TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC. - Quarter Report: 2020 June (Form 10-Q)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
☒
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED June 30, 2020
OR
☐
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM
TO
Commission File Number 001-34600
TENAX
THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
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26-2593535
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(State of incorporation)
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
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ONE Copley Parkway, Suite 490, Morrisville, North Carolina
27560
(Address of principal executive offices)
(919) 855-2100
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area
code)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
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Trading Symbol(s)
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Name of each exchange on which registered
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Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share
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TENX
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The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
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Indicate by check
mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter
period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and
(2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past
90 days. Yes ☒
No ☐
Indicate by check
mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every
Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405
of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such
shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such
files). Yes ☒
No ☐
Indicate by check
mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company or an 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.
Large Accelerated filer
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☐
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Accelerated filer
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☐
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Non-Accelerated filer
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☒
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|
Smaller reporting company
|
☒
|
Emerging growth company
|
☐
|
|
|
|
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 by Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
☐ No ☒
As of
August 11, 2020, the registrant had outstanding 12,619,369 shares
of Common Stock.
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PAGE
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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
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3
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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19
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29
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29
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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
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30
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30
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32
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2
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
|
June 30,
2020
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December 31,
2019
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(Unaudited)
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ASSETS
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Current
assets
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Cash
and cash equivalents
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$4,085,305
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$4,905,993
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Marketable
securities
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468,218
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493,884
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Prepaid
expenses
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660,906
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780,952
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Total
current assets
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5,214,429
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6,180,829
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Marketable
securities
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10,723
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-
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Right
of use asset
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115,225
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169,448
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Property
and equipment, net
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4,409
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6,559
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Other
assets
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8,435
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8,435
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Total
assets
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$5,353,221
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$6,365,271
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LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
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Current
liabilities
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Accounts
payable
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$1,555,038
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$1,661,054
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Accrued
liabilities
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524,356
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871,341
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Note
payable
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107,606
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-
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Total
current liabilities
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2,187,000
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2,532,395
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Long
term liabilities
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Note
payable
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137,051
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-
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Lease
liability
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-
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60,379
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Total
long term liabilities
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137,051
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60,379
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Total
liabilities
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2,324,051
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2,592,774
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Commitments
and contingencies; see Note 7
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Stockholders'
equity
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Preferred
stock, undesignated, authorized 9,999,790 shares; See Note
8
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Series
A Preferred stock, par value $.0001, issued and outstanding 210 and
38,606, respectively
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-
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4
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Common stock, par
value $.0001 per share; authorized 400,000,000 shares; issued and
outstanding 10,095,758 and 6,741,860, respectively
|
1,010
|
674
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Additional
paid-in capital
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243,995,716
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239,939,797
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Accumulated
other comprehensive gain
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2,074
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458
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Accumulated
deficit
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(240,969,630)
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(236,168,436)
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Total
stockholders’ equity
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3,029,170
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3,772,497
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Total
liabilities and stockholders' equity
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$5,353,221
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$6,365,271
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The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements.
3
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE
LOSS
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Three months ended June 30,
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Six months ended June 30,
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2020
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2019
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2020
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2019
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(Unaudited)
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(Unaudited)
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(Unaudited)
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(Unaudited)
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Operating
expenses
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General
and administrative
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$869,206
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$1,170,405
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$2,192,165
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$2,349,415
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Research
and development
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1,274,837
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649,254
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2,617,363
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1,132,020
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Total
operating expenses
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2,144,043
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1,819,659
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4,809,528
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3,481,435
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Net
operating loss
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2,144,043
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1,819,659
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4,809,528
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3,481,435
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Interest
expense
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406
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-
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406
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-
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Other
expense (income), net
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2,101
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(58,122)
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(8,740)
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(102,453)
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Net
loss
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$2,146,550
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$1,761,537
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$4,801,194
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$3,378,982
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Unrealized
gain on marketable securities
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(3,238)
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(474)
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(1,616)
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(1,763)
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Total
comprehensive loss
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$2,143,312
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$1,761,063
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$4,799,578
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$3,377,219
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Net
loss per share, basic and diluted
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$(0.23)
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$(0.28)
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$(0.59)
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$(0.60)
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Weighted
average number of common shares outstanding, basic and
diluted
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9,339,309
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6,385,381
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8,156,848
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5,640,367
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The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements.
4
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
(Unaudited)
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Preferred
Stock
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Common Stock
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Additional
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Accumulated
other
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Total
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||
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Number
of
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Number
of
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paid-in
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comprehensive
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Accumulated
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stockholders'
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Shares
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Amount
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Shares
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Amount
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capital
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gain
(loss)
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deficit
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equity
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Balance at
December 31, 2018
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2,854,593
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$285
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3,792,249
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$379
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$239,572,094
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$516
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$(227,801,743)
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$11,771,531
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Compensation
on options and restricted stock issued
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12,195
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1
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60,294
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60,295
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Common stock
issued for convertible preferred stock
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(2,299,990)
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(230)
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2,299,990
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230
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-
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-
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Exercise of
warrants
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50,000
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5
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96,495
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96,500
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Adoption of
ASC Topic 842: Leases
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27,670
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27,670
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Unrealized
gain on marketable securities
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1,289
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1,289
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Net
loss
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(1,617,445)
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(1,617,445)
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Balance at March
31, 2019
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554,603
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$55
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6,154,434
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$615
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$239,728,883
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$1,805
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$(229,391,518)
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$10,339,840
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Compensation
on options and restricted stock issued
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-
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41,666
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41,666
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Common stock
issued for convertible preferred stock
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(515,997)
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(51)
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515,997
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52
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-
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1
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Unrealized
gain on marketable securities
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474
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474
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Net
loss
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(1,761,537)
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(1,761,537)
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Balance at June
30, 2019
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38,606
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$4
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6,670,431
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$667
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$239,770,549
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$2,279
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$(231,153,055)
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$8,620,444
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Balance at
December 31, 2019
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38,606
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$4
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6,741,860
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$674
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$239,939,797
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$458
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$(236,168,436)
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$3,772,497
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Common stock
and pre-funded warrants sold, net of offering
costs
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750,000
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75
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2,129,930
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2,130,005
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Compensation
on options issued
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-
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72,376
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72,376
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Common stock
issued for services rendered
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77,987
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8
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99,992
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100,000
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Common stock
issued for convertible preferred stock
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(38,396)
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(4)
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38,396
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4
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-
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-
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Exercise of
warrants
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400,000
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40
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-
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40
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Unrealized
loss on marketable securities
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(1,622)
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(1,622)
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Net
loss
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(2,654,644)
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(2,654,644)
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Balance at March
31, 2020
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210
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$-
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8,008,243
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$801
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$242,242,095
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$(1,164)
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$(238,823,080)
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$3,418,652
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Compensation
on options issued
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|
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|
-
|
63,166
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63,166
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Exercise of
warrants
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|
|
2,087,515
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209
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1,690,455
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|
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1,690,664
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Unrealized
gain on marketable securities
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,238
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3,238
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Net
loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2,146,550)
|
(2,146,550)
|
Balance at June
30, 2020
|
210
|
$-
|
10,095,758
|
$1,010
|
$243,995,716
|
$2,074
|
$(240,969,630)
|
$3,029,170
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements.
5
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
Six Months ended June 30,
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2020
|
2019
|
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(Unaudited)
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(Unaudited)
|
|
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CASH
FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
|
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|
Net
Loss
|
$(4,801,194)
|
$(3,378,982)
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating
activities
|
|
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
2,150
|
2,400
|
Interest
on debt instrument
|
406
|
-
|
Amortization
of right of use asset
|
54,223
|
50,132
|
Loss
on disposal of property and equipment
|
-
|
522
|
Issuance
and vesting of compensatory stock options and warrants
|
135,542
|
101,961
|
Issuance
of common stock for services rendered
|
50,000
|
-
|
Amortization
of premium on marketable securities
|
2,647
|
(302)
|
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities
|
|
|
Accounts
receivable, prepaid expenses and other assets
|
170,046
|
(57,240)
|
Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities
|
(453,406)
|
(717,324)
|
Long
term portion of lease liability
|
(60,379)
|
(48,747)
|
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(4,899,965)
|
(4,047,580)
|
|
|
|
CASH
FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
Purchase
of marketable securities
|
(351,138)
|
(275,435)
|
Sale
of marketable securities
|
365,049
|
270,000
|
Purchase
of property and equipment
|
-
|
(3,574)
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
13,911
|
(9,009)
|
|
|
|
CASH
FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
Proceeds
from issuance of common stock and pre-funded warrants, net of
issuance costs
|
2,130,005
|
-
|
Proceeds
from the exercise of warrants
|
1,690,704
|
96,500
|
Proceeds
from the issuance of notes payable
|
244,657
|
-
|
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
4,065,366
|
96,500
|
|
|
|
Net
change in cash and cash equivalents
|
(820,688)
|
(3,960,089)
|
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of period
|
4,905,993
|
12,367,321
|
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of period
|
$4,085,305
|
$8,407,232
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements.
6
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
Tenax
Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) was originally
formed as a New Jersey corporation in 1967 under the name Rudmer,
David & Associates, Inc., and subsequently changed its
name to Synthetic Blood International, Inc. On June 17, 2008,
the stockholders of Synthetic Blood International approved the
Agreement and Plan of Merger dated April 28, 2008, between
Synthetic Blood International and Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc., a
Delaware corporation. Oxygen Biotherapeutics was formed on
April 17, 2008 by Synthetic Blood International to participate
in the merger for the purpose of changing the state of domicile of
Synthetic Blood International from New Jersey to Delaware.
Certificates of Merger were filed with the states of New Jersey and
Delaware and the merger was effective June 30, 2008. Under the
Plan of Merger, Oxygen Biotherapeutics was the surviving
corporation and each share of Synthetic Blood International common
stock outstanding on June 30, 2008 was converted to one share
of Oxygen Biotherapeutics common stock. On September 19, 2014, the
Company changed its name to Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.
On October 18, 2013, the Company created a wholly owned subsidiary,
Life Newco, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Life
Newco”), to acquire certain assets of Phyxius Pharma, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (“Phyxius”) pursuant to an Asset
Purchase Agreement, dated October 21, 2013 (the “Asset
Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Company, Life Newco,
Phyxius and the stockholders of Phyxius (the “Phyxius
Stockholders”). As further discussed in Note 7 below, on
November 13, 2013, under the terms and subject to the conditions of
the Asset Purchase Agreement, Life Newco acquired certain assets,
including a license granting Life Newco an exclusive,
sublicenseable right to develop and commercialize pharmaceutical
products containing levosimendan, 2.5 mg/ml concentrate for
solution for infusion / 5ml vial in the United States and
Canada.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal and
recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of these
financial statements. The condensed consolidated balance sheet on
December 31, 2019 has been derived from the Company’s audited
consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2019. Certain footnote
disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted
pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules and regulations.
Operating results for the three- and six-month period ended June
30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results for the full
year or any other future periods. As such, it is suggested that
these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in
conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes
thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Going Concern
Management
believes the accompanying condensed consolidated financial
statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, which
contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern. The
Company has an accumulated deficit of $241 million on June 30, 2020
and $236 million on December 31, 2019 and used cash in operations
of $4.9 million and $4.0 million during the six months ended June
30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company requires substantial
additional funds to complete clinical trials and pursue regulatory
approvals. Management is actively seeking additional sources of
equity and/or debt financing; however, there is no assurance that
any additional funding will be available.
In view
of the matters described above, recoverability of a major portion
of the recorded asset amounts shown in the accompanying June 30,
2020 balance sheet is dependent upon continued operations of the
Company, which in turn is dependent upon the Company’s
ability to meet its financing requirements on a continuing basis,
to maintain present financing, and to generate cash from future
operations. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt
about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any
adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of
recorded asset amounts or amounts and classification of liabilities
that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue in
existence.
