Zomedica Corp. - Quarter Report: 2018 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018.

OR

For the transition period from________ to_________.

Commission File Number: 001-38298

Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(734) 369-2555

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes [X] 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.

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. [X]

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

As of November 13, 2018, 94,796,209 shares of the registrant’s common shares, without par value, were issued and outstanding.

Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corporation

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Condensed unaudited interim consolidated balance sheets

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

Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Condensed unaudited interim consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss

Nature of operations and going concern (Note 1)

Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)

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

Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Condensed unaudited interim consolidated statements of shareholders’ equity

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

Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Condensed unaudited interim consolidated statements of cash flows

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

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our financial statements and the related notes and the other financial information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, and those set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K particularly those under “Risk Factors” discussed below and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.

There are a number of important factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made by us. These factors include, but are not limited to:

The foregoing does not represent an exhaustive list of matters that may be covered by the forward-looking statements contained herein or risk factors that we are faced with that may cause our actual results to differ from those anticipate in our forward-looking statements. Please see “Risk Factors” below and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional risks which could adversely impact our business and financial performance.

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report or the date of the document incorporated by reference into this report. We have no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. We have expressed our expectations, beliefs and projections in good faith and we believe they have a reasonable basis. However, we cannot assure you that our expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATION

Overview

We are a development stage veterinary diagnostic and pharmaceutical company creating products for companion animals (canine, feline, and equine) by focusing on the unmet needs of clinical veterinarians. We believe that we have identified and are developing diagnostics and therapeutics that have the potential to significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases affecting companion animals. We believe that there are significant unmet medical needs for pets, and that the pet diagnostic and therapeutic segments of the animal health industry are likely to grow substantially as new diagnostic tools and treatments are identified, developed, and marketed specifically for companion animals.

Together with our strategic partners, we are developing a Raman spectroscopy-based point-of-care diagnostic platform for the detection of pathogens, liquid biopsy assays for the detection of cancer and related consumables. The regulatory pathway to obtain pre-market regulatory approval of companion animal diagnostics is significantly shorter than for similar diagnostic products intended for human use. In certain cases, pre-market regulatory approval may be unnecessary, depending on the intended use of the diagnostic.

We also have identified a number of drugs that have proven safe and effective in humans that we are developing for use in companion animals. We believe this development approach enables us to reduce the risks associated with obtaining regulatory approval for unproven product candidates and shortens the development timeline necessary to bring our product candidates to market. We have four drug product candidates in early development and have identified several other potential product candidates for further investigation.

In addition, we are investigating the development of alternative drug delivery technologies for our drug product candidates. Many of the human-approved therapeutics used in companion animals are only available in pill or injectable form. However, it can be difficult to give a companion animal an injection or to assure that the animal has swallowed a pill. As a result, we believe that compliance with treatment regimens is a significant problem for veterinarians and pet owners. The challenges associated with medicating pets are unique, and we believe that developing product candidates that can be easily taken by the pet or easily administered by pet owners will help increase compliance.

We are a development-stage company with no products approved for marketing and sale, and we have not generated any revenue. We have incurred significant net losses since our inception. We incurred net losses of $1,910,278 and $2,080,682 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively, and $8,226,005 and $5,501,788 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively. These losses have resulted principally from costs incurred in connection with investigating and developing our product candidates, research and development activities and general and administrative costs associated with our operations. As of September 30, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of $23,852,105 and cash and cash equivalents of $526,817.

For the foreseeable future, we expect to continue to incur losses, which will increase significantly from historical levels as we expand our product development activities, commercialize them if they do not require U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, or FDA-CVM, pre-market approval, and seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates where required from the FDA-CVM or the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics, or the USDA-CVB.

For further information on the regulatory, business and product pipeline, please see the “Business” section of the Annual Report on Form 10-K. For further information on the risk factors, please see the “Risk Factors” section of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Revenue

We do not have any products approved for sale, have not generated any revenue from product sales since our inception and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future. If our development efforts result in clinical success and regulatory approval or collaboration agreements with third parties for any of our product candidates, we may generate revenue from those product candidates.

Operating Expenses

The majority of our operating expenses to date have been for the general and administrative activities related to general business activities, capital market activities and stock-based compensation, and research and development activities related to our lead product candidates.

