Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc.\new - Quarter Report: 2017 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 FORM 10-Q

149 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500, New York, New York 10010

(Address of Principal Executive Office) (Zip Code)

(212) 994-8200

Registrant’s Telephone Number Including Area Code

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

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

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

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised 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 126-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ☐     No ⌧

As of May 15, 2017, there were 10,257,078 shares of common stock outstanding.

PROTAGENIC THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Form 10-Q Report

For the Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

 See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

PROTAGENIC THERAPEUTICS, INC & SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS

Company Background

Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. (“we,” “our,” “Protagenic” or “the Company”), a Delaware corporation with one subsidiary named Protagenic Therapeutics Canada (2006) Inc., is a corporation formed in 2006 under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The Company was most recently known as Atrinsic, Inc., a company that was once a reporting company under the Securities Act, but that, in 2012 and 2013, reorganized under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code and emerged from bankruptcy. On February 12, 2016, the Company acquired Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. (“Prior Protagenic”) through a reverse merger. On June 17, 2016, Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. (the then wholly-owned subsidiary of Atrinsic, Inc.) was merged with and into Atrinsic, Inc. Atrinsic, Inc. was the surviving corporation in this merger and changed its name from Atrinsic, Inc. to Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc.

The Company is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, research and development of pre-clinical studies for developing novel, naturally occurring, human neuropeptide-based, brain- active therapeutics for treatment of depression, mood, anxiety and other neurodegenerative disorders. The Company is also interested in acquiring exclusive intellectual property rights for peptide-based therapeutics for the treatment of neurological and mood disorders.

NOTE 2 - LIQUIDITY

The Company continually projects anticipated cash requirements, predominantly from the ongoing funding requirements of our neuropeptide drug development program. The majority of these expenses relate to paying external vendors such as Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and peptide synthesizer companies. They could also include business combinations, capital expenditures, and new drug development working capital requirements. As shown in the accompanying consolidated condensed financial statements, the Company incurred a net loss of $657,853 and $739,785 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company has incurred losses since inception resulting in an accumulated deficit of $9,239,976 as of March 31, 2017. The Company anticipates further losses in the development of its business. The Company had a net working capital of $2,176,353 at March 31, 2017. Based on its current forecast and budget, Management believes that its cash resources will be sufficient to fund its operations at least until the third quarter of 2018. Absent generation of sufficient revenue from the execution of the Company’s business plan, it will need to obtain debt or equity financing by the third quarter of 2018.

NOTE 3 - SUMMARY OF SIGNFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial information. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal, recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016. As this is an interim period financial statement, certain adjustments are not necessary as with a financial period of a full year. Although management believes that the disclosures in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are adequate to make the information presented not misleading, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements that have been prepared in accordance U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atrinsic, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary, Protagenic Acquisition Corp, and Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc., which was merged with and into Protagenic Acquisition Corp, on February 12, 2016, as well as Protagenic Therapeutics’ wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, PTI Canada. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016, which contains the audited financial statements and notes thereto, for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 included within the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 18, 2017. The interim results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ended December 31, 2017 or for any future interim periods.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates underlying the consolidated financial statements include the allocation of the fair value of acquired assets and liabilities associated with the Merger, income tax provisions, impairment of goodwill, valuation of stock options and warrants and assessment of deferred tax asset valuation allowance.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company maintains its cash accounts at financial institutions which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At times, the Company may have deposits in excess of federally insured limits.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any cash equivalents.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company is required to perform impairment reviews annually and more frequently in certain circumstances. The Company performs the annual assessment on December 31.

In accordance with ASC 350–20 “Goodwill”, the Company is able to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying the two–step goodwill impairment test. If the Company concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is not less than its carrying amount it is not required to perform the two–step impairment test for that reporting unit. 

Atrinsic’s assets and liabilities acquired in the Merger had a minimal value therefore the Company recorded the fair value of shares given to predecessor stockholders as goodwill. Immediately subsequent to the merger the Company fully impaired the goodwill.

The allocation of the consideration transferred is as follows:

Goodwill impairment for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $404,169.