7
Use of Estimates
In
preparing the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements, management is required to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at
the dates of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the
reporting periods. Actual results could differ from these estimates
and the operating results for the interim periods presented are not
necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full
year.
On an
ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates to ensure that
these estimates appropriately reflect changes in the
Company’s business and new information as it becomes
available. If historical experience and other factors used by
management to make these estimates do not reasonably reflect future
activity, the Company’s results of operations and financial
position could be materially impacted.
Principles of Consolidation
The
accompanying condensed
consolidated financial statements include the accounts and
transactions of the Company and Life
Newco. All material intercompany transactions and balances have
been eliminated in consolidation.
Liquidity and Management’s Plan
On June 30, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents,
including the fair value of its marketable securities, of
approximately $4.6 million. The Company used $4.9 million of cash
for operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2020
and had stockholders’ equity of $3.0 million, versus $3.8
million on December 31, 2019.
The
Company expects to continue to incur expenses related to
development of levosimendan for pulmonary hypertension and other
potential indications, as well as identifying and developing other
potential product candidates. Based on its resources at June 30,
2020, and including the net proceeds from its July 2020 offering
(as discussed in Note 9 below), the Company believes that it has
sufficient capital to fund its planned operations through the third
quarter of calendar year 2021. However, the Company will need
substantial additional financing in order to fund its operations
beyond such period and thereafter until it can achieve
profitability, if ever. The Company depends on its ability to raise
additional funds through various potential sources, such as equity
and debt financing, or to license its product candidates to another
pharmaceutical company. The Company will continue to fund
operations from cash on hand and through sources of capital similar
to those previously described. The Company cannot assure that it
will be able to secure such additional financing, or if available,
that it will be sufficient to meet its needs.
The continued spread of COVID-19 globally could adversely affect
the Company’s ability to retain principal investigators and
site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have heightened
exposure to COVID-19 if an outbreak occurs in their geography.
Further, some of these investigators and site staff may be unable
to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines or travel
restrictions impede movement or interrupt healthcare services, or
if they become infected with COVID-19 themselves, which would delay
the Company’s ability to complete its phase 2 clinical trial
or release clinical trial results.
To the
extent that the Company raises additional funds by issuing shares
of its common stock or other securities convertible or exchangeable
for shares of common stock, stockholders will experience dilution,
which may be significant. In the event the Company raises
additional capital through debt financings, the Company may incur
significant interest expense and become subject to covenants in the
related transaction documentation that may affect the manner in
which the Company conducts its business. To the extent that the
Company raises additional funds through collaboration and licensing
arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to its
technologies or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that
may not be favorable to the Company.
Any or
all of the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on the
Company’s business and financial performance.
Net Loss per Share
Basic
net loss per share, which excludes antidilutive securities, is
computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of
common shares outstanding for that particular period. In contrast,
diluted net loss per share considers the potential dilution that
could occur from other equity instruments that would increase the
total number of outstanding shares of common stock. Such amounts
include shares potentially issuable under outstanding options,
restricted stock and warrants.
8
The
following outstanding options, warrants and restricted stock were
excluded from the computation of basic and diluted net loss per
share for the periods presented because including them would have
had an anti-dilutive effect.
|
Six months ended June 30,
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
|
|
Warrants
to purchase common stock
|
12,274,492
|
10,640,718
|
Options
to purchase common stock
|
450,203
|
244,229
|
Convertible
preferred shares outstanding
|
210
|
38,606
|
Leases
The
Company determines if an arrangement includes a lease at inception.
Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use
assets, other current liabilities, and long-term lease liabilities
in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an
underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent
the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from
the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are
recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present
value of lease payments over the lease term. In determining the net
present value of lease payments, the Company uses the incremental
borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease
commencement date. The operating lease right-of-use assets also
include any lease payments made and exclude lease incentives. The
Company’s leases may include options to extend or terminate
the lease which are included in the lease term when it is
reasonably certain that the Company will exercise any such option.
Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the
expected lease term. The Company has elected to account for leases
with an initial term of 12 months or less similar to previous
guidance for operating leases, under which the Company will
recognize those lease payments in the consolidated statements of
operations and comprehensive loss on a straight-line basis over the
lease term.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board
(“FASB”) issued an accounting standard intended to
simplify accounting for income taxes. It removes certain exceptions
to the general principles in Topic 740, Income Taxes and amends
existing guidance to improve consistent application. This guidance
is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those
fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020 and early adoption
is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating this standard,
but it does not believe the adoption of the new guidance will have
a material impact on its consolidated financial
statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard that amends
how credit losses are measured and reported for certain financial
instruments that are not accounted for at fair value through net
income. This standard requires that credit losses be presented as
an allowance rather than as a write-down for available-for-sale
debt securities and will be effective for interim and annual
reporting periods beginning January 1, 2023, with early
adoption permitted. A modified retrospective approach is to be used
for certain parts of this guidance, while other parts of the
guidance are to be applied using a prospective approach. The
Company does not believe the adoption of this standard will have a
material impact on its consolidated financial statements and
related disclosures.
NOTE
3. FAIR VALUE
The
Company determines the fair value of its financial assets and
liabilities in accordance with the Accounting Standards
Codification (“ASC”) 820 Fair Value Measurements. The
Company’s balance sheet includes the following financial
instruments: cash and cash equivalents, investments in marketable
securities, and warrant liabilities. The Company considers the
carrying amount of its cash and cash equivalents to approximate
fair value due to the short-term nature of these
instruments.
Accounting
for fair value measurements involves a single definition of fair
value, along with a conceptual framework to measure fair value,
with a fair value defined 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.” The fair value measurement hierarchy consists of three
levels:
Level
one
Quoted
market prices in active markets for identical assets or
liabilities;
Level
two
Inputs
other than level one inputs that are either directly or indirectly
observable; and
Level
three
Unobservable
inputs developed using estimates and assumptions, which are
developed by the reporting entity and reflect those assumptions
that a market participant would use.
9
The
Company applies valuation techniques that (1) place greater
reliance on observable inputs and less reliance on unobservable
inputs and (2) are consistent with the market approach, the
income approach and/or the cost approach, and include enhanced
disclosures of fair value measurements in the Company’s
condensed consolidated
financial statements.
Investments in Marketable Securities
The
Company classifies all of its investments as available-for-sale.
Unrealized gains and losses on investments are recognized in
comprehensive income/(loss), unless an unrealized loss is
considered to be other than temporary, in which case the unrealized
loss is charged to operations. The Company periodically reviews its
investments for other than temporary declines in fair value below
cost basis and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate
that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The
Company believes the individual unrealized losses represent
temporary declines primarily resulting from interest rate changes.
Realized gains and losses are reflected in other income in the
condensed consolidated
statements of comprehensive loss and are determined using the
specific identification method with transactions recorded on a
settlement date basis. Investments with original maturities at date
of purchase beyond three months and which mature at or less than 12
months from the balance sheet date are classified as current.
Investments with a maturity beyond 12 months from the balance sheet
date are classified as long-term. As of June 30, 2020, the Company
believes that the costs of its investments are recoverable in all
material respects.
The
following table summarizes the fair value of the Company’s
investments by type. The estimated fair value of the
Company’s fixed income investments is classified as Level 2
in the fair value hierarchy as defined in GAAP. These fair values
are obtained from independent pricing services which utilize Level
2 inputs:
|
June 30, 2020
|
||||
|
Amortized Cost
|
Accrued Interest
|
Gross Unrealized Gains
|
Gross Unrealized losses
|
Estimated Fair Value
|
Corporate
debt securities
|
$473,421
|
$3,451
|
$2,125
|
$(56)
|
$478,941
|
Total
investments
|
$473,421
|
$3,451
|
$2,125
|
$(56)
|
$478,941
|
All of
the Company’s investments have scheduled maturities of less
than one year as of June 30, 2020 and December 31,
2019.
The
following tables summarize information regarding assets and
liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June
30, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
|
|
Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
|
||
|
Balance as of
June 30,
2020
|
Quoted prices in Active Markets for Identical Securities
(Level 1)
|
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
|
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
|
Current
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$4,085,305
|
$4,085,305
|
$-
|
$-
|
Marketable
securities
|
$478,941
|
$-
|
$478,941
|
$-
|
|
|
Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
|
||
|
Balance as of
December 31,
2019
|
Quoted prices in Active Markets for Identical Securities
(Level 1)
|
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
|
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
|
Current
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$4,905,993
|
$4,905,993
|
$-
|
$-
|
Marketable
securities
|
$493,884
|
$-
|
$493,884
|
$-
|
10
There were no significant transfers between levels in the six
months ended June 30, 2020.
NOTE 4. BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS
Property and equipment, net
Property
and equipment consist of the following as of June 30, 2020 and
December 31, 2019:
|
June 30,
2020
|
December 31,
2019
|
Office
furniture and fixtures
|
$43,034
|
$130,192
|
Computer
equipment and software
|
22,280
|
80,669
|
|
65,314
|
210,861
|
Less:
Accumulated depreciation
|
(60,905)
|
(204,302)
|
|
$4,409
|
$6,559
|
Depreciation
expense was approximately $1,000 and $1,300 for the three months
ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and approximately $2,200 and $2,400
for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019,
respectively.
Accrued liabilities
Accrued
liabilities consist of the following as of June 30, 2020 and
December 31, 2019:
|
June 30,
2020
|
December 31,
2019
|
Operating
costs
|
$285,348
|
$426,115
|
Lease
liability
|
117,416
|
111,353
|
Employee
related
|
121,592
|
333,873
|
|
$524,356
|
$871,341
|
NOTE 5. LEASE
In
January 2011, the Company entered into the Lease with Concourse
Associates, LLC for office facilities located at the premises in
Morrisville, North Carolina (the “Lease”). The
Lease was amended in August 2015 to extend the term for the 5,954
square foot rental. The current term began on March 1, 2016
and continues for 64 months to June 30, 2021. Rent payments began
on July 1, 2016, following the conclusion of a four-month rent
abatement period. The Company has two five-year options to extend
the Lease and a one-time option to terminate the Lease thirty-six
months after the commencement of the initial term if no additional
space (“Expansion Space”) became available; none of
these optional periods have been considered in the determination of
the right-of-use asset or the lease liability for the Lease as the
Company did not consider it reasonably certain that it would
exercise any such options. The Lease further provides that
the Company is obligated to pay to landlord certain variable costs,
including taxes and operating expenses. The Company also has a
right of first offer to lease the Expansion Space, of no less than
1,000 square feet, as that additional space becomes available
adjacent to the premises over the remainder of the initial term of
the Lease, at the same rate per square foot as the current
premises, with an extension of the term of sixty additional months
starting at the commencement date of acquiring the Expansion
Space.
The
Company performed an evaluation of its other contracts with
customers and suppliers in accordance with ASC 842 and determined
that, except for the Lease described above, none of the
Company’s contracts contain a lease.
11
The
balance sheet classification of our lease liabilities was as
follows:
|
June 30,
2020
|
December 31,
2019
|
Current
portion included in accrued liabilities
|
$117,416
|
$111,353
|
Long
term lease liability
|
-
|
60,379
|
|
$117,416
|
$171,732
|
As of
June 30, 2020, the maturities of our operating lease liabilities
were as follows:
Year ending December 31,
|
|
2020
|
$60,790
|
2021
|
61,803
|
Total
lease payments
|
$122,593
|
Less:
Imputed interest
|
(5,177)
|
Operating lease liability
|
$117,416
|
Operating
lease liabilities are based on the net present value of the
remaining Lease payments over the remaining Lease term. In
determining the present value of lease payments, the Company used
the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available
at the Lease commencement date. As of June 30, 2020, the remaining
Lease term is 1 year and the discount rate used to determine the
operating lease liability was 8.0%. For the six months ending June
30, 2020, the Company paid $65,103 in total lease expenses,
including $4,902 for common area maintenance charges.