Research and Development Expense

All costs of research and development are expensed in the period in which they are incurred. Research and development costs primarily consist of salaries and related expenses for personnel, fees paid to consultants, outside service providers, professional services, license fees, travel costs and materials used in clinical trials and research and development.

We have a point-of-care diagnostic platform, ZM-020, for the detection of pathogens in urine and fecal samples, and a non-invasive diagnostic assay or blood test, ZM-017, that we are developing as an aid for veterinarians in diagnosing cancer in canines.

We have four drug product candidates in development. Our lead drug product candidate is ZM-007, an oral suspension formulation of metronidazole targeting the treatment of acute diarrhea in small dog breeds and puppies under nine pounds or four kilograms. Our second drug product candidate is ZM-012, a novel tablet formulation of metronidazole and a complementary formulation to ZM-007, targeting the treatment of acute diarrhea in larger dogs. Our third drug product candidate is ZM-006, a transdermal gel formulation of methimazole targeting hyperthyroidism in cats. Our fourth drug product candidate is ZM-011, a transdermal gel formulation of fluoxetine, most commonly known as Prozac®, its human pharmaceutical brand name.

We typically use our employee and infrastructure resources across multiple development programs. We track outsourced development costs by product candidate. We allocate personnel and other internal costs related to development of ZM-020 and ZM-017.

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expense consists primarily of personnel costs, including salaries, related benefits and stock-based compensation for employees, consultants and directors. General and administrative expenses also include rent and other facilities costs and professional and consulting fees for legal, accounting, tax services and other general business services.

Professional Fees

Professional fees include attorney’s fees, accounting fees and consulting fees incurred in connection with product investigation and analysis, regulatory analysis, government relations, audit, securities offerings, investor relations, and general corporate and intellectual property advice.

Income Taxes

As of December 31, 2017, we had net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $5,008,180 and non-capital loss carryforwards for Canada of approximately $6,526,850 respectively, which will begin to expire in fiscal year 2035. According to newly released IRS regulations, net operating losses generated after 2017 do not expire. However, we have evaluated the factors bearing upon the realization of our deferred tax assets, which are comprised principally of net operating loss carryforwards and non-capital loss carryforwards. We concluded that, due to the uncertainty of realizing any tax benefits as of December 31, 2017 and forward, a valuation allowance is necessary to fully offset our deferred tax assets.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and revenue, costs and expenses and related disclosures during the reporting periods. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those described below. 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. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 3 of the notes to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this document, we believe that the estimates and assumptions involved in the following accounting policies may have the greatest potential impact on our financial statements.

JOBS Act

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act, contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for an “emerging growth company.” We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of the JOBS Act provision that an emerging growth company may delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such times as those standards apply to private companies.

In addition, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if as an “emerging growth company” we choose to rely on such exemptions, we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, and (ii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis). These exemptions will apply until December 31, 2022 or until we no longer meet the requirements of being an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the year. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Areas where significant judgment is involved in making estimates are: the determination of the functional currency; the fair values of financial assets and liabilities; the determination of fair value of stock-based compensation; and forecasting future cash flows for assessing the going concern assumption.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development expenses comprise costs incurred in performing research and development activities, including salaries and benefits, safety and efficacy studies and contract manufacturing costs, contract research costs, patent procurement costs, materials and supplies and occupancy costs. Research and development activities include internal and external activities associated with research and development studies of current product candidates and advancing product candidates towards a goal of obtaining regulatory approval to manufacture and market the product candidate.

Research and development costs related to continued research and development programs are expensed as incurred in accordance with ASC topic 730.

Translation of Foreign Currencies

The functional currency, as determined by management, is U.S. dollars, which is also our reporting currency. Transactions denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars and the monetary value of assets and liabilities are translated at the period end exchange rates. Revenue and expenses are translated at rates of exchange prevailing on the transaction dates. All of the exchange gains or losses resulting from these other transactions are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Stock-Based Compensation

We measure the cost of equity-settled transactions by reference to the fair value of the equity instruments at the date at which they are granted if the fair value of the goods or services received by us cannot be reliably estimated.

