2017, we had proceeds from convertible promissory notes of $1,634,500 and proceeds from the exercise of warrants of $464,286. During the year ended June 30, 2016, we had proceeds of $4,982,500 offset by repayments of convertible promissory notes of approximately $401,500 and loan repayments to third parties and principal stockholders of approximately $45,700.

The effect of the exchange rate on cash resulted in a $100,177 negative adjustment to cash flows in the year ended June 30, 2017 compared to a negative adjustment of $10,512 to cash flows in the year ended June 30, 2016. The reason for the fluctuation is due to the application of translation rates throughout the cash flow statement, the volume of transactions within each period and the daily fluctuation in exchange rates.

We have substantial capital resource requirements and have incurred significant losses since inception. As of June 30, 2017, we had $69,043 in cash. Based upon our current business plans, we will need considerable cash investments to be successful. Such capital requirements are in excess of what we have in available cash and for which we currently have commitments. Therefore, we presently do not have enough available cash to meet our obligations over the next twelve (12) months. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital, this may affect our operations and ability to complete ongoing activities in connection with our research and development programs.

Going Concern Qualification

We did not generate any revenue for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 and have incurred significant losses and cash used in operations, and such losses and use of cash are expected to continue. Our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm has included a “Going Concern Qualification” in their report for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. In addition, we have negative working capital and $742,771 of debt that is due on September 30, 2017 that the Company is currently negotiating with the lender in order to amend the maturity date. The foregoing raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans include seeking additional capital or debt financing. There is no guarantee that additional capital or debt financing will be available when and to the extent required, or that if available, it will be on terms acceptable to us. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. The “Going Concern Qualification” might make it substantially more difficult to raise capital.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

Not applicable to smaller reporting companies.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of:

Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (f/k/a Propanc Health Group Corporation) and Subsidiary at June 30, 2017 and 2016 and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended June 30, 2017. 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 the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall consolidated 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 consolidated financial position of Propanc Biopharma, Inc. and Subsidiary at June 30, 2017 and 2016 and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended June 30, 2017, 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 had no revenues and had a net loss of $7,867,500 and net cash used in operations of $2,050,636. Additionally, as of June 30, 2017, the company had a working capital deficit, stockholders’ deficit and accumulated deficit of $5,454,844, $5,441,751, and $38,243,523, respectively. These matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s Plan in regards to these matters is also described in Note 2. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

2295 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 240 • Boca Raton, FL 33431-7328

Phone: (561) 995-8270 • Toll Free: (866) CPA-8500 • Fax: (561) 995-1920

www.salbergco.com • info@salbergco.com

Member National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts • Registered with the PCAOB

Member CPAConnect with Affiliated Offices Worldwide • Member AICPA Center for Audit Quality

PROPANC BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY

f/k/a Propanc Health Group Corporation

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

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

PROPANC BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY

f/ka Propanc Health Group Corporation

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(unaudited)

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

PROPANC BIOPHARMA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY

f/ka Propanc Health Group Corporation

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT

FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2017 AND 2016