Fair Value Measurements

ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure,” defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date, not adjusted for transaction costs. ASC 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels giving the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).

The three levels are described below:

Level 1 Inputs – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that is accessible by the Company;

Level 2 Inputs – Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly;

Level 3 Inputs – Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability including significant assumptions of the Company and other market participants.

The carrying amount of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, such as cash, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments.

Transactions involving related parties cannot be presumed to be carried out on an arm's-length basis, as the requisite conditions of competitive, free-market dealings may not exist. Representations about transactions with related parties, if made, shall not imply that the related party transactions were consummated on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm's-length transactions unless such representations can be substantiated.

The assets or liability’s fair value measurement within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The following table provides a summary of financial instruments that are measured at fair value as of March 31, 2017.

The following table provides a summary of financial instruments that are measured at fair value as of December 31, 2016.

The table below provides a summary of the changes in fair value, including net transfers in and/or out, of all financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the interim period ended March 31, 2017:

The fair value of the derivative feature of the 127,346 and 295,945 warrants to the placement agent of the private offering and to Strategic Bio Partners for debt cancellation, respectively on the issuance dates and at the balance sheet date were calculated using a Black-Scholes option model valued with the following assumptions:

Risk-free interest rate: The Company uses the risk-free interest rate of a U.S. Treasury Note with a similar expected term on the date of the grant.

Dividend yield: The Company uses a 0% expected dividend yield as the Company has not paid dividends to date and does not anticipate declaring dividends in the near future.

Volatility: The Company calculates the expected volatility of the stock price based on the corresponding volatility of the Company’s peer group stock price for a period consistent with the warrants’ contractural term.

Contractural term: The Company’s contractural term is based on the remaining contractual maturity of the warrants. 

The use of a Monte Carlo or lattice model for these calculations would not have resulted in a material difference.

During the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company marked the derivative feature of the warrants to fair value and recorded a loss of $117 and $1,507, respectively, relating to the change in fair value.

Derivative Liability

The Company evaluates its options, warrants or other contracts, if any, to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivatives to be separately accounted for in accordance with ASC 815-10-05-4 and 815-40-25. The result of this accounting treatment is that the fair value of the embedded derivative is marked-to-market each balance sheet date and recorded as either an asset or a liability. In the event that the fair value is recorded as a liability, the change in fair value is recorded in the consolidated statement of operations as other income or expense. Upon conversion, exercise or cancellation of a derivative instrument, the instrument is marked to fair value at the date of conversion, exercise or cancellation and then the related fair value is reclassified to equity.

The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period. Equity instruments that are initially classified as equity that become subject to reclassification are reclassified to liability at the fair value of the instrument on the reclassification date. Derivative liabilities will be classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument is expected within 12 months of the balance sheet date.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock based compensation costs under the provisions of ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense related to the fair value of stock based compensation awards that are ultimately expected to vest. Stock based compensation expense recognized includes the compensation cost for all stock based payments granted to employees, officers, and directors based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718. ASC. 718 is also applied to awards modified, repurchased, or canceled during the periods reported.

Stock-Based Compensation for Non-Employees

The Company accounts for warrants and options issued to non-employees under ASC 505-50, Equity – Equity Based Payments to Non-Employees, using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The value of such non-employee awards unvested are re-measured over the vesting terms at each reporting date.

Basic and Diluted Net (Loss) per Common Share

Basic (loss) per common share is computed by dividing the net (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for each period. Diluted (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding plus the dilutive effect of shares issuable through the common stock equivalents. 

NOTE 4 - ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following at:

NOTE 5 - DERIVATIVE LIABILITIES

Upon closing of the private placement transactions on February 12, 2016, the Company issued 127,346 and 295,945 warrants, to the placement agent of the private offering and to Strategic Bio Partners for debt cancellation, respectively, to purchase the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock with an exercise price of $1.25 and a five-year term. The warrants have a cashless exercise feature that requires the Company to classify the warrants as derivative liabilities.