NOTE 6. NOTE PAYABLE
Payroll Protection Program Loan
On
April 30, 2020, the Company received a loan pursuant to the
Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP Loan”) under the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the
“CARES Act”), as administered by the U.S. Small
Business Administration. The PPP Loan in the principal amount of
$244,657 was disbursed by First Horizon Bank (the
“Lender”) pursuant to a promissory note issued by us
(the “Note”).
The PPP
Loan has a two-year term and bears interest at a rate of 1.00% per
annum. Monthly principal and interest payments are deferred for six
months. Beginning November 30, 2020, the Company is required to
make monthly payments of principal and interest of approximately
$13,672 to the Lender. The Company did not provide any collateral
or guarantees for the PPP Loan, nor did the Company pay any
facility charge to obtain the PPP Loan. The Note provides for
customary events of default, including, among others, those
relating to failure to make payment, bankruptcy, breaches of
representations, and material adverse effects. The Company may
prepay the principal of the PPP Loan at any time, subject to
certain notice requirements.
Under the terms of the CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program loan
recipients can apply for and be granted forgiveness for all or a
portion of a loan granted under the program. Such forgiveness will
be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of loan
proceeds for payment of payroll costs and any payments of mortgage
interest, rent, and utilities. The Company is using the proceeds
from the PPP Loan to fund payroll costs in accordance with the
relevant terms and conditions of the CARES Act. However, no
assurance is provided that forgiveness for any portion of the PPP
Loan will be obtained.
As of
June 30, 2020, the current and long-term portions of the PPP Loan
were $107,606 and $137,051, respectively.
NOTE 7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Simdax license agreement
On November 13, 2013, the Company acquired, through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Life Newco, that certain License Agreement (the
“License”), dated September 20, 2013 by and between
Phyxius and Orion Corporation, a global healthcare company
incorporated under the laws of Finland (“Orion”), and
that certain Side Letter, dated October 15, 2013 by and between
Phyxius and Orion. The License grants the Company an exclusive, sublicenseable right to develop and
commercialize pharmaceutical products containing levosimendan (the
“Product”) in the United States and Canada (the
“Territory”) from Orion. Pursuant to the
License, the Company must use Orion’s
“Simdax®” trademark to commercialize the
Product. The License also grants to the Company a right
of first refusal to commercialize new developments of the Product,
including developments as to the formulation, presentation, means
of delivery, route of administration, dosage or indication, i.e.
line extension products. Orion’s ongoing role
under the License includes sublicense approval, serving as the sole
source of manufacture, holding a first right to enforce
intellectual property rights in the Territory, and certain
regulatory participation rights. Additionally, the
Company must grant back to Orion a broad non-exclusive license to
any patents or clinical trial data related to the Product developed
by the Company under the License. The License has a
fifteen (15) year term, provided, however, that the License will
continue after the end of the fifteen-year term in each country in
the Territory until the expiration of Orion’s patent rights
in the Product in such country.
12
Pursuant to the terms of the License, the Company paid to Orion a
non-refundable up-front payment in the amount of $1.0
million. The License also includes the following
development milestones for which the Company shall make
non-refundable payments to Orion no later than twenty-eight (28)
days after the occurrence of the applicable milestone event: (i)
$2.0 million upon the grant of FDA approval, including all
registrations, licenses, authorizations and necessary approvals, to
develop and/or commercialize the Product in the United States; and
(ii) $1.0 million upon the grant of regulatory approval for the
Product in Canada. Once commercialized, the Company is obligated to
make certain non-refundable commercialization milestone payments to
Orion, aggregating up to $13.0 million, contingent upon achievement
of certain cumulative net sales amounts in the Territory. The
Company must also pay Orion tiered royalties based on net sales of
the Product in the Territory made by the Company and its
sublicensees. After the end of the term of the License, the Company
must pay Orion a royalty based on net sales of the Product in the
Territory for as long as the Company sells the Product in the
Territory.
As of
June 30, 2020, the Company has not met any of the developmental
milestones and, accordingly, has not recorded any liability for the
contingent payments due to Orion.
On July
3, 2019, Orion filed a request for arbitration against the Company
under the Arbitration Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce seeking a declaration regarding
the correct interpretation of the line extension provisions of the
License and whether or not such provisions apply to the oral form
of levosimendan recently developed by Orion. Additionally, Orion
requested the Company reimburse Orion for all legal fees associated
with the arbitration. The Company submitted its response to the
request for arbitration July 31, 2019 and rejected Orion’s
position that the oral formation was not a line extension product
under the License and requested Orion reimburse the Company for all
legal fees associated with the arbitration. The hearing on this
matter was held before the arbitral tribunal on April 7 and April
8, 2020. The Final Award was issued May 21, 2020 and
held in favor of the Company. The tribunal determined that oral
levosimendan was a line extension product under the License and
ordered Orion to reimburse the Company approximately $358,000 for
its direct arbitration costs, including legal fees
incurred.
NOTE 8. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preferred Stock
Under
the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of
Directors is authorized, without further stockholder action, to
provide for the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred
stock, par value $0.0001 per share, in one or more series, to
establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in
each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences
and rights of the shares of each such series and the
qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof.
Series A Stock
On December 11, 2018, the Company closed its underwritten offering
of 5,181,346 units for net proceeds of approximately $9 million.
Each unit consists of (a) one share of the Company’s Series A
convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the
“Series A Stock”), (b) a two-year warrant to purchase
one share of common stock at an exercise price of $1.93 (the
“Series 1 Warrants”), and (c) a five-year warrant to
purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $1.93
(the “Series 2 Warrants”). In accordance with
ASC 480, the estimated fair value of $1,800,016 for the beneficial
conversion feature was recognized as a deemed dividend on the
Series A Stock during the year ended December 31, 2019.
The
table below sets forth a summary of the designation, powers,
preferences and rights of the Series A Stock.
Conversion
|
Subject to the ownership limitations described below, the Series A
Stock is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into
shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion ratio
determined by dividing the stated value of the Series A Stock by a
conversion price of $1.93 per share. The conversion price is
subject to adjustment in the case of stock splits, stock dividends,
combinations of shares and similar recapitalization
transactions.
The
Company will not affect any conversion of the Series A Stock, nor shall a holder convert
its shares of Series A Stock,
to the extent that such conversion would cause the holder to have
acquired, through conversion of the Series A Stock or otherwise, beneficial
ownership of a number shares of common stock in excess of 4.99%
(or, at the election of the holder prior to the issuance of any
shares of Series A Stock, 9.99%) of the common stock outstanding
after giving effect to such exercise.
|
Dividends
|
In the event the Company pays dividends on its shares of common
stock, the holders of the Series A Stock will be entitled to
receive dividends on shares of Series A Stock equal, on an
as-if-converted basis, to and in the same form as paid on the
common stock. No other dividends will be paid on the shares of
Series A Stock.
|
Liquidation
|
Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company
after payment or provision for payment of debts and other
liabilities of the Company, the holders of Series A Stock shall be
entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Company available for
distribution to its stockholders an amount equal to the amount that
a holder of common stock would receive if the Series A Stock were
fully converted to common stock, which amounts will be paid pari
passu with all holders of common stock.
|
Voting rights
|
Shares
of Series A Stock will generally have no voting rights, except as
required by law and except that the consent of holders of a
majority of the then outstanding Series A Stock will be required to
amend the terms of the Series A Stock or to take other action that
adversely affects the rights of the holders of Series A
Stock.
|
13
As of
December 31, 2019, there were 38,606 shares of Series A Stock outstanding. During the six
months ended June 30, 2020; an additional 38,396 shares of
Series A Stock were converted
into 38,396 shares of common stock. As of June 30, 2020, there were 210
shares of Series A Stock
outstanding.
Common Stock
The
Company’s Certificate of Incorporation authorizes it to issue
400,000,000 shares of $0.0001 par value common stock. As of June
30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, there were 10,095,758 and
6,741,860 shares of common stock issued and outstanding,
respectively.
On
March 13, 2020, the Company completed a registered direct offering
to a single healthcare-focused institutional investor (the
“Investor”) for the issuance and sale of 750,000 shares
of its common stock at a purchase price of $1.1651 per share and
pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,610,313 shares of its
common stock, at a purchase price of $1.1650 per pre-funded warrant
(which represents the per share offering price for the common stock
less $0.0001, the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant), for
gross proceeds of approximately $2.75 million, priced at-the-market
under Nasdaq rules. Additionally, in a concurrent private
placement, the Company issued to the Investor unregistered warrants
to purchase up to 2,360,313 shares of its common stock. The
unregistered warrants have an exercise price of $1.04 per share and
exercise period commencing immediately upon the issuance date and a
term of five and one-half years. The net proceeds from the
offerings, after deducting placement agent fees and other direct
offering expenses were approximately $2.125 million. The fair value
allocated to the common stock, warrants and pre-funded warrants was
$0.5 million, $1.1 million and $1.1 million,
respectively.
During
the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company issued 1,610,313
shares of common stock upon the exercise of all of the pre-funded
warrants issued in the offering.
Warrants
March 2020 Warrants
As part of the March 2020 registered direct offering, the Company
issued unregistered warrants to purchase 2,360,313 shares of its
common stock at an exercise price of $1.04 per share and
contractual term of five and one-half years. The
unregistered warrants were offered in a private placement under
Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”), and Regulation D promulgated
thereunder and, along with the shares of common stock underlying
the warrants, have not been registered under the Securities Act, or
applicable state securities laws. In accordance with ASC 480, these
warrants are classified as equity and their relative fair value of
approximately $1.1 million was recognized as additional paid in
capital. The estimated fair value is
determined using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model
which is based on the value of the
underlying common stock at the valuation measurement date, the
remaining contractual term of the warrants, risk-free interest
rates, expected dividends and expected volatility of the price of
the underlying common stock.
Warrants Issued for Services
In connection with the March 2020 offering described above, the
Company issued designees of the placement agent warrants to
purchase 177,023 shares of common stock at an exercise price of
$1.4564 and a contractual term of five years. In accordance with
ASC 815, these warrants are classified as equity and its estimated
fair value of $66,201 was recognized as additional paid in
capital. The estimated fair value is
determined using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model
which is based on the value of the
underlying common stock at the valuation measurement date, the
remaining contractual term of the warrant, risk-free interest
rates, expected dividends and expected volatility of the price of
the underlying common stock.
In connection with the March 2020 offering described above, the
Company issued to its previous underwriter a warrant to purchase
94,413 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.4564 per
share and contractual term of five years. In accordance with
ASC 815, this warrant is classified as equity and its estimated
fair-value of $35,308 was recognized as additional paid in capital.
The estimated fair value is determined
using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model which is based on the value of the underlying
common stock at the valuation measurement date, the remaining
contractual term of the warrant, risk-free interest rates, expected
dividends and expected volatility of the price of the underlying
common stock.
On June
2, 2020, the Company received approximately $1.7 million and issued
877,202 shares of common stock upon the exercise of previously
outstanding warrants issued in connection with the Company’s
December 2018 offering.
14
As of
June 30, 2020, the Company has 12,274,492 warrants outstanding. The
following table summarizes the Company’s warrant activity for
the six months ended June 30, 2020:
|
Warrants
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
|
Outstanding
at December 31, 2019
|
10,519,945
|
$1.94
|
Issued
|
4,242,062
|
0.67
|
Exercised
|
(2,487,515)
|
0.68
|
Outstanding
at June 30, 2020
|
12,274,492
|
$1.76
|
2016 Stock Incentive Plan
In June
2016, the Company adopted the 2016 Stock Incentive Plan (the
“2016 Plan”). Under the 2016 Plan, with the
approval of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors,
the Company may grant stock options, stock appreciation rights,
restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares,
performance units, cash-based awards or other stock-based awards.