We calculate stock-based compensation using the fair value method, under which the fair value of the options at the grant date is calculated using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, and subsequently expensed over the vesting period of the option. The provisions of our stock-based compensation plans do not require us to settle any options by transferring cash or other assets, and therefore we classify the awards as equity. Stock-based compensation expense recognized during the period is based on the value of stock-based payment awards that are ultimately expected to vest. We estimate forfeitures at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Volatility is determined based on volatilities of comparable companies as Company does not have its own trading history. The expected term, which represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding, is estimated based on an average of the term of the options. The risk-free rate assumed in valuing the options is based on the Canadian treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for the expected term of the option. The expected dividend yield percentage at the date of grant is Nil as we are not expected to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

Loss Per Share

Basic loss per share, or EPS, is computed by dividing the loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur from common shares issuable through the exercise or conversion of stock options, restricted stock awards, warrants and convertible securities. In certain circumstances, the conversion of options, warrants and convertible securities are excluded from diluted EPS if the effect of such inclusion would be anti-dilutive.

The dilutive effect of stock options is determined using the treasury stock method. Stock options and warrants to purchase our common shares issued during the period were not included in the computation of diluted EPS, as the effect would be anti-dilutive.

Comprehensive Loss

We follow ASC topic 220. This statement establishes standards for reporting and display of comprehensive (loss) income and its components. Comprehensive loss is net loss plus certain items that are recorded directly to shareholders' equity. We currently have no other comprehensive loss items. 

Results of Operations

Three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to three and nine months ended September 30, 2017

Our results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 are as follows:

Revenue

We did not generate any revenue during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017.

Research and Development

 Research and development expense for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $630,371 compared to $465,495 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $164,876 or 35%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in contracted expenditures of $102,967, salaries, bonus and benefits of $46,038 and consulting fees of $21,889.

Research and development expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $3,765,332 compared to $1,586,179 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $2,179,153 or 137%. The increase was primarily due to the up-front licensing fee related to the signing of a development, commercialization and exclusive distribution agreement with Seraph Biosciences, Inc. of $1,738,513, and accrued payments to Seraph for previously incurred development costs of $333,247 included in contracted expenditures. The up-front licensing fee represented the issuance of unregistered common shares having a value of $1,238,513 and a cash payment of $500,000. Other significant increases of expenditures include contracted expenditures of $451,885. Overall there was an increased level of lab activities, including in vitro and in vivo work, to support the further development of our product candidates ZM-017, ZM-020, ZM-007, ZM-012, ZM-006 and ZM-011. We expect that our R&D expenditures in 2018 will be significantly higher than in 2017, due to the upfront and milestone payments of licensed technologies, initiation of pilot studies related to our four investigational new animal drug applications, work related to verification and validation of ZM-020 and ZM-017, and additional veterinary pharmaceutical candidates, diagnostic developments and technologies.

General and Administrative

 General and administrative expense for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $834,570 compared to $1,350,728 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, a decrease of $516,156 or 38%. The decrease was primarily due to the prior period stock-based compensation expenses of $675,940 primarily as a result of the granting of options to purchase an aggregate of 1,280,000 common shares in August 2017 of which 1,223,750 vested immediately upon the date of grant. In the three months ended September 30, 2018 there was no stock-based compensation grant of stock options. This decrease was also partially offset by an increase in office expense of $55,613 and rent expense of $51,658 due to the expansion of our laboratory and office space, and insurance costs of $28,530 for increased Directors and Officers Insurance premiums.

General and administrative expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $3,243,232, compared to $2,926,361 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $316,871 or 11%. After adjusting for the prior period stock-based compensation expense of $837,531 the increase for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $1,168,822. The increase was due to an increase to salaries, bonus and benefits (excluding stock-based compensation expense) of $701,310 related to the addition of personnel, the addition of a Chief Commercial Officer, a Vice President of Sales and accrued severance to a former officer of the Company. Other increased expenses included office expense of $143,856, regulatory expense of $125,625, and insurance costs of $102,172. We expect that G&A expense will increase in 2018 and future periods as we increase our level of activity.

Professional Fees

Professional fees for the three months ended September 30, 2018 were $293,484 compared to $246,192 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $47,292 or 19%. Professional fees for the 2018 period consisted primarily of consulting fees incurred in connection with preparation and completion of additional SEC filings and updates, and costs incurred in being a public company across two jurisdictions, Canada and U.S.