NOTE 6 - STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Stock-Based Compensation

In connection with the Merger, all of the issued and outstanding options to purchase shares of Prior Protagenic common stock converted, on a 1-for-1 basis, into options (the “New Options”), to purchase shares of our Series B Preferred Stock. The New Options will be administered under Prior Protagenic’s 2006 Employee, Director and Consultant Stock Plan (the “2006 Plan”), which the Company assumed and adopted.

The Plan is authorized to issue up to 2,000,000 stock options. In accordance with the Plan, the Company can grant to certain employees, directors or consultants options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock which vest automatically or ranging from a one-year period to a five-year period. The shares are exercisable over a period of ten years from the date of grant. The Plan provides that qualified options be granted at an exercise price equal to the fair market value at the date of grant.

There were 2,484,445 options outstanding as of December 31, 2016. The fair value of each stock option granted was estimated using the Black-Scholes assumptions and or factors as follows:

There were 2,613,299 options outstanding as of March 31, 2017. The fair value of each stock option granted was estimated using the Black-Scholes assumptions and or factors as follows:

The following is an analysis of the stock option grant activity under the Plan:

As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the options outstanding had an intrinsic value of $166,250 and $171,537, respectively.

The total number of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 was 150,000 and 161,582, respectively. The exercise price for these options was $1.25 per share.

The Company recognized compensation expense related to options issued of $355,336 and $102,908 during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which is included in general and administrative expenses.

Warrants:

In connection with the Merger, all of the issued and outstanding warrants to purchase shares of Prior Protagenic common stock, converted, on a 1-for-1 basis, into new warrants (the “New Warrants”) to purchase shares of our Series B Preferred Stock.

Simultaneous with the Merger and the Private Offering, New Warrants to purchase 3,403,367 shares of Series B Preferred Stock at an average exercise price of approximately $1.05 per share were issued to holders of Prior Protagenic warrants; additionally, holders of $665,000 of our debt and $35,000 of accrued interest exchanged such debt for five-year warrants to purchase 295,945 shares of Series B Preferred Stock at $1.25 per share. Placement Agent Warrants to purchase 127,346 shares of Series B Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $1.25 per share were issued in connection with the Private offering. These warrants to purchase 423,291 shares of Series B Preferred Stock have been recorded as derivative liabilities. See Note 6.

A summary of warrant issuances are as follows:

As of March 31, 2017 the Company had 3,726,658 shares issuable under warrants outstanding at a weighted average exercise price of $1.05 and an intrinsic value of $763,342.

NOTE 7 - COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS

The Company and the University of Toronto, a stockholder of the Company (the “University”) entered into an agreement effective December 14, 2004 (the “Research Agreement”) for the performance of a research project titled “Evidence for existence of “Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide (“TCAP”) receptors in neurons” (the “Project”). The Research Agreement expired on March 31, 2013.

The Company and the University entered into an agreement effective April 1, 2014 (the “New Research Agreement”) for the performance of a research project titled TCAP mediated stress attenuation in vertebrates: Establishing the role of organismal and intracellular energy and glucose regulation and metabolism" (the “New Project”). The New Project is to perform research related to work done by a professor at the University and stockholder of the Company (the “Professor”) in regard to TCAP mediated stress attenuation in vertebrates: Establishing the role of organismal and intracellular energy and glucose regulation and metabolism. In addition to the New Research Agreement, the Professor entered into an agreement with the University in order to commercialize certain technologies. The New Research Agreement expired on March 30, 2016. In February 2017, the New Research Agreement was extended to December 31, 2016 which allows for further development of the technologies and use of their applications. Upon expiration of the agreement, payments to the University and research support from the University will suspend until an agreement can be made.

Prior to January 1, 2016, the University has been granted 25,000 stock options which are fully vested at the exercise price of $1.00 exercisable over a 10 year period which ends on April 1, 2022. As of March 31, 2017, the Professor has been granted 483,299 stock options, of which 275,000 are fully vested, at an exercise price of $1.00 exercisable over 10 or 13 year periods from the date of grant, which end either on March 30, 2021, December 1, 2022, April 15, 2026 or on March 1, 2027.