On June 16, 2016, the Company’s stockholders approved the
2016 Plan and authorized for issuance under the 2016 Plan a total
of 150,000 shares of common stock. On June 13, 2019, the
Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the 2016 Plan
which increased the number of shares of common stock authorized for
issuance under the 2016 Plan to a total of 750,000 shares, up from
150,000 previously authorized.
The
following table summarizes the shares available for grant under the
2016 Plan for the six months ended June 30, 2020:
|
Shares Available for
Grant
|
Balances, at December 31, 2019
|
697,500
|
Options
granted
|
(340,000)
|
Balances, at June 30, 2020
|
357,500
|
2016 Plan Stock Options
Stock
options granted under the 2016 Plan may be either incentive stock
options (“ISOs”), or nonqualified stock options
(“NSOs”). ISOs may be granted only to employees. NSOs
may be granted to employees, consultants and directors. Stock
options under the 2016 Plan may be granted with a term of up to ten
years and at prices no less than fair market value at the time of
grant. Stock options granted generally vest over three to four
years.
The
following table summarizes the outstanding stock options under the
2016 Plan for the six months ended June 30, 2020:
|
Outstanding Options
|
|
|
Number of Shares
|
Weighted Average Exercise Price
|
Balances at December 31, 2019
|
52,500
|
$5.89
|
Options
granted
|
340,000
|
$1.18
|
Balances at June 30, 2020
|
392,500
|
$1.81
|
15
The
Company chose the “straight-line” attribution method
for allocating compensation costs of each stock option over the
requisite service period using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing
Model to calculate the grant date fair value.
The Company recorded compensation expense for these stock option
grants of $52,672 and $16,008 for the three months ended June 30,
2020 and 2019, and $112,833 and $45,739 for the six months ended
June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
As of
June 30, 2020, there were unrecognized compensation costs of
approximately $269,307 related to non-vested stock option awards
under the 2016 Plan that will be recognized on a straight-line
basis over the weighted average remaining vesting period of 1.64
years.
The
Company used the following assumptions to estimate the fair value
of options granted under the 2016 Plan for the six months ended
June 30, 2020:
|
For the six months ended June 30,
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
Risk-free
interest rate (weighted average)
|
1.03%
|
2.39%
|
Expected
volatility (weighted average)
|
97.61%
|
106.74%
|
Expected
term (in years)
|
7
|
7
|
Expected
dividend yield
|
0.00%
|
0.00%
|
Risk-Free Interest Rate
|
The
risk-free interest rate assumption was based on U.S. Treasury
instruments with a term that is consistent with the expected term
of the Company’s stock options.
|
Expected Volatility
|
The
expected stock price volatility for the Company’s common
stock was determined by examining the historical volatility and
trading history for its common stock over a term consistent with
the expected term of its options.
|
Expected Term
|
The
expected term of stock options represents the weighted average
period the stock options are expected to remain outstanding. It was
calculated based on the Company’s historical experience with
its stock option grants.
|
Expected Dividend Yield
|
The
expected dividend yield of 0% is based on the Company’s
history and expectation of dividend payouts. The Company has not
paid and does not anticipate paying any dividends in the near
future.
|
Forfeitures
|
Stock
compensation expense recognized in the statements of operations for
the six months ended June 30, 2020 is based on awards ultimately
expected to vest, and it has been reduced for estimated
forfeitures. ASC 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the
time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if
actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Forfeitures were
estimated based on the Company’s historical
experience.
|
1999 Amended Stock Plan
In
October 2000, the Company adopted the 1999 Stock Plan, as amended
and restated on June 17, 2008 (the “1999 Plan”).
Under the 1999 Plan, with the approval of the Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors, the Company could grant stock
options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and new shares
of common stock upon exercise of stock options. On March 13, 2014,
the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the 1999
Plan which increased the number of shares of common stock
authorized for issuance under the 1999 Plan to a total of 200,000
shares, up from 15,000 previously authorized. On September 15,
2015, the Company’s stockholders approved an additional
amendment to the 1999 Plan which increased the number of shares of
common stock authorized for issuance under the 1999 Plan to a total
of 250,000 shares, up from 200,000 previously authorized. The 1999
Plan expired on June 17, 2018 and no new grants may be made under
that plan after that date. However, unexpired awards granted under
the 1999 Plan remain outstanding and subject to the terms of the
1999 Plan.
16
1999 Plan Stock Options
Stock
options granted under the 1999 Plan may be either ISOs or NSOs.
ISOs could be granted only to employees. NSOs could be granted to
employees, consultants and directors. Stock options under the 1999
Plan could be granted with a term of up to ten years and at prices
no less than fair market value for ISOs and no less than 85% of the
fair market value for NSOs. Stock options granted generally vest
over one to six years.
The
following table summarizes the outstanding stock options under the
1999 Plan for the six months ended June 30, 2020:
|
Outstanding Options
|
|
|
Number of Shares
|
Weighted Average Exercise Price
|
Balances at December 31, 2019
|
191,706
|
$93.40
|
Options
cancelled
|
(134,003)
|
$113.29
|
Balances at June 30, 2020
|
57,703
|
$47.20
|
The
Company chose the “straight-line” attribution method
for allocating compensation costs of each stock option over the
requisite service period using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing
Model to calculate the grant date fair value.
The Company recorded compensation expense for these stock option
grants of $10,494 and $25,658 for the three months ended June 30,
2020 and 2019, and $22,709 and $56,222 for the six months ended
June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
As of
June 30, 2020, there were unrecognized compensation costs of
approximately $14,696 related to non-vested stock option awards
under the 1999 Plan that will be recognized on a straight-line
basis over the weighted average remaining vesting period of 0.56
years.
NOTE 9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On July
6, 2020, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement
for Class C and Class D Units (the “RDO Purchase
Agreement”) and a Securities Purchase Agreement for Class E
and Class F Units (the “PIPE Purchase Agreement” and,
together with the RDO Purchase Agreement, the “Purchase
Agreements”) with the Investor, pursuant to which the Company
agreed to issue in a registered direct offering 2,523,611 shares of
the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, at a
purchase price of $1.02780 per share and pre-funded warrants (the
“Registered Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to
652,313 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $1.02770 per
Registered Pre-Funded Warrant, and issue in a concurrent private
placement unregistered pre-funded warrants (the “Unregistered
Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to 4,607,692 shares of
common stock at the same purchase price as the Registered
Pre-Funded Warrants, and unregistered common stock warrants (the
“Unregistered Warrants”) to purchase up to 7,783,616
shares of common stock (such registered direct offering and private
placement, collectively, the “Offerings”). The
aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of the Offerings was
approximately $8.0 million.
The
Registered Pre-Funded Warrants and the Unregistered Pre-Funded
Warrants have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share of common
stock, are immediately exercisable, may be exercised at any time
until exercised in full and are subject to customary adjustments.
The Unregistered Warrants have an exercise price of $0.903 per
share of common stock, are immediately exercisable, will expire
five and one-half years from the date of issuance and are subject
to customary adjustments.
The
Registered Pre-Funded Warrants, the Unregistered Pre-Funded
Warrants and Unregistered Warrants may not be exercised if the
aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock
beneficially owned by the holder (together with its affiliates)
would exceed 19.99% of the Company’s outstanding common stock
immediately after exercise. However, the holder may increase or
decrease such percentage, provided that in no event such percentage
exceeds 19.99%, upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the
holder to the Company.
The
Company intends to use the net proceeds of approximately $6.5
million from the Offerings to further its clinical trials of
levosimendan, for research and development and for general
corporate purposes, including working capital and potential
acquisitions.
Also on
July 6, 2020 and in connection with the private placement, the
Company entered into a registration rights agreement (the
“Registration Rights Agreement”) with the Investor,
pursuant to which the Company agreed to register for resale the
shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon exercise
of the Unregistered Pre-Funded Warrants and the
Unregistered Warrants (collectively, the “Unregistered
Warrant Shares”). Under the Registration Rights Agreement,
the Company has agreed to file a registration statement covering
the resale by the Investor of the Unregistered Warrant Shares
within 120 days following the date of the Registration Rights
Agreement.
17
Under
certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, (i) if
the registration statement is not filed within the time period
specified above or (ii) if the registration statement has
not been declared effective (A) by the 120th day after
the date of the Registration Rights Agreement (or, in the event of
a “full review” by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”), the 150th day after the
date of the Registration Rights Agreement) or (B) within five
trading days following the date the Company is notified by the SEC
that the registration statement will not be reviewed or is no
longer subject to further review and comments then the Company has
agreed to pay the Investor, as partial liquidated damages, an
amount equal to 1.0% of the Investor’s aggregate subscription
amount paid pursuant to the PIPE Purchase Agreement.
Pursuant
to the terms of the PIPE Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to
appoint to its Board of Directors two directors designated in
writing by a majority in interest of the purchasers named therein
(the “Designor”) following the closing of the
Offerings. In the event the Designor beneficially holds less than
19.90% but more than 9.99% of the Company’s issued and
outstanding common stock, then the Designor shall have the right to
designate only one director. On July 20, 2020, Steven J. Boyd
and Keith Maher, MD were appointed to the Company’s Board of
Directors.
H.C.
Wainwright & Co., LLC (the “Placement Agent”) was
engaged by the Company to act as its exclusive agent for the
Offerings. The Company agreed to pay the Placement Agent a cash fee
equal to 7.5% of the gross proceeds received by the Company in the
Offerings, totaling approximately $600,000. The Company also agreed
to pay the Placement Agent $35,000 for non-accountable expenses, up
to $40,000 for fees and expenses of legal counsel and other
out-of-pocket expenses, a management fee equal to 1.0% of the gross
proceeds raised in the Offerings and up to $12,900 for clearing
fees. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to the Placement
Agent or its designees warrants to purchase up to 583,771 shares of
common stock (representing 7.5% of the aggregate number of shares
of common stock (or common stock equivalents) sold in the
Offerings) (the “Placement Agent Warrants”). The
Placement Agent Warrants have substantially the same terms as the
Unregistered Warrants, except that the Placement Agent Warrants
have an exercise price equal to $1.2848, or 125% of the offering
price per share of common stock, and will be exercisable for five
years from the effective date of the Offerings.
The
Company offered the shares of common stock and Registered
Pre-Funded Warrants in the registered direct offering pursuant to
the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No.
333-224951) filed with the SEC and declared effective by the
Commission on May 23, 2018. A prospectus supplement relating to the
shares of common stock and the Registered Pre-Funded Warrants
offered pursuant to the registered direct offering was filed with
the Commission on July 8, 2020.
The
issuance and sale of the Unregistered Pre-Funded Warrants, the
Unregistered Warrants, the Placement Agent Warrants and the shares
of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Unregistered
Pre-Funded Warrants, the Unregistered Warrants and Placement Agent
Warrants have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “Securities Act”), were not offered
pursuant to the registration statement and were offered pursuant to
the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act
and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder.
18
ITEM 2.
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, or the Exchange Act, which are subject to the “safe
harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements
are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on
information currently available to them. In some cases you can
identify forward-looking statements by words such as
“may,” “will,” “should,”
“could,” “would,” “expects,”
“plans,” “anticipates,”
“believes,” “estimates,”
“projects,” “predicts,”
“potential” and similar expressions intended to
identify forward-looking statements. Examples of these statements
include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the
implications of interim or final results of our clinical trials,
the progress of our research programs, including clinical testing,
the extent to which our issued and pending patents may protect our
products and technology, our ability to identify new product
candidates, the potential of such product candidates to lead to the
development of commercial products, our anticipated timing for
initiation or completion of our clinical trials for any of our
product candidates, our future operating expenses, our future
losses, our future expenditures for research and development, our
relationship with Orion Corporation, or Orion, our ability to raise
capital, the sufficiency of our cash resources, the impacts of the
current COVID-19 pandemic and the eligibility for forgiveness of
our loan, or the PPP Loan, received pursuant to the Paycheck
Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security Act, or the CARES Act, as administered by the U.S. Small
Business Administration, or the SBA. Our actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements for many reasons, including the risks faced by us and
described in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q, Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, and our
other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.