Professional fees for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were $1,001,886 compared to $942,385 for the nine months ended September30, 2017, an increase of $59,501 or 6%. Professional fees for the 2018 period consisted primarily of consulting fees incurred in connection with preparation and completion of additional SEC filings and updates, and costs incurred in being a public company across two jurisdictions, Canada and U.S.

Net Loss

Our net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $1,910,278 or $0.02 per share, compared with a net loss of $2,080,682 or $0.02 per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $170,404 or 8%. The net loss in each period was attributed to the matters described above.

Our net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $8,226,005 or $0.09 per share, compared with a net loss of $5,501,788, or $0.06 per share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $2,724,217 or 50%. The net loss in each period was attributed to the matters described above. We expect to continue to record net losses in future periods until such time as have sufficient revenue from our product candidates to offset our operating expenses.

Cash Flows

Three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to three and nine months ended September 30, 2017

The following table shows a summary of our cash flows for the periods set forth below:

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $3,371,059 compared to $1,443,196 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $1,927,861 or 134%. The increase resulted primarily from our net loss of $1,910,278 for the three months ended September 30, 2018, compared to our net loss of $2,080,682 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, a decrease of $170,404 or 8%. The largest uses of cash stemmed from an amended lease agreement for additional laboratory and office space for our headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan in which we deposited $1,269,073 in rent for the entire 43-month lease term. Other significant increases in uses of cash include an increase in salaries, bonus and benefits as we had 22 employees at September 30, 2018, compared to 20 employees at September 30, 2017.

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $7,819,347 compared to $5,108,962 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $$2,710,385 or 53%. The increase resulted primarily from our net loss of $8,226,005 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to our net loss of $5,501,788 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $2,724,217 or 50%. The largest uses of cash stemmed from the Seraph up-front licensing fee cash payment of $500,000 and we entered into an amended lease agreement as discussed above. Other significant increases in uses of cash include an increase in salaries, bonus and benefits as we had 22 employees at September 30, 2018, compared to 20 employees at September 30, 2017. These increases in uses of cash were partially offset by sources of cash from stock issued for services and stock-based compensation for a total of $1,245,801.

Net cash used in operating activities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 was, $1,443,196 and $5,108,962 which resulted primarily from our net loss of $2,080,682 and $5,501,788. The largest uses of cash were for employee salaries, bonus and benefits, professional fees and consulting expenses related to the preparation of our initial U.S. registration statement, and work on our application to list our common shares on the NYSE American.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $86,388 compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $3,361,428 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, a decrease of $3,275,041 or 97%. The decrease was primarily due to a nil cash proceeds from financing for the three months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $3,320,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2017. Other financing activities included the exercise of stock options for $98,716 for the three months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $60,655 for the three months ended September 30, 2017.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $5,503,385 compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $6,610,122 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, a decrease of $1,106,737 or 17%. The decrease was primarily due to cash proceeds from financing for $4,002,496 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $6,570,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. Other financing activities included the exercise of stock options for $1,537,024 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $100,198 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $3,361,428 and $6,610,122, which relates primarily to the sale of $3,320,000 and $6,570.000 of our common shares and proceeds from the exercise of stock options for $60,655 and $100,198 respectively.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $467,675 compared to $4,775 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $462,900 or 9,694%. The increase resulted primarily from the build-out of the new laboratory and office space in Ann Arbor.

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $605,368, compared to $164,576 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of $440,792 or 268%.The increase resulted primarily from the completion of build-out of the new laboratory and office space in Ann Arbor.

Net cash used in investing activities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $4,775 and $164,576 which primarily resulted from leasehold improvements and the purchase of furniture and equipment for the initial office space in Ann Arbor.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We have incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations and have not generated any revenue since our inception in May 2015. As of September 30, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of $23,852,105. We have funded our working capital requirements primarily through the sale of our common shares and the exercise of stock options. At September 30, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $526,817.

Working capital (defined as current assets minus current liabilities) was $765,853 as of September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to cash and cash equivalents of $526,817 and prepaid expenses and deposits of $1,481,673, partially offset by accounts payables and accrued liabilities of $1,280,379.