The sponsorship research and development expenses pertaining to the Research Agreements were $23,002 and $3,000 for the periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

NOTE 8 - LICENSING AGREEMENTS

On July 31, 2005, the Company had entered into a Technology License Agreement (“License Agreement”) with the University pursuant to which the University agreed to license to the Company patent rights and other intellectual property, among other things (the “Technologies”). The Technology License Agreement was amended on February 18, 2015 and currently does not provide for an expiration date.

Pursuant to the License Agreement and its amendment, the Company obtained an exclusive worldwide license to make, have made, use, sell and import products based upon the Technologies, or to sublicense the Technologies in accordance with the terms of the License Agreement and amendment. In consideration, the Company agreed to pay to the University a royalty payment of 2.5% of net sales of any product based on the Technologies. If the Company elects to sublicense any rights under the License Agreement and amendment, the Company agrees to pay to the University 10% of any up-front sub-license fees for any sub-licenses that occurred on or after September 9, 2006, and, on behalf of the sub-licensee, 2.5% of net sales by the sub-licensee of all products based on the Technologies. The Company had no sales revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 and therefore was not subject to paying any royalties.

In the event the Company fails to provide the University with semi-annual reports on the progress or fails to continue to make reasonable commercial efforts towards obtaining regulatory approval for products based on the Technologies, the University may convert our exclusive license into a non-exclusive arrangement. Interest on any amounts owed under the License Agreement and amendment will be at 3% per annum. All intellectual property rights resulting from the Technologies or improvements thereon will remain the property of the other inventors and/or the Professor, and/or the University, as the case may be. The Company has agreed to pay all out-of- pocket filing, prosecution and maintenance expenses in connection with any patents relating to the Technologies. In the case of infringement upon any patents relating to the Technologies, the Company may elect, at its own expense, to bring a cause of action asserting such infringement. In such a case, after deducting any legal expenses the Company may incur, any settlement proceeds will be subject to the 2.5% royalty payment owed to the University under the License Agreement and amendment.

The patent applications were made in the name of the Professor and other inventors, but the Company’s exclusive, worldwide rights to such patent applications are included in the License Agreement and its amendment with the University. The Company maintains exclusive licensing agreements and it currently controls the six intellectual patent properties.

NOTE 9 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Consulting Agreement

The Company had an employment agreement with its Officer/Related Party which expired on December 31, 2015. The employment agreement indicated a salary of $6,489 per month plus a bonus, other healthcare benefits and was granted stock options during the year ended December 31, 2015, the Officer/Related Party has been granted 75,000 stock options, valued at $64,223 using the Black-Scholes calculation of which $53,519 was expensed in 2015.

As the agreement above expired, the Company issued a consulting agreement in its place that extended the majority of the terms of the employment agreement on a month-to-month basis. As a consultant, he is responsible for financial reporting, data compilation, and document retrieval services, reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, and to endeavor to secure non-dilutive grant funding for the Company. Prior to January 1, 2016, the Consultant had been granted 250,000 stock options, which are fully vested, at exercise prices of $0.26, $1.00, and $1.25 exercisable over 10 year periods which ends either August 1, 2016 or March 9, 2025. The consultant will be paid $2,000 per month for the remainder of the year ended December 31, 2016 and is eligible for bonus payments both contingent and not contingent on obtaining non-dilutive grant financing for the Company. Either party may terminate the agreement (a) immediately at any time upon written notice to the other party in the event of a breach of the agreement by the other party which cannot be cured (i.e. breach of the confidentiality obligations) and or (b) at any time without cause upon not less than fifteen (15) days’ prior written notice to the other party. Upon expiration or termination, neither the Company nor Consultant will have any further obligations under the consulting agreement.

The Company has accrued $0 to the Consultant for research and development projects and paid $12,900 during the three months ended March 31, 2017.