You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which apply only as of the date of this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q. You should read this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q completely and with the understanding that our actual future
results may be materially different from those we expect. Except as
required by law, we assume no obligation to update these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction
with the unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in
Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and with
the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes
thereto included as part of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2019.
All references in this Quarterly Report to “Tenax
Therapeutics”, “we”, “our” and
“us” means Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.
Overview
Strategy
We are
a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on identifying,
developing and commercializing products that address
cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases of high unmet medical
need. Our principal business objective is to identify,
develop and commercialize novel therapeutic products for disease
indications that represent significant areas of clinical need and
commercial opportunity. Our lead product is levosimendan, which was
acquired in an asset purchase agreement with Phyxius Pharma, Inc.,
or Phyxius. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer developed for
intravenous use in hospitalized patients with acutely decompensated
heart failure. The treatment is currently approved in more than 60
countries for this indication.
The European Society of Cardiology, or the ESC, recommends
levosimendan as a preferable agent over dobutamine to reverse the
effect of beta blockade if it is thought to be contributing to
hypotension. The ESC guidelines also state that levosimendan is not
appropriate for patients with systolic blood pressure less than
85mmHg or in patients in cardiogenic shock unless it is used in
combination with other inotropes or vasopressors.
Other unique properties of
levosimendan include sustained efficacy through the formation of a
long acting metabolite, lack of impairment of diastolic function,
and evidence of better compatibility with beta blockers than
dobutamine.
We are
currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial of levosimendan in
North America for the treatment of patients with pulmonary
hypertension associated with heart failure with preserved ejection
fraction, or PH-HFpEF. PH-HFpEF is defined hemodynamically by
a pulmonary artery pressure, or mPAP, ≥25 mmHg, a pulmonary
capillary wedge pressure, or PCWP, >15 mmHg, and a diastolic
pressure gradient, or diastolic PAP – PCWP, >7mmHg.
Pulmonary hypertension in these patients initially develops from a
passive backward transmission of elevated filling pressures from
left-sided heart failure. These mechanical components of pulmonary
venous congestion may trigger pulmonary vasoconstriction, decreased
nitric oxide availability, increased endothelin expression,
desensitization to natriuretic peptide induced vasodilation, and
vascular remodeling. Finally, these changes often lead to
advanced pulmonary vascular disease, increased right ventricle, or
RV, afterload, and RV failure.
PH-HFpEF
is a common form of pulmonary hypertension with an estimated US
prevalence exceeding 1.5 million patients. Currently, no
pharmacologic therapies are approved for treatment of
PH-HFpEF. Despite the fact that many therapies have been
studied in PH-HFpEF patients, including therapies approved to treat
pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, no therapies have been
shown to be effective in treating PH-HFpEF patients.
19
Published
pre-clinical and clinical studies indicate that levosimendan may
provide important benefits to patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Data from these published trials indicate that levosimendan may
reduce pulmonary vascular resistance and improve important
cardiovascular hemodynamics such as reduced pulmonary capillary
wedge pressure in patients with pulmonary hypertension. In
addition, several published studies provide evidence that
levosimendan may improve right ventricular dysfunction which is a
common comorbidity in patients with pulmonary hypertension. While
none of these studies have focused specifically on PH-HFpEF
patients, the general hemodynamic improvements in these published
studies of various types of pulmonary hypertension provide an
indication that levosimendan may be beneficial in PH-HFpEF
patients.
In March 2018, we met with the United States Food and Drug
Administration, or FDA, to discuss development of levosimendan in
PH-HFpEF patients. The FDA agreed with our planned Phase 2 design,
patient entry criteria, and endpoints. It was agreed the study
could be conducted under the existing investigational new drug
application with no additional nonclinical studies required to
support full development. The FDA recognized there were no approved
drug therapies to treat PH-HFpEF patients and acknowledged this
provided an opportunity for a limited Phase 3 clinical program.
This topic will be discussed further at the End-of-Phase 2 Meeting
following completion of the Phase 2 study in PH-HFpEF patients,
which is known as the HELP Study – Hemodynamic Evaluation of
Levosimendan in PH-HFpEF. We initiated the first of our expected
10-12 HELP Study clinical sites in November 2018 and the first of
36 patients was enrolled in the HELP Study in March 2019.
Enrollment in the HELP Study was completed in March 2020. The
primary endpoint of the HELP Study is based on change in PCWP vs
baseline compared to placebo. The HELP Study utilizes a
double-blind randomized design following five weekly infusions of
levosimendan.
The HELP Study design is novel in several respects. To date, no
other multi-center levosimendan study has evaluated levosimendan in
heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) or
PH-HFpEF patients. Instead, all previous levosimendan heart failure
studies have enrolled heart failure patients with reduced ejection
fraction (HFrEF), which specifically excluded HFpEF patients. Also,
the HELP Study utilizes a unique 24-hour weekly infusion regimen of
0.075- 0.1µm/kg/min. Finally, the HELP Study employs a unique
home-based IV infusion administration via an ambulatory infusion
pump. This home-based weekly IV administration is unlike all other
chronic dosing studies of levosimendan that have typically employed
a shorter duration and less frequent infusion regimen administered
in a hospital setting. Despite the unique patient population,
weekly dosing, and home-based administration, there have been no
reported serious adverse events reported.
On June 2, 2020, we announced preliminary, top-line data from the
study. The primary efficacy analysis, pulmonary capillary wedge
pressure (PCWP) during exercise did not demonstrate a statistically
significant reduction from baseline. Levosimendan did demonstrate a
statistically significant reduction in PCWP compared to baseline
(p=<0.0017) and placebo (p=<0.0475) when the measurements at
rest, with legs up and on exercise were combined. Levosimendan also
demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in 6-minute
walk distance (6MWD) as compared to placebo
(p=0.0329).
Hemodynamic Results
Hemodynamic measurements were made at rest (supine), after leg
raise on a supine bicycle (a test of rapid increase in ventricular
filling) and during exercise (25 watts for 3 minutes or until the
patient tired). Levosimendan demonstrated a statistically
significant reduction in PCWP compared to baseline (p=<0.0017)
and placebo (p=<0.0475) when the measurements at rest, with legs
up and on exercise were combined. While there was no significant
change in PCWP during exercise, patients receiving levosimendan had
reductions from baseline at Week 6 in PCWP, pulmonary artery
pressure (PAP), and right atrial pressure (RAP) that were
significant when patients were “at rest” and/or with
their “legs raised” (p<0.05).
Clinical Results (6-Minute Walk Distance)
The clinical efficacy was confirmed by a statistically significant
improvement in 6-minute walk distance of 29 meters. (p=0.0329). The
6-minute walk distance was a secondary endpoint in the trial and is
a validated and accepted endpoint used in many pulmonary
hypertension registration trials. Levosimendan was given in
once-weekly home infusions for six weeks.
Safety
The incidence of adverse events (AEs) or serious adverse events
(SAEs) between the control and treated groups were similar. In
addition, there were no arrhythmias observed, atrial or
ventricular, when comparing baseline electrocardiographic
monitoring with 72-hour monitoring after five weeks of
treatment.
We plan to present the full study results at future medical
meetings and will submit a full manuscript of the trial results to
a peer-reviewed journal.
20
Second Quarter 2020 Highlights
The
following summarizes certain key financial measures for the three
months ended June 30, 2020:
●
Cash and cash
equivalents, including the fair-value of our marketable securities,
were $4.6 million on June 30, 2020.
●
Our net loss from
operations was $2.1 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2020
compared to $1.8 million for the three months ended June 30,
2019.
●
Net cash used in
operating activities was $2.2 million and $1.9 million for the
three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019,
respectively.
Opportunities and Trends
The continued spread of COVID-19 globally could adversely affect
our ability to retain principal investigators and site staff who,
as healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to COVID-19
if an outbreak occurs in their geography. Further, some of these
investigators and site staff may be unable to comply with clinical
trial protocols if quarantines or travel restrictions impede
movement or interrupt healthcare services, or if they become
infected with COVID-19 themselves, which would delay our ability to
complete our Phase 2 HELP Study or release clinical trial
results.
As we focus on the development of our existing product candidate,
we also continue to position ourselves to execute upon licensing
and other partnering opportunities. To do so, we will need to
continue to maintain our strategic direction, manage and deploy our
available cash efficiently and strengthen our collaborative
research development and partner relationships.
During 2020, we are focused on the following
initiatives:
-
Working
with collaborators and partners to accelerate product development,
reduce our development costs, and broaden our commercialization
capabilities; and
-
Identifying
strategic alternatives, including, but not limited to, the
potential acquisition of additional products or product
candidates.
Financial Overview
Results of Operations- Comparison of the Three Months Ended June
30, 2020 and 2019
General and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation for
executive, finance, legal and administrative personnel, including
stock-based compensation. Other general and administrative expenses
include facility costs not otherwise included in research and
development expenses, legal and accounting services, other
professional services, and consulting fees. General and
administrative expenses and percentage changes for the three months
ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are as
follows:
|
Three months ended June 30,
|
Increase/ (Decrease)
|
% Increase/ (Decrease)
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
|
Personnel
costs
|
$700,737
|
$632,342
|
$68,395
|
11%
|
Other
costs
|
160,409
|
172,952
|
(12,543)
|
(7)%
|
Facilities
|
40,939
|
40,500
|
439
|
1%
|
Legal
and professional fees
|
(32,879)
|
324,611
|
(357,490)
|
(110)%
|
Personnel costs:
Personnel
costs increased approximately $68,000 for the three months ended
June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in the prior year. This
increase was due primarily to an increase of approximately $23,000
for the recognized expense for vested employee stock options, an
increase of approximately $23,000 in accrued PTO costs and an
overall increase of approximately $13,000 in salaries as compared
to the same period in the prior year.
21
Other costs:
Other
costs include costs incurred for franchise and other taxes, travel,
supplies, insurance, depreciation and other miscellaneous charges.
Other costs remained relatively consistent for the three months
ended June 30, 2020 and
2019.
Facilities:
Facilities
expenses include costs paid for rent and utilities at our corporate
headquarters in North Carolina. Facilities costs remained
relatively consistent for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
Legal and professional fees:
Legal
and professional fees consist of the costs incurred for legal fees,
accounting fees, capital market expenses, consulting fees and
investor relations services, as well as fees paid to our Board of
Directors. Legal and professional fees decreased approximately
$357,000 for the three months ended
June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in the prior year.
This decrease was due primarily to reimbursement of direct costs
and legal fees incurred for arbitration proceedings related to our
license agreement for levosimendan, and a decrease in costs
incurred for investor relations services, partially offset by an
increase in legal fees in the current period.
-
Legal fees
decreased approximately $294,000 in the current period. This
decrease was due primarily to the reimbursement of approximately
$312,000 in costs incurred for arbitration, partially offset by an
increase in legal fees associated with our financial and proxy
filings in the current period as compared to the same period in the
prior year.
-
Investor relations
costs decreased approximately $64,000 in the current period. This
decrease was primarily due to fees paid to a third-party investor
relations firm for direct outreach and communications in the prior
year that were not incurred in the current period.