On October 17, 2017 we entered into a five-year $5,000,000 unsecured working capital facility with Equidebt LLC, one of our shareholders (the “Equidebt Facility”). Amounts borrowed under the Equidebt Facility bear interest at a rate of 14% per annum payable at maturity. All amounts borrowed under the Equidebt Facility become due and payable on October 17, 2022. We can make two borrowings per month under the Equidebt Facility, each of which must be for a minimum of $250,000. The Equidebt Facility is unsecured; however Gerald A. Solensky Jr., our Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, has personally guaranteed our obligations under the Equidebt Facility. As of September 30, 2018 we have not borrowed against this facility.

On May 15, 2018, we announced a private offering of up to $10,000,000 of our common shares at a price of $2.15 per share (the “Private Placement”) and we issued 255,815 common shares for gross proceeds of $550,000. On June 28, 2018, we issued an additional 1,605,812 common shares for gross proceeds of $3,452,496 pursuant to the Private Placement. On July 28, 2018, the Private Placement of common shares expired with no additional sales. In aggregate, we sold a total of 1,861,627 common shares at a price of $2.15 per share for total gross proceeds of approximately $4,002,496. These common shares may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they are registered under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. We recorded $23,806 of share issuance costs as an offset to capital stock.

We believe that our existing cash and available borrowings under the Equidebt Facility will be sufficient to fund our operations through the next twelve months. Our ability to continue as a going concern is ultimately dependent upon our ability to achieve sustainable positive cash flow from operations. However, we do not expect to generate revenue from the sale of our product candidates for the foreseeable future. To the extent that we do not generate sufficient cash flow from our operations, we intend to finance our working capital requirements through equity and/or debt financings, development agreements or marketing license agreements, the collection of revenues resulting from future commercialization activities and/or new strategic partnership agreements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain any such capital on terms or in amounts sufficient to meet our needs or at all. The availability of equity or debt financing will be affected by, among other things, the results of our research and development activities, our ability to obtain regulatory approvals, market acceptance of any products for which we receive marketing approval, conditions in the capital markets generally and in the veterinary products industry, strategic alliance agreements and other relevant commercial considerations.

If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our existing security holders will likely experience dilution, and the incurring of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to operating and financial covenants that could restrict operations. In the event that we are unable to obtain sufficient capital to meet our working capital requirements, we may be required to change or curtail current or planned operations in order to conserve cash until such time, if ever, that sufficient proceeds from operations are generated. In such an event, we may not be able to take advantage of business opportunities, and may have to terminate or delay safety and efficacy studies, curtail our product development programs, or sell or assign rights to our product candidates, products and technologies.

Based on the closing price of our common shares on September 30, 2018, the market price of our common shares exceeded the exercise price of our outstanding stock options. To the extent that some or all of such stock options are exercised, we would receive the proceeds of such exercises which would provide additional capital for our company. However no assurance can be given that any of such stock options will be exercised or as to the proceeds and timing of any exercises that do occur. The willingness of option holders to exercise their options depends on a number of factors, including, without limitation: the future market price of our common shares; the availability of capital to fund the payment of the exercise price of such options, the tax consequences of any such exercises and the ability of such option holders to resell some or all of the common shares received upon such exercises.

Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

Since inception, we have not engaged in the use of any off-balance sheet arrangements, such as structured finance entities, special purpose entities or variable interest entities.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance, ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The main difference between current U.S. GAAP and the new guidance is the recognition of lease liabilities based on the present value of remaining lease payments and corresponding lease assets for operating leases under current U.S. GAAP with limited exception. Additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures are also required by the new guidance. Topic 842 is effective for annual reporting periods (including interim reporting periods) beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We are in the process of evaluating the amendments to determine if they have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows or disclosures.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Not applicable.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Our Disclosure Controls

 We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that material information required to be disclosed in our periodic reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, our chief executive officer and our chief financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13(a)-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that, as of September 30, 2018, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.  

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on criteria established in the framework in “Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013)” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of September 30, 2018.

PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to Our Business

We have a limited operating history, are not profitable and may never become profitable.