Consulting Agreement

PTI Canada entered into a consulting agreement with a stockholder of the Company (the “Consultant”) which expired on December 31, 2015, pursuant to which the Consultant is responsible for overseeing i) design and development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay “(ELISA”), assays for measuring TCAP, ii) evaluation of TCAP exposure biomarker assay, iii) development of pipeline peptides, and iv) development of clinically compatible formulations for TCAP, as well as all of the bench research and development of formulation and extraction methods. The agreement has been extended through December 31, 2016 and updated accordingly. Prior to January 1, 2016, the Consultant had been granted 150,000 stock options which are fully vested at exercise prices of $1.00 and $1.25 exercisable over 10 year periods which ends either on March 30, 2021 or on March 1, 2025. The Consultant is paid approximately CA$3,000 per month. Either party may terminate the agreement (a) immediately at any time upon written notice to the other party in the event of a breach of the agreement by the other party which cannot be cured (i.e. breach of the confidentiality obligations) and or (b) at any time without cause upon not less than fifteen (15) days’ prior written notice to the other party. Upon expiration or termination, neither the Company nor Consultant will have any further obligations under the consulting agreement.

The Company has accrued $0 to pay the Consultant for research and development projects and paid $6,799 during the three months ended March 31, 2017.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time we may be named in claims arising in the ordinary course of business. Currently, no legal proceedings, government actions, administrative actions, investigations or claims are pending against us or involve us that, in the opinion of our management, could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

NOTE 10 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Company has evaluated the period after the balance sheet date up through the date that the consolidated financial statements were filed, and determined that other than noted above, there were subsequent events or transactions that required recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements. 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation

Historical Background

The Company was originally incorporated in Delaware on February 3, 1994 under the name Millbrook Acquisition Corp. The Company was the successor to The Millbrook Press Inc., which was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antia Publishing Company, a Delaware corporation, which in turn was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupe de la Cite International, a Societe Anonyme organized under French law.  In February 1994, the founders of the Company effected a management buyout by forming the Company which purchased substantially all of the assets of The Millbrook Press Inc.

For the next 10 years, the Company was involved in a variety of attempts at creating a profitable, sustainable business model in the publishing and retail sectors, none of which succeeded. On February 6, 2004, the Company filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut and changed its name to MPLC, Inc.

Also in 2004, a biotechnology company called Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. (referred to herein as “Prior Protagenic”) was organized, with the goal of commercializing novel peptide drugs that had been discovered in the laboratory of Dr. David Lovejoy (“The Professor”) at the University of Toronto (“UofT”). Prior Protatagenic specialized in the discovery and development of therapeutics to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Prior protagenic’s mission was to provide safe and effective treatments for mood, anxiety, depression and neurodegenerative disorders by using novel peptide-base, brain active therapeutics. Prior Protagenic’s strategy was to develop, test and obtain regulatory approval for various applications of these brain active therapeutics. As a result of the reverse merger discussed below, the Company has adopted Prior Protagenic’s business plan.

On January 31, 2007, MPLC, Inc. entered into an exchange agreement with New Motion, Inc., a Delaware corporation formed in March 2005 (“New Motion”), the stockholders of New Motion (the "Stockholders"), and Trinad Capital Master Fund. On May 2, 2007, the Company changed its corporate name to New Motion, Inc.

As part of a corporate re-branding strategy, on June 25, 2009, New Motion, Inc. changed its name to Atrinsic, Inc.  Its new corporate image was as a provider of “digital advertising and marketing services,” primarily digital music, casual games, interactive contests, and communities/lifestyles.

Meanwhile, from 2006 through 2014, Prior Protagenic sponsored fundamental research & development work in the Professor’s lab at the UofT aimed at demonstrating the efficacy of Prior Protagenic’s lead drug candidate, known as Teneurin C-Terminus Associated Peptide, or TCAP-1, and elucidating its mechanism of action. This research resulted in a detailed understanding of the peptide and its actions on neurons. Prior Protagenic’s worldwide exclusive technology license agreement with the UofT gave it sole rights to commercialize and eventually sell drugs related to the TCAP family of proteins.

By early 2015, it became clear that Prior Protagenic needed an influx of working capital in order to meet its goal of completing the process of applying for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell a commercial version of TCAP-1. To secure this capital, management of Prior Protagenic chose to pursue a reverse merger and financing strategy, with the help of a placement agent. This resulted in the introduction of Prior Protagenic to the former Atrinsic, Inc., and the consummation of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in mid-2015 that the two companies would merge and conduct an equity financing, with the former Prior Protagenic shareholders owning approximately 80% of the pre-financing entity, and the former Atrinsic, Inc. shareholders owning the other 20%.