Research and Development
Expenses
Research
and development expenses include, but are not limited to,
(i) expenses incurred under agreements with clinical research
organizations, or CROs, and investigative sites, which conduct our
clinical trials and a substantial portion of our pre-clinical
studies; (ii) the cost of supplying clinical trial materials;
(iii) payments to contract service organizations, as well as
consultants; (iv) employee-related expenses, which include
salaries and benefits; and (v) facilities, depreciation and
other allocated expenses, which include direct and allocated
expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and equipment,
depreciation of leasehold improvements, equipment, laboratory and
other supplies. All research and development expenses are expensed
as incurred. Research and development expenses and percentage
changes for the three months ended
June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are as
follows:
|
Three months ended June 30,
|
Increase/ (Decrease)
|
% Increase/ (Decrease)
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
|
Clinical
and preclinical development
|
$1,218,156
|
$591,542
|
$626,614
|
106%
|
Personnel
costs
|
54,193
|
51,903
|
2,290
|
4%
|
Other
costs
|
2,488
|
5,809
|
(3,321)
|
(57)%
|
Clinical and preclinical development:
Clinical
and preclinical development costs include, primarily, the costs
associated with our Phase 2 HELP Study for levosimendan, which was
initiated during fiscal year 2018. The increase of approximately
$627,000 in clinical and preclinical development costs for the
three months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in the
prior year was primarily due to an increase of approximately
$427,000 in expenditures for CRO costs and clinical research
associates to manage the Phase 2 HELP Study, as well as an increase
of approximately $230,000 in enrolled patient costs, partially
offset by a reduction of approximately $31,000 in other direct
costs including clinical site activations as compared to the same
period in the prior year.
Personnel costs:
Personnel
costs remained relatively consistent for the three months
ended June 30, 2020 and
2019.
22
Other costs:
Other
costs remained relatively consistent for the three months
ended June 30, 2020 and
2019.
The
process of conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials
necessary to obtain approval from the FDA is costly and time
consuming. The probability of success for each product candidate
and clinical trial may be affected by a variety of factors,
including, among other things, the quality of the product
candidate’s early clinical data, investment in the program,
competition, manufacturing capabilities and commercial viability.
As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, uncertainty
associated with clinical trial enrollment and risks inherent in the
development process, we are unable to determine the duration and
completion costs of current or future clinical stages of our
product candidates or when, or to what extent, we will generate
revenues from the commercialization and sale of any of our product
candidates. Development timelines, probability of success and
development costs vary widely. We are currently focused on
developing our most advanced product candidate, levosimendan;
however, we will need substantial additional capital in the future
in order to complete the development and potential
commercialization of levosimendan, and to continue with the
development of other potential product candidates.
Other income and expense, net
Other
income and expense include non-operating income and expense items
not otherwise recorded in our condensed consolidated statement of
comprehensive loss. These items
include, but are not limited to, changes in the fair value of
financial assets and derivative liabilities, interest income earned
and fixed asset disposals. Other income for the three months ended
June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, is as follows:
|
Three months ended June 30,
|
(Increase)/ Decrease
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
Other
expense (income), net
|
$2,101
|
$(58,122)
|
$60,223
|
Other
income decreased approximately $60,000 for the three months ended
June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in the prior year. This
decrease is due primarily to a decrease in the interest earned on
our investment in marketable securities.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2020, we recorded interest income
of approximately $3,000 from our investments in marketable
securities. This income is derived from approximately $5,000 in
bond interest paid partially offset by fair-value adjustments
measured for the period, which compares to approximately $42,000 in
bond interest paid during the same period in the prior
year.
Results of Operations- Comparison of the Six Months Ended June 30,
2020 and 2019
General and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation for
executive, finance, legal and administrative personnel, including
stock-based compensation. Other general and administrative expenses
include facility costs not otherwise included in research and
development expenses, legal and accounting services, other
professional services, and consulting fees. General and
administrative expenses and percentage changes for the six months
ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are as
follows:
|
Six months ended June 30,
|
Increase/ (Decrease)
|
% Increase/ (Decrease)
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
|
Personnel
costs
|
$1,438,007
|
$1,345,824
|
$92,183
|
7%
|
Other
costs
|
350,002
|
280,411
|
69,591
|
25%
|
Legal
and professional fees
|
324,951
|
645,893
|
(320,942)
|
(50)%
|
Facilities
|
79,205
|
77,287
|
1,918
|
2%
|
23
Personnel costs:
Personnel
costs increased approximately $92,000 for the six months ended June
30, 2020 compared to the same period in the prior year. This
increase was due primarily to an increase of approximately $38,000
for the recognized expense for vested employee stock options, an
increase of approximately $25,000 in accrued PTO costs and an
overall increase of approximately $25,000 in salaries as compared
to the same period in the prior year.
Other costs:
Other
costs include costs incurred for franchise and other taxes, travel,
supplies, insurance, depreciation and other miscellaneous charges.
Other costs increased approximately $70,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to
the same period in the prior year. This increase was due primarily
to an increase in the cost of annual insurance premiums, partially
offset by a reduction in travel costs incurred in the current
period.
Legal and professional fees:
Legal
and professional fees consist of the costs incurred for legal fees,
accounting fees, capital market expenses, consulting fees and
investor relations services, as well as fees paid to our Board of
Directors. Legal and professional fees decreased approximately
$321,000 for the six months ended June
30, 2020 compared to the same period in the prior year. This
decrease was due primarily to reimbursement of direct costs and
legal fees incurred for arbitration proceedings related to our
license agreement for levosimendan, and a decrease in costs
incurred for investor relations services in the current
period.
-
Legal fees
decreased approximately $265,000 in the current period. This
decrease was due primarily to the reimbursement of approximately
$273,000 in costs incurred for arbitration, partially offset by a
slight increase in legal fees associated with our financial and
proxy filings in the current period as compared to the same period
in the prior year.
-
Investor relations
costs decreased approximately $46,000 in the current period. This
decrease was primarily due to fees paid to a third-party investor
relations firm for direct outreach and communications in the prior
year that were not incurred in the current period.
Facilities:
Facilities
expenses include costs paid for rent and utilities at our corporate
headquarters in North Carolina. Facilities costs remained
relatively consistent for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
Research and Development
Expenses
Research
and development expenses include, but are not limited to,
(i) expenses incurred under agreements with clinical research
organizations, or CROs, and investigative sites, which conduct our
clinical trials and a substantial portion of our pre-clinical
studies; (ii) the cost of manufacturing and supplying clinical
trial materials; (iii) payments to contract service
organizations, as well as consultants; (iv) employee-related
expenses, which include salaries and benefits; and
(v) facilities, depreciation and other allocated expenses,
which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and
maintenance of facilities and equipment, depreciation of leasehold
improvements, equipment, laboratory and other supplies. All
research and development expenses are expensed as incurred.
Research and development expenses and percentage changes for the
six months ended June 30, 2020 and
2019, respectively, are as follows:
|
Six months ended June 30,
|
Increase/ (Decrease)
|
% Increase/ (Decrease)
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
|
Clinical
and preclinical development
|
$2,500,817
|
$1,011,139
|
$1,489,678
|
147%
|
Personnel
costs
|
109,336
|
110,488
|
(1,152)
|
(1)%
|
Other
costs
|
7,210
|
10,393
|
(3,183)
|
(31)%
|
Clinical and preclinical development:
Clinical
and preclinical development costs include, primarily, the costs
associated with our Phase 2 HELP Study for levosimendan, which was
initiated during fiscal year 2018. The increase of approximately
$1.5 million in clinical and preclinical development costs for the
six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in the
prior year was primarily due to an increase of approximately
$897,000 in expenditures for CRO costs and clinical research
associates to manage the Phase 2 HELP Study, as well as an increase
of approximately $711,000 in enrolled patient costs, partially
offset by a reduction of approximately $100,000 in other direct
costs including costs associated with clinical site activations and
approximately $20,000 in nonclinical development costs for
levosimendan subcutaneous formulation as compared to the same
period in the prior year.
24
Personnel costs:
Personnel
costs remained relatively consistent for the six months
ended June 30, 2020 and
2019.
Other costs:
Other
costs remained relatively consistent for the six months
ended June 30, 2020 and
2019.
The
process of conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials
necessary to obtain approval from the FDA is costly and time
consuming. The probability of success for each product candidate
and clinical trial may be affected by a variety of factors,
including, among other things, the quality of the product
candidate’s early clinical data, investment in the program,
competition, manufacturing capabilities and commercial viability.
As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, uncertainty
associated with clinical trial enrollment and risks inherent in the
development process, we are unable to determine the duration and
completion costs of current or future clinical stages of our
product candidates or when, or to what extent, we will generate
revenues from the commercialization and sale of any of our product
candidates. Development timelines, probability of success and
development costs vary widely. We are currently focused on
developing our most advanced product candidate, levosimendan;
however, we will need substantial additional capital in the future
in order to complete the development and potential
commercialization of levosimendan, and to continue with the
development of other potential product candidates.
Other income and expense, net
Other
income and expense include non-operating income and expense items
not otherwise recorded in our condensed consolidated statement of
comprehensive loss. These items
include, but are not limited to, changes in the fair value of
financial assets and derivative liabilities, interest income earned
and fixed asset disposals. Other income for the six months ended
June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, is as follows:
|
Six months ended June 30,
|
(Increase)/ Decrease
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
Other
income, net
|
$(8,740)
|
$(102,453)
|
$93,713
|
Other
income decreased approximately $94,000 for the six months ended
June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in the prior year. This
decrease is due primarily to a decrease in the interest earned on
our investment in marketable securities.
During
the six months ended June 30, 2020, we recorded interest income of
approximately $13,000 from our investments in marketable
securities. This income is derived from approximately $15,000 in
bond interest paid partially offset by fair-value adjustments
measured for the period, which compares to approximately $85,000 in
bond interest paid during the same period in the prior
year.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Plan of Operation
We have
incurred losses since our inception, and as of June 30, 2020 we had
an accumulated deficit of approximately $241 million. We will
continue to incur losses until we generate sufficient revenue to
offset our expenses, and we anticipate that we will continue to
incur net losses for at least the next several years. We expect to
incur increased expenses related to our development and potential
commercialization of levosimendan for pulmonary hypertension and
other potential indications, as well as identifying and developing
other potential product candidates and, as a result, we will need
to generate significant net product sales, royalty and other
revenues to achieve profitability.
Liquidity
We have
financed our operations since September 1990 through the issuance
of debt and equity securities and loans from stockholders. We had
total current assets of $5,214,429 and $6,180,829 and working
capital of $3,027,429 and $3,648,434 as of June 30, 2020 and
December 31, 2019, respectively. Based on our working capital and
the value of our investments in marketable securities on June 30,
2020, we believe we have sufficient capital to fund our operations
through the third quarter of calendar year 2021.
25
Cash Flows
Financings
On
March 11, 2020, we entered into a definitive agreement with a
single healthcare-focused institutional investor, or the Investor,
for the issuance and sale of 750,000 shares of our common stock at
a purchase price of $1.1651 per share and pre-funded warrants to
purchase up to 1,610,313 shares of common stock, at a purchase
price of $1.1650 per pre-funded warrant (which represents the per
share offering price for the common stock less $0.0001, the
exercise price of each pre-funded warrant), for gross proceeds of
approximately $2.75 million, in a registered direct offering priced
at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. Additionally, in a concurrent
private placement, we also agreed to issue to the Investor
unregistered warrants to purchase up to 2,360,313 shares of common
stock. The unregistered warrants have an exercise price of $1.04
per share and exercise period commencing immediately upon the
issuance date and a term of five and one-half years. The offering
closed on March 13, 2020.
We
agreed to pay H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, or the Placement
Agent, a cash fee equal to 7.5% of the gross proceeds of the March
2020 offering, totaling approximately $206,250. We also agreed to
pay the Placement Agent $75,000 for non-accountable expenses, a
management fee equal to 1.0% of the gross proceeds and up to
$12,900 for clearing fees. In addition, we issued designees of the
Placement Agent warrants to purchase 177,023 shares of common stock
(representing 7.5% of the aggregate number of shares of common
stock (or common stock equivalents) sold in the March 2020
offering). The Placement Agent warrants have substantially the same
terms as the unregistered warrants, except that the Placement Agent
warrants have an exercise price equal to $1.4564, or 125% of the
offering price per share of common stock, and will be exercisable
for five years from the effective date of the March 2020
offering.