We are a development stage veterinary diagnostic and pharmaceutical company creating products for companion animals (canine, feline and equine) by focusing on the unmet needs of clinical veterinarians. Since the commencement of our business in May 2015, our operations have been primarily limited to the identification of product candidates and research and development of our diagnostic and drug product candidates, ZM-020, a Raman spectroscopy-based point-of-care diagnostic platform, ZM-017, a non-invasive diagnostic assay or blood test for the detection of certain cancers in canines, ZM-007 and ZM-012, an anti-diarrheal oral suspension and pill form respectively that is intended for use in dogs, ZM-006, a transdermal gel treatment for hyperthyroidism, a metabolic disorder, which is intended for use in cats and ZM-011, a transdermal gel treatment for behavioral disorders intended for use in cats. As a result, we have limited historical operations upon which to evaluate our business and prospects and we have not yet demonstrated an ability to obtain approval for any of our product candidates or successfully overcome the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in emerging fields such as the companion animal pharmaceuticals and health care solutions industries.

We also have not generated any revenue to date, and we expect to continue to incur significant research and development costs and other expenses. Our net loss and comprehensive loss for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 was $1,910,278 and $2,080,682, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 was $8,226,005 and $5,501,788, respectively, and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $8,065,072 and $5,740,492, respectively. Our accumulated deficit as of September 30, 2018 was $23,852,105. As of September 30, 2018, we had total shareholders' equity of $2,910,267. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, which will increase significantly from historical levels as we expand our product development activities (including conducting required clinical studies and trials), seek necessary approvals for our product candidates, and begin commercialization activities. Even if we succeed in developing and broadly commercializing one or more of our product candidates, we expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and we may never become profitable. If we fail to achieve or maintain profitability, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce or cease operations.

We will need to raise additional capital to achieve our goals.

We do not have any products approved for sale. Although we believe that we do not require pre-market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, or the FDA-CVM, to market and sell ZM-020, our Raman spectroscopy-based point-of-care diagnostic platform, or ZM-017, the circulating tumor cell, or CTC, diagnostic assay that we are developing, we do not expect to commence marketing of these solutions until the second half of 2018.

Until, and unless, we receive approval from the FDA-CVM for our drug product candidates, we cannot market or sell our drug products in the United States and will have no material drug product revenue. Our lead drug product candidates, ZM-007, ZM-012, ZM-006 and ZM-011 are in the formulation, optimization and/or pilot study stage, and we have not yet begun pivotal trials. We anticipate that each of our drug product candidates will require from three to five years of development at a cost of approximately $3 million to $5 million per drug product candidate before we expect to be able to apply for marketing approval in the United States.

We are also seeking to identify potential complementary opportunities in the veterinary diagnostics and therapeutics sectors. We will continue to expend substantial resources for the foreseeable future to develop our existing product candidates and any other product candidates that we may develop or acquire. These expenditures will include: costs of identifying additional potential product candidates; costs associated with drug formulation; costs associated with conducting pilot and pivotal trials and clinical studies; costs associated with completing other research and development activities; costs associated with payments to technology licensors and maintaining other intellectual property; costs of obtaining regulatory approvals; costs associated with securing contract manufacturers to meet our commercial manufacturing and supply capabilities; and costs associated with marketing and selling any of our products approved for sale. We also may incur unanticipated costs. Because the outcome of our development activities and commercialization efforts is inherently uncertain, the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of our existing or future product candidates may be greater or less than we anticipate.

As a result, we will need to obtain additional capital to fund the development of our business. Except for our $5,000,000 unsecured working capital loan we have no existing agreements or arrangements with respect to any financings, and any such financings may result in dilution to our shareholders, the imposition of debt covenants and repayment obligations or other restrictions that may adversely affect our business or the value of our common shares.

Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

Additional funds may not be available when we need them on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate one or more of our product development programs or any future commercialization efforts.

We are substantially dependent on the success of our lead product candidates, and cannot be certain that any of them will be approved for marketing, to the extent applicable, or successfully commercialized.

We have no products approved for sale in any jurisdiction and are focused primarily on the development of our lead diagnostic and drug product candidates, ZM-020, ZM-017, ZM-007, ZM-012, ZM-006 and ZM-011. Accordingly, our near-term prospects, including our ability to generate material product revenue, or enter into potential strategic transactions, will depend heavily on the successful development and commercialization of one or more of our lead candidates, which in turn will depend on a number of factors, including the following:

Many of these factors are beyond our control. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in developing or commercializing any of our product candidates. If we are unsuccessful or are significantly delayed in developing and commercializing ZM-020, ZM-017, ZM-007, ZM-012, ZM-006 or ZM-011 or any of our other product candidates, our business and prospects will be materially adversely affected and you may lose all or a portion of your investment. 