On February 12, 2016, Prior Protagenic. merged with Protagenic Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atrinsic, Inc., and raised approximately $4.6 million in a series of three closings. Prior Protagenic was the surviving corporation in the merger. All previous lines of business of Atrinsic, Inc. were theretofore dropped in favor of the field of neurologic drug development. This transaction is described in detail in Note 7 of our December 31, 2015 Form 10-Q, and greater detail in the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 12, 2016.

In June 2016 Prior Protagenic merged with and into Atrinsic, Inc., and Atrinsic, Inc. was the surviving corporation in this merger. In connection with this merger, Atrinsic, Inc. changed its name to Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc.

Results of Operations

Three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016 

Liquidity and Going Concern

We continually project anticipated cash requirements, predominantly from the ongoing funding requirements of our neuropeptide drug development program. The majority of these expenses relate to paying external vendors such as Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and peptide synthesizer companies. They could also include business combinations, capital expenditures, and new drug development working capital requirements. As of March 31, 2017, we had cash of $2,744,996 and working capital of $2,176,353. We anticipate further losses in the development of our business. Based on our current forecast and budget, Management believes that our cash resources will be sufficient to fund our operations, anticipated capital expenditures and working capital for less than two years from the date of this quarterly report. Absent generation of sufficient revenue from the execution of the Company’s business plan, we will need to obtain debt or equity financing by mid-2018.

Operating activities used $357,397 and $57,391 in cash for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The use of cash in operating activities during the three months ended March 31, 2017, primarily comprised of $657,853 net loss, $355,336 in stock compensation expense, $117 of change in the fair value of the derivative liability since inception, a decrease in prepaid expenses of $36,250, and a $92,164 decrease of accounts payable and accrued expenses, which included payments to tax penalties, legal and accounting professionals, payments to consultants, and other administrative expenses.

We did not have investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2017and 2016.

We did not have financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2017. Our financing activities provided cash of $3,797,250 for the three months ended March 31, 2016. On February 12 and March 2, 2016, we raised gross proceeds of $4,610,250 in the first two of three closing of our Series B financing equity capital raising transaction, of which $1,850,000 was from our two principal institutional stockholders, Iroquois Capital and Hudson Bay Capital. We converted $350,000 of stockholder debt to Series B preferred stock. We paid $332,000 in closing costs, including $125,000 paid on accrued liabilities, and an additional $150,000 in legal expenses netted against the $2,000,000 invested on behalf of Iroquois Capital and Hudson Bay Capital per requirements of the Merger agreement.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

Not applicable.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined under Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as of March 31, 2017. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officers have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act, including this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that our disclosure and controls are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The reasons for this conclusion relate to the Company’s limited staff relative to the large volume of necessary accounting documentation relating to the Company’s recent Merger and financing. The Company recognizes its need for knowledge of complex accounting issues. Management began addressing this deficiency during the current quarter by broadening its consulting staff during the current quarter.

A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. The design of any system of controls also is based in part on certain assumptions regarding the likelihood of certain events, and there can no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Given these and other inherent limitations of control systems, these are only reasonable assurance that our controls will succeed in achieving their stated goals under all potential future conditions.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter covered by this Report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Part II: Other Information

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

From time to time we may be named in claims arising in the ordinary course of business. Currently, no legal proceedings, government actions, administrative actions, investigations or claims are pending against us or involve us that, in the opinion of our management, could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Not applicable.

Item 2. Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

(a) The information otherwise required by this Item 2(a) has previously been reported on current reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on February 12, 2016, March 4, 2016, April 18, 2016, April 20, 2016, July 12, 2016 and accordingly, is not furnished herein.

Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 3A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Not Applicable.

Item 4. Mine and Safety Disclosure

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

None.

Item 6. Exhibits

The following is a complete list of exhibits filed as part of this Form 10-Q. Exhibit numbers correspond to the numbers in the Exhibit Table of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

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