The
shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants offered in the
registered direct offering (including the shares of common stock
underlying the pre-funded warrants) were offered and sold pursuant
to a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3, which
was declared effective by the SEC on May 23, 2018. The unregistered
warrants described above were offered in a private placement under
Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, and Regulation D promulgated
thereunder and, along with the shares of common stock underlying
the warrants, have not been registered under the Securities Act, or
applicable state securities laws. The net proceeds from the March
2020 offering, after deducting placement agent fees and other
direct offering expenses, were approximately $2.125 million. We are
using the net proceeds to further our clinical trials of
levosimendan, for research and development and general corporate
purposes, including working capital and potential
acquisitions.
Paycheck Protection Program Loan
On
April 30, 2020, we received a loan pursuant to the Paycheck
Protection Program, or the PPP Loan, under the CARES Act, as
administered by the SBA. The PPP Loan in the principal amount of
$244,657 was disbursed by First Horizon Bank, or the Lender,
pursuant to a promissory note issued by us, or the
Note.
The PPP
Loan has a two-year term and bears interest at a rate of 1.00% per
annum. Monthly principal and interest payments are deferred for six
months. Beginning November 30, 2020, we are required to make
monthly payments of principal and interest of approximately $13,672
to the Lender. We did not provide any collateral or guarantees for
the PPP Loan, nor did we pay any facility charge to obtain the PPP
Loan. The Note provides for customary events of default, including,
among others, those relating to failure to make payment,
bankruptcy, breaches of representations, and material adverse
effects. We may prepay the principal of the PPP Loan at any time,
subject to certain notice requirements.
Under the terms of the CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program loan
recipients can apply for and be granted forgiveness for all or a
portion of a loan granted under the program. Such forgiveness will
be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of loan
proceeds for payment of payroll costs and any payments of mortgage
interest, rent, and utilities. We are using the proceeds from the
PPP Loan to fund payroll costs in accordance with the relevant
terms and conditions of the CARES Act. However, no assurance is
provided that forgiveness for any portion of the PPP Loan will be
obtained.
As of
June 30, 2020, the current and long-term portions of the PPP Loan
were $108,012 and $137,051, respectively.
The following table shows a summary of our cash flows for the six
months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
|
Six months ended June 30,
|
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
$(4,899,965)
|
$(4,047,580)
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
13,911
|
(9,009)
|
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
4,065,366
|
96,500
|
26
Net cash used in operating activities. Net cash used
in operating activities was approximately $4.9 million for the six
months ended June 30, 2020 compared to net cash used in operating
activities of approximately $4.0 million for the six months ended
June 30, 2019. The increase in cash used for operating activities
was due primarily to an increase in our costs related to the Phase
2 Help Study in the current period.
Net cash provided by (used in) investing
activities. Net cash provided by investing activities
was approximately $14,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2020
compared to approximately $9,000 used in the six months ended June
30, 2019. The increase in cash in investing activities was
primarily due to the sale of marketable securities in the current
period.
Net cash provided by financing activities. Net cash
provided by financing activities was approximately $4.1 million for
the six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to $97,000 for the six
months ended June 30, 2019. The increase in cash provided by
financing activities was due primarily to net proceeds of
approximately $2.1 million from the March 2020 offering, the
issuance of 877,203 shares of common stock upon the exercise of
approximately $1.7 million of outstanding warrants and the receipt
of approximately $245,000 under the PPP Loan in the current
period.
Recent Development
On July
6, 2020, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement for Class
C and Class D Units, or the RDO Purchase Agreement, and a
Securities Purchase Agreement for Class E and Class F Units, or the
PIPE Purchase Agreement and, together with the RDO Purchase
Agreement, the Purchase Agreements, with the Investor pursuant to
which we agreed to issue in a registered direct offering 2,523,611
shares of the our common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, at a
purchase price of $1.02780 per share and pre-funded warrants, or
the Registered Pre-Funded Warrants, to purchase up to 652,313
shares of common stock at a purchase price of $1.02770 per
Registered Pre-Funded Warrant, and issue in a concurrent private
placement unregistered pre-funded warrants, or the Unregistered
Pre-Funded Warrants, to purchase up to 4,607,692 shares of common
stock at the same purchase price as the Registered Pre-Funded
Warrants, and unregistered common stock warrants, or the
Unregistered Warrants, to purchase up to 7,783,616 shares of common
stock (such registered direct offering and private placement are
collectively referred to as the Offerings). The aggregate gross
proceeds of the Offerings were approximately $8.0
million.
The
Registered Pre-Funded Warrants and the Unregistered Pre-Funded
Warrants have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share of common
stock, are immediately exercisable, may be exercised at any time
until exercised in full and are subject to customary adjustments.
The Unregistered Warrants have an exercise price of $0.903 per
share of common stock, are immediately exercisable, will expire
five and one-half years from the date of issuance and are subject
to customary adjustments.
The
Registered Pre-Funded Warrants, the Unregistered Pre-Funded
Warrants and Unregistered Warrants may not be exercised if the
aggregate number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned
by the holder (together with its affiliates) would exceed 19.99% of
our outstanding common stock immediately after exercise. However,
the holder may increase or decrease such percentage, provided that
in no event such percentage exceeds 19.99%, upon at least 61
days’ prior notice from the holder to us.
We
intend to use the net proceeds of approximately $6.5 million from
the Offerings to further our clinical trials of levosimendan, for
research and development and for general corporate purposes,
including working capital and potential acquisitions.
Also on
July 6, 2020 and in connection with the private placement, we
entered into a registration rights agreement, or the Registration
Rights Agreement, with the Investor, pursuant to which we agreed to
register for resale the shares of our common stock issuable upon
exercise of the Unregistered Pre-Funded Warrants and the
Unregistered Warrants (collectively referred to as the Unregistered
Warrant Shares). Under the Registration Rights Agreement, we have
agreed to file a registration statement covering the resale by the
Investor of the Unregistered Warrant Shares within 120 days
following the date of the Registration Rights
Agreement.
Under
certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, (i) if
the registration statement is not filed within the time period
specified above or (ii) if the registration statement has
not been declared effective (A) by the 120th day after
the date of the Registration Rights Agreement (or, in the event of
a “full review” by the SEC, the 150th day after
the date of the Registration Rights Agreement) or (B) within
five trading days following the date we are notified by the SEC
that the registration statement will not be reviewed or is no
longer subject to further review and comments we have agreed to pay
the Investor, as partial liquidated damages, an amount equal to
1.0% of the Investor’s aggregate subscription amount paid
pursuant to the PIPE Purchase Agreement.
Pursuant
to the terms of the PIPE Purchase Agreement, we agreed to appoint
to our Board of Directors two directors designated in writing by a
majority in interest of the purchasers named therein, or the
Designor, following the closing of the Offerings. In the event the
Designor beneficially holds less than 19.90% but more than 9.99% of
our issued and outstanding common stock, then the Designor shall
have the right to designate only one director. On July 20, 2020,
Steven J. Boyd and Keith Maher, MD were appointed to our Board of
Directors.
27
H.C.
Wainwright & Co., LLC, or the Placement Agent, was engaged by
us to act as our exclusive agent for the Offerings. We agreed to
pay the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to 7.5% of the gross
proceeds received in the Offerings, totaling approximately
$600,000. We also agreed to pay the Placement Agent $35,000 for
non-accountable expenses, up to $40,000 for fees and expenses of
legal counsel and other out-of-pocket expenses, a management fee
equal to 1.0% of the gross proceeds raised in the Offerings and up
to $12,900 for clearing fees. In addition, we agreed to issue to
the Placement Agent or its designees warrants to purchase up to
583,771 shares of common stock (representing 7.5% of the aggregate
number of shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents) sold
in the Offerings), or the Placement Agent Warrants. The Placement
Agent Warrants have substantially the same terms as the
Unregistered Warrants, except that the Placement Agent Warrants
have an exercise price equal to $1.2848, or 125% of the offering
price per share of common stock, and will be exercisable for five
years from the effective date of the Offerings.
We
offered the shares of common stock and Registered Pre-Funded
Warrants in the registered direct offering pursuant to our
registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224951) filed with
the SEC and declared effective by the Commission on May 23, 2018. A
prospectus supplement relating to the shares of common stock and
the Registered Pre-Funded Warrants offered pursuant to the
registered direct offering was filed with the Commission on July 8,
2020.
The
issuance and sale of the Unregistered Pre-Funded Warrants, the
Unregistered Warrants, the Placement Agent Warrants and the shares
of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Unregistered
Pre-Funded Warrants, the Unregistered Warrants and Placement Agent
Warrants have not been registered under the Securities Act, were
not offered pursuant to the registration statement and were offered
pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the
Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder.
Operating Capital and Capital Expenditure Requirements
Our
future capital requirements will depend on many factors that
include, but are not limited to the following:
-
the
initiation, progress, timing and completion of clinical trials for
our product candidate and potential product
candidates;
-
the
outcome, timing and cost of regulatory approvals and the regulatory
approval process;
-
delays
that may be caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. The
continued spread of COVID-19 globally could adversely affect our
ability to retain principal investigators and site staff who, as
healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to COVID-19 if
an outbreak occurs in their geography. Further, some of these
investigators and site staff may be unable to comply with clinical
trial protocols if quarantines or travel restrictions impede
movement or interrupt healthcare services, or if they become
infected with COVID-19 themselves, which would delay our ability to
complete our Phase 2 HELP Study or release clinical trial
results;
-
delays
that may be caused by changing regulatory
requirements;
-
the
number of product candidates that we pursue;
-
the
costs involved in filing and prosecuting patent applications and
enforcing and defending patent claims;
-
the
timing and terms of future collaboration, licensing, consulting or
other arrangements that we may enter into;
-
the
cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing, manufacturing and
distribution capabilities;
-
the
cost of procuring clinical and commercial supplies of our product
candidates;
-
the
extent to which we acquire or invest in businesses, products or
technologies; and
-
the
possible costs of litigation.
We
believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, along with our
investment in marketable securities, and including the net proceeds
from our July 2020 Offerings, will be sufficient to fund our
projected operating requirements through the third quarter of
calendar year 2021. We will need substantial additional capital in
the future in order to complete the development and
commercialization of levosimendan and to fund the development and
commercialization of other future product candidates. Until we can
generate a sufficient amount of product revenue, if ever, we expect
to finance future cash needs through public or private equity
offerings, debt financings or corporate collaboration and licensing
arrangements. Such funding may not be available on favorable terms,
if at all. In the event we are unable to obtain additional capital,
we may delay or reduce the scope of our current research and
development programs and other expenses.
To the
extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities,
our stockholders may experience additional significant dilution,
and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive
covenants. To the extent that we raise additional funds through
collaboration and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to
relinquish some rights to our technologies or our product
candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to
us. We may seek to access the public or private capital markets
whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an
immediate need for additional capital.
28
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and
Estimates
Our condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared
in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial
statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the
financial statements, as well as the expenses during the reporting
periods. These items are monitored and analyzed by us for changes
in facts and circumstances, and material changes in these estimates
could occur in the future. We base our estimates on historical
experience and on various other factors that we believe are
reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the
basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.
Changes in estimates are reflected in reported results for the
period in which they become known. Actual results may differ
materially from these estimates under different assumptions or
conditions. For information regarding
our critical accounting policies and estimates, please refer to
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations—Summary of Significant
Accounting Policies” contained in our Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. During the six months
ended June 30, 2020, there were no material changes to the critical
accounting policies previously disclosed in that
report.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or
FASB, issued an accounting standard intended to simplify accounting
for income taxes. It removes certain exceptions to the general
principles in Topic 740, Income Taxes and amends existing guidance
to improve consistent application. This guidance is effective for
fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years,
beginning after December 15, 2020 and early adoption is permitted.