Our product candidates will face significant competition and may be unable to compete effectively.

The development and commercialization of veterinary diagnostics and pharmaceuticals is highly competitive and our success depends on our ability to compete effectively with other products in the market.

There are a number of competitors in the diagnostic market that have substantially greater financial and operational resources and established marketing, sales and service organizations. We expect to compete primarily with commercial clinical laboratories, hospitals’ clinical laboratories and other veterinary diagnostic equipment manufacturers. Our principal competitors in the veterinary diagnostic market are Idexx Laboratories, Inc., Antech Diagnostics, a unit of VCA Inc., Abaxis, Inc., Heska Corporation and Zoetis Inc. We must develop our distribution channels and build our direct sales force in order to compete effectively in these markets. If we are unable to effectively manage our distribution channels in our highly competitive industry, we may fail to retain customers or obtain new customers and our business will suffer.

If our drug product candidates are approved, we expect to compete with large animal health companies including Merck Animal Health, the animal health division of Merck & Co., Inc.; Elanco, the animal health division of Eli Lilly and Company; Bayer Animal Health, the animal health division of Bayer AG; Novartis Animal Health, the animal health division of Novartis AG; Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, the animal health division of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH; and Zoetis, Inc., as well as European companies such as Virbac S.A., Vetoquinol S.A. and Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC We are also aware of several smaller early stage companies that are developing products for use in the pet therapeutics market, including Kindred Biosciences, Inc., Aratana Therapeutics, Inc., Parnell Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd. and Jaguar Animal Health, Inc. We also expect to compete with academic institutions, governmental agencies and private organizations that are conducting research in the field of animal health medicines.

We target drug product candidates for which the API, while having been approved for use in human drugs, has not been previously approved for use in animals. If we are the first to gain approval for the use of such API in animals, our drug products will benefit from between three and seven years of marketing exclusivity in the United States for the approved indication. We also plan to differentiate our products, where possible, with alternative drug delivery systems that are more conducive to dosing for the target companion animal species, but we cannot assure you that we will be able to prevent our competitors from developing substantially similar products and bringing those products to market earlier than we are able to.

Our drug product candidates will face competition from various products approved for use in humans that are used off-label in animals, and all of our products will face potential competition from new products in development. These and other potential competing products may benefit from greater brand recognition and brand loyalty than our drug product candidates may achieve.

Many of our competitors and potential competitors have substantially more financial, technical and human resources than we do. Many also have far more experience than we have in the development, manufacture, regulation and worldwide commercialization of animal health medicines, including pet therapeutics. We also expect to compete with academic institutions, governmental agencies and private organizations that are conducting research in the fields of animal diagnostics and animal health. If such competing products are commercialized prior to our product candidates, or if our intellectual property protection and efforts to obtain regulatory exclusivity fail to provide us with exclusive marketing rights for some of our therapeutic products, we may be unable to compete effectively in the markets in which we participate. Contractual agreements between clinics and from competitors may limit practices’ ability to use other tests and technologies due to predetermined minimums in those agreements.

Development of product candidates for use in companion animal health is an inherently expensive, time-consuming and uncertain, and any delay or discontinuance of validation or pivotal studies for our current or future product candidates would significantly harm our business and prospects.

Development of product candidates for use in companion animals is an inherently lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and there is no assurance that our development activities will be successful. We do not know whether the validation studies of ZM-017 or ZM-020, or the pivotal studies of ZM-007, ZM-012, ZM-006 or ZM-011, or of any of our other product candidates, will begin or conclude on time, and they may be delayed or discontinued for a variety of reasons, including if we are unable to:

Any delays in completing our development efforts will increase our costs, delay our product candidate development and any regulatory approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenue. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects. In addition, factors that may cause a delay in the commencement or completion of our development efforts may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates which, as described above, would materially, adversely impact our business and prospects.

We will rely on third parties to conduct certain portions of our development activities. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines, we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our product candidates.