We are currently evaluating this standard, but we do not believe
the adoption of the new guidance will have a material impact on our
consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard that amends
how credit losses are measured and reported for certain financial
instruments that are not accounted for at fair value through net
income. This standard requires that credit losses be presented as
an allowance rather than as a write-down for available-for-sale
debt securities and will be effective for interim and annual
reporting periods beginning January 1, 2023, with early
adoption permitted. A modified retrospective approach is to be used
for certain parts of this guidance, while other parts of the
guidance are to be applied using a prospective approach. We do not
believe the adoption of this standard will have a material impact
on our consolidated financial statements and related
disclosures.
Contractual Obligations
There have been no material changes, outside of the ordinary course
of business, to our contractual obligations as previously disclosed
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2019.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Since
our inception, we have not engaged in any off-balance sheet
arrangements, including the use of structured finance, special
purpose entities or variable interest entities.
ITEM 3.
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not
applicable.
ITEM 4.
CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As
required by paragraph (b) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15
promulgated under the Exchange Act, our management, including our
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an
evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this report, of
the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as
defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e).
Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures were effective as of June 30, 2020, the end of the
period covered by this report in that they provide reasonable
assurance that the information we are required to disclose in the
reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods required
by the SEC and is accumulated and communicated to our management,
including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There
were no significant changes in our internal control over financial
reporting during our most recently completed fiscal quarter that
have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
affect, our internal control over financial reporting. We routinely
review our internal controls over financial reporting and from time
to time make changes intended to enhance the effectiveness of our
internal control over financial reporting. We will continue to
evaluate the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures and internal controls over financial reporting on an
ongoing basis and will take action as appropriate.
29
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1.
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
On July
3, 2019, Orion filed a request for arbitration against us under the
Arbitration Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm
Chamber of Commerce seeking a declaration regarding
the correct interpretation of the line extension provisions of the
License Agreement, or the License, dated September 20, 2013, by and
between Phyxius and Orion (which we acquired through our wholly
owned subsidiary Life Newco, Inc.), and whether or not such
provisions apply to the oral form of levosimendan recently
developed by Orion. Additionally, Orion requested we reimburse
Orion for all legal fees associated with the arbitration. We
submitted our response to the request for arbitration on July 31,
2019 and rejected Orion’s position that the oral formation
was not a line extension product under the License and requested
Orion reimburse us for all legal fees associated with the
arbitration. The hearing on this matter was held before the
arbitral tribunal on April 7 and April 8, 2020. The
Final Award was issued May 21, 2020 and held in favor of us. The
tribunal determined that oral levosimendan was a line extension
product under the License and ordered Orion to reimburse us
approximately $358,000 for our direct arbitration costs, including
legal fees incurred.
There
are no other material pending legal proceedings to which we are a
party or to which any of our property is subject.
ITEM 1A.
RISK
FACTORS
The
risks we face have not materially changed from those disclosed in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2019, except as set forth below:
A pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as
COVID-19, or coronavirus, may materially and adversely affect our
business and our financial results.
The spread of COVID-19 has affected segments of the global economy
and may affect our operations, including the potential interruption
of our clinical trial activities and our supply chain. The
continued spread of COVID-19 may result in a period of business
disruption, including delays in our clinical trials or delays or
disruptions in our supply chain. In addition, there could be a
potential effect of COVID-19 to the business at FDA or other health
authorities, which could result in delays of reviews and approvals,
including with respect to our product candidates.
The continued spread of COVID-19 globally could adversely affect
our clinical trial operations in the United States and elsewhere,
including our ability to recruit and retain patients and principal
investigators and site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have
heightened exposure to COVID-19 if an outbreak occurs in their
geography. Further, some patients may be unable to comply with
clinical trial protocols if quarantines or travel restrictions
impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services, or if the
patients become infected with COVID-19 themselves, which would
delay our ability to conduct clinical trials or release clinical
trial results. COVID-19 may also affect employees of third-party
CROs located in affected geographies that we rely upon to carry out
our clinical trials, which could result in inefficiencies due to
reductions in staff and disruptions to work
environments.
The spread of COVID-19, or another infectious disease, could also
negatively affect the operations at our third-party manufacturers,
which could result in delays or disruptions in the supply of our
product candidates. In addition, we have taken temporary
precautionary measures intended to help minimize the risk of the
virus to our employees, including temporarily requiring all
employees to work remotely, suspending all non-essential travel
worldwide for our employees, and discouraging employee attendance
at industry events and in-person work-related meetings, which could
negatively affect our business.
We cannot presently predict the scope and severity of any potential
business shutdowns or disruptions. If we or any of the third
parties with whom we engage, however, were to experience shutdowns
or other business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business
in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be
materially and negatively affected, which could have a material
adverse impact on our business and our results of operation and
financial condition.
Our PPP Loan may not be forgiven or may subject us to challenges
and investigations regarding qualification for the
loan.
On
April 30, 2020, we received the PPP Loan in the principal amount of
$244,657 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the
CARES Act, as administered by the SBA. The PPP Loan matures in
April 2022 and has an annual interest rate of 1.00%. Payments of
principal and interest are deferred for six months. Pursuant to
Section 1106 of the CARES Act, we may apply for and be granted
forgiveness for all or a portion of the PPP Loan. Such forgiveness
will be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of the
loan proceeds for qualifying expenses, which include payroll costs,
rent, and utility costs. We cannot provide any assurance that we
will be eligible for loan forgiveness, that we will ultimately
apply for forgiveness, or that any amount of the PPP Loan will
ultimately be forgiven by the SBA.
30
Additionally,
the PPP Loan application required us to certify that the current
economic uncertainty made the PPP Loan request necessary to support
our ongoing operations. While we made this certification in good
faith after analyzing, among other things, our financial situation
and access to alternative forms of capital, and believe that we
satisfied all eligibility criteria for the PPP Loan and that our
receipt of the PPP Loan is consistent with the broad objectives of
the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act, the certification
described above does not contain any objective criteria and is
subject to interpretation. In addition, the SBA has stated that it
is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and
access to capital markets will be able to make the required
certification in good faith. The lack of clarity regarding loan
eligibility under the program has resulted in significant media
coverage and controversy with respect to public companies applying
for and receiving loans. If, despite our good faith belief that we
satisfied all eligibility requirements for the PPP Loan, we are
found to have been ineligible to receive the PPP Loan or in
violation of any of the laws or regulations that apply to us in
connection with the PPP Loan, including the False Claims Act, we
may be subject to penalties, including significant civil, criminal
and administrative penalties and could be required to repay the PPP
Loan. In the event that we seek forgiveness of all or a portion of
the PPP Loan, we will also be required to make certain
certifications which will be subject to audit and review by
governmental entities and could subject us to significant penalties
and liabilities if found to be inaccurate. In addition, our receipt
of the PPP Loan may result in adverse publicity and damage to our
reputation, and a review or audit by the SBA or other government
entity or claims under the False Claims Act could consume
significant financial and management resources. Any of these events
could harm our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Our failure to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued
listing requirements could result in the delisting of our common
stock.
Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital
Market. In order to maintain this listing, we must satisfy
minimum financial and other requirements. On April 24, 2020,
we received a notification letter from Nasdaq’s Listing
Qualifications Department indicating that we are not in compliance
with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), because the minimum bid price
of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market closed below $1.00
per share for 30 consecutive business days. In accordance with
Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we would have had 180 calendar
days to regain compliance with the minimum bid requirement;
however, due to the market disruption caused by the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic, Nasdaq tolled the requirement for meeting the
minimum bid price until June 30, 2020. As such, we would have had
180 days from July 1, 2020, or until December 28, 2020, to achieve
compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To regain
compliance, the closing bid price of our common stock had to meet
or exceed $1.00 per share for at least ten consecutive business
days before December 28, 2020.
On June 2, 2020, we received a letter from Nasdaq notifying us that
Nasdaq determined that our stock price traded above at least $1.00
for at least 10 consecutive business days since the April 24, 2020
notice, and therefore, we have regained compliance with Nasdaq
listing rule 5550(a)(2).
While we intend to engage in efforts to maintain compliance, and
thus maintain our listing, there can be no assurance that we will
continue to meet all applicable Nasdaq Capital Market requirements
in the future. In the event of future noncompliance, and if Nasdaq
determines to delist our common stock, the delisting could
substantially decrease trading in our common stock; adversely
affect the market liquidity of our common stock as a result of the loss of market efficiencies
associated with Nasdaq and the loss of federal preemption of state
securities laws; adversely affect our ability to obtain financing
on acceptable terms, if at all; and may result in the potential
loss of confidence by investors, suppliers, customers, and
employees and fewer business development opportunities.
Additionally, the market price of our common stock may decline and
shareholders may lose some or all of their
investment.
We have a significant securityholder, which could exert substantial
influence over our business.
As of August 11, 2020, to our knowledge, Armistice Capital, LLC, or
Armistice, held 1,523,611 shares of our common stock, warrants to
purchase up to 4,145,076 shares of our common stock at an exercise
price of $1.93 per share, warrants to purchase up to 2,360,313
shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.04 per share,
warrants to purchase up to 7,783,616 shares of our common stock at
an exercise price of $0.903 per share, and pre-funded warrants to
purchase up to 5,260,005 shares of our common stock at an exercise
price of $0.0001 per share. In addition, two members of our Board
of Directors are affiliates of Armistice. Under the terms of the
warrants and pre-funded warrants issued to Armistice, Armistice is
not permitted to exercise such warrants to the extent that such
exercise would result in Armistice (and its affiliates)
beneficially owning more than 19.99% (or 4.99% in the case of the
warrants with the $1.04 exercise price per share) of the number of
shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving
effect to the issuance of shares of common stock issuable upon
exercise of such warrants. After giving effect to the beneficial
ownership limitations currently in effect with respect to the
warrants and pre-funded warrants held by Armistice to our
knowledge, as of August 11, 2020, Armistice beneficially owned
19.99% of our outstanding common stock. If the warrants and
pre-funded warrants held by Armistice could be exercised without
the beneficial ownership limitations, then as of August 11, 2020,
Armistice would have beneficially owned 65.5% of our common stock.
Although there are contractual limitations on the beneficial
ownership of Armistice, if Armistice were to exercise its warrants
for common stock, it could be able to exert substantial influence
over our business, including, for example, the ability to delay,
defer or prevent a change of control, entrench our management and
the Board of Directors or delay or prevent a merger, consolidation
or other business combination
31
ITEM 6.
EXHIBITS
The
following exhibits are being filed herewith and are numbered in
accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K:
No.
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Description
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Form of
Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1
to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 13,
2020)
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Form of
Unregistered Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
4.2 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March
13, 2020)
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Form of
Placement Agent Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit 4.3 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on
March 13, 2020)
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Form of
Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1
to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 8,
2020)
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Form of
Unregistered Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
4.2 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 8,
2020)
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Form of
Placement Agent Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit 4.3 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on
July 8, 2020)
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Form of
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 11, 2020, by and
between Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. and the investor named therein
(incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our current
report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 13,
2020)
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Note,
dated April 30, 2020, between Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. and First
Horizon Bank (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to
our quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 15,
2020)
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Form of
Securities Purchase Agreement for Class C Units and Class D Units,
dated as of July 6, 2020, by and between Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.
and the investor named therein (incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC
on July 8, 2020)
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Form of
Securities Purchase Agreement for Class E Units and Class F Units,
dated as of July 6, 2020, by and between Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.
and the investor named therein (incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit 10.2 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC
on July 8, 2020)
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Form of
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2020, by and
between Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. and the investor named therein
(incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to our current
report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 8, 2020)
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes
Oxley Act of 2002
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Certification
of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes
Oxley Act of 2002
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
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Certification
of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
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101.INS
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XBRL
Instance Document
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101.SCH
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XBRL
Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
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101.CAL
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XBRL
Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
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101.DEF
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XBRL
Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
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32
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the
requirements 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.
Date:
August 14, 2020
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TENAX
THERAPEUTICS, INC.
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By: |
/s/ Michael B.
Jebsen
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Michael B. Jebsen |
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President
and Chief Financial Officer
(On
behalf of the Registrant and as Principal Financial
Officer)
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33