We have used contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) and contract research organizations (“CROs”) to conduct our manufacturing and research and development activities. We expect to continue to do so, including with respect to our manufacturing, clinical validation, pilot studies and pivotal trials of ZM-020, ZM-017, ZM-007, ZM-012, ZM-006 and ZM-011. These CMOs and CROs are not our employees, and except for contractual duties and obligations, we have limited ability to control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our programs or manage the risks associated with their activities on our behalf. We are responsible to regulatory authorities for ensuring that each of our product candidates is manufactured using good manufacturing practices and studies are conducted in accordance with the development plans and trial protocols, and any failure by our CMOs and CROs to do so may adversely affect our ability to obtain regulatory approvals, subject us to penalties, or harm our credibility with regulators. The FDA-CVM also requires us and our CMOs and CROs to comply with regulations and standards, commonly referred to as good manufacturing practices, or GMPs, good clinical practices, or GCPs, and good laboratory practices, or GLPs, collectively called GXPs, for conducting, monitoring, recording and reporting the results of our manufacturing and studies to ensure that the data and results are scientifically credible and accurate.

Our agreements with our CMOs and CROs may allow termination by the CMOs and CROs in certain circumstances with little or no advance notice to us. These agreements generally will require our CMOs and CROs to reasonably cooperate with us at our expense for an orderly winding down of the CMOs’ and CROs’ services under the agreements. If the CMOs and CROs conducting our manufacturing and studies do not comply with their contractual duties or obligations to us, or if they experience work stoppages, do not meet expected deadlines, terminate their agreements with us or need to be replaced, or if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our development protocols or GXPs or for any other reason, we may need to secure new arrangements with alternative CMOs and CROs, which could be difficult and costly. In such event, our studies also may need to be extended, delayed or terminated as a result, or may need to be repeated. If any of the foregoing were to occur, regulatory approval and commercialization of our product candidates may be delayed and we may be required to expend substantial additional resources.

The failure of any CMO and CRO to perform adequately or the termination of any arrangements with any of them may adversely affect our business.

Risks Related to Government Regulation

Various government regulations could limit or delay our ability to develop and commercialize our products or otherwise negatively impact our business.

In the U.S., the manufacture and sale of certain diagnostic products are regulated by agencies such as the USDA, the FDA or the EPA. While our point-of-care Raman spectroscopy-based diagnostic solution and our diagnostic test for canine cancer do not require approval by the USDA prior to sale in the U.S., these diagnostic solutions will be subject to post-marketing oversight by the FDA-CVM. In addition, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals for new products or product upgrades could have a negative impact on our growth and profitability.

The manufacture and sale of our products, as well as our research and development processes, are subject to similar and potentially more stringent laws in foreign countries.

We are also subject to a variety of federal, state, local and international laws and regulations that govern, among other things, the importation and exportation of products; our business practices in the U.S. and abroad, such as anti-corruption and anti-competition laws; and immigration and travel restrictions. These legal and regulatory requirements differ among jurisdictions around the world and are rapidly changing and increasingly complex. The costs associated with compliance with these legal and regulatory requirements are significant and likely to increase in the future.

Any failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements could result in fines, penalties and sanctions; product recalls; suspensions or discontinuations of, or limitations or restrictions on, our ability to design, manufacture, market, import, export or sell our products; and damage to our reputation.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

Our diagnostic assay technologies depend on certain technologies that are licensed to us. We do not control these technologies and any loss of our rights to them could prevent us from marketing our diagnostic product candidates.

Our Raman spectroscopy-based point-of-care diagnostic product is dependent on a license from Seraph Biosciences, Inc., while our canine cancer diagnostic assay technology is dependent on a license from Celsee, Inc. We do not own the intellectual property rights that underlie these licenses. Our rights to use the technology we license are subject to the negotiation of, continuation of and compliance with the terms of our licenses. We do not control the prosecution, maintenance or filing of the patents and other intellectual property licensed to us, or the enforcement of these intellectual property rights against third parties. The patents and patent applications underlying our licenses were not written by us or our attorneys, and we do not have control over the drafting and prosecution of such rights. Seraph and Celsee might not have given the same attention to the drafting and prosecution of patents and patent applications as we would have if we had been the owners of the intellectual property rights and had control over such drafting and prosecution. We cannot be certain that drafting and/or prosecution of the licensed patents and patent applications has been or will be conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or will result in valid and enforceable patents and other intellectual property rights.

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

Not applicable.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information.

None.

Item 6. Exhibits.

The exhibits listed on the accompanying index to exhibits immediately preceding the exhibits are filed as part of, or hereby incorporated by reference into, this Quarterly Report.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.

EXHIBIT INDEX